#desmond moondrop

[captainofthetidesbreath]

I know we've all asked so many questions about what the deal was with Gustav Fletching, but what the fuck was the deal with Desmond Moondrop, the other half of the carnival's name?

He performed as their fool and generally seemed overly forgiving of Gustav's shortcomings, and he went off on his own after Trostenwald (as opposed to going with Bo, Ornna, and Toya). Also, like, the left side of face is wrecked, like someone shredded through it, and he generally comes off as sad. Like, what is his deal?

#Critical Role #Critical Role things

[grayintogreen]

Characters: Mollymauk Tealeaf, Gustav Fletching, Desmond Moondrop

Rating: G

Word Count: 3415

The tiefling inches closer and begins to reach for Gustav’s hat out of nothing but sheer childish curiosity, coaxing a laugh that means he wasn’t listening to a word that Desmond was saying. Again. “You like this, do you, lad? Here you go.” The hat isn’t meant to fit over tiefling horns, so it won’t stay on his head without slipping a bit, but the tiefling seems delighted by having it, all the same. He holds it steady and beams as if he’s proud of himself.

And Desmond knows right then and there that he has lost another battle against Gustav’s stupid ideas.

#mollymaukweek2022 #mollymauk tealeaf #critical role fic #critical role fanfic

[thrillrs-arc]

muse list :

tomorrow (webtoon and k-drama based):

jung-woong

ryeon

ryung-gu

the umbrella academy (show based with strong comic influence):

five

jayme

klaus

sloane

viktor

ouran high:

haruhi

hikaru

kaoru

honey

tamaki

spy x family:

anya forger

damian desmond

demetrius desmond

loid forger

sylvia sherwood

yor briar / forger

yuri briar

fiona frost

fnaf:

charlotte emily

glamrock chica

glamrock freddy

roxanne wolf

sundrop & moondrop

vanessa / vanny

don’t hug me i’m scared:

yellow guy

red guy

electracey

one piece:

chopper

sabo

nami

vivi

sanji

koby

makino

yumiko

viper

[passingthegravesoftheunknown]

"Pick up your leaves, my lovely lilac, and continue to grow. For you see, little flower, the sun will continue to shine even when you return to the ground".

Been working on this for a while and it's finally done! I’ve wanted to pay a little tribute to Molly and his cards and I thought this would be a nice way to do it.

✨do not repost my art | Reblogs are love✨   

#cr mollymauk #mollymauk tealeaf #critical role mollymauk #critical role #critical role fanart #critical role art #critter art #jestert lavorre #cr jester #tarot cards #tarot deck #gustav fletching #desmond moondrop #tw scars #tw: scars #ptgotu art #i've had this on the back burner for a while and i finally finished it y'all #critical role campaign 2

[lostsometime]

!!!!

I FORGOT! Or didn’t notice it the first time, maybe! But in episode 2, when Desmond talks about Gustav, he says “He’s a good man.  He makes poor choices, it’s plagued him his whole life. [...] No one that good comes out of Shady Creek Run without some mistakes behind them.”

#critical role #critrole #critical role s2e2 #meta #my meta #gustav fletching #desmond moondrop #it can't be a coincidence that gustav's from shady creek run #and that's where they found molly crawling out of his grave #GIVE ME LORE MATTHEW

[goldenrose101]

No one that good comes out of Shady Creek Run without some mistakes behind them.

What are you hiding, Gustav...?

#I totally forgot Desmond said Gustav was from shady creek #like WHUT #gustav fletching #the fletching and moondrop traveling carnival of curiosities #critical role #critical role campaign 2 #my art #critical role fanart #cr fanart #cr spoilers

[komatsunana]

The Chronicles of Exandria: The Mighty Nein I

And so I do what I did the last 2 times for the Vox Machina Chronicles of Exandria books, which you can read [here] and [here].

These posts by no means contain all of the information in these books, but plenty of what would most interest other fans.  This is by no means a replacement for actually seeing the book.

My best guess on up to where this book spoils is episode 46.  Anyone who has not watched passed 46 can read this without spoilers outside of vague references that don’t really matter.

First and foremost, as usual, the artistry is the most important part of the book. All of the lovely fan-created art work is even more beautiful in ink than on screen. This I promise you.

As has been noted by other people who have received the book, it is written as though it was transcribed by Beau’s journals by the Cobalt Soul.  Some unnamed writer(s) from the Cobalt Reserve from Tal’Dorei have written all parts that are not excerpts from Beau’s journals.  There are edits by Zeenoth, which indicate that the book is not a final draft.  Zeenoth is not impressed by their work.

The books’ foreword is a dedication to critters.  I won’t transcribe all of it but it ends, “As always, we are richer for your company.  For truly, what good are stories unless they can be shared?”

Unlike the Vox Machina ones, which started with pages dedicated to Vox Machina and their adventures first before branching out for guest and NPCs, this one’s table of contents shows that everything is scattered.

The first section is dedicated to the Storyteller - accompanied by art of Matt as “The Storyteller.”   An excerpt follows below:

“A story walks the land through the songs and tales of those who are touched by its heart.  And then one day, long after all the players within have met the Matron, a story will be told for the very last time.  Unless, by the Grace of the Storyteller, we are let to it. [...]  Through Ioun’s blessing we make his favorite children immortal.  You hold one of them in your hands even now.  Wake it carefully.”

Thoreau contacted the Cobalt Soul immediately after Beau’s first arrest - presumably the one with Tori.  As the monks took Beau away, Thoreau referred to her as “his misfortune.”  It is also noted in the margins that Thoreau is a good friend to the Archive.

Unlike the rest of the M9 and characters, there are no excerpts about Beau herself from her journal... Because obviously she doesn’t need to take notes in herself.  However the Cobalt Soul write their own notes about her and her reputation in the Cobalt Soul and note... more than a few times that Zeenoth thinks she is aggressive, stubborn, and quick to judge and anger and as a result they can’t put a lot of stock into her notes on other people.  However, Dairon was right to put their trust in her because her insight in invaluable and is quick to call out injustice.

Beau’s note taking is exceptional - and color-coded.

Beau’s first notes about Molly is that he is “not that bright, definitely drunk, completely full of shit, and not nearly as good of a liar as he thinks he is.  His outfit is loud, far louder than the man himself.”  His coat contains iconography from at least half a dozen gods.  Beau also noted that Molly’s swords were interesting to which the footnotes immediately made note that Molly’s swords were just swords.  Beau thought, in her first impression of him, that he might be on the run from a family of Warlocks.

The librarians decided to omit all of Molly’s earlier lies that he told Beau and the group about his background, and instead only described the climbing out of the grave and only able to say “Empty” story.  He had scars and 9 red eye tattoos on him at the time.  

There are sketches of the tattoo in full, after Molly had added to it, but it’s noted by Beau that part of the tattoo is covered by Molly’s hair.  Looking at the sketch, it is implied there are more tattoos on his scalp, rather than just the length covering it.

For Molly’s story of climbing out of the grave to be true, it means that Molly relearned to speak both Common and Infernal, learned to perform his skills and duties with the Carnival, covered his eye tattoos with additional, elaborate tattoos, befriended Yasha, and discovered his innate magic ability to use his blood to infuse his weapons with magic.

Beau had made a list of every book she knew Caleb had on his person or expressed interest in.  This includes the erotic books and the 2 spellbooks. 

On the spellbooks, Beau says she isn’t sure about them. One she knows is a spellbook, but she’s not sure on the other as he never opens it.  She wonders if it is a journal of some kind.

There is a page on Beau’s notes in the first arc with the Fletching and Moondrop Carnival - notes about the victim and all her possible suspects of which it is everyone that is part of the carnival.  All of them have a strike through their name, indicating she had eliminated each of them as a suspect at one point, including Kylre.  

Among the notes she has, my favorites are that Beau thinks that everyone in the circus hates each other, never trust a clown (about Desmond), and that everyone has a title such as Molly “The Ice-Spinner” and Yasha “The Brute.”  Beau also notes Yasha as being human.

Outside of Beau’s notes, the best information to be found about Shakästa “Hush” is from an anonymous book from Deastock titled “Heroic Deeds of the Golden Grin.”  It is because of Beau’s notes that Hush is confirmed to be real, not a myth, once and for all.

Because of how cool Shakästa was with his cool bird, Beau notes “I gotta get a bird.”  So we have him to thank for Professor Thaddeus.

Unknown what deity Shakästa draws power from.

Known members of the Tombtakers:

Lucien Nonagon (Molly)

Cree: currently employed by the Gentleman.  Blood powers like Molly’s.

[A name which as been severely crossed out but looks like it says Tyffinl]:  Currently said to be in Nogvurot.

Otis and Zoran:  Still at large, whereabouts unknown

Jurrell:  Deceased

Some lady spellcaster from Rexxentrum 

The Myriad is currently gaining footholds in Tal’dorei as well.  There is also a written notation by Zeenoth to cross reference the Myriad activity with the Tombtakers, indicating that he believes that the Tombtakers and the Myriad might be connected.

Cobalt Soul theorizes that the blood Cree claims the Gentleman took from the M9 to track them might be a new form of blood-based mutagenetic tracking.

Beau’s first impression of Nott and Caleb’s relationship was that Nott heaped praise on him and that there might be some sort of blood debt or magic going on.

Beau’s early theory on Caleb was that he was hiding from a criminal employer and had done a high-level theft.  She made note to watch if he attempted to side-step certain kinds of work.

Everything about Caleb sounded like bad news to Beau, but because he stuck around to get her out of jail Beau comes to the conclusion that that’s endearing.

Beau has made an observation that Caleb was searching for some kind of information in a book, related to transmutation.  She wonders if bartering to get him into the Cobalt Soul library will get her into his good graces, though she hopes he won’t find out that the library is technically open to all if you ask nicely.

There is an entry (in Beau’s second journal, it should be noted) were several pages were ripped out about Caleb.  This indicates that Beau had written down Caleb’s backstory of killing his parents but she, Caleb, or someone else had ripped it out before it got into the hands of the Cobalt Soul.  The Cobalt Soul draws the conclusion that Caleb is connected to organized crime.  They are also unable to find anyone born with the name Caleb Widogast in the Empire and they believe it to be an alias.

There are written notations that say that at least one of the ripped out pages were recovered, in which Beau describes the night Caleb told her and Nott about killing his parents.  Both mentions of Trent Ikathon’s name were crossed out until illegible.  Beau was unconvinced that Caleb’s memories after killing his parents aren’t still jumbled (rather than missing).

Fun fact!  All of the Caleb illustrations in his art section all either have fire or Frumpkin in them.  Because when you boil down Caleb to his essentials that’s all I’m saying.

The strangest thing about the M9, as far as the Cobalt Soul is concerned,  is that they have a goblin among their party.

Beau also wonders if Nott’s relationship with Caleb isn’t also out of love or blind loyalty.  Upon finding out that Nott feels like the parental figure (rather than the other way around, as Beau had assumed) Beau wonders what it is that Nott wants Caleb to be stronger for... Revenge? Or to change herself.

Beau notes that while Nott might have named herself so to call herself not brave, Beau thinks she is pretty brave.  She describes Nott diving into the water for Fjord’s arc twice (even if she complained the entire time) and Nott saving Jester from the blue dragon which “absolutely saved Jester’s life.”  Nott is very focused on everyone remaining together as a team.  Beau believes that while Nott’s loyalty to Caleb has not lessened, her loyalty to the rest of the party has extended to them all.

“I think we might all be her kids now.  It’s kind of sweet, in a really weird way.”

Zeenoth is extremely salty their junior drew lots of buttons instead of researching the crossbow Nott got from Hupperdook.

A list of all phrases that Beau noted in her journals that Kiri had learned in her time with them.

Welcome to the Mighty Nein!

I am Kiri!

Yes, I am very sweet.

It’s sharp.

Ooh, I’m a captain.

Where do babies come from?

Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!

If it bleeds, we can kill it.

I killed people!

Get into trouble!

She’s probably a good egg.

Go fuck yourself.

Zeenoth is VERY upset about the word fuck and wants that entry removed.

Beau thinks Calianna is too polite.

Cobalt Soul believes there is at least one other bowl like the one Calianna destroyed with the M9.

Beau hopes they don’t pick up any more stragglers, as she thinks it is getting crowded.

Cobalt Soul theorizes about why Keg had a four o’clock shadow rather than a proper Dwarven beard, wondering if she wasn’t forced to shave.  This indicates that beards are normal on female dwarves.

Beau thinks Shady Creek Run is so called because it’s full of shady criminals, but the Cobalt Soul notes that Shady Creek Run has a creek that is in near constant shade in the abundant pine trees.

On Molly’s death Beau says:

“Fuck.   That went horribly.  We lost Molly, and I don’t know what to do. [This part is crossed out: Maybe if I had-] I’m trying my best to stay objective.”

Beau also crosses out “I’m starting to like her” about Keg, and replaces it with “She’s fine, I guess.”

On Nila Beau says: “She said something really nice about Molly.  How in her clan, someones spirit never leave you.  They return to nature, and are forever by your side.  I don’t know if I believe it, but I like the thought.”

Beau wants her own “lucky smell bag” that’ll make decisions for her.

The Blooming Grove was built post-Calamity.

Beau’s first impressions of Caduceus is that he is both grounded and flighty.

Because Caduceus hasn’t eaten meat or alcohol in the time she’s known him, she thinks he’s got to have some sort of vice.

Because of Beau’s talk with Caduceus after killing the blue dragon, Beau remarks that she likes her edge and doesn’t want to lose it and go soft. But maybe it is a better, more efficient way of doing things by being there for the M9. “Gross.”

There is a note in the margins telling the editor to contact Archivist Demid (AKA the guy studying the moons) for information on the Dust family.  This indicates that he may have some special information.

Because of Jester’s defacing every town she visits, the Cobalt Soul has been able to track the M9′s movements.

The Cobalt Soul’s 2 working theories on the Traveler is that he’s a smaller/younger deity either from folk tales about a cloaked figure that either rewards or punishes heroes with a ironic twist OR a god of vandalism.

Zeenoth notes that if the Traveler IS a god of vandalism... they may have a secret follower in their ranks because of all the smut doodles in their books lately. Which of course Jester probably drew.

Beau says that as Jester told the group about her prank causing her to have to flee from Nicodranas she was full of her usual bubbliness... But was starting to see that there was underlying sadness in Jester.

Beau has known Jester has had a thing for Fjord since they first met, but after she got Tusk Love it became full-blown infatuation.

“Fjord seems super oblivious, though, which isn’t surprising for a man who occasionally wakes up covered in seawater and confusion.”

Beau stands by her and Jester’s purchase of the owl and blink dog, but she wonders how long the weasel is going to last in their line of work.

Beau wonders if it’s weird to be attracted to your friend’s mom and comes to the conclusion it is so she’ll back off... But the Ruby is smoking hot.

Beau can also see why people who want to release and evil god for Avantika. Not that she would. “She’s hot, but come on.”

No really new information on The Plank King is revealed in his section, but quite a bit is crossed out until illegible.  This could detail what connection to the Cobalt Soul he has, but was redacted.

The Cobalt claims that while the M9 titled a leader, Fjord often took that position.

Beau is making direct reports on Fjord to the Cobalt Soul and his connection to Uk’otoa.  In her latest report, she says that they’ve bought some time until their next trip to the sea............

Waiting for the rest of the M9 to come out of the Happy Fun Ball, after fighting the blue dragon, are among the rest worst few minutes of Beau’s life.

Beau believed Twiggy that she killed the blue dragon, in part because Caduceus believed her.

Beau accidentally writes “cute and dry” instead of “cut and dried” about Yasha’s background.

“For someone dressed in greys, who carries herself like a dark cloud, Yasha sure seems drawn to color and light. I wonder where it stems from.”

On Yasha being tested by the Stormlord by the “man made of lightning” the Cobalt Soul says it is not uncommon for the Stormlord to test his disciples through acts of physical, mental, or spiritual exertion.

The final notes by Zeenoth indicates that whoever wrote the book (outside of edits from Zeenoth himself and excerpts from Beau’s journals) were by someone from Tal’dorei.  Who might it be? Someone we know?

#critical role #critical role: the mighty nein campaign #cr #the chronicles of exandria #critical role art book #i scream #my crit role feels #long post

[multifandom-damnation]

Do you ever think about the fact that nobody at the Fletching and Moondrop Carnival of Curiosities, not Toya or Bosun or Mona of Yuli or Desmond or Ornna, nobody except Gustav, knows that Mollymauk is dead and that they probably still think he’s happy and living his best life with the group of misfits and that he’s travelling the world with his best friend Yasha and that they will probably be thinking that for a very long time until either one of the Nein remembers to message them or they somehow run into them again and then make yourself cry a whole lot?

Yeah, me neither.

#critical role #mollymauk tealeaf #the mighty nein #the fletching and moondrop carnival of curiosities #its been so long since it happened and since anyone has thought about them #molly loved them and they loved molly #can you imagine running into them in Wildemount and them doing the whole Jester 'where's Molly' thing #and then having to explain that he died #can you IMAGINE THEIR REACTIONS #i might have to write it #the thought kills me #MOLLY LOVED THEM SO MUCH GUYS

[dracoqueen22]

[CR] Bloodlines 03

Universe: Critical Role, Campaign Two, Alternate Universe, Bloodlines Characters: Fjord, Mollymauk Tealeaf, Jester Lavorre, Caduceus Clay, The Fletching and Moondrop Circus Rated: K+ Description: A simple twist of fate and betrayal lands Fjord in the path of the good ship Moondrop and her crew of traveling circusfolk, including one Mollymauk Tealeaf. Between Jester and Toya, it's hard to say who shines the brightest aboard the Fletching. Toya's youth gives her an edge, but Jester's perpetual cheer is simultaneously infectious and hard to beat. They're both impossible to hate. Which is why Molly finds it frustrating to watch Jester flirt with their new crewmate, and only feel the urge to cheer her on. May the best tiefling win or some such. Though he gets the feeling Jester's not opposed to sharing.

Fjord, for his part, has spent most of the morning getting a lesson in navigation from Ornna. Better him than Molly. She'd tried to teach him once, but Molly had been less than interested, and anyway, he preferred his navigational instincts rather than the math involved with stars and positioning. Fjord, apparently, seems to have something of a knack for it. Good for him. But now Ornna's sent him on his way, only for Fjord to be intercepted by Jester, and just like everyone else on the ship, Fjord can't turn her away. "Fjord!" she calls, singsong and cheerful, skipping up to him, her cheeks flush and her hair wild around her face. It's a windy day, and the lot of them are tousled with it and seaspray. "Let me give you a tattoo!" "What?" Fjord asks, clearly flustered, and Molly supposes he can't blame him. Jester can be a lot to take in at first. Sometimes forgets the conversations she's having in her head, aren't the same ones she's having aloud. "A tattoo!" Jester beams and tucks her hands behind her back. She circles Fjord as if assessing the best landscape for her artistic talents. "I'm really good at them. I promise. I did some of Molly's you know." "You did?" "Yep." Molly, watching from afar -- a deck higher to be precise -- touches the nape of his neck, where the pyramid she'd done for him sits. She'd been so excited to practice her craft, and Molly had no problem letting her try. She could be very convincing. "Ah, well, that's nice of you to offer," Fjord drawls, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, finding everywhere interesting to look at but Jester's face. "And it's not that I don't believe you, I just don't want a tattoo right now, if that's all right." Jester's face falls, but only for a moment, before it's washed away in another blinding smile. "Aww, that's okay. Let me know if you change your mind, okay? You won't regret it." "I'm sure I won't." "Shouldn't you be working?" Molly startles and swallows the urge to leap back into his duties. It's only Yasha, after all, not Bosun or Gustav. His tail swishes, agitated. "I'm on a break," Molly says as Yasha steps up beside him, leaning on the rail and following his gaze with a tilt of her head. The corner of Yasha's mouth curves into the smallest of smiles. "You're always on a break," she says, completely deadpan, and Molly thinks he might be the only one who really sees how humorous she is beneath the surface. "Good point." Molly watches Jester grab Fjord's hand and tow him somewhere, something she does with ease given that she's freakishly strong. Fjord stumbles after her, token protests falling from his lips, but he looks more charmed than annoyed. Molly doesn't know if it's Jester or the heat which has Fjord so flushed. Maybe both. "You were up early," Yasha says, the kind of way someone says 'the sky is cloudy today' or 'there's salt in the ocean'. It's a statement of fact, not really a question, but oh. There's definitely a question in it. "Mmm," Molly says, which is as much of an answer as Yasha's words had been a question. Yasha shifts, sword clanking against her back because she never goes without it, not even aboard the ship. "Tell me why?" The thing about Yasha is that she doesn't judge, and she doesn't push, and if he says 'no' she'll back off and she won't ask again. She doesn't offer advice or commentary unless it's obvious you want it, and no matter what Molly has or hasn't told her, he's yet to make her blink. She's a stable rock in an otherwise unstable landslide. Molly sighs and turns his back to the railing, hooking his elbows across it to keep his balance. There's no Fjord to watch anymore anyway. "Nightmare." "Something you remembered?" "No. More like..." Molly pauses, twisting his jaw, trying to find words for the formless black, the voice commanding him with single words, but not offering an explanation. "Something is trying to talk to me. But it's using the creepiest, most intimidating way to do it." Yasha chuckles quietly. "Sounds pretty normal to me." Molly rolls his eyes and pokes her in the shoulder. "Of course it does. You serve the Storm Lord." "Maybe it's a god then." "Maybe." Molly shrugs. Worshipping the gods isn't really something he's gotten behind since he woke up. He's fascinated by the idea of it, but the practice? Maybe not. Yasha clasps him on the shoulder and offers one of her patented smiles. “The answer will come to you when you need it, I’m sure.” She squeezes his shoulder before stepping back, restoring her usual personal boundaries. “What about you? What was up with last night?” "I think it was a test," Yasha says. "What kind of test is that?" Molly asks, because damn. If that's what it means to serve a god, maybe he's better off as he is. Yasha rolls her shoulders and cracks her knuckles. "I don't know. But I think I passed." She looks up, into the clear blue sky without a hint of the storm which had rocked their ship last night. "If I didn't, he'll probably let me know." Damn. "Between you and Jester, I don't know whose god is sketchiest." Molly doesn't trust that Traveler one bit, and finds his interest in Jester highly suspect. The Traveler is as suspicious as they come, which is saying a lot, since Mollymauk has no memory and makes his living as a member of a sea-faring circus. "He saved me, Molly." "Yeah, I know." Molly pushes off the railing, stretching his arms over his head. "Still don't trust him." Yasha chuckles. "I suppose from the outside it does look a little... wrong. But I do owe him my life, and so I'll pay him back however I can." "I just hope it's not a price you don't want to pay." Molly scrubs his hands down his face before he gives them a shake. "Anyway. Enough gloom and doom. We have work to do, don't we?" "Peeling potatoes with Caduceus, if I remember," Yasha reminds him. Mmm. Mr. Clay. It's a torment that they've put so many fine-looking and charming individuals all on this one ship. Molly enjoys time spent in Mr. Clay's company, if only because no matter how outrageous and flirtatious he gets, Clay takes it in stride. Just gives him that slow blink, that slow smile which makes Molly's toes curl, and says 'you're very entertaining, Mr. Tealeaf' and ahh, it's rewarding. "Nice of him to spell Desmond and cook for us," Molly says as he scratches the side of his cheek. "Guess I'd better go help." Yasha laughs, quiet as it is. "If you were any more eager, your tail would be wagging." Well. She's not wrong. ~ "How'd you end up on this ship anyway?" Fjord asks. Jester shrugs and peers harder at the torn sail. Maybe it'll be easier if she tries the cantrip the Traveler taught her, the mending one? "I kind of got in trouble," she says, and cuts the thick thread on her teeth before guiding it through the end of the needle. "I had to get away from home fast, and this was the only ship willing to take on a passenger who was in trouble." Fjord blinks at her. "What kind of trouble?" Jester laughs. "Well, I kind of played a prank, and even though I thought it was really funny, and everyone else did too, the other person didn't. And he was important, you know. So now if he sees me, he'll uh. Kill me." She shrugs again. "That sounds a little harsh." "You're telling me!" Jester exclaims, and curses when the end of the thread avoids the eye of the needle again. Stupid thing. Why had she volunteered to help with this? "So your plan is to stay on the ship?" "For now." Jester huffs and holds the needle out to Fjord. "Can you do this?" He takes it from her with a soft laugh and easily threads the thick thread. It’s unfair. She’s been struggling with that for at least five minutes. "Here you go." "How'd you get so good at that?" It's Fjord's turn to shrug, though a flush spreads across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks, darkening his skin. He ducks his head, hiding from her question. He's so handsome. Just like Jester imagines Oskar would be, though she’s got the feeling she can’t tell Fjord that. It’d just embarrass him. “It’s an important skill for survival,” Fjord says, bent over the piece of sail, focused on his stitching though his hands move in an easy, deft pattern that kind of reminds her of a wizard casting spells. “I was taught a lot of things like this as a kid.” Jester tilts her head. “Isn’t it easier to buy a new one?” That’s what she’d do, and that’s a lot of what they did at the Lavish Chateau. People expect a specific elegance from the Chateau, and having mended linens around didn’t really match their expectation. Fjord frowns, his forehead crinkling in a way that makes him seem older. “I don’t think it’s that easy, Jester.” He gestures to the sailcloth tarp, which is an amalgam of assorted colors and patterns, and a chaotic mess if you ask Jester. “If I had to guess, they��ve been patching this thing for years. Probably because it’s cheaper than replacing it.” “Oh. I guess you’re right.” Jester bends over the tear on her side of the sailcloth and tries to stitch it, just like Mama showed her. She’s not as good at it as Mama though. “Maybe I’ll buy them one as a gift.” “Are you going to stay with them?” Fjord’s stitches are so much neater than hers. Jester watches him for a long minute, trying to copy the movements of his hands and failing miserably. Drat. Maybe when she prays later, she can ask the Traveler to teach her how to be better at this. “Jester?” “Oh, sorry, I spaced out. Um. I don’t really know,” Jester says. She pauses, fiddling with a loose thread within reach. “I want to find my dad, and if staying on the ship makes that easier, then I will. Or maybe I should look on foot? I don’t know what’s better. I’m kind of new to this.” “This? You mean, ship-life?” Fjord asks. “No, I mean… um… life-life?” Jester’s not sure how to phrase it in a way that makes sense. “I didn’t get out much when I was little, so I don’t know the best way to do things. I know a lot,” she’s quick to correct because she doesn’t want Fjord to think she’s stupid, “but sometimes maybe not enough.” Fjord blinks at her. He cuts the thread with a talon and ties it into a neat knot. “You’re trying to find your dad? Do you know where he is?” “Nope!” Jester pops the word and grins, and jingle-jingle goes the bell she tied to the tip of her tail this morning. “Mama says he’s a dashing man, and he’s very brave and smart, but I don’t know where he is.” "Do you know his name?" "Yep. It's Babenon." Jester peers at Fjord, looking to see if there's any recognition in his face, and is disappointed to find blank curiosity. "Guess you haven't heard of him?" Fjord shakes his head. "Sorry, I haven't. Didn't get out much myself. We tended to keep to ourselves." "We?" Jester echoes and leans forward, eager for the tiniest tidbit of information about Fjord's past. "My clan," Fjord answers, distracted by his sewing and answering maybe more than he usually would. "We weren’t very big, and we stuck close to home to be safe, other than going into town for supplies. We knew better than to... uh..." He pauses and coughs into his hand. "Anyway, we didn't draw attention to ourselves." “Why not?” “We just didn’t.” Fjord ties off another thread and runs his finger over the stitch. “This should hold for awhile. I’ll get this to Bosun and see what they want me to do next.” He gathers up the repaired sailcloth and stands, a haphazard bundle of cloth in his arms. Jester knows a hamfisted escape when she sees one. “Okay, well if you need help with something else, you know where to find me,” Jester calls after him as Fjord nearly trips over the sailcloth in his haste to get away. At least he looks as good leaving as he does arriving. Sweet ass on that one. Jester whistles quietly, a small grin on her lips, and then she gets up and dusts off her dress. Time to find Caduceus and share the details. He’s as curious about their new arrival as she is, and they’ve made a secret pact to snoop. Of course, he’s much better at it than she is, but hah. He probably doesn’t know this! Score one for Jester. Oh, and the Traveler, too. ~ The days pass quicker than expected. Life aboard a seafaring vessel is never boring, and there is always work to be done. Patching and surveying and cleaning and cooking and peeling and navigating. Fjord learns a little bit of everything, and does a little bit of everything, tucked under the wing of every member of the crew, even Toya. Klyre is the only one Fjord never sees or interacts with. He spends most of the day asleep belowdeck, and only emerges at night, when he joins the crew for dinner. Family meals are apparently a Thing, and dinner the most sacred of them all. Dinner and music and dancing and practice. Lots of practice. Fjord is usually ushered to the other side of the ship when they are practicing their acts. Molly insists it's necessary, to maintain the mystery and the surprise. He's usually clustered with Caduceus and Jester, neither of whom are actually members of the crew, but help out as they see fit, to stave off boredom. "What're you going to do when we dock?" Fjord asks the firbolg as Caduceus sits cross-legged on the deck, a staff laying across his knees, and a small block of wood in his hands. Small shavings litter the deck around him. "I don't know yet," Caduceus says, and the act of not-knowing doesn't seem to bother him. He just hums to himself. "I've not been told." Fjord stares at him. "You haven't been told? By who?" "The Wildmother. She's guiding me toward the answers I need." "Caduceus' home is sick," Jester says as she leans over to watch Caduceus work with fascination in her eyes. "His whole family is out in the world, trying to fix it." "Sick how?" Jester shrugs. "We don't understand it. But there's a darkness. Something infecting the land." Caduceus' nose wrinkles, a comical sight on a firebolg. "It must be stopped." Caduceus is weird. Then again, everyone on this ship is weird in some way. Fjord likes to think he's the only normal one, but the full moon is in a week after all. It’ll hit after they dock, but a few days late, and he'll have his own weirdness to show. "Well, I hope you find an answer," Fjord says. "Me, too." Scraaaape goes the small knife and another curl of wood flutters to the deck. "What about you, Mr. Fjord?" He sits back, braces his hands behind him, and stares into the blue sky, the sun beating down on his face. The sails are full, and the flags ripple in the strong winds. "I don't know. I guess I'm waiting for someone to tell me, too." "You'll stay and watch the performance though, won't you?" Jester picks the shavings, gathering them up in her skirt. "I suppose I should," Fjord says. "It's only four copper a ticket," a voice says from above them. Fjord twists to look as Molly vaults over the railing and lands with a quiet tap-tap of bare feet beside Fjord and into a crouch. "But I might be able to swing you a discount." Jester frowns. "You said you'd get us in for free, Molly." Molly drops into a crouch, his tail twitching playfully behind him. "Did I? I don't remember." He grins cheekily, flashing those canines at Jester, who sticks her tongue out at him. "Shouldn't you be practicing?" Fjord asks. Molly grins. "And what do you think my act is, hm?" That's a fairly good question. Fjord has little idea what the other acts are. He knows Toya sings, and Desmond plays music. He hasn't a clue what the twins do, and suspects Ornna does something with fire, though he's not sure what. Yasha is a complete mystery to him. "Are you the one who tells the jokes?" Jester asks with a giggle. "No, that's Yasha. She's the charm." Molly plops down on his ass, curling his legs in lotus. He twists his wrists, flicks his fingers, and a deck of cards appears from nowhere. "These are where my talents lie." Fjord leans in. "What are they?" "Why, Fjord, have you never had your fortune told? What a sheltered life you must have led." His tail swings around and taps Fjord's shoulder. "Shall I give you a reading now?" Jester's eyes go wide and bright. "Oooo. Can I be next?" She waves one hand in the air, wood shavings spilling from her dress. She squeaks and tries to scoop them up. "Hm," Caduceus says. "Interesting." "Do you not believe in the cards, Mr. Clay?" Molly asks, but there's something sly in his tone and the way he tilts his head at the firbolg. Is he flirting? "I believe faith is a powerful thing, no matter what you have it in," Caduceus demurs. Very diplomatic of him. Fjord squeezes the back of his neck. "Uh, why don't ya let Jester give it a try first? She seems more excited than me." "If you insist," Molly says. "But only the first one's free. After that, you have to cough up the coin.” Jester laughs. "He doesn't have any coin, Molly." "There are other ways to pay, my dear." Molly winks lasciviously, and while Fjord's face flushes with heat, Jester laughs as if a salacious flirt doesn't bother her. Everyone here is so open about the things they do and don’t like. It’s a novelty to Fjord. It’s not that his clan was closed off, but their idea of affection shared was far more discreet, and every one had their mysteries, their reasons for speaking in riddles. Maybe that’s what led to their end. Jester scoots forward, until she’s sitting in front of Molly, who’s shuffling the deck with practiced ease, the colorful cards dancing through his fingers. “What are you wanting to ask today?” Molly asks as he flicks the cards from one hand to the other, his tail swaying cat-like, his blood-red eyes hauntingly focused on Jester. “Your future? Your path? Romance?” With this, his grin turns sly, and his eyes flick toward Fjord. He winks. Fjord flushes and wishes he had somewhere else to put his hands. “Hmm.” Jester taps her chin with one finger. “You know me, Molly. Tell me if my Oskar is out there waiting for me.” Molly chuckles and rests the deck of cards in front of Jester, face down. He taps the deck. “Cut the cards for me.” Jester all but wriggles as she obeys before Molly scoops up the deck. He hums a nonsense tune to himself and starts to pull out cards one by one, laying them in front of Jester, face down. There are nine of them, in three rows of three. “Alright,” Molly says as he sets the deck off to the side. He waves his hands over the spread. “Pick three. And choose wisely.” His words are sing-song, playful, but there’s intent in the way he watches both Jester and the cards. Jester nibbles on her bottom lip, looking torn. Fjord sneaks a glance at Caduceus, who busily works at the block of wood, but he’s watching the display with keen interest. Jester hovers over the cards before she picks the three right up the middle, drawing a line from herself to Molly, who grins at her. “Let’s see what the cards have to say,” he says, as he flips over the one closest to Jester first, revealing a woman kneeling next to a glittering lake, her skin a dusky red and a crown of black curls spilling from her head. She’s smiling as she kneels to scoop water with a plain, brown jug. “The Star.” Molly taps the shining beacon of light glowing above the woman’s head. “You have a good intuition, I see. A good instinct. You don’t fear to venture into the unknown, but you know well enough to keep your feet planted.” Jester’s eyes round. She leans forward, her elbows on her knees. "Yeah, that's me but what does it mean about my Oskar?" Molly chuckles. "I'm getting to that." He drops his voice, as if telling a secret. "Trust your instincts, Jester. You'll know him when you see him." Jester looses a little squeal of delight. "Can they tell me where?" "Let's find out." Molly flips the next card, revealing a handsome tiefling, dressed like a wizard, their gender indeterminate. They’re looking upward as seven jeweled cups dance above their head. “Hmm. The Seven of Cups, not a location, but a warning.” Jester’s lower lip wobbles. “What do you mean?” Fjord barely hides a snort. It sounds like bullshit. There’s no real information here. Molly’s telling Jester things she already knows, and the rest is vague enough to convince her something mystical is going on. “Well…” Molly sighs and casts her a look from under his eyelashes. “While you should trust your instincts, you need to be cautious, too. Don’t confuse wishful thinking with instinct.” He tilts his head with a wry grin. “Don’t fall for the first pretty face you see. People wear masks.” Jester squirms and makes a sad noise. “How am I supposed to tell the difference between what my gut is telling me and what’s not real?” Molly leans his chin on one fist, elbow balanced against a bent knee. “That’s a good question. I haven’t figured it out myself.” Jester’s lower lip juts out in a pout before she abruptly reaches for the remaining card. “What’s the last one say?” she asks as she flips it over and releases a giggle of delight. On it, two people embrace, the colors soft and intimate, lovely lines of scrollwork chasing each other around the frame. “The Lovers.” Molly sounds like the cat who caught the canary, his lips pulling wide into a grin. “It doesn’t mean what you think it means, but it’s still good news. You’ll find your Oskar in someone you trust completely, someone you feel comfortable around, someone who makes you feel safe and happy and brave enough to be yourself. They’ll love everything about you, from the tips of your horns to the tips of your feet.” Fjord doesn’t think he’s ever seen such a smile on Jester’s face. Her eyes sparkle. She lovingly strokes the card with a wistful, hopeful look. “Oskar’s out there somewhere,” she says. “That’s good enough for me.” She leans over the cards, disturbing them with the pleats of her skirt, and plants a sloppy kiss on Molly’s cheek. “Thanks, Molly. This was fun.” “It was enlightening,” Caduceus says as the little knife goes scrape-scrape-scrape and a visible shape takes form in the wood, something with a face and flowing hair. Molly gathers up the cards, but then he sneaks a sideways glance at Fjord. “What about you? Impressed or not? Awful silent over there, Fjord.” “It’s a fine skill you have,” Fjord says, trying to be diplomatic without disappointing Molly and wiping that smile from Jester’s face. She believes, and Fjord has no doubt the other people Molly swindled believed, too. Belief can be a powerful thing in the right circumstances. Fjord wonders if he believes strong enough, Vandren will still be alive. “I’m sure you make lots of coin,” Fjord finishes. Molly rolls his eyes, and Jester shakes her head. “That’s no fun at all,” she says, and starts digging around in her pouch. “Come on, Molly. Do a reading for him. I’ll bet he’ll change his mind once you answer one of his questions.” “No, really, that’s not--” “Save your coin, Jester.” Molly cuts off Fjord’s stammering protests. “If Fjord is truly interested, he can have a reading for free. Consider it a roommate’s privilege.” “Mollymauk!” Ornna’s bellow echoes across the ship, despite the splash of the water and the roar of the wind. Molly twitches and ducks his head, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He gathers up his cards, stuffing them in his pocket. “Coming!” he shouts, and Fjord cringes at the volume of his voice, even as he fights off a laugh. Sometimes, the whole crew reminds him of his clan, how they may not be blood-related, but they are family nonetheless, circling around their father-figure, deferent to their parental figures, teasing and poking at one another to gauge reactions, willing to step in and step up when duties call, surrounded by siblings of all shapes and sizes... A sharp ache echoes through Fjord’s chest. He sinks into himself, ducking his head, as Molly flounces off, answering Ornna’s call, shouting something back that’s a rush in Fjord’s ears. His home is ash and blood now. Did anything survive? Are their homes just burnt husks? Their main hall an ashy ruin? Did any of the others survive? Is Vandren dead? Did Avantika get what she want, whatever it is? He needs to find out. He almost doesn’t want to find out. Not knowing is better than knowing, in a way, because then he can still hope. “Fjord, are you all right?” Fjord blinks and summons a smile for Jester. He’s always been good at pretending. “I’m fine. Just thought I remembered something is all.” He climbs to his feet, dusts off his pants. “Think I’m going to go below deck, see what’s on the menu for lunch.” “Okay,” Jester gives him a worried glance, Caduceus a knowing one. If he stays with them too long, Fjord might not want to leave. So he escapes belowdeck to help Toya with lunch -- she practices after -- and tries not to think about what his future will bring. ~ “We’ll reach port tomorrow,” Molly says as they sit up in the Crow’s Nest. He’s looking over the distant horizon, dark night meeting the dark line of the ocean, his eyes glittering in the light of the moon. It’s a cloudless night, the sky speckled with countless stars. This high up, with the constant lurching sway of the ship, it almost feels like they’re flying. Fjord got a little motion-sick, at first, but he’d sniffed some bag of herbs Caduceus pressed into his hand, and the clench of his belly eased. That firbolg sure knows what he’s talking about. “Figured out what you’re going to do yet?” Molly asks. Fjord licks his lips, tastes the salt of the sea wind on them. “I’ll stick around for the show. Promise. I want to see what you all are keeping so secret.” Molly laughs, and it’s quiet and genuine, and it makes something warm build in Fjord’s belly. Like the comfort and the easy welcome the whole crew has given him from the beginning. “You’ll let me give you a reading?” Molly asks. “Depends on how much it’ll cost me,” Fjord says. Molly grins and toys with the collar of his shirt. “I’ll do it for free. Because you’re so cute.” Heat steals across Fjord’s cheeks and to the tips of his ears. Molly is an outrageous flirt, so he doesn’t take it to heart, but still. It’s nice to get a compliment anyway. "I ain't all that, but I appreciate you saying so anyway," Fjord says. He rubs the back of his neck and stares out at the sea. "You'll be glad to have your room to yourself again, I'll bet." "Mm. There are benefits to sharing." Molly toys with one of the dangling bits on his horns. "It was nice to have company. Your company as a matter of fact." “You said I snore,” Fjord points out. Molly laughs, loud enough for it carry to the deck below if anyone is listening. “You do. But I can get over that.” He leans against the rail, the wind rustling his hair, the starlight glinting off his jewelry. “I think you belong with us. Lost fae from the Faewild would be a good fit here.” He gives Fjord a pointed look. Fjord chuckles. “Nope. Not a fae.” “Damn. I’ll figure you out eventually.” Molly stretches his arms over his head, his tunic riding up, baring his belly and the thick, silvered line of a scar before the fabric drops down again. Fjord pretends he isn’t ogling. “You just might,” Fjord says, coughing into his hand. “Appreciate the offer, I really do, but I don’t think I’m gonna find my answers on the sea.” “Answers to what?” “To the reason you had to fish me out of the ocean,” Fjord hedges. “I think those answers are gonna be on land somewhere, and I gotta go back to where it started.” Molly hums in his throat, and his blood-red gaze focuses on Fjord, piercing enough to make him squirm. “I can’t fault you that. If I knew where it started, I’d go back, too.” He picks at his talons. “Was fun while it lasted.” “Yeah, it was.” There’s an ache in his heart Fjord can’t really explain. He’s only known these folk for a week or so, but they’ve all climbed under his skin. They remind him so much of his clan. If he didn’t think Avantika was still out there, if she didn’t need to pay for what she’s done, Fjord might have chosen to linger longer. Molly lightly slaps Fjord’s knee and abruptly stands. “Enough of this melancholy. Let’s go finish that bottle I swiped from Bosun.” “Why?” Fjord asks. Molly swings over the side of the Crow’s Nest as nimbly as an acrobat, and peers over the edge at Fjord with a wink. “Why not?” he chirps, and starts to descend with no trouble at all. Fjord is a lot less graceful about it. He misses his last step and lands with a clumsy thud onto the desk. He stumbles, but then Molly is there, grabbing his shoulders, steadying him. “Maybe you shouldn’t drink, eh? You seem a little unsteady already,” he says with a toothy grin, and a sparkle in his eyes. He’s beautiful, Fjord realizes in a flash, not that he hasn’t noticed before. There are far too many attractive people on this ship, but Molly is in a league of his own. “Guess I’m just not cut out to be a sailor,” Fjord says with a little, anxious laugh. Molly’s hands are still on his shoulders, and he’s not in any hurry to shake them off. “You just need practice,” Molly says. “Fjord! Molly! What’re you doing?” Jester’s voice cuts through the night, and Fjord coughs to clear his throat, pulling away from Molly and scrubbing the back of his neck. “Nearly breaking my neck it seems,” Fjord says as Jester’s head pops into view. She’s peering up at them from the lower deck. Some kind of white powder dusts her cheeks. “He exaggerates.” Molly hops down to Jester’s level, crouching near the open flap. “What’s up, buttercup?” Jester giggles and gives them a mischievous look. “Guess what Caduceus made?” “Mushroom soup?” Molly asks as Fjord climbs down toward them at a slower pace, using the ladder rather than hopping over the rail as Molly had done. “Not this time.” Jester’s voice is sing-song, her eyes bright, and Fjord would bet all the coin in his pocket, her tail is swishing back and forth. “He made, get this, cocoa and cookies.” She quiets her voice conspiratorially. “I’ve been looking all over for you two so you can have some, too.” “That’s mighty kind of you, Jester,” Fjord says as he finally catches up. She winks at him. “Much better than whatever gross liquor Molly was going to feed you, I promise. Come on! Or I’ll eat it all!” Her head vanishes as she drops belowdeck. “What do you say, Fjord?” Molly asks as he looks up at Fjord, grinning, his tail whipping out and smacking Fjord on the calf. “Liquor or cocoa?” “I think it would be rude to turn down her invitation, don’t you?” Fjord grabs the ladder and starts to descend, gripping the rungs tightly. “I mean, she looked so hard for us and all.” Molly laughs and cradles his chin in his palm. “And Deuces makes delicious cookies. Would be a shame to let her eat them all.” “My thoughts exactly.” Fjord steps off the last rung, and Molly drops down beside him, landing cat-like and with ease, his bare feet seemingly unbothered by the rough wood decking. Fjord can’t remember the last time he saw Molly wearing boots. Or has he? “We’ll save the bottle for another time,” Molly says, striding ahead of him, a happy bob to his steps, his tail flicking through the air like it’s inviting Fjord to follow. “Sure,” Fjord says, as his heart tries to pick up speed, and he tells himself to stop. Stop it now. He doesn’t have time for this. Molly’s just a friend. They join Caduceus and Jester in the galley, and Yasha’s there, too, already seated with her hands cupped around a thick mug, a bit of chocolate and crumbs at the corner of her mouth. Jester’s giggling as she tries to peer around Caduceus’ tall frame, her hands behind her back, maybe she’s been reprimanded already. Though it’s hard to imagine Caduceus using any kind of stern tone. “You can relax everyone. The fun has arrived,” Molly announces as he slides onto the bench beside Yasha and drapes himself against her side like a cat demanding affection. “Hello, my dear. Not on watch tonight?” “In a bit. I wanted some cocoa first,” Yasha says. “Here Fjord. Have some!” Jester appears at Fjord’s side, nudging him with a mug and holding out a plate covered in cookies. “Thanks, Jester.” He holds the mug and takes two cookies. He listens to the soft murmur of conversation and laughter, and the warmth of the galley. He sits at the table with Molly and Yasha, squeezed between Jester and Caduceus, and he munches on a cookie while he sips at the cocoa. It’s as surreal as it is comforting. The boat creaks. The galley is warm. Molly keeps catching his eye and winking, and Fjord flushes, hiding behind his cocoa and pretending to listen to Jester intently. Caduceus occasionally interjects with words of curious wisdom. Fjord doesn’t know what’s going to happen when they dock. Or what his future looks like anymore. But he thinks if it looks a little something like this, he’d be okay with it. At least for now. ****

#critical role fanfic #fjolly #mollymauk tealeaf #fjord #yasha nydoorin #jester lavorre #draco writes critical role #bloodlines series #bloodlines alternate universe

[sockablock]

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Chapter 20: Clouds of Fog on the Window

That evening, Molly returned home with a spring in one step and a lead weight in the other. He’d spent most of the day with Gustav and Desmond, chatting about old times and remembering the Moondrop in all its previous glory. He’d filled them in on his own life, his new roommate, his holiday plans. He touched on how pissed he was that they’d lied to him about Yasha’s living situation, before deigning to spill a few details concerning a certain wizard and relishing in their delighted teasing. But, of course, as time went on, as the coffee wound down, and then the tea ran out, and then the lemonade grew warm, at just about the point when Molly seriously started considering the old juice boxes they had kept around for Toya, he realized that this was probably sign it was time for him to leave.

And now he was tugging closed the front door of his own apartment. He slung his scarf up onto the rack, kicked his shoes off, then paused as he suddenly noticed the aroma wafting out of the kitchen.

“Gods above, that smells amazing,” he breathed.

(Continue Reading on AO3)

#happy update!! #critical role #critfic #fanfic #cr2 #critrole #fanfiction #jay writes #something new for me and you #text #long post #widomauk #fjorjester #beauyasha

[circusglass]

headcanon time !

@bloomingdeed asked for: relationship with members of the carnival of curiosities

A super quick and dirty guide to Molly’s first and truest family! 

Gustav Fletching—Less a father figure to Mollymauk, more a much older brother, especially as Molly grew into himself. Gustav was Molly’s guardian for the first month or so of his post-grave consciousness, re-teaching him how to speak and guiding him through basic tasks; Molly was his shadow. He also taught through story, which is why Molly is such a charlatan. The more solidified Molly became as a person, the more their roles began to shift. Molly was still the younger sibling, but he also became the spine that Gustav didn’t have and the teeth Gustav refused to bare.  There's really nothingh Molly wouldn't be willing to do for Gustav.

Gustav was the first to suggest Molly pick up reading the cards. Molly follows the Moonweaver because of early mornings and late nights sat with Gustav while he prayed. 

Desmond Moondrop—Many of the practical skills Molly has he learned from Desmond. This is anything from hitching the horses to the wagon, pitching the tents, cooking, mending clothes, counting coins (which came back pretty quick to him; Molly’s decent with numbers). Desmond was never much of a talker, but Molly often chattered away at him while they worked. He showed his appreciation for Molly’s steadfastness by teaching him a couple of rude songs on the fiddle. Molly was attracted to his melancholy and how easily he painted it away while playing their fool.  

What he knows of the Empire he learned from Desmond. 

Ornna—Oh, Ornna. Look, Molly’s never been in love, but he was convinced he was with Ornna for a solid week before she told him he wasn't. Ornna was not in agreement with Gustav when they took Molly on. He was an extra mouth to feed while simultaneously being their pet vegetable. Still, the moment he began showing signs that he could take care of himself as well as other members of the carnival, she warmed up to him. Ornna rolls her eyes a lot when Molly opens his mouth, but he’s pretty good with it too, so she never complained too loudly. He often steals her clothes and makeup. 

Ornna was Molly’s first, post-resurrection (they had a sexual relationship that lasted a couple of months). 

Bosun—Bosun didn’t quite warm up to Molly until he became Molly, and he can’t much blame him for it. Before Molly and Yasha became a dynamic barking duo, it was Bosun and Molly. The pair together got into nearly as many shenanigans as Yuli and Mona, though with a bigger penchant towards property damage. Molly picked up fishing and smoking from Bosun, and also how to give a proper blowjob. 

So there’s that.

Yuli Knot—A lot of Molly knowing how to herd people comes from having to chase after Yuli because she is a pain in his ass. Yuli will be the first to start a bar fight and the last to finish it. Despite this and her penchant for getting into trouble, she’s tough and quick on her feet, and was willing to shout people down when they harassed Molly during his Empty days. Molly loves her to death but can honestly only handle her in small doses before he wants to chuck her into the nearest bale of hay.

He sat in on her and Mona's practices all the time.

Mona Knot—Quieter and more thoughtful than Yuli, but just as mischievous, quick-footed and fingered. Molly needlessly defends her from Yuli’s constant bullying. Often voluntarily watched over Molly during his quiet days when Gustav and Desmond were unavailable, so he adores her. Her costumes are always first on Molly’s list for restitching, even if they come to him last.

Toya—It’s because of Toya that Mona was willing to reach out to Molly. Toya is a perceptive, compassionate little Dwarven girl, as empathetic as Gustav, but not nearly so jaded. When everyone wanted to protect her, she wanted to protect Molly. He cares for her deeply. After all, they found their voices together. 

Kylre—Look, Kylre triggered a strange uneasiness with Molly (residual blood hunter radar!), but he always wrote it off as Kylre being an unsettling creature and nothing more. He cared about him: he was weird, but he was a part of their carnival family. Plus, Toya loved him. 

#whew #this is literally the sparknotes version of everything #( HEADCANON. ) #( FLETCHING & MOONDROP. )

[maharetr]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Gustav Fletching & Mollymauk Tealeaf Characters: Ornna (Critical Role), Bo the Breaker (Critical Role), Desmond Moondrop, Toya (Critical Role), Kylre (Critical Role) Additional Tags: Pre-Season/Series 02, Angst, Comfort, Backstory, Muteness, canon-level racism, Happy Ending, No Spoilers Summary:

Gustav’s met a few tieflings in his time, but this is the first time he’s ever seen one look this terrified.

#critical role #critical role fic #mollymauk tealeaf #mollymauk #this was totally a 'if I want that fic I need to write it' #dammit #pre-series fic

[furys-burn]

There are people staring / yasha @ molly!!

❛ That is the point darling ! We want them to stare. ❜ The scimitars cause a dazzling display in the sunlight, gems and “gold” catching when they bounce between his hands. One foot balanced on the gate as he adds a flourish to a toss making it spin an extra foot above his head. The crowd forming let out an astonished, ❛ Oooh ❜ as he jumps forward, somersaulting and catching the blade as he drops to a knee in front of them. 

A little girl in front with eyes the size of saucers claps and he catches her eye and grins nice and wide. The giggle of joy she lets out makes every hour practicing these stunts worth it. The miscatches, the scars from falls, and the pain his hip that seemed like a stubborn addition rather than an occasional 

His tail coming up to press a flyer into her mother’s hands advertising the circus. Behind him, Desmond and Bo throw out more that fall with splendor around them. People grab them off the ground and out of the air, murmuring and excitement rolling across the crowd like droplets across water. Circles of happiness planted and seeded in another town, another place that needs it. The faces of the people gaunt and tired likely having something to do with the fields that greeted them bare and dusted when they rolled in. 

A few more performances, some single card readings, and he returned to her side gently bumping her with his shoulder, tail painting figures in the air. ❛ This is how we get people to come watch us ! How else will they hear about the Moondrop Circus ? ❜

#text #.eyes never shut #(IC) #V: Come one Come All

[obannthepunished]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast, Beauregard/Yasha (Critical Role) Characters: Mollymauk Tealeaf, Beauregard (Critical Role), Jester (Critical Role), Caleb Widogast, Gustav Fletching, Desmond Moondrop, Yasha (Critical Role), Nott (Critical Role), Fjord (Critical Role) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates are bullshit soulmate au, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, No Magic/human au, Trans Mollymauk Tealeaf, Fluff Summary:

The carnival rolls into town, a new place, a new month of work and advertising. Mollymauk Tealeaf is entrusted with handing out fliers, bringing in patrons, and working the teller shift every night except thursdays.

And along the way, he managed to sort of accidentally get into a mutually beneficial arrangement with fellow touch-starved nerd, Caleb Widogast.

Eventually will end up being a good 70% fluff. Just What We Need.

#Widomauk #I did a new fic yall its already at 12k <3 #Critical Role

[czajnik]

guys guys why is no one talking about Shady Creek Run

we’ve gathered from Cree that Lucien, her and four other people all splintered off from their original order, then went north to Shady Creek Run to form the Tomb Takers.

Lucien was buried near the Tomb Taker’s hideout, in the woods. 

The carnival found Molly a few days after he dug himself out of his own grave, presumably nearby. 

now.

where have we heard about Shady Creek Run before?

Desmond Moondrop mentions it when talking about Gustav. 

Desmond argues that Gustav is a good person, but has had poor decisions plague him all his life. “No one that good comes out of Shady Creek Run without some mistakes behind them.” 

the way Desmond says it, makes it sound like whatever the fuck happened at Shady Creek Run, is something well known enough that a passing reference to it would be understood by anyone. combine this with the fact that Shady Creek Run isn’t on the map of the Dwendalian Empire means that it’s probably in the Greying Wildlands in northern Wynandir, “a lawless realm harboring a curse that has kept it unconquered by human hands”. 

(note that all the people that we know to have been in Shady Creek Run, Lucien, Cree, and Gustav, are not human.)

so if Shady Creek Run and the Greying Wildlands in general are so nasty why the fuck would anyone want to go there, especially a travelling carnival

unless Gustav went back to pick up someone that he knew would be there.

I had thought for a hot second that Gustav could be one of the members of the Tomb Takers, and I totally shed a tear thinking about the angsty implications of that, but the timelines don’t quite match up, Toya was brought into the carnival by Gustav before Molly showed up, and the carnival is certainly more than two years old,

but there is a connection here. something happened in Shady Creek Run and reader I gotta KNOW

#i mean gustav could still be a member of the tomb takers but that would be so tricky with the timelines not really matching up #shrugs my dude i just yelled when i heard Cree mention shady creek run and had to write this out #mollymauk #mollymauk tealeaf #critical role #critical role meta #cr meta #gustav fletching #fletching and moondrop travelling carnival of curiosities #spill the beans mercer #someone zone of truth matt mercer i need to ask him about shady creek run #tomb takers #molly meta

[komatsunana]

Venom and Vitriol

[Ao3]

Fandom:  Critical Role Campaign 2 Characters:  Mollymauk, Beauregard, Background ensemble Relationship:  Mollymauk&Beauregard Wordcount: 3.6k Status: One-shot, complete Warnings:  Violence well below the threshold of canon and mention of sex Summary:  

Mollymauk convinces the Mighty Nein to leave Beau behind for dead (or, while no better: prison with promise of a death sentence) when they find themselves in a fight that is well out of their league.

Or: Mollymauk plays a game and plays himself.

Sometimes Mollymauk liked to play a game.  A little private game.  Some might call it 'Truth or Dare,' but Molly just called it how to have a good time when society deemed all the acts of having a legitimate good time were inappropriate for the time and place.

Sometimes he'd dare himself to try and drag out as many curled lips from bigots as he possibly could in an hour (his best record so far was six - he might have done better if Gustav hadn't dragged him out by his tail before he got himself into true trouble).  Other times he'll dare himself to test the limits of how outrageously he could lie before people cotton oned - he liked to stop just before the threshold.  Of course there were times where the dare was harmless, like making Yasha laugh without opening his mouth.  Those could be just as fun and often harder to do.

It's the truths that were the interesting ones though, when played right.  Those he liked to mull over during monotonous travel on the road, an activity that had not gone away with his transition from The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities and traveling with a party of just as much curiosities themselves, The Mighty Nein.  Truths like:  What wouldn't he try at least once? (Answer: not much but he'd gone through quite a list before he'd come to the conclusion), What would he do with 1,000 gold if ever he came into that amount of money all at once? (He'd asked that one before joining up with The Mighty Nein. His answer had been his truth; Molly was pleased with that), Who would he fuck, among the people he was travelling with? (During his carnie days, it'd change by the day between Mona, Bo, Desmond, and Ornna.  Nowadays it was between Fjord or Jester - it would depend on if he felt like bedding a virgin or with someone with more experience).

If he wanted to raise the stakes on where his feelings truly lay with his traveling companions, however, all he had to ask himself was: Who among them would he betray?

Continue on [Ao3]

#critical role #critical role: the mighty nein campaign #mollymauk tealeaf #beauregaurd #cr #cr 2 #molly and beau will be vitriolic best buds you mark my words taliesin 'molly would betray beau and it'd be easy' jaffe #i do find it interesting that tal has said despite fanon interpretation that molly and beau are similar #that molly and jester have more in common #so i took that into account with my interpretation of him #tbh i'm not 100% on molly's voice so idk why i made him the pov character shm #it's 100% tal's fault for not having molly's voice and accent down yet lol #i scream #a03 #fanfiction #my writing #molly is the venom and beau is the vitriol in case anyone was wondering