#Caleb-the-ocean-creature

[page-2-ids]

Hello hello! I love all the stuff you’ve coined! Is it possible you can do one related to the movie Scream (1996 vers aka the first movie) if you haven’t already?

Thank you and queued!

#Caleb-the-ocean-creature #Ask #not a gender #synth requests #Okay I get a feeling I’ve seen this before #But I could not find it #If anyone can (assuming it exists) #Just let me know and I’ll still do this just as an alt flag and credit the original

[utilitycaster]

Level Up post: The Mighty Nein!?

🎶It's been a while🎶but our heroes are level 17, which means they've leveled up once in the past six months, and Kingsley has presumably been level grinding by fighting ghosts or dinosaurs or stuff.

Everyone's proficiency bonus is now +6, and the two standard spell casters present, Jester and Caleb (everyone hope that Caduceus is having a great time not being killed by the ocean) have access to 9th level spells.

Obligatory reminder that corrections are welcome, speculation is fine as long as you understand it's speculative which is why I didn't include it, and if you want to list every possible spell Caleb could take, do so on your own blog because I too own many D&D books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.

Beau: Beau's punches now deal 1d10 damage, she has 17 ki points, and she gets Debilitating Barrage: if she hits a creature, she can spend three ki points to make a creature vulnerable to one type of damage for one minute, or until they take damage of that type. This can only be done on the same creature once a day. Fun fact: this is actually very similar to Caduceus's Path of the Grave Channel Divinity feature!

Caleb: Caleb gets a ninth level spell slot, can prepare another spell, and learns two spells automatically; he may have also copied some spells in his downtime. We haven't seen what those spells are yet, so place your bets! Most of the 9th level wizard spell list rules, but time stop, shapechange, true polymorph, mass polymorph, and foresight all seem to be the most likely. I suppose meteor swarm is also within his wheelhouse. My hot take is that despite the name, Time Ravage isn't totally Caleb's vibe, but like, I wouldn't be mad about high level dunamancy.

Fjord: Fjord took a fifth level in paladin, giving him access to 2nd level paladin spells, plus he gains one first level spell slot and two second levels. He also gets an extra attack, and if Matt was feeling generous he may have let Travis finagle this so that Thirsting Blade, which is an invocation that achieves the same thing, can be swapped for a different invocation, but I wouldn't guarantee it. He also gains the oath spells Augury (which we saw) and Misty Step.

Jester: Jester gets a ninth level spell slot and can prepare one more spell per day. She can destroy undead of challenge level 4 now, and she now can have FOUR duplicates and move any number of those four as a bonus action. The cleric 9th level spell list is pretty short and Mass Heal seems to be the most useful option.

Kingsley: Kingsley leveled up considerably in blood hunter and took levels in Swashbuckler Rogue. I don't know for sure what level he is, but his access to Grim Psychometry and his speed is 35 feet/second indicates he's taken up to at least 10th level. He's also taken at least three levels in rogue because we know he's a swashbuckler (sneak attack when fighting without any allies in melee with the creature, which is why swashbucklers rule). So: three blood curses at least and possibly four if he's level 14 blood hunter; hemocraft die of either 1d6 or 1d8 depending if he's level 10 or higher in blood hunter; at least 2 and possibly 3 crimson rites (if he's level 14) in addition to his Order-specific Rite of the Dawn; and Aether walk (phasing between things on the ethereal plane, which Taliesin had expressed interest in upon Molly's death.) He's also got the typical rogue features of a cunning action, expertise, sneak attack and thieves' cant (please talk with Veth in thieves' cant, it's all I want). Personally, because this group is not hurting for expertise between Veth, Beau, and Caleb, and blood hunter is a tank-y class and Kingsley's got Molly's tough feat and bonuses to dex saves as a blood hunter such that uncanny dodge/evasion aren't too crucial, I would go with the 14 blood hunter levels - levels 11-14 are some good shit. However, we don't know for sure how those remaining four levels are distributed between blood hunter and rogue.

Veth: Veth took her 17th level in rogue, bringing her to Rogue 16/Wizard 1. She took an ASI to strength and constitution. She has learned, in addition to the mostly unrevealed wizard spells (Tenser's Floating Disk my beloved though), another Arcane Trickster spell (wizard spell, either enchantment or illusion, can be up to 3rd level) and has another third level spell slot.

Yasha: Yasha gets a 6th rage per day and her brutal critical goes up to three additional dice.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #mighty nein

[queeniecook]

October 22

“Are you ready for a big day of hanging out with Rahmi?” I asked Este early this morning. Caleb offered to feed her but I said I’d do it. It’s one of my bonding times with our daughter. Caleb has been great about making sure I get to sleep at night when Este needs something. One of the perks of having a hot vampire hubby. 

Este babbled in baby talk to me, I assumed that was a yes.

I gave Este her bath after I had mine. She seems to really love bath-time and water in general, maybe it’s a sign that she may be a mermaid? Or she just likes water.

I picked out a Spooky Day themed outfit for her to wear for our outing with Rahmi. It’s a great thing that we have so many people and beings that surround us that offer support and love.

Rahmi took us to the Creature Keeper’s cottage but he wasn’t home. Still, it’s a beautiful place in the countryside I had somehow never been to before. Este enjoyed looking at all the bees and butterflies that were still fluttering around, it’s been a warmer Autumn so far. Rahmi and I discussed her looking in on the house and chickens while my family is away in Sulani. We’ll be taking a trip there shortly after Spooky Day. I haven’t gotten to swim in the ocean since I was in my second trimester of pregnancy, my body and soul are longing for it. It will also be great to spend time with my brother and his family in the home we grew up in.

#the grant legacy #ts4 legacy #generation 2 #generation 3 #vera grant-vatore #vera grant #este vatore #rahmi watson #ts4 #thesims4 #sims 4 #sims4 #henford on bagley #that lot really is pretty #ts4 story #sims4 story #sims4 storytelling #vera and este #Vera still has it dude lol #simsstories #sims4 legacy

[12pt-times-new-roman]

c3e59

let's go back in tiiiiime

"Where are we?" "Where's everybody else?" "Where's Imogen?"

This area is rife with not just volcanic activity, but with seismic activity as well, and Ruidus is to the south.

Laudna identifies a handful of places that match this description: the Truskan Vale (near Kamordah), the Panagrip Sands (to the far east of Marquet), and the Spectrum Gorge in the middle of Issylra.

Orym to Caleb, via sending stone: "Um... Caleb Widogast? Are you alright? Where are you? Not sure we're even in Marquet anymore. Please respond." He's met with a feedback loop and static.

Orym to Dorian, vis sending stone: "Dorian? Can you hear me? Uh... what's the sky look like where you are? Tell me you're okay." Same thing.

They crest a ridge of the gorge, and beyond, there's a dense forest, a cluster of growth affixed to the mineral-rich earth. Orym, with a passive perception of 31, sees movement — 

AIMEE!!!!

She's a dwarf with long blond hair, covered in tattoos — two stand out, one of a banner heart that says "me" instead of "mom," and one with a large cursive D. She's wearing earring hoops that say "fuck off." A corset, bejeweled boots, a massive gold belt buckle, carrying a whip and a sickle.

I'm calling it right now, this woman is going to romance Laudna and Ashton.

An hour ago, she was in Tal'dorei looking for her ex. She almost found him when she heard Ludinus' voice, saw white light, then appeared in this forest.

Mona is a barbarian/rogue (who rolled excellent stats btw).

From the top, they can see that the gorge is a massive canyon at least two miles long. Ruidus is to the southwest of them. An extremely overgrown and vibrant forest surrounds the canyon, and there's a river nearby.

Orym can see another gathering of leylines to the northeast — another nexus point, miles off. Loosely in that direction, he can see a township, and beyond that, a massive mountain range with one singular mountain taller than any he's ever seen — the Heaven's Stair. The entire western side of his vision is taken up by a mountain range that looks so foreboding and ominous that he doesn't even want to go near it. To the south, ocean.

Traveling to the northeast, they encounter a fire and send Pate to scout. (Friendly reminder that Pate uses the stat block of an imp, so he can turn invisible at will.) At the fire, there's a cart, a reindeer-looking beast of burden, and a humanoid figure warming their hands.

Utkarsh Ambudkar is an actor best known for his roles in Pitch Perfect and Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Bor'dor is a half-elf "built like a coat hanger." 6'4 but hunched over, delicate fingers, no scars or tattoos. Brown skin with shades of green and gold, unkempt hair, and large gold-amber eyes. A face that carries the resting expression of "what the fuck is going on?" No armor, a green cloak, leather shoes, and a crossbow.

He shoots a 5th-level lightning bolt at Mona, then casts cure wounds at second level. He's a divine soul sorcerer!

He was in the Cyrios Mountains on Wildemount (near Pride's Call) with his sheep — his family raises sheep and sheepdogs — and caring for his sick brother. Then he felt a humming, heard a voice and a droning, a pain in his forehead — then he got teleported here, along with his cart.

And apparently he just... spontaneously gained 9 levels in sorcerer over the course of the hours he's been here. Which, if he's a divine soul sorcerer, is super fucking concerning considering what we know about the gods giving large amounts of power to their followers from EXU: Calamity.

Mona's whip is a whip of warning, which gives her advantage on initiative rolls. Also, creatures within 30 feet of her cannot be surprised, and if they're sleeping naturally and combat starts, they wake up at the start of combat.

Orym spots another figure, walking through the forest, approaching the light and conversation.

EMILY!!

She's a shadar-kai elf with emo girl tattoos with runes instead of song lyrics, but she's dressed in the formal attire of a mage's apprentice. Indoor kid vibes, clothes not meant for adventuring, "coming out of a tense conversation with a book."

She's a Cobalt Soul apprentice!! She's here asking about their "experiences with the apogee solstice."

Her book talks to her. She was sent by the Cobalt Soul, but with a sentient book chaperone. It's a tome with black and brown leather and silver runes, with a scrunched face roughly pressed into the front. Denios was trapped in a book during a rivalry, the Cobalt Soul got their hands on it, and now he's a chaperone.

The Cobalt Soul didn't know where she was gonna end up, but they sent her through a teleport spell hoping for a metropolis — and ended up here. So this confirms that teleport works, but there's no guarantee where you're gonna end up.

Prism was stepping outside the library to prepare for her teleportation when she heard Ludinus, saw a flash, and ended up here.

The Soul knew that the apogee solstice would be a "cataclysmic event." They scrounged up everyone they could and dispatched them to try to figure out what's happening.

The sentient book is also her spellbook, so she's stuck with him.

It sounds like Prism is an order of scribes wizard? That would make sense for the Cobalt Soul.

Mona's "real" name is Deni$e. Her nails are incredibly sharp stilettos. Her demeanor reminds me a lot of Keg.

More rustling in the bushes! More people?

Nope! Initiative at the end of the break.

Prism has a raven familiar she calls "mother." She also invokes the spirit of her spellbook, confirming that she's an Order of Scribes wizard.

Denise has at least 3 levels in rogue, because her sneak attack is 2d6, and at least 2 levels in barbarian, because she has reckless attack.

Gods, I forgot how much I love Talisein's descriptions of Ashton's attacks and rage builds. They're all so good.

Oooooh, I've never seen steel wind strike used in a game before! It's a 5th level ranger/wizard spell from Xanithar's that deals 6d10 force damage on a hit to up to 5 creatures within range. Then, regardless of whether it hit or not, the caster can teleport to a space within 5 feet of any of the targets.

Also, yes, rules-as-written a familiar counts as an ally that can proc sneak attack. So if Veth, as an arcane trickster, had taken find familiar, or if Frumpkin was used in this way, she could've gotten sneak attack much more reliably. Personally, I find it strange that familiars can do this while spiritual weapons cannot, but yeah.

I love that Bor'dor, the newly-minted sorcerer who has no idea how to use his magic purposefully, is this party's only source of healing (besides Laudna's wither and bloom, which hardly counts). From that, it seems like this group is much more geared toward social encounters than physical ones,

YO. EMILY. that is a DOPE FUCKING MOVE

The plant swallows Orym, then the book goes in behind him and gets into contact, then Prism casts dimension door through the book on Orym to teleport them out.

THIS is why I absolutely love watching veteran players on Critical Role. People new to the system have their own unique charm to the way they play their characters, but people like Emily and Aabria who are highly experienced with and aware of D&D 5e know to make incredibly creative moves like that.

And at the same time, Utkarsh (and guests new to 5e) pushes the limits of the rules, because they're not familiar with those rules, to a point that they come up with wildly creative plays based on what knowledge they do have of the rules-as-written that end up being clutch moves.

Combat ends.

Prism's raven is named after both her own mother and the Matron of Ravens, because the latter is prominent in the Shadowfell.

Prism is "really new to spellcasting," despite being a 9th-level wizard who is therefore capable of casting things like contact other plane, create spelljamming helm, legend lore, and teleportation circle. tbh this is such a cool take on wizards -- someone who's never tested their spells in combat situations, but who's confident in their own ability with those spells in more innocuous circumstances, due to their expansive study and lack of practical experience.

Also, Prism knows exactly who Ludinus Da'leth is, though she's never interacted with him directly, because of his leadership of the Cerberus Assembly.

"We don't leave people behind. That's the rule. You do not leave people the fuck behind." I love that this has become the center of Ashton's philosophy, because it makes so much sense. They were left behind, left for dead, and a single person stayed by their side, helped them, saved them. So of course they are going to be that person for someone else. Of course they would rather be the Milo, of course they'd rather try in vain to save someone instead of leaving them behind and subjecting them to the same pain and isolation that they themself felt.

Also, again, Emily is using the same logic for Prism as Aabria did for Laerryn. Maybe it's just because we've never really had a proper elf PC (or a player-character who had the trance ability), but this is just such a cool take on trance...... I love it.

Ahhh, so Prism doesn't necessarily believe the gods should die but she does believe that they might deserve to be usurped by mortals ascending to godhood like the Raven Queen. With a skill check, Prism's truthful reason is that she's feeling excited to be out of the library. She thought she was going to freak out, but she didn't, and she's excited by that -- she feels like she could smoke a cigarette in a single drag, she feels that rush of adrenalin. It's like when Caleb said in C2 that they were all addicts to the thrill of battle, the adrenalin of purpose.

Bor'dor doesn't remember his mother very well, and he hasn't seen her in a very long time. He believes that his magic comes from the love of his mother, and he's clinging to that. He and Prism take the first watch, and bond over their ability to trance.

Yep, Prism is 100% an order of scribes wizard. Manifest Mind is a 6th level ability of that subclass.

Ashton panicked, down in the mines. They thought they'd won, they thought Laudna had won, and they think they made some bad calls. Laudna says that "we're a bunch of dumb-fucks, going up against a 500-year-old wizard, so..." And Ashton reassures her that they're gonna get their people. They're gonna get Prism, Bor'dor, and Deni$e to where they need to go, then they're gonna find Imogen. "If they went to space, then we'll go to space... if she got vaporized, we'll bring her back. This is what we do. We bring everybody back. There is no failure in this, and we're going to figure it out because it's what matters. I have-- whatever broken thing that's in my head, that means that anything's possible now, that's what I've decided. We brought you back, and we can do it again... sure, we're not enough to save the world, but we are more than enough to bring everybody back... we can't save the world, but we can save our people. We're going to."

I never really got to know Percy, I liked Molly, I loved Caduceus... but I want to fucking study Ashton like a bug under a microscope, I want to turn them around in my brain like a microwave. They are fascinating,

Deni$e and Orym take the last watch. Deni$e knows Shaun Gilmore! She went to Emon looking for him specifically. She also knows Dariax, "that piece of shit." She knows Orym from wanted posters all over Emon -- the Nameless Ones have put up wanted posters for all of the Crown Keepers.

Dariax has a dumptruck ass, canon.

DARIAX IS THE EX DENI$E WAS LOOKING FOR

And the Nameless Ones were going after her because they were looking for what Dariax stole, and as soon as she saw him months later, she got teleported here.

Orym has flashes of Keyleth, Will, the horrors they've witnessed. It permeates this light conversation, his entire existence. He drinks, heavier than we've seen him drink the entire campaign. "I just... I just don't think I've ever felt so small."

Prism doesn't know sending, but if she can find a scroll or a copy of a spell, she can transcribe it into her spellbook very quickly. She wants to find a library or some discarded spellbooks so she can help, so she can cast sending.

As an interesting note, this is also an Order of Scribes ability! Usually, it takes 2 hours per spell level for a wizard to transcribe a spell, but for an Order of Scribes wizard it takes two minutes per spell level.

"That mountain to the north is the Ascendant Bridge, the tallest mountain in Exandria... it's visible as far away as Vasselheim. It's believed to be where the gods first arrived in the world." The party is within a gorge of Othanzia, the region in which Vasselheim, the dawn of all civilization, sits.

The party can still see Ruidus, even in the early daylight. They can see townships around -- they have options scattered in every direction.

#critical role #note watches c3 #critical role spoilers #critical role campaign 3 #critical role c3 #critical role liveblog #it's so interesting to look at how different and yet how so SO similar the guests are here versus the guests for Team Wildemount #like sure-- none of them are particularly reverent of the gods #nor do they really believe in their abilities #but they all recognize #in a general sense #that killing the gods is a Bad Thing To Do #and all five of them express that in entirely different ways #and the PCs are all in line with this too #none draw power directly from the gods and none are particularly pious #and yet the rational of them recognize that the gods and their support just disappearing overnight #would trigger a cataclysm on Exandria and beyond.

[realmackross]

PARTIES: @dirtwatchman, @realmackross TIMING: Week of September 18th SUMMARY: Mack meets her brain dealer for the first time, and the pair actually find they have more in common than they thought. WARNINGS: Alcohol mention tw, brief mention of suicidal ideation tw, and lots of talk of body parts since these are zombies lmao

It wasn’t uncommon for people to be walking around Wicked’s Rest with an igloo cooler in their hands, something that Caleb counted on when he had to make deliveries to one of his clients. Most people assumed that the man loved to fish, using the cooler for his lunch or whatever he caught in one of the many lakes or the ocean and he was just fine with keeping that illusion up even if he didn’t like to fish. His foster dad had taken him a few times when he’d been younger but Caleb had always felt bad for the poor wiggling creatures as they gasped for air on the end of a hook, something that had been a source of ridicule before. No, he stayed away from that these days. But if anybody asked, it was one of his main hobbies in life.

He pulled the cooler from the passenger seat of his beat up pick up, the vehicle looking so out of place in the Harborside neighborhood. When Taylor had texted him the address he hadn’t been expecting such an immaculate looking place especially since they’d always met in public before. It was the first time Caleb had been to her residence.

The sprawling gate that stood before him puzzled the zombie until he spotted the little intercom, Caleb’s brows furrowing before he slowly reached out to push the button. There was a beep and he stood there for a second, not sure whether he was supposed to talk into it or not. This was completely different than what he was used to. “Uh…I’m looking for Taylor?” It was posed as a question and he grimaced, knowing he sounded so stupid. “Yea, um…Taylor gave me this address for a delivery. Is she here?” 

—

Mackenzie hadn’t been back home too long. It had been weird coming back. It was so quiet. Eerily quiet fitting for the zombie herself, but she had already missed Monty, the farm hands, and Sallama Gomez. She knew she could go back and visit anytime she wanted, but what was she supposed to do all the other moments of the day? It didn’t help that both Winter and Taylor were mad at her. And she knew Alex was probably spending most of her time with Cass. Mackenzie had felt lonelier now then she had before going off the rails as a possessed zombie.

But one other issue that Mack was facing was the fact that for her fresh stock of brains, she was going to have to meet with the supplier herself. Something Taylor had arranged in the past. And speak of the devil, she had heard the intercom system go off.

To say she wasn’t nervous was an understatement. What was this person like? Did they know who she was? Were they going to try anything? I mean, she was dead, so what could they possibly get from her? Hearing the confused voice on the other end made Mack a little hesitant, but if she didn’t want a repeat of the past week's events then she was going to have to face the man herself.

Pressing the button, Mackenzie unlocked the gate. She had refused to say anything over the intercom system, rather opting to see if he was alone, when he reached the front door. Thank goodness for security cameras.

—

When he heard the buzz and then the sounds of the gates swinging open, Caleb stood up straight and stared down at the little box. Would Taylor send him to his death? They’d been doing these exchanges for some time now and he’d never gotten the indication that she would sell him out but the lack of an answer from the other end had his mind spinning with the possibility. His eyes traveled to the gate that was now sitting open for him before moving back to gaze at his truck, the zombie contemplating getting inside the vehicle and getting the hell away from this place before something came at him. 

He was dead already, yes, but that didn’t mean he liked being attacked any more than the next person. Dying sucked and it hurt like a bitch. 

Coming to the conclusion that Taylor could have sold him out at any point during their interactions, Caleb gripped the cooler tighter and started to move through the gates towards the house. “Jesus…” The word was mumbled to himself as he took in the place, now wondering if he had been undercharging Taylor this whole time. As slow as he was going, he was able to marvel at the beauty of the estate for at least a full minute before he was absentmindedly wrapping his knuckles against the front door.

—

Mackenzie had already watched as the stranger moved up the driveway and towards the front door. A part of her had started to worry noticing he wasn’t the most clean cut man on the planet, but she also knew that not much could hurt her. Well as long as he didn’t set her on fire or try to chop her head off. She could still recall the vague marks around her neck where something had tried to saw her head off during her run as a rogue zombie, after touching the flats. And it had only further added to the mystery of what had happened those moments of not being present.

As she heard the knock at the door, she gave him another look over, before reluctantly making her way forward. The last thing she had wanted was to hurt anyone else, so she knew it was a given that she would need the brains.

With a deep breath, Mackenzie made her way forward and finally opened the door, “Hey, are you the guy with the…brains…” The word hung in her throat. She hated that she had to survive off the misfortune of others. Even as an actress, she had tried to stay humble and kind knowing how celebrities were seen by a lot in the world, but this was just different. And with every brain she consumed, she had learned to say thank you.

—

“You’re not Taylor.” To be fair, Taylor had never actually told Caleb what she was doing with the brains. The woman had touched his hand once and he’d noticed how warm it had been even with his limited senses so after some questions he knew she was getting them for a client, but she’d never told him who the client was before. Mostly because he’d never asked. If he was feeding a zombie he was keeping that zombie from hurting the living and that’s all that he needed to know. But for some reason he’d been picturing some guy in a fancy business suit who didn’t want to be seen buying the unsavory product, not a young girl who had a problem just saying the word ‘brain’ without sounding like she was going to be sick after doing so.

He clutched the cooler even tighter, not sure if he wanted to trust this interaction just yet. “She never mentioned that I was bringing this to somebody else. Is she here?” Could anyone really blame him for being cautious? Caleb was selling brains for god’s sake, anyone would want to have visual confirmation of the usual client if some random stranger came to the door for the delivery, a delivery of a product he had yet to confirm for the blonde. But his silence had to be indication enough that he was, in fact, holding the organ.

Besides, Caleb’s supply was already running low and he didn’t need to be giving out an order to someone he couldn’t trust. If something happened and he needed to replace it, that was another few brains down the drain. “I just…do you have the information I gave her, at least?” 

—

“Nope. I’m Mackenzie.” She looked at him and then down at the cooler. It was hard knowing what the contents were that he was holding in his hand. Where did he get them? Did she even want to know that? There were a lot of questions swimming through her mind, especially since returning from Monty’s farm. She knew of two people she had killed, but had she killed more? Is that how he was getting them or was he just a middle man? Being a zombie had been hard enough, but she had always been at a distance when it came to brain supply until now.

“She gets them for me. She’s not here. She’s in California. She’s my assistant.” Realizing this wasn’t the best transaction to be making on the porch, she stepped back and allowed room for him to come in. Was she nervous letting some random guy in her house, yes, but she could defend herself if need be, “Let me go get my phone. It’s got all the information on it. And if you don’t mind shutting the door behind you when you come in. Figure we might as well take care of this inside rather than outside. You never know who could be watching.” She hadn’t seen any paparazzi since being in Wicked’s Rest, but who knew what this town could draw to it.

Leaving her trust in him, Mackenzie ran upstairs to grab her phone from her bedroom. Surely this guy was legit. He had seemed just as suspicious of her as she was of him. And if it was one thing the young actress had come to learn, it’s that most people who knew about the supernatural tended to be leery of anyone they talked to. But considering all the ways that things could go wrong, you kind of had to.

—

“Your assistant, right.” That wasn’t uncommon. Most people who paid for take out brains were able to afford people to take care of the unsavory parts of the business. He dealt with a lot of those in his choice of a side business and he honestly preferred the assistants on most occasions. They were usually nicer. Not that this girl seemed malicious in any way. No, she just seemed…so young. Of course, looks can be deceiving, especially when dealing with those that had to live off of brains. As his brain went back and forth between the possibilities of her own situation, Caleb barely heard the words that came from her mouth, the zombie still standing outside the door as she walked away.

But something registered in his mind, the man looking behind him as he thought of who could be watching them. Why did she have people watching her? Who was this girl? He had two choices here: stay outside and risk this transaction being witnessed or step into a stranger's house not knowing what was waiting for him inside. Ultimately, he decided to step inside and shut the door behind him. He'd deal with the consequences later. 

“You probably uh...probably shouldn't store that on your phone.” Caleb called after her, not knowing where she'd disappeared to and only hoping she'd heard his words within the gigantic house. Yea, he definitely needed to start charging more. Might even be able to afford something better than his apartment soon. 

”Did you say someone is watching you? Why? Are you in trouble or something?“ If so, they had something in common. Did he want to deal to a client that was also being watched by law enforcement though? They would only bring unnecessary drama to each other. She'd been loyal for months though and he didn't want to leave her empty handed...if she ate somebody because he'd denied services Caleb knew that he would never forgive himself.

—

Mackenzie slipped into her bedroom and snagged the phone off the nightstand. As she was in there, she had heard him say something, but with her hearing not being what it used to, it sounded more like a mess of jumbled words. Just one of the many perks of being a zombie. She would find out what he wanted when she went back downstairs, but first she double tapped the phone screen to see if she had any notifications from Taylor.

None.

With a sad sigh, she left the room and met the man with her food supply back downstairs, “What were you saying? I couldn’t understand you. Sorry, my hearing isn’t what it used to be.” She felt weird saying that considering how young she was. As she waited for him to respond, she began pulling the receipt up on her phone, “Here. Is this what you needed?” Mackenzie turned the phone to face him and held it up. “Is that enough proof?” She understood what he was doing was probably a dangerous line of work to be in, but it didn’t make it any less awkward to be meeting the person who supplied you with human brains.

—

”Of course...I should have known that, actually.“ Why would she have better hearing than him? They were the same after all. Dulled senses came with the territory of being dead, at least for a zombie. ”I was just saying, you probably shouldn't keep that on your phone...especially if you have people watching you?“ Something Caleb was still curious about which was why he posed that last sentence as a question. Even if he wasn't going to deny services he would still like to know how cautious he needed to be with her. 

He eyed the phone, squinting as he got a little closer to the screen but not wanting to reach out and take it from her . There was delicate merchandise in his hands and he tried to make it a practice to not touch other people's things if he could help it. But it was Caleb’s information that was provided when a purchase was made, discreet descriptions and all. It should have made him feel better about this but it didn't. He never felt good providing brains directly to a new person, it lingered for a while afterwards until the paranoia could have time to subside. 

”Yea, seems to be in order.“ Caleb tapped the top of the cooler, not handing it over since the supply would need to be transferred. He probably should get another one just in case but right now this was his only one. ”Where should I put these? I imagine you don't want them sitting around your living room.“ 

—

It was weird hearing someone say that. That they should’ve known her hearing was shit. Did that mean that he was a part of the undead too? Mackenzie didn’t want to ask. It was a very personal question, and one that she never really liked answering herself. But she couldn’t pretend like he didn’t at least know what she was, since he was delivering her brains after all, “Right. Yeah, I’ll probably delete this after you leave. Wouldn’t want it getting into the wrong hands…” Fans. Tabloids. Police. There were a slew of people she was trying to avoid at all costs, when it came to her zombism. “It kinda sucks being an actress and having to survive off of brains. Privacy is a precious thing.” She sighed softly.

Looking between him and the cooler, she could see the wear and tear on the thing. This had to have been a one man operation right? And he hadn’t set it down or let go of it since he had arrived. It may not have seemed like it, but Mackenzie paid attention to this kind of thing, “Glad it’s all in order. Really didn’t want to have to go without these.” She looked back up at him, “Follow me. I’ve got a fridge downstairs solely for this purpose.”

Mackenzie turned away from him and began walking down a smaller set of stairs, before turning right and going into a room that held her two extra refrigerators. Pulling the door back, she couldn’t help but see all the random containers of stray body parts and a few extra brain containers, “Just sit them in there. And thanks for coming by. I know a guy in your line of work probably doesn’t really like making house calls.” She moved away from the fridge, but continued to watch him.

—

”An actress?“ Somehow that seemed worse than her being watched by the police. It wasn't just a department's worth of people with eyes on her, it was most of the world, at least those who cared about celebrity gossip. The house, the assistant, it all made more sense now at least and Caleb’s suspicions about all of this were starting to fade, as much as they could, anyway. ”Wow...yea that seems like it would be rough. Being in the public eye can't be easy, it's hard enough being a nobody and having to navigate this.” He felt for her, he really did. Always having people following her around and he assumed she never had much privacy, it must have sucked, especially with how she had to survive now. 

“Downstairs...right, this place is huge.” Caleb walked after the blonde, his eyes traveling over the space as they went. “For the record, I don't want you to have to go without these either. Don't need hungry zombies walking around this place. There's already enough going on.” Enough people dying. He saw the influx coming into the funeral home on the daily, it was getting out of hand. Erin had even shown concern over how many people they were seeing. 

The many refrigerators had him slowing his steps, Caleb wondering how many brains this girl actually had in them. They had expiration dates, right? Did zombies get sick from bad brains? Probably something he should know. But when she opened one and he saw the other body parts it registered that she wasn't a brains only type of girl. He, himself, hadn't had other body parts since his first kill but he couldn't judge. Food was food, especially if it kept them satisfied. “I'm Caleb, by the way. I don't know if I introduced myself before. I was just expecting Taylor and got a little nervous when it wasn't her.“ Kneeling down, he started to put the stock that he'd brought next to the other containers, shaking his head at her comment. ”No, house calls are better, actually. Not being out in the public is preferred. I just want to know who I'm meeting when it comes to them, you know? Mostly so I know I'm not being set up.“ 

—

Rough was an understatement when you were killing people without realizing it. It’s why, when Taylor had first found out about services where people actually offered brains, Mackenzie found herself so relieved. If she had to do this to survive all the time, she’d gladly take the silver bullet to the brain or whatever the trope was for zombies. This was never anything she’d wish on anybody. Not even her worst enemy, and she was pretty sure she had gained a few of those over the years, “Yeah. Apparently that’s just my life now. It’s also why I moved here to Wicked’s Rest. It’s a bit quieter, I guess. And there’s no paparazzi lurking on every corner.”

“You’d think I would have chosen something a bit smaller huh? For wanting to be so discreet. But when I saw this place I fell in love.” She really did like her house. It was ridiculous for just one person, but she had known of other more well known actors and actresses with much larger houses who were living the single life. It was kind of ridiculous the more she thought about it, but here she was.

“No, I don’t think so, but it’s nice to meet you, Caleb. I’m Mackenzie.” Honestly, he had every right to be nervous. She would have been too, if this was what she did for a living. It took a lot of guts to sell brains to the undead, especially if you were the supplier and middle man, “I can imagine this must be a nerve wracking job. I know I couldn’t do it. And if house calls make you feel more comfortable then, that’s how we can do this.” Especially considering she was pretty sure Taylor was still pissed at her and would be for a while. “Can I ask you a personal question?” She was almost hesitant, but decided to just go for it, “Are you a zombie too? Or did you just figure that you could make a killing off the brain business?” She paused realizing what she had said, “No pun intended by the way.”

—

“Quieter, yea...“ He let out a breath of sardonic amusement, knowing that most people didn't realize what a dangerous town this was. He'd been bitten by the undead, fought with vampires in the cemetery, and countless other things throughout Caleb’s life that he couldn't quite explain. If Wicked's Rest hadn't been all he knew, if there weren't people that he cared for still living in this town, he would have moved a long time ago. ”Just be careful around here. There's a lot of things that are more dangerous than zombies. At least you can't really die unless somebody knows what they're doing.“ He was starting to talk too much, but seeing a fridge full of body parts in her house didn't exactly inspire suspicion anymore. Ironically, it inspired trust more than anything.

After placing the last of the containers in the fridge, Caleb closed his cooler and stood, not really holding onto it as tightly this time around. Coolers could be replaced, brains were scarce. He closed her fridge and turned to face her, his eyes moving around this room as well. ”I mean, you have to be comfortable with your living situation. If this is what you like then it's what you like. I've just never been inside a place this big before.“ No, he was used to the suburbs and then his single bedroom home on the outskirts of the suburbs. Nothing this fancy had ever been available to him.

Surveying the girl, he smiled at her willingness to meet up here from now on. It was a nice offer to make him more comfortable but it wasn' t just about him, was it? ”I appreciate that but it's also about what you want. I'm not fond of inviting strangers into my own house, especially with what I keep there.“ Of course, she kept the same things he supposed and he was about to say as much before her question caught him off guard. 

It wasn't like he enjoyed talking about what he was but he'd also never been asked outright before. Considering she was a zombie herself, not to mention the fridge that stood behind him full of different pieces of other people, he felt like he could safely say something about his own status. It wasn't easy though. It would be the first time he admitted it to someone other than himself and even if he’d wanted someone to talk to about it he was still reluctant to say it out loud. ”I...am, yes. I'm not the type of person who would do this if I didn't feel like I had to.“ Caleb bit down on the inside of his bottom lip, a little disturbed by something else she had said. ”I don't kill, by the way.“ Or he hadn't yet except for the unfortunate accident. He might have been considering it but the zombie wouldn't call himself a murderer just yet. ”Your brains are provided violence free...at least by my own hand, anyway.“ And for the time being.

—

Mackenzie listened to him. It sounded like he had definitely had more experience than she did. Of course, it felt like most people that lived in this town and knew of things that went bump in the night, knew more than her. She was just doing good enough to take things day by day. One step at a time. And it was somewhat reassuring knowing that people HAD to know what they were doing in order to end her undead life. But at the same time accidental deaths were a thing as well, and even she still didn’t fully understand how zombies took that final nap, “Thanks for the heads up. I’m still kind of new to this life, if you can’t tell.”

Mack was pretty sure he could tell. Most people who knew anything about the supernatural could probably tell she was as green as the grass outside on a summer day, but just like anything else in life…err death…practice made perfect and with time came experience. Luckily for her (Yay.) she had all the time in the world now, until that so-called accidental death or person with the right skillset came along, “Yeah, it’s fine. Besides, I think meeting in public somewhere would be worse. At least here, you know it’s guaranteed to be private.” Aside from the people in this town who already knew her secret and would sometimes come by for a visit. She’d just make it a point to schedule around Caleb’s visits. “I mean if that’s okay with you? I know World’s End Isle is a bit of a drive.”

She shifted her weight and leaned back against the wall behind her. Mackenzie was enjoying the conversation they were having. It was nice coming across someone else like her even if he was her brain supplier, “Thanks for telling me. I know it’s not something you probably really shout from the rooftops. Lord knows I don’t.” Unless I try to eat somebody and they just figure it out on their own. Sigh. “And I appreciate knowing that. I’m not gonna ask for the details, because I don’t really want to know, but as long as more people aren’t getting hurt just to keep me alive.” In the movies, being a zombie looked so easy, but in real life, it was a completely different story.

—

God, she was new, wasn’t she? It wasn’t like he was super experienced himself but he had to have a couple of years on her at least and he had lived in Wicked’s Rest his whole life. It wasn’t like him to stick around a client's place after a drop off, everything he did with this business was strictly professional, but when it came to someone who didn’t know much about this life he had a duty to try to help, right? Caleb eyed her for a moment before he spoke again, finally making a decision on the offer he had been considering giving her. “You know…I’m not an expert but if you have questions I could try to help. Not guaranteeing I know everything, of course, but I think I might know more than you at this point.” A pause, the man wondering if he should even ask the next question on the tip of his tongue. It was personal but she’d gone for it before so he decided to as well. “How long have you been dead?”

It had been a bit of a drive in but in truth, Caleb actually enjoyed it. The scenery had been so nice along the quiet roads and he hadn’t really been to this part of town in a while. Beides, Mack's privacy fence was more than enough to convince him to drive out here more often. “I don’t think you’re that far, really. I like seeing this side of town anyway. When I was younger I used to go to Harmony Hill a lot because the sound of the ocean in a quiet graveyard was calming.” Why had he said that? She didn’t need to know that. Clearing his throat, the zombie tried to play it off. “I don’t mind coming out here at all.”

A smile finally graced her with her words, Caleb shaking his head almost immediately. Why would anyone want to blurt out they were dead like it was no big deal? There were only a handful who knew what he was and it had all either come out because the other had their own secrets or…well, he’d been caught with a body. “No, I don’t exactly advertise what I am. I don’t know a lot of zombies that are proud of what they’ve become.” And the ones who were proud weren't people he associated with much. Purists, people who wanted to get their own brains the violent way. “It’s good to know you feel that way.” Even if the guilt of his impending status change to murderer was starting to eat at him. Maybe that wasn’t the best solution after all if most of his clients felt the same. 

–

The more zombies Mackenzie met in Wicked’s Rest, the more she began to feel accepted. Monty and a farm full of the undead had been exactly what she had needed after her rampage. Had she dealt with this alone, she didn’t know where she’d be. And maybe Taylor handing over the reins on getting her own brains was for the best. No, she hadn’t known what she was getting herself into today, but right now, in this exact moment, she was glad, “Really? Thank you. Thank you so much.” A smile crept over her face. It was warm and appreciative of the fact that he was willing to help her. However, the question she had just asked him had somewhat caught her off guard, but it was only fair that she returned an answer, especially since he was willing to, “Two years. And most of that time was spent just trying not to eat the people around me. That’s why Taylor has been such a big help in all of this. She didn’t run or tell anybody after I told her.” Mackenzie was easily starting to realize she owed a lot of people for helping her to stay on her feet through all of this.

Mack let her eyes and her smile drop, the thought of Taylor and then Winter coming to mind. Thankfully Caleb’s confession had pulled her attention away from two of the people she had regretted hurting, “Oh really? I haven’t been to Harmony Hill yet, but I can agree with that sentiment about the ocean. This house kind of reminds me of home and my family. I miss California so fucking much. Maybe one day, I can go back…” She sighed softly.

“You’re right about that. I mean why did we get zombies, when we could have been something else you know? Like a unicorn or a BigFoot?” Her mood had perked back up. Turning and moving back up the stairs, Mack replied, “If I ever say differently, then please put me out of my misery. This is hard enough as it is. I don’t want to actually come to the point in my undead life that I enjoy eating people.” She moved towards the kitchen, “Do you want something to drink? One thing I have learned is that the stronger or spicy the taste the more enjoyable it is.” She wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be there, but she could at least be a good hostess to her new undead friend.

— 

Two years, not long but enough to know the basics. At least she’d found her food source, that was always the biggest struggle for most zombies who had just turned. Caleb didn’t have that struggle, thankfully. Even when he didn’t understand his hunger, whenever he lost control it was usually around a body that was already there being prepped or when he was burying somebody after a service. That was something he’d always been thankful for. He nodded at her answer, a question forming on the tip of his tongue but it was one he wasn’t willing to ask. They barely knew each other and he knew if anyone had ever dared ask about who he’d killed over the years he would shut down. It was too personal, even for someone who had gone and was going through the same thing. “It’s nice that you have people you can talk to about it. Most of the ones that know about me are because of…well, telling them wasn’t intentional.”

But something in her expression changed. That grateful smile that had lit up her face was nowhere to be found after she’d spoken of her assistant and Caleb once again wondered why the woman wasn’t there. Was she really gone on business? He didn’t want to be accusatory though and he couldn’t quite muster up the guts to ask if that was actually the case or if something bad had happened. Or maybe it had something to do with her home. She did seem pretty torn up about not being able to return. “Is there a reason you can’t go back or…just trying to keep people safe?”

As amusing as the thought of being a big foot was, he already had the height part down, he couldn’t bring himself to muster up the smile that threatened to form. The thought only served to remind him more of what he was. “Or…you know, stayed human.” He hadn’t even expected the sadness in his tone and Caleb closed his eyes when he realized how that could bring the mood way down. Frustrated with himself, he shook the thoughts away as he followed her to the kitchen area. “I try to stay away from putting people down but I think I could send someone your way. Maybe?” Did he actually know anyone who would do that? Aria for sure wouldn’t and Erin shouldn’t even know that zombies exist…maybe K.O. if he knew what was going on. The man was chaotic enough. Now he was smiling though, Caleb eyeing the fridge and wondering if she meant what he thought she did. “Did you spike the water with hot sauce or something?”

— 

When he mentioned the unintentional telling, Mack’s mind went automatically back to the sleepover. It had been a disaster, and one she was just grateful hadn’t ended in tragedy. It seemed like wherever Mackenzie went these days, trouble followed, and it felt like most of it was from her own hand, “Yeah, that’s how it was for me. Mostly unintentional. Try zombing out in a room full of people you were just starting to become friends with during a sleepover.” She felt safe admitting that to him. He was like her after all. He understood the repercussions of being hungry when living people were around. Or at least she assumed he did. How could you be a zombie and not experience that at some point?

Mackenzie walked to the fridge and opened the door. There were so many options, but most of it tasted like nothing. She had still tried to incorporate regular food into her diet, but it was hard. However, glancing over, she noticed the bottle of Fireball sitting on the counter. It was unopened and fresh. And if he wanted to share a drink, she’d crack it, but if not, she’d wait. “Yeah, I’m so afraid of hurting my family. And they don’t know about any of this. There’s only two people from back home that know about what I am now.” Taylor and Winter. The two people she felt she needed most in this world right now, and the two who probably hated her the most.

She turned her attention back to Caleb, who had mentioned staying human, and on that note, shifted her eyes back into the fridge. The last thing Mackenzie wanted to do was acknowledge that. To think about it more than she already did in her waking life. “I’ll keep that in mind, about the person you know.” The conversation was already starting to make her mood drop even lower, but she was grateful when he brought up the hot sauce and water, “What? No. Even I wouldn’t stoop to that level.” She shut the fridge and leaned over grabbing the bottle off the counter, “I meant more like Fireball or maybe a Bloody Mary.” She turned around with a smile back on her face and held up the whiskey.

—

His smile slipped at her confession, Caleb not sure whether to be horrified or concerned or both. Yea, he’d lost control before but only around…people who were now dead or who’d already been dead. It was enough to make him realize how dangerous he could truly be and he decided that he needed to double down on keeping them both well fed if he could. “That…that had to be scary when you came to. Are they all, I mean…they’re alive, right?” There was no easy way to ask that question but his concern, the anxiety building throughout him, he needed to know for his own peace of mind. He wasn’t quite sure how everyone would have made it out of that situation unharmed though. 

“That’s definitely understandable. I can’t say that I blame you.” When this first happened, if he hadn’t worked for the Nichol’s family, he would have stayed far away from them. There were people that he had pushed away, people that he still hadn’t reached out to, so he could empathize. Probably more than anyone else in her life. “I didn’t really have the resources to get away but I did push aside a lot of friendships. I wish I could say it gets easier.” But it didn’t. It never would. Caleb was always going to worry about the people he cared for and even if he was branching out and dating now he didn’t believe he could allow himself to get too close. 

There it was. That look only to turn away, he knew it well. It was a signature move for him, even before his death. Caleb wanted to say sorry, wanted to apologize for bringing it up, but he let the subject fall. Instead, he focused on the offered drink, the zombie setting the cooler down before he leaned his arms against the kitchen island. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a Fireball. Sounds interesting, what makes it easy to taste for us?”

—

Mackenzie paused, realizing what zombing out in a room full of people probably meant, “Sorry. Yeah, yeah. They’re all safe. My friend knew about my fridge downstairs and grabbed what I needed. Nobody got hurt, but all I can think about is if they had. I think somewhere subconsciously that’s why I live in Fort Knox, because I’m afraid of what could happen.” She wasn’t about to mention her zombie rampage through town. As much as she was already starting to like this guy, she didn’t really know him. At least not yet, anyways.

“I’m sorry you had to push away people you cared about. It’s never easy. And then they don’t understand why you’re doing it, so it makes things ten times harder. But the idea of hurting someone you care about…it’s just easier to have them hate you.” Having her parents or Winter or anyone from her past hate her had been so much easier then experiencing the loss of Brody, and it wasn’t because she loved those people any less. It had been due to the fact that they were still living their lives and thriving. Brody was not, and Mackenzie couldn’t ever fix that. “At least, as much as it sucks to say, there’s others out there like us, so we’re not completely alone, you know?”

Mackenzie smiled fondly as she got out two shot glasses from the cabinet, “Really? I mean it takes a lot to get a zombie drunk. I don’t know if you’ve figured that out yet, so don’t worry. But what makes it easy for us to taste is the copious amounts of cinnamon in it. I wouldn’t have recommended this stuff in life, but now that we’re both of the deceased nature, it doesn't really matter.” She went back to the fridge and got out a couple of different bottles of hot sauce. “And if you want to be really wild, you’ll throw some of this in there for extra taste!” She sat the bottles in front of him and began pouring the shots.

This was definitely not how she had seen her brain delivery going, but she wasn’t exactly opposed to it either. Anytime Mack found another zombie to connect with, which was few and far between, it seemed to have made the undead life a little more bearable. Someone who knew exactly what she was going through just somehow made things a little better, and she had hoped she was offering that same grace to him. But it had also just been nice to have someone to talk to, and if this is how the rest of her day was going to go, then she wasn’t opposed.

#para: caleb #para: we are who we are #dirtwatchman #suicidal ideation tw #alcohol mention tw #wickedswriting #{a new beginning; plot}

[nd43polyneins]

hi i was awake at 4 am typing more details for a fjorester mermaid AU that I am too exhausted to fully write

Fjord, Son of the Serpent, Prince of the deep, merman and heir to ukatoa

he’s been told he will one day grow up to be a mighty serpent like his father, but right now he’s just a small fry.

Actually just a surface dweller that was shipwrecked as a small child and transformed into a merman.

relationship with Father is Bad, obviously.  Ukatoa is just using him but Fjord has only known him as his father.

Avantika his betrothed

Desperate for the approval of the serpent, willing to do anything he asks

Doesn’t really care about fjord one way or another but is determined to marry him for Ukatoa

Vandran his mentor/caretaker 

because ukatoa is a giant serpent who can’t be bothered to take care of his tiny Son

Often translates for the serpent because I can’t be bothered to type one word sentences for every interaction fjord has with ukatoa

 Ukatoa king of the deep

giant snea snake coiled around a spire of stone

plans to flood the surface so he can be king of the whole world

takes shipwrecked folk and transforms them into mer creatures to serve him

plans to use fjord as a sacrifice to bring on the end of the surface world.

Fjord naturally has Daddy Issues because his dad is a big snake who doesn’t love him

Vandran knows the truth but is afraid to tell Fjord because big snake will kill him

Avantika also knows the truth but doesn’t care because she hopes to be Daddy’s second in command

Fjord has vague memories of the surface from when he was a child, and dreams of it occasionally

ukatoa tries to convince him that the surface world is cruel and dangerous, that he should never go up there

Vandran warns him that going to the surface could be dangerous (for other reasons)

Fjord surfaces in the middle of the ocean and is OBSESSED with the sky/stars.  

He’s convinced it’s another ocean.

Once he’s been to the surface he goes up a lot

Discovers all kinds of cool shit up there

the surface world has a strange quality to it that he can’t really describe/doesn’t have words for, but it’s beautiful and is full of some strange magic the deep sea lacks.

Avantika finds out about his surface trips and is a bitch about it.

Literally everything up there will one day be underwater if they succeed so who gives a shit.

One day while swimming close to shore he sees a boat for the first time.

On this boat is Jester, who is trying to run/sail away from home.

The weather turns sour, her boat capsizes and she is thrown into the ocean

Fjord rescues her, returns her to the shore 

rescue via underwater kiss to give her air

bringing her up on shore is hard for fjord (can’t breathe once he’s removed from water) but he has to save her

Congratulations fjord you’re now obsessed with this girl.

Jester meanwhile is obsessed with the merman she swears she saw before she lost consciousness.

Her tutor/friend Caleb tells her she probably imagined it, but no she’s certain.  She saw a hot guy.

She spends all her time down at the beach drawing this hot guy

these drawings are only kind of accurate

Eventually Fjord gets brave enough to come closer to her

There’s a language barrier, he doesn’t understand her and he doesn’t seem to speak, but Jester still talks enough for the both of them.

She communicates with him by drawing pictures/miming/pointing.  She still talks the whole time but fjord has no idea what she’s saying

She shows Fjord a drawing she did of him and he’s so enthralled with it he tries to take it with him but of course paper does not last underwater and he’s devastated.

good thing she has hundreds of drawings of him she can show him.

Through Jester’s art and her attempts to communicate with him, Fjord learns about COLOR

the strange quality of the surface world that he couldn’t explain was color, which he can see clearly but doesn’t really exist in the deep ocean due to lack of light.

he literally didn’t have words for it but Jester teaches him some using her paints

Jester is the color of the sky and the water and he loves that about her.

he hates the color yellow 

because it’s the color of ukatoa’s eye, he just didn’t know it was a color before this

Fjord starts to learn other surface words from Jester, they are able to communicate (poorly)

it takes her a bit to figure out his NAME is fjord and that he’s not referring to the body of water he comes out of to see her.

She gives him trinkets and talks to him while she draws and shows him her sketchbook

she absolutely interrogates him about what his dick looks like 

he does not understand lol

cue shape of water hand motion

Fjord accidentally uses a surface word (probably blue) to describe something and Vandran Knows What’s Up

Ukatoa finds out, punishes fjord by temporarily taking away his ability to breathe underwater

he says it’s to show him what living up there is like but in reality he’s just turning fjord back into a surface dweller for a moment

fjord doesn’t understand that if he was on land like that he COULD breathe

Snake Daddy demands that Fjord forget about the surface world, Fjord says he can’t, ukatoa punishes him again with pain

Fjord tries to swim to the surface again, Ukatoa’s control of him is strong

he has to mentally fight his way out of it

leaves him exhausted and delirious

swims to the surface only to be caught in a fisherman’s net and dragged to shore

Fishermen keep him tied up because holy shit they caught a merman

Jester hears about the catch and drags her bestie Caleb down to the market to find her hot boi

holy shit there he is, it’s her first time seeing all of him at once and he’s BEAUTIFUL (and very large/snakelike)

He’s fucked up and bleeding and in a trancelike state because they’re just barely keeping him wet enough to breathe

Caleb is like “holy shit that’s a whole fish person you were right”

jester is like “YEAH I TOLD YOU NOW HELP ME BREAK HIM OUT.”

Heist time, stealing Fjord away in the night and bringing him back to her castle where he lives in her bathtub lol.

don’t tell mama shhhhhh it’s a secret

They bandage him up as best as they can but he’s still really fucked up

Caleb gives him a charm that lets them all understand each other, tells jester they need a healer to help treat the fishman

jester brings in Caduceus, who heals Fjord but in the process discovers his True Nature (that he is not a fishman)

When Fjord is told this he thinks they’re lying because he only remembers being a merman

but what about your DREAMS fjord????

Jester begs caleb to help her transform fjord back into a surface dweller.

please transmutation wizard give this hot boy some legs

he manages, but he can only transform him for short periods of time.

also he’s still green

Fjord gets to experience WALKING 

and WEARING CLOTHES

Holy shit the surface has a lot of cool shit

also a lot of mean people who are shitty about him being green

but jester holds his hand the whole time and maybe it’s not so bad.

he kisses her (for technically the second time) and realizes he’s in love with her

wakes up one night coughing up water

the sea is calling and he needs to go back, he can FEEL ukatoa pulling him back

jester is devastated that he’s trying to leave but he can’t really explain to her why he has to

she wants to come with him to confront his abusive dad

caleb please make me a fish for a day :<

he thinks he’s sneaking off without her but she joins him at the last minute and he feels so good about it she’s so pretty omg

he takes her to the deep ocean, she gets to meet avantika and vandran

conflict??? this is the part im unsure about

Fjord learns The Truth, Avantika tries to kill him to fulfill the prophecy and fjord has to kill her (with jester’s help)

somehow she and fjord manage to beat ukatoa and reverse the curse placed on everyone

they all go back to the surface

happily ever after, fjord still loves the ocean but now gets to live on land as he was meant to

marries jester, who is a princess so now he gets to be a Real Prince

Caleb makes them amulets so they can be mers any time they want lol.

THEY SMOOCH THE END

#fjord stone #jester lavorre #fjorester #mermaid au

[thornescuriositycorner]

Last Sunrise

Golden light glinted on the turquoise-blue ocean as the sun peeked over the horizon. Jasmina watched the sunrise, and her fingertips brushed the tiny, round bite marks on her neck. She felt Caleb’s blood coursing through her veins, changing her and burning away the humanity within. This is my last sunrise, Jasmina thought as a tear rolled down her cheek. Jasmina sobbed silently. What have I done? The regret ate at her like acid. She’d given up the sun for eternal night, for Caleb. What have I done?

    A quiet footstep behind her. “Something’s wrong,” Caleb spoke softly.

    Jasmina wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m fine.”

    The raw catch in her voice revealed the truth. “You’re regretting it, aren’t you?”

Caleb had finally given in and turned Jasmina. They were in Sulani to see the tropics and let her see the sun one last time. Jasmina’s silence was answer enough. Despair crushed him. She isn’t meant for this life. I never should’ve turned her. Never. 

“No,” she whispered shakily.

Caleb took her into his arms and held her. “There’s no going back.” He blinked back tears, trying to rein in the maelstrom of emotions. “You’ll turn tonight.” The vampire released her and quickly paced from the room.

***

The sun was warm on Jasmina’s back as she walked along the shoreline with the water gently lapping at her ankles. Everything was more vibrant on the final day of her mortal life; the scent of the flowers stronger and the ocean clearer. The regret twisted inside her like a vise. Further up the beach, a line of tiny sea turtles hatched from their sandy nest and moved slowly toward the ocean. She knelt and gently scooped a turtle into her hands. The creature stared at her with the wonder of a newborn. Tears stung Jasmina’s eyes. A baby. At that moment, Jasmina truly understood the sanctity of life.

***

  Caleb sat in a wicker chair on the deck, staring out at the sea. I never should’ve turned her, he told himself again. You knew she’d regret it- and you did it anyway. Anger and sorrow burned inside him, tears rolling down his cheeks. Why did I make you like me?

***                  

  Dusk swallowed the remains of the sunset. Caleb and Jasmina watched as night fell over the islands. Jasmina stared at him with fearful eyes, her body trembling. Caleb took her in his arms and held her tight. “It’ll be okay,” Caleb soothed her. But a countdown ticked away inside him. Any minute now.

  The pain started as tiny pinpricks, quickly worsening. Agony radiated throughout Jasmina’s body. She cried out, tears leaking from her eyes. A vise twisted her guts into a fiery knot. Jasmina hugged her middle and fell to the floor, screaming. “Caleb,” she sobbed between screams.

   Caleb wept as he lifted Jasmina into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. She writhed and whimpered as he laid her on the bed. The change was painful for some, and one of his fears became a reality. His voice wobbled. “It’ll be over soon. Shh.” He stroked Jasmina’s hair, which calmed her. Jasmina’s eyes closed, her breathing slowed, and the pain faded to numbness. Caleb watched in horror and awe as his love’s skin paled to an alabaster hue and her hair shimmered with a crystalline sheen. Jasmina’s lips parted, the fangs glinting in the light. He wiped his wet eyes. Her humanity was gone. Jasmina opened her eyes; once a sparkling emerald green, they were a vibrant yellow. The change was complete. “Jasmina?” Caleb murmured.

    Jasmina sat up, the movement slow and elegant. She faced him and chuckled, a low, rich sound, her lips a twisted smile. “Don’t you remember me?” The familiar lady-like tone chilled Caleb’s blood. She bared her fangs and lunged.

#sims 4 #original character #vampires #ts4 #simlit #sims 4 story #ts4 vampires #caleb vatore

[expvrgction]

“Has anyone seen Wyckoff?”

“No clue. Couldn’t find ‘im in his own room.”

“Maybe he’s gone to cook breakfast?”

It was a nearly quiet morning in the Eva’s Hammer, a submarine that the Kreisau have seized from the German army a while back. Aside from having its current inhabitants’ position compromised by remaining staff on board, and the despicable General’s raid and eventual murder of one member of the resistance, the now home to the main resistance group would normally go about their days-- Whether it was spent alone, or with others.

Caleb was no exception, but by the time most of everyone else woke up, he had already gotten out. Wait, out? Wouldn’t there be water out there? How was that possible?

---

The name he had given those he knew on Earth was but a moniker during his visit here. The same man Blazkowicz and the others knew looked the same as ever, but in place of legs, he now had lower body that would resemble that of a fish. His hair was also left unbraided, free to sway to the currents of the ocean.

Kahann decided to take the form of a merman for the morning, far from the Hammer’s residents, but still close enough to not lose track of her. It was times like these he missed being able to swim in his original homeworld.

...He wished he could speak to someone he considered family here-- No, someone who he knew was family, aside from his older twin. Trying to contact him has been a tedious process, and large bodies of water would be required for them both to be able to commune.

For now? He would watch as marine life around here swim by. Maybe even play with some friendly fish, or other sea creatures he could see that aren’t immediately hostile to him.

#Welcome (IC) #Stand your ground (RP) #Open Air (Open starter) #Cerulean Heir (Kahann) #A simple traveler (Caleb Wyckoff) #Those days gone by (Pre-DOOM) #Across space and time (Crossover) #Of wolves and stones (Wolfenstein crossover) #ask to tag tw #nazi tw #thalassophobia tw #(here's a feesh out in the sea) #(feel free to pester him or whatever your muse feels like doing)

[wolfsbanemanor]

🌊 How do they feel about the ocean?

They love the ocean. I feel like they really prefer to live near the ocean. That small lake in Forgotten Hollow is nice, and provides them with fish they can use to make blood packs, but it's not the same as the ocean. I feel like they went to Brindleton Bay a lot as kids during the summer. (And I feel like their parents were hoping to retire there someday, which would mean that Caleb and Lilith would effectively have a second home there, but then they lost their lives in a tragic accident and that never materialized.) Also, Lilith is fascinated with deep-sea creatures like anglerfish, oarfish, siphonophores, and colossal squid.

#the ocean #headcanons

[skradooshhh]

DRAFT 2

In the frozen expanse by the Arctic Ocean's edge, a secret town lay hidden from the world, where young Caleb, a 13-year-old dreamer, stood as our protagonist. This remote outpost thrived with American government workers, where they toiled in utmost secrecy, forging a bionuclear weapon's destiny. It was a place of frigid isolation, populated by just 39 souls, and Caleb's family had arrived but five months ago, seeking refuge from the unforgiving cold.

The unforgiving winter was tamed by the watchful eyes of the military, who dictated every aspect of their lives. They dared not wander off without permission, and for a 13-year-old like Caleb, the options for friends were scarce. His only solace came in the form of Abel, whose father also toiled within the secretive research facility. But the winds of change blew fiercely in this desolate place, for Abel's family was preparing to depart as his father's job had been automated.

Caleb and Abel, though an unlikely duo, shared a friendship forged in the crucible of their secluded lives. Abel's youthful spirit reveled in archery and dart gun escapades, aiming at birds and squirrels with gusto. Yet, Caleb's heart swayed towards the peaceful harmony of the flora and fauna that thrived despite the harsh environment. His most cherished possession was a soft toy hare, a symbol of his deep connection to the wildlife.

As the day of departure drew near, Abel excitedly shared his dreams of hunting hares for food, mirroring the military personnel's skills. Caleb clutched his soft toy hare, torn between his loyalty to Abel and his love for the gentle creatures of the Arctic.

Add a paragraph that establishes the space and gives a clear idea of what the facility is like

Then write a small para about the job these people we doing there and the impact of it on the world and why it needed to be done in such secrecy.

Also add a paragraph that helps understand how good and wholesome the bond between caleb and Abel was.

The night before the Tasfaye family's departure, the town came alive with laughter and stories, a farewell feast for the departing friends. They celebrated the bonds they'd formed, their shared memories, and the laughter that had echoed through the cold nights.

But the dawn brought reality, and the Tasfaye family was packed and ready to leave. Caleb and Abel stood together, their eyes reflecting the weight of their impending separation. As they embraced for the last time, tears welled up in Caleb's eyes, the realization of his best friend's departure weighing heavily on his young heart. Abel's father tried to console him, weaving dreams of the mainland, filled with fancy foods and tantalizing teriyaki, yet nothing could fill the void left by his dearest friend.

With the Tasfaye family's departure, Caleb was left with the memories of their shared adventures, their whispered secrets, and the unique bond they had formed. In this remote, frozen outpost, life would go on, but the thrill of their friendship

After bidding a teary goodbye to Abel, caleb is heartbroken although he knew this day would come he couldn't really prepare for it.

Caleb goes back home holding his fathers finger looking down on the white snow and spots a snowy hare that reminds him of the soft toy he had with him he leaves his fathers finger and runs to the house to grab the bunny and give it to Abel.

He thinks if he can run fast enough he'll be able to catch up with the tasfaye family. But they have been gone a while now in their snow drifter vehicle

The military commanders are with them

Caleb searchs for the bunny finds it in his bedside and quickly sneaks out from the back window as his father comes rushing to the door of his room searching frantically for him. Caleb is gone.

Caleb then hops down on the ground and realises that Abel might be long gone and in order to get the bunny to him he has to do a brave act of sneaking out of the facility.

Caleb searches for a place to sneak out the top of the barbed net is electrocuted and it's too high for a 13 yr old to climb by his lonesome.

Caleb then runs to the edge of the facility ( his house is already at the edge or at the corner of the facility)

Caleb spots potentially the same bunny there digging into the snow, caleb just stands there looking at it digging by the netting and eventually the sees the bunny sneak past the hole the barbed wire is been cut at the bottom making an easy way through but the hole is a little smalles for someone as small as caleb to sneak into he still takes the risk with a determined face and tries to make his way through the wiring throwing his bunny in the opposite side, he goes in leg first then the body caleb seems stuck after he drags his body past the waist he tries digging up more snow but there's a concrete floor below, caleb in pure desperation hold the net on both sides and tries to push himself through after a lot of trying he finally starts passing through but one of the sharp torn netting cuts him on the forehead nearly missing his eyes. Even in such a scenario bleeding caleb makes a run to see abel he has heard from his father about there being a port nearby which is essentially a glacier right below the Gerald mountain Caleb heads there while dropping blood on his trail.

Caleb makes a run through the thick snow....

[page-2-ids]

ID: A flag with nine horizontal stripes, all the same size. The colors are, from top to bottom, very dark gray, dark gray, gray, sky blue, washed-out cyan, sky blue, gray, dark gray, and very dark gray. END ID

Scream96filmic: A gender related to the original Scream

The colors come from the poster(s) for the movie

For @caleb-the-ocean-creature!

#Horror/thriller system #Horrorgender #screamgender #Scream96filmic #Fictigender #liom gender #mogai coining #liom coining #liom term #xenogender pride #xenogender #coining post #gender coining #xenogender coining #liom

[saphirered]

If you want some individual character asks how about Caleb with a Druid s/o who will wild shape into a cat if he seems sad to try and make him feel better.

Here you go! Enjoy 😘.

Not only out of components to return Frumpkin to his preferred cat form but also having loaned the now owl familiar to Beauregard as part of their agreement Caleb feels lonely, lacking the comfort of the orange fur ball to keep him company. There’s always been something about having the only creature aware of everything he had gone through and still look at him the same as they had always done that gives him hope there might yet be redemption and salvation for him and it’s something he really could use right now. All that’s left for him is to retreat to his room and wallow in sorrow until he falls asleep, gets the components to turn Frumpkin back, this feeling passes or a distraction big enough to have him focus on something else comes along.

You’d noticed Caleb silently retreat when the others were still around. Caleb may be good at covering up anything beyond a surface level of emotion but you know him well enough he’s not in the greatest shape when he just wanders off in the middle of the day. Things had been harsh lately and he’d been struggling. You’d been doing your best to be there for him but Caleb struggles even more with accepting help from others when he’s like this and prefers seclusion until he sets himself straight. It’s not healthy, you’ve told him but it keeps him going so you’ve come to terms with it offering him little gestures of kindness whenever you could if only to ease his pain a little bit.

When Caleb disappeared into the background making sure the others were too caught up in whatever they were doing you sat around, staring in the direction he left in half paying attention to the people around you and your mind debating wether or not you should do something, anything. After Caleb hadn’t returned in an hour you excused yourself and went after him searching for wherever he went. Your first guess had to be right. Not many places he could or would go.

There you are standing in front of the wooden door fist raised hesitantly to knock. Maybe this was a bad idea? Maybe you should just leave him to himself. If Caleb wants to be alone then you should respect that… but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check in on him… Because what if you could do something? It doesn’t have to be much or fix everything because you know that’s not the goal but the tiniest difference between Caleb wallowing in his own pain and having something or someone to bring him some comfort; that would be enough.

So you knock. There’s a silence and you don’t expect a reply of any kind. You try again, a little bit harder this time. Still you wait patiently. You’re about to turn and leave when the door opens and Caleb peaks out. He looks tired, exhausted even but musters a half smile upon seeing you.

“What can I do for you?” Caleb tries his best to not falter in his usual habits but he knows there’s no hiding from you. You wouldn’t be here if he had succeeded in the first place. No use in keeping the facade going.

“I came to see if you’re alright.” Again there’s the pained half smile. You pity him so much. You know Caleb does not want your pity but still you do. You can’t help yourself but feel sorry for everything he’s been put through and the scars left from the past. No one should have to suffer through such terrible things.

“I’m fine.”

“No, Caleb. You’re not fine.”

“I will be fine. I just need… time.” Caleb sighs holding onto the door. You clasp your hands together and give him the sincerest look you can muster.

“I know you will be fine but I also know you won’t ask for help unless it’s a last resort so I’ll ask you. Do you need my help? Is there anything I could do for you?” Caleb bites his lip, steps aside and allows you to enter. You do and the door is closed behind you. The room is as simple as ever, the sheets slightly crinkled and pillow sunken, giving away he’d been sitting in bed staring into the abyss for who knows how long.

Caleb sits on the bed hands clasped in his lap and nods to the space next to him. You take the hint and sit down. Hesitantly you reach out your hand towards his but stop and are about to pull away hadn’t Caleb grasped your hand to enclose it between both of his own. The grip isn’t too tight or lacking any strength but feels like him holding on to a lifeline no less.

“Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?” You ask as the wizard keeps his eyes on your hand between his. There’s something about the gesture to him that brings him comfort and keeps him tethered to this plane. You’re like an island in the middle of the ocean and he’s been swimming from sharks out to get him but not even you can stand up against a flood. Caleb shakes his head.

“Is there something you usually do to make things easier?” You know of some of the coping mechanisms of Caleb but he wouldn’t have retreated if they worked. Caleb’s smarter than you are and knows himself best so while you may come up with some ideas, you’ll let him try first.

“Yes but not now. Not unless you happen to have about ten gold worth of incense on you.” Caleb laughs sarcastically.

“If you need Frumpkin back I can go retrieve him from Beau if you don’t feel comfortable doing so yourself. Don’t worry.” He appreciates your willingness to take the pressure off any social interactions he doesn’t have the energy for but sadly that’s not the reason.

“Thank you but Frumpkin as he is now won’t help. I need my cat. Not my cat shaped like an owl and it’ll still be a while before we get somewhere I can get enough incense to turn him back.”Caleb looks at you and can see the cogs in your head turning. A realisation has hit you but he cannot place it so instead he awaits for you to elaborate.

“You need a cat? Would any cat do or just Frumpkin? Maybe a cat that looks like Frumpkin?” You try your best to get the clearest visual of the orange ball of fur you can to make sure you could get this right.

“I think so but I’m not sure?” Caleb tries to figure out what you’re hinting at.

“Would this help?” You close your eyes and focus on the image in your mind. Next you open your eyes the world is different. You’re staring up at Caleb with a significant height difference. Your senses pick up on things you did not before and you’re hit with an overwhelming scent of a mixture of spell components, smoke and something more earthy. It’s not uncomfortable and actually pleasant.

Caleb is at loss for words. He knows about your ability to turn into animals but never considered the fact you’d be able to turn into a cat. While he certainly sees some dissimilarities between you and Frumpkin they are minor, he would not have expected you to know exactly where Frumpkin has that little spot shaped like a bean or where one of his whiskers is just a little shorter than the other above it.

Reaching out as if to pet you Caleb hesitates. He knows it’s not Frumpkin or another cat. He’s fully aware this is still you and you’re still fully aware of your surroundings, retain your memory and everything you knew as a person. He can see it in your eyes; they are unmistakably you. When you nudge up into his hand allowing him to stroke his fingers over your head Caleb reads this as you giving him permission. The head scratches turn over to your cheek and just under your chin and you can’t help but feel yourself beginning to purr just like Frumpkin does when he receives the same attention. It’s actually very comfortable and you get why the fey cat likes it so much.

An arm guides you to Caleb’s side and the fingers brushing through your orange fur continue. You don’t know wether or not it’s the cat senses kicking in or your own but you can feel the anxiety beginning to lessen from Caleb. That’s a good sign.

Slowly, little by little your positions change. One moment you’re half leaning against Caleb’s thigh, the next you’re curled up in his lap. Eventually you find yourselves laying back on the bed, you rolled up comfortably on Caleb’s stomach, the fingers brushing through your fur continuing until they become slower and slower and eventually cease, Caleb’s breathing growing heavier and slower. He’s asleep. You look at him careful not to twist too much but he looks peaceful and much less bothered by whatever haunts him so. You don’t want to wake him up so you’ll stay. You still got plenty of time left on this wild shape so maybe you’ll close your eyes for a bit too and you too fall asleep.

When you wake up you feel whatever’s under you stir so you open your eyes and make eye contact with Caleb who looks mortified for some reason. You wonder why. Had you done something in cat form? Wait, you don’t feel as small as you did anymore…

When Caleb woke up he found you in your normal form supporting your head on your crossed arms laying on his stomach fast asleep, his fingers intwined in your hair and the other hand somewhere between your shoulder blades. He shouldn’t have fallen asleep. You hadn’t agreed to this and what if the reason you still being here was because his grip might have been too tight? Nevermind the awkwardness of this all. He doesn’t do well with most physical touch but just like you in cat form, this feels comfortable and he’s ashamed to admit he could very well get used to this, though he doesn’t have the heart to ask you himself.

You sit up supporting yourself on your hands on either side of Caleb. You saw his response to the position the two of you woke up and you know what he’s like when it comes to physical touch and after the emotionally intimate moment you shared with him finding comfort in you, you hope you hadn’t ruined it by falling asleep not keeping track on when your wild shape would end. You blurt out apologies as you sit up and begin removing yourself from on top of Caleb. Caleb stops you as you’re on your knees and rises himself to a sitting position.

“No, I should apologise. Thank you for your kindness. I should have been more considerate. I did not mean to keep you or put you in a, no pun intended, tight spot.” Caleb grabs one of your hands lightly as if afraid you’d slip away and he’d be alone again. Your initial fear you might have overstepped yourself falls away.

“Do… you want me to stay?” You’re almost afraid to ask but you have to, if not for your own sake then for his. Caleb nods sheepishly but when you wrap your arms around his waist pulling yourself close to him once more. His hands find your hair and begin to loosely brush through carefully getting rid of any tangle that might have been there.

“You know I could turn back into a cat once more if you’d prefer.” You mutter into Caleb’s stomach and you can feel the slight tension and release of his abdomen signalling a silent laugh.

“While I very much appreciate the offer and will hope it still stands in the future, for now I am very much content with this.”

#critical role x reader #critrole x reader #critical role #mighty nein x reader #mighty nein #caleb x reader #caleb widogast x reader

[the-big-nope]

Since “the campaign is ending soon” declarations are flying around again, here’s a list of hanging plot threads that indicate why that’s probably not the case.

(For organization’s sake, the points are separated by Major Plots (plot threads that would probably consist of around 10-15 episodes per arc, if not longer), Lesser Plots (smaller scale elements that could be resolved in 1-3 episodes), and Speculative (stuff that isn’t a guarantee but I’ve got hunches about).

Major Plots

1. The Eyes of Nine/Nonagon/Eiselcross plot the M9 are currently pursuing. I can understand to a degree why people are getting endgame vibes off of this (Matt’s been foreshadowing it since the beginning, it certainly feels big enough to be the climactic threat), but just learning about the threat doesn’t necessarily mean it’s set to trigger the endgame. Vox Machina found out about Vecna way back in the Briarwood arc, and that didn’t become an active concern until way later.

2. Taking on the Cerberus Assembly. Less world-altering in its urgency or danger, but I would be very shocked if this wasn’t addressed and resolved in some way before the campaign is over. Cleaning up the empire has been a stated personal goal for both Beau and Caleb for some time now. The NPCs most tied to Caleb’s backstory are here, and Caleb’s arc probably wouldn’t feel complete without some kind of resolution with those three characters. Additionally, the Cerberus Assembly is emblematic of the moral grayness and corruption of power themes that have pervaded this campaign. Matt’s made it a point to have several NPCs talk about how “the outward war may be over but the conflict goes on,” or “things are the way they are so why bother trying to change them.” That idea of fighting a corrupt status quo despite tradition and historical precedent trying to tell you “that’s just how things are” seems to be a story Matt’s trying to engage the characters in, and regardless of the outcome they’ll get from it, I feel like it’s going to come up at some point, and the Cerberus Assembly seems like the best means of exploring it.

3. Fjord, Uk’otoa, and the other Titans. Yeah, it’s kinda vital that Fjord and the others find some permanent way to resolve this, because I don’t think there’s any way of properly concluding Fjord’s story without it. Fjord’s never going to be content hiding on land for the rest of his life with the key; he swore the Oath of the Open Seas, and he loves the ocean despite all the dangers it’s thrown at him. He’s never going to be free to embrace who he is and who he really wants to be as long as Uk’otoa stands in the way. On top of that, though this is kinda speculative and not guaranteed to become relevant to this campaign, there are the other titan creatures that were depicted on the temple walls alongside Uk’otoa on Urukayxl. I don’t want to go into too much detail about those because EGTW spoilers, but given the prevailing theme of both ‘nine’ and ‘eyes,’ with nine total eye-shaped keys needed to free these three beings, as well as the foreshadowing circus performance Matt narrated in the first episode, they might well be tied into the greater plot that seems to be unfolding in Eiselcross.

Lesser Plots

1. Essek. Love him or hate him, Essek has ingrained himself as one of the primary NPCs of this campaign. He’s played a major role in the events of the story, he’s informed the arcs of several of the PCs, and formed reasonably strong bonds with a few of them. Seeing some kind of resolution with him, whether he takes the M9′s second chance to heart or wades right back into making the same mistakes, seeing where he lands in the end would be quite a shame to miss.

2. Zuala’s Grave and Yasha’s Tribe. This might be more in speculative territory, because it’s absolutely possible Yasha could decide that chapter of her life is closed for good, and she’s found all the healing she needs with the M9. However, her love for Zuala is strong enough that I believe she’d want to have that last, proper farewell, even if she has healed enough to move on with her life, and closing in that final gap in her memory might be too alluring to ignore.

Speculative

1. Tharizdun. I put this in speculative because even though Tharizdun is a big deal, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to be making a return appearance. Vox Machina came across several references to and artifacts of Orcus, but never encountered him during the campaign. However, since he was tied directly to Yasha’s backstory, and Matt made a point of explaining that Tharizdun and the Luxon are similar but antithetical entities that might be closely related, I’m not counting him out of the race yet (or the Luxon either if I’m being honest, I just have less to go off of with that one).

2. Molaesmyr. Am I the only one that thinks Cad’s personal plot isn’t as wrapped up as it appears? I could see the transformed residuum acting as protection for just the Blooming Grove, but I highly doubt it’s going to cure the whole Savalierwood. Whether that’s going to be resolved by the M9 or not, I don’t know, but considering that A) what I said above, B) Ludinus Da’leth originally came from Molaesmyr, and C) this was where Star Razor was sundered, there are enough points of connection that I don’t quite trust it to sit quietly and not make any trouble.

With all of that to consider, not to mention any other side quests, personal plot beats, and other unexpected twists we cannot yet predict, I think we’ve got a good while yet before we say goodbye to the Mighty Nein.

#critical role #they might not go all the way to level 20 #but i'm betting on them making it to 17 at least #and if there's still more story to tell #they'll keep going #the tale is over when it's over

[sundayswiththeilluminati]

Tharizdun, the Somnovem, and Psionics

tl;dr I think Lucien (and to a lesser extent Obann) wield abilities from a new school of magic based on Psionics and derived from Tharizdun

Mechanically Lucien’s abilities have been a puzzler. Matt may have simply selected a batch of powers without fitting them into any larger structure, but that’s not his style. I’ve seen the theory that they’re based on a Beholder’s suite of eye-rays, but he hasn’t used a single ray-attack yet and I feel like he would have busted out at least one against Gelidon. Plus Lucien’s not the only one. How did Obann control Yasha for so long, and in a way that robbed her of autonomy? Standard control spells in D&D like Dominate Monster work by charming the target, inclining it to follow your commands, rather than letting you puppeteer them directly. How can Lucien take over his teammates at will? Why didn’t his anti-magic cone disrupt his own abilities like it did those of his teammates? I think it’s because there’s another school of magic in the mix, and I think it comes from Tharizdun.

Consider the origins of arcana. The main schools of magic spring from the gifts/teachings of the Prime Deities in the early times of creation, and the Luxon gifted/taught dunamancy. So why shouldn’t Tharizdun, the Luxon’s dark mirror, have a school of magic too? Tharizdun’s been humming along in the background of Campaign 2 literally since day one, a rising tide that drives creatures to devour. I believe he’s ultimately behind the Somnovem as well, corrupting the city as it wandered the Astral Sea where his influence is strongest and now reaching back through them to the Prime Material plane. Now that we’re coming up against Tharizdun’s avatar (or avatar’s avatar, if it’s reaching through the Somnovem) it makes sense to run into this new school of magic the same way we encountered dunamancy when venturing into Xhorhas.

If Tharizdun does have a school of magic, what would it be like? I think it’s based on psionics. Psionics in D&D mechanics are a class of arcane-ish abilities that draw power solely from the user’s mind and include classic psychic powers like telekinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, etc. While some monsters and NPC races in vanilla 5e have psionic powers (mindflayers, the gith), playable psionic classes are only in Unearthed Arcana (UA), D&D’s testing server. UA material is frequently revised, experimental material D&D’s designers want feedback on; the Artificer class, for instance, was published as UA a few years before being finalized in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. My guess is Matt used the Unearthed Arcana Mystic class published in early 2017 (later deprecated) to build his own school of psi-magic that we’ll discover over the course of the campaign.

Tharizdun itself is a creeping, seeping insanity that likes to find a crack in someone and worm its way in, so it makes sense that magic from Tharizdun would focus on the mind, madness, and control. It’s fixated on eyes, a classic theme in psionic abilities. Tharizdun’s influence is strongest in the Astral Sea - in base 5e lore it’s even the creator of the astral dreadnaughts - i.e. within a literal ocean of dreaming psychic energy governed by thought and will that’s home to the main psionic races, the githyanki/githzerai. The Somnovem, who were obsessed with both the Astral Sea and cultivating the unknown powers of the mortal mind, likely stumbled into the beginnings of psionics, and now they’re a hideous maddening entity of pure hunger rampaging around covering people in eyes. Oh, and don’t forget that the Somnovem opening a back-channel to Tharizdun would be an excellent reason for the Prime Deities to smite Aeor clean out of the sky before the Chained Oblivion got through. It’s Tharizdun all the way down, my dudes. And Tharizdun’s got the brain powers.

In Lucien’s case, his killer psychic touch attack being psionic would explain how he could use it when inside his own antimagic cone (beholders have their spellcasting eyes on tentacles outside of said cone). A few of the Mystic class’ disciplines also line up well with his demonstrated abilities: Telepathic Control has options that resemble both what he uses to take over the Tomb Takers and what Obann used on Yasha; Mantle of Awe grants abilities related to charm, persuasion, and drawing attention; Third Eye would give him truesight plus fun tricks like tremorsense and see through walls; and Nomadic Mind both gives him Find Creature and would let him create a movable magic sensor similar to a scry-eye that he could use when near the M9 to watch them indefinitely.

WHICH LEADS US TO ONE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT QUESTION: now that Caleb and Beauregard have eyes, can they learn psionic abilities too?? Int and Wisdom are the two psionic caster stats used by the githyanki and the githzerai respectively, and those are Caleb and Beau’s high stats. WILL BEAU LEARN TO PUNCH PEOPLE WITH HER BRAIN. I NEED TO KNOW.

#Critical Role #CR Spoilers #not really but just to be safe #Tharizdun #D&D psionics #overthinking is my superpower #HEY GUYS I GOT A THEORY #countdown till Matt disproving my theory #but seriously Beau accidentally performing a psionic ability on the battlefield next time they're in combat? #using a basic ability like extended leap or a force push? #Caleb doing a psionic cantrip somehow?? #I WANT TO SEE IT #GIVE ME THIS THING #it's been a long pandemic

[grave-avis]

Okay so, anyone who ever so slightly knows me knows I like birds. Like, really like birds. Like I’m organizing my life plan to hopefully be able to dedicate my life to ornithology levels of liking birds. One of my hobbies is birdwatching/ bird feeding and it’s really really fun! So I decided to make a little post about some of my FOs and birdwatching.

Note: if you’re going to be rude about my hobby please leave, I’ve been bullied for liking bird watching before and I just don’t want to deal with that before school starts. Yes it’s an old person hobby, but I enjoy it :)

With Jester I feel like she’d be very enthusiastic to join me, happily sitting next to me to doodle the birds we see. After a bit I’d notice that I’m seeing fewer birds than usual and realize that she’s talking very loudly and making a lot of sudden movements and it’s scaring away all the birds. After a brief conversation about it I decide to take her to visit my less timid bird friends: I’ll introduce her to all the geese I’ve gained the trust of and tell her all their names and help her feed them out of her hand and I’ll take her to visit all my crows and seagulls. I think she’d really like seeing all my friends and would appreciate the beauty of them, she wouldn’t find my enthusiasm about them obnoxious because she’s able to match my energy.

Yasha and I have travelled separately from the nein together in the past, and she’s kind of joined me accidentally. Sometimes I accompany her to pick flowers and I’ll spot a family of sparrows and point them out to her. She’s not very talkative but she doesn’t mind sitting with me and watching them, usually taking the time to write in her notebook as they warble and play. She finds them fascinating and she appreciates cute animals much more than you’d expect from an intimidating woman like her. Sometimes she brings me feathers she finds on the ground, she understands collecting things from nature. When we’re with the nein Beau will sometimes join us just to see what we’re up to. She likes to tease me about it but she’s chill, she gets very into my hypotheticals about what birds would beat each other in a fight.

Caduceus is a member of the nein who I can see genuinely enjoying birdwatching, and he probably adopted the hobby long before we met. He enjoys my enthusiasm and although he doesn’t know much about birds on an ornithology level, he appreciates my info dumps. When my insomnia acts up and he’s up late as well, sometimes we’ll sneak off together and try to find owls. He finds them a bit annoying because of how loud they are but they’re some of my favourites and it’s fun to watch them hunt.

Fjord and Caleb are a bit indifferent to them, Caleb appreciates my bird facts and knowledge (He especially likes my information on vultures and how acidic they are) and was kind enough to buy me a bird guide from a bookstore after noticing a lot of my guides don’t cover the regions we travel to. If I ever invite him out with me he doesn’t pay much attention to them but takes the opportunity to read and study, I don’t mind. The most birdwatching I’ll get out of Fjord is pointing out the seagulls around the ship, he finds them annoying as hell but even he admits seagulls can be fucking hilarious.

Nott and Molly are a bit too chaotic to take out birdwatching, I am worried that either they will accidentally harm the birds (or well,,, intentionally in Nott’s case) or they will accidentally piss off a bird and get mauled. Although one time they wrestled a living seagull back to camp after misunderstanding me talking about how I didn’t have many seagull FEATHERS in my collection.

Percy sometimes comes down to the ocean with me, he’s well acquainted with my geese and seagull friends and even the one crow that lives down there. He mostly likes to feed them with me and laugh about their mannerisms. He’s one of the people who kind of makes me remember how fun this hobby is. It can be very boring when you’re alone or take it too seriously but it’s hard to take much of anything serious when Percy is goofing off and cracking jokes with you. Sometimes when I meet up with him he’ll tell me about the birds he’s seen around because he knows I’ll appreciate it.

What’s the point of birdwatching with Alex around? She gets enthusiastic when I ask her to turn into different types of bird and enjoys the challenge, she never wastes an opportunity to show off her shapeshifting talent. Of course if I ask her to, she’ll happily chase the ravens through the hotel’s halls, trying to get a better look at them. Sometimes they pity us and perch for a few seconds so we can get a better look. When we meet up to work on art together she teases me about the amount of birds I incorporate into my art but I know she doesn’t mean it. Sometimes we’ll even collaborate and she’ll ask me to paint ravens and other animals onto her pottery. One morning I woke up to a small statue of an owl in front of my door, she never mentioned it to me but I recognized her stamp at the bottom of the statue.

Halfborn also isn’t that into birdwatching but he’ll be sure to tell me when birds are mentioned in littérature and loves to discuss poetry with me and will show me any bird themed ones. He appreciates the symbolism behind them more than anything. Sometimes when we can’t sleep we’ll spend the night in each other’s room and tell stories of when we were alive, although he’s a bit tired of me harassing him for any stories about the seagulls in his old fishing village.

Aragorn and Legolas are both fairly into my bird obsession but most of all they like it when I explain falconry to them, they enjoy seeing my owl around the camp and find any facts about her interesting. They find nature and all its creatures simply delightful. Gimli’s a bit indifferent to it but sometimes he’ll point out any birds he sees to keep me entertained on the road (I don’t think he likes birds that much :/).

#raynards rambles #long post #fo: Beauregard Lionett #fo: Jester Lavorre #fo: Mollymuck Tealeaf #fo: fjord tusktooth #fo: Nott #fo: Veth Bernartto #fo: Caleb Widoghast #tea time 🍃 #fo: Percy Jackson #💫the boys💫 #fo: Alex Fierro #fo: Halfborn Gunderson #self ship blog #self ship #self shipping #source: critical role #platonic fo #familial fos #source: riordanverse #source: lord of the rings

[kiwikipedia]

Updated list for the Mythology AU

I’m still missing some things and I’ve added some things too? Idk whats going on lol.

Here are some extra notes before I post the Council List:

Basically, the most trusted followers of their sects ascend to familiars?? I guess???????

Stass and Adi share temples and followers— hence why Neyo is under both of them as a follower/familiar. No clue what creature he’d be able to shift into though

Saesee canonically had a Commander in the 2003 series but went unnamed and was colored incorrectly. If you know my Sticker series, you know I used him and gave him the name “Vic”, I also tossed one of his pilots in too— Char

Speaking of which, I have zero ideas for Oppo, Yarael, the Colemans, and Yaddle because they were either not on the front lines or didn’t participate in TCW because they uh. Died. (Rip Trebor and Yarael, we barely knew ye). Also only have a slight idea for Agen because the man said no to a unit and decided to yeet the hutts. Might give him the M10 because Ultimate Chaos, or Fox because He Deserves A Little Murder (did both, not sure if it’ll stick)

Still sorting out where the other Jedi would fall but from what I have been thinking either as minor gods of their own sects or minor gods under the Council’s domains.

Quinlan is a “minor god” of Trickery, T’ra is the god of the forest, Ahsoka is a follower of the Hunt, Anakin idk where to put him, Cin is a follower of Depa’s and Yoda’s (Possibly the minor god of the guardsmen or another form of protection), Sha would be a minor god because of her relation to Plo, maybe one of the wind gods? and the Padawans would follow their masters (ie: Depa and Caleb, Bant and Nahdar with Kit, Bultar and Lissarkh with Plo...). Still working on this idea

Jocasta: Historic Record

Luminara: Light

Idk what to do with Aayla

Tholme I might make the god of darkness? my knowledge on the man is lacking ngl

Micah was the god of Luck but he’s gone now :’) 

Even Piell held the OG War God title despite his status as the god of victory through battle, but then Agen was born (spawned from the blood of a battle?) and he took up the full name of the god of war? But only took spot on the Council when Even vanished. I guess?

idk what Tyvokka would be. Maybe the OG god of the Hunt? 

Yoda

Title: The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster of the Pantheon

Domain: Widom

Banner Colors: Hazy Green (HEX: #6FB170)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | Gree (?) Thire (???)

Mace Windu

Title: The Shatterpoint

Realm: Justice

Banner Colors: Purple (HEX #8B3DC0)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): The Zillo  (lol) | Ponds

Depa Billaba

Title: The One Who Protects

Realm: Protection/Safety

Banner Colors: Pale Red/Smoky Red (HEX #B24444)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | Grey

Eeth Koth

Title: The One Who Creates A New Way (This has to do with his canon leaving of the order)

Realm: New Pathways (connects with his line about Funerals and weddings, the new path of death and life) and New Fates (His leaving) 

Banner Colors: Forest Green (HEX #75BC00)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | Lock

Oppo Rancisis

Title: The Upholder

Realm: Time (he’s just begging to be the ouroboros, lets be real)

Banner Colors: Silvery Green (HEX #9BC89C)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) (J... jormungandr?) | N/A

Ki-Adi Mundi

Title: The Tactician

Realm: Strategy

Banner Colors: Maroon (HEX #540031)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | Bacara

Plo Koon

Title: The Sage of Storms

Realm: Storms and Sky

Banner Colors: Icy Blue (HEX #B5E5FF)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): Storm Dragon/Raiju | Wolffe, Sinker, Boost

Saesee Tiin

Title: (work in progress)

Realm: Earth, Stone, and the Riches Beneath

Banner Colors: Turquoise (HEX #30D5C8)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): Grootslang. Giant elephant snakes. Terrifying but have to do with the riches of the earth | Vic, Char

Shaak Ti

Title: The Huntress

Realm: The Hunt and the Beasts of The Hunt

Banner Colors: Blood Red (HEX #B20808)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): Great Amarok Wolves | Colt, Blitz, Havoc

Kit Fisto

Title: The Spirit of the Sea

Realm: The Seas and Oceans

Banner Colors: Sea Green (HEX #22CB9A)

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): The Leviathan | Monnk

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Title: The Negotiator

Realm: Negotiations

Banner Colors: Gold/Yellow

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | Cody, Waxer, Boil

Agen Kolar

Title: The Attack Dog ( Not sure on this one yet)

Realm: War

Banner Colors: Royal Blue

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): Chimera | Fox, Fordo

Even Piell

Title: The Battlemaster

Realm: Victory Through Battle

Banner Colors:

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | N/A (Honestly, i dont remember his commander’s name or if he had one)

Yarael Poof

Title: The Dream Keeper

Realm: Illusions and dreams

Banner Colors:

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | N/A

Adi Gallia

Title: The One Who Finds What’s Hidden

Realm: Perception

Banner Colors:

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | Neyo

Stass Allie

Title: The Navigator

Realm: Wayfinding

Banner Colors:

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | Neyo

Coleman Kcaj

Title:

Realm: Knowledge and Teaching

Banner Colors:

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | N/A

Coleman Trebor

Title:

Realm:

Banner Colors:

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | N/A

Yaddle

Title:

Realm:

Banner Colors:

Closest Familiar(s) and Follower(s): (Undecided animal/mythological beast) | N/A

#i instantly forgot to look for hex colors for the rest of them lmaooo #im too lazy to do so rn #maybe in the next update post #master Yoda #Grandmaster Yoda #Yaddle #Mace windu #depa billaba #eeth koth #oppo rancisis #ki-adi-mundi #ki adi mundi #plo koon #saesee tiin #shaak ti #kit fisto #obi wan kenobi #obi-wan kenobi #Agen kolar #adi gallia #stass allie #yarael poof #even piell #coleman kcaj #coleman trebor #jedi order #jedi council #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #long post