#can you imagine the sending caleb gets from jester

[sky-scribbles]

asdjlksds I am usually Terrible at figuring out what happens after the events of stuff I write but! I do have some thoughts!

Next time the wizards go on a study date to Aeor, they go back to the Astrarium, and Essek finally gets to properly nerd out over it! And Caleb watches him for a while, then says, 'You know, the first time I watched you here, it struck me how very beautiful you are. I knew before, of course, but it did feel very good to be reminded.'

Essek at some point takes Quaera to the Blooming Grove to meet Cad, and they get along super well. There are long philosophical conversations.

At some point their beacon-hunting expedition leads them below the ocean, so of course they hang out with Fjord, Jester and Kingsley for a bit. Kingsley thinks Vicara is very cool and makes a very concerted effort to convince her to become a pirate, but no dice.

Genuinely, I need to think about how the Complicated Brenatto Dinner would go. This could be an entire fic in itself. I think the wizards deliberately show up early so that they can help make food, which is really an opportunity for Caleb to take Veth aside and tell her he and Essek are Official now, and for Essek and Yeza to have a... talk about things while cutting green beans.

I think it goes okay. Mostly because Veth sees how much lighter Caleb is, how much life there is back in his eyes, and sees how Essek makes him smile. For that... she can not just accept Essek as Caleb's partner, but be happy that he is.

Veth is the only member of the Nein that Caleb actively tells about him and Essek being a thing. No one is in the dark for long though, because Essek tells Jester over Sending, and she burns through spell slots to tell literally everybody. (Yasha: 'Wait, weren't they together already? I'm confused.')

[mieletthe]

!! Spoilers for the Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1 !!

in the still of the night

The Sending comes just as he has laid his head down for the night, exhausted after all the rapid ping-ponging across the continent. When Caleb had returned home from giving his guest lecture that afternoon, he hadn't imagined leaving the cottage, let alone passing through two cities plus an unpleasant swim in the Lucidian Ocean.

He's bone tired and sore, and within seconds of closing his eyes he hears the voice that he'd spent all day—spends most days—hoping to hear.

"I am, ah, on your doorstep, but it seems you are not home. Unless you are perhaps in the tower…?"

Caleb suppresses a sigh. He has the worst luck. He rolls over to face the wall, praying that none of his friends will overhear. "I'm sorry, Essek," he replies in an undertone. "I won't be home tonight, or for…a bit. Jester and Fjord had an emergency, and I needed to come assist."

"Oh"—Caleb would swear he can hear disappointment in that small sound, and his heart sinks—"I apologize, I should have Sent before coming. I hope all is safe and well with them. And with you."

"No, I apologize, I—" Caleb stops himself. He shouldn't waste words in these brief messages, not when Essek goes through pains to reserve his magic as much as possible these days. He's hit with the realization that Essek will need to expend the high-level spell slot he keeps available in case of emergency in order to teleport back the way he came. "Please, go in and make yourself at home. Help yourself to the pantry. You may stay as long as you need."

It takes a little longer for a response to come, that Caleb almost thinks one won't at all.

"Thank you." Essek's voice is quiet, and shaded with relief. "If my assistance is at all needed there, please let me know. I hope to see you soon, Caleb Widogast."

The way Essek says his name simultaneously makes his heart soar and rends it in two. Gods, he wishes he was still home tonight. Beauregard was elated to be "getting the gang back together," and he cannot deny a small thrill at that, but in this moment, with that silvery voice in his head, he feels an ounce of resentment towards this sticky, cluttered floor beneath him.

Again, the temptation rises to ask Essek to join them, just as it did every time Jester or Veth brought up his name tonight. But Essek has enough to worry about in keeping himself alive; what kind of friend would he be to drag him into danger—and all to feel his company? No. This is their problem to handle.

"I look forward to it."

Also on AO3

[unlicensedmortician]

bad movies with j&j: divergent part two electric boogaloo.

- they have multiple personality traits. which means they are the worst people ever.

- i can’t even go “this is such obvious propaganda how is anyone falling for it” bc ive been on twitter recently

- oh girl that haircut is really bad

- that haircut is “this is the first time i’m asking for a masc haircut and the hairdresser my mom took me to just goes with fuckass pixie cut” bad

- “only a divergent can open this box” be so fucking for real. what are you talking about. it’s a magic box? that only a divergent can open? because they’re so special? because they’re acoustic? what are you saying

- hey . what? “i need to kill jeanine” didn’t a large chunk of the plot of the last movie revolve around how tris doesn’t want to kill people. what’s happening

- “tris you can’t just go around killing people”

- caleb. shut up

- “hey how do these people know you? why are they looking for you?” “:)” hey king that’s not? an answer?

- this man’s mother looks like. 28. he looks older than her. what the fuck

- she and tris look the same age?

- four looks like he’s 36. he looks like he has a mortgage. he looks like he doesn’t pay child support. his mother looks 29 at MOST

- THE ACTRESS WAS IN HER FORTIES IN THIS MOVIE?? GIRL WHAT IS UR SKINCARE ROUTINE!!

- tris rocking up in a forever 21 ass outfit

- hey caleb are you wearing a white tshirt a denim flannel and a suit jacket made by carhartt?

- ah yes the ya dystopian female lead uniform: extremely fitted utility vest with 25% of ur back exposed and nothing underneath

- christina girl what was she supposed to do

- “i’ve been assuming all divergents are the same” and you’re supposed to be the smartest bitch alive?

- oh i wonder who could be the most specialist special one of them all

- “sometimes i think i see lights out beyond the wall” wow that’s crazy girl

- jester said she runs like a sim and they’re right oh my god

- i can’t tell if i keep zoning out or if this movie just makes no sense

- this fucking guy again?

- summary execution. average good guy behavior

- wow she’s 100% divergent? she’s who they’ve been looking for? that’s fucking crazy. who could have seen this coming.

- oh shit girl you fucking kilt him

- is this nonbinary representation

- girl how did you get a full beat and a blowout in this economy

- can’t get over how much jeanine looks like a pastors wife

- yeah ok that was a pretty effective way to send a message. also, what the fuck

- i feel like. this whole divergent problem could be solved if you just didn’t mention that they exist and let them pick a faction and stick to it. like they would probably just do that.

- please don’t make me watch them bone on screen i can’t do it

- oh yep she’s turning herself in. thought so

- i feel like most people would be pretty willing to try to stop innocent people from being forced to kill themselves no matter what their dominant personality trait is but ok

- peter is kinda serving cunt tho

- “it’s ok u can kill him if you want we have plenty of guards” “… WHAT” ok. that was funny

- damn they acupunctured her

- i love watching actors do a muscle up that engages absolutely none of their muscles

- unfortunately i just think these trial sims are kinda dumb as hell and i don’t really care that much

- standing in the shower really normally tris

- this movie is almost completely relying on tris being a pretty skinny blonde white girl in order for you to care about what’s happening

- this is giving me a migraine

- tris you look really stupid unfortunately

- hello?? is she fucking dead??? there’s a whole other movie with her in it ??

- also like. what the fuck is in the box

- imagine if it’s just like. a piece of paper that says “i fucked ur mom”

- ok slay go off peter. i guess. sure.

- he’s the realest bitch here

- tris vs tris with an even worse haircut somehow

- honestly couldn’t tell you what happened in that last simulation

- plot twist! the entire base concept of this worldbuilding is fake and made up and contrived!

- so she’s the savior of humanity? with that haircut?

- yeah that’s p average dictator behavior

- do you guys think the milf is gonna end up being the new dictator

- and there’s a whole other movie after this ¿? this sort of feels like. the conclusion.

- she’s soooooo special. oh my god. what ever

- oh fours mom shot jeanine. ok

final thoughts: hm? huh? what? this has to be one of the stupidest things i’ve ever seen. sorry to everyone who was really into this in 2014 i will not be changing my opinion. how do i get @ghostcasket back for showing this to me i genuinely can’t think of anything

[blorbologist]

📂📂📂

Three please!

Order up!

You know, we don't exactly know from where in Wildemount Sylas, Delilah and Ripley are from - or if they're even Wildemount natives at all and didn't just migrate there independently as adults for the ethically dubious work opportunities. None have a Zemnian accent, so I doubt any of the three are from that cultural group. The Truskan Vale (area of origin of Beau and Tary) and Marrow Valley (where Veth is from + where the M9 formed and had their first adventures) seem likely culprits. The reason I'm underlining this is because Caleb, Astrid and Eadwulf, all Zemnian, are single children (which is unusual), while Beau, Tary and Veth have siblings. So if any of these nasties are from Wildemount, and not hiding a Zemnian accent, they likely have (or had) siblings back at home. Can you imagine Percy on a vacation and running into someone with Ripley's eyes or Delilah's smile? Likelyhood is low given they'd likely be rural, but! You never know. (AU where Ripley is Caleb's aunt worth anything?)

I don't think we as a fandom poke at the parallels between Tary and Beau enough! Especially given they both grew up in the same neck of the woods, and with parents of high social standing and relatively new money. What I mean is: Beau absolutely heard about Tary growing up. She 100% heard of this unworthy son turned adventurer and hero and author and friend to many, and maybe she wondered if an unworthy daughter could do the same. I doubt Thoreau would have bought any of the Darrington books, but Beau could have either stolen some copies or read them once she was taken by the Soul. I think they'd get along, in a weird way no one expects that puts off everyone initially. (He reminds her a bit of Caleb and Jester, she'd remind him of Percy)

I think Percy might have a smidge of bias against Wildemount people in positions of authority. As I've pointed out above: Ripley and Delilah (and Sylas) were from Wildemount as far as he knows, and Tary's father was certainly an asshole too. Dwendal refused to send forces to help face Vecna. If he hears about Caleb and Beau's respective trials against their abusers? Oh, oh that would not go well. I can see him being a smidge wary of high-status Dwendalian folk he's dealing with for diplomatic reasons. Good thing Vex is more involved in politics than he is - and she can be perfectly shrewd and petty in her own right <3 I hope Whitestone withdrawing much trade after news of Trent and Zenoth's abuses came to light put pressure on Rexxentrum and the crown to handle this shit. (And I'm sure Ludinus' whole deal is helping a lot)

SEND ME A 📂 FOR A RANDOM HC

[the-caleb-widogast]

I posted 587 times in 2022

That's 372 more posts than 2021!

54 posts created (9%)

533 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@llysaan

@neinofthem

@casukaga

@eyezpike

@viciousmollymaukery

I tagged 281 of my posts in 2022

#critical role - 36 posts

#cr spoilers - 34 posts

#the mighty nein - 23 posts

#essek thelyss - 20 posts

#mighty nein - 17 posts

#caleb widogast - 14 posts

#the mighty nein reunited - 11 posts

#shadowgast - 8 posts

#beauregard lionett - 6 posts

#jester lavorre - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 118 characters

#i nearly encircled the i wish they didnt exit square bc of the shit he did to the nein but ugh the aeor arc is so good

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

i just imagine whenever imogen rolls low for looking through the library for information it's not because it's her fault but rather because there's two humans, one with ginger hair and one with dark brown hair, who are also furiously researching and she can't find what she's looking for becuase they might have it.

"caleb. caleb, look at this. more shit about the fucking moons that apparently need to be dealt with. add this to the list of books we're paying to make a copy off and be shipped to the soul."

"alright. you know we wouldn't have need to come here had we paid more attention to your fellow archive member who was very interested in the moons as well."

"well when he was talking about it it sounded so fucking boring and we were dealing with a lot of shit that we couldn't really have given him any time anyways. and now he's mia and now we have to try and find him or his stupid research."

"yah that is unfortunate. has jester responded back if any of her sendings had reached mr sunlash?"

"nah she's been sending to him at least once a day but no response. some of jester's message are pretty fucking creepy though so i'd get why he might not respond. hey do you think if just we hit up the moonweaver she'll give us the answer?"

"considering we were part of the attempt of trying to pass off artagan's cult to her, i don't presume she'll respond kindly to us. and you forget neither of us are godly people beauregard"

"that's fair. do you think if jester spoke with artagan she might get him to tell her.

"..."

"yeah cad would probably have more luck with the wildmother. anyways add this to the list and i'll go look for more books."

"sure. can we add this too? i've skimmed it but it speaks about a type of magic that is unknown to wildemount and we might benefit from learning more about it."

"sure yeah. add it to the list. i love having fucking magic shit that the cerberus doesn't know about and we can lord it over them."

270 notes - Posted August 11, 2022

#4

IT’S TIME TO UNEARTH THE ANCIENT RITUALS

See the full post

458 notes - Posted November 17, 2022

#3

HOT BOI SPOTTED AT LONG LAST

523 notes - Posted December 2, 2022

#2

hehehe saw the opportunity to involve my blorbos and took it

564 notes - Posted September 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

m9 short comic or oneshot where’s it’s just beau and caleb trying to find out what happened last night after it was announced that king dwendal kicked it

844 notes - Posted September 23, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[languishedlaughing]

Wip Not-Wed (ie. Time is Fake)

Ie. I just wanna share

--

Beau waited as Lucien gathered his thoughts, his gaze so far away that even she could tell he was barely here, or at least in this time. “I was about 16. Barrelben had an idea there were blood hunters out here - kinda hard to go without trading for things with a nearby town. Especially when the oldest of you isn't much older than me at the time. I have to guess that a child or two went missing, claimed by the swamp.”

Beau nodded slowly, “Yeah, we've been though here, it's fucking crazy out there.”

Lucien snorted a laugh, it was a bitter sound. "Well, they decided that it couldn't be the giant crocodiles or trolls, it had to be the blood hunters hiding out in an old ruin nearly a day out from them. So they called up the Righteous Brand and -" he motioned to the destruction around them to end his point.

"How many of you were here?" Beau dared to ask.

"Six in all. Essper, Tuvalu and Gurren died that day. The rest of us managed to run. The brand didn't know the swamps like we did." Lucien shrugged. "After that we didn't see much point in going back."

"Where was - I dunno you were being trained by someone right? Elias?" Brau danced around the little tidbits he had dropped the night before, trying not to push too hard. Molly had asked that specifically; that feral cat analogy had taken off with the Nien and Jester had grilled both him and Caleb on how to go about taming a cat. Rule number one had been let the cat come to you. So here she was trying to get Lucien to come to her.

Lucien went quiet again. Beau tried not to shift uneasily from foot to foot, trying to be mindful of the emotion Lucien was feeling again for the first time in a long time. There was nothing left in the room that could even remotely be personal items. Beau tried to see it how it might have been, but she'd never had much of an imagination.

"Elias… Cree tried to Send to him. He - his last words to us were too bad and good luck and that was it." Lucien spat. "You see, understand why we turned away from the orders after that."

She could.

"...We didn't call it Otalu, when we were here, you know? There was this… em," Lucien gave a little half laugh. "A Tressym? A cat with wings? I bet Caleb would have fallen all over the thing. It was here before any of us, the place was his home long before ours. So, we named it after the cat; Fort Tressym."

It caught Beau off guard that he'd share that with her. But then, she realized why; he had said there were six of them. Three had died, that means three escaped, but he had only given five names. Lucien was still lost in thought, she could ask, but he was asking her not to.

"Alright. Okay," Beau breathed. "Let's focus on other shit - like where the hell these cult people can be. Any ideas?"

--

Full fic here:

[demigoddessqueens]

Sorry if i'm sending this in twice, internet was a pill last night: VM/MN/BH with a multiclass Rogue/Monk Reader, whose favored weapon is silks? Skillwise,,, think Eraser Head from MHA, but less strict, sleep-deprived teacher and more former circus aerial silk dancer turned adventurer after their home was ransacked by bandits. Bit of a realist, but for the most part mellow and positive otherwise.

Interesting choice of fight!! I like it!

I don’t know much about MHA besides Hawks so I tried with this one 😅

Also I l imagined that y/n fights like Suki and Tai Lee from AtLA

Vax’ildan - damn! Where’d you learn moves like that? You always have his back and sometimes he gets distracted watching you fight

Jester - she’s seen Beau fight but yours is so pretty??? All the silks and different colors just fascinate her

Keyleth - silks meet vines in a dynamic duo, and your attitude starts to brush off a bit on her to which you’re both like “we make a good team, right? 😉”

Pike - oh yes!! Finally!! She loves having you as an equal and crossing Sarenrae’s power with your silks and moves makes for some creative dance attacks

Scanlan - Scanlan’s and Bigby’s hand are now laced with silks which packs an extra punch. Plus the bard always throws compliments your way

Grog - he admires your skills and pls oh please throw him in his Rage attacks because he thinks it would be so cool.

Caleb - he’s seen you be a beast at fighting but it’s so…captivating! There’s a shared bond you both have when it comes to intense fighting but he’s glad to have met you and your outlook on life

Yasha - being on the road is something she’s used to and while she may be shy at first, your silks and skills break the ice. Also in her barbarian rages, power silks stopping other attacks make it easier for her

Chetney - he’s met his match in sparring and over words 😆. Still claims him as a werewolf is leagues better than silk fighting

Fjord - a badass? Adventurous?? Cool AF?? Jester likes you (tho she likes everyone)?? Where have you been all this time??

Cadeuces - takes a lot to phase Mr Cool Easy Vibes yet you manage to. Never sparing a story over a shared cup of tea, and he admires your stealth and strength in a fight

Beauregard - oh please show her more of your moves! When you do show her a demo, she won’t admit (at first) how nice and soft the silks feel around her hands

Ashton - hells yeah he likes you!! Silks that launch attacks and he has the war hammer with him?? Talk about double trouble that he will gladly grab a drink with

FCG - Letters absolutely adores you! Calls you the bee’s knees! Trusts you because of how well you and Ashton get along

Vex’ahlia - do not go far from her because you both work so well together!! Your abilities to (gracefully and stealthy) stop enemies in their tracks makes quick work of them

Fearne - there have been occasions on which you’ve helped her swiped some stuff here and there with the silks 😉 but other than that

Mollymauk/Kingsley - which circus were you at? Did you meet before in his past life? He would’ve remembered one like you 😏

Orym - he respects a fellow fighter, being a Tempest Blade and all, and appreciates that someone in the group can (somewhat) be level-headed during the highs and lows of their journey(s)

Laudna - oh she’s excited to meet and talk to you! Stories to swap, you admire and encourage her to be her best self, and you appreciate any doll gifts both giving and receiving

Imogen - was a bit hesitant about you at first but slowly warmed up to you. You, her and Laudna bond over tales from the travels and whenever some excursion gets too hair-brained, she can rely on you for help

Percy - it’s a slow burn crush he has from “I appreciate you” to “I can’t imagine being without you”, man’s is in awe of your power(s) and he’s more than grateful given that it’s saved his life

Nott/Veth - she gets distracted with them and sometimes dons them on like she has a boa, but also pls use them to launch her during attacks because it would look really cool

Essek - out of the Nein, there’s still so much of your story that always surprises him and he notices how every time you talk, you wrap a silk around his wrist

Dorian - as a bard, he admires a fellow “artisan” such as yourself. Growing up was a bit sheltering for him so he’s all ears for all that you have to say about your travels on the road

[foxqueen-katarian]

Have some dragon!Caleb as it's still Wednesday somewhere.

“And what, if anything, can be done at this point? Ludanis has long held this body in disdain, I doubt censure would hold any weight for him. Further King Dwendal recognizes no arcane power outside of the Cerberus Assembly, and would likely see any condemnation for his crimes as an attack on the Empire itself. While the Council of Tal’Dorei might back an effort to bring a rouge mage to heel, the would not be willing to wage war over the mistreatment of a dragon.” Arcanist’s Allura Vysoren argued gesturing to the currently sleeping subject of conversation. “I don’t question the necessity of there being some form of punishment , but it will carry little weight behind our own circle.”

“I hate to agree, but Allura’s point stands. What Ludanis has done is beyond the pale, but any measurable level of justice will need be mete out by a power beyond what any of us currently wields’”

Before Yussa could respond a loud chiming from a higher floor interrupted the conversation. The noise waking waking the previously sleeping Wyrmling, their eyes immediately snapping to the doorway leading to the center staircase. Clumsily they managed to get their feet under themselves, all the while chirping questioningly at Yussa.

“Yes, I imagine that will be your companions returned from their research trip. They’re the only ones who regularly forget to message ahead.”

No more had the words left Yussa's mouth before, "Fuck! We forgot to Send and let Yussa know we were on our way back. You able to do it now?"

"There is little point in wasting the spell, as he is likely already aware of our arrival."

"Yeah, but like it's the thought that counts right? Better late than not at all?"

"No, and I won't insult his intelligence by pretending otherwise."

"Jester would have used the spell"

"I am not now, nor have I ever been Jester. Further if Yussa was not already aware of our intrusion you r yelling will have alerted him by now."

As the arguing voices drew nearer the Red and Brass mismatched Wyrmling stumbled their way off the sun drenched sill they'd been resting on. They had nearly doubled in size in the two weeks their companions had been away. However they had not yet adjusted to being quadrupedal, and only managed to halfway make their way to the floor with some semblance of grace before one of their back claws tangled with a neck spine and they tumbled the rest of the way into a pitiful whining heap of scale and wing.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

day 1: "bound"

Essek cannot, in honesty, say that he is paying attentiong to anything being said right now. He should be—this is his trial, after all, his death sentence, the axe finally starting to fall—but he isn’t. He’s made his confession, did all he could to exonerate anyone who might be caught in the crossfire, offered the names of his co-conspirators. There is no defense to offer that the Bright Queen would consider worth hearing.

Indeed, laying it all out again has reminded Essek that I am a selfish and overcurious man, and thought nothing of it is not exactly an exculpatory defense, even if she did hear it.

So, Essek feels that his involvement here is complete, is the truth. All he has left to do at this trial is still be sitting bound and compliant in the accused’s seat when they sentence him to die, and he can do that without listening.

On a strictly professional level, he finds that he’s impressed with the efficiency of his arrest. He estimates that it’s probably no later than five hours past noon. He was called to an emergency meeting at the palace perhaps six hours ago. In that time, he has been accused of treason, thoroughly countered in an escape attempt, stripped of all spell components or possible weapons, and brought to the throne room to face the Bright Queen’s justice. Quana Kryn, the Dusk Captain of so many lifetimes, is no fool—she did all her work in secret, and only arranged for his arrest when she was sure that her case was beyond reproach.

She did her work well, Essek is obliged to admit, if only in the privacy of his own thoughts. And anything that she didn’t already know, he told them himself, under the strongest truth magic the clerics of the Luxon could muster. He had worked alone, after all. His confession meant that Verin, that the Nein, could walk free, and he freely admitted as much when his willingness to talk became the subject of question.

The Bright Queen had given him a look of cool, weary disappointment, and remarked that it was a shame he had come to loyalty so late. He had said frankly that he agreed, and that was the last they had asked of him.

And since then, he hasn’t been listening.

Instead, he is thinking. Not about magic, nor even really about saving himself. Essek has been living on borrowed time since the moment he walked out with a Beacon in hand, and he’s known it. He wants to live, but this feels—inevitable. This feels like it’s already over, and Essek is only dreaming this trial, these chains, and this sentence. So his mind wanders, and he’s surprised to find that there are more fond places in his memory than others, these days.

He’s thinking about the new cat that Caleb recently adopted, a scrawny gray-and-black kitten that Caleb coaxed with scraps for a week until it trusted him enough to be touched and taken inside off the street.

He’s thinking about how Caleb promised Luc that he could name it, next time the Brenattos visited Rexxentrum.

He’s thinking about Fjord and Jester making port in Nicodranas in a month, and Beau breaking into their study to sit on Caleb’s desk with Urana, the dainty black cat Essek brought Caleb two years ago, in her lap, just to tell them that they were going to teleport everyone to the Chateau for dinner.

He’s thinking about sunlight, strangely, and the way it glows on Caleb’s hair, makes the freckles on his eternally windburned cheeks bright on his skin, turns his blue eyes piercing and warm. Sunlight speaks with a Zemnian accent, in Essek’s life, and he might be the first drow in a long time to wish he was going to see it again before he dies.

Essek is so absorbed in his own thoughts, in refusing to listen to the voices deciding on the method of his death in favor of the memories of other voices, full of joy and exasperation and playful outrage and affection, that at first he assumes he’s imagining the words in his ear.

“Heeeeeeey, Essek, it’s me,” Jester chirps, and he can picture her sitting on the rail of the ship, kicking her feet and making Fjord count for her. “Just wanted to say hi, ummmm, we saw a whale yesterday that could have swallowed us whole! Let me know how—”

Essek almost curses himself aloud for not having thought of this.

Jester doesn’t Send to him every day, not all the time. Maybe one in three, on average. Sometimes she’ll go a week without Sending at all, and other times—usually when they’re becalmed somewhere and she’s bored—he’ll get three messages a day. She’s charmingly blasé about relative times, between the Lucidian and their landbound homes, or at least, Essek reminds himself that it’s charming when she wakes him up from a deep sleep. He had no way of knowing that she would Send to him here, now, and now she has, and he has no idea what to do.

Essek needs to answer her, though.

The reality of his situation—it doesn’t set in, all at once, abruptly. He’s been well aware of the reality of his situation for some time now. But the reality of this aspect, this unforeseen complication, comes home immediately.

If Essek doesn’t answer her, Jester will assume something is wrong. If she assumes something is wrong, she will either hammer him with Sendings until he responds, or, more likely, go directly to Caleb and demand his help in reaching Essek. He loves his friends desperately, but they have never encountered the idea of a half-measure, and he doubts the feeble protection offered by his confession will keep them from being apprehended as traitors if they actually come and try to rescue him.

If Essek had more time to think, he might take a moment to bask in the warmth of being a person whose friends might try to rescue him. But he doesn’t have time, and he doesn’t have the luxury of letting this slide.

He can’t risk them.

Essek raises both his bound hands and scratches at his brow, hiding his mouth.

“I’m sorry, Jester, I’m in a meeting,” he murmurs, so quietly he can barely hear himself. He keeps his voice as calm and matter-of-fact as possible, just like the times when she really has interrupted a council meeting or the like. “I may be quite busy for a week or so. I will Send to you when I can.”

There’s a pause, and then her voice comes back, dramatically forlorn.

“But Essek, we miss youuuuu,” she whines, and then bursts into giggles. “We really do! Send when you have time, and stay out of trouble! Love you!” She pauses again, and then hums tunelessly until the spell runs out.

“Essek Thelyss,” the Bright Queen says, her voice ringing across the throne room like struck crystal. “Rise, and receive your judgement.”

“I will,” Essek whispers, and then lowers his hands, and stands to face his sentence.

[thatshadowgastwhore]

an amalgamation of thoughts on the potential red nose day players

i have brain rot on who we might possibly see from the nein, and i’m on tumblr to much so let’s go

one of the things i have seen is that because the last red nose day one shot took place on the menagerie coast, we might get the gang that’s over there (veth, fjord, jester, kingsley) I love this, but i do have to point out a few things.  one, in favor of it, is that all things considered, that’s a pretty balanced group. You have a healer (albeit reluctantly) a rogue for the sneaky sneak, a blood hunter and hexblade warlock/paladin for melee, and a bard which is a good support. 

the only thing that makes me hesitate here is kingsley. if it takes place pre-pirate ship, than there’s literally nothing wrong with this, but if it’s post, i fear that he will not be there. taking over the revelry is a full time job. completely unrelated to that, i also just read a post about how caleb and yussa just have a standing date to fuck around with the happy fun ball and see what happens. because it is wizard catnip. and that they probably invite other wizards to join them on these excursions. (essek definitely, and sometimes even astrid and eadwulf) and that he has to send out notes to the nein like, “we’re going into the place designed to take us out, if you don’t hear from us for a week, come get us” and THAT got me thinking about a potential reason for the menagerie coast gang to get involved in this adventure y’all can you imagine if caleb, yussa, (and even maybe essek!) are stuck in the ball? like, maybe stephen’s character is trying to get the ‘crimson sphere of generosity’ identified to learn how to use it, and he hears about this wizard yussa, and when he gets there, it’s about the same time that the cavalry arrives because they haven’t heard from caleb saying they got out safely and have come to rescue him again and then he kinda just gets roped along.  besides, the ball is a good place for the one shot, because it’s kinda self contained. it’s different and interesting at the same time as being physically in the same place as the last one shot for continuity, and a lot of the nein are already near that location. 

this theory is not at all affected by my wish to see my blorbo caleb again, not at aaaaaaaall. anyway, i would really love if essek was also there, but i kinda doubt it, because i don’t think matt would want to pilot two NPCs (essek and yussa) and run everything else. the only thing that keeps me holding out hope is that because he’ll have other experienced players at the table, he’d be more comfortable doing that because other people can help if stephen gets confused by what he’s asking

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E133 (April 13, 2021)

(Little distracted tonight! Please excuse any and all omissions.)

Tonight’s guests on Good Morning Quebec are Marisha Ray and Travis Willingham!

How are Beau and Fjord feeling about their leadership responsibilities among the Nein? Marisha: “Beau has always admired Fjord and respected his ability to speak like an adult. It does feel like-- are Beau and Fjord the only adults in the room?” Travis points out Caduceus and Caleb’s leadership as well. “In that conversation, at least, just because I want it to be a tiny bit meta, a lot of it’s just mindset. Fjord knows that Beau is a world-breaker, can kick that ass, and the idea that part of the focus would be diverted towards how can we get out here, it was feeling a little bit more like we’re done for rather than we can do this. It was his way of doing the old coach reminder of stop thinking of the ways you’re going to get out of this and start thinking of the ways you’re going to dominate this.” Marisha mentions that Beau and Travis are kind of the two who aren’t saying goodbyes, and yet they’re two of the only ones who just have the Nein. “Even Caleb was allowed to say goodbye to his cat! We don’t even have that. It’s just the Nein. They are the ultimate goodbyes for us, if it comes to that. But hopefully it won’t come to that.” Travis: “There’s a certain drive that comes with not having wrapped it up in a pretty bow.”

On Fjord’s decision to have the Rangers engage: “Yeah, that one stings. I was suffering from the good ol’ regurts almost as soon as it happens. I realized it was just Essek and Fjord, and he was just asking me, and boy there were a lot of horseshit RP things going around my head.” He kept in mind that the captain has to be decisive and focus on his people. “I in no way thought of Dagon at all. Fuck, did I send Dagon to his death? Did that headstrong dude go, nah, I’ll do my own thing and get out of there? I hadn’t really experienced that kind of instant regret in a gameplay situation yet. But in leadership moments, or when you have to make a decision like that, sometimes it’s important to take a fucking minute and think about what you’re doing. Even in D&D. I wish I had taken a moment to say, how far away are they? If you engage them from afar, can you slow them down long enough? Set an ambush if you can, but at least be at max.”

On Beau’s meditation attempt that ended in contact with Lucien: “I think I know exactly what he was trying to do. He was trying to put another fuckin’ eye somewhere on me. I was remembering Keyleth putting her hand in the spinning black orb of death under the Ziggurat and I rolled a natural twenty.” Travis asks if she thinks she and Caleb are “next up in the queue” now that so many of the Tombtakers are dead. “Yeah. I’m gonna get turned.” Travis: “I’ll kill you real good, Beau. I’ll take Caleb first because he made me promise, but I’ll get you good, too.”

On Fjord now having more information about Vandren: “I love it. I feel like such a fuckin’ moron. It never occurred to me for one second that a shipwrecked person that survived would have maybe just wound up on the nearest island. Nope. Didn’t even bother to do the Castaway grid and check the nearest body of land. I’m a fuckin’ terrible D&D player.” Fjord washed up extremely far away from the wreck. “I love that he’s there. I cannot wait to go find him and have a conversation. I just don’t know which will come first: going to Darktow and confronting Sabien or going to see Vanden. But both of those things are on the list, for sure. Just for closure, I mean, damn.” Brian asks if Fjord is okay with Jester having reached out. “Yeah, totally. Fjord is a big dummy in a lot of ways.” He mentions that Fjord has a lot of ideas in his head about what it means to “be a man” that keeps him from asking for help when he needs it. “When Jester did that, it just reaffirmed his feelings for her and how she feels for him. It’ll take those kind of people in his life to help him along to the things that he wants when he’s too stupid or shy to acknowledge it himself.”

How about that alliance with Essek? Marisha: “Here’s the thing. Beau wasn’t like, ooh, allying with Trent, that’s icky because of moral reasons. It’s not that. The more allies, the better in this moment. Teaming up with Magneto kind of situation. But Beau’s whole concern was is this going to distract you from the overall mission. I couldn’t imagine walking alongside someone who had just tortured me in the way that Trent has. We spent so many episodes watching Caleb have these post-traumatic flashes of when he lit his family on fire. Caleb’s a shotgun, he’s such a good damage-dealer, and if he can’t cope with it. That was Beau’s concern.” Travis: “And just to go along with your Magneto reference, Essek is one powerful person. Trent brings the acolytes. But we recognize that if we stop the Tombtakers and Lucien then we probably have to stop Trent and the Vollstruckers. But I wanted to open it to Caleb, because we gotta face that motherfucker at some point.”

Cosplay of the Week: an amazing Yasha! (krisjaded on Instagram, photography by adambenfer on Instagram)

On Beau’s plan to put a possible eavesdropper off their trail at Pumat’s: “I mean, everything is a long shot.” Taliesin suggested the idea. “I said Darktow because I thought, hey, if he tries to follow us to Darktow, he’ll probably get murdered. He’ll never make it back. We have no idea. It could have been completely transparent, or maybe he’ll be stupid enough to actually try it.”

Fan Art of the Week: a lovely Caduceus! (by arcanum.dice on Instagram)

How’s the relationship with Yasha been going? “It’s so new! And fresh and weird, and she’s trying to remember to be like, oh, that’s right! You’re my girlfriend! I owe you some attention, that’s right. It’s nice to have somebody. We were talking about not really having anyone to say goodbye to in this round of goodbyes, Beau is looking to the future and those relationships are keeping her afloat.”

On seeing more of Aeor, looking forward to it? Travis: “I really want them dead first. If collections of explorers and expeditions from the Cerberus Assembly and the Dynasty have turned up stuff they don’t know what to do with yet, what the fuck are a bunch of chuckle-dicks like us going to do with it?” They’re interested in a distant sort of way - there are bigger issues at hand.

Travis mentions that he’s never been quite so emotionally invested in the game before and notes that was at the root of his competitive attitude at the end of the last episode. “The lines were so blurred in that way. It’s just a testament to the never-ending learning process that comes from this game that I underestimated my entire life.”

[omniscientwreck]

hey! sorry to hear you work day's rough! if you want something to write about, maybe essek stopping by the blooming grove in his early travels and getting bombarded with family love (possibly both sweet and otherwise lol) from caduceus and some of the rest of the clays, i love them and think about him feeling accepted and welcomed by them all a lot 🥺🥺

Hi! Thank you friend, this is one of the prompts I was most excited to write, thank you so much for asking! I hope y'all enjoy this little reunion.

He drifts into the clearing, sweet scent of mingled flowers on a warm breeze. There’s a small smile that momentarily rests on his features as he’s promptly tackled to the ground. “You see? You can knock him down! It’s gotta be magic!”

He’s been back a few times and the rate at which Clarabelle Clay has declared them friends would astound him if not for Jester. She beams up at him, clearly proud of herself. “Doing experiments again I see.” He levels a stern look to the youngest Clay which is immediately left with laughter as she forces a wide-brimmed sunhat atop his head.

“I knew it wasn’t magnets,” she whispers to him and then turns over her shoulder to shout at Colton, “See Colton I knew it wasn’t magnets! He can touch the ground!”

Essek stands gracefully, dusting dirt off of his travel cloak, “Well, you’ve seen me on the ground before. You taught me how to garden young one.”

She rolls her eyes and bites back at him, “Whatever, I'll figure it out eventually. Let’s see if you’re any better at telling which plants are weeds than you were last time.”

Despite himself he can’t help the smile that rises at the challenge, “Let me at least say hello first.”

It’s then that he looks up and sees Colton, Caduceus’ elder brother offer a wave from the doorway as Constance walks over to greet him, arms open, “Essek, it’s wonderful to see you. I’m glad you made it safely.” She hugs him and warmth permeates his bones.

It’s the way he imagines a mothers’ hug is supposed to feel, “Me too, thank you for having me. I brought some things.” He snaps a basket of fruit out of his Wristpocket, “I know it’s difficult for you to obtain these normally.”

Her smile is that of the sunlight and she goes to bring them inside and he follows. Calliope nods as he passes her on her way out into the forest, and Caduceus is found where he most often is, in the kitchen. “Well hey,” the soft baritone pours out of a lopsided grin and Caduceus passes him a teacup, “I made enough for two, how have you been?”

“It is strange to be wandering. It’s nice to wear my own face.” Caduceus nods and just a hint of pride glints in his eyes.

“Tell me of your travels.”

“Well, I’ve been making my way through your woods. This is less of a strictly research expedition and a little more about myself I suppose.”

“That’s nice, it’s good to be on your own when you know you have stable tethers back to reality. This is the Freemeadow family by the way.” The tea is earthy and tastes green and he offers a thought to the family, to the garden, and to the Wildmother. He’s seen enough of her power and the power of her chosen to feel something as he sends thanks. The hint of the smell of flowers on a breeze.

As soon as he’s finished the tea and his stories Clarabelle is pulling him by the wrist out to the garden. He pulls out gloves made for him by a dear friend and he, Clarabelle and Caduceus spend an afternoon weeding, creating beauty and allowing for its sustained existence. They tell him about visitors they receive more frequently now that the wood is healing and Caduceus tells curious tales of the long walks he takes out into the forest.

The evening meal is rife with a symphony of laughter and stories. He regales the family with stories of the cats Caleb has collected, repeats some of what he’d told Caduceus earlier, and listens as they tell him stories of their own. He’s astounded again, as he was during that first week here, at the way they function together. Caduceus seems so much less stoic when surrounded by family, looking for any opportunity to inconvenience or pull one over on a sibling and Calliope matches his energy with surprising dedication.

He thinks of Verin and has it in mind to send a message, but not yet. It’s too soon. He trances that night beneath canopies of trees, tucked away near a spring and as the sounds of the night guide him to trance he feels a blanket drape over him, though he did not ask and he smiles quietly to himself. Maybe he can spare just a few days here, a respite from solitude surrounded by an unanticipated family.

[glitter-garbage]

12. — thread

Shadowgast, ~1600 words, gen, red thread of destiny, soulmate au (spoilers for the eiselcross arc)

Sent by @quinn-of-aebradore 💜 ...ps: this is not edited at all (one word writing prompts: send me one and a pairing if you like. I might fill them some day!) ---

When Bren learned he had magic, he also learned that he could see things that not everyone did. It wasn’t natural, he had to focus, and later on, he even found out there was an actual spell for it. Still, on more than one occasion growing up, Bren would see the delicate red threads that connected people around him.

“Those mean whoever is connected to you is your soulmate,” his mother explained, “Can you see mine?”

And, sure enough, his mother had a little thread connecting her ankle to Leofric’s. He longed for his own thread to appear, though his mother explained that not everyone had one.

Bren didn’t have to worry, though. He was only fifteen when not one, but two threads connected his ankle to his best friends of all people. By that time, he had already been whisked away to the Academy along with them and the experiences they shared, the successes, the pain, the power, all of that just cemented their connection in his mind.

Until he broke, that is.

After the fire came the Sanatorium, and for eleven years Bren, now Caleb, did not think about that again. Only when he got out did he notice that his ankle was free. Nothing connected him to anyone anymore. It was okay, he was a garbage person. He didn’t deserve love like that anyway.

---

Nott had a red thread. It vanished out to the horizon, and Caleb never saw the thread move in a way that indicated that her soulmate was closer. He wondered if she knew, for a while. Then, he learned the truth. Veth’s soulmate, her husband, kidnapped, imprisoned. He was happy she had met him though, and confident they'd free him. She deserved happiness, he would help her in any way he could.

Two couples in his little group had threads connecting them to each other from the start. Fate worked in mysterious ways, Caleb thought. Beau and Yasha did not seem that close, though Beau’s attraction was obvious, and cringe-worthy at times, but Caleb was sure things would go well for them in the future. Jester and Fjord’s thread almost made his heart break- he had allowed himself to get way too attached to the two, but neither of them were for him, obviously. Destiny had other plans.

Molly did not have any threads, like him. After learning about his past, Caleb wondered if he had gone through something similar to Caleb, the snapping of a thread after a traumatic event. He allowed himself to grow closer to the tiefling tentatively, allowed feelings to bloom slowly. Molly was warm to him, and he thought perhaps it was another form of destiny that would tie them together.

That had been a mistake.

The last one to join their family was Caduceus. He had no thread too, and Caleb had no curiosity about it anymore. His interest in destiny had all but faded.

He loved his friends. He had friends. That was enough, for someone like him.

---

“The Luxon is the basis of how we've been able to free ourselves from the binds of the lineage the Betrayer Gods left for us and to carve our own fates, choose our own paths and sidestep these destinies placed upon us nonchalantly by gods that use us as playthings.”

The Shadowhand was interesting. Dangerous, powerful, enticing. Caleb considered what he said about freedom from destiny, the ability to find your own way. He had certainly strayed from his path, but perhaps that was not the worst thing.

Essek Thelyss, too, had no thread attached to him.

Perhaps because Caleb was no longer obsessing over what destiny had in store for him, perhaps because he was beginning to accept that his own imperfect path was better than the one that had been set for him, Caleb felt empathy towards the drow even after he had betrayed them.

They were so much alike, and Caleb kept his heart more closely guarded now. He did not feel his heart breaking when they learned of Essek's schemes, and that too helped. In any case, he did not see Essek again for a long time. Did not think much about him. There was too much on his plate for that.

---

Astrid smiled at him from across a dinner table and his stomach dropped. Caleb felt the wheels of time turning, felt again like Bren, determined and ambitious and blind to the truth. Eadwulf looked at him with a raised chin, a smirk on his face. He too remained handsome, impossibly so.

When they walked out of Ikithon’s tower, Caleb could make out the thin red thread that still connected their ankles. He thought he was stronger, that perhaps he was ready for this.

“Race you to the top,” said Astrid with a childish smile, before turning back to the tower.

It hurt. He could feel the emptiness of what could have been, what would never be again in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.

---

Imagine his surprise when arriving at the Vurmas outpost in Eiselcross, the powerful figure of the Shadowhand could not meet his eyes. Imagine his surprise, when he saw his eyes lighting up when they chose him instead of his old teacher to go down into the ruins. Imagine his surprise when he saw Essek battling, using gravity itself as a weapon, and felt only fondness and admiration for the man. When he showed off his tower and saw the same in the drow’s eyes. And attraction, of course. That went without saying.

It all came to a head when, together, they worked to cast a spell that would shorten time itself and give the Nein their much-needed rest.

Thought it might have felt like seconds to their friends, Caleb watched for long moments, holding magic in his palms to assist, as Essek opened a gash through the fabric of space and time. Real fabric, made of threads of all colors that together seemed to make up what he saw as the world around him. Time seemed to stop around them as Essek carefully worked around the fibers.

“This… Have you been able to see this the whole time?” he asked.

Essek’s jaw was clenched and there was sweat running down his forehead, but he nodded, “Not really. It takes a lot of effort to see this. A lot of energy.”

Caleb hesitated but gave in once Essek’s questioning gaze found his for a moment, “I have always seen the red threads. I- I had my own, for a while.”

“Annoying little things,” muttered the drow, focusing again at the slow-going task of weaving time with his bare hands, “There was a time when I hated them more than anything.”

“You used to have yours, too?”

“Hm? No,” said the drow distractedly, “I hated them because I had none, and I thought I should. The Dynasty looks like a tangled web if you watch for them since so many entanglements are made complicated by consecution. But I never had one, and even though I looked for… someone that could perhaps make it appear, it never did.”

He moved his wrist to the side, and the universe seemed to shift with it. Caleb felt a little dizzy.

“But I had never heard of someone who lost theirs. I thought they were supposed to be, ah, perfect,” Essek smirked, “Unless you did what we are doing right now to yours. That is, changing it fundamentally. Somehow, I do not think that is what happened.”

“Nein,” Caleb chuckled wryly and then held himself straighter, keeping the spell steady as Essek continued his labor. “I… strayed from the path, I think. I did something that was not meant to be.”

Essek looked at him like he was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen, even though the elf himself had the building blocks of reality in his hands at the moment. Caleb flushed.

“I think Caduceus would say that you did exactly what you had to do.”

“Maybe so. But isn’t it hard to know that others will have this… this gift, this sure thing while we will not?”

Essek looped a bright white strand against a colorful, prismatic one while he hummed, thinking.

“I felt the same way for decades. But whatever we will have or not, in that sense, will be of our own making. And isn’t that a gift on its own?”

---

The moonlight shone down on the beach, turning the sea a glittering mass of waves. Other than the full moon, magical globes and luminescent beetles illuminated the space around them. Their friends gathered around smiling tearfully in perfect dissonance. Caleb himself felt his heart beating so fast he thought it might leave his ribcage and seek quietude somewhere far away from his anxiety-ridden body. He stood beside Caduceus, who hummed a sweet song under his breath as they waited.

Finally, the glittering door at the end of the path opened, and Essek slipped out, bare feet delicately touching the sand. Jester came from behind him, and once their arms were locked, they walked on slowly, passing their friends and family on the way to Caleb and Caduceus.

He looked stunning in delicate iridescent robes, and Caleb tried to swallow down his anxiety. Violet eyes framed by silver lines, mouth poised in a gentle smile, cheeks flushed, Essek walked slowly until he was face to face with his intended.

Essek reached for his hand, and they stood silently, gazes locked while Caduceus conducted the ceremony. When it was time, Caleb drew a small spool of red thread from his pocket. Gently, he took Essek’s hand in his and tied a knot around his little finger. He offered the spool, and Essek repeated the gesture, biting his lips nervously. Caduceus cut the remaining thread, leaving their hands connected.

“You are now joined together, not by destiny, but by your own choice. I think that’s very nice,” Caduceus smiled placidly until Veth cleared her throat, “Oh yeah. You guys can kiss now.”

Caleb smiled at the phrasing. He lifted his hand, pulling Essek’s forward until the drow was close enough for him to count his freckles. Their hands tingled as he came impossibly closer. Essek’s mouth was warm against his.

For the first time in Caleb's life, he felt destiny favored him.

---

[islndgurl777]

If you are still taking requests, may I ask for number 34 or 26 with shadowgast? :)

maegan!! sorry this took so long, i had the hardest time figuring out what i wanted to write, and then i ended up just writing the softest boys imaginable...

///

Caleb ushers the last student out the door forty-five minutes after his office hours were supposed to be over, closes the door, and lets out a long breath as he settles back down into his chair.

It’s been a long week. First an impromptu visit from Jester and Fjord, leading to a missed class while the Mighty Nein followed up on a lead on Sabian, and then extra long office hours every day to make up for the missed class. On top of that, he hasn’t seen Essek all week.

Caleb closes his eyes-- he just needs a short rest-- and grumbles audibly when there’s a knock on his door. He contemplates ignoring it, but a second later there’s another knock and a familiar voice calls, “Caleb!”

He groans, but pushes himself to his feet to greet his newest visitor. His “Hello, Beauregard, how can I help you?” is on the tip of his tongue, but when he gets the door open, he can immediately tell… something’s not right here.

The way she holds her body isn’t right, shoulders more relaxed than he’s used to seeing, and there’s something about the way he has to tilt his head to meet her eyes. Her smile is just a little too soft, her eyes a little too fond.

His eyes narrow. “Are you testing me?”

The lips quirk up. “Just keeping you on your toes, Caleb Widogast.”

It’s surreal to see Beau’s eyes looking at him with such love, to hear Beau’s voice say Essek’s words, with Essek’s accent, and has he mentioned it’s been a long. fucking. week? Caleb shakes his head and pulls Essek into his office, locking the door behind them.

Essek reaches up to cup Caleb’s face. “How did it go with the Plank King the other day?” His voice is soft, and caring, and still Beauregard’s.

Caleb reaches up to pull Essek’s hands away from his face, instead holding them between their bodies. “I would love to tell you all about it, but right now, you are the only thing that could keep me sane after this endless week, and you look and sound like my friend, so I really think it would be best if you--” Essek drops the Alter Self spell and all the tension drains from Caleb’s body. “Thank you. That could have been very weird.”

Essek leans forward to press his forehead into Caleb’s and says quietly, “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was trying out a joke. I wanted to make you smile.”

Caleb’s lips curve up and he shakes his head. “Don’t you know? Just seeing you is enough to make me smile.”

///

prompts here. feel free to send more

[poesparakeet-fics]

A Lovely birthday present for @sapphicquill! A fic full of all her favorite things for my favorite person on the planet!

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Fjord/Caleb Widogast, The Poly Nein - Relationship Characters: Caleb Widogast, Fjord (Critical Role) Additional Tags: Tickling, Teasing, Verbal teasing, Fjord’s a charismatic fuck, and will wreck a wizard, Kink Negotiation, Praise Kink, tickle kink, critickle role, Cuddling & Snuggling, Pinned, All Tieflings Are Knismos, Begging, Communication, Dom Fjord (Critical Role), Sub Caleb Widogast, Light Dom/sub Summary:

With their tiefling lovers away visiting their people, Caleb and Fjord are left alone in the tower. Caleb has an itch. A want. No, a need. If only he could bring himself to ask for it.

Read on Ao3 or here:

He should have just asked.

As agonizing as that would have been, Jester wouldn’t have even teased him about it. She would have smiled and opened her arms, inviting him in, and turned him into a puddle before she left. Clearly a better option than the one he was stuck in.

Molly would have teased him, sure, but his eagerness to get on with the thing would have made it short-lived, and the results would have been the same.

He might have even been able to rope both of them, if he really wanted it. Gods, did he really want it. Now they were both in Nicodranas for the week, and an unexpected call from the Cobalt Soul had emptied their home further, until it contained one unique set of marbles that rattled around in the emptiness. Caleb himself… and Fjord.

It was so rare that they were alone together, their social lives whittled away from the web of their found family to their own unique love and camaraderie. Caleb would never tell Beau about Fjord’s skipped workouts. Fjord would keep quiet about the many long nights Caleb would spend buried in books and surviving on whatever food his insistent little cats could entice him with.

They were intimate, though with the others gone they fell into the pattern of a slow, quiet midday fuck in the library rather than mind-melting tickle attacks.

As warm as their days together were, Caleb was feeling the absence of the others. Had he really become this dependent? Had he lived so long with the luxury of insightful tiefling lovers (with a crew of accomplices) that he couldn’t go more than a few days without? Evidence said yes.

Specifically, the way his nerves had ignited when Fjord poked his head into the library late that night.

“Caleb?” He waited for the wizard’s gaze, “Come to bed tonight, hm? It’s getting lonely.”

“Oh…” Caleb felt his face alight, “It’s been so late, I didn’t want to wake you…”

Fjord waved a hand with an affectionate grin. “I know. I’m not offended. I don’t care if you wake me, though. Come to bed.”

Caleb returned the smile, hoping the shiver that chased itself around his skin wasn’t visible from the doorway. “ Ja , ok. I will. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

~~~

Caleb would swear to himself, even later, that he hadn’t meant to wake Fjord. He’d stepped into his lovers’ bedroom with every intention of creeping over to the empty side of the bed and slipping between the covers, quiet as a mouse. Unfortunately he’d left his sea legs on a ship many months before.

The gentle rocking that he’d enchanted into the bedroom combined with pitch blackness and an exhausted mind sent him tumbling into a piece of furniture— a chair?— then over it and onto the floor with a clatter. He was upright again by the time Fjord roused.

“Caleb? Are you alright?”

“Ja, just clumsy.” Caleb assured him, hurriedly putting himself into the bed and holding perfectly still. “I’m fine, go back to sleep.”

His attempt to be inconspicuous was thwarted when one arm slung itself around his middle and pulled him in to spoon with a long, even sigh. “‘Kay.”

Caleb tried to relax into Fjord’s warm embrace, until the other man’s hand started to move. One broad, smooth palm stroked his chest, stomach, side, ribcage… all in firm, gentle strokes that didn’t tickle. At all . Caleb wanted to whimper and squirm, try to catch Fjord’s fingertips against a sensitive spot and earn some little zing of sensation, but he’d already woken him once. Instead he sat very still with his skin aglow with desperation until Fjord drifted off and his hand stilled. Caleb fell asleep not long after, still wholly sensitized and half-hard.

Between basic biology and want-filled dreams, neither situation had resolved itself by morning. In fact, as it did most mornings, his skin felt more sensitive as it awakened. Caleb hadn’t opened his eyes yet when he felt the press of cool lips against the heated skin at the back of his neck, sending shivers rattling through his thin frame.

“Good morning.” Fjord’s voice was a low, sleepy rumble that made Caleb shiver for entirely different reasons.

“Morning” Caleb returned through a yawn, stretching as best he could without wriggling out of Fjord’s embrace.

He found himself suddenly sharply aware of the placement of Fjord’s hands where they were wrapped around his torso, and the restraining weight of one muscular leg thrown over his hip. Still half asleep, he bumped against the embrace with a satisfied little hum before settling his own gangly form within Fjord’s larger one.

“What are you getting up to, today?” Caleb mumbled against the pillows, still wiping sleep from his eyes.

That’s when Fjord’s embrace suddenly tightened, his arms pulling Caleb in close while his leg stopped him from curling up to press him, stretched, against the length of his companion’s form.

“Well, you know…” Fjord yawned, “I’d thought with the tiefs gone you might like a little break from certain things, seeing as how they do get you pretty often. But I’m starting to think that was a mistake on my part.”

Caleb’s skin ignited and he squirmed, suddenly breathless. “I— wait —” For what, even Caleb wasn’t sure.

Fjord chuckled into his shoulders. “Aw, you don’t need to pretend, Caleb. I felt a little bad letting you fall asleep in such a state last night, but it was late, and I know how much more sensitive you are in the mornings.” With that he clenched his fingers, settling their tips on Caleb’s rib cage like needlepoints only to hold perfectly still.

“ Fjord! ” Caleb whined, but it was barely more than a wheeze. He fought the urge to squirm.

“Yes? Did you need something?”

“ Bitte .”

Another chuckle, then hot breath in Caleb’s ear. “Bitty what? Maybe we should make this a lesson in asking for what you want from people who love you. I can stand in for Jester and Caduceus.”

Caleb gritted his teeth, unable to even consider saying the word. He didn’t need to. It was so close . He let out a wordless, pleading whine. Fjord was one of the more susceptible of the nein to pleading.

One of Fjord’s hands tossed the blankets to the side and exposed a long flank of pale skin, currently bound by strong green limbs. The same hand started to float above Caleb’s side, fingers flicking to set off interspersed giggles from the trapped wizard.

“It’s not a burden, you know. Look how easy it is to rile you. Hardly a chore. I don’t even need to touch you…”

Caleb could only whine and giggle, eyes locked on Fjord’s floating hand. The half-orc’s other arm was still wrapped around Caleb’s torso, gripping the wizard’s arms tightly to keep them out of his way.

“…just imagine how bad it’s gonna be when I do.”

Caleb thrashed a little against his restraint with his eyes shut tight, half to hide from the teasing and half out of embarrassment over the squeaking strings of giggles he was producing without so much as a touch.

A smooth palm strokeed at this stomach in a move that would have been comforting had he been calmer, but instead his eyes shot open with a hiccoughing yelp that turned into a whine as the hand withdrew and started floating once more.

“You’re gonna have to say it, if you want it. I could do it just how you love it. Start out nice and slow…”

Fjord’s fingers started to drift again, his fingers skating a scant inch above the soft skin of Caleb’s stomach. Caleb’s eyes were open and locked in a wide, giddy panic. He was already getting breathless.

“…or I could get a little more serious…”

Fingers crooked and made a clawing motion over Caleb’s ribcage, making him squeal and kick his feet against the mattress.

“…or maybe a little beard action…”

“No!” Caleb squeaked, his neck collapsing backward. Fjord hadn’t done anything, but the knowledge that said beard was just out of sight and free to wreak havoc was enough.

“No? Why not?” Fjord asked, hooking one finger to menace above Caleb’s armpit. “Keep telling me ‘no’ instead of 'please tickle me Fjord’ and I might really stop. Just let you marinade for the rest of the week and tell the tieflings how bad you need it when they get home, hmm?”

“No-hohoho! Evil!”

“What’s evil?” Fjord asked patiently, chuckling at the frustrated sound it pulled from the trapped wizard. “Not my beard! You were singing its praises not too long ago. Remember that night? The one where Jester and I kissed you from head to toe?”

The sense memory lit Caleb up. He hid in the bicep of his trapped arm and groaned, feet mussing the sheets further.

“ Der teufel … you’re a fucking devil… they should have brought you with, to their tiefling retreat!”

“Careful, if those two had decided to make exceptions to the tieflings-only rule they would have packed you in a suitcase and served you on a plate.” Fjord’s fingers flexed in the air once more, and Caleb made a sound like he was dying.

“Hang in there, now, what if I were to grab that rope that’s tied under the headboard… and the paintbrushes in the bedside drawer… and I get real patient with your armpits to see how long you can take it.”

One cautious finger was set down carefully on the thin skin at the back of his armpit, too firm and still to really tickle, but Caleb sobbed into his bicep all the same. He felt Fjord shift.

“Are you crying ? Oh, I cannot wait to show Jester this new trick. How to make you wail and cry without doling out one single tickle?”

Caleb didn’t want to prove him right, but he couldn’t help the little wail that escaped. Jester didn’t need to learn to tease like this . Nobody needed to learn to tease like this. In fact, if Fjord didn’t stop teasing, Caleb was pretty due he was going to melt and be absorbed into the mattress like spilled tea.

“Fjord no , stop —”

Suddenly the pinprick sensation near his armpit was gone. The weight of Fjord’s leg was gone, as was Fjord himself. Caleb kicked himself upright, head on a swivel. The half-orc was already pulling on a shirt.

“What…?”

“I told you, if you kept telling me no, I’d stop.”

Cold shock slid down Caleb’s spine, his stomach dropping.

“ Please , Fjord!”

“Please what?”

Caleb made a frustrated sound, balling his hands into fists in the sheets. “Please do everything you just threatened to, you arschloch !” Then he felt a thrill of panic as he was pinned under the paladin’s gaze.

A wicked grin split Fjord’s features as he turned and stalked back towards the bed. “ Everything? Well, I was going to make you say the word, but that’s an offer I can’t refuse. C’mere.”

Whatever fight Caleb had found at the prospect of being abandoned drained out of him as Fjord pushed him backward and sprawled across him.

“So…” Fjord questioned, one eyebrow raised as his hand started to float again. “I’m afraid I can’t quite remember my list… gonna need some help from that keen mind of yours.”

Caleb groaned.

“What was that first thing again?”

It was a ruse. It was a trick. Caleb didn’t care. He was going to combust.  His arms were already thrown up to hide his face, so from that hiding place he croaked “Start off slow…”

“Right, right… slow.” Fjord purred.

It turned out that there would be no going slow that morning, because the second his fingers started to skate around Caleb’s navel the wizard’s arms snapped down to protect his torso while he dissolved into breathless, pitchy laughter.

“Oh dear, you’re in big trouble, aren’t you? So riled up already.”

“St— nahaha— don’t tease! ”

“Oh… that was not part of the deal. What’s next?”

“ Nahaha— you know! ”

“Nope.” Fjord was nonchalant as he took the other man apart with one fingertip. “Sorry, don’t remember…”

Caleb hugged his ribcage tighter with one arm and pressed his other fist against his mouth. “Get ahahaha— little mohohore serious!”

His attempts to hide were universally futile. Fjord’s hands started to hop and skip around his torso, delivering a ticklish pinch and prod at every open space he could find without ever trying to get Caleb’s hands out of the way, a sharp reminder of how helpless Caleb was to stop him.

Caleb’s laughter kicked up in a way that left him without breathe to plead or squeal, so he settled for wrapping both arms around his ribs and rolling onto his side to put his face in the pillow.

“Nope.” Two strong hands grabbed his shoulders and flattened him out on his back. “No hiding. Watching you fall apart is the best bit.”

Caleb wailed at his exposure, his laughter leaving him weak enough for Fjord to slide his hands around his ribcage and dig in more thoroughly. Caleb arched his back and tossed his head in an attempt to drive the sensation away, but he could only cackle and accept his fate for the time being.

Fjord finally let him catch his breath a short while later, hands still in their attack position but with stilled fingers. “So…” he purred over the sounds of Caleb’s hiccuping gasps “What was the next one?”

Caleb had only a few breaths to collect himself, a little thrill of rebellion rising in his chest. “You were going to… hic… get the r-rope…”

“That’s right! Now I remember.” Fjord purred again, kissing a few stray tears of laughter away from Caleb’s face as he reached one arm between the mattress and the headboard to pull out a length of silken red rope (an absolutely mortifying gift from Marion Lavorre that had sparked quite the conversation about privacy) and wrap it around both of Caleb’s wrists.

The wizard sighed in relief as his deception went unnoticed, then quivered at the helpless stretch of his body. He hid his face in the bends of his arms while Fjord settled next to him.

“See, the only problem with this paintbrush idea…” Fjord mused, watching Caleb’s breath even out. “Is that you’re a fuckin liar and that’s not what I said next.”

Caleb managed one quick, panicked gasp as the accusation landed, but the unbearable scrape of a beard across the side of his ribcage drew it all out of him in a squeal.

“Aaaah! Nein! No! Stahp! ”

“Say ‘please tickle me Fjord’.”

“ Nahaha —” Caleb wheezed “ Can’t— can’t! Bitte!”

“Oh, that’s right, it was supposed to be your armpits, wasn’t it?” One strong hand gripped an elbow, pinning it next to one flushed cheek to stretch the thin skin beneath.

“ Nahahaha! ” Caleb shrieked as Fjord hovered his lips just above his underarm, warm breath already making the wizard’s entire body rigid with ticklish panic.

“Say iiiiiit” Fjord sing-songed, his words drawing out a fresh wave of hysterics. “Say it or I’ll stay like this forever…”

Caleb swallowed, gasped and hiccuped for a moment before finally choking out “ P-please tickle me, Fjord. ”

“Good boy…” Fjord’s voice was soothing, but he had to raise it to be heard over the screams of laughter that the gentle bump of his nose and soft brush of his lips ripped out of the wizard beneath him. “I am so proud of you. I’m going to tell Jester all about it, and she’ll be proud of you too.”

He kept it up for a few moments, even after he stopped showering Caleb with praise, applying a good nuzzle to the ticklish armpit before releasing the wizard to melt into a giggly puddle in the middle of his bed.

“Would have been so much easier if you’d just asked,” he murmured into ginger hair, “but you know that, didn’t you?”

[the-caleb-widogast]

i just imagine whenever imogen rolls low for looking through the library for information it's not because it's her fault but rather because there's two humans, one with ginger hair and one with dark brown hair, who are also furiously researching and she can't find what she's looking for becuase they might have it.

"caleb. caleb, look at this. more shit about the fucking moons that apparently need to be dealt with. add this to the list of books we're paying to make a copy off and be shipped to the soul."

"alright. you know we wouldn't have need to come here had we paid more attention to your fellow archive member who was very interested in the moons as well."

"well when he was talking about it it sounded so fucking boring and we were dealing with a lot of shit that we couldn't really have given him any time anyways. and now he's mia and now we have to try and find him or his stupid research."

"yah that is unfortunate. has jester responded back if any of her sendings had reached mr sunlash?"

"nah she's been sending to him at least once a day but no response. some of jester's message are pretty fucking creepy though so i'd get why he might not respond. hey do you think if just we hit up the moonweaver she'll give us the answer?"

"considering we were part of the attempt of trying to pass off artagan's cult to her, i don't presume she'll respond kindly to us. and you forget neither of us are godly people beauregard"

"that's fair. do you think if jester spoke with artagan she might get him to tell her.

"..."

"yeah cad would probably have more luck with the wildmother. anyways add this to the list and i'll go look for more books."

"sure. can we add this too? i've skimmed it but it speaks about a type of magic that is unknown to wildemount and we might benefit from learning more about it."

"sure yeah. add it to the list. i love having fucking magic shit that the cerberus doesn't know about and we can lord it over them."