#i love vox machina for moments like this honestly

[your-turn-to-role]

AT DAWN WE PLAN

[cillivnz]

sex n’ romance with vox machina

[HEADCANNONS]

PAIRINGS — VOX MACHINA [𝘷𝘢𝘹, 𝘷𝘦𝘹, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺, 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘯] x F!READER

WARNINGS — NSFW, eighteen+ SMUT. penetrative sex, oral sex, outdoor sex, anal-play, face-fucking, tongue-fucking, clit-play, breast/nipple play.

Vax’ildan

𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 : you. a generous lover and a grateful receiver; he could relish in the taste of your drooling pussy for hours, if not days, and also savour the feel of your hot mouth on his shaft, the feel of your pretty throat squeezing around his long cock.

𝒉𝒆’𝒔 : an adrenaline junkie, loves fucking you outdoors. he’d totally wake you up in the middle of the night to slowly sneak away from where the gang is camping, to a far away tree, making you grip the trunk while he is pummelling your cunt. he’d lean against the tree, grunting and whimpering when you’d take him in your mouth. he’s also have you place one leg on his shoulder— using the tree as support— while he angles himself deeper inside you.

𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 : the sounds you make, the pleasurable look on your face, the way you clench around his length, the way you’re his. despite the dozens of men ogling at you wherever vox machina goes, at the end of the day, you choose him; over everybody else. vax’ildan loves you.

Vex’ahlia

𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 : those bittersweet moments the two of you share. before a disaster is waiting to unravel, you hold each other in your arms, kiss like there’s literally no tomorrow. the feel of your soft skin against hers when you sleep, bare.

𝑠ℎ𝑒’𝑠 : losing her mind around you. she thanks all gods and stars that she’s met her soulmate who’s excruciatingly good in bed. vex has a high sex drive but likes to keep things under control, or at least she pretended to, until you showed up and now all she wants to feel is your body on hers. loses her sanity every time you nibble on her clit or leave hickeys on the underside of her breasts.

𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠 : the freedom that comes along with you. the respect you give her is refreshing, and she’s never been loved by anyone like you. neither has she loved anyone like you, the proof of which is delivered every night when she’s got her head trapped between your thighs, lapping away at your stream of juices like the hardworking woman she is. when you return the favour by sucking harshly on her clit, which is when her dominatrix visage starts to crumble.

Percival

𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 : sinful nights, lustful days. aftercare with you, when he gets to fuck his cum back into you (though that’s his harsher, hornier, possessed side). taking care of your love-bites (they look like an act of savagery, but honestly this man IS feral for you).

𝒉𝒆 : can’t display his affection for you, publicly; his noble status doesn’t permit ‘romeo’ behaviour. — is suffering because of his pride, because the minute he is left alone with you, he pounces onto you like you’re his prey and relishes in you the same way (that rhymed) (i was a poet and i did know it). just fucks you hard and rough on most days because my manz can’t catch a break from the end of the world, and is so worked up (poor babes), but when he makes love to you? fuck. rouge tints his pale face, blushing like there’s no tomorrow, because his crush (you, bunny) is riding his dick, while your naked breasts bounce next to his face.

𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 : the night time; it’s his favourite hour of the day, because he finally gets to do the things he’s been craving to do to you, all fucking day. watching you writhe in overstimulation when you can’t take the feel of his hot tongue teasing your engorged clit while his long, rough fingers fuck knuckle-deep into you.

Scanlan

𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 : no, no no. he 𝑹𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑺 in you. his sex drive is infamous, and you live to hold the rumours true. the taste of your pussy after a day’s work, lapping away at the creamy sweetness that he coaxes out of you is his favourite past time when he’s not drinking away. even if he was (drinking away), he’d pair you up with his favourite beer and die a happy man.

𝒉𝒆 : does not let you catch a break. would totally spill his drink onto your chest, watch the amber beads of cheap beer dribble down your ample chest, your cleavage just begging him to shove his face in and lick the drink away. is so, so good with aftercare. knows he pushes you past your limits, so it’s his love for you that brings out this gentleman-ly side.

𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 : shoving that tongue into you, leaving you a sloppy mess. you’d grimace at the way your juices drip down to your asshole, but scanlan? he’d smirk in a flushed state, rubbing your unused hole solely to tease you. fingering both your holes — two in the pussy, one in the ass (knuckle-deep, obviously). sucking your nipples to soreness.

A/N — thank you so much for reading, sweets. this is my first time writing headcannons so it’s not conventional.

let me know if you’d like me to do this again or/and write for the remaining members [KEYLETH, GROG, PIKE] of vox machina!

𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭.

[finn-writes-stuff]

How about a Percy fic with dancing like beauty and the beast ballroom with something a little saucy at the end

In The Glade

When a plan relies on you being able to dance, Percy steps up to teach you, finally tipping the tension over the edge

Percy de Rolo x Reader

Fandom: The Legend of Vox Machina/Critical Role

Format: Oneshot

Content: This is just a snippet of romantic tension. It did not end up saucy.

Gender Neutral Reader

Masterlist

I'm in love with him, that is my husband right there. Sorry that this didn't end up saucy! Mutual pining has been rotting my brain lately <3 -Finn

You were going to kill Scanlan one of these days. He had managed to find a new lead for your latest adventure, but of course, it required infiltrating a formal event and finding out secrets. Scanlan had even created the perfect plan. You could subtly interrogate a person of interest on the dance floor and no one would be any wiser! Never mind the fact that you had never learned a ballroom dance in your life. 

There was no way you could do this, you would be found out immediately, the first moment that you misstepped. Why had you agreed to this?

"You're holding yourself too stiffly, you have to let me lead or this doesn't work." 

Percy’s steady voice drew you out of your thoughts as he tapped the hard set of your shoulders, a gentle reprimand to pull your focus back to him. He had offered to teach you how to dance, a skill he still remembered from his childhood in Whitestone. He should've been the one going, but he would have been at risk of being recognized.

"It's formal, but you do need to relax a bit, love. Get out of your head," Percy continued, waiting for you to drop some of the tension. "I can practically hear the gears grinding in there."

"If I die at that party, I need you to avenge me and kill Scanlan for this plan." 

"Deal, I can do that but you aren't going to die. Just focus alright? Here, step closer, you look like a scared deer. Nerves are like blood in the water at events like that."

You obeyed, stepping closer as his hand settled on your waist. Here, in the empty glade that he had found for the two of you, there was nothing to distract you from him. From the gentle heat radiating off him or the scent of gunpowder that always clung to him and his coat. He had a unique skill of being able to settle your racing thoughts just by being near you. 

"Follow my steps without guessing what I'm going to do next. Just trust that I have you," he said, guiding you once again into the dance. He was so sure of his movements, the same way he was in combat. It was incredible to watch, even as you stumbled along with him. He stayed steady, keeping you on track. "You're doing well."

"I've stepped on your feet multiple times already."

"So long as you don't start doing it intentionally, it's fine." He was smiling at you, the teasing lilt to his tone making your thoughts go fuzzy at the edges. 

"I should, you seem too smug about being able to teach me this."

"I'm hardly smug, I just...enjoy this. It's rare to get the chance to properly dance with someone and even moreso, I enjoy your company. So this is nice." 

You could feel heat rushing to your face. It always caught you off guard when he responded honestly rather than with his usual sarcasm. Banter was easy, but this set you off balance. Percy had been doing that more and more lately. You didn't know what to make of it, but you knew your heart was flipping in your chest each time he did. 

"It's, yeah, I think it's nice too. I really like getting to spend time with you" 

Gods, that smile. A little nervous, but so terribly genuine with a splash of red across his cheeks. You could hardly think, not when he was smiling at you like that and he was holding you so close, spinning you around the glade. The trees hid you both from the rest of the world, in this sweet moment of time, as if you had just stepped into a dream. 

You had both been heading towards an inevitable conclusion, drawing closer every time you joked around the campfire at night or had the other's back in a fight. From the first time that he had grinned at you, from the first time he had heard you laugh. There was no world where you wouldn't have fallen in love with him. And here, in each other's arms, you couldn't deny it. 

"Whatever you're thinking about now, it makes you better at following the dance, you aren't overthinking it anymore."

"I've got a good teacher. Are you going to teach me how to shoot next? Or maybe show me how to make those fancy arrows." 

He laughed and it felt like your chest was full to bursting. 

"Ask me nicely when you come back from that party and I will teach you anything you want." 

"Anything? That's a dangerous promise, de Rolo."

"I trust you. Besides, I think you're too curious about my guns to ask for anything else."

"What if I did want something else? Not a lesson," you asked, gently worrying the fabric of his sleeve between your fingers. 

"Then all you need do is ask."

"What if I asked to kiss you?" 

His breath caught, and you watched how his eyes dropped to your lips for a moment, before carefully dragging back up to meet your gaze. There was an open, honest want in his eyes, mirroring your own. 

"As I said, all you need do is ask." 

"May I kiss you, Percy?"

His voice was breathless as he responded without hesitation. "Please do." 

You couldn't tell who leaned in first, who kissed who, all you knew was the feeling of his lips on yours, a calloused hand cradling your face, and how good it felt to give into it all.

[pennamenotfound]

I feel like one of the reasons that the Bells Hells are so interesting and compelling to me is that they’re all so angry. Anger is so interesting to me because of its volatility. The way it can, more than any other emotion, be twisted. Think of how much more volatile Percy was in campaign one because of his revenge boner than Caleb in campaign two with his deepset guilt and grief.  

And like, sure, we had anger before in the other campaigns.

Like Percy was super angry obviously, and Vex had her rage, and Scanlan had his moment (what’s my mother’s name) in Campaign one, and you could probably pull moments for the rest of Vox Machina. Grog’s a barbarian, he rages all the time. Plus with his herd. Okay, sure. Vax certainly had his moments. Keyleth at Raishan. (I don’t think Pike realy had any real anger moments in her arc.) But their stories don’t rely on their anger as much as Percy and Vex, and not nearly as much as Bells Hells. 

In the Mighty Nein, there’s Beau who is super angry at the world, justifiably so, but the rest of the party not so much. Caleb and Yasha are guilt and grief. Cad’s faith. Jester definitely had her problems with emotion, but anger wasn’t really part of it so much as learning to let herself feel something other than happy. Fjord’s journey to Melora was much more about introspection, Veth’s journey back to herself was certainly emotionally taxing for her, but it’s back to greif and loss for her. Kingsley is all about discovery, and Essek was about finding friendship. 

But Bells Hells. They’re all so angry. With maybe the exception of Chetney, but he’s also a werewolf which is its own sort of instability. 

Ashton’s a given---Tal’s so good at anger in his characters. Perfect punk, angry at the world, angry at their situation. *chef’s kiss* perfect barbarian

Imogen has such rage bubbling. “We’re gonna sunder you, Delilah Briarwood” for one, but also, with her mother. With her powers. 

Fearne with her parents. The way she was discovering her anger had so much potential, and I really wanted to see her actually throw some fireballs or something.

Orym. I saw the look on Liam’s face when he had that insight check whisper from Tuldus. Dude, Otohan and the Ruby Vanguard killed his husband and his dad (I know, father in law, but Orym says dad.) He’s the nice one, he’s said it before himself, but... under the surface, i think he’s got some rage in him. 

FCG. Oh, FCG, with their unpredictable rage mode. Trying so desperately to be the caretaker when they don’t even know what they are. The professor in Yios gave him a lot of good information, but there’s a lot they don’t know. 

For me, with FCG and Orym both, it’s a lot of aren’t you tired of being nice? Don’t you want to go apeshit?

And then Laudna. Laudna, with the most to be angry about. She was murdered by the Briarwoods, and spent the next thirty years with her murderer in her head. Looking like a corpse. Not knowing if she was dead or alive. Being chased out of towns all over Tal’Dorei until she ran all the way to Marquet. No friends, even before she died, before Imogen. And she’s really the most interesting to me. Because we don’t see a lot of rage with her. Even with Percy in Whitestone, it’s forgiveness. It’s understanding. The only time I remember in the campaign her really being angry was when FCG turned on the party that time, and that was related to Delilah’s manipulations. 

Orym said once something like she had the worst thing out of all of them happen, and yet she’s the happiest, and how is that? And she goes, well, because the worst thing that’s happened to me already happened. 

And it’s so interesting to me because we could, in another universe, have another Ashton in Laudna. Because, really, very similar things happened to them. Both died. Both put back together not quite right, not quite in control of their situation. Feared, even. 

But she’s so loving, caring, and not wrathful, and honestly, I’d kind of love to see some anger from her. And I think we might see it if Imogen gets hurt.

Anyway i’m unhinged about bells hells. I love vox machina and mighty nein but I’ve connected most to bells hells because I’ve been watching CR since CR3 started, and I love my angy bois. 

[innocent-cat]

Hello, if you're still taking request could it be headcanons with with Vax, Percy, and Vex. (Separately)

Where the S/O is a lot like Yor Forger.

GUESS WHO IS BACK!!!!

Oh my gosh, I love SpyxFamily! right away xx

Reader x Vox Machina

Warnings - None

"Scarlet paint on their face", Assassin!Reader x Various

Vax

Okay, so, weird thing about both Vax AND Vex, they're extremely stalkerish.

the very MOMENT they thought you were acting even slightly suspicious, they immediately discussed it with each other.

"Vex-" "Yes, me too."

they most def hear EVERYTHING you do.

They had a little book that had information about everything you did.

your fault, why aren't you home by the mandatory curfew (that they implemented that nobody in fact listens to) of 8PM sharp?

You'll usually feel Vax's eyes on you when you come home after a bounty, but you choose to pretend you're oblivious to it so you can continue acting clueless.

HOWEVERRRR he eventually cornered you and confronted you.

you walked in and he was just like.. leaning against the wall all nerdy.. so you kinda just.. side eyed him and walked by..

"Where have you been?"

your heart dropped to your asssssss, him confronting you was so much scarier than it needed to be.

"What are you talking about?"

"We know you've been sneaking out. You're never home by 8."

"..Nobody follows that anyway, Vax.. not even Pikes home right now. Who are you, my dad?" You raised an eyebrow at him as you spoke down to him for asking you what's been going on.

"Vex told me you went to a washers covered in blood. What's that all about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe don't stalk random people, it's creepy, Vax." You scoff, and storm off to your room.

You sit down in your bed and heave a sigh, letting the knife drop that was hidden between your arm and side under your oversized blouse.

Vex

Vex was the first one to actually confront you and get an answer.

(all combined head cannons above for vax btw)

she low-key scared tf out of you when you turned the corner and saw her.

full on mom stance, arms crossed, face seething..

scary.

"If you won't tell Vax, you better tell me now."

Now, mind you, it was like.. 2am.. and you tried sneaking back in because you didn't have time for a outfit change.. so you did in fact look very incriminating with a knife in your hand, drenched in blood.

You have no clue to get out of it, so you fake cry xx

You drop your knife and start crying into your hands, mumbling.

Vex's face DROPS, and she goes to you and holds you, rocking you in her arms.

"I'm not MAD, I'm just upset you didn't tell me.."

After the little cry, she helps you clean yourself up from them on because OBVIOUSLY what gf wouldn't help.

she was honestly just mad you didn't tell her..

(sorry her's is so short!! I'm like super duper tired rn)

Percy

lmfaooo Percy been knew

the two of you have always just kind of

not talked about it?

of course, you both are aware that the other KNOWS,

it's just Percy wants to make sure he doesn't say something rude to you

he loves u too much xx

He frequently stitches you up, cleans your wounds, and washes your clothes when you come home after killing someone.

Of course, he understands you're very dangerous and skilled, but the fact you're his s/o comes before your large bounty.

"Again? Seriously? You're getting too injured to endure this job." he sighed out to you, frowning at your dampened physical state.

You did not reply, but you looked away, towards a a window opposite of him. You matched his face, frowning.

You flinch back as he applies alcohol to your wound, hissing slightly to your pain.

"Sorry." He mumbled out, and he lifted your shirt more.

He bandages the wound, sealing it so it doesn't become infected. He then pulls off your shirt, and sets it aside to wash later, handing you a new, clean shirt of your own.

he literally loves you so much please assure this boy you'll be fine

[masterqwertster]

Ok don’t publish it if you don’t have to but man this weekend is bumming me right out with this “

Yeah, there is certainly some aggression going on against people wishing for resurrection because others find it a poignant narrative that a sacrifice can't be undone, that it lasts and has consequences, that it puts weight to the stakes. And they think that coming back to life after specifically doing something you know will 100% kill you cheapens sacrifice.

Personally, I think that being brought back after you willingly and knowingly and successfully gave your life for others tells a story of how much you're loved. It's your friends saying "Fuck that. You're going to live. We're all going to live. We'll keep dragging each other back until we can't anymore, so fucking be here and fight."

It also adds another level of desperation to be stronger, smarter, to not be caught like that ever again because who knows if you can get them back next time (and however many times you fail after that). Resurrections get harder ever time a person is brought back. This is part of what bit Scanlan's ass right before Bard's Lament: the Revivify didn't take, so the rest of Vox Machina brought in his daughter to call him back during the Resurrection (which he hated) and got the chance to be dicks about bringing him back with the dumb pranks, all of which led to setting Scanlan off. And sure, Bells Hells had that desperation to keep each other alive from the Bassuras fight, but that doesn't mean that the sentiment can't be further sharpened even when you've managed to steal back all the lives of your party members that she took.

Honestly, I think that just having Chet and FCG die against the Murder Machine of Otohan after Bells Hells specifically and successfully went to efforts to get stronger still ups the stakes even if both end up revived. "All our might and we still faced that loss. It would have been all of us if FCG didn't make that play. We still cannot face the enemy leadership head-on as we are. We must get stronger still."

And I really think there's some fun character development to be had in giving FCG a flesh body. Will he actually like what they've envied about the others? How does one handle a completely new body that they're grateful for (that they should be grateful for, otherwise they'd be dead) but is just so different from what they know? Yes, FCG had that last moment clarity that he was in fact already fully alive, but there's definitely some "alive in the flesh" things to explore.

And more faith to explore too. Like, did he get to meet the Changebringer and talk with her in the afterlife? The Raven Queen? Speaking of just being in the afterlife, what about meeting Eshteross again? The other members of the Division of Public Benefit that he killed?

Also, I'm not sure how big a fan I am of the heavy breakdowns that will happen if FCG isn't resurrected. Bells Hells is suffering pretty good as is and I'd like them to have some happiness inbetween all the Moon Bullshit. Conflict drives a story, but you need soft moments to wind it down between heavy moments.

Because truthfully, most of what you get from keeping FCG dead is a bunch of breakdowns in the party without it's most optimistic member who actually advocates for communication, which they all suck at for various personal reasons. And a push towards the Villain Arc path that, honestly, a few are walking just fine without FCG staying dead and/or can still be pushed further down it just by the fact that he decided to kill himself to save their asses when no one wants to let any of the others go.

I do think that as far as martyrdom goes, what FCG did took a nice step away from "giving my life because it's worth less than any one of theirs and I think dying for a cause will give me absolution for the people I rage killed" and into "giving my life because it will save them and I don't know what else to do that will save them." There are certainly posts that get into the distinction between those choices better than I have. Which is where I think the "best ending for FCG" idea comes from, as it happened under the "best" reasoning for FCG to martyr himself. And to a certain degree, people have decided that martyrdom was unavoidable for FCG or that he was just highly prone to it and this was a good time/way to do it.

Still doesn't change that a self-sacrificing character did in fact sacrifice themself, though. Or that it didn't have to be the end that FCG met.

And I understand to some degree how Everyone Comes Back to Life if You Try can feel like it undermines the stakes. Because if no one stays dead, what do you have to fear from walking into mortal danger? Everyone will be fine right? Which is wrong. There is still trauma in dying, even when you're brought back. The realization of mortality, the struggle to steal back a life when it's not just a quick prayer in the heat of battle. And the ever looming possibility that you do it right and it's still not enough to steal them back.

Also, from the wider in-the-game-world's perspective: Resurrection is rare as shit and only people with immense wealth, connections, and/or power even have a shot at it.

Even mechanically it's not easy. You have to mind time limits, expensive costs, body conditions, spell levels and slots, not to mention that the dice can always say no.

So yes, Bells Hells probably needs to go to less effort to Reincarnate FCG than they did to resurrect Laudna because all they're missing is components while they have the likes of Keyleth who kind of owe them for Moon Scouting and killing Otohan and should be able to provide.

[random-french-girl]

Okay I'm doing it. I'm righting my wrongs. I am finishing campaign 1 of Critical Role, which I abandoned YEARS ago somewhere in the mid 90s episodes because, idk, life happened and I lost interest.

I started back at episode 94, I'm up to episode 99 now and my two main takeaways are:

1) I'm never gonna love Vox Machina as much as I love the M9 or Bell's Hells. Part of it is honestly just personal taste: there's like, only two characters I truly love (Vex and Keyleth, my beloveds) and a few relationships that I care about (the twins, Percy and Kiki's friendship, Vax/Keyleth to some extent, obviously Vex/Keyleth), whereas in the M9 and BH I'm interested in almost everyone, and I love soooo many dynamics! Another part of it (which may also be subjective) is that in CR2 and CR3 I find the cast SO much more at ease with each other's play styles. Like the group dynamic has truly solidified and they all mesh together so well. There's less cross talk, less awkwardness, less moments of tension; there's more balance, more understanding and patience and open joy at everyone doing their thing.

2) That being said, watching Vox Machina is still a uniquely rewarding experience, because yeah they're still finding their footing as a production, but they're also all playing characters they visibly know and love so so so much, characters they created/played for themselves before they ever did for an audience... I don't know, it's less polished, but also when you get to the later VM campaign episodes, the characters truly are family in an organic way that comes, I imagine, from the fact that the cast has spent more time with them than any other characters, and from the fact that these were their first PCs. It feels very nostalgic, in the best way.

[thequeenofmyownscreen]

Been rewatching "Return to Vasselheim" and "The Sunken Tomb" (because, I don't know? I love pain, and I had to do something to distract me from my burning lungs) and I got to say, the discussion between Percy and Vax during their watch, the night before they explore the tomb, hits hard. I understand why they didn't put it in the animated series - because they don't have time - but it's meaty RP little moments like this that makes the foundation of Critical Role.

Vax checks in on Percy, asking him how's it been, and if Orthax has "fully left the building". Percy says yes, he doesn't hear him anymore but still has scars, and admits he feels a little lost, "I'm really not entirely sure what I'm doing with myself."

Vax : "Can I tell you... I believe you are a good man."

Percy : "Thank you."

Vax : "Listen to your better angels... and they're within your friends. (...) You have a family, if you want it."

Percy then offers his perspective on the group, since he's been thinking a lot about why Vox Machina is together. With the exception of Pike, he says, "I think we're very broken people, but I think together, we are far greater than the sum of our parts. I like who we are together, and I think that's important." Percy then nudges Vax a little, and obviously talks about his and Keyleth's new relationship, but still being very VERY vague, and very VERY Percy : "It's good to want things. It's very, very good to want things. It's also very, very good to have things. It's good to... it's good to find the things that are important to you and move towards them."

He hints at the fact that he, himself, is in "a place where I'm realizing that I have to make decisions about what's important, and I'm a little envious that you seem to be ahead of the curve on that", seemingly referencing to his and Vex's heavy flirting and fondness.

Their discussion ends with Percy : "And I apologize for any of the mistakes I've made, and honestly any of the mistakes I'm likely to make, but I am starting to imagine a better version of myself. I'm not quite sure who that is yet, but there is a destiny, I think, for us all together."

... Just ... yeah, all of that discussion knowing what we know comes next, immediately or in the long-term... Trust broken and rebuilt, family, love, fate and your place in the world. It's all there. They just forgot the inevitability of death.

[eyeofthebrainstorm]

As I star camping 3 I'm trying to understand why campaign 2 didn't impact me as much as the first one.

It's not that I didn't like it, the story is still one of the closest to my specific taste than most stuff in current pop culture (and the same goes for what I've seen of campaign 3 so far).

But during campaign 1 I cried my eyes out 2 or 3 times and at the end I was devasted. There's so much I miss about it: it felt like they took their time a lot more, I liked the fact that they had downtime to see what times of peace did to VM, I liked how they took care of every side quest before the final battle (Pumat needed basilisk oil or something and the M9 never delivered), I feel like they allowed themself to lose time or take time for moment they cared about... Honestly I missed the first episodes when they were eating while playing and the sound was terrible.

I guess now it feels more like they're making content than playing dnd. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I guess the speed at which I caught up with all of it also factors in, gave me a little bit of whiplash.

But one last thing I'm trying to figure out, and I'm not sure I did yet... Vox Machina felt more adult. I don't know how to explain it yet, I can't pinpoint what it is. But I know that a big thing for me with VM was that it felt that I was watching something made for adults. Fun and light and deep and for adults. Vax and Vex were my same age and there was something very comforting about that. And I have no solid arguments why M9 felt more like YA to me, I guess the stories had more of a coming of age feel to them (Jester, Beau, Fjord and in some ways Caleb and even Cad).

When M9 ended I felt like there was so much more they could do, and I'm glad to know they rivisisted them to close some loose threads.

That said, I really love CR and it's still one of my favorite things ever and I'm excited about campaign 3, maybe I just miss Vox Machina. Feel free to let me know: which is your favorite campaign? Do you agree with C2 being less adult than C1?

[somewhatsentientspellbook]

Personal Take Incoming (Critical Role)

Consider this a diary entry explaining some of my thoughts on a few Critical Role characters. Avoid reading this post if you don't want my takes on Keyleth, Fjord, Ashton, Orym, Imogen, Percy, and Caleb.

So, I've noticed a common trend with my favourite characters across a variety of fandoms. I personally am an individual who gravitates towards characters with integrity, and rules for themselves that they follow. Characters that have lines in the sand that they can draw and then defend. It doesn't necessarily have to be rules put in place by society, it can be ones they made up for themselves. These characters oftentimes end up becoming the moral centre of their party, which adds another fascinating angle as they try to navigate maintaining their morals with a wider group filled with diverse opinions.

I suppose that is why Keyleth was my favourite Vox Machina character from pretty much the get-go! Her integrity was what endeared me to her throughout the entire campaign. She had opinions of what she thought was right and wrong, and she tried her hardest to enforce that view. Were there times when she learned she was wrong, yes. But she kept what she learned in mind and adjusted her internal monologue to see fit. Keyleth's integrity and unwillingness to engage in the overly amoral actions of Vox Machina created a lot of interesting dynamics.

In campaign two, Fjord quickly became my favourite for very similar reasons. He was the one to ask Beau to apologise to Toya and insist that the party help the Schuster kids so that they wouldn't be put in an orphanage. He also maintained a certain level of honesty with the rest of the party about his history and his mysterious dreams. In this case, Fjord wasn't necessarily 'good' (as he was comfortable with doing some pretty shitty stuff), but he still had expectations of himself and rules that he would not break.

I guess that is why Asthon and Orym are currently my favourite members of Bells Hells too. They both have convictions that they will not stray from and a certain level of integrity that the party honestly needs. Now, whether or not they are right is another discussion entirely, but the point is that they have the courage to stick to their guns even when the group is leaning in another direction.

People have been complaining that the takes on Imogen Temult are unfair, and some of those takes are unfair! But I won't shy away from the fact that Imogen is my least favourite member of Bells Hells (I still think they're all fantastic - including Imogen herself). She is my least favourite for exactly the reasons above. Imogen supposedly has internal rules, but we've seen her be more than happy to break them when they don't suit her at a given moment. She's said that she hates to pry into people's minds and that she avoids it wherever possible - but we see her willingly dive into the minds of people like Dorian without their consent. Imogen has stated that Laudna is the most important person in the world to her and that she loves her more than anything - but Imogen cannot look Laudna in the eyes and tell her that she won't side with Laudna's murderer. That doesn't make the character any less interesting, but it definitely makes it harder for me personally to like her.

I've seen a handful people across socials imply that if you like Percy or Caleb, but not Imogen - it's because she's a woman. This is where I wholeheartedly disagree. While the overly negative opinions of Imogen are harsh and unwarranted, Imogen is the first character whose allegiances I am genuinely uncertain about. Percy and Caleb have said and done truly awful things; I think we can all agree on that. And while they have considered leaving the group, it was under very different circumstances. For the longest time, Percy had nothing waiting for him outside Vox Machina, so the only time I feared he would leave the group was when he died (since Tal confirmed he would've been happy to stay dead). Caleb too, had very little beyond the Mighty Nein and he considered leaving them on multiple occasions. But never once did he consider leaving them to join their enemy. Now, had the M9 faced the Cerberus Assembly earlier in the campaign, that might have been different - but I never feared that Caleb would switch sides in the campaign we did get.

The thing is, Imogen does have something waiting for her: Lilliana and Predathos. I'm not sure about her allegiance, and that's where Imogen, Percy, and Caleb are different. While what Imogen has said/done has been tame compared to what Percy and Caleb have said/done - I know that the line Imogen is toeing is one neither of the others had dared to cross. Percy would never have considered joining forces with the Briarwoods, Thordak, or the Whispered One. Caleb would never have dared to join sides with Avantika, Obann, or Trent. But Imogen might.

That is fascinating. And dangerous. The future isn't set in stone, and all I can do now is bite my tongue and wait for episode 50.

[non-neutoniangender]

Episode 42 here we come!!!! (unrelatedly, I'm really excited to have finally broken through episode 40, its been probably a year of being in the 30's. Although I did make a lot of progress on Vox Machina last summer)

tits, ball, and ass is so on brand for CR and honestly I would be surprised if that was anything different.

LIAMMMMMM stop making Orym so cool!!! that sword and graple vine combo is gonna go so hard!!

And Laudna!!! Learns!!! Fireball???

"well lets blame it on a god" a good dnd motto lmao

Fire lessons!!!!!!

"I'm having an awakening" geez Orym

Seedling 😟😟😭😭 I love that name!!!!

I also love that Matt knew Orym wouldn't give up his sword, and so he upgraded it so he gets a better weapon (and yea he needed a magical weapon at some point)

"if they are paying attention to someone, I'm glad its you" oh my god chetney got sincere for once.

"Lakecap skyport And Lounge". lmao love you Xandis

the gambling!!!!

Fearne hit that 18

man FCG's earnestness while trying to get a room like Chet wanted lmao.

gambling

Man I had forgotten how bad imogen was around crowds.

Laura is doing a good job of making me remember

Also I love how much this party can talk in each others head, its really cool, and leads to some lovely moments

did.... did the bird... did the bird identify FCG as a problem????

like did it somehow know that they are an aeormaton

[crackedmosaic]

I really didn't like Zahra's reaction to Vex'ahlia's death and how she was presented in episode 4. It just seemed so cold to me, especially since Zahra took an active part in the resurrection ritual in the original stream and it felt so out of character in general.

The series had set them up as old acquaintances and Zahra was clearly angry about the twins' betrayal, but her dynamic with Vex was more of 'bitter ex who got their feelings hurt but there's still a spark there' than outright hatred. This was obviously different to Critical Role, but felt like a good move to make due to time constraints and a different way to approach Vex and Zahra's catty rivalry evolution to flirtatious affection. This felt reinforced by the pair actively protecting each other in episode 3. Yes, they were trading barbs and trying to one up each other, but if Zahra really felt nothing for Vex then she could have easily done nothing and would have had no blame thrown towards her.

Which is why I was shocked by Zahra's reaction to Vex's death was surprise and then.... Nothing. Just annoyance that Vox Machina got to the vestige first. Arguing that Vex was dead and that was it. What??? I expected her role to be reduced, but I still thought there would be some emotional response, some outcry for her fallen friend. Then Zahra doubles down after all that and sets a monster on them, acting more like a villain than an ally, which just gives massive whiplash at the end of the episode when she gives Vex the necklace because obviously this version of Zahra doesn't give a fuck about her.

Vex and Zahra's friendship was so important in the original show, their similar backgrounds made them really connect in a way that was different to Vex's other friendships, because they really saw themselves in each other. They're both survivors who were traumatised by their fathers, knowing that they have to take what they can get because nothing is ever just given to them, but they care deeply for others and are willing to put themselves at risk to protect anyone in danger.

We get no semblance of this in TLoVM and it's reasonable to not get that depth since they have way too much content as it is, but I still expect to see the same characters we all know and love. To make Zahra capable of such callousness while smoothing out Kash's character (who is supposed to be a cynical grumpy asshole) is just frustrating to watch and first time viewers would have no idea why these characters are so loved by the fandom. It really makes no sense to me why Mary or any of the others went in this direction.

Now, I'm not saying that Zahra and Kash's actions shouldn't have been antagonistic. Going after the vestige makes sense and I honestly loved it until episode 4. A better idea would have been to set up the monster fight as an ambush when Zahra and Kash first left the group with the intention to get the vestige from VM rather than try to find it themselves, return to find Vex dead and both try to help bring her back, then realise that the monster was a mistake when they went to leave in an "Ah, we fucked up" moment. This wouldn't have changed much in terms of the events, but it would have made so much more sense to the characters.

All of this is to say that I'm deeply disappointed in how Zahra's characterisation progressed, especially since I was so looking forward to seeing her in the show and before episode 4 I was so happy with what we had.

[vethbrenatto]

i’ve started watching vox machina for the first time!! it’s so good, but after watching c2 and c3, what’s so interesting is that this feels like i’m watching a prequel story. like i’m watching the heroes in their youth as they make a name for themselves.

it’s such an interesting way to watch vox machina bc each moment feels so much impactful, and it honestly makes me more emotional bc i’m like ‘u don’t know that you become the voice of the tempest!! you build a clock tower!! you achieve your dreams!!’ it’s just an interesting way of seeing the characters that have become such cornerstones in cr and in exandria <3

i forgot to respond to this and it's been sitting in my inbox forever but i love that for you! i adore the VM campaign and because of my own watch order it's hard for me to imagine viewing them as prequel characters but it sounds like a really fun viewing experience!

[silverdestiny]

Thinking about how The Legend of Vox Machina is such a good translation of a D&D game into a visual medium.

I got hooked to Percy specifically because so much that they do with him to set the tone and mood are beautiful. The transitions where he puts on his mask. The smoke, noticeable but not too obtrusive until it gets too powerful to ignore.

I adore the entire way they did Orthax. I've been playing D&D inspired ttrpgs for long enough that Demon has become just an enemy type with specific weaknesses but the entire way that they depicted him really captured what demons SHOULD be. And I haven't listened to the podcast campaign yet and I know that at least some of that comes from the DM himself but it's so easy to look at a stat block and think of that as all a demon is. But the way that he's shown in the animated series, the battle in the center of percy's mind, everything they did with the effects when he was trying to fight him to keep from killing those he loved, the way you translate dice rolls and character actions into a visual medium, it was just done masterfully.

I've seen people saying 'Percy is extremely anime' and they're RIGHT but my favorite D&D campaigns have always had that kind of high drama, high fantasy, rule of cool feel that makes people identify him as that. And Percy's arc honestly is SUCH a good tone setter in many ways- if I choose to get into the campaign now I feel like I know what I'm in for. I'm in for drama, character trauma, close calls, described viscera and gore, npcs who can't be saved, but I'm also in for hope and the power of friendship pushing forward to solve problems together (for as long as it can, at least), as well as villains that have just as much power and cool invested in them, as much thought behind them as the PCs which is always an excellent experience.

So being able to watch this and see that how fleshed out all the characters are, how the undead are truly undead, the demons have meaning, but there's still so much lightness and brevity between the dour moments is really inspiring, and the way that it translates the rich world that has been made makes me want to build rich worlds myself because I so rarely see worlds as colorful but as serious as the ones I want to make portrayed in media like this.

And it makes me really want to listen to the Critical Role podcast, I'll give them that.

[rightpastnowhere]

(submitted by @enchantedmerry)

Hi! People are sending you fluffy headcanons, so here’s some more!

Vex and Percy didn’t actually tell Tary that they’d gotten married, it’s more that they were both all caught up being sappy newlyweds and in their defence they both find it really hard to concentrate on anything around them when the other’s kissing them and calling them lovely things. Normally, Tary would just quietly leave as quickly as possible when he walked in on them making out but this time he heard Percy calling her ‘Lady de Rolo’ and he can’t really be blamed for making a squaking sound, he maybe can be blamed for assuming that they were just into some very elaborate roleplay but honestly at least his mind jumping to that makes them eloping seem less shocking.

I’ve already included this in a fic but I love the idea that part of Vex rebuilding the Dawnfather’s temple in Whitestone included making the gardens into an orchard resembling the one they saw in Pelor’s realm. Obviously, it’s very religiously symbolic but also the fruit/selling the fruit could be used to help feed the poorest of Whitestone. Also, it’s very fun to imagine that in centuries time after the specifics of vm’s exploits have begun to drift into myth some poor future Star of Whitestone having an absolute what the FUCK moment when they realise their local church just casually looks that much like the Dawnfather’s actual house.

Pike makes her kids these really elaborate birthday cakes. She asks Kaylie if she wants one too, because it feels mean to leave her out, and she acts like she isn’t bothered but then gets so chocked up when Pike makes her one anyway.

Sometimes the twins just forget that not everyone’s bi. They were mainly round each other for so long and homophobia isn’t a thing in Tal'dorie so it’s not something that comes up much. This very nearly leads to an uncomfortable situation where Vex is just barely able to stop herself from saying 'well obviously’ when one of her kids is just starting to work out their sexuality and tells her they think they want to date people the same gender as themselves.

Whitestone Castle is an incredible playground, there’s so many hidey-holes and different roots to escape capture if you’re being chased, or places to tuck away for more quiet play and avoiding siblings. Cass goes through a very disconcerting series of emotions after stumbling on one of her niblings hidden where she hid from the Briarwoods after the initial attack, the paranoid part of her brain is glad they’re learning the best hiding spots, the rest of her just hopes they never need that knowledge. Ultimately, such morbid thoughts get drowned out as the priority becomes banning magic from their games because it’s unfair, then trying to work out how to re-balance it when at least Gwen (and probably others of the quarter elves) have clearly inherited rogue stats from their mother.

_____________________

IDK THE PROTOCOL FOR POSTING SUBMISSIONS BUT I’M ADDING MY OWN THOUGHTS BECAUSE IM SCREAMING HE L P

I HAD THE SAME THOUGHTS ABOUT TARY FINDING OUT GKJRNGKRJ i knew they would try so hard to be discreet but i ALSO know they’d be giggling to themselves and grinning while calling each other husband and wife because they’re absolutely smitten with each other, and poor tary not only almost sees vex’s tits, but also becomes one of the keepers of The Secret That Shook Vox Machina. his pulse fucking skyrockets any time one of VM came to visit whitestone during the break. the poor man gets grey hairs because of this

NGEKRJGNEKJ CAN U IMAGINE SOMEONE TELLING U THAT THE LOCAL TEMPLE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE A GOD’S ACTUAL HOUSE. LIKE CAN U IMAGINE. and also the picture of vex just going through and picking fruits and organizing food drives (but also just keeping a few to herself every once in a while, so she can take them home and try to bake an apple pie like what she remembers of her mom’s). the champion of pelor, glowing golden, in an orchard in the sushine.

picturing pike trying to make a multi-tiered cake that is taller than she is, she asks percy for a step stool and he shows up with this elaborate motherfucker that has shelves at intermittent heights so she can take the icing and shit with her, because heaven forbid percy ever do less than The Most. AND PIKE MAKING KAYLIE A CAKE.... SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE FOR ME

GNKJGNEKJRN GOD the twins are so SILLY i LOVE THEM SO MUCH

AWW CASS <33 i love any content of her interacting with the lil de rolo babies, how she is brought a little out of her paranoid shell by the Joys of being an aunt <33 but i do think she and percy and vex all stay QUITE paranoid, and when they teach the kids about the protocol for if the castle is ever attacked, the fact that they’ve already been playing in the tunnels definitely makes it a little easier. (although i do wonder how often, in their earlier days of parenting, one of the babies disappeared into the tunnels and sent percy and vex into panic attacks, only for cass to show up holding them in her arms after crawling out of an entire wall LMAO)

[cringefaecompilation]

so i just say your post asking about anyone who liked bh but hates the mn and. yes. i am one of those people. i started watching cr around episode 31 of vox machina, started with episode 1 of mn, and didn't make it past episode 5 on the first watch through. i didn't like any of the characters except yasha but having an ashley character be your favorite character is ROUGH - and seeing that pike was my favorite from vox machina (quickly followed by grog and scanlan), i learned the lesson pretty early on.

but yeah. i dislike the mn. i won't watch anything that doesn't have caduceus in it because he was the only saving grace for me and the only reason i actually started watching again. assholes just aren't interesting to me. i didn't care for them. now that i've watched some past episodes i dislike them less, but i don't find any of them really all that interesting. and when caduceus is the only reason you watch... well. it's not really a good time.

i didn't care about any of the npcs the group connected with except allura but, like, come ON. it's ALLURA VYSOREN. I didn't care about essek (still don't), pumat was good but not gilmore-esque, yussa... honestly he was the funniest npc just on accident cause he kept getting trapped in places he was sticking his nose in.

basically the characters just weren't the kind of characters i was ever interested in watching, the story line only garnered my attention very, very late, and, tbh, the fandom was (is) so fucking rancid that it just made me hate it more.

the moment exu came out i was so excited because i hoped fearne and orym would be in c3 and have loved them ever since. i would even say that like all the characters in bh and am invested in all their stories. chet can... sometimes get too much for me but that's mostly because i'm already overstimulated and has nothing to do with the actual character. even with ashton who is 100% california punk (your roots are showing, taliesin) and clashes against the punk lifestyle i've always lived only makes me respect them because, yeah. they're a punk. i'm a punk. fuck them; i'll love them forever.

huh, neat! i've never heard of someone getting into c1 midway and than into c2, usually it's the other way around. that's cool.

honestly i hadn't even considered that people may be COMPLETELY put off by the mn being assholes at the beginning, but then again i was also super taken aback when taliesin said that the nein were "almost all villains" but looking back on where they all began and their backstories, i can see it more.

i will agree with you that early c2 can be a little obnoxious to get through and while i was able to enjoy them (both the characters and the storyline) it's completely understandable why someone would get frustrated with them and stop watching. fandom toxicity and overall arc fatigue seem to be the most agreed on answers to why c3 fans if any don't like c2.

also the whole "caduceus is the only reason i liked c2" seems to be a sentiment for people that have become wholly disillusioned with critical role as a series, so it's nice to see someone still enjoying the series with that viewpoint.

for the last paragraph, i completely agree! though i really REALLY wanted dariax and opal to come along with them, we can see why (ep 64) it wouldn't have been viable.

i'm just shocked that everyone had pretty much the exact same answer, i swear i would have gotten at least one person that disliked it for a bizarrely specific reason.