#the adventures of captain fabian

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price - The Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951)

[contentabnormal]

This week we present Vincent Price as Simon Templar in The Saint adventure "The Shipboard Mystery"!

[movieposters1]

[let-me-sleep-or-die]

Anyone ever notice how similar Lydia Barkrock is to Gorgug? like just

Gorgug is a barbarian but is somehow the most gentle member of his party, the most thoughtful, easily the most in touch with his emotions. He only uses his rage to protect the people he cares about, his family is incredibly important to him, and his friends are family.

Lydia is another gentle giant. She is in a constant state of rage so she may protect her son (and the rest of the world). She is kind, she is nurturing she is a loving mother to Ragh and to everyone else who needs her. She also loved her party.

She and her friends set out to stop a fiend, to save the world. She’s clearly smart, even if she doesn’t have the classic knowledge that is associated with it she’s obviously intelligent. She didn’t need to know all the history, she had her friends for that. And then she was the last one standing, the only one alive, her friends were dead and she was holding the thing that killed them right next to her heart.

It makes me wonder if Gorgug could end up just the same. If the bad kids didn’t survive an adventure, he was left alone with his anger, his artificers instinct and a family to avenge. He uses his rage to protect people, he doesn’t like just lashing out, he makes machines so he can connect with loved ones, so he can understand the world. He’s so smart, but he doesn’t have to know all the history, he’s got Adaine and Riz for that, he doesn’t need to know about the way gods and the nine hells work, Kristen and Fig are right there. He doesn’t need to lead the Owlbears, Fabian his trusty captain will light the way.

What if they all were gone. And he was left,

a hole in his heart, an ache and a gentility not caused by an absence of anger, but by a deep deep understanding of it.

What does he do then? I think he does the only thing he can

after all

He’s Gorgug, he keeps going.

[flynnfan-downunder]

Errol Flynn in "The Adventures of Captain Fabian" 1951

[stacy-fakename]

I’m sorry, but my type-a ass cannot be against the Rat Grinders. They’re essentially the kids that couldn’t get the special treatment from teachers and get by on stumbling through tests and happening to get an A without studying. The Rat Grinders feel less like people who cheated the system, and more like the kids who aren’t naturally gifted or lucky, and have to spends hours on end studying, doing extra homework and extra credit, losing their social lives and free time to catch up with the kids who can just breeze through it. Fig never went to a single class or did any homework but gets away with it because the coach, lunch lad, and vice principal are her dads, Kristin and Riz did literally the worst thing their respective class can do, Gorgug actively works to avoid using the main feature of his class whenever possible, Adaine became the Oracle through seemingly happenstance, and Fabian’s rich family bought his way into the extra curricular he’s now the captain of, and all of them skipped half of freshman year! Obviously we, the audience, know that they worked their asses off to get through school each year and to get where the are today. We know they earned every little good thing they have! Fig has worked so hard to become the rockstar she is! Kristin literally brought back a god! Riz in a supergenius detective! Gorgug is an incredible barbarian and artificer! Adaine works so hard to help all of her friends survive a toxic system! Fabian slaved away to earn his achievements himself instead of letting his father’s legacy be his identity! But think of it from an outside perspective, without all the knowledge that only the audience has! These random kids stumbled into three adventures that let them skip grinding for XP, got to miss half a year with no consequence, get special privileges and quests because they are related to or friends with the faculty, never do their assignments or go to class, became popular because of their privileges, and now randomly start spouting micro aggressions towards halflings? If I was one of the Rat Grinders, I’d be pissed off too! I’ve been both the gifted kid, seemingly effortlessly breezing through classes and befriending the entire faculty while secretly going through terrible struggle and stress, and the kid desperately trying to game my way through a system built to harm me while being furious at those who seem to thrive in it, and I can’t help but feel empathy for both. I don’t think the Rat Grinders are evil, cheating monsters who plan to destroy the Bad Kids out of spite. I think they’re just kids in a harmful toxic school system that have a lot of righteous anger at their lot in life, that has sadly been misdirected. Idk if this ramble made sense, sorry for the wall of text!

Edit:Introducing Ivy Embra, the first Rat Grinder to actually be antagonistic to anyone in any way! Also introducing Oisin Hakivar, a super nice guy who’s willing to take advantage of his generational wealth in order to help a fellow student! So the first Rat Grinder to actively be nice to someone too! He likely did something with the ice mephits, but he still seemed genuinely sympathetic and helpful to Adaine!

[thecoddaughter]

Rat Grinders Facts and the Implication of Those Facts:

They were the High Five Heroes. They have hated the Bad Kids since Freshman year. They had at some point rebranded (unsure if that was before or after Lucy died). They are not popular. They are boring power grinders.

Since Lucy died, they have: produced a rock star who fakes half his fame ("Sorry im getting mobbed for autographs"), a Sol televangelist's grandson, a great-great-great grandson of an ancient blue dragon, a secret bloodrush star, and the chick who found the rouge teacher/is running for president.

THEY ARE TRY HARDS. AND COPY CATS!

Before even junior year, The Bad Kids are stacked outside of just their adventuring feats...

Fig: the archdevil of rebellion, lead of Fig & the Cig Figs, daughter of the Blood Rush coach, daughter of the vice principal Fabian: captain of the blood rush team, son of infamous pirate Kristen: fallen chosen of Helio, lives with the school counselor, quirky Adiane: the elven oracle, adopted daughter of the school counselor, very well connected sister Gorgug: drummer of Fig & the Cig Figs, dated Zelda (one of the Seven), blood rush team Riz: that strangely connected kid, friend of the the Seven (through Penny), quirky

[theballsbriefcase]

The Bad Kids Alternate Universe:

Adaine Abernant daughter of the ambassador from Fallinel failed her Hudol entrance exam due to ... complications and enters Auegfort Adventuring Academy as an Inquisitive Rogue putting her talents of remaining unnoticed by her parents and sister to use.

Fabian Aramais Seacaster son of Captain Bill Seacaster enters Auegfort Adventure Academy a year late at 16 as an Oath to Glory Paladin determined to write his name on the face of the world through his great deeds.

Fig Faeth thought she was a wood elf but has found out she is actually a Tiefling and with her horns coming in quite nicely a rage has built up in her causing bouts of Wild Magic, as a Wild Magic Barbarian Fig is here to rage against the machine.

Gorgug Thistlespring is a half-orc raised by gnomes and has always been bigger than everyone and everything around him. As a Shepherd Druid Gorgug is determined to use his size and strength for good, protecting the innocent and small around him.

Kristen Applebees is the chosen of Helio and while the natural course would be to be one of Helio's many clerics Kristen has the gift of gab and chooses instead to enter Auegfort Adventuring Academy as a College of Eloquence Bard.

Riz Gukgak is a goblin who has always been smart, inquisitive, and too small but as a Battlesmith Artificer, there isn't anything Riz can't find a solution to.

[verosvault]

🚨SPOILERS FOR FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 8🚨

Dimension20 "Fantasy High Junior Year"

Episode 8 "Fracas at the Frostyfaire Folk Festival"

Timestamp: 00:00:48

Video Length: 4min. & 58sec.

The intro for episode 8 😂 (Ally and Zac lip-syncing!)

Brennan with Ally copying and Zac lip-syncing: "Hello, one and all! Welcome back to another thrilling episode of Dimension 20: Fantasy High Junior Year. I'm your humble dungeon master, Ally Beardsley."

Ally: *yells and points at Brennan*

Brennan: *laugh*

Siobhan: "He freaking got you, dude."

Brennan: "Freaking got you, dude."

Ally: "****, I got freaking got."

Emily: "I was so enraptured here that I didn't even catch you catching them." *points at Brennan and Ally*

Ally: "I was so enraptured here."

Brennan: "I see it all, okay? I never miss a bit, famously. Never absorbed in what's going on here. Folks, I'm your humble...(babbling intro rapidly) Our Intrepid Heroes! Say hi, Intrepid Heroes!"

Everyone: "Hi, Intrepid Heroes!"

Adaine: "See you at Basrar's!"

Brennan: "See you at Basrar's. Short episode."

Emily: "Wow, okay."

Brennan: "Okay, moving along."

Murph: "Short 'Adventuring Party.'"

Brennan: "Short 'Adventuring Party.' Last we left off, our Intrepid Heroes were grinding through the fall semester at the Aguefort Adventuring Academy. We had some high highs, some low lows. We discovered some interesting information, with Lydia Barkrock returning with data about Bakur the demon and a sort of ritual that had occurred tagged onto the end of a mystery that Riz had noted and that had been followed up on by Kristen around the disappearance of Lucy Frostblade, who seemed to have submitted paperwork to change her deity at the end of the last school year and then suddenly withdrew it. Riz also found the last place that she was observed before she went missing, although she has been confirmed by magic to be dead. We also discovered that Kipperlilly Copperkettle was getting food trucks with some little subliminal ads in the wax paper. There was a sort of fraught confrontation between Kristen and the other presidential candidate."

Emily: "Was it a confrontation? It was more of a conversation."

Ally: "Yeah, Yeah. I really came out on top, I think."

Brennan: "Yes, absolutely. We had some incredibly high academic achievements. Actually, A+'s across the board, save for our party cleric."

Ally: "I'll take it!"

Siobhan: "Hey, if you're failing, a C is an A+."

Ally: "A C is really good for Kristen."

Brennan: "Also a C in barbarian."

Zac: "A bit of a C."

Brennan: *laughs* "A bit of a C. But huge achievements in your artificer classes, and we also had huge achievements in warlock classes as Fig actually went on a quick impromptu field trip to Hell with her warlock class."

Emily: "They're building a recording studio."

Ally: "That sounded so sick, honestly."

Brennan: "Honestly, so sick."

Siobhan: "So sick."

Lou: "And licking Baby?"

Brennan: "Licking Baby."

Siobhan: "Fabian played the bass."

Emily: "I don't know how much to put my foot down about that."

Ally: "I think that needs to be the only merch that comes out of this season."

Siobhan: "Everybody lick Baby."

Ally: "Just a shirt that says, 'Lick Me,' and in the back, 'Everybody lick Baby.'"

Siobhan: "No context. No picture of Baby."

Brennan: "Everybody lick Baby. We also saw a new sort of, like, the coolest kid on campus, Fabian Seacaster, double A+'s, captain of the Owlbears, running study hall at Seacaster Manor. Never mind the rapidly piling boxes of takeout stinking it up in the kitchen."

Lou: "Hey, you know, we clean those out right before everyone comes over. I have to spend the day with them."

Brennan: *laughs* "As well as our Elven Oracle having to fend off ancient high elves in search of arcane wisdom at her job at Basrar's, working as a waitress, helping to serve that ice cream."

Siobhan pretending to serve ice cream and Zac pretending to eat it! 😂🤣

Brennan: "What incredible... It's finally time for Basrar to hire help, given that he has literally no overhead. He generates the ice cream from another dimension."

Emily: "Oh."

Brennan: "That's been all profit, except for what he pays on the mortgage for the shop itself. Incredible."

Zac: "His books are good.

Brennan: "His books are good. He's doing well."

Lou: "My man's in the black."

Brennan: "In the black, okay? We return back to Mordred Manor. And actually, I want to confirm with all of you as we come back here and find you, on the day of the Frostyfaire Folk Festival, a little sort of loose thread of a connection between something that is occurring at Gorgug's house, occurring at the Thistlespring Tree, that you had seen some information that your mom was working on connected to, but got away from you. Junior Year, pretty ****ing busy, gang. And speaking of how busy it is, we also introduced last episode our system for academic stress here in junior year."

Everyone: *holding up stress tokens*

Brennan: "Some of our students barely scathed by the monster that is cortisol as Fig began some paladin classes, both with the paladin teacher Halo St. Croix, and also some tutoring with Porter Cliffbreaker who, due to your incredible attunement with the principles of barbarianism if not any of the actual class features-"

Ally: "That's true, actually."

Brennan: "Porter signed your MCAT when your actual Bard teacher flew into the sky, weeping."

Emily: "I call him Sir."

Ally: "Yeah, finally you give him a shred of respect."

Brennan: "A shred of respect as he's like,"

Porter: "I have no idea why. What have I ever done?"

[dimension20npcofalltime]

Round Two - Bracket Two [Dimension 20 NPC of All Time]

Bill Seacaster vs Annabelle Cheddar

Propaganda under the cut (Contains major spoilers for Fantasy High and/or Sophmore Year

Bill Seacaster - He/him

Campaign: Fantasy High

Who is he?

William "Old Bill" Seacaster is a great adventurer with a great deal of fame who clearly made his wealth and his name in "heroic", while others call "nefarious", dealings. He is the father of Fabian Seacaster.

Why is he the NPC of All Time?

He’s a pirate archdevil who bought a jacket made to explode when he died and pilots a ship made from a dragon that threatened his son, named after the nickname his son’s friends gave said dragon. (Also he shot gilear twice but we’re ignoring that because he got better)

You CANNOT tell me Brennan didn’t have the time of his life playing Bill, his whole DMussy was thrown into that performance

The greatest pirate who ever lived OR died. He is a great father to his immensely silly and foppish son despite his own macho pirate-ness. He's a definitely an evil man but he's an excellent father and a horrible influence on children in the best way possible. When he is mortally wounded in his burning mansion, his son kills him for dope pirate clout and he is SO PROUD OF THIS!!!! He can be quoted saying "When I die, I shall leap into hell and kill the devil" which he ACTUALLY DOES and then he proceeds to plunder the nine hells on a pirate ship made from the damned soul of an evil dragon lord whilst at the same time running a warlock pyramid scheme/total scam in the world of the living. P.S. He also kills the man who's been bedding his wife since he died, and then shakes his hand and makes him promise to treat her right moments later. He is everything to me

He married the woman who cut his eye out. He handcuffs himself to the ceiling so he can keep fighting. So many swords up assholes. And then he becomes the fiercest pirate in hell. Icon.

Annabelle Cheddar - She/her

Campaign: A Crown of Candy

Who is she?

Captain Annabelle Cheddar is captain of her ship the Colby, which she inherited from her father. She is the previous heir to House Cheddar and the Dairy Islands, and cousin to the current Duchess, Primsy Coldbottle.

Why is she the NPC of All Time?

The hottest, most competent cheese woman to exist. Her thighs alone should win her this competition.

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

😳

Vincent Price

The Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951)

[paper--moons]

Regressor!Fabian Seacaster Headcanons

The first indication that he might have something of a little problem occurs during the fallout from the Bad Kids' time spent in the pirate city of Leviathan. More specifically, his encounter with Captain Whitclaw leaves Fabian shaken. Not necessarily because he nearly died (although that certainly doesn't help matters), but because the loss itself shakes him to his very core; it directly challenged the fundamentals he has built himself up around his entire life. Something major like that only naturally makes him feel off, and when the foundation shakes, something crumbles...and something smaller and more vulnerable is left in its wake. Only it takes Fabian a little while to actually figure it out—to figure himself out. Though he is far from stupid, he isn't exactly the most well-versed on particular topics given his less than traditional upbringing with a larger-than-life pirate for a father and an emotionally unavailable mother. For all of his innate charisma, he can't be expected to know the ins and outs of how feelings work (even his own). The fight and the subsequent loss only draws attention to the fact that Fabian has put a distance between the ideal image he has of himself in his mind and who he actually is in reality. It's the dissonance there that causes a lot of the confusion and aimlessness and doubt that he suddenly feels. All he can say for certain is that he feels wrong, but is unsure how to go about fixing things. He is unsure how to make himself feel right and whole again, and also doesn't know how to find his way back to himself when he doesn't even know who he is anymore.

Still, knowing something is wrong and knowing what that something is are two very different things. And in the end it is actually Cathilda who makes the connection and bridges the gap for him. Or rather helps Fabian come to understand just how small he is feeling. Helps him to understand that that feeling is some sense of being small. And how does she help him to see this? Simply by doing what she has always done for Fabian. Because she is more than just a maid, more than just his fencing instructor. As she is comforting him in the Hangvan about his loss to Whitclaw, she says something that puts a spotlight on her third role in his life and a facet of their relationship that he hadn't recognized before: that for as much as he is Bill's son, she feels he is her son as well. This sentiment turns out to be the final piece falling into place for poor Fabian. The city already had him looking at her in a different light, but suddenly all her gentleness and guidance that she extended to him while he was growing up has been recolored as well. And he finds his vision welling with tears, his chest welling with emotion—he does not feel like the man he's been insisting he is, does not feel like the teenager he actually is. As Cathilda pulls him in for a hug and he buries his face into the crook of her shoulder—the scent familiar, comforting, reminding him of a hot summer day when he was so young and had scraped his knee only to be fussed over by her—he feels all the world like a child. Fabian wants to hate the feeling; it means he's weak, doesn't it? His father wouldn't have liked that. But as Cathilda continues to soothe him (rocking him, crooning sweet songs to him, shushing him so gently), he can't bring himself to hate the feeling at all.

With the battle to figure out what he is feeling won, the next battle begins. Which is figuring out what it means to him! He knows he needs that small feeling and the love that comes with it. Fabian felt so much better after just the tiniest bit of coddling, so more should help him feel right as rain. Despite that though, the Bad Kids are on a time crunch; spring break is only so long and they have an adventure to complete. To complete that adventure, he needs to be of use again. With that need to be small temporarily satiated, Fabian distracts himself with reinventing his fighting style and re-examining why he fights. Continuing on that path of figuring out who he is and what he wants, he develops his new fighting style and taps into his love of dance and unlocks those bard skills. By the adventure's end however, that small feeling is allowed to creep back in. His tells are pretty subtle (because he might be small, but he's still a big kid), but not so subtle that they slip past the Elven Oracle. Adaine picks up on the almost nervous energy he seems to be wrapped up in and the slight changes to his speech patterns. The small "um"s and "uh"s stuttering up what he is saying where usually the words flow so smoothly tip her off that something is up, but his other mannerisms are what give him away. The way he rocks back and forth on his feet in particular strikes a chord of familiarity in her. Recognition of the self through the other. And so she makes sure to create a moment of privacy between them—not because she doesn't think the rest of the Bad Kids wouldn't be supportive, but because she wants Fabian to have the opportunity to tell them all when he is ready—and kindly suggests that maybe he should talk to Jawbone about some things once they get back. But of course things pick back up almost immediately after their return, and their summer is spent chasing the Night Yorb with these new feelings once again pushed aside.

Having been whisked away on yet another grand adventure means that Fabian essentially microdoses on regression. Small moments here and there when they can all afford them. But the end of the long night that summer was doesn't end the loneliness he feels when they return home just in time to start the next school year. Especially given that his mother and Gilear are leaving him all alone in a big house, and Cathilda is away on business. The loneliness of junior year only continues to exacerbate things. With all the stressors of junior year he finally is forced to make the time for the small side of him that he's been shoving aside ever since leaving Leviathan months prior. The next time he has a speck of downtime, he goes to visit Jawbone as per Adaine's suggestion. Jawbone is, as always, ever-patient and encouraging. He listens as Fabian stumbles through describing everything, nodding along and asking questions when necessary, but never in a judging manner. And when Fabian is done, he helps to guide him further. Telling him that what he's experiencing is regression and that it is perfectly healthy. Asking him what it is he wants when he's feeling small. This does give Fabian some pause, because he hasn't stopped to think about what it is he wants. He's been too busy just trying to sort out the feelings and hasn't thought about how to address them beyond the idea that things like hugs seemed very important. Over the next few weeks Jawbone gives him some homework to explore this side of himself and figure out what it is that little Fabian wants. And what does he want? He wants to play with the Hangman! He wants to play with his friends! No more saving the world, if only for a weekend. Maximum legends can regress too, right? So what if he decides to forgo a big high-school party in favor of playdates with the other Bad Kids at Mordred Manor? And he's still a big kid! He's a whole six it turns out (which is much bigger than Adaine and Riz, who are four and three, respectively).

Exploring these wants and having time to play with his friends naturally lead to Fabian learning more about himself and his regression. For starters, he is very much a kid that is into games that involve pretend play. No matter how old he feels, it would seem that his flair for the dramatic is a constant of his personality. Whether this means putting on little shows or exploring the spooky graveyard out back (which ultimately turns into a game of hide and seek with Zayn acting as the seeker) depends on the day. Sometimes it even means grand adventures, epic quests for their party that are more suited to children ages three through nine. Things like solving the mystery of how to get Baxter into the living room without Sandra Lynn noticing. Or racing to see which of the haunted house's many secret passages is actually the best shortcut to the kitchen. Being able to have such low-stakes "adventures" with his friends when they are usually trying to save the world is nice, to say the least; where the big bad monster that is chasing them as they run for dear life is actually just the tickle monster (Jawbone), who is going to get them for stealing the ancient treasure (sneaking cookies from the jar before dinner). It is extremely comforting to know that everything will be okay when the adventure is over and playtime comes to an end, that nothing will hurt them as the littler kids get laid down to take a nap. And maybe Fabian takes one too, not because he needs it, but only because Riz gets sad if they can't snuggle up for nap time together (some part of him, the teenager part, says it helps Riz feel safe, and honestly it helps Fabian feel safe as well).

Though his (what he considers childish) loneliness and need for connection isn't only combatted by gentle playtimes, mind you! Sometimes it is combatted by...combat. Baby warfare of the highest degree, even. This primarily happens if Ragh is around and regressing at the older end of his range (which makes him about eight), because the two of them together get rowdy. Everyone else best get out of the way because they are puppy wrestling on the living room rug, practically as soon as Fabian walks through the door it is on sight. And they would puppy wrestle for the whole afternoon if left to their own devices—faces flushed and lots of squeals and giggling—though Lydia always knows when it is time to break them apart before things can get too out of hand and someone accidentally get their feelings hurt (or some part of their body, because again, they get very very rowdy). But the thing is Lydia is a master at this; Ragh is her baby after all, so she has a plethora of experience on how to redirect rowdy rugrats. Most effective method to date? Food. Ragh always breaks for food, and with Fabian living on nothing but take-out during junior year he also quickly becomes motivated by Lydia's stellar cooking. She sets her trap expertly too, popping her chicken parm into the oven when they start wrestling so that when it comes time for them to break apart the delicious scent of bubbling marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese comes wafting from the kitchen. It's the ultimate temptation, and a highly successful one at that. Fabian has truly come to appreciate the love that is found in home-cooked meals, and for someone who grew up having personal chefs is genuinely touched that he is lucky enough to be able to be granted such a luxury.

By the time junior year is in full-swing, Fabian has learned to accept the help when a hand is being offered to him, and that his little side really needs it! All this time, his friends have been extending him their love and aid, but it took him awhile to realize just how much he needed and wanted it. He has come so far from jumping up onto lunch tables—and has since moved on to greater feats more worthy of his station of adventurer, like jumping up onto couches during games of the floor is lava. Fabian has finally gotten to a place where he likes who he is and knows who he is. It just so happens that with a lot of growing up can sometimes bring some growing down! And that is okay! Accepting the smaller side of himself and giving himself the chance to play in that space with those closest to him has helped him relieve some of his hectic life's mounting stress. Despite whatever may come, whatever their futures may bring, Fabian can take comfort in the fact that the Bad Kids are one big family and will always support one another (no matter how big or small they may feel).

[the-greatest-magic-of-all]

1N (canon whump) for fabriz, if you want? :)

I do very much want, I do!

This is a bit of a UA (Universal Alteration) scenario where Whitclaw's crew found Fabian after he was thrown into the sea. Hope you enjoy it!

Send in your writing requests!

CW: vomiting, descriptions of injuries + illness + aftermath of torture

Fabian’s forearms and knees were surely bruised from the fall when the imps that plucked him out of the sea dropped him onto one of Leviathan’s lower decks. The pain from them was dull and throbbing. Using what little strength he had left, he propped himself up on his hands. His palms were still tender and red from the rope burn he got from escaping death for the first time tonight.

Any of the hacking coughs and throaty retches he made as he tried to expel any of the seawater he’d swallowed or inhaled were all drowned out by the roar of crashing waves. It was all he could taste and smell, too. Heavier than freshwater, brine and fish overwhelmed his every sense. For a few long instants, Fabian feared he’d never rid himself of them. That he’d forever be stuck under those waves. Swimming for his life, ignoring how the merciless ocean tossed and threw him and how his muscles screamed and ached.

But he was safe now. As safe as anyone could be in a pirate city.

Umberlee below, he was pathetic. Leviathan was supposed to be his city. His home turf. Nothing and no one should’ve been able to touch him here, let alone threaten him in any way. He’s sure his father had never felt this way, frail and humiliated. Not on Leviathan, not anywhere.

A tiny flicker of bitterness reared its head amongst the gloom and exhaustion, the point of its sword aimed inward. How could Fabian even call himself Captain Bill Seacaster’s son after a night like this? How could he call himself a champion fighter? An adventurer even? He was supposed to be good at all of this. At swordplay and combat. At holding his own within his adventuring party. At being someone impressive and exceptional. But right now, all he could be was weary and nauseous. Who even was he without all that?

…Well, he certainly wasn’t a Seacaster.

The bitterness turned irate for a moment as the weight of his soaked letterman jacket and the chafing of his father’s eyepatch became too much to bear. With a surge of energy fueled by inner loathing and hatred, Fabian ripped both of them off. Flinging the jacket to the side and shoving the eyepatch into his pocket. Almost immediately, he wrapped his arms around himself as shivers began to rack his frame. The chilly night air now had no barriers to his bare skin.

Huddled in a crumpled pile on the ground, he didn’t notice the approaching footsteps. He was far too consumed by cruel thoughts, the waves of nausea that crashed over him, and the beginnings of wheeze in his chest to notice. No, it was far too late when he finally raised his head, his eye hazy and heavy, and saw a group of familiar pirates. Captain Whitclaw’s men.

Fabian wanted to have a witty, snarky comment to throw at them, but his mind was foggy and his lips were too slow. All he could do was cough up greenish-yellow bile onto the lead pirate’s boot.

Barely perceiving the reaction to his slight, Fabian flinched as a clammy hand grabbed his chin. Forcing him to look up at its owner. An older, suntanned human man with a black bandana wrapped around his greying blonde hair sneered at him. Revealing a few golden teeth before he spoke in a gravelly, grating tone.

“Dear old Captain Whitclaw is on his way to the Ramble, but I think he’ll appreciate finding you in his brig after all is said and done. The first gift of his glorious reign.” The pirate said, tightening his grip on Fabian’s chin and moving it this way and that to get a good look at him. “Heh, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t have some fun with the son of Captain Bill, right fellas?”

The sounds of the rest of James’ crew cheering and jeering overpowered the crashing of the waves.

Chained and bound, the pirates dragged him back to the Crimson Claw. Uncaring and even delighted when he threw up on himself along the way or when his coughing fits would end in a desperate, shuttering gasp for air. As soon as they strung him up by his wrists in its brig, the strain on his shoulders and arms was immediately clear.

Surrounded by cruel grins, ravenous eyes, and hands full of blades, belaying pins, and brass knuckles, Fabian couldn’t help but wonder if he’d died under those waves and gone straight to Hell.

Riz’s heart pounded in his chest as he rushed through the winding, haphazard streets of Leviathan. Searching for a missing Fabian. Kalina had promised to save him and though he had accidentally sold out Lydia Barkrock, a shameful part of him thought that it’d been worth it. But only if Kalina kept her word and it was looking more and more like he’d been duped.

Sure, they’d found his letterman jacket discarded near the edge of one of Leviathan’s countless docks. But it might’ve been a trick. They still didn’t know everything Kalina could do. Maybe she had her lackeys steal Fabian’s jacket and place it there to keep them searching in the city while Fabian drowned out in the sea. All alone. Cathilda had calmed his worrying (without disparaging his paranoid tendencies which he appreciated.) with a warm hand on his shoulders and some reassuring words. They were going to find him. He was going to find him.

Dashing through shadowy alleyways, Riz almost missed an idle conversation between two matronly pirates. Chatting as they washed their laundry. One of their husbands had seen some of the crew of the Crimson Claw haul of wretched-looking, young half-elf onto their ship.

Riz didn’t think about subtlety or how to persuasion as he burst out of his hiding spot and said, “Which ship?!”

The piratical woman gasped, rearing back from the street corner Riz popped out from, his eyes wide and wild. Instinctively, their hands reaching for the pistols slung on their hips.

“What’s it to you, Goblin?” The reedy one asked with a scowl.

Riz held up his hands and shrunk back a step. “Please, the half-elf you were talking about is my best friend. Where’s the Crimson Claw? I need to find him.”

The two pirates looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them before the plumper one pointed down a streetway. “Should be docked not too far from here, lad. Look for an all-black ship with a blood-red flag, can’t miss it.”

“Thank you!” Riz shouted over his shoulder at them as he took off in the direction she’d given. He didn’t even care to attempt to be stealthy at this point. All that mattered was getting to Fabian as quickly as possible. If that fucking squid had harmed a single hair on his head, he’d eat him whole.

Barrelling down the streets of Leviathan, Riz bumped into countless other people. Getting cursed at with swears he’d never heard of before. Soon, though, as the sun rose over the horizon, he neared another set of docks and thanked the gods that that pirate lady was right. The Crimson Claw was hard to miss.

Huge and imposing, it loomed over the rest of the ships tied up beside it. He couldn’t help but be reminded of Seacaster Manor and its many rooms and expansive floors. Even more than a year into knowing Fabian and spending so many afternoons, evenings, and nights there, he could still get lost in a wing he’d never seen before.

Fabian was in there somewhere. Logic told him to wait and try to signal his friends and companions to his location. Not putting himself in unnecessary danger that could very well kill him. But, for once, his heart took the lead and began to move his feet faster than his brain could think and sent him into the Crimson Claw.

Luckily enough for him, it seemed like most of James’ crew was out with him. Making it easier for him to sneak up the gangway, across the deck, and down into the lower decks. Passing by crew quarters and so many barrels of ale, he managed to find several dead ends and once back up to the upper deck before he found the brig.

Riz’s heart, the thing that’d been guiding him, urging him this whole time to find Fabian as quickly as possible because if he didn’t then it might give out, it stopped.

He couldn’t take in all of the injuries at once. They seemed to be increasing with each passing second. Noticing more and more. Until he couldn’t see anything because his eyes were blurred with tears.

Head hung low and dripping blood onto the floorboards, Fabian hung lifelessly from the ceiling of the cell by his swollen, red wrists. His straining arms were covered in bruise after bruise and his tank top was sliced in several places and soaked in blood. Worse yet, a lone dagger was still stabbed into his left thigh. Riz had thought only a few hours early that there would never be anything worse than seeing Fabian strung up in those ropes, half-dead, but this was worse.

This was so much worse.

Wiping those tears away before they could fall down his cheeks, Riz pulled out his lock-picking kit and got to work unlocking the cell. Any finesse was mostly forgotten in favour of brute forcing it. Because how could he be deft and delicate in a moment like this? He’d scarcely heard the clank of the lock unlocking before he yanked the cell door open and rushed over to a stool to drag in front of Fabian. Allowing him to reach high enough to press a keen ear to his chest and hear his heart faintly beat.

Whew. Okay. okay.

He did it. He found him. He found him and it’s all going to be okay.

“Fabian?” Riz said softly as he cupped Fabian’s face and lifted it to meet his gaze. He gasped. Fabian was almost unrecognizable underneath so many bruises, a broken nose, and a swollen eye. Of which slowly blinked as open as it could at the sound of Riz’s voice, only for it to squint at him in confusion.

Fabian went to speak but at first, all that came out was a glob of blood and bile that ran down his chin followed by a series of wheezy coughs.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t strain yourself.” Riz said in a gentle coo. More than happy to wait it out until Fabian’s body somewhat agreed with him again.

“R’z?” Fabian asked after a couple of shallow breaths, his voice weak and hoarse. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving you. Duh.” Riz answered as he took a small step back to inspect the manacle situation from his angle down below. Just like the cell door, they didn’t look too hard to get through. Maybe James should invest in better shackles and locks. Not that it’d make a difference to Riz, he’d get through ‘em anyway.

“No.”

That word pulled him out of his roguish investigation mode entirely. Riz looked up at Fabian who was shaking his head at him and narrowed his eyes and echoed, “No?”

“It’s not safe—they’ll find you—I can’t… I can’t protect you.” Fabian said, building up all of his energy into trying to convince Riz until even that was too much for him and his body went slack and all he could do was whimper. “Go. Leave me here.”

Well, now that wouldn’t do.

“No!” Riz said, his tone probably too harsh, but he didn’t care. Not when Fabian was proposing that he leave him here because the going is a bit tough. As if there was a universe where he’d do that. “Are you stupid? And what? Let you die here?”

“I don’t want anyone else to die on my account today. Especially you.” He said, lifting his head to look Riz in the eye. “Please, the rest of the Bad Kids need you—”

Riz grabbed Fabian’s face again, pulled it close, and said with a crack in his voice, “Yeah, and I need you, you fucking idiot.”

“No, you don’t,” Fabian chuckled weakly. “When have you ever truly needed me?”

“Every day. You’re my best friend in the whole entire world. I need you every day.”

Another soft chuckle fell from Fabian’s lips, but this time it was accompanied by a small smile. “I think I need you too.”

“Good. Because I’ll always be there.” Riz said, his words ringing out in this little space and into the wider multiverse, as hallowed and true as a paladin’s oath. He would always be there for Fabian, until the day he died. There just was no other way for the world to be. “Now, shut up and let’s get you out of here.”

The process of sneaking a staggering, fatigued Fabian out of the Crimson Claw was a slow and arduous one. Believing that slow and steady would win them their freedom, they crept across the lower decks. Hiding as well as they could when a pirate was coming their way. Lurking in the shadows until it was safe to start inching their way out once more. There were a couple of close calls. When Fabian would stumble and fall to the ground with a loud thump or when Riz would misjudge a pirate’s gate and almost reveal themselves too soon. But after almost an hour, they emerged onto the upper deck and into the early morning light unseen by anyone save a few scurrying rats.

Riz’s back and shoulders ached from holding up most of Fabian’s weight for so long, but he pushed through it. Gritting his teeth until they’d gotten far enough away from the docks to satisfy his worry. Ducking into the shadowiest alleyway between two ramshackle buildings, Riz guided Fabian to sit against one of the walls before collapsing beside him. He rolled out all the parts of him that hurt the best he could and tried to steady his heaving chest. They’d done it. They were out. And with the crew of the Crimson Claw none the wiser.

The whole world got a bit slower and a bit clearer in these small moments, now that his mind wasn't overcome with anxious thoughts of “Where’s Fabian?” or “How do we get out of this alive?”, his ears picked up the wheeze in Fabian’s chest. The shallow breathing. The shakes and shivers despite the morning sun beating down on them. Scrambling to his knees, Riz pressed a hand to Fabian’s forehead and felt an intense heat radiate out from it. A fever. Oh no. Fabian was—A shaking, rope-burned hand pressed itself into the middle of Riz’s chest before pushing him away with a surprising amount of force. Seconds away from complaining, Riz could only watch as Fabian turned away from him to wretch until he threw up what little he must’ve had in his stomach.

Wiping his mouth with the flat of his wrist, Fabian stayed silent, for a few long moments before he turned back to Riz, looking beaten like a dog. Soft and shuttering, he said, “Riz, I don’t feel so good.”, before slumping into Riz’s chest.

Which was awkward and heavy because of their height difference, but Riz didn’t care. He welcomed Fabian into his arms and held him as tight as he could, wrapping his tail around him for good measure. No one would ever hurt him again. Not the Nightmare King. Not Kalina. And definitely not James fucking Whitclaw.

Riz wouldn’t fuck up this time and let Fabian slip through his claws and be taken from him. Not again.

Not ever.

Whew! Hopefully, that was whumpy enough for you. I hope you enjoyed reading this and if anyone else has a writing request for me the OG post is here! I'd love to hear from you!

[longhairedboybracket]

Long Haired Boy Bracket All Contestants

The polls will start this tuesday the 2nd

Bracket A

1 - Ling Yao Fullmetal Alchemist vs Will Turner Pirates of the Caribbean

2 - Chigiri Hyoma Blue Lock vs Kasanoda Ritsu OHSHC

3 - Squidward Tentacles Sponge Bob Square Pants vs Link Legend of Zelda

4 - Heimdall Mcu vs Enoch Drebber Ace Attorney

5 - Izuru Kamukura Danganronpa vs Silver Pokémon

6 - Wei Wuxian Mo Dao Zu Shi vs Hua Cheng Heaven's Official Blessing

7 - Wataru Hibiki Ensemble Stars vs Akoya Gero Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-Bu Love

8 - Su Honkai Impact 3rd vs Reyson Fire Emblem

9 - Vanitas Vanitas no Carte vs Athos 3 musketeers

10 - Destruction The Sandman vs Eliot Stardew Valley

11 - Neightan Rot Monster High vs Haruka Hashida Blue Period

12 - Kian Stone Just Roll With It, Show vs Aion Show By Rock

13 - Shulk Xenoblade vs Antonio Identity V

14 - Beelzebub Granblue Fantasy vs Kiun Noragami

15 - Alex Harvey-Iniguez Magical Warrior Diamond Heart vs Fabian Blush Blush

16 - Lord Cedric W.I.T.C.H vs Eithan Aurelius Cradle Series

Bracket B

1 - Korekiyo Shinguji Danganronpa vs Hong Lu Limbus Company

2 - Alucard Castlevania vs Finn The Human Adventure Time

3 - Sakurayashiki Kaoru "Cherry" Sk8 Infinity vs Rosado Fire Emblem

4 - Geralt Of Rivia The Witcher vs Elrond Lord Of The Rings

5 - Inigo Montoya The Princess Bride vs Fire Lord Zuko Avatar The Last Airbender/Avatar The Legend Of Korra

6 - Natural Harmonia Gropius "N" Pokémon vs Loki Mcu

7 - Samsom The Old Testament vs Aramis 3 musketeers

8 - Interdimensional Prince Monster Prom vs Furanui Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-Bu Happy Kiss

9 - Ichirota Kazemaru Inazuma Eleven vs Lucas Rune Factory 5

10 - Helia Winx Club vs Gunpowder Tim The Mechanisms

11 - Shinjiro Nozomi Entropic Float vs Dia Akedia Court of Darkness

12 - Jareth The Goblin King Labyrinth vs Br'aad Vengolor Just Roll With It

13 - Little Creek Spirit vs Bigby Wolf Fables

14 - Terry Bogard Fatal Fury vs Prince Phobos W.I.T.C.H

15 - Dyuradyura Show By Rock vs Noah Kawaii Mansion

16 - Howell Wizard Bee and Puppycat vs Zero Megaman

Bracket C

1 - Inuyasha Inuyasha vs Lucius Fire Emblem

2 - Legolas Lord of the Rings vs Greg Universe Steven Universe

3 - Melli Pokémon vs Shatterstar Marvel

4 - Klavier Gavin Ace Attorney vs Lan Wangji Mo Dao Zu Shi

5 - Chewbacca Star Wars vs Cousin it The Addams Family

6 - Captain Hook Peter Pan vs Edward Elric Fullmetal Alchemist

7 - Tarzan Tarzan vs Razor Genshin Impact

8 - Gerard Keay The Magnus Archives vs Deidara Naruto

9 - Yan Qing Fate Grand Order vs Porthos 3 musketeers

10 - Yue Cardcaptor Sakura vs Headmaster Precure

11 - Kurama Yu Yu Hakusho vs Gillion Tidestrider Just Roll With It

12 - Sitka Brother Bear vs Lord Cob Tales Of Earthsea

13 - Kidou Yuuto Inazuma Eleven Go vs Takumi Ichinose Nana

14 - Peter Cook W.I.T.C.H vs Alec Swordspoint

15 - Peking Duck Food Fantasy vs Karurusu Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-Bu Happy Kiss

16 - Blue Knight Tokyo Mew Mew vs Yakari Yakari

Bracket D

1 - Asakura Hao Shaman King vs Soren Fire Emblem

2 - Sesshomaru Inuyasha vs Christopher Yugioh Zexal

3 - Lord Farquaad Shrek vs Katsura Kotaro Gintama

4 - Jesus The Bible vs Sephiroth Final Fantasy VII

5 - Aoba Seragaki Dramatical Murder vs Basil Hawkins One Piece

6 - Kamui Gakupo Vocaloid vs Nahyuta Sahdmadhi Ace Attorney

7 - Jon Snow Game of Thrones vs Grusha Pokémon

8 - Terumi Furo "Aphorodi" Inazuma Eleven vs Joseph Identity V

9 - Nahobino Shin Megami Tensei vs Kite Hunter x Hunter

10 - Ogron Winx Club vs Niklaus Just Roll With It

11 - D'artagnian 3 musketeers vs Monmon Show by Rock

12 - Xie Lian Heaven's Official Blessing vs Olivier Vanitas no Carte

13 - Xiao Yin Dislyte vs Thane Bauer Watashi no Oshi Wa Akuyaku Reijou

14 - Toki Wartooth Metalocalypse vs Madmartigan Willow

15 - DJ Grooves A Hat In Time vs Jae-ha Akatsuki no Yona

16 - Nezumi No.6 vs Ashe Bradley Witch's Heart

[flynnfan-downunder]

Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Captain Fabian" 1951

[oldcinemalover]

Vincent Price in Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951)