#ending with a surprise caleb POV!
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efflorescence {12 (fin) ❀ venturing}
Miles beneath Eiselcross, amid ice and darkness and ruin, something blooms. A mildly interconnected ficlet collection.
Rating: G
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Words: 2802
Summary: Caleb thinks to the future.
He doesn’t necessarily expect Essek to take him up on the offer. Essek holds things close to the chest, and Caleb cannot fault him for that. The reflections across the walls are not his only mirrors here. But after the empathetic ear and quiet understanding Essek has provided him, it is only fair he offers the same.
Read on AO3
#critical role#critical role fanfic#caleb widogast#essek thelyss#shadowgast#fic: efflorescence#mieletthe writes#and with that it is done#ending with a surprise caleb POV!#the last two chapters were really smushing together three separate things while lifting the parts I'd already taken for a future thing#hence they're longer than the rest#it was torturous to try to edit around so ahh idk I hope it works
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thinking about the possibility of belos ending up in the inbetween realm after being stomped and finally getting what he deserves...
[ ID: A digitally illustrated comic mainly featuring Philip Wittebane from The Owl House. The first panel on the first page is a birds eye view of the inbetween realm, with cubes floating everywhere and a slight disturbance in the water below. The second panel is a close up of that disturbance, which looks to be a whirlpool of some sorts. The third panel follows that, and Philip’s hand is shown forming on the water, with a ““splat” beside it. The fourth panel is a behind view of Philip kneeled over, head to the ground and face obscured. He is in his human form, like how he is seen in Elsewhere and Elsewhen, and is breathing heavily. The fifth panel is still of Philip kneeling, except he has popped up his head and is looking around. He asks, “What is this” but is then promptly cut off by the next panel, which shows a grimwalker hand rising out from the water with a splash. He looks at this with a confused look.
The first panel on the second page is a close up of Philip’s face, a concerned and fearful expression on his face. He blurts out the word “No”. The second panel is spliced into three pieces, and each shows more dead grimwalkers rising from the water. The first shows another hand, the second a fully formed grimwalker with a broken mask crawling towards and reaching out to Philip, and the third yet another hand. The third panel is of Philip trying to back away by crawling while more grimwalker hands shoot up around him. He shouts at them, “G-Get Away!” The fourth panel is a view of Philip crawling back from behind, and a head of a grimwalker can be seen behind him. He yells again, saying, “I said-” but is cut off by the fifth panel where the grimwalker behind him suddenly grabs his arm. The sixth panel is of him looking over his shoulder, surprised. The seventh panel is an above shot of Philip sitting on the water, grinwalkers surrounding him and grabbing each of his limbs. The water swirls below him in a whirlpool motion. He shouts, “Get off me!! Go!!” The eighth panel is a closeup shot of an arm grabbing his shoe and pulling him down, the ninth panel showing the fear in his eyes.
The first panel on the third page is a wide shot of Philip being dragged down under the water, his arm straight up desperately trying to grab something. The water cascades around him, pushing him down even more. The second panel is a closeup of Caleb’s eyes, which are glaring with anger. The third panel is a below view of Philip being dragged down, with Caleb’s hand still tightly grasped around his foot. The fourth panel is a closeup of Philip’s eyes, which are staring in fear. The fifth panel is from Philip’s POV, where Caleb is seen still pulling him down by his ankle, glaring at him. Other grimwalkers are beside him, hands reaching up towards Philip to also help drag him down.
The first panel on the fourth and last page is of Philip being dragged down, a fearful and almost angry expression on his face. He screams, “Caleb! Let-” but does not finish his sentence. The second panel is of Caleb still glaring at him, not saying a word. The third panel is Philip looking at his brother with an unreadable expression on his face, as though he just realized something. The fourth panel is an above shot of Philip finally being dragged down into the depths Dr. Falcilier style, arm out stretched and he sinks. Broken masks of grimwalkers can be seen below him, pulling him down too. The last panel shows the surface of the water in the inbetweens realm, the surface still and finally tranquil. The word “Fin” is written at the bottom of the page. End ID. ]
#the owl house#toh#toh belos#belos toh#toh philip#philip toh#philip wittebane#wittebros#toh caleb#caleb toh#toh grimwalker#grimwalker toh#AA!! watching and dreaming was SO GOOD but i am a little dissapointed with the ending of philips and calebs story#like i get they ran out of time but i wish they did one last thing with caleb 😭 they built it up so much and then it just kinda went out>#> with a fizzle sobs. same with belos’ death like i love that he died pathetically but i wish he realized what he had actually done before>#>he died u know??#like he died thinking he was right and we never got to see that facade of lies crumble and aughhh. aghh!#anyways drew this because if it is true that ppl who die in the bl end up in the inbetween realm they could hypothetically meet there#and that fact has me brainrotting SO HARD#owl house#my art#fanart#this is now canon <3 /j
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Established Relationship Recs!
This week, we have ten recs for fics that feature Caleb and Essek in an established relationship! Check them out under the cut, and as always - comment or kudos if you like them!
I shine only with the light you gave me by SkyScribbles (4533, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: None
There are certain things that an Umavi's son should not do, if he wishes to avoid his mother's rage and the disgust of his Den. Dancing with a human is most certainly among them.
Reccer says: The tension between the Umavi and Essek is incredibly well written, and I really liked seeing the machinations involved. Verin's spin on it all, as well as the wizard's conversation during the dance itself, made me laugh.
put your sweet lips on my lips by LadyOrpheus (15750, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: Heat but not A/B/O
Essek has finally found someone he wants to share a heat with. Now if only his heat would get the memo
Reccer says: A+ smut, lovely characterization, and a rare non-omegaverse heat fic
where's the point in hurrying (when waiting feels so great) by mllekurtz (TheKnittingJedi) (4438, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
"You weren’t paying attention." That was Essek’s justification, delivered in a perfectly even and reasonable tone, when he entered Caleb’s study for the second time that evening, wearing nothing but jewellery.
Reccer says: A wonderful exchange of control between two wizards who love each other
memory in double exposure by hanap (11479, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Caleb and Essek had a falling out. Essek visits Jester several times before things get sorted.
Reccer says: Not only is the shadowgast heartbreakingly earnest, but Jester and Essek’s friendship is beautifully portrayed. The progression feels so natural, and the ending is so satisfactory after the build.
small works of cosmic scale by mousecookie (2547, General)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Essek is living incognito in Nicodranas and Caleb visits him after receiving an urgent message
Reccer says: It's cute and touching
Mitosis by queenbeetle (4325, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
caleb learns a new spell and essek is eager to push his limits.
Reccer says: SUPER hot!
Iridescent Hearts by onyxshinigami (4822, Mature)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Domestic Fic from Caleb's point of view. Essek is obviously up to something and Caleb is delighted with a little mystery. They have a home! They have 3 cats!
Reccer says: It's a light, fun read. A cute little mystery/surprise for both Caleb and the reader.
the firebird & the star by quinn_of_aebradore (293, General)
Reccer's Content Notes: None
In the Empire, they tell a story. The Dynasty tells one as well, similar in nature. Reality is quite different.
Reccer says: I liked it!
dress me up, make it tight, i’m your doll by atlasarcana (15516, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Caleb has been creating a wardrobe of body jewelry for Essek. Essek volunteers to model as a mannequin
Reccer says: Interesting kink and Very hot
in guidance and tethered essence by Allinna (2868, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Essek tries to bake apple tarts.
Reccer says: It's super domestic and cute, plus the way the whole cooking process is (essek pov) unnecessarily academic is really fun!
Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we’ll be back with Clothing!
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Hey everyone! Hope y'all had fun for CR's 9th anniversary yesterday 💕 Today we have five fics with divergent canons! Some diverged before campaign events and some in how the post-campaign played out. As always, you can find them below the cut and if you check any of them out, I encourage you to leave kudoes and comments to spread the rarepair love 💕
I dream of you amid the flowers by glittergarbage (66,967 words, Explicit)
Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk)
Warnings: Mentions of drug use by minors typical of Volstrucker experimentation
Molly comes back after Cognouza instead of Kingsley. Old feelings stir, new feelings are born, and polyam fluff between Caleb, Essek, and Molly ensues.
Reccer Says: A classic SWM fic, to me. It's all so sweet and lovely and I adore the way Essek and Molly's relationship develops. Essek apologizing to Caleb for developing feelings for Molly so fast compared to how long his feelings for Caleb took to develop is just. Imprinted on my brain. And there's so many good moments like that! Also the side of Trent intrigue that comes into play a bit later in the fic is a very fun addition, imo :3
your touch's so sweet (throw me in the water) by quinn_of_aebradore (1,872 words, Teen)
Pairing: Fjord/Caleb Widogast (Widofjord)
Warnings: None
Champion of Uk'otoa Fjord and Scourger Bren meet to hook up every so often. Fjord knows it's nothing real, nothing that could go anywhere, but when Bren teleports to his ship in the middle of the night he catches himself tempted to pretend anyway.
Reccer Says: A surprising amount of yearning for an evil-AU oneshot, and it's delicious. Fjord knows Bren is a Volstrucker and he still can't resist Bren's obvious moves to manipulate information out of him. Also, it's hot. That should probably go without saying but just in case.
the stranger who was your self by Demenior (60,045 words, Mature)
Pairing: Fjord/Eadwulf Grieve/Jester Lavorre
Warnings: None
Running away from the fallout of the end of the Volstrucker program (and maybe something Else), Eadwulf joins Fjord's crew, swearing fealty by rather dramatically kneeling before him on the dock and making Fjord very alarmed! He becomes the captain's bodyguard (and by extension, Jester's) and explorations of loyalty and power and, eventually sexy and fraught power dynamics ensue.
Reccer Says: Mostly alternates POV between Fjord and Eadwulf, but also some (very good!) Jester POV. Slow-burn between Eadwulf (aka the Captain's Hound) and the happy couple, plus Fjorester PDA that they think they're being subtle about (they are not). Also featuring Orly not being paid enough for this, despite being paid quite well. Came for the Eadwulf/Fjord power dynamics, stayed for the character studies and also for the crew (and for the power dynamics lbr). Now a series, there's also a threesome one-shot and Orly POV fic, with another installment apparently on the way!
Three Wizards by yesthisisnarumi (1,329 words, Mature)
Pairing: Yussa Errenis/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidoyussa)
Warnings: None
Caleb has a thing for elven wizards. Elven wizards have a thing for him. Bickering, kissing, and more ensue.
Reccer Says: There is Never enough of these three in the world and this is such a fun take on them. Caleb constantly observing the contrasts between Essek and Yussa is delicious, the jealousy (that only makes them wanna make out more) is delicious, it's all just *chef's kiss* so fuckin good.
ebb and flow, love's sweet metronome by wytch-lyghts (12,972 words, Explicit)
Pairing: Fjord/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidofjord)
Warnings: Recreational drug use, sex while intoxicated
On-the-run, evil AU Shadowgast pays a visit to their ally and sometimes-lover, Plank King Fjord. Unsurprisingly, they fuck about it.
Reccer Says: It's so hot. Like, insanely hot. Most of the action is between Widofjord and Shadowgast, but there's still moments of Shadowfjord and they're Very Good too. These three make Such a fun triad, especially in an evil AU. The dynamics, the push-and-pull, yes, the sex, all of it is so good. My Ao3 history says I've revisited it like ten times and I nearly got sucked into it for another read while writing this recc lmao
Thank you for joining us this week’s recc list! All the love to everyone who submitted a fic 💕 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 Keyleth Rarepairs. If you have any you’d like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Polyamorous Ships and the weeks after that we’re taking recommendations for Enemies to Lovers and Miscommunication fic! Submissions for all of these themes are currently open.
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#shadowidomauk#widofjord#fjord x eadwulf x jester#shadowidoyussa#shadowidofjord#critical role#cr fanfic
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This week, we have fourteen fics that feature the Bells Hells, The Mighty Nein, and Vox Machina's animal companions! From Nugget to Trinket to Little Mister, there'a a bunch of adorable (and some bittersweet) fics here under the cut. And as ever, if you liked them, remember to comment or kudos!
ask some questions (and get none answers) by LeanMeanSaltineMachine (873, Teen)
Warnings: None
Pairings: Vax'ildan & Vex'ahlia
The first time Vax met Trinket
Reccer says: This gets the twins's younger selves down perfectly
The Life and Times of the Creature Known as Frumpkin, Cat by mnemememory (10580, General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: Frumpkin & Caleb Widogast, Frumpkin & The Mighty Nein
Frumpkin's thoughts as they pertain to the Mighty Nein. Mostly Caleb.
Reccer says: I love the writing style! It's really good at pulling you into the thoughts of everyone's favorite fae cat. I also love how much re-visitability it has, I come back to this story at least once a month.
The One The Owls Call Home by Angel Ascending (angel_in_ink) (2919,General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: None
Professor Thaddeus finds his way to a new home
Reccer says: It's incredibly sweet, with some fun original characters
equal debt by mnemememory (2260, General)
Warnings: Canon character deaths
Pairings: Vax'ildan & Vex'ahlia, Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia
The Lady speaks to birds. An outsider POV, a hundred years later
Reccer says: I liked it
fey creatures by essektheylyss (divinationwizard) (1908,General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: None
Problems to be solved and strange adoptees of the Mighty Nein have a way of ending up at the Lavish Chateau. Essek is among them, now.
Reccer says: Essek and Nugget bonding is absolutely adorable
Smoke Sting, Strangled Pulse by thetickingclock (783, Teen)
Warnings: Major character death
Pairings: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Frumpkin is summoned twice, when he's needed most.
Reccer says: Sweet and Sad and very evocative
Nugget's Surprising Friends by MissIzzy (1011, Teen)
Warnings: None
Pairings: Nugget & the tiger cubs, Yeza Brenatto/Nott | Veth Brenatto
After the events of a familiar problem, Nugget ends up taking care of the tiger cubs.
Reccer says: I liked it
a healer’s gift by toneofjoy (7280, General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: background Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
When one of Caleb’s cats falls suddenly ill, he seeks help from a druid healer
Reccer says: A great outsider point of view, with absolutely wonderful voices
Traveling Elf AMBUSHED by WILD BEASTS by Professor_Rye (2709, General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Essek is traveling along a remote road by himself in the Dwendalian countryside when it happens. He hears a noise off to one side, in the tall grass that lines the road. You won't believe what happens next!
Reccer says: It's absolutely adorable, and pure fluff
Are we still under the same stars? by Moondrako (2919, General)
Warnings: none
Pairings: Fearne Calloway & Orym
Fearne tells Mister how she first met Orym
Reccer says: Fearne and Orym's relationship is so sweet, and I think there should be more fanfic that has Little Mister in it.
Night Moves by sabinelagrande (458, General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: Trinket & Vax'ildan, Vex'ahlia/Undisclosed
Trinket gets sexiled, and goes to Vax
Reccer says: It's hilarious and extremely sweet
Bear With Me by Solemini (SoleminiSanction) (2073, General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: None
Cassandra and Vex get a moment to breathe, and Trinket makes for an excellent therapy bear.
Reccer says: It's a very lovely moment between Cassandra and Vex, with Trinket helping. Also, with art!
Companionship by percahlia (1900, Teen)
Warnings: None
Pairings: Trinket & Cassandra de Rolo
Cassandra finds herself intrigued by a certain furry resident of Whitestone Castle.
Reccer says: It's wonderful characterzation all around - of Cassandra, trying to find her way to normalcy, of Percy, and of course, of Trinket
A Bear Frets by todisturbtheuniverse (1017, General)
Warnings: None
Pairings: Trinket & Zahra Hydris, Trinket & Vex'ahlia (Critical Role)
Trinket and Zahra have a heart to heart during the Chroma Conclave Arc
Reccer says: I liked it
If you liked this rec list, follow along for more! We'll be posting a new list with a new theme each Monday. Want to make your own recs? Check out the rules, and then use the form to submit!
Next week, we'll be reccing fic featuring that is either epistolary or diegetic! Letters, lesson plans, found footage, old notes - if it exists within the context of Exandria (and the characters could conceivably read the contents of the fic), then it counts!
If you're looking for some more, there's some good stuff in the critter genfic bingo tag! We added a new one this week! Or you can request your own card and join in on the fun!
#critical role#trinket the bear#nugget critical role#little mister calloway#frumpkin#Professor Thaddeus#yeza brenatto#vex'ahlia#vax'ildan#percy de rolo#cassandra de rolo#essek thelyss#Caleb Widogast#Fearne Calloway#orym of the air ashari#critter genfic rec lists#zahra hydris
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Self Rec Tag Game
tagged by @spottedenchants thank you!!!
Rules: Share five of your own fanworks (fic, art, etc.). Then, tag five more people to share the things they've made.
1.something you absolutely adore
On the Nature of Attraction
T, Essek/Caleb, 7.5k
What more can I say about this fic that I haven't already? It's a very vulnerable fic that came from a very vulnerable place. It means a lot to me, and I love that it seems to mean a lot to other people. Sometimes art is sending out a call and receiving the answer: you're not alone.
That, and I truly do just like it. I like the story, I like the pacing, I like how I wrote Essek's inner monologue. Unironically, it's a banger.
2. something that was challenging to create
All Things End, All Things Change
T, Essek/Caleb, 2.8k
Fun fact: this is an entirely different fic from what I had intended it to be at the outset. I had been planning an Essek POV romp through Aeor where the main tension was pining that would culminate in hand-holding that's not explicitly romantic but they both kinda know what's going on. Instead I got Caleb POV emotionally devastating choice in Aeor where the main tension is pining for power that you know isn't worth the risk and for a past you can never return to. Does result in hand-holding though, so good for them :)
One thing I learned in this fic (and re-learning in the current fic I'm working on) is that Caleb's darker moods are more difficult for me to write than, say, Essek's. And once I get that internal feeling down, it's hard to figure out how much of that should be revealed through dialogue, what exactly should be revealed, and how should it be revealed. It requires some real intentional thought, a lot of brain power and brain space, makes my dopamine-starved adhd brain go noooooo lol
That said, I am particularly proud of how I explored why Caleb chose Essek and Essek alone to accompany him to the T-Dock. I think I hit on some tasty stuff there.
3. something that makes you laugh (or smile, if that fits more comfortably)
oh, by the way (also on tumblr with a small coda here)
G, Beau & Caleb, 932
This fic gives me a chuckle every time. It's got all the hits: empire siblings, Caleb playing a silly little prank, Beau's over-the-top reaction to said prank, the "Yasha doesn't get how Sending works" gag.
Beau is a fun POV to write. I don't swear much in my day-to-day life and I am not prone to irritation or anger much at all, but those are pretty key to Beau's voice, especially in this little scenario I've crafted for her, so it was fun to play around in her headspace during this low-stakes, overdramatic moment she finds herself in.
4. something that surprised you (in how it turned out, how much other people liked it, etc.)
The Shadowhand Becomes A Baker
G, Essek/Caleb, 2.1k
My first critrole fic! This one surprised me in a couple of ways. Before this fic, I had thought that a beauyasha wedding one-shot I planned shortly after the c2 finale would be the first critrole fic I published, then I thought that I would re-spec a ramble about the relationship between Essek and the Bright Queen and publish that as my first critrole fic, then Ephred the Shadow Baker showed up and my twitter moots convinced me it was Essek in disguise (still holding on to that belief btw) and then I wrote this fic in 2-3 days before anyone else had the same idea.
And I was so pleasantly surprised by how kind and eager shadowgast fic readers were! I had seen it ofc, but it's different to be on the receiving end. Before writing critrole fic, I had written some Fire Emblem fics that existed in corners that were far less active than shadowgast in general, much less shadowgast in 2021, so I had not been expecting such an enthusiastic response.
It also surprised me that several people complimented my descriptions of the baked goods because at least two of them involved citrus in pastries, which is something I actually hate. I just pretended that someone might like them for the exact reason I hate them and really leaned in to everything I hate about cinnamon rolls that have orange in them. Turns out when you do that, you get some really vivid descriptions. So... writing tip, I guess?
5. something you want other people to see
How to Rest Chapter 1
G, Essek/Caleb, 3.2K
Shadowgast first date! This chapter makes me so soft! Back in my rom-com era! They have a picnic! They stargaze! Caleb flirts! Essek bluescreens!
It is one of the joys of my life to make the wizards be awkwardly in love with each other (or, in this case, not quite in love yet, but on their way there), and this date is chock full of it.
The hello and goodbye are two of my favorite moments. I really enjoy the imagery and how I conveyed the very blush-y, awkward first-date dynamic.
I also love their conversation and Essek's subsequent introspection while they're stargazing. It's sweet and tender and layered, and I got to make a subtle nod to one of my favorite Fire Emblem games and the role that made me fall in love with Matt Mercer in the first place because sometimes two of your favorite ships are about people finding each other against all odds and who knows why their lives are intertwines, but man, are we glad they are.
tagging: @awesomefrogofawesome, @astrasia, @esseekthelyss, @quinn-of-aebradore, @cogsandsprings
#shoutouts to the shadowgast fandom for being absolutely feral#yall keep me writing love youuu#that and wizard brainrot. it's powerful stuff#critical role#shadowgast#essek thelyss#caleb widogast#beauregard lionett#empire siblings#eve’s writing
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My Tallster fanfic (Caleb Brewster/Benjamin Tallmadge) "You've Caught Me Between Wind and Water" is finally complete! Catch up on the final chapter here.
One of my favourite things about having come to the end of writing it is being able to track, in a more holistic way, the growth I wrote in Caleb's character arc. It really surprised me, in a story that is primarily told from Ben's POV, how much Caleb's growth is what drives the emotional development. <3
#turn amc#You've Caught Me Between Wind and Water#my edits#caleb brewster#tallster#turn: washington's spies
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Your recent posts reminded me of my love for Hero so I wanted to ask: what would you have been most excited to see in a Hero sequel?
Okay so here’s my ideas for a Vol. 2 down below.
My concept starts with that we actually don’t see the MC until the very end of the first chapter.
We start off in our world, from the POV of the MC’s friends in the immediate aftermath of the battle at the end of Vol. 1. They panic when they realise what’s happened, and they frantically try to find a way to reopen the portal, but are horrified when they realise that there’s no way they can bring them back.
Then we skip forward to 9 months later. Dax, Eva and Kenji are still working on a way to bring the MC back, trying to build another Prism Gate, to little success. Caleb is telling them it’s no use. Poppy visits Rochelle. Grayson is trying to put together what pieces of his family’s company that he can. We pretty much see everyone going about their day in the wake of the loss of the MC.
Then that night, they all gather as they try out yet another version of the Gate, hoping this time it’ll be successful. Some of Caleb of course thinks it won’t work like all the last times, and Poppy is silent and sad because she agrees. The MC’s LI is the most determined.
They turn the Gate on and it actually works. DAX gets a spiked reading and exclaims that something is being pulled from the Gate. The light from the Gate starts getting blinding, sparks are going everywhere, and when the dust settles, the MC is standing there in what looks like a modified/repurposed version of their suit from the first book. They look surprised for a moment at seeing their friends, and then they immediately starts commanding them to “Shut it down! Turn it off!”
Dax and the others try to, but it’s like the Gate itself won’t let them. The MC immediately then tries to destroy the Gate, and shocks their friends by using a power they’ve never shown before: heat vision. The eye beams are blocked by some kind of energy shield surrounding the portal and device. Everything builds to a crescendo until it seems the Prism Gate turns off by itself and the energy shield dissipates, allowing the MC’s heat vision to turn the device into a smouldering wreck.
Everyone’s like “the hell was that” and MC just cryptically tells them “They know where we are now” and just looks at the rest of the team and says “You never should have tried to bring me back.” And then the chapter ends.
Then in chapter 2, we see the aftermath of the end of book 1 from the MC’s POV. They wander around for days in the Prism Dimension trying to find anything. Eventually, they come across another person who takes them back to a small hideout.
Then we cut forward to MC’s perspective of their return.
The rest of this is just a basic wash of an idea. I think it’d be cool to occasionally have scenes back in the past of MC’s time in the Prism Dimension. Maybe the main fight of this book is against the Prism Dimension taking over our world. Maybe Silas managed to survive and take control in that dimension and has been gaining power ever since and looking for a way back home. MC in the meantime has been trying to keep him trapped in there to make sure he can’t get back, and has also been growing in power.
Who knows? I only ever really put thought into what would be a cool first couple of chapters not the whole story lmao
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💻👀🌈🌾😊 (yes i'm being annoying by asking so many)
Annoying ... by asking me many questions about my writing ... pfff, sure 🤣 (thank youuu!)
💻 The first fanfiction you posted?
Oh God, you made me rummage around in my old fanfiktion.de account, how dare you!! Uhm ... so apparently the first fanfic I posted there was a one shot for "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" ... I had absolutely no memory of that!
👀 What’s an idea you had for a fic that you never did anything with?
The Regency AU idea probably counts because I think I only wrote down like three lines if at all. It would have included too much research, tbh, so I don't expect it to ever take off.
It was my attempt to imagine an enemy to lovers Willex scenario that came out only one sided enemies to lovers. Basically, Willie drives reckless chariot races and nearly drives over Luke and Reggie (which is the only way Alex's spite could overcome his gayness) and then Willie tries to win Alex over who is desperately trying to stay mad at him. There might have been an evil Caleb side plot.
🌈 Your favorite tropes to write about?
Hm ... I generally write aus more than canon fic. I love soulmate aus (because the concept is actually fucked up) but for some reason, I still haven't written a willex soulmate au even though they're so soulmatey!
Idk, I don't usually approach my writing with specific tropes in mind, like "I want to write a XY fic". I'm still kind of surprised the Star Trek AU became my first (and so far only) "there's only one bed" fic.
🌾 A fic you really want to write but you haven’t (yet)?
I mean, there's several because I write at the pace of a snail pushing a rock uphill (most of the time) but since it's you, I'm going with this one idea @innytoes and I brainstormed for a different version of your biker au where Alex's car breaks down on his way to a family event, which he planned to attend with Willie as a fake boyfriend only Willie let him down at the last minute (Alex made the mistake of confessing his feelings and spooked Willie).
He meets biker Caleb, Caleb agrees to do the fake boyfriend, becomes his real boyfriend and then they discover Caleb used to date Willie. It all ends in OT3 :D
😊 The fic that you’re the most proud of?
The dumb answer to that is: All of them!! I am proud of all of them, flaws and all.
But ...you are going to make me choose so ...today I'm going with my most recent one: The Birthday Gift because I wrote that in three days and it's porn and my POV character is tied up so can't do all that much and I think it came out pretty good actually and I also got to start a new relationship tag on AO3 with Caleb/Alex/Willie (and I am shocked there's not more ... which I might change if I write the biker AU AU mentioned in the previous answer)
Ask Me Things
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second last chapter is here, with a surprise treat inside
Essek and Caleb discover what can be achieved together during a performance of a lifetime.
read from the beginning here
Fandom: Critical Role - The Mighty NeinRating: Explicit
Relationship: Essek Thelyss / Caleb Widogast
Additional Tags: background canon relationships, alternate universe - modern setting, musicians au, professional musicians, POV Essek Thelyss, POV Caleb Widogast, acquaintances to friends to lovers, friends to lovers, complicated relationships, previous friends with benefits (not shadowgast), Caleb typical backstory, first kiss, developing relationship, explicit sexual content, past relationship trauma, demisexual Essek Thelyss, bisexual Caleb Widogast, emotionally intense conversations, happy ending, discovering self
Chapters: 19/20
Words: 12,644 (163,502 total)
#shadowgast#essek thelyss#caleb widogast#critical role#critical role fanfic#the mighty nein#my writing#cr: fanfic#I can't believe I'm this close to the end
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The Fool and the Soldier: Chapter Commentary
Chapter 6: Tavern & Lust
On off weeks, I’ll be posting some commentary on the prior week’s chapter. Since this is a longfic, I expect that it will be helpful for keeping track of stuff, plus I might mention something you missed. Of course, this will include spoilers, so continue with that in mind.
These aren’t meant to be comprehensive! There is so much more going on that I’m not saying. Feel free to ask questions too, either in replies or asks. If it’s too spoilery, I’ll let you know. I’ll add them to the body at the bottom as I receive them.
See the directory for other meta posts.
Tavern & Lust
The literal meaning of the card is not quite the theme of this chapter. In the deck, Tavern refers to respect, a meeting, and negotiation. Lust refers to desire and indulgence. We saw each of those in non-sexual contexts, so sorry to any readers that were expecting some smut. It’s too early for that, and honestly, while I am considering whether to up the rating for potential scenes later in the story, I wouldn’t have chosen this chapter title for those developments anyway. No promises on whether that will actually happen—and even if it does, the category is going to stay “Gen.” Romance is not the primary focus of this fic.
Beach
I wanted this to be a fun contrast with the wind down on The Mist at the end. Shenanigans and relaxation without any lasting consequences.
I chose Fjord’s POV for this because, unlike the others, the sea is what he would consider a homecoming. Everyone else is seeing something new, and even Jester probably hadn’t been to a beach very often. The rest would have probably fixated on their own experiences without paying as much attention to anyone else. I think Molly would have enjoyed the beach and wandered around to different things, but his perspective on the actual environment wouldn’t have been as cohesive in the story. In the stream, Fjord had interacted with several of the Nein, so I got the impression his focus was on his companions—which is perfect for an introductory scene. Plus this is the prelude to his initial arc, and this was a good spot for some introspection.
The actual events didn’t deviate much from canon. The peacock messed with Nott hunting seagulls, and Molly was around for tomfoolery. I also added a bit about the tide pools and Fjord looking for interesting things to share.
However, when I first posted the WIP, I fucked up: I forgot Fjord didn’t have Summer’s Dance to teleport to ambush Caleb. I changed it to Blink for the final version. And that mistake was with notes reminding me about that, so I added even more annoying notes to myself so I don’t miss it later.
Luck
The original draft of this scene basically spilled onto the page as a stream of consciousness thing. I didn’t have an outline or plans to include anything specific. I just wanted a scene between the Tombtakers now that they were all in Zadash. This was initially going to be the same day they left, but as I planned out the order of the scenes for this chapter, I wanted to spread out the Tombtakers scenes, so I moved it earlier. I also moved Tyffial’s introductory scene earlier by 1 day and split them across 2 chapters.
The very first version didn’t have the intro discussing Zoran’s new mace or the dragonborn from the Claret Orders and skipped right to the Tombtakers in their room. Those two parts got added in another revision, also without any plan, and just fell onto the page as I went. The Orders member was going to be an aasimar, but I didn’t have plans for any dragonborn NPCs yet, so I switched it. As I drafted that part, I figured this would be a good way to remind the reader of the developments with the bounty and make sure the Tombtakers were all aware of it. Plus it includes an overt use of Otis’s Detect Thoughts spell in case the readers weren’t quite aware of the fact that they had used it on Beau in chapter 1.
I also wanted to introduce how Zoran’s weapon is surprisingly different. The mace in the stream was somewhat shaped like a grater, and as I thought it over, that wouldn’t be effective against armor as much as spikes would be. Thus, the reason was probably to do superficial wounds on himself to trigger a rite, not to consistently increase damage against opponents. Honestly, there’s other ways to do it, but shaving away a layer of your own skin is pretty damn intimidating.
Taliesin had his own reasons for choosing Molly’s name, but I realized there would probably be an in-universe meaning to it as well. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge about a captain that kills an albatross (related to mollymawks), thereby inflicting his voyage with all sorts of trials. Cockney (which is close to the accent Matt used in stream for Zoran) rhyming slang also has a meaning for Tealeaf that was too apt to pass up.
Altogether, that combined into a pretty dense scene that gave a lot of insight into the Tombtakers’ relationships to each other (particularly Otis), the Orders, and the Empire. They lived, worked, and traveled together for years after leaving the Orders, so their connections are far more established than the Nein and don’t require nearly as much dialogue to communicate. They’re intimately familiar with each other’s toolkits, strengths, and weaknesses.
Zoran and Otis have a lot of unspoken trust and watch each others’ back unprompted, relying on the other to help sort things out. They went through town together and then had drinks, all without chatting much. Otis used Detect Thoughts to check whether Zoran had anything to worry about from the dragonborn, and Zoran elicited information so Otis could use the spell effectively. Otis also pointed out that Zoran’s weapon could make him a target (Otis is int-based while Zoran is wis-based, hence investigation versus insight specialties). Neither did anything more than give the other a heads up, and they didn’t harp on any decisions made.
Zoran’s also the complainer, which I took from his griping outside the dome when the Tombtakers caught up to the Nein in episodes 120 and 121. Lucien told him to be patient and eat his jerky, which he did. So Zoran makes his disapproval known when he dislikes anything, but he’ll put up with whatever the others decide. So he shoots distrusting looks when Tyffial offers drinks and grumbles when they discuss the curse of undeath, but he still takes the alcohol offered and doesn’t argue with Cree.
Tyffial had very few lines in canon and mostly just followed Lucien’s lead in a fight, so there was little to go off of for personality other than how dismissive she was of the Nein. To round out my version of the Tombtakers, Tyffial takes action and will push back when she disagrees with something. This causes some tension with each of them, so Zoran gets agitated, Otis brushes it off, and Cree doubles down on being stubborn. However, she and Zoran still shared a laugh over Molly’s name when they both had sufficient understanding to catch it—Zoran is from the Menagerie Coast and Tyffial once traveled through there, so they’ve both heard of the story and the slang.
Tyffial and Otis didn’t interact as much. Otis didn’t have any substantive criticism of the way she did things other than it meaning another day in Zadash. Tyffial gets things done and says what she thinks, and Otis likes that. While she finds the halfling unsettling at times, she isn’t dismissive of their “creepy bullshit” either. She still recognizes it’s effective enough to be listed as a way of getting rid of Molly. So the two have their own brand of mutual respect even when they make no sense to the other.
We’ve seen Cree and Otis interact several times by now, so the halfling’s knack for getting on her nerves isn’t surprising. Otis still listens to her when she’s “the boss” even when they disagree and sass her about it.
None of the Tombtakers has a high opinion of the Claret Orders, which I took from canon. Cree had described the Orders as “a bit clouded” to the Nein in episode 14, and since she was the cleric of the Raven Queen, that’s probably the most generous any of them would have said. In episode 121, Lucien said, “Some of us just found like-minded interest in taking the things we learned and eventually sticking out on our own because we’ve all got an inherent dislike of authority.” So there was something common among them about not liking how the Orders was run, which I expect would manifest as varying levels of distrust. So they don’t heed the warning too strongly, but recognize that the bounty could pose a problem.
Similarly, the Tombtakers don’t have a high opinion of the Empire, also taking from the “inherent dislike of authority” that Lucien mentioned in canon. Otis’s initial thoughts were about fucking with the local political scene, but they didn’t know enough to make it work without causing problems for Cree. Tyffial has a connection at the Cobalt Soul, which Otis believes is just as corrupt as the other institutions. Both Zoran and Cree work for the Myriad, but other than keeping their respective bosses off their backs, they don’t have any real loyalty to the organization. Neither shows any hesitation for picking up and leaving beyond avoiding troublesome consequences. They’re there for the perks and nothing else.
In short, the Tombtakers like each other better than everything else they’ve encountered, even if they aren’t particularly affectionate or kind. No hugs and trying to comfort each other’s trauma; they’re comfortable with their own identities and compensate for each other’s shortcomings rather than try to fix something. Or poke at each other just for funsies, knowing that putting up with whatever they dislike is worth it anyway.
Nicodranas
Molly would have adored Nicodranas, but he’s also somewhat classist. In episode 6 of Talks Machina, Taliesin said:
[Molly] hasn’t decided if [Beau] comes from too much money to be a civilized human being. If he decides she comes from too much money, he’s going to be really irritated at her. … Molly’s a little classist too. He thinks people with too much money aren’t doing anything of value just holding onto it.
Because of that, I put a lot of thought into how Molly would react to the lifestyle at the Lavish Chateau. Like, he’d have been fully aware how spoiled rich Jester was before episode 26, but he never treated her as though she was a lesser person or that something was wrong with her for it. So I imagine there must have been some separation going on there. He’d have had some preconceptions about rich neighborhoods generally, as well as businesses in them, like the Chateau. But Jester is “one of the good ones” compared to all the rest. She’s an exception. His judgment on Marion is reserved until they actually meet.
However, before they even get to that point, Molly wouldn’t have had any reason to have met parents of someone he knew before. That would have been more groundbreaking than a few rich people not being terrible. So his initial thoughts on “oh, this place is full of people who are too rich to be good people” gets sidetracked by some heavy existentialism springing to mind. Of course, Molly nopes out and focuses on something he can enjoy because that’s just not his thing.
Parents
Fun fact: I had originally planned to have this scene from Nott’s POV and the docks from Beau’s POV. But I just couldn’t get anything down for either of them. I swapped them as an exercise to see if that’d work, and it did, so I stuck with those drafts. Beau’s POV works a lot better for this scene anyway. She’s got hangups on her parents that we haven’t yet explored, and Nott’s arc is still on the “I’m bad because I’m a goblin” phase, not the “I’m an okay person, but a terrible mom for not going home” phase.
So Beau figures out that the Gentleman is Jester’s dad first, and also realizes he’s a deadbeat first. Sad times. However, I didn’t want to dive too deeply into Beau’s issues because the resolution with her parents is a long way off. It would get old after a while if I frontloaded a lot of it, so it’s a soft introduction.
We also got to see how much Beau empathizes with Jester specifically, which matches up with the fact that Beau had a pretty strong crush on her at this point in the campaign. That said, while Beau recognizes what Jester’s probably going through, she’s not yet cognizant enough to know how to comfort anyone going through that. She’s socially awkward and hasn’t even come to terms with her own trauma.
Leaps
Molly’s gotta do something stupid in every town he visits, and I felt jumping across third story balconies was probably good. I did roll for that, he got a 19. (Every time there’s some flavor where it’d be funny if he failed, I roll for it.)
Molly was again thoroughly distracted from how rich Marion and Jester are by how distraught they were that the Gentleman blew Jester off. Even so, Molly doesn’t have a story about how to cope with shitty parents that let you down, else he would have had something to rely on for coping about Gustav. So he distracts her with cards, because as far as he’s concerned, Jester just needs time and she’ll get over it, like he did. Yep, there’s no lingering wounds nor complexes about losing faith in a role model at all. Totally fine.
Pfft.
Fjord also makes a realization that he was concerned about Molly and Jester spending time alone in her room. At this point in his arc, Fjord had not yet developed any deep romantic feelings for Jester. He’s got too much on his plate to recognize it until Molly does something suggestive.
And there’s some new cards! There’s no foreshadowing there. Don’t worry about it.
Dream: Games
The rhyme at the beginning of the dream is from the poem “Hymn (for Boys’ Voices)” by C.S. Lewis. He was born in Ireland and moved to England, and while he is often referred to as British, he considered himself Irish. He was a fan of W.B. Yeats (an Irish poet who was a nationalist and eventually became a fascist); raised Catholic, became a teenage athiest, then became an Anglican; badly wounded while he served in the British Army in World War I; rejected from service for World War II and evacuated children from London; and a prolific writer in both prose and poetry. His intersectional identity reflected heavily in his works, and he had an ego that I felt suited several of these dreams. His poetry’s going to pop up in a few others.
I almost included the next stanza, but decided to drop it since I didn’t want to modify this poem to make it match (lowercase god or plural gods), and it felt a little too early to start referencing deification in TF&TS:
Every man a God would be
Laughing through eternity
If as God's his eyes could see.
See what I mean about Lewis having an ego? He had a ton of poetry like that.
It’s hard to find reliable information about cultural traditions for what to do with baby teeth, but what I mostly found for Ireland was burying the baby teeth to avoid getting swapped with changelings. However, as I thought that over for Shadycreek Run, I felt a superstition relating to the river was more likely, and there were other traditions that throwing teeth in nearby rivers was good luck. So I split the IRL myth in two: the Nightback Clan buries teeth so that they grow strong (matching well with tabaxi that worship Melora), and Shadycreek Run denizens throw them in the river to avoid attracting changelings.
The rest of this dream went though numerous iterations. I brainstormed several games the kids could play that would reflect the skills and athleticism necessary to survive on the streets in Shadycreek Run next to the Savalirwood. There are a lot of dangers that require them to be quick, violent, and paranoid.
When I was growing up in unfavorable circumstances, there were a few teenagers and adults that took it upon themselves to teach younger kids how to fight. Most of the time, it was so they could sic the kids on someone in particular, so they only taught enough to cause someone very specific problems. Other times, they expected pay of some kind. Of course, kids then need to get money somehow, or booze, or certain valuable items that may or may not have been “found” in nearby residences and businesses. Alternatively, they did some small jobs like stand lookout, swipe something from somewhere nearby, or leave some particularly flammable or noxious substances somewhere no one is going to look.
Don’t worry about it.
(Relatedly, the plot hook that Auntie Mama—a known retired Mardoon gangster—continued to openly live in the Run and even welcomed one of the street kids to hang out on her porch without demanding any pay or loyalty is probably the second dumbest thing that I read in TNEOL, and I am fully willing to call that out without apology. That was genuinely stupid. As a friend phrased it, “that’s how you get car bombed.” Does anyone actually believe that a city run by four rival crime families and no government would have a culture of letting people retire from that life with dignity and safety? Ridiculous.)
Anyway, I wanted to explore exactly how Lucien would have first learned how to fight properly. He could have joined a gang, but since he’s a tiefling, I doubt that he would have been welcomed openly. Most likely, if he was ever offered an opportunity, he’d have had to prove himself before joining, so he’d likely need to know how to fight before that in order to have a real chance as succeeding, regardless of the type of initiation demanded. Thus, I went the paid lessons route.
The hobgoblin teacher was a Tasker (identifiable by the single blue pauldron), one of the Grudge Gang, which was “neutral” in the sense that they just generally enforced the peace in town without any intention of eliminating the tribes. They got hired on as extra muscle by whomever has the coin. Why train the kids? Because kids that know how to fight are less destructive than those that don’t. A kid that wants to hurt one person is less of a problem with a knife they know how to use than a kid who doesn’t know how to fight and feels like lighting some fires about it.
Again. Don’t worry about it.
The hobgoblin’s lessons are legitimate advice for anyone learning the basics. Obviously, there’s a ton more to being able to fight competently and assessing opponents, but for an introductory lesson, stances and how to move are pretty solid. They’re also much more important than knowing how to throw a good punch or any other sort of attack. Screwing up a punch is how you break a finger. Screwing up a dodge or not knowing when/how to escape is how you get stabbed.
Don’t worry about that either.
Of course, they’re still kids, so there had to be times and places that they would find a way to play. Early in the morning in open spaces with the Greytraders patrolling would be one of them, hence jump rope in Clover Plaza. We also get another instance of rhythms and rhymes having some importance to Lucien, this time in a game that favors dexterity. Given that we (the audience) know that he had to survive Shadycreek Run until he joined the Claret Orders, I figured it would have been at least partially attributable to the stats he’d rely on later as a blood hunter, so speed and agility would have been his strengths.
The first two rhymes are common jump rope rhymes. The second is for double dutch (jumping with two ropes swinging in opposite directions). I used to play with super thin ropes from the chop shop across the street (don’t worry about it), and the third was one of the rhymes I remembered from that time. Each of the later lines is supposed to be accompanied by a special move, such as hopping wide (front or sideways), touching the ground, spinning, turning, jumping out backwards and back in, etc. However, the rhyme originally went “twenty-four robbers” and “Spanish lady” (the second varies regionally), but I modified those lines to match the story here. Some of those lines seem awfully apt for stuff that happened to Lucien later on, don’t they? Hmmm…
Another game was tag, so we see Lucien and a half-elf playing deeper in the forest, away from the streets. However, even if they knew of relatively safe areas in the Savalirwood, there’s many dangers. Slavers were a big thing, and even though they were covered in the prior dream, I felt it was important to bring them up multiple times. That would have been a huge threat to any children living in Shadycreek, and I wanted to demonstrate that they weren’t just present as thugs snatching kids up. Thus, the two boys wander a little too far and stumble onto the road to one of the workshops referenced in episodes 53 and 54 of campaign 3. Depending on the race, gender, and appearance, kids would be pretty valuable in certain slave markets, but as in any venture, some merchandise just won’t sell. No worries, the Jagentoths have sweatshops. They run a business, they wouldn’t like to waste effort.
Hey. Don’t.
Last was hide and seek. We saw Lucien already knew how to hide from slavers in the tag scene (gray cloak and in the bushes), and also from shorter kids by climbing out of reach.
Of course, all these games have a key commonality: they’re good skills to have for escaping from predators. So along come some fey—yet another threat to street kids in Exandria—that chase them all the way back to the Run to show that off. The Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount featured a hook in the Savalirwood that a hag coven (including Nanny Filthtouch) in Molaesmyr kidnapped a Mardoon kid from Shadycreek Run, so I figured the hags were probably collecting other kids from there, too. Thus, teams of child-hunting fey. Redcaps are pretty fucked up, and Quicklings are just as nefarious. (Note: Quicklings are usually 2 feet tall, but I made them a little smaller because that is creepier, IMO.) Neither has an innate charm or stun ability, but I figured the hags probably armed them with some items to handle that; after all, if the hags wanted live kids instead of pieces, they’d need to equip their minions with some way of fetching at least some of them. Thus, items to stun and chains to drag them back.
The song the Quicklings sang is The Fairy Nurse, an Irish lullaby about a baby stolen by faeries. It’s sung by a faerie to comfort a crying baby that they “love thee dearly, And as thy mortal mother nearly”—so, almost as much as their mother did. The lyrics are pretty fucked up, just like in a lot of other lullabies about faeries. I felt that D&D fey would probably sing this song in mockery of the kids they were hunting, because, hey, they work for hags. None of this is nice.
There’s some Irish folklore that fae cannot cross running water, but it’s not very consistent, and I couldn’t find a source that the aos sí/aes sídhe specifically couldn’t do it. The sources I found that mentioned it were in English with anglicized spellings. Thus, I suspect that could be more recent compilations mixing it up with folklore from other cultures. However, it is a common myth about fae in general, and considering the prominence of the river to Shadycreek Run, I thought it would be a nice touch that weaker D&D fey (Quicklings are CR1) wouldn’t cross the water, but the Redcap (CR3) would.
The last bit of the scene is Greytraders running in to defend the town from the Redcap. They’re yet another neutral faction, but they’re reformed criminals/outcasts and want to solve the issue of violence in the Run. That’s about as close to “good guys” as anyone gets in Shadycreek. Unfortunately, they’ve got a lot to fight off, including murderous fey, and it doesn’t necessarily go well.
As @captainsparklefingers guessed, these dreams are in chronological order. Events in earlier dreams come into play in the later dreams. Just something to keep in mind.
And the kids all made it for once! Yay! This one time, everyone lives!
Don’t worry about it.
Flowers
In the stream, Nott and Jester had accompanied Caduceus and Caleb to the lighthouse, but I figured Molly would be persuasive (read: insistent) enough to lure them into going shopping with him. Nott gets the itch, after all, and Jester would love to show off her city.
Then I skipped both the other scenes because there really wasn’t much progress to them. The cast rolled badly for the most part. :(
However, that gave the chance for Yasha to come back with a bit more substance than just appearing in the same bar. Ashley’s absences made it difficult to explore Yasha’s arc early on in the campaign. I wanted to dip into why she collects flowers, and even if the Nein aren’t aware of it, they’re helping her to come to terms with Zuala’s death, step by step.
The flower Yasha had collected near Bladegarden was the Blue Perennem that Matt introduced in episode 66 of campaign 3. It seemed like a prime location for it to grow, and the flower likely has other uses as an antitoxin than one specific assassin poison. It’s got a distinctive look, so it wasn’t unreasonable for a shopkeeper in a busy trade hub who also frequently trades with adventurers to recognize it.
There’s a reason I’m introducing more gold and items to the Nein: they have one more member to outfit and pay for. Normally, a DM would just increase the enemies and loot to account for more PCs, but the enemies and loot drops are preset through canon. Rather than discard canon out of convenience, I included some creative explanations for how the Nein could afford stuff now that Molly’s here. I figured some gold, two flavor items (pouch and staff), and two practical items (sending stones and hat) would be a good balance heading into the next arc.
This scene was also to ensure that the readers understand that Jester is on good terms with Molly and Nott, even if they poke fun that they’re going to eat the new animal companions. It’s just a bit to Molly, and while Nott was actually tempted to eat Sprinkle, she wouldn’t do that to Jester. Jester also isn’t the type to hold a grudge, so no hurt feelings.
The Sluice Gate
I almost skipped this scene for a flashback, but Caduceus did not have a good day in canon, and I felt that was important to include since it was the first turning point in his arc. Until then, everyone else assumed he had his shit together. Thus, seeing him stumble psychologically and start doubting the Nein was too significant to summarize.
That said, doing the whole fight from start to finish, plus the smaller fight leading up to it, was just going to be excessive. It wasn’t relevant otherwise and the dock fight was more entertaining. Thus, we jumped into the middle, right Caduceus was beginning to unravel. Much more exciting and tense.
However, Caduceus’s key flaw is that he is not all that self-aware. He focuses on others to his own detriment, not too unlike Molly. He sees himself as the support. Thus, his mind focuses on Jester and her pets instead of himself. It brings a horrible awareness that he and Jester could both die and no one else can heal them. Not good.
I also thought that the reaction to Fjord’s Accursed Specter would be different now that the Nein have faced Lucien as an undead. Caduceus had already suspected that maybe Lucien wasn’t gone for good, and Molly keeps having dreams that are totally about him and not some other tiefling but maybe he’s haunted andwhoknowsbuthe’snotpanicking, so the two of them are on edge seeing Fjord control an undead spirit.
Combined with the rather unhelpful stop at the Mother’s Lighthouse, that chips away at Caduceus’s confidence that he’s following the right path. He hasn’t found any clues to how to fix the Blooming Grove, there’s been no sign of his family, and the Nein not knowing what they’re doing is actually kind of a problem.
But, hey, maybe tonight will go better. (It doesn’t.)
Night of Ascension
There is a lot in this scene I’m not going to talk about because it will be a big part of the plot and/or themes. So here’s your heads up that this scene is Important.
I first drafted this part without knowing which chapter it would go in. It was before I had ironed out the outline to know exactly where the first confrontation would fit (though I knew it would be in Zadash). However, once I reviewed the calendar to check when the Nein would be doing XYZ, I realized that they missed out on any festivities surrounding the Night of Ascension because of their shenanigans around Nicodranas. Then the idea occurred to me that it would be wonderfully delicious irony to summon Lucien as an undead on the Night of Ascension, which led to this scene.
I chose Cree’s POV specifically because I wanted to include some introspection about her changing faith and comparing that to how the Dwendalian Empire makes use of religious holidays. The contrast between the Empire’s traditions and those in the Run and Nicodranas also matches the theme of the chapter title card regarding transactional business versus merrymaking and indulgence.
I also wanted to explore how she differs from Lucien on issues of faith and fate. A lot of this came from brainstorming about what sort of beliefs they likely held before Lucien found the Somnovem’s book. That’s going to come out more over time, especially in the dreams, so stay tuned for that.
Lastly, we got more interactions between the Tombtakers. They’re rough with each other and are happy to give each other shit when there’s nothing else going on, but they’re still a cohesive unit even after so long. As soon as Zoran was freaked out, Tyffial was ready to fight too, even if Cree seemed unconcerned. (Otis didn’t help by being creepy about it.) That said, Tyffial still stood down once she was sure it was actually Lucien.
There was also some word play in Irish in this scene. When Tyffial asked if the ghost was Lucien, he replied, “Tá mé,” and I included the following explanation:
Literally means ‘it is me’ but is grammatically incorrect. Irish has two verbs that mean ‘to be,’ and in this specific sentence, it would be either ‘tá’ or ‘is’ (pronounced ‘eess’ with soft ‘s’ sound, not ‘ihz’ like English’s ‘is’). ‘Tá’ is the present tense of ‘to be’ meaning ‘he/she/it is,’ but the verb refers to what something is like, descriptors, and temporary states (e.g., ‘I am tired.’). ‘Is’ is a copula, which is a grammatical function that links a subject to another noun or an adjective, so that is used to identify or classify the subject (e.g., ‘I am a tiefling.’). Lucien used ‘tá’ intentionally because he’s emphasizing that this is not what he actually is and that this is temporary. Instead of confirming his identity as Lucien (which is what Tyffial literally asked), he’s saying ‘This is what I am, for now’ (in response to the implication that Tyffial doesn’t quite believe that Lucien is undead and possessing Zoran).
I think I spent about 2-3 hours researching on numerous websites to make sure I was actually getting the different versions of “to be” correct. (The hard part about this stuff is finding reliable sources.) A similar remark could be made in Spanish, which also has two forms of that verb, and that was how it occurred to me in the first place.
Note: He made this comment to Tyffial, who would only understand the meaning if she spoke the language. Curious…
Pets
I wanted to include a check in with Jester after the heavy stuff hit because her father’s identity and developments with Algar all came about without much commentary from her in the stream. Jester doesn’t like to focus on negative emotions, so we see her taking after Marion and Molly by pretending everything is okay.
Thus, there’s definitely no reason that Xundi’s decision to immediately return to his partner was so memorable. And there’s no special significance to the act of leaving Nugget and the peacock behind with Marion while Jester goes off to do something dangerous. No parallels of any sort.
Pfffft.
The Docks
This scene was initially about half the length, but @fruitzbat (author of an amazing Kingsley epic and my beta reader) pointed out that it would have a better impact and lead into the next scene more fluidly if it wasn’t as clipped. Thus, I added most of the beginning of the scene the day before posting.
As I mentioned above, this was initially going to be Beau’s scene, but Nott’s POV was just too funny to pass up. She was separated from the Nein and spent most of the fight hiding, so her perspective was hilariously out of the loop. In canon, the players rolled terribly on every attempt to avoid detection and de-escalate, and I wanted to keep that train wreck.
Beau had originally tried to use Caleb as her partner for the distraction, but since Molly was here, he was the perfect guy to drag into it given that he loves distractions. He was surprised that Beau of all people was the one that leapt into it, but this was also after her Tracy persona that afternoon (which I skipped since it wasn’t that substantive). The first line was canon, and coming up with the rest of their soap opera bullshit was fun.
Aftermath
Caleb was in the background for most of the Nein’s trip through Nicodranas. I got the impression that this was about the time he came to terms with Molly’s death, that he was truly attached to the Nein, and took the “better than you found it” advice to heart. I don’t think Molly’s survival would have kneecapped that development.
Caleb’s perspective was also that the Nein didn’t do anything wrong in canon. Thus, he glosses over the developments and isn’t as troubled as the rest. This helps us skip a lot of the boring stuff and speed toward the next arc.
Finally, Caleb also unveils a hat of disguise for Nott. I wanted to mess with her arc so she wouldn’t be in the background the whole time (Sam was so good at hiding it in plain sight). There are plans in motion.
Don’t worry about it.
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Fic recs: a few things that didn't happen.
Okay idk what holds this rec list together, I am simply going with the vibes. And the vibes say: these guys belong on the same list! Okay, vibes.
time and hour runs through by StarryCleric, T, 6k, Caleb pov
The Mighty Nein are caught off guard and captured one night while traveling across Xhorhas.
Caleb stalls for time.
Caleb, getting tortured: *deep sigh* You're doing it wrong...
put them together and you can hear it (it's the song everyone knows) by elsinorerose, T, 4k, Widojest getting together
"So go on. Convince me."
He catches his breath. "Convince you?"
"Yeah, give me one good reason."
"One good — I can give you twenty good reasons."
"Oh yeah?" Jester says, raising her eyebrows, like she's just so surprised, like she's ready to be so convinced, you guys. "Okay. Go ahead then."
"Go ahead and…?"
"Give me twenty. If you can give me twenty good reasons why we shouldn't be together, you win."
Fluff and Angstttt
we all need someone to hold by QueenWithABeeThrone, T, 5k, Widomauk
The moon is shining bright above them, and in the moonlight Caleb almost seems to glow.
I don’t know if I can let this go, Molly thinks, and it’s a sharp, sobering thought.
or: Molly catches up with the Mighty Nein and pines after Caleb, the latter of which was a lot easier before he died. now things are a little more complicated.
okay okay the part where Caleb tries to pet the hallucinated cat lives in my head rent free
Snow angel by DefaultJane, T, 7k, pre relationship Beauyasha
Yasha and Beau have time to kill and decide to take a moment to experience what is marketed to them as the “authentic sauna experience” by the eccentric woman they meet at Balenpost, said experience including hanging out naked, washing each other’s hair, talking and laughing late into the night...You know, just gals being pals.
yeah, what the summary said
Super Secret Sex Handshakes by Somebodys_Hermione, T, 1k, background Beauyasha and Fjorester
Yasha and Jester keep running into each other at 3am sneaking out of their respective partner's rooms. Like, it *keeps* happening.
Asfdfgdsfsds this is so funny.
infinity in the palm of your hand by mousecookie, T, 6k, Caleb pov
At the end of the blood-spattered Aeorian hall, the Mighty Nein find a rusted iron door.
They also find Essek.
uhh AU where *gasp* Essek is in Eiselcross too..! But like written before we knew Essek was in Eiselcross too. Anyway, remember all those Dynasty explorers Lucien murdered?... Hurt/comfort.
won't leave you behind in the void by essektheylyss (midnightindigo), T, 2k, Essek pov
If there is anything worse than losing all sensation and movement, it might be losing all sensation and movement while entirely untethered, floating in the aorta of a flesh city.
I've reread this... so many times. I simply like the vibes.
#good stuff here..#not that I'd rec you something that wasn't#m9#critical role#fic recs#the mighty nein#my post
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listen, there's a hell of a universe next door by storm_petrel - star wars/the mandalorian, 12k, din/luke, M
As it turns out, no one ever taught Luke how to tie a little green baby to his back one-handed, but Luke thinks he's pretty gods-damned good at problem-solving under pressure, thank you, and the baby is at least semi-cooperative. When he's sure the kid is strapped in as tight as he can get, Luke pauses, and reaches back. His fingers graze the wide point of the baby's fuzzy ear. "Well, kid," says Luke, and his voice is a little rough, but not bad, all things considered. "Carrying you on my back while getting the absolute banthashit kicked out of me, at least this feels familiar."
Or: Luke Skywalker solves a number of life-or-death problems, makes some new friends, falls abruptly in love, and gets shot into space, all in the same day.
some ever after no one could predict by QueenWithABeeThrone - critical role campaign 2, 15k, T
“My tent,” said Una, “is spoiling the landscape.”
“Yes!” said the satyr. “It’s getting in the way of the view. Look, see?” He flipped the notebook around to show her a rather well-drawn landscape, with a much taller tent than the one she actually had poking up out of the grass like a rather majestic—
She covered her mouth, turning her laugh into a cough. “That’s a very flattering view of my tent,” she said, not quite able to keep herself from smiling.
or: over thirty years ago, Una Ermendrud went into the Feywild and met a satyr named Garmelie. thirty years later, Caleb reunites with his godfather.
Erinus alpinus by greymoores - critical role campaign 3, 6k, G
She hums, tuneless but thoughtful. “Can I have your name?”
Sally used to say she was stolen by the Fey. That she was a changeling who escaped. Ashton doesn’t know who she is or why they know this, but he knows that the correct answer to her question is, “No. But friends call me Ashton.”
He tenses, waiting for anger. He’s surprised when her response comes in the form of a twinkling laugh, bright like fireflies. “Clever.” Has he ever seen a firefly? “My friends call me Fearne.”
Ashton ends up in the Feywild after their fall
Gotham High by Unpretty - batman, 17k, WIP, T
Between freshman and sophomore year, Bruce Wayne had a growth spurt. He did not get any better at socializing.
standalone scenes of outsider pov of bruce wayne in high school
shine between everything by intimatopia - trigun, 2k, T, vash/wolfwood
A lot of things were technically real while being practically unachievable. True love was a pipe dream, the illusion that there was somewhere any of them could put down what they carried.
In which soulmates are real, but Wolfwood and Vash are something else.
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Shadowgast Recs: Polymorph Shenanigans
This week, we have thirteen fics that have Caleb or Essek using polymorph! Some cozy, some funny, and some having some sexy fun with different animal shapes! Check them out underneath the cut, and as always, comment and kudos if you liked them!
Creature Comforts by Mousecookie (4645, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Essek impulsively visits the Mighty Nein one evening during their travels. Frumpkin sits in his lap. Caleb, oddly, is nowhere to be found.
Reccer says: A beautiful fic with a surprising end that’s so beautiful. I love it,
the shape of my heart in the dark by professor (1584, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Essek asks for cats to 'schnuggle' with. An amber cat accepts the invitation.
Reccer says: I liked it!
Not a meet-cute, a bleat-cute by professor (3515, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Essek spends an afternoon collecting spell components and comes home with a pet sheep.
Reccer says: I liked it!
Nepeta by ccaleb_widogast (2037, General)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Professor Caleb accidentally transforms into a cat. He has to ask Essek for to help him turn back.
Reccer says: Really Wholesome with a bit of outsider POV
Do It For Science by Meadow (Medorikoi) (6885, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn
Essek gets fucked by Calebs echo, who then polymorphs into a giant ape.
Reccer says: I love the scene they're doing. That it's for "science" and that Caleb could have lost control of himself when polymorphed as a giant ape in Aeor. So Essek has to take the ape in a controlled setting, for his safety ;)
On the Myriad Uses of Polymorph as a Method of First Aid by catgirlthecrazy (1579, Mature)
Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn
When a fight in Aeor goes sour, Caleb turns Essek into a T-Rex to save his life.
Reccer says: Caleb in danger? T-ressek SMASH
The Artifact by Chekhov (14378, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: Author warns of a "Looney Tunes concept of peril" and that the sexual tension stays unresolved
A mysterious object is introduced into the wizards' enclosure.
Reccer says: Never have I read a story more worthy of the word "shenanigans". The nerd courting rituals are intricate, hot (though that's not the focus of the story), and - above all - hilarious. Big Yakety Sax energy throughout.
The Annual Rexxentrum Cat Show by hanap (776, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
A cat show has a rare book of spells as its prize. Polymorph shenanigans ensue.
Reccer says: This is hilarious and just gets better
a man by any other face by Mousecookie (33853, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Or, four times Caleb uses Polymorph and one time Essek does, and how both of them must navigate the transformation of the self that is beyond magic.
Reccer says: This is an emotional, gorgeous work that captures so much of the character of the wizards. It’s such a wonderful window into these characters.
good sounds by MinnesotaBruja (2787, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn
Essek discovers a flustering fascination with eels, and Caleb, transmutation wizard, is all too happy to oblige his boyfriend his every desire.
Reccer says: I liked it!
Reverse Tatzelwurm by witches_chant (1803, Teen)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Technically Shapechange, but a polymorph shenanigan (gone beautifully wrong) in spirit.
Reccer says: A brilliant and very funny reinterpretation of some folklore. I like every decision that went into the shape and nature of the creature.
you can have my absence of faith by Anonymous (87745, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: Dubcon/Consensual Non Consent, Male Pregnancy
Essek wants to try freaky egg-pregnancy stuff, Caleb polymorphs into a sexy Lolth spider demon to help him out with that. Then they spend a week having other kinds of domestic sex
Reccer says: There's a lot of love and understanding shared between Essek and Caleb as long-term partners who yield to each other's dark desires and unconventional wants. They're frequently roleplaying as characters and you can see the lapses of the real Essek or real Caleb every now and then, and it's really cute.
True Polymorph by guiding-bolt (4025, Explicit)
Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes
Essek has always been attracted to Caleb's magic. There was no denying that. It was something of a joke, how he would throw himself at Caleb when he had done something particularly clever. When Caleb masters True Polymorph and turns himself into a dragon, it is no different.
Reccer 1 says: I love the hubris of Essek here, he's going to get that dragon dick in him whatever it takes
Reccer 2 says: Amazing writing and delicious situation. Lots of love and care and a bit of size difference.
Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we’ll be back with some soulmates!
#critical role#cr fic recs#fan fiction rec list#shadowgast#caleb widogast#essek thelyss#cr fic#polymorph
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Hey friends, happy Wednesday! To kick off the month of May, we have seven fics set in or that otherwise have the vibes of spring! As always, you can find them below the cut and if you check any of them out, I encourage you to leave kudoes and comments to spread the rarepair love 💕
i’ll illuminate you by orphan_account (539 words, Teen)
Pairing: Fresh Cut Grass/FRIDA (Loveletters)
Warnings: None
FCG and FRIDA visit Zephrah for Orym and Dorian's wedding. Flower crown adorableness ensues.
Reccer Says: One of the cutest fics I have ever read. The phrase "aeormapartner" is goofy and so fucking adorable.
a star fell from your heart and into my eyes by glossolali (1,959 words, Teen)
Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss (Shadowmauk)
Warnings: None
It's Molly's birthday and all he wants is to flirt with Essek and sweep him off his feet. Little does he know that Essek has a terribly romantic surprise of his own in store for Molly.
Reccer Says: It is so so cute, with an excellent Molly POV (seriously, his inner monologue is adorable and feels So Right) and the sweetest ending. Essek's gifts to Molly are the most romantic things ever and I'm obsessed with it. Also celebrating Molly's birthday on the day after Cognouza's defeat when he woke up in the Grove is perfect and I love it!!! ALSO druid Essek beloved!!!!
We should just kiss, like real people do by CupOTeaHatter (910 words, Teen)
Pairing: Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast (Widobrave)
Warnings: None
Veth and Caleb, apart and unable to sleep, muse on the rain and could-have-beens.
Reccer Says: The angst and yearning is delicious
Sunflower by ShadowCrw (1,264 words, Teen)
Pairing: Keyleth/Pike Trickfoot/Vex'ahlia
Warnings: None
Post-canon, Vex and Pike garden while Keyleth recovers from an injury.
Reccer Says: Nice post-canon slice of life! The shenanigans towards the end with Trinket and the water are especially cute.
she wore flowers like a crown by orphan_account (896 words, General)
Pairing: Jester Lavorre/Yasha Nydoorin (Yashter)
Warnings: None
Jester makes Yasha a flower crown. Yasha has emotions about it.
Reccer Says: Yashter is such an underrated pairing and this fic is a lovely little microcosm of them <3
after the storm by allmadeofstardust (2,352 words, General)
Pairing: Orym/Will
Warnings: Survivors Guilt
Three times Orym is caught in a rainstorm, each with a different person.
Reccer Says: Only the first third of the fic is Orym and Will but that section is so lovely! As is the rest of the fic, I love Orym and Imogen’s friendship and Orym’s guilt and grief over Laudna’s death so much.
Air Ashari Floral & Ink by SociallyAwkwardFox (12,563 words, Teen)
Pairing: Orym/Dorian Storm/Will (Dorymwill)
Warnings: None
A series of vignettes as Dorian falls in love with and begins a relationship with the owners for Air Ashari Floral & Ink, Orym and Will.
Reccer Says: It’s very sweet!! The relationship is so cute and they really do just Fit together. It also kinda has the vibe of a non-linear narrative despite being linear, which I think is neat, probably a side effect of the vignettes in a fun way! Takes place over a span of time, not just spring (the only mentioned point in time is actually Winter’s Crest lol) but with all the flowers it’s got real springy vibes throughout.
Thank you for joining us this week’s recc list! All the love to everyone who submitted a fic 💕 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 Jester Rarepairs. If you have any you’d like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Alternate Universes and the weeks after that we’re taking recommendations for Hurt/Comfort and PC x NPC! Submissions for all of these themes are currently open.
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#loveletters#shadowmauk#widobrave#keyleth x pike x vex#yashter#orym x will#dorymwill#critical role#cr fanfic
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BnHA Chapter 316: We've Had One, Yes, But What About Second Explosion
Previously on BnHA: Deku was all “[powers up like whoa because it’s time to end the fight]”, and he saved Overhaul from getting not-shot, and then smashed up Nagant’s arm with the power of his new rechargeable super knees. Nagant was all “yoooo this kid is crazy strong whaaaat, it’s like he’s some kind of protagonist or something.” Deku was all “I AM A PROTAGONIST, ACTUALLY, DO YOU WANT TO JOIN FORCES AND FIGHT BAD GUYS WITH ME?” Nagant was all “ah shit why the hell no -- ” and then AFO was all “SURPRISE” and everyone was all “?!?!?!” and AFO was all “TIME TO EXPLODE NOW” and made Nagant explode because he’s an absolute fucking dick. And then Hawks showed up, because Horikoshi just wanted to stuff as many plot points as humanly possible into a single chapter I guess.
Today on BnHA: Hawks is all “good job giving motivational shounen redemption speeches Deku but I’ll take it from here” and screams very earnestly right in Nagant’s face until she finally wakes up. Nagant is all “oh hey it’s my successor, you seem surprisingly unfucked-up from your own HPSC tenure, how did you manage that?” Hawks is all “fandom is going to love hearing this one, but basically it’s because I’m very upbeat and also I had the world’s best role model Endeavor to look up to,” and I swear this man stirs the pot on purpose, but damn it I still love him so damn much. Overhaul is all “HELLO AGAIN, JUST A REMINDER THAT, THE BOSS!!” and Deku is all “MAYBE TAKE TWO SECONDS TO REFLECT ON HOW YOU TORTURED A LITTLE GIRL,” which, thank you, lol. Nagant is all “btw AFO’s hiding in a house in the woods”, and so Deku and the gang go to the house in the woods. Video recording!AFO is all “hi I’m AFO welcome to Jackass” and blows up the house. Sometimes I wonder if this manga is just a weird dream.
I am once again reading the Bean version because I think it was actually the best out of all three translations last week. and that is surprisingly including Viz’s. “faux” is not nearly as entertaining as “knockoff”, and also I have literally no idea why Caleb thought Deku was saying the Third’s lines lol
oh hey, Endeavor’s here too! not that you’d ever be able to tell from this first panel lmao
glad you received All Might’s call, mysterious unidentified glowing smudge
oh snap he says he’s weaker in the rain. is that why AFO told Nagant to attack then?? except that as we discussed the other day, I believe that AFO fully intended for Nagant to lose the fight, so him giving her info that would give her an advantage doesn’t really fit in with that. maybe he wanted Deku to be separated from Endeavor and the rest for maximum angst, though
btw Deku’s eyes are unsurprisingly back to the new normal here
alas, the angst continues. I say, pretending like I’m not totally eating it up each and every week and writing essay after essay about it lol
anyway so apparently Hawks can’t actually fly lmao. he was just yeeting himself with style
for some reason this is the funniest fucking thing I’ve ever seen omfg. wave to Hawks, kids! say “bye, Hawks!”
j/k of course Deku is catching them. -- except???
wow so he was just running on fumes there at the end. well, good to know there is actually a limit to his shenanigans, particularly regarding this new “knockoff” 100% OFA. it will definitely not alleviate any of the discourse, but it’s good for my own peace of mind because it’s solid confirmation that he still needs his pals in order to win this thing
anyway, but on to the rest of this conversation, which is basically Deku deducing what we all deduced last week -- AFO implanted some sort of trap into Nagant when he gave her Air Walk. though I’d still like to get the actual details from AFO and/or Horikoshi, because this was particularly wild even by quirk standards lol
omgggggg
she still has a face after all!! so it’s confirmed, Horikoshi has no idea what “blowing up” actually means. we might have guessed, based on what happened to Toga in the MVA arc, and also based on everything Katsuki does ever, but shhh
so now Hawks is all “NAGANT PLEASE WAKE UP, IF I SHOUT MY NAME AT YOU WILL THAT DO THE TRICK”
this is actually kind of touching though because even though we all know (or most of us acknowledge at any rate) that Hawks is a pretty caring person, it’s rare to see him actually panic over someone’s welfare like this
oh shit Horikoshi is really doubling down on it
I wonder how much Hawks knew about what really happened between Nagant and the HPSC. regardless, he probably sees her as a kindred spirit of sorts, and I’m more than happy for Deku to pass the redemption torch onto him now that he’s on the scene. like no offense Deku but they actually know each other and stuff lol
DAMMIT NAGANT CAN’T YOU SEE HOW LOUD HE IS YELLING
apparently being freed from his HPSC shackles has finally given Hawks the space to embrace his own inner shounen protagonist. is there anything more shounen than trying to motivationally scream someone awake when they’re lying in your arms inches from death?? 100% guaranteed to work
!!! IS THIS NAGANT’S POV OMG
SO SHE IS ALIVE. THANK GOD. Horikoshi doesn’t want to meet with my emotional distress lawyer today after all
love how she’s all “just gonna stir up the weekly Hawks Discourse pot here by implying that he probably committed a lot of Atrocities just like I did, so now people can get all hopped up about that, even though there’s no evidence he’s ever killed anyone aside from that one horrible ‘damned-if-you-do...’ situation with Twice.” no one asked for your provocative speculation young lady!! trust me Nagant, our rabbles don’t need the rousing lol
but nice save there with the “so how are your eyes so untainted” well you see it’s because even when he was following the HPSC’s orders he always went to great lengths never to go against his own moral compass. which just to be clear was incredibly difficult, and led to a ton of pain and suffering on his part, because the life of a spy is basically just one impossible situation after another. but in spite of that he never stopped trying to do his best to help people. I don’t really know where this tangent came from or is leading to, lol, but anyway p.s.a. I love Hawks a lot and he’s a good kid dammit
oh shit??!?
how is the League always able to swing all these fancy forest mansions. where do they find them. how many do they have
so Deku’s dropping them -- very roughly, not sure if he was reacting to finally getting AFO’s location, or if his energy really is giving out -- and now Nagant’s saying that AFO hired other villains as well. well of course he did. gotta keep chipping away at OFA’s ninth successor little by little
now Nagant is asking Hawks how he’s able to keep making “that” face. I assume she’s again talking about the fact that he somehow didn’t let the HPSC wear down his spirit
oh my god???
thanks for stuffing this chapter to the brim with good nutritional Hawks Feels, Horikoshi. what a good. he just keeps on trudging forward undeterred no matter what bullshit comes his way. what a steadfast little guy. I WILL PROTECT YOU FROM DISCOURSE MY SWEET SUNSHINE
lmaoooo
“SPOTTED THIS DUDE JUST CHILLING OUT THERE ON THE ROOF WITH NO ARMS, SEEMED PRETTY SUS” good job Endeavor
anyway so you don’t really need me to tell you that Overhaul is immediately starting in with the “BUT THE BOSS WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE ME TO THE BOSS YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD TAKE ME TO THE BOSS” stuff again. but I will go ahead and tell you anyway. so yeah. he’s doing that
OMG YOU GUYS LOOK AT DEKU’S “of all the fucking assholes to just randomly drop in on my life once again why did it have to be you” FACE THOUGH, OMG
fun fact, if you go back to chapters 124 through 160, there was an entire story arc where Overhaul imprisoned and tortured a little girl. yeah, I know!! suuuuuuuuper evil. anyways just an interesting little anecdote for you all that’s somewhat relevant to the current situation
OMG, YES. FUCK YES, DEKU
THEN WHAT ABOUT SPARING ONE FOR HER!!! YES!!! EXACTLY!!! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, SOMEONE GETS IT
HERE’S THE PANEL OF DEKU SAYING THE EXACT SAME THING I’M SAYING LOL
(ETA: so apparently there’s some discourse about this because some people are interpreting this as Deku saying “you should apologize to Eri”, which would obviously be a terrible idea even if Overhaul actually wanted to do that, because Eri shouldn’t ever have to see him again. however I just want to point out that there is a HUGE difference between saying “it would be nice if you could direct that feeling of regret/being sorry towards Eri as well”, vs saying “you should also apologize to her.” all Deku is doing is rightfully pointing out that Overhaul has hurt way more people than just his boss, and if he really is remorseful, then he should extend those feelings of remorse to Eri and the rest as well. it’s not a directive to take any specific action, and I’m 1000% sure no one at U.A. would let Overhaul within 100 miles of Eri ever again.
tl;dr “try feeling remorse sometime” =/= “do you want me to fly you over to U.A. right now to surprise the little girl you traumatized”, lol.)
[slings an arm around Deku’s shoulders] you’re a good kid. I like you. I don’t know if I tell you that enough, but it’s true
meanwhile here is Overhaul’s “spare... a thought... for Eri...???????” face sigh
the struggle is real y’all
(ETA: and that’s... the last we ever saw of Overhaul, I guess? well all right then. I assume Deku will make good on his promise, so we know he’ll get that little bit of closure before going back to jail or whatever, and I confess I’m more than fine with leaving the rest of it open-ended, especially given his character’s history. I think this was pretty generous all things considered.)
lmao holy shit
All Might what did you do to those tiki torch guys?? did you thrash them. did you give ‘em those hands. did you deliver their own asses to them complete with a sticker reminding them Amazon Prime Day is on June 21. we missed out goddammit
so Endeavor, who wasn’t the one he was asking, is telling him that they captured (well let’s be real, Deku captured, give the credit where it’s due) Nagant and Overhaul. and so I guess they’re going to take Nagant to the ER now
fire is no one’s weakness
-- oh my GOD I scrolled down and audibly gasped
[is politely but firmly approached and asked to remove my arm from Deku’s shoulder by the physical manifestation of all this Dekuangst] “we’re sorry, he’s not allowed to have visitors right now” oh shit, my bad. [goes to stand behind a police barricade]
lmao what. did you run out of room on the previous page
what an exaggerated fade to black lmao
-- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I actually can’t see what he’s reacting to so maybe I’m just seriously jumping the gun here lol, but THE HELL WITH IT. the next panel appears to be a cut to Haibori Forest, so I’m just gonna go ahead and declare that Deku ran off on his own all wounded to go have more Dekuangst, just like I manifested. now go call Katsuki goddammit
[scrolls three more inches down] oh
yeah so like I said, Deku is walking very slowly a few feet in front of Endeavor, who’s telling him to wait up. yep. we’ve all gotta be so careful to not just jump to conclusions. I know we’re excited but still
anyway, so! welcome back to Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods (ARE YOU GUYS DATING) and Edgeshot! have fun walking into this obvious trap lol
dammit Deku why are you so determined to tempt fate
[monkey puppet meme faces]
OH MY GOD THIS IS PURE GRADE-A CHEESY COMIC BOOK VILLAIN 101 SHIT AND I’M HERE FOR IT
that’s such a weird way of clapping who claps like that
unlike certain other people who shan’t be named, AFO doesn’t feel the need to inexplicably take his shirt off when recording sinister villain monologues. I think we’re all pretty grateful for that
high fives to everyone who called it!! yep yep
anyway so this whole scene has major booby-trap vibes, which I’m enjoying immensely even though I don’t think anything is really going to come of it lol. probably just another long-winded AFO Speech. but wouldn’t it be funny if like the ceiling started lowering down to try and squish Deku afterwards lol
(ETA: well the explosion was still pretty funny too ngl.)
ffff
[“Dekuangst is the trap” intensifies]
anyway so yeah. he’s just hitting up all of his usual villain talking points. we get it, you’re so smart and you see right through the thin veneers of society and people who don’t conform are left to fend for themselves and labeled as villains and history is written by the victors, and blah blah blah dude are you just jumping randomly from one soundbyte to another lol. literally what are you talking about. what does this have to do with you blowing up Nagant
-- holy shit??
[”Dekuangst is the trap” intensifies MORE?????]
LOL WHAT
BRO. WHAT IS WITH YOU. DON’T YOU KNOW HOW TO LAY ANY OTHER KIND OF FUCKING TRAP GOOD LORD
“YOU’RE NEXT” THE CALLBACK?? THE PARALLELS?? THOUGH WHEN ALL MIGHT POINTED HE MADE IT LOOK WAY COOLER. AFO’S POINTING JUST LOOKS LIKE SMOKEY THE BEAR
HAS ANYONE CHECKED IN ON KAMUI WOODS I HEAR HE IS WEAK TO FIRE?? THE ONLY ONE WHO IS, APPARENTLY
r.i.p. to this particular forest mansion. don’t worry they have a ton of backups
remember last week when I said maybe AFO thinks explosions are gauche. well never mind. he fucking loves explosions
anyway so that’s the end of BnHA, everyone. hope you enjoyed. it was a good ride while it lasted. see you all, good luck in your travels
#bnha 316#hawks#takami keigo#lady nagant#midoriya izuku#all for one#bnha#boku no hero academia#bnha spoilers#mha spoilers#bnha manga spoilers#makeste reads bnha#manifesting 317 opening with a slightly modified version of my previous fantasy scenario lmao#'WHADDYA MEAN THEY BLEW UP THE NERD'#that's *his* job#sorry lol I kid I kid
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