#I heart deucie

[yulin-pop]

Coughs

I LOVE DEUCE SOADE SO MCHH HES SO CUTE WTH THANK YOU THANK UOU DISNEY I ACTSJLLY GOT THE CARF I WANTED THIS IS TEH BEST EVENT EVER I LOVE YOU

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Ace, Lilia: Be Not Deceived

OH???? 👁️ One of the paintings in the background is the Ace of Hearts card soldiers… Does this mean we’ll get to see the actual character inspos for each boy, even the obscure ones like Jack and Sebek??? Will we finally solve a 3+ year long mystery??????? 🔍

… Also, not Ace casually wanting to go to karaoke with Scar 😭 (Funny, cuz he was denied hearing L*ona sing during Endless Halloween Night.) Figures that Ace would be the best at singing of the first years, the others are just no competition…

A Tale as Old as Time.

Not every work of art had a seriousness about it. In fact, Ace preferred to ogle the sillier pieces, finding solace in the nonsense and the chaos of them.

Hands shoved into the pockets of his finely tailored slacks, he found himself entranced by a bed of oysters. They were pried open, one half of their shells propped up to resemble bonnets. Their fleshy, round faces were still drowsy from sleep.

Little babies, the whole lot of them.

“My, you’ve taken quite an interest in that painting. I wouldn’t have expected it of you.” The remark came from Lilia, who curiously peered over at Ace from one side. “Have you an interest in oysters?”

“Nah, can’t stand’m. Especially raw,” he replied. “I was just thinkin’ of something I heard from back home."

“Oh?" Lilia’s large eyes glittered with a keen interest. “Now this I must hear.”

“It’s not really that interesting.” Ace shrugged. “A walrus dressed up in a suit to wine and dine a bunch of oysters—but the punchline is, instead of being taken out to dinner, the oysters are the walrus’s dinner! We have a Walrus-brand oyster sauce in the Queendom of Roses that gets its name from that story."

“Kufufu, I see! What a fascinating origin," Lilia mused. "It's a cautionary tale to not trust strangers. It brings to mind warnings to be wary of wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

"I guess so? The walrus looked nice at first glance, but he basically robbed a cradle. Seriously, who'd actually go and kidnap a baby like that? It’s just an exaggerated story to scare gullible kids into acting straight.”

Lilia's mouth adopted a mysterious, knowing smile.

"Oh, you'd be surprised!" he chuckled softly. "You never know when a big, bad monster might come in the night to steal you away from your family."

There was an eerie intenseness behind his every word, the magenta of his irises darkening to match. A shiver bolted down Ace’s spine. Lilia, too, was a creature of that very night that threatened to consume him.

"Y-Yeesh, you're freakin' me out, Lilia-senpai” Ace jokingly shoved his upperclassman. His fear had been fleeting, easily chased off with a laugh. “Don't say scary stuff like that. Halloween isn't for like another whole month!"

“Oopsie~ Perhaps I’m a little overeager.”

“I’ll say.” Ace rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I forget how weird you can be.”

“What, you don’t think someone as adorable as me could possibly be capable of committing a war crime or two?” Lilia grinned. “I’m not entirely innocent, you know.”

“You definitely wouldn’t be able to pull off any war crimes though!! You just act way different than your looks would suggest.” Ace rapped his knuckles on the wall beside the framed oysters. “Like the lying walrus.”

“Do you think I’m a lying walrus?” The question was teasing.

“Everyone is. There’s plenty of them in Heartslabyul too.” Ace counted off on his fingers.

“Loosey Deucy comes off like a straight-laced honors student, but he’s an ex-delinquent and dumb as a rock. Cater-senpai looks flashy and friendly, but he’ll trick you into doing his chores and leave you hanging. Trey-senpai’s got his weird teeth hobby… and then there’s Riddle-ryocho, who has a babyface but throws fits like an active volcano!!

“The Great Seven had parts of themselves that were surprising too. No one would think the King of Beasts would be the type of guy to be belt out a song, but he still did. That’s what moved the hyenas to join his cause. It just goes to show that you really can’t judge a book by its cover.”

"A good takeaway from the tale," Lilia agreed. "Taking the morals of a story to heart... you're very clever, Ace."

"The cleverest." He cheekily stuck out his tongue.

The knowing smile suddenly returned to Lilia's face. "I'm sure you have a wicked side to yourself as well. As you've said, we all have a bit of the lying walrus in us."

"No way, miss me with that. I’m the poor, helpless victim,” Ace grumbled, rubbing at his neck. It had stiffened considerably at the memory of his skin chaffing. “Haaah, if only I wasn't bullied so much by my dorm leader~"

"By Riddle?" Lilia smirked a little. "His temper is rather infamous. Silver and Sebek are his club mates. I've heard of Riddle's rage.”

"Dude, you don't know the half of it. He's always nagging me one way or another, and if I don't listen... BAM!

"'Off with Your Head'!!" Ace scrunched up his face in a show of pretend anger and pantomimed casting a spell by wiggling his fingers. The voice he adopted was elegant, yet arrogant—a replica of Riddle's. "Now you sit there and think about what you've done, Ace! The collar comes off when you've repented."

He fell back with a groan, Lilia's amused chuckle accompanying him in the otherwise quiet museum.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up while you still can."

From the corner of his eye, Ace spotted the oysters again. The entire bed, a colony of easily deceived infants. Unaware of the world and its eager, snapping jaws—the jaws of a well-dressed walrus.

“Guess a smile and a snazzy suit is all it takes to get people to waltz right into a trap, huh? With the right looks and attitude, even a villain can be made to pass as a hero.”

Ace tugged at the silver sash slung across his torso, drinking in the details of his luxurious platinum suit. A bow tie, a vest, a jacket with trailing coattails. Shining fabric, pure and unblemished.

He was all dressed up, with nowhere to go. Only lies to tell.

“You make for a good hero,” Lilia offered, “with that winsome charm and cheer of yours. Ah, but that’s not all. It never is. These old eyes can’t be deceived.”

“Whaaat? I can’t believe you’d side with Riddle over me. I’m being unfairly ganged up on here!! Aaah, my senpai are so mean to me…!”

His laments echoed off the cavernous rooms of the museum. Mere whining of a high school boy against the backdrop of great figures and illustrious history.

He was small, one little white lie against a sea of them.

“… Juuust kidding.”

Ace turned away, a wink thrown playfully at the painting of the oysters before their very doom.

As if anyone would believe that.

[beautifulthingsiadore]

Ace: DEUCE!!

Deuce: What's wrong?

Ace: HIDE ME!

Deuce: What did you do?!

Ace: NOTH-

Riddle: AAAAAAAAAACCCCCCEEEE

Ace: *screams*

Riddle: *Face as red as his hair* You broke rule 304, OFF WITH YOUR-

Ace: No sane person knows all the stupid rules!

Riddle: Nonsense I know them by heart!

Ace: YOU'RE INSA-

Deuce: *covers Ace's mouth*

Riddle: *his eye twitching*

Ace: *rips Deuce's hand away and points at Madeline* She doesn't know any of the rules either!

Maddie: *point at herself* who me? I know all 810 of 'em, don't you Ace?

Ace & Deuce: what?

Riddle: *Narrows his eyes in suspicion*

Maddie: *starts reciting all 810 rules flawlessly* And done!

Adeuce: ...

Riddle: *clapping with a proud smile*

Ace: How?! The school just started 2 weeks ago?!

Maddie: *giggling* It wasn't really that hard, maybe if you try a little you'd get them right Ace

Deuce: *eyes beaming with admiration* Please tell me how you did that!

Maddie: Sure thing Deucy! Follow me! *starts marching to the garden with deuce following behind her*

Ace: ...

[corie-is-writing]

↳ ❝ [S Y N P O S I S] ¡! ❞

Y/n L/n, a simple minded reader, is one of the biggest fans of a popular web novel, Twisted wonderland. In their shock after finding out it has ended, they froze in the middle of a busy street and got hit by a truck.

Dizzy and confused, they have awoken in a coffin in the world they adore so much, and must use their knowledge to survive and stop the boys from overblotting.

↳ ❝ [M A S T E R L I S T] ¡! ❞

↳ ❝ [THE CRIMSON TYRANT] ¡! ❞

˗ˏˋ Talks and a request ´ˎ˗

Note: Sorry this took so long, school got in the way, might be the last post until the finals are over.

After the sudden dispute, you and the others took a seat at an empty table– one that some other students definitely did not give up to you after what they have seen.

"Y/n! What a pleasant show you've put on~" The cheery voice of a diamond says, the card duo and Grim practically jump out their skins in surprise as the ginger sits down besides you.

"I didn't mean to do that though..." You mumble, though your words went unheard as Cater slumps and wraps an arm around your shoulder.

"That was super cool! How'd you get so strong?" He asked, eyes sparkling and hand already on his phone ready to make a post about what ever secret technique you use.

"Cater, let's not bother them while they're eating." A certain green haired boy says.

You and the others look up to see Trey appear, taking a seat next to Cater.

"Hang on- Who're you?" Ace asks, and Trey gives a sheepish apology.

"I'm Trey Clover, I'm a third hear in Heartslabyul like Cater." He says, "And you're that student who got put into ramsh- I mean, the unused building, correct?" Trey questions, turning his eyes to meet yours.

"Yep, and it's fine you if you say ramshackle." You say, mumbling that last sentence a bit as you take a bite of your food.

"Anyway! Didn't cha trick us into painting the roses for ya!?" Grim shouts, pointing fingers (claws?) at Cater.

The ginger pouts, crossing his arms. "So mean! I had no choice, it's our dorms rule y'know~"

"You were grinning the whole time though.." Deuce deadpans, staring blanky at the diamond.

"Now now, Deucy. Those rules only apply inside our dorm. Outside, I'm a whole 'nother person!"

"Don't call me Deucy!"

You giggled at the interaction between the two, and listened half heartedly as Grim asks about the dorms and the Heartslabyul 3rd years begin to explain.

Soon, they start talking about Diasomnia.

'EEEK! I COMEPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT MY BBG MALLEUS' You brought a hand to your lips as your jaw hung low in shock, lightly slapping your cheeks to which Ace raised a brow at.

"Diasomnia..Ah, look there." Cater points at a group of extinguished students, they seem to be glowing in all their glory– a whole another level and vibe from the rests.

"Diasomnia is filled with exceptionally talented and great, promising magicians. They're prodigies at almost everything." Trey says.

"They have this kind of aura that makes it hard to approach them, even their dorm leader has this mega "don't you dare talk to me" vibe." Cater adds.

Ace peers to the side, taking a glimpse of the group before confusion appears on his face. "Why is there a kid with them?"

At that, you look to see a boy with choppy pink striped hair, wearing clothes to large for him, he had pointy ears that twitched at Ace's question and ruby eyes that looked to the side, eyeing your table.

"The school allows students enter by skip years, but that's that the case here." Trey says, pushing his glasses up. "He's a third year, his name is.."

"Lilia, Lilia Vanrouge."

The sound of his deep voice startled everyone, looking up to see the little bat floating upside down. His hair fell down and his eyes trailed over his little details of everyone's faces before meeting yours.

"H-he just teleported over here!" Grim screeched, panting heavily with a paw over where his heart should be.

"Are you all curious about my age?" Lilia chuckled lightly, placing himself in the right position before blood pools to his head. "My cute appearance might be bursting with youth, but as your friend said, I am not exactly the age one would call a child."

"Bursting with youth..?" Trey mumbled, sweat forming on the side of his face.

"There's no need to simply look on from afar." Lilia says, giving a little grin with welcoming eyes. "Come up and speak any time you wish. We at Diasomnia always welcome everyone with open arms."

As he says this, he steps over to you, placing a firm grip on your shoulders with a gaze that quickens your heart pace.

'Holy fuck he's so coolaksiqksiqa. AAAAAAAAAAAAA'

Ar his words, your table hesitantly turned their gaze to Lilia's words. You calm yourself and follow their steps– meeting eyes with a certain silver haired boy and green haired simp.

"I don't think your friends feel the same way.." Deuce sweats, giving a blank stare.

Lilia chuckles at that. "Apologies for interrupting you in your meal. Until we meet again."

The bat appears back in his seat, settled in and immediately talking with his group as one last gaze is sent to you.

"Our table is almost over 20 meters away from them, yet he still heard us..?" Ace breathed, shuddering slightly.

"W-well, Diasomnia has many peculiar members." Trey says. "Many of their students excel at all kinds of magic. Their dorm leader, Malleus Draconia, is counted among the top five mages in the world."

"For real, though, Malleus is like, the most super of super crazy powerful." Cater adds, before giving a grin to you, "Maybe you're as strong as him, seeing as you sent that troublemaker earlier flying so easily."

You blush, banging your head on the table– Grim almost jumps in his seat and gives you a worrying look as Cater laughs.

"Though on the topic, our dorm leader is his own brand of craziness." The ginger says.

"So true!" Ginger number 2 joins, "All I did was eat a single piece of tart and he collared me. His narrow mindedness is super crazy."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Sure are. Blew right past "strict" and straight into being a tyrant."

Oh, dear, this is quite awkward.

The mood was stiff and you couldn't help but feel as if fear had struck your heart.

Deuce hesitantly points behind Ace, "Dude..behind you."

The ginger follows his leader in confusion, only to be met with the face of the very person he was talking about.

"DORMLEADER?!"

Riddle had a menacing glare, crossing his arms as he stared dwon the boy.

"R-Riddle! You're super crazy cu-"

"Cater, if you run your mouth I'll take it off together with your head."

That shut him up, not without a huff and a pout.

"Ffgna! This is the guy who put that weird collar on me!" Grim says, shaking in his fur as he hides himself behind you.

"And you're the new students who caused all that fuss about a possible expulsion yesterday." The said students– including you, all had your heads down in shame.

"For goodness' sake, the headmaster is far too soft." Riddle sighs, rubbing his temples. "All he has to do is lop off the heads of everyone who doesn't follow the rules."

"He may look innocent, but the words coming out of his mouth sure do suggest otherwise.." Ace mumbled, eyes twitching a bit.

"The headmaster may have forgiven you, but make no mistake, the next time you choose to break the rules, I will mosf certainly not." Riddle declares, chills are sent down to students who weren't even close enough to hear.

"I was prepared to take off your collar if you learned your lesson..but.."

His voice suddenly became muffled to you, your eyes trailed to his hand and pen, the way his body moved fluidly along with his words that asserted complete authority had given you a funny idea.

"Following the Laws of the Queen of Hearts, No. 339, "Tea after a meal should always be lemon with two sugars. I must go buy sugar cubes from the school store, so I'll be on my way." The red head states, leaving.

"Phew, that was a close one.." Cater lets out a heavy sigh.

"That guy is so obnoxious."

"Hey! That's rude!"

As Deuce lightly scolds the beast, whispers begin to grow and eyes follow the dormleader's disappearing figure, you take that as your que and leave the table– arousing concern and confusion.

You walk right up to Riddle, tapping his shoulder. He turns to you with a perplexed expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Can you collar me?"

"Y/N??!!!"

[queerlordsimon]

May I request Deuce with #20 (”christmas wont be the same without you, y’know?”) please 🙏

If the fates allow

Day eleven: prompt 20 “christmas wont be the same without you, y’know?” deuce spade x reader

Cw angst, reader has to go home, minor bits of bl00d

Authors note i apologize for angst two days in a row, blame @hotchocolatefairy

Have yourself, a merry little christmas

Deuce ran across the courtyard, towards the ramshackle dorm. Small tears threatening to pour over his waterline.

Let your heart, be light

Second year at night raven, y/n still had yet to find a way home, at least by the beginning of the year. That was also when he had said screw it, if crowley hadent found a way for them home the whole year, then the likelihood of of there actually being a way home, was so low he was gonna take the risk, and asked the prefect if they’d be his partner. 

Next year all our troubles, will be out of sight

They’d said yes, and that began the most wonderful year of deuces life. Sure, it was stressful, for many a reason, but he got to face it with y/n by his side. His mother could hear the happiness and excitement in his voice when he called her and told her.

Have yourself, a merry little christmas

He stumbled over his own feet, scraping his hands on the ground, but getting right up and continued running, not caring about the stares his fellow students were giving him.

May the yuletide, gae

Their first kiss was shared under the ancient tree outside ramshackle. y/n pulled him by his tie into it, and the reminder of that moment made his stomach leap, but in this context, not in the good way.

Next year all our troubles, will be miles away

y/n smiling and cheering him on at his track meets, comforting him if he lost, or giving him the biggest of hugs, nearly tackling him when he wins. His tears started falling as these memories replayed in his head.

Once again, as in olden days

The warm autumn days where y/n decided for grim and him to rake up the leaves from the trees into piles and falling backwards into them, the dappled sunlight lighting up their face. 

Happy golden days, of yore

The day y/n elatedly said theyd go home with him for christmas. They had the brightest smile hed seen on their face since they met. 

He arrived outside ramshackle, panting heavily as he knocked on the door.

Faithful friends, who are dear to us

The prefect answered the door, eyes widening as they saw their boyfriend doubled over like that, breathing and it looked like there was blood on his hands. “Deucy?” their voice was high pitched, and deuce hugged them tightly, almost painfully, but the prefect didnt care, wrapping their arms back around him.

Will be near to us, once more

“Your going home n/n?” his voice cracked against his will, more tears than he had planned spilling over his waterline. y/n nodded slightly, crying as well.

“Yes, deucy, crowley finally found a way for me to get home. I have to go” a small sob wracked deuces body, but he stayed quiet.

“I-im happy for you, n/n, you finally get to see your family again.” y/n nodded again.

“Im sorry, deucy.”

Someday soon, we all will be together

“Its ok, y/n, you have to go, i-i understand. Youve missed your home. I couldnt take away that chance from you.” y/n kissed the side of his head hard. 

“Its unfair to you though”

“Ill live,y/n, dont worry about me”

If the fates allow

“Ill find a way back, i promise deucy, i will find my way back.” deuce let out a sad laugh.

“I dont doubt you, y/n.” y/n smiled sadly, pulling away and kissing him hard.

Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow

They kissed in a sad passion, before they pulled away. Deuce smiled sorrowfully. 

“Its just, christmas wont be the same without you, y’know?”

So have yourself, a merry little christmas now. 

—-----

-queer.lord

How did i manage not to cry while writing this? Im soooo sorry for those reading this, and im sorry deuce for torturing you. I hope you got what you wanted @spadecentral . also sorry to you for making it so sad, but, its where it went. Thank you for requesting, thank you for reading. Requests for the event are still open, i need 8 more or else imma start using a random wheel to pick what to do. The prompt list is HERE and the masterlist is HERE , i promise most of my fics for this event are not angst, so please check out the masterlist to find the non sad ones. And ill see you tomorrow. 

[gtunesmiff]

WEDNESDAY'S WEEKLY POETRY PROMPT: 5/15/24 ~ CAMELBACK SUNSET

CAMELBACK SUNSET © 2024 - G. Smith (BMI) =================== Sitting in Stone Canyon in the shadow of the mountains, Trying not to look at you, afraid of who I’ll see. The sky is golden going blue; the first stars are appearing, And who used to be a couple is now simply you and me.

Oh, Katy you stopped in Phoenix, On your way to I don’t know where, And I took the time to find you, To let you know that I still care.

The times we had together, Back in Tennessee, The hills and hollers were softer there, And cooler too, you must agree.

But I see you’ve made a new life, With a family I’ll never know; So I’m happy for you nonetheless, Though my feelings may not show.

There are many things I wish I’d done, But many more that make me smile. I hope they touch your heart as well, And make my journey worth the miles.

Playing Acey-Deucy like we did back in the day, The sun’s below the valley rim, it’s getting hard to see, Surrounded now by city lights, Now there’s just the two of us, that used to be a we. Now there’s just the two of us, That used to be a we.

[emyluwinter]

A good deed?

* knocks on the table with his palm*I need more details about the relationship between Adeuce and Yuu!!!

In the first chapter, Ace and Deuce noticed that Yuu doesn't have any change of clothes....

Absolutely

They didn't even have socks.

Poor Yuu wrapped his feet with newspaper so that the shoes would not rub their skin during the day due to the lack of socks.

Their uniforms were too big for them. Yuu had to use a piece of a rope found in the dorm to keep their pants from falling off.

At the same time, they did not complain and did not ask for more. Because Yuu secretly hoped that they would not have to spend a long time in this world.

When talking to his mother, Deuce mentioned this and the beautiful Mrs. Spade's heart sank.

"Why don't you give them your old clothes, Deucie? There are a lot of things left from school, I'm sure something could fit them!"

Deuce was struck by this sentence on consciousness like a freight train.

In fact, his mother wanted to free the closet from old things a little and a very good opportunity turned up here. She's not a villain, don't think, just a practical hostess.

Yuu was very discouraged when they had a box of Deuce's old clothes in their hands. Deuce carefully selected each item of clothing so that Yuu would not get badly torn or worn clothes. (The one that reminded him of the old days was safely removed even from Deuce's mom)

Something was brand new because it didn't fit when Mrs. Spade took something on sale for her son.

Deuce remembered this gentle and so warm look of Yuu for the rest of his life. They didn't need words to express all their appreciation of this act.

It would be terrible to miss the fact that Deuce received a very strong hug from Yuu and a quiet

"Thank you...it means a lot to me."

Deuce was very embarrassed, but proud of himself. He did the right thing, right?

In return for Mrs. Spade's birthday, Yuu somehow miraculously managed to get a very beautiful set of necklaces and earrings. It looked very nice and expensive. Gems or not, they shone just as amazing as Deuce's eyes at that moment.

Deuce even thought for a second that Yuu had broken into someone's house and stolen it. Then he scolded himself for this terrible thought.

But everything turned out to be much simpler, Yuu often sat with Grimm in the library on sites with supported things. So they could sell something from Onboro, while finding the same supported items for themselves, but in very good quality.

Deuce also received adorable socks with chickens.

Yuu can't help but thank his friend, can he?~

Mrs. Spade was delighted with the gift. And filled poor Deuce with questions for an hour.

If you ask, was Ace's pride hurt when Deuce beat him to this gratitude?

WELL... THEN YOU'RE RIGHT.

Ace literally growled in his head. Why is this eternally serious Deuce who does not think ahead turned out to be faster than him?

Ace definitely wanted to turn this into a joke . . . because he's not an "exemplary good guy," is he?

He just doesn't want to see Yuu's lips turn blue once again and his fingers shake so much that they can't hold a pen, every damn time the day gets a little colder.

Of course Ace will say something like

"I was sorting out my things, and decided that I wouldn't wear this. Huh? No, I'm not giving them to you because I care about you, okay? Haha, you're a funny Prefect. I just don't want to look at this horrible look of yours like you're some kind of homeless person. You're still a Prefect and... m-my friend...don't make me worry anymore, okay?"

When Yuu wore any item "not donated" by Ace, he was of course more of an arrogant proud ass than usual.

In return, Yuu cleaned and repaired Ace's old sneakers, which he loved very much and which were torn at one of the Basketball Club's training sessions.

To say that at the moment when Ace saw his sneakers almost as new, when he complained to Deuce only a couple of days ago that they would have to be thrown out, he was "surprised".

That would be the worst lie you could come up with.

Seriously, what's with that person?!?!

Oh, he was extremely confused.

No, to hell and back.

Ace had to cover his face with his palm so that Yuu wouldn't see how his face turns so red that it seems like some unknown fever exploded in a split second.

- Haah... Yuu... you... God...

Yuu laughed softly from his reaction

- You can just call Yuu.~

Ace was a smug ass for a few days after.

When the cold weather came, Yuu had to wrap his body with an old battered curtain that they found in Onboro.

Or to stuff old newspapers into shoes together with insoles.

Often they did not let go of the Grimm from their hands trying to keep warm.

Ace and Deuce were seriously thinking about transferring Yuu to their dorm for the winter, where it was constantly warm.

They couldn't stand the sight of Yuu being cold, tired, and obviously not sleeping normally for several weeks.

Because of this, they often stayed overnight in Onboro.

Both Ace and Deuce have secretly made a pact to curse Crowley every damn hour when Yuu is in such terrible conditions. They could sleep on a dry and comfortable bed!!

And Yuu's bed was so terrible that it could be turned into a mountain of sawdust and dust at the snap of your fingers!!

Several times they put scabies powder on his clothes.

The culprits were never found.

And Director Crowley didn't bother Yuu for three days with his "errands, because he's so kind"

When the night was particularly cold.

Yuu agreed to share a bed with Ace and Deuce.

They still wonder if it was their best decision or the worst.

But how surprised were Yuu when they woke up at night because it became very....cramped?

They were literally "squeezed" by the duet of Adeuce on both sides.

It was extremely ..... awkward..

Ace buried his nose in their neck, hugging them with one hand, clearly enjoying the warmth and though not the most comfortable conditions. But Trappola was definitely sleeping soundly and sweetly.

How funny he snuffled in his sleep! Yuu should call Ace a hedgehog after this funny snort in a dream.

And Deuce....oh dear seven...

if only he knew about this moment.

He buried himself like a Grimm in their chest, throwing his leg and arm over Yuu, with a very strong grip for hugs, I dare say!!

Prefect never in his life thought that the boys would behave like this in a dream.

And these two were sleeping so soundly right now.

The legs are tangled that it was impossible to understand where whose, even if you try to untangle them.

It was the same with the hands.

Even in spite of all this...Yuu felt...

................happy.

These two are thorns in their heels. These proud, stubborn, cunning boys trusted each other with their lives in danger, and so longed for someone's warmth during the cold.

And Yuu gave them everything they had...your heart and care. (and also a minute of instructive angry lessons when they launched the lid from the pan into the ceiling in the kitchen when Yuu was distracted for two minutes. There's an extra hole in the kitchen in Onboro now)

- You probably already know that....but I love you with all my heart, scoundrels... - Yuu whispered softly and tenderly from the bottom of their hearts.If the duo had heard their words, there would have been two tomatoes instead of two students.

On the first day, Yuu was scared of this world. These strange people and magic.

But now.....they've found something amazing. The most expensive thing that Yuu has now.

Family...small and restless.

But a damn favorite and important one.

[remremmm]

: ̗̀➛ Do I regret it? No. Not a single bit...

: ̗̀➛ Ok.. maybe a little [ my heartslabyul n octivenelle enjoyer heart is breaking so BADDD, I want Halloween Jade but.. but- it's Deucy— ]

[keeppushingme-bookboy]

Here it is, my first CR fic! It's such a me move to finish my first CR fic the week the campaign ends. I am so happy to have this finished and really excited to get it out into the world. I hope you all enjoy!

All I Want is to Trust You

Word Count: 4278

Summary:

Essek and The Mighty Nein set off for Aeor and what could be their final adventure, but encounter an old "friend" on the way... Or, Ashley Johnson rolled another dragon.

Read on Ao3 or below the cut!

Luxon, it’s bright. Essek thinks for the third time in twenty minutes. The parasol Jester gifted him several weeks ago offers some relief from the sun above them, but the reflection off the snow is relentless. Even the others, with no naturally ingrained light sensitivity, squint at the glittering landscape around them. He had been doing his best to hide his discomfort throughout their travel. They have only been on the road for a few hours; he couldn’t let them question for even a moment that he couldn’t handle this, that they had made the wrong decision.

“Sunny day,” Caduceus remarks, and not for the first time Essek wonders if firbolgs can somehow read minds. “How’s that treating you?” the cleric nods towards the spiraling configuration of lace and silk casting inappropriately-shaped shadows over Essek’s form.

“Ah, it is doing well enough.” Essek offers a smile that feels a bit more like a grimace. “The glare can get a bit irritating. But I’ll be fine.”

Jester snorts out a laugh somewhere to his left. “What did your soldiers and stuff say when you used that at the outpost?”

“I, uh, have not had the need for it until we disembarked. I do not spend much time on the walls outside of brief inspections, which I usually do when the sun sets. But it is certainly coming in handy now.”

“Not that he would use it around his people anyway. Gotta keep up appearances, right, Shadowhand?” Beauregard calls over her shoulder from her position at the front of the pack with Yasha, packing an extra note of sarcasm into his title.

His mouth begins forming a retort, but a soft Zemnian voice cuts through from somewhere close behind him, “He has to command respect from his people, Beauregard. Not all of us can punch our way through a bureaucracy.”

Beauregard mumbles something that sounds vaguely insulting and turns her gaze back on the fractured and frozen landscape ahead of them. Essek looks over his shoulder at Caleb, shooting a brief but genuine smile before quickly turning to focus again on the snow several inches below his floating feet. Gotta keep up appearances, right? sneers once again through his mind, laced with mistrust and a wound still far too fresh. Another voice creeps in: Time. It takes time. He had meant that for Essek’s change, for his growth and healing, but he supposes it’s true for the rest of them as well. Choosing him for this journey is a good step in a lengthy process, but perhaps he can speed it up a bit. Time is one of his specialties, after all.

Taking a deep breath and bracing himself for the chill Essek glides gently down until his feet rest on the snow’s surface. It is much softer than he thought, and he sinks several inches further down with each step. He glances at some of the Mighty Nein around him, hoping he looks as though he is scanning the surroundings rather than watching for their reactions. Jester brightens and Fjord’s mouth quirks up at the edges. Caduceus’ easy smile widens for a moment. He will not turn around to look at Veth and Caleb, that would be far too obvious, and Beauregard and Yasha are too far ahead to have noticed so he is unsure of their reactions. But for a moment he allows himself to imagine Caleb’s eyes crinkling at the edges, some of the ice crusted in his beard shifting and falling into his scarf as he smiles.

He starts to imagine brushing the crystals from his scarf, resting a hand on his shoulder, then the side of his face, leaning in slowly… when Caduceus stiffens beside him, squinting at something in the distance. He motions for the others to stop and calls a low warning to the fighters in the front. “South.”

Essek turns and looks southward and struggles for a moment to see what has Caduceus worried. When he does, though, the chill beginning to seep into his feet and legs travels directly to his heart. A white dragon, and a big one from the looks of it, is swooping low over the tundra. Beauregard’s voice momentarily breaks him out of his panic as she and Yasha rejoin the group.

“Aw, this bitch again? She doesn’t know when to let up. Are we hiding or fighting?”

Again? Light, they’ve fought an Ancient dragon before?

“She certainly wasn’t pleasant to encounter last time, and we had Lucien and his group with us then. Perhaps we hide and continue making our way towards the ruins when it’s safe.” Fjord replies.

“But we have Essek with us now! He’s super powerful and the Tomb Takers didn’t care if we died in that fight. Essek does!” Jester pipes up.

“U-um,” Essek stammers. Coward.

“I am also sure he cares if he dies in that fight, Jester.” Caleb comes to his rescue once again. “Perhaps we take cover for now and prepare for the worst?”

The Mighty Nein begin scanning their surroundings for something large enough to offer all of them enough cover. The ice spires have been increasingly sparse as they moved closer to Aeor, but Yasha manages to spot a few groupings of broken spires and large sheets of ice that may be able to offer some cover. Essek stows away his small globe of warmth and Jester’s parasol and follows the group as they attempt to silently make their way to cover.

Upon further inspection they will have to split the party between two clusters of spires and fragmented ice sheets roughly 35 feet apart. It will make for good cover but will also make it difficult to plan in case of an attack.

After a few moments of tense bickering about what to do next Beauregard grabs Caleb and Caduceus by the elbow. “There’s no use fighting over a plan we’re going to abandon anyway. Separate the clerics and wizards, stay hidden until you can’t anymore, and fuck that dragon up if we need to. Everyone good with that?”

Everyone nods their agreement and Beauregard drags Caleb and Caduceus over to the farthest ice cluster with Yasha close at their heels, leaving Fjord, Veth, Jester, and Essek to take cover at the closest.

They spend a few moments crowding closely underneath the ice, Essek readying some components in case things turn sour. Luxon, he hopes they are hidden well. He will not run from this fight, and has complete faith in the Mighty Nein’s combat abilities, but an ancient dragon? This is not exactly what he bargained for when he signed up for an adventure with this group.

Veth perks up for a moment and glances quickly at Essek and the others before whispering “Yeah Cay, we’re ready. Does Deucy see anything? I can’t see around Fjord’s skinny ass.”

“Thank you?” Fjord comments, his blade shimmering faintly in one hand and the other firmly grasping Jester’s.

Veth shoots a lingering look at Essek in the silence, presumably listening to another message. She whispers again to thin air, “Yeah, he looks scared shitless but I’m sure he’ll be fine. Right, Essek?”

Essek Thelyss, Shadowhand of the Bright Queen, Traitor of the Dynasty, is confident he has never been described as ‘scared shitless’. And it has never been more accurate. “I’ll manage,” he replies through gritted teeth.

She pulls out a wire and whispers into cupped hands, “He said he’ll be fine, but baby boy Fjord needed Jester to hold his hand,” she chuckles into her gloves before muttering “youcanreplytothismessage” and shoving the wire back into a pocket of her pastel-hued winter garb. Essek has a moment to briefly wonder if she ever gets the wire tangled in those peculiar antlers before there is a soft whooshing of wings nearby.

Jester and Fjord, who had been softly talking strategy, fall immediately silent. Everyone huddles impossibly closer in an attempt to stay hidden, and Veth manages to disappear completely in the center of their clump. They all hold their breath as the dragon, called Gelidon as someone mentioned, flies closer to the hidden party.

The beating of leathery draconic wings grows louder with each passing moment, Gelidon releasing a thundering roar that sounds far too close for Essek’s comfort. He can’t help glancing in Fjord’s direction out of fear. The half-orc has always had a calm, steadying nature in the face of the Nein’s dangerous brand of chaos. Now he looks towards the direction of Gelidon’s fury, his hand shifting to Jester’s waist while she gathers spell components.

Fjord catches Essek looking at him and gives a tusk-filled grin. “We like to take all of our friends dragon-fighting on their first adventure. Really gets the blood moving.”

“Yeah Twiggy really seemed to enjoy it,” Jester chuckled lightly, twisting the ruby at her throat with a nervous tremor in her voice.

“You are some very interesting people,” Essek returns Jester’s nervous chuckle before his focus is pulled once again to the dragon-shaped shadow racing across the tundra. The hulking beast lands with a crash about a hundred feet away from the group’s hiding spot, kicking up a wave of snow around her taloned feet.

She crouches low towards the snow and moves a few feet in their direction, nostrils flaring as she breathes deeply. Her breath escapes in a low laugh that reverberates directly into Essek’s nerves.

“I have not forgotten your scent, you little cretins.” She breathes deeply once again. “There are fewer of you, now. Split off from your little friends, did you? And hiding too. Cowardly without their protection-“ Gelidon roars the last word, whipping her tail through a pile of ice and snow nearby. It explodes in a shower of shimmering crystals and frozen rubble around her.

“I suppose that’s our cue,” Fjord mumbles before whispering a few arcane words, the runes along his blade lighting up as he flies through the air towards Gelidon. Jester holds out her hand and a bubblegum pink light gathers in her palm before streaking off, striking the dragon in the side, and surrounding her with a faint pink glow.

“Thanks, Jessie!” Veth calls as she darts out from behind Jester’s back and runs towards Gelidon, taking a shot with her crossbow that sinks deep into the joint where shoulder meets torso. The dragon roars in pain and begins flying towards the now-revealed party members, far faster than Essek had anticipated. She meets Fjord mid-air and snaps at him with her jaws. He manages to fly out of the way before they close around him, but the motion leaves him open for her claws to rake across his chest sending him spinning through the air.

Seeing the bleeding gash in Fjord’s coat Essek immediately begins searching his components for a black marble, deciding that he would like to stay as far away as he can from the ancient fucking dragon his friends had somehow angered. He brings his hand forward with the marble sitting in his palm and mutters a few arcane words before closing his fingers around the marble so tightly his knuckles turn white. A black sphere of dunamantic energy appears just behind and beneath the dragon, attempting to pull her towards the earth without catching Fjord in its crushing radius. Essek growls in frustration as Gelidon manages to wrench herself out of the gravity sinkhole’s grasp, still harming her slightly but not pulling her to the ground.

Out of the corner of his eye Essek catches Beauregard running with frightening speed across the snow, barely even leaving a footprint as she sprints towards the dragon. Yasha runs behind her, also unnaturally fast. Essek has a moment to catch the faint shimmer of transmutative energy indicating a haste spell before Yasha is running up an ice spire that has fallen at a slight angle. When she reaches the top she leaps, and Essek lets out a small gasp of surprise as pure white wings erupt from her shoulders and spread into the air. She goes into a steep dive and scoops Beauregard off of the ground. Essek hears a faint “Remember me?” and laughter as Beauregard is deposited on Gelidon’s back.

Essek glances around the edge of the ice cave he continues to hide in, looking for Caleb and Caduceus. The cleric is slowly making his way towards the fray with Caleb close behind, tucking some licorice root into a coat pocket.

The next few moments are a blur of battle, everyone trading blows with Gelidon as she roars and thrashes through the air. Fjord and Yasha strike out at her with steel and she returns with tooth and claw. Beauregard runs up and down her spine, managing to find weak points in her scales and driving both staff and fists into her body. Veth shoots bolt after bolt, some of them crackling with arcane energy. Jester and Caduceus weave divine energy to help their friends and cause further harm to their draconic foe. Essek sends a variety of ranged spells her way, still determined to keep out of range of her ice breath and teeth.

Caleb does the same, weaving combat spells and slinging fire with such ease that Essek has to force his own attention back to the battle at hand. Every time a bolt of fire or magic missile hits true on their foe Essek glances back at the other wizard as he ducks back into his own icy hiding place, his blue eyes as cold and determined as their surroundings.

His gaze returns to the battle as the dragon roars once again, thrashing violently in the air after a strike from Beauregard. She throws the monk’s body into the air, smashing her with her tail as she falls. Beauregard gets up and appears more annoyed than injured, shaking some snow out of her coat.

“Can someone take this bitch down? Or get me back up?” she calls to the others.

Essek searches his mental catalogue of the spells he prepared for the journey and brightens as he remembers the magnify gravity spell currently at his disposal. He can help, he can be useful and prove that it was worthwhile to bring him on this journey. He begins to weave the incantation for the spell before he stops short. The range on this is much shorter than gravity sinkhole. In order to be useful, he must get closer and risk being frozen, or worse, by an ancient white dragon. Essek spends another moment watching his friends throw themselves at this creature with little regard for their own safety and remembers why he came on this adventure in the first place.

I am on borrowed time, he had said at the outpost. The world is in danger, they had told him after a battle that had almost taken them from him before he had a chance to offer his aid. I will do what I can, he has told them so many times. I can do this, he thinks to himself, for them, I can do this. Essek takes a deep breath and steps into the blinding sun, towards an ancient white dragon.

He runs as far as he can and throws his arms forward, drawing his hands together then pulling them towards his body and yelling the incantation for magnify gravity at the top of his lungs. Gelidon roars once more, attempting to fly out of the pull of the spell before being yanked into the snow, unable to fight the additional arcane strength that Essek had funneled into it.

“Ha!” Essek cheers as Gelidon attempts to stand and fly once more, but is held firmly to the ground for the moment.

Beauregard gives him a thumbs-up and a “Thanks, man!” before running towards her to lay more blows into the dragon’s thick hide. The rest of the Mighty Nein take advantage of Gelidon’s momentary stationary position and attack with renewed force before she is able to right herself.

Which, much to Essek’s displeasure, she manages to do. He knew it would not keep her down for long, but he was hoping to give everyone a bit more of an edge. Now she rises on her hind legs, screaming into the sky and thrashing with her claws. As she lands back on all fours she beats her wings and takes flight once more, rearing her head back as ice gathers at the corners of her mouth. Realizing what she is about to do, everyone attempts to brace themselves for the incoming ice breath.

Essek has never had much need for a sturdy physical form. His weapon was his mind, and that was the muscle he chose to focus his energies strengthening. It has been the correct path for most of his 120-odd years of existence, only truly irking him when Verin would wrestle him to the ground while playing “ambush” or when an experiment went awry and he suffered some physical malady because of it. Now, however, when completely encased by the frozen hell of a dragon’s breath, he finds himself briefly regretting a few of his life choices as he takes the full force of the impact.

It chills him to his very core. His white cloak and mantle are immediately stiff with ice and it takes great effort to move his hands out from under the frozen material. He can feel frostbite beginning to encase the tips of his ears, turning them a deeper purple than his drow skin. As hard as he tries he cannot control the shivering while the pain nearly brings him to his knees. Beauregard appears to be having a similar reaction, while the others either did not take the full force of the blow or were outside of its range.

“Scheiße!” Essek turns his head to see Caleb coming towards them. No, turn back, he wants to yell. You cannot take a hit like this any better than I can. But all that comes out of his mouth is a strained whimper as he tries to recover from the pain.

“Essek, I need you to trust me!” Caleb calls as he pulls something from his coat. Essek almost laughs. You are not the untrustworthy one in this equation, he thinks bitterly. But he only nods and allows the warmth of Caleb’s magic to wash over him. It is only as he begins to feel his form shift that he notices the cocoon in Caleb’s hand. Shit-

He is…tall. Far taller than he has ever been while floating. He has used levitate spells to reach high shelves in places before, but this is different. He is tall, and his feet are firmly on the ground. As he looks down he is caught even further off guard by the presence of ivory tusks and a long, furred trunk. And his fur is…purple?

Before he has another moment to consider this strange new anatomy, he is caught by the sounds of a dragon roaring in front of him. Oh, that’s right. He’s fighting a dragon with his friends. The realization jars him almost as much as his new physical form did.

In the time it took Essek to ponder his new mammoth form the Mighty Nein had managed to ground the dragon once more. She is bleeding from several wounds and appears to be staggering a bit in place. In her desperate frenzy she begins striking out at anything and anyone around her, trying to escape the adventurers who now have her surrounded. Essek charges into the fray, trumpeting a sort of battle cry as he digs his tusks into the exposed side of the dragon attacking his friends.

A burst of flaming magic erupts into her from the snow beneath her. She turns toward its source, and Essek spins his gaze with her to see Caleb standing a short way away, a cat’s cradle of yarn in his hands. Wind whips stray strands of hair around his head and into his face as he stands firm. Gelidon begins to crawl towards him in a rage and he immediately blanches, realizing that he has now drawn the ire of this creature. Essek attempts to strike out with his tusks once again but they scrape uselessly against her armor-like scales. A few of the others get a hit in, but she takes the blows and charges onward toward her quarry.

Caleb looks up at the dragon, fear in his eyes as she unleashes a flurry of frenzied strikes into him. Blood blooms across his chest, arms, and face as her teeth and claws all hit home. Caleb throws an arm up with a magical shield beginning to form around his body, but it is shattered against Gelidon’s fury. With a final slash of her claws Caleb is thrown across the snow and lays motionless.

Essek is shunted back into his elven form and the pain of his previous injuries screams through his nerves before something else overtakes him. His heart pounds and cheeks heat with a terrified rage at seeing Caleb lying in the snow. One arm is bent awkwardly under his body, legs curled to the side as the snow blossoms a stomach-churning pink around his unconscious form. Essek cannot see his face at this angle and is briefly thankful to avoid seeing the wizard’s freckles shrouded in specks of blood and gore.

As his fear and fury build Essek feels gravity begin to coalesce around him, the magic sparking through his nerves like the beginning of a lightning bolt. Instead of electricity, Essek summons the rest of his strength to draw on the dunamancy around him. He brings out a shard of onyx from his components and slashes it across his palm. The drops of blood are frozen in space in front of him, and as he waves his hands they create a small circle in the air. A black void of deep nothingness appears around Gelidon’s torso as she licks her lips, turning back towards the others now that Caleb is down. She rears up on her hind legs and unleashes a roar that quickly turns into an ear-splitting scream as Essek crashes his hands together, pulling the blood into a tight sphere no bigger than a marble. The sound that emanates from Gelidon’s ribs is reminiscent of a tree being struck by lightning. The cracks echo over the tundra before Gelidon’s body turns a deep gray and falls away to dust.

They all stand in silence for a heartbeat before Jester and Caduceus are running to Caleb’s aid. Essek nearly stumbles to his knees as he follows close behind while trying to stay out of their way. Caduceus places his hands over Caleb’s chest and pink lichen spreads over his coat. A deep, verdant green light glows beneath it before the lichen shrivels and crumbles off the wounds. Caleb lets out a low groan and rubs at his forehead.

“Hey there, good to see you back with us.” Caduceus smiles and leans back on his heels.

“Is she dead or did she run?” Caleb attempts to sit up and look around before wincing and laying back down in the snow.

“Essek took care of her actually, and quite handily,” Fjord answers over Caduceus’ shoulder.

“It was so cool Caleb! He did some sort of awesome fucked-up gravity magic and she turned to dust! To dust, Caleb! Oh my gosh, I really wish you were conscious for that because you would’ve thought it was so cool.” Jester bounces on her toes and looks between the wizards with a half-cocked smile.

“Perhaps you will have to show me that one some other time,” Caleb says as he turns to Essek. “Are you alright, mein freund?”

Essek’s laugh comes out a little more breathless than he would have liked. “Which one of us is lying in the snow right now?”

“Good point,” Caleb’s eyes crinkle at the edges and Essek desperately hopes his blush is mistaken for post-battle adrenaline. “Shall we sit for a moment, catch our breath?”

“Good plan, you wizards are looking pretty fucked up,” Beauregard calls from where she leans heavily on Yasha, clutching a gash in her side. “Good shot though, Essek. Although I would’ve liked some of those dragon teeth to put with the T-Rex.”

“I will try to kill the next ancient dragon a little less thoroughly next time,” Essek retorts. Beauregard smirks and begins limping her way back to the fallen ice spires to take cover while they rest.

As the rest of the Nein follow her Essek falls into step with Caleb at the back of the group.

“You turned me into a mammoth.”

“I did. Squishy wizards need to stay in the back.” Caleb gestures to the partially-healed gash in his side.

“It was a bit, ah, strange. Is that a strategy you employ often?”

“Only when things get bad. Couldn’t have you getting knocked down in front of a dragon like that. We protect our friends, here in the Mighty Nein. Seems like you’re catching on to that.” He gives Essek a tight smile.

Friends. Essek feels the ice from the dragon’s breath melt slightly from the warmth spreading through his chest. “I am unsure that I can protect all of you all of the time, but I want to try. I cannot undo everything that I have done, but that much I can do.”

Caleb doesn’t reply, just smiles a bit wider and gives Essek’s shoulder a squeeze. And maybe it’s because he was injured, or perhaps it was Essek’s imagination, but he swears that Caleb lets his hand linger for just a moment longer than usual.

[porterdavis]

One year ago today

My heart was broken into little pieces by the departure of my little friend Deucie.

I have never known a better dog. Beautiful, friendly, smart...a joy to be with.

Hang on girl, I’ll be along....

[critical-derolo]

Beau always gets up.

It's something that she's noticed, something that's she takes comfort in, something she she wraps around herself like a blanket of reassurance. She's a healer - yes, but healing isn't her strong suit, well, it's not her preferred suit and maybe liking a suit has something to do with how good you are at wearing the suit, but that's not even the point. Jester doesn't not like healing people, especially her friends, but she much rather hurt them. Bad guys, not her friends. (sometimes her friends but, like, only if it means she wins and not super badly, she's not a dick.) Her point is that Beau only rarely needs her healing, she barely even needs Caduceus' healing because even when Beau goes down - she always gets back up.

Jester isn't totally sure when she started noticing Beau. She's always noticed Beau, but it was sometime around The Ball Eater that she started noticing Beau like she notices Fjord. Maybe it was all of the lonely nights amongst the creaking ship when she couldn't sleep and Beau would drag herself out of bed to talk until the sun came up. Maybe it was all of those awkward but sincere words the monk stumbled through as Jester nursed her wounded heart, knowing Fjord was just below in Avantika's cabin.

It might have been - even could have probably been when for the first time in her life, someone other than her momma told her they loved her. (Beau loves her. Beau loves her. Beau doesn't love anything, Beau barely likes things. But she loves her.) It just kinda struck her, just kinda carved through the pain she felt herself getting lost in.

Lost in so many ways. So far from home with no land in sight, following a fickle purpose that had so quickly been taken from them and pointed at something that was bigger than they understood. Shuffled together with... with strangers that were drifting apart like debris on the very water they sailed through. She was scared and alone and locked away in her bedroom all over again.

"Love you, Jes."

But Beau was there.

(Beau is always there.)

An anchor, something to hold onto in a sea of uncertainty. Whatever happened, wherever they went... Beau loves her.

So lock her away in a bedroom, she knows that Beau is on her way.

Wherever she goes, whatever she does, it doesn't matter. Beau is always there because Beau always gets up again because Beau will always fight.

So when Beau goes down. When Beau falls and lands so heavily. When the dust settles and she's just there. Laying on her side with her bo inches from her unmoving hand. When she doesn't get up, when she doesn't spit blood and snarl at the beast, when she doesn't throw herself right back at it...

Jester feels her heart seize in her chest. Cold, wet dread shoots down her spine like an icicle impaled at the base of her neck. She doesn't blink - can't blink- won't blink, not if it means she might miss movement. She has to know, has to see if Beau will move or... or if she won't move. If she isn't moving.

She isn't moving.

It didn't hit her but it hurts so fucking bad that she can feel the ice building in her veins, feel the chill creeping up her throat, and throws her hands forwards. The shards of ice find their mark, enough force behind them to send it stumbling back a couple feet.

Enough for Yasha to get between it and Beau.

Beau, who still won't get up.

Beau, who Nott stands over as she fires her crossbow at the beast, another wall between their fallen friend and danger.

Jester doesn't realize that she's screaming until Fjord claps her on the shoulder with one hand, a blast of dark eldritch energy exploding from the other. "Go!" he shouts and lifts his hand from her shoulder, sending another blast.

She drops to her knees, skidding through the gravel and into Beau's side. Nott steps to the other and they both flip the monk onto her back and -

"Beau!" Jester cries and presses her hands against the blood. It's everywhere, thick and warm but going cold so, so fast. She can't find the wounds through it all, through Beau's vest. "Don't leave me, don't leave me, please, don't leave me," she chants under her breath.

"Do you have a diamond?!" Nott shrieks. Grabs Jester's trembling, bloody hands and squeezes hard enough to ground her. Until wide purple eyes meet yellow ones and they both duck under the beast's swing. Yasha snarls and forces it back. "Do you have a diamond, Jester?!"

"No, I..." she shakes her head helplessly. Numbly. Like it's not really her head, like she's a puppet with her strings being pulled, like this isn't actually happening.

This can't actually be happening.

It's not happening.

Nott blinks and looks down at Beau (oh, Beau, no... why did you take that hit?) with growing fear. Her little green hands cup the monk's face, holding it like Beau is something precious and fragile. She gasps and looks up, scrambling to her feet. "Caduceus!"

He raises his shield against the enormous flying insect, gritting his teeth and looking back at them. His pink eyes land on Beau and the strain in his body gives just slightly, just enough that he's forced back another two steps before he digs back in. "I have no-"

His heartwrenching answer, his cursed response is lost against the clash of bug-claws against his shield and Caleb's wall of fire. The wizard turns, arching his hands through the air, and drags the wall around in a fiery shield against the danger. His chest heaves heavily, his eyes wide and frantic and searching, staring, studying. Scrutinizing Beau's form. They flick to Jester. "Heal her! Jester-" he staggers forward and drops to his knees beside her, a hand over Beau's abdomen. "Please, Jester, heal her. I can't... she's... you have to save her. I need her."

"I don't have a diamond!" she snaps angrily. Pissed. She's so fucking pissed. At Caleb for thinking she would hesitate even a second to bring Beau back if she had a fucking diamond. At this monstrous beast for taking her in the first place. At life for being oh so cruel, to have dangled this family, these people in front of her, only to steal them away again.

At Beau.

At Beau for being such an asshole. Such an asshole to be so kind, so gentle, so compassionate that Jester really didn't have a choice. How could she not love Beau? How could anyone not?

Caleb's warm, rough hands cup her face and bring her back to a moment she wants to leave, to forget forever. His lips move, form her name, and she has to squint to hear him. "Jester! Save her! Look!"

It takes too much effort to follow his line of sight, to try and make sense of what she's seeing. It doesn't click until he's grabbing something from the pouch on Beau's belt, spilling chunks of bloody diamonds into his palm. Some are smooth and finely cut, small but expensive, while others are larger and jagged. Picked up along the way somewhere, maybe from the city of beasts or merely in their travels on the road.

It doesn't look like enough.

An incomplete collection that Beau had been working on. What else was she doing that the others didn't know? How was she the loudest and yet the most secretive of the group?

Questions Jester will never be able to ask, quirks she won't ever be able to notice again.

"It's not eno-"

Caleb presses them into her hand, squeezing tight enough that the jagged edges dig into her palms. His eyes are so blue, so earnest that it breaks her heart just a little bit more. "Just try!" he insists and - Nott winces, she ducks her head when his voice breaks off at the end. "Please."

Jester finds herself nodding, grabs onto the spark of hope in her chest and refuses to let go. Beau always gets up. Beau never gives up. And neither will she. It may not be her preferred suit, maybe not even her strong suit, but she can do this. She can bring people back. She can keep this group together against all odds. Against death itself.

The diamonds tremble in her palm until a soft light breaks through the smere of blood - dim, flickering very slightly, but there. She can do this.

She can do this.

"Beau," Nott calls as gently as she can while screeching over the noise of battle. "Get your lazy ass up! Join the We Died But We Lived club with me and Deucy and maybe Fjord." She leans down to press her forehead against the monk's. "Between you and me, I think he's just trying to steal our thunder. Drowning's not half as bad if you don't die, he just doesn't want to admit it."

Some of the smaller diamonds lift into the air, floating over Beau's chest. Jester digs deeper, closes her eyes to focus and channel more of her divine magic. A few larger chunks drift towards the others.

"Beauregard," Caleb said. Sniffs and scrubs his chin with the back of his palm. He looks down at the ground beside her head, at some of the more colourful pebbles in the dirt there. None of them have enough blue. "You and I made a promise, Beauregard, so I shall uphold it and tell you that you're being an asshole right now. Turning in the gloves so easily. It's a... what did you call it, a dick move? Ja." His fingers twitch, the fabric of her sash caught easily. Very smooth. Very nice. "I get it though. Life can be... difficult, especially for you and I, it seems. So I'll tell you what, if you come back, I will... I will let you borrow Frumpkin for a whole week. Or-or a month, even. He makes life easier." Caleb ducks his head. "You make life easier."

The diamonds burst into glittering dust that moves like waves in the ocean over Beau's body. Jester's veins burn, the exertion of her magic sapping quickly, reaching for more and coming up with nothing. There aren't enough diamonds.

"Miss Beau!" Caduceus gasps and drops to a knee, hanging on his staff. He looks... bad. Rough, his pink hair dishevelled and face covered in dirt. The giant bug's wing twitches behind him, body smushed into the ground. "Sorry it took me a second," he says around a smile and places a big hand on her abdomen. The glowing from his hand brightens the diamond dust in the air. "All things that begin must end, all that lives must die. Life is precious not because it's forever." He closes his eyes and focuses harder. The others watch the glowing diamond dust sink against Beau's skin and rest there. "But your grave is not yet ready for you."

The energy that crackles between Jester and the diamonds fights to stay strong, but she can feel it fading. Slipping from her grasp like smoke between her fingers. "Come on, Beau," she grinds out between clenched teeth. "Come on, Beau!"

Blood drips through the glowing dust, a shadow falling over them. Yasha leans down between Caleb and Nott, reaching forward to cup Beau's cheek as her own palm lights up. The gashes in her arm look bad but she doesn't tremble, doesn't blink. "They can't have you," she tells Beau quietly. Grimly. "Not you, too."

A pulse of magic echoes up Jester's arms from her palms. The dust settles into Beau's skin, starts sinking in until they can't see it anymore. Jester catches her second wind and digs back in again, presses her hands against Beau.

"Right, okay," Fjord ducks beneath the behemoth's swing and drags his sword against the underside of its arm. "See, Beau, I'm gonna need you to get up now because you and I are the only ones who don't get distracted in a fight, apparently." Claws catch his leather and he's launched back, tucking into a backwards somersault. Eldritch magic bursts from his palms when he settles on his knees, standing up to send two more. "Gonna need my First Mate to finish this guy off!"

Something jumps in Beau's chest. Jester gasps, her eyes widening, and... waits. And waits. "Beau?" She waits some more, she waits until the hope in Caleb's eyes turns brittle and threatens to shatter. "Oh! I didn't say anything. You don't have a Wildmother or a super cool, like, super awesome, super talented Traveler, or a scary but badass storm lord like we do. But!" She brightens and bounces on her knees. "You have us! And technically we didn't have enough diamonds but also technically fuck that because we need you. So tell Molly you'll see him soon or whatever but not today because there's shit to do!"

With every last bit of magic she has left, Jester pours it into her friend. Into Beau - kind, funny, abrasive, wickedly clever Beau.

"Oh, plus I love you," she whispers and swoops down to press a kiss against Beau's lips. "So please don't leave me."

Considering how immediate it was with Caduceus, Jester really shouldn't be surprised. She really has no reason to shriek when Beau jolts up, when her blue, blue eyes shoot open with wild frenzy in them.

Beau's chest heaves. Colours separate and details form, the world comes rushing back in, all at once. Pain lingers just behind but mostly... mostly she's okay. Right? Beau looks down at her lap, where she has Jester mostly gathered in her arms and the tiefling stares up at her with tears in her eyes.

Beau licks her lips, tastes something sweet, and feels herself smile. "Did I fucking die?!"

[princessamericachavez]

Not again

Fjord wakes up with a cold kind of soreness still lingering in his bones. His chest still aches when he breathes, and his limbs are a little numb from sleeping on the cold stone floor, but despite the discomfort, he can already tell that his health is better. Whatever draining effect the damn demon’s attack had, it’s worn off through the night.

With a quiet groan, he sits up and twists his neck until it cracks, releasing some of the tension. Only then, he opens his eyes.

There’s an immediate pang of panic, a sense of wrongness that settles in the depths of his gut before his brain has entirely put together the reason behind the uneasiness. Yellow eyes fly around the magical dome, taking in the empty space where there usually is bodies. To his right, where Jester’s body usually curls up, only inches away from his touch, there’s nothing, not even the lingering warmth of her body.

A sense of dread curls around his throat, choking him with memories of another night, a watch gone wrong, the pain and fear of being dragged away from his friends while they sleep peacefully only a few feet away.

No, no, no, dammit, his brain races with desperation. Not again.

Fjord can't find his voice. His left arm reaches for Beauregard's shoulder. He shakes her awake.

"Wha- Fuck, man. Couldn't you let me sleep?" She mumbles, her voice husky with sleep. His face must reflect the storm brewing inside him, though, because as soon as she catches sight of him she sits swiftly. "What? Oh, shit. Caleb!"

With her foot, the monk kicks the wizard awake, in a way that Fjord assumes is meant to be gentle.

"Was! Was!" Caleb kicks the air and flails around.

Fjord is already on his feet, looking around the stone room. He sees no signs of struggle but knows better than to assume. He walks out of the hut —damn thing was meant to keep them safe, wasn't it?— and starts pacing around. There's no sign of the girls.

"Jester?!" He shouts. In the echo of his voice, he can hear his own despair, clear as daylight.

"Nott?! Yasha?!" The others join him as they walk the giant rooms.

Nothing.

"They are okay," Caduceus's voice is deep and calm but still manages to raise over their frantic shouting.

"You know where they are?" Fjord asks, closing the distance between him and the cleric with large hurried steps.

"Yeah," Deucy smiles pleasantly and shrugs. "They went outside last night."

"Why?" Caleb asks and Fjord can hear the frown in his voice.

"Yasha had a vision. Jester suggested they go outside and talk to the storm."

"In the middle of the night?"

"And they never returned?"

Fjord isn't listening anymore. He takes off towards the entrance at full speed. His eyes search for tracks or a sign of struggle but añl he finds is mud and greenery.

"Jester?!"

"What?"

From the corner of his eye, he catches movement. The green cape, that he'd taken for more leaves, lifts up revealing a startled couple of detectives.

"What are you doing out here?!" He yells stomping towards them.

"Yasha was talking to her god and we didn't wanna leave her alone," Jester shrugs, somewhere between nonchalant and taken aback by Fjord's anger.

"And you thought it was a good idea sleep out here alone?!"

"Don't fucking yell at us!" Nott snaps defensively. "Calm down!"

"Fjord-" Beau tries to intervene.

"No, I'm fucking calming down. What's the god damn point of putting up a protective fucking dome if you two just gonna do whatever and go out on your own?!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry!" Jester yells back, just as loud. "We were just trying to help Yasha!" She gestures widely towards the woods.

Following her gaze, Fjord sees Yasha's form. She looks unusually small, tucked against a big old tree and fast asleep. Fast like an arrow, Beau dashes towards her.

"You scared us, Nott," Caleb says softly, bending down to meet the goblin's gaze.

"I'm sorry, Caleb. I won't do it again, I promise."

Caleb opens his arms and Nott easily walks into the hug. Still holding her, the Zemnian stands up and carries her away like one would a child. Not that Fjord knows anything about how parents treat children. Which leaves Fjord and Jester alone. 

The silence stretches between them, but it’s a different kind of tension than the one that has been brewing awkwardly the past several weeks whenever they are alone. She’s not meeting his eyes and he recognizes she’s upset by the curve of her mouth and the way her tail curls around her right leg like a self-given hug. As worry fades away, so does the anger, and Fjord feels a pang of guilt over raising his voice at her.

“Jester,” he says and sees her almost flinch at the sound of his voice.

“I already said I’m sorry!” She snaps back, defensively, raising two angry violet eyes towards him.

“I know,” he offers. “I just- Jester, you remember what happened the last time we wandered away from the others in the middle of the night, don’t you?”

The fight fades out of Jester’s expression with the same quickness that a spell will disappear if he loses concentration mid-battle. She sends a quick look towards Yasha, who is being wakened up by Beau with much more gentleness than Caleb was minutes ago. Fjord can see the way Jester’s shoulders drop as she bows down her head.

“I didn’t- I’m sorry if I scared you,” she whispers. “I didn’t think about that.”

And now, she’s sad. Fjord almost wishes she was angry again. His chest twists and, in an impulse, he brings a hand to rest on her shoulder. The contact is comforting and it manages to erase the last remains of tension in Fjord’s stomach.

“I know. Are you alright?”

Jester nods, not raising her eyes.

“Good,” Fjord sighs. “That’s all that matters. I’m glad you’re alright. M’sorry for freaking out. I was just... worried.”

That last word doesn’t seem right. It isn’t enough to really let her know the amount of despair that took over him a minute ago, the horror of imagining her in that situation again, the certainty that he would lose his mind if something happened to her, the hole in his chest at the mere thought of losing her.

Jester looks up, finally, and something in her face suggests she knows. Fjord wonders if she really understands it —he can’t even explain it himself. For a second, he’s convinced that she knows the words better than he does, that whatever this unspoken thing is, she has every tool to piece it together.

“I’m okay, Fjord,” she says, with a small smile and something that he almost dares call endearment.

The amount of feelings in her eyes almost echoes the myriad of emotions going on in his own heart and it terrifies him how real it feels. It’s almost tangible between them.

So, before he can put his foot in his mouth and break whatever this is (or, worse, acknowledge it), he deflects.

“Yeah, good, good,” he mumbles, letting go of her. “Let’s gather the others, then, and get moving. I think that’s enough scares for a day, and I’d like to finish this job and get back to town before they think we’ve skipped town on them.”

“Sure, sure, sure,” Jester agrees, quickly. “I’m- I’m gonna go get the rest of my stuff from inside.”

“Yeah, I’ll- I’ll get the others. See you in a bit.”

He rushes on the opposite direction to Jester’s and, on his way towards the others, flexes his right hand’s fingers trying not to linger on the warmth of her skin against his a second ago. It’s okay. They are okay. She’s okay.

[dunamanticarchivist]

C2E58 2nd part

Omg they named the dice jail “The Bailey Brig” gj Wyrmwood

Finally ending the shopping now?

Aaaand mild time skip for details sharing 

Sorting out supplies, time to hunt some hill giants

Keeping your NPC spouse and pets at the same place....sounds like a terrible idea. Feels like abandonment

RIP Sam x3

Sure sure sure take 10 plat

Uh oh on shaving Caleb

I wonder why he did it

Oh now I see Xhorhas is the coming out place; Nott feels fabulous, Fjord finds a kindred soul, Caleb tosses his bandages, Beau finds hot women to flirt with. MORE I WANT MORE OF EVERYONE

Ok I am thoroughly creeped out by the Ghostlands, but it is amazing 

Deucy’s grave sense is tingling strongly

Roll to intimidate with demon heart

Oh Fjord that is naaaasty 

They are bullying the poor sod

Oh boy now there are factions and plays to be made

Caduceus and the moorbounders are made for each other

Yup Ashley is definitely back with that stealth roll

AND THAT STR ROLL

Awwwww no fight, hopefully Ashley stays long enough to kick ass

[glossolali]

very belated c2e53 liveblog

- Sam Riegel is a chaotic mess i'm laughing

- this is so funny watching them repping the Kickstarter on this side of it knowing that they already have almost 6 million dollars now lmao

- yayayayaya fjord visions!!! I didn't expect Matt to bring Uk'otoa up so soon but I mean... not surprised the old god is mad.... he's pretty much telling him he's gonna kill him if he doesn't come back haha I'm so scared

- mm nice fjord and cad relationship building yesssss

- ooooohhhh the earth mother is "very much" concerned with the uk'otoa shit i'm

- deucie is the best!!!! I love him so much "i'm proud of you, everyone's gonna take care of you, I can cook something" 😢😢💕💕💕💕

- hahaha caduceus like "I don't understand, that dream was in fact very wet"

- NOTT I'M YELLING "are you having stress at work because Caleb's now the leader" i love her she's so funny

- OH MY GOD I JUST SAW SAM'S FLASK TODAY "SUN BREAK MY HEART"

- "Caleb Widogast is my name "actually it's not your name" I can't

- "Hollaaa..." "what does that mean" I'M CRYING 😂😂😂

- lool the time traveling

- yaaaaay Tief Twins 💙💙

- "would you like some bat droppings".......

- zorth 😂

- MOORBOUNDER KITTIES!!! 💓

- Caleb's always a mood "i am the cat person in this group"

- ohhhh caddy can talk to plants AND animals??? I forget why...

- this is soooo cute i love animal bonding time

- nott: "are you sure you want to give up your jade baubles?" caleb: "LOOK AT THIS CAT" mood

- Yannick, Yarn Ball and Clarabelle!!!

- Clarabelle is Caddy's sister's name!!! that's actually super funny

- Caduceus is a plantsexual! 💚 lol "are you hitting on the ivy?"

- what the fuck is going on with this creepy old lady yeugh

- it's a bunch of kobolds like sitting one on top of the other in a trench coat this is fucking hilarious

- Nott being a shit to Fjord will never ever get old i'm laughing

- i'm watching the gay ass gears turn in Beau's head as Matt describes the female drow :D

- yaaaaaaaay fight fight fight fight

- omg Nott sleight of handing Jester's diamond and rolling 27 lol I Love Her

- JESTEEEEERRRR Fuck

- lmao beau is equal parts pissed off and turned on by this drow monk

- oh my god the shitty rolls tonight are killing me

- I can't believe this she kicked their fucking asses omg what an icon

- TWO HIT POINTS!!!!!! i'm so mad lol

- and they lost the diamond I give up

- The Lost Testicle

- "did you learn anything?" "yeah i need to get better at beating people's asses" LMAO icon

- "we're cut from the same cloth" yeah you're both gay

- EYYYYYYY DAIRON FUCK YE

- is this why beau was travelling around???? to find dairon??? what?? hellooooo????

[queerlordsimon]

I apologize, I'm here to destroy your hearts yet again for today's story

Am I fully sorry? You will never know

Though I do apologize to deucy

[watchmebackflip75]

<p>A brother is the bestfriend you can never lose over time. Even if you really want to see him get lost he will always be there. Posea had only known about her brother for a few months. Their dad was a barnacle. He was a land-monster while his sister was water-nymph trying to become a goddess. During that training she was learning to be a good big sister.</p>

<p>In a giant dome at the bottom of the sea there was a song and dance party getting ready. Deuce thought it looked like a glass pineapple. The decorations were hung by Posea's sea-fairies and the food was provided by kelp farmers. The farmers were crab and lobster-people. </p>

<p>"Little bro, do you like sea-salt with your kelp or lemon?" Posea asked as she folded the napkins into dolphins.</p>

<p>"I'll try lemon. Pea, props to making this pineapple room reach the surface instead bringing everyone down below." Deuce said as he unfolded the shell-chairs.</p>

<p>Posea waved her hand. "Of course, though turning them into aquatic creatures woulda been a flick of my pinkie-"</p>

<p>"But we're cool with dudes staying the species they are. Dig it?"</p>

<p>"Dug. I'm just coral-pink to celebrate your hatch-day with me." Posea said as she threw starfish in the air. They froze and began to glow.  "Oh, may I give you the first present?"</p>

<p>Deuce held up his hands. "No, no way, this party is the max."</p>

<p>"You take it or-" Posea grew to ceiling, eyes glowing rainbow colors, "I will banish you to a littoral cave!"</p>

<p>Not a snake flinched, "Okay then, sis. I'll take it."</p>

<p>Posea shrunk down and held out a green clam with a bow on it. Deuce took it and was about to say thanks when her moist hand grabbed his wrist.</p>

<p>"I did hear you when you said you like monsters who like themselves." Posea said with profound confusion.</p>

<p><em>Talking to her about being weirder than weird probably isn't the best thank you gift,</em> Deuce thought as he opened the gift. A silver shell choker, Deuce approved. "Very nice, as family goes you rock."</p>

<p>Posea rolled her eyes and giggled, "Yeah, I rock. But it's not just for looking like a suave sword fish. Take off the sunglasses and look me in the eye. And trust me."</p>

<p>The gorgon was hesitant to do the thing he was reminded never to do, never unless he didn't like the person. He didn't want to petrify his sister but Posea was super magical so he may as well believe she'd heal fast.</p>

<p>"Strike a pose." Deuce said as he took off his sunglasses.</p>

<p>Something funny happened, the world was a bunch of different (what dya call them?) colors. Not just grey or muted shades-colors but lots, and lots of hues! Deuce saw his sister for the first real time. He walked up and poked her smiling face, she was not a statue.</p>

<p>"Dude." Deuce said.</p>

<p>"Duude!" Posea said, the coral growing from her expanded in spirals.</p>

<p>Later that night the 'pineapple' floated on the sea's surface with entire student body of Monster High inside. Monsters were crawling on the walls and ripping up the dance floor. </p>

<p>Gil was drooling as he stuffed the kelp-cakes into his mouth. "Scrumptious."</p>

<p>Abbey sniffed a cake then put it on a large, furry plant. The hermit-crab-ghoul walked away without noticing the cake on her back. </p>

<p>"Think music is called Zydeco-Boo." Abbey said to her mummy friend. "I like."</p>

<p>Cleo crossed her arms. "It's alright, if you like goofy and day-glow."</p>

<p>"You still mad that sister plan party for boo instead of you? Cleo, really." Abbey said as Heath gave her a drink.</p>

<p>"Abbey, the very accusation! I actually do like Posea." Cleo said. "I also like to take care of my boo. Where is he, anyway?"</p>

<p>The music stopped, a coral DJ station sitting from the side of the wall had an octopus-ghoul on the turn tables, "Mermaids and fishermen, this is a song for the birthday boy and the Mummy of Pearl."</p>

<p>The melody was romantic, the other monsters were clapping and going 'ooh' and 'aww'. Cleo gave a royal wave to her people as a spotlight hit her. She looked around for her boyfriend. The mummy found him by another spotlight, he looked too good with the new shades she gave him. He smiled and walked through the crowd to his ghoulfriend. Cleo stood still and grinned as he approached. Deuce was maybe three steps away, he looked Cleo up and down. He put a hand to his shades, the crowds covered their eyes and bent down. Cleo squinted with curiosity. </p>

<p>Deuce had his sunglasses off his face and his eyes were free. For the first time in her existence, Cleo saw Deuce's green eyes. They were like emeralds, and she knew the best cut emeralds. These were alive and mystic with the sliver pupils. She walked up to him and put her hands on his face. Somehow it was more lovely than she previously thought possible.</p>

<p>Realizing exactly how gorgeous Cleo was in full view was taking Deuce's breathe away. His mind was blank, and his heart was exploding. </p>

<p>The mummy took out an emergency totem. Deuce barely noticed when they teleported into a hotel suite. Cleo jumped up and wrapped her wrapped around his neck. Her eyes were like the ocean; mostly blue that sparkled aquamarine in the light. There were candles in the suite. Oh yeah.</p>

<p>Deuce couldn't even say 'nice room', his throat was clogged with pretty words he wanted to use to describe Cleo. None were good enough.</p>

<p>"Deucy." Cleo said while a snake twirled around her fingers.</p>

<p>"Yeah?" </p>

<p>"Make love to me." Cleo said, "For a long time."</p>

<p>"Yes. Absolutely." Deuce said  put his hands through her black, teal and gold hair.</p>

<p>Cleo pulled him to the bed covered with Boo-Whips-spray-cans, "I mean a long, long time. Like the next apocalypse is happening outside.</p>

<p>Three hours later Deuce was chewing on a protein bar and Cleo was finishing a waterbottle. </p>

<p>"I promise to recycle them." The mummy said as she grabbed another bottle.</p>

<p>Deuce was on his side and looking at her every curve and blushed flesh. He remembered when he was forced to look at Greece's architect. He didn't care about ruins, the only ancient soul that mattered was his queen of love.</p>

<p>"Babe, you ever play with virtual reality?" Deuce asked.</p>

<p>"Thank Ra you know how to use your tongue for other things. It's some nerd thing right?" Cleo asked as she stretched over him to kiss his nose.</p>

<p>"It's like a fake, cool looking world you can see when you put on these massive goggles." Deuce said as he traced her blood red lips with his fingers. "But this is real."</p>

<p>Cleo was in a trippy state of bliss. She stroked the silver shell on his necklace. "This is the best."</p><hr />

<p>  <strong>This is just the beginning.</strong> </p>

<p> </p><hr />

<p> </p>