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demenior · 5 months

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📓 but none of the sugar dragon series bcs spoilers

"Put “📓” or some other version of a book emoji into my inbox and I’ll explain the plot of a fanfiction that I haven’t written but daydream about."

The Volstrucker Legal Drama!

post-campaign 2 story but set 1-2 years max after the finale

Trent's trial has come and gone, the Volstrucker are dispersed and figuring themselves out (for better or for worse). Some left the life completely, some even left the country, etc

Some of them blame Caleb for ruining their life

A very important note is that Astrid, Caleb and Eadwulf have not reconciled their old hurts and walk on eggshells around each other, or avoid one another entirely

due to Caleb and Beau's hunting for truth and evidence to tear down the Assembly, the Assembly bites back

The Cerberus Assembly (privately) puts pressure on the government (aka King Dwendal and his courts) to deal with "pressing issues to national security"

The Empire puts out notice that the Volstrucker are to be considered "property of the Empire" and that they must all return to Rexxentrum immediately or be considered traitors and will be hunted down and executed

Further plot points under the cut

The implication will be that they come back to the Empire, and then they will do as they're told, and have their lives completely controlled and lose all the freedom they've only just gained

This is obviously Ludinus and the Assembly attempting to put Caleb in his place/make the Volstrucker turn on Caleb for having them put under even tighter control than ever before

Caleb is given a choice to renounce ever having trained as a Volstrucker-- he will be exempt from the mandate, so long as he promises to stop antagonizing the Assembly

Caleb tells the Assembly to go fuck themselves, and with Beau's encouragement and the support of the Cobalt Soul, sues the Empire for the Volstrucker's right to autonomy

From there it becomes a dramatic court battle

There was a potential for the legals to be overseen by a ruler from another nation (Xhorhas, or the Menagerie Coast), but I hadn't decided

At first the other Volstrucker would attempt to kill Caleb as revenge for putting them in this situatioin, but Astrid would pull rank on them and stop that, and by doing so would throw her lot in with Caleb and now be forced to work with him

The big stress would be about getting the Volstrucker to be willing to testify why they should be allowed to live/be "people" when most of them are so traumatized and depersonalized by their training that they don't actually see themselves as people (or deserving of second chances)

Astrid and Caleb would intiially be cold and struggle in having to work closely and deal with their very traumatic past, but through preparing and trying to win this case, they would rekindle some old sparks and find new common ground

This would also be a heavy trust between Caleb and Beau story, where Caleb has to liason with the Volstrucker to have Beau be their representative, because while the Volstrucker don't trust anyone, they surely don't trust anyone in the Cobalt Soul... but Astrid trusts Caleb, and they'll trust Astrid. And Caleb trusts Beau.

A late plot twist would be when Eadwulf turns on them, feeling cut out by Astrid and Caleb's renewed closeness, and his feeling of despair in that he doesn't think the Volstrucker have any future and they shouldn't be treated like people.

He steps up as a witness (?? I don't know how legal systems work lmao. Hence why I won't write this story), but Eadwulf steps up as a witness(?) for the oposing side to argue for why the Volstrucker should be classified as weapons and not given the status of citizens.

Essek and the Mighty Nein are around in this story, but Beau is the only side character with the biggest impact on Caleb and Astrid's side. The fic is primarily about the Blumentrio having to confront their past in the worst way possible.

Ultimately Caleb (technically: the Cobalt Soul) wins the case, but I think it has to come at a cost

The cost might be that Eadwulf has to fake his death and flee the country, as he would be at the top of every Volstrucker's hit list for trying to ruin their futures

The cost may also be Caleb having fought so hard to be part of the Volstrucker, but have to admit he isn't one/is an outsider to this "community" he has spent his life thinking he was part of

And so, therefore, the Blumentrio do not have a 'happily ever after' in the present, but, the truth is that they were never going to have that and by being forced to confront all of these old wounds, they will finally get the chance to have some kind of future

And now that the Volstrucker have fought tooth and nail to have a future, they have to figure out what that looks like for them!

#replies #asks #critical role #volstrucker #wip #(technically but not really)

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roxannekotovaruiz · 11 months

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I know I’ve been gone from this blog in awhile -mostly because while I do consider myself a fan of KBR in some ways, I’m less a fan of them and more a fan of their books and that makes it hard to celebrate their books when they directly profit off of me celebrating their books- BUT I’m about to do my third reread of The Addicted series (plus probably another round of reading of AE and maybe the Bad Reputation Duet. I’m still debating Like Us because a lot of that series is. Not Good). And I just wanted to say that there will be analysis coming! Here are things I have in mind

Problematic Like Us - talking about KBR and all of the reasons I find them problematic and hard to support bc if I’m going to celebrate their books, I want all consumers to know what they’re getting into. This is a must for me. But it will take rereading the text and more research. So be patient on this one.

Character analysis of the Core Six + Garlow and also AE characters. If I reread Like Us, tack them on here too.

Ship Analysis for all of the main ships as well.

A specific “Ryke isn’t a groomer but Krista and Becca were f*cking yikes in some ways when it comes to the Raisy relationship” analysis. I’ve actually started writing this one but I want to reread the series just to make sure my facts about the ship is accurate - and this is coming from the perspective of someone who does more or less ship Raisy

Jonathan Hale Sucks and Here’s Why

An analysis of the Kotova siblings and their dynamic with each other. May also include Dimitri.

Why I think the Addicted/Calloway books work and Like Us falls so flat.

I kinda just wanna talk about the girl squad and why I find them so fun.

Would also love to break down at least some of the Cobalt Empire and some of the other second gen kiddos I actually like, but once again idk if I’m gonna reread Like Us so who knows.

Potentially Camitri theories about Roxanne and how we got here bc I love her

(would also love to do charlieroxanne content as I love them but we shall see)

This is just the short list of ideas off the top of my head that I know I want to do. Honestly, within the Jonathan Hale essay, we might talk about how both Calloway parents suck as well, but despite all of these parents being awful, only one is truly villainized by the text and the fandom - and it’s not the one who physically/mentally abused his son and had sex with (a) minor(s). There’s no love lost between Jonathan Hale and me. That’s your one warning. So yeah, I know it’s been like. A drought of content, but I’m planning on coming back swinging. I hope y’all will wanna read the silly little words that I write.

#addicted series #like us series #aerial ethereal #krista ritchie #becca ritchie #personal #update #idk what else to tag this as #i would reread the like us series but hlu was so bad and i know i specifically am gonna hate sulli's books #so idk if it's worth it #we'll see i guess #it depends on how much content y'all want from them and how in depth i must be #honestly it might be worth it to reread them just for problematic like us so no one can accuse me of taking things out of context to make #kbr look worse #hmmm #we'll see #hopefully i'll be back with content soon

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thewrongshop · 2 years

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tagged by the one, the only, the ever-wonderful @princess-of-purple-prose! <333

Relationship status: not single as in "I can't wait to start dating someone" but single as in "I haven't gotten all of my friends to promise to live in a house with me forever yet" :)

Favorite color: blue!

Favorite food: The answer to this changes every time someone asks me but currently tzatziki!! I have eaten SO much of it recently and will be learning to make it myself as soon as I possibly can to prolong this experience

Song currently stuck in my head: I Think I Met You In A Dream by COIN

Five favorite songs: again this changes like. daily. right now? under my skin by jukebox the ghost, black mold by prince daddy & the hyenas, give up baby go by peach pit, plastic soldiers by portugal. the man, and poplar street by glass animals!

Last thing I googled: "does undercooked chicken always give you food poisoning". I am having a really good and normal time of it and, thankfully, do not seem to have food poisoning currently !

Current time: 9:17pm

Dream trip: I'm actually nearing the end of a pretty incredible trip right now :) living the dream!

Something I want: emotionally? a hug from my friends who are all an ocean away :') item-wise? been REALLY wanting to finally buy myself an ace ring recently, maybe I'll get up the courage soon!

Currently reading: OOOH REC TIME REC TIME!! And I Darken by Kiersten White. guys listen. listen to me rn. Read It. I usually don't touch historical fiction with a ten foot pole but this is SO good. the premise is Vlad the Impaler if he was a girl, and the way it explores gender, power dynamics, sexuality, and morals in the Ottoman Empire is SO INTERESTING. Every single character in this series has something so so deeply wrong with them and I LOVE it. you want morally gray characters? historical intrigue? ridiculous amounts of (devastating) pining? look no further.

Last series: tv series? idk but I rewatched a few episodes of schitt's creek recently!

Last movie: Pacific Rim rewatch 😌

Currently working on: my amnesia fic, knitting a sweater, revising a paper i'm actually trying to get published (!!), grad school apps.... the list goes on

I'll tag @asexualzoro, @crit20lesbian, and @cobalt-knave (if you want)!

#this got LONG somehow whoops #THANKS KAY this was fun!!!#tag games #talking shop

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hellsitesonlybookclub · 23 days

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Tongues of the Moon, Philip Jose Farmer

America had fallen, prey more to its own softness and confusion than to the machinations of the Soviets. Then, in the turbulent bloody starving years that followed the fall with their purges, uprisings, savage repressions, mass transportations to Siberia and other areas, importation of other nationalities to create division, and bludgeoning propaganda and reeducation, only the strong and the intelligent survived.

Scone, Broward, and Nashdoi were of the second generation born after the fall of Canada and the United States. They had been born and had lived because their parents were flexible, hardy, and quick. And because they had inherited and improved these qualities.

The Americans had become a problem to the Russians. And to the Chinese. Those Americans transported to Siberia had, together with other nationalities brought to that area, performed miracles with the harsh climate and soil, had made a garden. But they had become Siberians, not too friendly with the Russians.

China, to the south, looking for an area in which to dump their excess population, had protested at the bringing in of other nationalities. Russia's refusal to permit Chinese entry had been one more added to the long list of grievances felt by China towards her elder brother in the Marx family.

And on the North American continent, the American Communists had become another trial to Moscow. Russia, rich with loot from the U.S., had become fat. The lean underfed hungry Americans, using the Party to work within, had alarmed the Russians with their increasing power and influence. Moreover, America had recovered, was again a great industrial empire. Ostensibly under Russian control, the Americans were pushing and pressuring subtly, and not so subtly, to get their own way. Moscow had to resist being Uncle Samified.

To complicate the world picture, thousands of North Americans had taken refuge during the fall of their country in Argentine. And there the energetic and tough-minded Yanks (the soft and foolish died on the way or after reaching Argentine) followed the paths of thousands of Italians and Germans who had fled there long ago. They became rich and powerful; Félipé Howards, El Macho, was part-Argentinean Spanish, part-German, part-American.

The South African (sub-Saharan) peoples had ousted their Communist and Fascist rulers because they were white or white-influenced. Pan-Africanism was their motto. Recently, the South African Confederation had formed an alliance with Argentine. And the Axis had warned the Soviets that they must cease all underground activity in Axis countries, cease at once the terrible economic pressures and discriminations against them, and treat them as full partners in the nations of the world.

If this were not done, and if a war started, and the Argentineans saw their country was about to-be crushed, they would explode cobalt bombs. Rather death than dishonor.

The Soviets knew the temper of the proud and arrogant Argentineans. They had seemed to capitulate. There was a conference among the heads of the leading Soviets and Axes. Peaceful coexistence was being talked about.

But, apparently, the Axis had not swallowed this phrase as others had once swallowed it. And they had decided on a desperate move.

Having cheap lithium bombs and photon compressors and the means to deliver them with gravitomagnetic drives, the Axis was as well armed as their foes. Perhaps, their thought must have been, if they delivered the first blow, their anti-missiles could intercept enough Soviet missiles so that the few that did get through would do a minimum of damage. Perhaps. No one really knew what caused the Axis to start the war.

Whatever the decision of the Axis, the Axis had put on a good show. One of its features was the visit by their Moon officers to the base at Eratosthenes, the first presumably, in a series of reciprocal visits and parties to toast the new amiable relations.

Result: a dying Earth and a torn Moon.

Broward belonged to that small underground which neither believed in the old Soviet nor the old capitalist system. It wanted a form of government based on the ancient Athenian method of democracy on the local level and a loose confederation on the world level. All national boundaries would be abolished.

Such considerations, thought Broward, must be put aside for the time being. Getting independence of the Russians, getting rid of the hellish bonephones, was the thing to do now. Or so it had seemed to him.

But would not that inevitably lead to war and the destruction of all of humanity? Would it not be better to work with the other Soviets and hope that eventually the Communist ideal could be subverted and the Athenian established? With communities so small, the modified Athenian form of government would be workable. Later, after the Moon colonies increased in size and population, means could be found for working out intercolonial problems.

Or perhaps, thought Broward, watching the monolithic Scone, Scone did not really intend to force the other Soviets to cooperate? Perhaps, he hoped they would fight to the death and the North American base alone would be left to repopulate the world.

"Broward," said Scone, "go sound out Nashdoi. Do it subtly."

"Wise as the serpent, subtle as the dove," said Broward. "Or is it the other way around?"

Scone lifted his eyebrows. "Never heard that before. From what book?"

Broward walked away without answering. It was significant that Scone did not know the source of the quotation. The Old and New Testaments were allowed reading only for select scholars. Broward had read an illegal copy, had put his freedom and life in jeopardy by reading it.

But that was not the point here. The thought that occurred to him was that, nationality and race aside, the people on the Moon were a rather homogeneous group. Three-fourths of them were engineers or scientists of high standing, therefore, had high I.Q.'s. They were descended from ancestors who had proved their toughness and good genes by surviving through the last hundred years. They were all either agnostics or atheists or supposed to be so. There would not be any religious differences to split them. They were all in superb health, otherwise they would not be here. No diseases among them, not even the common cold. They would all make good breeding stock. Moreover, with recent advances in genetic manipulation, defective genes could be eliminated electrochemically. Such a manipulation had not been possible on Earth with its vast population where babies were being born faster than defective genes could be wiped out. But here where there were so few....

Perhaps, it would be better to allow the Soviet system to exist for now. Later, use subtle means to bend it towards the desired goal.

No! The system was based on too many falsities, among which the greatest was dialectical materialism. As long as the corrupt base existed, the structure would be corrupt.

#hellsitesonlybookclub #bookblr #Tongues of the Moon #Philip Jose Farmer

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titsthedamnseason · 3 months

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OH MY FUCKING GOD BURN BRIGHT ACTUALLY IS BENS BOOK IM CRYING HAPPY TEARS

#YOU DONT UNDERSTAND THAT IM GOING CRAZY ABOUT THIS #NO WONDER HE HAD SO MUCH SCREEN TIME IN NLU I SHOULDVE KNOWN #I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT YEARS FOR THIS IM SO EXCITED #AND NO WONDER HE WON THE PODCAST POLL #mine #like us series #(i’m not making a different cobalt empire tag because let’s be honest this is still the like us series just rebranded and no bodyguards)#THIS IS SO GREAT. ALL OF THE COBALT BROTHERS CONTENT THATS AROUND THE CORNER MY GOD #AND THE GIRL SQUAD!!! SPECIFICALLY AUDREY AND WINONA THIS IS FANTASTIC #BEN AND CHARLIE!!!!!!!!#I CANNOT FUCKING BELIEVE THIS NEWS #cobalt empire series

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tato-acm · 4 years

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segunda - feira 19. 10. 2020

charlie keating cobalt + roxanne “kotova” ruiz // roxlie playlist

you were my favorite entertainer I watch you, I laugh and we fake it too don't you take me for a fool I'ma show you a thing or two

never seen you comin' I'll turn you down when you need me the most, I will turn you when you need me the most, I will turn you down

————————

“Roxanne Ruiz. She’s eighteen.”

Charlie just turns forward, but I catch his smile.

🎵 entertainer - zayn 📖 charming like us - krista and becca ritchie

roxlie videoedit on ig

roxlie videoedit 2 on ig

#charlie cobalt #charlie keating cobalt #roxanne ruiz #roxanne kotova ruiz #cobalt empire #like us series #like us playlist #roxie #krista and becca ritchie #charming like us

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bluesargentrc · 5 years

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Jane Eleanor Cobalt is an American princess...

#jane cobalt #like us series #kbritchie #cobalt empire #the cobalts #tangled like us #tlu #atyedit #my edit #jane eleanor cobalt

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runesandfaes · 6 years

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Charlie Keating Cobalt

“I don’t want to morph into someone else. I want to be me, whoever that person is, he’s not like you or anyone else, and I’m fighting to find him” -Krista & Becca Ritchie, Lovers Like Us . . . Charlie Cobalt is a character from the Like Us series by @kbmritchie. He is the son of Rose & Connor Cobalt.

#charlie cobalt #charlie keating cobalt #like us #like us series #cobalt empire #lovers like us #damaged like us #alphas like us #some kind of perfect #addicted series #rose calloway #connor cobalt #rose calloway cobalt #rose cobalt #beckett cobalt #jane cobalt #long way down #oscar oliveira

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sockablock · 3 years

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When Essek's old alter ego is suddenly asked by Da'leth to work at Soltryce Academy, nine semi-retired adventurers are thrust back into a web of danger, intrigue, and wizardly shenanigans. (Surprise, surprise! I’m back with another Shadowgast WIP)

Chapter 1: The Worst-Case Scenario

Caleb watched Essek hover back and forth like a miniature, panicked storm cloud.

“This is ridiculous! It must be some kind of joke. We haven't had any contact for years, and now he expects me to believe him? What is he playing at?”

“Breathe, Essek, breathe. You will not solve this mystery by wearing a hole in—above—the carpet.”

“What?” Essek looked down, then stopped floating. “Oh. My apologies. I’m a bit…well, you know.”

“I would be too.” There was urging in Caleb’s voice. “Take a seat, Schatz. Let me see the letter.”

Essek obliged, handing over a crumpled scroll right before collapsing heavily into his chair. The fire of a cold late-autumn evening cast their den in gold and orange light.

“Does he explain himself?” Caleb turned the scroll the right way around. “Does he say why?”

“Has Da’leth ever done that?” Essek snorted. “All he wrote was that I—rather, that Thain, had been selected. And I only have two days to respond.”

Caleb waved his hand, and a glowing orb appeared. He brought it closer to the parchment. “May I?”

“Please.”

“To the esteemed Lord Dezran Thain of Nicodranas—good grief. He really isn’t subtle.”

“Tell me about it,” Essek said.

“Perhaps,” Caleb continued, “you are aware of the ongoing investigations into the Cerberus Assembly. If so, then perhaps you have also heard that Archmage Tversky and Archmage Margolin will be leaving our ranks by the end of the week—ah yes, Beau was quite proud of that.”

“She should be,” Essek said miserably. “It’s about time. Read the next part.”

“And so it falls on the surviving members of our organization to fill these vacant roles. We believe, for the safety and stability of our country, that the next Archmages of Conscription and Dysology should come from within the Empire; however, it has been brought to our attention that adding a Nicodranian mage to our ranks could be quite valuable. Such an alliance would strengthen our ties to the Menagerie Coast, as well as assuage any concerns that the Empire is isolationist or inflexible. Therefore, as we have been friends for some time—really?”

Essek made a face. “I would not have called him my ‘friend’ in any form, but we have known each other for a few decades. Unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately,” Caleb commiserated. He smoothed out the letter and found his place again. “—I wished to have the pleasure of informing you that on behalf of the Cerberus Assembly, you, Lord Dezran Thain of Nicodranas, have been extended the honor of replacing Archmage Margolin in his secondary capacity—as the distinguished and peerless Headmaster of the Soltryce Academy. Oh. My gods.”

Essek groaned. He had his head buried in his hands.

“You Identified this already?” Caleb managed eventually.

Essek nodded. “I wish I hadn’t.”

Caleb continued to stare at the letters. The fluid, curving script seemed to blur all together. “That’s…gods,” he said again.

“Agreed.”

“I…can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now.”

Essek snorted. “Actually, if anyone could, it would be you.” Then something occurred to him. Suddenly, the hearth shone an odd color in his eyes. “This was delivered to our home. To this house, in Rexxentrum. Yours. That…bastard.”

Caleb was quick to understand. He took a deep breath, then reached over for Essek’s hand.

“Maybe it was just enchanted to find you wherever you are. Like a Sending spell.”

“I’d hate to think otherwise. That would mean—”

Caleb interrupted him out of mercy. “Every inch of our tower is warded from divination. Besides, you’ve adopted an endless array of personas. I don’t even think we’ve been seen together with you as Thain, not since the party years ago.”

“Still.” Essek rubbed his eyes. “The timing makes me think he knows something. That, and the fact that it’s for Thain, I mean—what has Thain accomplished? I don’t even remember telling anyone I was a mage!”

“That, ah…that might have been Jester’s fault. She really enjoyed adding to your personas. You needed a past, after all, otherwise you would have just appeared from nowhere.”

“So she told everyone that Thain was a famous wizard?”

“The best lies are often true,” Caleb shrugged. “Though I admit that she might have gone a little overboard. You know how much she likes to praise her friends.”

It was a testament to Essek’s troubled mood that he barely acknowledged this. Caleb squeezed his fingers. “They said…they did say you could reject them. And their political reasoning is not unsound. Maybe that is all there is to it—the Assembly needs someone to be the Headmaster, and they thought of you.”

Even after so many years of trying, Caleb’s reassuring voice still left some things desired. Essek shut his eyes.

“My love, the very idea that the Cerberus Assembly is even thinking of me is a nightmare.”

“Fair enough.”

“I just want to know why,” Essek muttered. “Why now? Why me? What is he after?”

“I don’t know,” Caleb said. “I wish I did.”

Essek suddenly turned toward him. “I—I hate to ask this, but can you find out? You know…ask our old friend the newest Archmage.”

“Ah.” Caleb’s face gave a complicated shuffle, one common these days when Astrid was mentioned.

“If you don’t want to—” Essek hurried.

“No, no, I can…try.” He scratched his chin. “She’s just been less open, lately. She’s not…pleased by how thorough the Soul is being. Beauregard is relentless.”

“It has been seven years. That’s a lot for your kind, but probably just enough for Da’leth to finally realize they mean business—” Essek blinked. “Do you think that’s why he picked me?”

“We don’t know that he’s behind this,” Caleb said lamely. At Essek’s expression, he relented. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop suggesting otherwise.”

“It’s not unappreciated, I just prefer to be direct. It is clear that Da’leth is trying to use me again. This time, in order to hurt you and the Cobalt Soul. There is no point in believing otherwise.”

Caleb brushed Essek’s face. “No, that would require him to think he could use you in the first place. But that is impossible, because Thain does not know Widogast.”

“He does, though.”

“Yes, but is Da’leth aware of that? He cannot be.”

“I thought we put an end to that.”

“Only to statements of idle hope, not facts.” Caleb was now holding both his hands. “The truth of the matter is that…yes, perhaps the Martinet does want you for some devious plan—”

“Oh, lovely—”

“—however, any plan he has cannot be based on our connection. We have been doing this…being us, for seven years now, Essek. If he were going to play against that hand, he would have done so already. This must be something else.”

Essek huffed. “What, though? What reason does he have? I haven’t been important to the Kryn for years. I resigned, I’m virtually a stranger there, and I certainly don’t have any more secrets for sale.” He paused. “Well, ones that Ludinus would desire. I’m useless to him.”

“I highly doubt that,” Caleb said. And his voice, while kind, had a faint edge to it. “You are right in that there probably is some motivation here. It might be related to the investigation in other ways—after all, two members of the Assembly are leaving. That makes four upheavals in under a decade. And if the Soul and the crown are both pushing for the appointment of more partial Archmages, then it might very well be the case that Da’leth just wants someone he can control. In your case, through blackmail.”

“Hooray for me.”

“He probably wouldn’t, though,” Caleb said. “Since, as you said, this is a situation of mutually assured destruction.”

Essek grimaced. “I have been somewhat wishful in that department. Even with your support, it is still my word against the Martinet.”

“Our word. That includes the Cobalt Soul.”

Essek shook his head. “You’ve seen how well he’s stood up to them so far. Can you honestly say that my safety is a sure thing? Don’t lie to me, Caleb.”

There was a pause.

“Essek, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

"I know." He patted Caleb on the hand.

Outside their tower, far away, the evening bells of the Rexxentrum began to ring. One, and then two, and then almost a dozen, loud and bronze across the dimming sky.

“There is one way to find out for sure what Da’leth is planning.”

Essek sighed. “I know. But I don’t like it.”

Caleb leaned back in his seat. “Neither do I.”

The cry of the great bells waned. In their den, all around the wall, points of magelight flared to life—flickering and purple harbingers of night.

“Will you do it?” Caleb said.

“I don’t know if I have a choice.”

“You do,” Caleb said. “The worst-case scenario is that Da’leth tries to talk, and we…deal with that.”

“We’ve been trying to deal with him for years,” Essek said. “And…maybe this is bold of me to say, but the worst-case scenario isn’t that—it’s not knowing. Maybe I can…maybe I can find the answers here. If Da’leth thinks he is controlling me, if he trusts me to do his bidding, maybe I can finally learn something to break his hold.”

“As long as he never truly controls you,” Caleb said. “That is a risk I cannot accept.”

This time, Essek was the one to offer assurance. He gently pressed a kiss to Caleb’s hand.

“You forget,” he said wryly. “I am a powerful wizard. Haven’t you heard my title?”

“Shadowhand?” Caleb said. He did not look fully mollified, but he managed a chuckle. “I thought you were retired.”

Essek smiled. “I was, my love, but now it seems that I have a new role. Starting soon...you will be sharing your home with the next Headmaster of the Soltryce Academy.”

—

✨ Ko-Fi Link in Bio! ✨ | Requests are OPEN :3

#critical role #critrole #critfic #shadowgast #fic #thanks so much for reading!!#i'm really hoping to keep up this story consistently and any feedback is very appreciated <3 #jay writes #long post #fanfiction #text #fanfic #that 'keep reading' had better work i s2g #without fear or favor

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lumorise · 3 years

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Reverse AU, just something random I thought about. Spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 2.

Essek is a young shadowhand who recently escaped the clutches of his den to try and train him for the esteemed position he’s in.

He and an adventuring party have found this beacon in the Dynasty but it’s odd and different- it’s lined with residuum.

Young Thelyss, a wizard who is fascinated by the properties of the beacon over religion, taps into the beacon’s potential- and finds it amplified by the residuum. He doesn’t understand how deep it goes, and holds it tight.

While he has kept a low profile in the Dynasty, a friend of his in the Bright Queen’s court informs him and his party that a prisoner has escaped. This is a very important prisoner- an esteemed alchemist from King Dwendal’s court. They are tasked to get this prisoner back.

Making their way into the empire through the underground tunnels, Essek continues to toy with this modified beacon. He knows that while he could return it to his Den and prove his worth and standing, it would mean he couldn’t study it anymore.

Through a series of encounters, Essek and his party find themselves encountering inter dimensional rifts. They hear tales of an imposing fallen angel and her devil friend wreaking havoc through the esteemed Cobalt Soul. Essek, through research and trickery, finds that a high level expositor seems to have a vested interest in this angel. Though something tells him that it’s more than her wanting to get justice. There’s something more.

Essek’s party manages to get an audience in Dwendal’s court. They are in disguise- a kryn in the Empire is a red flag, and Essek knows it.

Essek sees his quarry in the court- a halfling alchemist, bespectacled and neatly dressed. Behind him stands another halfling with a crossbow. She seems to be a bodyguard, assigned to him after his recent kidnapping. Once again, Essek feels like there’s something more. Her mischievous, observant eyes frequently glance at the alchemist with affection.

Beside King Dwendal is an old, jaundiced man with a long white beard and red robes. Essek has heard of this man- a member of the Cerberus Assembly- Trent Ikithon. Something about the whole party trips him off, and the disguises are dispelled. In a moment of panic, as King Dwendal shouts for his guards, Essek thinks quickly. He can’t be arrested. He’s come too far.

His quick thinking saves him. As he pulls out the residuum lined beacon, a hush comes over the crowd. His party members look around, feeling all eyes on them. The alchemist and his bodyguard stand up, stunned. King Dwendal’s eyes are wider than dinner plates. There is a glint in Master Ikithon’s eyes.

Essek proclaims that he’s a friend of the Empire. He breathes heavily in the silence as the King consults Trent. Trent and the King step forward, their demeanours growing warmer in an instant to the drow that dared to come to the Empire.

As Trent moves from his position, Essek’s stare is fixated on him and the King. But his eyes flick to the figures behind where Trent was standing. They are… Volstruckers? If Essek remembers correctly?

Two of them are hidden in shadow. But the one at the front- a ginger man with his hair tied in a bun, geometric tattoos lining his forearms, and books holstered at his sides- seems to be fixated on Essek. His expression is neutral, but his eyes are brimming with words.

As Essek presents the beacon over, his heart pounding in his ears, he swears he hears the Volstrucker mutter “Scheiße,” under his breath. But he can’t be sure. He doesn’t understand Zemnian anyway.

As the two old men fall back, pleased with the contribution, they talk to him. And after what feels more like an interrogation than a conversation, Trent puts his hand up.

“I am pleased with your… gift. You are guests of the Empire. My most accomplished Volstrucker will accompany you and help you with anything you may wish. As long as he’s with you, you have nothing to worry about in the Empire. I guarantee it.”

As the ginger Volstrucker steps forward, a warm smile on his face, Trent introduces him. “Essek Theylss, friend of the Empire- this is Volstrucker Bren Aldric Ermendrud.”

And once again, Essek feels like he notices something, as the Volstrucker flinches at his own name.

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