#critrole spooktober

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 1: Haunted House 🎃

"Fjord, what are you doing?" It took every ounce of self-control not to laugh when Fjord quickly straightened up from his spot tucked into his shoulder. "I told you that you did not need to come. I could have gone with Beauregard, Yasha and Jester. Why didn't you stay with Cad?"

"Staying with Cad isn't spending time with you."

"We have the rest of the evening together. A fifteen minute separation is not that big of a deal."

"It's fine. I can totally handle it. It's just a haunted house. None of it is even real. There's nothing to be scared of."

Unable to hold it back any longer, Caleb reached back a hand to bury in the hair at the back of Fjord's head as he laughed. "Are you telling me that or trying to convince yourself? You still have time to duck out of line. I won't be offended if you do."

"I can't leave you by yourself!"

"It is not a big deal. I can handle it by myself. All I have to do is follow the one path. You do not need to keep me company."

"Is it so bad that I want to spend time with you?"

"We have not even entered and you are already trying to hide behind me."

"That is not what I'm trying to do. I just enjoy your company and it's a little chilly out. Can you blame me for wanting to use your body warmth to my advantage?"

"No, but that is not what you are doing. I know you  are not a horror fan. There is nothing wrong with that. Horror isn't for everyone. You don't need to go through the haunted house for my sake."

"None of it's real. I'll be fine." His face tucked into the scarf wrapped around Caleb's neck causing his bread to brush against sensitive skin as he spoke. "You'll be with me. As long as you're with me, I'll be fine."

"That would be very romantic if you didn't sound seconds away from passing out on me. As much faith as you have in me, I will not be able to carry you if that happens."

"I'm not going to pass out."

"Fjord."

"I'm not! I just... I can handle one haunted house. It's not my favorite thing, but you'll be there and we're staying together tonight. It will be fine."

"As long as you're sure."

"Positive."

While it was a little difficult, Caleb awkwardly craned his neck to press a kiss to the top of Fjord's head. "Into the haunted house we go. It might be easier to move if you hold my hand."

"I am good right where I am. Thank you very much."

"You are such a dork."

"We can't go anywhere if you don't walk."

"Stick close to me."

"It is literally impossible to get rid of me right now."

"That is good to know." Despite his claim, Fjord released his waist to take hold of Caleb's hand when he took a step forward. "Thank you for coming with me."

"There's nowhere else I want to be."

"You'll regret saying that in a few minutes."

"Don't remind me."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #haunted house #fluff #comfort #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 2: Witchcraft 🎃

The creak of the door across the hall from his opening tipped him off to the neighbor that greeted him when he turned around. As always, Fjord gave him a kind smile and a little wave he returned in kind. Unlike normal, he scuffed his foot uncertainly against the ground, then took a step closer to him instead of heading down the hall. Caleb tried to casually lean back against his door and raised an eyebrow in question of his unexpected behavior.

After clearing his throat, Fjord took one more step forward and shoved his hands in the pocket of his coat. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I do not see why not."

"I hope this isn't rude, but I have noticed a few things that sparked my curiosity and I've never been good at resisting the temptation to get answers whenever possible."

"We both have that incommon, my friend. What is it you want to ask?"

"I'm not quite sure the best way to ask this. Do you..." Fjord pulled a hand out of his pocket to wiggle his fingers, then quickly shoved it back in. "Magic?"

While Caleb couldn't hold back a little smirk, he managed to contain the laughter the wanted to bubble out. "It is called witchcraft, and yes, I do perform witchcraft. That is how I make most of my money. Brewing potions, performing spells, breaking enchantments. Magic."

"That's amazing. It also explains why you have so many weird people coming in and out of your apartment all the time."

"No, that is Beauregard's fault. She likes to break her hookups back to our place. Her taste is questionable."

 "Is that so?"

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself. Another mystery to solve."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Maybe."

"I'll figure it out." A bright smile flashed across his face, then he took a few steps back. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to buy you coffee and listen to you talk about everything you do. I've always been interested in magic, but never known anyone that knows anything about it. Only if you want to. Obviously. Just a thought."

"You want to listen to me talk about magic?"

"Is that a rude thing to ask? I'm sorry. Just my curiosity getting the best of me."

"No, no. Not rude at all. Most people don't have any interest in the details. They just want to see the tricks. Beau gets annoyed with me when I ramble about it."

"Really? That's surprising. Magic has always seemed so fascinating to me. I couldn't imagine learning about it being boring."

"Well then, buy me a coffee and I'll tell you a few things."

"Friday evening?"

"Ja, that works for me. Knock when you're ready."

"It's a date."

Before Caleb could reply, Fjord quickly spun on his heels and booked it down the stairs as quickly as possible without breaking into a full sprint. "You are a strange one, Fjord. Coffee will certainly be interesting."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #witchcraft #fluff #flirting #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 14: Howl🎃

A dip from weight pressing down on the bed next to him caused Caleb to groggily wake from his sleep. The warmth of a body wrapping around him almost tempted him to ignore the disturbance and go back to sleep, but he forced himself to stay awake. While the arms made it difficult, Caleb managed to roll over to come face to face with Fjord. An apologetic smile greeted him for a brief moment, until Fjord gave him a lazy kiss that his sluggish mind barely kept up with.

When a loud howl sounded in the distance, Caleb broke the kiss to raise an eyebrow at Fjord that caused a blush to stain his cheeks. Rather than explain, Fjord settled a large hand on his ribs and ran his hand down Caleb's side. Even though he wanted answers, the desire to go back to sleep coupled with Fjord's attention won out over his curiosity. As he almost tipped over the brink of sleep, another howl broke through the silence and wakened his mind.

"Fjord, did you ditch them to cuddle?"

"No." Large hands maneuvered Caleb to slot perfectly against Fjord's chest with his head tucked beneath his chin. "I ditched them because I'm tired from getting woken up by our ray of sunshine before dawn."

"They're going to wake her up."

"I told them I'll ditch for the next six months if that happens."

"Fingers crossed they wake her."

A low laugh rumbled through Fjord's body. "If you want me to stay home, I can."

"Pack is important."

"Which is why being home with the two of you is important. All you have to do is say the world and I'll stay here."

"Beau would be pissed."

"She'd understand. Babies are a lot of work. It's not fair to leave all the work to you when you don't get to do the same."

"It's not a problem. She's getting better at going to sleep."

"But she still wakes up early, and I know how much you hate waking up before noon."

"It's worth it."

Conversation lulled to comfortable silence allowing Caleb to ease back into the arms of sleep. Unfortunately, he was once again brought back to complete consciousness when another howl sounded. A beat of silence passed, then the sound of crying came from the room across the hall. With a heavy sigh, the arms around him disappeared as Fjord rolled out of bed to calm their crying daughter.

Caleb forced himself to stay awake for Fjord's return, only to slide out of bed when the next howl reached his ears. He met Fjord in the hallway and immediately held his arms out to take their daughter from him. A low grumbling rolled out of Fjord's lips as he trudged over to the front door to the sound of another howl.

"I'm going to kill them."

"Don't track blood in the house when you get back."

"I won't." After pressing a kiss to the top of both their head, Fjord opened the and stepped out into the cool night. "I'll be back soon. Don't wait up for me if she goes back to sleep. You look exhausted."

"Okay, love. Don't run into any trees."

"I'll try not to, but no promises."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #howl #fluff #established relationship #werewolf au #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 27: Werewolf🎃

A heavy weight landing on the couch next to him pulled Caleb's attention away from the stack of papers in his lap. He quickly lifted the papers up before Fjord crumpled them under his furry head that plopped onto his thighs. After rolling his eyes at his ridiculous husband, Caleb ran his hand along the silky fur atop his head. The pleased rumble from his chest vibrated the couch and brought a smile to Caleb's face.

He gave a playful flick to Fjord's ear that earned him a low growl that immediately cut off when Caleb gave his nose a light smack. To make Caleb feel bad, Fjord pressed his ears back and made his eyes go as wide as possible. While he would have given into that pathetic expression when they first started dating, he knew better than to do so at this point in their relationship. Instead, he took advantage of Fjord's pushed back ears by placing his papers on his head and getting back to grading.

As he expected an annoyed huff came from Fjord at being used as a grading surface, which Caleb completely ignored. It wasn't until he transformed back into his human form that Caleb finally lifted the pages from his head. Before Fjord could bat them away, Caleb set them on the couch next to him. With a sigh, he slid down the cushions and buried his fingers in Fjord's thick hair.

"Is there something I can do for you or are you just desperate for attention?"

"Why not both?"

"I have papers that need grading."

"You've been working for hours. Can't you take a little break? Just for... thirty minutes?"

"If I don't get these graded tonight, my students are going to send me a million emails asking about their grades."

"It won't take you all night. All I'm asking for is thirty minutes."

"I don't want to work through the night. Thirty minutes will turn into an hour will turn into a few hours. Let me finish, then you can have all of my attention."

"Sorry. It's just-"

"There's no reason to apologize." Despite the awkward angle, Caleb bent down to drop a kiss on Fjord's temple. "If it helps, you are welcome to hang around as long as you give me space to grade. It should not take long. This is the last assignment."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not. You are always welcome to join me."

After a few moments of simply staring up at Caleb, Fjord pushed himself up to free up his lap for grading papers. He maneuvered himself between Caleb and the couch cushions, then rested his chin on Caleb's shoulder. It didn't take long before soft snoring started next to his ear that brought a smile to his face. Once he settled back into Fjord's chest, he returned to his work and quickly finished up his last pile of assignments.

As soon as he marked the last grade, he tossed the papers onto the coffee table, then snuggled back into Fjord's chest. "Should we move this to bed?"

"Comfy."

"A few hours at most. We are not sleeping here. You'll wake up miserable in the morning."

"Okay. Quiet now."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #werewolf #werewolf au #fluff #romance #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 24: Scarecrow🎃

"What are you drawing?" Fjord let out an exaggerated groan as he joined his daughter on the kitchen floor. "Is it your daddy?"

"No! Daddy doesn't look like this."

"Is it Molly?"

"No."

"Cad?"

"No."

"Beau?"

"Now you're just being silly."

"How am I being silly? Look at it! It's clearly wearing blue, which is the only color your aunt has in her wardrobe."

A loud giggle filled the kitchen that had Caleb glancing over his shoulder from his spot at the stove to fondly smile at their daughter. "It's a scarecrow. See? It's protecting the pumpkins."

"That makes much more sense. Is that crow the scarecrow's friend?"

"Yes."

"That's very cool."

"Papa said they're supposed to keep crows away, but I think they should be friends. Their arms are the perfect spot for them to sit."

"Maybe, there are some scarecrows out there that are friends with crows that sit on their arms."

"This one is."

"Then there is at least one."

"Daddy said we could go to the store this weekend and buy stuff to make a scarecrow."

"We'll need to make a list, so we don't forget something like we did last time."

"We made one!" Una pointed at the notepad on the refrigerator with a bright smile. "Daddy helped me write it."

"It's a good thing he did. You know he's much better at making things than I am."

"You're still going to make scarecrows with us, right?"

"Of course, but don't expect mine to look as good as the ones you and your daddy make."

"I can help you!"

"You would do that?"

"Yes! I bet daddy would too."

"Why would you help?"

She dropped her crayon to the ground, so she could clamber into his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. "Because we love you!"

"You do?"

"Daddy, tell papa that we love him!"

The click of a burner turning off and clang of a pot moving were followed by the soft padding of Caleb crossing the kitchen. A warm body pressed against his back, then chin settled on his head and arms wound around them both. He leaned slightly back into Caleb's chest to enjoy the peace of having both the people he loved most in the world around him.

"We love papa very much. Even if he comes home stinky after work and doesn't shower."

"Wow, that's all you have to say to me. That I stink?"

"I also said that I love you. We both love you very much. You do need shower. Dinner is still ten minutes away. Go shower and get into something comfortable."

"Only because we're watching a Halloween movie after dinner and I don't want to hold us up."

"That's very sweet of you." After kissing his cheek, Caleb rose from the floor to get back to making dinner. "Una, can you put away your colors, wash your hands and sit at the table before your papa is ready for dinner."

"Yes!"

"You better get going or he's going to beat you."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #scarecrow #parent au #fluff #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 4: Shadow 🎃

The glow of the street lamps provided just enough light to help her avoid the large puddles and cracks in the sidewalk. While she was used to walking this route home every night after work, something about the low fog and a few flickering lights had her on edge. It felt like someone was watching her, but the street was deserted of cars and most of the houses had their curtains drawn closed. Every so often, she glanced over her shoulder to check behind her for anyone that might be following behind her. Despite checking at irregular times she never found another person in sight.

As she rounded the corner to her street, a strange shadow moving in the corner of her eye brought her to a sudden halt. At the same time her hand reached into her bag, Beau glanced around for the source of the movement. When she didn't immediately spot anything, she took a few more quick steps closer to the house. On the next sign of movement, her head whipped around to follow it.

She let out a sigh of relief at the sight of a tiny cat skittering across the pavement with their eyes focused on her. The lack of collar brought her to an immediate halt, then she knelt down and stretched out an inviting hand. Big eyes blinked at her and the tail flicked behind it as it began creeping closer to her. She kept her hand perfectly still while she waited for the cat to take the fail step to sniff her offered fingers.

Once the cat began nuzzling her hand, she gave it a few pets to calm it, then gently lifted it into her arms. Its ribs felt entirely too sharp against her hands and the smell immediately hit her nose when she brought it up to her chest. With a frustrated sigh, she continued to pet the small cat the short distance to the house. The moment she stepped through the front door she called out to the other occupant.

"Hey, Caleb! I've got a new friend for you."

After a few moments, a head poked out of the kitchen, then Caleb completely stepped out as soon as his eyes landed on the cat. "Who is this?"

"No idea? Saw it lurking in the shadows and noticed it didn't have a collar. It feels like it hasn't eaten in a while."

"You think someone abandoned it?"

"It definitely hasn't been taken care of recently and I haven't seen anyone looking for a cat. At the very least, we should take care of it tonight and take it to a vet in the morning. People chip their pets, right?"

"Ja, Frumpkin has one. That is a good plan for this little one. I am almost done with dinner. After we eat, we can give your shadow a bath and feed it."

"What should I do with it now?"

"Grab a blanket and make a little bed for it on the kitchen floor. We don't want it wandering around the house."

"Blanket it is." Beau adjusted her hold on the cat, then headed for the closet where Caleb stored Frumpkin’s extra stuff. "You're going to be living the high life tonight. Caleb loves cats. He'll know exactly how to take care of you."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #empire siblings #empire kids #beauregard lionett #caleb widogast #shadow #fluff #cat #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 7: Afterlife🎃

The tug of the fresh stitches in his side almost caused him to let out a hiss of pain, but he bit his bottom lip to hold it back. After taking a few deep breaths to get through the pain, he glanced over his shoulder to check on his partner. While he wanted nothing more than to smile at how cozy Caleb looked snuggled under the blankets, the memory of only a few hours earlier caused his heart to ache. He slowly reached over to brush a stray strand of hair out of his face, then carefully rose from the bed.

When he was certain Caleb wouldn't wake, he crept out of the room to the small balcony connected to it. The sea breeze blowing in from the ocean greeted him along with a floral scent that comfortingly wrapped around him. He closed the door behind him as quietly as possible, then used the railing to help lower to his knees. It took a little maneuvering, but he eventually found a position that didn't cause his body to scream in protest.

For a few moments, he simply enjoyed the view stretched out before him, then he let his eyes slip closed. The floral scent immediately picked up and the breeze grew so strong he could feel his hair move. When he opened his eyes again, a woman sat next to him on a beautiful beach with the moons shining down on them. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder that he thoughtlessly leaned into. 

"Something is on your mind."

"You could say that." Fjord ran his hand through his hair, then let it fall uselessly to his lap. "For so long, I've been terrified of that happening. I've seen him go down so many times and I try so hard to protect him. It's not that he's weak. Honestly, he's one of the strongest people I've ever met. Everything he's gone through and to still be such a kind person is amazing. I can't lose him. I almost did."

"He was still there for you. Even in death, he will be there for you."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't want him watching over me from the afterlife. It's selfish, but I want him here. He's never talked about what he wants after we're done with all of this. I think he's been so focused on taking Trent down no matter the cost that after didn't factor in. Now, Trent's gone and I feel like I can see the end of all of this. I hope he sees that too and, maybe, wants the same thing I do. If he's in the afterlife and I'm not, we can't have that."

"There is a lot left for both of you to do, and you will do it together. That is where you want to be. The same is true for him. The bond that ties you together is strong. It can withstand more than you might realize."

"That is comforting. Thank you."

"An outside perspective can sometimes provide the assurance we need on things closest to our hearts." After giving his shoulder a light squeeze Melora helped him to his feet with a kind smile. "Your love is looking for you. It would be rude to keep him waiting. You both need your rest."

Before he could open his mouth to respond, he blinked and the world around him completely disappeared. Instead, he found himself looking out at the city of Nicodranas spread out before him. With Melora's words in mind, he began to struggle to his feet, only to pause at the sound of the balcony door opening. Caleb leaned against the doorway with the duvet wrapped around his shoulders like an oversized cloak.

"Fjord, what are you doing out here? It's two in the morning."

"Having a conversation."

"Oh, am I interrupting?" A yawn Caleb barely managed to cover interrupted his next sentence. "I'll go back to bed."

"No, I'm done. Help me up?"

"Of course."

While he tried to do most of the work on his own, the stitches made it difficult to manage and Caleb ended up taking more of his weight than he would have liked. "Now, let's both get back to bed. You know what Jessie said. A full night's rest."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #fjord #melora #caleb widogast #afterlife #angst #hurt/comfort #referenced character death #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 20: Costumes🎃

"If you stare any harder, you're going to burn holes in him."

"I am not staring."

"Really? What exactly would you call what you're doing right now? I would call that staring."

A flush stained his checks that he tried to hide by looking down at the drink clutched tightly in his hand. "I am just appreciating his costume. That is all."

"You're doing a little more than appreciating."

"You mean like you did more than appreciate when Yasha walked in wearing that armor and the wings."

"Did you see the sword she had?"

"Ja, I saw the sword." The dreamy sigh Beau exhaled at the mere thought of Yasha with a huge sword had Caleb fondly rolling his eyes. "Why don't you go talk to her? I'm sure she would love to hear what you think of the sword."

"That's... I don't know what I would even say."

"How do you normally start a conversation with her? Hello is a good place to start."

"I don't need sass from someone that can't even attempt he's been staring at Fjord all night."

"You know him?"

"We workout together. I could introduce you."

"That doesn't seem like a good idea."

A grin stretched across Beau's face that immediately put Caleb on edge for fear of what she had in mind. "Why would you say that? Fjord is a nice guy. He would love to meet you."

"You know I would make a fool out of myself."

"You're not giving yourself enough credit. You'd only mostly make a fool out of yourself."

"That is not comforting, Beauregard."

"Then stop overthinking it." Before he could stop her, Beau raised her voice and rose a hand. "Hey, Fjord! What are you doing here? You didn't tell me you would be here."

After saying something to the people he was speaking with, Fjord moved to join them and gave Beau a quick side hug. "It was a last minute decision to come. Jessie got an invite and insisted I tag along. I was going to text you to let you know, but things got busy and it slipped my mind."

"Were you busy putting together this cool costume? I like the cape. It's a good look."

"Very funny. Aren't these your formal work clothes?"

"Nobody else knows that, and they show off my abs. Why wouldn't I wear them?"

"With that logic, I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't wear them to a Halloween party."

"That's what I thought." Beau gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder causing him to wince and rub at the spot. "If you're done being jealous at the best costume at this party, I wanted to introduce you to my friend. This is Caleb. Caleb, Fjord."

"It's nice to meet you. I like the book holster. Let me guess, you're a wizard."

"Yeah, Caleb. Are you a wizard?"

He glared at Beau, then turned to Fjord with the best smile he could muster. "Ja, it's not very creative considering I am a wizard, but I did not have much time to put something together."

"It looks great. I never would have known if you told me that."

"Thank you. I like yours as well. It's very well done."

"Thanks. It's the same one I wore last year, but I figured no one would notice."

"No use wasting a good costume."

"My thought exactly."

"Well," A firm clap on the back almost caused Caleb to stumble forward into Fjord. "while you two talk to each other, I am going to talk to Yasha. I'll catch up with you both later."

"You think she's actually going to talk to her?"

Caleb tipped his head thoughtfully to the side as he considered Fjord's question. "I'm sure we'll find out later."

"Well, in the meantime, can I get you a drink?"

"That would be great. Thank you."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #empire siblings #empire kids #widofjord #caleb widogast #beauregard lionett #fjord #costumes #banter #party #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 10: Boo-tiful🎃

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind as he closed his spell book and set aside the completed item. He leaned back into Fjord's chest and tipped his head to the side, so he could see Fjord's face. Despite the awkward angle, the smile made him look incredibly handsome and the urge to press a kiss against the underside of his jaw was too great to pass up. The rumble of a chuckle reverberated through Caleb's back where their bodies were pressed together.

"It's good to see you too."

With a hum, Caleb placed another kiss on his jaw, then let his head rest on Fjord's shoulder. "I did not realize you would be back today. Did you wrap up business early?"

"The wind was in our favor. It helped shave a few days off our journey."

"And I suppose the Wildmother had nothing to do with that."

"I may have used control water a few times to give us a little boost, but it was mostly the wind."

"If you say so. Either way, I am happy to have you back, and just in time. There's nothing that needs my attention now that is finished."

"I wouldn't say nothing needs your attention. I can think of someone that has very much been looking forward to having all of your attention."

"All of it?"

"Is that a problem?"

"I wouldn't say no to a little convincing."

"Convincing?" Fjord looked up at the ceiling with his face wrinkled up in thought as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "What if I told you that you are the most intelligent and incredible person that I have ever met?"

"Really?"

"Would I ever lie to you?"

"Do I need to remind you that is exactly what you did when you were too nervous to propose?"

The arms around his waist tightened as Fjord shoved his face against the side of his neck and let at a loud groan. "I thought we agreed to never bring that up again."

"How can I not? That is one of the reasons I married you."

"Because I sometimes act like a bumbling idiot?"

"Because your heart is in the right. Even when you lied to my face about why we went to a museum, then had a nice lunch and walked around the park. It was very entertaining to try to see you dig yourself out of that hole."

"Why would you say that when I was being so nice to you?"

"What? It was very cute."

"Stop it." A pinch to his side nearly caused him to wriggle out of Fjord's hold, but his arms remained locked around his waist.

"Or what?"

"Have I told you today that you are boo-tiful?"

"And the moment has officially been ruined. I am going to feed Frumpkin and make dinner. Why don't you get settled in and take a shower or something?"

"Wait, wait, wait. How about we order something to be delivered and take that shower together?"

"After that joke?"

The brush of scruff against the side of his neck made it difficult to hold back a pleased groan. "Where do you want to order from?"

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #boo-tiful #established relationship #fluff #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 28: Cloak🎃

A shiver ran through Caleb as the harsh wind kicked up around them bringing with it a fresh wave of freezing cold. His breath swirled in front of his face with every puff forced from his lungs as he struggled to keep up with the group. He wanted nothing more than to plop down in the middle of the snow and bring up the hut to protect him from the cold. If they weren't worried about getting caught in a snow storm, he might have suggested the idea to the group.

Instead, he struggled on in silence next to Beau, who seemed to be so determined to reach their destination that the snow didn't bother her. On the next strong gust, he wrapped his arms around his chest to preserve his own heat as much as possible. He was so focused on trying to keep warm he jumped in surprise when something clicked around his neck and dropped onto his shoulder. For a moment, fear spiked through him as memories of a collar rendering him completely useless immediately popped in his head.

When he realized the heavy weight of fabric draped around his shoulders and down his body, he glanced down to find a familiar cloak covering him. He was so surprised by the cloak, he did nothing to avoid Fjord flicking the hood over his head. The instant he collected his thoughts once again he turned to Fjord as he reached up to unclasp the cloak. A glove covered hand prevented him from doing so, then gently forced his hand away from the clasp.

"What are you doing? It's freezing."

"I have a coat."

"That is not warm enough."

Fjord shrugged his shoulders, then tightened the cloak to better prevent the cold from sneaking in. "I'll be fine for now. If it gets that bad, I'll take it back."

"The bottom is going to get soaked."

"It's only dragging a little."

"Are you-"

"Yes, I'm sure I want you to take it. You look like the next wind is going to turn you into a statue."

"It is not that bad."

"From the way you're shivering, I would argue that it is that bad and you should just accept it."

"Only for a little while." With his conceit, Caleb adjust the cloak to lift it off the ground, so it wouldn't accidentally rip. "It is very warm."

"It is. I'll have to get it shortened the next time we're near a tailor. I didn't think you were that short."

"I am an average human height."

"Sure."

"Very funny." He tugged the cloak up a little higher, then glanced out of the corner of his eye at Fjord. "You should not alter your belongings for me. It was kind of you to offer it, but I will buy my own if we find ourselves going to a similar environment in the future."

"Why would you do that when you can use mine?"

"Because you need yours."

"But it looks better on you."

If his cheeks weren't flushed from the cold, he knew the compliment would have caused him to turn bright red. "Even if that were true, that is not more important than you not freezing."

"Fine, we'll get you your own. Maybe, one with an amber liner."

"I think you are getting ahead of yourself. We should focus on the task ahead of us first."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #cloak #fluff #height difference #sharing clothes #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 9: Cackle🎃

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Caleb came to a halt with his hand on the door handle as he turned back to look at Fjord. "Why would it not be a good idea? We are just meeting my exs that I have not seen in eleven years for drinks because they happen to be in town. I don't see how that could possibly be a bad idea."

"That's not funny. You're trying to be funny, but you're not funny. That is the exact opposite of funny, especially when both of them are powerful wizards that could turn me into dust."

"They won't turn you into dust. Plus, Eodwulf is also a paladin of the Raven Queen. You have something in common to talk about already."

"That does not make me feel better. All that means is he can stab me while Astrid incinerates me."

"Fire is my thing, not hers."

"You are not helping at all."

"Fjord," A grin spread across his face as he rose onto the tips of his toes to wrap his arms around Fjord's neck and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "there is absolutely no reason for you to be worried. We romantically parted ways a long time ago, but we are still friends. They were happy to hear that I am seeing someone and they are the ones that suggested you join us for drinks. They want to meet you."

"To kill me."

"You are being ridiculous. However, if you are really that concerned, I can tell them you weren't able to make it and take a taxi back to the apartment when we're done."

"That would be rude."

"The point of this is to have fun. I don't want you to be stuck here with me if this isn't going to be fun for you."

"I'm just... I'll be fine. It's not a big deal, right?"

"To me? No. To you? Ja, it is or you wouldn't be so reluctant to go inside."

"You've been excited about this all week. I don't want to ruin it for you."

"There is nothing to ruin. I will have a fun night either way."

"But you want me to be there."

Before Fjord could say anything else, Caleb gave him a quick kiss that cut him off. "I am going to join my friends for drinks. You can join us or you can go home. It's completely up to you."

"I'll join you. It'll be fun."

"It will."

They exchanged another kiss, then Fjord guided him over to the door and held it open for him to enter first. As soon as his eyes landed on the two familiar faces in a corner booth, he gave them a wave in greeting. When his hand dropped back to his side, fingers threaded through his and gave a firm squeeze. Fjord helped him slide into the booth, then slid in after him and draped an arm across his shoulders.

"It is good to see you again, Caleb. You look good."

"It is good to see you too, Wulf. And you, Astrid."

"We were excited to hear you had time to meet. You and Fjord." To his surprise, Astrid let out a terrifying cackle that immediately caused Fjord to stiffen next to him. "All parts of the plan have fallen into place."

"You are going to scare him away."

"He hasn't left yet."

"I am suddenly remembering why I have not seen either of you in eleven years. Let's make it twenty-two next time."

"What? You don't like Halloween now?"

"It is not Halloween."

With a smile, Astrid pushed a beer across the table to Fjord. "Do not pretend you are not already getting in the spirit. Has he covered everything in decorations?"

"Do not answer that question, Fjord. That is none of her business."

"That is what I thought."

"You were just trying to get a reaction. I know your tricks."

"A little fun."

"Fun for you." He flicked the straw from his drink at her as he leaned into Fjord's side. "How about you tell me what you have been up to instead of trying to be funny?"

"When you asked so nicely, I don't know why I wouldn't."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #past blumentrio #caleb widogast #fjord #astrid #eodwulf #cackle #established relationship #banter #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 3: Bloodcurdling 🎃

After struggling to force her key into the lock, Beau shoved the door open with her shoulder almost causing it to slam into the wall. Despite knowing it would annoy her later, she kicked her shoes off and dropped her bag just instead of the door. While she wanted to head straight to her room to change, she knew the temptation to immediately crawl into bed and sleep would be too strong to resist. Instead, Beau went to the kitchen in search of something quick she could do for dinner.

The sight of a wine glass waiting for her on one of the counters as she entered helped ease some of the frustration weighing on her shoulders. With the wine glass in one hand, she opened the refrigerator to see what might be leftover from earlier in the week. A heavy sigh fell from her lips at the mostly empty shelves that greeted her upon opening the door. Both of them had been too busy to go to the grocery store recently and the sight before her showed that.

Although she hated to do it, she grabbed what must have been Caleb's leftovers from today to warm up for her own dinner. After spooning it into a bowl, she placed it in the microwave and planned to drink more wine while she waited. A bloodcurdling scream almost caused her to spill the wine all over the counter on her way to pick it up. Before she could fully process what happened, her feet carried her to the living room as quickly as possible.

The intense beat of her heart sounded so loud in her ears that the surprising calm she walked into felt completely out of place. Blue eyes stared at her from behind a pillow that Caleb had tightly clutched to his chest. She glanced at the television to find a familiar horror movie she recommended he watch playing. If she weren't on the verge of falling asleep, the situation might have caused her to laugh so hard she cried. Rather than laughing, she leaned against the doorway and dropped her head in her hands.

"This is why I suggested we watch it together."

Caleb pulled the pillow down just far enough to uncover his mouth. "I thought you were going to be back later."

"We wrapped up earlier than expected."

"You could join me now."

"Just while I eat. I need to get up early tomorrow." As she turned to return to the kitchen, she paused to look back at Caleb. "By the way, I stole your leftover."

"I knew you would. We need to go shopping this weekend or we're going to end up eating takeout all next week."

"Think we could convince Fjord to do it for us?"

"We cannot ask Fjord to go to the grocery store for us again. I do not want to do it either, but we are adults that are expected to do things like go to the grocery store to buy food."

"That's not true. If we were rich, we would pay people to do it for us."

"We are not rich, so that is not an option."

She flipped Caleb the bird, then continued her way back to the beeping microwave. "I'm starting to wish that scream was because you were actually getting murdered."

"There's still time."

"I'll cross my fingers."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #empire siblings #empire kids #beauregard lionett #caleb widogast #bloodcurdling #horror movies #screaming #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 17: Nightmare🎃

Fjord watched in horror as the blade jutted out of Caleb's upper chest right where his heart beat in his chest. The brightness of his eyes from casting rapidly dimmed and his hands reached up to grasp at the blade. Before his hands could wrap around it, it disappeared leaving behind a dark stain that spread across his silver shirt. Another wave of horror struck him when the blade reappeared in the exact same spot.

Instead of reacting, Caleb's body went completely limp and would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for the blade. As the blade began to withdrawal, Fjord instinctively misty stepped to Caleb just in time to catch him. He carefully cradled him against his chest on the way down to the ground. The instant his knees hit dirt he gently adjusted Caleb against his chest to see his eyes completely devoid of any light.

"Caleb? Come on. You can't do this to me." He gently cradled Caleb's face to put all the healing he had left into him. "Please work. Please, Caleb."

"Fjord!"

His eyebrows wrinkled up in confusion at the sound of Caleb's voice filling his head despite the lifeless body in his arms. The next shout of his voice came from a completely different source than he would have expected. While he was tempted to continue staring at Caleb, he looked over his shoulder. He completely quit breathing at the sight of Caleb standing behind him with a hand out stretch toward him.

"It's not real. You need to let go."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I..." He looked down at the body in his arms, then shakily lowered him to the ground. "Yes."

"You need to wake up."

"How do I do that?"

"The same way you always do. Open your eyes."

"They are open."

"Fjord, open your eyes."

It felt like he took a punch to the chest from the firmness of Caleb's words causing his eyes to close in pain. When he forced them back open, he found himself looking at a concerned face framed by hair that fell from his ponytail. He immediately pushed off the ground to wrap his arms around Caleb and pulled him onto his lap. Caleb sank easily against his chest and returned the hug as he pressed his nose against the side of Fjord's head.

"What the fuck happened?"

"They hit you with a spell. It was just a nightmare. That's all it was."

"Thank the Wildmother. You died. I watched it."

"It wasn't real. None of it was real."

Fjord moved back from Caleb just enough to catch his lips in a searing kiss, then rested their foreheads together. "Let's agree to never let that happen."

"Agreed."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #fjord #caleb widogast #nightmare #mentioned character death #blood #emotional hurt/comfort #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 16: Masquerade🎃

A gold mask with intricate purple and orange designs swirling along the edges covered the top half of the man's face. The black suit he wore clung perfectly to his thin frame except for the sleeves that widened at the elbow to drape down his sides. If Beau weren't in the middle of introducing them, Fjord would have been content to simply enjoy the view. Blue eyes accented by dark liner, red hair braided back in a bun, nimble fingers playing with his sleeve. So many things Fjord wanted the time to appreciate.

"This is Fjord. He's the captain of the Ball-Eater, and a damn good one."

"So you've mentioned in every letter." The little uptick of the corners of his lips gave away the playful nature of his accented words. "Where are the rest of the crew you've told me so much about?"

"Around here somewhere. You won't be able to miss Jessie and Molly."

"How much trouble will I have to clean up after?"

"You act like you can't just wave your hand to get rid of it all."

"That depends on what they do. There are several dignitaries here that require more than a little magic to get back in our good graces."

"They promised to be on their best behavior."

A low hum fell from his lips that spoke of knowing that promise meant little. "Don't expect me to bail you out of prison again."

"One time."

"And I'll never let you live it down. Now, go enjoy the party an acceptable amount. There's free alcohol."

"Don't scare Fjord off."

"If you haven't already done that, I don't think I need to worry about that."

Before disappearing in the crowd, Beau flipped him the bird without a care for the people around them that saw. With a roll of his eyes, all attention shifted to Fjord bringing a mischievous glint to his eyes. Fjord cleared his throat and nervously adjusted the plain blue mask digging into the ridge of his nose.

"Well, that was certainly entertaining. I think that means we can stop pretending not to know each other with Beau."

"To be fair, I didn't realize she was talking about you. I've met other Calebs."

"I suppose."

"You also failed to mention you had a sister that is part of the Cobalt Soul."

"We aren't related by blood."

"Could have fooled me. You like you've know each other your entire lives."

"It feels like it sometimes." Caleb's eyes danced over the crowd, then his piercing gaze returned to Fjord. "Are you going to ask me to dance?"

"Do I need to? I was under the impression I would be the only one you dance with."

"Not if you don't ask."

After gently taking Caleb's hand, Fjord pressed a kiss to the back of it and gave a small bow. "Would you care to dance?"

"Lead the way."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #empire siblings #empire kids #caleb widogast #fjord #beauregard lionett #masquerade #secret relationship #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 5: Vampire 🎃

The press of lips against his neck drew his attention from the book propped open in his lap to the man behind him. He let out a pleased hum when tusks gently scraped along the underside of his jaw. Reaching a hand back allowed him to bury his fingers in the soft strands of Fjord’s hair to encourage him to continue. A light nip against his skin brought a low chuckle from him that caused a smile to form on the lips pressed against his throat.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

Laughter followed by another kiss to his throat preceded a hand trailing along the front of his chest to rest over his heart. “I thought you might enjoy being on the opposite end of this for a change. Was I right?”

“It is certainly interesting. I’ll admit I’m more curious what brought this on.”

“You were distracted by your reading. It seemed like the perfect time to sneak up on you.”

“I see, so you wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Something like that. It is also because it’s getting late and you should come to bed.”

“A surprise and a bribe.” After taking a moment longer to soak in the wonderful sensation of Fjord kissing and dragging his tusks along his throat, Caleb shut his book and placed it on the side table. “It is a little difficult to go to bed when you are leaning over me like this.”

“That’s very funny. We both know you could easily get out of this.”

“It makes things a lot easier if you move.”

“What if I want you to move me?”

“I thought you wanted to go to bed.”

“I can want both.”

With a thoughtful hum, Caleb tipped his head to the side to give Fjord better access to his throat at the same time he brought up a hand to wrap around Fjord’s. As he moved Fjord’s wrist up to his mouth, he tightened the fingers still buried in his hair. He ran his tongue along the delicate skin of his wrist causing a shiver to run through Fjord that distracted him from what he was doing. When his fangs pierced through the skin, a sudden exhale tickled across his throat as Fjord shoved his face against it. He let his fang rest there for a few moments, the slowly removed them and licked over the fresh puncture wounds.

“Is that convincing enough to get you to move?”

“It’s very convincing, but moving is not what it makes me want to do.”

“Well, if you don’t move, we’ll never get to bed.”

“I suppose a bed would be more comfortable. This isn’t the best position for my back.” Despite his words, Fjord remained slumped over him and didn’t make a single attempt to move. “We can pick this up in bed.”

“Are you telling me this or trying to get yourself to move?”

“Both.”

“When you finally convince yourself, I would be happy to take this to the bedroom.”

“A few more minutes, then we’ll go to bed.”

“Whatever you say, Fjord.”

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #caleb widogast #fjord #vampire #biting #established relationship #that feeling #prompt fill #fanfic

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

CritRole Spooktober

🎃 Day 31: Halloween🎃

A small tug on his hand guided him quickly up the driveway of an incredibly decorated house to the webbed up front door. With a little bit of a boost, Una stretched up to ring the doorbell once, then wiggled out of his arms. Her wide eyes stared up at the door as she excitedly waited for someone to open it. When it finally swung open, she launched herself right into Beau's legs before she could even say a word.

After giving Una a pat on the head, Beau looked expectantly over his shoulder. "Where are the other two?"

"As you know, Fjord and a baby are a powerful combination."

"How many old ladies have pinched his cheeks?"

"More than he'll be willing to admit. I offered to take him, so he wouldn't be cornered, but he insisted that there would not be an issue."

"And look how that turned out."

"You don't have to tell me that." 

Caleb's smile grew when Una tugged on Beau's pants to get her attention, then Beau immediately squatted down to her level. "What's up?"

"Are Jessie and Yash here?"

"Sorry, but they just left to get some more candy. We were running out and we didn't want to be those people that don't have candy."

"Will you give them these?" Immediately, Beau held out her hand to take the hand made Halloween cards Una took out of her plastic pumpkin.

"Do I get one?"

"Yes, that one."

"Can I open it?"

As soon as Una excitedly nodded her head, Beau opened the bright blue card with drawing of her punching a ghost on the front. "This is awesome. Thank you, Una."

"You're welcome, Aunt Beau-Beau."

"You know, I have something for you too."

"You do?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't buy my favorite niece something for Halloween?"

"I'm your only niece."

Beau rolled her eyes at her as she playfully flicked Una's nose and rocked up to stand. "Stop being so snide. That's your dad's job."

Once Beau disappeared into the kitchen, Una turned her eyes up to him and latched onto his hand with her tiny one. "Do you think she has something for Mar?"

"Of course, she does. She loves to spoil the two of you. It's one of her favorite things to do."

"We should have made her cupcakes."

"We'll make her gingerbread for Christmas."

"Promise."

"Promise."

As their pinkies separated, Beau appeared once again with two bags swinging in her hands. She handed over a green and purple bag covered with sparkling black bats. When Beau motioned for her to open it, Una plopped onto the ground and carefully began removing the tissue paper from the bag. While the other two focused on that, Caleb checked behind him for any sign of Fjord among the people trick-or-treating.

It was easy enough to spot the two of them as they rounded the street corner and hurried straight for them. He barely contained his laughter at the exasperated expression Fjord pulled as soon as he noticed Caleb looking. Before Fjord could say anything, he held out his arms for their son to give Fjord a break. Without arguing, Fjord passed him over and dropped a kiss to Caleb's forehead.

"What are we up to here?"

"Beauregard got them a Halloween surprise."

"How fun. I'm sure there's nothing in there that will stain the carpet or cover everything in glitter."

"It will be fine. Let them enjoy the spooky season."

"Says the holiday's biggest fan." Fjord gave him a fond smile, then wrapped his arm around Caleb's waist as he watched Una inspect the goodies from her bag. "They're going to sleep hard tonight."

"Lucky us."

#critrole spooktober #critical role #widofjord #empire siblings #caleb widogast #fjord #beauregard lionett #halloween #parent au #trick-or-treating #fluff #prompt fill #fanfic