#like gustav was shady

[sarnai4]

All In

Spoilers ahead for RTTE. I've seen and read a lot of stories, but I only have one character who's been my favorite hero and villain. That character is Dagur because he always went all in on whichever role he's supposed to play. I think the reason is that most characters are written with one particular role in mind. I've seen some who are meant to become heroes, so they never do anything too bad. They can't seem truly evil because they're eventually going to be good guys. Then, some characters have been part of that untrustworthy/villainous side for so long that even when they're supposed to be good, they do shady things that show how they're almost naturally villains. Neither of these happen with Dagur. When he's bad, he's really a villain; when he's good, he's really a hero. I love that.

I've seen mostly two opinions on Dagur. One where he's this monster who would eat kids in their nightmares and one where he's done nothing wrong. I feel like part of what makes him so amazing is that he did have both sides to him. As an antagonist, Dagur pulled no punches. He had the highest confirmed kill count of any human character. On top of who knows how many merchants he killed (since he was very ready to do that), he killed an entire island worth of Vikings. It's not just that either. He's one of the few villains who consistently tries to kill the Riders. When they were caught on the ship, he wanted to drown one of them. When he was fighting Astrid, he tried to dig an ax into her torso. He wasn't even loyal to other villains since he was constantly planning to betray them like with Alvin or the Grimborns. Villainous Dagur was threatening, unpredictable, and murderous. He was also a lot of fun, which made him my favorite baddie. Then, he pleasantly surprised me by turning good.

Dagur didn't have one of those moments where he tried to turn bad again. In all honesty, he couldn't. He'd done so many horrible things as a villain that if he ever did anything even remotely villainous again, no one would be able to forgive him. To put it into perspective, Dagur tried to sacrifice himself for everyone and STILL didn't gain all their trust. Generally, self sacrifice is kind of the most you can do, but since he didn't die, Heather was immediately suspicious of him again when she found him. It's because of everything he had done. So, to make up for how good of a villain he was, he had to be just as good a hero. Dagur became an incredibly selfless good guy.

Hiccup literally yelled that he hated him for leaving him with the Hunters (who technically had only captured the two of them because Hiccup tried to kill Dagur for supposedly poisoning Toothless) and Dagur was on his way to get Toothless to save him. When Dagur tried to sacrifice himself, he had to fight against Heather to do it. He isn't someone who needs someone to care about him back in order for him to protect them. Even in what he thought would be death, Dagur continued to try to help the Riders stop Viggo. Although the gold wasn't his, he still found it for Berk. Even though no one asked him to, he sent Berk willow bark when they didn't have any for medicine. On top of this, Dagur let Gustav (who is basically canonically hated by everyone) stay on Berserker Island at the request of Stoick. I'd say that after putting his life at risk and protecting the Riders, these other actions are necessary, but they show that the little details matter to him. I realize they matter to me too because they really showed me how much being a good person meant to Dagur. At every turn, he tried to do what he could to help his new friends. I truly respect that. He never half did anything. It makes sense. According to him, it's the Berserker way. All in, all the time. Sounds just like Dagur to me.

[royal-confessions]

“My honest opinion on royal watching is that none of the so called down to earth royals that Kate and William are constantly compared to would have been well liked if they were under the scrutiny of the British press. Like Carl gustav constantly whining about victoria being queen and not Carl Phillip. Carl Gustav cheating on his wife. Mary and Frederick also took 2 months off work this summer like will and kate. Fredrick with his 77 working days last year and accepting private jet invitations from billionaires. Mary with secretly selling her tax payer funded clothes and hiding it from the public on haberdash. Madeleines wardrobe costs from when she was still a full time working royal etc. Let's not even talk about the the Netherlands and the covid blunders of traveling for holiday. And Willhelm Alexander's cousin's shady investments (and they all still have princely titles) plus princess mabel's connections to a mob boss. All royals are shady as hell. Stop with the narrative that it's just William and Kate. It just seems ignorant!!!” - Submitted by Anonymous

[utilitycaster]

You have to be one of the only other people I know who likes Kingsley more than Molly. If you're up to it could you give more thoughts as to why? Personally for me, Kingsley feels more free and less my way is the right way. Maybe the person Molly would have grown to be if he had lived through everything else the Nein did but lighter.

There are DOZENS of us! Basically, look for people who passionately defend the end of Campaign 2 because if people who don't like the end of Campaign 2 aren't mad about about a dumb ship or about Caleb very deliberately and thoughtfully choosing not to go on a murderous rampage of revenge in what the critics (me) are calling "a weird double standard that much of the fandom never extends to the characters who actually do go on justified murderous rampages and frankly didn't even really extend to Caleb during the Vergesson rampage so idk what's going on in their hypocritical little minds", they're mad that Taliesin decided to make a choice I can truly only describe as "fucking based."

Anyway yeah, it's worth keeping in mind that Molly imprinted heavily on Gustav (affability and seeming self-sacrifice hiding some real shady deals, circus) whereas Kingsley largely imprinted on Fjord (genuinely a deeply good person, boats) and brought his own brand of chaos (stealing a boat). With Kingsley, there's none of the pretense. As you said, there's no "my way is the right way"; no manipulation, no claiming a bunch of fun tall tales is actually improving things, he just showed up and wanted to cause problems, and that's great!

Obviously Kingsley benefits from the fact that there's relatively little screen time so if he does share some of the known negative traits both Lucien and Molly possessed, we haven't gotten to see them; and I do think that I'd have felt very different about Molly had we had more time with him. But with the story we had? Kingsley is GREAT. I hope we get to see him in at least one one-shot, though it's hard because I also do want to see more of Caduceus.

[artinandwritin]

Kinda inspired by the ask you sent me, we know Gustav has a CURSED fashion sense, right? I feel like in a modern au, it being Summer would only highlight that, so like, what atrocious stuff do you think that Gustav would wear and also probably buy for the kids

(i'm sure siri is the only well dressed person in the family some days and it's made so much worse bc she's obviously a fashion queen)

HELP BC YOURE SO RIGHT

have a lil doodle i made in ten minutes to illustrate the ✨️vision✨️

My art skills are shitty today shhh we dont talk about that

A list of atrocious things Gustav would buy for himself, Siri, and their kids;

Crocs. All the crocs. Preferably with weird designs cuz he thinks theyre cool. Sunni has psychedelic ones and she doesnt know what to do with them. Siri's are with flowers, Niv's are dinosaurs and Hellie's have a fire theme. The Guster himself has the most neon purple ones he could find and he only ever wears them in race mode. Siri does wear them sometimes but only in the house or in the garden

Also, bucket hats. Siri keeps telling him to put on sunscreen but he's too lazy for that, so he just goes for the next best option and just has a bucket hat on all day every day. Sunniva sometimes makes or buys pins for him to put on it and he brags about it to Snotlout

The dude's got like. Ten silly t-shirts. One for every day of the week and than some more. They either have very anti-authority texts (which is so valid) or just. Plain stupid. He's seen some tiktoks from the youth tm that tucking your shirt in your pants makes you look cool so that's what he does always. Niv absolutely hates everything about this.

He's got shorts that end above the knees so everyone can see his battlewounds (scratches he got from tripping over Fanghook, his own feet, and falling while skating) and it utterly proud whenever someone mentions them. He tells different stories of how he got them every time someone asks

The most normal thing are sunglasses, surprisingly. At least the kid isn't gonna let his eyes go to shit? He did buy them from a very cheap shady store so who knows how long before they break

Surprisingly, Siri is totally fine with it (she shouldn't be ngl, but for some reason she is). She just doesn't see any harm in him dressing up the way he wants.

Niv, Sunni and Helene hate some parts of it with a burning passion tho. They liked it as kids (Sunni a bit more than Niv and Hellie cuz their dad dressing up in the craziest things meant she could dress to all her needs too) but when they got older and Gustav became the "how do you do fellow kids" parent they just felt. Embarrassed lmao.

Not completely unrelated but during summer family-reunion-esque bbqs (Siri's dad has doubts about inviting his kid's weird husband every year again bc of the fashion sense and personality) Gustav would buy a "kiss the cook"-like apron and force who-ever is cooking to wear is (snickering in the background cuz damn that looks so funny)

People would ask Siri to like. Control her hubby and she just goes "why would I"

She's so into his silly that she just doesn't want it to chance. At some point Sunniva does join in on the silly again and Siri supports that just as much cuz she knows Sunni enjoys that stuff. Helene keeps hating it for the rest of her life tho. She doesn't think it's cool tm :')

Anyway that turned into a whole thing bc my brain had many thoughts and needed to relay them to you LMAO thank you sm for this ask!! It was sm fun to think about it <333

[pearlsoflongago]

The Ageless Garden

Poems and Paintings of Timeless Summer

Mountainous Landscape with Fruit Orchard Near Ornans by Gustave Courbet

All That’s Past

Very old are the woods; And the buds that break Out of the briar's boughs, When March winds wake, So old with their beauty are— Oh, no man knows Through what wild centuries Roves back the rose.

Very old are the brooks; And the rills that rise Where snow sleeps cold beneath The azure skies Sing such a history Of come and gone, Their every drop is as wise As Solomon.

Very old are we men; Our dreams are tales Told in dim Eden By Eve's nightingales; We wake and whisper awhile, But, the day gone by, Silence and sleep like fields Of amaranth lie.

—Walter de la Mare

Conversation in a Rose Garden by Auguste Renoir

Sonnet

This little space which scented box encloses Is blue with lupins and is sweet with thyme. My garden all is overblown with roses, My spirit all is overblown with rhyme, And like a drunken honeybee I waver From house to garden and again to house, And, undetermined which delight to favour, On verse and rose alternately carouse. Adam, were you, in your primeval plenty, A poet and a gardener in one? Did you with easy songs the blossoms sheave, In Eden where the blooms by ten and twenty Sprang up beneath the magic of the sun, To deck the brows of your capricious Eve?

—Vita Sackville-West

Woodland Scene, Spring by Camille Pissarro

Journey

Ah, could I lay me down in this long grass And close my eyes, and let the quiet wind Blow over me,—I am so tired, so tired Of passing pleasant places! All my life, Following Care along the dusty road, Have I looked back at loveliness and sighed; Yet at my hand an unrelenting hand Tugged ever, and I passed. All my life long Over my shoulder have I looked at peace And now I fain would lie in this long grass And close my eyes. Yet onward! Cat-birds call Through the long afternoon, and creeks at dusk Are guttural. Whip-poor-wills wake and cry, Drawing the twilight close about their throats. Only my heart makes answer. Eager vines Go up the rocks and wait; flushed apple-trees Pause in their dance and break the ring for me; Dim, shady wood-roads, redolent of fern And bayberry, that through sweet bevies thread Of round-faced roses, pink and petulant, Look back and beckon ere they disappear. Only my heart, only my heart responds. Yet, ah, my path is sweet on either side All through the dragging day,—sharp underfoot, And hot, and like dead mist the dry dust hangs— But far, oh, far as passionate eye can reach, And long, ah, long as rapturous eye can cling, The world is mine: blue hill, still silver lake, Broad field, bright flower, and the long white road A gateless garden, and an open path: My feet to follow, and my heart to hold.

—Edna St. Vincent Millay

Wild Roses by Vincent van Gogh

[falling-rhayne]

So we know from Caduceus that Vandran is somewhere out there trying to make amends. You know who else is out there doing the exact same thing?

Gustav Fletching.

[goldenrose101]

No one that good comes out of Shady Creek Run without some mistakes behind them.

What are you hiding, Gustav...?

[chadillacboseman]

Tough Decisions - PT II

Pairing: Gustave "Doc" Kateb x F!Reader (kinda...I mean...)

Warnings: Mentions of severe injury, death, some canonical violence.

A/N: This one is kinda short sorry.

Part ONE

--

"CESSATION OF VENTILATOR LIFE SUPPORT"

The words at the top of the form made Gustave's chest tighten. It felt wrong to sign it. Like he was giving up on you.

He glanced up at the monitors that beeped above your bed and quickly looked away before the tears began to sting in his eyes again. Elzbieta and Sanaa had been in to check on him numerous times, but he had waved them away.

He had no desire to talk to anyone but Olivier.

So, there he waited, seated next to your hospital bed with the paperwork to let you die clutched in his hands. He was furious. He was hurt. He felt as if he was going to throw up at any moment if he wasn't careful.

"Gustave?" Elzbieta's quiet voice brought him to reality and he glanced up. She winced at the sight of him- dark circles haloed his eyes and his greying hair was hanging in his face. His stubble had grown out, shadowing his chin and jawline, "...Olivier is here to see you."

He didn't come alone. He had brought Seamus and James with him. Elzbieta and Sanaa hung behind in the doorway, watching as the three of them entered and Gustave rose to his feet.

"Jesus, Gus, I'm fuckin' sorry, mate-" James grimaced when he glanced down at you and a look of intense anger flashed across Gustave's face for a moment before it subsided.

"I didn't ask to see either of you," Gustave jerked his head at James and Seamus.

"I know," Olivier cleared his throat quietly, "But I thought-"

"You thought what?" Gustave snapped, "That I'd be mad at you?"

Seamus shifted uncomfortably and glanced at James, who shrugged.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Olivier folded his arms across his chest, "I'm sorry for your loss, but I did what-"

In an instant, Gustave had cleared the distance between the two of them and shoved Olivier backward against the wall. Before Seamus could intervene, Gustave had his forearm under his chin, pinning him in place as he gasped for air.

"Doc!" James tried to intercede, but Gustave turned to him, wild-eyed, and shoved him away.

"What gave you the right??" Gustave's voice cracked as he spat the words and pushed his forearm tighter against Olivier's throat, "What gave you the right to take her from me?"

"I...didn't-" Olivier hissed, his voice strained as his air was cut off, "The...Archaeans...did that!"

"You made me leave her!" Gustave slammed Olivier harder against the wall and Seamus moved to break them apart, but James stopped him with a warning look.

"And...if...I hadn't? You'd ....be dead...too!"

Gustave relinquished his grip and let Olivier drop to the floor as he backed away on shaking legs. Olivier rubbed his throat and glared up at him, "You understand that? You'd be right there next to her!"

"Maybe I'd rather have died!"

The room was spinning. Everything felt wrong. He didn't want to be here without you- how could he even look the others in the eye every single day?

Gustave dropped to his knees at your bedside and buried his face in the sheets, sobbing as James helped Olivier to his feet with a grunt.

"I'd rather be dead," he whispered as he found your limp hand and clutched it desperately against his face.

"Leave him," Sanaa whispered as she ushered Olivier, James, and Seamus out the door, "Let him be."

--

"When I am dead, my dearest, 

Sing no sad songs for me; 

Plant thou no roses at my head, 

Nor shady cypress tree-"

The officiant droned on as rain spattered gently on the wooden lid of the coffin. Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clutching the folded flag he'd have to give to Gustave when the reading ended.

He hated this part.

He hated losing any operator- but one that was loved so strongly would surely cause a rift. Gustave and Olivier already hated each other- their relationship could best be described as "tense" before. Now, he wasn't certain he'd allow them to be alone in a room for fear of the bloodshed.

"And dreaming through the twilight 

That doth not rise nor set, 

Haply I may remember, 

And haply may forget."

The officiant ended his reading as a deafening crack of thunder shook the graveyard and Harry jumped slightly. His wife found his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to reassure him as he rose to his feet.

Gustave was standing alongside the glossy wooden coffin as rain spattered against the surface. His hair was soaked with it, plastered to his forehead as he mouthed something Harry couldn't make out.

"Gustave," Harry cleared his throat and the Operator turned to him, "I'm sorry for your loss. Everyone at Rainbow is."

Gustave nodded wordlessly and took the flag that Harry extended. He looked exhausted in a way that Harry couldn't even describe.

He didn't even look like the same bright-eyed doctor who had joined them all those years ago.

"We're here for you if you need anything- all of us are," Harry laid a hand on Gustave's shoulder and squeezed gently.

"About that," Gustave reached into the inside pocket of his suit. He produced a small envelope with "Harishva Pandey" scrawled on the front of it.

Harry knew what kind of letter he would find inside.

"Well, 'Doc', it's been an honor to have you serve with us."

[hanna-kin]

Gåsmamman season 5

Bet you didn't see this one coming.

The season opens up with Nina on a morning run, micking the opening season to the very first episode where Sonja was on a run. It's a nice touch.

We soon find out that she lives with Zac and that Sinus lives with them and is just about to turn 18. It's been three years and little Fredrik is a toddler now.

We are then introduced to Gustav who hasn't cut his hair since Sonja died. He has a questionable man bun and a questionable tattoo. And hangs out at a even more questionable gym as the police raid it not even 10 minutes in. Gustav makes a run for it but is caught and brought to the police station. We soon find out that Gustav works undercover with Emil and their main mission is to capture the major who he believes killed Sonja and is the sole reason why he's infiltrating in the first place. Oh boy. But the gym he infiltrates has close connections to the major as the majors drugs are found there. Obviously Gustav has a new girlfriend but also a daughter named Magda. He's been away from them duing his infiltration thing but is quickly reunited.

Moving on to Oslo where Sonja and Lukas work together as the major. Lukas pretends to be the major and Sonja is the real major. Their "business" partners are in trouble because of a delivery of cocain. We are introduced to Robert Kronstedt who is responsible for the distribution of cocain in Sweden. The major is not happy and their former business partners discover Lukas microphone and the secret is out. It all goes to hell and Sonja ends up ramming their car which kills them and an innocent family that gets crushed by their falling car.

Oh and Sonja has a wig!

We get more information about Roland Kroonstedt who is married to Vera. Roland gets a call from Tony (the big guy from the gym) so there's definitely a connection there. To make things more messy Emil picks him up and threatens him into work for him to capture the major. Turns out Robert has alot of shady stuff going on.

Sonja is in shock after killing innocent people and she wants to quit. She ends up at a bar and we realise just how messed up she is. She gets drunk and hooks up with a guy. We really understand that she's in a bad place. Her and Lukas start making plans to leave the business but it won't be easy. As usual Sonja asks too much of Lukas. They want to offer Mr Gerafi to take over the business in exhange for new identities. We learn thst there is a server in Stockholm were the major has all the information there is. And the first mission for Sonja and Lukas is to get the server. Obviously Robert gets to know and informs Emil who plans an operation to finally catch the major. He obviously has no idea that the major is Sonja.

There's a family dinner with the ek siblings plus Emil. It's a nice evening until Klara shows up. We learn that Klara is not dating Roland Östling (brother to Henrik Östling that played a huge part in season 2 and 3 and was the main reason everything went so bad) Roland is also a bit of shady man but that's what Klara likes I guess. Nina in particular is angry with Klara for betraying Sonja. She's still sassy, Klara.

The first episode nicely sets up the story and reintroduces us to everyone and what everyone is up to. Sonja and Lukas with the server and getting out, Emil and Gustav trying to get the major arrested and Linus who has some shady business of his own going on. We also learn that Klara knew all along that Sonja is alive but has kept it a secret and has kept Sonja updated. It also ends with a huge cliffhanger when Klara gets kidnapped and Lukas fails to get the server aswell as Emil and Gustav failing to catch him.

Episode 2 picks up with Nina running into Sonja and mother and daughter reuniting. After everything they have been through it's so nice to see them like this. Their reunion is perfect. Nina is shocked but quickly comes to terms with it and it feels like their bond is stronger now because Nina is also a mother now.

Klara is still kidnapped and Nina and Sonja start a plan to get her back.

Back at EcoVera Roland and his partner in crime try to get into the server. They soon find out that they need the key to decrypt the server and acess the information.

Lukas and Sonja have even more trouble as they've lost the server they were supposed to deliver to Gerafi. They also realise Robert is a snitch.

Linus are still together with Tanja but she's in a place for young offenders having getting caught dealing. We also learn that Linus is helping her pay of her debt by dealing himself but he's in trouble. And he proposes to her despite lying to his family about them not being together anymore.

Over all these two first episodes work well to introduce the new plot. All characters have something going on and they all tie together very nicely.

Gustav finds out Linus is up to no good and discovers thst Linus has his own weed farm in a trailer. He burns it down which turns out to have devastating consequences for everyone.

The season moves quickly and the six episodes are jam packed. For instance Robert is killed off in the beginning of ep 2. Yet it doesn't feel rushed in my opinion and I actually really like it. Despite it being quite different from the former seasons in ways that are hard to explain.

We really get a sense on what these three years have done to all the characters. Gustav is blind in his need to get revenge for Sonja's death and he's desperate. He's also pretty distant from his family. Linus is dealing drugs and keeping secrets. Sonja is a mess and Lukas is left picking up the pieces as usual. As I said all storylines are connected and I really like that.

Klaras kidnapping is my least favourite plot this season but we get to see Barry and Nina working together and it's used to catalyst other storylines. I just think something else could have been used for that and since i don't care about Klara that much the kidnapping scenes feel too long and dragged out.

I'm much more interested in the other storylines. I like that Barry is dragged into it all and Vera hired him to kill the major but he's also helping Nina with Klara.

I also find it a bit funny that Gustav has yet another girlfriend and while it makes me roll my eyes it clearly shows how all the shit he's been through has affected him. He clearly has issues and he also distances himself from people close to him. Just like in season 4. He's trying to hide from his real feelings, just like in season 4.

I like how we see that his and Linus relationship is still in a bad place. It's a nice continuation and even if I dislike Gustav for what he does to Linus in season 5 it makes sense. They are no longer what they used to be.

The rest of the episodes continue on what the first two built. Each episode feels well paced and almost everyone ends on a cliffhanger. But like I said the season feels so different from the others. I can't even tell what it is.

Slowly but surely each character gets more and more nestled up in trouble and their storylines connect more and more.

Sonja has to get back the server and Linus get caught up in even more of a mess when Gustav lights the trailer on fire. It's ironic how Gustav essentially fucks everything up. He tries to help Linus then but it's already too late.

Nina is trying to get Klara back and as I said gets some help from Barry. In the end though she ends up doing almost everything by herself like the bad ass she is.

The main storyline is of course getting back the server and unknowingly it leads Sonja back to all her kids. First Nina then Gustav and then Linus.

I love how Sonja, Barry and Gustav reunite and 2 minutes later they are forced to work like a team to get away from Tony. Which they fail at.

The container episode does a great job exploring Sonja's and Gustav's relationship. I can't blame Gustav at all for despising her. From season one she's treated him like her partner in crime and been very neglectful and dismissive of her children's feelings and traumas. And he's obviously not delt with if and it's turned into resentment. It's especially effectful when he realises she's infact the person he's spent all that time trying to catch. In addition she's been alive this whole time. I understand him but he also pisses me off alot this season with his attitude.

Nina also gets more and more annoyed because Sonja has to do other things than finding Klara and like I said she ends up doing it all by herself. It's also her and Zac that saves Gustav, Barry and Sonja from the container.

Meanwhile Linus bless his soul is trying to help Tanja and eventually ends up at that poker tournament where Sonja is also at along with Barry. We all know what happens. Sonja and Barry gets the server and the neckless and Linus points a gun at his mother without realising it. Bless his soul.

Again it's ironic how Gustav is the reason why Linus is there in the first place and then Linus ends up shooting at him and Magda. Poor Linus though getting super traumatised by it. I would love to see Linus mental health get adressed more.

Speaking of which I absolutely hate of this storyline comes to happen. It's so stupid. Tove wants a concussed Gustav to take care of a baby so she can sleep. Gustav takes Magda with him and when he spots the robbers he follows them with Magda in the car. And then Linus shoots at them (with a gun from Zac's safe) its just so stupid.

This is what makes Gustav decide to go against his family. Before he's sort of protected them even if he hates Sonja. But when he figures out what Linus did he gets him arrested. I understand but it pisses me off that it's his fault and that there's nothing left of their old relationship. Instead of talking to Linus and making an effort Gustav is obviously too caught up in his own problems. He simply can't. So instead they end up with Gustav betraying him and Linus being arrested

Klara is killed by Roland after she figures out he's behind her kidnapping as some sort of revenge for Henrik?

It all really falls apart for everyone in the last couple of episodes. Nina ends up a murderer, Sonja never gets to escape after being this close and Linus is arrested. The whole plan with getting the server to the Gerafi also goes to hell.

It can only get worse from here. I get super anxious thinking about season 6. What will happen to Linus? Will Gustav betray his family again? How will Nina cope? Who will die?

Over all I like season 5 it's a bit short but it's easy to follow and it feels like there are less side characters to keep track of. Probably because all storylines are connected.

This season really made me love Nina. She's an amazing character.

I can't wait for season 6.

[skrunklybf-archived]

darling; jean kirstein x f!reader

chapter three: dirt

chapter summary: sometimes, the biggest obstacles we face are the ones we can't see right before our eyes.

tags: childhood friends, slight jealousy, a little fluff, familial issues

wc: 2.5k

notes: this takes place in a universe adjacent to canon -- there are similarities but i'm taking liberties (:

series guide | previous chapter | next chapter

One fairer than my love?

the all-seeing sun

Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun.

Gustav Kipp carried himself with a solid air of authority. His slick ashy brown hair stuck to his head like a helmet, but he ran a hand along the side anyway, smoothing back any potential flyaways. Cool brown eyes scanned over the street before his home.

It'd been a few years since his discharge, following a particularly gruesome accident which left him crutch-bound, only a leg and a half remaining below his waist. Despite no longer being a soldier by trade, Gustav took to becoming a neighborhood beacon of sorts, posting up on his shady porch and putting his watchful gaze to use.

"I'm not a damn babysitter," he had gruffed one day, "these damn kids just won't leave me alone."

Catty-corner to his modest stone home, Gustav watched two familiar figures skip closer, abandoning the town square with ripe fruit in their grubby hands. The ghost of a grin twitched at the corners of his lips for a mere second before melting back into the cool hard line he favored.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kipp!" [Y/N], Lukas [L/N]'s girl, threw a chipper greeting over his yard. The old soldier offered her a tip of his head. Out of the gaggle of kids he found himself watching over, she was one of the few he didn't mind lingering around, with her mild temperament and generous use of manners.

At the girls side trotted Marco, another good example and damn near wonder-child. "Hello, Mr. Kipp." the boy also greeted.

Gustav coughed into his fist. "Staying out of trouble, the both of you?"

"Naturally!" Marco replied, his freckled cheeks rosy from the sun.

Though the sentiment normally rang true, [Y/N] couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty about her friend's answer, knowing of the kernel of a plan that had been rolling around in her head for the past few days. An extra bundle of fruits hung down at her side, bumping against her leg as they walked. Gustav and his home slipped behind them before long. She exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"D'you think it's almost done?" the girl wondered, turning a corner with her friend.

Marco popped a grape into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Probably not. It takes a lot to build a house," he said, "my dad helped build my uncle's house, and it took, like, a year!"

[Y/N] paled, aghast. "A year?!" she whined. The children weaved in and out of thoughtless passerby, careful to pepper out little 'excuse me's as they journeyed. "That's so long..." the girl chewed her lip.

"Yeah, but it's really big and nice, and all of my cousins have their own rooms. Me and Jean only need to make a couple." he smiled.

How Jean managed to wrap Marco up into his grand scheme, she'd never know. The boy was too kind for his own good. Drawing closer to their destination, the two tuned their ears past the idle street chatter, toward a small commotion cropping up just outside forbidden territory.

Kirstein's Kitchen.

A line out the door, the little bakery homestead combo was positively bustling, with awaiting customers impatiently tapping their feet along the cobblestone ground. Even from several buildings away, the heavenly scent of fresh bread permeated the air and washed over the neighborhood. [Y/N] could barely pick up on it anymore, but Marco took a generous whiff, sighing in content.

"He's probably busy." [Y/N] mumbled. "Maybe we should just wait at the house."

House was a strong word for the slabs of wood piled together at the edge of the forest mouth.

Sitting just south of the bustle of town, acting as a border between any curious eyes of Trost and the meadow that had become a frequent destination for the children, the meek foundations laid for a fabulous hideaway home. Mismatched sizes and lengths of lumber laid in a haphazard heap against the thick base of the tree. [Y/N] shook out a blanket underneath the shadow just on the other side, becoming partly shaded from the beating sun.

The brunette eyed the construction materials with a curious gaze, while [Y/N] watched him in a similar fashion.

Marco was fun to hang out with. Surely more calm and mild-mannered fun -- but still fun nonetheless. He wasn't nearly as boisterous or obnoxious as Jean, a fact that came as a blessing on days where the pastry-scented boy manages to fray her last nerve. Marco was always willing to lend an ear; it wasn't too rare that he himself would get caught up in whatever mess Jean wanted to orchestrate for the day.

Part of the young girl wondered how the two boys even became friends. Knowing them then, the duo as they were, it was hard to picture them apart -- but knowing them separately, the tale must've been an interesting one.

[Y/N] could recall fondly how she and the brunette crossed paths, just a year or so prior: Mr. Bodt worked various labor jobs around town, lending his skillful hands as a makeshift carpenter of sorts. [Y/N]s father had paid Mr. Bodt to fix up their delivery cart that had suffered damage during a particularly rough storm. The little boy tagged along, peeking curiously from behind his father's slightly rugged form.

She watched Marco dip and dig into the stolen toolbox he stashed behind a few choice rocks. Perhaps stolen was a strong word -- Marco simply borrowed the old hand tools from his father's workshop, fully intending to return them once their little project was complete. He hummed to himself, pushing the gears in his brain to imagine exactly how he wanted the little clubhouse to lay out.

Bored, sleepy, and perhaps a bit overheated already, the girl leaned herself against the trunk of the tree.

"Wouldn't it be cool if your room had a little balcony?" Marco quipped suddenly, one eye squinted in forced concentration, "and maybe those swirly steps like you see in the tall houses by the square. Reminds me of a castle, yknow, like from those books."

The idea sparkled inside her minds eye. "Woah, yeah! I could be like a princess," she cooed dreamily, "and you and Jean are the knights."

Marco seemed to flush at her words, scratching his head and watching the grass sway through the field. Him, a knight? Surely not. "Well, I dunno about that... I mean... Jean's definitely a knight," he laughed and turned to face the meadow instead, "and you're definitely the pretty princess." He busied himself by brushing wayward dirt from his pants. [Y/N] cocked her head to the side lazily. "What would you rather be? Oh, maybe you can be my royal advisor," she hummed in thought, "or maybe the prince! Eh, who knows, we can figure it out when it's all built."

Sluggish, beat, Jean trudged his way through tickling grass, past a line of familiar greenery. He wanted nothing more than to forget about the beginning of his day. An endless line of customers shoved the tiny family into quite a stressful box, clearing out their shelves and tacking an extra set of orders on for the rest of the week. It felt like hours before his mother released him to the wild with the help of expertly executed puppy dog eyes.

Striking somewhere along the noon hour, Jean knew his friends would be arriving to their spot soon enough. He hoped to beat them there and get a head start on the skeleton of their grand plan. Curiously, though, the sound of a chiming voice caught his ear not too far away.

Leaning past the trees, he could spy the faraway form of Marco, scratching his tilted head. He seemed slightly troubled. The brown eyed boy muttered something or another about a knight, looking a bit despondent. Jean lightened his step, wondering if maybe someone else had stumbled upon their hideout, someone uninvited, but blinked incredulously when the only other body around turned out to be their other baker friend.

"-- and you're definitely the pretty princess," Marco turned away.

Jean furrowed his brow. Marco was definitely a kind and compassionate friend, but the comment felt out of place. He watched his own feet for a moment, taking note of the little ants that began to crawl over his shoes, letting the words sink in further.

Suddenly, Jean didn't feel like playing carpenter. He didn't want to build the house for you three, he didn't want to do much of anything -- a bubble of negativity burned up his throat.

There's so much about life that felt positively unfair to the brunette. He'd griped about it plenty in the safe presence of his best friend, the pretty princess, but nothing ever changed about it all. Was there anything to do about it, anyway? He thought the house would be a step in the right direction; having a place safe from prying eyes, somewhere just for them -- and, by extension, Marco -- but maybe it was a bad idea. Jean felt a wave of selfishness wash over him as his legs carried his body out into the open.

[Y/N] was the first to notice the boy, his face twisted into a somewhat nasty frown. "Hey, Jeanbo!" she beamed from her place on the blanket, smile wide and welcoming as ever. She motioned to the bundle of fruit at her side, "we saved you some berries."

Tight eye contact was briefly shared between the boys before Marco looked away, a quiet sense of embarrassment falling over him. What all had he heard? Hopefully not too much.

"We saw you were busy so we thought we'd get a head start. Well, mostly me, since [Y/N] didn't wanna get dirty..."

"Hey, Gramma would kill me if I tore this skirt. Probably bake me into a pie and serve me to Mr. Kipp."

Jean stood at the edge of the blanket, eyeing the bundle of berries wrapped in a nice little handkerchief. "Y'know, I can do it myself." he muttered. Marco straightened his back, letting the hammer dangle at his side. "I know how to build a house, 's easy." Jean continued. Though he was lying through his teeth, he figured it'd be simple enough to work out, if he were determined enough. And he was, suddenly, for some reason even he wasn't privy to.

Marco blinked quizzically. "It'd be faster if you had help, though. Just putting together the foundation is hard enough by yourself."

"I said it's fine. Aren't you still in trouble with your mom, anyway?"

Marco flushed. He kicked at the dirt beneath him. "Eh, a little bit... I just have extra chores and stuff. What about you?"

A weird sense of tension fell over the friends when Jean began to sputter. The girl, curious, simply switched her gaze between the boys, innocent to the fire flicking away in Jean's belly. "I never got in trouble," he lied, running a hand through his ashy brown hair. Marco made a face that told him he knew better, but let the subject drop where it was, instead turning back to the project with a quiet hum.

"Well, I think we can put the skeleton together before it gets dark, if we start now."

Feelings were an odd concept to tackle for a young boy. How could one put a name to something they couldn't even see with their own two eyes? With night pulling a heavy blanket over the tiring town of Trost, the twelve year old burdened himself with existential questions far beyond his realm of understanding, earning a bitter headache in its wake. He had already parted with his friends, since his home was the first along the line of destinations, and awkwardly watched them bumble away in the thickening twilight. Jean wished he could've walked [Y/N] home instead. Of course, Marco would suffice, but it's the thought that counted, right? The idea of Mr. Kipp seeing them together brought a certain soreness to his behind -- he had blatantly lied earlier, about not getting in trouble. He most certainly took a punishment from his irate mother, thanks to the old soldier himself, one he wasn't keen on reliving if he could help it.

Dejectedly, the boy shuffled through the back door to his home, the smell of savory stew and fresh bread beckoning his heavy heart further. The telltale sign of large and dirty boots poised at the mat in the mud room told him one thing: his father had returned from his work trip.

Jean often wondered what exactly his father was doing during these long absences. What could possibly take up so much time, only for the man to return with meager coin and a rather sour attitude to boot? He knew the official title he took on: Chief of Forestry. What he couldn't wrap his head around, though, was why his father got to travel and do whatever he wanted hundreds of miles away while he and his mother slaved away in a hot kitchen day after day. There were little stories or explanations offered to tide the boy and his slightly bitter curiosity -- only a gruff greeting and curt shoulder squeeze as a welcome.

"My boy," the man in question tousled Jean's hair as he passed by in the kitchen, "you're looking worse for wear."

Ida Kirstein offered a small quip of a laugh at the stove, stirring the stew and smiling down into the pot. "He's been up to quite a lot since you've been gone, dear."

Jean looked down at his dirtied clothes. For what felt like the tenth time that day, he didn't want to be where he was. The warm kitchen suddenly lacked the sweetness that had almost been baked into the walls before.

"So I've heard. In case you've forgotten, Gustav is a friend of mine. He says you've turned into a little spit fire." Oskar Kirstein was never as soft as his wife, in any sense of the word. Even his voice felt like concrete to anyone close enough to catch it. Jean felt himself wanting to shrink away, but stood in place, caught in the doorway between his parents and the freedom of the empty hallway. His father leaned down from his hulking, nearly domineering position seated at the dinner table, catching Jean's reluctant eye. "Never start something you can't finish, son."

"Oskar," Ida chided, "that's my sweet boy you're talking to. Don't go giving him ideas."

With her back turned, the two males shared a double edged look -- one giving a sense of flat seriousness, the other looking humbly vulnerable. Jean simply nodded at his father, looking into eyes the same shade as his own, despite how foreign they felt boring into him.

Perhaps Jean envied Marco for a multitude of reasons, reasons he couldn't quite unpack on his own.

Dinner was a tasteless endeavor. Not the food -- his mother was a decent cook, it tasted just as good as it always did -- but the air felt unbreathable as the boy sat in his own emotions. He had quickly excused himself, cleaned his dishes, and tucked away into his room. Nimble hands unearthed perhaps his biggest secret hidden away in the back of his closet, underneath piles of old blankets and thick sweaters meant for the bleary winter.

A leather bound book, with thick paper pages and a knot of string holding it tightly closed.

[larsisfrommars]

Campaign Wrap Up: Live Reaction

Last M9 Animated Intro! Did they add some instruments?? Feels thicker and more intense! Went by so fast!! 😭

No Brian??? WEIRD! Taliesin! Tell us about your forbidden Molly knowledge! Waaaaaait a minute! Fuck off! Of course he didn’t know anything! I think I was right about the hard reset every resurrection thing! Oooo cool Lucien lore!

Uhhhhhh! What the FUCK is a Hollow One??? Imma have to look that up! OH SHIT FJORD! “Fjord runs an orphanage after retiring from piracy” headcanon basically confirmed?! He’s gonna go back and clean up his old orphanage’s crime syndicate bullshit!?! I cannot express how much I fucking LOVE that!!!! 😍

Claudia was a DROW?! The skeleton was the previous owner?! Holy shit!! Yasha’s down time honestly doesn’t surprise me all that much. I don’t know where people got the whole “the gentleman deals in slaves” because I don’t think that ever got confirmed (though I’m not sure it got denied either) and the Iron Sheperds were (indirectly) enemy of his? I mean he may be a shady dude but I don’t think he was ever a slave trader at least?!?!

The Bren fiasco! Thoreau too?! That’s nutty lmao. Yes omg Gustav! Ohhhhh it was a deal with the devil Gustav was a fucked up person after all! Feed me Seymour! Feed me alllll night long! Wow. GASP KHARY IS HERE ASDAGDGHJKJL

Shakäste is such a cool ass name! So what I’m hearing is Shakäste essentially created himself? That’s so awesome and On Brand (tm). I kinda wish he and Yasha met considering they both seemed to follow the Storm Lord!

Awwwwwww Kiri built a music box I’m gonna cryyyyyyyyy. Oh wow?! Laura was pregnant at the very end of Vox Machina what?! Aw! Travis getting emotional about Endgame after having Ronin 🥺. Aw! Awwwww Fjord saw Cad as a father figure 💔🥰

I KNEW the circus stuff was foreshadowing!!! I knew it!! Ohhhh man, every day I am grateful Fjord didn’t release Uka’toa maaaaan. Oh neat! Plank King is a nerd lmao! Lmao all these interesting on the fly developments that feel natural and amazing and strange! I love improv!! I love it SO much!

God I love knowing how hard they detailed the campaign by heading head on into Xhorhas! GOLD! M9: “I found a boot in your yard! 😃” Essek: “fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! 😨”. I love Essek and everything the Mighty Nein did to/for him. I love him!

Caleb thought Fjord was hot and was closest to him aside from Nott initially! I FUCKING KNEW IT! I FEEL SO VINDICATED! I SHIP PLATONIC WIDOFJORD SO FUCKING HARD! ALWAYS HAVE ALWAYS WILL YES! YES! Y E S!! Also lol, acknowledging everyone on the top table all being in love with Jester? And Jester having no clue at all? Yessssss!

Verrin is a Himbo CONFIRMED! This is everything I ever could’ve wanted! God I love everything that’s being said about Essek’s little brother oh my god I’m loving this we were ROBBED of meeting this babey I wuv himmmm. Ugh! Oh yayyyyy Sumalee is here, her and Nila feel like a psychic warm hug.

Ooooh! Thank god they explain Molly’s dream!! They were so ready for Traveler to be evil and then it was Arty! I LOVE that! Oh yES, Sprinkle was long game. Also I am LIVING for this Beauyasha content! So domestic and cute af!! AAAAAH BEAU AND YASHA ADOPTING FROM FJORD’S ORPHANAGE SHUT UP I AM DYING OF CUTENESS!!! AHHH!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAA- ok ok ok ok ok I’m FINE ok. Ok.

God okay, I am SO glad Fjord broke things off with Uka’toa, thank GODS thank MELORA my god. Yeahhhhh ohhhhh god, so very glad. Knowing how close Fjord came to doing something terrifying and awful, thank Melora for Caduceus ohhhhh man. Looooove Cad and looooove plant metaphor loooove Star Razor, my god.

It’s amazing how positive their influence the Mighty Nein had despite what royally messy fuck ups they all are. Love it. Everybody getting the mounts confused and descended into chaos. Didnt the moorbounders get picked off by the Roc that attacked the party? I don’t remember. Yesss give me that sweet sweet Savalierwood lore! Yes!!

So! Much! Beauyasha! CONTENT! Ah! Oooof that D&D therapy be like that sometimes! Oof shit. Yasha betrayal and Beau & Fjord’s reactions were so heartbreaking to watch! God the campaign would have been waaaaaay different if the dunamamcy time travel would’ve been involved! I’m so proud of Caleb and things going down the way they did for Nott/Veth!

God I could listen to Liam talk about Caleb alllllll day, love that! God he was sooooo cool and interesting and sad and brilliant! Love it! Ohhhhh fuck that last bit about freezing to death together in the punishment tower and how Caleb got involved with Astrid and Eadwulf. FUCK that is dark, I can hear the angsty Blumentrio fics being written as we speak!

SAVE TJ!! Ooooooh getting really real, can’t say I wouldn’t done exactly what Marisha did. Wow… woah. Woah. Yes! Take him to Rexxentrum and just don’t bring him home! Save his ass! Don’t leave him with Thoreau! YES Chris Perkins comedic relief from Spurt thank god 😂😅 oh GOD HAHA IT WAS LIKE TWO MINUTES LONG AMAZING! 🤣🤣🤣

Yesss! Please Jester be the goddess of the crabgrass! Amazing! Holy SHIT the Beau & Caleb murder plan! Yikes! So the eye stuff was about what I expected. The real question is if they did turn was would they no longer have been NPCs had they killed Lucien when they had nine eyes? Or would it have been irreversible? Wait CREE was what?! Oh. Okay she was still a Tabaxi, she became a flesh monster from somnovum radiation.

Devexian I KNEW HE WAS WARFORGED!!! GOD PLEASE SOMEONE PLEASE PLAY A WARFORGED NEXT CAMPAIGN!!! YES! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES GOD YES! 😭🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 I LOVR WARFORGED SO MUCH OH MY GOD YALL!!!

Is it weird and fucked up that the Aeor bubbles remind me of the sound dome bubbles from The Yellow Submarine movie? Nobody is gonna know what that means lol. Ooooh dynasty creation myths! Dick shiv! Dick shiv! Dick shiv!! Hoooooo what time travel terribleness!!! Oh god, I’m so glad it worked! It kinda would’ve been cool if the Cognouza made it to the prime material but I like the way things went still.

The spider was dead the WHOLE time?! 😂 gods I am so fucking glad Trent wasn’t invited to Cognouza, thank fuuuuck. Ahahahahh… oof. Ah! Good! Trent wasn’t responsible for turning the lights back on for Caleb, that makes me feel better about all that, he was basically Feebleminded right? Or at least some variation? Maaaaaan Trent was so fucked upppp.

Love the dad stuff, for real, man, one of the things in campaign 2 I loved most. Eadwulf follower of RQ confirmed!! YES! Bobanon pulling a Dread Pirate Roberts! Yayyyyy! Awww!! God, as if Vex needed even more titles! That ducktales parody Matt just did I can’t BREATHE oh wow. Cant believe it’s over… good times. One shots, love it. Gonna be great. Cant wait!

[dragonfairies]

So no one asked, but I’m gonna talk about this anyway.

Lucien’s timeline is-

He was born in Shady Creek Run, or at least raised there

He joined The Order(?)

He and the Tomb Takers decided that they wanted to be their own thing

Lucien and the Tomb Takers take a job under Vess Derogna

Lucien gets the book and starts to read it

Lucien starts to get dreams from the Somnovum

The Tomb Takers become a cult, although they apparently just branched off from a lager cult

Lucien goes to Vess for help deciphering the latter pages of his book

The Somnovum decide that they like Vess just as much as Lucien

Vess decides to betray Lucien by fracturing him into to pieces and throwing him out in to the vast wide wonder

One piece of Lucien is left inside him, this is Empty

Empty is picked up by Gustav and his carnival

Empty becomes Mollymauk Tealeaf as they become more accustomed to being a full person

Molly mets Yasha

Molly meets the Mighty Nein

Molly travels with the Mighty Nein for several months

Molly dies

Several months after his death the Mighty Nein tell Cree he’s dead

Cree books it there and revives him

Lucien comes back in full, as he’s been “pieced” back together

That was a lot longer than I expected it to be.

But heres’s the thing Mollymauk and Lucien are absolutely the same person. I tink that a lot of people are having a hard time with this, especially since it’s been so long since we’ve seen Molly, but what we’ve seen of Lucien isn’t very different. Its a very interesting thing to see what one might become if given just a slightly different circumstances.

Both of them are, strangely enough, from Shady Creek Run. there’s not a lot of solid evidence, but i do believe that Lucien very much had to fend for himself. Where as Molly was picked up and cared for. Molly was allowed, and even encouraged to rely on others. Lucien eventually gave in to a lie that he was “Chosen”. Molly believed that he was a nobody that was just there to do just a little good.

At the base of it all though, they’re both charlatans. Molly was grandiose and all about the Drama. Lucien is trying to sell this whole Nonagon. Lucien says that since he met the Somnovum, “Lucien” is a mask that he wears over the Nonagon. Except that if that were the truth of it I don’t think that Beau and Caleb would be able to get under his skin the way that they do. If “Lucien” is now only a mask he wears, he wouldn’t have been shaken by Jester’s card reading. A quick way to interpret his “present” card is just that he is reborn as the Nonagon, tah dah.

Lucien is playing the leader here, but the Nein don’t take kindly to leaders that don’t care about the people they tread upon. They’ve done it time and again taking down groups and cults that are out for only themselves and not the community that surrounds them.

I’m throwing it out here, Lucien didn’t intend for the Somnovum to take interest in Caleb and Beau, but I feel that he didn’t realise that they were already in the sights of the City. He’s still scared and he has ZERO clue what he’s doing.

Tl;dr Molly and Lucien are fundamentally the same person, and taking in the 26 episodes we had with Molly, Lucien absolutely makes more sense.

[utilitycaster]

what moment are you talking about? I must have missed it

Hi anon,

I’m referring to Caduceus’s response to Caleb showing them the rooms, around 2:16:00-ish in Twitch VOD and how he doesn’t think Caleb is using them correctly.

I’m about to talk a lot below as I am wont to do because the mood here is pretty much always Time for My Opinion but in short, Caduceus, while insightful, often has very specific ideas of the correct way to deal with problems, and often they’re understandable from his own experiences, upbringing, and philosophy, but they’re not actually good for the person he’s talking to, and also he has a dangerous combination of insight and a disinclination towards probing further, even when that would be beneficial (such as here; I’m no expert on trauma but I am generally aware that most modern therapies involve some degree of exposure to elements of said trauma, in that it’s difficult to truly avoid everything that might potentially be a trigger and so it’s crucial to develop lifelong healthy coping mechanisms and ways to process. We also know as viewers, though Caduceus doesn’t necessarily, that Caleb’s original goal was to undo the past; having a safe place he controls to just exist in past settings and think of both the good and bad seems positive to me).

So this seemed particularly egregious - telling someone who you know is traumatized that they’re doing it wrong without getting the full picture - but it’s not a new pattern of behavior. I think, however, it might be the first time the whole party saw it and the first time it’s been turned full force on Caleb, which is why I wonder what will happen there.

(here ends the initial answer; below is a long and slightly low-on-sleep ramble about this being an ongoing theme with Caduceus).

Okay so Caduceus would in fact make a terrible therapist and not even because he answers a lot of questions in vague portentous analogies (I love me a vague portentous analogy), or because cast references to Freud aside this is a world that doesn’t have the same language about mental illness and trauma.

When Caduceus gets it right he really gets it right, but he’s gotten it really wrong with some frequency. He is a man of limited and specific experiences and often carries over those experiences into areas where they no longer apply. I should note: I love this as a character choice. It’s one Taliesin has arguably made with all of his major characters, in some form. I think it stands out for Caduceus so much specifically because he is mechanically very wise and incredibly insightful and because he has such limited experience, and because his limited experience includes a lot of advice-giving and ministering but under highly specific circumstances that no longer are his entire world.

Insight is about knowing what a person intends or is feeling, but it does not equal knowing what to say to them. Insight doesn’t erase the very human or I guess in this case sentient being tendency to overlay one’s own biases. In fact, being very insightful can worsen that, since someone who isn’t good at reading people but is aware of that fact will stop and listen to the person they’re talking to instead of relying on the insight over the literal words someone is saying (insert my philosophy here; yeah people lie and deflect, but also there is a reason they are lying and deflecting and often playing along while taking precautions to care for them in a way they will receive it is more effective than ignoring them). When I say Fjord, Yasha, and to an extent Veth are often the best listeners in the party I’m not joking: all of them have mediocre wisdom at best, but that means they tend to ask questions and keep a relatively open mind. I don’t think that most of the Nein really get what Caleb’s doing with these rooms, and that’s fine! But I think most of the others at least realized that they don’t have the full picture, or that this wasn’t the time to bring it up.

Ultimately, Caduceus has experience with three broad groups of people: the recently bereft (which has some applications towards people currently in crisis), run-of-the-mill criminals, and family. When experiences can’t be extrapolated from those groups, he often struggles. We saw this with Trent; I said at the time and I still strongly maintain that his speech probably did little or nothing to Trent. Trent probably went to bed that night thinking “Ha! That bumpkin firbolg called me, a high-level wizard, a fool!” and forgot it by morning. Which doesn’t make the speech useless; I think even if it didn’t land the mere act of someone being wholly unimpressed by Trent is extremely valuable for Astrid and Eodwulf - and Caleb, for that matter - to see. But I don’t think it was a mic drop moment.

Caduceus has rigid ideas of the correct way to be, and it’s not a bad ideal but it’s a narrow one. He tends to value family and respect and responsibility, and he has an eye on the big picture and consequences in a way many people do not, and those are great. Within his scope of experience he’s often good - Gustav and The Gentleman, for example, are both solidly in the “Shady Creek Run types” category and Caduceus was able to speak with them very effectively. But outside of that and not only does he not get it, but he often is unwilling to hear it because he already has what he believes to be the right answer.

In a way, Caduceus is often good at telling people they are enough and that they will be okay and get through this, which is exactly what most mourners need to hear, but sometimes you need to hear “I don’t get what you’re doing but I’m here if you need me,” and sometimes you even need to hear “that was fucking stupid but I still love you” (note: Caleb falls into the former in this scenario). He’s got a good strategy for the life he lived for upwards of 80 years but he needs to change if he’s going to continue to be a person who is good at advising, and he really struggles with that! As said, it’s a great character choice even as I’m screaming “pretty sure this is the wrong way to deal with someone’s trauma!” because it’s so indicative of what Caduceus himself is going through.

I’m not asking for a judgement-free zone - lord knows anywhere I exist will not be one - but like, in a nod to a whole other tangent about religion I cut out because this is ridiculously long already, Caduceus could stand to internalize “who is wise? One who learns from everyone.” Or even just “know what you don’t know.” 

[starfiyah]

it's unfortunate that they literally had to put snotlout with an inexperienced annoying teenager to make him look competent in comparison, but at this point i'll take it

[chockfullofsecrets]

widowmauk pt. 3 is going to be so, so long even without the yasha and molly cuddles (like, 2.7k and i’m just now getting to the part where Molly really digs in long), so as I promised builduplover!anon here’s that intro in the meantime!

It would be nice - very nice - if Caleb could work his way around to being just a little less repressed, but there’s plenty to busy himself with in the meantime. Molly passes the days heckling Beau and finding flowers with Yasha and helping Jester sneakily tickle the others awake after watch - they’re coming up on Shady Creek Run and the promise of another big payout, and it’s easy to be optimistic about their little group of assholes and what the future might hold.

And then Lorenzo happens.

There’s a lot of pain. Then there’s a lot of nothing, which is almost worse, just the phantom sensation of ravens drifting just out of sight - and then, with a flash of light and a scream that he can’t suppress despite knowing he’s not buried again, he wakes up.

At least he can still talk this time.

Jester and a new cleric, this tall guy with floppy ears and a refreshingly dramatic taste in outfits, put him in bed and tell him firmly to stay there. The others drift in and out through the days of recovery, piling flowers and trinkets and even a couple ball bearings on the rickety wooden stool that’s dragged over as a makeshift table.

Yasha never leaves his side, nursing her own set of bruises, but as time creeps on she gets quiet and restless. He finally lolls awake to see her watching storm clouds out the window, her labored breath the only noise in the room as they boil overhead, and beckons her over. 

By now he’s strong enough to sit himself up and tow her in by the wrist, pressing a cheeky kiss to the back of her knuckles. “He’s telling you to leave, dear, isn’t he.”

Yasha leans in and drops her chin onto the top of his head. “I won’t leave you,” she tells the wall behind him. “I have to stay and make sure that you’re going to be okay. He’ll understand.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Molly says cheerily. It’s a well practiced dance by now, squirming out from under the gentle pressure of her jaw to look her in the eyes. “I’m just staying in bed because Jester promised me pastries tomorrow and if I don’t do what she says they’re going to end up all over me instead of in my mouth.”

The corner of her mouth twitches up. “I don’t know if that’ll work - remember when we gave you that spun sugar stuff Gustav was thinking of selling?”

“Oh, gods,” Molly groans. “It’s a good thing I didn’t have this coat yet - didn’t you have to throw what I was wearing away?”

“Ornna turned them into rags, I think,” Yasha says, tugging lightly at an embroidered sleeve. “They did get very sticky.”

“I think you had to tickle me for a solid hour to get all the energy from the sugar out.” Molly leans back into her, sneaking a hand out to pinch lightly at the side of her thigh. “And to think, I didn’t even know how to get you back yet.”

She jumps as he spiders his way up over her hip, catching his hand before he can dig into her ribs. “You deserved it,” she reminds him. “If I don’t stay, who’s going to keep you out of trouble?”

“Hey, I have quite a bit of fun being in trouble!” he protests. 

“Do you,” she says, amused.

And oh, Molly knows that tone. His toes curl reflexively under the blankets.

He has one arm pinned against Yasha’s belly in front of him and the other caught firmly by the wrist, so there’s nowhere for him to go when she reaches around and scrunches her fingertips against the small of his back. “Nnn - hhh - yehes!” He wriggles happily as Yasha scritches her way up along his spine, muffling his snickering in her shoulder - the bright, squirming sensations working up the back of his neck and down his tail make him feel more awake than he has in days.

She runs a finger along his shoulder blade with a sudden gentleness that makes him whimper and twist away - abruptly, the brightness gathering in his chest sharpens to a burn. “Ah! - ah, Yasha, hold on-”

It comes out more pained than he means it to, and Yasha withdraws immediately to steady him by the shoulders. “Oh no, are you okay? Here, lie down-”

“It’s fine, just a twinge-”

Yasha practically flattens him onto the mattress, tucking worn-soft sheets up around his chest. “Jester was right, you do need more rest.” 

Molly sighs and grabs her hand again, pressing it over his heart. Her palm is warmer than it has any right to be, even through the blanket, and all he wants to do is cuddle up with her, but - “Alright, then. I’ll stay here, and you go do whatever it is that the Storm Lord’s telling you to.”

The storm clouds are in her eyes now, gathering over mismatched blue and purple. “Molly, I don’t know-”

“Nothing will happen,” he stresses, squeezing her hand. “There are six other people between me and the door of this inn - I’ll be lucky if I get to touch an ale before you get back.”

She chews her lip, looks out at the window again. “You’ll stay safe.”

“I’ll stay safe. Look, the firbolg - Mr. Clay? - told me that you guys used an entire diamond on me. That’s an investment, dear, I’m not planning to waste it.”

Yasha hums and reaches to pet him between his horns. They’re on the edge of a goodbye, he knows, and one that’s very much his own fault, but the feeling is familiar and warm as always and when his chest rumbles into a purr he does nothing to stop it. “I like that… an investment. I’ll go keep paying my own, and then I’ll come back to you.”

The petting makes him hazy, tumbling him halfway to sleep, but he still feels her kiss his forehead before she leaves.

[moonfox281]

I hope your doing okay!! For the prompt thing number 35? 👉👈 I hope you get well soon mooney!

35: “I’m bonded to someone.”

David was a 30 years old Alpha, born Georgia and currently one year Gotham resident, occupation? Stockbroker. 

He couldn’t say his life was full of pink and rainbow, but he had a nice two-bedroom apartment in Midtown, worked in a fairly large company, and earn himself enough money to live comfortably. 

What bugged him though, was his mom. His mom had been blackmailing him through the phone in the last two weeks asking when he could give her a nice mate. She wanted grandchildren, and what David wanted though, was solace. 

He was comfortable with his life, just like this. Was he lonely? Sometimes. But he was desperate for a mate... until he saw him.

It was a particularly sunny day in Gotham, and David was sitting at his newly found coffee shop. The place made a fine espresso and he always ordered a double. And then he saw him, the only person besides from David took an outdoor seating. 

He was beautiful like a Gustave Caillebotte canvas, theatrical from the curve of his lips, to how his eyes closed when the winds blew.  And when the sun cast down heaven lights, bathing the street and poured gold on his skin, his raven wavy hair; his eyes gleamed of diamonds, Persian blue, deeper than the sea, greater than the sky.

David knew, he just knew, he wanted to make babies with this man. 

He got on his feet so fast, it felt like time had jumped and his memory missed it.

“Excuse me?“

When those eyes met him, every muscle of David trembled. He was even prettier up close. A slender neck, a minimalist style, admirable lashes, and heart-shaped lips colored of cherries. 

This man looked like he had run off a museum where they carved him.

“Yes?”

Oh god, even his soft voice was pretty. He would make a great father to their children.

“I was just sitting there....and I think you’re very beautiful.”

“Um...thank you?”

“Do you mind if I get you a cup of coffee? Anything you want.”

He looked surprised, and to be honest, David wasn’t this bold his entire life. But in his defense, he had never met a divine creature like this man his entire life until now.

“No need for that,” An arm came out of nowhere, pushing David back a few steps. “I’ve already got what he wants.”

...An Alpha.

No, a magnificent Alpha. He was built like a warrior, featured like a commander. There was no need to smell him. Those turquoise eyes conveyed authority under the cover of his white streaks hair from his 6 feet something standing. Shadow shaded on his face, silhouetted his granite features. 

There was soft huff, and the beautiful person David had fallen for at first sight covered his laugh with a hand of pretty fingers, a ring sparked when it hit the light.

Ah, David was an idiot. 

“Sorry,” He smiled softly. “I’m bonded to someone.”

And he turned over, tucked his hair up with his hand and showed David his nape. A moon-shaped bit imprinted on his skin, no longer a wound, but a scar.

“And that someone, is me.” The Alpha grunted, crossing his arms. Again, a ring reflected against the sun, hitting David’s eyes, this time on a different hand.

He was bigger than David, way bigger. David got it, so he backed away, his pride tattered.

“You were brave.” said the receptionist the moment he gave his card for an extra Americano. “That was Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne’s golden boy. The most desired man in this city.”

Bruce Wayne, as in Wayne Enterprises? Their stock is topnotch. 

“The world cried for months when he announced his marriage last year. That Alpha over there, is the owner of biggest neutral territory for underworld big names, the Iceberg Lounge. You really don’t want to give that man any wrong idea...especially about his mate.”

Ah, so that was how it was. David had an idea that person could be someone working on the shady side, and got big. 

So on his way back to the office, he pulled out his phone, called his mom and watched the sun radiant on the sky with the memory of his love at first sight. 

“Mom, you’re never gonna get grandchildren. I’m adopting a cat.”

Love, apparently, was too expensive for him.