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theres-an-impulstor-among-us · 3 years

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Friday Night Stabby best quotes part 23 (11/06/21)

Impulse is missing from this session so Astro’s wife Ursulala “Lala” filled in for him. i normally watch Impulse’s POV but for this stream, i watched Tango’s.

…

Endless: Alright guys, so I watched Evil kill Brody and then I started chasing Evil trying to report the body but that’s not how this game works. Evil, laughing: I can’t- I can’t even deny it!

...

*Astro has been caught killing with 4 people left* Lala: I don’t know who to vote for…! Etho: So… we’re gonna need you to turn on someone you care about right now. Lala: Oh, I don’t like that!

...

*silence as Tango does a task* Tango: This feels like a round where I’m gonna die early. Etho: *kills Tango*

...

Lala: The only person I saw at all in that direction was Joker so I’m voting for him, I don’t even care. Skizz: Alright! I like it! *votes* Etho: Whoa… Joker: What? Skizz: Wait… I dunno. I may have jumped the gun, there. I still got 3rd Life bloodlust on the brain.

...

Etho: Joker? Joker: What? Etho: Where were you? Joker: I dunno. Skizz: Joker, you are USELESS!

...

Etho: *reports a body* Etho: Well, well, well! Tango: Ooh…! Endless: Ooh…! *pause* Etho: ...I got nothing.

...

*Etho and Skizz are lovers, Etho is imposter with Tango, there are 4 people left alive* Etho: *calls emergency meeting* Etho: Okay, I think it’s pretty clear. It’s Tango. Joker: Yeah, he was the last person I heard [when Mrs Tango died]. Etho: Voting Tango. *votes* Skizz: *votes* Tango: No. Joker, listen. Joker, Joker- Joker: *votes* Tango: JOKER, you just blew it! *groans* Etho: *laughs* Tango: Joker, I’m gonna tell you the truth right now, cuz it’s all out there, okay? You just blew it, my friend. Etho: I got a pact with someone, Tango, I’m sorry. Tango: Etho and Skizz are lovers, alright? You just blew it. Skizz: We’re more than lovers, dude! Red Army forever!!! Tango: WRONG GAME, man! Wrong game, Red Army! Etho: You were- You were a Crastle people traitor. Skizz: *laughs hysterically* Tango: I shoulda killed Skizz when I had the chance, I woulda taken you both out, I would’ve won! I knew it was coming, Etho! It was just a matter of time! Etho and Skizz: *laugh* Skizz: 3rd Life lives on! Tango: I’m voting Joker cuz he smells. *votes are revealed, Tango is ejected* Skizz: Ah, Etho, you’re the best! Etho: That was beautiful. Tango: I waited too long, that was my fault. Joker: That was a no-win situation for me. Etho: You had no chance there, Joker. Joker: Yeah, I had no chance. Skizz: That was SO poetic!

...

Astro: Why is everybody killing Lala early? It’s very rude. Tango: Says Astro the killer. Astro: If I ever get a round of imposter, I’m gonna avenge every one of these deaths.

...

Tango: Joker and I were sharing sweet nothings over in nav and then in shields. Mrs Tango: Uhh… Tango: Oh yeah, you BET you wanna know ;)

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Tango: Brody’s got me fooled. Brody: That’s not hard to do.

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*after a stack kill* Evil: I saw Brody teleport to the body. Brody: I sure didn’t do that. Tango: Evil, are you voting for Brody? Evil: I did. Tango: Alright, I’ll do it. *votes* I’m afraid we’re gonna get jestered, but… Skizz: He voted for himself at the beginning, why would- *votes are revealed, Skizz is the only one who didn’t vote for Brody* Brody, being ejected: I’m so confused. Tango: Did he just win? Brody: I’m SO confused. Why did you guys just give me that? Evil: *bursts out laughing* Tango: Oh god… Skizz: Is this for real? Brody: Evil, why would you just give me that? You knew it was me. Tango: Evil! *Brody wins as jester* Etho: Why?! I don’t get that! Endless: What? Why would-? What?! Evil: *still laughing hysterically* Skizz: You guys are morons. Tango: EVIIIL! What’s wrong with you?! Why would you lie?! Evil, still laughing: I didn’t believe he was the jester! Skizz: HE VOTED FOR HIMSELF TWICE!

...

Tango: Rule number one: if you don’t understand a button, press it immediately.

...

Tango, running into electrical to find only Lala there: Oh hi, Lala! *silence* Tango: Lala, how you doing tonight? We haven’t had a chance to talk. *silence* Tango: Good chat, let’s do this again sometime. *silence* Tango: Thanks, Lala. That- Great stuff…

...

*imposter Mrs Tango accidentally killed her partner’s lover and got ejected for it* Mrs Tango: Dangit, Astro! Astro, laughing: Hey, Mrs Tango? D’you r- remember when I had a lover that round?

...

*after Skizz sheriffed Tango 10 seconds into the round* Tango: Let’s find Skizz and close all his doors. *ghost Tango floats over to electrical and finds Skizz’s ghost hovering next to his body* Tango: OH SKIZZ WHAT’S THE MATTER YOU’RE DEAD IN THE FACE YOU JERK BUTT! Skizz: *bursts out laughing* Tango: YOU ARE SUCH A MONKEY- *cuts himself off* MMMNNAAAA, alright?! You know that?! I did NOTHING- I did NOTHING to tip you off except mock colours! Skizz: Yes you did, dude! Tango: And you come over like *mocking Skizz* “mleh I’ve known you long enough”, you took a shot in the dark, you monke-! *again cuts himself off* Skizz: It was not a shot in the dark! Tango: Yes it was! Skizz: No it wasn’t! Tango: TOTAL shot in the dark! Skizz: NO IT WASN’T! Tango: You’re a flaming buttnugget! Skizz: *laughs again* Tango: I’m so glad you’re dead.

...

(the same round) Tango: I just wanna let you know right now: you’re dead to me. Skizz: *laughs* Tango: We used to be friends. I am setting your volume to zero. Goodbye, Skizz! Nice knowing you! Skizz, still laughing: You better not!

...

Tango, dead: Vote Skizzleman! Skizz, also dead, laughing: “Vote Skizz”. Tango: Vote Skizz. Resurrect his corpse and then throw him out into space.

...

Tango: How are the bubbles? Am I gonna experience this joy later or what? Mrs Tango: You can only hope. Tango: Ohoho! Can’t wait! Skiddley-doo!

...

Skizz: *calls a meeting* Skizz: I finally got to get there, and here’s what I’m gonna do. I will give the killer- I have risen from the dead. And I will give the killer a chance to step forward and admit to your sins and be forgiven. Brody: Did Astro save you? Cuz that sounds like something he would do. Skizz: Astro saved me, that’s correct. Lala: Awww, he’s so cute! Mrs Tango: Yay altruist!

...

*Etho is unanimously voted out* Brody, deadpan: It’s anonymous though, you don’t know who voted for you.

...

Endless: Why did you vote for me? I was literally on the other side of the ship when that happened. Brody: Because you killed me.

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Skizz: Hey, Etho. Hey, buddy. You had an opportunity to confess your sins and you just weren’t having it. Etho: You know, I wasn’t really paying attention and then I realised “oh, this is actually coming back to bite me”.

...

*Tango reporting a swooper kill* Lala: Or Tango just killed Brody- Tango: No no no, listen. I’m the engineer, so- Lala: Uh huh- Tango: No no, I’m telling you right now, I’ll vent in front of your dumb face, let’s go. Astro: Hey now! Etho: This is getting spicy :D Lala: I don’t think I like you calling me dumb, Tango. Tango: Alright, I’ll just vent in front of your face. Etho: He didn’t call you dumb, he called your face dumb. There’s a big difference. Astro: I’m not sure that makes it better.

...

*in the lobby* Endless: Tango, here’s what happened. I was talking to Mrs Tango and I said “have you still not finished the swipe [card task]?” and then she said “I just did” and then I realised we didn’t HAVE the swipe [card task], so that’s why I was saying she was faking it. Tango: You know what would’ve been good? Endless: If I had said that- Tango, at the same time: If you had said that in the meeting. That would’ve been good.

...

Tango, as the game is starting: Everybody vote Etho off, he’s the imposter. Etho: Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Tango: Etho sus!

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Lala: I gasped cuz I saw the purple body and I thought I died. Brody and Evil: *laugh* Brody: Those are two different shades of purp- How much juice have you had? Astro: Just a bottle. Lala: I don’t like your tone, sir.

#friday night stabby quotes #friday night stabby #tangotek #skizzleman #etho #misterjoker #evilnotion #theendless #brodyman #mrstango #astrozoan #ursulala

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loquaciousquark · 4 years

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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E113 (Oct. 27, 2020)

Good evening and good night, lovely people of the world! We’re on the internet and ready to go. Tonight’s guests are Travis Willingham and Sam Riegel. This will be calm, controlled, and sane, I can feel it. Brian points out it’s been seven months since either of them were on Talks. Oof. (Sam asks if it’s been going the whole time without him. Bigger oof.) Travis keeps sneaking bites out of an acai bowl or something and tries to look sneaky about it, and I laugh every time because he’s just...so big. He’s such a big person.

(Brian is wearing a lobstrosity shirt. He and Travis talk about Dark Tower for a bit; then Sam tries to get into the conversation: “Is that the thing from It?” Brian: “Is what the thing from It?” Sam: “Is that lobster the clown from It? I’m not very literate. Is that a Langolier? Is that a Shawshank?”)

Announcements: none! Maybe they just forgot. We’ve been talking about Sam’s spooky skeleton decorations for like five minutes. Brian suggests taking them to Travis’s house. Travis: “That’s the fastest way to get to the smell of burning plastic.” Brian: “Speaking of your girlfriend...”

On Avantika: Fjord wouldn’t call it a relationship as much as a casual sexual interaction. Not official! Super not official!!

The first sea voyage wasn’t great for Fjord, but he tried to be thoughtful about preparing for this one before they left: praying, kneeling at the bow of the ship, etc. He’s a little disappointed the Wildmother didn’t even throw him a “yo, fam” heads up.

They weren’t sure how to resolve the conflict at first, since Avantika went for Fjord rather than the crystal. No one expected it to get exposed in that way. Travis thought the necklace was a pocket dimension and was alarmed to learn it wasn’t. Travis wants it destroyed along with the third gateway, so until they are he won’t rest easy.

Everyone enjoyed watching them all fail on the battlefield again. (Sam: “You used [Counterspell] so effectively!”) Travis thought he’d said Thunder Step, which would imply Avantika was running, rather than Thunder Wave. Sam says it’s fine since none of them have that spell and he wouldn’t know it anyway.

It’s very difficult for Veth to find reasons to stay with the M9. She loves the adventures and making a difference, but she also wants to come home and have weekends and have a husband and life. “She’s a career girl!” He’s very excited about the possibilities of Caleb’s transportation effectively creating an easy commute for her. He also, as a player, doesn’t want to be the person who’s always leaving the party. “My characters wanna roam!”

Travis was fully tilted that Avantika might have gotten away right before the break. He doesn’t think he could have focused on Vess DeRogna’s task knowing Avantika had gotten away; he was seriously working out how Fjord would leave the party to go make a last stand at the third gate if she’d escaped.

Sam looooves how Matt plays Yeza, but it honestly makes him feel a little worse at how encouraging he is for Veth to chase her dreams. “He’s always like - go shine! Go blossom!” He wants to have the conversation about Yeza feeling a little ignored. It’s fun to share the tales of adventures with Luc & Yeza.

Travis says there’s no way it’s Molly--it’s all Lucien. They don’t know if it was a resurrection, if he’s undead, possessed, etc. Everyone--everyone--rags on Taliesin’s accent work. Brian surreptitiously claims Ashly was brought on to relieve him of the burden of the accent. Poor Ashly, ha!

Initially, Travis landed on the Oath of the Ancients, but it had more nature & pacifism in it than he felt fit Fjord very well. Many of them also had a focus on good & lawfulness, which also didn’t feel quite right; he also wasn’t that vengeful for some of the others. He & Matt got together and discussed options. Matt asked what Travis liked about Fjord; Fjord’s love for the ocean was a huge part of it, since Travis himself also loves the ocean & scuba diving, and so Matt created a custom oath for him. Travis does not plan to post its details, but he thinks Matt will at some point.

Cosplay of the Week! a lovely Scanlan by Air Bubbles Cosplay! Sam tells us the “canon” Scanlan cosplay was actually borrowed hodgepodge, and the boots were falling off all day.

It was really cool to see how Yeza & Luc have made a home in Nicodranas. Felderwin was okay, but kind of your basic D&D fishing village, and she likes the Nicodranas is much better. She’s confident & comfortable knowing her family is safe and sound.

Why is Fjord so interested in finding Sabian? To him, post-orphanage, his time with Vandren was the best of his life & the most love he’d ever received, because he mattered & had worth. It was taken by someone he’d known basically his whole life, so Fjord is not going to let that go. “That fuckin’ bill needs to be paid, my friend.”

Sam acknowledges that he should NOT have looked at his phone in re: the Vilya reveal, but it was pretty surprising! He can’t believe none of them recognized it! Travis points out the M9 had never met, heard of, or known anything about Vilya, so it’s not that surprising. Brian points out Matt has also done a really good job keeping the two campaigns separate, so any references were tasteful. Sam marvels that it was so well done: it was tasteful, had emotional and story impact... “That Matt. He’s getting better!”

Liam texted Sam back something like “oh SHIT.”

Knowing Veth had a chance to help someone else return to her child made Veth feel almost karmically forgiven for being away from her kid, but it also made Veth a little guilty--”this lady wants to desperately return home, shouldn’t I want to go home too?” Caleb’s teleportation spell couldn’t have come a better time.

Sam wants Caleb & Astrid to get back together (well, he says “hump each other”), and Dani’s eyebrows climb off her forehead. Veth/Nott really thinks Caleb needs to have a roll in ze hay, and feels like after meeting her that there is a kindness or vulnerability to her that could be worthwhile. Travis thinks she feels like someone tethered, that it feels like she has a bomb or something in her chest that’ll explode if she tries to leave. Sam thinks Eadwulf is super cool. None of these names are spelled like I think.

Travis found the dinner super frustrating, because he felt Caleb was trying to walk a diplomatic line and he just wanted to backhand Trent.

Fjord is still coming to terms with his feelings for Jester, and the feelings are definitely real, but there’s a lot of timing that he’s considering and he also wants to figure out what the relationship is like outside of constant tension and battle. Fjord is also having trouble figuring out how to exercise the ability to display affection as well since he’s never received them, and is feeling out how to give and receive them. “It’s fine now, because he’s feeling it, but once you say it out loud, or once you come to a point where you make it known to the other side, then what happens? It might be ruined. It might be broken. Or it might not be!” The moment with the porcelain unicorn was too good not to try. Travis also sighs that he’s not a romance D&D guy, “but now I am! Fuckin’ Laura Bailey!” He’s definitely feeling it out and will see how it unfolds in the game.

If Jester hadn’t let go of the Traveler, Fjord would have either attacked the Traveler or the Moonweaver and tried to kick them both off.

Sam doesn’t think the Traveler’s realized yet what a dick he is. Brian thinks it may not happen in this campaign, but agrees the full weight of what he deserves hasn’t been felt yet. Travis: “Yeah, he came to the edge, but it didn’t cost him anything.” Brian: “Yeah, he’s a real edgelord.”

Fanart of the Week! a beautiful portrait of Molly in the snow by @claygryphon on twitter.

Veth acknowledges that they work for shady people with shady pasts, so Vess DeRogna isn’t her first rodeo, but this time it’s personal. It’s Jaws 2: Electric Boogaloo. Sam can’t commit to actual actions, since Vess is like level 20 or something, but “I will get some kinda revenge. Be it petty or significant, I will get revenge.”

How are they feeling about being in Eiselcross? They’ve only just landed, so not sure yet. The cold is intimidating. They’re excited to explore a new island that’s part of Wildemount, especially with the river of lava running through it. “It’s icy with lava? Sounds like a Dairy Queen.”

There’s still a ton of unknowns regarding the Tombtakers, Vess, the nature of their job, and who’s here on whose orders. They’re excited to see how it’s all going to play out. Travis laughs that he doesn’t take notes, he’s just here to fight things. It just washes over him when Matt starts talking about names and places. “It’ll reveal itself in time. [...] I don’t write those notes down. I don’t even know how to spell it off the bat.” I have never identified more with Travis. Sam actually does pay attention and take notes and was really impressed by Marisha’s dive.

Veth became interested in branding her own spellcraft as soon as she saw Caleb doing it. “That’s what the influencer agents are gonna be looking at. It would be nice to leave the world better than we found it, but also with some branded spells.”

What were Fjord’s thoughts on dropping so much money on the ring & the Ioun stone? It wasn’t about money for Fjord, it was about a cool thing to acquire. It’s why he saves money in his campaign. Caleb needs “as much of a flak jacket as he can get.” He also REJECTS the idea of buyer’s remorse on the ring and touts the effectiveness it’ll have on the lava river.

Travis talks about his old coins - a 340AD coin he bought at a ren faire and a 120BC coin that was a gift from a friend.

Sam marvels at the love and thought that Caleb put into the tower. Sam points out they forgot to go to the top two floors altogether. Travis: “Did the mansion get as much careful planning from Scanlan as the tower did from Caleb?” Sam: Absolutely not. But they were still thinking small in C1, figuring out how things went, and they didn’t have as much detail in their heads yet.

And that’s all the time we have for tonight! We end on everyone whispering way too close into their mics and tapping fingernails on mason jars. A fitting end to this crazy episode, I think.

Is it Thursday yet?

#talks machina #talks machina spoilers #critical role #critical role spoilers #long post for ts

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honeyfizzly · 3 years

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Lol time to talk about something that isn't Baal or inazuma so it's now fatui harbinger time 🕺💃🕺💃

This will be mostly just speculation and talking about the commedia dell'arte and what the other possible harbingers could be based on and what traits they could have.

Warning for possible spoilers and no proof reading btw

All harbingers so far are named after the characters from the commedia dellarte. The commedia dellarte was an early form of perfessional theater in Italy.

Tartagila is named after the character Tartagila from the play (duh lol) who's name means stutter.

The character is farsighted and has a stutter, he also is apparently clumsy.

These traits in Childe seem to be interpetted very loosely.

His farsightedness and stutter are interpetted in a less literally sense. His farsightness can be how Childe is very straightforward and easy to manipulate (like how Zhongli and La Signora manipulated him). The stutter can be how his path in life as been unsteady (you know like falling into the abyss, joining the army, becoming an harbinger, almost destroying an city).

Scaramouche's commedia dellarte counterpart name means "little skirmisher". The commedia dellarte character's personality is that of an unscrupulous and unreliable servant. The character is also described as "sly, adroit, supple, and conceited". The character can either be played as clever or stupid, depending on how the actor sees fit to portray them.

It feels like Scaramouche's personality is far more accurate to the commedia dell'arte then Tartagila is. Scaramouche in genshin is two faced and also is heavily disliked amongst the fatui for having a disagreeable personality.

La Signora's commedia dellarte counterpart I can't really find that much info on but apparently she is tough, beautiful, and calculating. The commedia dellarte character is known for being overdressed and has alot of material desires (the money and power).

The La Signora we see in genshin is similar but seems to much more cruel (even killing her own subordinates). She's manipulative and cunning, and seems to be easily angered (like when she kicked Venti).

Dottore is a character we haven't seen in game yet but we have seen him in the manga. His commedia dellarte counterpart is meant to be representative of the learned intellectual class, and is meant to be a parody of the educated elite. He has a tendency to talk alot and bore the other characters on stage, the commedia dellarte character also got called an "loverat".

The dottore in genshin is much darker than the commedia dellarte version. Dottore in the manga experiments on humans and turns his dead servant into an ruin guard fusion. Dottore is apparently a scholar who studied at the sumeru academia but was chased away because of his unethical experiments. Right now it seems that their similarities is that both characters are extremely intelligent and have grey morals.

The harbingers we have confirmed so far but haven't seen yet are: Pierro (jester), Pulcinella (the rooster), Pantalone, Sandrone (the puppet), Capitano (the captian)

So that leaves two unnamed harbingers

Luckily we can guess the two other harbingers with this image

This is the image that's behind Childe's card and has all the constellations of the harbingers.

We can already guess who is the crying dove. The crying dove is most likely Columbia who's name means dove and the moth is probably harlequin, not only is there an harlequin moth but there is also the commedia dell'arte character named Harlequin.

Now let's get onto the archetypes of these characters

Pierrot (most likely Pierro)

(This section is taken from Wikipedia)

The defining characteristic of Pierrot is his naiveté: he is seen as an fool, often the butt of pranks, but trusting notheless.

(Note- Pierro is talked about in the pale flame artifact set and seems to be the most loyal to the tsaritsa. Pierro is also implied to be an survivor of Khenriah)

Plucinella

(This section is from Wikipedia)

Plucinella is a dualistic character: he either plays dumb, though he is very aware of the situation, or he acts as though he is the most intelligent and competent, despite being woefully ignorant.

Pantalone

(This section is taken from britannica)

Pantalone- a cunning and rapacious yet often deceived merchant

(This section is paraphrased from Wikipedia)

"But at every step he becomes the butt for every conceivable kind of trick".

Pantalone is characterized as loving money and having emotional extremes.

(Note- there's an section of the Pale flame lore that seems to talk about Pantalone in its time peice. It talks about how Pantalone was never blessed by the gods and seems to have a connection to liyue. Pantalone seems to crave so much because he was born with nothing)

Sandrone

(This part is taken from Wikipedia)

Sandrone is represented as a peasant who is crude, clever, and cunning. He is seen as the spokesman of poor people who are ill-treated, eternally hungry, and always using tricks to make ends meet.

Capitano

(Taken from Wikipedia)

He is often a braggart and a swaggerer who can maintain his claims only by the benefit of the fact that none of the locals know him.

He would be the first to run away from any and all battles.

Columbia

(Taken from marega.it)

Columbia is the mischievous and charming serving wench, a comic character who is not always the mirror of virtue.

She was often the only functioning intellect on stage.

She may be a flirtatious and impudent character, indeed a soubrette without losing her judgement.

(Note that Columbia mightve been mentioned in the Pale flame set lore. The women is said to be heavily scared and dresses in pure white but unable to cleanse the impurity of her past)

Harlequin

(Taken from britannica)

He was amoral without being vicious, and, unlike his fellow commedia servants, he did not hold a grudge or seek revenge against those who cheated or tricked him.

Obviously alot of these traits are probably going to be interpreted differently just like how Childe is a far more loose interpretation of his inspiration.

Also the word Fatui means fools in Latin which is probably in reference to how all the harbingers are named after stage characters.

That's all I have for now, so make what you will with this information or whatever lmao

#genshin impact spoilers #genshin impact #genshin impact theory #genshin spoilers #genshin theory #genshin fatui #genshin impact fatui #childe #genshin childe #genshin impact signora #genshin signora #tartagalia genshin impact #tartagila #genshin tsaritsa #genshin impact tsaritsa

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smutty-ki113r · 3 years

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(((*vents back into chat* OK SO YOU WANTED THIS SOOOO- FEEL FREE TO READ AS PLEASE- IM MAKING A PART TWO BUT IDK WHEN IT WILL COME OUT SEEING AS IM LAZY BUT HERE YA GO B) ))

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -𝙰 𝚁σɱαɳƈҽ Ⴆҽƚɯҽҽɳ ƚɯσ 𝙶σσϝႦαʅʅʂ-

𝙰 [SUSSY ANON] ϝαɳ-ϝιƈƚισɳ

𝙻αυɠԋιɳɠ 𝙹αƈƙ 𝚇 𝙲αɳԃყ 𝙿σρ

``𝚃ԋҽ 𝙲𝚒ɾƈ𝚞ʂҽʂ 𝚁σɱαɳƚιƈ 𝙳συ``

--//Explicit words//Hints to sexual desires//Mentions of death//Slight blood//--

️🌈 ~Gay ship paring Creepypasta~ ️🌈

It was a crisp summer’s night, as our colorful jester Candy Pop wandered throughout his Circus. He sighed as he sat down at the ‘Pick-A-Duck’ station. He pulled out a rubber duck and mushed it in his hand, chuckling as it ‘peeped’ out to him. He set it down on the counter and rested his head looking at the duck. He snickered at how small it was, patting it on the head, smiling at the tiny peeps it produced. He pocketed the duck for good measures, in case he ever needed a quick chuckle. He got up and wandered around more, humming to the tune of ‘Zydrate Anatomy’. He had heard that song a few times now, and it was starting to get stuck in his head. He wasn’t a huge fan of music, but he occasionally listened to it.

As the sun set further down, so did the jester. He went down the lanes between mini-games and in and out of mazes that he knew like the back of his hand. He laughed to himself as memories of chasing kids in these mazes danced in his mind. He loved that about his circus, that any newcomer could get lost so easily, and Candy Pop would know where they were. Most kids got stuck in mazes or rides. So that is where Candy Pop lurked the most, in case a kid did come down, he would be there waiting for them.

Candy Pop's shadow dragged behind him, he was getting rather bored of being by himself, he considered the options of going out, but it was far too late for that. Most places were either closed or going to be closed soon. But Candy Pop didn’t mind that, he entertained himself most of the time as it was. But recently he was craving something, more than just himself. He wanted another to entertain him, to be his partner in crime, to love him. But no one loved Candy Pop, he was too bold and chaotic, and most of all, a killer. Who would love someone that at any given moment, would end it all?

Candy Pop sighed at this, sitting down at a ‘Balloon Pop’ station. He looked up to the balloons on the wall, all of them were purple with a jester-like smile drawn on them. This was one of his favorite mini-games. This was because whenever someone popped the balloon, it would send a loud bang in their ears, causing the person’s ear dumbs to burst. He laughed at how many people went deaf to this. He was about to pop one himself just to hear the loud bang himself, but something caught him off guard. A silent grunt.

Candy Pop turned his head around to see a pin aimed right for his face? No, it was headed for the balloon, but Candy Pops’ poor reaction time led the pin to hit his face, right in his ear, a fearful gasp could be heard, the pin wasn’t meant for Candy Pop, it was meant to hit the balloon to startle him. Candy Pops’ eyes narrowed at who caused this. He couldn’t help but wince at the pain in his ear, pulling the pinout and planning on returning it to the sender. Just as he was about to throw it, a familiar voice caught him off guard.

“Pops! It's me, Jack!” The nervous clown exclaimed. Not wanting to hurt his friend, he rushed over to make sure he wasn’t hurt too badly. He scanned his ear to see where he hit. When he spotted it, he sighed as it wasn’t too severe. “Jeez, I really gotta get my ‘aim’ game eh?” Jack jokingly teased. Both chuckled at Laughing Jacks’ shitty joke. Candy Pop shook his head at his knucklehead friend, both could be complete idiots at times, and this was one of those times. “Ya know you really gotta be more careful with that shit, you aimed way too close to my head ya know!” Candy Pop sighed.

Both stood in awkward silence. Then, in unison, both spoke. “So what are ya doing-?”. Both looked at each other in shock, before laughing at how bizarre that was. Then, Candy Pop sighed, and went first. “I was just wandering around until you showed up, heh- what brings you here anyway?”. Jack looked back to his colorful friend before rubbing the back of his head.

“Well, I just wanted to see how my buddy was doing, ya know? That and I thought ya might wanna hang out?”. Jack asked. Candy Pops head sprung up to this question. Of course, he wanted to hang out with his greatest friend! Finally, something decent he could do. Smiling at Jack, he nodded fastly. “Yes! Yes! Of course, I’d love to hang out!”. Candy Pop sounded like an excited child going to DisneyLand. He practically sprung up from his chair jumping up and down a bit, before tuning it down and just swaying side to side. Jack chuckled at this before announcing where he would be taking him. “Well Candy Pop, I was thinking if we could just hang out at your Circus? Or mine if you’re up for it!”. Laughing Jack held the same excitement in his voice as Candy Pop did.

Candy Pop stood thinking of where he might want to go, but he was already at his circus and didn’t want to stress Laughing Jack too much, so he just decided it would be best to stay at his circus. “We could stay here and mess around!”. Candy Pop gleefully exclaimed. Laughing Jack smiled at this, wasting no time and grabbing Candy Pops’ hand. Jack had been to Candy Pops circus a few times before, but he knew that if he led the way, he would get them lost, or at least himself lost. So he let Candy Pop lead the way, he trusted him like that.

Laughing Jack always liked that about Candy Pop. Candy Pop was his only loyal friend, besides a few others, but even they had slip-ups. Candy Pop on the other hand only made shit jokes from time to time, but nothing too horrible or worth crying over. Candy Pop looked over Jack’s shoulder laughing at him. Jack couldn’t help but laugh back, he loved hanging out with Candy Pop, he was just so wild and fun! It was always a roller coaster of emotions with him. You never knew what you might get. However, Jack loved the days where Candy Pop was so burnt out, that he just talks about the most random things. That’s how they came up with ice cream-shaped pizza. Cookie dough for the bread, ice cream as the sauce, and chocolate chips as the pepperoni.

Candy Pop leads Laughing Jack to a glass maze, Jacks’ favorite maze there. He gasped and joy as his eyes gazed upon the maze. “You didn’t! Pops you know I love this maze!”. Jack chuckled aloud. He jokingly pushed Pops lightly teasing him a bit, both laughed at how cheesy the other was acting. Candy Pop hopped up at the start of the maze, holding a hand out for Jack. Instead of grabbing Candy Pops’ hand, Jack coiled his legs, like a spring, and bounced up, like a loose spring. His legs spiraled back to normal, he laughed at how cartoony that was. Candy Pop clapped his hands in amusement, despite seeing him do it before.

Both then wandered into the maze, Jack getting lost in his own glee, as Candy Pop ran around making sharp turns to not hit or break the glass mirrors. Laughing Jack soon found himself cornered in the maze, slightly lost and scared. Candy Pop took this as a chance to mess with Jack a bit. He stood in a mirror that reflected throughout the entire maze. He called out to Jack. “Oh, Jack~.” Candy Pop snickered at how cheesy this reference was. Jack snorted a bit himself too, he knew Candy Pop was trying to recreate the scene from Pennywise. Both hated that clown, so it was always funny when they mocked him. “You wanna BallOOn?”. Candy Pop said, trying to impersonate Pennywise. Both then burst laughing, Candy Pop falling over revealing where he was.

Jack couldn’t help but wheeze at how his face must have looked when he got lost, he probably looked like a lost child, he snarled at himself for that, but he was so busy laughing that it all seemed so funny. Candy Pop got up brushing himself off, still wheezing from what just happened. Candy Pop looked at Jack, who was still laughing and a bit red from embarrassment that he got scared. Jack looked up to Candy Pop as well, both meeting eye contact. They both grew silent just staring at each other, before starting up again and just losing it to laughter.

Candy Pop broke the spell of infinite laughter by finally speaking up. “Hey, bud- eheh- wanna head somewhere else? Don’t wanna stay here too long, when it gets dark here, IT GETS DARK! I don’t think I have any lights in the mirror maze- because it gets hot in here when there is light- heh.” Candy Pop chuckled. Jack considered this for a moment. “How about the ferris wheel!”. Jack practically shouted. That had to be his favorite ride, from how slow it was, to the heights, and how you could see the entire circus from up there. He loved the whole idea of it. Candy Pop smiled at this as well, he loved the ferris wheel, not as much as Jack, but he considered it second place next to roller coasters as his top pick. “I’d be down for that!”. Candy Pop excitedly said, already running in the direction of the ferris wheel. He had just installed new lighting or the ferris wheel, about a week ago. It lit aesthetic purple and blue, to fit the theme of his circus. He started to go there more often in fact, and having this in mind, he knew Jack would love the update about it.

“Come on then! It has some new cool features”. Candy Pop could jump out of his skin from how excited he was. He grabbed Laughing Jack's hand and dragged him along, leading them out of the maze. It even took Candy Pop a while, because Jack was lagging behind a bit, and kept slamming into the glass walls, so Candy Pop learned to slow down and take a steady pace. Even this was slow, but at least Jack didn’t get himself hurt. Snickering at Jack, Candy Pop teased him by bumping into a wall as well. This pulled off because Jack let out a faint snicker. A few minutes later they made their way out and started their long walk to the ferris wheel.

Eyes wandered around the carnival, looking at all the games and prizes to win. Dried blood spattered onto the walls from previous victims that fell to Candy Pop. History laid on these walls. Jack was there for some of the killings. Most of the time he just ate the victim whole. Other times they fucked the victim up so bad you couldn’t tell out a single feature. Jack smiled at the work they did. Jack felt his face grow warm as his gaze returned to Candy Pop, but he shook it off as just sweating from all that running. Candy Pop looked up to Jack and smiled, Jack's eyes met Candy Pop, and Jack smiled too. Both giggled lightly before looking ahead of them. Jack couldn’t help but love the fact that he was holding Candy Pop's hand. It was just so cute of him, Jack holding Pop's hand. The way his gloves were so silky smooth, and his nails lightly dug into Jack's huge claws. Jack never wanted it to stop, if he could he had the choice to, he would always hold Candy Pops’ hand. But he knew when they got to the ferris wheel he would have to let go. He sighed at that, hating the idea of having to let go. Oh well, might as well enjoy the moment.

The ferris wheel was getting closer now, just a few more rows of mini-games, and they would be at the entrance of the large ferris wheel. Jack could see the purple and blue lights, his jaw dropped rolling on the floor like a cartoon character would in animations. His tongue landed flat on the ground with a loud plop as his eyes bulged out. Candy Pop snickered, raising an eye at his now cartoonified friend. “You like it?” Candy Pop snickered aloud. “Do I like it..? No..” Jack teased. Candy Pop almost frowned, but his frown was cut off by Jack. “I FUCKING LOVE IT!” Candy Pop jumped at how loud his friend got, but smiled in joy. Candy Pop jumped up and down at this new information. “I’m glad you like it! I thought you might!” Candy Pops face beamed with overjoy, Jack saw this in Candy Pop, and lightly pinched Candy Pops nose. Both snickered as they resumed walking.

The closer they got to the ferris wheel, the more excited both got. Candy Pop snickered before looking at Jack. “Last one to the ferris wheel is a rotten egg!” Candy Pop then bolted for the ferris wheel, cackling to himself. “HEY!” Jack winced at Candy Pop. Candy Pop was already halfway there, but Jack remembered he could just teleport, so he did. He snickered to himself at how easy that was, now all he had to do was wait for his jester friend.

Jack looked at his claws admiring them and how deep they could puncture someone. He laughed at how many people he has killed with one swoop of a punch. He could hear Candy Pop getting closer, why didn’t he just teleport too? Maybe he forgot. Either way, Jack laughed a bit.

Candy Pop was now in full view, he was panting a bit at how fast he had to run to get there so quickly. Jack clapped slowly, cocking an eye. Candy Pop’s body dragged down as the weight of his body caught up to him. “Well, well, well, lookie here, I won~!” Jack teased Candy Pop by hissing those words at him. Candy Pop puffed and fell to his knees. “No! Lost! To a master- and cheater.. Of teleportation! How could this ever have happened! Oh, foolish me!” Candy Pop dramatically pretended to faint, holding in a snicker. Jack snorted at this, which triggered Candy Pop to burst laughing. Jack couldn’t help but fall to his side plopping on the ground next to Candy. Both lied their laughing until ether couldn’t breathe.

Candy Pop then dragged himself back up and dusted off. Jack did the same, chuckling at how dramatic his friend had gotten, even if it was an act. Jack then turned to the ferris wheel, to get a better view of it. Jack gasped silently at the sight. Wonderfully crafted, aesthetically fitting, and damn well-done lights, stood before the monochrome clown. He couldn’t help but mutter a silent wow at how unreal this all looked. Jack jumped a bit when he felt Candy Pop’s hand rub the back of Jack. “Pretty isnt it?” Pops silently said as to not ruin the moment. “It’s awesome Pops- like holy shit-.” Jack almost blurted out how much he loved it, but he managed to keep it in. Pops snickered at Jack before nodding to him. “Well, come on, hop it!” Candy Pop excitedly exclaimed. Candy then opened the door for Jack. He climbed in, and Candy Pop followed, sitting on the other side. He then pushed a button and the ferris wheel started to make its way to the top.

The ferris wheel seat rocked back and forth gently, someone could be able to pass out on it if they really wanted to. It was a quarter of the way to the top. Candy Pop smiled at Jack, as both grew to a cold silence. The other gazing deeply into the eyes of the other. Jack gulped a bit as things were getting a bit too intense for him. He didn’t like where things were doing, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay till the end for it. It was now three-quarters of the way to the top now. If someone dropped a bit, it would echo throughout the entire circus. No one broke contact, Jack was too scared to look away, and Candy Pop was too into the moment.

The ride stopped as it reached its highest point. Candy Pop took this as his cue, and slowly leaned in. In a panic, Jack leaned back and winced. Confused, Candy Pop opened his eyes and looked at the clearly nervous clown. Both sat looking in a now dead tone silence. Candy Pop lightly coughed before leaning back into his seat. The ride started up again and started its slow descent to the ground.

“Sorry- I thought you wanted to- .” Candy Pop was then cut off by Jack. “N-no it’s okay I just panicked a bit that’s all, heh.” Jack quivered. Pops nodded his head, but he really wanted that kiss. It was just so called for, why did Jack back out, was he.. Scared? But why? It was so clear to Candy Pop that Jack was into him, or maybe that is just Jacks’ way of being nice. If so, that is one hell of a way to be nice.

They both walked in awkward silence to the exit. Neither said or even bothered to look at the other, in fear that something might happen. As they approached the exit, Laughing Jack sighed and looked at Candy Pop. “Hey- Pops? I’m sorry I didn’t mean to, I really wanted to just-!” Jack was cut off as Candy Pop grabbed the now-beat-red blushing clown, and kissed him. Jack couldn’t help but stare in shock, before calming down and kissing back. The kiss felt like it lasted for an eternity, but Jack didn’t mind. He regretted not letting Candy Pop in the first place. Candy Pop leaned into the kiss more, causing Laughing Jack to tip over a bit. Then, Pops stopped kissing Jack, allowing Jack to catch his breath.

“W-woah…” Is all Jack could say. It was just so magical it felt like a dream. Candy Pop, who was now just as red as Jack, snickered. “I-it was nothing.. Don’t mention it, heh.” Pops snickered. Jack chuckled and let out a sigh of relief, he started to walk towards the exit once more. He looked back to Candy Pop. Candy Pop nodded with a smile, as Jack left the circus, to visit for another time...

-𝙰 𝚁σɱαɳƈҽ Ⴆҽƚɯҽҽɳ ƚɯσ 𝙶σσϝႦαʅʅʂ-

𝙰 [SUSSY ANON] ϝαɳ-ϝιƈƚισɳ

𝙻αυɠԋιɳɠ 𝙹αƈƙ 𝚇 𝙲αɳԃყ 𝙿σρ

``𝚃ԋҽ 𝙲𝚒ɾƈ𝚞ʂҽʂ 𝚁σɱαɳƚιƈ 𝙳συ``

~The End~

AWWWWWWEEEWWWWWWWWWEWWE WAIT THIS WAS SO CUTE!!!

I loved it!! I’m not sure if you wanted my constructive opinion but here it is: I loved the descriptions, the lights and the circus was great, the games and the names too, I suggest adding more of feel in it. Not sure if that makes sense but just the FEEL. The humor was great, I liked the jokes you embedded. And the cartoonish descriptions were so cannon- I also like how you wrote the characters with their giddy childish selves. I used to have a really hard time filling in space between times which is another thing I think you should work on. Fillers can get mmmm sometimes so I suggest instead of dragging it out fill with emotion or thought. But overall I loved it, got lost in the story which is what matters so congrats! Great job love <333

#🔊#creepypasta #laughing Jack #creepypasta laughing jack #laughing jack fluff #laughing jack headcanon #laughing jack creepypasta #laughing Jack cp #candy pop #candy pop creepypasta #candy pop headcannons #candy pop x laughing Jack #♣️

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pennamesmith · 3 years

Text

Secret of the Skeletor

Skeletor sneaks out. Some less-prominent former members of the Horde receive community outreach. More Skeletor stories!

Skeletor sat alone in the laboratory.

He had strict orders not to go anywhere or do anything. As one of Horde Prime’s drone bots, he knew the importance of rules. But ever since Entrapta had reprogrammed him with a name and a unique personality, he also knew the importance of breaking them.

Skeletor chuckled. He stood up, paused, then sat back down again and laughed some more as he pondered his options.

Just about everybody else in Bright Moon was busy. Even Wrong Hordak’s usual support group was canceled while he attended the queen’s cabinet meeting about Entrapta’s new interdimensional research findings.

This meant it was the perfect time for Skeletor to venture outside the kingdom. A community outreach day. He grinned. Pausing only to giggle again and leash his beloved robot puppy, Relay, Skeletor snatched up Darla’s ignition crystal and shambled out the door.

“Now for a little vanishing act!” he declared as he left.

It was going to be a good day.

Kyle braced himself as soon as he heard the ship engines come to a stop outside the window.

“Hey, guys?” he called to the other two inhabitants of their modest home. “I think —”

He was interrupted by the sound of splintering wood. “Strong, but not strong enough!” Skeletor yelled as he cheerfully kicked in the door. Rogelio, who had been going to open it, bristled in shock while Lonnie yelped and grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen, brandishing it like a club from behind the counter.

A long, stale moment passed.

“...It’s all part of the game!” Skeletor explained apologetically, as he turned and tried to replace the door on its hinges. “We don’t want to hurt anyone!” At his feet, Relay peered inside the room and barked, tail wagging.

All three of the former Horde soldiers relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief, though Lonnie’s battle-ready expression did not change.

“Do you really have to do that every time you come over?” Kyle asked, poking at the loosely swinging door.

“Yes,” Skeletor replied honestly.

Rogelio shrugged and growled something indistinct.

Lonnie quirked an eyebrow. “What? You asked him to come here?”

“We both did,” Kyle piped up. He reached for Rogelio’s hand in reassurance. “We… kinda wanted to get some more information on Wrong Hordak’s support group.”

Dutifully, Skeletor produced a sheaf of pamphlets and papers detailing schedules and services and handed them over to the two young men. Rogelio accepted them all with a brief roar of thanks.

Lonnie shook her head, still frowning. “Oh no. I already told you, I am not interested. Going over there for wellness day was one thing, but there are too many people there that I still just… can’t be around. And he’s nice and all, but I don’t think Wrong Hordak really gets me.”

“Running away. So impolite!” Skeletor scoffed.

“That’s okay!” Kyle hastily added. “You don’t have to come with us. We’d never force you into something like this.”

“Running away sounds like a terrific idea!” Skeletor said.

Kyle looked at Rogelio. “It’s just, we’ve been talking, and I think we want to give it a try. Even if it doesn’t work out, we might be able to learn some stuff that could help. Taking the first step can be really hard, even when it’s the right thing. And we’ll be here if you decide you’re ready, but we’ll be here if you don’t, too.”

Lonnie’s expression softened, slightly. “Thanks guys,” she said, and meant it. She went to hug the other two. “Now, let’s see about making this robot fix our door.” She pounded a fist into her palm meaningfully.

“I think it’s time for me to leave and take care of another matter!” Skeletor squeaked, and beat a hasty retreat.

Darla hovered serenely above the water on the Salinean coast. While Relay napped in the captain’s chair, Skeletor strolled unhurriedly along the docks. He stopped in front of a small, shabby storefront and looked curiously at the sign above the door.

Sea Hawk’s Ship Disposal and Firewood Emporium, it read. You Crash ‘Em, We Burn ‘Em!

“I think I’ll make him my court jester, if he’s funny enough!” Skeletor proclaimed, and walked inside.

However, it was instantly apparent from the lack of off-key sea shanties being sung that the shop’s namesake proprietor was currently absent. This suited the skinny robot just fine. The real subject of his visit was the new part-time hire, who sat slouched at the register behind a gossip-scroll and an eyepatch.

Octavia brightened when she saw Skeletor enter. “Hey, I was wondering when you’d make it back here!” she called out. Skeletor waved in response and marched over, holding out a laden bag.

“I’ve brought you a present!” Skeletor announced.

Octavia’s good eye shone as she reached inside and pulled out a glittering, silver fishing net. “Oh, wow, Entrapta finished it already!” she gushed, holding the netting up to the light to admire it.

“That net is made of elastium!” Skeletor boasted. “It’s not only one of the hardest substances in the universe, it also stretches!”

“Hey, thanks for helping me commission this,” Octavia said, looking back. She smiled wistfully. “Entrapta really was the best part of the Horde when we were all there, you know? She was so nice to everyone, and Hordak was loads calmer, and all our maintenance complaints got fixed practically overnight!”

“That’s just peachy for you!” Skeletor said.

“Plus, it kinda took some of the sting out of having to take orders from the kid who did this when we were six,” Octavia added, gesturing to her eyepatch. “I had ambitions, you know? I was the first of our class to make Force Captain. I was going places! Of course, none of that matters anymore.”

Her sour expression melted as she looked back at the new net. “But that won’t stop me! With this I can make some extra money on the side selling seafood. Then I’ll buy this place from Sea Hawk — honestly, I think he forgets he owns it sometimes — and turn it into a crafting and antique shop, Octopus Cove or Mystic Isle or something. After that I’ll take over all the shops on the dock one by one, and then the beach tourism market will be mine! Ha ha!”

She cackled with evil glee. Skeletor joined in, politely.

“Too bad about the others, but at least I escaped!” Skeletor concluded, and left to continue his mission.

“Beast-Man!” Skeletor sang as the door opened.

“I still don’t know who that is, but it’s good to see you again too,” Grizzlor grinned. “Come on in, buddy!”

Skeletor followed the wolffish giant inside while Relay trotted happily at his heels. Grizzlor’s husband, fellow former Horde Commander Cobalt, was relaxing in their living room and waved when he saw the bot.

“Skeletor! How’ve you been?”

“Sitting down on the job?” Skeletor barked. “I’ll help you, if only to be rid of you!” He offered Cobalt a thick folder of paperwork. “Here, here it is!”

Cobalt accepted the folder reverentially. “Really? I knew it was a long shot asking Hordak for help, but all the red tape was getting to be such a nightmare that I just didn’t know what to do anymore.” He sniffled and wiped a tear from his eye. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re crying for Hordak?” Skeletor huffed. “I don’t believe it!”

“I can’t believe that worked,” Grizzlor admitted. “I mean, I always thought Hordak hated me,” he added sheepishly. “Especially after that thing with the two neckties.”

Cobalt shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think Hordak ever really hated anybody. He just didn’t know what to do with anyone. Now, Shadow Weaver on the other hand…”

“Most unpleasant!” Skeletor muttered.

“Exactly. But I think Hordak did care, in his own way. He saw how scared we were of combat during the early days, in the Scorpion uprising. I think that’s why he kept me teaching the cadets and you on the easy patrols, Grizz.”

Grizzlor chuckled. “Aw, I can’t imagine you being scared of anything, big guy!”

“Oh, I wasn’t always like this!” Cobalt demurred, flexing his shoulders. “Back in my cadet days I was so skinny everyone called me ‘Mantenna’! Used to joke that I’d fall through a crack in the floor if I wasn’t careful.”

“Another piece of the puzzle!” said Skeletor.

Cobalt slung an arm around Grizzlor. “But listen, Horde or no, I’ll always be there for you.” He held up the adoption papers Skeletor had delivered. “And now, we might have something else to protect together.”

Skeletor’s last stop was a recently-refurbished tavern just inside the Crimson Waste. He nodded approvingly at the osseous architecture and then pushed his way through the curtain while Relay ran ahead, yapping.

Inside there was a wide, smoky space filled with outlaws and ruffians of every species imaginable. They all turned to look as Skeletor entered.

“That’s it! Kneel before your new master!” Skeletor bellowed.

Everyone immediately went back to what they had been doing. The chatter and plinky piano music returned. Relay found a small lizard and began to chase it around the floor.

“Skeletor! It’s good to see you back, friend!”

An enormous purple hand clapped the robot on the shoulder. Skeletor looked up into the smiling face of a towering barbarian.

“Can I get you anything?” Huntara asked, conversationally. “Minions to yell at? A ribcage chair to sit in?”

“Unnecessary! Because we’ve already found you!” Skeletor replied.

“Good, I was hoping you’d say that. Zed! Sunder!” Huntara called out. Two Horde clones who were staffing the bar — one seeming slightly shorter than the typical clone brother, and the other a bit older and wrinklier — glanced up at the sound of their names and hurried over.

“Keep an eye on the door, willya? I need to talk to bonehead here for a bit. We’ve got… business to discuss.”

The two clones nodded seriously, and Huntara escorted Skeletor to a secretive back room behind the bar. Inside there were many potted cacti, two comfortable chairs, and a little table with a miniature sand garden on top. It had a tiny, handheld rake for making soothing patterns in the sand.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Huntara sighed in relief, dropping into one of the chairs. Relay jumped into her lap and she patted his head gratefully. “I have so much to talk about! You know how last time I was telling you about Grox and all the things she was saying to me? Well…”

“Easy, don’t overexert yourself! It’ll only cause you to weaken more quickly,” Skeletor cautioned. He settled into the other chair and leaned forward, listening intently.

“Yeah, I know. It’s just nice to have someone to talk to, Huntara said. “I don’t feel comfortable in big groups and I can’t always open up to the people around here. So thanks for stopping by.”

Skeletor nodded. “I’m right here, old friend! Release the shadow beast!”

A weight seemed to leave Huntara’s shoulders. “All right. Now, like I was saying…”

Long after the stars had come out, the laboratory door finally swung open again. Entrapta and Hordak, looking exhausted but accomplished, strode inside with their arms full of rolled-up diagrams and data sheets from that day’s presentation.

“...And they listened to everything I said!” Entrapta exclaimed as they came in. “I can’t remember the last time anybody besides you paid attention to me for that long. It was kinda scary, but it felt kinda good, too!”

“They were fools if they never attended to you before,” Hordak purred, smiling proudly. “And I cannot imagine they would disregard you now. After all, you are talking about the prospect of rescuing —”

“Sounds like we’ve got company!” Skeletor interrupted, welcoming the couple back to the lab. He was sitting, hands primly folded, in exactly the same spot as he had been when they left. “I’ve been expecting you!”

“Oh. Hello, Skeletor,” Hordak sighed, reluctantly looking away from Entrapta. “Did you follow my instructions to stay put today?”

Skeletor crossed his fingers and nodded.

“Did you follow my instructions?” Entrapta whispered, after Hordak had gone on ahead. Skeletor nodded again, much more enthusiastically this time.

“Good robot!” Entrapta replied, with a wink and a smile. “Thanks for helping out!” Then she scampered away to keep up with her lab partner.

“Ha! My plan has worked perfectly!” Skeletor gloated. “Now I have the power!”

#Skeletor #she ra #spop #fan fiction #horde trio #octavia #grizzlor #commander cobalt #huntara #entrapdak #grizzlor/cobalt #smith stuff #I wonder what that big meeting was all about

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mollymauk-teafleak · 3 years

Text

whose brow is laid in thorn (chapter one)

You guys have no idea how long I’ve been building this universe in my head as I’ve been falling asleep. Huge thanks to @minky-for-short and @spiky-lesbian, my ever faithful and patient betas and wonderful friends

please reblog and leave a comment on ao3!

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Mollymauk has been waiting for this day since he was eighteen years old.

Not the day he'll be crowned king, that day is a long way off and he's none too eager for it. No, today is the day the love of his life is returned to him, after they were separated when their affair was discovered.

But Caleb Widogast has been in the hands of the Volstruker. And who is coming back is not the same man who left.

So is that man still there?

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Mollymauk didn’t wake up, not really. To say he woke up would have implied he’d ever slept and he didn’t so much as doze that night, not even for a moment.

But when the dawn filtered under the thick curtains of his chambers and fell across the rich carpets, he did feel some sort of start. Though it wasn’t anything like waking up.

It felt more like coming back to life. He’s coming home.

He bolted upright, breath suddenly coming fast like he’d been sprinting. His mouth dried and the sudden need to move and move quickly crackled through his nerves, though he had no idea what to do with any of it.

Clothes. He’d start with that, seeing as he was completely naked save the silk sheets and his tattoos. Normally he’d wait for his sister, to get ready with her, but Jester really liked to sleep in and he'd always felt mean waking her up before the sun had cleared the horizon. Unless it was him doing it by repeatedly smashing a goosefeather pillow into her face.

And he needed some time to himself this morning. He’s coming home.

He lit the candles then looked through his vast wardrobe, normally grabbing the first thing he came across whether it was appropriate for court or not. People had long since given up on expecting him to be appropriate, full stop. His fathers senechal didn’t even roll her eyes as much when he would come to take his seat, dressed in feathers and sequins with far too much of his deep violet skin on display. Mollymauk actually suspected his father had turned it into a play, to further intimidate his already plenty intimidated supplicants.

But this morning his fingers passed over the usual silks, satins and samites. He couldn’t help but think of how he’d dressed back then, gods, ten years ago now. His fingers kept moving, further and further back into the racks, as if he could go back in time so easily. As if everything could be undone. As if he could be the Mollymauk he’d been back then just by dressing like him.

His chest clenched tightly. He’s coming home.

Eventually he found a close fitting tunic with a high neck, in a dark blue colour, clearly from some time before it was politically necessary for him to be wearing the house colours at all times. Soft doeskin breeches underneath, no jewellery save what he always wore in his horns. Just some kohl outlining his full, red eyes. He wanted to look as much like the Mollymauk he would remember as possible, whether it would change anything or not.

When the heavy knock on his chamber door came and it swung back with an iron and oak creak, Molly wasn’t surprised to see Yasha standing there, already dressed and ready to go and also very much not surprised to see him in the same state. Yasha had always understood him in that way.

“Your highness,” she said in that soft voice of hers, bending in a small half bow.

None of his other friends ever used his official titles outside of the courtroom but, after years as his aide de camp, she had turned them into a term of endearment. Hearing her say it gave him a reason to smile, in the middle of everything he was feeling.

“Good morning, Yasha,” he beckoned her in from where he sat at his dressing table, still looking at himself in the mirror.

“I checked with the night guard, your highness. All clear, nothing to report,” she intoned, as she did every morning before anything else was addressed.

“Good,” Molly murmured, attention elsewhere, “I, uh, take it my mother and father are still abed?”

“Soundly, your highness.”

Molly nodded tightly to his reflection. He didn’t want the king here for this. The less bad memories were waiting for him on the palace steps, the better.

Then why do you imagine he’ll want you there? A nasty little voice whispered inside his mind, making him clench his hands into fists. Molly swallowed hard and pushed it away, trying to wipe any trace of it off his face before Yasha could see it in the mirror.

He either hadn’t moved fast enough or their friendship ran too deep. He saw his friend’s face tighten ever so slightly, felt her hand rest on his shoulder and squeeze firmly.

“Are you ready for this, your highness?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. It was wise to never speak too loudly anywhere in this castle, not even in the bedchamber of it’s crown prince. Molly had learned that lesson early in life.

But still not early enough.

“I am,” he made himself meet Yasha’s eyes, or at least the reflection of them, “He’s coming home. He’s finally coming home. And everything’s going to be right again.”

If there was a flicker of doubt in his friend’s ash-ringed eyes, then Mollymauk didn’t see it. Instead he looked into his own face, bathed in candlelight and dawn, so he could see the certainty there and forget he’d forged it himself out of dreams and selective memories. So he could make himself believe it when he whispered it once more.

Caleb Widogast was coming home and everything would be right again.

People in the castle whispered about it, of course they did. But it just joined the never ending current of gossip and low level scandal that ran through the place because of the wayward crown prince. Caleb had become another faceless body in their prince’s bed, of the hundreds they imagined crowded in there like a tavern on a festival night. Earlier on than most, granted, but every bit as transient.

And even then Mollymauk still wasn’t the most interesting member of the royal family. Just the safest to gossip about.

It would make Mollymauk laugh bitterly, to imagine their faces if they’d only known. Caleb hadn’t been one of many. He’d been the first. He’d been everything.

They were called the Volstrucker, their true purpose shrouded by naming them in a language few people this side of the Xorhasian border spoke. For the few that could be openly seen at court, people had grown used to them and long ago grown bored of making up stories about them. They’d stopped questioning Sorah’s never ending vigil at the king’s side, the higher courtiers that were granted peeks behind the curtain thought little of the people in black who hid their faces and brought reports under magical seals that the king would read and then promptly burn. To them, Trent Ikithon was just another courtier, a noble chased from the Empire and trying to scratch some semblance of the power he’d once wielded through the benevolence of the king, clearly providing him some service they had better not dwell on too long.

Bodyguards, spies, personal assassins, fallen sorcerers with their uses, all these things were common in this court and drew little attention when no threads could be found between them all.

And when the crown prince was given a companion at the age of ten, a thin, pale boy with dark red hair and sharp blue eyes, the court accepted it when they were told he was just that. A companion. A personal guard. Hardly unusual, given that this was their heir to the throne. It was only natural that he would have his own version of his father’s silent, hulking goliath and it was rather smart, after all, to have the two boys grow alongside each other to strengthen the bond between them.

But of course, that was exactly the point of the Volstrucker. To blend into the background, to repel whispers and speculation as easily as shaking rainwater off a cloak, to run beneath the surface of things. It was what allowed them to operate as the most vicious, effective and brutal assassins and war mages anyone inside or outside of the Empire had ever seen. To be the stuff of legends and nightmares while never appearing so.

That was Caleb Widogast. Prince Mollymauk’s own personal Volstruker, the kind of privilege only extended to the most powerful people. And of course, those most powerful people who had close ties to their handler. Trained from their shared youth to give his life in service of his prince, to jump before every blade aimed at his neck, to either slaughter the enemy or take the sword point through his own flesh. Drilled in the most dangerous offensive magic, shaped by Ikithon’s hand out of common dirt to serve a greater purpose, to once day stand by the throne when it was Mollymauk’s turn to sit it or to perish getting him there.

That was who Caleb was. Or at least what he’d been intended as.

“An hour after dawn. That was what they said.”

Molly was pacing back and forth across his room, hands fidgeting with the adornments in his horns. Yasha sat patiently on his bed, again demonstrating how she could be such a stickler for protocol in some areas and then completely disregard it in others. Their long friendship always had been that strange kind of patchwork.

“They did say that, your highness,” she agreed patiently, for the tenth time that morning.

“So how long does it take to travel from this place?” the panic began rising on his throat, “This place they won’t even bloody tell me where it is? Because it damn far past an hour after dawn!”

Yasha took a deep, patient breath, one of many that she’d taken between coming into her prince’s room and this moment, “The roads have been dangerous of late. Perhaps they’ve just been delayed. Perhaps there was rain over the mountains. Perhaps a tree fell across the king’s road. Perhaps a million other things happened that we do not need to be worrying ourselves over right now.”

Molly flushed, folding his arms across his chest and staring sullenly at his boots, “There’s probably a few we should be worrying about…”

“Molly, think who he’s with. Is there really anything that would stop a pack of Volstreker for very long?”

“He...he was just never late,” Molly replied after a long, long pause, his voice sounding very far away and very young, “That was one of the things he hated most, being late.”

He wasn’t looking but he heard how his friend’s voice became very clipped and careful, her accent coming through stronger like it did when she was minding her words very closely, “My prince...Caleb may not be the friend we remember…”

Molly looked up sharply, his eyes bright and hard like rubies, “Caleb was not just my friend. Caleb was the love of my life. He is the love of my life. We’re soulmates.”

Yasha sighed again, though this one she kept to herself. Arguing with Mollymauk was a chore most of the time, nigh on impossible when he got that fire in his eyes, the same fire that could be seen in the king’s more and more frequently.

The fire that worried her every time she saw it reflected on her friend’s face.

So Yasha wouldn’t argue with him. She would do what she had always done, what she’d learned how to do when she’d been handed this broken boy at the age of eighteen and helped him put himself back together over ten long years, what people were afraid to do for a prince but gods did he need it. She would pull back his armour and show him what was underneath.

“Molly,” she stood, taking a few steps towards him, her sad eyes catching the candlelight, “What happened was not your fault.”

It was like watching a single crack in a sheet of ice bring a whole glacier face crumbling down. Yasha moved quickly, bringing Molly into her arms before he could even choke out a sob, as the tears he’d probably needed to cry since he’d heard Caleb was coming home burst forth.

For a moment, as her knees hit the thick carpet, it was as it had been ten years ago. Those long, awful months after Caleb had been taken away, when Molly couldn’t find the strength to rise from his bed, when the chambermaid Veth would bring him meals he wouldn’t eat, when Jester would come ask her big brother to play with her and it would be like she wasn’t there, when no good natured threats from Beau would get him down to the practise yard, when Fjord would come with tales of his travels and get no response. Caduceus, the palace healer, had done all he could for him, eventually only able to bow his head and sigh and say it wasn’t for any medicine to cure the nasty shock of a broken heart. The king had known better than to try and reach out to his son, knowing this had driven a chasm between them that would not be repaired. The queen had sat outside his chamber door for days on end, waiting until he would see her again.

Ikithon said Caleb had been taken for training. Re-education. The screaming nightmares that would bring Yasha and Jester running to Molly’s chambers at all hours proved just how much they believed that.

But Yasha squared her shoulders and let Molly weep against her. It wasn’t like that any more. Her prince had grown stronger since then, and wiser, this was just the aftershocks of an earthquake that had passed. He’d learned not to shut his friends out.

He proved that when he finally whispered, voice trembling, “But what if he blames me?”

Yasha squeezes his shoulders gently, “Think of the Caleb you knew. How well you understood each other. How clever he was. Do you really think he’d blame you?”

“No…” Molly drew back with a final sigh that sounded something like relief, “No he wouldn’t.”

“You know who's to blame,” Yasha’s voice hardened at the edges.

Molly’s mouth twisted, the way it often did when thoughts of that man strayed through his mind, Having him so close for the last ten years, seeing his smug smile and cruel eyes every day at court, at every royal banquet, in the council chambers, it had taken all of the combined efforts of his friends to convince him the matter couldn’t be settled with the point of his scimitars.

Not without angering the king. And despite everything Mollymauk said, despite the mask he wore, he was terrified of the king. He couldn’t hate him, not truly, not even after he ordered your heart torn in two and one half banished to gods knew where. Not even after everything he’d seen him do, the executions he’d ordered, the other kingdoms he’d seen him raze in war, watching from behind what little protection his mother could offer him. And even beyond the things he’d seen him do lurked the things he suspected.

But you couldn’t hate the man who’d saved your life. Who’d found you as an orphan and adopted you, named you heir to his kingdom, gave you a family and a name and a crown. Who had shown you love, perhaps, once upon a time.

Fear was easier. And so Mollymauk feared his father.

“I don’t want to think about that right now,” the tiefling rubbed at his eyes, smudging kohl across the bridge of his nose, “I just want to see him. I need to know he’s okay.”

Yasha opened her mouth, about to say something comforting while still trying to manage her prince’s expectations, when there came shouts from the far side of the bailey. From the main gate. Riders approaching.

Molly stiffened, eyes opening wide, lighting up with more hope than Yasha had seen on his face in years, so much so that she couldn’t help but smile.

“He’s home,” Mollymauk breathed.

The clamour raised by the approaching visitors must have woken Jester. As Mollymauk stood in the audience chamber, smoothly maintaining his princely face, she came bursting through the side door, clearly having dressed in a hurry. She ran up to take her place at his side, panting and grinning, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Is he here yet? Is he here?” she gasped, taking her brother’s hand and squeezing tight.

Molly chuckled fondly, dropping the act for the moment and winding an arm around her in a hug. He could never maintain it around Jester.

“Not yet. They’re just dismounting in the foreyard, we don’t even know if it's them yet…”

“Oh of course it is!” Jester rolled her eyes before the splitting grin came back, “I can’t believe he’s here, we’re all together again. It’ll be just like it was before!”

Molly couldn’t hide his own delight, not when her’s was taking it by the hand and tugging it up to the surface. But he needed to wear the right face for this, settling for laughing and scrubbing her blue hair quickly before pushing her away.

“Come now, at least try and look suitably intimidating,” he teased, moving back to standing tall with his hands clasped at the small of his back to put the hilts of his infamous scimitars on show, “The king would be most disappointed if any of our visitors left with dry smallclothes.”

“That’s not my job,” Jester snorted, like he were the world’s biggest fool rather than her future liege, “My job is to stand and look dumb and pretty to get them off their guard.”

Molly nudged her with a sharp elbow which she mostly dodged, “And brain them with a psychic lollipop if I lose my swords.”

“And brain them with a psychic lollipop if you lose your swords!” she repeated cheerily, giving him a wink before her face settled into something softer, something not unlike the look Yasha had given him as she’d helped him to his feet, “I’m really happy for you, Molly.”

Molly had his eyes facing firmly forward, he could hear voices from behind the gilded doors or the audience chamber. But the corner of his mouth turned up and the tension in his shoulders lessened slightly.

He was glad to have his sister beside him for this.

Because the door was opening and the man he loved, the man he’d loved since he was a child, the man whose absence had ripped a hole inside him he thought would never heal, was about to walk through the door.

Ikithon first, flanked by two nondescript figures in all black, a man and a woman. Molly greeted them with a stiff nod, his heart set on what lay behind them. A cloaked figure, hood up, the same stiff black uniform as the other two.

“Ah, Prince Mollymauk,” Ikithon intoned, voice as slippery as ever, “A welcome sight at the end of a long journey. It was my pleasure, of course, to bring your personal Volstruker back to you. Consider it yet another token of my sincere and genuine apology for the… unpleasantness he caused ten years ago.”

His voice lingered over that word, drawing it out into something sharp edged. Because of course he knew. Jester glanced anxiously at her brother.

Molly’s anger bubbled too close to the surface, he had to force the words through his teeth in a thin veneer of politeness, “You have the throne’s thanks, Archmage, as ever. Of course, I would be loath to keep you any longer, after such an arduous journey. You and your companions are dismissed to refresh yourselves. Immediately.”

He was rewarded by the slightest curling of Ikithon’s lip at his old title, the reminder of the one he used to own before he was cast out of the empire for his crimes. The same crimes the king had welcomed him in for.

“I will escort you myself!” Jester insisted with a sweet smile, smoothing the moment over in an instant, hurrying down the steps of the raised platform to sweep her arm out invitingly, seeming to put even the two senior Volstruker off guard, “Please follow me! I would so love to hear all about your journey!”

Jester was very hard to say no to. Within minutes they were gone into the luxurious depths of the castle and, given that this had been a very small welcome in the early hours of the morning, this left Mollymauk alone with Caleb.

His resolve broke as soon as the footsteps disappeared. Dropping all sense of decorum, he lurched forward, down the steps, unable to bear the distance between them.

“Caleb,” he nearly sobbed out, though still in control enough to drop his voice, “Gods, Caleb, it's so good to see you again. There’s so much I need to say to you but...Caleb?”

He hadn’t moved. There hadn’t been so much as a twitch in his muscles. Molly was panting, wild eyed, now close enough to reach out and touch him but he hadn’t flinched.

The voice stopped Mollymauk just as dead in his tracks. The most awful mix of familiar and foreign, the voice he knew but seeming to come from a different set of lungs.

“Your permission to remove my hood, your highness?”

Molly frowned, not understanding, feeling like he was in some strange dream now, actions not making sense and words coming out disjointed, “I...yes?”

With a slight nod, gloved hands swept back the heavy hood. It was almost exactly the face he’d imagined, the strong jaw and close beard of rust, the piercing blue eyes and high, handsome cheekbones. He’d grown into the handsome man Molly had always known he would be.

But he’d never imagined the expressionlessness in his eyes. The slack set of his jaw. He’d never imagined it would be like looking into the eyes of a doll or a painting.

Gods, it was so much worse than the looks of fear, pain, even the anger and hatred he’d seen in his nightmares.

“Caleb…” Molly groaned.

“I would like to apologise for my grievous errors when we were younger men, your highness,” the man who wasn’t Caleb intoned, completely flat, “I compromised my position as your Volstruker and took advantage of you in a completely unacceptable way. I swear to you that all degeneracy has been wiped clean and I am returned ready to do nothing but serve you with body and soul.”

He pulled his fist to his chest, keeping it there in a hard salute, one Molly had seen so many black clad figures make to Ikithon, to his father.

“I am yours, my prince.”

Molly’s heart shattered in his chest, tears running down his cheeks to drip onto the hands frozen halfway to taking Caleb in his arms.

“Caleb, what have they done to you?” he whispered, voice strained.

Someone had come home. But not the man he knew.

Not the man he loved.

#widomauk #critical role #mollymauk tealeaf #caleb widogast #cr fic #cr: mollymauk #cr: caleb #angst #royal au #prince and his knight #tw: brainwashing #tw: trauma #Molly and yasha friendship is my favourite thing #please reblog!!#please comment!!!

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captainofthetidesbreath · 4 years

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Insight Check! — A Look at Insight Checks Against Player Characters in Campaign 2

I often joke that someone calls an Insight check much more often against Fjord than against any other player character, particularly when he gets to talking biographical details. But I got to wondering: is that actually true? (Spoiler, because I take forever to get there: yes, it is.) It’s become much less common as the campaign moved forward, but what ARE the numbers on Insight checks against other players?

I’d like to thank the Critical Role Wiki for their repository of episode transcripts, without which this would’ve been a lot harder. I’d also like to thank @critrolestats for their work in general, but in terms of this project, their All Rolls record was deeply helpful in checking much of my work—too much of which, such as roll values, didn’t make it to this post—and also in making it possible to build the larger context of all Insight checks made so far. I could not imagine building that context without the immense aid of their All Rolls list.

On to the numbers, attempting to start with the broadest and most contextual numbers first and then moving into smaller and smaller scopes. Naturally, this is very image-heavy.

This is as of 2.99: “High Seas, High Stakes”.

Some Things To Keep In Mind

Unless otherwise stated, “Insight check” or “check” without additional qualifiers refer specifically to Insight checks made against another player character.

Certain graphs and charts include guest characters, certain others don’t, and still others represent them in specific ways, so watch out for that; if I haven’t specified otherwise, guests are represented in the numbers.

In reference to Taliesin’s rolls, unless otherwise stated, Molly’s and Caduceus’ rolls are always considered separate categories.

I’ve done the best I can to double-check my numbers, but it’s a lot of data and I’m fallible. (And my Excel workflow and methodology could be so much better.) Let me know if you spot a mistake, or if you have an alternate take on the reading, summarizing, or interpreting of the data here.

I’m trying to work out how to post the graphs in the most readable format. Clicking on them on desktop sidebar-thing off the dashboard does indeed expand them to a readable size. I can’t figure out how to make it work on my theme, so I may upload them elsewhere and link them! Stay tuned. ETA, May 22: I’ve added direct links to the images as hosted here on Tumblr. The links will open in a new tab or window.

Against Player Characters vs. Against Non-Player Characters

There were fifty-nine (59) Insight checks made against another player character so far, out of a total of one hundred and eighty-two (182) Insight checks in general. So, about thirty-two percent (32%) of Insight checks made, or one out of three, were against another player!

Not part of the charts, but Travis asked to make or declared an Insight check “on the DM” (as opposed to against an NPC) three times: 2.64 “A Dangerous Chase”, 2.78: “Between the Lines”, 2.88: “Unwanted Reunions”. Nobody else has tried.

The Insight checks each regular player character made divided into checks against PCs and checks against NPCs. Guest PCs are not represented by their own bars, but checks made against them are included in the totals. [Link to image]

Insight checks each regular player character made against PCs and against NPCs as percentages of their totals. Guest PCs are not represented by their own bars, but checks made against them are included in the totals. [Link to image]

Caleb, Veth, and Molly made more checks against player characters than they’ve made against non-player characters—though, Caleb barely squeaks into this category with sixteen (16) checks against players and fifteen (15) against non-players. Veth and Molly made over seventy percent (70%) of their Insight checks against another player, with Molly leading with 76.9% percent (nice).

A note: Molly rolling more often against PCs than NPCs is not unexpected. As detailed in the next section, rolls against PCs were much more common in first handful of arcs than in the rest of the campaign. By the time of his death in 2.26: “Found & Lost”, over 50% of the total checks against player characters were already made.

Beau runs in the opposite extreme and rolled three (3) checks against PCs and thirty-four (34) against NPCs, making her currently the only player character to have made less than 10% of their total Insight checks against another player.

You’ll notice I’ve left Yasha out. Personally, Ashley’s infamous schedule—having appeared in only 44 of the 99 episodes of Campaign 2 so far—makes it difficult for me to commit to describing the sorts of rolls she’d make. But, Yasha and her grand total of one (1) Insight check, made against Kiri, indeed puts her as having rolled more often against NPCs than against PCs at a perfect 100% against NPCs.

Over Time and Per Episode

Perhaps the most important context for these numbers is that the overwhelming majority of Insight checks against other player characters were made in the earliest arcs of the campaign.

The overall progression of total Insight checks made against another player. At the bottom, the number of such Insight checks made in each episode is displayed in bars. Guest player numbers are included. [Link to image]

By the time the group leaves Trostenwald at the end of 2.04: “Disparate Pieces”, nine (9, nein!) checks have been made, or 15.3% of the total 59 checks made so far. By the time they arrive in Zadash four episodes later at the end of 2.08: “The Gates of Zadash”, an additional ten checks for a total of nineteen (19) have been made—32.2% of the overall.

The fifty percent (50%) mark is hit in episode 2.18: “The Whispers of War” with 52.5% of checks made. Caleb’s Insight check against Caduceus in 2.28: “Within the Nest”, the episode Caduceus is introduced, pushes the total into 66.1% of the checks made.

Because it’s just Nice™, the group hits 69.5% of the total checks made in the episode where we meet Marion, 2.33: “The Ruby and the Sapphire”.

This sort of trend is expected—as the characters increasingly trust each other, and the players come to better understand the personalities and backstories of each character at the table, calls for an Insight check against each other become less common.

2.08: “The Gates of Zadash” had the highest number of Insight checks made against another player character with 5 checks. The fifteen episode stretch starting at 2.75: “Rime and Reason” and ending at 2.89: “Lingering Wounds”, inclusive, is the longest streak of episodes where no checks against another player were made.

Insight Checks Rolled

Total Insight checks made by each player character. [Link to image]

Caleb made the most checks against another player with sixteen (16) checks, 27% of the total. However, Taliesin ties Liam for player who had made the highest number of checks against other players because Molly’s (10) and Caduceus’ (6) totals add up to 16.

Molly and Veth tie for the second highest number of checks made with ten (10) each. However, Veth made one less roll than Molly, because Veth made a single roll against both Jester and Yasha, who were telling similar lies with individual Deception checks, in 2.18: “Whispers of War”.

Yasha is the only regular player character to not roll an Insight check against another player. Shakäste is the only guest so far to roll one.

Insight checks each player character made per episode. [Link to image]

The player character with the most checks made in a single episode is a tie between Caleb, Veth, and Molly. Each made two checks in a single episode in:

2.04: “Disparate Pieces” (Molly)

2.05: “The Open Road” (Caleb)

2.08: “The Gates of Zadash” (Caleb, Molly)

2.09: “Steam and Conversation” (Caleb)

2.16: “A Favor in Kind” (Caleb)

2.18: “Whispers of War” (Veth), though, again, she made only one roll

2.74: “Manifold Morals” (Veth)

Of the 10 checks Veth made, six of them were joke checks or for comedic effect. Arguably seven, depending if one wanted to count her check in 2.23: “Have Bird, Will Travel” to discern if Beau was lying about Hupperdook being a party town at night.

Total number of Insight checks made by each character, plotting the overall progression of the checks. Guests are not represented by their own line, but checks made against them are included in the numbers. [Link to image]

Player Characters Checks Were Made Against, Or Insight Checks Subject To

Of the 59 checks, 8 were not specifically to discern if a deception is going on, if the character is being honest, or if the character is hiding anything:

2.01: “Curious Beginnings” — by Molly against Jester to cold read her for a Tarot reading

2.07: “Hush” — by Veth against Shakäste as a general read, though an attempt to discern if he was being honest about taking people to safety was part of that

2.07: “Hush” — by Shakäste against Veth to discern if he notices her looking at him

2.11: “Zemnian Nights” — by Molly against Veth to discern what she’s whispering to Fjord

2.28: “Within the Nest” — by Caleb against Caduceus to discern if Caduceus is a threat to them

2.30: “The Journey Home” — by Veth against Fjord to discern if he’s different from before

2.55: “Beneath the Well” — by Veth against Yasha to notice if she was Charmed

2.60: “A Turtle By Any Other Name” — by Jester against Fjord to discern if he was acting strangely for any untoward reason (Matt: “Best you can tell, Travis is just being weird.” Travis was stuttering.)

Player characters Insight checks were made against. [Link to image]

Fjord has the greatest number of Insight checks rolled against him at thirteen (13) checks. Veth closely follows, however, with twelve (12) checks made against her. As a comparison, an Insight check was rolled against Essek fourteen (14) times.

Of the total 59 Insight checks, five (5) were against guests: Shakäste, Caliana, Twiggy, and Reani twice. Reani is the only guest to be subject to an Insight check more than once.

Three of these Insight checks resulted in a whisper. Two were from the player rolled against: Laura to Liam in 2.08: “The Gates of Zadash” (she whispers the whisper she got from Matt to Liam, who seems to have checked Jester just for that purpose) and Deborah to Taliesin in 2.45: “The Stowaway”. One was from Matt to Sam after Veth checks Fjord in 2.30: “The Journey Home”, though that check appears to have been rolled mostly for comedic purposes and the whisper was extremely short.

Regular player characters Insight checks were made against. [Link to image]

Insight checks made against each player character per episode. [Link to image]

Caleb has the highest number of checks made against him in a single episode, having been rolled against four times total in 2.04: “Disparate Pieces”.

That episode also sees him rolled against simultaneously by three people, a record among player characters. He said he and Veth were not going to sneak out of town while the rest of the party was confined to the inn due to house arrest; Fjord, Jester, and Molly didn’t initially believe him. If memory serves, the one time this was matched was when Jester, Beau, and Fjord simultaneously rolled checks against the Gentleman after Jester disguises herself as Marion and he claims to have only heard of the Ruby of the Sea in 2.85: “The Threads Converge”.

Fjord is the only player character to get checked more than once in a single conversation against distinct statements by two different people. This happened twice, both times involving Molly and Caleb:

2.05: “The Open Road” — by Caleb, against pretending he didn’t spit up seawater, and then by Molly and again Caleb, against saying he doesn’t understand much about his falchion

2.16: “A Favor in Kind” — by Caleb, against having started filing his tusks down as a child due to bullying, and by Molly, against there being blood on his mouth because he bit his lip

Technically, so has Caleb in 2.08: “The Gates of Zadash”, as Molly was discerning if he was truthful about not having kids and Beau was discerning if he had kids but the kids are no longer alive. However, I don’t personally consider these distinct statements.

Reani is the only other player character to get checked more than once in a single conversation against distinct statements, both times by Veth in 2.74: “Manifold Morals”.

Total Insight checks each regular player character was subject to, plotting the overall progression of the checks. Guests are not represented by their own line, but checks they made are included in the numbers. [Link to image]

Rolling Against Fjord’s Childhood Damage And Lies About Uk’otoa

One super interesting thing the charts don’t show is that of the thirteen (13) times an Insight check was rolled against Fjord, eleven (11) were specifically to discern if he was making a deceptive statement, and for eight (8) of those 11, he was honest and forthright. The remaining 3 checks, in which he was dishonest or deceptive, were all against moments where Fjord was attempting to lie about or hide a dream of Uk’otoa he’d just woken up from.

Also, he was checked against statements in which he openly and honestly divulged “childhood damage”, backstory details, or biographical information three (3) times—more than any other player character. (Really proving his reluctance to tell anyone a damn thing right!)

2.16: “A Favor in Kind” — by Caleb, regarding Fjord filing his tusks down due to relentless bullying over his orcish heritage (This is the check that prompted Marisha to exclaim, “My childhood damage— Insight check!”)

2.58: “Wood and Steel” — by Caduceus, regarding Fjord stating that he doesn’t know his family because he grew up an orphan (Sam: “Aggressive move.” // Taliesin: “I have been waiting for something.”)

2.91: “Stone to Clay” — by Caduceus, regarding “Stone” being the “shit last name” the orphanage gave him

The following are similar moments, though they don’t really feel comparable given that Fjord was attempting to be forthright about elements of his personal life that haunt him:

2.01: “Curious Beginnings” — Veth, checked by Fjord against her lying she’s not running from anyone

2.02: “A Show of Scrutiny” — Molly, checked by Fjord against his false story about his swords and family

2.04: “Disparate Pieces” — Caleb, checked by Molly against saying he and Nott escaped prison four or five months ago

2.08: “The Gates of Zadash” — Caleb, checked by Molly and Beau against saying he does not currently have nor ever had children

2.08: “The Gates of Zadash” — Jester, checked by Molly against saying she lost her cart and horse because she left them on the side of the road

2.09: “Steam and Conversation” — Yasha, checked by Caleb against saying nobody is chasing her

2.24: “The Hour of Honor” — Molly, checked by Jester against saying he’s done shady and illegal things in the circus, similar to what the Gentleman asked them to do

2.67: “Beyond the Eyes of Angels” — Yasha, checked by Nott against saying she’s never been to the King’s Cage before

When it comes to divulging personal damage, Fjord has been Insight checked for it most often and unlike any other player character.

Checks Made vs. Checks Subject To

Caleb, Molly, and Caduceus are the only characters to make more checks than there were checks made against them.

Total insight checks made against each player character and each player character rolled. Guests are not represented by their own bar, but checks they made and checks made against them are represented in these totals. [Link to image]

Who Rolled Against Whom?

Caleb rolled checks against seven (7) different characters, the highest number of unique targets. Liam is the only player to make a check against every regular member of the table; however, he missed every regular player character, because Caleb never made a check against Molly.

Caleb also holds the record for most checks made against a single player character with five (5) against Fjord, which is 31% of his total checks. All of Caleb’s checks against Fjord were made in the first sixteen episodes of the campaign, the last one being in 2.16: “A Favor In Kind” against why Fjord files his tusks.

Veth is the only one to make a check against more than one guest player and to make more than one check against guests in total, having rolled one against Shakäste and two against Reani.

Insight checks by character each character rolled against. Guests do not have their own bar, but rolls made against them by regular players are represented. [Link to image]

Insight checks organized by the character rolling, then the character they rolled against. Guests are not represented in this chart in any way. [Link to image]

Veth has the highest number of unique characters making a check against her, having been checked by six (6) people including Shakäste; counting only regular members of table, she ties Fjord and Jester at five (5). Veth is the only character to have a guest roll an Insight check against her.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of the checks made against Fjord were by Caleb.

Insight checks by the character who rolled the check. [Link to image]

Insight checks organized by the character the check was made against, then the character rolling. Guests are not represented in this chart in any way. [Link to image]

Duos

Insight checks made between two pairs of player characters. Guests are not represented in this chart in any way. [Link to image]

Of the 27 possible pairs of regular characters at the table, there are six (6) of them where neither character has made a check against the other; all six of those duos involve Beau or Yasha.

Caleb and Veth are the only players to have seen an Insight check in all their possible duos at the table, either made by them or made against them.

Continuing on “the number of checks Caleb made against Fjord is sort of ridiculous” trend throughout all this, the number of checks Caleb made against Fjord is greater than the total checks any other duo exchanged between one another.

Some Favorite Insight Checks Against Players

This endeavor involved looking at all the Insight checks against players and why they were being made. Here’s a few of my favorites, just for fun:

2.11: “Zemnian Nights” — Veth is caught going through Fjord’s bag, and she lies to him that she was hungry and looking for seafood. Fjord’s Insight check is a Nat 20. Veth: “I was not looking for shrimp.”

2.16: “A Favor in Kind” — The group discovered the journal about the Crawling King. Matt asks for Religion checks from anyone who wants to make one. Travis rolls for fun. Caleb and Molly failed their checks, but Fjord rolls a dirty 20. Despite Travis saying he wasn’t intending to count it, Matt counts it and Fjord “esoterically” (through his warlock pact) recalls the face of the Crawling King. This prompts an Insight check from Caleb on whether or not Fjord’s telling the truth about the source of the information being as if from a dream he isn’t sure really happened.

2.18: “Whispers of War” — Veth’s single-roll, double-check against Jester and Yasha was about them lying about there being an orgy in their room last night and, as Yasha provides, Jester and Fjord were making out.

2.24: “The Hour of Honor” — Veth refuses to believe that Fjord has ever had sex before. When Sam declares he’s making the Insight check, Taliesin exclaims, out of character, “Thank you!!”

2.25: “Divergent Paths” — Beau fakes passing out in Yasha’s arms when Yasha picks her up after a difficult battle. Molly attempts to discern if she really did pass out. He fails.

2.33: “The Ruby and the Sapphire” — Fjord attempts to discern if Jester is lying about having seen a sea monster tentacle one time when Fjord claims sea monsters are not real. She is. He rolls a 14, and Travis determines Fjord believes her anyway.

2.74: “Manifold Morals” — Veth makes checks against Reani to discern if she’s REALLY enjoying that cupcake and does she REALLY have no milk in the house.

2.92: “Home is Where the Heart Is” — The infamous Jester lies to Caleb that Essek said in his message he loves Caleb.

#Critical Role #Critical Role things #long post for ts #This is a VERY long post. And has 16 charts.#cr meta

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fatesdeepdive · 3 years

Text

Entry 11: Archduke Silly Bot

I built a new Mess Hall and Accessory Shop, but before I could play with them, my castle was attacked! By spooky ghost men from the Astral Plane I mean, I summoned them, but still, the castle is in danger. Fifteen enemies showed up to try and seize the fort. Lilith was supposed to help me fight, but just stayed in her pond and did nothing. Dumb fish.

The invaders were tough, but focused more on smashing stuff than killing my Units. Unfortunately, there was a casualty. Kenshi, our valiant POW who we force to serve as cannon fodder, was slain in battle. I mean, not really, because I’m playing Casual mode. Still, I renamed the castle Fort Kenshi in his honor.

The invasion gave me the points needed to build two new structures: the Rod Shop and the Smithy. The Mess Hall can be used to slightly boost unit stats for one battle. The Rod Shop can be used to buy various consumable items. Smithy can be used to reforge Weapons; for instance, I gave Kenshi a new bronze club called Kenshi’s Whacker. The Accessory shop can be used to buy and equip fun accessories, like the bath towel that is all Kenshi is allowed to wear.

Support: Jakob/Mozu

C: Jakob finds Mozu crying, because she had a nightmare about the death of her family, and comforts her.

B: Jakob tells Mozu that she is fortunate to have had something to lose; he explains his abusive childhood that ended with him being sold into servitude of the royal family and tells Mozu to hold onto her memories of her village.

A: Mozu begins training so she can be strong enough to protect everyone and thanks Jakob for looking out for her.

S: Jakob proposes to Mozu, asking her to help him create memories worth cherishing.

Review: This one was short, but good. It could have very easily just been a throwaway conversation about Jakob’s fanciness contrasting Mozu’s lack of sophistication. Instead, it was a genuinely touching conversation that expanded both characters and made me love Jakob even more.

Support: Orochi/Saizo

C: Orochi tells Saizo to stop being mean, because it’s ruining his reputation with the ladies, and threatens to take matters into her own hands.

B: Orochi reveals that when they first met, when Saizo was a child and she was...whatever age she was, she predicted misfortune in his future, which scared Saizo so much he wet his pants. She then reveals that she’s told everyone. Saizo runs away to salvage his reputation.

A: Saizo comes back, furious. Apparently, Orochi lied about telling everyone and Saizo, in his attempts to explain that he only peed his pants because he was a child, ended up spreading the story for her.

S: Saizo has turned over a new leaf and is trying to be nicer thanks to Orochi’s mind games. Orochi confesses that, when she fortolled misfortune in Saizo’s future, she must have actually been talking about his father. Because, as we all know, Saizo has not suffered any misfortune in his life. Also they get married.

Review: This one was decent. Saizo ignoring Orochi’s threats at first then ruining everything in his struggle to fix things is amusing, and the duo have better chemistry than most couples in this game.

Support: Azura/Corrin (Birthright)

Notice the Birthright parenthetical. Corrin and Azura, the main duo, actually have different conversations in different routes, which is neat.

C: Corrin and Azura take a walk together. Azura compares the nice day to Castle Shirasagi. She then apologizes for bringing up her childhood, which she feels belonged to Corrin.

B: Azura asks Corrin about her childhood and Corrin explains both the forced isolation and the constant companionship from Elise and the servants. Corrin actually says she misses the Northern Fortress.

A: Corrin and Azura reflect on their different opinions of Nohr: Azura’s feelings of it being the evil she escaped and Corrin’s of it being a home she misses. They discuss the fact that no place is truly good or bad, something the game’s writers needed to be reminded of, and vow to bring peace.

S: Corrin states that his good memories of Nohr all stem from kind people and vows to be that kind of person for her. The duo exchange some insanely on the nose promises about being fine in a dark pit if they’re together and their fates being intertwined. Now, this may feel like incest because they share parents and siblings, but I actually think this one is okay? As long as there isn’t some late game twist that makes them cousins or something, this seems good.

Review: Overall, a fairly good conversation. Corrin’s feelings on Nohr are more nuanced than this game normally is and the idea that Nohr isn’t evil because of the people is a good sentiment.

Support: Setsuna/Subaki

C: Subaki and Setsuna are assigned to train new recruits together. The new recruit is Kenshi, I have decided. Subaki, worried that Setsuna will be Setsuna and mess everything up, does everything himself.

B: Setsuna just wanders off in the middle of training new recruits and Subaki tries to help her be a better leader.

A: Setsuna attempts to resign from teaching, but Subaki tells her that her wandering off actually helped the recruits because she’s observant, I guess. Setsuna does not retire from teaching.

S: Setsuna tells Subaki that she likes him then wanders off because she’s done talking. Subaki chases after her and proposes.

Review: This one was mediocre. Setsuna is always fun, but this support conversation lacked a good conflict and was resolved in a dumb way. Setsuna wandering off in the middle of a confession is fun, but the relationship wasn’t built up at all.

Birthright Chapter 9: Land of Gods

The gang head to Izumo, a neutral kingdom south of Hoshido. The guards, recognizing Azura, let the party in. Corrin asks about the missing princes and is told no battle happened near Izumo. No war in Ba Sing Se and all that jazz. Archduke Izana approaches them, looking like a wise and calm leader. Then he talks and they realize that he’s a silly boy.

They ask him about the battle on the border of Izumo and he tells them he knows nothing about it. Izana invites the gang to rest and be treated by his healers. He also invites Corrin and Sakura to go to some special spa healing in his deep relaxation chamber which is absolutely not suspicious.

The deep relaxation chamber is an execution chamber. Nohrian soldiers march in to kill Corrin and Izana reveals that he is actually a Nohrian mage named Zola. His voice sounds like Gollum and he has this weird jester hat. I cannot wait for the part of the game where we kill him.

Right before Corrin is executed, half of the Nohrian soldiers attack the other half. It’s revealed the soldiers are actually our soldiers in disguise. Where they got the Nohrian costumes, I do not know. Maybe they looted them from some corpses? Also, how did they know this was happening? And how did they seamlessly blend into the Nohrian army? I have many questions.

Hinoka explains that she knew Zola wasn’t the real Izana because no royal would ever act like such a silly boy, because she has never read any history textbook. The battle begins.

Something I haven’t mentioned yet that I want to mention: if an enemy has a super effective weapon, a red balloon with an exclamation mark appears above them as you move your unit. Nice touch.

On turn two, two new characters march into battle: a Samurai named Hinata and a Spear Fighter named Oboro. The two of them are looking for Takumi. The two bicker. Hinata is an idiot and is thirsty for Takumi. Oboro fantasizes about killing all of the Nohrian scum and Hinata tells her to chill out. These two idiots are Takumi’s retainers. Corrin goes up to the duo and recruits them.

Hinata

A samurai and one of Takumi’s retainers. His personal skill, Triple Threat, hurts enemies who lower him below half health. His design is fine, I guess. I think they’re going for a meathead thing from his introduction and his scars and muscles, but he looks way too young. Personality wise, he seems to be kinda dumb, but not enough to be funny.

Oboro

A spear fighter who is really goddamn thirsty for Takumi and is also really racist. Her unit description is: Loves fashion, hates Nohr. Her personal skill makes her do extra damage to Nohrians, which is useful because we are at war with Nohr. Fates has a bad tendency of reducing characters to a single character trait and we’ve already been shown three traits for Oboro, which I assume will dominate every line she ever says. Seriously, we’ve known her for a minute and she’s said Nohrian Scum a dozen times.

This map was good. It was a standard fighting enemies in a castle map; nothing special, but then again it didn’t need to be special. After the battle, Zola says that he’d rather die than tell Corrin anything. He then throws a smokescreen and runs away, only to be attacked by Leo.

Leo says he’s going to kill Zola for being a disgrace to Nohr and Corrin says, no, don’t do that, don’t hurt another Nohrian. Except, Corrin has killed dozens of Nohrians at this point. Leo yells at Corrin for being a traitor and gives her Zola to keep as a pet. Corrin reflects on how Leo has gotten stronger, but also become more cruel, since her betrayal of Nohr.

The gang meets the real Izana. Yeah he’s every bit as weird and wacky as Zola was. He tells the gang about hearing that the princes were near the bottomless canyon and reads Corrin’s fortune. He sings the next verse of Ocean’s Grey Waves, implying that this song is genuinely a prophecy about this game.

In the white light, a hand reaches through

A double-edged blade cuts your heart in two

Waking dreams fade away,

Embrace the brand-new day

So, let’s see. First off, a lot of imagery about light, which is Hoshido’s aesthetic. Not sure what verse one means, but verse two is some heavy foreshadowing for Chapter 26. I’ll talk about it more then. Verses three and four are about Corrin leaving the fake life in Nohr and returning to Hoshido. Probably.

Azana also predicts that the princes are both alright, so the gang heads off to find them. That night, Azura talks to Corrin about the prophecy, saying that it is the lyrics to a song she was taught as a child that now seems to be about Corrin.

#fire emblem #fire emblem fates #fe fates #fe 14 #hoshido #fire emblem birthright #oboro fe #hinata fe #zola fe #leo fe #izana fe #corrin fe #azura fe #corrin x azura #jakob x mozu #setsuna x subaki #orochi x saizo

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chockfullofsecrets · 4 years

Text

Critical Role: One Minute

(Read on AO3)

Rating: Gen

Summary: The third time that Jester’s Wand of Smiles fails on Caleb, she gives up on any pretense and just whines. “Cay-leb!” Jester is determined to see Caleb smile. Molly has an idea.

Wordcount: 2018

A/N: Hi, it’s been a while! I have a graduate degree and a new fandom and no idea how I got here... there’s a lot of stuff I need to clean out of my inbox/drafts, but I hope you’re all doing well!

The third time that Jester’s Wand of Smiles fails on Caleb, she gives up on any pretense and just whines. “Cay-leb!”

“Ja?” he replies, not even looking up from his book. He looks comfy, legs stretched out on his bed. Molly can’t help but snort at how unruffled he sounds - when plied with literature or magic, their wizard can ignore almost anything.

Which is good, because he’s been in a room with Jester and Molly as they make their way through Tusk Love for nearly two hours now. Jester insists on reading the novel out loud, voices and all, determined for Molly to enjoy the racy scenes along with her despite his own lack of reading ability. Unfortunately, her favor’s gotten them rousted from their own territory - Fjord is in their shared room, sharpening his falchion (and Molly’s scimitars, upon receiving a solemn promise that Molly will never tell him a single detail of the plot), and across the hall Beau and Nott are napping off the last of their celebratory hangovers, Beau grumpier than usual after Yasha disappeared again last night. In a begrudging concession to their team of boring people, the two of them have ended up cuddling on the spare bed in Caleb’s room, cackling over every other page as the writing reaches increasingly lurid and inept new heights. Emboldened by Caleb’s inattention to their antics, Jester appears to have taken on the additional goal of catching Caleb off guard with her smiling spell.

It’s not going well, but Molly is more than content to sit back and watch her try.

“Why doesn’t it work on you?” Jester demands. “Did you do something to it before you gave it to me?”

“Of course not,” Caleb says mildly, still fixed on his reading. Then he keeps going, because stoic as the man is he seems to have an innate talent for winding Jester up. “Although why would I tell you if I did?”

At Jester’s barely muffled scream of failed pranking frustration, he finally turns to look at them. “That was a joke. It’s not such a hard thing to resist, Jester.”

“Then stop resisting! I just want to see you smile one time! Just for one minute!” She’s serious in her demands, if not outright upset - Molly can feel her tail lashing around behind his back. “You don’t have to be embarrassed or anything if your teeth are dirty, you know, it’s just me and Molly and we won’t tell anyone!”

Caleb frowns a little. “You are oddly invested in this.”

“I’ve been trying so hard!” Jester cries, jabbing a finger in his direction. “For a whole hour! What if smiling will actually kill you, but we don’t know, and then we’re fighting someone, and they have a wand like mine or Nott’s laughter spell or maybe they just tell really good jokes and then you die? We have to know these things!”

Molly is appropriately amused by her rambling. Caleb just looks concerned. “Was - Jester, is this something you’re actually worried about?”

“Well, I am now,” Jester grumps. It’s endearing how much she cares about the group, even when her caring is intense and a little embarrassing and almost entirely nonsensical. Cuddled up against him as she is, Jester can feel him laughing and turns to pout at him instead. He pouts back and ruffles her hair, tugging lightly at one of her horns - he knows from experience that it feels a little weird and a little nice, and sure enough it’s not more than a couple seconds before she can’t keep a straight face anymore.

Which, now that he thinks of it...

Molly thinks it through like he does most things: not at all. Then he gets up with one last pat to Jester’s cheek, stalks across to Caleb’s bed, and shoves his legs over until there’s enough room for him to perch on the edge and get decidedly into Caleb’s personal space.

Caleb doesn’t hold his book up like a shield, but Molly suspects it’s only because he values the paper more than his own flesh. “Ah… Mr. Mollymauk?”

“Mr. Caleb,” Molly purrs. Gets an inch closer. “I have a question for you.”

Caleb’s eyes very pointedly fail to meet his. “... You could not have asked this question from back over there?”

“Nope, this is part of the plan.”

“And what,” Caleb asks, slow and steely, “are you planning?”

Molly sees his fingers twitch towards the Message wire wrapped around his wrist. “Nothing bad,” he soothes. Waits until the furrow in Caleb’s brow smooths out a little, and then springs his trap.

“Are you ticklish?”

Molly has determined from observation and a little practical experimentation that Caleb has two reactions when someone who isn’t Nott invades his personal space. The first is the stoic look of someone who figures they’re about to get a beating and is somewhat resigned to the fact. The second, infinitely more interesting, is the red-faced fluster of enjoying oneself despite oneself’s very best efforts.

He watches the red gather on Caleb’s cheeks and feels a thrill that runs all the way down his spine to a last sharp flick of his tail, chases it by leaning in just a bit closer and reaching out to play with the edges of Caleb’s coat.

“Ah,” Caleb stutters. “No?”

The blush intensifies, and Molly chuckles mock-ruefully. “Was that a yes? Jester, did you hear a yes?”

“Yes,” Jester practically shouts. “Get him, Molly!”

The coat doesn’t have any buttons, expected given its wear, but there are buttonholes and Molly loops his finger through one of them as he withdraws a little to catch Caleb’s eye. “I’ll be nice; I know we’re interrupting your reading. One minute.”

“One minute?”

He taps Caleb on the forehead. “You can keep track of time, right?”

Caleb is clearly playing catch-up. He nods jerkily. “Ah, Ja.”

“Great,” he says cheerfully. “One minute, count it out, let me know when to stop.”

“Wait, when to stop what-” And then Molly shoves his hands into Caleb’s coat and pokes a finger into each of his skinny sides and starts tickling. Caleb’s stutters morph into these little noises of protest that slip out every time Molly’s fingers so much as twitch, climbing rapidly higher-pitched and more giggly as the attack continues.

Molly offhandedly tells him exactly how cute those little noises are and earns himself even more of the same, along with a breathless little “Scheiße!” that delights him even further. Feet digging into the bed for purchase, Caleb twists away to the right, flopping sideways onto the mattress and jamming his arms against his torso to keep Molly’s hands from advancing further.

Molly chases him down, propping himself up with a knee so he can loom properly to watch his prey squirm. “Hiding in your coat?” he teases. He can barely see the red of Caleb’s cheeks above the upturned collar. “Maybe I’ll have to get you out of it. Tickle tickle!”

“N-nein!” Caleb squeaks and tries to duck his head even further. Eager to reap the fruits of his labor, Molly sacrifices one implement of torture to reach out and tug the collar down.

Caleb is - not laughing, really, he’s still doing a pretty impressive job of keeping it together and it’s a little offensive, but his face is scrunched up in the most enormous grin behind a curtain of lank hair and Molly feels his lips curling to match. “Alright, Jester,” he calls over his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure we can establish that smiling doesn’t kill him.”

“Wait! I want to see!” Hearing the scrambling noises of an approaching Jester, Caleb makes a sound like he’s dying and presses his hands over his face. Molly tuts disapprovingly and, taking advantage of Caleb’s torso being newly unprotected, proceeds to force his way under Caleb’s book holsters to pinch at the tops of his ribcage.

This, finally, gets Caleb to crack. “Ahaha-HA! Molly! Bit-bitte-!” He wheezes between peals of husky laughter, curling in even tighter on himself and swatting ineffectually at his coat as he tries to dislodge Molly’s hands through layers of cloth and leather.

Jester pops up behind him, squealing in delight as Caleb succumbs to mirth. “Aw, Caleb, you have such a pretty smile!” She reaches out to tilt his face at some predetermined angle, then giggles mischievously and tickles him under his chin to make him scrunch up all over again. “There, perfect! Now that I know what you look like when you’re smiling, I can draw it later!”

“You want to help?” Molly offers. “Honestly, I think he’s just getting more ticklish the longer this goes and I’m kind of curious to see how that’s going to end up.”

He stops tickling for the moment, giving Caleb a breather in case Jester does decide to jump in. Caleb takes this gracious opportunity to bury his face in the mattress and makes a tired little noise, now flushed bright red to the tips of his ears. He’s curled around Molly’s planted knee like a cat, and Molly can feel the press of his chest against his calf as Caleb catches his breath.

“We could do that,” Jester muses, hooking her chin over his shoulder. “Orrrr… Caleb can come read Tusk Love with us!”

Caleb goes still for a second. Molly’s honestly not sure if he’s breathing. Finally, he turns his head, one shining blue eye visible in the shadow of his face. “Those are the only two choices?” he asks, deadpan. “There can be no negotiations?”

“Nope!” Jester replies cheerfully.

Caleb sighs heavily. “Fine, I will read your smut with you.”

Jester cheers and flounces away, kneeling to drag the book out from where she chucked it under the bed in her excited dash. “Good choice! I am so good at tickling and you are very squishy, so you would die, probably.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, our cleric.” Molly tugs himself free of the holsters, waits for Caleb to uncurl and roll onto his back and start to sit up.

Then, sword-slash quick, he pins Caleb at the waist with both hands and leans over to speak lowly in his ear. “You didn’t tell me to stop.”

Caleb’s ear hits him in the side of the face - obviously, he doesn’t startle well. “What?”

“I told you to let me know when the minute was up.” He rubs a thumb gently over Caleb’s side, relishing in the flinch and startled huff of breath. “So.” Presses lightly, rolling on the ball of his thumb until Caleb can’t help but giggle. “Either that was a very long minute, or I’m going to have to start doing this more often.”

Caleb’s face is too blurred to make out, this close, but red is never that hard to see. “I… I forgot,” he blurts, a little too loud.

“You? Forgot?” Molly laughs despite himself, then straightens a little and plants a kiss on Caleb’s forehead just because the poor thing is pinned and he can. “Oh, dear.”

“What did you forget?” Jester interrupts, clearing her throat noisily. “That you two are supposed to be reading with me, and not whispering in each other’s ears?” She pauses. “Or you could keep going, I guess, but then you should probably tell me to leave if you’re going to -” She clicks her tongue suggestively.

Caleb sits up so fast that he knocks Molly over, then stumbles to his feet for good measure. “Nein! Jester, we aren’t going to - we’re not - you are reading too much smut.”

She shrugs, unashamed and grinning a very, very wide grin. Molly suffers no illusions that his face doesn’t look exactly the same. “And plenty of watching my mamma work before that! Now come read! Maybe it will give you i-de-as!” She sing-songs the last word, and Caleb looks about ready to fall right back down.

Molly gets up, clapping a hand on Caleb’s shoulder to keep him upright. “Well, can’t argue with that,” he says, and walks the both of them over.

Although, he thinks, looking over at Caleb, he’s got plenty of ideas already.

#tickling #critical role #caleb widogast #mollymauk tealeaf #jester lavorre #chocfic

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yfere · 4 years

Text

Two things

I finished the episode! And as always, have thoughts on both Essek As Possible Traitor and the M9′s approach to the BQ....

...And let’s start with the second thing first. I understand but disagree with the decision (was it intentional?) to withold the information about the Beacon offered to the Dynasty NOT being the one stolen from them, but a third, additional Beacon unearthed at Pride’s Call. This being that, while the M9 were able to use language about a “returning” of Beacons to successfully urge the BQ into the first stage of peace negotiations, I sincerely doubt there won’t be fallout when the BQ hears the Empire’s very official line of “we never stole anything, but you can have this Beacon if it’s so important to you I guess.” She’s invested in the Beacon not just as a cultural artifact, but as something that belonged to them, and which literally contains the souls of her people. She also wants “amends” to be made to her in the way Caleb Widogast has offered, which means she wants either the Empire to admit to responsibility or to work with her in proving that a third party is responsible for all that has happened, and bringing that third party to justice.

I believe that if the M9 had been more directly forthright about the status of the Beacon being offered (vague statements about “the Assembly trying to bend the situation for their own ends” is profoundly unhelpful without the evidence leading to these suspicions) they would have increased their standing and trustworthiness to the BQ and also likely been given additional official leeway to investigate the continued deception being perpetuated by agents within the Empire. Convincing her to agree to peace talks while having this information and being on her guard, while using the situation for their ends--that’s helpful, while keeping her in the dark due to her uncompromising anger over the war is good in the moment but could backfire catastrophically

Which brings us to Essek,

a suspected traitor. He also deliberately witheld information from the BQ during the meeting--his motivation clearly being to as cleanly as possible place all blame on the Taskhand for the stolen Beacons and end the investigation (the how and justice of the matter not being as important to him). As long as the investigation remains open, suspicion is also cast on him, and we’ve seen the wear of that on him in previous sessions. But he certainly didn’t hinder the M9 voicing their messy suspicions of the Cult of Tharizdun, either. I hypothesize that while Essek’s status as a traitor is a possibility, that Beau is incorrect in her overall assumption of the cult of Tharizdun as a third party being responsible for the escalation of the conflict--rather, I think that the Assembly at least and Essek possibly is using the activities of the cult of Tharizdun for their own ends--manipulating their zealots both to control the direction of the war and as a convenient scapegoat to their own activities.

As Essek has admitted, his standing is reliant in part on the M9′s activities in Xhorhas. Den Thelyss is the one who immediately and tellingly took a gamble on the M9 in the immediate aftermath of their heroics with the dodecahedron and offered them sanctuary/a home within the city. Essek has also actively encouraged the hunt for Obann and the Angel of Irons cult, been a valuable assist in the chase, and in vouching for the M9 has gained influence as they have accrued success. The Shadowhand would be keenly aware that not only is he in the perfect position to frame another person for betrayal in the BQ’s court (he’s a master of intelligence and interrogation and therefore holds most all the cards in these matters) but that everyone in the BQ court would know that as well and therefore suspect his findings. Bringing in the vocally neutral M9 to lend credibility to his case and muddy the waters further by accusing the cult of Tharizdun would accomplish his goals very well--because of their trustworthiness in the court, they are perhaps the only ones capable of truly deflecting suspicion off himself. And it’s relatively simple to keep off their bad books, isn’t it--just be friends, just give them help when they ask for it (homes and spells and transportation, oh my). Express sympathy for their goals!

Of course, Essek desperately manipulating an investigation to ensure his continued survival doesn’t automatically mark him a traitor--innocent or guilty, his life was at risk and he would gain from ending things quickly and cleanly. And him using the M9 to leverage political power when he himself is a youngster and a newcomer to the Dens without much clout extending beyond his status as a prodigy--that doesn’t point to guilt either. It’s just that he would certainly not be hurt by any of this, were he a traitor.

As for the Cult--I think it more likely they are being used as tools than it being the other way around. We already know that the locations the Anchors were dropped in were targeted to have a discernible impact on the war (like the one in the mountains being made to cripple the mines and therefore the Dynasty’s ability to create weapons). We know from Jester’s first scry that Vence was not an orchestrator but rather an underling in his own cult’s hierarchy taking orders from others, and we know Obann was likely acting in ignorance of the true nature of his god (unlike Vence) and, if that is the case, would be be even lower on the totem pole when it comes to having an idea of the bigger picture at play.

That the Anchors were planted within the Empire does not at all forestall the possibility of the Assembly being responsible--the motivation most obviously presenting itself being to take advantage of a continued war to eventually wrest political control away from King Dwendal and seizing it themselves, thus ending the “cooperation” between the two factions in running Empire affairs and settling things decidedly in their own favor. The Cultists directly involved in these affairs were direct underlings of important members of the Assembly--meaning it’s easy enough to dispose of them when their activities become inconvenient, and also easy to disown them and claim ignorance when they are discovered. “Oh dear, both of us have been manipulated!” they cry to King Dwendal and the Bright Queen, making a gift of these agents while remaining in the clear themselves.

The difference being that Vence is a confirmed member of the cult who was probably given all the tools by his superiors he needed to escape unscathed, while the Taskhand rather had a clumsy bit of mind alteration performed on him which would have aroused suspicion, had the M9 not been around to point that suspicion back at the Cult Of Tharizdun.

What I want to know is more about Dynasty history and politics. What would give someone like Essek, or indeed anyone else in the court the incentive to cooperate with the Assembly, which we have reason to think is being done outside of cult activities? What Dens or people have beef with the BQ, and are willing to use Tharizdun and fanatics to hurt her?

#musing #cr spoilers #critical role #cr speculation #long post

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cupidthewriter · 1 year

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Soulmate AU: but they aren't soulmates. (Gloxinia x OC)

Sage was only a little girl when her mother told her about soulmates. A metaphorical red string of fate that connected two people, destined to love one another forever. Humans were always meant for humans, giants with giants, fairies with fairies, et cetera. They could live out their lives with mutual love and respect, with an understanding no one else could take part in.

“When you meet your soulmate, the world will seem complete,” her mother had muttered over her loom, working with her quick fingers that laced so perfectly with her father’s.

As she grew, Sage struggled finding interest in the boys of her village. They had even less interest, what with that magical power of hers, that seemingly evil power, one that couldn't possibly be used for good.

Her poison fingertips chased away any boy she may have fancied. Even if they protected her on more than one occasion, she couldn’t help resenting them. Just one touch, uncontrolled or angry, could kill. Not even her family was fond of her calloused hands present in their home; she spent most of her time outside instead.

There were times she wondered if her soulmate could be a tree. After all, she could touch them without hurting anything. The trees didn’t run away when she made to climb them, nor did they scurry into hiding after she practiced leaping from the branches. They were a better audience for her acrobatics than her own family.

When she asked her mother this, only so she could talk to her, Salvia chuckled at her daughter for the first time in ages.

“When you meet your soulmate, you will know. The world will be brighter than you remember it ever being, and your life can start for real.”

When Sage met the love of her life, the world really did seem brighter, and right-er, and lovely, like a rainbow after a storm. He’d been so wonderful, and all it took was a glance at the face of her golden-eyed fairy king to stir up a sweet longing. He was fascinated by her ability, and clapped when she practiced her leaps and flips. Sure, there were times she felt like a court jester, but the way he held her close at night set her heart on fire.

But he was never her soulmate.

After all, he was a fairy. And fairies and humans weren't meant to be soulmates. Fairies lived too long, and humans died too soon.

The world was only brighter because he himself glowed, and it was only so lovely because he was the most beautiful person she’d ever laid eyes upon.

Still, she loved him. She asked him what would happen, should one of them find their soulmate during their time together.

“Soulmates are too easy. I aim to love you on purpose.”

The answer made Sage’s heart sing, even if she felt selfish for being so happy. If there was anyone who deserved the ultimate happy ending, she wanted it for him, even if it meant she was out of the picture. But he insisted she completed him better than any old soulmate, refusing to be a puppet to fate.

He had her sip from the fountain of youth just to stay with her a little longer. Only ten years at a time, just a drop every decade, until she outlived her whole family looking just as she did before running off to be with him. His family was now her family, and they had two children all their own. His friends were her friends, and they accepted her with open arms.

There were always those who questioned the Fairy King’s decision to share his life and bed with a human, and she didn’t blame them for asking. But watching their friends— Meliodas, a demon, with his goddess Elizabeth— she couldn't help but feel envious for how no one questioned them. Not like how they questioned Gloxinia, anyway. A demon and a goddess couldn’t be soulmates, but she’d never seen two people more right for one another. Once discovered, their love would start wars, but for now, it was nice to see them so happy.

It only made sense for Fate to stab them in the back the moment it could. Sage had lived far past destiny’s plan, and try as she might, you can’t stop death. She knew the moment that traitor broke into their quarters, the red string had finally wrapped itself around her neck thrice over. The fountain had been heavily guarded, and she missed her dosage the month before. Of course the string would strangle her the second she was able to be strangled.

Now, waking in a bed that’s been empty for 3,000 years, Sage feels just as alive as she had after meeting her golden-eyed king. Her body is no longer beaten— he must have done that; he must have preserved her— and her staff is no longer snapped in two. She makes her way out of the old Fairy King’s Forest and finds a kingdom where once was flourishing nature.

Her life is only temporary, but she has a job to do. From the grave, she’d seen the actions of her Not-Soulmate lover, and found herself revived with the determination to make it right again.

A/N: I also posted this on my AO3, so if you see it there under a similar name... probably just me <3

#gloxinia #nnt oc #nnt #nnt gloxinia #gloxinia nnt #nanatsu no taizai #new here #fanfiction #fanfic #read on ao3 #seven deadly sins #i love this man so much #hes so pretty #what did we do to deserve him #soulmates #soulmate au #melizabeth #meliodas nnt #elizabeth nnt

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enchanted-prose · 4 years

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#2 Joust

I’m so sorry I didn’t post on Friday! I had it finished, I was waiting on an editor and then went out. Anyways, here is my second piece: Joust

Word Count: 4,859

Characters: Roden, Mott, Jaron, Jolly (Original Character), Merry (Original Character), Lord Feall (Original Character)

Notes: Edited! This is a continuation from #1 Can’t Believe You’ve Made Me Do This and from here on out, all fics will be probably continuations and interconnected. Enjoy!

Drylliad usually welcomed high ranking visitors with a beautiful celebration, thanking the Saints for a safe arrival.

But it wasn’t every day that a king visited, even if he did answer to a higher power.

And it wasn't every day that a king's visit fell upon a festival date.

In the streets of Drylliad, streamers fluttered from windows. Lines and lines of short banners on ropes zigzagged across buildings and houses. Poles covered in flowers had been set up, ribbons hanging down from their tops.

Tents housing food from all over the realms.

Tents boasting the best imported weapons.

Tents hiding the prettiest men and women from the public eye.

It wouldn't be long before Chaos flooded the marketplace.

Children would chase stray dogs through the festival, and occasionally, drag their favorites home to become pets. Troubadours, dancers, fire eaters. There’d be massive stages built for elaborate puppet shows.

Roden couldn't deny how excited he was to see it all.

As a child, he'd enjoyed festivals. He insisted on dragging Latamer, his childhood friend, with him to see the jousting knights and fire breathing dancers. They never missed a single one, even when Latamer was convinced that he carried the plague.

Latamer was always hanging around in the back of Roden's mind.

He should've been strong enough to save his friend.

At that very moment, he was awaiting orders from King Oberson, leader of Dinwallis, one of Bymar's kingdom states, and from Jaron.

He stood in the castle's great hall, Bymarian knight Lord Feall to his left, and Mott to his right. Behind Roden stood a small company of guards.

Just enough to keep the peace, but not enough to distract from the festival.

"King Jaron and I have been discussing the attack on Lord Feall," Oberson said. He scratched at his patchy beard, "I have decided to keep my personal guard with me, though the Lady Amarinda has reassured me that there is a slim chance of another attack."

"You don't know the Faola like I do," Feall placed an armored hand over his chestplate.

"You're right, but I do trust Lady Amarinda's judgement and her husband was very insistent that the bandits who attacked you have ulterior motives," Jaron crossed his arms. "However, Lord Feall, I advise you to take care in the streets. The Faola haven't resurfaced since their attack, but it did seem that at least one of them wanted you dead."

Ah, the short bandit.

It wasn’t very often that bandits and thieves managed to escape Roden.

He was talented at his job, his drive for justice was a fuel nobody else could really understand.

The short bandit and the Faola would be apprehended eventually.

Roden remained silent as he pondered the situations that could arise. There were guards stationed in the woods at various locations, the company of guards behind him were to patrol the outskirts of the festival, and he and Feall would be keeping an eye on the festivities in the center of it all.

He didn't want to admit that Tobias was right about the Faola.

That they did end up redistributing the goods they'd stolen.

Saints, his inability to catch them made him tense with frustration.

There were better ways to go about delivering justice to the unfortunate. It didn't require breaking the law.

"I only hope that the Faola don't try to ruin this festival," Feall joked.

"As do I," said Jaron. "Roden, I trust your plan to work, you can send your men out as soon as you feel ready."

A small grin crept across his face.

There was no way Roden would say it aloud, but hearing people tell him that they ‘trust’ his plans was beyond invigorating. It was simply proof that he was an efficient leader and a capable captain.

Jaron arched an eyebrow.

Ah, Roden was still grinning.

He forced a scowl on his face.

“We’re ready to deploy.”

Roden glanced at Mott, who cleared his throat, "Will you be alright without us, Jaron?"

"I'll have you know that I don't require a governess to watch my every move. I won't get into trouble."

Nobody said a word, as nobody dared inform Jaron that despite his efforts to avoid causing a ruckus, he tended to attract danger.

Jaron threw up his hands, "Imogen's going to be with me! Is that enough reassurance?"

"I suppose, though sometimes I believe Imogen encourages your antics," Roden teased. He turned around, ordering his men to their positions before Jaron could protest.

"Do you have a backup plan if they do decide the festival's too boring for them?" Mott asked quietly, following Roden out of the great hall.

He shrugged, "I predict that Jaron is going to disguise himself, Imogen and Amarinda will follow suit, and they'll avoid Tobias as if their lives depend on it."

Mott chuckled, "He's quite the mother hen."

"It's inconvenient at times."

The image of Tobias frantically searching through the streets brought a grin to Roden's face. Tobias would probably try to enlist the help of the royal guard, insisting that something was wrong, only to find the trio laughing at him from the safety of a tent tavern.

"Have you any word of the Faola?" Mott asked. He pushed the castle's front door open, and didn't wait for Roden as he walked down the steps. "Have your scouts found anything?"

"Not exactly," Roden confessed. The morning sun already beat down on him. He'd chosen the wrong day to wear a full suit of armor. "There's a friend of mine who may have a few words to share, but I don't even know if he's here."

The last of the guards crossed the castle bridge, split into two groups, and left for their posts. Mott squinted at the towering poles bedecked with ribbons and flowers, "Ah, he's the troubadour you were telling me about the other day."

"The one and only. Last I heard from him, he was busy in Mendenwal."

"Let's hope he makes an appearance today."

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Hours passed, but still no sign of anyone remotely resembling the Faola. Roden, Mott, and Feall rode together through the streets, doing their best to avoid the unlucky few who were already succumbing to alcohol.

"Ah, day drinking," Feall chuckled. "I understand their reasonings behind that all too well."

A smirk crossed Mott's face, "I can't deny that I've considered smuggling a flask into meetings with regents."

"I have smuggled a flask into meetings with regents," Roden chuckled, but he had no intentions of trying any kind of drink anytime soon. He had a troubadour to find. "Have you seen anything Feall?"

"Not since you asked me twenty minutes ago."

"Have you seen the Faola before?" Mott asked, wrinkling his nose at the sight of a woman waving at him from a scarlet tent.

"I have, their leader is Bymarian," Feall explained. "I don't know his name yet, but I have suspicions. I think he comes from the kingdom of Idunn Craich, but I can't be sure."

"Another kingdom state," Roden noted, still scanning the crowd for his contact. "I know of two. Bultain and Dinwallis."

"Idunn Craich is a kingdom state too, so that's three."

"And the other two?"

Feall grinned, "Ulster and Midhe. Congratulations, captain, you've learned all five Bymarian kingdoms. Would you like a medal for that?"

Roden's cheeks burned, but he didn't say anything.

Despite his actions during the Avenian War, he still had to struggle with the education he'd been denied.

Noblemen within the military ranks adored pointing it out.

"Any sign of the troubadour?" Mott shielded his eyes against the blazing midday sun.

"Not yet," Roden said. "He goes by the name Jolly, he typically prefers bright colors. He's Bymarian, if that helps."

"Ah," Mott nodded. "Find a place to keep the horses. Does he differentiate between men and women? Is he a gambler?"

"He's, ah, definitely the life of the party. Why?"

Mott dismounted, gesturing for Roden and Feall to do the same. He then tipped his head in the direction of a massive building resembling a castle, "I think I know where he is."

"Even if it isn't him," Feall said as he led his horse to a post. "This seems like the area he'd be in."

"Do you know Jolly?" asked Roden in surprise, resting his hand on his sword hilt.

"I do, as a matter of fact. He's a favorite of Queen Danika."

That didn't bring any surprise.

Though Jolly didn't remain in Carthya for long increments of time, he visited often, and he always brought tales of his escapades with whoever he chose. Often, his visits ended in a bar fight or running from a disgruntled spouse.

Life was never boring with Jolly.

As they approached the temporary castle, Roden caught himself walking as slowly as he could.

Dear Saints, there was just so much to take in.

So many people hawking their wares.

Entire suckling pigs roasting on spits.

Jesters swallowing swords, fire, and many other things that would definitely kill the inexperienced.

To Roden's embarrassment, he had to jog to catch up to Feall and Mott, his armor smacking together with loud metallic clangs.

"Don't worry, you can have your fun soon," Mott said, clapping Roden on the shoulder. "You're the one who wanted to do this."

"I know, and you're right, I shouldn't get distracted," mumbled Roden as they stepped through the castle's threshold.

The scent of cooking meat wafted through the temporary castle, accompanied by the spicy aroma of spilled wine and abandoned sweets.

Despite the magnificent exterior, the temporary castle looked like any other tavern. The walls were made of stone, the floor being the trampled grass, and the windows consisting of several sticks and a gap between stones. Tables bore broken legs and chipped surfaces. A staircase led up to another floor, guarded by pockmarked women in ragged dresses. Kegs lined the back wall, a bar as long as the castle's width stood in front of them, and various sorts of mugs and cups hung from the ceiling.

A grin spread on Roden's face.

He was certain that this place was a site for enjoyment.

"There, at the back," Mott said, tilting his head towards a large crowd of men and women near the tavern's keg wall.

"That can't be-," began Roden, but he knew Mott was right the second he caught a flash of a peacock green jerkin.

Feall whistled, "That's definitely Jolly."

At the mere mention of his name, Jolly stood up, a dimpled smile breaking across his chiseled face, "See? I told you they'd come!"

The grin on Roden's face instantly melted into a frown, "This isn't going to be good."

"Do we-," Mott started, but he was cut off the second a group of tavern patrons shoved them all forward.

"Captain Harlowe! It's been far too long!" Jolly exclaimed, lithely jumping from the countertop he'd been standing on. "How are you? Still pursuing that one minstrel? Saints, can't remember her name. The one with the-"

Jolly held his hands out a fair distance from his chest, leaving Roden to uncomfortably clear his throat, "I need to ask something of you, Jolly."

"Ah, anything, but then I need to ask something from you," Jolly swayed on his feet, and would've toppled over if it weren't for the woman who caught him. Jolly patted her cheek, "I knew you cared about me, love. What, or who, can I do for you, captain?"

"Have you ever heard of the Faola?"

That was all it took to force Jolly to straighten out. He frowned, "Why?"

"They're here in Carthya," explained Feall. "King Oberson of Dinwallis and I were attacked several days ago by them."

"They're in Carthya?" Jolly shot a look at the woman at his side. "Shoo, Merry, I have to talk business."

The woman, Merry, scowled and yanked Jolly's full tankard from him as she walked away.

"We'll talk later?" called Jolly.

Roden almost didn't catch the fact that Feall's eyes were glued to Merry's leaving figure.

There was something in Feall's eyes that couldn't be placed.

"Right, the Faola," Feall said, jolting himself back into the conversation. "What do you know?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Jolly waggled his finger as he simultaneously smoothed out his jerkin. "Captain Harlowe, I desperately need your help before we do any talking about a subject that'll definitely get me into trouble."

It wasn't the first time Jolly had asked for help. Typically, he asked for assistance in escaping somebody he'd crossed, or needed help paying off a tavern bill. The chances of anything being different were slim.

He trusted Jolly.

Roden nodded, "It's alright, you can tell me later, I promise I'll help you in any way that I can."

"No, Captain, I don't think you under-"

"Tell me about the Faola, please."

For a moment, Roden worried that Jolly would remain silent.

Was discussing the Faola truly that bad?

He tried not to look relieved when Jolly finally nodded.

Jolly cleared his throat, and looked over both of his shoulders to his drunk companions, "I've had a few run-ins with them, not terrible company, if I do say so myself. There are worse bandits that I've had to deal with, but still bandits."

"What do you know of their leader?" asked Roden, holding out a hand the second Feall tried to interrupt him.

"Bangol Bandir?" Jolly chuckled, his eyebrows rising in the process. "Absolute cheater at cards. I wouldn't want to expose him, though."

"Bandir's not very big. . ."

"We must be thinking of two different Bangol Bandirs because the one that I know could crush your head between his thighs, Captain."

Mott smirked, "That description matches the bandit we're looking for just perfectly."

"Ha," Roden didn't bother hiding the annoyance now throbbing through his head. "Your jokes brighten my day."

"No, no, no," Feall blurted out, speaking before Roden could get him to remain quiet. "I'm Lord Feall, a member of Queen Danika's court, and while traveling here I was singled out by a bandit much shorter than you. It could've been a woman."

"Couldn't be Faola then, Bandir doesn't employ women for thievery. He uses them to poison enemies too strong to challenge in battle," he turned to one of his friends. "Can you find Merry? I want my drink back."

"Tobias insisted that the bandits were Faola," Mott scratched his chin, a thoughtful expression cemented on his face. "Perhaps the bandit who attacked you, Lord Feall, wasn't a leader at all."

"Impossible, there's no way a single bandit could-," he began, but he never finished his sentence.

"By the Saints! Lord Feall? I know you," Jolly burst, a new drink in his hand thanks to his crowd of followers. "Haven't seen you in years, has your inheritance been resolved?"

"Inheritance?" Echoed Mott and Roden in unison.

Feall's face darkened, "I was set up to inherit Idunn Craich, but the, ah, rules of inheritance have become muddled. Idunn Craich's throne was left to a disgraced family, but as Queen Danika sees it, there is more to the story. Idunn Craich will be mine someday, but that's beside the point. You'll have to forgive me Jolly, we rarely conversed."

"Ah, but that doesn't matter, I heard everything about you from court," said Jolly as he took a prolonged sip from his tankard.

"Anyways," Feall cleared his throat. "Have you any idea who could've led the attack?"

"Possibly. But what's in it for me?"

Roden kept his mouth shut as both Feall and Mott looked to him. He scowled, "I already promised you that I'd assist you. What more do you want?"

"I- I just," Jolly stuttered, and he wiped his hands on his tunic.

Jolly. . . Nervous?

A rare occurrence indeed.

"What do you want?"

"I bet against that table over there, regarding the, uh, joust this afternoon. . . And the man I bet on. . ."

Oh no.

That's what Jolly meant when he asked for help.

That's why he wouldn't speak until he knew that his request would be fulfilled.

He needed to know that there would be somebody to ride in the jousting tournament and win for him.

"That's too much to ask, Jolly," Mott was dangerously calm. "There's not enough time to find somebody to ride in the place of your failed man."

"It's going to cost me money," Jolly wailed. "It's going to tarnish my reputation!"

"We'll pay you the money you lost for the information," Feall offered, his eyes blazing with determination.

"You should understand the importance of a reputation, sir!"

"We'll pay you double! Triple-!"

"That's enough," Roden held up his hand, and a light smirk crossed his face. "I'll ride in the joust, but I'll only do it if you tell me what I need to know. Can you promise me that, Jolly?"

"You? Joust? Captain, that's absurd. You don't-!"

"You'd be surprised at what I'm capable of, my friend."

Roden shrugged once he realized that Mott and Feall were staring at him. He'd practiced on his own time, there was a large array of perks that came with being able to use a lance on the battlefield.

Now he'd have the chance to ride in a tournament.

Granted, it was his first official tournament, but Jolly didn't need to know anything about that.

"Alright, fine," Jolly looked over his shoulder again, and then gestured to a broken table in the corner. "I'll tell you what I know about the Faola."

"Thank you-," Roden began, but Jolly shook his head.

"I'm trusting that you'll win the tournament, Captain, otherwise. . . Things will no longer continue to work in my favor. Shoo! Go away!"

Jolly continued to wave off his companions as they approached the table. They soon lost interest in him, and turned to harass the poor minstrel in the corner.

"Right," Jolly rubbed his hands together. "Now, there's rumors following the Faola like nobody's business. I've seen sections of them working in Bymar and Avenia, so they're not just exclusive to Carthya."

"Bymar, that would line up with why they'd attack Feall but not King Jaron," Roden noted, wishing he had something to write down everything Jolly said.

"Could the attacker have been a woman?" Feall asked, his brow furrowing.

"Hush, let the man speak," Mott held up a hand.

Feall shut his mouth.

"Thank you," said Jolly. "It's entirely possible you were attacked by a woman, but I doubt it, Faola women are much smarter than the men. They'd administer poison to you in doses till it seemed like you died of natural causes. They're all quite dominant, too, frightening once they get you tied up and-"

"Jolly. Remain on the subject."

"Sorry Captain, where was I? Ah yes, potential identities. Several members of the Faola adopt names that aren't their own, some use it to instill fear and others use their stolen names to justify their causes. Notable aliases include Veldergrath, Bevin Conner, Mireldis Thay, Joth Kerwyn, King Eckbert himself. It's a way of being able to hide the fact that they work with bandits."

"I recognize Mireldis Thay," Feall murmured, but he couldn't remain quiet any longer. He smacked the table, "She's what stands in the way of Idunn Craich."

"It would be idiotic for Lady Thay to use her first name while fighting as a bandit," Mott pointed out.

Jolly nodded, "And then attack you. Besides, I know Lady Thay, she's far from here. It's just somebody tarnishing her name, just as the bandits who sport Lord Kerwyn's name are trying to do. No, no, I suspect that you're dealing with somebody else. Have any details I can go by?"

"Nothing, aside from the height," Roden said. "He, or she, was short, a little bit shorter than the average woman."

"Perfect!" Jolly exclaimed, standing up as he did so. "I'll see what I can do about finding your mystery bandit. And don't forget to win that tournament, Captain, I highly suggest that you don’t lose."

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"I'm beginning to worry that you haven't gotten anything keeping you away from making stupid choices," Mott said, tapping Roden's head. "Jaron's rubbed off on you."

"Ah, well, I need to learn all that I can about the Faola, and Jolly is our best bet," Roden said, strapping a plate of armor to each of his legs.

The tent he and Mott were sheltered in was blindingly hot.

The armor Roden put on made the heat nearly unbearable.

"You're sure you're going to be alright?" asked Mott as he shoved a helmet in Roden's direction.

He shrugged, "There's danger in everything I do."

It wasn't his first time using a lance, he'd trained for several months after he realized the value in being able to wield a lance while in a battle. Roden knew the risks and he knew the rules.

But a splintering lance was far different from a sword.

A splintering lance might not hit you directly, but chances were high that a piece of wood could lodge itself in your face or neck.

Not an enjoyable way to die. . . Not that dying is something to be enjoyed.

Roden pulled the helmet on over his head, and slid the visor up, "Would you give me a favor of yours to carry with me?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Absolutely not."

"Please remember my name if I fall on this lovely afternoon," Roden joked, slamming the visor over his face.

Mott scowled, "You're not going to die, and if you do, it means you're awful at jousting."

"I suppose I have to win now so I can prove you wrong."

"I'm concerned, were you not planning on winning in the first place?"

"There's always a chance at losing, but I try not to let that be an option. This will be over soon, my friend," Roden's voice was muffled behind the helmet. "We'll meet at the tavern this evening, Jolly said he'd be waiting there."

The sound of trumpeters shook the summer air. Mott frowned, and held the tent flap open for Roden, silent and disapproving as he almost always was. However, he did clap Roden's armored shoulder and whispered a few words of luck before he made his way to the stands.

Children waved multicolored flags at him, Roden waved back.

Ah, how he'd dreamed of taking up a lance.

Jolly's rider, the man Roden was replacing, was an older knight named Cronnach Nyrsate. Sir Nyrsate's coat of arms had been painted onto a wooden shield and leaned against the judges' box. . . Which usually sat Jaron, Imogen, the Prime Regent, and three other guests.

It was a surprise to see Jaron holding Imogen's hand in their seats and not off causing trouble. Harlowe sat next to them.

Saints, it would be humiliating if Roden lost in front of his father.

Sir Nyrsate's horse was supposed to be ridden for the match, but Roden had just enough time to pull enough strings and get his own horse armored and ready to go.

That would give him a slight advantage. His horse, a gift from Bymar, was massive. Bred specifically for war. It made the rider taller, never stopped, and brought a crushing power that rivaled all other warhorses.

It was a little frustrating, however, to see Roden's horse bearing the Nyrsate coat of arms rather than the Harlowe coat of arms.

Roden swung up into the saddle. . .

And finally allowed himself a look at his opponent.

He didn't recognize the coat of arms, nor did he recognize the horse. All Roden saw was a large man in battle scarred armor, which would've been painted black at one point. A red plum erupted from his helmet.

Definitely more than a little intimidating.

Jaron stood up, and raised his hands out to the stands full of festival goers. Roden was too far away to hear anything.

Not that he would've been able to hear anything anyways.

He was far too focused on his opponent.

"Sir! Sir Nyrsate!" Bellowed a flock of snot nosed teenagers, street rats, and esteemed young heirs to noble houses.

Roden waved a hand at them, he couldn't speak now. He needed to focus.

"Ah, good sir!" Shouted a man over the roar of the crowd. Jaron must've said something funny. The man waved his hands. "Sir!"

Roden squinted, Jolly was there to see him off.

"Good luck," called Jolly as he launched himself over the barrier keeping the viewers out. A girl followed behind. "Me and Merry came to give you a send off, and the kids of course, you simply have to let them send you off."

"A favor for you, sir knight," Merry bowed deeply, retrieving a dirty blue scarf from the front of her gown as she did so. She tied it to Roden's right wrist before stepping back to help several members of Roden's screaming fans over the side of the fence.

"Remember, if you knock him off his horse, it's an instant win," Jolly patted Roden's thigh, and hefted a lance over to him.

"I know the rules," Roden huffed as he tucked the lance under his arm.

A page stepped out from Jaron's box, holding out a flag like a sword.

The flag went up.

Roden charged forwards, a small band of children howling as they chased him and his horse for several feet.

All he had to do was aim for the center, lower the lance, and hold firm.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The crowd began to scream the second a lance cracked-

Stars blurred across Roden's vision.

He missed!

Saints, he hoped Mott didn't see that. Jolly's concerned face from the crowd didn't help, Merry was the one to get him a new lance.

Flag up, screaming children, crowd cheering.

Roden missed again.

It took three points to win a match. Points were earned when a lance was broken or a rider was toppled. One point for each broken lance, and so far, Roden hadn't broken any of his.

He was two points down.

One point away from losing.

Anger burst through his lungs.

How could he have been so stupid!? Signing up for a joust! He'd never ridden in front of so many screaming civilians before!

The children who'd been chasing at him clamored for his attention, but they backed away the second he didn't say anything.

"Lean in the saddle," Merry said as she handed Roden a fresh lance. She patted his horse's shoulder, "I know you're fierce, unhorse him and that's a match."

"I've never done this before," Roden confessed, unsure if she'd heard him over the roar of the crowd.

"You've done it twice just now, third time's the charm. Go on, don't let Jolly down. Or me. You're wearing my favor, and everybody in town knows that it's mine. You'll damage my reputation."

"I'm so sorry about your reputation."

"As you should! Be more sorry about your reputation, sir knight!" Merry shot back, her hands on her hips. "Are you so quick to give up?!"

The crowd screamed, Roden jolted to attention.

His opponent charged early, ready to finish the match off.

Merry cried out, and slapped out at Roden's horse's flank, causing the mighty beast to rear up.

Roden shouldered the lance, forcing the horse in a straight path down the arena.

Lean in the saddle

He could hear Merry's words ringing in his head.

Time seemed to slow around him as he blocked out everything save for the man barreling towards him. The crowd's screams were muffled.

Like they were shrieking underneath a pond's surface.

Lean in the saddle.

The rider was coming closer and closer to him.

Roden gripped the lance and-

Wood splintered.

The unmistakable sound of metal colliding with the solid ground cut through the muffled noises.

He was still in the saddle, holding a shattered lance.

Roden was still in his saddle.

He'd made a hit!

Instantly, Roden turned his horse around itself, and held up the broken lance to Merry and Jolly. His opponent was being dragged out of the arena by his foot. Pages chased the runaway horse. Mott was standing among the crowd, his hands above his head.

"That was amazing!" Jolly shrieked as he ran to Roden. "Knocked him clean off!"

A trail of all sorts of children, the ones who'd chased Roden down the arena, came flooding, waving their banners and shouting for "Sir Nyrsate's" attention.

"You better pay up," Roden said, tossing the broken lance to the ground.

The children all scrambled for it.

"Oh, I will, I promise I will," Jolly vowed, grabbing Merry by the shoulders to plant kisses all over her face. "Dear Saints, I've won too much money."

"Don't gamble on drunks ever again," Merry snapped as she shoved Jolly away from her.

"Oh, I won't, I promise I won't."

Roden was certain that he and Merry were thinking the same thing: Jolly would certainly go on to bet on more drunks.

But perhaps it was worth it.

After all, Roden received his chance to ride in a jousting tournament.

And he'd guaranteed an opportunity to learn more about the Faola.

It wouldn't be long before he caught them.

#the ascendance series #the ascendance trilogy #ascendance series #ascendance trilogy #roden #jaron #tobias #mott #ocs #fic friday #ive always loved jousting and this gave me an excuse to watch 7645 hours of jousting videos. best day ever

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daysswithyou · 5 years

Text

Fallen Chapter 17: Broken hearts

previous / next

Characters: DAY6 Young K x OC (Rachel)

Genre: angst, fake dating, high school romance, fluff, romance

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Brian nearly gets tackled to the ground the moment he shows himself, Wonpil and Jae slamming into him with full force as they cuff him around his neck. He pushes the jesters off him good-naturedly, before shoving them in the direction of the chalet. He wonders if they're tipsy, and the empty beer cans littering the area confirms his suspicions. He shakes his head at their antics, wondering how the duo have so little restrain when it comes to drinking. Sungjin and Dowoon are the only sober ones on the team, the former grilling meat and the latter silently sipping on his soda in the background.

"You're finally here, took you long enough."

Sungjin takes a playful jab at Brian's tardiness, eyes darting between the sizzling meat and Brian's face, a smirk hanging on his lips.

"Sorry, the wedding ended late."

"Still, shouldn't you make up for being late? I had to suffer more because of your absence. Birthday boy wouldn't leave me alone, clinging onto me and whining about why you weren't here yet."

His captain shivers in exaggeration, before proceeding to jerk his head in the direction of Wonpil, whom is now engaged in a high note battle with Jae, their dolphin-like screams making Brian wince. Turning back to Sungjin, he says,

"I'll gladly make up for it. What do you need me to do?"

"We're running out of ice to chill the drinks, and ice cream too. Take Dowoon with you, those two are too out of it to be of much use now."

Sungjin and Brian both snigger under their breaths as they continue to eye the comedic duo. The raven-haired male claps Sungjin on the shoulder, wishing him a silent good luck in being able to watch over Jae and Wonpil while the two of them were away.

Walking up to Dowoon, he puts his arm over the broad shoulders of the younger, steering him in the direction of the convenience store.

"Come on, let's go get Wonpil's favourite ice cream."

Dowoon follows without much resistance, the light bounce in his step an indication that he, too, was glad to get away from the rowdy scene for a short while.

---

“We got everything?”

Dowoon takes a peek into the bag as he does a visual check of the items bought, nodding his head as he raises it up from its craned position over the bag. He meets Brian’s eye for a short while – until something else coming up from behind Brian’s back catches his attention.

Or rather, someone coming up from behind Brian’s back catches his attention.

Brian notices how the smile is wiped from the younger’s face, and the feeling of someone watching him prickles the back of his neck.

“Dowoon, what’s wrong?”

Dowoon’s voice comes out soft, barely above a whisper.

“Hyung…”

He lifts a shaky finger to point at something behind Brian but the star player does not have to turn his head to figure out what caught Dowoon’s attention – for he hears the familiar click of heels against the tarmac floor; a memory buried deep within his mind resurfacing yet it’s an unpleasant one, his fist clenching as his lips curl at the memory. He feels the figure stand right behind him, and he turns around to face the person, knowing very well who to expect – but expectation doesn’t necessarily make one more prepared for how the outcome feels – and this one feels like a punch in the gut, a slap in the face.

Seeing Ayeon never gets easier – only harder – but this time, for different reasons.

Unlike before, his eyes that meet hers don’t hold any warmth, a greeting no longer hanging by his lips as he reaches for you. Instead, he stares her down with a steely cold gaze, his lips forming a sneer as his fists remain firmly clenched by his side. Ayeon remains unfazed by his hostile reaction towards her, keeping her poker face in place as she crosses her arms over her chest. She smiles a sickeningly sweet smile at Brian, and he has to look away for a moment before he gets too disgusted and loses his appetite for the birthday party later. She feigns innocence, and lets a surprised gasp fall from her lips as she pretends to finally notice his presence.

“Oh Brian? What a lovely surprise! What brings you to this chalet? I was just having a small weekend getaway here and – ”

Brian rolls his eyes at her nonsensical rambling, and decides to put an end to it.

“Cut the bullshit Ayeon. You’re not here on accident; you never liked such places. What did you say about them last time…”

Brian pretends to be deep in thought, letting his head hang low as he lets out a scoff.

“Right, I remember now. You said that such places were filthy, meant for the good-for-nothings that could not afford better. So, how about you stop pretending to be nice and tell me what you want, so that we can settle it and have nothing to do with one another again. Ever.”

He punctuates his points with venom, head snapping up to give her a murderous glare to get his point across. But Ayeon merely laughs at him; finding him amusing when he’s angry. Now that her ploy has been exposed, no need to keep up the façade.

“Ah Brian, as expected, you haven’t lost your sharp mind yet. You’re right – I’m not here on accident. I just wanted to confirm something with you, since I have no other way to reach the other party except through you. Evening…Luna… was it? Rachel’s café. We’re pretty interested in the area; we’ve got a contract all prepared. I was hoping that you would be able to kindly put me in touch with her.”

Upon the mention of Rachel, Brian nearly lunges at Ayeon, but is promptly stopped by Dowoon’s firm grip on his shoulder and his deep voice of warning; having forgotten about Dowoon the moment he started arguing with Ayeon.

“Hyung!”

Brian comes back to his senses immediately, taking a step back obediently when Dowoon pulls him away. Brian’s eyes dart between Dowoon behind him and Ayeon right in front, weighing the gravity of her words uttered before.

Her parents are real estate developers. They have the power to take away Rachel’s parents life works the moment she convinces them to take interest in the area. No… this won’t do… I need to convince Ayeon to leave Rachel alone.

Ayeon watches Brian’s internal battle with perverse glee, the corner of her blood red lips tugging up ever so slightly as she drums her perfectly manicured nails against her arm, mocking Brian with impatient, incessant taps of her heels against the tarmac floor. Brain notices this all – she’s a predator waiting for her prey, him, to take the bait.

He knows he shouldn’t, it’ll be like throwing himself into a blazing fire to be burned alive, but he has no choice – if he wants to protect the one, he loves.

Turning behind to face Dowoon, he tries not to let his fear show as he swallows slowly, steadying his voice with great effort as he utters his next words.

“Dowoon, could you take the things and go back first? Tell Sungjin that I’m a little…caught up. If he asks, tell him I’ll be back soon.”

He gives Dowoon a pointed look at his last words, making it very clear that he does not want Sungjin knowing. Sungjin might come running for him, and things might blow out of proportion; no one could ever predict. The less people know, the better.

Dowoon shakes his head slowly as he gulps nervously, not entirely convinced by Brian’s conviction. Dowoon stays unmoving from his spot, not wanting to leave Brian alone with Ayeon, most especially not with the sinister look on her face now. Brian senses Dowoon’s apprehension, and merely gives the younger a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder – or so he thinks. In reality, Brian’s grip is too tight, his blunt nails are digging into Dowoon’s muscles, the skin potentially bruising later. With one last push, he pushes Dowoon towards the chalet, nodding his head as Dowoon takes a shaky step away from the pair.

Ayeon wouldn’t try anything when I’m still here and we will both never figure out her true intentions. But. I can come back for hyung later. I just have to pretend to walk away and then figure out where they’re headed for later.

Keeping his head down, Dowoon pretends to walk away in defeat, turning away from the pair fully. When he’s certain they can no longer see him, Dowoon quickly hides behind a pillar, eyeing the pair carefully.

---

Seeing that Dowoon is gone, Brian turns back to face Ayeon, his murderous glare back on again. He cuts to the chase immediately, launching his accusations with no mercy.

“What do you with her Ayeon?”

“Rachel? Oh I want nothing to do with her Brian. But…”

“But?”

Brian snaps, clenching his jaw in annoyance at the way that Ayeon is taking her time to toy with him.

“But I want you Brian.”

She takes a step closer, sliding her fingers across the lapel of his navy blue jacket as he slowly takes her time saying her next words.

“Just…you…and me… having some fun together.”

Brian stays in his spot unmoving, eyes fixed faraway on a spot above her head. He refuses to look at her; the sight is revolting. Seeing that her tactics are not working against the uncooperative Brian, Ayeon decides to tease him more, now tilting her face upwards so that her lips rest just millimetres away from his.

So close, that if either of them moved, they would collide.

“Of course you can say no, but…”

She grips his jacket tightly, tugging it harshly to prove her point.

But Rachel will pay the price for your disobedience.

Brian shifts his eyes downwards, eyeing Ayeon through his slit eyes.

“What do you want?”

“Follow me.”

Ayeon finally lets go, not even bothering to smooth out the wrinkles in his jacket before marching in the direction of where she came from. Brian follows, and Dowoon trails behind the duo.

---

You groan when the shrill tunes of your ringtone pierces through the silent night, and you turn to your side as your blankets tangle around your legs – which nutjob was calling you at such an ungodly hour? What could not possibly wait till daylight?

Kang Younghyun calling

You swipe the green button without hesitation, ready to give Brian an earful if he roused you from your precious sleep for a prank.

“He – ”

“Rachel? Can I see you for a moment?”

You were about to chide Brian for rudely interrupting you, but the urgency in his voice made you hold your tongue. You bring the phone away from your ears to check the time – 03:12 – and you groan once more, your pillow muffling the sound.

“Younghyun, can’t this wait till tomorrow? It’s very, very late now; we can meet tomorrow if you want to alright?”

You were about to end the call but his next words have you jolting awake in your bed as you throw your blanket off you.

“Rachel… please… don’t go. I have to see you now… please. There is something I must tell you, so please let me see you. Please, please, please don’t leave me alone…”

He sounds so desperate, like a vulnerable, broken, little boy. It was a startling difference from the confident, strong and cheeky Kang Younghyun that you’ve become so accustomed to – and the difference scared you. What happened during the past few hours? Did someone hurt him? Did something catastrophic happen? – because it sure sounded like it did from his shaky, small voice that had just begged you over the phone. That was not the Kang Younghyun that you knew – someone must have broken him. You were worried – afraid even – but if Younghyun was terrified now, you have to be the strong one here. You needed to protect him now – like how he did for you before.

Steeling your nerves, you asked in a calm voice,

“Younghyun, where are you now? I’ll come find you ok, tell me – ”

“I’m outside your house. By the door.”

“Ok, don’t move. I’ll come down now, stay with me on the phone.”

Jumping over your bed, you flung your bedroom door open as you dashed down the stairs, reaching the front door in 3 big jumps. You fumble with the lock in the dark for some time, cursing your shaky hands as your phone was perched precariously between your shoulder and ears.

You throw the heavy door open, ready to launch yourself at Younghyun – but the sight in front of you made you halt in your steps, your questions dying in your throat.

He was an absolute wreck. His previously styled hair was now unkempt, the slightly longer strands obscuring his eyes. His crisp suit was now wrinkled and crumpled, darker patches of sweat staining the navy blue almost black. However, the drastic change in his appearance wasn’t the most jarring difference – but rather – his eyes. It was his eyes.

His twinkling eyes always curved into beautiful crescents were now bloodshot; and even under the slight haze of sleep, you can see the web of red veins from his eyes blown wide, the dark orbs now looking like a bottomless, black pit. In it, you see fear and hysteria, and you shiver even though it was a hot, balmy night.

This isn’t the Kang Younghyun I know. What have they done to him?

You feel your heart physically aches as your chest caves in, taking shallow breaths as you feel the first tears stinging your eyes.

Younghyun – too – is no exception.

The moment he gets to lay his eyes on you, tears well up in his eyes and he lunges forward to engulf you in a bone-crushing hug before you get to see the first tears fall, your phone clattering to the ground from the force slamming into you.

He has one arm wrapped around your shoulders and the other crossed across your upper back, his hand resting against your ribcage. But this hug is unlike the others – it isn’t comforting, neither does it convey warm emotions. Instead, it is one that is physically painful to receive, and speaks of depths of sorrow. His chest is pressing into yours so tightly that it crushes your chest, making it hard to breathe. The gentle hands that used to caress your skin were now gripping onto your shoulder and ribcage tightly, his nails digging into the thin skin. Despite the physical torment, you can’t find the heart to push him off or scold him – you can sense that he really needs it, and you let him does what might make him feel better as you blink back your tears. But the moment you feel his warm tears slide down your neck, your tears well up again and this time round, a few droplets slip down your cheeks. Burrowing his face into your hair and neck, Brian holds you as he cries, apologies spewing from his lips furiously.

“I’m sorry Rachel… I’m really sorry, I’m very sorry. I am so, so, so, so sorry…”

He keeps repeating the same words over and over again, and you raise your hands to run them soothingly across the vast expanse of his back, hoping to calm him down.

“What are you sorry for? Please talk to me Younghyun… it hurts me to see you cry.”

Younghyun bites back another sob as he hears your kind words, but fresh tears fall from his eyes, staining your neck and back as they slip further down. He can’t think of anything else to say to you except to apologise – and that’s all he keeps doing.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Knowing that your words bring him sorrow instead of comfort, you opt to keep your mouth shut as you continue to rub his back, alternating between strokes and circles.

When your neck no longer feels wet and he stops shaking, you know he’s exhausted himself from all the crying. His body feels heavier against you now, you supporting most of his weight. You move to bring him into the house, but his voice stops you.

“Rachel.”

“Hmmm?”

“Whatever happens, please know that I did it for you. I love you.”

Your hands still in their ministrations, too shocked by what you just heard. Only one response comes to mind, and you say it for him – knowing that it will comfort him, as much as it will comfort you to finally get it off your chest.

“I love you too.”

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disasterhumans · 5 years

Text

I’ve been thinking a lot about this arc, and what it means that it comes on the heels of the Iron Shepherd’s arc, and I have come to the conclusion that chasing after Fjord’s backstory/patron is the Worst Possible Storyline the Mighty Nein could have chosen to follow in the aftermath of the Iron Shepherd’s Arc as far as everyone’s mental/emotional well-being and moral inclinations are concerned.

As ever I have a million and one thoughts and accidentally wrote an essay, so the rest is below a cut.

There are some spoilers from episode 44, but they’re contained to a single paragraph which is marked at the beginning and end.

Jester, Fjord and Yasha’s kidnapping, and Molly’s death, were a huge catalyst that triggered a major shift in the group. It prompted Beau to begin questioning her moral standing, and how she approaches the world. It solidified Nott’s feelings of affection for the group, and got her to admit that she loved them. It also presented the first real moment we’ve seen her disagree with and push Caleb. It scared the shit of Caleb, and prompted him to actively consider leaving the group again (and potentially even Nott)--but it also proved how much he’s grown to care for the group, against his better judgement. For Caleb, the Iron Shepherd’s arc also led him into something of a backslide.

Fjord’s sense of responsibility for the group resulted in a huge amount of guilt, but his experience during the arc also prompted him to question the path he was on. Even without the letter about the orb, I think Fjord would have chosen to drop his quest to go to the Academy, and may have dedicated himself to finding ways to track down more information about his patron.

It’s still less obviously clear how much being kidnapped affected Jester, but it is clear that it did. And she hasn’t brought it up, and her friends have mostly not broached the subject. In the same way that Fjord takes responsibility for the group’s well-being, Jester takes responsibility for their happiness. And that means she ends up obfuscating and burying her own feelings. She experienced a small crisis of faith, but was not only renewed in it, but sent down a path to further amplify it.

And then, with everyone in various states of emotional and moral vulnerability, they immediately throw themselves into a Lovecraftian horror plot. And, yes, to some extent they accidentally tripped into the particulars of their circumstance. But even if their trip to the docks had gone smoothly and as planned, the road would have still led to Avantika eventually. And so we’re in the middle of Fjord’s story, with Nott genuinely wanting to provide unconditional support to her friends. And Caleb expressing a similar dedication, having recently come out of relying on tactics learned from Trent to a greater extent. And Beau is still cutting her teeth on the idea of wanting to leave places “better than she found them,” while also being generally ride or die for her friends. Meanwhile, Fjord is still experiencing a lot of guilt, and putting a lot of responsibility on his shoulders (and having a lot of responsibility thrust upon him by circumstance). But he’s also clearly scared of the thought that he’s “the leader,” and is not much more interested in holding that position than Caleb is/was. And Jester’s feelings for Fjord are growing, and she’s continuing to suppress any negative emotions.

The obstacles they encounter as they meet Avantika and are forced to join her crew end up pushing all of these buttons. Avantika knows what she’s doing, where she’s going, and far more about Uk’otoa than Fjord does. And leaving all else aside, the fact that Fjord is meeting someone who understands what’s happening to him is appealing, and perhaps even comforting. Between this and the fact that he’s the only sailor of the Nein, he effectively becomes the liaison between the group and Avantika, meaning that Fjord is both holding himself to extremely high expectations, and that he’s vulnerable to the group’s expectations of him. At the same time, Avantika brings out Jester’s jealousy (and I’m sure that once she caught onto it, Avantika was very deliberately riling Jester up), which in turn prompts Fjord to notice/more seriously consider the idea that Jester likes him. This puts Jester in a complicated position during this arc. She’s supportive of Fjord, and wants to help him on his journey--which means that she doesn’t want to get in the way of Fjord being with Avantika, if that’s what he really wants. Her jealousy both clouds her perception of what the dynamic between the two of them is, and prevents her from feeling like she can intervene. In the moments when Fjord could have used someone to check him on how his decisions might be impacting his own well-being, Jester may have felt like it wasn’t her place to speak up, or may have been unsure how to navigate those waters (pun mostly not intended).

Caleb, relatively fresh out of the crucible that was the Iron Shepherd’s arc, still has a lot of conflicted feelings. He hasn’t left the group, which means that in order to stay with the group he has convinced himself that they are crucial to him achieving his goals. This also means that beyond the passive deference he had with the group early on, especially post-episode 13, his deference to the group has become active. He doesn’t just go along with helping Fjord, he actively encourages him, and promises Fjord that the group is with him. He is constantly checking in and asking Fjord what he wants the next step to be. But as the group find themselves mired in a situation that is characterized by precarious power imbalances and manipulation, Caleb once again feels required to call upon his calculating tactics he learned in similar situations. He goes along with Fjord’s plans even where they might be morally questionable (because Caleb is truly Neutral in the sense that he seems not to care much one way or the other where morals are concerned), and offers up his skills without prompting (e.g. his Firebolt intimidation during their actual piracy). Caleb pushes Fjord to make calls that may be detrimental to Fjord’s mental/emotional well-being, because it serves the well-being of the group (and by extension, Fjord), in the long run.

[***Spoilers] As the situation gets more and more precarious, and they get pulled deeper into what is clearly turning into a power-quest for Fjord, Caleb reaches deeper into skills he feels he needs to survive the situation. And I think Fjord’s clear curiosity and interest in obtaining power emboldens Caleb in his own pursuits. The Blood Pact is a culmination of this tension--this arc has made it clear not only how far Fjord is willing to go, but also that Fjord understands what it means to rely on others to achieve his goals. I don’t think anyone who read that scene as Caleb being manipulative are wrong or off base. But it’s not at all possible that Fjord didn’t know what Caleb was doing. And in fact, I think the reason Caleb even approached the situation that way is because he knew Fjord would understand it and respect it. [Spoilers***]

Beau is in a complicated position during this arc. She’s simultaneously feeling supportive of her friend and his goals, and also working through her understanding of her own beliefs and outlook on the world. And I don’t think she realized that she might end up in a situation where those things were at odds with each other. Beau may not be inherently opposed to Fjord pursuing power, but I also think there’s a disinclination on Beau’s part to question Fjord’s actions, because she actually does trust him, and isn’t interested in “controlling” him. The situation also means she’s not really in a position to “leave places better than she found them.” The encounter at the docks was a disaster, and it did give her pause, and prompt her to reassess her actions. But then the group ended up effectively shanghaied, and robbed of agency in a rotation of shady/creepy situations and places. The best she could do at maintaining some control over her new moral path was committing to pirating a ship “non-violently” (or at least non-murderously), and choosing a mostly diplomatic solution (as far as pirates are diplomatic) to their Avantika Problem. Beau has not really had the capability of making choices during this arc, and has instead been perpetually backed into a place of reactivity. And Beau is a highly reactive person, and hasn’t yet worked on many solutions to problems that aren’t punching her way through them. (Also, as an aside: people sometimes make a lot of the fact that the Nein haven’t been leaving places better than they found them during this arc. But Beau is the only person who actually had this goal in mind, and I don’t think she has the capability right now to be the moral compass of the group, when she’s still sorting out what her moral compass is for herself.)

Though Cad’s general distaste for/fear of water is more recent, and manifests differently than Nott’s, I think it still gives the experience a rather negative color in Cad’s view. Though he does seem to enjoy encountering new things. Despite having been with the group for a relatively long time in-game, most of that time was spent travelling, and this is Cad’s first time Post-Shepherds seeing what the Mighty Nein look like when they’re backed into a corner. And while he’s grown to like and care for the assholes, the reality of what they’re like at their worst is also scary. Cad is off balance--he hasn’t hear from his goddess in a long time (up until the end of episode 43), and is feeling unmoored (pun totally intended that time). He also views the world with a lot of neutrality, so while he may object to explicitly Bad Deeds, his general response to them to simply put a Good Deed in its place (see: him caring for the crew, cooking food, and healing broken bones).

Lastly, Nott is having a terrible time. She is surrounded by her least favorite thing, with no chance at escaping it anytime soon, and with people who seem to entirely misunderstand how deep her fear runs (and the fact it really is a fear of water, not a fear of drowning). I’m not sure how much this is on Nott’s mind, but there is also a bitter irony to the fact that Nott similarly ready to confront her past, and is now instead surrounded by her worst nightmare. But she also Cares About Fjord, and loves the Mighty Nein, and that goes a long way for her. She’ll support Fjord in his pursuit, and she’s prepared to risk her life to do so. I think Nott would be more likely to speak up with objections to the group if there were any indication that her perspective would be respected, which despite Nott’s commitment to helping Fjord, she hasn’t really seen on his part. I wonder if the group had decided to pursue Nott’s past instead, if Fjord and Nott might have come to a better understanding of each other.

This arc has compromised everyone’s ability to make good moral judgments to some extent. By placing them in a situation where they have relatively little agency, it has also inflamed wounds left by the Iron Shepherd’s arc. The Mighty Nein are currently largely directionless, as far as morals go, but as a group are more dedicated to each other than ever. So in the absence of clearly aligned moral imperatives, their underlying creed has become protecting each other. This means they’ve been less inclined to question each other, or call each other on their actions when they seem to cross a line. This arc has, up until episode 44, been entirely about surviving. There’s no way of knowing whether the pursuit of anyone’s else past would have resulted in a similar dynamic, but this arc has seemed uniquely designed to make it as hard as possible to get through without wreaking emotional and moral harm on each other.

#critical role #i love them all and i need them to have a good long talk with each other asap #fjord #c2e44 #cr meta

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