#blumenshadow

[critter-rarepair-reccs]

Hello all! Hope your Wednesday is going well. Today we have nine Pre-Relationship fics for you to enjoy! As always, you can find them below the cut and if you check any of them out, I encourage you to leave kudoes and comments to spread the rarepair love 🩷

gravity-bound by hanap (7,591 words, Teen) Pairing: Jester Lavorre/Essek Thelyss (Jessek) Warnings: None

Essek writes poetry under a pen name, Jester is a fan, she writes to him and they start to exchange letters over many years.

Reccer Says: I love epistolary fic, and also its so cute. There's a lot of background details of canon events we can fill in the background through the letters contents, which is very fun.

in the pieces of what's left or what we've found by SeaWitchDreams (14,620 words, Teen) Pairing: Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Blumenshadow) Warnings: None

Post canon, Astrid decides what to do with Ikithon's tower, and her life.

Reccer Says: Its a nice long read, and the character beats are complex and nuanced, bc that's what Astrid deserves <3

That Lucidian Glow by fjorests_of_wildemount (455 words, General) Pairing: Kingsley Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss (Shadowking) Warnings: None

Essek needs to put on sunscreen, Kingsley volunteers.

Reccer Says: It's fun and cute moment <3

to be in someone else's coat by jaskofalltrades (1,369 words, General) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

After Essek's dinner with the Nein at the Xhorhaus, Molly and Caleb walk him home. Flirting, of course, ensues.

Reccer Says: It's so fun to see how Essek responds to Molly's relentless flirting, filtering through Caleb's observations on how new Essek is to friendship. And how he can tell that Essek wants that companionship so badly! It's very sweet.

though we're tethered to the story we must tell (when I saw you, well, I knew we'd tell it well). by exhaustedwerewolf (4,535 words, Teen) Pairing: Polymachina Warnings: Mentions of backstory typical violence and character death

On one wrist is your greatest love. On your other, your greatest adversary. And for a certain group of fated adventurers, one of these follows a pattern.

Reccer Says: I'm always a sucker for a good soulmate AU and I *love* ones of this flavor. The angst of not knowing which name is which is delicious and the way this fic plays with that for each member of VM is so good! Also love that the love-bonds don't Have to be romantic, I always appreciate that when it comes to soulmate AUs. And the way it all comes together in the end for VM is just... so good. Also the character voices in the narration? Spot on.

know no shame by hanap (4,453 words, Teen) Pairing: Adeen Tasithar/Essek Thelyss Warnings: None

What if Essek and Adeen had crushes on each other as teenagers and were adorable, messy disaster about it?

Reccer Says: It's so cute. Like oh-my-god so cute. They're adorable with each other and baby wizard Essek trying to join the Aurora Watch so he can spend more time with Adeen has my WHOLE heart. The messy teenage feelings! The circumstances keeping them apart! Deirta and Dad Thelyss's reactions to them!!! It's all so so good.

The Sunny Side by dracoqueen22 (1,767 words, General) Pairing: Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett (Beaujes) Warnings: None

There’s nothing Beau won't do if it’ll make Jester smile, even if it means fixing something as minor as a sunburn.

Reccer Says: Cutteee <3 Beau is just so smitten. Plus Cad being his odd self in the first half <3

Today I Love You Even More by wtgw (5,687 words, Teen) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast Warnings: None

Yeza Brenatto is a creature of infinite anxiety, but he’s not blind. He can see how much Veth loves Caleb. He can see how much Caleb loves her back. And he can also see that Caleb is really attractive. But it’s not like he’s not going to do anything about that…

Reccer Says: Yeza Brenatto is just a perfect sweetheart always and there's this scene where the three of them are sitting around drunk complementing each other that is just too cute

Just Between Friends by biorusted (3,624 words, Explicit) Pairing: Ashton Greymoore/Orym/Dorian Storm (Dashrym) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Aspec Dorian talks with Ashton and Orym about how sex has always felt to him and they share their feelings in return. Things escalate from there. Just as friends, of course.

Reccer Says: Aspec Dorian my beloved <3 always love the dynamics between these three, they fit together so well.

Thank you for joining us this week’s recc list! All the love to everyone who submitted a fic 🩷 All enclosed recommendations were submitted by the community via our submissions form, which you can find here. All fic information is as it was provided by the reccer, so it may not be accurate to the author’s intent or the precise contents of the fic itself. Please assume good intent from all parties 🩷

Submissions for next week’s list are already open! We’ll be featuring Canon Divergent fics. If you have any you’d like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Keyleth Rarepairs and the weeks after that we’re taking recommendations for Polyamorous Ships and Enemies to Lovers fic! Submissions for all of these themes are currently open.

If you want more rarepair fic, check out @cr-summer-wildflowers and their event collections on ao3! If you want some friendship after all this romance, take a look at @critter-genfic-events and their recc lists! And if you’re interested in everyone’s favorite wizards, you can’t go wrong with the lists at @aeor-is-for-reccing !

Thanks all and have a lovely day/night/timezone! 🩷

[saltytothecore]

(nothing in my bones can say) just where you've been - SaltCore - Critical Role (Chapter 1)

Rating: E

Relationship: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss

Tags: POV Second Person, Coda for C3Ep52, Foursome, Presumed Dead, AngstHurt/Comfort, (then hurt again)

Summary: After the Solstice, after the loss at the Hellcatch Valley, return to Rexxentrum. At least Essek will be waiting for you. He'll help put you back together, help you decide what to do next. Right?

(It takes more time than Caleb realized to get home, and in his absence, alliances and affections have grown.)

[purvan-suul-enthusiast]

HELP

I need to find the blumenshadow fic where there's art! And Essek is being hunted and spied on by Astrid and Wulf! And they all end up fighting the volstrucker over and getting caleb to join their polycule! I cANT FUCKINFFG FIND IT HELP

[glasscalf]

the real wizard quartet dynamic btw (weird girl comic here)

[shrugsinchinese]

*punches wall*

the sea, the stars, the dreamers by nonwal

[tangereendream]

My thoughts on the wizard wives

[Image ID: A relationship chart with four names on the vertices of a diamond. Starting at the top and going clockwise, the names are wulf, essek, caleb, astrid. Between each pair of names is one or two arrows in various colors. around the chart are labels of the different colors.

Between adjacent names are single lines with arrows on both ends. Between Astrid and Wulf, the arrow is labeled "bonded pair, do not separate." Between Wulf and Essek, "otp." Between Essek and Caleb, "the self-loathing is strong, but the love is stronger." Between Caleb and Astrid, "would kill the other. would also marry them."

Between opposite names are two arrows, one point from each to the other. The arrow from Wulf to Caleb is "I killed the person you used to be and it hurts to look at the person you are now." From Caleb to Wulf, "dtf but you're being so weird about it." From Astrid to Essek, "would fuck, wouldn't date." From Essek to Astrid, "slightly terrified of and trying to impress."

End ID]

[nonwal]

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Astrid Beck/Essek Thelyss, Eadwulf Grieve/Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

24: all the things that you have toiled all your life for

ACT THREE. SCENE TWO. Ship’s interior. A small officer’s quarters, occupied by THE THIRD MATE, who is flipping through the ship’s log. There is a knock at the door. THE THIRD MATE looks up and closes the log. THE THIRD MATE     I’m busy. And it’s late. Unless it’s an     Emergency, come back tomorrow morn— The door opens, even though THE THIRD MATE did not unlock it, revealing THE IMPOSTOR.

[the-kaedageist]

for the ask game, blumenshadow tusk love please 👀👀👀

Blumenshadow Tusk Love is a bit of an AU of the Tusk Love universe where I was trying to figure out if I wanted 2T2L to end with eventual blumenshadow. (What was the verdict, you ask? I most likely will leave it ambiguous, but there’s still a chance it could happen if the story takes me there).

I only wrote ~200 words of this but here it is in all its glory featuring all four of them cuddling in bed in an alternate post-2T2L world:

Eadwulf was smug. “I told you he would join us,” he said to Bren and Astrid, all of them curled around one another in Astrid’s enormous bed.

Sitting against the headboard, Essek cracked one violet eye open to glare at them all. “I heard that,” he said.

“I said it in Common so you would understand,” Wulf assured him.

Bren closed his eyes and snuggled more deeply into Wulf’s side, surrounded by all of his favorite people in the world. How had a person like him ended up so lucky?

Well, not all of his favorite people in the world, he amended as a Sending pierced its way through his sated brain fog.

“BREN,” said Jester, enthusiastic as always. “Oh my gosh, we discovered the best bakery! Would Essek like a cupcake? We fought a big snake monster today and Fjord ripped his—“

The Sending cut off as abruptly as it had arrived, with no further information about what Fjord had ripped.

Bren smiled to himself. “Hello, Jester,” he said out loud. Beside him, Astrid stiffened; Essek’s mouth twitched into a smile. “That is quite a find. Essek would love as many baked goods as you can carry. Tell Fjord to get well soon.” He let the Sending spell drift off after that.

Essek cracked one eye open again, reaching over with one leg and poking Bren in the side with his big toe. “You know I do not like sweets. You are the bane of my existence.”

Ask me about my wips! | Other responses

[mooneloquence]

Brought to you by my infinite boredom reading a 400-page book for college, I present you an extremely AU thought:

[C2 spoilers, light mention of whump, Blumendrei+Essek/Shadowgast]

What if the Blumendrei had never gone to Soltryce and lived mostly normal lives even through the war that still starts in 835 P.D.?

What if they became teenage sweethearts because Bren figured out some cantrips and Astrid and Wulf asked him to teach them when they learnt about it?

What if they went into their adult lives in a normal romantic relationship, each of them working at their family's business and learning some magic on their own until one day Bren is alone in the fields and the air ripples and out comes a drow, thoroughly whumped and wordless, scared of everything and everyone, and clutching a weird gilded dodecahedron?

What if Bren takes him somewhere safe and nurses him back to health to the best of his ability, hiding him from the rest of the village until Astrid finds out, and then Wulf, and then they have a very tense discussion before deciding to help the (Feebleminded, but it's not like they know what that is) drow? What if Essek saves from the spell at some point and (after hiding stuff because he might be grateful, but he can still a little shady, as a treat) learns that his rescuers are aspiring wizards, so he decides to teach them as best he can with what little they have?

Idk what would happen next, just that they fall in love with him, and he falls in love with them in turn. I'm sure there's hardcore drama at some point (re: Beacons, the Assembly, Ikithon, the rogue scourger that in an act of rebellion against Icky helped him escape. Maybe the Dynasty finds out about Essek's treason and comes to get him?) but there's a happy ending for them nonetheless, because I am Weak and they deserve it

[anxietiefling]

reader, what if i gently placed this in your hands to do with what you like:

shadowgast/blumendrei umbrella academy AU

with a timeline where bren never broke, because he didn't have to; because trent ikithon never made it into existence and the cerberus assembly is an independent association to keep the government in check (think, cobalt soul's inoffical arcane arm maybe); or the Private Tutoring Of Arcanely Gifted Orphans By Allura Vyssoren or something-something.

and a pre-canon-adjacent timeline where bren never broke because he had no other choice; where he is indeed part of the machinations to tie up the loose end of a beacon theft by 1 essek thelyss, who proves to be not that easy to kill; where he and astrid and eadwulf are adopted children of ikithon, same implications etc.

and unbroken!bren has to convince (and of course falls for) the shadowhand to help them, because he's the only one capable of fixing the timeline; necks are pulled in and out of nooses, feelings are being had and ignored, four traumatized wizards end up in a delicious emotional soup with a side of politics and Time Magic

[stardusted-bookworm]

Came from the blumenshadow fic, stayed for everything else <3 ok but seriously that blumenshadow fic is probably one of my favorite fics like, of all time. I go back and read basically every time I open tumblr lol. If you were ever interesting in writing a sequel or just more in general, I would absolutely love to read it!! I just, have so many questions!!! How did Essek and the three become involved? What timeline are we on? One were Caleb never broke after killing his parents? Then why is he called Caleb when that's a fake name? Just, ahhhhhh I love your fic so much!! Can't wait for anything else you end up writting!

Omg hi! I'm so glad you liked it. That's really sweet! Now, I would love to write a sequel but, unfortunately, I feel a burnout heading in my direction. So! We're gonna do this ✨️headcanon style✨️

Headcanons

First question that I feel needs to be answered immediately!

Why Caleb is using 'Caleb' as his name 🤔

Yes, this is essentially a time-line in which he never broke after killing his family but did get really depressed

And I'll be honest... the reason I, the author, did it is because I prefer the name Caleb Widogast to Bren Aldric Ermendrud... (is that horrible lol 😅)

So in the au we'll just say it's because when Caleb got really depressed, he didn't want to associate with the name his "traitorous" parents used to call him

(This is also the time-line where they don't realize they were manipulated until much much later, perhaps even only after they begin dating Essek who can recognize mind control magic immediately...)

NOW! As for how they first meet!

Honestly, in my head it goes one of two ways

Either a) the Blumentrio were tasked by Ikithon to torture and murder the up-and-coming Shadowhand who deals in the Dynasty's secrets, but Essek proved to be far too powerful for them to combat (that Dark Star is a bitch man).

However, instead of getting very frustrated and trying again, the three, on various levels of attraction with Caleb being the most attracted (bc the man is sapiosexual), became enamored with the Shadowhand.

Instead of trying to woo him like normal people, they just kept coming back to fight him and kept getting their asses handed to them.

Eventually (it took a while) but eventually Essek grew wise to their antics, due to how easy it is to see them blush/the furious attempts at compliments, and found it highly amusing

So Essek started dressing nicer, showing off a little more, just generally teasing the three until one of the Blumentrio just snapped and kissed him (I’ll let you guess which one ;)) and was more than a little surprised to find the Shadowhand kissing back.

Or b) they meet in the Blumentrio’s favorite dance hall in Rexxentrum bc Essek is there on a diplomatic mission to speak with the Cerberus Assembly on behalf of the Bright Queen and wants to see a little bit of the Empire’s night life for a bit before he has to go back the crushing structure of the Shadowhand’s mantle.

He’s obviously wearing a disguise (it looks exactly like him with just deep brown skin instead of the purple) bc 1) he’s an important official and 2) the Kryn are not super welcome in the Empire.

At this esteemed dance hall, he meets three very gorgeous and very fascinating individuals who seem VERY interested in him.

They spend half the night dancing together (Essek is definitely tipsy to allow it to happen) and spend the rest of the night doing a different kind of dancing, if you know what I’m saying 😏😏 

(I know this goes against Essek’s canonical demisexuality, and I’m so sorry, but it makes this next part really funny)

Essek falls asleep with them but teleports away after his trance is complete, mostly out of sheer panic, but also bc he needs to review his talking points for the morning (or that’s what he tells himself)

When he gets to the area where he and the Assembly are meeting, naturally, Ikithon (🤢) and his three prized Scourgers are there.

Essek is more than a little mortified to see them there bc the people he has to work with are... oh no...

Ofc, he shows none of this on his face bc he is well versed in the art of the poker face thanks to years and years of court training

Thankfully, they don’t seem to recognize him with the purple skin so everything should be fine... right...?

And it is... until he opens his mouth and speaks.

As one, the three Scourgers, who are not as well trained in poker faces as he is, whip their heads toward him, equal parts horror and shock crawling over their faces.

Essek wants so bad to melt into the floor, but he can’t risk ruining his reputation to indulge in childish wants, so Essek keeps going with his presentation, the cool façade of the Shadowhand remaining fixed in place until the end of the meeting.

After the meeting, Creepy Bitch-ithon wants something awful probably, but Essek dodges and weaves out of that one (for now...) and decides to walk back to his current place of stay in Rexxentrum.

Walk bc he can sense that the three Scourgers are following him and he needs to have a conversation with them anyway.

They “corner” him and apologize for overstepping, he says ‘for what? we are all consenting adults are we not?’ and then after a brief moment of very intense awkwardness, they discuss the new boundaries of their relationship.

After that, they all kiss like shy school children in their first relationship (it’s all really cute honestly).

And that's all the headcanons I have for you, op! I hope I answered all your questions, but if you have any more, feel free to shoot them my way. If you want to check out more of my writing it's all under the "my writing" tag. I also have a Blumentrio fic in the works so stay tuned for that 👀👀

Have a lovely day, op!

[defilerwyrm]

The Four of Us Are Dying

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Characters: Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss, Astrid Beck, Eadwulf Grieve Additional Tags: Foursome - F/M/M/M, Alcohol, Extremely Dubious Consent, Emotional Manipulation, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Anal Fisting, Double Penetration, Spitroasting, Vaginal Fingering, Penis In Vagina Sex, Face-Sitting, Face-Fucking, Cunnilingus, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Bottom Caleb Widogast, Gangbang, Light Sadism, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Mostly Bad Ones Words: 6891

Summary:

Caleb and Essek’s post-dinner chat with Astrid and Eadwulf takes an unexpected, but perhaps calculated, turn for the sexy—and then a turn for the dark. But if there’s one thing Caleb Widogast knows how to do, it’s playing a part to make it out alive.

Excerpt:

Essek seems to come to a conclusion, takes an impolitely-sized swig of wine, and stands to float over right between Caleb’s knees. He’s wearing that soft little smile he always has on but there’s thunder in his eyes. Caleb has just enough time to register how ungodly hot a look possessiveness is on him before Essek has a fist in his shirt and is pulling him into a lurid kiss.

Caleb’s noise of surprise comes out muffled, as does the moan it melts into. Essek tastes like dessert wine. His little fangs catch Caleb’s lips on purpose; his tongue demands entry to Caleb’s mouth, and Caleb gives into it with a gasp. There are more hands on him now: on his thighs, on his chest, roving, groping. He reaches up to rest one hand on the sharp ridge of Essek’s hip while the other finds Astrid’s leg.

“Has he been good?” Astrid purrs.

Essek breaks the kiss and holds Caleb’s eyes. “He is always good.”

Read it on AO3!

[nonwal]

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Astrid Beck/Essek Thelyss, Eadwulf Grieve/Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

20: if you’re warm then you can’t relate to me

The head systems engineer is missing.

[nonwal]

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Astrid Beck/Essek Thelyss, Eadwulf Grieve/Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

18: sorrow waited, sorrow won

It is terrible, to acknowledge that love is not enough. To know that all the love in the world cannot guarantee a happy ending. To know that it will not prevent loss. To know that loving someone is not the same as control. The love still matters. It is not enough. But it matters, more than anything.

[nonwal]

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Astrid Beck/Essek Thelyss, Eadwulf Grieve/Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

15: not broke if it can’t be fixed

Jester hesitates. “We could hang out some other time, too. It doesn’t have to be a big deal or anything. I know this has been really hard for you, and we’re all getting kind of stir-crazy, so—”

“I think I am just crazy, at this point,” Caleb admits.

Jester laughs like he’s made a joke, then sobers when he doesn’t laugh along with her. “You’re not crazy, Caleb. This whole thing sucks balls, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t be doing great. And it’s okay not to be doing okay, alright? It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.” Her tail flicks a couple times, and when she speaks again her voice is softer. “I just want to make sure you know we’re all here for you, you know? I remember how you were doing back when we first met. We don’t have to let things get that bad again.”

But Caleb wasn’t doing badly when they met. When she first met him, it was the best that he’d been in sixteen years.

[nonwal]

Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Astrid Beck/Essek Thelyss, Eadwulf Grieve/Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve, Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

12: so let me hold you in my arms a while

“Do you think about dying often? Not, ah—you worship the Matron of Ravens.”

 “I don’t know how often normal people think about death. Probably, ja. It’s not like I look forward to it, but it seems…inevitable. Sooner rather than later.”

 Caleb doesn’t say anything.

 “If I’m going to die,” Wulf murmurs, scarcely louder than a whisper, “I want it to mean something. I don’t want it to all be for him.”