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qwerty-between-the-lines · 7 months

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In a sense, Nico hated visiting Elysium. It reminded him a little too much of an upscale gated community.

The houses were all like manors with perfectly manicured green lawns and all kinds of outdoor decor.

He didn't even know where Luke lived, and that was assuming Luke hadn't chosen to be reborn. He figured he'd narrow it down by looking for houses that indicated a son of Hermes might live there.

He and Will spent about half a day by his reckoning, walking the streets of Elysium, and only one house had caught his eye.

He was looking at it. A two-story red brick house with a statue of Hermes on the front lawn.

As he approached, he saw that the front door had a caduceus knocker. He knocked and hoped that this was Luke's place.

The door opened and there he was. Luke glanced at Nico curiously, before his gaze shifted to Will.

"Ah, hello Solace," Luke greeted.

"Luke," Will acknowledged in a reserved tone of voice.

"Guess I deserve that," Luke remarked in response to Will's attitude. "...and you're Nico, right?"

"Good of you to remember," Nico said. "I'll get straight to it. Your dad sent me. He wants me to get you out of the underworld."

Luke's eyes widened in surprise.

"Can you actually do that?"

"I'm a son of Hades," Nico explained. "I can get you out IF my dad doesn't notice what I'm doing. If you want to come, it had better be quickly. The furies haven't noticed my presence YET."

Luke looked a little reluctant.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "On one hand, I'd hate jeopardize what I have here if I go back upstairs and mess up. On the other hand, I'd love to see everyone again and start over."

"You need to decide quickly," Nico urged. "I'll get in big trouble if anyone suspects what I'm doing here. I'll just say that I'm sure Annabeth would be happy to see you."

"Aw geez," Luke sighed. "You had to mention Annabeth. Well, how could I say no?"

"You really do care about her," Will observed.

"Of course, I care about her. She and Thalia are the only ones I cared about after joining Kronos. Annabeth gave me the courage to make the sacrifice."

"As nice as that is and all," Nico said impatiently, "...we really need to get out of here."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Luke decided. "Lead the way, son of Hades."

Nico nodded and walked over to Luke's fireplace. He muttered some strange, unrecognized words and flung out his hand.

He did this a few times until something must have happened.

"This way," Nico said, getting down on his hands and knees. "I can't take you the usual ways, so I made a doorway. It'll take a lot of my power to maintain, so the faster we can get out, the better."

Will would never suggest that Nico shadow travel, and Luke didn't suggest it.

Nico couldn't have if he'd wanted to. His dad or the furies might notice if someone shadow traveled in their realm.

"Oh," Nico said suddenly. "That reminds me. You've eaten the food of the underworld."

Nico pushed a couple of pomegranate seeds into Luke's hand.

"One now," Nico instructed. "One tomorrow. After that, we'll see."

Luke nodded and crushed one of the seeds between his teeth. They crawled onward for what might have been an hour, or several hours.

Luke felt his knees starting to protest. His legs were cramping. He hoped this wouldn't take much longer.

After what might have been an hour, they reached a dead end. Nico pushed at the wall, and it swung inwards as easily as a door.

Luke looked around at the bedroom they'd come out in. His eyes widened with conflicted agony.

"Oh no," Luke choked on a sob. "Not here. I can't face her. Please. Somewhere else."

"It can't be somewhere else," Nico said. "This is where the doorway ends. Probably because you have a strong emotional connection to this place."

Luke's heart fell as he heard shuffling downstairs. He sighed, knowing he'd have to face her sooner or later.

-To be continued?-

#percy jackson #text post #headcanon #books #movies #demigods #gods #hades #nico di angelo #will solace #solangelo #luke castellan #annabeth chase #may castellan

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utilitycaster · 7 months

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I've seen you talk about found family dynamics a few times and how its often abused in fandom and I know Bells Hells in no way fits this trope but I was wondering about your thoughts on Vox Machina and Mighty Nein within the dynamic or if it doesn't fit those groups either.

Hey anon,

So here's the thing: I actually think the bigger issue is that most people make a lot of incorrect assumptions that a found family is automatically functional and healthy and loving and ignore that simply because it is a family born of choice rather than birth. D&D parties are often found families, but they are also often a bunch of deeply traumatized weirdos who met by chance in a tavern, which is not precisely a recipe for the most well-adjusted dynamic. People can make terrible choices of family just as easily as they can be born into a dysfunctional or abusive family.

A lot of people also equate found family with "they need to stay together forever in the equivalent of the avengers' mansion" which is similarly not true. What is a family? It is an (often) lifelong bond; but the people within the family still also have their own lives outside of it, and might live apart while still loving each other very much. They also often forget or try to disparage the idea that characters can belong to a found family while still also having families by marriage or blood outside of it and might need to make compromises to balance the two, even though this is again a very true thing of families in the real world.

The cast of Critical Role generally gets this; the fans don't always. Quoting from episode 1x85 for the second time in like 12 hours but as Keyleth said, "I think Percy's right. We're worse than friends, we're family. And family leaves." I can't entirely define a found family - it is ultimately a vibe, and it is ultimately subjective - but I actually think Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein are both found families.

What's always been very revealing to me is that no one ever really disputes Vox Machina is a family, even though from the end of Campaign 1 until the TCSR was published over four years later, in early 2022, it was assumed that they were all living separately or in couples - Percy and Vex in Whitestone; Keyleth in Zephrah; Scanlan and Pike in Westruun; Tary in Wildemount; and Grog traveling the world but often finding himself in either Vasselheim or Westruun. Indeed, even with the TCSR and the fact that everyone has residences in Whitestone, Keyleth does usually live in Zephrah (though she can easily travel); Vex must spend time away from both the others of Vox Machina and her actual family by marriage and blood given her duties in Emon; and Scanlan splits his time between Whitestone and Ank'Harel. Perhaps it's that there were already familial bonds between the twins and between Pike and Grog, and that only Tary dated outside the party and the people who make this claim often forget him anyway.

People do frequently argue the Mighty Nein are not a family for parting ways at the end, despite this being no different than Vox Machina, and also actually being far more able to reunite quickly than Vox Machina can. I think it's in part because several party members (Veth, Jester, Caduceus) all did still very much value their biological families and a lot of found family people really do not like that, but also...look. Most Campaign 2 hate is a front for either being mad that Molly wasn't resurrected or being mad about one or more of the ships. I've never seen anyone whose only complaint was "I felt like it was a found family but then they parted ways"; it's always thrown in on top of being far more angry about several other things.

For what it's worth: I don't think Bells Hells are quite as bonded, but I do think they're on their way, especially if travel and communication remains messy and they're forced to spend more time on watch and sharing rooms (again: I think Matt's vision for this campaign is, in retrospect, actually pretty great, but it should have probably been communicated a bit better to the cast and more investment have been put in the character development to compensate for the challenges of this unique structure). My issue specific to the fandom response to Bells Hells as a found family isn't that I think they're not going to be a found family; it's that people who insisted they actually had the best and most honest found family dynamic and everyone who disagreed were just being haters suddenly turned on the proverbial dime when a character not in their good graces was the one who actually voiced it.

In summary: I think people in fandom, generally, place a disproportionate weight on found family as like...an end all and be all and forget that much like a family of blood/marriage/adoption, a found family can also take on many different configurations and have various levels of functionality and honestly and healthy behaviors; and in doing so forget to actually say "is this dynamic of closely bonded people fun to watch and interesting? then who cares what the fuck we call it." But I do think it's hard for a D&D party in a longform campaign of very close friends not to take on some familial traits.

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag

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waltwhitmansbeard · 8 months

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Tea

20. Tea

When Caduceus returned to the Blooming Grove and the rest of the Mighty Nein scattered to the Wildmother's winds, he could scarcely admit to himself the fear he'd had that he'd be forgotten about. With such grand and heroic adventures still awaiting them, from the crests of the seas to the marbled halls of justice, who could remember the quiet, floppy-earred friend in the woods, tending to his dead folks and reconnecting with his family? He wouldn't blame them for it, even if the thought made his fine fur bristle with some strange internal cold.

But he should have known better. He should have known that the Wildmother would not let these flowers bloom so bright and bold for them to shine for the Clays' eyes only. Caduceus isn't sure how they manage it, but they come, not frequently, but enough to keep the hearth warm.

Jester and Fjord bring him tales of the sea, of pirates and monsters and narrow escapes from the law. He bakes with Jester, and he and Fjord sit and discuss their matron in the quiet hours before dawn. Every time they leave, it takes only a day or two for someone in the family to find a brand-new hand-painted sculpture of a dick hidden somewhere in the house.

When Beau and Yasha visit, the latter rarely comes inside, preferring to spend her time among the riotous flowers of the graveyard. Beau speaks cryptically of her work with the Cobalt Soul, enthralling the rest of the Clays with guessing at what she could possibly be talking about, but Caduceus likes to wander out to sit with Yasha, to speak of the blooms and the bees and the sun, and maybe of loss and regrowth as well. When they go, they take some flowers with them, pressed between the pages of a book or neatly bundled in twine, and Caduceus knows that the brief life they'll live outside of the earth is worth the smile they'll bring to his friends' faces.

For some reason, the Brenattos seem to have chosen the Blooming Grove as their vacation destination, as if they do not live full-time in what most of the continent views as the perfect getaway. Caduceus doesn't mind, is happy to educate young Luc on the various insects he happily uncovers from the tall grasses around the the Clay house. Constance is less thrilled by the errant crossbow bolts that seem to find their way into every vertical surface, but Caduceus can see the way Veth's shoulders relax when she can be somewhere quiet, far from the endless coast of Nicodranas. Each visit, right before they pack up their things and prepare to leave, Veth steps into the sun, takes a long, slow breath in, and sighs happily. "No fucking salt," she murmurs to herself, but Caduceus hears her, and he laughs.

His favorite visits, though, he thinks, are the ones he gets to facilitate between Caleb and Essek. He knows how hard it is for them to meet, how much danger the former Shadowhand puts himself in to be with the one he loves, so Caduceus is more than happy to open the Grove to them, to let the trees of the Savalirwood shield them from those who would harm them. Melora herself has a tempestuous, ill-advised love, so Caduceus likes to think she smiles particularly wide on these two wizards, who even still dance around each other like dragonflies. They take the tea Caduceus brews into the garden, and they sit in the shade where the sun cannot hurt Essek's skin, and they murmur to each other all of the things that cannot be conveyed in twenty-five words or less. They never stay for more than a day or two, and before they leave, Essek bestows a fortune's favor upon Caduceus's brow, but he never uses it. He has all the luck he needs, from the favor of the Wildmother to the endless joy his friends deliver to him with each and every visit.

#ask #Anonymous #critical role #critical role fic #cr fic #my fic #mighty nein #mighty nein fic #caduceus clay #fjorester #beauyasha #shadowgast #brenattos

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glossolali · 3 months

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i feel you and your precious soul

shadowidomauk, shadowmauk

hurt/comfort, sci-fi au, cyberpunk au, relationship negotiations, touch aversion/ sensitivity/starvation, essek pov

gift for @wanderingbasilisk 💜

AO3

—

“How are you feeling?”

Molly sits across from Caleb, and both hands, prosthetic and natural, lay in Caleb's outstretched palms atop his knees. Molly flexes the natural one easily enough, but the other is in a tight fist, and he's frowning at it, seemingly frustrated.

At Essek's prompting, he looks up, and it takes him another moment or two to focus his gaze on Essek’s face proper, who stands in the doorway, his own hands clasped together anxiously. Essek is patient and steady as he can, and even if his heart aches for him, he sequesters that away to a private place. He would hate to seem anywhere near pitying of him.

“I'd love to say I'm right as rain, but that is not quite the case.” Molly tries for a smile but it doesn't quite reach his eyes and falls too quickly, and he ends up revealing instead how tired he is.

“Uhm... I'm still numb in some places, and in others, it hurts. And I can't stop twitching since yesterday. This hand,” and he gestures to his left, the mechanical one, “Has been locked in a fist since last night. It usually takes a few hours to unlock on its own, but it seems to be stuck this time.”

Molly's left arm has been jerking intermittently, a clearly uncontrollable motion that shifts his whole body and translates all the way down to his clenched hand, and seems to be bringing him some distress, and pain.

Caleb's eyes follow the motion and turn a shade more somber, though he secrets that away swiftly while Molly is turned around. Essek can almost see Caleb's heart take a tumble and break into pieces as Molly speaks, as upset as he himself feels. Caleb's circuitry scarred hands squeeze Molly’s lightly, then return to their former position where they cupped them.

Essek can't help but feel utterly awful. After all, he's the one that did this to him.

He recalls with a pang the distressed message Caleb had sent him, then Jester's, begging for his help to save their friend, Mollymauk. He'd met the tiefling in passing, finding a chaotic and colorful being who never stayed in one place for long enough for Essek to parse him out properly.

A few days after the Message, the entire Mighty Nein appeared at his doorstep. When they ensured Essek's lab was secure, Caleb fetched what was left of their dear friend's bloody, mangled body from an Amber Vault – a digital, portable safe– and handed that over to Essek, alongside a memory drive that had Molly's mind uploaded to it in a combination of efforts by Caleb and Caduceus.

Essek had been terrified at the responsibility inherent in saving such a precious person's life, but he had done his best to focus on the cybernetics puzzle at hand and to take the anxiety out of his mind. There was no room for mistakes or missteps.

He was successful, much to his relief, and his friends’ collective joy.

The tears and yells as Molly had opened his eyes for the first time rang clear in his memory. The tiefling had startled, covered his ears, and ran from the room– only to collapse in a heap a few steps into the next one.

It wasn't an unexpected sign of failure by any means– the collapse, that is, not the fleeing– after all, Mollymauk’s body was half machine now, and it had yet to be calibrated and tested properly. More specifically, it was costly, state-of-the-art cyberware mods and prosthetics, provided for free of course, connecting what of his ravaged body Essek and his team could salvage.

As a scientist who'd lived through the last hundred and twenty some years watching the world and its technologies develop at an alarming pace, he'd slowly grown more and more doubtful of the ethics of the now normalized practice of cyber modification, or ‘cybermods’. It's even worse that his current patient– ward, friend, whatever their odd relationship now was– hadn't been able to consent to these operations at all.

It made Essek hate himself just a little bit more, made him doubt his work– political and scientific– his family, their wealth, their entire society, his everything, even more deeply, despite how thankful all his friends, and Molly, were in the aftermath of that incident.

“Essek?”

Molly's voice has now taken on a subtle digital tone to it due to his voice-box being modded, and in addition, he sounds… lost, exhausted. Nothing like the person he once was.

Essek tries not to wallow right now. That can be for later, when he's done his job and is alone once again.

“My apologies. Just thinking.”

He goes to them. A person he is helping take care of needs his care right now. He has a function to serve, and that is the priority.

[Read the rest on AO3]

#shadowidomauk #shadowmauk #widomauk #shadowgast #essek #molly #caleb #cr fic #critical role fanfic #critical role fic #scifi au #cyberpunk #glossopost #glossofic

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fe-fictions · 11 months

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Oooh no Seteth ma boi... ANYWAYS DO YOU RECALL THAT STORY WHERE HE FOUND BYLETH STABBED ? If you do, and remember it quite well, would you mind rewriting it maybe..? Thanks and have a nice day !!

(I still have this story and it is easily one of my favorites of all time,,, let's torment Seteth!! ; 7 ; // )

Seteth dragged his feet along, trying his very best to make it all the way to bed without collapsing on the way. It had been a terribly long day.

He longed for a respite, but not only for himself; he missed spending more than a few hours at a time with you, alone. How often you would be asleep before he came, or he would sleep the moment he touched the bed.

It was all so demoralizing, only having those long, dull moments in meetings or going over tasks and papers. He would make it up to you. As soon as he coild force a few days into the schedule without any work, he would have the two of you.

That was his plan, he thought, pushing open the door to your quarters. Then he found a trail of blood in front of him. The horror that followed was indescribable.

The Archbishop collapsed to the floor with a knife in her stomach.

The air flew from his lungs when the scream ripped out of him. His eyes were wide and un-blinking, staring in shock at the sight before him.

The noise alone was enough to alert the guards stationed too far away.

When someone frantically appeared in the doorway, you were in his arms, crushed to his chest. He was sobbing hysterically, echoing your name over and over, begging you to open your eyes.

Why wouldn’t you respond? Could’t you hear him?

The staves stored in his personal chest were worthless- the wound was too deep and too far for his weak Mends. Where was his Caduceus- or Flayn’s- surely she could help-

Seteth’s entire reality was crumbling into worthless pieces. You were so very cold. Your face white as a sheet. The blood having warmed you leaking onto the unforgiving stone.

When Flayn broke into the room with a slew of clerics, she was worried. When she But the sight of her father sobbing over you was enough for her own tears to spill over.

He was speaking a frantic confusion of Nabatean and modern language. Seteth was engulfed by an irreconcilable fear.

His wife was dead.

No...close to death.

Not quite gone.

Seteth remembered Flayn pleading with him to let you go, that they needed to take you so they could save you. He did not recall being brought to the medical wing.

But he was there, pacing, wildly afraid that the last he had seen of his wife was another arbitrary, pointless meeting among apathetic, stubborn old fools.

But worst of all was the realization that you were failed. By himself, and the church, and everyone who had sworn to protect you.

Somehow someone had found a way past his defenses, his painstaking, anxiety-filled nights of installing every possible barrier between you and a potential enemy.

They had to have known you would be alone. Out of his sight for just a few moments.

Long enough to drive the blade into your flesh and end your life.

But who could possibly have enough knowledge or skill to achieve such a thing? It had to be someone who knew. Who had been studying. Watching...waiting. Someone who wanted you dead.

And anyone who posed a threat to his family needed to be taken care of. But if they weren’t found in time, he risked losing everything, once more.

No. There was only one solution that had ever n in protecting his loved ones, before.

He wasn’t going to wait for you to be harmed, again. Certainly not after seeing how close to the brink you were when he wasn’t able to protect you. Or even for you to be able to protect yourself.

Both of his girls had to be safe. He needed them to be.

Flynn knew this, all too well. She could see it in his eyes with every turn of his feet.

It was time to go.

-------------------------

“This isn’t the right solution, Father. You know it’s true, deep down.”

“There is no other way. You have both been in life-threatening situations here, and it’s only a matter of time before it happens, again.”

“But both times we survived! Byleth will wake up soon. And she’s the one who rescued me when I was kidnapped. Bad things happened here, yes, but-”

“They never should have happened.” Behind the static that filled your ears, you could hear the distinct sound of your husband snapping at Flayn.

You were awakening, slowly, and you were disoriented by the waves of blurriness that washed over your vision. There was a spot of dark green that fidgeted back and forth at your feet. A blossom of mint by your side, pleading with him.

You were not in your bedroom.

But you were with your family.

“We have stayed here far too long- it was a matter of time before someone figured out who we really were. It’s high time we left, now more than ever.”

“Please-”

“Enough.” Seteth cut her off, his tone violent and impatient. “I have watched my family fall prey to danger again and again. My decision is final!”

The fuzzy flower on your left suddenly disappeared from view. The door across the room swung open and slammed with an angry bang.

Just in time for your hearing to come back.

“That child…” Seteth muttered to himself, continuing his work at the foot of the bed.

You watched him in silence, seeing him methodically moving his arms over and over, folding fabrics and pressing them into a satchel.

You assumed this was what Flayn had been referring to.

“Seteth.”

He startled at your voice. His long ears perked like a puppy, swiveling around to find you awake and staring at him.

Seteth all but leapt onto the bed, darting to your side and taking hold of your face with a fragile touch.

“Byleth…!” Your name trembled on his tongue, gaze misty as the fear spilled over and out of his system. At last, he could rest easy. At last, you were awake.

His eyes swept over you in search of any discomfort or injury that had somehow been missed. You were still frail and on the cusp of recovery, that much was clear.

But you weren’t in immense pain. For that, he was immeasurably grateful.

“My love, how do you feel?”

“Alive.”

“Indeed.” A humorless laugh. “Is there any discomfort? Anything I can take care of?”

“My head is swimming.” You spoke honestly. Seteth ran his thumb across your forehead gently, before he shifted away to retrieve something.

Soft warmth radiated on your skin when he returned, a hot towel placed where your hair was brushed away.

“This should help.”

“Seteth...why was Flayn upset?”

“For reasons outside of your concern, right now. More importantly,” He sat back, finding your hand on the bed, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. I was going to bed, and I heard a noise...I was listening for more, I sensed someone there, but...next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain. And now I’m here.”

“You didn’t see them? You didn’t hear their voice, or smell anything, or-?” With each shake of your head, he became more and more deflated. “I see.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You mustn’t apologize.” He shook his head, and squeezed your hand. “You were the victim of an attack, one which almost cost you your life. You have no need to feel anything other than relieved.”

You turned your hand over so you could hold his, interlacing your fingers with your husband’s.

He softened some at the gesture, though he was still clearly troubled.

“Besides, Catherine and the Knights of Seiros are already deep into the investigation. The former leader of the Ashen Wolves...Yuri Leclerc. That one has found several promising clues. We’ll have a lead and a perpetrator in our hands in no time.”

“Then we have nothing to worry about.” You replied in kind, though Seteth did not reciprocate those feelings.

Instead he looked away, prompting you to question him once again.

“They’ll be apprehended, won’t they? So we can rest easy.”

“I am sorry to say that we cannot.” There was a sigh which followed his words, as his hand pulled out of yours. “Not until we are far from this place.”

“What do you mean?”

Silence.

Seteth wordlessly left the bedside, returning to the project he was working on before you had reuturned to him.

With your vision slowly clearing, you could make out what exactly he was packing away. A mixture of your clothes, his and Flayn’s.

The knapsack was much larger than for a camping trip or extended vacation.

“Seteth, we can’t.”

“We must.”

“We have duties. Lives, here. We can’t just...leave.��

“And I cannot stand idly by while my family is threatened over and over!” Seteth’s glare was as cold and sharp as his words.

The hurt that your eyes reflected made him recoil some, though his resolve remained.

“Please, my love. I already had this debate with Flayn. I haven’t the patience to do it again.”

“I'm afraid you'll have to.” You argued.

His brow furrowed. “What?”

“You cannot dismiss us, Seteth. We do not want to go.”

“What you want does not matter if your lives are at stake.” He argued with you, pulling the strings so tight it closed with a snap. “I do not care what you want if it means someone is after your life!”

“I am the Archbishop of an entire continent. I have duties, to my family and to the countless people who live here. I cannot abandon them out of the blue. Certainly not when everything is still so fragile.”

“But it is because everything is so fragile that we must!” He persisted, returning to your side.

His hands fell on your shoulders, practically begging you to hear him.

“I have no doubt the reason they came after your life is because there are many who do not want another Archbishop. Who seek to tear apart our peace.”

“Then we have to stay. To keep it in place.”

“We have to go. It is too dangerous. This was not the first attempt, and it will not be the last! And I cannot protect you if I am in a position that forces me to spend so much time away from you and Flayn. Perhaps if I had been there...if I hadn’t been locked up in that Goddess-forsaken office- I could’ve protected you- I could’ve been harmed in your stead! But because of this work, because I keep being pulled away from you- can’t you see how vulnerable you are?”

“Well...it wouldn’t have been any better if you were hurt.” You told him softly, “I wouldn’t want to live if you died in my stead.”

“Surely then you can understand why I feel the way that I do?” He pointed out, “Our feelings are the same. You must see better than Flayn that we cannot stay here any longer.”

“I understand you, Seteth. But I...I still do not think we should leave.”

“Byleth-”

“We have a duty to stay here, and to make sure that this country moves in the right direction. We took this responsibility on ourselves. We can’t leave, no matter how dangerous it is.”

“You would willingly lay down your life rather than spend it with your family?”

“I want to be with my family, here. For however long together we have left. And so long as you’re by my side, it will be centuries.” You murmured, but Seteth was very quickly reaching his wit’s end.

“Did you not hear me? If I have this position, I cannot be beside you! I am your right hand, and yet I am so rarely near you! It’s asking for trouble. I could surround you with security and it still wouldn’t be enough, because I’m not there to protect you!”

“You don’t trust anyone else with me, do you?”

“Of course I don’t! There are sentries posted everywhere in this damnable monastery and you still found yourself close to death.” He snapped, “And I refuse to continue this way.”

“Then don’t.”

Seteth found pause in your last two words, analyzing you.

“...You would have me leave?”

“No. I want you to resign as my advisor.” You corrected him. He was even more perplexed. “You aren’t just my right hand anymore. You’re my husband. And our duty to stay close to each other is more important than any assignments you might have been given.”

He found himself unable to argue your point. His hand was taken and held to your chest, your fingers lazily fidgeting around his.

“You can protect me, and be by my side at all times. Then you can ensure that your wife and child are safe.”

“But Flayn would never agree to being with us all the time. She would sooner run off on her own than give up what little freedom she has...”

“I don’t mean to have Flayn become our shadow. But with the freedom that resigning gives you, you’re able to check in on her more often than you can now.”

“I...suppose so.”

“I’ll even give you an offer you cannot refuse.” You said with a gentle tug on his wrist, drawing him closer to you.

Seteth’s nose nearly touched yours, your husband’s worry still glimmering in his eyes.

“If you do not feel you can protect us well enough, even after your change...if something happens again...I will leave with you, no questions asked. But we should at least try and make sure that our home is stable before we leave it in the hands of others.”

Of course he knew you were right; it was atypical for you not to be.

And as begrudgingly he felt otherwise, that he wanted to shoot you down, he knew that you had a very good point.

Without the distractions of his office, he could tend to his girls much easier. If he was by your side during meetings and the like, he’d still be able to give input in that regard, as well.

He wouldn’t be completely removed; it was a brilliant plan. Of course you’d come up with it.

“I am reluctant to admit...that your plan is...feasible.” He said carefully, though you didn’t bother to hide your victorious smile. “You truly think this is the best idea? You would rather this than escaping away? Just the three of us?”

“It is a very tempting offer, dearest. But we have centuries of time to do that.” You murmured, “And it will be even better once it’s just the two of us.”

“You don’t want Flayn to be there with us?”

“I do. But I also want you to myself...just for a little while.” You brushed your hand against his cheek. He blushed.

“You’re still recovering. Clearly delirious from the pain.” He huffed, kissing your forehead. “Rest. We can discuss our plans more once you’ve healed more.”

“So we’ll stay, then?” You asked as he pulled away once again. His sigh was deep, but not without concession.

“We will. Until I determine it is no longer safe to do so.”

“If you’re with me, I doubt it will be.” Your amusement only ruffled his feathers more, but he smiled all the same. He allowed himself to relax some, running his fingers through your hair.

“Rest, woman. You’re saying ridiculous things.”

“Hm.”

Though Seteth would never outright admit it, he found it was much easier to protect you once his resignation went through. Yuri Leclerc took over as your head advisor, and he as well-versed in the politics of it, as any one man should be.

There would still be attempts on your life, at least until Those Who Slither were finally eradicated; but not a single one broke through his defenses.

Eventually, when the winds of change blew through the monastery grounds the last time, you decided it was time you and your husband made your graceful exit.

Flayn wouldn’t tag along with you, when Seteth told her that he was leaving Garreg Mach together with you.

She would visit frequently, though...especially when her darling little sister was born shortly after you disappeared together.

Seteth was simply happy to have his family safe, together and at peace. And it would stay that way for centuries to come.

#seteth #byleth #fe 16 #fire emblem three houses #fe3h #seteleth #setleth #seteth x byleth #angst #critical injury angst #critical injury #hurt and comfort #f!byleth #fem!byleth #f!mu #fe fictions #fe-fictions

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lyricalporcupine · 11 months

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Day 2: Home | “I go where you go” Story beneath cut, also HERE!

~~~~~~~~~~ Beau walked the streets of Rexxentrum quickly, anxious to get home. In her arms was a gift for Yasha, and her heart thudded as her feet walked the familiar path home. Though it didn’t take long, Beau felt it took hours to finally reach the home she shared with Yasha. Instead of heading inside, however, Beau cut around the side of the house and slipped through the side gate. She knew her wife would be waiting for her in the garden. She always was, weather permitting.

And sure enough, Yasha was there, sitting in the swing, using her bare feet to gently rocking back and forth. Beau saw her customary cup of tea in her hands, tea specially made by Caduceus and sent in a care package. A smile split across Beau’s face as she watched her wife blow on the tea before taking a sip.

“Hey, babe,” Beau called out, staying around the corner to hide her gift. She couldn’t exactly wrap it.

Yasha looked up and over at her and smiled. “Hi, baby,” she replied. Then her head tilted to the side. “Why are you hiding?”

Beau’s grin spread. “Got a surprise for you. Close your eyes?”

Yasha’s eyes narrowed, but Beau didn’t miss the playful smile directed at her.

“Please?” Beau asked. “I promise you’ll love it.”

Yasha’s glare lingered for another moment before she dutifully closed her eyes and waited.

Beau quickly approached her and gently took her mug from her hands, sitting it on the table beside the swing. “Keep ‘em closed.”

“I will,” Yasha replied, another smile spreading across her face. There was a soft whimper and her brows knitted again. “Are you okay?”

“Peachy keen,” Beau said cheerfully.

“Then what was-ack!”

Something wet snuggled at her cheek and Yasha flinched back, her eyes snapping open. She saw Beau standing before her, a small puppy in her hands that was doing its best to continue to sniff her face.

“Oh, baby,” Yasha cooed, reaching for the small pup. Beau had a feeling Yasha wasn’t addressing her this time. “You’re so cute.”

“Yes I am,” Beau teased, sitting next to her wife. As Yasha held the puppy, Beau couldn’t help but notice how much smaller the dog looked in Yasha’s large arms.

Yasha’s smile was radiant as the puppy, unsure at first, began wagging its tail and snuffling at Yasha’s cheek and ear and trying to get closer to her. “He looks just like the dogs in Caleb’s tower.”

Beau smiled. “Yeah,” was her only response and she could hear the snappiness of her tone. She didn’t care much. “What are you gonna name him?”

Yasha smiled and sat the puppy on the ground when he began to get antsy. He sniffed the grass, his butt wiggling from the force of his wagging tail. Then he was off, running across the yard before sniffing at the grass again and running back to Yasha.

“Dash,” Yasha said simply, bending down to pick the pup up again.

“Dash,” Beau repeated. “I like it.”

Yasha turned and kissed Beau’s cheek. “And I love you. Thank you for this.”

Beau felt her cheeks warm up. “Anytime,” she replied. She looked down when Dash began to climb into her lap and stretch out. Beau’s smile softened as she scratched behind his ears. “Welcome home, little buddy.”

#beauyashaweek2023 #beauyasha #beauregard lionett #yasha nydoorin #lyricalporcupine

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awesomefroggy · 2 years

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Mighty Nein's Favorite Board Games

Fjord- Scythe

It's the crunch, the strategy, the 2+ hour play time. This man is nose to the board, into it. Most of the Nein grumble about it, but Beau and Essek will play it with him and get far far too into it.

Beau- Red Dragon Inn

This appeals to the Beaurebar in her. On the surface, she's got the silly drinking gambling party game. Deeper, she knows how to meta and has a hero that she's very very good with. She excels at stacking everyone else's decks against them. Making it an actual drinking game is a favorite, and she supplies really awful shots when called for.

Caleb- Root

Not only are you the resistance to the Cat overlords, there's resources! Strategies! Conniving! And adorablely vicious forest creatures! Caleb gets very attached to his factions. He likes playing with the Riverfolk expansion as the otters.

Veth- King of Tokyo

Yahtzee but with Kaiju. Veth will rule over Tokyo with an iron fist. There is now a rule that dice rolls that land on the floor don't count. Yeza is always apprehensive when she and Luc want to play, but he tries to be a good sport about it.

Jester- Unstable Unicorns

Fast paced, full of cute unicorns and puns, and there's an NSFW expansion. Jester is here to slam down some cute unicorns, shut down your combos, and cackle maniacally over pumpkin spice Basics.

Yasha- Cascadia

Puzzling together habitats for wildlife. It's lowkey, and Yasha likes to try and make the most realistic ecosystems she can. She'll play it alone for hours, but sometimes she can drag Beau or Caduceus in to playing with her.

Caduceus- Everdell

A sweet game of woodland creatures, resources, and collecting through the seasons. It's a pleasant game to him, and he sometimes he plays single player as a way to connect with the Wildmother. He has all of the expansions and the Kickstarter exclusives.

Molly- Mysterium

A ghost uses dreams in the form of surreal art to point mediums to solve their murder. It's the absolute cold reading bullshit Molly loves. If he's one of the mediums, it's just interpreting tarot cards. He loves helping everyone else interpret their cards and make up bullshit stories about how and why and where and who. If he's the ghost, he equally tries to help people and fuck with them.

Kingsley- Pirates

Stack up crews, steal other people's crews, blow up bases and collect pirate ships, loot, and glory. Kingsley is delightfully vicious at this game, and much like the man who taught me how to play it he wears his big pirate hat and coat whenever they play.

Essek- Sagrada

Sudoku, now with pretty dice and modifiers. The stained glass motifs remind him of Rosohna in the best way, and he finds it soothing to put it all together. Everyone is shocked the first time he swears in Common over someone taking a die that he needs.

Other related headcanons:

Beau, Fjord, Caleb, and Essek get together and play some of the crunchiest Warhammer you've ever seen. Jester paints Fjord's armies and Yasha paints Beau's, Caleb and Essek have dedicated weekly paint nights.

Essek hate drafts during Sushi Go.

There was an attempt to play The Mind once. It was never played again.

Caleb and Essek have fierce Scrabble games. Everyone made fun of them until Beau asked to witness one, and realized they play with four different languages at once and do not hold back about it.

Yasha has the Stardew Valley board game and plays it as often as she can.

Essek and Fjord play chess together. It freaks people out sometimes because they will sit in silence for a very long time until one of them swears violently.

Throw Throw Burrito is only allowed every once in a while, and they "burrito proof" the house first every time after they broke a vase at Beau and Yasha's.

#mighty nein #cr headcanons #No one asked for this but I couldn't stop thinking about it #made my manager help me think of games #Spent like most of my shift thinking about this and researching on board game geek #You're welcome #I guess #Yes these taglines are how I sell board games #It's fine

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romeoandjulietyouwish · 1 year

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anyway I adore Kingsley so have a character study I guess <3

Kingsley bounds to the front of the ship, looking out at the water with childlike glee. Childlike is right, he’s technically not even three months old. Sometimes he feels older, sometimes he really does feel like the child the others seem to think he is.

Everything is still so fascinating and new but also familiar. The ship isn’t familiar, neither is the water, but the people are. Jester and Fjord. It feels as though he should know them but he doesn’t.

Every so often he gets a flash of a memory, Jester smiling up at him, whispering to him in Infernal. Or Fjord bisecting some kind of creature with a sword.

He doesn’t tell them as much, doesn’t want them to get their hopes up that whoever inhabited this body before him is returning. He’s not that person anymore, either of them, and it’s taking them all some adjusting.

Kingsley takes a big breath of salty air as the wind blows his coat back, certain with every bone in his body, that he's never done this before.

They tell him he used to read fortunes. And apparently they’re right. His hands know the worn deck of tarot cards Jester hands him. He knows how to get the card he wants to the top and how to trick his customer into thinking he’s genuine. Kingsley hates it. It’s not him. It’s something else, someone else in his head bleeding through.

So he gives the tarot cards back to Jester. The next time they make port he purchases a worn book on palm reading. He reads through it in one night, burning a candle down to the stand. And the next day he spends hours just staring at his palm.

His life line is frayed, splitting off into three lines. He traces a nail through them, wondering which one is his. Wondering if it even matters.

His heartline is the deepest one. It means you love deeply and completely, the book had said. And that’s the one he’s become fixated on. How can his hand know more about him than he does? It doesn’t make any sense and yet at the same time it makes the most sense of it all. This hasn’t always been his body. Maybe the line was meant for someone else. Lucien? Mollymauk?

Sometimes when he lies in his hammock below decks, he’ll trace that line over and over again, hoping beyond anything that it belongs to him.

The nightmares are the worst part. More often than not in the early months, he wakes up screaming names he barely knows, looking at faces he doesn’t remember. He dreams of a city made of roiling flesh. He dreams of a snowy road and a sharp blade. He dreams of a figure in red staring down at him. He dreams of dirt and ash and books and eyes. So many eyes.

Nothing but fucking eyes.

Jester is always there to comfort him. She’s good at that. She’ll hold him in her arms, let him cry and babble on and on about his dreams, switching mindlessly between Common and Infernal. She doesn’t judge. She doesn’t tell anyone.

She’ll braid his hair and sing a song her mother wrote her. Kingsley doesn’t know his mother. He doubts he ever will. And it eats at him far more than he would ever let on. Jester never sees his thumb digging into his life line almost hard enough to cut the skin.

Unlike the others, Caduceus has no expectations of him. He is a welcome friend, despite their many differences. It's Caduceus that Kingsley talks to when he can no longer stand the thought of staring at his palm, wondering what it all means.

Caduceus takes his hand, gentle as ever, and turns his hand over so Kingsley can no longer see the lines. He taps his thumb against the scar on the back of Kingsley's hand, asks him how he got it.

Kingsley is prepared to say he doesn't know, that it's a relic from Molly or Lucien. But then he takes a better look at it and smiles, telling Caduceus that it's from when Fjord tried to teach him to cook and a huge wave rocked the ship making him cut himself.

And in that instant, Kingsley understands the point Caduceus is trying to make. It doesn't matter who came before him, it doesn't matter which lines are his, because at the end of the day it's his body now. Every day he's figuring out who he is, he's adopting mannerisms, he's learning. And he's growing.

And that has to be enough.

#my fic #mighty nein #cr spoilers #critical role #kingsley tealeaf

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stardustedknuckles · 2 years

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I love to look at all the completely wild shit monks are able to do in the higher levels because it just highlights the contrast between general depictions of monks and one Beauregard Lionett. She no longer requires food and water. And?? That’s just inviting an eternal mode of hangry. She also can’t be poisoned, so when Yasha neglects to take the venom sacs out of the fresh spider she whipped up it’s all fine.

Beau can astrally project basically at will since she just has to meditate to get her ki points back. For an HOUR she can put her essence pretty much anywhere on any plane once she figures out the pools. But it’ll take a while for her to give a shit about another plane because we all know she is going to be preoccupied first and foremost with hauling her ass straight to Yasha whenever she gets bored of paperwork. Or catching a breather on Fjord’s ship, or spoiling Luc, or any number things that matter to her. That astral body is solid, by the way. It takes damage, it feels...make of that what you will.

(I would pay money to see the first time she figures out she can astral project. like please imagine Beau daydreaming so hard about being with Yasha during a boring stretch of work downtime that she’s just suddenly there. Comedy fucking gold.)

Because all of this is what makes her Beau now, the way she's grown into a prioritization of herself, and there’s nothing about the path she walks as a monk that asks her to detract from that discovery. Being a monk aids her in this journey, which is incredible given the way monks tend to be viewed - above the need for earthly pleasures, higher self, all of that. And she is perfectly willing to embody that role in the name of the people she loves and the organization she serves, but at the end of the day Beau is someone who has learned mastery over herself and that explicitly requires knowing what keeps her balanced and at her best. And for her that specifically includes the purposeful indulgence in the pleasures this life has to offer. She’s spent too long without it not to know exactly how important those earthly tethers are. Good food, good friends, unfettered and free in every sense.

Caduceus once said there's a lot of free will involved in destiny. It turns out that there's also a lot of freedom in walking a dedicated path. Choice is everything to Beau. How perfect that working on herself is what opens up those choices and her world by extension.

#i know that projection in the material plane is imprecise but it's Beau #the spell states you CAN bring all your stuff with you and teleport to a new spot on teh material plane #it does not say you have to #but hey have we considered that beau at level 18 comes with her own basically infinite teleport #who's gonna ever imprison her? literally nobody #you managed to get chains on her good job she's deffo in the feywild by now fuck you #god I love her #and I love the power she unlocks to truly live without limits #beauregard lionett #cr c2 #i am extrapolating that the astral body feels because the spell says any effects you receive in your astral form fade when you return #and given that most effects have a physical component....#if that's not how it works yes it is #that's my whole philosophy

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angelsndragons · 2 years

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well it seems like caduceus won’t be part of the mighty nein two shot so the way i deal with my grief is to plot out how the nein will play mechanically without him (because holy heck did he carry that party on his thin furry shoulders time and time again). warning: word vomit. but you should be used to that by now.

baseline assumption: matt’s going to level up kingsley, just not to the nein’s level of 16. probably level 10 minimum and 13 max. essek will be along for the ride as well, leading to an 8 person party.

okay, so. right away the healing pool has diminished greatly. cad’s healing role in combat was topping people off, mass healing word, mass cure wounds, prayer of healing after the fight, that sort of thing. he did some cure wounds during combat as well. cad was also on standby to help in cases where characters went down or suffered a removable condition (ie dispel magic, revivify, or greater restoration when they had the diamond dust to burn). towards the end of the campaign, he also provided clutch death wards.

all of that is to say our healers are now jester and fjord, with yasha providing an emergency healing hands (probably for beau) and caleb holding a raise dead in the back pocket. there’s good news/bad news there. good news is fjord: he regains his three 5th level spells after an hour’s nap, has a small lay on hands pool, has access to the paladin prep list, and has teleportation for days in an emergency. bad news is fjord doesn’t have any 2-4 level spell slots nor spells, which means he doesn’t have revivify, lesser restoration, or any of the other higher level healing spells. that means that fjord doesn’t have access to big group heals, so the nein will be wholly reliant on jester for those plays. good news is that jester and laura both have grown into the healing role. cure wounds was one of jester’s most cast spells and she was mostly providing single target pick me ups to make sure her teammates got their turn if cad couldn’t provide. now that she has access to better healing spells like mass cure wounds and heal, she seems to find healing a much more cost effective use of her higher slots. bad news is that jester is the only member of the nein with access to revivify, which puts a lot of pressure on her to conserve a few slots for those emergencies she would otherwise use to blast the baddies. considering how team oriented he is, i cannot imagine travis not stepping up to the plate and helping laura in the healing department so that she can play the way she prefers.

mechanically speaking, jester and caleb are the pair you have to keep up if you want to make sure the nein survive their journey. good news there is that caleb and essek could have a few new spells in their arsenal thanks to tasha’s, as wizards can add to their spell books without gaining levels. and they’ve been off in aeor doing who knows what for how long so there’s a built in excuse if liam wanted something like wither and bloom for caleb (skeptical here but also it’s thematically fitting dunamancy). really, what the nein have going for them this time that they didn’t have back with molly is a) jester has far more slots plus backup and b) caleb’s ac and hit points are no longer that of wet tissue paper. they’re not great but base ac of 15 for a wizard puts shield, mirror image, and protection from evil and good into play, as we saw in the finale.

the nein have also traded healing/support/utility for dps/support in kingsley while essek runs a support/control build. outside of just healing, caduceus provided a range of support and utility options for the nein. water walking, control water, bless, bane, spirit guardians, dispel magic, commune, holy weapon, and that all important clutch sentinel at death’s door are the bare basics of the support/utility cad provided. the good news is that kingsley, essek, caleb, and veth can provide some relief in this department. kingsley has access to blood curses, one of which is that lovely curse of the eyeless we saw molly use on vax and another is chet’s curse of bloated agony to punish multi-attackers, essek has haste and tether essence, caleb has a boat load of support spells like polymorph and dispel magic, and veth has things like hypnotic pattern and phantasmal force.

so, assuming kingsley plays similarly to molly (taliesin could very well multiclass him or tweak him based on the battle royale), what do the nein gain? assuming kingsley can stay up, the nein have a third front line melee fighter to throw into the ring. and this one will hit hard. blood hunter does not play around in the dps department. crimson rite, brand of castigation (psychic damage to the opponent when they damage the blood hunter or a creature within 5 feet, damage doubled if kingsley is level 13+), the ghostslayer’s brand of sundering (extra crimson rite damage), yeah, that damage stacks fast. again, assuming a molly-esque build, that’s two attacks round 1 after a bonus action to activate the rite, then three attacks from then on. that’s 1d6+2d8+DEX for each main attack, then the bonus action attack is 1d6+DEX (assuming two weapon fighting style). kingsley being in melee with his prey will punish enemies who try to damage him, yasha, or beau (or fjord if he goes into melee) by inflicting psychic damage on the branded opponent every time they do it. that’s an extra 3 or 6 damage (calculated off molly’s WIS) every time the opponent damages someone near him. note that it says damages, not attacks, so opposing damaging spells should count. yeah, kingsley is going to be a single target meat grinder. he’s also going to be the biggest target of the melee kids. yasha has her rage protecting her while beau has her ridiculously high ac. however, this could be a good thing. beau and yasha’s sentinel features cancel each other out when they’re the only ones in melee. if a third person is in melee and they’re the target, sentinel is absolutely fair game for both of them. (honestly can y’all imagine beau and yasha teaming up against the clown picking on kinglsey, protecting him in a way they couldn’t protect molly? boy howdy i sure can).

bottom line, the nein’s versatility will shine once more. certain characters will have to shift roles a bit to accommodate caduceus’ absence, fjord, jester, and caleb in particular. they’re trading some staying power for (hopefully) finishing fights faster. it’s doable and they’re still a cockroach party but i have a feeling they’ll be lamenting their cow man’s absence before too long.

#critical role #mighty nein #the mighty nein #two shot speculation #DnD Mechanics #cr spoilers #my meta #long post

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burningdarkfire · 5 months

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@callingvoicemail king let it be known that i love it when you send me asks. i love you

(ask me about my WIPs!)

it says two on the tin but it is actually i think .. draft number #4 for the sedoretu fic that has been haunting me for the past year + some change. this is the modern AU where astrid/eadwulf/fjord/jester get deeply entangled and figure out what it might mean to be happy in your late 20s, with a specific focus on astrid/jester and astrid/wulf (sorry fjord, it's just the way a sedoretu shakes out)

i've talked recently, at length, about why this fic hasn't been working for me here!

and here's a long snippet, because i'm pretty sure this scene is getting scrapped whenever i make it around to draft #5 lol:

"We just have to decide how we're divvying up the ballroom," Beauregard said. She tapped her finger against the plan, which succeeded in gaining absolutely zero of Jester's attention, and then looked at Astrid instead.

"I don't even know why I'm here," Astrid said.

"You came here," Beauregard said. "Arrived before nearly everybody else, actually."

Astrid frowned. "I was on time."

"Five minutes early."

"That is on time."

"Nah. I arrived two minutes before Jester."

Astrid wished she could wipe the smug smile off of the other girl's face. "You were fifteen minutes late!"

"West coast," Beauregard said, as if that explained anything, and then she tapped Jester on the shoulder. "Hey, Jessie. The rooms."

She departed from her conversation with Caduceus about the food just long enough to turn back around in her seat and say, "Whatever you guys think! Yes!"

Beauregard lifted an eyebrow at Astrid as the conversation around vegan cupcakes resumed. "Well, dividing them evenly into four seems fine to me."

Astrid sighed, then sighed again. She looked at the list of events and pointed. "Make a larger room for the speakers. Make an even larger room for the games meetup. Small squares for the arts and crafts stuff. Divide it into twelfths, then section it up. Think about traffic flow. Don't put all the rooms that'll have high traffic at the top of every hour next to each other in the hardest to reach places."

"Huh," Beauregard said, studying the plan. "I thought you were a lawyer."

Astrid grit her teeth, then scoffed. "I'm detail-oriented. What the fuck do you learn in art history, anyway?"

"How to piss off your father," Beauregard said. "Here, give me the pen."

Astrid gave her the pen. They marked up the plan together—yes, like that, no, not there—and then somehow it was forty-five minutes later, Astrid's cup of coffee was empty, and Jester was again sitting at her side pestering her to eat a donut.

"They're from the bakery you recommended," Jester said, sliding the donut dangerously close to Astrid's elbow.

"I didn't actually recommend them," Astrid reminded her as she shoved the donut back. "Did you at least try them before making the order?"

"They're good!"

The whole event was a fucking disaster, Astrid thought clinically, because Jester seemed to have no particular ability to focus on any of the details that planning such a large-scale event required. She hadn't even hired a proper event manager—which was why Astrid was here, fending off her donut-y fingers, alongside half of the Mighty Nein—and, when asked, mostly replied that it was all fine and anything they didn't get ahead of time, she and Artie would figure out when the time came.

Right. Because the star of the show and her head mod were going to be running around, the day of the meetup, trying to find the missing vegan cupcakes or some shit.

Astrid sighed. Beauregard said, "Jessie, she doesn't even deserve your donut. I'll eat it."

"You have had three already," Astrid groused, and she snatched it off the napkin and ignored Jester's triumphant grin.

#my posts #writing blogging #wip excerpt #replies

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