#feat. caleb.

[stclli]

' entonces diste en el clavo. como dicen por ahí, quien tenga miedo a morir que no nazca. ' las palabras del contrario sólo encienden unas ganas indomables de concretar el plan y salir victoriosos. porque fallar ni siquiera lo considera como opción. en cuanto la elección queda en sus manos, sostiene el teléfono y hace scrolling con libertad entre las opciones. ' conozco todos y cada uno de estos sabores, así que tendrás que confiar en mí... ' le mira de reojo para asegurarse de que no rechistará. a continuación, selecciona el doble de porciones de dumplings, verduras salteadas, fideos de arroz en salsa de sésamo y de postre, su favorito: tartitas de huevo. se adelantó a hacer el pedido, no sin antes corroborar el precio, para luego devolverle su pertenencia. ' más tarde te transfiero la mitad del monto para que estemos a mano. ' aquello fue la señal para ponerse de pie y recoger su pequeña mochila, esa que siempre le acompañaba al gimnasio. ' ¿qué tan bueno eres con el tenis de mesa? imagino que lo has elegido porque tienes el talento suficiente para entretenerlos más de diez minutos. '

con el acuerdo foráneo para ser cómplice de la travesura, las comisuras se cincelan igualmente encantadas, animadas por la distracción que supone de la intensa jornada de entrenamiento. ‘ estás con la persona indicada ’ duda que existan numerosas experiencias que avalen esa muestra de vanagloria, pero la fortuna sabe bien cómo tenderle la mano. él, que la toma sin dudar, ya está abriendo la aplicación en búsqueda de un restaurante de interés. ‘ ¿no te has hecho una idea ya? te involucré en la que puede ser la temprana causa de nuestra expulsión  ’ al guiñarle el ojo con gracia sabe que la situación puede entenderse, más bien, de forma alterna; ¿qué es sino una víctima de los planes foráneos para garantizar ese xiaolongbao? las yemas se detienen en una oferta de interés. ‘ bingo ’ ofrece el dispositivo para que ella lo vea también. ‘ selecciona lo que quieras ’ si sobra, se lo llevaría a maven o algún otro miembro de litha. ‘ estará aquí en treinta minutos ’ ahora, habrían de proseguir con la siguiente parte de la estrategia. ‘ los guardias de la entrada tienen cara de estar muertos de aburrimiento, seguro que quieren jugar una  partidita de tenis de mesa conmigo ’

[knowltonsrangers]

theoretically pt.9

[first , prev ] [female reader]

[//tw: swearing, guns, death and blood ahead\\ also angst]

By all means, you should have been fine.

Continually failing at trying to peel the knot apart which currently held your wrists hostage, you silently cursed at such a simple thing that just would not go your way.

You weren’t asking much, realistically speaking. Tossed on horseback, greedily speeding miles away from the beach, you were certain that whenever Caleb and the Major returned, they would likely follow the shoreline, in the opposite direction.

The skies had quickly clouded, and with little warning, the rain pounded against the Earth, drenching your clothes and your hopes that someone would find your clue.

“Identify yourself!”

You physically jump, startled at how fast they had approached your hiding spot. Though one could argue you weren’t really doing a great job at the feat, silently praying they wouldn’t venture any further.

“Ah, fuck—“ There wasn’t much to do other than oblige, so you stand on shaky legs and throw your hands up, hoping that the ‘I surrender’ mentality would save yourself here.

“Don’t shoot!” When you move your arms, your hand brushes the pocket that concealed the knife. Inwardly groaning, you can hear the metal hit the ground with an aggressive thud. For once, you find a moment to think rationally, you use the toe of your sneaker to draw an arrow in the sand.

They’ll likely take you the way they came from, one could hope.

“I’ve been stranded here,”

You begin talking straight nonsense, begging words that seemed an inkling of believable to fall from your lips.

“Miss, this is really no place for a lady to reside,”

When they finally arrive right in front of you, they lower their weapons, seemingly unanimously agreeing that you were no perceivable threat.

That kind of hurt, for some reason.

“Sorry for the binds, but we are on strict orders to take anyone or anything in that comes onto that beach,”

Your nose wrinkles, opting to not say anything at all. If you hadn’t dropped that fucking knife-

“That area is a known smugglers destination, ma’am.”

The younger one speaks, the one who’s currently sat behind you on the horse. His red sleeves are the only thing you can see of him, but as the sun would soon begin to rise, you would dare to take a glance back at his features.

“Your silence is proving you guilty,”

The older one chides now, but not by much.

“If I told you what really happened, you wouldn’t believe me,”

You whisper, teeth sinking into your bottom lip. Subconsciously, you never wanted these guys to see you cry, but the frustration was starting to eat away at you. It was all building so fast, that the world started to spin, and as if it was nothing, it all stopped.

“You have permission to speak it, so I may relay it to the Lieutenant when we arrive back to camp.”

You roll your eyes, a sarcastic “Gee, thanks,” bubbling in your throat, but you remembered instantly what Caleb had told you.

"I promise, even if you come 'cross some lobsterbacks, they wouldn't harm a lady. Just say ya got lost, and ask for the Captain or Major. They'd be able to help you."

His index finger comes to his lips, as if he's about to disclose a secret.

"Jus' don't mention anything about the camp, alright? Yer a patriot now, y/n, don't go switchin' sides."

Maybe you should bide your time the best you could, stretching it until there was no more room to give.

“Lieutenant?” You warble, sniffling slightly.

“Yes, that is who we report to. Anyone else you wish to speak with is denied, until further information is provided.”

You sigh, straightening your shoulders as well as you could, positioned in between the officers arms.

“What if we are headed in the completely wrong direction?”

It’s a very good question, one that every time it arose in his thoughts, he pushed back away. Becoming increasingly irritated, the blonde sighed, pushing away some flyaways from his forehead as they entered deeper into the woods.

“That is a very good possibility.” Is all he can reply, having a bit more incentive to get to you before you slip up, now having knowledge of the camp and that the General was stationed there.

He trusted that you would keep those secrets, but he did not know what level of…ill treatment you could take before the words came racing out of your mouth.

“So why didn’t we split up? Coulda met back there in a coupla hours.”

“I am hoping we are going the right way.”

If Caleb knew he was being very annoying, he was doing an excellent job at it.

“But what if we aren’t—“

“Caleb, please—“

And before he can say another word, there’s a rustle of something, wet leaves underfoot as silhouettes cast shadows in the daybreak.

“Shut up, please.” Ben asks, voice almost nothing as they both drop to a crouch behind some shrubbery, a couple hundred feet off. Although capable of seeing them, they were unable to hear what was being exchanged.

From the looks of it though, you had them right where you wanted them. They had halted their riding, the two horses idling as you stood next to a tree, arms bound but within reach. Your mouth was moving, and the two soldiers appeared to be at least satiated with whatever you were saying.

“See? She’s fine,”

Caleb hums, nudging the Major in the ribs. Ben turns to look at him so quickly he’s sure he’s just given himself whiplash.

“If I remember correctly,” He gravels, voice a bit elevated.

“I was the one consoling you,”

“Nah, I don’t remember that.”

Ben watches you carefully, and as if he willed it, your eyes made brief contact with his, looking just past the two officers. Nearly doing a double take, your eyes jump wide, but dart back to the taller man, so you wouldn’t give up their location.

You begin talking, your mouth moving once more but he’s unable to read exactly what you are saying. Catching your unexplainable surprise in what lies so far out into the trees, the shorter man spins around, scanning the horizon for something out of the ordinary.

Just as Ben turns to Caleb, ready to devise some sort of plan, you begin to shriek, piercing screams echoing through empty space as if it was amplified by a thousand.

The one redcoat, the one who was scouting, visibly jumps, turning to face you with a mixture of surprise and anger on his face, while the other attempts to figure out what was causing the screams.

“There was a spider on me!”

Ben will never be sure if there really was one on you, but Caleb audibly laughs, taking the opportunity that was so easily given to them.

Now, completely occupied and unable to console your loud cries, the two make a break for it and cross the remaining yards with ease.

“Hands up,”

Though the click of his flintlock pistol is satisfying, shoving the barrel directly between the man's shoulder blades, the willingness to squeeze the trigger is almost antagonizing. Caleb followed suit to the other officer, eyes trained on you, as if any more movement would cause you harm.

They both hesitantly raise their arms, making no move to agitate the situation further. Ben briefly wonders how you've so quickly wound your way around Caleb's finger, but then again, he'd be lying if you didn't have the same effect on him.

You offer a watery smile, fervently shaking the legs of your pants one last time, shrugging your shoulders as the two men look fixedly at you, shocked nonetheless at your stratagem.

What did nonplus you so much was that they both fired their weapons, and you watch in horror as both bodies crumble lifelessly to the ground.

Both horses, now spooked, take off in a direction that Benjamin doesn't quite care to take note of.

Something that he wishes he never saw was the look in your eyes, the panic and trepidation as if you couldn't really believe what you just saw.

"They didn't do nothin' to ya, did they?"

Caleb is first to break the stalemate, shoving his gun back into the loop on his belt, and stepping around one of the bodies to get closer to you. Smoke clearing, Ben slowly lowers his weapon, eyes impotent to leave yours and feet rooted to the dirt.

"N-no," You shuffle awkwardly, weight shifting back and forth between your feet and now unable to meet either of the men's gaze.

"M'sorry I left...you alone..."

The brunette watches the Major, then his eyes bolt back to you. He's piecing something together in his mind, and before he can say it, Benjamin beats him to it.

"We need to go."

"Ben-" Caleb starts, his hand reaching out to touch your arm, but recoils it back when he realizes the blood that splatters across it.

"Sorry." Is all that can fall from his mouth.

"I-" You swallow thickly, still staring at the ground, just shy of the two bodies.

"It's fine. Thank you.”

It's a whisper, and your gut is screaming at you to run as far away as you can from here, mind reeling at the events that unfolded so quickly yet in slow motion all at the same time.

"What are…er, what are are we gonna do now?"

Ben's silence is agonizing, so you take it upon yourself to fill the quiet.

"Maybe we should...part ways."

Caleb immediately repulses at such an idea, and when he looks to Ben once more for concurrence, he's met with the nauseating truth.

"No, not a chance in hell."

You had said it so maybe Benjamin would remove that tape from his tightly pressed lips. You were so numb to the events that you could not offer anything more than a suggestion to leave.

In reality, the disgust that was eating him up inside was the reasoning behind it all. He would never be able to wipe that look you gave him from his memory, as hard as he might try. His subconscious now had complete control of his actions, and it did nothing but render him speechless.

He wanted you to stay, with him. But articulating that after you just watched him kill a man was downright impossible. He wasn't thinking right, and that was his problem.

"y/n,"

Clearing his throat, you finally tear your gaze away from the ground, blinking up at him expectingly, and it's then he catches the glint in your eyes.

"We will take you back to camp, and you will remain in my tent until nightfall. At that time, I will then personally escort you to the camp line, and from there you will do as you wish."

Caleb opens his mouth to protest, but you purse your lips, pulling some hair away from your eyes.

"Yes, Major."

You were nothing but trouble. It was a thought that had crossed your mind while doing much more than mildly inconveniencing these men just trying to do their duties. You landed in the middle of a war, this was no time to laugh or make fast quips to bargain your time.

This whirlwind dream had just really turned into a nightmare, and for all you know, the moment you cross those camp lines, your fate was in the hands of a time you never knew to call your own.

"Now hold on just a fuckin' second."

"I just said-"

"When have you ever known me to listen? I'm the reason we're standin' right here in the first place!"

He shouts, and Ben finally holsters his flintlock, something you take notice of that he hadn't done yet. The blonde grabs his upper arm, not harshly, but enough to tug him away to whisper something in his ear.

"If you're calling me a bitch, you can do that in front of me."

You call, at long last moving away from the officers, all the while brushing runaway tears from your cheeks. It was fair enough, you in the least deserved some name-calling for the unbridled mess you unknowingly just created.

"Nah, but I won't repeat what he said, cause no lady should ever have to hear such a mouth." Caleb shoves him off.

The three of you exchange glances, and finally, you've had enough. The silent scream you release is more-so for yourself versus for effect, fierce enough that your hands ball into fists and your eyes squeeze shut.

"Y'alright?'

After a good moment, you finally nod.

"I had thought maybe it would wake me up because this isn't fun anymore. I hate being here, I hate all of this. Just please. Take me back to camp, and let me pack a fucking bag, and let me leave."

Ben falters, mouth opening then closing, words fighting to his throat but all he can offer is a noise of approval. You cross your arms, shuffling past Ben as you start off towards the shore, leaving the duo standing, jarred.

"I hope you're happy," The brunette snuffs, watching you go for a second.

"Part of this was my fault, but this is all your fault."

Caleb gives him one more shove for good measure, and starts off after you, calling your name, but you make no move to slow your pace.

If he could find his voice, he'd scream just as loud as you.

[lovecharged]

@tkachukmatthew starter for jonathan 'johnny' rush

"...you come 'ere often then, do ya? look well at home here."

[jcrcmy]

' ¿quién te limitó de esa manera más cruel? a un gato no los tienes que sacar a pasear, ocupan menos espacio, se bañan solos... ' empezó a enumerar como si alguna vez haya tenido algún minino. ¡sí, claro! nunca había tenido tanta suerte. ' sinceramente, no sé si soy de los que se embarcan en misiones que nacen fallidas. lo que te puedo ofrecer son más ideas, ' chasquea los dedos en medio de su iluminación mental. ' un hamster. lo puedes meter a escondidas en el departamento y es tan pequeño que nadie se dará cuenta. ¿qué tal? puede tener los mismos colores de alguno de ellos, ' con la barbilla, señalaba las fotografías de los canes. ¿creía en lo que decía? no. importaba más que el otro le creyera.

‘ corrección: serán míos ’ vaya que es experto en inmiscuir al resto del mundo en sus propias problemáticas, pero ese debate ha estado rondando su cabeza desde hace horas. ‘ no puedo juzgarte, estamos en el mismo punto ’ la palma se posa en el pecho, le es demasiado difícil elegir. puf, ojalá le dieran libertad de tener todos los animales del mundo. ‘ uf, me encantan los gatos — lastimosamente me limitaron a canes ’ chasquea lengua en lo que vuelve a guardar el teléfono en su bolsillo. ‘ mejor ayúdame a pensar, ¿cómo puedo convencer a les profesores de que me dejen tener una mascota en el dormitorio? soy un estudiante brillante, sin mí esta generación no tendría estrellas ’ está exagerando por mera comedia, aún si sí busca argumentos. ‘ merezco una retribución, ¿no? ’

[h0lyhandgrenade]

“Even when you fail, you’re still mine.”

[dibellanyx]

I just had a thought that I can't share with people irl bc none of the Fandoms overlap right—I think ShadowGhast is an AU of Bloodweave.

[flashhwing]

trying so so so so hard to be Normal about sending my dog back home with my parents but like that’s My Dog how dare you take him from me

[mangjeolie]

todo el tiempo que le toma al otro decidirse por el filtro final, mangjeol lo pasa con la espalda recta y la vista vagando por las paredes y rincones de la cabina. cualquier momento parecía apropiado para seguir escarbando en detalles, aunque de momento no lucía como si fuera a encontrar alguna respuesta allí. sólo cuando siente al otro posar es que regresa su atención al punto donde la cámara enfocaba sus rostros. como era de esperarse, no hubo ninguna expresión reacomodando sus facciones. ' sé cuál es ese-- ' intenta explicar un poco tarde porque el otro no tarda en ofrecerle una referencia visual sobre las famosas. ' sé cuál es. estoy al tanto de qué es un meme también. ' informa con una mirada de soslayo antes de examinar la fotografía entregada. ¿parecía tan anticuada? mmmm. nunca había tenido problemas con ello. ' ¿te la quieres quedar? ' porque parece absolutamente normal es que la ofrece de regreso mientras se pone de pie. después de todo, él ha salido bien.

‘ no lo he pensado a tanta profundidad, no me dejes en evidencia ahora ’ tiene que soltar una pequeña risita aireada, que más bien, sirve como burla a sí mismo. pero vaya, que el comentario al corte de cabello hacía algo de sentido. ‘ pues por qué no, una anomalía o una ruptura del matrix ’ desde que le mencionaron esa última opción los compañeros de litha, no ha dejado de pensarlo. ‘ a ver, a ver ’ está distraído trasteando con todo el asunto de los filtros y, como era su opción principal, se queda con mondrian. gracioso, termina sentándose, sonriéndole a la cámara en una pose de divertimento propia de sus fotos. vaya, que no es la primera ni será la última de la noche. la cabina imprime rápido el resultado y, al sostenerlo entre dígitos, tiene que reírse una vez más. ‘ dios, parecemos el meme de las dos casas ’ le muestra la fotografía mientras que con la otra mano saca el teléfono del bolsillo. una pequeña búsqueda en internet y ya tiene la imagen preparada. así, le enseña la pantalla. ‘ este ’

[wr1tten]

@unbelovd asked: i  dreamed  of  this  place  .    it's  real  ?

the  forest  twinkled  around  them ;      erupted  in  colors  and  life.      a  living,    breathing  organism.      the  strained  smile  perked  at  the  corners  of  his  mouth,    bedlam  reminding  him  to  keep  on  a  happy  face.          ( but  you  wanted  to  save  her.      it  would  be  hard  to  do  without  a  voice to  communicate  it )          button-stitched  where  his  eyes  should  be,    staring  at  the  girl  beside  him.      wybie  nodded,    but  his  grasp  on  her  hand  was  tight.      pleading.      he  scanned  the  forest  for  any  sign  of  the  other  mother    —    but  even  without  her  presence,    she  was  always  there.      everywhere,    lurking,    whispering.      his  begging  was  silenced  at  his  lips,    but  he  leaned  down,    picking  up  a  stick  from  the  soil.      and  in  the  dirt,    he  etched  one  word;      LEAVE.

[jasminexharris]

Jasmine walked into the gym that Caleb was working out at. She missed her boyfriend and he was the first person she wanted to see after having to go back to London to film some reshoots for an upcoming film. Walking over to him, she smiled. "Hey there handsome." She said with a cheeky smile. "Can I steal you away?" @calebwarrenpeace

[alliekitaguchi]

THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE NEXT EPISODE ARE SENDING ME INTO ORBIT:

Veth & Braius - the horniest throw down of all time feat Sam (x2)

Caleb & Dorian - Caleb (Liam) telling Dorian to get his shit in gear and just TALK to Orym (also Liam)

Fearne & Jester - Ashley and Laura at their most powerful

Yasha & Beau & Fearne & Imogen & Laudna - the gayest thing ive ever seen

Fjord & Cad & Orym - 2 wildmother worshippers who see a small man with a vestige from the wildmother and adopt him immediately

Caleb & Ashton - “my husband said you have a beacon in your head” “yes sir”

Cad & Laudna - two spooky dead people a la the Spider-Man meme

Ashton & Beau - they will either hate each other or love each other

Dorian & Fjord - I truly believe they will match each others freak

Veth & Orym - Sam WILL give Orym (Liam) the shove to talk to Dorian because Sam is a shit-stirrer

Fjord & Imogen - southern to southern connection and then Laura breaks it by being jester and saying “fjord you’re doing the old accent again” and Travis’s nose starts bleeding

Yasha & Braius - black and white monochrome big baddies

Beau & Orym - fighter to fighter connection

Yasha & Orym - tough, angsty widows who found love in a (literal) hopeless place

Braius & Jester & Veth - “wait, why do you look so familiar?”

[stclli]

Sube la vista, como si su mente fuese capaz de crear un acantilado de altura considerable desde el cual pudieran tirarse al mar. No es difícil imaginarlo, hay una buena cantidad de videos en internet con los que se ha cruzado en momentos de ocio. Sin embargo, en todos y cada uno una extraña sensación de vértigo se apoda de su estómago. Stella no es de las que lo piensan demasiado excepto— cuando involucraban alturas.

"Si, bueno, creo que paso. No soy tan adicta a esa adrenalina," le dedica una sonrisita cordial, enfocándose más en que su cuerpo fuese cubierto por el nivel de agua deseado. Con las palmas formando pequeños cuencos, toma porciones de agua con los que se moja los hombros, las clavículas, el cuello. "Hoy quiero la versión disney que no requiera mucha experiencia en el nado, porque no la tengo." Sólo para fastidiar, levantó hacia él una pequeña cortina de agua cuando su palma chocó contra la superficie.

' puf, me encanta. casi todas mis peores decisiones en la vida han sido hechas en nombre de la adrenalina ' las comisuras se estiran con gracia, entre lo impulsivo que es y lo poco que le preocupan las cosas en los momentos clave, mira que se había hecho con un montón de anécdotas. ¿de arrepentimientos? no tantos. ' ¿que odias a la sirenita, dices? anda, si debajo del mar es un temazo ' la frase concluye con un tarareo de las notas míticas de la canción, justo a tiempo para acabar muriéndose de risa. se sumerge un poco más, la temperatura del agua es perfecta. ' no hace tanto de la última vez, pero porque mis compañeros de escuadrón son unos desquiciados ' vira los iris con algo de gracia, vaya que estaba echándoles de menos. ' ¿sabes que les gusta hacer? lanzarse al mar desde acantilados ' estira el brazo para indicar una altura exagerada. ' imagínate, tipo así y pum, al agua ' concluye dejando caer la palma a la superficie, salpicando un poco. ' deberías probarlo a la próxima y subir un poco el nivel '

[h0lyhandgrenade]

Protégé

[burr-ell]

Sometimes Things That Shake Up the Status Quo are Worse

I keep seeing people insisting that Exandria "can't return to the status quo, which was bad", but rarely do they say anything in support of that argument beyond "the Primes pick and choose favorites!". And while I'm not confident the show itself won't try to make that claim, the reality is that it just isn't borne out mechanically or narratively. Laying aside that non-Divine Soul sorcerers exist (like, and I'm just spitballing here, Aberrant Mind Ruidusborn), the gods work primarily through the on-the-ground efforts of clerics and paladins—people who have actively and consistently put in the work to devote themselves to the divine. This is a setting where resurrection magic, which relies on divine power, has been intentionally made more difficult than it is in DnD rules-as-written. Even clerics only get access to Divine Intervention at level 10 (when they've already spent a long time devoting themselves to their deity) and up until level 20 the chances of it actually working are vanishingly small—and level 20 clerics are both hard to come by and ultimately still limited.

In the rare event that the Prime Deities choose to bless someone who isn't a cleric or paladin, it's someone who has a good reason to have gotten their attention. Vax offered his life during a divine ritual in the burial site of the Raven Queen's most devoted champion and then actively committed himself to her cause. Yasha was an aasimar being mind-controlled by a devil who wound up at a divine altar and chose to worship Kord after he freed her. Orym is the devoted widower of someone who is in Melora's realm and was present at a ritual in a temple associated with Melora, and one of his companions prayed at a shrine to Melora on his behalf. Vex was directly in front of Pelor, had taken a leadership position in one of his sacred cities, and had received a vision from him directly—and even then, she had to earn it. Scanlan also had to earn the right to Ioun's favor and complete a trial, and had previously shown qualities and values that she believed were fitting of her champion. Fjord was a companion of a devoted cleric of Melora who had sought her help in keeping Uk'otoa sealed and made requests of her on Fjord's behalf, and Fjord also chose to meditate and then became a paladin devoted to her.

And in Exandria, if you don't want to follow a god, you don't have to. Percy, Keyleth, Grog, Beau, Veth, Caleb, Essek, most of Bell's Hells, the average commoner in the various cities the parties have traveled to—whether they outright dislike the gods as a whole or just don't have an interest either way, they're all capable of thriving with or without them, and indeed their problems are almost entirely caused by mortals. It's especially egregious when you consider that cities like Avalir were around during the Age of Arcanum, when the Prime Deities physically walked Exandria, and people like Laerryn, Patia, Zerxus, and Lacrytia Hollow—openly disdainful of the gods or even trying to create feats of magic to get on their level—were continuing business as usual. The previous god of death not only willingly abdicated in favor of a mortal during this time, but outright helped her do the job!

The Prime Deities can't win. If they didn't give anyone any power at all, they'd be viewed as selfish. If they'd stayed on Exandria after the Calamity, they'd be foolish and reckless. They're simply not capable of intervening and helping everyone, so they're labeled capricious. If they leave Exandria, they're abandoning not only their refuge and home, but also the people who need and rely on them. You can argue that "no one should have that much power" all you want, but I think it's exceptionally silly to take an argument meant to criticize the wealthy and powerful of our world (whose only unique quality is ultimately that they got lucky) and apply it to fictional deities (beings who are powerful by their very nature) who, while flawed, also think they're too powerful. They tried to protect Exandria from themselves and the Betrayers while still using their power to do right by the people there, and for the most part it was working just fine.

The "status quo" from before all this was and still is the best compromise available. No one has managed to sell a better one that doesn't amount to "cater to my blorbos and my self-indulgent idea of revolutionary politics, which may or may not also ultimately circle back to my blorbos". I think that's pretty telling.

[vexing-imogen]

Now that Critical Role has dropped an entire album, and not just an EP, I thought I’d do a short & sweet review. Nothing crazy, no ratings or anything, just for fun

Overall Impressions: it’s a fun, if incredibly niche, holiday album. They know their audience, and they’re playing directly to them. I feel like they struck a good balance between parodies and original compositions. I love that each cast member got their own song, even those that may not be as confident in their singing. The ballads really stand out, and end up being 3 of my top 4 songs

Track 1: Winter’s Crest Welcome (spoken word by Matt Mercer): a nice little intro/lore dump. I think it’s cool that Winter’s Crest is going international (likely thanks to Taste of Tal’Dorei lbr)

Track 2: Winter’s Crest Festival Time (Matt Mercer as Pumat Sol): when I tell you this song has been in my head for weeks. Fun and catchy and a little silly. Matt sounds great even in a goofy character voice. The bridge where he’s in (I think) four part harmony with himself? Wild

Track 3: Silent Mind (Laura Bailey as Imogen Temult): my favorite song off the album, to the surprise of absolutely no one. I knew Laura could sing, but goddamn. Chills

Track 4: Naughty & Nice (Sam Riegel as Scanlan Shorthalt): Sam has such a great voice for a jazzy, sexy song like this. And they really nailed the vibe, I knew it was a Scanlan song immediately

Track 5: Nothin’ Under the Tree (Taliesin Jaffe as Ashton Greymoore): this song rocks, pun fully intended. I never knew I needed a Christmas song I could headbang to until now. And Taliesin sounds fantastic. I fucking love it

Track 6: O Mighty Nein (Liam O’Brien as Caleb Widogast): oh, Liam, my heart. This song is so sweet and beautiful, and I was almost in tears by the end

Track 7: Twelve Days of Grogmas (Travis Willingham as Grog, feat. Ashley Johnson as Pike): it’s fun, it’s stupid, it’s catchy as hell. Another earworm that’s been in my head since it dropped. It is so perfectly Grog, and Pike’s little asides are the icing on the cake

Track 8: Cold Inside (Marisha Ray as Laudna, feat. Matt Mercer as Pate, Sam Riegel as FCG, Travis Willingham as Chetney, and Laura Bailey as Imogen): knowing that Marisha is likely the cast member that is least confident in their singing abilities, I’m so glad she did this song. Laudna is the perfect vehicle too, her character voice is more distinct than Keyleth or Beau, and she has a flair for the dramatic that Marisha can really lean into without worrying about how she sounds. For a song that people were advertising as an Imodna song, I wasn’t expecting it to be so funny. I think my favorite bit was the deadpan “I think that’s just arson, Chetney”. And then Imogen coming in at the end, you can just hear the eye roll and the fond smile

Track 9: Winter Anymore (Ashley Johnson as Yasha Nydoorin): this song is so achingly tender and yearning. Ashley has such a gorgeous voice, I’m in awe. I was initially unsure if she was singing as Yasha or Pike, but I love that the lyrics could apply to both. I love that despite the overall sadness of the song, there’s still an air of hope

Track 10: Deck the Bear (Liam O’Brien as Vax’ildan and Laura Bailey as Vex’ahlia, feat. the rest of the cast as Vox Machina and Matt Mercer as Trinket): another silly, goofy one, though admittedly this one is my least favorite from the album. I do like the ensemble song, and Matt’s bear noises are incredible as always (will he ever feature in a song not in a character voice? spoiler alert: yes lol)

Track 11: It’s Critmas (Critical Role cast as themselves): yet another earworm. This was tied with Silent Mind for my favorite song from the EP, and it’s still definitively in the top 4. Again, I love the ensemble, and everyone getting their moment. It’s catchy, it’s fun. It’s Critmas

[thursdaygrl]

was this what it was now for them? they would be two people across a room with someone else on their arm? though marisol smiles and holds onto spencer, she can't help but be aware of how wrong it feels, how strange. the love she has for caleb hasn't been eaten away at even half as much as it needs to be for it to not sting when his own date appears. her gaze shoots to his arm around her waist and she smiles politely. "wow, hi. so nice to meet you." she's polite, easily finding the ability to be polite even when she doesn't want to be. "that dress is so gorgeous." she compliments and the small talk continues for a little bit, until spencer finds an excuse for them to leave. as they walk away, marisol can't help but peer over her shoulder at caleb, but she's embarrassed by the movement when amelia catches her, prompting her to walk faster.

there was a part of caleb that felt like the two of them just needed a one on one chat to lay everything out on the tables... maybe it'll give them a bit of closure or ignite something that was always brewing. seeing the smile upon her face at the mention of a date made his heart sting, he had no rights -- especially when he came with someone else as well. eyes falls upon the male, as he bursted their alone time. "ah, nice to meet you. i'm caleb," he states, eyes shifting around the room as his date appears by his side, his arm instantly snakes around his girl's waist. "oh, yeah -- this is amelia," he states introducing her to the others.