#molly lives!AU

[avinryd]

Cat's Cradle

Author: AvinRyd Fandom: Critical Role Rating: T Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf & Yasha, Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast Word Count: ~1,650 Series: Shards and Spells

"...first time I've been glad Molly wasn't there."

- @caitmayart

--

Saw Cait's fanart (x) and it broke me into little pieces. I put those back together into this.

Read on AO3

On any other night, the soft riffle of worn parchment shuffling would be comforting, meditative work in Mollymauk’s hands. On any other night, there would be a blood-deep satisfaction in the near-inaudible sound of cards placed on threadbare fabric. On any other night, the glow of moonlight would light his spread and sing in his veins and there would be the humming feeling of not only Sehanine’s gentle presence, but a hint of mischievous spark from Jester’s Traveler and, underneath his incense and the floral warmth of the Wildmother, the sharp scent of ozone. Yasha’s Stormlord.

On any other night. But not tonight. Because Yasha is...Yasha is— 

Footsteps on the stairs of the Ready Room—ascending, growing louder, stopping on the landing.

“If we’re not discussing how to get her back, I’m not coming downstairs.” Molly says flatly, not looking up from his cards.

“I am not here to fetch you back, Mollymauk.”

Caleb. Soft-spoken, level-headed, absolutely fucking calm Caleb. How can he sound so gods-damned calm? How can all of them be so cold to just walk away and let that door close and— 

His mental tirade is interrupted by movement in his periphery. Just off the edge of his tarot cloth, one of Caduces’s wooden bowls slides into view. It’s full of a creamy stew of some sort, dinged iron spoon leaning against the edge, being held by a bandaged hand. It’s followed shortly by a chipped ceramic mug of steaming liquid, borne by a matching other hand. Molly looks up to see Caleb crouched across from him, fancy new coat pooled on the gritty wood floor and not meeting his eyes.

“You need to eat. You’re no good to her wasted away to nothing.”

Molly scoffs. “I’m no good to her stuck here either! Miles and a mountain and a half away, sitting in a fucking military storehouse when I should still be in there, still—” 

“Still what, Mollymauk? You wouldn’t still be anything. You would be stabbed through by another gods-verdammt oversized blade and by the time your neat little trick got around to bringing you back, there would be more time wasted than we are using right now.”

Caleb isn’t so soft-spoken, isn’t so calm now. His voice is low, but it’s tense and rough and he’s meeting Molly’s gaze now—deep purple bruising under his eyes and brows furrowed in consternation as he pins Molly with a hard look and it stops his mind short. This Caleb is familiar, for all Molly never actually got to meet him. This is the Caleb that rode up the Glory Run Road, dragging broken friends and compatriots away from a fresh grave to rescue the ones yet living. 

Molly swallows the spitting retort that’s fast dying on his devil’s tongue and carefully returns the cards to his deck, inverse of how they’d been placed and rolls up the cloth, sets them both aside and reaches for the bowl.

He eats in silence. Caleb shifts, sits against the bunk that hides Molly’s corner from the rest of the large room and pulls out a loop of silver thread to fiddle with. Moonlight catches in the threads and Molly recognizes the geometric patterns.

“No Molly, if you do it that way—see? You’ve got it tangled now.”

Molly made a face at the snarls of string binding up his wrists and fingers. Yasha only laughed softly and reached to pick apart the knots.

“Where did you even learn this? Practice for building snares in the Xorhassian wastes?”

“Jester taught me while we were at sea. It was a long journey and you run out of things to do on a ship, eventually.”

There was a waft of sea-salt tang rising from the string, nearly masked by the scent of dry parchment and flowers that clung to everything stored in Yasha’s belt-pouch. He wiggled his fingers gleefully once Yasha freed them, then looped the string around once more.

“Alright. Show me again.”

Molly sets the empty bowl aside—when had he finished it? Must have been hungrier than he thought—and scoots over across from Caleb. The wizard has reached a point in the pattern where he can’t move further. Wordless, Molly reaches in and deftly moves the strings, pulls them off Caleb’s hands and into the next pattern, then holds it out.

Their eyes meet in a quick glance, all that Caleb allows, then burn-scarred fingers reach across to pluck at the web spanned between Molly’s hands; gingerly pinching strings together, then looping them around and pulling back. Another familiar pattern. Molly follows along, and so they go, the silence stretching on and growing more comfortable as it does. Comfortable, but it’s not enough to soothe the agitation still simmering in Molly’s blood.

The emotions still boil up in him, horror and fear and anguish that steam out as anger at the situation, anger at his friends, their hesitance, their—

Caleb nudges Molly’s elbow with his own. Their hands are suddenly knotted together—Molly’s hands having spasmed and yanked the careful magic out of true, tangling the thread. Shit. Fuck. Gods damn it all, can't even get a simple children’s game right, let alone anything more useful. He doesn’t move as Caleb slips his own fingers free and starts untangling the thread. Still quiet, movements slow and purposeful and fucking hells below.

“How are you all so calm about this?” He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t.

There is a long moment of silence, Caleb slipping the last knots from the thread and winding it carefully before replying, “Everyone is in shock, Mollymauk. Do not mistake it for apathy.”

“Bullshit. If any of you gave a—” Caleb doesn’t let him finish, talks over him.

“Beauregard hasn’t said a single word since your shouting match three hours and twenty-seven minutes ago. Jester started crying halfway through that argument and hasn’t stopped. Caduceus burned the stew and oversteeped three separate pots of tea. Nott has done nothing but drink since we got back and Fjord has let his accent slip at least four times in that span.”

“And you?” Molly is still stuck on their firebrand wizard and his icy calm all through the ride back to Bazzoxan—stuck and enraged, if he’s honest with himself. 

Caleb laughs, dry as dust. “Well.” 

He holds out his right hand for inspection and Molly takes in what he hadn’t noticed earlier. The bandages on the outer blade of his hand are scorched brown, black at the edges, and there are red smears in the palm mirrored by the rusty brown caked under burned short nails. Unthinking, he reaches out to cradle it in his own two as Caleb continues,

“Nott told me to find something to do with myself before the proprietor noticed I was burning a hole in their table. So I brought you food.”

The hand in Molly’s grasp is shaking, as if only just being held back from clenching into a fist once more. Molly has to take a moment, has to sit with what Caleb’s just told him. He wants to stay angry, wants it more than anything, because if he’s angry then nothing else can get to him—if he’s angry, the rest of the awful, awful things...

Ah, too late. 

Their game of Cat’s Cradle had brought him and Caleb knee-to-knee, so it’s not far to go when Molly slumps forward to knock his head into Caleb’s shoulder. Months and months ago, back when they’d all first met, the Caleb Molly had known would have jerked back on instinct. The Caleb Molly had known wouldn’t have let his hand be held so tenderly either, or played a silly string game with him in grief-stricken silence. This Caleb has done all those things, and more—twisting his hand just enough to clasp around Molly’s forearm in a firm hold.

“I hate this.” Molly says to their laps, forehead pressed into the shoulder seam of Caleb’s fancy new coat. “Is this what it felt like? When I… When I was gone?”

“Nein,” Caleb replies, harsh and certain. Molly jerks upright at the tone.

“How?”

Caleb’s frown deepens. “You were dead, Mollymauk. You were dead and you were gone and we mourned you.” His hand tightens on Molly’s arm. “Yasha is not. She is alive, and we may not be strong enough yet, but we will get her back. I don’t— I’m not sure how we can, but we will, Molly. I swear it.”

Caleb’s free hand has lifted to rub at his face and Molly sees a smear of crimson when it comes away—a cut on his jaw that should have been healed many cleric spells ago. There’s dried blood crusted under the nails of that hand as well. Had he picked open that shaving nick over the course of the night?

There’s a hard lump in Molly’s throat that he tries to swallow past, but can’t. It blocks all his words except the few syllables he needs to send up to the Moonweaver as he reaches out to touch Caleb’s jaw. The silver crescent charm on his horn chimes softly as it spins and hits keratin, and a sparkle of divine blue light dances in the blue of Caleb’s eyes as Molly draws on the absolute last of his strength to seal up the tiny cut. He doesn’t move his hand after—keeps it there to feel the subtle movement of Caleb adjusting his jaw, relaxing clenched teeth.

It’s not far to go when their foreheads press together, made shorter by Caleb leaning in to meet him halfway. Molly lets his hand drop to fall atop Caleb’s wrapped ones in their laps, closes his eyes and tries to just breathe—he feels like he hasn’t properly since that door closed. 

It hurts. It’s going to hurt for a good long while yet, he reckons. But it’ll hurt a damn sight less once they’ve got Yasha back.

[alwayshinny]

Hinny 💍 - The One With No Voldy and Where Everyone Lives

AU, where Harry happens to hear a conversation between his grandfather, Fleamont Potter, and his father, James. Fleamont, who has been looking weaker by the day, tells his son he knows his and Euphemia's time is coming to an end, and his only regret is not being able to witness Harry grow up and get married. This bothers Harry, and while on a playdate at the Burrow, he confides in Ginny, who responds as if it were the most obvious solution: "Then let's get married."

They persuade their families to arrange a gathering, and they con the Weasley brothers into decorating the backyard. Ron stands by Harry's side as his best man, while Luna is Ginny's bridesmaid. All it took was one look from Harry and Ginny to convince Sirius to turn into Padfoot to be their ring bearer/flower girl; his outfit consisted of a bowtie and a tutu (James, Remus, Gideon, and Fabian nearly fell off their chairs laughing so hard).

They made each other's wedding rings. Harry's ring was made from the metal from his grandma's old Auror badge (which Euphemia gave to her willingly) and the very first snitch he caught for the first time and gifted to her. Ginny convinced Fabian and Gideon to transform into a ring. Ginny's ring was made of her favorite green bubble gum (that was suspiciously similar to Harry's eye color) and twigs of their broomsticks as the band, which Harry convinced his dad and Sirius to smooth out and place an unbreakable charm on with an auto-replenishing charm on the bubble gum.

They both dressed themselves for the occasion, and Harry asked his mom and godmother Marlene to help him pick flowers for Ginny's bouquet. He smelled each one and was very picky persistent it had to smell like Ginny's hair. It took Harry HOURS until he was finally satisfied with the arrangement. Molly volunteered to make their wedding cake, and a few days before the wedding, Ginny told her dad in a very grown-up tone to wear a bowtie because he was walking her down the aisle on Sunday. Hinny asked Hagrid to marry them, and when it was time to kiss the bride, Harry was just about to protest/lecture Hagrid about how he should have asked Ginny for her consent instead of giving him permission "to kiss the bride" (the boy was Lily Potter's son and a true feminist at heart), when Ginny pulled Harry down and gave Harry a big kiss on the lips. The kid was frozen for a solid minute and then couldn't stop smiling as he followed his 'wife' around all day.

They made Fleamont and Euphemia's wishes come true.

Then, 16 years later, they got married again.

[omgrachwrites]

Wicked Game - Chapter One

Pairing: Mattheo Riddle x Weasley!Reader

Summary: When you realise just how bad your parents financial situation is you make a deal with your fathers boss.

Warnings: muggle au, fluff, angst, swearing

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this! The other chapters are going to be longer and this is going to be a relatively slow burn. Please let me know what you think and let me know if you would like to be tagged! I love you all! xxx

masterlist

Chapter One

You knew that your parents were struggling financially, you had always known, especially when you were at school. They had managed to send all eight of you to an exclusive boarding school so you never minded that your things were second-hand, you thought they added more charm. Now, that you were out of school, it seemed as though your parents were struggling even more, your dad’s boss, Mr Riddle had cut his hours right down.

Arthur and Molly were too proud to ask for help – despite having an array of friends who would drop everything to help – and they had denied your help more than once. You really didn’t want to see your family out on the street so you decided to take drastic measures.

“I’m heading to London today,” you told your mum as you sat down for breakfast on a warm summer’s morning.

Before she could reply, your twin brother spoke up, “Why, what’s in London? I thought you weren’t at the shop today.”

You rolled your eyes, “Ron, just because your nose is enormous doesn’t mean you should be poking it in other people’s business,” you flicked his nose causing him to bat your hand away and he scowled at you, the tips of his ears turning red.

After a quick breakfast, you were out the door and on the way to London, despite being pretty far out in the countryside you only needed one train to get there. The journey seemed to go by so quickly and soon enough you were walking into the lobby of the high rise building. It was so quiet and clean that it seemed clinical. The receptionist looked at you with wide eyes when you told her who you were there to see but you weren’t waiting long until she led you into Mr Riddle’s office.

As you walked in, trying to stop your hands from shaking, the older man looked up at you and took in your appearance, “you’re Arthur Weasley’s daughter,” it wasn’t a question as he gestured for you to sit down.

You nodded as you cleared your throat and sat down, “y-yes, Sir.”

“And what does Arthur Weasley’s daughter want with me?” he asked as he went back to signing the papers on his desk.

“My parents need help,” Mr Riddle glanced up at you with a raised eyebrow and you elaborated, “financial help.”

“Ah,” he had a ghost of a smirk on his face as he dropped his pen on top of his papers and leaned back in his leather wing backed chair, “if your parents hadn’t of had an army of children maybe they’d be in a much more comfortable position.”

It was amazing how quickly your fear turned to anger and you couldn’t stop the next words that fell from your lips, “well maybe if you gave my dad reasonable hours then I wouldn’t be here,” you folded your arms and narrowed your eyes.

Riddle blinked at you before letting out a harsh laugh that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, “my dear, all working hours have been cut since the war ended.”

“Still, there must be something I can do, please I’ll do anything,” you didn’t mean to beg but you were getting desperate now. Why wouldn’t he help you? A man in his position of power was exactly the sort of man who would help you, but he wouldn’t, not for nothing in return.

“You would do anything to save your family from ruin?” when you nodded he smirked and buzzed for the receptionist, “Bella find my son and send him in.”

Moments later, Mattheo Riddle came striding into the room like he owned it, he was even more handsome than he had been in school with the same sullen look on his face. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw you standing in his father’s office but he nodded at you all the same.

“Y/N.”

“Hi, Mattheo.”

“You see, Y/N,” Riddle started “I have been trying to make a marriage for my son and at every turn he has rejected several extraordinary women,” Mattheo flushed and his eyes dropped to the floor at his father’s words, “you see, it’s very difficult for those fools to take me seriously at the Ministry without a marriage. You say you would do anything to save your family? Marry my son.”

Matteo’s eyes widened, “father,” he started but fell silent as Riddle gave him a hard look.

Riddle looked back at you, “accept and your family will want for nothing. Refuse, and I will make their life a living hell.”

This was the last thing you expected – or wanted – your heart was in your throat but you had started all of this and now you had to see it through. Briefly, you wondered why he would ask you, given Riddle’s opinion of your family. But you realised it was to keep you in line, you weren’t an idiot. You glanced at Mattheo who refused to look at you and you turned back to Riddle.

“When you put it that way, how can I refuse? Of course, you leave me no choice but to accept.”

Riddle smirked, “excellent, I’ll make the necessary arrangements. Mattheo, please show our guest out.

The younger Riddle glared at you as he gripped your elbow and steered you out of the room, “what the fuck, Y/N? Why would you do that?!” he hissed.

You managed to shake him off by the time you got to reception, “you heard your dad, I didn’t have a choice!” you conveniently ‘forgot’ to tell him that it was you who had sought Riddle out.

“You’re going to regret this,” there was a fire blazing in his usually cold brown eyes.

“Trust me, I already do,” you scowled.

As you got home, you had a guilty feeling in the pit of your stomach so you decided to shut yourself in your room. Your parents were going to be so disappointed. You were shut in your room all day, even when Hermione came to visit. You didn’t see anyone till later that evening when your dad barged in.

“We need to talk.”

“About?”

“Mattheo Riddle.”

Your heart sank like a rock as you looked at your dad’s disappointed face, “what do you want to know?”

“You’re not marrying him, Y/N.”

“I already accepted.”

“Well unaccept!”

“I can’t!” you sighed, “you guys needed help, I never meant for it to get this far but it’s done. If I refuse he will make our lives hell, you know he will. All I wanted was to help,” but you feared you had made things worse.

“We never wanted this for you, Y/N,” Arthur sighed as he awkwardly lingered in the doorway.

“Look dad, I know and I’m sorry. I’ll try and get out of it somehow.”

Arthur nodded with a sigh as he left the room, knowing the conversation was over and knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to change your mind.

A couple of minutes later, you decided that you needed some air, you all but crept by the living room where Riddle was having a hushed conversation with your parents. As you headed towards the back door, Harry called after you.

“Hey, Y/N.”

You groaned and turned to face him, knowing that he’d have something to say, he always did, “Harry, please. I really don’t need a lecture off you, of all people.”

“Whoa, whoa,” Harry laughed, throwing up his hands in mock defence, “I’m not going to lecture you. It was brave what you did, stupid,” he added “but brave.”

You laughed, “I agree with the stupid part, but thanks Harry,” you grinned.

“I can’t believe you’re gonna be a Riddle though,” he said with a look of distaste on his face.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s a real tragedy,” you laughed, “see you, Harry,” you shot him a wave as you headed outside into the warm summer air.

The air smelled sweet, like honeysuckle and lemon and you gazed around the wild garden, feeling sadness linger in the pit of your stomach. You spotted Mattheo sitting on the garden wall, smoking a cigarette. With a sigh, you walked over to him and sat next to him as he nodded at you.

“It’s nice out here,” he nodded at the strings of fairy lights that had been weaved through the flowering bushes, “you caused quite a stir it seems,” he mumbled as he blew out a plume of smoke, being careful to not let it get in your face.

“Well, it was getting boring around here, so I thought I’d spice it up,” you laugh as Mattheo’s lips almost quirked up into a smirk, “so,” you started, “what’s your reason for agreeing to marry me? What’s in it for you?”

He scoffed as he looked at you with brown eyes so unlike his dad’s cold blue ones, “my father says jump, I ask how high.”

“Oh,” you bit your lip, you couldn’t imagine having that sort of relationship with your family, “I’m sorry,” you hadn’t just ruined your life, you’d ruined his too.

Mattheo pulled a face, “don’t be silly, you don’t have to apologise for anything. Look, Y/N, despite what the papers say about me, I’m not a monster. I’ll treat you how you deserve to be treated but, Y/N, I’m never going to love you. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re going to be disappointed.”

Personally, you thought love was overrated, people did stupid things when they were in love, “well, I’m never going to love you either.”

“Perfect,” he nodded, flicking the stub of his cigarette away.

“So, when do you take me away from my family?” you joke.

“Not until the wedding, my dad wanted you to move in straight away but I convinced him there was no need.”

“Thank you.”

The handsome boy looked at you in bewilderment, like he didn’t know why you would thank him, “don’t look for any redeeming qualities in me, Y/N. I have none.”

Before you could reply, Riddle was striding across the garden, “we’re leaving, Mattheo.”

“I guess I’ll see you soon,” the boy nodded at you before disappearing up the country lane.

With a sigh, you headed back inside the house to find everyone sitting around the table. As you walked in they all stared at you as you sat down. Sirius looked impressed while Lily looked like she felt sorry for you. You knew that someone was dying to say something.

“Just don’t,” you said, shaking your head as you reached for your glass of juice.

It was silent for a couple of moments before Ginny spoke up, “hey, at least he’s hot,” everyone let out a nervous laugh and fell into an uneasy conversation as they waited for dinner.

[lastmidtownshowmp3]

Your mermaid friend? Yeah we put him in the cube, his little buddy too. Sorry, they’re trapped in there :\ Don’t go moping about it!!

[edwards-exploit]

Human AU Goofin: featuring Great Western Engine Drivers, early NWR Thomas and Edward, streamlined shenanigans, soft togetherness, and yellow wearing ladies!

[fauvester]

how do garak and bashir feel about being grandparents?, also since theres a third elim (3lim) ((if i read tht right,,,,)

garak and bashirs parenting styles are reversed for grandparenting. julian's a total sap for his grandkids, taking them on trips and buying them elaborate educational toys. garak is the reserved victorian grandfather smoking a pipe in the study talking about The Old Days and ordering them around (especially in the garden, his knees aren't what they used to be.)

Bashir is still annoyed at the passage of time seeing fit to give his children (who, in his mind, are still kids) children of their own. Rude!

[justmwahstruly]

woah @kumakooo whiteborb doodles

hhhhhh

wooo silly steampunky stuffs (yall already seen the ones for @/koifsssh ehehehgege)

eee pretty lady…

NEW OC DROP SKSJFJG

Her name is Creedence, and I am never drawing her normal puppet version. She is a silly i made for the steampunk au! (maybe ill finish her ref… someday…)

waho— *explosed*

and actually yk what we’ll add these silly doodles too (from @/cutepotatook) magma)

just two lil sillies :]

NOW waho— *epxolsed*

[tornrose24]

Long after writing Molly and Scratch’s backstory for that RE Village AU, I realized that maybe the whole ‘being forced to adopt Molly and take her away from her family’ plot wouldn’t one hundred percent work because of one person–Sharon McGee.

Now realistically, the McGee family would have been reassured that Molly would still be free to visit them and all. They just can’t ask about the circumstances as to why she supposedly got involved in an incident, had ‘medical treatment,’ and has to be adopted by one of the lords (besides that guaranteeing her financial and medical security, plus a boost in social status).

I mean, Christ, if that woman was angry about being told to cook, can you imagine the epic rage she’d have over being told that she’d have to give up her kid? It’d be all–

Sharon: *With all the rage of a bear* The HELL do you mean we have to give Molly to you?! She’s MY kid! Not yours!

Scratch/Todd: *Horribly scared for his life* I swear, I wouldn’t make her do this if I had a choice! Heck, I’d have her stay with you all!

Sharon: Then if it wasn’t YOU, then who decided this?! Who said that Molly can’t live with us anymore?!

*Minutes later*

Sharon: *bursts into the church with a large blunt object for hitting someone with and a fury that would make a demon blush* Ok, where the HELL is this ‘Father?!’ Because I’m going to kick his ass and mkae him hope his 'Black God' is merciful because I sure won't be when I'm through with him!

[dent-de-leon]

AU where Azahari "Hollows" Lucien, and Caleb comes across a living doll/puppet in a little cottage in the woods. His heart aches for someone else whose autonomy and free will was stolen from them, another victim whose mind and memories were twisted by a powerful mage. He helps him escape the hag and gives him the name Molly--

[bluejaybytes]

In any AU where Parker was raised on the surface rather than the Octarian domes, she literally wouldn't have any plot relevance or big moments or anything, she'd just be working a dead end job as a cashier who's one bad day away from telling her boss to fuck himself and flipping off every customer that walks in. Instead she just puts on the most autistically monotone customer service voice she can manage. Surface AU Parker is literally just lesbian Squidward

[chicleeblair]

Uncomfortably Numb [30/?]||FFN

Rating: NC-17/Explicit

Pairings: Meredith Grey/Derek Shepherd, Lexie Grey/Mark Sloan

Meredith isn't the only Grey to make it home alive after the plane crash. How does Lexie's survival affect everyone else's recovery? With Mark gone and returning to the O.R. as a surgeon an unlikelihood in her uncertain future, can Lexie really say she's survived?

AO3||FFN

Derek put an arm over her shoulders. “Thank you.”

Meredith wanted to pull away and run, and maybe never stop running. Lexie had probably felt like that the other night at Thatcher’s. She’d wanted to go over there even after Lexie left to tell Dani what she thought of those stupid purses. To ask Thatcher if he was capable of considering two people at once. If he was in some sort of Stockholm situation and needed help. If he planned to alienate Molly next, in which case, he should reconsider. Derek had talked her out of it. Today, she didn’t feel like a person who could have.

[captainkingsley]

Mollymauk knows it's a long shot. Hell, it's probably a shorter shot to throw his scimitars to Tal'dorei — but he knows he'll never forgive himself if he doesn't ask. There will always be a part of him that will nag at the back of his thoughts if he doesn't say something.

(And Yasha will nag him, too. Which is probably worse, because he can't disappoint Yasha.)

So he breathes deep, runs his hands over his hair, and stares at the mirror for just a moment longer. 

"Alright, Tealeaf. You can do this. You've only been friends through near apocalyptic catastrophe — this won't affect you or your friendship if he says no." He says, now gripping the edge of the sink. It's a rather nice looking sink, actually, but that's to be expected in Rexxentrum. Not the basins or tubs of smaller towns, but proper water service running through the city, and yes, he knows he's stalling thinking of running water versus still basins of water, but he's itchy with anxiety.

Mollymauk breathes deep, pulling his coat on once more — not the old coat, that had been ripped and turned into a blanket by Yasha, since she knew just how important it was to him — and he inspects himself once more. 

He's grown. His hair has grown out, closer to how he'd had it before he'd met the Nein. He's added a couple more tattoos, one visible from the open collar of his new, silky blue shirt, a peek of vibrant lines of a tree branch extending up from his ribcage and onto his pectoral muscle opposite the peacock. Some of it seems to glitter in the light thanks to Orly's handiwork. Molly thinks it looks rather nice with the rest of his ink, and he hopes everyone else does, too.

One person in particular. 

He fiddles with his sleeves, picks at his fingernails for a moment before turning with a new determination to the door. 

Say it now while you've got the chance, he tells himself. 

The rest of the Nein are beginning to head up to the room where Caleb has set up the tower for the night. The last few remaining are Yasha, Veth, and Caleb — Yasha meets Molly's eyes and seems to read him immediately, giving him the shortest smile and a nod of encouragement before she begins to head up.

"Veth, you should come with me," Yasha says, "I have something to show you."

Oh, Moonweaver bless you, Yasha, Molly thinks. 

Veth asks what it is Yasha wants, but Yasha simply stammers through some excuses as she encourages Veth to follow. Once they've both disappeared up the stairs, Molly finds his pulse quickening. 

It's been quite some time traveling together. Caleb looks tired, but he also looks accomplished, happy, healthier than he had in the beginning. Molly finds that the most attractive part of him, these days, that he looks like he's happy with himself. Confidence, newfound steadiness in himself. 

He thinks back to the things they've done, the risks they've taken for each other. How many fights had turned to Mollymauk diving in front of Caleb to take a hit, to defend him from something that would easily cut through Caleb's coat, and in turn his body?

Caleb seems to be reading Mollymauk in return, but what he's thinking, Molly can't tell. He's too scared to imagine what he's thinking of. 

So instead he avoids eye contact, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"It's been a journey," Molly says, watching as Caleb collects his things from the table. 

"It has." Caleb says, sounding level and noncommittal. "We've come a long way from hunting demon toads."

"Devil toads," Molly corrects, and he watches the corner of Caleb's lips turn upward in a smile. 

"Devil toads. Yes." Caleb says. "You seem like you have a question?"

"I… I do, actually, yes." Mollymauk says. He rubs his hands together anxiously, thinking for a moment that if he were a cricket he would be the noisiest one alive, swiped up by a predatory bird faster than he can comprehend. 

But he's just a tiefling in a tavern with a good friend, hoping not to embarrass himself. 

"I was actually wondering… Now that we're, you know, some of us are splitting ways, some are going with each other," he thinks of Beau and Yasha. "I was wondering where you plan to end up?"

Caleb hums. 

"I was thinking just outside of the city," Caleb says. "Any particular reason to ask?"

"Well," Molly says, drawing the word out. "You know, I was with the circus, and that's… not an option any longer. And while sure, sure, Lucien had family I could track down, it seems a bit rude to pursue that, gods only know if they'd want anything to do with me, so…"

Caleb says nothing. He only stares at Mollymauk with a raised brow. 

"... And Yasha and Beau are definitely going to have their own thing going on, so I was thinking maybe I could, you know, stick around town, find a spot around here, and maybe…"

Gods, when did his palms get so sweaty?

Is he shaking?

Why is asking this so much harder than propositioning a stranger?

(They've only risked their lives for each other, been through hell and back, torn down a near demigod to keep each other safe. Normal bonds of friendship.)

"I'd like to see you now and then, now that things are settling down, and I was wondering how you'd feel about…"

Caleb's watching him so closely now. Mollymauk feels his face burning. 

"Mollymauk." Caleb says. Molly stops in his stammering. 

"Yeah?" He says, his voice more a squeak than a vocalization. 

"Are you asking me on a date?"

Molly finds that the wood grain of the floor sort of looks like a dragon from this angle. 

He swallows. 

"Yes?" He says, not looking up. 

"I think, well. We are definitely at a good place to think about these things," Caleb says, "Though I do plan to take some students, and to chase down the remaining evidence of the Assembly and their actions…" 

"I'm flexible," Molly says, and then he pauses. Don't make him uncomfortable. "My schedule is flexible. I'm sorry. Didn't mean —"

"I think, perhaps, it would be nice to see how flexible you are, Mollymauk Tealeaf." Caleb laughs, and Molly finds himself taken aback. 

"You—" he starts, then laughs in return. "Caleb?"

He gets only a smile in return. 

And oh, what a smile it is. Mollymauk feels his knees go a little weak, finds laughter bubbling in the back of his throat as Caleb ushers him forward for a hug, arms wrapping around him. When he pulls away, he feels hands on his shoulders,

lips against his forehead. 

Mollymauk says nothing, but he smiles.

A return gesture, a promise of more. 

It's not quite love yet, he thinks, but it's a start. 

An ending to one story and the first page of another. 

[thicctails]

HP au idea that exists purely BC I think it would be cute to draw: baby wixen are born fluffy/fuzzy and kinda look like owlets before they get their adult feathers or very fuzzy kittens.

[demenior]

i literally do not remember if i've already sent an ask but if i haven't i would love to hear about the critrole werewolf AU pretty please! and if i have. then i would like to hear about it again anyway 👐

Check my list of current wips here and send me a title and I’ll post a bit or share some details about it.

The CritRole Werewolf au is a mighty nein werewolf au. I set it in a vaguely modern world, but... in the 90s/early 00's. I wanted it to have some Buffy/Blair Witch/Lost Boys vibes. Like, grotesque and terrifying but with moments of absurd humor and a really bitchin' soundtrack. The Brjeau's are, loosely, the main characters.

Beau and Fjord were the intro duo. They're amateaur ghost hunters touring the country's most haunted locations. They're using Beau's absent fathers' credit card to fund them sleeping in Fjord's work van and get them access to dope shit like handheld video cameras and microphones that Beau uses to prove the supernatural is real. (Fjord films/runs tech. He a) doesn't believe in the supernatural and b) is terrified of it).

They pair up with Caleb- a mysterious dude in a long duster coat with a weird accent who may or may not be a monster hunter, and Veth- who's definitely just some normal housewife who just so happens to hate werewolves and definitely isn't one. They join the team after a scary event where Fjord is lost for a few days in some weird haunted place/sacred temple to some old forgotten wolf god. Caleb and Veth want to make sure Fjord isn't cursed, Beau is thrilled to be proven right that the supernatural exists, and Fjord thinks this is all ridiculous. So what that he's been having some weird dreams? That doesn't mean anything.

(You can see where this is going).

To keep things reigned in, I tried to limit all the supernatural entities to just werewolves (save for Fjord's eventual eldritch horror wolf thing he has going on).

Yasha, Caduceus, Fjord, Veth and Jester are all werewolves. Some of them were born werewolves, some of them were turned. Some were turned willingly, some not(t). Caleb and Beau remain Team Human (though Scourgers are now werewolf hunters, and through grueling training are a weird almost "half" werewolf, so they can't be turned).

[blanche-elizabeth-devereaux]

Dang , I would like to hear more of Arthur x Molly mechanics au and the canon versions headcanons more

Especially want to know how Molly feels about Issac (mechanics au )

of course ♥️ the mechanics au is more thought out for me bc it's happier & I love happy endings (tho I guess I can technically hc whatever I want lol)

Arthur loves to paint tho he still prefers drawing in his journal. it's calming for him and he can do it anywhere

Molly has tried to teach him to knit many, many times but it's never been successful

(she's amazed that his hands can be so deft when fixing his truck or sketching yet so clumsy when doing literally anything else)

Molly is very uncomfortable around children but tries her hardest with Isaac (10 years old in this au)

Arthur would never be with someone who couldn't accept his son & he appreciates how hard Molly is trying for him

she tried taking a hands off approach when she first met Isaac but he warmed up to her pretty quickly, which made her more confident

her awkward behavior around kids worked in their favor bc it turns out she makes Isaac feel like an adult (which he loves) since she doesn't talk to him like a child

Molly was a little jealous of Eliza at first due to her own insecurities (ones that started while she was dating Dutch)

with Arthur & Hosea's help, she was able to rationalize away that insecurity & lay the jealousy to rest.

the first time Molly tells Isaac that she loves him, Arthur accidentally overhears it & silently breaks down in tears (he's never been so happy)

nobody talks about their relationship around Dutch but almost everyone they know voices approval since they see how much happier Molly & Arthur are

Hosea's the only one who doesn't tiptoe around Dutch bc he knows can get away with it (in fact, sometimes he's downright antagonistic lol)

years down the line, Arthur asks for Isaac's permission to propose to Molly, to which he excitedly agrees

Isaac even joins Charles and Arthur to help pick out a ring ♥️

(she said yes)

[theanoninyourinbox]

an interesting ask for hypoparents if they're still open... what would hawkfrost, mothwing, tadpole, and darktail look/be like if their parents were swapped (so hawkfrost, mothwing, and tadpole are onestar x smoke kits and darktail is a tigerstar x sasha kit)??? :o

OwO very interesting! I did change Darktail a bit because Tigerstar would Not Allow his kit to be indirectly named after Darkstripe lol