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dunkzillla · 2 years

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New Tricks for an Old Dog (1/?)

William Regal x Wheeler Yuta, Chuck Taylor x Wheeler Yuta

A little later than I was hoping, but @slapofhonor asked for Chuck/Yuta, and @di0brando asked for Regal/Yuta, and I knew I could (somewhat, I hope) deliver with this. Updates will be sporadic but I hope you enjoy regardless!

Title: New Tricks for an Old Dog

Pairings: Wheeler Yuta/William Regal, Wheeler Yuta/Chuck Taylor

Rating/Warnings: Explicit — Sexual Content, Language, mentions of Disordered Eating.

Word Count: 4553

Summary: Barista by day, sex worker by night, Wheeler Yuta is burning the candle at both ends trying to make ends meet. Businessman and Lord by day, lonely old man by night, William Regal desperately searches for something to make him feel alive.

“Fuck sake Trent you prick! I told you to go around the back!”

Wheeler’s eyes flutter open, woken by the loud shouting, and fall on the old, blinking alarm clock on the bedside table. Four thirty am.

Wheeler sighs. He could spend the next half an hour laying here in bed listening to Chuck yell at Trent and Orange over Fortnite or he could get up and have hot lemon water and a few wheat thins while sitting next to his boyfriend before heading off to work. He throws the thin covers off himself and grabs Chuck’s sweats and hoodie from the floor and slips them on. They’re far too big, Chuck’s much bigger than him, stockier, taller, but they make him feel warm and safe and they smell like him.

“Piece of shit can you not just listen to me for one second?” Chuck yells again, and when Wheeler steps into the living room he can hear the sounds of gunfire on the screen, the tap tap tap of Chuck’s thumbs on his controller. He must hear Wheeler step into the room, because he turns and looks up at him, sheepish. “Shit, sorry babe, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Wheeler stands behind him on the couch and presses a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t worry, needed to get up for work anyway. You want breakfast?”

“No thanks babe, I had toast when I got up.” He says, turning his face so he can kiss Wheeler, chaste and quick before turning back to his game.

Wheeler sighs a little. He doesn’t know how Chuck can spend so long staring at the screen, playing the same game day in day out. He barely sleeps, less than Wheeler does with two jobs, moving only to use the bathroom and shower, make himself microwave pizzas and burgers if Wheeler’s not there to do it for him. Which, he isn’t a lot of the time because of his two jobs.

Times have been hard for them since they moved out into their new place. Chuck lost his job a few months after they signed the lease, and then decided that instead of getting another job, he was going to focus on his video game career. The trouble is, there really is no video game career, Chuck’s simply not good enough to be a professional gamer, nor does he have the money to spend on the kind of equipment that professional gamers have which allow them to easily win tournaments and spend all of their days gaming. So Chuck spends all day ‘practicing’ and then enters tournaments on the weekends, coming so far down leaderboards that he doesn’t even make any money. He’s unemployed, playing video games all day, while Wheeler works two jobs to try and pull them both out of the mountain of debt they’re buried under.

Wheeler works at Starbucks during the day, making just above minimum wage and whatever meger tips get put in the jar, and by night, Wheeler walks the streets and sells his body to men that drive by.

He never intended to become a sex worker. He never intended to get into strange cars with strange men and let them do what they wanted with him for fifty to a hundred bucks, but he met Daniel Garcia in a YMCA queue waiting for free condoms and heard all about the little spot where he and a few others go to make a little extra money. Wheeler had been in debt enough to know that his paycheck this month wasn’t going to cover all of the bills, so he’d gone down that night — telling Chuck he was going to do a trial shift at a gas station — and worked the street with Daniel. He gave out four blowjobs, one hand job, and got fucked by a man twice his age. He made three hundred and fifty dollars in four hours, more than he makes in a week at Starbucks.

He’d felt sick when he got home, seeing Chuck curled up on the couch, waiting for him to get home. But they needed the money, Chuck’s gaming skyrocketed the electricity bill and with only him making any money, he needed more than just a minimum wage job or two to keep the roof over their head and a bit of food on the table. So Wheeler set his guilt aside and went out the next night too, making even more than he did the first time, and went out the night after that and the night after that, and he hasn’t stopped since. He misses a couple of nights here and there, Wednesdays are the slowest days and sometimes it’s hardly worth standing out waiting for someone to drive by, and on Chuck’s birthday, he doesn’t go then. But every other night Wheeler stands with Daniel and waits for men to pull up so he can say, “You looking for something hot stuff?”, before getting into their car.

But even with the sex work, Wheeler doesn’t make enough for them to live comfortably. He doesn’t always get great hours at Starbucks, reducing the amount he earns, and when it rains, Johns don’t want to pick up soggy and damp sex workers. So he goes without a lot, the groceries he buys tend to be things that can go in the cupboard or freezer, non perishables, and even then he lets Chuck eat most of them, microwave pizzas, microwave burgers and hot dogs, pizza pockets and bags of chips, he’s bigger than Wheeler and needs more, and he gets to eat the leftover pastries and sandwiches at work, so he doesn’t mind. His shoes are falling apart, and he wears the same cycle of clothes so that he can keep a good few pairs of jeans and shirts for special occasions. Not that there are many of them, these days.

Daniel gave him some stuff to work the street with. Told him that men, particularly the ones that frequent their street, like them in skirts and sparkly tops. He went to Goodwill and found himself a second set of clothes, and he alternates them every night, wearing one sparkly top with one skirt, swapping it the next. He’s got a trusty pair of knee high boots with a chunky heel that keeps his feet warm when it’s cold.

Chuck still doesn’t know what he does at night. He told him he got the job at the gas station and works nights. When he gets home, usually around three in the morning, later if it’s a good night, he’s already changed out of his skirt and boots in Daniel’s car and he wears one of Chuck’s hoodies everywhere to mask any leftover scent of another man’s cologne.

Wheeler makes himself a mug of hot water with a squeeze of bottled lemon juice in and roots in the cupboard for his wheat thins and takes out two, holding them in his palm and going over to sit next to Chuck on the couch. He leans against his arm and sips on his water, nibbles on his cracker and watches Chuck and his friends get absolutely decimated by teens at Fortnite.

“You got work tonight baby?” Chuck asks when the game ends and the loading screen flickers.

Guilt gnaws at Wheeler’s belly like hunger does, and he swallows down the dry cracker as he nods. “Mhm. Not sure what time I’ll finish, depends if Jade can get a babysitter to come in the middle of the night.”

Jade Cargill isn’t exactly a made up person, she’s the wonderful woman who gives him his free condoms at the YMCA and helps him sort out his sexual health check ups, she just isn’t his colleague at the gas station like he’s told Chuck.

“Remember to eat, yeah?”

“I’ll have something at work. And gas station snacks.” That’s not completely a lie, either. He does get food on his break at Starbucks, and gas station snacks are the chips he and Danny share when there’s a quiet hour and no Johns.

Chuck puts an arm around his shoulder and pulls him in to kiss his temple, “Make sure you do. You work too hard, my little Yuta bear.”

A little bitterly, Wheeler thinks ‘and who’s fault is that?’, but it’s unfair, really, because he hasn’t asked Chuck to get a job, he’s letting him live out his dream for as long as he can until he realises it’s not going anywhere. When he does, Chuck will get a new job and there’ll be two incomes and things will settle down again. Wheeler can stop working the streets and he’ll be able to make a proper dinner for the two of them.

“I have to get ready, kick their asses babe.” He murmurs softly, finishing off his water and licking the crumbs of the crackers from the palm.

“Don’t I always?” Chuck says like it’s true, and Wheeler just laughs as he makes his way into the bathroom and jumps into the shower. He’s in and out, using as little hot water as he can but making sure he’s clean, brushes his teeth by scraping out the toothpaste tube, refusing to buy another one until there isn’t even a drop left in this one.

He comes back out into the living room wearing his beige chinos and black Starbucks shirt and Chuck wolf whistles at him like he does every morning.

“Boy do I love me a man in uniform.” He grins, and the screen is loading again, so it’s not really a surprise when he leans over the side of the couch and tugs Wheeler in by his belt loops, pulling him onto his lap.

“Chuckie, I gotta go to work.” Wheeler says quietly, but he’s smiling, warmth spreading through him with the way Chuck looks at him, hands sliding over his body and down to rest on his ass.

“I know I know, just wanna give my boy a little goodbye kiss.” He says, and he tips his face up until Wheeler takes pity on him and leans down to kiss him.

Chuck's kisses light him up from the inside, the way his big arms feel wrapped around his small waist, the way he dominates his mouth with his tongue.

“Chuckie I mean it, I gotta go or I’ll be late.” Wheeler breathes out as Chuck deepens the kiss, grinding up into him like he’s trying to start something.

“You know I can make it super quick, baby.”

Wheeler huffs out a laugh, and manages to de-tangle himself from Chuck’s grasp. “Later babe, promise. But I can’t be late.”

Chuck lets out a long, sexually frustrated sigh. “You prance around in those tight little trousers and expect me not to do anything.” He whines like a teenager, and Wheeler rolls his eyes, kissing his cheek.

“I love you, see you later.”

“Love you too baby, have a good day.”

Wheeler heads out, tucking his hands into his hoodie pockets as he gets out into the cold fall air.

He works a ten hour shift, thankful for it despite his aching feet because it’s way better than the five hour shifts he was getting offered last week, and gets home at five, eleven hours after he left the apartment this morning.

Chuck is in the exact same position as he was when Wheeler left at six am, except the apartments got a bit messier. There’s an empty cup noodles pot tipped over onto the coffee table, leaking the last of the sauce out after being toppled over by the weight of the fork.

“Hey baby, good day?”

Wheeler dumps his things by the couch and drops onto it, his aching, throbbing feet finally getting the weight off them. He can feel the hole in his shoe having gotten bigger. No matter how much money he makes tonight, he’s going to have to use a little of it to get him a new pair from Goodwill. Well. A newish pair.

“As good as anyone can have with entitled middle class people screaming at you for having made their coffee too hot or too cold,” He says, watching the tv screen show Chuck’s character ducking behind doors trying not to get shot. “What about yours?”

“Got accepted into a mini tournament today, won two hundred dollars.”

Wheeler sits up a little, he can see the pride on Chuck’s face, his little flushed cheeks and patchy stubble. “Baby that’s amazing, well done.” Wheeler says, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Just a little more practice and I’ll be getting those big cash prizes in the big leagues.”

Chuck says it with such reverence, such confidence, that Wheeler really wants to believe him. He really does, it’s just, he knows that no matter how much Chuck practices, he’s never going to be as good as those guys in the professional leagues. Chucks been jobless for months now, almost a full year, and he doesn’t seem any better than he was when he started. Wheeler doesn’t know how much more their landlord will forgive when it comes to late and not the full amount rent payments.

“Yeah Chuckie, just a little more,” He smiles softly, lying too easily to him these days. “I’m gonna’ go for a nap before work, I’ll see you in a little bit.” He says, giving him a quick kiss before dragging his already exhausted body into the bedroom and flopping down onto the bed, not even bothering to change out of his Starbucks uniform.

He sleeps for a couple of hours, waking up feeling less exhausted but not at all rested, before getting up and taking another quick shower. Wheeler’s just got time for a quick lemon water once he’s put on some clothes and brushes his hair before he hears Daniel’s car horn blasting from outside.

“See you later on babe, make sure you get some sleep.” He calls to Chuck as he makes his way out of the apartment, leaving him in the same place for the second time in one day, and knowing that he’ll return later, at about four am, to find him exactly where he left him. Chuck’s “I will, I love you.” back to him gets lost in the sound of the door closing behind him and his feet pattering down the stairs towards Daniel’s car outside.

It’s a rusty old heap of junk, but Wheeler’s thankful that Daniel has it, because it gets them too and from the street they work when it’s cold and raining, keeps their belongings safe, and gives Yuta a place to change into his skirt and boots that are tucked into his bag.

“Took your time, Yoots.” Daniel grumbles when he gets in, but there’s no heat to it.

“I overslept a little, long day at work.”

“Has—“

“No, Chuck still doesn’t have a job. You don’t need to ask every time.”

“I was going to say did he win any tournaments, actually.”

Wheeler rolls his eyes and shakes his head, “No you weren’t. And yeah, he did, actually, two hundred dollars.” He says as he shimmies into his skirt. It’s a short little black thing, with the sides cut out but pulled together with a silver string detail. It’s not the type of skirt you wear underwear with, so he doesn’t.

“Wow, that’s really going to put a dent in the thousands of dollars of rent arrears you’re in.” Daniel says, one arm slung out of the window and the other one on the wheel. It’s not that far to the street they frequent, so Wheeler works himself quickly into the halter neck silver top, and slides on his boots. Daniel’s already dressed, though they both always put on their shimmery lipstick together.

“Every little bit helps, Danny.” Wheeler says, taking the lipstick from Daniel and applying it to his lips. Daniel looks at him sympathetically but doesn’t say anything else, just gets out of the car and adjusts his purple mini dress.

It’s a slow kind of night to start with, they only get a couple of cars swing through, Hook across the street taking one of them, Daniel taking another, and then one of them asking for both him and Daniel, which, isn’t entirely unusual, though it does make for a very cramped double-team blowjob in the back of the Johns Ford Mondeo.

It’s around midnight when the black Rolls Royce turns the corner. It drives by once, then comes around again.

“What the fuck is a Rolls doing around here?” Wheeler says, and Daniel’s already hiking his dress up a little further and looking down at himself to make sure he looks okay.

“Hey, no, this one’s mine. You’ve already got Bryan in the Mercedes.” Wheeler whines, stepping away from Daniel a little, like he’ll be able to sprint to the flashy car and get there first. He won’t, he’d die in these heels doing that.

“I recognise the plate, he knows Bryan.”

“So I should take him! Bryan will get jealous.”

“Wheeler—“

“Please? You can take him next time if he comes around again. I need this.”

Daniel actually smiles at him, one of those ‘you’re something else but I love you,’ smiles and steps back to lean against the wall. “Go on then, don’t keep him waiting.” He says.

“Thank you!” Wheeler says quietly, before turning and heading over to the Rolls, the window sliding down the closer Wheeler gets.

“Looking for some fun, hot stuff?” He says in his softest, sweetest voice.

“Most certainly with you, pet. Jump in.”

The man is British, and for once he’s actually good looking. He’s older, Wheeler thinks maybe he’s in his fifties, with mousy hair striped white and gray in some places, a soft face with smile lines and crow's feet. He’s rakishly handsome, and Wheeler finds himself on the verge of aroused as the man drives them a little further down the street to park up.

“What’s your name petal?” He asks when they park up.

“Yuta, sir.” Wheeler says. He’s always used his last name, it’s personal enough that he can connect, not intimate enough that it feels too close to home.

The man smiles when he says sir, and a rough hand settles on Wheeler’s thigh, stroking the smooth, bare skin. “One with many friends,” He hums softly. “What a beautiful name for a beautiful flower such as yourself.” He says. The words make Wheeler blush, which doesn't happen when he’s with Johns. He feels hot all over, the way this man is looking at him is doing something to him, the way his accent settles in his ears and over his skin. It’s nothing like he’s ever experienced before.

“My name is William Regal, but you can keep calling me sir, if you’d like, it sounds so wonderful coming from that pretty mouth.” He says, squeezing at Wheeler’s thigh again, inching just a little higher, his pinky finger dipping under the hem of the skirt. Wheeler can feel himself getting hard under his skirt. It usually doesn’t happen this quickly, only when he’s touched himself on the build up to getting fucked or on the rare occasion that John’s want to go down on him. This time though, he’s got arousal shooting all over his body and he’s barely been touched.

Wheeler spreads his legs invitingly, biting his lip and tugging his skirt just a little higher. “How would you like me, sir? Oral is—“

“Don’t fret yourself with your rates, petal, I’ve more than enough money that I don’t need to know. Why don’t you come take a seat here? I’d like to get a closer look at that pretty face.” Regal taps his lap, and Wheeler feels a little thrill run through him as he climbs over the centre console of the car to slip into the man’s lap.

“There you go, look at you. Pretty little flower. Bryan told me you were.”

“You came here looking for me?” The thought makes Wheeler shiver, though he's not sure whether it’s good or bad.

“I guess you could say I did, petal. Bryan uses Master Garcia’s services, and he told me that he had a friend who was simply wonderful. I thought I would come see for myself.”

Wheeler can’t help but preen at that, there’s something about a man, someone clearly well off and important, being told about little old Wheeler, standing on a street corner waiting for Johns to pay him for sex and coming to see him. Because he was told he was pretty. Wheeler knows he’s been doing this too long, that he thinks that’s a good thing.

“Do I live up to your expectations, sir?” He purrs.

Regal lifts a hand and runs it down the seam of his top, fingertips just barely touching his skin. “I think you might just be the prettiest thing I have ever seen, little Yuta. But I think I’m going to have to see a little more, just to be sure.”

Wheeler shifts in his lap, and he can feel the man hardening underneath him. And because this man is clearly well off, Wheeler decides to push his luck, just a little. “Taking my clothes off costs you extra.” He grins with a cheeky look in his eye. And it’s true, really, Wheeler doesn’t take his clothes off very often. It’s more intimate than he’d normally like, but he’ll do it on occasions.

Regal reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. It’s thick, bills are stuffed into the pocket and the little slits are all occupied with cards. He pulls one out, turns it in his long fingers a few times, before sliding it right into Wheeler’s mouth, like he’s about to draw money from an ATM.

“7381. Take. Them. Off.”

Wheeler shivers, slipping out of his slinky little top and dropping it into the footwell of the car. He takes the card out of his mouth and looks at it. It’s a Black American Express card. Wheeler knows that they only give these out to people who spend a certain amount of money. An obscene amount of money. And this man just gave him his card, with the PIN number. Just to take his clothes off. He puts the card on the empty seat, and he pulls his skirt above his hips and up his chest and off, he’s lost enough weight lately that it slides right off. Wheeler drops the skirt with the top into the footwell, leaving him naked in Regal’s slap, wearing only his boots.

“Oh pet, you really are the prettiest thing I have ever seen.” Regal says, fingers moving across Wheeler’s skin, making goosebumps erupt all over his arms.

William Regal fucks him in the car just like that. He pushes his chair back, kisses Wheeler as he stretches him open with his fingers, using his own, premium brand lube and condoms rather than the shitty, cheap brand Wheeler gets for free from the YMCA. Regal kisses across his chest as Wheeler rides him likes he’s never ridden a John before, using the back of the chair as leverage to fuck himself down, letting Regal’s fingers press bruises into his hips. He comes harder than he has for a long time, even with Chuck, crying out until his throat is sore as the orgasm rips through him.

They’re both a panting mess by the end of it, the car windows steamed up and Wheeler’s skin sweaty and balmy as Regal continues to run his hands all over him, like he can’t get enough of him. Truth be told, Wheeler doesn’t know if he can get enough of William Regal, either. His cock is long and thick inside of him, his hands rough and skilled, his mouth sweet and addictive.

When they’ve caught their breath, Wheeler reaches back and plucks his top and skirt from the floor, shifts out of Regal’s lap and into the passenger chair again so he can redress. His thighs are sticky with lube, and his lipstick is nearly all gone. He’s going to have to clean himself up in Daniel’s car.

“I trust this should cover our hour of fun, petal?” Regal says, handing him the thickest wad of notes Wheeler has ever seen.

“Sir, that is far too much.”

“Not at all. You’re beautiful, and you are more than wonderful company. Take it, flower.”

Wheeler’s not even sure how much is there, but the stack is topped with crisp one hundred dollar bills, so he knows it’s way more than he charges for intercourse usually. He doesn’t argue anymore, because he does need the money, and if this man is generous enough to tip really well, then who is he to question him? He does, however, pick up the black AMEX card and hold it out to him.

“Take it, petal. 7381.” Regal says, reminding him of the PIN code. Wheeler stares at him, mouth agape.

“Sir, I couldn’t possibly—“

“Oh hush, darling. You think I don’t know someone down on their luck? Not many do this line of work for fun, and I would like to help.”

“I still can’t accept—“

“Yes you can. In fact, I’m asking you, as part of your services, to take my card with you. I know you probably don’t have a set charge for that kind of thing but, you can just charge it to the card at a later date, hm?” Regal smiles, and he takes Wheeler’s hand, kissing his knuckles before pushing his hand with the card in away from him.

“Thank you, sir.”

“No, thank you, petal. Will I see you around here again?”

Wheeler nods, slipping the money and credit card into his little bag. “I’m here every night, excerpt for Wednesdays.”

“Prior engagements?” Regal muses with a smile.

“Slow day, not much fun in standing around waiting for nothing.”

Regal hums, “I suppose you're right, flower. I will be back on a day that is not a Wednesday.” He says.

Wheeler smiles, and for the first time, he feels happy and excited about a John returning. He’s never really had a bad experience with one, some can be rude and a little rough, but he’s never had to call for help or been hurt by someone. Though that doesn’t mean that he actively wants any of them to come back, that he’s excited when they do. They’re just random men, faceless, money makers. William Regal feels different.

“I’ll look forward to it, sir.” He says, and he leans over, pressing a kiss to his cheek and surprising them both as he does so, before he slips out of the car, feeling an ache between his legs.

“Goodnight, little Yuta.” Regal says, the window sliding down once again. Wheeler turns to look over his shoulder as he starts to cross the road to walk back to the street corner.

“Goodnight Mr Regal.”

#wheeler yuta x william regal #wheeler yuta x chuck taylor #wheeler yuta #william regal #regal #chuck taylor #daniel garcia #bryan danielson x daniel garcia #writing #soooo I wasn’t supposed to start something new and chaptered but this little plot bunny just. it got away from me #and when slap and kenzie asked for the respective pairings I just had tooooo!!!#had to give the people what they want #my beloveds I hope you enjoy

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xhopelesslyromanticx · 3 years

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Faking it - Trent Alexander Arnold x Reader

Masterlist

Warnings: sexual references, alcohol, cursing

summary: In which Trent has a hilarious reaction when he finds out his girlfriend has been faking it.

„Fuck me.“ you heard Trent curse from the living room after the sound of yet another christmas ornament being shattered on the ground.

You chuckled, wiping your hands on your aprin as you closed the oven. Finally done with all the baking, the kitchen now looking like an absolute nightmare. Covered in flour from head to toe you made your way to what only could be described as a crime scene.

Trent was standing in the middle of the living room, boxes ripped open all around him, ornaments laying around everywhere and the christmas tree looking rather sad. Only about three ornaments hanging and the twinkly lights oddly wrapped around it.

„Honey…“ you sighed, leaning against the doorframe as you looked at your stressed out boyfriend.

„It‘s impossible…“ he looked at you, a golden ornament in his hand „I hate this tree and I hate the stupid glass ornaments. Why couldn’t you have just bought plastic ones?“

You chuckled, knowing he was just frustrated with himself „Because I thought we were old enough for real ornaments Trent.“

Trent made his way over to you, his face now only inches away from yours. You could see glitter was all over his face and had to krep from laughing. Oh boy, that was gonna be hard to get off.

„I’m not old enough, you see…“ he chuckled, pointing at the shattered glass on the ground.

You giggled, shaking your head before giving Trent a quick peck on the lips. Pulling away his eyes where closed and he was pouting, signaling he had wanted the kiss to be a real one. You rolled your eyes, removing his grasp from your waist.

„Come on Trent, your friends are gonna be here soon.“ you sighed, walking out the living room backwards.

„Ah, fuck them…“ Trent sighed and you could still hear his cursing all the way in the kitchen.

It felt like a relief when the guests finally arrived, having cleaned, decorated and cooked the entire day.

Trent was wearing all black while you choose to be a little more daring in a red dress. All the lights and candles where lit and your living room looked quite festive. There was jazz playing quietly in the background and the whole house smelled like cookies. Trent and you actually did a pretty decent job.

You were handing out glasses of champagne to Trents teammates and friends and their girlfriends while Trent was showing of his christmas tree to Robertson and Hendo.

„Everything looks so nice Y/N!“ Perrie complimented you as you were handing her and Ox a glass of wine.

„Thank you honey…“ you smiled, looking at the gorgeous blonde „You look lovely Perrie.“

The two of you went on to small talk as the guys were discussing something football related. Rachel, who was Robertsons wife, soon joined you. You asked them about their kids as they both were mothers. Sadly Hendersons wife hadn’t been able to join as she had caught the flu and was at home with the kids.

After long conversations and a nice and super delicious dinner everyone gathered in the living room once again. Drinks in their hands as they all snuggled up under the blankets, appreciating the christmas tree. Looking at it a little longer you noticed it was a little crooked but you kept that to yourself as Trent was so proud of it

You rested your head against Trents chest as you could feel it goingup and down. Inhaling his scent, that you loved so much. His arms wrapped around you as he held you close. This truly was your safe place.

You were way too full from all the delicious food and the alcohol was making you a little drowsy when the guys suddenly made an announcement.

„I have an idea.“ Robertson then spoke up as he took out his phone „Let’s play a game.“

Hendo and Ox both cheered on the idea as you sighed. You were way too tired.

„You wanna go to bed?“ Trent whispered into your ear before planting a kiss on the temple of your cheek as he caressed your upper arm.

You looked up at him, a slight smile forming on your lips „No it’s fine honey.“

Trent smiled before placing his lips onto yours. You relaxed into the kiss shortly before hearing the guys uproar from behind you.

„Oh, come on Trent and Y/n!“ Robertson yelled and Ox added „You can get busy later!“

Perrie hitting him in the shoulder in a joking manner „Stop it.“

You pulled away from Trent, rolling your eyes as you snuggled up against him again. What a bunch of mood killers.

„So what do you wanna play?“ Trent cleared his throat as he shifted around the couch a little,trying to get comfortable with you on him.

„Never have I ever.“

Hendo and Ox had made the strongest drinks you had ever had as you all passed eachother the phone reading the stupid and mostly sexual statements. You did have a good laugh though and after a short while everyone was at least a little tipsy.

„Never have I ever recieved nudes.“ Perrie read from the phone as she giggled, playing with the ends of her hair.

„What kind of question ist that.“ Hendo rolled his eyes before taking a sip „I mean I unwillingly recieve them all day over on instagram.“

The guys all laughed as they each took a sip of their drinks. So did all the girls, including you. It was the modern age, what could you say.

Perrie handed over the phone to you as you read the next question. Widening your eyes as you wanted to swipe to the next one but Trents hand abruptly grabbed yours, stopping you from doing so.

„Why would you swipe that?“ Trent asked with furrowed brows as you nervously shrugged your shoulders. Trying to act nonchalant as your boyfriend looked rather suspicious.

You cleared your throat to get everyone’s attention, feeling Trent study you from the side.

„Okay.“ you started, pressing your drink close to your chest „Never have I ever faked an orgasm…with my current partner.“

There was a minute of silence as Perrie started awkwardly laughing. You could still feel Trent stare at you.

„With Ox…“ Perrie sighed, nibbling on the rim of her glass „I don’t think so actually.“

„Me neither.“ Rachel shrugged and Robertson looked like he was just declared king of the world.

„Well, I think the answer is clear for us guys.“ Hendo laughed, shaking his head „It‘s kind of impossible.“

And just when you thought all eyes were on him, you took a quick sip from your drink. You thought you had been careful but just a moment later you could hear Trent gasp next to you. Oh, damn it!

Then his arm was abruptly removed from your shoulder and when you faced him you could only describe it as looking in the eyes of a lost puppy.

„You faked it?“ he asked, sounding truly hurt as you shifted around the couch uncomfortably. Putting on an awkward smile, feeling everyone look at you.

„Trent…“ you whispered, not wanting to have this conversation infront of everybody „It’s not that big a deal.“

„Yes it is!“ Trent squealed as you put your hand on his knee. Your boyfriend removing it shortly after, in a rather sassy manner.

„No it’s not…“ you sighed, he was cleary drunk or else he‘d never cause a scene like this. He was a shy guy and rarely talked about sex infront of his friends. „It’s just a lot more complicated for women. There are a lot of factors that have to be just right…“

„Then what factor am I not reaching?“ he slurred and you rolled your eyes. It wasn’t like that „I mean I know where everything is right? I do take my time for you and you always say you like it!“

You could hear the guys burst out into laughter as you felt yourself blushing. God this was so embarrassing, you couldn’t even look at them. Obviously they thought it was funny that the younger guy was taking this so personally.

„Yes I do like it honey…“ you whispered, closing your eyes to calm down „I was probably just tired those times…“

„Those? You faked it more than once?“ Trent squealed and by now everyone in the room was laughing. Well, everyone expect you.

„Trent, you’re drunk.“ you said, grabbing his shoulder but he shrugged it off once again. You slowly got frustrated, not wanting him to share anything else.

„What?“ he furrowed his eyebrows, looking at you disappointed „I mean if you were too tired, you could have just told me! You know we don’t have to have sex if you aren’t in the mood…“

And before he could say anything else you put your hand over his mouth. In a way it was sweet. Yes, Trent was an incredible gentleman but this was just absolutely humiliating. His friends would tease him forever about this and right now they were laughing their asses off.

„I really think you‘ve said enough now Trent.“ you whispered, getting serious as you looked him in the eyes.

Trent mumbled something against your hand, his voice obviously muffled so you couldn’t understand a single word he said. You just sat there staring in the eyes of your very tired and very drunk looking boyfriend.

It hurt you to see him like this but then again, he himself had made a big deal out of nothing and embarrassed the two of you in front of all his friend.

„I can’t cope with this guy.“ Hendo laughed as he shook his head before hitting Robertson shoulder.

Trent now realized that he had an audience. His drunken brain working a little slower than normal. He removed your hand from his mouth as he stared at his friends, who all tried their hardest not to laugh. All of them as red as a tomato covering their mouths with their hands.

Expect the girls of course, they just looked Trent worriedly. Feeling bad for the younger lad ad he wa in for the teasing of a lifetime.

„I’ll…“ Trent mumbled, freeing himself from the blanket wrapped around his legs „I‘m gonna go.“

With that your boyfriend stood up before stumbling out the living room, eyes glued onto the ground.

You sighed looking at all the guys „Great job guys.“

„What?“ Hendo squealed, putting his hands up in a defending manner „You’re the one that just broke his heart.“

He was right in a way. Maybe you should have just lied but somehow the alcohol made you wanna be too honest for your own good.

„Fine.“ Perrie sighed, getting up from the couch „I think we’ll leave now anyways.“

„Yeah, us too.“ Rachel smiled at you in a apologetic manner before also getting up „It’s getting kinda late anyways.“

After you said goodbye to your guest you did the bare minimum in the kitchen and living room. Loading the dishwasher, blowing out all the candles and putting away any leftover food being your priority.

Then you turned of all the lights before walking up the stairs. Face buried in your hands; it had been a long day.

You could hear noise from the bathroom, Trent was probably getting ready to go to bed as well. So you walked into the closet first and started taking off your jewlery. When it came to unzip your dress you soon realized it was impossible.

The zip had gotten stuck and no matter how your tried to bend you just couldn’t reach it. Frustration built up. And soon enough you had tears streaming down your face as you were a crying mess.

„God damn it!“ you yelled, tears rolling down your cheek as you started to rip at your dress.

But nothing worked, so you just sat ontohe floor in front of your mirror sobbing. It was silly but it was just a combination of everything that was overwhelming you.

„Honey?“ the door was burst open and in walked a shirtless Trent. He had probably heard your sobs all the way to the bathroom.

When he saw you crying on the ground he immediately looked worried as he hurried over to you. Kneeling down next to you.

„What happened?“ he asked, trying to calm you down as he caressed your back „Why are you crying?“

You leaned your head against his chest, inhaling the familiar scent as you tried to catch your breath.

„I… I… can’t…“ you chocked as Trent pulled you into his embrace. Holding you close to him and caressing your hair. „I can’t unzip my dress.“

There was a moment of silence before Trent started giggling. You looked up at him, your vision all blurry.

„Hey!“ you pouted, wiping away your tears „That’s not funny!“

„Yes…“ Trent giggled, looking at your probably smudged face „I’m so sorry.“

You couldn’t help but also start to laugh. Which made Trent laugh even more.

„Oh God…“ you said in between laughter „I love you so much.“

„I love you too.“ Trent giggled, kissing your cheek „Just promise me…“

He took a deep breath, looking you in the eyes „Next time… When you’re too tired to you know. You can just tell me. I don’t want you to feel like you have to fake it.“

You smiled weakly before nodding „You’re a really great guy you know that?“

„Well…“ Trent shrugged, looking down at you with a frown „Apparently not that great in bed though.“

You punched Trents shoulder, making him chuckle again as you cuddled up against his chest.

„You’re also really really great in bed. Believe me.“

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footballffbarbiex · 3 years

Note

Baby daddy Trent taking the munchkin to see his teammates for the first time. Please?

Not me now realising the carnage that would happen especially with uncle Robbo lol. 😂

Player: Trent Alexander Arnold (but features the other lads too) Words: 1097

Always the careful driver, Trent manoeuvres the car with ease through the traffic until pulling off into the training ground.

“Hey lil man, it’s not Melwood but it’s got some amazing people in there y’know,” Trent says as he kills the engine, removes the key and pulls off his seatbelt. “And it looks like a lot of your uncles are already here mate.”

At 4 weeks, Trent decided it was safe enough to venture out to meet such a big group of people. He’s posted snaps on insta of the pram, or him holding the baby with only his back on show and head of hair, but so far, not many people have met their son but Hendo did pop round a couple of weeks in to drop off some gifts for both you and the little one.

“He’s gorgeous, so he obviously doesn’t look like his dad, does he,” he’d joked and had Jordan not been holding the baby, Trent would have thrown a pillow at him.

You follow suit, getting out of the car as Trent begins to unclip the car seat and you head around to the boot and retrieve the rest of the pram. Pulling it open and making sure it’s secure, Trent pops the seat into place, waits for the click-clack of it snapping into lock mode before handing you the stroller so he can grab the bags and the baby changing bag. You begin to push him towards the entrance, leaning forward slightly as you do to tuck the blanket a little more comfortably around him. His tiny but adorable pout works, his tongue flicking out as he dreams and his hands open and fist again. He really was beautiful. Dark hair with the natural dark blue baby eyes which were starting to turn to a shade of brown which were framed by thick long lashes. Or at least it looked that when he was able to keep them open longer than five minutes.

Trent catches up with the two of you within what feels like seconds, two bags flung over his shoulder before he bumps you out of the way to take the stroller. Had it been anyone else, you’d have been mad, demanding your baby back but watching him be the proudest and most supportive daddy was everything. You couldn’t be annoyed when he was like this.

“I am going to have to feed him soon though Trent. My boobs are killing.” You say, feeling as though your chest was the same weight as the rest of your body.

“That’s fine. If you wanna feed him before we go through, I can take you to one of the rooms?”

“And he might be awake afterwards,” you say, nodding in agreement.

With him having a nice full tum and your chest now lighter, you walk at the side of Trent as he heads out through the training doors towards the pitch. The small bundle lays against his daddy’s chest, head on his shoulder but he looks tinier than ever.

“Ah! It’s the youngest recruit.” Jurgen calls out after catching sight of the three of you, hands clapping together before he adjusts his cap, his trademark broad smile beaming at you as he strides towards you. You watch as the rest of his teammates copy, abandoning their warm ups, their conversations and fooling around to come over slowly. “Oh, he is wonderful. Look at those cheeks. Absolutely wonderful.” he comments in a quiet tone, eyes fixed on the little boy with a soft expression.

“Has he got his eyes open at the minute?” Trent tries to tilt his head to look but can’t from that angle.

“For now. He keeps trying to go back to sleep though.” you say, reaching forward, adjusting his little hat before you stroke his cheek. The instinct to hold him close and just breathe in his baby scent is overwhelming but you resist.

“This is the easy stage,” Mo says, tilting his head from where he stands, a big grin on his face as he takes in the little one's features. “They just sleep a lot. The night feeds aren’t so fun but they just poop and eat and sleep.”

“It’s when they can move around and stuff,” Virgil agrees, placing his hands on his knees as he bends a little to get on eye level, “you need eyes everywhere. It feels like if you blink, they’re out of the room.”

“They’re so fast,” Bobby takes his place at Virgil’s side, with each of the lads trying not to crowd around you but the little one doesn’t seem too bothered - he’s more focused on sucking on his fist. “You don’t think they are because they’re so small, but it’s as though it helps.”

“Are you talking about anything other than poo, and feeding slash sleeping routines yet?” Thiago asks, directing a question to you and you release a nervous breath that you weren’t aware you were holding and force yourself to stop wringing your hands.

“Nope,” Trent laughs, making sure his hand is fixed over the baby’s back to steady him.

“Still a hot topic right now.” you chuckle and grin up at Trent who grimaces when he knows where this is going. “And arguing over who has changed the most nappies so it’s the other’s turn.”

“She gave birth though,” Virgil looks at Trent as though he’s crazy, “this is your turn to step it up.”

“Yeah Trent.”

“So selfish.”

“Do you take care of some of the night feeds?”

“She’s breastfeeding though. It’s not like I can.” He replies in a small voice. You watch as they burst into laughter, some hiding behind their fist to their mouth as they laugh.

“Leave him babe, yeah?” Alex shakes his head and stands near you. “He’s a cop out. You deserve better.” he gives you a little elbow and you nudge him back, unable to keep the smile from your face now.

“Takes a decent corner but can he take a night shift?” Robbo shakes his head as a chorus of no in several variations is called out. “Appalling. Shocking.”

“They’re not gonna let me live this down now.” he says when Andy reaches forward and begins speaking in a childlike tone, “come ‘ere to uncle Robbo.”

“But I get the feeling tonight, I’ll be sleeping through.”

“If he doesn’t, you let me know. I’ll take care of him.” Jurgen slaps him on the shoulder and gives you a wink. “I want two laps of this field from you before the others join you. Get going.”

If you’d like to be added/removed/update your URL, then please let me know here. Crossed out means that tumblr cannot find your blog at this time.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: @petitharicot

#trent alexander arnold one shot #trent alexander arnold imagine #trent alexander arnold blurb #trent alexander arnold drabble #trent alexander arnold fanfic #trent alexander arnold fanfiction #football one shot #football imagine #football blurb #football drabble #football fanfic #football fanfiction #footballer one shot #footballer imagine #footballer blurb #footballer drabble #footballer fanfic #footballer fanfiction

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lynkhart · 3 years

Text

MAJOR spoilers for the C2 finale of Critical Role so read at your own risk of you haven’t caught up!

I have so many feelings regarding Caleb and Essek’s intertwining character arcs I needed to explore, so strap in folks, you’re in for a bit of a ride! (But seriously though, this is like 4000 words long, I basically wrote an essay 😂)

At the start of the campaign, Caleb Widogast was dripping in guilt and self loathing and refused to believe he could ever absolve himself of his sins. Essek Thelyss was a cold, aloof individual who betrayed his people for selfish goals, and their differing yet mirrored narratives have been an absolute delight to watch unfold.

In the beginning Caleb truly hated himself. He shot down any attempt at a compliment, described himself as a ‘disgusting person’, outright rejected the idea that he was worthy of love, and never let the blame shift from him for what he’d done. When Beauregard and Veth/Nott pointed out that he was coerced and manipulated into killing his parents, he reacts in an incredibly visceral way, and I’ve seen several comments likening it to a victim of child abuse who was groomed into believing they were as responsible as their abuser, and I think that’s exactly how it was meant to be read. He doesn’t see himself as a victim, only a murderer, and punishes himself for it every day. We see this in the way he presents himself, dirty and unkempt because in his mind he doesn’t deserve to feel good about himself in any way. Other than Nott/Veth and Beau to a certain degree, he purposefully isolates himself from the rest of the group and it’s a long time until he feels relaxed enough in their company to drop his defences a little.

(Speaking from a purely meta point of view, Liam did an absolutely phenomenal job of showing this through body language and I’d love to see someone do a compilation video of it. He starts off very hunched and guarded, leaning his body away from the closest person to him and avoiding eye contact and physical touch; but by the end stands tall and sure of himself.)

Early on there were a few moments where he had the option to do some pretty dark shit, and I’m sure there’s a possible timeline where he gave into his desire for revenge and really lost his way, but I’m glad he stuck it out and worked through his trauma in the way he did. His PTSD and disassociation when casting with fire was tragic, but over time he was able to work through it thanks to the constant love and support of his friends who kept him from going off at the deep end.

Molly’s death was the catalyst for change in a lot of the party, and Caleb is no exception. On the verge of leaving the group prior to his death, the grief they shared, combined with their frantic attempt to rescue the other half of their party put things in perspective and gradually he learned how to be a person again, to care.

Altering time to save his family had been Caleb’s only goal in life, and so when Essek and by extension, dunamancy was introduced, you could see his eyes light up at the possibilities.

A huge turning point for him is aligned so closely with Essek’s redemption arc which feels quite apt I think. When Essek confesses to his crimes, Caleb delivers a beautifully iconic piece of dialogue where he acknowledges their similarities and how much he himself has changed as a person since meeting the Mighty Nein. (Source - CR wiki)

‘You listen to me. I know what you are talking about. I know. And the difference between you and I is thinner than a razor. I know what it means to have other people complicate your desires and wishes. And I was like you. Was. I know what a fool I have been for years. You didn't account for us. Good. That is life. Shit hits you sideways in life and no one is prepared. No one is ready. These people changed me. These people can change you. You were not born with venom in your veins. You learned it. You learned it. You have a rare opportunity here, Thelyss. One chance to save yourself, and we are offering it.’

This is not the same Caleb we met back in the Nestled Nook inn way back in the first episode. While not yet fulfilled or entirely convinced of his own worth, he knows he’s on the right path. That alone is progress enough, but that he uses his own experiences to help another escape those same chains of guilt says such a lot for his development. When he tells Essek that his ‘venom’ was learned, he’s also talking about himself and his own history of being manipulated and gaslit, with the implication being that it can be un-learned just as efficiently.

Caleb Widogast is selfish no more, or at the very least, doesn’t let his goals undermine anyone else’s anymore. Contrary to what he himself might still think, he is in no way a bad person. He loves fiercely and cannot abide seeing those he cares about in pain.

Early game Essek is what Caleb could have been if he’d rejected his friends and focused solely on his own selfish goal to undo his mistakes. Both are impassive at first and see the Mighty Nein as means to an end...until they get to know them and then their fate is sealed. The Power of Friendship wins once again!

At the beginning Caleb said he wanted to ‘bend reality to my will’ (sic) and in the end he does just that, though not in the way he originally intended. Destroying the T-Dock, and by extension the one thing he’d been building towards from the start, the chance to go back and change time, for me personally was the absolute peak of his journey. I rewatched the scene where Caleb revealed the truth about his parents death today, and it was really jarring to see just how far he’d come since then. It made me oddly proud actually.

I always felt like his plan to save his parents was the one thing holding him back from truly accepting their deaths, which is why the final scene of him in the cemetery with the letters for them hit so hard. He never truly gave up hope that they’d be reunited, but ultimately he realised he was merely postponing the inevitable and never allowing himself to live his own life. While time travel shenanigans would have been incredibly interesting to explore in game, choosing to let the past lie and not go back for them finally allows him to grieve and move on, and perhaps most importantly of all, to forgive himself at last.

I know some people were annoyed by Caleb’s decision in the finale to spend the rest of his life teaching rather than continuing to adventure, but I see it as the natural conclusion to his whole arc and his own personal victory.

He looked Trent Ikithon in the eyes, a man who he’d spent years wanting to kill and run from in equal measure, stripped him of his power and his voice (and ultimately his ability to harm anyone else) and finally spared his life so he had to live with the indignity of his defeat for the rest of his miserable existence. You couldn’t have asked for a more damning rejection of everything he’d been brainwashed into believing as a child. His dismissal of Trent’s position in the Assembly played into that as well. He never really wanted power for the sake of it; he had no desire for politics, he just wanted his family back, and while he didn’t get the one he started with, he made a new one for himself in the end.

As Caduceus once very wisely said:

‘Pain doesn’t make people; it's love that makes people. The pain is inconsequential; it's love that saves them.’

Caleb gets to break the cycle of abuse and teach a new generation of mages the way he should have been, with kindness and respect, and I’m pretty sure he’d have introduced a handsome drow as a guest lecturer from time to time. 😉

Speaking of...

Essek described himself as selfish and as a coward, forever putting his own wants and desires first, yet over the course of his journey with the Nein we see his priorities change drastically.

Having friends gives him people to care about, something he’s never had before, and it changes his outlook on life completely. For me, the first time we really see this is when he joins them for dinner in the Xorhaus and stops levitating. It’s a subtle thing, but meaningful. He explains that it had become an expectation of him, a quirk he’s known for, and so to feel comfortable enough around the Nein to drop that pretence is quite bold I think.

Much later, when he chooses to destroy the mini beacon they discover in Aeor in order to give everyone a long rest before the final confrontation with Lucian, he’s essentially giving up everything he betrayed his people for, just to keep his friends safe. The existence and context of that single artefact could have had an earthshattering impact on the Dynasty’s entire culture, forcing them to reevaluate their entire belief system and attitude to the Luxon, something he’d wanted from the start, something he helped start a war for, but he offered it up as a sacrifice without a second thought.

I’d say that’s a pretty big morality shift, and I’m super interested to see if Matt reveals if his alignment changed in the post campaign Q&A. I have a feeling he set him up as a potential BBEG but the party was like ‘no, you can’t have him, he’s ours now’ and that was the end of that. 😂

I think it says so much about the other characters too, that they befriended this person they barely knew, and when he was revealed to have done such terrible things, their first reaction was to give him comfort and an opportunity to atone. Jester held his hand while he confessed, and afterwards, while they didn’t immediately forgive him, they saw the good in him and wanted him to be better, which ultimately feels like what the entire campaign was about, leaving places (and people) better than they found them. It’s obvious that he’s never really had many friends before and has therefore never had the opportunity to be emotionally open with anyone, so seeing him gradually warm up to the Nein and allow himself to soften around them was really lovely to watch.

(Obviously, from a realistic moral perspective, he still fucked up big time. He’s still a godsdamned war criminal and really should have been put on trial for what he did, but I think from a narrative and personal point of view, his redemption arc was far more satisfying, so I’m glad it happened the way it did. (And not to derail but the rest of the gang have done some pretty horrific stuff as well, though perhaps not quite on the same scale)

He has a few moments towards the end that I absolutely love because they show that beneath the guilt and anguish, there’s an incredibly sweet and sensitive soul in there, just wanting acceptance. His dry jokes which often don’t quite hit, (the ‘I will punish the bakery’ line is such an under-appreciated one 😂) his simple joy at learning to garden in the Blooming Grove, and realising that he’d never been asked what his favourite food was before was actually kind of heartbreaking, because it highlighted how lonely his life must have been until that time. There was a moment pretty early on I think when he cast disguise on the party and Jester asked if he could cast it again to change the look of her outfit a bit and while he seemed to find it amusing, he refused, not wanting to waste a spell on such a frivolous request. Cut to their time in Aeor where he burns a fly spell just so he and Caleb can flirtatiously swoop around each other for a couple of minutes, all the while trying to beat Lucian to the city.

His breakdown when Molly’s resurrection failed really cemented to me how much he’d grown as a character. He never met Molly, his only knowledge of him was secondhand, through the eyes of his friends, but seeing it fail just broke him because he knew how much it hurt them to go through it all over again.

His comment to Caleb about not admitting defeat and wishing he could do more did get me wondering at the time if he was going to try and do something crazy, perhaps sacrificing himself via the Temporal Dock to make amends or somehow forcing another reroll, but I’m glad he didn’t. The conversation following that with Fjord was one of my favourites- he shows him acceptance and belief in his potential for the future, something he’s lacked for a long time, and when Caleb bluntly affirms afterwards that he is indeed an official member of the Mighty Nein, it’s the start of the rest of his life, and something he’s exceptionally grateful for.

It all leads to that final moment in Aeor with Caleb, when, presented with the opportunity to alter time and undo everything, he chooses to accept his decisions and carry the weight of his sins for the rest of his long life. That’s...huge.

He’s essentially choosing to live the rest of his existence as a fugitive, forever on the run, with no guaranteed peace or safety. He chooses to spend his life making up for his deeds, rather than looking for an easy way out.

I think that may have had a big impact on why Caleb ultimately made the same decision, as if Essek had been up for altering his timeline I think he’d have struggled to resist it himself. The conversation they had earlier in Aeor about their priorities and resisting temptation really comes to mind as well.

Now, to the relationship.

It was subtle, and not as ‘in your face’ obvious as the other characters, but I’ve been watching and hoping for a long time and I must say, it feels good to be vindicated.

(And if you have any doubt, both Matt and Liam confirmed on Twitter that their post finale relationship was 100% romantic)

I’d been hoping that Shadowgast would be a canon endgame relationship for a while, so the finale, and the aforementioned T-Dock scene in particular had me quite literally shaking with emotion as I watched live. Here you have two men, both damaged and guilt-stricken in their own ways, who find in each other a kindred spirit and a path to redemption.

They’re both very guarded and closed off people, but Essek in particular has a definite shift in the last arc of the campaign especially when it came to his interactions with Caleb. At the start he was quite aloof and stoic, though charming, and they had an instant connection through their shared love of the arcane, (anyone who couldn’t see them making heart eyes at each other when Essek was describing the different types of magic he could teach Caleb was clearly blind) but by the end he was incredibly open to showing his vulnerabilities and that takes a lot, especially for someone whose primary focus was to stay in control of every aspect of his life. The ‘Caleb, I’m scared’ moment during the Trent fight in particular made my heart ache.

No, we didn’t get a dramatic declaration of love or a cinematic mid-battle kiss, but I’d argue that their relationship was just as, if not more intimate than any of the other main characters were. They understood each other in a way the others didn’t, their shared guilt, feelings of inadequacy and their obsession with magic forged a deep connection from the get-go. Neither of them are big fans of PDA I think, though Caleb is tactile as hell (forehead touches and kisses, oh man, I’m so weak for those 😩👌) and some of their most iconic moments have them putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the other. Essek shaking off his forced guilt trip immediately after the now infamous forehead touch in ep140 was beautifully poetic, as was using his fortune’s favour to pull Caleb out of the rubble moments before. Caleb trying to include him in his Sphere of Invulnerability in the finale and Essek staying close to him the whole fight despite being obviously terrified of Trent was the icing on the cake. It’s clear that they care for each other a great deal; whether by the finale they’d consider it love is up for debate, but we know that’s eventually where it ended up and honestly, I love that. I deeply appreciated the fact Matt and Liam both emphasised that they took their time with their relationship, letting each other heal in their own way before they took the next step. All too often in media, and real life too sadly, a romantic relationship is seen as some kind of quick fix, and that a lover will somehow complete you or make all your problems vanish. They knew this wasn’t the case here, and that made it all the better.

While I would have *loved* to have seen them together as a couple right to the very end, the change in their relationship felt right, if bittersweet. I doubt they ever stopped loving each other, and if anything, choosing to shift to a deep and lifelong friendship over a romance that would cause them both so much pain is one of the kindest things you could do for someone you love. After all, friendship isn’t a downgrade, just another way of experiencing that same love, and it wasn’t as though they broke up and never saw each other again, it was pretty strongly implied that they remained a major feature in each other’s lives, they just changed their label slightly. Caleb would hate to have forced Essek to watch him wither away, and although his eventual passing would hurt Essek regardless, incompatible lifespans being what they are, having a period of time to adjust to it, to give them a buffer between the inevitable heartbreak was actually really sweet.

Their romance was no accident, they knew going in that it had a time limit, that it wasn’t going to be forever for one of them, and the fact they did it anyway says so much. They began their adventure wholeheartedly believing that they were both, in their own way incapable of love, only to later find it with each other. Whether their relationship lasted for a couple of years or multiple decades is irrelevant, what matters is that while it did they had a happy and fulfilled life together.

I know some folk wanted Caleb to use the transmogrification spell on himself so he could live on with Essek as another elf, or make him human instead, but that would have been way out of character for both I think. If they could have backwards engineered one of the rejuvenation stations in Aeor and used it to extend Caleb’s life by a hundred years or so, so he’d have a similar lifespan to Veth, now, I could have seen him possibly doing that, so he could spend more time with his best friend too, but nothing further I think. He longed to be reunited with his parents too much to postpone death unnaturally like that.

That both Caleb and Essek ultimately chose to live with their mistakes and make peace with themselves was incredibly cathartic, and I couldn’t imagine it playing out any better.

The fact Matt has explicitly stated Essek is Demi too means so much to me personally because the latter is a label I’ve been identifying with a lot recently, and it’s so rare for aspec relationships to get any representation! It has honestly given me a lot to think about over the last few days, and I really appreciate it.

To conclude, here’s a bit of shameless self promotion. I wrote this after watching the finale and honestly feel like it sums up my feelings on the nature of their relationship pretty well.

‘A casual hand on a shoulder, a waist, a wrist; a gentle kiss placed on a forehead is common between them now, an intimacy born of trust and mutual affection. Over time it grows, like a fire born of seasoned timber; gradual and steady, no spluttering kindling that flares and sparks, but a slow burn, one which lasts.

Their love is embroidered into every aspect of their lives together. Acts of service, of comfort, of understanding.

Sometimes a kiss leads to more than a kiss, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way they are content.‘

So yeah, I love these two wizard boys so very much and I couldn’t be happier with the conclusion of their stories. ❤️

#Critical Role #Critical Role Spoilers #CR Spoilers #shadowgast #Essek thelyss #Caleb Widogast #C2ep141 #C2ep141 spoilers #critical role finale

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the-volume-is-astronomical · 3 years

Text

The Crown, The Sword, and The Gay

Meant To Be Good News

A/N: ... heyyyyy- its been a bit. I got rapped up in exams and i felt like being productive today so u get a chapterrrr and i wrote another one so u have about two chapters guaranteed ill try to be more consistent lol (also long chapter as compensation)

(also let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist!)

First | Previous| Next

words: 2286

summary: Virgil doesn't want to deal with this mess but he was sent to deliver a message so, theres not much he can do

pairings: eventual prinxiety, eventual intrulogical, eventual moceit, Remile

warnings: some potty language (not much), stress, anxiety, negative self talk, food mention, worried for a characters safety

(let me know if there's any other)

They went up the steps in silence.

As they entered through the door, Roman grabbed the basket that was abandoned during the argument. He left it on a table near the entrance, he headed towards the corner with shelves, grabbed a brown book, nothing interesting in the cover, just a plain brown book and headed towards the window seat to read.

Virgil was struggling to decide if he should try to speak or not, he absolutely despised small talk but if he didn't talk he didn't want it to get awkward. He looked over to Roman because if he did decide to talk to the prince, what in the hell would he even talk about?! Virgil saw the royal glance up from his book to look at the small table near all the shelves that had a single red book, it was simple like the one he was holding, it just had a title, yet it caused more intrigue than the other.

When Virgil took a good look at Roman he looked somehow defeated, like he had lost- no, given up on a 100 year long fight. The monarch glanced once more at the table with the red book, this time however, he caught a glimpse of the stormy knight, “ You should sit down, the trip back alone takes a few hours, it's gonna be some time before you get to go back.” Virgil looked up at the prince who had resumed his reading, “Uh… yeah” he took a seat near the desk Roman kept glancing at.

Virgil decided to take a glance at the book. It seemed to be a fictional adventure book...seems interesting. Roman looked at the table again and spotted the tall knight carefully opening the book. “It’s an adventure book. Just a fairytale.” Roman’s voice seemed to startle Virgil as he immediately slammed the book shut.

“Y-yeah sorry, I didn't mean to open it without permission, that was so rude of me and-” Roman stopped him mid rant “It's alright, you can read it. One of my personal favorite books.” The prince smiled at him to show he didn't mind “I’m not much of a reader. I just uh… got curious, I guess?” Virgil didn't seem sure of his answer. “Well, I can give you a small summary! If you’d like me to, of course.” Roman backtracked pretty quickly, snide comments about how excited he got over meaningless things forcing themselves into his head. But Virgil’s “Sure, Why not?” Made him a little less apprehensive.

“Ok! So, the story is focused on this boy named Aaron. He is a poor farm boy living with his family in a village that was overthrown by the guards, they became corrupted and betrayed the royal family and took control for themselves.” Virgil just nodded along.

”They treated the least wealthy of the kingdom the worst, they didn't have money to bribe them with so to them they were useless, it got to the point where they were becoming the robbers, they would never steal from people with money because they were cruel people. Aaron and his father wanted to make a change but his mother didn't want them to, she wanted to play it safe and just gather enough money to leave for a better place.”

Roman rambling about the story not realizing how little of a summary it actually was since he definitely wasn't being concise, “I agree with the mom. Her plan sounds safe and effective.” Virgil didn't really mind, at least he wasn't going to be bored while he waited, “Maybe so! But where's the fun in that, dear knight?” Roman didn't really get the knights perspective “May not be fun but at least they'll get outta there without a problem” Virgil thought he was in the right and that the main character would make stupid reckless decisions for the drama and suspense.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Aha! They went back to the mom’s plan anyway! There was literally no need to try and do all that heroic shit.” Virgil was now fully invested in the story, he probably wouldn't have been if Roman wasn’t such a good storyteller.

“Well yeah... But it was worth it! If they didn't try they would have never known the outcome of that situation.” Roman was happy the knight seemed invested, he was mostly happy because he finally got to discuss the book with someone, and that someone had very different opinions than himself.

There was a knock on the door.

They both looked at each other, It didn't feel like they had been talking for that long. So, who in the hell was at the door?

Virgil stood up, hand fidgeting with the hilt of his sword. Roman stood as well, they both walked towards the door. Virgil opened the door, only to find Ruth on the other end of the door. “Oh, it's the lady from earlier.” Virgil turned to Roman as he let her in.

“Nurse, how did you get back so quickly?” Roman spoke up. “I wouldn't say it was that quick, it's been a few hours. But we found someone along the way so that did speed up the process.” Ruth talked as she noticed the untouched basket and started nearing it.

Roman and Virgil on the other hand looked at each other with confusion. It didn't feel like they had been talking for more than half an hour. “I'm sorry, I must have been talking your ear off.” The royal felt a need to apologize, “Hey, at least you made the wait entertaining.” the knight did not deem it necessary.

Ruth turned and glared at Roman. “So, you haven't eaten?” Roman glanced at the untouched basket and cursed under his breath, he completely forgot. “ Well…” Ruth was not having it “You brat.” She walked behind him and started pushing him towards the table.

“I had an excuse!” Ruth stopped pushing him “And what is it?” Roman turned to meet her eye and said, “I get nauseous when I eat too early.” Ruth looked unimpressed “I'm fully aware Roman. But it's almost noon.” Roman’s brain scrambled for another excuse “I was reading and I lost track of time.” She was still very much unimpressed. “As long as it wasn't the book you always read, fine by me”

As Roman’s nurse made sure Roman ate she noticed Virgil standing a few feet behind them. “I wasn't able to introduce myself earlier. I am Ruth, the brat’s nurse.” She extended her hand with a smile. Virgil shook her hand while he chuckled, which was interrupted by Roman’s overdramatic offended noises. “Nurse! You’re making him think I'll be a nightmare to care for!”

Ruth turned to him “Was I supposed to lie to him and tell him you’re a delight? My apologies, sire” Roman put a hand on his chest and gasped. “Now I understand why Trent called you a witch!” Ruth laughed, “You’re just basically proving my point.” Roman could only grumble and go back to eating.

Ruth took a look around the tower and spotted the red book on a table. “I see you've decided to become a liar huh?” Roman turned to her “Whatever do you mean?” She walked towards the table and picked up the book “Seems like someone was reading the same book they always read, I don't understand why they read it if they've memorized the whole book!” Roman knew Ruth was only joking but he didn't appreciate being called a liar “I wasn't reading it this time it was just out in the open! You can ask him!”

Roman pointed at Virgil, Ruth just looked at Virgil expecting an answer, “He wasn't reading that book, he was reading the one by the window” it wasn't a lie. “You better not be covering for that devil.” Virgil noticed there wasn't any malice behind her voice, her words portrayed something different. “Are you accusing me of being a liar? I thought that was reserved for the prince.” Ruth started laughing “Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Virgil just chuckled.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roman’s nurse sat next to the window, looking out worriedly. Roman knew his nurse fairly well, “Has Remy not gotten back yet?” Ruth sighed and turned “My son and his tardiness again”.

Roman went over to his nurse, giving her a hug “I’m sure he’s just a little late..” Ruth tried to smile at Roman “I know Roman. I'm just a worried old hag.” Roman rolled his eyes and sat by the window

Ruth looked out the window one last time and took a deep breath. “Well I have to get going so we get there some time before sunrise” Roman stood up to say a proper goodbye to his nurse. “See you in a few days…” Roman really didn’t want to let go but he didn't have much of a choice.

Ruth started packing what she had brought in silence, once she neared the door she spoke “Roman, his and her majesty will have to be informed about this incident..” Roman was obviously not content because this would surely somehow be put partially on him. “Yes, I understand.” Ruth smiled sympathetically and turned to the storm eyed knight only a few feet away.

“Virgil, you’ll have to stay with Roman for a while longer. Commander Arlott sure didn't expect the need to find a replacement for Trent and truly not a day after being stationed here.” Virgil just nodded, he understood the circumstances and was glad to be able to witness such a sight. “The Commander insisted it would take quite some time to take someone off their post, he insisted he wasn't worried.” Ruth opened the door ready to leave, while Virgil was just trying for the pressure to not get to him.

Ruth said her final goodbyes and exited the tower.

Virgil then turned to the Royal, who went back to the same spot he had been before Ruth arrived, and just stared out the window as his nurse left.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Roman sat near the big window just looking out he started wondering why Virgil had even come here in the first place. He vaguely remembered Trent mentioning him being a messenger but that could just be some Knightly insult he was unaware of. So… he asked “Virgil, if you don't mind me asking...why exactly did you come here?” Virgil looked alarmed for a second as he had just zoned out for about 20 minutes “Commander Arlott, wanted me to deliver a message to Trent” Roman just responded with a simple “Oh” and resumed his staring out the window.

“So… how did the book end?” Virgil felt a little embarrassed to interrupt the silence to ask but he got extremely invested, to the point that if the Prince refused to share the information he might just read it himself. Roman just laughed, he knew how intriguing the book was “Well… In the middle of the mother’s plan being in motion they actually got word of a rebel group that had been inspired by their attempts to take the crown back.” Virgil sat down right across from the Royal nodding for him to go on.

Roman continued speaking but he kept getting distracted by a tapping sound. At first it was nothing, but then it got so prominent he couldn't ignore it anymore. Mid-rant he stopped himself and started looking around to see where the sound could possibly be coming from.

Virgil was confused as to why the heir had stopped speaking but then he started to hear taps. They didn’t sound like just a regular forest sound and they would surely not hear minuscule noises from such a height.

“Dear knight, are you hearing that?” Virgil nodded and stood up to see what could possibly be causing the ticks, Roman stood right along with him and then suddenly pointed towards the balcony doors. “Virgil, it's coming from the balcony.”

Virgil stopped to listen carefully “Yeah, but what's causing it?” They then saw a little pebble hit the glass doors of the balcony and make the tapping they had been hearing.

Roman went to the balcony with no hesitation and opened the doors.

Virgil started having his thoughts race a mile a minute, what if this was to lure the prince out to assassinate him? If the prince died on his watch he would be hung no doubt.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, he moved forward to follow the prince. He then quickly realized the prince was leaning over the balcony having a casual conversation with his possible murderer.

“Remy, what are you doing here? Ruth is going to kill you if you don't get there by sunrise!” Roman screamed down to the man in a black cape with dark tinted glasses covering his eyes. “Well yeah! But I had to make a stop here! I have something for you!” That made Roman start jumping with anticipation as to what Remy could have brought him from his trip

“What is it Rem? Is it something fancy? Is it food? Is it a book?” Though his eyes couldn't be spotted, not only because of his glasses but due to the height, it was very apparent he rolled his eyes. “No! It's a letter.” That got Roman even more excited. Could it actually be him? Roman haven't received anything but it could actually be! Finally some good news!

“Who’s it from?!” Remy looked down at the letter as if inspecting it “I don't know.” That caused Roman’s excitement to dull immensely. He would have surely marked it. There’s still a chance it could be him, right? Roman’s anticipation quickly turned into more of an anxious feeling.

taglist:

@meowthefluffy

@shade-romeo

@pattonsmile

@sevencreepycatsinacoat

@mychemically-imbalanced-romance

@innerpostturtle

@queenof-hell

@joyrose-fandomer

@vpow

#prinxiety #remile #ts roman #roman sanders #ts virgil #virgil sanders #roman angst #prinxiety fic #platonic remy n roman

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iatethepomegranate · 3 years

Text

Just a post-Aeor fic where Caleb buys a house with Beau and Yasha in Rexxentrum, becomes a professor, and learns how to be a person and protect people from what he has endured.

Content warnings: Caleb's backstory (a lot of it)

Chapter summary: Caleb's mind was in overdrive. There were so many calls to make, so many spells to prepare, so many things that could go wrong at every stage of this delicate operation, so many plans and backup plans and backup plans for backup plans. He could not let the past repeat itself.

Chapter notes: Say hello to a major plot arc. Also, I did my best to figure out a vague layout of the relevant parts of Rexxentrum but I am bad with directions, so *finger guns*

Chapter title from Eight by Sleeping At Last.

****

Chapter 6: I’m just a kid who grew up scared enough to hold the door shut and bury my innocence

Caleb’s scars itched as he headed home from the Academy, mind buzzing uncomfortably. His hands were somehow steady as he messaged Beauregard.

“Beauregard. I had an unsettling conversation with Astrid and Wulf. Two Volstrucker students are missing. Felix and Nicolaus. Evocation wizards. May have self-orphan orders.” He realised belatedly that he had forgotten to ask Astrid for a description. Also, he hoped Beauregard never told anyone he had used the term self-orphan. He’d made himself a little queasy in his haste to keep to the word limit.

“I’ll make sure the Soul keeps an eye out. And I’ll get a description from Astrid in the morning. Get over here. Dinner’s ready.”

Beau and Yasha kept the conversation flowing over dinner, absolving Caleb of that social responsibility. He felt useless, sitting here while there were two boys out there somewhere, who were possibly in the process of deciding whether or not to kill their parents based on an implanted memory of treason. If they weren’t found in time, Caleb wasn’t sure he could ever forgive himself.

The two women hugged him goodnight after dinner, and he shook so hard he feared he would collapse. Yasha held onto him a little longer than she had probably planned, while Beauregard stepped back to take a look at him.

“Caleb.” She had that tone, the one what told him he looked like shit but she was trying not to freak him out. “Maybe you should take a spare room on this side tonight.”

“I’m all right, Beauregard.” He knew he sounded ridiculous. “Hear me out. Please.” Beauregard tilted her head in a silent challenge. “I need to think. I need to process this. I need to come up with plans for every possible outcome. And I may need to make some calls.”

“Do you want to talk it out?”

“I would like to be alone. Just for tonight. We will talk tomorrow.”

Beauregard looked for a moment like she was going to argue, and then she quite intentionally relaxed her shoulders. “Okay. You’ll tell us if you need anything, right?”

“Ja, of course.”

Yasha gave him one last squeeze. “We mean it. Anything.”

“I know. Danke.”

Caleb escaped to his bedroom. He forced himself to slow down a bit, take deep breaths, and get dressed for bed. He settled under the covers, slowly circling his palm over the quilt and feeling the different animal patterns. He’d already committed them to memory. But, on a night like this, it helped to know that what he thought was reality before was still reality now.

What a fucking mess. Before he could get too deep into his head, he messaged Caduceus.

“Hallo, Caduceus. Two of Trent’s students are missing. We suspect memories may have been modified. If we locate them, are you available to help us?”

There was a short pause; Caduceus was probably weighing his response, aware that he would not be able to track the wordcount once he began to speak. “Of course. Let me know when I’m needed. If you could spare a teleport, that would be great.”

Caleb cast the spell again. “I will give you a head’s up when I need you and then grab you from the Grove. Danke. Today has been… a lot.”

“Get some rest, Caleb. I left some sleepy tea in your kitchen if you need it. I’ll be here when you need me.”

That was one problem handled. Caleb burned through another Sending.

“Astrid, Caduceus is on call to correct any memory modification. Beauregard will be in touch with you tomorrow to get their descriptions.”

“Danke. I will ensure the Cobalt Soul is adequately informed. Now go to bed.”

Caleb let him feel her unspoken concern for him, just for a moment. Maybe one day they could be friends again. He curled up beneath the covers and closed his eyes. He would have to ensure he packed Counterspell and Sending every day. Perhaps Hold Person would also be useful. Control Flames would also not go amiss, just in case. And Expeditious Retreat or Fly would be useful in case time was of the essence at any point. Suggestion could be useful if they had the chance to talk. Running through spells he should prepare made him feel a bit better about how little control he had over this.

He was still losing his mind a little bit.

“Caleb,” came Essek’s voice, pumping air into Caleb's lungs. “Apologies. I meant to message earlier. I’m safe. Saved a child’s pet cat from a tree. He hugged me. Strange. How was your day?”

“Intense.” Caleb wasn’t sure how much to say, and he would definitely have to burn more spells to go into any detail. “Astrid promised to find a venue for the ex-Volstrucker support group. Two boys are unaccounted for. We are concerned. They are… almost graduates.”

Before Caleb could decide whether to say more, Essek Sent again. “Are you all right? Can I help with anything?”

“Not right now. We will… see how this pans out. They’re from Blumenthal, and I didn’t hear anything when I was there. May have time.” Caleb burnt another of his own spells before Essek did. “I have Caduceus on standby and Beauregard will talk to the Soul tomorrow. We may have a chance. I hope.”

“I will come in a heartbeat if you need me. Keep me updated. Get some rest if you can. Goodnight. You are in my thoughts.”

It helped, just a bit. Caleb still tossed and turned for a while, unable to turn his brain off. But things were… maybe they were manageable. He had half a mind to take himself to Blumenthal tomorrow, find out where the boys’ parents lived and get them somewhere safe. Or maybe he could… no, they would not handle a stranger showing up at their door in the dead of the night very well.

****

Astrid came to the house the following morning, with sketches for Beauregard to distribute to the Cobalt Soul. It was odd to sit on the couch with her. Like friends would.

“Eadwulf is in the city with the Volstrucker we could mobilise,” she said. “If either of them come to Rexxentrum, between us and the monks, we will find them. I spoke to my guard contact; the families are okay.”

“Have we considered evacuating them?” asked Caleb. The thought had kept him up for a long time last night. Maybe it was the best option.

There was a flicker of discomfort across Astrid’s face for the barest of seconds. “I don’t trust the Crownsguard to handle a delicate mission like that. It would be up to us. Or perhaps the Soul, but I’m already stretching our relationship with them.”

“Yudala Fon knows the stakes,” said Caleb. “If you are not comfortable visiting Blumenthal yourself…”

“Are you?”

“I have been once. I can bear it again to save half a dozen lives.”

They both knew it wasn’t just the parents whose lives were in danger. If Felix and Nicolaus followed through on this and were not stopped…

Well, Caleb had lost eleven years, and then another six running and running and running. Astrid and Wulf had lost their freedom as well. And Caleb could not even begin to comprehend the special kind of pain it would bring these boys if they murdered their parents only to discover Trent had been in prison for weeks, his crimes exposed, his orders no longer in effect. Caleb wasn’t sure he could have survived that.

Astrid must have understood what Caleb was feeling, because she spoke gently. “It is an option. We could also leave them in place under guard to draw the boys out.”

“I would rather not.” Caleb could already conjure a dozen scenarios in which that could go horribly wrong. “Astrid, we cannot fuck this up. You and I both know these boys could overpower a Crownsguard, or sneak past a security detail. No risks. We have to move the families.”

Astrid opened her mouth to respond, and then paused, eyes drifting upwards in concentration. “Thanks, Wulf. Do not engage. Herd him towards us if you can. We will be there shortly.” She focused back on Caleb. “Felix is in the city. Eadwulf is trailing him. They are approaching from the south.” She hopped to her feet, and helped Caleb up. “Shall we?”

As they raced out the door, Caleb messaged Beauregard. “Felix has been spotted. Approaching The Tangles from the south. Wulf is trailing. We are headed to intercept. Could use a hand.”

“I’m in the Court of Colours, southwest of your position. I’ll link up with Eadwulf. Will get the monks to surround. We got this.”

“Beauregard is southwest of us,” Caleb told Astrid. “She’ll try to find Wulf and have the monks form a perimeter.”

“We only have one shot with Felix,” Astrid muttered. “This could make or break everything. No fuckups?”

“No fuckups.”

They ran.

As they drew closer to the suspected middle point, Caleb shot a quick message to Wulf. “We are close to the midpoint. Turning invisible now.” He grabbed Astrid’s hand, hiding them both from view.

Wulf’s response was a whisper. “Slowing down. I think he knows I’m here, but hasn’t done anything yet.”

Caleb was grateful most seventeen-year-old wizards had not yet figured out teleportation. He and Astrid also slowed, still hand-in-hand.

“We try to talk to him before we do anything aggressive,” Astrid whispered. “Get us close.”

“Worst case scenario, Beauregard stuns him and Wulf carries him somewhere we can have a secure conversation. I can try casting Suggestion if necessary, before we do anything to freak him out.”

They turned a corner and Caleb spotted the boy in a crowd of people carrying baskets and cloths and the like, probably headed to market. Felix was slim and blonde, and looked like he hadn’t slept in a few days. His shoulders were tight. The pair stayed ahead of him. Caleb spotted the instant Felix started getting a little too nervous, his eyes darting backwards for the barest of moments, towards Eadwulf, buried even as he was in the crowd.

Caleb tugged Astrid’s hand towards an alley before letting go and stepping into it, hoping he had read this right. Felix also turned into the alley, putting his back to the wall of a nearby inn, raising a hand to prepare a spell. Caleb recognised the somatic components of Scorching Ray. He prepared to counter it.

As soon as Wulf emerged, Felix tried to release the spell, and Caleb counterspelled, losing his invisibility.

Felix shook out his hands, still focused on Wulf. “Why are you following me, Eadwulf?”

Wulf raised an eyebrow. “Did you consider asking that before trying to set me on fire?”

Felix’s eyes narrowed, and Caleb wondered if Trent had tried to drive a wedge between the Volstruck, and Astrid and Wulf.

Astrid dropped her invisibility, appearing next to Wulf. “Felix, what’s the matter? Are you well?”

Her emergence did not calm Felix in the slightest. “Am I--” He scoffed. “Are you kidding?”

“We have been looking for you for weeks,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I have a mission to complete.”

Caleb considered recasting his invisibility, but the spell required verbal and somatic components. He just had to hold still and hope Astrid and Wulf commanded Felix’s attention until Caleb figured out what to do.

“Felix, you have been gone from the city for a long time,” said Astrid, and Caleb slowly reached for his component pouch. “Things have changed. Your mission, whatever it is, may no longer be viable.”

“We need to take you back to the Candles,” said Wulf.

Caleb felt his snake’s tongue and a piece of honeycomb, and began to slowly extract them from his pouch.

Felix didn’t move. “Why?”

Astrid glanced at Wulf, before evidently deciding on a course of action. “Trent has been arrested. We are trying to gather the Volstrucker so we can explain the charges against him.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Felix, what did he ask you to do?”

“It’s confidential.”

Caleb had the materials in his hand, so he rubbed the honeycomb against his lip, and spoke. “Felix, we are here to help you, but we need you to help us. Could we please have an honest conversation with each other?”

There was a moment where Caleb feared Felix would resist the Suggestion spell, and that Beauregard would have to swoop in and stun him. Felix turned to him, head cocked.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “You are Bren, right? Trent talks about you a lot.” He glanced at Astrid and Wulf. “He seemed worried the three of you were scheming behind his back.”

“Let’s head to his old office, ja? We have a lot to talk about. We will answer your questions, if you answer ours.”

“All right. Lead on.”

Caleb could not fucking believe that had worked. Judging from Astrid and Eadwulf’s brief but clearly shocked glances in his direction, they couldn’t believe it either.

****

Caleb couldn’t risk sending a message to Beauregard explaining what had happened, but she seemed to get the sense she shouldn’t reveal herself. Caleb led Felix through the city to the Academy, and up to Astrid’s office. They sat him in front of the fireplace.

Caleb crouched in front of him while Astrid stood by the fire, and Wulf leaned by the door. “Thank you for cooperating, Felix. Give me one moment. I need to message a friend who is going to help us.” He cast Sending. “Caduceus. We will need you in a moment.”

“I’m ready when you are.”

“I’ll go,” said Eadwulf. “Be right back.” With a muttered incantation, he had vanished.

“Where is he going?” asked Felix.

“To fetch a cleric friend of mine,” Caleb replied. “You look tired. Are you well?”

“Had a lot on my mind, I guess. Sleeping has been difficult.”

“I know the feeling.” Caleb looked to Astrid. “We should explain the situation, ja?”

“Why was Trent arrested?” asked Felix.

“A number of Volstrucker spoke with the Cobalt Soul about his training methods,” Astrid replied. “They documented it and took him to court. He’s in prison for life.”

Felix frowned. “I’m confused.”

Caleb should have expected Felix probably wouldn’t understand Trent’s behaviour as abuse; Caleb hadn’t either. “Felix, I would like you to listen to me.” He rolled up his sleeves so Felix could see the scars, which he was certain Felix shared. “A good teacher does not force his students to endure what we have.”

“We will face worse every day in our work,” Felix replied. “The pain… it makes us stronger.”

“And the residuum experiments? With no pain mitigation? I know people who have passed out in the process. Has that happened to you?”

“Once or twice,” Felix muttered, evidently still under the effects of the spell. “Puked more often.”

“Me too,” said Caleb, resisting the urge to scratch his itching scars. “It made me very ill most of the time. Astrid and Eadwulf had to force me to eat.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why are you asking me these questions?”

Astrid was gazing into the flames. “Felix, how old were you when Trent first hurt you?”

“Sixteen.”

Astrid managed to look at Caleb, just for a moment. “The same for him.” Astrid was a year older so it made sense to invoke Caleb instead, and maybe it was easier for her to project these things onto him.

Wulf popped back into the office, with the very welcome form of Caduceus beside him. Felix jumped, but Caleb had told him what was happening, and that seemed to be enough to stop him from bolting.

“Hallo, Caduceus,” said Caleb. “Can you give us just one more moment?” He turned back to Felix. “I’m going to have my friend Caduceus take a look at you and make sure you are well, but I would like to ask you a question first.”

“Fine.”

“What has Trent ordered you to do?”

Felix dropped his gaze to his lap. “My mother and father are plotting to betray the Empire. I have been asked to stop them.”

“That must have been weeks ago,” said Caleb. “What’s the matter?”

Felix scowled, and tried several times to supply an answer, as he was required to be honest while under the effects of Caleb’s specifically-worded spell. “I don’t know. They are not the people I thought they were. They are traitors. But. It’s not… I don’t know what to do. I’ve been waiting for Trent to give me more information, but I haven’t heard anything. I guess I was trying to figure out if there was a way I could convince them to…” He shook his head. “No. There is no mercy for traitors to the Empire.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” said Caleb. “It must be very difficult. May Caduceus take a look at you? You have clearly been under a great deal of stress.”

Felix had probably never seen a firbolg before, and he eyed Caduceus with trepidation. “What is he going to do?”

“It’s all right,” said Astrid. “He is a healer. The three of us have spent time in his family’s garden.”

“I… suppose…”

Caduceus approached slowly. “This will be quick, I promise. Just a healing spell to make you feel a bit better.” He already had the diamond dust for Greater Restoration in his palm. He touched Felix’s shoulder. It took a second for the spell to sink in, during which Caleb couldn’t breathe.

Then Felix slid to the floor, head in his hands. Astrid knelt beside him, whispering too quietly for Caleb to hear.

“One down,” Caduceus said softly, smiling at Caleb. “One to go.”

Caleb couldn’t speak. He watched Felix curl up on the floor, muttering to Astrid. She looked up at him, beckoned him over. Caleb knelt by her side.

“I don’t understand,” Felix said. “Why? Why? I don’t…” He shoved his fist against his mouth and screamed into it, eyes squeezed shut. “Why would he do this?”

There were a lot of things Caleb could say; he was not convinced any of them were right. But he had to say something. “He’s done this to all of us. Every Volstrucker went through this to graduate.”

“He does it for a few reasons,” Astrid said, quiet but somewhat detached. “It eliminates any family connections, leaving us reliant on Trent. And then, we’ve done the worst thing we thought we could do. Anything Trent has us do after that means very little. And those who break…” She looked at Caleb. “They are held up as an example of failure that we are measured against. We all know Bren’s name for a reason. First, as an example of failure, of weakness. Later, an example of endurance, of admirable but problematic stubbornness. A cautionary tale nonetheless.”

Felix looked to Caleb as well. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with this information?”

Caleb wanted to comfort him, but didn’t know what Felix would tolerate, and there was a pressing matter. “First things first, we need to find Nicolaus.”

Felix drew his knees up to his chest and hid his face against them. “I don’t know where he is. We argued and then we went our separate ways.”

“What did you argue about?”

“I wanted to come here and find Trent. Ask about the order. See if there was anything we could… I don’t know.”

“And what did he want?”

“Nico doesn’t know what he wants. He was always more scared of Trent than I am.”

“Okay, we have ways to track him down. Caduceus, can you scry today?”

“I can,” Caduceus said slowly. “Might I also recommend, if Mr Felix knows the spell, that he should try Sending to him.”

“I don’t know that spell,” Felix said thickly. Caleb would just make out the side of his face, to see it was screwed up as if in pain.

“I can teach you,” said Caleb, “but I suspect it will take more time than we have right now.” Sending was an Evocation spell, so it would probably only take Felix three hours instead of six to copy it into his spellbook and practice it until he could do it, but that was still too long.

Caduceus sat cross-legged on the floor. “Do you have anything of his? Or a likeness?”

Wulf handed him a sketch. “Does this help?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Caduceus closed his eyes and began the ritual.

“I can try messaging Nico,” Astrid said, gripping her copper wire. “Nicolaus. It’s Astrid. I must meet with you in Trent’s office. It’s an urgent matter.” She waited, scowled. “Nothing.”

Caleb refused to panic, no matter how bad that sounded. “Okay. Good to know.”

Felix lifted his head. “What if we’re too late?”

“We don’t know that yet,” said Caleb. “Whatever happens, we will deal with it.”

Felix frowned at the floor. “What happens to me now?”

“We can take you home to your parents once we’ve got an idea of Nico’s situation,” said Caleb. “Unless you need more time.”

“Just a bit. I think. But I’d like to see them. Not today.”

“There is plenty of dormitory space for however long you need,” said Astrid. “Bren will visit you regularly once you are with your parents, to check in.” Felix nodded. That had not been discussed, but it was something that Caleb would want to do, so he let it slide.

The ten minutes it took for Caduceus to complete the spell were some of the longest of Caleb’s life. But then Caduceus’s eyes went white, and it seemed to be working.

Caduceus began to narrate what I saw. “I see your boy. He’s in a field. The clouds are pretty dark. It’s hard to see much. I think I see some buildings ahead of him. I’ll follow him for a bit.”

There was a sick feeling in the pit of Caleb’s stomach. “We should be ready, just in case.”

Astrid’s fingers weaved around the wire. “Expositor, are you close by? We may need your assistance. Come to my office on the--ugh, just ask for directions.” She listened. “Expositor Lionett is outside the Academy. She will be here soon.”

Caduceus spoke again. “He is approaching the village. Not many people in the streets. Probably the incoming storm. He looks like he has a goal.”

“What can you see of the buildings?” asked Caleb. “Any signs?”

“The signs are Zemnian,” said Caduceus. “The buildings look like farmhouses, mostly. I think I saw an orchard.”

“Blumenthal is a farming town,” Caleb muttered. “Fuck.”

Beauregard burst through the door, gasping for breath. “I’m here!” She doubled over, hands on her knees, as she sucked in air.

“Get ready to move,” said Wulf, stony-faced. “It looks bad.”

“Shit.” She gulped in another breath. “Okay.”

Caleb felt a little better now that she was here, but he was wound too tight to process it. “Caduceus. Is there anything else?”

“He’s picking up speed. Turned a corner. Looking at a house in the distance, I think.”

Caleb did not let himself feel anything. He turned to Felix. “Felix, do you know where Nico’s parents live?”

“On the northeastern edge of town.” Felix’s voice was as tense as Caleb. “Look for the cabbages.”

“Danke.” He squeezed Felix’s shoulder and pushed himself to his feet. “We need to go.”

Caduceus was still in the vision. “Go on ahead. I’ll stay here with Felix. If I see anything I think is useful, I will Send. But it will break the scry.”

Caleb gathered Astrid, Wulf and Beauregard around him and cast teleport, aiming for the northeastern end of Blumenthal. He knew it well, once.