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augentrust · 2 months

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The Bone That Has No Marrow

[find it on ao3 here]

Words: 28k | Rating: T | Shadowgast

One moment makes all the difference during the battle at Blumenthal. In the aftermath, the Nein grapple with what comes next.

Featuring:

✨ A twist on Echoes of the Solstice ✨ Mighty Nein-typical emotional regulation and processing ✨ Angst with a happy ending

Header Image: Page 187 of "The Half Hour Library of Travel, Nature and Science for young readers" (1896) courtesy of the British Library's online collection here

#the wizards are going through it in this one #critical role #shadowgast #mighty nein echoes of the solstice #hey did you know i write fic?#i do! just so slowly #two years into this fandom and finally publishing something #august writes #m9 solstice #cr fanfic

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vagabondfirelily · 12 days

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platinum

→ AO3

They lie together in bed, limbs intertwined and bodies warm. Stray beams of fading sunlight fall into the room through the half-closed curtains, gently kissing their skin. The air is still around them with undisturbed peace, the last whisper of a day coming to a close.

Essek shifts slightly under the covers with a soft noise. His arms tighten around Caleb as he takes a slow, deep breath. His eyes are closed, sharp features softened with uncontrived bliss and Caleb can’t help but smile at the sight.

He rests his head on Essek’s shoulder, one finger reaching out to trail over the drow’s collarbone with no real hurry or purpose. He travels the expanse of Essek’s skin like he has so many times before, absentmindedly tracing protective runes along the way as he goes upward and hears Essek sigh softly above him. Caleb stops for a moment at the hollow of his throat, caressing the spot where he feels the pulse of a heartbeat beneath, then drags his finger down.

He knows Essek’s every scar, freckle and blemish as if they were his own, yet it still startles him somewhat when he brushes against the smooth, puckered patch of skin on Essek’s sternum.

Memory flashes in his mind suddenly, intense and disorienting. The earsplitting roar, the sound of splintering bone, Essek’s wheezing gasps, the slick blood bubbling under his frantic fingers and seeping into the cracks of the icy ground beneath them, the suffocating fear.

Caleb blinks, shaky breaths escaping his lips as a shudder begins to build at the base of his skull. He draws his hand back, curling his fingers, and buries his head in Essek’s shoulder. The body beneath him shifts again with a quiet sigh. Lips graze the top of his head.

“I’m okay. We’re okay, Caleb.”

Caleb exhales slowly, letting Essek’s whispered words settle his bones and his treacherous mind. The memory fades like a veiled dream, leaving only the warmth of Essek’s skin against his. With a steady breath, he looks up to meet Essek’s violet eyes, which gaze at him so full of love. The ends of his mussed white hair are backlit in the dim sunlight, like pearlized silver. A soft, airy smile is etched on his lips, the kind whose existence is known only to Caleb.

Here is Caleb’s greatest love, his strength, his peace of heart. There is no greater treasure than this.

Essek pulls away from him gently and turns to lay on his side, one hand under his head, facing Caleb. They gaze into each other’s eyes, blanketed in comfortable silence. Slowly, Caleb’s fingers brush the jagged scar marring Essek’s chest and feel the heartbeat within. With a small smile, Essek takes Caleb’s hand in his and presses it close to his heart. He doesn’t let go. No words pass between them. No words need to.

The day slowly gives way to night as they stay like this, taking simple comfort in each other’s presence. Finally, Caleb closes his eyes, his hand still holding Essek’s and feeling at peace once more. Essek follows soon after, letting the weight of true sleep take him, knowing full well he’ll wake up in Caleb’s arms in the morning.

#shadowgast #essek thelyss #caleb widogast #cr fanfic #critical role #vlily writes

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ninja-kitty-more-like-no · 1 year

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The priests tell your husband you’re only gonna be sick for a few days.

You’re sick a lot longer than a few days.

Coming back to having a body is strange, but not as strange as coming back to having your own soul— it’s like parts of you just got cleaved off and left to drift somewhere in the water, like a whalefall. You don’t remember how to think. You don’t remember your husband, at first, and then you do, and then you roll over and dry heave with his hands on your back.

There’s no food in your stomach. You didn’t have a stomach yesterday. You’ve been rotted for almost two hundred years.

It’s so hot here. The other place, the grey ocean, it was cool, or it was the absence of heat, and it was movement, and your body doesn’t move that way anymore. It can’t. You were a many-limbed thing, a fluttering mote of sea spray, the stuff of potential, and now you are Deanna. Capital D. Feminine. Singular.

You would hate him for what he took from you, maybe.

You’ve forgotten what hate feels like.

#critical role #cr spoilers #cr fanfic #Deanna #MS ITENGAR THIS ONES FOR YOU

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critrolestats-salute · 3 months

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Welcome!

Welcome to a Salute to CritRoleStats!

What is this? It's a thank you and a celebration to CritRoleStats, who have enabled so many fanworks over the years! What better way to celebrate them than to create more fanworks inspired by their stats?

What do you have to do? Create something! Be it art, fic, crafts, songs, meta, stat blocks, cosplay, a delicious pastry, however you want to express your creativity. Then tag it #critrolestats-salute on your social media of choice, or submit it to our AO3 collection!

What are the rules? No AI art, please—otherwise, anything is fair game! No word or effort limit, and submissions can be in any medium.

Need some ideas? You can find our prompt list here, or submit more prompts/stats so everyone can have more here!

Got more questions? Check our FAQ, or message one of the mods: @operafloozy @songofwizardry @aleph-sharp

We can't wait to see what you'll create!

#critrolestats-salute #critrole stats #cr stats #critical role #cr fanfic #critical role fanfic #cr fanart #critical role fanart

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quinn-of-aebradore · 2 months

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“What was that?” Essek asks, staring intently at Caleb. Around them, the rest of the Nein are drawing to a stop, snow crunching as they turn to face the two of them. “Sending,” he breathes, meeting Essek’s gaze. “From one of the people Beauregard and I met in Marquet. It—Sending is working again.” Essek draws in a sharp breath. “You’re certain?” Or, what was happening on the Nein's end of the Sendings between Caleb, Orym, Imogen, and Jester.

Welcome to "I realized Caleb getting Jester to Send to Imogen means the Nein are probably still together and then had Ideas about what adventures they're having in wake of the Solstice" The Fic! XD The Jester shenanigans are at a Peak, the wizards are being cute, and there's some feelings kicking around about a couple of things :3 I hope you enjoy!

#caleb widogast #essek thelyss #orym #imogen temult #jester lavorre #the mighty nein #shadowgast #critical role #cr fanfic #quinn fics

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lavendertheys · 1 month

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Length: 7,271 words Rating: M for non-explicit smut TWs: gender dysphoria

“So, if I’m understanding correctly,” Arlo recaps, “you’re not flat, but you’d very much like to be. That’s your intention.”

Auggie takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly, and nods.

“And how would you do that?”

He has to clear his throat to make his voice work. “There’s this, uh—surgery you can get, to take ‘em away. It’s a whole… it’s somethin’ I’ve been thinkin’ about for a long time.”

Now Arlo smiles again. “Oh, that’s wonderful! If it would make you happy, Auggie, then of course you should get the surgery.”

“It ain’t that simple,” he mutters softly. “Costs a lot of fuckin’ money.”

Arlo blinks. “I have money.”

#candela obscura #arlo black #auggie james #arlie #ao3 fanfic #critical role #cr fanfic #transmasc character #candela chapter 1

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overnighttosunflowers · 5 months

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Summary:

They were tangled together in rumpled sheets, Laudna cradled loosely in the crook of Imogen’s arm and tucked against her side. They’d been giggling and talking and relishing in the feeling of holding each other, reaching out to brush hair from the other’s face or trail a finger across the other’s lips and falling back, intermittently, into periods of simply getting lost in one another. Now the sun was starting to sidle lower in the sky and still they were here, together, letting the hours spend themselves only in each other’s company. It was unfathomable. It was real.

The last chapter of every thought's a possibility is here. I hope you love it as much as I've loved writing it. Thank you all so much for coming on this ride with me, for reading and commenting and being in this fandom. You're the best.

#imodna #cr fanfic #critical role fanfiction #imogen x laudna #southern gothic #my fic #happy thanksgiving to all who celebrate and i love y'all very much. really just. thank you #thank you #thank you.

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fjorests-of-wildemount · 10 months

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Ashton wonders what it would be like to kiss Orym right up until the moment they do it. They know from past partners it's kinda weird, and a little uncomfortable because their lips don't quite give like they're supposed to. They scrape their lower lip with their own teeth and shudder at the sensation. Think about how soft and pillowy Dorian's lips must be in comparison and sets it aside.

They always hurt, but when Orym puts his hands on them sometimes, that ache turns almost sweet. Ashton can tell the difference between pain and want, and Orym's small hands break through the noise enough that Ashton's started to dream about it. They should put a stop to it, probably, because Orym has no clue the kind of feelings he's causing. Probably better to just say it hurts too much and walk away, but then Orym's face would do that thing where he gets all disappointed and that's a completely different kind of hurt. So they let him . . . They never ask for it, but Orym always seems to know what they need.

Ashton is thinking about kissing Orym but it's the wrong time, the kind of desperate irrational desire that surges through their impulse control when they panic. Orym's conscious but covered in blood--his own, someone else's, it's probably too much for one halfling, right?--and Ashton's hands shake around the cork on the potion bottle. What the fuck are they even doing here, why did they get involved in this mess, they're on the wrong fucking continent and Orym's going to die--

"Hey," Orym manages, feverish green eyes staring unfocused at Ashton. "Breathe. I'm okay."

Ashton's going to burst into tears so instead they muffle a sob against Orym's bruised lips. Orym freezes for a moment, but then goes soft and pliant under Ashton. This touch . . . Their body sings. It's a good touch.

Orym gently breaks away but doesn't go far. He leans his forehead gently against Ashton's and cups their cheek.

"Let's talk after, okay?" Orym says. Ashton can taste the healing potion on their own lips and nods.

"That's a fucking promise, yeah?"

Orym brushes another faint kiss across their lips. "Promise."

#critical role #bells hells #ashton greymoore #orym of the air ashari #ashrym #cr fanfic #milo writes #have a first kiss fic bc I'm thinking about them

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katia-dreamer · 5 months

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Dawn

Vex wakes up lying on top of a hard surface that is only marginally softened by her cloak. She’s also naked and quite cold.

Where is she?

She hears a familiar deep groan beside her and finally opens her eyes. Her dark vision allows her to see Percy beside her and the piles of money and jewels surrounding them. That’s when she remembers the night before when Percival gave her a tour of the treasury while they shared a bottle of wine. She recalls the kisses that quickly led to more and the indulgent sex that followed.

She sighs as she moves slightly closer to Percy. Her skin brushes against his, and Percy shivers.

“You are cold,” he grumbles, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“I’m sorry, darling,” she answers. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” he assures her.

“We fell asleep down here.”

“We did.”

Vex laughs, and Percy does too. His hands rest on her waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. The gesture is more familiar than before, and even though his skin is cold, she honestly doesn’t mind. “That was probably not our wisest decision.”

“No, it wasn't. Do you know what time it is?”

“No idea.”

She rests her cheek on his chest, and his heartbeat is a lovely rhythm against her skin. She enjoys the sensation while she drinks in the wonderful sight of all the treasure surrounding them. “I’m glad you brought me down here, darling. But maybe-”

“We should move elsewhere? Agreed.”

They get up, and Vex hurriedly slips into her clothes, warmth slowly starting to chase away the chill that has crept into her bones. She finds the candle from last night and relights it so Percy can see. Percival does not bother getting fully re-dressed, simply choosing to don his trousers and shirt with his coat buttoned up over the top, leaving his waistcoat hanging over one arm. She takes his hand and leads him away from the vault. As they walk through the deserted hallways, more light gradually appears. When they arrive upstairs, they get their first glimpse of the beautiful, soft dawn spiling into the castle through the high windows.

“I’m going back to bed,” Percy grumbles.

“You do that.” She smiles at him. “I’m going to take a walk.”

He rolls his eyes but then gives her a quick peck on the cheek. “Will I see you later?”

“At breakfast.”

Percy brushes his hand through her hair, which she has yet to rebraid. (He’d been particular about it being loose last night. ) He is pensive for a moment, and she thinks he might say something, but then he must decide against it because he gives her one last kiss and then goes on his way.

Vex, on the other hand, goes out the door and heads to the Parchwood.

She knows that something is simmering inside of her, that there is a wound she’s ignoring, but she does not want to think about Scanlan right now.

She is determined to enjoy a morning with only the vibrant world of the forest and the dawn to keep her company.

-

#katie writes things #cr1 #cr fanfic #perc'ahlia #sooooooo this was originally written for perc'ahlia week but for many reasons i didn't post it #and i've been debating if i should post them at allllll #and i'm still unsure it's the right thing to do- but maybe I'll just post my favorites

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critter-rarepair-reccs · 2 months

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Hello all! I hope you're having a lovely day. Today I bring you our very first recc list, featuring eighteen fluffy fics! Some are pure schmoop, some come with a side of angst, and a few with a touch of smut as well. You can find them below the cut and I highly encourage you to check them out, and leave kudoes and comments to spread the rarepair love 🩷

To Keep It All In by rabbitxheart (2071 words, Teen) Pairing: Fjord/Caleb Widogast (Widofjord) Warnings: Drug mentions

Fjord touches a weird mushroom thing that makes him high and sick and has to be babysat until the clerics can heal him the next day. While Caleb is sitting with him he tries to make a confession.

Reccer Says: It's really cute and Fjord has sweet moments with Beau and Nott too. Just great sickfic fluff

lips pressed to the palm of your hand by vietbluecoeur (2410 words, General) Pairing: Yussa Errenis/Marion Lavorre (Rubygold) Warnings: None

Yussa does Marion's makeup for her before a performance. She returns the favor. They kiss about it.

Reccer Says: It's just SO beautiful. Every word feels gilded or done up in the cosmetics that cover Marion's vanity. The whole thing is poetry, not least of all the relationship between Yussa and Marion. They're so sweet and you can feel the affection they have for each other in every sentence. The way they banter and tease each other is adorable and Viet's voice for Yussa is also just so fun (let that old man say fuck! XD) Also, the way the title ties into the fic is just so sweet.

a place for us to dream by glossolali (1105 words, General) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk) Warnings: None

Essek, Molly, and Caleb share a cozy and domestic summer afternoon.

Reccer Says: I am a sucker for cozy cuddly domestic fluff and for Shadowidomauk and this combines the two in the sweetest package. They're snuggly and in love and it's absolutely wonderful.

cheap wine and new beginnings by bunnymauk (2618 words, Teen) Pairings: Past Lestera/Mollymauk Tealeaf, Hinted Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss (Shadowmauk) Warnings: Referenced drug use, referenced car accident

Essek and Molly leave the club early and hang out at Molly's place together, there's cuddling <3

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

fledgling pledges by hanap (3100 words, Teen) Pairing: Astrid Beck/Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Blumenshadow) Warnings: None

Caleb, Astrid, and Eadwulf go on a date with Essek, and each try to woo him.

Reccer Says: Its adorable

she said "take care", but i take more than i bring by MouseInTheCastle (3385 words, General) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss Warnings: None

Molly and Caleb are together, and Caleb and Essek are together, but Essek and Molly aren't - Essek gets sick and Molly takes care of him

Reccers Says: Warm and fluffy and cozy, very very sweet <3

December's Language is Imprecise Grief by Marvelouska (2688 words, Teen) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk) Warnings: None

Molly, Caleb, and Essek staying in the dorms over christmas break, and Molly and Caleb try to make it a great holiday for Essek.

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

someone as lost as you by floralprintshark (6500 words, Teen) Pairing: Beauregard Lionett/Jester Lavorre (Beaujes) Warnings: None

Jester asks Beau about her first kiss. The conversation leads to a question Beau didn't expect.

Reccer Says: It's very sweet and has a lot of mutual pining and disaster lesbian Beau

Thread by Crewe (2256 words, General) Pairing: Fjord/Caleb Widogast (Widofjord) Warnings: None

Fjord and Caleb develop a routine at night, Caleb reading his books and Fjord mending his and his friends' clothes.

Reccer Says: It's quiet and domestic Widofjord from the very beginning of campaign 2.

Maybe by Tulikettu (3389 words, Explicit) Pairing: Shaun Gilmore/Vax'ildan (Vaxmore) Warnings: None

Vax thinks a good cuddle will really set him right. And Shaun must give the best hugs. (Fluffy smut ensues)

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

Vivere, Ridere, Amare by noconceptoflife (20189 words, Mature) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Anxiety

AU where Caleb meets the Brenattos soon after leaving the asylum and hides with them in plain sight. Pretend poly marriage turns real.

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

The Maps are Gone (So Are Our Footprints Too) by J (6514, Explicit) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast Warnings: Consensual voyeurism

Yeza knows Caleb and Veth have something special, and decides to show Caleb how best to take care of Veth on their travels.

Reccer Says: I enjoyed it!

Not Fancy Stuff by CriticalRolemance (3216 words, Teen) Pairing: Shaun Gilmore/Vax'ildan (Vaxmore) Warnings: None

Vax and Gilmore take a moment to forget about the looming existential threat of dragons and have a picnic dinner on the roof of Whitestone Castle.

Reccer Says: All the fics in this series are simple sweet fluff, but this one is probably my favorite. They're just a pair of romantic idiots and they deserve to get to be stupid in love together.

something sweet by roundtriptojupiter (4988 words, General) Pairing: Percy de Rolo/Grog Strongjaw Warnings: None

An oblivious, and very confused Percy, becomes subject to Grog's tribe-specific courting rituals when the goliath gets a crush on him. (He eventually gets the hint)

Reccer Says: It's a very niche ship written in a way that feels very authentic to the characters. It also completely got me onboard to the possibilities of said ship! As well as that, it's just a well written, very sweet fic. A great way to get acquainted with what is probably one of Vox Machina's rarest pairings.

The Scientist's Guide to Being Loved by tangereen (1237 words, Teen) Pairing: Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss (Esswulf) Warnings: None

Essek tries to figure out if Eadwulf is in love with him using logic.

Reccer Says: Essek is a goofy little guy trying to use science to explain emotions. I think it's cute.

bifurcation of heart and bone by 917651827 (2372 words, Explicit) Pairing: Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss (Esswulf) Warnings: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics

After his pregnancy, Essek can transform his body and fuck his partner the way he prefers.

Reccer Says: This esswulf focused entry in an Astrid/Eadwulf/Essek/Caleb series is so sweet! After he gives birth, Essek is able to get his dick back and fuck Eadwulf. They're both so loving and gentle with each other. It makes my heart burst!

Through the Years by piratesPencil (5649 words, Mature) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Warnings: None

Scenes of how Caleb and Essek and the Brenattos' relationship grows over several years and they eventually form a polycule.

Reccer Says: I love each one on one scene between Essek and the others. Also great demi Essek feels 💕

And we have two reccs for; Today I Love You Even More by wtgw (5687 words, Teen) Pairing: Yeza Brenatto/Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast Warnings: None

Yeza encourages Veth to pursue her crush and is surprised when he ends up developing one of his own. Takes place in Xhorhas between the time Yeza is rescued and the time they’re able to relocate him; a very sweet fic about Yeza slowly falling for and awkwardly romancing the Wizard boyfriend his wife picked up on the road.

Reccer 1 Says: I loooooove Yeza's characterization his dynamic with not just Veth and Caleb but the rest of the nein is great Reccer 2 Says: I always love any story fleshing out Yeza and his personality+motivations, and this one does it so well! His patience and kindness in letting Nott persue Caleb, and then his own developing feelings, are just so endearing and fun to read about.

Thank you for joining us for our very first recc list! We'll be doing these every Wednesday for the foreseeable future 🩷 All enclosed recommendations were submitted by the community via our submissions form, which you can find here. All fic information is as it was provided by the reccer, so it may not be accurate to the author's intent or the precise contents of the fic itself. Please assume good intent from all parties 🩷

Submissions for next week's list are already open! We'll be featuring Modern AUs. If you have any you'd like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Whump, and you can also submit fics for that now!

If you want more rarepair fic, check out @cr-summer-wildflowers and their event collections on ao3! If you want some friendship after all this romance, take a look at @critter-genfic-events and their recc lists! And if you're interested in everyone's favorite wizards, you can't go wrong with the lists at @aeor-is-for-reccing !

Thanks all and have a lovely day/night/timezone! 🩷

#critter rarepair recc lists #yeza x veth x caleb #esswulf #shadowmauk #beaujes #vaxmore #shadowidomauk #blumenshadow #widofjord #rubygold #percy x grog #yeza x veth x essek x caleb #critical role #cr fanfic

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augentrust · 13 days

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A Wisdom Without Face or Name

[find it on ao3 here]

Words: 17k | Rating: T

Jester Lavorre spends a lifetime learning how to let go.

Featuring:

⚓️ The quiet grief of a life long-lived ⚓️ Catmint and sour grapes and saltwater springs ⚓️ A lifetime of paintings

Header Image: Page 109 of "Nature and Art: poems and pictures from the best authors and artists" (1890) courtesy of the British Library's online collection here

#oh hey! more fic #critical role #jester lavorre #mighty nein #cr fanfic #for my fellow wizards enthusiasts there is more coming for those two #but they tend to be longer pieces #so here's this in the meantime!#august writes

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vagabondfirelily · 5 months

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A cat rubs against his legs, its fur grey, ears short and rounded, and one eye missing. Verin heard Essek call her Kestal. She meows at him once and he bends down to scratch her behind the ears before she turns away and makes herself comfortable on one of the armchairs in the sitting room. With a small smile etched on his lips, he goes back to looking out the window. From here, he can just about spot Essek in the garden outside.

The sun has already begun to set, but the air is still warm with the peaceful embrace of summer. Essek kneels in the dirt, a large sun hat on his head, rose-printed gloves on his hands, and a wicker basket by his side as he plucks fresh vegetables from the ground for dinner. (Caleb mentioned a vegetable stew, to which Essek immediately lit up and told Verin he had to try it.)

Verin watches his brother work in a shirt one size too big, the sleeves rolled up. It looks like it could belong to Caleb, but Verin knows better. He can see Essek’s taste in the dark colors and the softness of the material, in the way it comfortably swallows his frame. Low sunlight glints off his silver ear cuffs. He’s barefoot. He has been all day.

The sound of light footsteps reaches his ears from behind and he turns just in time to see Caleb enter the room with a steaming cup of tea held between his hands. Two cats trail behind him, tails and heads raised expectantly. Amusement bubbles in Verin’s chest, he’s still getting used to sights like this. Caleb approaches him slowly.

“One of Caduceus’s newer blends. I believe it will be to your liking.”

He sets the tea carefully on the table in the middle of the sitting area and Verin sends him a smile.

“Thank you.”

He can feel Caleb shuffle behind him as he turns to look back at Essek. He’s been doing that a lot today.

“She used to walk barefoot. Our mother. Back when we were still in the creche. She was always easier on me than she was on Essek. I do not know why I remember that.”

His words are somewhat halting, startling even to himself. He cannot tell what brought this on. It’s just that he saw Essek this morning – comfortable clothes, a small hesitant smile and bare feet on the ground – and a weight has settled over his chest.

If Caleb’s surprised, he makes no sign of it.

“Does he tell you about her?”

“Not much.”

There’s a soft clatter and Verin hears Caleb reprimand gently one of the cats in Zemnian.

“I did not think he would. They never got along well with each other. I think he’s always been afraid of how similar he is to her. He has her eyes, though.”

He turns his head to Caleb and flashes him a fanged smile. Caleb smiles back, mirth kindling in his eyes.

“I would assume then that you have your father’s.”

“And you would be correct.”

Verin laughs brightly for a second before his eyes stray back to his brother outside the window, smile slowly fading away.

“I think she’s always haunted him in a way. I think they both have.”