#caleb cluster

[dark-black-dahlia]

A Grape Cluster Formed By Grape Clusters. This Cluster Is Called The Caleb Cluster

[itneverendshere]

Dang. I so bad want to see a sweet reader in a toxic relationship with the drug leader of a gang. And that said gang has a feud with another one. Rafe’s and he is the leader of that gang. And despite being a criminal, Rafe has some honor and would never treat a girl badly. And there is lingering tension from a distance of Rafe being all ’’I could treat you better’’ and wanting to help her get out of that relationship while she thinks that all guys must be just like her boyfriend, so she has not thought further about Rafe beyond that he is attractive.

okay so this turned out a lil different and i feel like i'd have to write another part to develop their relationship and the longing....so...

two birds, one stone - r.c (+18)

pairing: drugdealer!rafe x sweet!reader

warnings: domestic violence; mentions of drugs and drug dealing;

word count: 4.7k

You stood at the edge of the dock, the wooden planks creaking under your beat up shoes as you nervously glanced at the group of men clustered by the boats. 

Caleb, your boyfriend, had dragged you here without warning, his mood volatile as ever. You’d tried to avoid his attention when he’d pulled up outside the rundown house you’d been staying in the cut, but he’d simply sneered, ordering you into the car without a word.

Now, as you watched him move through the crowd of his men, you felt like jumping into the water was a much better option. He was dangerous on a good day, but when he was in one of his moods, it was like walking on a knife’s edge. And tonight, that edge felt particularly sharp. Drowning in the sea felt much more forgiving than being at the mercy of his hands. 

He was deep in conversation with Barry, one of his most trusted dealers, his posture tense as always, and his tone clipped. Barry also had a reputation for being as ruthless as they came when he wanted to, and the fact that Caleb was speaking to him in such hushed tones only made you want to get the hell away from this place. You knew better than to ask questions, though; Caleb didn’t tolerate curiosity, especially from you. 

Your eyes drifted across the dock, taking in the faces of the other men—rough, hardened, with the kind of dead eyes that came from too many years in the game. But then you landed on someone who didn’t quite fit the mold. Someone you hadn’t seen in years.

Rafe Cameron.

He was leaning against a stack of crates, his sharp blue eyes watching the scene with an unsettling intensity. The heir to the Cameron fortune, he was the last guy you expected to see here, in the heart of Caleb’s operation. But the rumors had been swirling for months—Rafe had gone off the deep end, running drugs and getting involved with people like your boyfriend. It was a far cry from the pampered Kook prince he’d once been, and the transformation was as terrifying as it was tragic. 

His eyes flicked over to you, and you hated every second of it, your skin prickling as if he could see right through you—the forced indifference, the carefully crafted apathy that kept you safe. 

He didn’t know you, not really. You were just another face in a town too small for secrets, a girl tied up in something ugly. The most you'd ever shared was a passing glance or a half-hearted smile at some party years ago, still in your teen years.

You knew of him, of course—who didn’t? The Cameron name carried weight, even when it was whispered behind closed doors.

“Come here,” Caleb’s voice snapped you out of your starting, and you flinched, quickly turning away as you moved toward your boyfriend, hoping the hadn’t noticed you ogling another man. 

The word boyfriend felt wrong, too soft for what Caleb really was to you. He was more like a personal nightmare than a partner, and the bruises hidden beneath your clothes were proof enough of that.

He grabbed your arm, pulling you close to him as he continued his conversation with Barry as you tried not too wince. God forbid he saw you whining. His fingers dug into your skin even harder, and you bit your lip to keep from crying out. He liked to do this in front of his men—show them that he was in control, that you were his and his alone. It was all about power with him and you’d learned the hard way not to resist.

“Keep an eye on her,” he muttered to Barry before turning his attention back to you, his grip tightening. “Stay here, and don’t move. I’ve got business to take care of.”

You nodded obediently, not trusting yourself to speak. Everything made Caleb tick when he was in this mood. The last thing you wanted was to provoke him. But as he stepped away, Barry’s eyes followed him, and you couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching you, again.

As if on cue, Rafe pushed off the crates and sauntered over to where you stood, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. As if he didn’t know men like Caleb would kill girls like you if they breathed the same air as other men.

He still looked the same, maybe a little bit older but he still carried that same detached arrogance. 

“You look like you’re in a real bad spot, princess,” Rafe drawled, his smooth voice setting your nerves on fire. He tilted his head slightly, watching you as if trying to figure out what you were doing here, tangled up in something so beneath someone like you.

“I’m fine,” you mumbled, hoping he’d just lose interest and walk away. You didn’t want to be on anyone’s radar tonight, especially not his. Especially not when Caleb was only a few steps away, talking to a man known for leaving bodies in the marsh when deals went south.

But Rafe didn’t move. 

Instead, he stepped closer, leaning just close enough that you could smell the faint scent of smoke on him. 

“I’ve seen girls like you before,” he said, his voice lower now, “Think you can handle a guy like him? You’re playing with fire, sweetheart.”

If he only knew. Even after being tangled up with the worst kind of people, there was still a sort of naivety to him. You knew he was never the kind of guy to settle down, be in a relationship, so how could he ever possibly understand that you weren’t here because you wanted to? You were because you had to. Because you’d been stupid enough to fall for Caleb’s shit and crazy enough to let your parents kick you out.

There was no way out. There was no help. No one. 

 “I’m not playing,” you shot back, you needed him to back off, to stop poking at wounds that were already there. His eyes narrowed slightly, catching the edge in your voice, but he didn’t retreat. If anything, he seemed more intrigued.

“Could’ve fooled me,” he said, his gaze flicking briefly to where Caleb stood.

“You don’t know anything about me,” you muttered, turning your face away. If Caleb saw this, saw you talking to someone he didn’t approve of, especially Rafe, you knew there’d be hell to pay later. But he wasn’t making it easy. He was still standing there, too close.

You lifted your hand, fixing the annoying pieces of hair that kept clinging to your face in the heat. It took you less than a second, but it was enough for your shirt to ride up the slightest. His eyes flickered down, following the fast movement, and that was all it took for him to see. To notice. The bruises on your stomach.

“What the hell happened to you?” His voice was low, almost felt dangerous in a way that was different from Caleb's. There was no threat in it. Not to you.

You instinctively crossed your arms over your stomach, trying to cover the bruises, but it was too late. He’d already seen them.

“I said I’m fine,” your voice trembled despite your efforts to sound strong. You looked away, unable to meet his eyes, afraid of what you might see there—pity, disgust, maybe even understanding. 

But he didn’t back off. He took another step closer, his hand reaching out like he wanted to touch you, to see if they were real. But he stopped himself.

“How long’s he been doing this to you?”

You bit your lip. The last thing you needed was to cry in front of him, or worse, in front of Caleb. You couldn’t afford to show weakness. Not here. Not now.

“It’s none of your business,” you gritted out, hoping that would be enough to make him stop asking questions. But he just shook his head.

“You need to get out of here,” he said, “You can’t keep letting him do this to you.”

No one had ever talked to you like this, like you were worth saving, like you deserved better. But it also terrified you. Because the truth was, you didn’t see a way out. Not without making everything worse.

Before you could respond, Caleb showed up, barking away, “What the fuck are you two talking about?”

You flinched, immediately stepping back from Rafe as Caleb stormed over, his eyes flashing with suspicion. 

“Just meeting the missus, calm the fuck down.”

"Is that right?" Caleb sneered, his voice dripping with venom. He grabbed your arm roughly, yanking you closer to him as if to reassert his claim on you. The pain shot through your arm, but you bit down on your lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction, “She doesn’t look like she’s in the mood to talk to anyone, Cameron, does she?” He hissed, his grip tightening until you felt your skin bruising beneath his fingers. “So why don’t you back off before I make you?”

Caleb was unpredictable, and you knew how easily he could lose control. If Rafe pushed him any further, it could get ugly fast.

But Rafe didn’t back down. He held Caleb’s glare with a chilling calmness that made your stomach twist. It was like he was daring Caleb to make a move, to see what would happen. You had to do something, anything.

“Caleb, it’s nothing,” you blurted out, forcing yourself to sound calm even though you were shaking inside. “He was just saying hi. That’s all.”

He didn’t look convinced, but his brown eyes flicked back to you, his grip loosening slightly. “You better not be lying to me,” he warned, his voice carrying a promising threat you were all too familiar with.

“I’m not,” you promised, “Please, let’s just go.”

He turned back to Rafe,  “Stay the fuck away from her, Cameron,” He spat, his voice laced with threat. “Or you’ll regret it.”

Rafe didn’t snap back, but you could see the tension in his posture, the way his muscles tensed as if ready to jump into action at any moment. You knew he got into fights daily back when he was younger, you just hoped he knew better now.

“Come on,” Caleb growled, pulling you away from Rafe, his grip still painfully tight. 

You followed him, your heart pounding in your chest, praying that Rafe wouldn’t do something reckless. You were tired of getting caught up in the crossfire between men’s ego’s. 

As he dragged you away, back to your personal hell, you risked a glance back at Rafe. He was still standing there, watching you, it made your skin crawl. You couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but you knew this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

And that terrified you more than anything else.

Rafe watched you leave, every instinct screamed at him to rip you away from that piece of shit and deal with the fallout later, but he knew better. He’d seen how this played out too many times before, in his own house, behind closed doors where no one was watching. He didn’t know why he cared. He shouldn’t care. You weren’t his problem, and Caleb was the kind of guy who didn’t let go of what he thought was his.

But as that piece of shit dragged you down the dock, his mind drifted back to his mother. He could still remember the bruises she used to try to hide, the way she’d flinch when Ward’s voice got too loud, too sharp. And he could remember the times when his dad’s rage wasn’t directed at her but at him. Because Rafe looked too much like her, Ward Cameron had a twisted way of showing his grief when she passed away. 

His dad had been the same as Caleb—charming on the outside, maybe for the first months, but vicious once he got behind closed doors. He had learned from an early age that there was no escape, no safe place to hide. He’d spent his whole life trying to be good enough, strong enough, but it never mattered. In the end, he was just a punching bag, a constant reminder of everything his dad had lost when his mom passed. Even if Ward never had her in the first place. 

Seeing you with those same bruises, that same haunted look in your eyes, it did something to him. He had promised himself, despite everything he did, he’d never lay hands on a woman. He wasn’t the type to get involved in other people’s problems—hell, he had enough of his own. But this was different, it felt all too familiar, a little too close to home. 

The way you tried to pretend everything was okay, how you tried to act like those bruises weren’t killing you day by day. He’d seen his mom do the same thing, day after day, pretending like the world wasn’t falling around her. He’d seen it in the mirror, too, in the years after she died, when he’d become his dad’s favorite target.

And that look in your eyes, the one that said you’d given up on anyone helping you, that you had accepted your fate—it pissed him off more than anything. Because he’d seen that look before, too. He’d worn it himself for years. But no one had come to save him, no one had pulled him out before he fell too deep. He’d had to claw his way out on his own, and even now, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever really made it.

He knew he was a shitty person, a drug dealer who’d fucked up more lives than he could count. But seeing you with Caleb, it felt personal. Like something in him was telling him he couldn’t walk away from this. That if he did, he’d be just as bad as his old man.

Rafe’s jaw tightened as he watched Caleb shove you into his car, barking orders at the men around him like he was some kind of kingpin. The way you shrank back, trying to disappear into yourself, made his stomach turn. He couldn’t stand seeing all of it. Not again.

He wasn’t going to let you end up like his mom. Not if he could help it.

Three days later, you found yourself back in town. You didn’t want to be out, not like this. But Caleb had sent you on an errand, yelling at you to get it done fast or face the consequences. You knew better.

Your arms ached as you held the grocery bag close, the weight of it pulling at the fresh bruises that painted your skin in painful hues of blue and purple. The collar of your shirt was pulled up high, hiding the dark marks on your neck, but nothing could stop the constant reminder of Caleb’s temper. Or the lack of it.

You kept your head down, hoping to get in and out of the store without anyone noticing you. The last thing you needed was to run into someone you knew, not that you still had any friends by this point. But still.

As you rounded the corner, you nearly collided with someone—tall, solid, and all too familiar. You looked up, startled, and found yourself staring into Rafe’s blue eyes.

He didn’t speak right away, scanning you it with the same intensity that made you want to run for you life. You quickly looked away, but not before he saw the discoloration peeking out from under your collar.

“Hey,” he said, his voice rough, but not unkind. It was the first time in days that someone had spoken to you without anger or disgust.

“Rafe,” you muttered, trying to keep your voice steady, but it came out shaky. “I—I’m just—”

“Running errands for that asshole?” he cut in. His eyes flicked to the bag in your arms, noting how you winced when you shifted its weight.

You bit your lip, trying to hold back the tears that you’d been wanting to spill for the past twenty-four hours. You didn’t want to cry in front of him, didn’t want him to see just how broken you were. 

“Let me see,” he demanded, his tone softer this time, but it made it clear he wasn’t asking.

“No.”

“Please.”

You didn’t think guys like him ever used that word. It felt foreign hearing it fall from his lips.

You hesitated, instinctively trying to make yourself look smaller, but the look in his eyes, the same fucking determination, made you realize there was no point in hiding it. Not from him. Not when he already knew.

Slowly, you pulled the collar of your shirt down, just enough to reveal the bruises on your neck, the ugly marks left by your boyfriend’s fingers. His eyes darkened, black consuming the blue, and his jaw tightened as he took in the sight. He didn’t say anything for a long moment, but you could feel the anger radiating off him, barely contained.

“Jesus,” he muttered under his breath, fingertips itching to grab his gun and shove it down Caleb’s throat.

You weren’t used to anyone caring, let alone someone like him, and it made you want to run away even more.

“I told you, it’s none of your business,” you said, your voice coming out more defensive than you intended.

You were scared—scared of Caleb, scared of Rafe, and scared of what might happen if the two ever collided. The last thing you wanted was to drag him into your mess, no matter how much his concern awoke something in you that you hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Y’think I’m just gonna let you walk away like this?” Rafe’s voice was low, almost a growl, and he stepped closer. You could feel the warmth radiating off him, his fists clenched at his sides as if he was barely holding himself back from storming over to Caleb and finishing this for good.

“Rafe, please,” you whispered, your voice cracking as the tears you’d been holding back almost spilled over. “You don’t understand. He’ll kill me.”

“I’ll kill him first. I’m not afraid of him princess,” he said, and you believed him.

But that wasn’t the point. You were afraid, and that fear kept you trapped in a cycle you didn’t know how to break.

“Maybe you should be,” you muttered, trying to step around him, but he didn’t let you go that easily. His hand shot out, grabbing your arm—not rough like Caleb’s grip, but firm enough to stop you. 

“Listen—"

“I don’t need your help,” you lied, hating the way your voice wavered. You wanted to believe you could handle it on your own, but the truth was, you couldn't.

Rafe’s grip on your arm loosened, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

You felt a tear slip down your cheek before you could stop it. You quickly wiped it away, cursing yourself for showing weakness in front of him. But Rafe didn’t say anything. He just watched you.

“I need to go.”

You couldn’t stay here any longer, couldn’t let yourself believe that someone like Rafe Cameron could actually care about someone like you.

But as you turned to leave, he called after you,  “I meant what I said.”

That night, as you lay in bed, bruises still aching, you couldn’t stop thinking about Rafe. About the way he looked at you, as if you were worth something, as if you weren’t just another broken girl in a world full of them. You wanted to believe him, but believing meant hoping, and hoping had only ever gotten you hurt. Still, the idea that someone—anyone—might care enough to try to help you was getting harder and harder to ignore.

Caleb was still out, probably meeting with Barry or some of the other guys, but you knew it was only a matter of time before he came back. And when he did, you had to be ready—ready to play the role he expected, ready to keep him calm. Ready to survive another night. You could feel your heart beating in your chest, the fear coiling tighter with every second. 

Caleb would be back soon. And if he found out about your encounter with Rafe...You swallowed hard, the taste of bile rising in your throat. You couldn’t let that happen. You couldn’t let him  find out.

What if Rafe really could help you? What if there was a way out of this nightmare?

The bedroom door creaked open suddenly. You sat up instantly as Caleb stepped into the room, his eyes were bloodshot, and you could smell the alcohol on him even from across the room.

“Where the hell were you today?” he demanded, his voice slurred. You knew better than to lie, but the truth was just as dangerous.

“I was running the errands you asked me to,” you replied carefully, “I went to the store and came straight back. I swear.”

He stared at you, his eyes narrowing as if trying to decide whether or not to believe you. “You better not be lying to me,” he muttered, stumbling slightly as he moved toward you. “You know what happens when you lie.”

“I’m not lying,” you insisted, trying to keep the tremor out of your voice. “I did everything you asked.”

He stood over you now, his shadow falling across your bed like a dark omen. You braced yourself for what was coming, but instead of hitting you, he just stared down at you. 

“You think I’m stupid?” he hissed suddenly, his hand lashing out to grab your wrist. The pain was immediate, but you bit down on your lip, refusing to cry out. “I know when you’re hiding something.”

“I’m not—” you started, but he cut you off, his grip tightening until you could feel the bones in your wrist grinding together.

“Don’t fucking lie to me!” he roared, shaking you violently. “I know you were talking to someone. Who was it? Was it one of those Kook pricks? Were you flirting with them? Like the slut you are?”

The fear turned to cold dread as you realized he must have heard something about your run-in with Rafe. If he knew you’d been talking to him, there was no telling what he might do.

“No,” you lied quickly, desperation crawling up your throat, “I wasn’t talking to anyone. I swear, Caleb, it was just me.”

He stared at you for a long second, his eyes boring into yours but then his expression gave away into something ugly, something feral, and before you could react, his fist came down hard, striking you across the face.

The impact sent you sprawling back onto the bed, stars exploding in your vision as pain radiated through your skull. You tasted blood in your mouth, your lip split from the force of the blow, but you didn’t have time to recover before he was on you again, his hands around your throat.

“I’ll fucking kill you if I ever catch you with another man,” he snarled, his grip tightening until you couldn’t breathe. “Do you hear me? You’re mine, and I’ll fucking kill you before I let you go.”

You clawed at his hands, panic taking over you as your vision started to blur. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, and the world was fading to black around the edges. But just as you thought it was over, he released you, shoving you away as if you were nothing more than a piece of trash.

You gasped for air, coughing and choking as you scrambled to get away from him, but he just laughed, a cold, heartless sound that made your blood run cold. You hated him.

“Don’t forget who you belong to,” he sneered, turning away as if you were no longer worth his attention. “Next time, you won’t be so lucky.”

He staggered out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and you collapsed onto the bed, your body shaking with sobs you couldn’t hold back any longer.

Maybe you didn’t have to do this alone.

The next morning, when the sun rose and Caleb was passed out in a drunken stupor, you made a decision. You couldn’t keep living like this. And if there was even a chance that Rafe could help you, you had to take it.

Rafe wasn’t a stranger to darkness. He’d lived with it, fought against it, and at times, even embraced it. But seeing that same darkness reflected in your eyes had fucked him up in a way he wasn’t prepared for. He wasn’t sure if you’d believe him, if you’d actually reach out. But damn, he hoped you would. Rafe was about to head downstairs, maybe grab a drink to take the edge off, when he heard the faint sound of footsteps outside. It was late—too late for anyone to be dropping by Tannyhill unannounced. His curiosity piqued, he moved toward the window, peering out into the dim light of the porch.

And then he saw you.

You stood there, looking lost and broken, your shoulders hunched. Even from this distance, he could see the bruises on your face, the way you were holding yourself like every movement caused you pain. Without thinking, he moved toward the door, his pulse quickening. He wasn’t sure what had happened since he last saw you, but he knew it was bad. And more than anything, he knew that you needed him right now.

He reached the door just as the bell echoed through the stillness of the house. For a moment, he stood there, hand resting on the doorknob, trying to calm himself down. He could feel the tension radiating from you, even from the other side of the door, sensing the desperation in the way you leaned slightly forward, as if fearing the door might never open.

Rafe inhaled deeply before turning the knob, his heart racing as he faced you. The soft light from the porch cast gentle shadows across your face, accentuating the fresh bruises and tear-streaked cheeks. You stared at him for a moment, your eyes wide and glassy, and he could see the way your lower lip trembled as you tried to hold back more tears. He hadn’t felt such an incredible need to protect someone in years. He didn’t need to ask what happened—he could guess. And the thought of someone hurting you, making you feel like this, made him want to turn this whole town upside down. 

But for now, you didn’t need his anger —you needed help, comfort. You needed him to be there for you.

“Help me,” you whispered, your voice so soft and broken that it almost undid him right there. “Please.”

Rafe didn’t hesitate. He reached out, his hands gentler than they’ve ever been as he pulled you inside, closing the door behind you. You were shaking, your whole body trembling like a leaf as if you were about to fall apart, and he could feel the tears soaking through his polo as you collapsed against him.

He wrapped his arms around you, holding you tightly, feeling the way your body shook with heart-wrenching sobs. He just held you, letting you cry it out, his hand gently stroking your hair as he tried to soothe you.

“It’s okay,” he murmured eventually, his voice a low murmur though he wasn’t sure if he was saying it for your benefit or his own. “You’re safe here. I’ve got you.”

He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt you again. Not if he could help it. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to let you go through this alone.

“Come on,” he whispered, pulling back slightly to look down at you. “Let’s get you cleaned up, okay? You can stay here tonight. No one’s gonna bother you.”

He’d kill Caleb if he ever attempted to take you.

[astrid-beck]

Okay now that I've finished critical role campaign two, I can finally share my contribution to society (artists and cosplayers and fanfic writers) as number one costume enjoyer and reader of critical role transcripts, every single physical description of Astrid or what she is wearing that I could find, in chronological order:

she is "handsome" (episode 42)

she is about 5'3, and she has dark brown hair and brown eyes. She has residuum scars on her arms, like Caleb, and as a teenager her hair was short (episode 64)

In episode 70 they again imply she has brown hair (the volstrucker they interrogate has dark hair, "but not brown... this is not Astrid")

here's the description of young Astrid from episode 77

Astrid is roughly Jester's height, but she has a short brown-- this is-- she looks like she's 17 is when I saw her last. She's got short brown hair, maybe four or five inches long. She is slight. She has attractive, but like severe features.

he later clarifies that the last time they saw each other, she was 18, and he was 17, and that he is now 33, meaning it has been about 16 years and she's now about 34

here's the full episode 89 description:

Human woman in her mid 30s, dirty blonde hair, extremely short in the back, but long and side-combed in the front, framing the right side of her face to just past the chin. She looks over towards you, a familiar face of older with a hard look in her eyes, but a smile, with a heavy scar that is new, that rides from the top of the brow down to the bottom of the chin. She's dressed simply.

her scar is over her left eye from brow to chin (matthew mercer gestures as he says it)

she has a burn scar on the left side of her neck (as above, he gestures), and implies it's from Bren burning her on the night they killed their parents, meaning shes had it her whole adult life

her hair is over the right side of her face, and is blonde rather than brown (has been dyed?)

she's wearing a blouse (with the sleeves rolled up once she sits down)

she has "maze-like" tattoos on her forearms that "appear to be black" (which is for some reason the real way that matthew mercer describes them)

Here's the 110 description:

On the right side, you can see a woman with dirty blonde hair, short in the back, combed over to one side of the face, smiling in a very, very officious looking suit, it seems, that comes into a long dress at the bottom.

In this scene her hair is combed over the left side of her face, which probably just means matthew mercer forgot, but take it as you will. Maybe she's switching it up who knows.

More detailed description of the tattoos on Eadwulf:

you can see the clustered maze-like tattoos that are across his forearms. And you can see similar scars as to the ones that Caleb had with raised areas of the skin, where things are embedded beneath and have healed over [...] and he tenses his arms and as he does, you see energy spark through and arc up the arm.

In episode 114, Liam O'Brien dresses up as Astrid, and has the hair and both scars all on the right side. This is bad for my sanity, but I'm inclined to think in-game trumps out-of-game in terms of the canon hierarchy

here's what she's wearing in 126:

You see stepping in a female figure, wearing a casual, dark gray, looks like a short robe with a mantle over top and a hood.

she's wearing an amulet of proof against detection and location

and the next day in 127:

Similar overcoat and hood, but outfit beneath is a little different, new day.

Here's her and Eadwulf in disguise in 128:

Two gentlemen in cloaks. With heavy scarves around the shoulders with a hood that seems to be of a similar material to the scarf. Wearing casual, baggy, sleeveless, tunic-type attire that's belted in the center with some baggier pants, and some knee-high boots with some tie straps around the top of it. They're both similar attire, but the designs and patterns, and wearing is not uniform, if you will.

In episode 141, her tattoos glow blue when she activates them. She carries a sword

When she comes back, she is "comparatively smaller" than Eadwulf, but "imposing in [her] own right". She's wearing black leather gloves and a hood. Later they give her a sunhat for gardening

Notes:

In Critical Recap Animated, the scar and hair placement is so inconsistent (read: literally changes second to second) that I'm inclined to think it doesn't count as canon. She wears a short robe, trousers, and a v-neck. I am like. 90% sure this is based on Liam O'Brien's cosplay

In her mini from iron tusk painting, she has her facial scar on left and hair on right, can't really see the burn scar. Her tattoos go all the way up her arms, which checks with the volstrucker illustration in EGTW. I'll let you stare at the outfit and try to figure out what the pieces are, but I respect the industrial goth girl Astrid grind I guess

Bonus:

[roll-of-royces]

HC: How the LaDS Celebrate Trans Day With You (A Trans Person)

Happy Trans Day to all you lovelies out there! I tried to make this one as gender neutral as possible. I want all Trans people to feel included!

At first Xavier doesn't remember what day it is until his Hunter's Watch beeps and reminds him. Then he panics. He's out of his apartment racing toward the closest store as soon as he's awake, which is already the middle of the morning. But he can still salvage this!

He rushes into the general store, scanning the aisles for some of your favorite snacks, grabs you a coffee, and is racing back (his Evol saves him precious time) toward your apartment door. Hands full of last minute goodies he forces himself to relax and not look like he just ran there and back, before knocking with his shoe.

You open the door, spot him standing there, and smile. You always look so wonderful when you smile, Xavier smiles back. "Happy uh Trans Day, starlight. Do you want to celebrate with me?"

He's had the day marked on his calendar for months, so of course he's prepared. Zayne has taken the day off work, had a special bouquet of flowers (whites, blues, and pinks) prepared at a local flower shop, and is sitting in his car outside your apartment complex. Flowers have always meant something special to him so he figures this is a good way to show that he supports you.

When you slip into the seat next to him he holds the flowers out, watching the way you brighten and take them. "They suit you." Zayne says quietly.

He starts his car and pulls into traffic, "Breakfast first, and then would you like to see a movie? I know a theater that's running a few specials today with trans actors."

You nod, looking down at your flowers, "Thanks, Zayne."

To say he's been preparing for months wouldn't actually be an exaggeration this time. He's been working on this project in secret every chance he gets while still squeezing out his normal works so you wouldn't be suspicious. Thomas is thrilled, of course he is, because Rafayel will actually be attending for once.

He's given you strict instructions (texting you twelve times) to come to a specific building at a specific time. He dresses in a white suit, adorned with blue and pink accents, because he may as well match and waits for you to arrive.

When you do you're met with tons of people all clustering around an art auction. Art all by Rafayel. Art all themed around being trans. He's not trans himself, but he listens when you talk and so your feelings are across the canvases.

They're not just flag colors and basics, some of them are beautiful and painful, and raw. He holds your hand as you look at them all.

You're awoken to a pounding on your door. When you open it, fresh and early in the morning Caleb is standing there, stuffed animal in hand. He thrusts it out to you so quickly you barely notice it's holding a little trans flag before your hair is being assaulted by his hand as he barges inside.

"So what are we doing today?" He asks, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "I'm sure you planned something right." He's teasing you, soft toned and grinning as you rub sleep from your eyes.

"Did you have to get here so early?" You grumble.

"We've only got a day to celebrate your transness." He jokes, "Figured we should get started."

"I'm trans all year long you know." You mumble walking to put on coffee.

"Huh, I never noticed." He says with a smile.

[honorhearted]

@faithhearted

The thick scent of g.unpowder filled the air, practically coating Benjamin's lungs as he and Caleb dashed and skidded in between a cluster of trees.

"Only one left?" he called over to B.rewster, to which the whaler nodded.

"Aye," he said in between breaths, "we've got the bastard."

Benjamin increased his pace, his features solemn. Defection was never an offense that was treated lightly in camp, so being s.lain in their skirmish would be considered a kindness in comparison to what fate awaited the man.

Just as he prepared to reach the top of the hilly terrain, a loud, piercing scream filled the woods, and looking to Caleb in alarm, Benjamin's brow creased in bafflement.

A woman? he thought. How was it even possible? The nearest sight of civilization wasn't for dozens of miles, and this p.ositioning was intentional.

Holding his flintlock aloft, Benjamin swung around a tree and peered below, spotting the defector pinning down a woman in the leaf-ridden grass.

Gritting his teeth, Benjamin didn't hesitate and squeezed the t.rigger, sending up a bloom of smoke as the w.eapon discharged.

Bang!

The man jerked, giving a wet, squelching cough, before collapsing over top of the shrieking woman.

Caleb appeared at this side then, and together, the two men skidded down over the embankment.

"Miss?" Benjamin called. Quickly peeling the defector off the woman, he attempted to calm her since she was still wildly swinging her arms back and forth. "Miss!" he shouted, catching hold of her wrists. Concerned, he pressed, "Madam, are you all right? Have you been injured?"

[hughjidiot]

Total Drama Level Up Finale Sneak Peek

Life is still more than a little crazy for me right now, but I am getting work done on the finale of Total Drama Level Up. Here's a brief preview for you all.

After nearly a week, the storm over southern Toronto had finally broken. The gray clouds that once choked the sky had broken into small clusters, allowing the morning sun to shine through for the first time in days. The rain itself had ended sometime in the night, its only remaining evidence being swollen run gutters and puddles that dotted the landscape, soon to be evaporated by the heat of the summer.

Zee took all of this in as he sat at one of the tables in the cafeteria, glancing out the window as he picked at some waffles and took the occasional sip of soda. The silence was broken by the squeaking hinges of the entrance door swinging open; Zee looked over and offered a small smile.

“Morning, dude,” Zee said to Damien, who paused on his way past the table.

“Morning Zee,” Damien said after a moment. “You uh, doing okay? After last night and all.”

Zee sipped his soda and shrugged. “Eh. Still kinda sucks not having Lauren around, but at least I’ll get to see her later today, so I can’t complain too much.”

Damien nodded, hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I gotcha. Listen, I know we haven’t talked much this season, but I wanted to say sorry about Scary. I meant what I said yesterday; I have my issues with her, but I have nothing against you.”

“You’re good, brah. This is just how the game goes. And I know Lauren gets… pretty intense sometimes, and she got a little competitive this year. But deep down, she’s a cool girl.”

Damien shrugged. “Well, she can’t be all bad if she wound up with someone like you. Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask for three days: how did that happen?”

“Well, it started with her wanting to hear about how I lost my leg. Then we just started hanging out, watching movies, getting to know each other…” Zee paused for another sip of soda, blushing faintly. “Then when I saved her from Zombie Robot Caleb, she just up and kissed me. Caught me off guard, not gonna lie. I did a lot of thinking that night about the time we’d spent together, and realized how like, nice it felt to be with her. So the next morning I went looking for her to ask how she felt, turns out she liked me back and… Here we are.”

Damien nodded along with Zee’s speech, noting the sincerity in his tone. As odd as it still felt to hear someone speaking so fondly of Lauren, Damien couldn’t deny the two seemed happy together. And who knew? Maybe Zee’s chill nature would help curb some of Lauren’s intensity. (Or at least, Damien hoped, direct it towards anyone but him.)

“Well I’m happy for you,” he finally said. “Like you said, at least you’ll get to see her today.”

“That’s right.” Zee cracked an amused smile. “And hey, at least you won’t have to face her for the million, right?”

Damien chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect. On that note: nothing personal, but I’m fighting like hell for that prize.”

“I’d expect nothing less, brah. Do what you gotta do, so will I, and may the best player win.”

“Thanks, I’d planned on it.”

Zee and Damien looked up at the familiar scratchy voice. They’d been so engrossed in their conversation they hadn’t noticed MK enter the cafeteria and saunter up to them.

“Last chance to back out now and spare yourselves the humiliation of losing to me,” MK said with a smug smile

Damien barked out a laugh, crossing his arms. “You wish. I got this far; I’m seeing this through to the end.”

“Me too, and I’ve got a lady to win for,” Zee said, holding his soda can over his heart.

“Ooh, the power of love,” MK snickered. “What’s next? You gonna take me down with a Care-Bear Stare? Team up with the others to blast me with a friendship rainbow?”

“Big talk from someone that needed Julia and Scary Girl’s help to even make the finale,” Damien said with a smirk.

MK smirked right back. “Maybe I did. But in the end I’m here and they aren’t.”

[not-poignant]

I'm a reader and from Western Australia. The description of the UTB facility always kinda reminded me of Woodman Point Recreational Camp. Like that kind of set up. More space between the cottages. Being close to the beach. But with Margaret River bushland...... if that makes sense.....lol

Hello fellow Western Australian! :D

I had to look up the Woodman Point Recreational Camp because I'd never heard of it and kind of cringed at how spartan and jail-like it looked. (I'm sure it's very different and a lot more fun to experience! But the photos aren't kind).

I actually imagine for example that Gary's cottage looks actually way more like this, just kind of without the white fencing around the verandah:

Literally like giant forest behind it, garden around it, kangaroos, and the grass is greener and better maintained and there's also just in general on the grounds, way, way more greenery to create a sense of things being screened off from each other.

There's a reason Efnisien's not mentioning all the other chalets on the property, and it's not just because they're very far apart (because many aren't, they all have to be reasonably reachable by staff).

The standalone chalets I imagine a bit more like this, but more modern, and a lot more glass / curtains to fully open the house (to air out pheromones). And while they're less likely to have forest behind them, there are just a lot of trees etc. and gardens and benches etc. on the property.

This is probably a better idea re: an aerial view:

(Though yeah as you say, more space between the cottages, and more grass. There's also a central cluster of buildings where Gary's office/s, the medical suite/s, caterers and all the professional/corporate meeting rooms are!)

It's more of a radial design. Some cottages are clustered closer together, some are duplexes, and some are quite far away due to the possessiveness of the omega (so Caleb and Lucien are very close to the beach and quite 'separate' so they're not likely to catch any pheromones from anyone else).

I'd say there is more grass, and more like...lush maintained gardens with a mix of native and exotic plants from the aerial view. Because it actually used to be a very kind of 5 star self-contained chalet experience, it's got botanical garden level of greenery around the place, that's very well-maintained by gardeners etc. on staff. It's not the kind of place where they get a lawnmower person out once every few weeks, they have full-time gardeners who come in every day and leave every day because there's just so much to do / maintain in the garden/s and on the grounds!

I hope that helps some! I mean it still might remind you of the Recreational Camp, the photos that came up for me in an image search were pretty bare.

[troutymouthwhisperhug]

chapter 2

luca's alarm blared, yanking him from the kind of restless sleep that never felt like enough. the shrill beeping cut through his dreams, but the heaviness in his chest had been there even in sleep. he blinked up at the ceiling, willing himself to move, but the weight of the morning pressed down on him like a stone. orientation day. the words tasted bitter. what was there to be excited about? a new school, a sea of unfamiliar faces, and a life that still didn’t feel like his own.

across the room, caleb was already up, his movements quick and sure. he tugged on a faded outkast t-shirt, one that hung loose on his frame, and glanced over at luca with a grin that was all brightness and optimism. "you ready for this?" caleb asked, his grin full of brightness and optimism, like today was some grand adventure, like starting at a new school was no big deal.

luca rubbed his eyes, wishing he could borrow even a fraction of caleb's ease. how does he do that? luca thought, feeling a tight knot of nerves twist in his stomach. "as ready as i’ll ever be," he muttered, the words heavy on his tongue, sounding more like a lie the moment they left his mouth.

caleb chuckled, the sound easy and untroubled. "don’t sweat it. it’s just orientation. we’ll get the lay of the land, meet some people. you’ll be fine."

luca wished he could share caleb’s confidence. but the world outside his window felt vast and intimidating, filled with unknowns that loomed large in his mind. still, he nodded, forcing himself to his feet. today was too important to give in to doubt.

after a quick breakfast, they headed out. the air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of autumn despite the lingering warmth of summer. degr*ssi wasn’t far, but each step felt heavy, as if luca was dragging himself deeper into unfamiliar territory with every movement.

the school loomed ahead like a fortress, its brick facade both welcoming and imposing. the building felt solid, too solid, with history etched into its weathered walls, every crack and shadow making luca feel smaller, more insignificant. back in seattle, his school had been sleek and modern, all glass and clean lines. this place felt rooted in the past, a place where he didn’t belong, where everyone else seemed to already know their way around. his pulse quickened as they neared the entrance, his feet dragging with each step.

inside, the halls buzzed with energy. freshmen clustered in nervous groups, their voices blending into a chaotic hum. others had already started to break away, trying to carve out their place in this new world. luca stuck close to caleb as they made their way through the throng, following him to the auditorium.

principal simpson stood on the stage, his presence commanding yet approachable. he had the kind of face that spoke of years spent guiding students, of wisdom earned through experience. his voice boomed out, filling the room with authority. "welcome, class of 2029!" he announced, his tone both welcoming and firm. "you’re officially freshmen at degr*ssi community school, and this year is going to be one of the most important years of your lives. you’ll make new friends, learn new things, and discover who you are. we’re all excited to have you here, and i know you’re going to do great things."

luca tried to focus on the words, but his attention drifted, his eyes scanning the sea of faces. everyone was a stranger here, and for a moment, the anonymity felt suffocating—until he saw her. she stood at the back of the auditorium, laughing at something one of her friends said, and the sound seemed to rise above the noise like a melody. her braids bounced with each movement, framing her face, all sharp angles softened by a wide, easy smile. there was something magnetic about her, something that made luca’s gaze catch and linger. he wasn’t sure what it was, but for that moment, the noise of the crowd faded, and all he could see was her—her smile, her laugh, the way she moved like she belonged here, like the world spun just a little bit differently around her.

"who’s that?" luca nudged caleb, his voice low, almost conspiratorial.

caleb followed his gaze, squinting slightly. "who?"

"her," luca insisted, tilting his head toward the girl.

before caleb could answer, she spotted them. her eyes lit up, and she broke away from her friends, striding toward them with a confidence that made luca’s heart skip a beat. "caleb!" she called out, her voice warm and familiar. she wrapped him in a hug that was more energy than affection, like she was trying to share her excitement with him.

caleb laughed, returning the hug easily. "hey, sam."

she pulled back, turning her attention to luca with a smile that was both bright and curious. "you must be luca. caleb was so excited for you to come." her eyes sparkled as she spoke, making luca feel like he was the only one in the room. it was disarming.

"nice to meet you, sam," luca replied, offering a smile of his own. it wasn’t as bright as hers, but it was sincere. "caleb’s told me a lot about you."

"all good things, i hope," she teased, her gaze flicking to caleb for a brief second, as if checking for a reaction.

"depends on what you consider good," luca quipped back, feeling his usual defenses drop just a little. his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than he intended, like the words carried more weight than either of them realized.

samara laughed, the sound light and infectious. "well, welcome to degr*ssi. it’s gonna be great, trust me."

"yeah," luca replied, his eyes still on her, even as he said the words. "i’m sure it will be."

before the conversation could go further, caleb glanced around, his eyes scanning the crowd. "where’s kai? isn’t she usually glued to your side?"

"you know her," samara said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "she’s probably off making her rounds, talking to everyone who’ll listen."

as if on cue, kai appeared, her presence impossible to ignore. she was tall, with a model’s grace and a phone perpetually in her hand. her outfit was a riot of colors—bright reds, bold accessories—like she was daring the world not to notice her. she was snapping selfies with new classmates, her laughter carrying over the noise, effortlessly pulling people into her orbit.

"there she is," samara said, nodding toward kai. "always working the crowd."

luca was about to respond when he noticed someone across the room. a boy with dyed black hair that fell in his eyes, chipped black nail polish, and a hoodie that looked like it had seen better days. he leaned against the wall, casually watching the chaos of orientation unfold around him. there was something about his look that screamed "i don’t care," but the way he observed the room said otherwise.

"who’s that?" luca asked, nodding toward the boy.

samara glanced over, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. "that’s alex villanueva. he’s a goofball. always singing, always hungry. and super sarcastic. caleb and him have been competing since forever. they used to go head-to-head in talent shows. if caleb didn’t win, it was alex."

caleb’s face twisted slightly, and he muttered, "more like he stole my thunder every time."

samara laughed, but there was a subtle edge to it this time, almost too quiet to notice, like a hint of something more beneath the surface. "you’re still salty about that? it’s been, what, five years?"

"it’s a rivalry," caleb said defensively, but the smile pulling at his lips gave him away. "besides, we both know i’m the better musician."

"uh-huh, sure," samara teased, but her tone shifted just a fraction, her voice tightening almost imperceptibly. "that’s why he keeps beating you."

luca watched alex for a moment longer, intrigued. "he seems… interesting."

"he’s not bad," caleb admitted, though there was still a hint of something in his tone. "but don’t let him fool you with that 'too cool' act. he’s a clown."

luca was about to respond when a girl with wavy black hair strolled by. she had an air of confidence that was almost aloof, like she was already over high school even though it had just begun. next to her was a taller girl with dark hair pulled into a neat ponytail. she walked with her shoulders slightly hunched, as if she was trying to make herself smaller. there was something shy, almost mousy about her, especially next to the other girl’s boldness.

"that’s lily wong," samara whispered to luca, catching his curious glance. "and the one with her is asha chaudry. they’re practically inseparable."

luca noticed caleb’s gaze follow lily as she walked by, his usual ease slipping into something more uncertain. a slight blush colored his cheeks, betraying him.

luca smirked, leaning closer to caleb. "don’t make it that obvious you like her," he teased, his voice low enough that only caleb could hear.

caleb’s eyes widened, and he sputtered, "what— i do not!"

samara, ever observant, caught on immediately and laughed, nudging caleb with her elbow. "don’t even try to deny it. he’s had a thing for lily since fifth grade."

luca chuckled, the sound low and knowing. "you’ve got it bad, man."

"guys, come on," caleb muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, but there was a small, almost shy smile on his lips.

the rest of the day passed in a whirlwind of introductions and activities. luca met kai properly later, and she was every bit as charismatic as she’d seemed from afar. she included him in conversations with ease, her voice lively, her words tumbling over each other in her excitement. it was clear she was used to being the center of attention, and she thrived on it.

samara took it upon herself to show them around the school, guiding them through the maze of hallways with the confidence of someone who had already mapped out every corner of the place. as they walked, she pointed out different classrooms, the best spots to hang out, and the quickest ways to get from one side of the building to the other. her enthusiasm was contagious, and luca found himself relaxing, the weight of the day lifting slightly.

they rounded a corner and almost collided with a group of football players, their laughter loud and boisterous. leading the pack was a tall, muscular guy with short, curly hair and a charming smile. he wore his varsity jacket like a badge of honor, exuding a confidence that seemed to come as naturally to him as breathing.

"that’s avi," caleb said, noticing luca’s gaze. "star of the football team, golden boy, everyone’s favorite."

luca nodded, watching as avi high-fived a teammate. he had that popular kid aura, the kind that made everyone aware of his presence. "yeah, he seems… popular," luca muttered, trying not to sound too impressed.

"he’s sweet, though," samara added, her tone light. "always has time for everyone. it’s kind of annoying how perfect he is."

luca chuckled, glancing at samara. "you sound like you have a crush."

she rolled her eyes playfully. "please, everyone has a crush on avi."

as they continued through the school, luca’s attention was drawn to a boy standing alone by the wall. his dark hair fell into his eyes, and his clothes hung a little too loosely on his frame, as if he was trying to hide in them. his hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and he watched the crowd with a mix of disinterest and anxiety.

"who’s that?" luca asked, nodding toward the boy.

caleb glanced over. "emery chase. he’s… different. doesn’t talk much, keeps to himself mostly."

luca frowned, his heart twinging with something he couldn’t quite name. "he looks… sad."

"he’s been through a lot," samara added softly. "people say he used to be a child actor, but something happened, and now he just… is."

the rest of the orientation passed in a blur of activities—icebreakers, group projects, and a campus tour that felt both endless and too short. by the time they were done, luca’s head was spinning with new faces and names, each one blending into the next. it was overwhelming, but there was a part of him that felt a little less lost, a little more anchored by the people he’d met.

when he finally got home, the sun was dipping low in the sky, casting long shadows across his room. he collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling as the events of the day played back in his mind. there was too much to process, too many emotions tangled up inside him. he needed to get it all out, so he grabbed his journal from the nightstand and began to write.

today was… a lot. freshman orientation is supposed to be exciting, right? a new beginning, a fresh start. but all i felt was lost, like i was floating through the day without really being there. caleb was so pumped, and samara—she’s something else. she’s got this energy that’s hard to resist, like she’s already figured out how to make the best of everything. i wish i could be more like that. maybe i will be, once i settle in.

the school’s bigger than i expected. there’s history here, something that makes it feel solid, like it’s been here forever and will be here long after i’m gone. it’s not like seattle. nothing is, i guess. i can’t stop thinking about her, samara. there’s something about her that’s hard to put into words. she has this way of making you feel like you matter, like you’re not invisible. maybe that’s why she stands out so much—because she makes everything around her brighter. and then there’s caleb, acting all cool and confident, but i saw the way he looked at lily. he’s nervous, just like me, even if he won’t admit it.

the weird thing is, i felt like i wasn’t completely alone today. not with caleb, samara, and even kai. they included me, like i was already part of their group. it’s strange… i don’t know if i’m ready to belong yet. alex seemed cool, i’m interested to see more of him and caleb’s dynamic. 

and avi… man, he’s like the guy everyone wants to be. popular, confident, always smiling. but he seems nice, not like some of the other guys back home who were just… mean. and emery… there’s something about him. he looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. i want to know his story, but i don’t even know where to start.

i guess i’ll figure it out. i have to, right?

[12pt-times-new-roman]

c3e59

let's go back in tiiiiime

"Where are we?" "Where's everybody else?" "Where's Imogen?"

This area is rife with not just volcanic activity, but with seismic activity as well, and Ruidus is to the south.

Laudna identifies a handful of places that match this description: the Truskan Vale (near Kamordah), the Panagrip Sands (to the far east of Marquet), and the Spectrum Gorge in the middle of Issylra.

Orym to Caleb, via sending stone: "Um... Caleb Widogast? Are you alright? Where are you? Not sure we're even in Marquet anymore. Please respond." He's met with a feedback loop and static.

Orym to Dorian, vis sending stone: "Dorian? Can you hear me? Uh... what's the sky look like where you are? Tell me you're okay." Same thing.

They crest a ridge of the gorge, and beyond, there's a dense forest, a cluster of growth affixed to the mineral-rich earth. Orym, with a passive perception of 31, sees movement — 

AIMEE!!!!

She's a dwarf with long blond hair, covered in tattoos — two stand out, one of a banner heart that says "me" instead of "mom," and one with a large cursive D. She's wearing earring hoops that say "fuck off." A corset, bejeweled boots, a massive gold belt buckle, carrying a whip and a sickle.

I'm calling it right now, this woman is going to romance Laudna and Ashton.

An hour ago, she was in Tal'dorei looking for her ex. She almost found him when she heard Ludinus' voice, saw white light, then appeared in this forest.

Mona is a barbarian/rogue (who rolled excellent stats btw).

From the top, they can see that the gorge is a massive canyon at least two miles long. Ruidus is to the southwest of them. An extremely overgrown and vibrant forest surrounds the canyon, and there's a river nearby.

Orym can see another gathering of leylines to the northeast — another nexus point, miles off. Loosely in that direction, he can see a township, and beyond that, a massive mountain range with one singular mountain taller than any he's ever seen — the Heaven's Stair. The entire western side of his vision is taken up by a mountain range that looks so foreboding and ominous that he doesn't even want to go near it. To the south, ocean.

Traveling to the northeast, they encounter a fire and send Pate to scout. (Friendly reminder that Pate uses the stat block of an imp, so he can turn invisible at will.) At the fire, there's a cart, a reindeer-looking beast of burden, and a humanoid figure warming their hands.

Utkarsh Ambudkar is an actor best known for his roles in Pitch Perfect and Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Bor'dor is a half-elf "built like a coat hanger." 6'4 but hunched over, delicate fingers, no scars or tattoos. Brown skin with shades of green and gold, unkempt hair, and large gold-amber eyes. A face that carries the resting expression of "what the fuck is going on?" No armor, a green cloak, leather shoes, and a crossbow.

He shoots a 5th-level lightning bolt at Mona, then casts cure wounds at second level. He's a divine soul sorcerer!

He was in the Cyrios Mountains on Wildemount (near Pride's Call) with his sheep — his family raises sheep and sheepdogs — and caring for his sick brother. Then he felt a humming, heard a voice and a droning, a pain in his forehead — then he got teleported here, along with his cart.

And apparently he just... spontaneously gained 9 levels in sorcerer over the course of the hours he's been here. Which, if he's a divine soul sorcerer, is super fucking concerning considering what we know about the gods giving large amounts of power to their followers from EXU: Calamity.

Mona's whip is a whip of warning, which gives her advantage on initiative rolls. Also, creatures within 30 feet of her cannot be surprised, and if they're sleeping naturally and combat starts, they wake up at the start of combat.

Orym spots another figure, walking through the forest, approaching the light and conversation.

EMILY!!

She's a shadar-kai elf with emo girl tattoos with runes instead of song lyrics, but she's dressed in the formal attire of a mage's apprentice. Indoor kid vibes, clothes not meant for adventuring, "coming out of a tense conversation with a book."

She's a Cobalt Soul apprentice!! She's here asking about their "experiences with the apogee solstice."

Her book talks to her. She was sent by the Cobalt Soul, but with a sentient book chaperone. It's a tome with black and brown leather and silver runes, with a scrunched face roughly pressed into the front. Denios was trapped in a book during a rivalry, the Cobalt Soul got their hands on it, and now he's a chaperone.

The Cobalt Soul didn't know where she was gonna end up, but they sent her through a teleport spell hoping for a metropolis — and ended up here. So this confirms that teleport works, but there's no guarantee where you're gonna end up.

Prism was stepping outside the library to prepare for her teleportation when she heard Ludinus, saw a flash, and ended up here.

The Soul knew that the apogee solstice would be a "cataclysmic event." They scrounged up everyone they could and dispatched them to try to figure out what's happening.

The sentient book is also her spellbook, so she's stuck with him.

It sounds like Prism is an order of scribes wizard? That would make sense for the Cobalt Soul.

Mona's "real" name is Deni$e. Her nails are incredibly sharp stilettos. Her demeanor reminds me a lot of Keg.

More rustling in the bushes! More people?

Nope! Initiative at the end of the break.

Prism has a raven familiar she calls "mother." She also invokes the spirit of her spellbook, confirming that she's an Order of Scribes wizard.

Denise has at least 3 levels in rogue, because her sneak attack is 2d6, and at least 2 levels in barbarian, because she has reckless attack.

Gods, I forgot how much I love Talisein's descriptions of Ashton's attacks and rage builds. They're all so good.

Oooooh, I've never seen steel wind strike used in a game before! It's a 5th level ranger/wizard spell from Xanithar's that deals 6d10 force damage on a hit to up to 5 creatures within range. Then, regardless of whether it hit or not, the caster can teleport to a space within 5 feet of any of the targets.

Also, yes, rules-as-written a familiar counts as an ally that can proc sneak attack. So if Veth, as an arcane trickster, had taken find familiar, or if Frumpkin was used in this way, she could've gotten sneak attack much more reliably. Personally, I find it strange that familiars can do this while spiritual weapons cannot, but yeah.

I love that Bor'dor, the newly-minted sorcerer who has no idea how to use his magic purposefully, is this party's only source of healing (besides Laudna's wither and bloom, which hardly counts). From that, it seems like this group is much more geared toward social encounters than physical ones,

YO. EMILY. that is a DOPE FUCKING MOVE

The plant swallows Orym, then the book goes in behind him and gets into contact, then Prism casts dimension door through the book on Orym to teleport them out.

THIS is why I absolutely love watching veteran players on Critical Role. People new to the system have their own unique charm to the way they play their characters, but people like Emily and Aabria who are highly experienced with and aware of D&D 5e know to make incredibly creative moves like that.

And at the same time, Utkarsh (and guests new to 5e) pushes the limits of the rules, because they're not familiar with those rules, to a point that they come up with wildly creative plays based on what knowledge they do have of the rules-as-written that end up being clutch moves.

Combat ends.

Prism's raven is named after both her own mother and the Matron of Ravens, because the latter is prominent in the Shadowfell.

Prism is "really new to spellcasting," despite being a 9th-level wizard who is therefore capable of casting things like contact other plane, create spelljamming helm, legend lore, and teleportation circle. tbh this is such a cool take on wizards -- someone who's never tested their spells in combat situations, but who's confident in their own ability with those spells in more innocuous circumstances, due to their expansive study and lack of practical experience.

Also, Prism knows exactly who Ludinus Da'leth is, though she's never interacted with him directly, because of his leadership of the Cerberus Assembly.

"We don't leave people behind. That's the rule. You do not leave people the fuck behind." I love that this has become the center of Ashton's philosophy, because it makes so much sense. They were left behind, left for dead, and a single person stayed by their side, helped them, saved them. So of course they are going to be that person for someone else. Of course they would rather be the Milo, of course they'd rather try in vain to save someone instead of leaving them behind and subjecting them to the same pain and isolation that they themself felt.

Also, again, Emily is using the same logic for Prism as Aabria did for Laerryn. Maybe it's just because we've never really had a proper elf PC (or a player-character who had the trance ability), but this is just such a cool take on trance...... I love it.

Ahhh, so Prism doesn't necessarily believe the gods should die but she does believe that they might deserve to be usurped by mortals ascending to godhood like the Raven Queen. With a skill check, Prism's truthful reason is that she's feeling excited to be out of the library. She thought she was going to freak out, but she didn't, and she's excited by that -- she feels like she could smoke a cigarette in a single drag, she feels that rush of adrenalin. It's like when Caleb said in C2 that they were all addicts to the thrill of battle, the adrenalin of purpose.

Bor'dor doesn't remember his mother very well, and he hasn't seen her in a very long time. He believes that his magic comes from the love of his mother, and he's clinging to that. He and Prism take the first watch, and bond over their ability to trance.

Yep, Prism is 100% an order of scribes wizard. Manifest Mind is a 6th level ability of that subclass.

Ashton panicked, down in the mines. They thought they'd won, they thought Laudna had won, and they think they made some bad calls. Laudna says that "we're a bunch of dumb-fucks, going up against a 500-year-old wizard, so..." And Ashton reassures her that they're gonna get their people. They're gonna get Prism, Bor'dor, and Deni$e to where they need to go, then they're gonna find Imogen. "If they went to space, then we'll go to space... if she got vaporized, we'll bring her back. This is what we do. We bring everybody back. There is no failure in this, and we're going to figure it out because it's what matters. I have-- whatever broken thing that's in my head, that means that anything's possible now, that's what I've decided. We brought you back, and we can do it again... sure, we're not enough to save the world, but we are more than enough to bring everybody back... we can't save the world, but we can save our people. We're going to."

I never really got to know Percy, I liked Molly, I loved Caduceus... but I want to fucking study Ashton like a bug under a microscope, I want to turn them around in my brain like a microwave. They are fascinating,

Deni$e and Orym take the last watch. Deni$e knows Shaun Gilmore! She went to Emon looking for him specifically. She also knows Dariax, "that piece of shit." She knows Orym from wanted posters all over Emon -- the Nameless Ones have put up wanted posters for all of the Crown Keepers.

Dariax has a dumptruck ass, canon.

DARIAX IS THE EX DENI$E WAS LOOKING FOR

And the Nameless Ones were going after her because they were looking for what Dariax stole, and as soon as she saw him months later, she got teleported here.

Orym has flashes of Keyleth, Will, the horrors they've witnessed. It permeates this light conversation, his entire existence. He drinks, heavier than we've seen him drink the entire campaign. "I just... I just don't think I've ever felt so small."

Prism doesn't know sending, but if she can find a scroll or a copy of a spell, she can transcribe it into her spellbook very quickly. She wants to find a library or some discarded spellbooks so she can help, so she can cast sending.

As an interesting note, this is also an Order of Scribes ability! Usually, it takes 2 hours per spell level for a wizard to transcribe a spell, but for an Order of Scribes wizard it takes two minutes per spell level.

"That mountain to the north is the Ascendant Bridge, the tallest mountain in Exandria... it's visible as far away as Vasselheim. It's believed to be where the gods first arrived in the world." The party is within a gorge of Othanzia, the region in which Vasselheim, the dawn of all civilization, sits.

The party can still see Ruidus, even in the early daylight. They can see townships around -- they have options scattered in every direction.

[music2sick]

[mini caleb ramble] god where to start with this song. my friend sapph put me onto this with one simple message "adrian orange/thanksgiving sounds a lot like rob tbh" and just like that i was hooked. although he does sound like my favourite artist possibly making me a tad biased, he is actually pretty good when you listen into it (and youre not just looking for someone who sounds like someone you like). [the actual review] in this song, thanksgiving mixes sloppy played ringing acoustic guitar chords with perfectly imperfect raw vocals like many songs, but somehow manages to pique the interest of weirdos like me (and also keep it interesting throughout, that too). whether this is because of his striking originality or my lack of taste is your place to judge, but even if "the last one living" is not your cup of tea, i can guarantee anyone can see the talent behind this seemingly simple song. the last one living starts with a cluster of beautifully undecipherable lyrics, (not dissimilar to the likes of sparky deathcap), that come tumbling from adrian orange's mouth in a calm yet disorderly fashion, like you after a few too many, carelessly confident, staggering over the karaoke machine trying to sing the words to sweet caroline. now, i have had to google one too many words in the first few seconds, (which albeit made me feel less of a man), so ill be deducting points for making me feel stupid, or maybe i actually am stupid in which case sorry adrian mate. moving on to the chorus, it's so brilliantly repetitive as it never gets old, i dont think ive ever been so compliant to have something drilled into my head as i am listening to this song. its catchy in a "alright i kinda get the words but they change each time" way, not a "WOOOOO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGADOO DOO DOO PUSH PINAPPLE SHAKE THE TREE" way. the great crescendo, now accompanied by harmonic backing vocals and what seems to be sliding electric guitar. not overpowered by drums or layers to flesh out the song (to make it something its not), but rather tambourine shakes and unconventional charm.

the last one living will be right, and ill leave you on that thought. I love this song and ill be looking into more of thanksgivings music very soon

[and this is the end]

i highly reccomend this song and album which you can stream on all the everywheres and buy on bandcamp, have fun x

woooooooooooooooooo music talk over babyyyyyyyyy thanks for reading my music words xxxxxxxxx

[queenofbaws]

Like Wringing Blood From A Stone An Until Dawn/The Quarry fic by TheIcyQueen

Of all the counselors clustered around the Hackett’s Quarry Summer Camp sign in the overexposed photograph, there was only one she didn’t recognize. All the others she’d bumped into one time or another, at the grocery store or the Redbox or some restaurant in town or even at the new police station Uncle Trav was so proud of. Back in the old days, see, Papa only brought on North Kill kids as counselors, and North Kill kids had a funny habit of growing up into North Kill adults. The photo was full of them: a Cutter, a couple Kildeeres, all of the Pierces, a few of the Gores, a Graves or two, even some Sawyers and Bashes.

And then there was Amelia Grant. Ames to her family, Amy to her friends, Mom to…well, no one, really. Caleb, for about a minute; her too, just mostly in theory.  

Kaylee had expected she’d find her in the album, had expected even more than that that she’d look at those pictures and see some older version of herself. Caleb and Dad looked just alike, after all, so it tracked that her and Mom would too…but besides the heavy spray of freckles across her nose and cheeks, besides how dark the roots of her hair were where the bleach had grown out, she couldn’t see a shred of herself. Not a shred.

Chapter 13 now on AO3

[dhampiravidi]

Roleplay History

The rules are simple! Post characters you’d like to roleplay as, have roleplayed as, and might bring back. Then tag ten people to do the same (if you can’t think of ten, just write down however many you can and tag that number of people). Please repost, don’t reblog!

Aside from my OCs, here are the canon characters I've written for--

Current

Achilles (Hellenic Mythology)

Caleb Danvers [hidden] (The Covenant 2006)

Charlie Cluster-Seven/Fantomex [hidden] (X-Men/Marvel)

Rose Porter-Constantine (DC Comics)

Shayera Muñoz/Hawkwoman (DC Comics)

Mu Lan (Zhongguo/Chinese Mythology)

Past (* means written just for doubles)

*Steve Rogers/Captain America (Marvel)

*James Potter (Harry Potter)

Monet St. Croix/M (X-Men/Marvel)

Nikolai Lantsov (Shadow & Bone/Grishaverse)

*Sam Winchester (Supernatural)

*Stefan Salvatore (Vampire Diaries)

Possible Future

Alec Lightwood (Shadowhunter Chronicles)

might give Monet a try again, IDK--

I'd love suggestions!

**

Tagged by: @sankta-alina-s

Tagging: @stars-written @starlsssankt @ashortgothamite @deathtransformed @delightindarkness @etdraconis @everythingheard @valkxrie @vivalavillain

[eretzyisrael]

DON’T PANIC

In this week’s Torah portion, Sh'lach, Moses sends twelve spies, one from each tribe of Israel, into the land of Caanan. They return forty days later carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig, and describe the Promised Land as lush and bountiful. Caleb, the leader of the tribe of Judah, confidently states that “We can surely go up and take possession of it.” (Num. 13:30) Joshua, from the tribe of Ephraim, agrees. However, the other ten spies are not so optimistic. They declare that the inhabitants of the land are giants and “we are unable to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” (Num. 13:31) This negative report causes the Israelites to panic. They cry to Moses and Aaron that they will “fall by the sword, our wives and children will be as spoils.” (Num. 14:3) They say to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt!" (Num. 14:4)

Even though God brought them out of slavery, provided for them in the wilderness, and promised them the land, they have no faith that He will help them to conquer it. God punishes the Israelites by decreeing that their entry will be delayed forty years, until the entire generation of former slaves dies out. Why are they punished so severely? Isn’t it natural to be afraid of the powerful Canaanites? An answer can be found in the last line of the spies’ report, describing their fearsome foes: “In our eyes, we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.” (Num. 13:33)

The Midrash explains that God would have forgiven the Children of Israel for comparing themselves to insects. Their mistake was projecting their own feelings of insecurity onto others. We humans often feel frightened or vulnerable, and we can’t always control those negative emotions. However, it is important to separate the way we feel from the way we think. Our emotions don’t necessarily reflect reality. The ten pessimistic spies and the panicked people knew that they felt scared, but they had no way to know what the Canaanites felt about them. They made a reckless assumption, and we all know what happens when we assume….

May we all remain calm in stressful times, and allow our heads to rule over our hearts!

Image: 1600 year old mosaic depicting two spies carrying a cluster of grapes (image credit: Jim Haberman)

Accidental Talmudist 

[happyandticklish]

Homing Missile

Notes: For the anon request [prompt for day 14]. I love the idea of Caleb’s ability being used in conjunction with tickling, and then the idea for this fic hit me like a train, so here you go~ Thanks for sending something in!

Summary: Caleb’s abilities add a whole new element when it comes to bringing Adam to hysterics. 

It was an unspoken rule that they didn’t talk about it. Even if Caleb wanted to. Even if Caleb found himself glancing over at the other from time to time, watching the slow curl of his lips, the way his fingers twitched against the couch as though yearning to reach up and pull him away.

One of Adam’s arms rested in Caleb’s lap, his gaze trained with almost ferocious intensity on the screen across from him as if he was trying to convince himself to pay attention. It had started with his hands. Lazily messing with his fingers, intertwining Adam’s hands with his, soft touches against his palm. Then one of Caleb’s thumbs had started rubbing against his wrist, the nail just barely grazing the skin. Adam had inhaled unsteadily and shifted, but noticeably hadn’t moved.

“You okay?”

A shaky nod. “Cold. Heater’s broken.”

Hot flushes of nervous embarrassment. Caleb snapped his head up to look at him, taking a moment to put two and two together. Carefully, he moved the touch higher, scratching against his forearm instead. On anyone else, the touch would’ve been soothing. On Adam, it was unbearable. He wasn’t squirming but he wasn’t not squirming. Caleb tried again, dragging his touch down his arm. A shy grin broke the surface of Adam’s face before quickly going into hiding once more.

Caleb could’ve stopped there.

He didn’t.

It had been fifteen minutes now and Caleb had grown bolder as time went on. He traced intricate shapes across the trembling skin that climbed up his veins and stopped just shy of his underarms. Adam seemed to almost climb the couch at that, his whole body shuddering upwards as if to get away before sinking back down in embarrassment.

Adam’s mouth had been caught in a perpetual smile for ages now, but he had yet to laugh and Caleb was getting antsy. His fingers itched to trace over different areas, to dig into the spots that he knew would prompt a glorious fit of un-Adam-like giggles. He probably would have done so by now if it weren’t for the gentle happiness emanating off of Adam, the butterflies flurrying in quiet storms. It was a vulnerable feeling, but nice, and Caleb was content enough to simply bask in it—at least for now.

Adam gripped the couch when Caleb scratched at the bundle of nerves on his inner elbow, eyes crinkling shut for a moment. In front of them, voices blared and blood splattered almost comically on the ground. It had been Adam’s turn to pick the movie for that night—something equally gory and cheesy that they both had tuned out the plot to after the first couple minutes had gone by. Adam tried to play his reactions off as though it were caused by the movie—waiting until a jump scare to let out a shuddery breath and flinch away from swooping nails.

“I have an idea,” Caleb said softly, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough for Adam to pretend ignorance. Caleb shifted into a better position, taking the whole of Adam’s arm into his lap. Adam glanced quizzically over at him but didn’t pull away. 

Good. He didn’t want his plan to end before he’d even had a chance to put it in motion.

He started with Adam’s hands, and those annoyingly poignant, elegant fingers that had started all this. Caleb traced almost haphazardly over his palms, closing his eyes and focusing on feeling the shifting, nervous emotions emanating off of Adam. It was like an odd game of hot and cold. He waited until Adam’s feelings flickered into a burst of happiness and paused there, brushing over the spot—that sliver of skin right before the wrist, vulnerable nerve endings and veins clustered together. Adam tensed, his grin widening. Caleb didn’t move for several minutes, both of them melting into Adam’s feelings. He could still sense the edges of curiosity, but it was drowned out by simple, unmuddied joy.

After a while he moved up, allowing his ability to guide him as he went. Whenever that happiness came back, he would pause, taking his time to carefully explore the area. Adam’s face had erupted into a blotchy red and he squirmed back into the couch, fighting the urge to do something about this.

Feeling bold, Caleb crawled his fingers up higher, ascending onto one trembling shoulder that ducked up at his advance. It was getting harder for Adam to reasonably ignore this; his grin was so wide it looked as though it might break out of his face, and one of his hands was hovering hesitantly near his chest, ready to shove Caleb off if needed. Which he nearly did when Caleb skittered nails lightly over the back of his neck.

“C-Caleb!” Adam gasped, smushing back into the couch in a not-quite effort to get away. “What are you—?”

“I know you like it,” Caleb interrupted softly, partly to see the flush spread even further over Adam’s face and partly because he needed to share this new discovery of his. “I know you like it here.”

“Well y-yeah,” Adam said through gritted teeth, laughter trapped somewhere in his throat with no real plan of escape. “We’ve established that—”

“No, I mean—” Caleb stopped, giving Adam a chance to actually concentrate on his words— “I know you like it here. On your neck. And before, on your wrist. And that one spot, right where your elbow connects.”

A smile still lingered lazily over his features, but it was starting to dip down into puzzlement. “I—I mean yeah, I know that, but how…?”

“Your feelings.” Caleb quickly picked up his hand, Adam watching him with clear concern in his eyes. Caleb brushed over his wrists in a manner that made Adam’s arm jerk back, a spluttered laugh slipping out despite himself at the sudden attack. “That makes you happy. More than like, just your arm or something. I started noticing that certain places prompted more intense spikes of joy than others and wanted to test it out.”

“Oh.” Adam’s feelings wavered in uncertainty, though Caleb thought it was leaning more towards a pleased awkwardness than anything genuinely negative. “That’s kind of embarrassing. I didn’t even realize you could pick up on that stuff.”

“Sorry,” Caleb apologized off instinct. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything—”

“No, no, it’s a good embarrassing,” Adam rushed in quickly, gripping Caleb’s arm in reassurance. He laughed a little, a self-conscious gesture he couldn’t help. “I’m just still getting used to this.”

“To my powers?”

“Yeah. Well. Kind of. Mostly now just you knowing about… well.” Adam waved his hand vaguely for lack of a better answer. “This thing that I have.”

Caleb wrinkled his brow in amusement. “This thing being how you like to get tickle—”

“Okay, okay!” Panic and mortification flared out from Adam as he reached over to cover Caleb’s mouth before he could finish. “No need to shout it to the whole world, god.”

Caleb slowly removed his hand, raising an eyebrow. “We’re the only ones here, and both of us already know about it.”

“Exactly! So there’s no need to say it out loud! Anyway,” he continued, brushing past the subject before Caleb could tease him about it any further. “You’re good. For feeling that. It’s kind of nice that you’re like a homing missile for where it... ah, feels the nicest?”

Adam’s gaze seemed to land on almost every part of the room but on Caleb as he talked. It had been months since Adam had confessed this particular interest of his to Caleb (though admittedly, Caleb’s ability has sussed it out and prompted the conversation in the first place), and he still had trouble openly talking about it now. Caleb had suggested discussing the subject with someone once, like his therapist, to help with the aversion he had to the subject, but Adam had immediately shut that idea down with the claim that he would never be able to face his therapist again after the conversation.

Caleb patiently waited until Adam’s feelings had settled somewhat before scooching closer, picking up his hands to toy with his fingers again. “You know,” he said slowly, trying to keep his tone casual for Adam’s sake. “If you do like this new strategy, I could do it again. You don’t even have to say anything, you could just nod or... I don’t know, give me a signal or something.”

Adam was silent for a moment, hesitance and longing radiating off of him in conflicting waves. He waited almost a full minute before slightly moving his head in what someone could vaguely observe as a nod.

Resisting the urge to grin, or call him cute, or anything else that would surely make Adam shut this whole idea down, Caleb instead pulled Adam into his lap, slipping his hands subtly under his shirt. Adam shuddered in his arms, hissing out something about cold fingers, before Caleb set those same fingers into motion, and any snarky comments of his were soon lost to a fit of shaky giggles and vague protests.

They didn’t talk about it afterwards either, but there were some things that didn’t need to be said out loud, Caleb decided. 

[your-enby-antihero]

Caleb and the two very hot purple people that are sitting at the next table over

Based on a  tumblr post

Caleb works as a teacher at the Soltryce Academy. His life is fairly normal, not very notable at all, but when he meets two people at a bar he becomes an utter mess.

also available on ao3

—————————————————————————

Chapter 6: Mollymauk Tealeaf and Essek Thelyss go to Dinner with a very Dysfunctional Found Family

Summary: Interactions between the Nein and Molly and Essek. Dinner is had and Molly and Essek spoil the group with gifts.

—————

Molly had gotten a text from Yasha mid day while working on an acrylic piece. Their lavender hands were splattered with muddy blues and greens, a commissioned piece for a wealthy lady that had seen his art. Ophelia Mardoon, she was from Shadycreek and had come in recently for a time and saw some of Molly’s art up in Caduceus’ cafe. She had commissioned something to hang over her fireplace. So when Molly finally got to Yasha’s message it was late evening.

“One new message from 🖤🤍The Charm🤍🖤: Hey Molly Beau wanted me to ask if you and Essek were free to come to Caleb’s celebration dinner after the Soltryce conference :) The rest of the gang is coming too, oh and invite Caduceus Jester has been asking about him”

Molly smiled coyly to themself, looking at the unanswered but read text they had sent to Caleb late the evening before, they remembered having texted Caleb about meeting up for dinner after his presentation but it seemed he already had plans. Poor dear must have felt guilty about having plans already and not have texted back. No matter, Molly was excited to get the whole crew together and meet the friend that Caleb had mentioned. Molly adored children and supposedly Veth’s son Luc was a treat to be around. They called over to Essek, who was in the kitchen knitting. 

Essek popped his head onto the room curiously and walked up to Molly, “darling what can I do for you?”

Molly smiled and pecked Essek on the cheek before handing him their phone carefully so that he would get any paint of Essek’s clothes.

“Yasha was wondering if we wanted to go to a big dinner with Beau and Co. Caleb apparently already had plans to go out with everybody after the Soltryce Conference.”

“Oh well that works out nicely,” Essek smiled, reading the text, “what should we bring as gifts?”

——————

Essek adjusted a pair of star cufflinks that Molly had given him on their 2 year anniversary. His hands ran over the silver outline of a cluster of stylized stars that sat on his cuffs. He smiled listening to Molly ideally chatter about a cute kid they met at the library that day, Kiri Schuster, Essek recalled. Essek sat on their bed, pillows and blankets creating a nest of sorts, meanwhile Molly was leaning towards the mirror of the bathroom and carefully applying a shimmer to their eyelids.

They were meeting up with the gang at Taste of Tal’dorei. Veth had suggested it because she and her husband had taken their son a few times before and after a chaotic and frankly boring day at the Soltryce Conference for most, it would be a good time. 

Essek was delighted that he had gotten home just in time to freshen up before dinner. Even though he had been happy to help out Caleb and lead the “Is Dunamancy your school?” presentation, being around all those (barring Caleb) monstrous Assembly people made Essek feel disgusting.

They climbed into Essek’s car, Molly settling the bags filled with gifts into the trunk before carefully sitting so that the sheer fabric of their cardigan didn’t wrinkle on the car ride over. The sleeveless black turtleneck showing his tattoos proudly and dark leggings warming their legs against the cold leather seats.

Essek wore a very nice dress shirt that Jester described as “a pirate but more professor-y” and a pair of black slacks. As his polished dress shoes stepped onto the gas pedal, they were off.

——————

Once they arrived Molly spotted Yasha, her brilliant white hair shining like a pearl in the restaurant’s lights. They jumped towards her, running to tackle her into a hug. Luckily Yasha’s reflexes were on point and she caught Molly and reciprocated the hug.

“Oh love it has been too long,” they sighed, as they squeezed her as tight as he could.

Yasha laughed, “Molly it’s only been a few days since I saw you.”

They had met up for coffee at Caduceus’ place, just to chat and catch up, since Yasha was so busy running a bar and these last few commissions had been keeping Molly busy.

Beau shouted a snarky greeting and Molly barked one back. Essek smiled and greeted the table as Jester usher him to take his “designated seat”, which just so happened to be directly across from Caleb. He smiled happily at the ginger, who immediately flushed red and awkwardly waved back. 

The meal was passable, the acting was fine, but the company was leagues better. Luc, Veth’s son, was hilarious. Molly was surprised that Yeza, who had seemed like the type to keep an eye on his child’s profanity, was fine, if not blasé, with how many time the tiny halfling had shouted ‘holy fuck’ at the events of the creation of Gwessar. He had also sneakily found the present that Molly and Essek had brought for him, a toy crossbow that Essek had found at a local shop run by a lovely firbolg Pumat Sol. Essek had rigged the crossbow so that the bolt would return to the quiver with some creative use of dunamancy. 

The entire table was laughing and chatting, the atmosphere was full of love and more than a few playful jabs at Fjord by Veth. 

“You’re still weaker than Luc Fjord, look at your stick arms. Here let me help you,” she teased as a mage hand went to grab the jug of ice water from the other side of the table.

Jester and Molly laughed as Fjord gave a half-hearted sigh relinquishing the jug to the hand. The food was served and laughter abounded. 

Molly had passed out all the gifts that the couple had brought, a few nice bottles of liquor, a few cute knick knacks from Rosohna, and a voucher for free babysitting for the Brenattos. A fancy new set of water colours and a mug that read “mmm paint water” on the side with a bag of mug cake mix for Jester. A new mug for Fjord that read “Yes I’m doing my PhD. No, I am not functioning.” The mug was mostly a joke but in it had a gift certificate for a local blacksmithing shop, with a note that said “for when you get that fancy title you’ll need a fancy sword to go with it :P”. For Beau and Yasha they got them new gym memberships to a newer place by where Molly and Essek lived that specialize in providing a space for queer individuals to train in hand to hand and sword combat, and also a promise that Molly would hunt down a tacky singing fish for their bar, as well as a tiny little succulent for Yasha and a pair of new set of rings for Beau. For Caduceus a hand knit big cozy sweater that Essek had been working on and a collection of new jewelry pieces fashioned to look like beetle wings and carapaces that Molly had made. Finally for Caleb a large set of very nice pens with an abnormal amount of stationary paper, a large mug filled with bags of calming teas, and a few cat toys for Frumpkin and maybe a little piece of paper with a note on it for later.

Everyone was surprised but delighted by the gifts, Veth saying something along the lines of “if you only knew me earlier Tealeaf, I’d have drunk you out of house and home,” she chuckled.

The night ended with a glorious fight for the bill, and Caduceus sneakily taking it during the commotion. Beau and Yasha had tried to brute force a win to take the bill and pay for the meal whilst Jester and Fjord tried to smooth talk their way to victory. Veth had tried to sneakily pull it for the check folder and Yeza kept an eye on both Luc and Caleb. Molly had tried to insist and Essek was trying to get away to get to the front counter. Caleb sat embarrassed and red faced, he had attempted to pay but with a few very sweet and slightly violent words he accepted his congratulations dinner.

The night ended there, everyone heading out to their cars and Luc, who was fast asleep, was being carried by Yeza. Jester scrambled to Molly before they stepped into the car.

“Mollyyyyy! Why did you get everyone presents and you didn’t tell me!!! How am I supposed to give you a gift in return,” she whined, her face in a very large pout.

“Jester, you know I couldn’t resist! And plus with everyone here it made it so that we didn’t have to wait for times we could give it to you all separately, it was just perfect timing,” he smiled.

Jester rolled her eyes affectionately, “I’ll get you back during Winter’s Crest, just you wait,” she yelled as Fjord had driven up to them and had shouted for Jester to get in.

Molly slipped into the car, blowing Jester a kiss goodbye. Essek sat down and started the car, the familiar hum filled the night air as the couple sailed across the roads back to their home.

“That sure was fun, wasn’t it love,” Molly asked, their hand propped against the window to support the weight of his face culled in their hand.

Essek smiled as he slipped a piece of his fringe behind a pointed ear, “they sure are a lively bunch.”

“I love it here,” Molly proclaimed, as they pulled back to their apartment.

[hughjidiot]

Total Drama Level Up: Chapter Five Sneak Peak

ETA on chapter five of Total Drama Level Up will be sometime next week. So here's a sneak peak for anyone interested.

On the other side of the warehouse, the seven Turtles rode off: Nichelle and Caleb to the south, Julia and Raj to the center, and the remaining three into the north. The low rumbling of wheels and tires on cement echoed as Zee, MK and Lauren looked around, carefully scanning the skatepark set pieces for any glowing lights and finding none.

“We should probably further split up if we want to cover more ground,” Lauren said after a few seconds.

“Good call, but let’s not go far,” Zee said, nodding in one direction. “I’ll check over that-a way.”

He angled his body to turn, pushing himself along the ground to give him more speed as he rounded a free-standing wooden wall.

“I’ll check this way,” MK said, steering her bike towards a cluster of smooth metal picnic tables. As she rode off, out of the corner of her eye she saw Lauren gliding along next to her. “Hey, you got any idea where they hid those t-shirt canons?”

Lauren shook her head. “’Fraid not. They must’ve placed those while I was messing with the equipment.”

“Damn. Ah well.” MK kept pedaling towards the picnic tables. She noticed that Lauren was still rolling in the same direction with her. “Thought we were splitting up. Did you uh, need something?”

Lauren hummed and shrugged. “We’re partners now, right? This the part where we get to know each other, or…?”

“You expecting us to braid each other’s hair while we gossip about boys, or some crap like that?” MK asked flatly. She shook her head. “We may be in an alliance, but don’t think that makes us friends. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t do the whole ‘buddy’ business.”

“Oh?” Lauren kept smiling as she quirked an eyebrow. “You seem to get along just fine with Julia.”

MK snorted. “That’s ‘cause she’s cool, unlike the rest of you losers.”

“Heh, it was fun watching the last seasons back and seeing her mess with everyone,” Lauren admitted.

By now the girls reached the picnic tables, spaced randomly apart and sitting at different angles. The girls rode between them, watching to see if any were glowing.

“So question, from one girl to another,” Lauren said, “what’s the deal with you and Julia anyways?”

Now it was MK’s turn to look at her quizzically. “Deal? We’re friends, what else is there to know? We make a sick team and ran the island for most of season two.”

“And you’ve been hanging out in person after season two,” Lauren stated.

“You haven’t been stalking us again, have you?” MK asked right away, giving her a slightly-disturbed look.

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Oh relax, I’m talking about your Let’s Plays and livestreams. Heard through the fandom grapevine about your gaming channel and checked out your horror playthroughs. Loved your Sweet Home VII series by the way, very nice work.”

~~~

“Check me out @mkplays,” MK said in the confessional closest. “What? If Chase, Emma and Julia can shamelessly promote themselves then so can I, dammit.”

~~~

“Oh.” MK blinked in pleasant surprise. “Well thanks. Yeah, turned out me and Jules both lived in the greater Toronto area so we… started hanging out. There some law of reality TV against contestants keeping in touch?”

“Not at all, I know for a fact a bunch of us do. But from what I’ve seen on social media at least, only a few go out of their way to meet up in person, not counting the Hockey Bros of course. Bowie and Raj, Caleb and Priya, Ripper and Axel, you and Julia…” Lauren trailed off and shrugged again. “Just an interesting pattern I noticed, that’s all.”

With that Lauren finally veered away from MK, rolling off. MK brought her bike to a stop, a perplexed look on her face.

“… the hell she talking about? Pattern?” MK muttered. She ran through the list of names in her head. “I mean those other three are just-”

Her eyebrows shot up as realization struck like a speeding freight train. She narrowed her eyes at the back of Lauren’s head.

Lauren gave a brief glance over her shoulder, her smile morphing into a smirk for a fraction of a second.