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whoviancumberbunny · 1 year

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Part Three: No Room For Fear

Vox Machina characters Created by Critical Role

Dark Tower created By Stephen King [Funerary Prayer]

Annie and Declan, Serendipity Johns and Galen Allgood created by Melissa C. Scraper @whoviancumberbunny

Title from Title Prompts by @youneedsomeprompts

Used This Prompt and this one by @seaside-writings

Part One: Stand and Be True

Part Two: Ne’er-Do-Wells and Insufferable Bastards

They were on the edge of the village that Chroma Conclave had taken over and, Roland joined them, as Tet-Fa [Friend of the group]. It was clear to him and that both Annie and Percy were the Dinhs, as they sat around come up with a plan he pulls her to the side and put the Horn of Eld in her hand “Da, Gan gave this to you.”

He looked at her trying to hide the fact that in the short few weeks he had been In the life of his daughter he had seen that she was a Gunslinger. Never mind that to parts of the world she is a thief. “May Luck Rise to meet us all.” He looked at her “Don’t be like me my child. I have spent my whole life not listening to those around me.” He had seen three figures of young adults hiding on the other side of town. Time would tell if these people were good or not, they would be people Annie knew well.

Percy looked at her, the Horn of Eld, like so many other things he had believed that was only legend. Like the vestments, he blushed as Annie looked at him. Maybe it was just that he felt he was undeserving of love , then of course that was also because the demon might kill those around him. Last time she had managed to stop him before he had killed an innocent person “Darling, you should just tell her.” Vex said breaking his concentration “Everyone can see it. Even her father sees.”

“Oh Dawn Father, I am not sure what to do with my heartbox,” he hadn’t realized he had started peppering his speaking with the high speech she had been teaching him.

“All I am saying is let me be annoying?” Scanlan said

Pike “No these are dangerous dragons.”

After Coming up with a battle plan, they study the area a short time later as Vox fights off the dragon “Great work, asshole; I hope they eat you first!” Vax said as he and Scanlan dodge flames and deadly acid

On the other side of the town Female figure staring at one of the two male figures. “It doesn’t matter if we kill it; it will just keep coming back,” she nearly pushed him off the cliff “Sorry, Galen.” She grabs his hand

Male figure you would assume is a ranger by his bow and arrow “And so will we,” he takes out an arrow his father killed dragon with “we wait for a signal and we join In the fight.”

Galen “But Peter, we don’t know what kind of signal to pay attention for. Shaun Gilmore only told us to Meet Annie here because she would need help saving Declan and several other people.” Galen Allgood, and his cousin Serendipity Johns part of the last generation of Gunslingers of Gilead.

Peter, who is friends with Annie because she saved his life because warriors of the red had tried to kill him in his sleep just after he escaped from prison “I wouldn’t be known as Good King Peter, if she hadn’t helped me last year.” Peter, Age 18 years, framed for the murder of his Father and served three years in prison. Tall and slender if he hadn’t been king he likely would have been gunslinger.

“If we get out of this alive you need to tell Declan you love him, Galen.”

“No, he probably doesn’t see me that way.”

Peter raises his hand to quiet them as they hear a sound that was unfamiliar yet felt like call to arms, Annie had blown the Horn of Eld. “Here we go.”

On the battlefield, The members of Vox machina had never heard the sound before but something about sound the horn of eld made them focus and become more coordinated.

Annie “Percy! Canda!”

Percy looks at everyone “Spread out!” Suddenly an arrow shoots past them into the heart of the dragon “Where did that come from?”

Annie “Foehammer? Good King Peter how did you know we’d need back up?”

“Will explain that later Lady Annie.” The man said as absent mindedly ran his finger along the scar on his cheek.

“Scanlan, we need you to be annoying so we can untie the prisoners.” Annie said

Percy shot a few low level dragons “They are not attacking Annie .”

Thordak “The Female gunslinger who came with Vox Machina smells of the Queen of the Great Worms.”

“I am getting tired of monsters saying I smell like Lady Dragon. Your Minions took my brother so I am here to rescue him and the others.” She said as her eyes briefly the color of her spirit guide.

“The human with the soul of a dragon. We didn’t think she existed.” The chroma conclave stops in their tracks

“I don’t want to kill you. I just want my brother. Leave!”

After the smoke clears “We found this In the dragon’s cave, Milady. We think it belongs to you.”

Roland “Crown of Eld.”

“I am no ruler. I am a Gunslinger. Thankee for returning this to my family.” Annie replied

Later at the Keep “Percy, you asked about the gem embedded in the grip of my gun.” She said after Declan retrieves his own gun “Our grandfather, Steven gave us each one of these just before he was killed. Mother kept them safe for us and she gave them to use just before her own death.”

Declan looks Percy up and down, “He’s kind of skinny.”

“So are you brother.” They hug each other “you are just jealous I have boyfriend first.” She blushes “everyone this tall dork here is my twin brothers Declan. That idiot over there is our best friend, Galen Allgood and his cousin Serendipity Johns. This is King Peter of Delain.”

“Before you ask, I am not ranger. My father taught me to hunt from a young age. This arrow, foe hammer was used to kill a dragon with nine cambered and I was conceived after my father killed the dragon.” Peter explained as he cleaned foe hammer. He goes over to Annie “You left this in Delain.” Hands her medallion engraved with the crest of the Delain, a unicorn slaying a dragon with its horn.

“I told you I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it because Ka willed it.” She takes the crest, she really didn’t want to be seen as champion of Delain. She sticks it in her bag. It wasn’t humility, everything she did she did because it felt right.

“Wait….you just said I am your boyfriend.” Percy said as he walked over to Declan and Annie, Annie blushed “I admit to having feelings….of love but I worry my darkness will hurt you.”

Annie places her hand on his cheek “Percival De Rolo. Stop being a twat. I can tell you want to keep from hurting me but you know almost everything about me and now you have met my family and best friends. If you want I can have Declan punch you in the face.” She grinned

He kisses her gently on the lips “Why didn’t Croma Conclave attack you?”

“Lady Dragon, she is their queen. They called me the human with the soul of a dragon.” Annie said

King peter “You all have an invitation to the reaping festival in Delain.” He grinned “Lady annie matched me In the reaping festival archery contest. I happen to think she lost on purpose.”

“That may be true, friend. But Declan did the same thing. Neither one of use wanted to be better than you. We were just keeping our skills sharp.”

“I knew that when I saw that his arrow went through the heart of the skinwalker that jumped us last year.” They sit around telling stories

“Galen screamed louder than we did.”

“No I didn’t.”

When Annie gets up to stretch her legs, Percy follows her “Does Galen have romantic feelings for your brother?”

“they are both really bad at pretending it. I knew if he was told Declan was in danger he would come. I just Didn’t think peter would leave Delain. He’s been working hard to regain the trust of his village since Walter O’Dim , framed him for murder and used his brother, Thomas as puppet ruler to tax people of Delain .”

“I wondered why you never mentioned courting anyone. It is because the only men in your life are people you know wouldn’t betray you. I promise you I will do my best to be worthy of the trust you give me. What is a skin walker, again?”

“in this region they are called lycanthropes. They tear the host apart from the inside.” She shivered “I didn’t sleep for three days after we fought the skinwalkers.” She rested her head against his chest “For most of our lives Declan and I have needed to be strong for ourselves. It is not easy for us to let our defenses down.” She places her hand on his chest “Your heart and your mind don’t need to be two different things Percival.” When he gently takes her hand in a single move he puts ring he made for her on her finger

“It is a promise. That when the time is right I will ask you to be my wife. The time is not now.” She looks at it and it has the crest of his family on it “I added the seal of eld to it too. I want to follow the way of the beam with you. If you will let me Annie.”

“It brought me to you, until you are rid of your darkness you can’t handle the Dark Tower.| she stopped just before saying, on her previous time loop only she and Roland had survived Can Ka-No Rey, in the previous time loops she ahd needed to call out the names of all the people sitting around the fire “She and read the funeral rites 13 times before reaching the tower. She’d be damned if she had to watch them all fall to the Crimson King again “the other involved were still on keystone earth living their lives mostly unaware of what had already happened save for one, the son of the demon king, her friend Magnus. Why had gan given only her Annie her memories back, at least she assumed she was the only one who could remember bit and pieces of the four previous time loops. The third time loops she was married to king peter and that was all she could remember. It couldn’t happen again and she’d be damned if she let vox machina die to ensure that the tower would remain standing “What is Can Ka-No Rey?” she finally heard percy asking

“It is the field of roses around the dark tower. They have razor sharp thorns they beckon to be picked but they kill whomever touches them.” She looked at him “Why?”

“When you fainted after we met your father. You were muttering about it and calling out my name in your sleep?”

“Let’s go for a walk.” as they walk “Remember I told you my father is in a time loop my existence created separate time loops and as far I can recall they have converged at least four times already. You asked me why I wrote down your name.” she looks down “In the previous time line when I had to call out the names of everyone I lost. I couldn’t remember yours. It is the reason why you canlt remember we have met before. When gunslinger reaches the top of the tower time resets. But Gan resets it to different point In the time and places everyone in different places.”

They nearly jump when they hear Roland’s voice “My journey was my choice and it has always been, Anastasia. I can see your friends would follow you to end world and back. You have allowed yourself the thing it took me centuries to allow myself, to let people help me. You on the other hand let people help you all the time. I remember that day too. You couldnlt remember percy’s name at the the base of the tower and that’s what broke your spirit.”

Another When at the base of the Dark Tower, as the menacing eyes of Crimson king stare them down “I am Anastasia Gabrielle Jenna Delgado Deschain De Rolo, I offer you the names of the fallen as entry.

Declan Alaric William Delgado Deschain, My brother and fellow Gunslinger, Serendipity Johns, Gunslinger, Galen Allgood, Jenna of Eluria, Susan DelGado, ……

“Damn it why did his name have to be so long.” She fell to her knees looked into Can Ka-No Rey. He had came this for with her and for her and she couldn’t present his name to the tower. “Percy forgive me. I never wanted you to be lost in the void. She could hear the death nill coming from “I wasn’t strong enough to not lose anyone this time.

Present day “Forgive me. As soon as Da appeared in the cave it…. the end of the previous timeline came flooding back to me. I realized I was leading everyone to possible death again. Forgive me.” She felt her leg buckle but Percy caught her

“We are not in the todash space anymore. Look at me, your father is right his path is not your path. Gods know why you even thought his journey was your responsibility.” He takes a handkerchief out his pocket gently wipes away her tears “You saved me. Let me protect you.” She rested her head on his shoulder, as he scoops her up to carry her over to the fire “If she didnlt call out my name how am I here.”

Roland “I did. I couldn’t let you lose her how I keep loosing her mother.”

Another when as his daughter sat collapsed feelings emotionally defeated he repeaeated the name she had listed along with the names of his friends and finally “Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III!” as the door swung open “Anastasia you can come with me if you want.”

“No Da. Not this time I going to give them the death rites.” It would take her three days to bury everyone. “Time flies, knells call, life passes, so hear my prayer.

Birth is nothing but Death begun, so hear my prayer.

Death is speechless, so hear my speech.

This is my friend, who served his ka and his tet. Say true.

May the forgiving glance of S'Mana heal his heart. Say please.

May the arms of Gan raise him from the darkness of this earth. Say please.

Surround him, Gan, with light.

Fill him, Chloe, with strength.

If he is thirsty, give him water in the clearing.

If he is hungry, give him food in the clearing.

May his life on this earth and the pain of his passing become as a dream to his waking soul, and let his eyes fall upon every lovely sight;

Let him find the friends that were lost to him, and let everyone whose name he calls call his in return.

This is my friend, who lived well, loved his own, and died as ka would have it.

Each man owes Death. This is my friend. Give him peace.” She placed his pepperbox on his grave “If ka wills it we will meet again Percival.”

Present day…. “Thank You, Roland. May Gan always hold you in his favor.”

“We are well met Percy De Rolo III. This is your path. You are meant for better things than I ever was, Lady De Rolo.”

“He was having conversation with Lady Dragon.” She said as they sat down and her father continued his journey alone

To Be Continued

Wednesday, February 1st. 2023

#gunslingers au #dark tower au #percy x oc #legend of vox machina #Vox machina au

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9474s0ul · 1 year

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Another long post let's go

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zhes1 · 8 months

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Say "Hi" to my friend

(@kairokust - Killer Peppino)

Best boys

#pizza tower #fake peppino #my art #peppino spaghetti #pizza tower au #killer peppino #darkness

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diandra-chan · 12 days

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Hello Alton Towers fandom, I’m not really new, I’ve just been lurking.

My name is Diandra and I hyperfixate a lot on the smiler and the ministry of joy. So…here’s my art regarding that, take it. I hope you like it ^^

This is all part of an overarching story. At least it’s gonna be at some point. I still only have singled out scenes in mind that I still need to stitch together.

I HAVE A PLAN! I SWEAR!

#the smiler #the smiler alton towers #the ministry of joy #smiler oc #alton towers smiler #smiler au #I AM STILL NOT OVER THE FACT THAT A ROLLERCOASTER HAS SO MUCH COOL AND DARK LORE #digital art #my art #oc #oc artwork #mad scientist #idk how to tag this #i am cringe but i am free #My boy Donnie is okay I swear he’s just feeling a little silly is all #correction really does things to you man

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shitposting4squares · 1 year

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Pizza Tower/Evil dead crossover Peppino

He had to cut off his own hand to stop from turning into a pizza monster, and he’s mad as hell about it. Also I decided to give him a sleeve harness for his BIG HONKIN PIZZA CUTTER BUZZSAW cus it looked strange on the end of his more noodle looking arm. And this gives him more heft and motion. I’ll put what I’ve got so far about the au under a readmore.

So a chain restaurant opens in a historic landmark, the tower, where during renovation they accidentally unearth an ancient spooky power. Which gets harnessed by the human who would soon become PizzaHead.

Setting off a very monkey's paw be careful what you wish for situation, cus the guy basically wanted a “pizza empire”. He meant that in terms of creating a huge and wealthy corporation, but the tower magic took it literally. So now not only is it spawning armies of pizza monsters, but Pizzahead has the power to turn humans into more pizza monsters.

So he starts by inviting all the owners of the local businesses to the restaurant part of the tower for a little get together before the grand opening.Targeting them first to cut down the competition and ensure the maximum amount of customers would instead be visiting his restaurant. This being the moment that first gets everyone scared, as a 6+ foot tall man made out of cheese with a pizza for a face bursts into the restaurant. Acting like some kind of unhinged cartoon clown, and trying to get the people who haven't eaten the free pizza yet to try some. Though it seems like his presence speeds up the pizza monster transformations. As the ones who were infected start to turn, while Gustavo, Mr. stick, and Peppino escape into the tower.

So in this instance, the bosses are other humans who showed up to the party and got turned into pizza monsters as part of Pizzaheads army. Like pepperman used to be the owner of an arts and crafts store. Vigilante was a farmer who restaurants would sometimes buy meat and veggies from locally. Noise and Noisette were a young couple involved in journalism who were covering the opening of the new restaurant. And some of the other one-off monsters could be other local business owners.

Peppino never ate any of the pizza, but he did get a slice of it shoved into his hand by pizzahead when he showed up and terrified everyone by being an unhinged pizza monster, and it took him a moment before dropping it. So after a bit of adventuring, it turns out his hand is infected, and he's gotta cut it off to keep the pizza transformation from spreading. As his screaming and comically slamming his cheese and pepperoni hand on various walls does little more than stun the cheese hand in a cartoony sorta way (Like with stars spinning over it’s head).

After a building of panic as the cheese starts to spread over his wrist, he cuts it off in a grocery store-like location within the tower with a industrial strength pizza cutter, that is really more like a big buzzsaw, splattering himself with his own blood. Though the pizza monsters are threatening to break in, so he attaches the big buzzsaw to his stump arm, and goes on a blind rage chainsaw massacre style rampage. Eventually collapsing from blood loss and overexertion in the abandoned looking Bruno's pizza when it looks like he’s killed all the monsters nearby.

He wakes up with something trying to force his mouth open, and it's his severed cheese hand. He tries to kill it, but it tricks him into screaming and it's able to get into his mouth. He tries to puke it out, but instead he pukes out a whole grey shirt Peppino clone, which he screams at, it screams back, and it melts into inert goo. He vomits a few more times, with a similar outcome of spawning a short lived lumpy looking clone of himself, and he's able too look inside his mouth in a reflective surface, and his mouth and throat is full of goopy hands. No longer made of cheese, but more looking made out of melty rubber skin. So he quickly boils a pot of water and drinks the boiling water while screaming and swearing much like how it goes down in army of darkness, with the clones screaming as the boiling water hits them. A very brief moment for Peppino to catch his breath, hoping it's over, but then stuff starts growing under his skin, and he undergoes a rapid, but disturbing mitosis.

The two Peppinos pulling apart and falling to the ground. With Peppino having a moment of excitement as his hand has grown back

But he spots his doppelganger and scrambles to his feet, fake Peppino currently being a perfect mirror of him. Matching Peppino’s looks and movements exactly. Peppino takes a moment to process how weird this is, doing stuff like moving his arm and hand, with Fake Peppino mirroring the motion, before trying to back away slowly. But when he takes a step back, fake pep steps forward. And again. Before Peppino tries to book it, and fake pep lunges after him, causing him to scream, and fake pep screams back, revealing himself as a warped goo monster, and the chase is on. And that’s as far as I’ve got with the au so far. Can let me know if you have any ideas to expand on the au with.

#peppino #peppino spaghetti #pizza tower #evil dead #au #spooky #pizza head #fake peppino #army of darkness

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spookikookiboo · 9 months

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Sympathy

These two live in my head rent free…

~Spooki🖤

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burnt-cookii · 8 months

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#{ ☆ Sweet Tower of Queue ★ }#oc // cereal cookie #dark choco cookie #[✧]#{ mini comic }#moo's art #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cookie run oc #oc x canon #long post #{ : finished ch. 14 5 days ago and i'm so happy for dark choco breaking free and finally finding peace x'0 }#{ : now all i ask is for dark cacao and dark choco to speak to each other again hhhhhh #{ : thought i'd throw in my dum ship au where he looks for her to confess and continue on with his life peacefully }#{ : another installment of: idk if he's ooc or not! }#{ : can't draw dark choco and it h u r t s hhh }

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radiopixelctive · 8 months

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I miss Stower already

AHEM-

they're smol

and cute

and squeezeable and holdable

bonuses:

weird dog and frickin' Neo

plus some funi stuff that i won't translate because auughhdyfje7gilrkf

@viki-arts

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sad-endings-suck · 9 months

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same person different font

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somnambulic-thing · 5 months

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Can’t stop thinking about this Dark Tower au you’ve mentioned, and I’d love to know how you plan on working in Eddie and reader. If you feel like elaborating I would be 🧎‍♀️

oh oh oh oh BETTY...

So a few things I think I can say without spoilering anything. Dark Tower terminology and allusions under the cut. No hard spoilers.

I'll take ST canon including 99% of S4 and shove it into The Dark Tower universe. Since ST is so influenced and inspired by Kings works, this works really well. I was actually surprised how well, once I went through possibilities.

The overlying endgoal of the quest in the seven books will remain intact and so in this alternate DT universe, the ST plot and people will be essential for fulfilling this quest.

Eddie and Reader will be an essential part of that. If they want to or not. (they'd rather not...thank you...)

I reached deep into my box of Stephen King Universe parts (not only the Tower books, you know, since every King book is basically connected) and created Readers origins as something unique, that very well could hide somewhere in the DT universe. It's big. It's chaotic. Things have moved on in many places. (Reader will have a name, because I refuse to y/n and because it would be a pain in the ass to work around that all the time since. But I will try my best to construct it in a way that readers can slip into that name and role.)

Reader won't be from the ST world/dimension (because there are other worlds than the two we know) and they won't be exactly human, having special abilities and skills. And they will use those first thing to save Eddie from death by demobats.

Why and how? Yeah, Eddie really would like to know that too...

1% canon divergence with so much impact...

All my Tower People can look forward to Roland's ka-tet. Good old long, tall and ugly is coming our way like a choo-choo train...

#Dark Tower AU #Betty <3 #asks

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mostly-pizzatower-stimblog · 3 months

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OH MY GOD okay okay so I heard you doin requests and I was wonderin if you could do a Deconstructed Pizzahead stimboard???? AAA your stimboards are so pretty by the way!!!!

OMG TYTYTYTYYYYY! Actually a big fan of your art, honestly! I'll try my best!

Deconstructed Pizzahead Stimboard!

💥 | 🍕 | 💥 🍕 | :0) | 🍕 💥 | 🍕 | 💥

#it was fun to do him! he's silly goofy!#stimboard #pizza tower #pizza tower au #pizzahead #food #tw food #yellow stim #fabric stim #sewing stim #bow tie stim #fancy stim #drip stim #lava lamp stim #dark blue #dark red

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whoviancumberbunny · 1 year

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Part Two: Ne'er-do-wells and insufferable bastards

Part One: Stand & Be True

Percy De Rolo and other Machina Characters Created By Critical Role

Story By Melissa C. Scraper @whoviancumberbunny

Authors Note: Starkblast, Debaria, Throckens, and Delain are from the Dark Books and Eyes of the dragon by Stephen King High Speech

Percy was watching Annie sleep they had been through a lot in the last two weeks since they met. In Spite of everything she had been through she was still a light in his life. She even managed to make friends with Shaun Gilmore.

He had taken her back to keep since the little shake she stayed in wasn’t safe “Don’t say a word Vax.”

Vax “You know if you ask for our help…” Percy walks past him and goes to make something to eat. Something about Annie. Most people would assume her spirit guide being a dragon was metaphor. He could see it in her eyes when they were in battle. She may be thief to survive but she was a born gunslinger. They had passed through the barony of Delain on the way to white stone and everyone greeted her as Lady Gunslinger.

Vex whispered to Kiki “He’s fighting his darkness so he doesn’t hurt her.”

A short time later Annie is standing in the door to the room she was sleeping in “We need to get supplies. Like firewood and food enough to last at least three days. There is a Starkblast coming?”

The only other time she had survived a starkblast was with her brother shortly after they left Gilead. They looked at her “Snowstorm. In Gilead the tales of gunslingers of old they read to the children one is called the Throcken and The Starkblast. The animals are acting strange. The way the story describes the throcken as acting before the storm hits.” She had been trying to figure out why she felt so odd this was how she had felt before the Starkblast in Debaria

Vox jumped into action helping the townfolk prepare for the starkblast. And to thank them they provide Vox Machina and Annie with the supplies they need. “Thankee, Big Big.” Annie said

Gilmore “We are well met.” He looked at her “I am sorry I couldn’t help you get answers about that locket.”

“Long Days and Pleasant Nights.” She said and placed her hand on his “you did what you could, Shaun.”

“May you have twice the number.” He smiled “Most people are put off by how i greet people.”

“My twin brother is a lot like you.” She said smiling

Later that night as the temperature drops “Let me get this straight you already survived one of these?” Scanlan said “I can barely feel my beads of love.”

Vex “we will need to take turns to make sure the wind doesn’t blow out the fire.” She smirked as she saw Annie cuddling against Percy “Also I am sure Annie doesn’t need to know you can’t feel your dick, Scanlan.” She slaps him upside his head as she and Pike serve everyone some hot soup

Annie “Honestly it caught Debaria off guard too it happened in the middle of Summer.” She explained as they ate dinner she told everyone about how she and her brother survived the starkblast. Vex volunteered to stay up and stoke the fire for the first few hours. She smirked as Percy took his coat and wrapped it around Annie.

No one though a thing about it when they went to the same room it made sense to stay warm “Lady Annie of Gilead.” Logic said she and her brother and brother Declan shouldn’t even have been born.

21 Years prior in the Barony of Mejis during Reaping festival…Roland of Gilead was leaving town and the intention had been to bury Susan Delgado but when the men removed her from the pire they heard moaning. Susan Delgado age 16, had somehow managed to survive charyutree what was even more of miracle was the twins she was carrying hadn’t been lost In the fire

Present Day…Annie didn’t realize she was sharing her ability to travel in dreams with Percy. Until they woke up at Sunrise “What just happened?” he looked at her “Was that your mother?”

“Aye.” She responded “Occasionally Maturin shows me bits of the past.”

“You haven’t explained who Maturin is.”

“You know how you praise the dawn father. in Gilead, we are taught the world is carried on the back of Maturin. A giant turtle with a kind heart who loves all who he carries. He’s one of the twelve beam guardians holding the world together.”

In the middle of the second night of the starkblast Percy would find Annie sitting on the roof of the keep “The way of red is planning to attack the way of the white. We may have to visit Lady Dragon after the starkblast passes.”

“You said she mostly appears in your dreams is is possible for us to physically visit her.”

“Aye, she lives in an underwater cave when she wants to see me a portal opens but the portal never appears In the same place twice.”

“last week you were sleep walking and standing on the balcony Threatening the Crimson King and the Man in Black.” He said with sort of questioning tone. She didn’t need to tell him who they were he understood having dark enemies to fight.

“The Man in Black, enemy of gunslingers of eld since the beginning, he fears my father the most because he survived the wars that killed all his friends. And he fears me because I was born.” As they carefully stand up they nearly slip off the roof

“Scanlan’s hand!” a giant purple hand catches them and helps through the window “it would be shame for you to die before we find your brother, Annie.” He said his eyes sparkling. Whenever he smiled she found it easy to ignore his nearly constant innuendos

“Scanlan, thank you my friend.” She kisses his forehead, she grinned when he blushed a little. After Whitehall dealt with the storm damage, Annie and Vox Machina prepare to continue the quest. “Vex walks up to Percy “Mister De Rolo. You always act like you incapable of love but I saw you are watching everything Annie is doing. It is more than just protection thing.”

“It wouldn’t be right for me to say anything when she is trying to find her brother.” He stopped just short of saying he had been told her brother was kidnapped when they had started their Quest to find Roland.

A few days later….Annie looks at everyone in the back of the carriage. “Everyone when we get past the edge of the cliff you need to jump I don’t know if the carriage will make it through the Portal.”

Percy <Vex, did you just heyah me?!” as they go over the edge of the cliff unhitches Duchess and Sir Kay. A few monments later they could see figure cloaked In the shadows . but the first response was to the thing the dragon before htem was a danger.

Annie “Stand down! Did you think I was exaggerating when I said my spirit guide is an ancient dragon.” She takes a slab of raw meat out of their supplies and places it near the dragon “Lady dragon I need your help with two things. My brother is missing and where did this locket…’ before she could finish the question about the locket a slender figure physical mid forties with piercing blue eyes and salt and pepper hair “Da?”

“I know you are not Susan. But you are a gunslinger.” He steps forward and grabs the locket before she drops it. “Susan didn’t like guns.” He looks at the delicate item in his hand with a few fingers missing “How do you have this? This was stolen off my mother’s body by marten broadcloak the traitor who seduced her.”

Percy was standing there as many thoughts ran through his head sand suddenly it dawned on him, he knelt down “Hile Gunslinger. My friends and I have been assisting your daughter on her Quest. It and honor to meet you, Roland of Gilead.” He quickly stood and caught Annie as she fainted.

Roland “we are well met. You know my name but you have neglected to tell me yours.” As hew stood straight up was obvious to the members of vox why anyone would be intimidated by Roland Deschain. He was attired in well worn white shirt and jeans/ with cowboy boots and trench coat he had sewn together from the skins of the mutant dear he had hunted In the waste lands.

Scanlan “Um, how are we getting out of here.”

Dragon “the door maybe.”

Kiki “Did that dragon just talk?”

Dragon “Vox Machina will have to face their fears in order to help Anastasia save her brother. The people who kidnapped him intend to use him as part of sacrifice to Chroma Conclave.” She begins eating the meat Annie gave her as Percy carries Annie through the door.

Once they make it back to Whitestone “Cry Pardon, Gunslinger. My name is Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. My friends call me Percy.” He carefully places Annie on the window seat “She lead us to dragon’s cave but the minute she realized you were there she must have been overwhelmed.”

Scanlan “Now no one is ever just whelmed?”

Everyone “Not the time, Scanlan!

Roland watched as Percy treated Annie with gentle care. Looks at Vax’ildan “are they courting?”

Vax “That is a grey area if asked they don’t give a direct answer.” She is been mainly focused on finding her brother. “Sister, she will be thirsty when she wakes up. Her canteen is in the saddlebag on the saddle Duchess has on.”

Vex “On it.” She returns moments later with Annie’s supplies. “How did the horses survive.”

Annie wakes up “Lady Dragon watches over me and her magic protected us.” She looks at Roland “Da?” she reaches out to make sure this wasn’t one of her prophetic dreams “Mother was right, Declan does look like you.” She says in low tone

“are you their Dihn?” the older man asked as he placed his complete hand on hers he had spent so long alone. Except for those moments in his time loops where he would draw the people from keystone Earth.

“No. Percy is, as far as I can tell.”

It was clear even by people who barely knew them that, Annie and Roland were both seeking connection to their pasts. The entire time she was explaining everything to him their hands were gently clasping eachother’s arms.

Annie had been teaching Percy High Speech and the word popped into his head “Dan-Tete.” According to what she told I meant little savior. Each day that went by Percy had a sense that she would save him from his darkness.

Annie “We need to think of strategy for finding saving Declan and the others.” She looked at Percy “Together.”

To Be Continued….

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Tag: @demigoddessqueens

#gunslingers au #fluff #the legend of vox machina #percy x oc #dark tower oc #critical role #dark tower au #action

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maegalkarven · 6 months

Text

Homecoming

The third part of the Empty Prayers AU.

They are home, but Baldur's Gate is nothing Wyll remembers it to be.

Characters: Wyll Ravengard, Shadowheart, Enver Gortash, Nemo (Durge), Jaheira, Karlach, Astarion.

Dark Urge x Gortash.

Wyll's POV.

The city is quiet.

It’s the first thing Wyll notices, how quiet Baldur’s Gate is, almost unnaturally so.

This is not how it should be, not how Wyll remembers his city.

The streets should buzz with the sound; even at night there should be the echo of steps, someone having a brawl in the nearest inn, some criminal individual skidding about, some poor soul retching in the ditch. There should be a low, unmistakable hum of the city being alive. Baldur’s Gate, city of many, city of all. Criminals and respectful citizens side by side, the most beautiful gardens of the Upper City and the foulest smell of the sewers.

The Gate.

This not how Wyll imagined his return.

In his dreams, the deepest, most sacred of them, so secured even Mizora couldn’t get a grip on, he saw himself a hero returning home; with victory, with salvation.

Wyll saw his father pardoning him, embracing, hailing a true hero of Baldur’s Gate. He saw himself standing tall and proud in front of the patriarchs of the city and not being ashamed of who he was.

Sneaking into the city like thieves in the night was not in his dreams.

His father, exhausted, strained by the knowledge of things passed and things yet to come, was not in his dreams.

Fighting the losing battle against the Elder Brain crowned with Karsus’ infamous creation was not in them.

Allying himself with the men personally crowning said brain was...was unimaginable, really.

And yet working alongside the two former cult leaders is the best chance they have. Wyll has spend endless hours in conversations with his father about this; appealing to his sense of duty, his responsibilities to the city, his honor.

Wyll knows both Gortash and Nemo are awful people. He has met his fair share of the scum and recognizes it when he sees it. If things were different, if both of the men have not fallen from grace, then... Then they would be the enemy, and of the worst, foul kind. The clever, sophisticated kind of the enemy who knows they do wrong, but can’t seem to particularly care.

Wyll still isn’t sure how much they can actually rely on Enver Gortash, not to mention trust him. He rather agrees with Karlach’s assessment what trusting the man would be a fool’s play. But urgent need for survival pulls together and turns into allies even the strangest types of men.

And not all villains had the choice to begin with.

Wyll knows Nemo is convinced he is a being of pure evil, the Murder Incarnate, the Worst of them all. He also knows Nemo doesn’t feel slighted by that, it is his destiny, after all. It is what he was made for.

Made.

Not even born, Bhaal could not allow him even that small slither of grace. No, his friend was literally sculpted from the dead flesh of the dead god. Then, if Nemo’s recollecting is to be trusted, he was entrusted into the care of no one but Sarevok Anchev, who then proceeded to raise a boy as the true heir to their Father’s bloody legacy.

Wyll shudders at the way Nemo casually recounts his past, how he brushes over the awful details with practiced ease of someone who doesn’t see anything wrong in that.

And how could he? Who was there to explain to him that what his Father and then his brother did to him was awful? Who was there to tell the child, beaten bloody, what this ‘training’ Sarevok put him through was not humane? It was ruthless, it was unkind, and it was brought on a but a babe.

"The pureblood child of the Bhaal should be perfect," he remembers Nemo commenting, not understanding the level of horror Wyll felt, not seeing why would he even be horrified by that. "It should be stripped of any weakness, any chains society would gladly press on it. All Bhaal’s child is – His vessel, His hand, the blade striking in His name. It doesn’t have the personality, better yet no will of its own. It is Father born anew. It is His second coming. It is the maw what will devour the world."

How Nemo turned up being as sane as he is now is a mystery, all things considered. He was destined to be nothing.

Wyll will gladly help his friend to break out of this bloody destiny.

Which leads his thought to the unkind revelation to why the said child of Bhaal even started to break out of his fate. Or because of whom.

Nemo is almost sewn to the failed tyrant’s side these days; the dark shadow behind Gortash’s frame, hushed whisper into his ear, steady hand on the man’s forearm.

Wyll would think it to be suffocating if not for the way Gortash stands straighter at the touch, looks surer of himself, smugger, more unbearable.

They bring the worst into each other. They keep each other afloat.

Wyll remembers the first several days after the Moonrise Towers. He remembers Nemo disappearing into Gortash’s tent every night, emerging in the morning with the image of tiredness stitched up his face. Gortash didn’t look any better, the signs of exhaustion lying low in the dark shadows under his eyes, in the crease of his mouth, in the wrinkles on his forehead. Somehow everyone knew nothing lewd was taking place, what the two failed chosen simply guarded each other against the world.

As if the world was the enemy.

As if traveling with them has not shown Nemo what the world is a much kinder place than what he was taught to believe. As if they were not allies, were not friends.

Wyll knows the revelation of Nemo’s true identity, of his past had to cost him greatly. He remembers this confession as if it was yesterday.

***

He remembers Nemo’s fists opening and closing, helpless in the painful need to strike at someone. He remembers the half-elf taking his shirt off – for the first time showing them his naked chest – and he remembers the awful, stark revelation it brought.

The scars like those do not appear out of nowhere. The scars like those are left on the bodies forgone autopsy. Dead bodies.

And yet these scars bite into Nemo’s skin even now.

“I...I don’t remember who she was,” the bhaalspawn murmured then, voice low and dark. “But I remember her face and I’m sure I’d recognize her if we were to meet again. I am convinced she is a myrkulite and what she is somewhere in these Towers.”

“That’s not all,” he interrupted then Wyll opened his mouth to say something, maybe offer comfort, as futile as that attempt would be. “She was not the one to put tadpole into my brain. That was my sister.”

“Your sister?” Gale’s voice raised the octave. “Why would she do that?”

A smirk, a dark shadow of a smile, lips baring white teeth in a grimace what looks strained, forced upon.

“Because our father told her to,” a pause. “Our Father, Lord Bhaal.”

It quickly fell into dreadful silence then, no one knowing what to say, no one knowing what to believe in.

Wyll personally hadn't felt betrayed, shocked, yes, but not wronged.

He understood the heavy weight of a dark secret; he had one. Wyll has lived for seven long years with his lips sealed.

But Wyll would understand if the others would have different reaction. If anything, Nemo seemed to expect it.

Nemo tried to continue with the confession.

Yes, he was a bhaalspawn, but the kind of which no one saw before. He was a pure Bhaalspawn. There’s not a drop of mortal blood in him, not a drop of essence what is not of his father’s. He wasn’t born. He was made. And for the last thirty years he was the leader of the Church of Bhaal.

Thirty years. That gave Wyll a pause, and it seemed he wasn’t the only one.

“How old are you exactly?” Astarion, the resident old-timer of their ragtag bunch of misfits, inquired.

“Fifty,” came out an easy response. “I became the leader my Father wanted me to be at the ripe age of nineteen. It’s been an endless road of improvement since then, until...” A wild gesture around.

“I...I did not fail, you have to understand. I do not fail. It’s just...Father does not tolerate a straying thought. For the last thirty years I was careful with what I do and how I do it, careful to not bring his wrath on me. I was...probably the unconventional leader, I admit, but everything I did made the Church grow bigger, stronger, better. Everything but-“ he looked down. “I am not supposed to care, you see? About anything or anyone. I should only think of murder, of blood, of my Father’s goal.”

“But you care,” Karlach looked pained as she stepped forward. Carefully, as if approaching a wild beast, but surely still. “You care about us. I know, even if you try to downplay it. You care about things.”

Nemo took a shaky step back.

“I know,” came sounding worse the admittance than of his bloody legacy. How admitting you care could be worse than that? “But do you know when I started to care? Or when I realized I do, in fact, care?”

“When?”

“You will hate the next part.”

“I already hate every part of what you’ve said,” she let out a pained laugh. “How worse can it be?”

The bhaalspawn smiled the kind of smile what promised more disaster to come.

“Nine years ago,” he let out. “I was approached by the man named Enver Gortash. He had,” a movement to intercept whatever Karlach was about to say. “He had information about the Hall of Wonders,” a glance to Wyll. “You probably know of that, the disgraceful display of my brothers and sisters, put upon view like trophies. Well, I didn’t like that. And Gortash, he...offered the way in. A help, in kind.”

“Trust me when I say he would never offer any help just for the sake of it,” Karlach seethed. “He wanted something-“

“And he got it. That and more,” Nemo looked as if he was forcing himself to stay still, burning under the piercing stare of the Fury of Avernus. “We became allies. Did all sort of thing, the two of us. Planned, schemed. Broke into Methistar,” a proud little grin. “Stole the crown of Karsus.”

“You stole what?!” Gale, clearly familiar with the thing.

“-And put it on the Elder Brain,” oh fuck, Wyll didn’t like there it was leading. “Used the netherstones from the crown to control it. Started our own world domination plan.”

“And then your sister stabbed you.”

“And then my sister stabbed me. Because my father told her to. Because I started to care.”

“For what?” Karlach was hardly seen through the flames wrapping around her in waves. “For who?”

“We were perfect together,” Nemo stared straight ahead. “We were indestructible. We were meant to rule the world as the gods of new age. We were-“

“The name,” Karlach seethed. “I don’t want bloody details; just prove my worst fucking fears. Tell me the name.”

Nemo looked away. It was, perhaps, the first time he was admitting it aloud, or even at all.

The Pure Bhaalspawn was not supposed to care for the others.

“I didn’t want to kill Enver Gortash,” he let out, small and pained and weak. “I do not want to kill Enver Gortash. He is the only one...” he trailed off.

“Anyway, this is my crime, the one my Father punished me for. I care for the banite. I care. I fucking care, and I’m not supposed to. And he,” a quick glance at the Moonrise Towers on the horizon. “Is somewhere in these fucking towers.”

***

He did not have to kill the man, and Karlach didn’t get to kill him, because in the feat of reckless abandonment Lord Enver Gortash did something no one expected him to be capable of.

He saved Nemo’s life.

He ruined his own plans.

And everything changed.

Everything changed, and now they sneak across the streets, the wraiths in the night, criminals in their own city.

There’s a curfew, Wyll finds out. There was never a curfew.

Also there’s a siege on the city, brought by the forces of the army Ketheric Thorm has build and Absolute now uses.

There are posters on the streets claiming they’re enemies of the state. Wyll, his father, Nemo and Gortash. Four of their faces, painted in the likeness, printed out and put around the city Wyll calls his own.

And Florrick did it.

No, he shakes his head, Not Florrick, the Elder Brain what controls her, the tadpole what’s buried deep into her brain. Florrick would never do that, but she is locked somewhere deep in her own mind, behind the intricate web of psionic power Absolute possesses.

The Steel Watch is at her heed, used against their own creator, used by the Brain the same way it uses Florrick, the same way it uses Orin, the same way it uses anyone who doesn’t have the luxury of the astral prism and an unlikely illithid ally protecting them from within.

A mindflayer named Emperor, the one who seems to have some kind of a bad history with Gortash. If this is not the cherry on top of the overall disaster of their lives.

The world Wyll has known is burning around him as he watches, and the only hope of even getting out of this mess is the help of the criminal underworld of the Gates; the Ninefingers’ guild, the assassins Nemo claims would stay loyal to him, and Enver Gortash’s questionable contacts.

Somewhere in the city there’s a diabolist who will help them break into Hell, and at that point Wyll doesn’t even ask. He doesn’t trust Emperor, and Lae’zel demands Prince Orpheus to be released, so what choice do they truly have?

Somewhere in the city there’s a vampire lord planning to sacrifice seven thousand souls for his own selfish gain.

Somewhere in the city there’s a cult of Shar, hidden in the plain view.

Somewhere underground there’s a Temple of Bhaal, its torches alight, the screams of victims echoing in the halls.

Somewhere in the city where are refugees who managed to flood into the streets at the moment of confusion; somewhere in the streets there are Mol and Umi and the others, there are those of tiefling refugees who managed to survive against all odds.

Somewhere in this city where’s hope, and Wyll will be damned if he does not find it.

***

“Home sweet home,” Nemo smirks as they approach the building on the poor side of town. It seems to be the shoemaker’s shop, a small and unassuming building with the words ‘Flymm's Cobblers’ scratched on the plate near the front. “Didn’t expect this would be first place you’d want to visit.”

“Be quiet,” Gortash snaps back, more tense than Wyll would expect him to be. They are indeed a strange and suspicious group of adventures, with three of their faces put on every wall of the city with the world “reward” underneath. “We’re coming in, I’m taking what’s mine and we leave.”

“So no family reunion then?”

Gortash does not answer, instead working on the lock. Shadowheart looks around just in case, but the streets are empty, quiet. Abandoned.

“This curfew works in our favor,” she comments.

“This curfew is wrong,” Wyll argues.

“Would you two be quiet for a mere fucking moment?” the former lord hisses. “I am trying to do something here.”

“He is breaking into his own home,” Nemo comments helpfully.

“This is not my home and you know it.”

“And yet you still keep things here.”

“No one would think of looking here. Look at this place,” the man manages gesture around without breaking the hold on the lock. “Look at this excuse of a shop. I’m surprised they’re not run down by the debt collectors at the rate they’re going.”

“Wait a moment,” Shadowheart speaks. "You know these people?”

“They’re his-“

“They’re no one.”

The two of the gods’ chosen stare each other down. Nemo is the first to look away.

“Be it your way,” he murmurs. “But I think it’s dumb.”

“You think table manners are dumb.”

“Because they are!”

“Quiet,” Gortash hisses and pushes on the lockpick with the force the poor thing does not deserve. Somehow it works and the lock opens with a soft click. “Inside.”

“Who made you the boss?”

“Nemo, for the fuck’s sake, just once in your goddamn life-“

Shadowheart pushes them all inside and closes the door behind.

“There,” she comments plainly. “That’s better.”

The inside of the store is...quite insignificant, in lack of other, kinder words. The room to the storefront is small, ill-kept and rather unwelcoming. There are pairs of cheap shoes on display behind the counter; not badly-made, but not masterfully either.

Just a little poorly-maintained store in the Lower City, one of the many.

What Enver Gortash is doing here is a question. Nemo called it Gortash's home, but Nemo talks people in circles. His words should be put under scrutiny more often than not.

"Keep watch," the lord barks a command, already climbing the steps, and some part of Wyll wishes to whip the arrogant order off his lips, to remind him he is a lord no more. His fingers tingle with magic, Mizora's gift always ready to draw first blood.

That makes him pause.

Wyll is not that kind of a man and Enver Gortash will not turn him into one.

He resolves to respond with silence, locking gazes with visibly annoyed Shadowheart.

"I fail to see how Nemo finds it charming," she comments, observing the room around them, poorly lit up with the waning moon. "But again, he was raised in a cult."

You were raised in a cult, Wyll almost says, but manages to bit his tongue just in time. This is a dangerous topic.

"And so was I, I suppose," she continues, oblivious to his inner turmoil. "It's funny, I'd never thought Bhaal and Shar would be so alike; in their methods, if nothing else."

"All things evil tend to walk the same path," he offers tentatively, listening closely to the surroundings. So far things seem to be going smoothly. There's not a sound around, not as much as a creak of the stairs. The rooms above are silent, obvious to the intruders no doubt ravaging through things.

An echo of steps appears in the distance, and they crouch by the windows, peeking outside. A single steel watcher walks by, its steps mechanical and devoid of any life. A monstrosity of infernal iron, connected to the tadpole somewhere deep in the Foundry. Gortash told them that much after it became clear the Watchers are no longer his to command.

How they're going to defeat the Elder Brain in possession of one of netherstones is a mystery clouded in a failure.

"Look," Shadowheart murmurs, touching his shoulder. "Near the counter. Isn't that Gortash?"

And indeed it is him, or rather a very well-made portrait of him. It looks expensive and entirely out of place in the poor cobbler's store.

"That's weird," Wyll comments. "Should we investigate this place while our companions are busy?"

Shadowheart makes a face.

"I don't want to think what is it exactly they're busy with," she wrinkles her pretty nose. "Everything concerning these two is bad news."

Wyll can't not agree with that.

They swiftly move to get closer to the portrait, but before they reach it, the small door behind the corner creaks open.

They freeze.

"Who is here?" A shrill voice of an older woman demands and then the woman herself appears, dressed in a cheap nightgown with a shawl draping over her shoulders. "Who is it who dares to break into my house?"

There's something familiar in the crook of her nose, in the shape of her eyes; but Wyll can't for the life of his figure out what.

"Wyll," Shadowheart whispers, suddenly tense. "Can you feel it? This woman, she is..."

Wyll closes his eyes and concentrates on his surroundings, and indeed he can. The pull, not unlike the ones he has felt before, in the presence of so called True Souls.

"She has a tadpole," he whispers back. They could just...navigate conversation though their unusual link granted by tadpoles in their heads, but neither Wyll not Shadowheart like doing that. They have been stripped of personal space for long enough, he thinks, no need to break that little what remains of the inner walls.

"She does," Shadowheart agrees. "And it almost like...Like something fights it, tries to push the worm away, but to no avail."

"Her real mind perhaps, part of it not controlled by the tadpole?"

"Perhaps," she agrees. "I will try to reach out to it."

And, before he manages to stop her, she does.

The revelation it brings them both is worse than they could have expected.

***

Wyll pulls back at the sound of the steps above, interrupting the woman's inner pleas.

His mother. This woman, Sally Flymm, is Enver Gortash’s mother.

Worse, she sold her son - the spiteful ungrateful brat as she called him - to a warlock.

Worst of all, the tadpole in her brain is her son's doing.

The loud voice of said son interrupts his line of thoughts.

"We need to go," Gortash tells someone, irritation clear in his voice. "Let go of my forearm, if you may."

"But my boy," a man's voice replies. "You only just returned home, surely you will stay-"

"This is not my home," the lord cuts off sharply. "And I'm not staying. Come on," he nods at Wyll. "I have all we need, there's no reason to stay in this wretched place any longer."

"Enver," Sally Flymm, or rather the tadpole operating her body, speaks. "You won't rob us of your presence so quickly, will you? Please, I beg of you, at least stay for a tea. I can make some sweet to go by. Not a feast worthy of archduke, but-"

"No," he cuts off. Wyll can't help but notice the tension in his shoulders, the sharp edge in his voice. Enver Gortash has orchestrated this concerto, yet hates to participate.

For the first time since ever Wyll can't fault him for that. His father has his flaws and he did banish Wyll from his home - for a good reason -, but Ulder Ravengard would never do something like the cruel deed of the Flymms.

Nemo trails behind his companion, quiet for a change, eyes shrewd and thoughtful. Wyll knows Nemo is a noisy person and he bets the bhaalspawn reached for the man's mind the same way Shadowheart reached for Sally's. He wonders what Nemo found there.

They leave as quickly as they came, and just as quietly. The portrait on the wall doesn't leave Wyll's mind. It's expensive and well-made presence clashes with the environment, making him suspect how the portrait appeared there in the first place.

They sold him into slavery, he thinks, and his heart aches for the little boy Enver Flymm used to be. And in return he locked them inside their minds and made repeat the words of admiration.

Somehow it rings even worse than if Gortash had simply killed them. Somehow it tells more of the deep unhealed wound on the tyrant's soul.

It sure as hell does not excuse a thing, but at least gives some explanations to why.

"So," Nemo starts as they almost reach their hideout. Renting rooms in Elfsong was out of question, that with sparse recourses they have and being haunted by the law. By Elder Brain using the law for a tool, Wyll mentally corrects himself. So abandoned house close to the docks was pretty much their only option. That or the sewers, and Wyll really didn't want to camp in there. "Nice place. I like what you did to it."

There's an undeniable undertone to his words Gortash catches on almost immediately. He whips his head to the spawn, staring him down. Nemo only smiles languidly, clearly pleased with- himself? Situation they found themselves in? What Enver Gortash did to his parents?

The last one, Wyll decides. It would be the kind of thing Nemo appreciates.

Nemo seems to have a personal vendetta against parents all around the world, an echo of his existence as a child of a cruel god.

After a moment of scrutinizing inspection in which Gortash stared into Nemo's face as if looking for a trick and Nemo stared right back, relaxed under such pressing attention, the lord's posture slightly eases.

"Thank you," he lets out, turning away. "I knew you would get it."

There's strange, ominous kind of silence that falls between them.

Wyll can feel Nemo's mind buzz with elation and dark satisfaction. Not only he approves of Gortash's treatment of his parents, but the mere fact of said treatment makes him...not exactly happy, but cheerful, like a child who got the candy.

Wyll once again grieves for a boy Nemo never was, for a life created for a single, awful purpose.

He swears to break the chains tying his friend to the god of Murder.

***

"You need to break out of Bhaal's hold," Shadowheart states as they close the door to their hideout, Gortash quick to leave them behind and stroll for the room he claimed as his. Nemo turns around, curious.

"I do not exactly disagree with that statement," he hums. "But why bring it now?"

The woman reaches out, raising her hand, then letting it drop before it touches the spawn.

"It's just a thought I had," she replies, visibly closing off. Wyll sighs and wraps his arms each around one of his companions, feeling them both tense.

Children of the cults, playthings of the evil gods.

He will not leave them to it.

"Because you owe nothing to the evil who claims to be your god," he replies instead.

Nemo snorts.

"I'm pretty sure I owe him my own existence. Made of the god's flesh, remember?"

"Did you ask to be made?" that shuts the half-elf down. "That's what I thought. No child should bear the weight of their parent's expectations the way you do, not even a child of a god."

"Especially not a child of a god," Shadowheart chimes in. "And...I just had a curious thought. Parents sure are the first gods we ever worship, aren't they?"

Wyll contemplates it for a moment, but has to agree. Once upon a time Ulder Ravengard was his everything: his father, his hero, the symbol of everything Wyll strived to be.

Now he is but a tired warrior in a fight bigger than his life. Now he looks mortal.

This, Wyll thinks, is what growing up feels like.

"Are we going to address what we saw in that shop?" He asks quietly and is sure his friends understand the meaning.

"Depends," Nemo hums. "Do you want to get a bolt in the lungs? Kidney if you're lucky."

Shadowheart laughs, quietly as if she isn't sure she is allowed to.

Wyll wonders how hard it is to kill a goddess; Shar has it coming anyway, after the Shadow curse and all the grief it brought.

"I'll pass," he comments instead, hugging his friends closer.

"Oh, a group hug," Astarion's voice reaches them before the vampire does. "Why are you having a group hug without us?"

"Because they're evil," Karlach comments. "Very evil. No fun. No hugs for me either, it seems. Despite, you know, me being the best hugger in the world."

Shadowheart laughs again, brighter this time, her cheeks warm. Wyll doesn't miss the way cleric brightens up in the presence of their fiery friend.

"That's true," Nemo comments, snaking out of Wyll's embrace. "I indeed am the worst person you'll ever meet. Now, if you excuse me, my evil deeds await," and he goes for the stairs, slightly wary around Karlach as he passes her by.

Wyll hates it, he hates the tension what has grown out between them ever since Nemo's confession and even more - after Gortash unexpectedly joining in. It's like they're drawing lines in the sand, with Nemo being steadily on one side with Gortash, and them - on the other.

He had thought they have built alliances, what they've grown closer, became friends, but the blunt way Nemo keeps choosing tyrant over them puts it in question.

Astarion seems to gravitate to where Nemo is, almost subconsciously, Wyll isn't even sure the spawn knows he does it.

Gale is staying aside for now, not willing to pick a side and not ready to condemn anyone.

Jaheira, surprisingly, is much warmer to Nemo than anyone would expect her to be.

It has to be the way Nemo denies his father; the way the struggle is clear on his face as Lord Bhaal calls for his wayward son; the way half-elf demands answers for how to defeat him from the harper: "How did Abdel Adrian did it? How did he free himself from the Dread Lord's bloody hold? How, how, how? Help me defy him, help me deny him. He will not have me, I am his puppet no more."

Halsin stays on some distance from Nemo, taking a stance similar to Gale's. He doesn't exactly like Nemo, that much is clear, but he also cannot deny his part of breaking the Shadow curse. Why Nemo even helped with that is a question Wyll still battles with. He hopes it is because, despite everything, there is a part of his friend that seeks light, what wishes to do good. What it's not just the lack of former power what makes Nemo form alliances and rescue refugees. Wyll believes there's goodness in him.

He hopes he isn't wrong.

He also hopes he won't have to fight Nemo, what he will not cross the line, does not breach the point of no return.

There's an awful thought what the point of no return has been crossed long before that. Fifty years of servitude to Bhaal is a long time. A long reign of blood and terror.

"What deeds?" Karlach calls out, almost grasping Nemo by the wrist, the man dancing out of the touch at the last moment.

"I already said: evil."

"Nemo."

Nemo sighs.

"Fine, fine, I'll answer," he became less cooperative since Gortash. A lot of things changed for worse since that. "I want to try and track assassins operating through the city. Some of them should've kept their brains in their heads and know what's good for them."

"And what's good for them?" Wyll isn't sure he likes where it's going.

"Me, obviously. Not my dreadful father and definitely not Orin, tadpoled or not."

"We need to find Minsc before you decide to deal with your family business," Jaheira interferes, appearing as if out of the thin air.

"I know," half-elf nods. "I have already contacted some of Ninefingers' run-arounds. I believe we will be allowed to enter her little den, but can't promise she will cooperate."

Jaheira's eyebrows climb up.

"You two know each other?"

"We do," Nemo sighs. "We had a truce of sorts after our organizations clashed badly. Same sewers, you know. People would run into each other sooner or later."

"I find it hard to believe she would agree to a truce so easily."

"I didn't say it was easy. It was a pain in the ass, actually. And I'm pretty sure the truce doesn't stand anymore, Orin would ruin all my hard work the moment she had the chance."

"I can't believe you've been a cult leader for thirty years," Karlach comments. "What did you even do? No, don't say it, I know, e-"

"Evil things," Nemo replies, a shit-eating grin pulling the corners of his lips up.

Karlach sighs loudly and rather dramatically.

"There is more in the world than evil things, you know?"

"Hm," Nemo hums. "Let me think about it. I'm sure I've heard something about things other than evil, but can't exactly point out to where..."

"Alright, smartass, I give up."

"Already?" Another sharp smile. "That was-" words die on his lips out of sudden, along with the smile. It slides off as if poorly drawn picture being washed away. His muscles tense, a telltale of the pain to come.

Shit. Not again, not so soon.

"Nemo?" Karlach tries warily.

"Get the fucking chains," Nemo manages to croak. "I- his face contorts in a painful spasm. "-hate this par-" he chocks on his words, biting into his own tongue. A thin trail of blood appears on his chin.

"Hold on, darling," Astarion seems to be that particular kind of fool who does not fear Nemo even when he should be. Even then it's the sane thing to do. Instead he steps closer, hands reaching to Nemo's.

"No!" He bhaalspawn gasps. "Chains-"

Karlach rushes back into the room, and when did she leave? She drops a long chain over Nemo's shoulders and starts fixing the locks.

"I hate everything about it," Wyll comments as his hands already move to cast the spell. He does hate every part of it.

"Shh," Astarion, almost obvious to the ruckus around, cups Nemo's cheeks in his palms. "I got you."

"Get away from me," Nemo tries to order, his voice breaking into a roar at the end. "Astarion, please, just get away-" his body convulses as power beyond man's control takes a hold, breaking bones and tendrils alike. It never goes the full way, the transformation Bhaal inflicts on his son, but it's no less horrifying for that.

"What's up with you lot this time?" Gortash descends the steps in a hurried annoyance, brought back by the noise. He freezes midway at the sight. "Again? The last time was just-"

"Father doesn't exactly care for the timing," it has to be a sheer need to have the last word what pushes words through Nemo's lungs. He chocks on the air then, trashing in the chains holding him down. Shadowheart joins her spell to Wyll's, amplifying it, as Jaheira's vine creeps about the spawns body, locking it in it's hold.

There's not a shadow of a smug expression on Gortash's face. Instead there's a look of someone staring straight into the abyss and not being able to look away.

"Stop-" Nemo croaks. "Staring...Creep."

Astarion laughs, a shrill and pained sound it is.

"You have an awful taste in men," he comments, smoothing the creases on the bhaalspawn’s shirt.

"Astarion, get out of there," Jaheira commands. "He isn't safe to be around now."

"I know that," the spawn huffs in annoyance. And yet he moves nowhere, a hand circling in smooth motion over Nemo's heart now. Nemo tries to claw at him, but the vines and the chains hold him down. Then he snaps his teeth dangerously close to Astarion's face.

"Well, now," the elf comments, entirely unbothered. "We ask before we bite."

"Since...then?"

"Since we learned we're more than just rabid beasts driven by hunger. Now," Astarion glances back at Shadowheart already casting the spell. "Rest, darling."

The sleeping spell hits Nemo in the head and gets to work immediately. The bhaalspawn struggles, before succumbing to it and sliding to the floor in a heap of limbs.

Everyone breathes out.

"Well, then," Wyll concludes. "It's another night of watching over our friend. Who takes the first shift?"

#bg3 #gortash x durge #durgetash #dark urge: nemo #empty prayers au #hinted astarion x durge #a lot of thinking and reminiscing on Wyll's part. idk if I managed to capture his character but I Tried #i keep feeling this is very ooc but also do i care?#au: everything went differently after the Moonrise Towers #au: dark urge remembers everything #the mental gymnastics I have to perform in order to make Nemo the scum he is and also keep him friends with the team is...uh #A Lot #Unbetad unproofread idc #tadpole got to me #1000 voices in my head tell me I forgot how to write #1001 voice asks: of but who gives a fuck?#not the 1001th voice clearly

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