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wonderswritings · 3 years

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Fighting For... Hakeldama

Summary: We’re home. Against all odds, we managed to save our friends from Mount Weather. But there were still losses. The alliance with the grounders is now in place. Finn’s death and the downfall of Mount Weather ensured that. But Clarke left, she left without saying goodbye, well, to me at least. I thought, with the alliance in place, the sacrifices made to ensure that it happened, that we’d be at peace. But I should’ve known better. Because being on the ground, it doesn’t mean peace. And we’ll never not be fighting.

Warnings: The 100 Themes so blood and gore I guess

Pairings: Bellamy Blake x Reader, Clarke Griffin x Twin!Fem!Reader

thank you to those who commented last chapter! means a lot!

Fighting For… Masterlist

Previous // Next

Previously:

“Did YN stay?” “She did.”

“Bellamy doesn’t say or do things he doesn’t mean. It’s not who he is. He- he left me.” “If he truly loves you, he’ll be waiting for you to return.”

“I picked! Don’t you get that? I picked you over him! I said I wouldn’t and I did! I picked! I picked and he left.”

“You should’ve just went back to Arkadia, where you should’ve stayed from the beginning.”

“That’s the face paint from the meeting. I tried to wash it off but it wouldn’t come off and my face started to hurt.” “Well, I think it looks cool. Makes you look more deadly.”

“I’m not going to try to stop you, but I’m not going to let you do this alone.”

“The queen is dead. Long live the queen.”

“Yeah well, I’ve never really had my heart broken before considering I was locked up my entire life so it was a relatively new experience.”

“If anyone asks, you were never turned into a natblida. You have always been a natblida.”

“YN, if anyone finds out that natblidas can be made, then everything we know of the commanders are lies and are no longer to be trusted. As far as everyone else is concerned, you’ve always been a natblida, a born natblida.”

“She admires your bravery for standing up to her and to me. Plus, you knocked Gustus to the ground and no offense, you are small.” “We’re the same height!”

“Just give her some time. She cares about you Lexa, she’s just hurt.” “She has every reason to be. And Bellamy will be excited to see you if you choose to visit Arkadia while you’re with Indra.” “I doubt it. I, I really hurt him, worse than you and Clarke. I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me for that.” “He may surprise you.”

“Banto! I thought you were dead.” “No strik gona. Chon else would keep yu out gon trouble?” (no little warrior. Who else would keep you out of trouble?)

“War is still brewing. Wanhei needs to be protected. Besides, you are my friend.”

“Ride klir Wanhei, en ste klir.” (ride safe Wanhei, and stay safe) “Yu seintaim heda.” (you to commander)

“Ready Wanhei?” “Ready bestie.”

Octavia ran up to Bellamy, looking him over, her eyes widening.

“Bellamy, you okay?”

Bellamy nodded, huffing.

“I’m fine.”

Bellamy walked past her, walking towards the Ark.

“Lock it up.”

The guards closed the gate as Pike stepped up onto a platform.

“Everybody, listen up. Twenty four hours ago, you elected me your chancellor. Every action I’ve taken since and ever action I will take will be to achieve one sacred goal. The creation of a self sustaining, prosperous, and safe Arkadia.”

Everyone screamed and cheered, Pike yelling.

“This morning on a muddy field our people paid tribute to those who have been taken from us by sending a message to the grounders. This land is ours now!”

The cheering got louder, Pike smirking slightly.

“Resist, and you will be met by force. Fight, and you will be greeted by death. Today is a new beginning. Mark it down, remember it, just like the grounders will remember it.”

“Heda!”

Lexa and Clarke turned, their eyes widening as they looked over the field. They climbed off their horses, walking around. Clarke made a face, looking down at the bodies.

“All bullet holes.”

“Heda! Come quick!”

Lexa turned, running, Clarke running after her.

“Indra!”

Lexa fell to her knees beside Indra, Clarke kneeling beside her.

“I need bandages.”

Indra tried to move back, glaring at Clarke.

“Stay away. You’re one of them.”

Lexa sighed softly, shaking her head.

“Indra, let her help. What happened here?”

“They attacked while we slept. Our watch was to the north looking for Azgeda. They killed our archers first. Our infantry couldn’t get close. Then they executed the wounded.”

Clarke made a face, shaking her head.

“The summit was two days ago. How could Kane do this?”

Indra groaned, shaking her head.

“It wasn’t Kane. It was Pike.”

“How did you escape?”

“Bellamy.”

Clarke made a face, looking down at Indra.

“Bellamy was with them?”

“He wanted to spare the wounded but they wouldn’t listen. He convinced Pike to let me live so I could deliver a message.”

“What message?”

“Skaikru rejects the coalition. This is their land now. We can leave or we can die.”

Lexa took a deep breath, standing up and turning.

“Send riders. I call upon the armies of the twelve clans. In a day’s time, we lay waste to Arkadia and everyone within its walls.”

Clarke jumped up, shaking her head.

“Wait. give me time to fix this.”

“Nou her.” (stop her)

Guards grabbed Clarke, Clarke’s eyes widening.

“What are you doing?”

Lexa shook her head, clenching her jaw.

“I can’t let you leave Clarke.”

“So I'm a prisoner now, just like that?”

Lexa nodded, clenching her jaw.

“Yes.”

“Lexa, let me go to Arkadia.”

“No.”

“At least let me talk to Kane. We can bring him here.”

Clarke turned towards Indra, sighing.

“Indra, at the summit, Kane told me he gave you a radio. A way to signal him. Do it, please.”

Indra looked over at Lexa, Lexa nodding. Clarke watched as a grounder walked towards Lexa, shaking their head.

“Der ste no sign gon her.” (there is no sign of her)

Lexa clenched her jaw, turning on her heel, looking over at Indra.

“Indra, did YN arrive last night? Indra nodded, groaning when she moved.

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

Indra took a deep breath, looking up at Lexa.

“Her guard protected her. She came back, covered in blood. She left.”

Lexa made a face, kneeling back beside Indra, clenching her jaw.

“Where did she go?”

“She went after them.”

My chest was heaving as I came up to the gates of Arkadia, glaring.

“Stop! Hold it right there!”

I looked up, glaring at the guards who were pointing their guns at me as I slowly lifted my arms.

“My name is YN Griffin. My mother is Abby Griffin.”

The gate slowly opened, and I looked over the group, seeing Pike.

“YN Griffin. We went through a lot of trouble looking for you.”

I scoffed as Pike stopped a few feet from me, seeing members of the guard behind him, all of them holding guns.

“Seems like there was no need. I found you.”

“Dressed as a grounder no less.”

Pike looked me over, tilting his head to the side.

“Why are you covered in blood?”

I lowered my arms, huffing as I glared at him.

“Shof op, you know why.” (shut up)

Pike tightened his grip on his gun, his jaw clenching as he yelled.

“English only! We don’t stand for that grounder bullshit here.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

“Can I come in, or not?”

Pike scoffed, glaring at me.

“You’ll have to change.”

I huffed, stepping forward.

“I’m not changing out here. Guess, you’ll have to let me in.”

Pike turned, nodding.

“Search her.”

I huffed, taking a step back as a woman walked towards me, placing her gun on her shoulder. I grabbed her hand when she went to touch me, shaking my head.

“Touch me and I break it.”

“The only way in is to make sure you’re not wearing a wire.”

I scoffed, looking over at Pike.

“Don’t you know? The grounders are uncivilized people. They don’t have any technology.”

“Let her search you, or you can stay out here like the people you’ve been living with.”

I scoffed, lifting my arms and holding them out, the woman patting me down. I looked down at her when she was kneeling in front of me, grinning as I tilted my head to the side.

“Enjoying the view?”

She scoffed, standing up and nodding. Pike nodded, motioning for me to follow.

“There’s new rules here Miss Griffin, rules that must be followed.”

I looked over at Pike as we walked into Arkadia, glaring.

“You know, the last person who called me Miss Griffin, I emptied a clip into his chest and watched him die.”

I grinned when he looked over at me, tilting my head to the side.

“Hate for you to end up the same way.”

“YN!”

I turned, seeing Kane and Abby running towards me. I gasped when they both crashed into me, my eyes wide as they hugged me.

“You’re okay.”

I nodded as they stepped back, looking between them both.

“Yeah.”

I looked over their shoulders when I saw movement, my eyes widening.

“Bell.”

I pushed past Kane and Abby, running towards him.

“Hey!”

He turned, his eyes wide as he looked at me. I lifted my hand, throwing a punch, causing him to stumble back.

“I saw what you did!”

He looked up as he rubbed his jaw, taking a step back as I hit his chest.

“I was there! I saw you! I can still hear the gunshots and the screams!”

Someone grabbed my arm and I turned, throwing my fist into their face, turning back towards Bellamy, throwing another punch, knocking him to the ground. I climbed over him, hitting him.

“You killed my friends!”

Someone grabbed me, causing me to start to kick, trying to pull my arms free as they pulled me off of Bellamy. I managed to kick one of them off me, turning and throwing a punch at the other person. I gasped when there was a cold metal placed at my neck, groaning as I tensed, falling to the ground, twitching. Pike walked out from behind me, walking towards Bellamy and helping him up. I glared, still feeling the electricity coursing through me as I looked up at Bellamy.

“Yo-you’re a mon-monster.”

Pike huffed, glaring down at me.

“Miss Griffin you are under arrest for attacking a member of the guard.”

“Hey!”

I saw Kane rush forward, shaking his head.

“No, you can’t do that!”

I tried to push the people who yanked me up away, gasping as I was tazed again. Everything became blurry when they tazed me a third time, causing me to groan as I looked over at Bellamy.

“I h-h-hate yo-you.”

I saw a tear fall down his face before everything became black, falling limp into the people who were holding me up.

“Is it true you tried to leave camp to see Indra yesterday?”

Octavia scoffed, shaking her head.

“Don’t you have more important things to worry about than me sneaking out of camp?”

Kane grabbed Octavia’s arm, pulling her to the side.

“As it turns out, that’s why you’re here. Indra signaled. She wants to meet. I’d go myself but Pike’s watching everything I do now.”

He handed her her sword, Octavia looking down at it as she took it from him.

“You want me to go see Indra?”

“I need you to. YN is here but-”

Octavia looked up, her eyes widening.

“YN is here?”

Kane nodded, sighing.

“She is, but she attacked Bellamy, she’s been arrested.”

Octavia made a face, tilting her head to the side.

“She attacked Bellamy? Why?”

Kane sighed, slightly shaking his head.

“Apparently she was at the village they attacked.”

Octavia clenched her jaw, nodding.

“I’m in. But how do I get out? The gate is armed with-”

Kane turned, sliding a piece of panel to the side, Octavia grinning.

“Crawl space. Door in twenty feet drops you outside the camp wall. You get out there, you find out what the hell happened and you report back here. Can you do that?”

Octavia climbed into the crawl space, looking over her shoulder, smirking at Kane.

“I was born for this.”

Octavia pushed the tarp to the side, walking in, her eyes widening.

“Octavia? Where’s Kane?”

Octavia glanced over at Clarke, huffing.

“He sent me.”

Octavia walked to Indra's side, kneeling beside her.

“Indra, thank god.”

“How did this happen?”

Octavia stood up, turning towards Lexa.

“Kane lost the election to Pike. Everything’s different.”

Clarke jumped up, Lexa turning and glaring at her.

“Your people voted for this?”

Clarke shook her head, her eyes wide.

“No. No, I don’t believe that.”

Octavia scoffed, turning towards her.

“What do you know Clarke? You haven’t been here.”

“Listen to me. The grounder army is going to be here in less than a day. I need to see Bellamy.”

Octava made a face, shaking her head.

“Bellamy was a part of this. He’s with Pike. what makes you think he’ll help us?”

“He saved Indra’s life.”

Clarke turned towards Lexa, sighing.

“If what Octavia’s saying is true, then Pike trusts him. If I can get to him, he can get to Pike.”

“You can’t just walk through the gates, Clarke. You’ve been living with their enemy. If it were me, I’d kill you on the spot.”

“They arrested YN.”

Lexa and Clarke turned towards Octavia, their eyes widening.

“What?”

Octavia glanced at Clarke before she looked over at Lexa.

“Kane said she attacked Bellamy.”

Clarke made a face, slightly shaking her head.

“Why would she-”

Octavia turned towards Clarke, huffing.

“Because she saw what happened. She was here.”

Octavia shook her head, looking over at Lexa.

“I can get her in.”

Groaning, I slowly came to, turning my head and looking around.

“Wh-”

“You’re awake, good.”

I turned, glaring as Pike walked into the room, the woman who searched me earlier walking in behind him.

“We want to ask you a few questions.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

“And I’d like to not be strapped down to a table. Last time I was, I killed the person who strapped me down.”

“You attacked a member of the guard.”

I glared at Pike as he sat down, huffing.

“Lucky it wasn’t you I hit instead. But don’t worry, there’s still time.”

Pike turned towards the woman, nodding.

“For every question you don’t answer, you get shocked.”

I scoffed, shaking my head.

“You’re gonna result to torture to get what you want? Well, let me save you the time. By now, Lexa’s probably already seen what you’ve done and soon she’ll have all of Arkadia surrounded by her army and she’ll kill every last one of you and she’ll save you for last so you can see your empire fall.”

Pike nodded, the woman stepping forward. I bit my bottom lip to keep from screaming out as she shocked me.

“Let’s try this again, now shall we?”

My chest was heaving as I fell back against the table, gasping.

“This can end YN. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know.”

I turned my head to the side, glaring at Pike.

“Go- go to hell.”

Pike huffed, looking over at Hannah.

“Again.”

Hannah nodded, turning the baton on and moving to my side, pressing the baton to my arm as the door opened.

“Sir-”

I gasped as Hannah stepped back, my chest heaving as I tensed. Bellamy’s eyes widened as the door closed behind him, turning his gaze towards Pike.

“What are you doing to her?”

Pike turned towards Bellamy, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Miss Griffin is the enemy. She’s been living and interacting with the enemy and even speaks their language.”

“Ai can’t hod op gon yu kom die.” (i can’t wait for you to die)

Pike turned towards me, glaring as he took the baton from Hannah, pressing it to my side, causing me to tense as I gasped.

“Stop! She’s not the enemy!”

Bellamy grabbed Pike’s arm, pushing it away from me, moving to stand between us.

“She’s not the enemy. She’s one of us. Everything she’s done has been because of Clarke. YN is innocent.”

Pike scoffed, shaking his head.

“She attacked you, a member of the guard.”

Bellamy shook his head, sighing.

“I’m not pressing charges.”

Pike made a face, jerking back like he had been hit.

“What?”

Bellamy looked up at Pike, slightly shaking his head.

“I’m not pressing charges. You can’t hold her anymore.”

“Sir-”

Pike shook his head, clenching his jaw.

“Release Miss Griffin, Hannah.”

Hannah scoffed, walking towards me and undoing the shackles while Pike looked over at Bellamy.

“She’s being released into your care Bellamy. You’re responsible for her, you hear me?”

Bellamy nodded, turning towards me.

“Yes sir.”

Pike nodded, glaring down at me before he walked towards the door, Hannah undoing the shackles around my ankle before she followed Pike out of the room. Bellamy turned towards me, placing his hand on my hip, the other going under my back, helping me sit up, causing me to groan. Bellamy kept his hand on my side as I held onto the edge of the table, everything slightly blurry. Bellamy reached up, placing his hand on my cheek, gently forcing me to look up at him.

“Are you okay?”

I jerked back, shaking my head

“Don’t touch me.”

Bellamy sighed, letting his hand drop to his side.

“YN please-”

I shook my head, pushing myself off the table, gasping when I fell forward, Bellamy jerking forward, grabbing me before I hit the floor, pulling me into his chest.

“YN, please, just let me help you.”

I shook my head, looking up at him, tears in my eyes.

“No. You- you killed all of them people, some of whom were my friends. Banto? He tried to protect me when Mount Weather came after us.”

I sniffled, shaking my head.

“He tried to protect me last night, he did protect me. He dragged me away from the fight.”

I scoffed, looking up at him.

“Which honestly, you can’t even call it that. Because you all had guns and we didn’t. He had to knock me out because I tried to go back. He covered me in some foliage, made it where I couldn’t be seen and then he went back.”

I sniffled, tears falling down my face.

“I found his body. I found Lyx. Adria. Dax. They were my friends. And they all had a bullet to the head.”

I shook my head, pushing away from him, grabbing onto the table to hold myself up.

“They were my friends, and you killed them.”

“Punching a member of the guard, who happens to be your boyfriend, ballsy.”

I looked up, smiling slightly as I shook my head, Kane walking into the room, sitting in the chair across from me.

“He’s not my boyfriend, not anymore.”

Kane made a face, tilting his head to the side.

“What happened?”

I sighed, looking down at the knife in my hands, twisting it on top of the table.

“I chose Clarke. The night of the summit, he asked me to come with him but I couldn’t leave Clarke so he told me if I stayed, we were over. I stayed. I stayed and he went off and started a war.”

“YN-”

I sighed, looking over at Kane.

“He killed my friends. Banto was willing to die to keep Mount Weather from taking me and instead he kept my safe while Bellamy was killing my friends.”

Kane sighed, leaning forward.

“YN, Bellamy, he’s going through something. What happened at Mount Weather changed him. Not to mention, he saw you die. He stayed by your bedside for weeks before Abby was able to get him to take a break. That boy, he would do anything for you.”

I sniffled, lifting the knife and jamming it into the table.

“And I broke him.”

Kane sighed, shaking his head.

“You didn’t.”

I scoffed, standing up.

“Sure I did. But we both broke each other in the end.”

I turned towards Kane, tilting my head to the side.

“What are you doing here?”

“Weren’t you supposed to change?”

I looked down at what I was wearing, scoffing as I looked back up at Kane.

“I don’t have anything else to change into. Besides, Pike can kiss my ass. Now stop changing the subject, why are you here.”

Kane sighed, standing up.

“I had Octavia sneak out of camp.”

“You what?!”

“And she brought Clarke back to speak with Bellamy.”

I shook my head, placing my hands on my hips.

“You did what?”

Kane sighed, shaking his head.

“YN.”

I huffed, lifting my hand as I shook my head.

“No, nope. You had Octavia sneak out of camp and bring Clarke back, knowing they could’ve been shot just to talk to Bellamy knowing that he’s not on our side, he’s against us?”

Kane huffed, nodding.

“Yes.”

I shot him a look, tilting my head ot the side.

“Where are they?”

“We did our part.”

“We?”

Clarke nodded, sighing.

“Lexa and I. YN did too after she was done crying because you broke her heart. We had the problem solved and then you let Pike ruin everything.”

Bellamy huffed, shaking his head.

“Why are you here Clarke?”

“Arkadia needs to make things right or Lexa and the twelve clans will wipe us out.”

Bellamy clenched his jaw, huffing.

“Let her try.”

I pushed the door open, Bellamy turning towards me as Clarke’s eyes widened.

“YN.”

She rushed to me, causing me to gasp as she hugged me.

“You’re okay.”

I nodded, sighing as I returned the hug.

“Yeah.”

She leaned back, looking me over, slightly making a face when Bellamy spoke.

“What are you doing here?”

I huffed, looking over at Bellamy.

“My twin senses were tingling.”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“Come on Bellamy, are you seriously not seeing what’s happening? You managed to start another war after we finished the first one.”

Bellamy scoffed, shaking his head.

“We’ve been at war since we landed. At least Pike understands that.”

I huffed, throwing my hands up.

“Pike’s the problem! You saw what he was doing to me just to get intel! Bellamy please, this isn’t who you are.”

Bellamy scoffed, shaking his head as he glared at me.

“You’re wrong. This is who I’ve always been. I let you, Clarke, O and Kane convince me that we could trust these people when they have shown us over and over who they are and I won’t let anyone else die for that mistake.”

Clarke shook her head, stepping forward.

“Bellamy please, we need you.”

I sighed, stepping forward.

“I need you.”

Bellamy scoffed, tilting his head to the side.

“You need me?”

I sighed softly, nodding.

“Yes, I do.”

I looked over at Clarke, offering her a small smile when she nodded.

“We both do.”

Bellamy huffed, shaking his head as he looked at Clarke.

“You left. You left and made me be the one to tell YN knowing that it would break her. She cried for two days!”

I bit my bottom lip, turning slightly when Clarke turned towards me, sighing softly.

“Bellamy-”

He shook his head, looking over at me, tears in his eyes.

“Yo-you left! You left me!”

I shook my head, turning towards Bellamy, balling my hands.

“You left first! You left after you said you wouldn’t! You left without a goodbye! You left!”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face as I sniffled.

“You promised me, made me promise you, always by your side, by my side, and you still left. And now?”

I shook my head, sighing.

“Now I don’t even recognize you.”

Clarke placed her hand on my shoulder, stepping forward.

“Bellamy-”

“Enough Clarke! You are not in charge here, neither of you are and that’s a good thing because people die when you’re in charge. People die around you both all the time. And you were willing to let a bomb drop on my sister. You made a deal with Lexa who left us in Mount Weather to die and forced us to kill everyone who helped us. People who trusted me.”

Clarke looked down at the floor, sitting down when Bellamy turned.

“I- I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving.”

She looked up at him, shaking her head.

“But I knew I could because they had you, they had YN. And she had you.”

I turned when I heard cuffs clicking, my eyes widening when I saw Bellamy had cuffed Clarke to the table.

“I’m sorry too.”

Bellamy stood up as Clarke shook her head, turning towards me.

“Bellamy, what are you doing?”

Bellamy shook his head, looking up at me.

“You spent two months in a coma, and no one knew if you were going to wake up. You coded, twice. Do you know how I felt seeing you passed out in Lincoln’s arms? And then I watched your heart stop. And when you woke up, I couldn’t have been more relieved. But you were more worried about finding Clarke.”

“She’s my twin! My sister!”

“And I was your boyfriend!”

I nodded, tears streaming down my face.

“I was right then. We are over.”

“YN-”

I turned, running towards the door.

“YN wait!”

I grabbed a chair, pushing it behind me, hearing Bellamy crash into it as I ran out the door, yelling over my shoulder.

“I’ll be back Clarke!”

Running down the hall, I gasped when I hit someone, shaking my head as I stepped back.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t-”

“YN? YN what’s wrong?”

I blinked, wiping the tears that had fallen as I sniffled.

“Octavia! Bellamy, he cuffed Clarke to the table. He’s gonna turn her in.”

Octavia clenched her jaw, shaking her head.

“No he’s not.”

She grabbed my hand, pulling me after her.

“Come on.”

“Believe it or not, I am doing this for your own good.”

Me and Octavia rounded the corner, Octavia running forward.

“Believe it or not, we’re doing this for yours.”

Octavia kicked Glimmer in the knee, kneeing him in the face when he fell as I grabbed the other guard, punching him in the face. Bellamy shook his head as he looked between me and Octavia, sighing.

“You can’t just hit a guard.”

“I just did.”

I shrugged slightly, glancing over at him.

“And I’ve already hit a guard.”

“Let her go.”

Bellamy shook his head, sighing.

“I can’t do that.”

I turned when I heard yelling, turning towards Octavia.

“They’re coming.”

Bellamy looked between me and Octavia, nodding.

“You should go, both of you.”

My eyes widened when Clarke turned, grabbing Glimmer’s baton, turning and hitting it against Bellamy’s side, causing him to fall to the floor, twitching as his eyes closed. She grabbed the keys from him, unlocking her cuffs.

“Clarke, hurry up.”

Clarke nodded, jumping up as I knelt beside Bellamy.

“Let’s go.”

“YN! YN come on!”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“No. Go on without me, I’ll buy you both some time.”

“YN, now is not the time to play martyr-”

I scoffed, turning around and glaring at Clarke.

“I’m not! But I’m not just going to leave him! Not again, I did that once. Now I’m staying. But you need to go.”

Clarke sighed, shaking her head.

“Ste klir.” (stay safe.)

I sniffled, nodding as I offered her a small smile.

“Yu kom. Tell Lexa, I’m sorry.” (you too)

Lexa looked up as Clarke walked in, glaring slightly as she paced.

“So tell us Clarke, how does this end. Have you come up with a way to save your people yet again?”

Clarke shook her head, huffing.

“No. Only you can do that. What happened here was an act of war. Your army was here to help us and my people slaughtered them. You have every right to respond. Every right to wipe us out. Or, you can change the way you do things.”

Indra scoffed, turning and glaring at Clarke.

“Why should she change? Blood must have blood.”

Clarke tilted her head to the side, looking over at Indra.

“Really? Because from where I stand, the only way that ends is with everyone dead.”

She turned back towards Lexa, stepping forward.

“So what kind of leader do you want to be? The kind who kills every chance she gets because that’s your way? Or the kind who shows the world a better way?”

Lexa stopped pacing in front of Clarke, glaring.

“You consider letting massacre go unavenged a better way?”

Clarke sighed, nodding.

“If it ends the cycle of violence, yes. If it brings about peace, yes. Someone has to take the first step. Let it be you.”

Lexa clenched her jaw, turning, Clarke taking a deep breath.

“You say you want peace, that everything you’ve done was to achieve that, yet here we stand on the brink of another war. A war you can stop.”

Lexa slightly shook her head, turning.

“Where is YN?”

Clarke sighed, shaking her head.

“She stayed behind. She, I don’t know what she’s doing. Pike wanted intel and his way of getting that was by shocking her. She said she was sorry, but she stayed in Arkadia.”

Indra turned towards Lexa, shaking her head.

“Commander, you can’t seriously be considering this.”

“I’m not considering it. I’m doing it.”

“Heda, please.”

“Indra, our people act as if war is easier than peace. If that’s so, should we not try and achieve the more difficult goal?”

Indra shook her head, huffing.

“Polis will not support you. Titus-”

Lexa turned, glaring at Indra as she yelled.

“Titus is my subject! They are all my subjects! Do you say they will defy me? Will you defy me?”

Indra shook her head, lowering her head slightly.

“No Heda, I will not.”

Lexa nodded, turning towards Clarke.

“Then let it be known. Blood must not have blood.”

Bellamy walked down the hall, walking into the detention cells. The guards standing watch nodded at him as he passed them. Bellamy walked up to the bars, sighing to himself as he looked over at YN.

“I told you to leave.”

She shook her head, her eyes red with tears.

“And I chose to stay.”

“You should’ve left.”

She jumped up, wiping her tears as she stalked towards the bars, weakly glaring at him.

“I stayed because of you. Because I love you!”

She shook her head, sniffling as fresh tears started to fall down her face.

“And even though we’re apparently broken up, and you’re trying to push me away, I still love you.”

Bellamy shook his head, stepping back.

“You should’ve left.”

Bellamy turned when he heard a broken sob from YN, clenching his jaw as he walked away, seeing a glimpse of her on her knees crying, Lincoln kneeling beside her.

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enkelimagnus · 3 years

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A Castle in the Forest

Percy x Vex’ahlia, Chapter 4, 3337 words,

A Modern AU, in which Vex is a park ranger taking over the Alabaster Sierras post, and finds much more than she bargained for

Read on AO3

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The Lady’s Chamber is an amphitheatre, standing facing the crossroads of the second biggest crossing of Whitestone. Vex has driven by it a couple of times now, and she’s always seen a couple of worshippers there. Now that she knows the state of the Zenith’s congregation, it seems like this one is much more popular.

The theater part is domed in cream-colored stone. It’s in much better shape than the Zenith, despite the desolate patches of grass peeking out of the stones of the courtyard surrounding it. It’s winter however, so desolate grass is no real surprise.

Whitestone feels a little less like somewhere she could run away and hide in now that she’s felt the heaviness lingering in the city’s past. Vex is a little shaken by Father Reynal, his attitude and the state of his temple.

It’s mid afternoon and the sun has descended greatly on the horizon. Shadows grow as she steps closer to the door to the inner part of the Lady’s Chamber. The theater itself is empty, but she’s hoping the sanctum will at least have a priest. And with luck, this priest will be able to help her root the fiend out.

The door is made of metal and she knocks on it with the scale-shaped knocker. Someone must have been right behind it, because she doesn’t have to wait very long before it opens.

Vex tries not to let her disappointment show on her face. The person behind the door has thick white mustaches and receding white hair and looks weathered by time. He probably won’t be up for a hike and a battle with a fiend.

Fuck, what is it with this town and elderly clerics?

“Can I help you, ser?” The older priest says with a polite but not incredibly cheerful smile.

“Good day, Elder,” Vex replies in kind, before starting to explain again who she is and why she’s there. The facts haven't changed since she’s talked to Father Reynal.

She’s faced with a similar look from this priest than Father Reynal’s. A muted concern, and light dismissal. She’s already tired of this town’s clergy and she doesn’t even know this one’s name.

“Come in, for a moment,” the priest says before letting Vex into the sanctum of the temple.

It’s a simple main room with a rectangular wooden table. The legs are sturdy, skillfully carved. Contrary to the Zenith, this priest doesn’t seem to be alone. Sitting around the table, looking up at Vex as she enters, are two individuals.

With her bow strapped to her back and her muddy boots, Vex initially felt like a sore thumb in these holy places. But when her eyes fall on one of the people in this room, she suddenly feels much better about herself.

Across the table from the entrance is a goliath. Vex has never talked to one, or been so close really. She knew there were a few working for the TWC, but none that she actually met. She’s seen a couple in passing.

They must be at least seven feet tall, skin grey and heavily tattooed all over their back and bald head. A giant axe, fit for their hand, rests against the table by their left side. By their right is sitting the other figure. Next to the goliath, this gnome looks even smaller.

Their skin is a strange purple, almost brown, their hair black with a dark purple streak. It’s a charming thing really. The difference between these two is almost comical. Vex is immediately interested.

“This young ranger seems to have picked up a fiend in the forest,” the priest says.

The goliath looks up in interest. “Do you want us to go smash it for you?”

Vex chuckles lightly. “Actually yes,” she points out. “Do you have divine gifts?”

The gnome next to the goliath laughs out lightly, looking over at their companion. “Oh, that’s funny!” Their voice is high and unbelievably sweet. Vex finds herself softening a little towards them, for no reason outside of that laugh and that voice.

“I don’t,” the goliath shrugs. “I mostly can smash things. But she’s got all the divine shit you want,” they gesture towards the gnome.

“My name is Pike Trickfoot,” the gnome introduces themselves, nodding. “I’m a cleric of the Everlight, Sarenrae. And this is Grog Strongjaw.”

Oh that is definitely what Vex needs. The Everlight is a goddess of redemption and healing and that’s absolutely the energy needed to combat a fiend and save an enthralled half-elf. It’s hard enough to charm those of elven blood, so the fiend is either powerful or very lucky. Or both. Let’s not hope for that, though.

“Vex’ahlia, ranger of the Tal’Dorei Wilderness Conservation program, stationed in the Alabaster Sierra's outpost,” she introduces herself machinally. “So you’d be willing to help?”

She’s maybe a little too business-minded, but she’s just… tired, and worried about this druid out there all alone and probably in dangerous situations.

“I would need a couple of days of preparation and some more information, but I can probably do something, yes,” the gnome, Pike, replies.

“I sensed them on the western edge of the stone platform Castle Whitestone stands on,” Vex starts explaining. “It’s reachable through a path, but it does require quite the bit of walking.”

The priest, who has been silent for a few moments, shifts, clearing their throat.

“We’re up for walking,” Pike smiles. Grog nods. They seem to be working as a pair. “In two days at dawn? If that works for you.”

It sounds almost too good to be true. She still doesn’t know the name of the priest whose temple she’s come into, but their guests are planning to help her with the fiend. After Father Reynal’s pushback, she was really not expecting much from the Lady’s Chamber.

“That works,” Vex nods. “We will meet at the mouth of the path? If you have a phone number, I could give you the map to it?”

They exchange numbers, the gnome writing out ‘Pike Trickfoot’ with a sparkle emoji as her contact. Vex just puts herself in as Ranger Vex’ahlia. Simple and to the point, she doesn’t know this sunshine of a person. She’s not going to have little personal things in there.

The priest next to them clears their throat again. Vex sends them a look. They seem to be nervous about something. They’ve now cleared their throat many times. They’re either sick or they are uncomfortable. Or, third option, they’re trying to make the gnome and the goliath notice something. Vex’ eyes narrow.

Pike smiles, looking at Vex with a warm glint to her eyes. “I do hope this will be easy work and that we will not risk too much. But we never know, with these things. Keeper Yennen has seen enough of these in his days, haven’t you?” She asks the priest who sighs.

“We’re divine servants,” he says heavily. “All our paths are eventually called to cross with a fiend’s. It comes with the faith, unfortunately.”

Vex keeps watching him. There’s something uneasy about this situation. Pike seems to be referring to something the priest does not want to discuss. Yet another untold horror. This town holds one at every corner. Everywhere Vex looks, she can see one.

“You should leave now,” Keeper Yennen nods.

This feels like déjà vu. Because it is. Once again, Vex is shoved away from a conversation, from knowledge. Once again, she politely takes the cue and leaves. She’s starting to get a little tired of it.

She hopes that, in a couple of days, she can ask Pike a couple of questions about this place.

On her way out of the courtyard surrounding the Lady’s Chamber, someone bumps hard into Vex’s shoulder. She’s seen them coming, with their long blue coat and their brown boots, but she really thought there was space for them to cross without bumping. She curses at the sudden ache that radiates into her arm and chest and whips around.

“I’m sorry!” The person she’s just bumped into says, their right hand raising to rub over their left shoulder, while Vex is rubbing her right one. They seem younger than Vex, about eighteen years old. It’s hard to tell really, with this world they all live in, this world where everyone ages differently at different rates. They seem human, but they could very much be eight hundred years old.

They’re familiar in the same way Father Reynal was. Which makes sense, because Vex saw them at the same place, at the same time, she realizes immediately.

They’re about the same size and stature as Vex is. Their hair is dark brown, almost black, but streaking with white around the temples. They had been standing in front of the Zenith, speaking with Father Reynal, when Vex drove by after her very first supply run.

“It’s all fine,” Vex shrugs.

“Have a good day!” They call out as they rush towards the Lady’s Chamber.

Vex raises an eyebrow at the retreating figure. Two temples at once? Or maybe a new convert of Erathis. Father Reynal did say the worship of Pelor has dwindled in this town.

Everyone she has met in this town, except for the gnome and the goliath, has a strange nervous energy about them. They all seem to struggle with hiding secrets, as if the skeletons are too big to fit in the closets they try to force them in. The truth, or at least the story, of what has happened in Whitestone in the past few years is eager to jump out and reveal itself.

Vex wants to know. After today, there’s no doubt about it. She wants to know about this fiend and about Castle Whitestone. About what happened to the De Rolos and why they’re gone. About the empty temples and the half dead tree in the center of town.

She guesses it’s a little rich of her to want to know and stop people from lying to her, when she’s herself running from the past and refuses to tell anyone her own last name. When she’s trying to hide her own past from herself.

She drives back home quietly, without the radio on. She lets her own thoughts be loud for once, no matter how uncomfortable it is to hear her own self-reflection, to discuss her past and future with this horrible nagging thing that is her own mind.

The sun is setting over the trees, she has a cub to take care of, and she wants to rest. She wants to light a fire, make some coffee and settle by the warmth with the cub napping on her feet.

The loneliness is getting more than bearable, it’s getting enjoyable. She loves the quiet of her cabin in the evenings, when she hears that lone wolf cry out. She’s never heard any other wolf respond to it. Poor creature. She can relate to what it must be feeling.

She does all as planned, gathers her things and makes her fire and settles with a blanket. She brushes out her hair. It’s growing more than it used to. It had fallen a lot when she was in Shademurk Bog, especially in the last couple of months, when it had gotten unbearable. It’s growing again now. She’s growing again.

Right as she’s about to fall asleep, the wolf cries. And to her great surprise, a second cry answers it. She goes to sleep with a smile on her face, and the cub snuggled against her chest. She stopped making him sleep in the crate some time ago.

Vex awakes to a chill and misty forest morning. She sees the fog wrap around the trees. The ones around the cabin are a little thinner, a little younger. The forest itself gets thinner around civilisation, as if to protect its oldest, most precious mysteries with barriers upon barriers of younger fodder.

She’s halfway through her breakfast when the talkie-walkie hisses with an incoming call. The thing that’s not supposed to work, because the other half of the pair of walkies was lost with the previous ranger.

“Hello? Hello, is there anyone here?”

The voice seems a little anxious, a little hurried. Something’s wrong. Vex bolts from her chair and rushes to the dust-covered walkie.

“Ranger Vex’ahlia, speaking. Can you tell me what’s happening?” She asks, forcing her voice to stay calm and soothing.

“Yeah, huh, hi, huh,” the voice continues. “We found this and a body? In the middle of a clearing?”

A body? Vex’s heart freezes in her chest and she forces herself to swallow. She’s trained for this. She needs to call in the local authorities, which she knows to be the Pale Guard. She grabs her phone from her pocket without thinking, ready to dial as she walks.

“Can you tell me where you are?” She responds. “There should be a trail marker within a hundred yards of you, if you haven’t strayed too far from the path. I’ll be there asap.”

The walkie goes quiet then, and she waits with bated breath for the person to contact her back with a position. It takes a few horrible frozen minutes for the receiver to crackle again, and she’s given the coordinates.

“I’ll be there asap,” she repeats. ”I will be contacting the authorities too, so do not be surprised if members of the Pale Guard arrive as well.”

“Okay, thank you,” the voice replies.

Vex volts back, dialing the Pale Guard emergency number that gets her directly to someone without going through any helplines. She slides the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she straps her quiver to her thigh and grabs her bow. She puts her coat on and walks into the foggy morning.

It takes her about forty-five minutes to get to the trail marker she was given. She follows instructions and finds the camp of the person that contacted her quickly. A fire is lit in the center of an encampment of three small orange tents. She notices a crossbow resting against one of the tents’ sides.

“Hello? I’m the ranger you had on the walkie,” she calls out.

Three figures come out of the tent with the crossbow. They’re tall, two humans and a dwarf. One of the humans, tall with blonde hair, has a smaller version of a quiver strapped to their thigh.

The dwarf’s right hand is gloved, and in the glove, they hold the walkie. It’s dirty, with dark stains that Vex already knows is blood.

“Thank you for coming,” one of the humans says.

“I’m doing my job,” she replies. “Now show me the body.”

They take her a little bit further from the camp. The body is half-sat against a tree. The right side of it is burnt to a crisp and the left is wracked by large claw marks. The blood that burst from those wounds has long dried on the intact clothing.

There’s no way Vex can recognize them by looking at their face, half is charred and the other is almost fully melted from the heat, frozen now into a horrifying grimace. No wonder those who found the body sounded so tense on the walkie.

Her eyes fall on the insignia on the mostly intact part of the clothing. She swallows. It’s a triangular shape, of a burnt orange color, with the silhouette of Tal’Dorei in dark green over it. The letters TWC are written in white over the continent. Vex wears the insignia’s twin on her coat.

It’s Regae. It has to be. She doesn’t know of any other people from the TWC in the area, and the body isn’t old enough to be a previous ranger. Regae had been there for fifty years when he disappeared.

She takes a deep breath. “Alright,” she nods. “Thank you for calling me in. The Pale Guard will be here shortly to identify what has happened there.”

The human with the small quiver now has their crossbow in hand, ready to go. Machinally, Vex searches for the crossbow bolts and what they look like. She did make a promise, however unspoken, to the cub, after all.

Her sight falls on the ends of the crossbow bolts, the fletching. The pattern is immediately familiar. It’s the same one as the one she had to pull out of her sleeping cub. Her eyes narrow at the human.

“May I have your name, please?” She asks, trying to keep the anger from her voice. It seems to work, as the human doesn’t look as suspicious as he would have otherwise. She takes an arrow out of her quiver.

“Donavan Clarence,” the human nods.

“I see you enjoy hunting, Donovan,” Vex gestures towards the crossbow. “What kind of game are you after? Are you more of a pheasant type, or do you go after bigger prey? Let’s say, bears for example.”

Her voice is cold as ice now, her hand on her bow, ready to notch the arrow, draw back, and shoot.

The human stares at her intensely. “Why are you asking?” They growl.

“Maybe because it’s my fucking job to keep the innocent creatures of this forest safe from criminals like you,” she shrugs, and draws her bow.

She’s incredibly close to them, and if she shoots, it will hurt. They both know it. She hopes the Pale Guard isn’t far. By killing the mother of the cub, Donovan Clarence has committed a crime. National Parks protect the creatures they watch.

The human looks at her, full of contempt. “You have no idea what you’re doing, half-elf,” they hiss. Their hand drifts to the bolts and Vex’ hand loosens.

The arrow shoots through the hair and goes straight through the palm of the human. They scream in surprised pain. Blood gushes out of the wound and starts streaming down their hand and arm, soaking their sleeve.

Around them, the two others get their swords out, ready to defend their friend. Vex swallows. Okay, maybe she jumped into this one a little too early. With lightning-fast motions, she notches another arrow into the bow.

“You have no right to hurt the creatures of this park,” Vex continues. “The only person allowed to deal with threats in here is me.”

“It was a last minute situation, ser!” The other human tries, but their voice falters with hesitation and Vex knows they’re lying.

The cold eyes of Donovan Clarence and their total lack of remorse is enough to see clearly through this conversation. They had fun killing an innocent bear and trying to kill its cub as well. It was pure cruelty.

“The Pale Guard is on its way,” Vex reminds, taking a step back to encompass all of them in her line of sight. “You have no choice but to surrender. The one who killed the bear, if they’re not the same as Ser Clarence, will probably be arrested for poaching.”

She can see them start to shift uncomfortably. They’re calm for now, but this is not going to continue to be calm if it goes on much longer. Her bow is drawn again.

They stay like this, waiting for one of them to make a move, for what feels like an hour. It’s probably close to a couple of seconds before there’s noise coming from the path and a loud shout of “Pale Guard, put your weapons down!”.

Vex exhales. Thank the Gods for this. She knows she wouldn’t have been able to take down three people. They may not look strong enough to match her one-on-one, but this would have been three-on-one. She wouldn’t have come out of there looking good, if at all.

She gets to explain her point and the Pale Guard believes her. She’ll have to answer more questions in town, but they know what her job is, and she introduced herself when she first arrived. It also seems like Donovan Clarence has been suspected to be a criminal hunter for a long time. They’re just finally able to get some proof of it.

As Clarence and their buddies are taken away, Vex’ attention is violently brought back to the very dead body of the previous ranger. One of the members of the Pale Guard there is now crouched by the body, running spells over it to try and determine cause and date of death.

They get back up and walk back to where Vex is standing, arms crossed, looking quite worried.

“We’ve found traces of fiendish magic on the burnt side of this body,” they explain. “You have a fiend on your hands, ser.”

Vex sighs. “Thank you,” she nods. “I sensed a fiendish presence around Castle Whitestone yesterday.”

The guard looks around. “We’re quite far from the Castle Whitestone, in a completely different direction.”

That’s true, but she’s pretty sure the range of her trance would be enough to find a fiend around this area. “How long have they been dead?”

There’s more looking around and more thoughtful pondering airs on the guard’s face. They’re writing things absent-mindedly on a red-covered notepad.

“With the weather here and all… I would say about four months.”

Four months? That means there’s been a fiend around the forest for at least that long. Vex prays to anyone that can hear that Regae hadn’t been investigating other deaths from the same creature when they found it.

“Would the Pale Guard be able to lend me a couple of people to help defeat the fiend?” Vex asks after a moment.

The guard stares at her. “The Pale Guard isn’t trained to hunt creatures in the Parchwood Timberlands, ser.”

“It’s ma’am,” Vex specifies more out of habit than anything else. “Then who is trained to do that?”

They tense slightly, closing up their little notepad and shoving their hands in their pockets. “That would be the Grey Hunt, ma’am, but they haven’t really been around since…”

Has she stumbled upon another one of those untold stories, again? How many fucking mysteries are there in this godsforsaken town?

“Since what? I’m new here, I don’t know anything about the local history,” she snaps.

“Since the De Rolo massacre.”

Almost immediately after that, their superior calls for the guard she’s been talking to and they’re delighted to escape. Vex curses at the retreating back of the humanoid and stomps one foot in the soft floor of the forest.

The De Rolo massacre. What the fuck happened in this city? Why won’t anyone tell her about it? She can feel her own frustration growing in her chest. She wishes she was a black dragon, so she could spit out that angry acid.

After that, none of the guards seem to want to talk much to her. They pack up the body of Regae to bring it to their lab and verify the readings of the initial spells, and only nod at her goodbye.

She’s left alone in the clearing, with fire burnt out and the tents still fixed into the ground.

#perc'ahlia #fic #mine #vox machina #critical role #percy de rolo #vex'ahlia

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eponymous-rose · 5 years

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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E52 (Feb. 26, 2019)

There’s a lot to unpack here.

This week’s guests are Laura Bailey and Liam O’Brien!

Announcements:

Travis Willingham’s Yeehaw Game Ranch debuted today on CR’s Twitch channel! Travis and Brian will be livestreaming every other week at 4 PM Pacific (alternating with MAME Drop). Today’s episode will go up on YouTube on Thursday. On Monday, March 4, the Kickstarter for the VM cartoon will go live! They’ve been talking about this almost since the start. This episode of TM will be uploaded to YT on Thursday morning, and will be available on a one-week delay in podcast form!

The cowboy hat makes the rounds. Laura points out that she was actually in an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

Okay, on to episode 52: Feral Business. (Liam, just as the splash screen comes up: “That means masturbating.”)

Laura: “I think everybody should refer to their penis as a tiefling. Anyway, continue.”

There’s a discussion about classes for said tieflings. It gets a little out of hand.

Stats! Jester got her 5th HDYWTDT of the campaign against the shoosuva. Caleb has now dealt over 1,400 points of damage. (Liam: “Really?”) Frumpkin got his first natural 20 to perceive the rats and shoosuva.

Laura and Liam have a heated negotiation about who gets to cuddle the Jester and Kiri plushies.

100% of the out-of-character motivation for the Disguise Self was just Liam missing being Laura’s twin. Liam: “You know, I like to have fun in my D&D games.” They enjoyed getting to sit next to each other again at the live show.

Brian: “What were you gossiping about?” Liam: “Your tiefling.” Laura: “Specifically yours.”

Jester’s view on Caleb hasn’t changed since his backstory reveal. Laura: “I feel like it makes more sense that he’s more standoffish, and it made me feel much more guilty for the times I gave him shit for being muddy and stinky and stuff.” She points out that Jester got to see a lot of different types of people pass through, not to mention listen in on their conversations, and probably has a broader experience with a variety of people than some might expect.

Liam talks about how Xhorhas is “rough, and the customs are different, but it’s a real place” and not the bogeyman often presented to the Empire.

He objects to a question talking about how Caleb’s planning to take down people in the Empire, pointing out that he’s never confirmed that. Laura immediately concocts a theory about Caleb being a top-secret spy for the Empire.

Laura: “Jester has no idea that her charisma isn’t as high as... Beau’s or... is Beau’s very high?” She loved leading a diplomatic conversation, and didn’t know how it would turn out, but she feels like she killed it.

Snoozy Henry!

Liam: “Caleb’s not scared of being manipulated. I think that’s done.” It feels off being away from the Empire, not because he still feels loyalty, but mainly because everything that matters to him is still there.

Another round of dick jokes comes to a climax (sorry) with “Cocks Machina”.

Gif of the Week! Jester learning the ways of the goth.

If the opportunity presents itself, even in Xhorhas, Jester will 100% pull a prank and try to spread the word of the Traveler. “Nothing is sacred to Jester!”

Laura mentions that she has no backup character planned if Jester dies; she feels like having a backup will make her more likely to accept the possibility of losing Jester.

Jester doesn’t really care about the Empire vs. Krynn conflict. “Political bullshit. I don’t think the Krynn are necessarily evil, but I don’t know.” Liam points out that nobody really knows the motivations behind the conflict in the first place. Caleb mainly sees it as a big mess. “Caleb will still have emotional ties to where he was born and raised, but he knows they’re flawed and awful. They’re really terrible people.”

Laura’s theory: “The Empire stole a lot of artifacts. They stole the dodecahedron. The Krynn just want it back. And now we have it. And we’re fucking everything up.”

Big Tiefling Energy.

Jester on tattoos: “Nah, I’m not afraid of the pain! I can take it! I’m really strong!” She’d totally get a tattoo if the right idea came along.

Caleb isn’t too concerned about the group getting sidetracked, since he doesn’t really have “an agenda for where he wants to go”. He wouldn’t want to do something boring, but that’s not exactly a worry with this group. “They keep going to places with things he’s interested in.”

Laura on Jester’s changing dynamic with Nott: “It’s interesting to find out that Nott’s a mom. She knows what that relationship means, and she is just devastated for Nott that she can’t be with her son.” What seemed the worst was that she didn’t have someone who thinks of her the way Jester thinks of her mom. “I thought about so many times just her not taking a bath. It just makes me so sad.”

Fan Art of the Week! A giant city-tortoise.

Liam: “Man, get a load of Brian’s kenku.” Dani: “This has to stop.”

What the heck does “consecuted” mean? Laura: “I think it means something about being reborn.” Liam: “Yeah, reincarnation.”

Liam on potentially picking the wrong spells: “I don’t worry that I will. I just know that I will.” Marisha warned him.

Brian asks Laura about where her vote’s hovering in the vote for DnD Beyond’s president. Laura: “I feel like Liam has a stronger platform.” Liam: “Is that a dick joke?” Laura: “I’m sitting next to Liam. So Liam.”

Dani: “Contractually, as Sam’s campaign manager, I have to vote for Sam. But he’s also not paying me, so I’m just saying, Liam, if you paid me, I could maybe switch sides. Look, I’m working for exposure only, and I’m feeling very exposed.” Liam: “Listen, my shell corporation will talk to your shell corporation after the show.”

Jester’s not too worried about the group being disrespectful by hanging onto the dodecahedron. “It’s a powerful thing! Look at it! We can play with it!” Liam: “Yeah, it’s not her god.”

Liam: “I miss playing twins.” Laura: “I do too, buddy.”

Henry is moved to the couch when Liam starts literally curling up on the floor to be closer to him:

Jester would create a Magical Viagra spell. Dani: “Like the Wand of Smiles, but for dicks!” Laura: “The point of it would be to just make people feel awkward.”

On Jester checking on Fjord’s tusks: “It’s important to her that he appreciates himself as much as others appreciate him.”

Liam: “My character will probably die soon anyway.” Everyone: “LIAM O’BRIEN.”

Laura points out that Jester’s come closer to death than Caleb. “If anyone’s going to die soon, it’s me.” Brian: “Stop it! Stop!”

Search for Grog Questions (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

The group played a private home game as Vox Machina for fun recently (”It didn’t make sense, but it was fun!”). Liam was envious of the group getting to play their characters again, so he wanted to play something at least VM-adjacent. He also loves building out the world and wanted to continue fleshing that out. “She saw VM, unbeknownst to them, a couple times.” He also wanted to be able to keep people from dying and “breaking the universe.”

Laura on playing VM again: “It was really crazy, and me and Taliesin gave each other the biggest hug after the show. I missed Percy and I missed that relationship so much!”

Having Lieve’tel around was painful, but Vex “didn’t have the same reaction to it the way Keyleth did. It was bittersweet. I think she appreciated that someone appreciated what her brother did.”

Gilmore and Allura’s voices were big moments of nostalgia. Percy-Vex banter. Scanlan wanting to kill Trinket. (Laura really thought she’d have to leave Trinket behind, and the “I can carry him” killed her.) Scanlan’s singing. Pike! Liam: “Roasting the shit out of Travis.” Laura: “Oh my god.”

#critical role #critical role spoilers #talks machina #talks machina spoilers #long text post

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