a-menagerie

[a-menagerie]

Everything Has Changed

Cause all I know is we said, "Hello"

And your eyes look like coming home

All I know is a simple name

And everything has changed

Molly didn’t know where he was, barely knew who he was. When he finally opened his eyes - eyes? eyes never shut - and was faced with a pink firbolg, Molly was more confused than ever. So he ran.

Empty empty empty. He’s lost in himself and in this terrifying cavern - of flesh? - and he doesn’t know anything. There’s words in his mouth and people around him and he doesn’t know who anyone is. They’re hugging him and saying things and he’s just lost.

Except you, back behind everyone and quiet, you catch his eye and he knows you, he’s sure he does. But his heart is beating out of his chest and he can’t catch his breath so he gives in, lays on the ground, lets himself fade out.

*

Molly had never seen the Blooming Grove before, but he quite liked it and the Clay family. Eccentricity appealed to him - he was eccentric, wasn’t he? - but the family was just kind. They almost reminded him of another group, people he couldn’t quite picture or name, but the lingering feeling of family made him wonder.

For a week or so, you watched as Molly wandered the Grove, slowly recovering memories. He was never far from Yasha. Jester had fixed up his coat for him and he looked nearly like he had before you’d lost him. Some missing eye tattoos and slightly underfed but that would change with time.

*

“Is there a reason you’re avoiding a particular tiefling?” Fjord asked you, joining you where you were weeding a section of the cemetery.

“I spoke to Jester like an hour ago.” You reply without looking up.

“Alright, smartass.” Fjord scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“I’m not avoiding Molly; I’m giving him space.” You say.

“Does he know that?” Fjord asks. You look up at him sharply, frowning.

“He doesn’t remember…us. Whatever we were. I don’t wanna add any extra pressure on him.”

“And when he does remember, what then?” Fjord asks.

“I’ll tell him what I just told you.” You stand, yanking off your gloves. “What’s this about Fjord?”

“Everyone’s worried about you.” Fjord admits, rubbing his neck. “All of this is…a lot. Molly’s back but you’ve hardly reacted, barely talked to him. I just wanted to check in.” You try not to bristle at Fjord, he’s just doing what he does, checking in on his friends. But hardly reacted?

You’ve cried yourself to sleep almost every night since you returned to the Grove.

What was worse? Losing Molly or having a Molly who didn’t remember you? Losing Molly or having him so close but out of reach? Your chest aches and you fought hard not to cry in front of Fjord.

“I’m fine.” You tell him.

“Bullshit.” You and Fjord both jump as Beau speaks up. Sometime during your conversation she’d wandered over and now she was facing you with crossed arms and a raised brow. “You look like shit.”

“Beau.” Fjord hissed. She just rolled her eyes, waving her hand at him.

“You gotta talk to him or something, just watching you is making me miserable.” She said, poking you lightly in the chest.

“I don’t want to pressure-“ Beau cuts you off.

“Yasha said he asks about you, can’t figure out why you’re avoiding him. Molly’s not remembering everything yet but - just go talk to him.”

*

Molly’s been watching you, keeping track of where you were throughout the day. He wasn’t sure why. He’d wanted to speak to you before now but you seemed to disappear anytime he got too close.

Until today. He was sitting against a tree outside the Clay home, reading through Beau’s journal. Well, more specifically, he was struggling to read the journal and was considering asking Beau to just read it aloud. Molly looked up at the sound of feet crunching grass.

“Hey.” You greeted him with a small smile.

“Hello.” Molly replied blankly, confused - and intrigued - by the way his pulse quickened in your presence.

“Can I join you?” Molly nods so you settle beside him on the ground. You can’t bring yourself to say anything else though. What do you say?

“Did I…do something to you?” Molly asks and you jolt back to the present, out of your head. “To make you avoid me?”

“Oh no, no, I wasn’t-“ You sigh. “I wasn’t trying to avoid you but I was. I wanted you to have space.”

Molly cocked his head, observing you through narrowed red eyes. He looked back to the journal then his gaze wandered to your lap, where you were wringing your hands together.

“Space from you?” You nodded and he hummed in thought. “Because…we were together?”

“…yes.” You answer. Molly blinked.

“Wait, really?” He asked, grin curling across his lips.

“Yes?” You reply, slightly confused.

“I didn’t think I’d be right.” Molly laughed, reaching and grabbing one of your hands. “I’d hoped, of course, and obviously something had happened between us but- it really was like this, the two of us?”

Molly was looking at you so openly and adoringly that you almost couldn’t think straight, couldn’t really fight the heat rising to your cheeks.

“Yeah, for a while before…” You trailed off but started again. “I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to be with me, remember me right away.”

“Trust me, I’m very unhappy to have forgotten anything about you.” A sweet sentiment but you’re pretty sure Molly’s enunciation was meant to be teasing too. “Thank you for treating me so kindly though I would have preferred you spoke to me earlier.”

“Sorry.” You say softly, glancing up from your hand in his to look at him. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against yours.

“We’ll just have to make up for lost time.” Molly said. He took a deep breath, just enjoying your presence when something tickled at the back of his mind.

“You used to call me your Tea-lightful Tealeaf when you were in a silly mood.” Molly says it as a statement but pulls away enough to see your face, to see if he’s right.

“Okay, you could’ve waited to remember that.” You groan, covering your face with your free hand. “I only did it because it made you laugh.”

“Don’t you hide from me.” Molly pulled your hand off your face, held both of your hands in his. “We have all the time in the world now to be silly and laugh together.”

“I’ve missed you. A lot.” You manage to say without crying. Molly gives you a small smile.

“I feel like I’m missing me still.” Molly admits. “But I have you and our very odd friends, so my memories can take their time. They’ll return, in time.”

“And in the meantime,” Molly says, leaning his forehead back against yours, “I will delight in learning about you all over again.”

#critical role x reader #mollymauk x reader #mollymauk tealeaf x reader #so apparently Molly is barely literate so I had to rewrite a section of this lmao #but I heard this song and Molly slapped me in the face

[a-menagerie]

I didn’t realize how much I missed Caduceus Clay 😭

#ellie talks #aaaaaaaaaaaaah

[a-menagerie]

finally get to start bg3 today and aaaah

I will probably post more over on @multiverse-menagerie bc I don’t wanna clog up stuff here but !! I’m excited

#aaaah #i cannot wait #ellie talks

[a-menagerie]

someone tell me why Vampire man sounds like Tim Curry to me and that is the only reason I wanna romance him

#idk how to spell his name #bg3 yo #still waiting tho bc I’m a lame console player

[a-menagerie]

Hello I'm here for s o f t

freckles, clouds and sweetheart 🩷

poet hi, thank you sweets <3

freckles - most-worn article of clothing?

I have an old tmnt baseball style tee that I like to wear a lot and also a very well-worn avengers tshirt, it’s so soft and comfy. I tend to wear the same things every week haha

clouds - describe one of your favorite dreams?

hmmmm uh. Usually my good dreams are just me getting good deals/getting lucky finding dolls/collection items/etc lmao. I usually don’t have good dreams so I don’t have a fave I think

sweetheart - favorite mug/cup?

My friend got me a mug with snails on it for a secret santa thing a few years ago and I love it so much, I use it basically every day

#ellie talks #my brain just shoved al my anxiety into my dreams haha

[a-menagerie]

For the ask game: 8, 10, 17 👀

8 - any fandom/niche/hyperfixation topics you can rant about for hours?

Fallout, Dragon Age, and Marvel are easily the top 3 things to get me talking/ranting for hours. Pokémon too probably. My hyperfixations tend to be fandom based haha.

10 - favorite aesthetics??

pastel goth and pastel punk are like my dream aesthetics for clothing. as far as home decor and things, I like cottagecore/goblincore

17 - when was the last time you slept? ate? drank? stretched?

I slept last night ( like 11pm to 7:30am), ate breakfast and bout to eat lunch, I keep a drink right with me so within the last few minutes and uuuuh. I’ve definitely stretched,,,vaguely recently? Last night? Haha oops

#kaaaat thank u #ellie talks #kat

[a-menagerie]

soft asks:

cherry - what is your sexuality?

lollipop - favorite makeup products?

daydreams - if you could be anything or anyone, who would you be?

october - what month were you born in?

caress - do you like to snuggle?

ivory - describe your pajamas?

golden - favorite stationary product?

freckles - most-worn article of clothing?

twilight - best friend?

silk - do you like k-pop?

poppy - favorite pastel color?

dimples - most attractive features of a person’s face?

sunkissed - autumn or spring?

buttery - favorite snack?

whisper - how much sleep do you get?

pencil - do you own a journal?

cupcake - are you a good cook?

honey - favorite term of endearment?

clouds - describe one of your favorite dreams?

velvet - who was your first crush?

paper - favorite children’s book?

peaches - do you have a skincare routine?

mochi - favorite studio ghibli film?

backyard - did you ever have an imaginary friend?

strawberry - favorite fruit?

kiss - have you ever kissed a friend?,

nightlight - do you read before bed?

shampoo - favorite scent?

skin - what distant relative are you closest to?

aphrodite - favorite actress/actor?

cuddles - do you have any pets?

lace - if you own any dresses, which is your favorite?

sheets - sanrio or san-x characters?

cream - frozen yogurt flavor?

watermelon - do films ever make you cry?

sapphos - favorite poet?

plush - how many stuffed animals do you still own?

roses - what flower do you find most beautiful?

sweetheart - favorite mug/cup?

sunset - what are your pronouns?

#yesss these are cute too

[a-menagerie]

1 - comfort character 💜💜💜

oh man hmm

Proooooobably Steve Rogers. there’s a lot of characters that vie for that spot but I think he’s the one, at the end of the day.

Runners up are: Caleb Widogast, Bucky Barnes, Tohru Honda, and the Doctor

#ellie talks #thanks for asking Poet 🥰 #hope you’re doing well #poet

[a-menagerie]

ask game!!

1 - comfort character

2 - fave color and why

3 - dream haircut/color

4 - any languages you want to learn?

5 - any advice for school?

6 - any relationship advice?

7 - any political/serious topics you can angrily rant about for hours?

8 - any fandom/niche/hyperfixation topics you can rant about for hours?

9 - opinion on hawaiian pizza

10 - favorite aesthetics??

11 - do your parents know about your account?

12 - least favorite food?

13 - do you prefer to draw traditionally or digitally?

14 - favorite art medium?

15 - current earworm song?

16 - any youtubers you recommend?

17 - when was the last time you slept? ate? drank? stretched?

18 - favorite biome/landscape?

19 - any pet peeves?

20 - early bird or night owl?

#oooo fun

[a-menagerie]

OMG BALDUR'S GATE EEE

I can't wait too!!

Right??!!

Am i going to make all my dnd characters in it? Absolutely!

Am I also eyeballing the human wizard ? …also yea lol

My partner and I are gonna play it together and I Cannot Wait

#ellie talks #i demand to see everyone’s characters when they get the game

[a-menagerie]

thanks for the tag love 💛

Relationship status: taken 🙈

Favorite Color: pink!

Song stuck in my head: jar of hearts by Christina perri

Last song I listened to: neon rainbow by Alan Jackson

Three favorite foods: French fries, sushi, alfredo

Last thing I googled: how to beat a quest in New Vegas without someone dying haha

Dream trip: mmm somewhere to see the northern lights? Japan? Literally anywhere

Anything I want right now: uuuuuh for balders gate 3 to be out already lol

Tagged by @okiecomputer thank you!! <3

Rules: Tag 10 people you want to get to know better!!!

Relationship status: taken <3

Fav color: green

Song stuck in my head: helwa ya baladi by dalida

Last song I listened to: bloodhail by have a nice life

Three favorite foods: stuffed grape leaves, biryani, red velvet desserts

Last thing I googled: SNAIL TRAIL MEANING LOL i only ever heard it be called a happy trail

Dream trip: Italy also but somewhere tropical? not sure where

Anything I want right now: a cold drink

tagging: @terroristiraqi @kkujo @medixnoche @thunk @kirayoshikage @xashirama @silkylious i don’t have 10 ppl to tag at the top of my head soz </3 no pressure to participate

#ellie talks

[a-menagerie]

;3

“Please, Ashton, just play pretend for one evening. What could it hurt?”

Last Line Tag

tagged by the lovely @thiamsxbitch 😘

RULES—share the last line you wrote for your WIP, and then tag as many people as there are words.

MK placed too much responsibility on himself already, how would he react if he knew his mentor, the great Monkey King, signed off for his immortality to end after MK’s passing?

hehe :3 would you believe if I told you that this wip was supposed to be fluffy?

tagging (with no added pressure dw <3): @sourdough-morbread @bellamyblakru @ghoultaffy @shana-rosee and anybody else bearing witness to this post and feels inclined to play!

#yes I’m writing again #no I’m not caught up and I don’t care #i still love this punk rock tho

[a-menagerie]

I saw on one of your headcanons that Vax is the king of consent and I absolutely love that. Would you be able to potentially write something about how he’s calm a partner who was afraid or nervous to have sex?

absolutely!

Vax is gonna ask before doing Anything - kissing, cuddling, and especially anything intimate

with a nervous/anxious/scared partner, he’s going to be asking even more. He wants to make sure that you want this too

only after getting consent, Vax will start to lead you into sex (foreplay is key!)

the minute you’re uncomfy or unsure, he’s backing off and talking you through it. Vax wants to know what your boundaries are and where you draw the line for things

He will Never be upset if you need to stop, doesn’t matter how into it y’all have been

Is more than happy to get you off before he ever takes care of himself, bless him

Vax is perfectly capable of taking care of himself if he needs to and there’s no way in hell he’d push you to do anything

goes slow. maybe too slow sometimes, but Vax needs to hear it from you that you can handle more

Aftercare !!! No matter how spicy (or not!) y’all get, Vax is going to spend ages after, just cuddling and looking after you

aaaand thanking you for being with him, he’s staring at you with heart eyes

#critical role x reader #vax x reader #critrole reader insert #nsfw #hi guys have a little treat

[a-menagerie]

Hello! I was wondering if you could write a Mighty Nein version of the hiding in the alley together Bell's hells scenario you wrote? I really loved your Bell's hells one! Thanks!

Thank you darling! I love that post so much too 🥰

Bell's Hells version 💙

Tight Squeeze (hiding in an alley together)

Beau 💜

You're standing on her toes, and her elbow is poking harshly into your side, and you both just don't know where to look. "Sorry, I'll scoot over a little bit-" "No, wait, hang on a sec-" Awkward scrambling ensues. You whisper and try to convince her to put up with the closeness until you guys are safe, but she. Just. Won't. Listen. Eventually, her squirming has you both off centre and reaching for each other for balance, and she murmurs a quiet: "... oh."

Beau isn't a romantic, never has been, and she's never really gazed into someone's eyes as purposefully as she is right now. You're fucking gorgeous. How has she never stopped to just look at you before? Have you always been so... You blink in confusion as she seems to soften, ever so slightly, calming down enough to breathe in sync with you.

You feel a palm drag itself up your arm, up, up, up until she finally cradles your jaw. And you both stand there, unmoving, for who knows how long, before she eventually tears herself away from you and the alley with a grumble. You take a moment to recover from the intense look in her eye, running after Beau only when she calls your name to hurry up.

-

Caleb 💜

His mouth is puckered in a tight frown as he looks anywhere but your face. It's an incredibly tight squeeze where you've found yourselves, so narrow that you're effectively pinning the wizard to the wall behind him. Your palms rest flat at either side of his neck and his hands have curled into little fists between your chests. Your heartbeat is thundering in your ears - or maybe it's Caleb's - you're not quite sure whose it is when you're this close together.

It's incredibly quiet. Awkward, even. So you say something. Anything. A stupid comment on how this is like a cheesy scene in one of the awful smutty books that's been passed around the group, and he can't help but huff a laugh and try to hold back an amused smile. His shoulders relax and he rests his head against the wall to finally get a better look at you, and something makes you lean your head towards him, following his lead. His lips part slightly as you move closer and-

Nott/Veth calling both your names from outside the alley jerks your faces apart, and Caleb very hurriedly inches away from you. "We should, ah..." He reluctantly shuffles towards the road, adjusts unkempt hair and smooths down the front of his coat, fingers twisting the buttons shyly. "W-we should go join the others, ja?" His heart sings at the simple touch of you linking pinkies with him. It's a quiet message he doesn't need to worry about deciphering.

-

Fjord 💜

"Beggin' your pardon." You can't help but snort. Even in times of peril, in situations where you're taking cover from the intense fighting outside of alleyways, Fjord still manages to treat you well and act the perfect gentleman. He shushes you, smiling himself, and it briefly feels like you're the only two people in the world - except for those in the battle mere feet away from your hiding spot.

His eyes soften as you share a secret grin with him, but not in the way you'd like. He clears his throat, peeks out of the gap of the alley."Look, I know this isn't an ideal situation but..." You say his name sweetly, urge him to look up from the ground to meet your gaze, and you see colour quickly spread across his neck in embarrassment. He swallows thickly and looks away, and breathes out the quietest shuddering sigh.

A hesitant hand reaches out for yours, and you grip it tight before he can regret taking the leap. The rest of the Nein find you both in that same position minutes later once the battle had officially ended and it was safe to leave, all tangled fingers and soft gazes. Fjord never wants to let go.

-

Jester 💜

"Are you gonna kiss me?" She's a little cross eyed, a little flushed and out of breath, and so so pretty this close up. Her eyes flick between your own, both your noses just barely grazing. "It feels like now would be a good time to kiss me." And it does.

But the moment is ruined when a swarm of soldiers charges right by the alley's entrance, and Jester lunges forward to hug you close. Together you find yourselves huddled further in the shadows while the enemy runs right by your hiding spot. She's so soft in your arms, perfect - it's like she belongs there - and you want to tell her that, but saying so out loud would easily blow your cover. So you settle for keeping her close, a hand in her hair while she ducks her head under your chin.

You wait until the last soldier has gone before you reluctantly remove yourself from the tiefling (who visibly pouts) and peek outside the alley. Once the coast is clear, you look over your shoulder, only to find Jester already looping arms with you. She smiles, this time confidently, and you enter daylight once more with no mention of the almost-kiss.

-

Mollymauk 💜

He doesn't say a word. Which, y'know, is ideal when skulking about in an abandoned alley, away from prying eyes of spies and mercenaries - but the way how Mollymauk is not-so-subtly glancing your way every few seconds is awfully distracting. You lightly push against his chest, tell him in a hushed voice to stop smirking so much, that this is a very serious situation. "What? Can I not look at you now? Can I not enjoy the little things while we fear for our lives? Who knows when I'll see something so lovely again~"

You push him again, a little more forcefully this time, and he actually barks a laugh, sways back to you and tilts his head with sticky fondness. There's a sudden commotion nearby - heavily armoured folk who suddenly look in the direction of the sound and touch their weapons suspiciously. Quick thinking in the moment has you press your body closely to Molly's, making your forms fit within shadow, and cover his mouth with your hand.

And he's silent again, but his expression has changed. He never looks away from you, nor you him, both of you holding breaths in anticipation - of being discovered, or of something more passionate, you are not completely sure - but the moment is never interrupted. When all is safe and sound once more after the hired fighters evacuate the nearby area, he slowly peels your hand away and presses a single, simple touch of his lips to your palm. It's barely even a kiss, but you don't mind. It's nothing. It's something. It's a promise.

-

Yasha 💜

She's... Well, you already knew that she was tall before before this, but you never really knew exactly how tall Yasha was until you were up against each other in a tiny alleyway in some fancy town neither of you know the name of. It's a small space, and there are hired thugs sniffing around town looking for you and the Nein, but you feel so safe with the barbarian - a protective barrier between you and the rest of the world. Your face warms at the thought.

She peers down at you with a blank expression, and you expect awkward silence, but she surprises you with: "Well this is quite cosy, isn't it?" It's dark in the alley, but she can see the wrinkles by your eyes when you smile at her. Good. That'll ease the tension immensely... And the slightly nervous pitter patter of her heart.

Despite it all, she's a little flustered being so close to you. It's weirdly intimate caging you in, and she curses under her breath quietly when you look away bashfully and bite your lip with a grin. She's obviously done something right when you gently rest a hand on her arm and ease her wandering mind. She still feels that touch hours after, and wonders if you're thinking of it too.

-

Kingsley 💜

You don't want to admit it, but you're panicking. What started off as a cheeky side quest quickly spiralled into a catastrophe, and you now find yourself in a claustrophobic space with bad guys on your tails, and you have grazed knees after tripping earlier and you're stuck with your most charming friend who looks at you like he loves you, and it's all too much, and- "Hey, keep your eyes on me."

Kingsley is holding your face in his hands, and you can barely make out his crimson eyes in the dark, but you know he's giving you that look again. "We're gonna be fine, we're gonna get out of this. I'll buy you a drink later, you'll see." You want to believe him, even as your heart drums loudly in your chest, leftover adrenaline dulling in your veins. You follow his lead, breathe in, and breathe out as you move to hold the wrists of his hand that are cupping your face still. You find calm, and he looks proud. Maybe it's only a shadow of an expression in the dark though.

Instead of leading you back towards the ship, Kingsley takes you by the hand and dances around the crowded marketplace towards a quiet tavern on the outskirts of town. He reaches out and holds the door open for you, and grins when you look puzzled."I owe you a drink, remember?"

#heart eyes #kingsley my beloved #also Yasha 👀 #ugh so good #fic rec

[a-menagerie]

Oooooh okay okay

1. no one will be surprised to see Varric on this list

2. Tohru Honda. While yes I love everyone in Furuba, the true heart and comfort there lies in Tohru for me

3. Michelangelo (tho all four turtles tbh)

4. Captain America/Steve Rogers

5. aaaand Alan Grant lol. Idk something about him is just so…comfort haha

Five Comfort Characters, Five Tags

Tagged by @patchworkgargoyle, who delights in giving me little tasks to complete. (jk ily)

Y'all know who it is. King Blorbo. Karl Heisenberg, Resident Evil Village. <3 My beloved, my favorite cranky old man, the garbage gremlin soulmate.

Isabela, Dragon Age (literally we are the same person. I like big boats, I cannot lie.)

Jack Rackham, Black Sails (I will never stop using the phrase I once saw to describe him: the limpest wrists in the Caribbean. The 'a story is true a story is untrue' speech from the show's end has haunted me ever since first viewing.)

Hector Barbossa, Pirates of the Caribbean (OG senior citizen, respect your elders!!!)

Yennefer of Vengerberg, The Witcher (primarily I enjoy the games - she and I are similar in v painful ways and she makes me feel a lot of things.)

Non-obligatory tag list: @vodkafolie @imthegreenfairy88 @mishwanders @shions-new-blog-of-stuff and @mourningstarmace ! And anyone else who would like to show off their funky lil fellas.

#should a critrole character have on here #probably

[a-menagerie]

hi a life update

hi yes I’m alive! and I’ve just been trying to balance all of my artistic urges (have I begun clay crafting and scrapbooking…yes) alongside my usual video gaming and that’s left little time for my writing bc also…

i have a partner now 🥰🙈he is wonderful and amazing and I am spending a lot of time hanging with him (tho we’re long distance rn) ((bc I’m smitten lmao))

tldr: I’m alive! I miss writing but still can’t quite find the motivation for it but I’m still here. Just like…on a teeny hiatus

#ellie talks

[a-menagerie]

the reason critical role is so good is because every campaign features at least one cast member creating a character that they intend to be doomed by the narrative and matt and the rest of the cast going don’t be an idiot, Our Love Will Undoom Them. like in the explanation of percy’s final playlist, taliesin wrote, “Cheers to a happy ending for a character intended by his creator to be karmically irredeemable. May we all be so fortunate.” and just, Yeah.