#mighty nein fic

[rainbowcaleb]

Dearest reader, you are cordially invited to the event of the season: the wedding of Jester Lavorre and Fjord Stone.

Please RSVP and read here.

This will be a night to remember. A completely normal night. Just an absolutely standard wedding. No surprises and definitely no secrets.

P.S. this is also a shadowgast fic

P.P.S. fluffernutter is not a banned substance, but it is not recommended due to proximity to the cliff side

[waltwhitmansbeard]

this fic contains spoilers for the mighty nein reunion: echoes of the solstice. please read at your own discretion.

There is celebration, cheers and drinking and the spectacle of fey magic as the quaint homes of Blumenthal are put back together. Glasses are clinked and songs are sung and throughout it all, Caleb is keeping expert track of the minutes. He lets his friends, heroes, each of them, have their revelry as long as he dares.

They sleep in the tower, and first thing in the morning, he uses the boy as an excuse. Luc needs to go home. Veth will be out of her mind with worry. A teleport to Nicodranas, another to Zadash. Caduceus offers to stay and help Beau and Yasha look into the mystical misgivings after the solstice, though everyone knows his role will be in making sure that the two of them see the better part of a pillow every now and again. Caleb will be back to aid in the effort. There is somewhere he needs to go first.

He sees pacing through the curtains as he appears in the front garden of the little cottage. It almost makes him smile. He makes it up the few steps to the front porch, and then the door is wrenched open and he is yanked inside. "For the love of the Light!"

Caleb can barely breath against the knit of Essek's sweater. "Guten morgen," he says, muffled.

"Three days, Caleb Widogast. Three days." Caleb swings backward as Essek holds him at arm's length, an unusual wild look in his eye. "You run off with Beauregard to save the world, and for three days I do not know if you survived." Essek runs a shaking hand through his hair. "Why could I not send to you, what is going on—" Essek cuts himself off as curious recognition sparks in his face. "Something...happened."

And Caleb can do nothing but laugh. It starts quiet, a humorless chuckle, but then it overtakes him, growing louder and louder until it is something deafening, something monstrous. Vaguely, Caleb is aware that Essek is watching him with profound concern, but he can't stem the tide of violent laughter that has him doubled over in the tiny entryway of this cottage.

"Caleb..."

When Essek speaks, lost and afraid, it is suddenly very, very not funny anymore. The laughter quiets, but Caleb remains with his hands on his knees, too exhausted to stand back up. A hand, fingers long and sure, runs up and down the curve of his spine.

Something happened.

"I don't know where to begin."

Essek lets the whisper hang ominously in the air for a few moments. "Shall we begin with tea?"

And they do. Caleb is shuffled to the sofa, cats shooed out of the way, and Essek fills a kettle and prestidigitates the water to boiling. As the tea steeps, Caleb begins with where it all went wrong, because it is easier to think about what happened on Marquet than the horror he faced back in his hometown. When he speaks of the magic collar, of the shackle meant for Ludinus and used on him, Essek's fingers come to brush along the side of his neck, as if he could will away the feeling of stone on his skin and cold in his bones.

When he has described the horrible shunting across Exandria and the subsequent gathering of the Nein, he speaks of the magic mouths, of the words Trent Ikithon left to haunt him, the specter even Jester's magic could not turn. Essek's hand grips his with strength that would put Yasha to shame. "Caleb..."

Caleb almost doesn't tell him. There is no need for Essek to know, no need for a new worry when the threat has already been handled. But Caleb has kept so much from so many for so long, and well he knows that the most important part of loving someone is the bravery it requires.

"He spoke of going to the Bright Queen," he says quietly. He watches the warm amethyst of Essek's cheeks blanche to lavender. "He threatened to turn you in, because he knew that the best way to hurt me would be to hurt the person I love the most."

There is a long pause, and then Essek sets down his teacup, the liquid inside long gone cold, brings his hand up to cup Caleb's face. His fingers gently scratch into his scruff, and not for the first time, Caleb wishes he could purr like a cat in sunlight. "I would let him drag me by the ears before my queen if it meant you were spared even a moment of his torment. You know that, don't you?"

And he does. It is a wild, magical knowing, a certainty unlike anything he has experienced. He presses his face into Essek's palm. "I'm glad he said it. Even after all this time, all of the work I have done within myself to forgive the sins of my past...I must admit, it was...rattling. His voice, the memories it evoked, the ghost of his hands on my skin.

"But then he spoke the word Shadowhand, and it was all gone. The pain, the shame, the fear. All that was left was rage, and the need to free Exandria of his influence."

"And did you?"

And so Caleb continues on with his tale, the illusion of a familiar farmhouse, the use of a wish to protect his best friend's son, the sight of his family home for the first time since he was a boy. He stops himself mid-word as the memory of his parents, dead, reanimated, puppeted by the worst person Caleb has ever known, nearly knocks him from this place, from this moment. But there is still a hand in his, and the tightening fingers keep him where he belongs.

Essek listens to the whole story with rapt attention, clearly straining to keep his myriad emotions from his face. But Caleb knows him well enough by now to pick out the shock, the horror, the disgust, even the barely-contained smile at the thought of a one Caleb morphed into a dinosaur and the other into a massive white dragon. Caleb spares no detail when describing the implausible feats of his friends, giving Beauregard the full credit for wrenching the artifact from the demonic entity summoned by Ikithon, and after recounting tossing the thing into a demiplane, Caleb says, "When it was over, all I could think about was coming back here to you. If I weren't so tapped out on magic, I would have been here last night."

"Come here." Caleb allows himself to be dragged along the back of the sofa, Essek's arms tight around his chest. For the first time in three days, he is not afraid that at any moment, his very atoms will scatter into a million directions. He buries his face into Essek's chest, lets his love hook his chin over his head and whisper, "I do not know what this solstice has wrought upon our world. But I know that I'm very grateful that neither it nor that man took you from it. From me."

There are no more words left. There is nothing Caleb can say, for all his reading, for all the magic incantations he has memorized, to convey the depth of his relief that, contrary to what he may have intoned to Beau, he did not die on the land his parents lost their lives on. There is no telling what horrors are yet to come, nor what they may demand of Caleb and his friends, but he will not begrudge himself this quiet moment in his love's arms, not after these last three days.

[hymn-of-muse]

Not My Flower.

a Yasha x Reader requested by @botanicalbard

"tell me, bard. you've been seen with the nein quite often, you're familiar with them, yes? tell me all you know of them." a man demanded in a low tone, face obscured by shadow in the dimly lit room.

you'd left the tavern after you and your friends had a few drinks, all you wanted was a bit of fresh air as the ale started to take affect on you. you we not expecting, however, to be grabbed from behind and dragged into the alleyway next to the tavern, a hand silencing you and arms holding you firm so you couldnt run away.

the next thing you knew, you found yourself in a small room, windows covered up and the lighting too dim to make out any doorway outline, unless it was behind where you sat on a stool, ankles restrained and hands tied at the wrist around the support beam you were leaning against.

a man, clearly trying to intimidate you into talking about your friends weaknesses and secrets, stood over you with his arms crossed. you could hear someone in the corner shift, so you knew it wasnt just him here.

"i'll ask you again-"

"no i heard you" you interrupted "im just not sure what it is specifically you want to know, i mean theyre a lovely bunch, sure, but you cant just be so vague, do you want me to give you an introduction for each individual? i can do that in song!" you told him smugly

"what?" he gave a confused look upon your sudden compliance "no-no, no songs, just tell me-"

"are you sure? i got a really good one! oh! or i could sing you a tale of the mighty nein's greatest adventures thus far! what a brave and interesting party of beings they are, like this one time-"

"stop that!" the man snapped, agitated by your interruptions and clear attempt at stalling him for more time. "enough of your games, bard, just tell me what i ask of you and nothing more. if you comply, we'll consider letting you go unharmed. got it?"

"come on, you went through all this effort and all you want is a little information? why not a whole story, huh? not even one song? all you want is small talk? thats so boooring" you groaned, putting emphasis on the 'o' in boring.

the man gave a grunt of frustration as he grabbed hold of your shirt collar and got all threatening in your face. "shut up! just tell me each of their weaknesses, secrets, some information i can ACTUALLY use!"

"one, ew your breath smells. two, nah thats lame. besides, by now they likely know im gone and will come looking for me. you made a huge mistake thinking i was a good kidnapping choice." you chuckled, still smug as ever.

"yeah? what makes you so sure they'll find you?" he grumbled.

"because the barbarian's my girlfriend, and she can get really physical when shes angry"

"heh, you think youre safe? youre not going anywhere till i get something outta you" he glared, raising a fist to throw a punch just when the door swung open with a crash, breaking it off its hinges.

in the doorway now stood yasha after she'd kicked in the door, the light outside illuminating the room and as she stepped in with heavy foot falls, the anger on her face was clear as day. she gave an icy cold glare to the man who's fish was frozen in the air.

"how did you..?" the other person in the corner finally spoke up with a weak voice.

"your neighbors made a noise complaint" yasha stated, storming closer to the man who threatened you a minute before as he stumbled back and reached for a weapon to defend himself with.

when he tried to swing a club at her, she grabbed it and tore it out of his hands, tossing it to the side and grabbing him by the arm. she swung him around and threw him into the other person, knocking them both out on impact when the hit the wall.

"are you hurt?" yasha asked you as she quickly moved to undo your restraints, a gentle hand moving to the side of your face to make sure you were alright. the look of concern on her face said everything.

"i knew you'd find me" you smiled sweetly at her, leaning your head into her warm hand as her shoulders dropped in relief.

"of course i did. i wouldnt let anyone hurt you." she spoke with a light chuckle to her voice, hoisting you into her arms and walking out of the room as she carried you. "not my flower."

reblogs are appreciated! im sorry this took a while to get done! /g

[whumpdoyoumean]

Whumptober #15

xxx i don’t need you to help me

Fjord looks up from his dinner in time to see Jester skipping toward Caleb, and he looks back down with a shake of his head. The wizard has been standoffish these last few days, more than usual even. Not that Fjord can blame him, really. The fight with the direwolves had been…intense, to say the least. His hand moves to his stomach as he remembers the gaping wounds that had been there, the indescribably horrific feeling of holding his hands over them in an attempt to keep his insides from spilling out. He remembers the sounds that had come from him, agonized and inhuman. He shudders and pushes his food around in his bowl with his fork, his appetite diminished. Caduceus had been able to heal him, but between the miserably cold days and trying to make up for time lost, they’ve been unable to have a decent rest and all of them are feeling it. 

“Caleeeeeb!” He hears Jester’s sing-songy voice. “Look what I made you!” When there isn’t an immediate answer, she adds, “It’s a flower crown, I--”

“I have no interest in your silly things!” Caleb snaps, suddenly and sharply. Fjord’s hand freezes, and he looks over at Beau. She just shrugs slightly, her expression as surprised as his own.

“Oh,” Jester says softly, the woven daisies held gingerly in both hands. She takes a step backward. “Sorry.”

Caleb’s face softens, eyes wrinkling at the corners and mouth turning down with regret, and he sighs heavily. His shoulders slump as he does, his whole body seeming to cave in and shrink. 

“No, Jester. I--I am sorry.” He tries to make eye contact, but his gaze keeps flicking down to the dirt. “That was…very nice of you. I’m just…I am very tired.”

“We’re all tired, Caleb,” Beau says, her voice sharp. 

He nods once, and maybe it’s the shadows cast by the fading light but he looks…exhausted. Haggard. Definitely worse off than any of the rest of them.

“Yes. Yes, of course, I didn’t mean…It is lovely, Jester.”

She narrows her eyes at him, but she’s never able to stay angry at Caleb for long and Fjord can see a corner of her mouth twitching. She lets Caleb stew for a moment longer before beaming at him. 

“That’s alright, Caleb! Here!” She gently drapes the flower crown on the man’s head. He can’t say no now, and she knows it. Fjord  rolls his eyes, but he can’t help but smile at her antics.

It quickly fades when Caleb’s knees buckle. Jester manages to catch his arms before he can collapse fully, letting out a startled sound.

“Caleb!” Nott’s voice joins Jester’s, the goblin scrambling to her feet. 

“I’m alright,” Caleb insists as Jester helps ease him down into a sitting position. The breathiness of his voice undercuts his words, however, and Fjord sets his bowl on the ground, ready to stand if he’s needed. Beau is already on her feet.

“I--I am okay!” His voice cracks, and he’s even more unconvincing than he was before. “I just need to sit down for a minute.”

“What is that?” Nott demands, and Fjord does stand then. 

Caleb tries to bat her hands away, but he’s no match for her speed and she snatches his coat, pulling it away from his torso and letting out a cry, voice rising in pitch and volume. 

“Is that blood?!”

“Beau.” Fjord looks over at her. “You better go get Caduceus.”

She nods once, wide-eyed, and takes off running toward the trees, while Fjord hurries to Jester and Nott and Caleb. The former two are clamoring, while the latter tries (and repeatedly fails) to reassure them.

“Please, Nott, I am fine. Jester, I’m fine!” 

“You’re not fine, Caleb!” Nott cries.

“That is a lot of blood,” Jester adds.

Caleb doesn’t look at either of them, stares at a distant point between them looking flustered. Now that he’s close, Fjord gets a real look at Caleb for the first time in days. He doesn’t look good--dark circles under his eyes that stand out even more against unusually pale skin, a sheen of sweat covering his face despite the chill in the air, despite the visible shivers running through him. 

It’s a wonder no one’s noticed before now.

“Hey.” Fjord puts a hand on Jester’s shoulder and one on Nott’s. “Why don’t you guys go check on the fire?” When he’s met with looks of reluctance and defiance, he adds, “He looks like he’ll be needing it.”

“Let’s go, Nott,” Jester coaxes. “We can get some firewood to help Caleb.”

Nott lets out a discontented hum, but allows herself to be led away by the tiefling. Fjord waits until they’re a few steps away before he kneels down in front of Caleb. The light is beginning to fade and Caleb’s shirt is dark, but there’s a large patch that’s even darker, and four thin gashes in the fabric on the left side of his chest. Now that the others are gone, the I’m fine act has vanished, pain evident on Caleb’s features as he lets out shaky breaths.

“I--I’m going to lay down now, I think,” he murmurs, leaning back and hitting the ground with a grunt, draping his left arm up and over his head.

“How bad?” Fjord asks as he starts the process of pushing up all of the layers of clothing to get a look at the wound.

“Not…Not sure. Haven’t, erm--” He clears his throat. “Haven’t had a chance to look.”

Fjord looks up at him with raised eyebrows. He supposes he shouldn’t be surprised, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be concerned. “We’ll have a chat about that later. Shit you wear a lot of clothes…”

“It is col--sheize!” He closes his eyes tight, grimacing in pain as Fjord pushes the innermost layer up and away from his ribs.

“Easy, there--ooh shit.”

There are four ragged, parallel gashes across his ribcage, starting halfway to his midline and extending up and around his side toward his armpit, almost to his back. The whole left side of his torso is covered with dried crimson, the wounds dark with it as they try to heal. One gash is cracked, a thin trickle of fresh blood oozing from it. And the area all around the wounds is visibly inflamed and bright red underneath all the dried blood. Caleb’s chest rises and falls in short, rapid breaths. 

“That bad?” He almost laughs as he says it. 

“It’s not good.” Guilt is beginning to gnaw at Fjord as he realizes that Caleb’s been walking around like this for days. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“It’s just some scratches. You were dy--” He stops. Breathes. “You needed all the healing they could give you, Fjord.”

Ah. Caleb didn’t want them to use any spells on him, so he’d kept his mouth shut. 

The guilt only grows. He examines the wounds, squinting at them in the dying light. 

“You still should’ve said something, Caleb. We can help you. There’s other things besides magic.”

He expects a response to that, at the very least an indignant sound, but to his surprise the wizard says nothing. 

“Caleb?” He looks up and his heart skips in his chest. Caleb’s eyes are closed, his face slack. “Hey, Caleb. Caleb!” 

“Is he alright?” Nott calls.

He reaches up and pats Caleb’s face (fuck, his skin is clammy), ignoring Nott’s shout for the time being as he tries to stir his friend into consciousness. 

“Caleb, c’mon buddy.” Frantic fingers move to his neck, finding the pulse there fast and fluttering. 

“Caleb!” Nott runs back, dumping a small arm load of wood on the ground before falling to her knees near Caleb’s side. Her eyes widen as she takes in the wounds, and she looks up at Fjord. “What happened?”

“He was hurt during the dire wolf attack.”

Nott makes a sound that’s somewhere between worried and frustrated. “Well, why didn’t he say anything?”

Fjord sighs. Because of me, he thinks. He doesn’t look at Nott, instead turning to Jester, who’s wandered over with her own load of firewood. “Have you got a piece of wire squirreled away somewhere?”

Jester nods quickly. 

“K, good. I need you to contact Caduceus. Tell him Caleb is wounded and we need him to get back here as quick as he can.”

“Okay.” She sets the wood she’s gathered down before digging into her bag to find the wire necessary for the sending spell. 

Nott is sitting on the ground now. She’s lifted Caleb’s head so it’s resting in her lap, and now she’s leaning over him, murmuring quiet reassurances. Fjord feels like he’s intruding somehow, so he moves away and picks up some of the discarded sticks and branches to stoke the fire. 

Beau and Caduceus emerge from the woods a few minutes later, and Caduceus quickly busies himself mixing things he’s gathered from the woods into some kind of paste. Beau sits next to Fjord, picking up a stick from the ground and tracing swirling shapes into the dirt. 

“How is he?” she asks after a moment, not looking up from her idle scratching.

“He’s in pretty bad shape. It happened during the fight with the dire wolves. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner…He didn’t say anything because of me, you know.”

Beau and the stick freeze, and she looks up at Fjord. “You’re not really trying to blame yourself for this, are you?”

Fjord doesn’t answer, and Beau glares at him. 

“Fjord,” she says, her voice serious. “You were literally dying. Plus Caleb is pretty good at keeping secrets. None of us saw it. It’s not your fault.”

Fjord takes a deep breath, letting it out as a long sigh. “Well it sure as hell feels like it.”

“Well it’s not. So just stop. Besides, Caduceus knows what he’s doing. Caleb is going to be fine.”

“Yeah,” Fjord says quietly. “Thanks, Beau.” 

“Fjord?” Caduceus says. “I’m going to need your help.”

Fjord stands quickly. “Whatever you need.”

“The mixture I’ve made will help him heal, but I’m afraid it isn’t particularly pleasant. I’ll need you to hold Mister Caleb still in case he wakes up.”

“Sure,” Fjord says, moving over to the unconscious wizard’s side. He kneels in the dirt next to him, putting a hand on his uninjured shoulder. Caduceus positions himself on Caleb’s other side.

“Nott, hold his left arm, please,” Caduceus says as he scoops some of the paste he’s made from a little wooden bowl. “Keep him steady.”

“I’ve got him,” Nott says firmly, gripping Caleb’s left wrist with both hands.

Caduceus nods at her, then smears some of the mixture onto the gashes on Caleb’s chest. Caleb makes a small sound in the back of his throat, his eyebrows twitching into a slight frown, but other than that he hardly stirs as Caduceus continues to scoop the paste onto the wounds. Fjord is starting to think perhaps the firebolg was just being overcautious when Caduceus starts to rub the paste into the open wounds. Caleb’s whole body jerks and he lets out a loud cry.

“It’s alright, Caleb!” Nott says, holding onto his arm with a frantic expression as Fjord puts more of his weight onto Caleb’s good shoulder. 

“Easy, there,” Fjord says. 

“I have to make sure the medicine gets deep into the wounds if he’s going to heal properly,” Caduceus says in that calm, steady voice of his. 

“We’ve got him,” Nott says. “Keep going.”

Caduceus does, and Caleb screams again, writhing, trying to twist away from Caduceus’s touch. Fjord looks up at Nott to make sure she’s got a good hold on him. She does, of course--she possesses an impressive amount of strength considering her size--but he can see on her face that it’s difficult for her, seeing Caleb in pain like this.

“You’re doing very well, Mister Caleb,” Caduceus says. “Nearly done.”

Caleb is trembling by the time Caduceus finishes, his breath coming in small, pained gasps. He doesn’t wake up. 

“He needs some good rest now, for the medicine and his body to do their work,” Caduceus says. He looks up at Fjord, and he seems to stare into him. “I think you could do with a good night’s sleep too, friend.”

Fjord shakes his head a little. “No. No, I should keep watch--”

“We’ve got it,” Beau says. 

“Yes, we can do it,” Jester agrees.

Fjord wants to argue, but he can tell by the others’ faces that it’s not an argument that they’ll let him win. 

“Fine,” he says finally. He’s not sure he’ll be able to sleep, but he lays out his bedroll anyway, settling next to Caleb. 

He watches the stars for a long time, listening to Caleb’s breathing and the crackling of the fire. 

He doesn’t even notice himself tire before he drifts off. 

xxx 

Caleb is already awake when Fjord wakes up in the morning, sitting next to the fire with a blanket wrapped around him. He still looks tired, but he’s improved significantly since the previous night, and is even smiling a little at something one of the others said. 

“How are you feeling?” Fjord asks, walking to join them. 

“I’m alright,” Caleb says. 

“Good,” Fjord says. “Because I’m about ready to kick your ass.”

Caleb frowns. “I’m not sure I’m feeling that alright,” he murmurs, looking down at his hands.

Fjord crosses his arms over his chest. “What the hell were you thinkin’, keeping that from us?” 

Caleb raises his eyes guiltily, his arms scrunching up toward his shoulders. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“Yeah, well, it fucking was,” Fjord says. It comes out sounding harsh, and he knows it, but he doesn’t hold back, the worry that’s been knotted in his gut coming out as frustration. “Never again, you hear me?”

“I hear you,” Caleb says. 

Fjord is determined not to let Caleb off easy, so he just sets his jaw and nods curtly. “Good. We’re a team now, Caleb. You don’t have to just handle shit on your own.”

“I know that. I’m sorry.”

The genuineness in Caleb’s voice is enough to make Fjord soften, just a little, and he sighs. Damn it. 

“Yeah, well. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

xxx 

[leetlesapphiretiefling]

Hey Critters, I could use some help! I'm working on a MN college au and I can't think of professors I want. So I'm gonna ask for some help!

Some ground rules: I don't want any Assembly members as teachers, so they're all off the table. I also don't want any story suggestions at all, just NPCs you think would fit teaching that class. Another thing to note is it's still set in Exandria, but as if Exandria was our real world, so everyone is a human being.

Classes that still need professors: Chemistry, Drama, and two Art classes. I don't have specific art classes down either, so if you have asiggestion for those I will take those as well.

Thank you all in advance for helping!

[tragedyboycentral]

You want an update to a fic that hasn't been updated since 2019? No? Too bad here we are!! Link brings to newest chapter but I'm promoing with the summary lol "Caleb. Are you asking to pay me to just... cuddle and hang out?" Caleb's fingers twitched, a small flame dancing across them. "If that would be alright, then yes. I do not look it but I can pay you very well." AU no one asked for where Molly's broke enough to be a sugar baby, and Caleb's rich and lonely. Featuring the rest of the Mighty Nein, and also Molly and Caleb are both Type 1 Diabetic- not the focus of the story but it'll be as relevant as it has to be.

[murphyismz]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44844700

and carry me out (carry me out): a widomauk fic by strawberrylark on ao3 and malloryismss on tumblr <3

this is very self indulgent and i hope you enjoy

[sankttealeaf]

air so sweet

read on ao3 here ; originally posted june '21

fandom ; critical role [campaign 2]

characters ; jester lavorre, fjord stone, caleb widogast, beauregard lionett, yasha nyoodrin, mollymauk tealeaf, veth brenatto, caduceus clay, frumpkin, sprinkle

summary ; the gang go camping for a class trip. it goes well.

other info ; college au / modern setting (but still set in wildemount), everyone lives au. snippets of happy times. veth goes by veth and not nott in this au.

3.8k words. this was written as part of my m9 college au i have going over on instagram <3 u don't need any prior knowledge to enjoy this piece tho!!

There was something about the forest that was incredibly peaceful. Perhaps it was the sound of birds singing, swooping low throughout the trees, or the bees buzzing and landing on a variety of wild flowers. Or maybe it was the sound of running water, a family of ducks swimming through it, making the most of the warm day. It was serene, something to capture in a photo, a calm day with nothing bad to happen-

SPLASH.

Loud laughter filled the air, yells of disgust and annoyance soon followed. Veth stood, clutching her stomach as she laughed at the soaked Fjord, who was now dragging himself out from the river he had been pushed into. Caduceus broke his attention from a cluster of berries to see what had happened, broke into a smile and shook his head, looking back to see if the berries were edible. They weren’t. 

“I’m going to get you back,” Fjord grumbled, wringing his shirt to try and get most of the water out from it. “The ice you were standing under has cracked, Veth.”

“Sure, sure, whatever you say,” she replied, waving him off. “Can we do it again, I want to record it this time. No one will believe me if I don’t have video proof.”

Fjord gestured to where Caduceus was crouched over, making notes in a small journal. “You have proof!” He then pointed to his clothes. “Even more proof!”

Veth made a noise, shaking her head. “Not enough, unfortunately.” She waved her phone at him, a grin on her face as he passed her, heading up towards the trail path.

“No. Nope. Not staying here any longer. I’m going back to camp.”

“Suit yourself! Can’t run away forever!”

Fjord ran a hand through his hair, flicking off the water droplets. At least it was warm, he supposed. The cool water was a nice compliment to the warmth of the sun on his skin. He grabbed his bag with his school notes in, things he was supposed to find and document to present to the class, and made his way back up the path, following the signs back to camp. He hadn’t really thought much about this project, kind of wishing they were at the coast instead. There was more to see in the ocean, and he was bored of watching the same family of ducks swim by, expecting food. He had no duck food to give. Curious as to what ducks were allowed to eat, he pulled out his phone, ready to search what ducks could eat. He was paying attention to where he was walking, not wanting to bump into anyone or anything, and didn't realise until a good few minutes later, that he had tweeted out the searches he wanted. 

Now the whole world knew he was looking up what to feed ducks.

When Fjord had left, Veth relaxed her shoulders, looking around the area to figure out her next plan of chaos. Her eyes met Caduceus, who was in a perfect place to be pushed into the bush he was gently taking leaves off of to press into his notebook. Carefully, she began to make her way over, having not alerted the firbolg of her scheme. As she reached him, her hands ready to shove, Caduceus held up his hand and without ever turning around, gently spoke.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“How the- What? I would never! C’mon, Decuey, I would never think about pushing you,” Veth said quickly, hiding her confusion of how the fuck Caduceus knew she was sneaking up on him. She brushed out her dress, flicked one of her braids behind her shoulder and spun around. “I’m going to find Caleb. Are you good here?”

Caduceus gave a hum of agreement, and she turned to follow the path back to find the rest of her friends. The ping of her phone alerted her to one of her friends tweeting, and saw Fjord talking about… ducks? What a weirdo. She subtweeted him.

----

Frumpkin was having the time of his life exploring the long grass, climbing over rocks and watching birds fly in the sky. Yasha and Jester had taken over Frumpkin duties for the day, while Caleb, Molly and Beau walked around. Jester wanted to find a spot to paint in, and Yasha wanted to add to her flower collection, so they settled on a little meadow a few minutes walk from the main campsite. The soft breeze that came every few moments was welcomed, as the two sat in between various flowers, many of which had been picked and placed on a small pile in front of them, ready to be weaved into flower crowns. Frumpkin was enjoying the sun, lazing in between the two, only opening his eyes when he felt either of them gently pat him. 

“Molly said your room is, like, a giant plant. Is that true?” Jester asked, leaning over to pick out a purple flower to add to her creation. “Like, not a real plant, but, y’know. Plants.”

Yasha laughed softly, handing Jester another purple flower she saw, which the other gratefully took. “I have many plants. Flowers, house plants, cacti, loads of them.” She took out her phone to show Jester a photo of her room. “Molly comes over to water them when I’m not here.”

“That’s a lot of pla- wait, what’s that? In that tank? You have fish??” Jester pointed to a tank on the top of a table, and Yasha zoomed in. 

“That’s Storm, my tarantula.”

“You have a spider?!” 

“Mhm! He’s very friendly, loves scratches.”

Jester’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “The only spiders I know are the ones that come in my room, and Sprinkle usually eats them.”

“Is Sprinkle doing okay?” Yasha put her phone away, picking up the flower crown she was working on. 

“Yes! Do you want to see him?” Jester placed her crown down, turning around to pick up her rucksack, which was slightly opened. Yasha leaned over to look inside, and a small, red ferret- wait, no, weasel, poked his head out from it. “He’s been really good so far!! The best ferret I know!”

“Sprinkle’s a weasel,” Yasha pointed out, holding out her hand for Sprinkle to smell. Instead, he bit her.

“The guy I got him from said he was a ferret.” She picked Sprinkle up, holding him under his arms and pulling him close to her face. “Have you been lying to me, Sprinkle??”

Sprinkle squeaked, blinking up at Jester. 

“How do you know he’s a weasel?” She asked, pulling her weasel close to her with a frown. “I am sure glad I didn't file any paperwork for him.” “His tail is super long. Weasels have long tails, and are usually red,” Yasha told her, gently giving Frumpkin a scratch behind his ear, so he wouldn't feel left out.

“Wow. You sure do know a lot about stuff, Yasha,” Jester said with a smile, turning her attention back to Sprinkle. “You’re a bad weasel! You lied! No… uh… bugs for you anymore. Except I will, because you need to eat and I don’t want you to die. You need to meet all my friends!” She turned Sprinkle to face Yasha. “This is Yasha, Sprinkle! She’s super nice, okay? No more biting her anymore.”

Yasha laughed, as Sprinkle squeaked again and tried to wiggle from Jester’s hands. She gently placed him back in her bag, where he proceeded to curl into a ball and fall asleep. 

The two continued to add flowers to their crowns, making more when they realised they had picked more than needed. It was only fair that the rest of the group had flower crowns, too, right? Jester tried to pry any band secrets from Yasha, determined to know at least what the EP was about. She thought it wasn't going to work, but when she offered to braid flowers into her hair, Yasha caved, and gave her some top secret information about the EP.

----

“D’ya reckon you could hide a body in a tree?” Molly asked, leaning up against an oak tree as the trio took a break. He gave the trunk a hearty slap, immediately regretting doing so as his hand began to sting.

“Probably. You could cram one in there through the little holes they have in them,” Beau said, shooting him a strange look. “Planning on killing us?”

“Naaah, not yet. Caleb’s too cute to kill and you? Eh, I can take or leave you,” Molly teased, laughing as Beau playfully hit Molly’s arm.

“Jerk. You couldn’t kill me, anyway. The band would crumble! The fans would cry! Think of the fans, Molly.” Beau dramatically sighed, a grin across her face. The Orphanmakers had a small amount of hype building up around them, people across the campus knew who they were, and even outsiders had heard their music online. Jester had offered to make some merch for their next gig, to sell alongside CD’s and tapes. She also said it would be for her art project, too, though at this point she claimed everything was for her art project. 

Caleb, who had been sitting on a rock this whole time, spoke up, pulling his hair back out of his face. “How much longer is the walk, Beau?”

Beau shrugged, grabbing her water bottle from her bag. She saw a sign that there was a hiking trail and grabbed the first people she could to come with her. “No idea. I think we stopped seeing trail markers like, half an hour ago.”

“Huh.”

“It’s cool, we can just trace our steps back and hopefully get back to the campsite. If not, then I guess it’s survival of the fittest.” She took a swig of water, watching as Caleb’s face scrunched up in disgust at that. How he managed to be dragged along to this, he had no clue.

“As long as we don’t spend all day out here. I did have plans,” he told her, standing up and stretching out his back. 

“Your plans were to stay in your tent and read,” Molly noted, pushing himself from the tree and linking arms with Caleb. He reached over to grab Beau, and began to walk.

“Important plans,” Caleb added.

“Nerd plans. Look at us! Bunch of… nature guys!” Beau gestured with her free arm at the trail ahead of them. Tall trees lined their right, a meadow of wildflowers stretched on across their right. The beaten dirt path carried on straight, for how long, they did not know.

The trio kept walking, taking breaks every so often when Molly would complain that the sun was too warm on his beautiful face, or when Caleb grumbled that he was not enjoying it anymore, or when Beau got tired of swatting away bugs. They had been walking for what felt like hours, and were glad when they noticed trail markers start to make an appearance again. The wooden stakes with a faded red arrow were a sign of hope, that they were going to see civilization again, that… maybe they took a wrong turn at some point, because this trail was only supposed to take forty minutes. And they had been walking all day.

The sound of running water filled the air, and the moment they spotted the river, Molly ran straight for it. Beau followed, with Caleb trailing behind, searching for a spot to sit in the shade while the other two seemed to race towards the water. The two wasted no time kicking off their shoes and attempting to push the other in, laughing loudly and splashing the other. Molly called for Caleb to join them, but he wasn’t feeling like getting his clothes soaked, and without knowing how far away they were from the campsite, he didn't want to risk feeling uncomfortable. He sat back and watched Beau and Molly splash water at each other, laughing when Beau managed to dunk Molly under the water for a good few moments. 

He took out his phone, seeing a few messages from Veth sent an hour ago.

Veth (13:04): just pushed Fjord into a lake. Feeling good. How's your walk?

Veth (13:05): almost pushed Caduceus into a bush, life is coming up Veth!

Veth (13:05): might steal people’s left shoe. Just for fun. See you soon!!!!!!!!

Caleb smiled, scrolling through his messages just to read anything else he had missed. There were a few messages sent in the group chat he was in for the library workers. Essek made a comment about how they shouldn’t move the historical books, as they were in a good place right now. Caleb disagreed, thinking that a switch around would do the library good, but the conversation had ended a few hours before and he didn't think it was relevant to bring it back up. He could always mention it in person. 

As he turned his phone off, Molly and Beau walked up to him, exhausted from trying to drown each other, but with smiles on their faces.

“Want to keep walking? I feel like we’re close to camp,” Beau said, taking her hair down so it could dry quicker.

Caleb nodded, standing up. “Had fun?”

“Loads of fun,” Molly replied, giving Caleb a wink. “I’m starving. The quicker we get back to camp the better.”

They picked up their things, and continued on the path, following the markers. 

As they arrived back at the campsite, Caleb noticed Veth was sitting in front of the tents, focused on something on her phone. She looked up as the trio walked over, and waved at them. Whatever she had been laser focused on was gone, her phone in her pocket as she walked to meet them halfway.

“You guys took your time,” she said, hands on her hips. “Did you wear sunscreen? Drink enough? I’m kidding, if you die of heat stroke, I get first dibs on your belongings!” 

“As if you haven’t already gone through what we own,” Beau replied, hearing a hum of agreement from Veth. 

“Did you have fun with Fjord and Caduceus?” Caleb asked, looking around to see if he could spot them. They were over at the small, log cabin that held most of the needed facilities, bathrooms and showers and extra storage for important things. 

“I pushed Fjord into the water,” she told them, beginning to go into extreme detail about her exact moves and thoughts behind how she did it. 

Fjord and Caduceus stood, exchanging notes from their research, preparing to compile everything together ready to present when they got back on campus. Fjord’s notes were messy, constant lines drawn to other clumps of text, linking it all together. It was hard to read, and even Fjord got lost when he tried explaining what he found to Caduceus. He had ignored Jester’s pleas to invest in nice stationery, determined to cram everything into a small notebook he was given during his late teens. Maybe he should buy a new notebook… Caduceus, on the other hand, had his notes laid out neatly, with space left to add small drawings of plants and animals he had seen throughout the day. It was organised, and well structured. 

They had plans to spend tomorrow documenting the different kinds of trees, and Fjord tried his best to sound excited. He wasn’t, wanting nothing more than to spend tomorrow doing something completely different. 

“SPRINKLE IS A WEASEL!”

She was heard before she was seen. Jester came running into the campground, almost bumping into other students as she made her way to Beau. Caleb, Molly and Veth. Yasha was following behind her, her bag full of the flower crowns they had made, Frumpkin on a little leash trotting in front of her.

“Hello to you too, Jes,” Beau said, watching as the tiefling came barreling towards them. She placed her hand on Molly’s shoulder, catching her breath.

“Sprinkle is a weasel . The seller totally lied to me, Beau!” Jester frowned, turning her back to her front to open it, Sprinkle still asleep. How the weasel slept through that was beyond everyone.

“Does it matter what Sprinkle is?” Molly asked, gently patting Jester’s hand. “How are you taking the news, anyway?”

“I’m so upset! What if I’ve been feeding him wrong this whole time??? Are weasels even allowed to eat sour gummy worms??” She exclaimed, earning confused looks from the group. A silence fell over them, each sharing the same thought. Jester looked between her friends, realizing that maybe she shouldn’t feed Sprinkle sour gummy worms. She gave her friends a nod, mumbling to Sprinkle about how she’s not sorry for feeding him sweet treats, and heading towards her tent. Yasha joined the group, pointing in confusion as Jester walked to her tent.

“Sprinkle is a weasel,” Caleb explained, and Yasha nodded.

“I thought she knew?” She said, handing Caleb Frumpkin’s leash. He gave her a smile, crouching down and giving Frumpkin scritches behind his ear.

Hues of orange and pink spread across the sky, the faintest glow of stars beginning to form as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The air was cool. Soft chatter came from the campsite, as different campfires were lit and people began to cook food for themselves. 

A fire has been set up in the Mighty Nein’s area, Fjord taking charge of it. He had seen Molly attempt to add a whole packet of matches onto it to “really make it stand out”, and was quick to ensure that it wouldn't happen… yet. They were tucked away in the corner of the campsite, away from the other students who had grouped up in their own circles, which was nice. It also meant that they could hoard the marshmallows from everyone else. Jester and Veth had made a big show of their stolen sweets when the other students had gone to check in that they had returned, and so far, no one seemed to know their bags of treats were missing. Which also meant the two were trying to eat them as fast as they could. Molly had said he would pay whoever ate the most (and kept them down), and the two have been at it ever since. 

Yasha had handed out the flower crowns she and Jester made during the day, and made sure to let Caleb know that Frumpkin, who was currently curled up on his lap, had been a good boy and deserved many treats. Molly had brought his guitar along, determined to play at least one generic campfire song he knew before being told to shut up. The added music was welcomed, even if most of the time it was him just making up strumming patterns as he went on. 

Beau and Caduceus were in a deep conversation about the science behind tea, and how anything can be a kind of tea if you weren’t a coward. She was listing off ingredients that she was certain couldn’t taste nice in a tea, and he would reply with what would work well in it and how he would make it. It was amazing, and slightly concerning that his knowledge was so vast. Most of the time, Beau was certain there was nothing happening in Caduceus’ mind, he always seemed… out of it? High? Yeah, that was probably the right word. But she was determined to find a thing to add to a tea blend that wouldn't work, and he kept surprising her. 

Jester sat beside Beau, making s’mores and handing them to Fjord, attempting to make the biggest s’more in the world. She had told him that she read in an article that it was a real world record, and she wanted to beat it, though he wasn’t sure he believed her. In fact, his hands were starting to hurt and the melted marshmallow was beginning to get all over him, but she had at least four stacked up, it was too late to back out from it. While he was distracted with the s’mores mountain, Veth was stealing the marshmallows from his bag, adding it to her and Caleb’s when she saw they were running low. She had been almost caught a few times, but played it off by pretending she was pointing at the s’mores mountain, complimenting it - which only made Jester want to make it bigger. It was a perfect scheme, though he was beginning to run low on marshmallows now. 

Caleb sat with Molly and Yasha, Frumpkin asleep on his lap, listening to them workshop a new song. It was a back and forth between Yasha coming up with a set of lyrics, Molly playing some chords, Yasha changing the lyrics to fit, and then Molly playing it out. Caleb didn't know much about how the songwriting process worked, but it was interesting to hear how the two worked together. Their minds were so alike, he swore sometimes they just looked at each other and knew what the other was thinking. Molly would ask Caleb for his opinion when the two disagreed with something, and he would put in his two cents, though he made sure to let them know he was not as musically inclined as they were. 

The night crawled on, with the other students on the trip soon retreating to their tents when their fires died down. The Mighty Nein were determined to stay out for as long as they could, refusing to be the first one to retreat to their tents. 

“It’s like being in a bathhouse. You don’t wanna be the first one to go as everyone will see your ass,” Jester said through a mouthful of s’mores. She was slowly eating the giant s’more she had made, though had decided she wasn’t going to eat it all. The thought of being sick wasn’t a pleasant one.

“I’d have no shame showing you lot my ass. In fact, I’m taking this as my cue to sleep. I’m beat,” Molly said, standing up and picking up his guitar case. “Night!” With a wave of his hand, Molly retreated back to his tent. Once he had left, and had been the first one to leave the metaphorical bath, others soon followed suit. 

Caleb was the last to leave, watching the dying embers of the fire fizzle out. Veth had stayed behind to make sure he was alright, gave him a kiss on the cheek and told him to get some sleep at some point. He would, he promised. He just wanted to make sure the fire was out. When he became aware of how cold it was without the heat, he gently picked Frumpkin up into his arms, and made his way into his tent, glad to be able to sleep after a long day of walking. Tomorrow, he will sit and read. As a treat. Frumpkin curled up by his pillow, and they both drifted off to sleep.

[itseghost]

i almost want to do an expression sheet for him so i force myself to expand past his rbf. but its so easy and fun to draw him with one

[augentrust]

"essek stays away post-canon because he doesn't want to endanger the nein while he's on the run" absolutely valid, but also i raise you: essek knows about the one (1) time the nein were in charge of protecting an important mage and she survived approximately one week before getting violently murdered while they were — direct quote — "havin' bacon"

[rainbowcaleb]

FICLET FRIDAY - Little and Lost

Prompt: Glow | Rating: G | CW: none | Word count: 533 | Pairing: Shadowgast

Essek’s knees were dirty.

That is the first thing Caleb noticed. On a normal day such a detail would be worth no mind; they have a garden at this cottage after all, and Essek is rather fond of giving it tender care. However, Essek is usually fastidious about changing from his garden clothes before winding up the stairs and through the hall into the library by the bedroom. No dirt should be tracked from door to bed, as Essek had phrased himself, and usually the worst of the green thumb is left in the laundry basket downstairs for this exact purpose.

But today Essek’s knees are stained, and hovering a good five inches higher than they should.

“Caleb, you must come!” Essek’s eyes and voice are sunbright, rushing into the library to float before Caleb. “You must see!”

“Schatz, what–” He glances around for an adequate bookmark, and finding nothing proper, just picks up the cat on his lap with one arm, the book with the other, then sets the cat onto the open book on his still-warm chair. A fluffy tail is a fine bookmark in a pinch.

Essek grabs his hand. “There is something very strange, but intriguing. I’m not sure, but maybe you know? I hope it hasn’t moved while I’ve been here, I came quickly but without observation there is no telling how fast it moves.”

Caleb feels his hand being tugged down the hall and stairs. “I am right behind you schatz.” He laughs to himself, almost jogging through his own house to follow the bounce of Essek’s sudden jubilant mood.

Once outside, Essek drops his hand and sinks to kneel in the dirt near one of the bushes along the edge of the path. He looks to Caleb over his shoulder and Caleb falls in love all over again.

“Look.” He whispers, hands slow even without the aid of dunamancy, gently parting the branches to peer deeper inside. “What is that?”

Caleb sighs looking at his soft lounging trousers, and gets to his knees anyways. That’s what prestidigitation magic is for. “What should I be looking for?”

Even as the words leave his lips he sees it: there is a gentle glow, like a moonray trapped in the green clutches of the inner bush, shining only as far as the thick leaves allow. He squints to focus, and can just spot the small form sitting on the branch.

“It looks like a glow worm, but surely not?” Essek asks.

Caleb lets out a soft exhale. “It certainly looks like one, but here? Surely not.” He repeats.

“Perhaps he is very lost.” Essek says, voice still and soft. “Perhaps he cannot find his home.”

Caleb can’t help but look away from the marvel and towards another. “Essek.” There are layers to the single word. He does not know, but can guess at Essek’s thoughts.

Essek seems to sense the shift in tone. “Do not worry Caleb, I won’t adopt this one.”

“You said that for the last three cats.” Caleb knocks fondly against Essek’s shoulder, imitating a cat himself.

“We don’t have a terrarium.” Essek replies with a frown.

“As if that has ever stopped you.” Caleb smiles.

[waltwhitmansbeard]

“Did you mean it?”

“did you mean it?”

Jester is a very confident person. She knows she's wonderful, because everywhere she goes, she brings smiles to people's faces. She is surrounded by the best people in the world, people who love her for exactly who she is. Her best friend is a god (kind of) and her boyfriend is super sweet and super handsome.

Except he's not her boyfriend anymore.

She sits on the kitchen counter, staring at her hand. It doesn't feel real. "Hey Fjord?"

He's standing by the stove, cooking the chicken for tonight's dinner, because Jester is no longer allowed to cook with heat after The Incident. "Yeah?"

"Did you mean it?"

He frowns, poking at the cubed meat with his spatula. "Did I mean what?"

In lieu of an answer, she holds up her hand so that her ring, a silver band inset with delicate sea glass, sparkles in the light. Fjord looks at her from the corner of his eye, then does a double-take when her meaning dawns on him. "What?"

"Did you mean it?" She chews on her lip. She's played her fair share of pranks over the years, and suddenly, she can't help but worry that this is the greatest trick yet.

"Jessie..." Fjord rests the spatula on the edge of the pan and comes over to stand between her legs. "Are you asking me if I meant it when I asked you to marry me?" She gives a noncommittal half-shrug. "Why in the world are you asking me that? Do you think I just...tripped and landed on one knee with a ring in my hand?"

"Well I don't know!" She gives him a little shove back so she can slide down off the counter and begin pacing. "Maybe you were swept up in the moment! I am very charismatic, you know."

"I do know, which is why I want to marry you." He snags her by the waist to stop her pacing, hooks his chin over her shoulder. "Jester Lavorre." He picks her hand up and extends it out so they're both looking at her ring. "I did not save up all my money and vet this ring with every single one of our friends for you to think I was joking when I told you I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

She sighs, curls herself back into him. He's so strong and broad, Jester feels like he could get lost in him forever. "You don't think I'm too much?"

In a move that nearly takes her breath away, he spins her around and crushes their lips together. She loves the feeling of his tusks, now fully grown in and so, so sexy. Just when she thinks her lungs are going to give out, he breaks the kiss, smiles at her devilishly, and says, "You are entirely too much. But as a kid who grew up with nothing, I'm keeping all of you to myself."

Oh, she loves him. She throws her arms around his neck, and he catches her effortlessly. "Yeah, I'm pretty great."

He kisses her cheek. "Yeah you are. And I mean it."

[randomandofnoregard]

I love that one DND actual play with an anxious wizard with an emotional support/therapy familiar, a goblin detective with a firearm, a pirate boy who tries to emulate his father-figure, and a cleric who follows a deity with questionable “god” status, who all live in a fantasy world in which the most powerful magic is time-magic.

[the-kaedageist]

The inn is small and plain, the tables worn from years of patrons and the weight of beer steins. Essek touches his fingertips to the wood and thinks about how far his life has come. “Why are we here?” he asks after a long moment. Caleb looks up from where he had been spacing out, presumably lost in old memories as he glances around the room.

“Oh, ja,” he says, catching himself. “This is where we first met. The Mighty Nein, I mean.”

Essek’s eyes widen. The room takes on new hues, a history he hasn’t been able to read from the furniture and the beer spilt in the corner. He can see the ghosts of younger versions of his friends, set lightly upon this space like a memory - Jester laughing and carving a dick into one of the tables, Beau and Fjord drinking from steins and ribbing one another. Caleb sitting with Veth, who presumably would have been Nott then. Yasha by the bar, perhaps, with the infamous Mollymauk. They had started off with only seven, not having any idea that someday they would be the nine of their strange moniker.

“Ah,” says Essek, not sure how to put all of these impressions into words, especially not in Common. “An auspicious beginning, I see.”

Caleb shares a small grin with him. Essek knows that smile; it usually forecasts some statement that Caleb knows will horrify Essek’s delicate sensibilities, looking forward to how Essek will react.

“Yes, what is it, Caleb Widogast?” Essek asks, trying to keep the answering smile from his own lips and already planning to act as affronted as possible.

“I was covered in mud and shit, you know,” Caleb says conversationally, a gleam in his eye. “When we first met. You would not have come within five feet of me.”

Essek has heard tales of dirty Caleb, and privately been amused at the thought. “I would have Prestidigitated you clean long before you came close enough to be a problem,” he says confidently.

Caleb laughs openly; it’s good to see him comfortable and safe enough to do so. “Perhaps I should fall in the mud and see how cool you would act around me now,” he says with a straight face. His eyes gleam with mischief.

“We shall see then, who is faster on the draw,” says Essek smugly. “My Prestidigitation, or your determination to get dirt upon me first.”

Caleb laughs again and moves to the bar to order them trosts, while Essek sits at the table and waits for the others to arrive. It seems fitting, that Caleb chose this place for their first monthly reunion since Uk’otoa had been vanquished. A new beginning, in a place where a beginning had been forged once before.

Caleb returns, carrying two trosts and wearing a thoughtful smile. “Wishing you had been here to join us from the start?”

Essek is rarely surprised at how well Caleb knows him, these days. This comment still throws him, putting words to a yearning that Essek hadn’t even begun to understand himself. “Had I been here from the start,” Essek says, “the story would have turned out very different.”

Caleb hums and clinks their glasses together, sipping from his trost with a hum. “True,” he acknowledges. “And in the end, you found us assholes anyway.”

The door flies open. Beauregard and Yasha make their way inside, Fjord and Jester hot on their heels. “What did we miss?” Beau demands.

“Hey Trostenwald,” Jester shouts. “We’re back!” She proceeds to cast Thaumaturgy and blow out all the windows in the inn. The innkeeper glares at her in a way that implies she’s not at all surprised by this occurrence.

As the room fills with the shouts and laughter of the Mighty Nein, Essek sits back with a smile.

Yes, indeed. In the end, Essek found them all anyway.

[leetlesapphiretiefling]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Fjord/Jester Lavorre, Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Characters: The Mighty Nein Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University Summary: Jester's begun her college journey as an art major at the Marble Tomes Conservatory.

This is the first chpter in the Mighty Nein college/modern au I’m writing! Be warned, I am taking all of the Mighty Nein’s story into account, so there may be some spoilers if you haven’t seen the entire campaign. I hope everyone enjoys!

[meiloorun-notthefruit]

just remembered we are getting mighty nein animated and i am thinking about how we could possibly get an inner monologue of yasha's thoughts while she is under obann's control and i am not ready for ashley johnson to absolutely eviscerate me with the agony of yasha being aware every single second of the mind control but being unable to break free...