#harlequin lady beetle

[colorsoutofearth]

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) melanic form

Photo by Paul Hobson

#Harmonia axyridis #Harmonia #harlequin ladybird #ladybug #ladybird #lady beetle #beetles #coleoptera #insects #entomology #coccinellidae #melanic insects #orange #autumn #autumn colors #fall #fall colors #black and orange #orange and black #red #insect photography #nature

[lunelfy]

Harlequin Ladybird ;

Spotted this one on the terrain at school ♥ A bit difficult to identify as it goes by many names... one calls them Harlequin, another Pine, and another a British Ladybird. There might be even more names :')

#photography #nature #lady bird #ladybug #harlequin #beetles #lady beetle #pine

[zoe-oneesama]

Kwami Swap Master Post

Marinette:

Cat: Maotif (Lady Noire Variant), Original Design Fox: Huli Rouge Turtle: Bi Xi Bee: Marigold (original post), Marigold redesign, Marigold Chinese, first sighting Butterfly: Mariposa Peacock: Plumette, Belle Blue, Belle Blue with Chloe Snake: Serpentine Dragon: Snapdragon Horse: Yili Monkey: Surili Rabbit: Lucky Rabbit Mouse: Multimouse redesign, chibi Pig: Piglette Tiger: Báihŭ

Adrien:

Ladybug: Original Design Fox: Malin Rouge Turtle: Michelangelo Bee: Buzzy Bee Butterfly: Ombre Snake: Aspik Redesign Dragon: Dracon Pig: Hogwash

Alya:

Ladybug: Ladybird, Heroes Day, first sighting Turtle: Koki Marina, hair options, first sighting Bee: Myèl Jaune, first version

Nino:

Cat: Cat Scratch Fox: Fox Trot, first sighting

Chloe:

Ladybug: Scarlet Lady, Heroes Day, first sighting Cat: Chartreux Butterfly: Monarch Peacock: Blue Blood Rabbit: Satine Random Sketches

Lila:

Ladybug: Harlequin Coccibella and Bella Stella, Bella Stella, Harlequin Fox: Good Fox Volpina Bee: Miele and Regina Butterfly: Farfalla Rabbit: Leprotta Good and Evil Mouse: Multi Topi Rooster: Fenice Pig: Good and Evil (unnamed) Dog: Cucciola Ox: Dominataur Goat: Caprascuro

Sabrina:

Cat: Bob Cat Fox: Kit Bee: Andrena, first sighting Peacock: Mystique Mouse: Comousiner Rooster: Favorelle Dog: Miss Hound redesign, Original Design Phalène Ox: Blue Belle Goat: Chevron

Luka:

Cat: Cat Sith Fox: Zorro Turtle: Heavy Metal Bee: Aristaeus Snake: Viperion Redesign Rabbit: Hoppollo

Kagami:

Ladybug: Lady Tentou Cat: Kuro Neko, first sighting Fox: Kitsune, many chibis Turtle: Kame Verte, many chibis Bee: Mistubachi, first version, many chibis Dragon: Ryuko redesign, first version, many chibis

Mylene:

Ladybug: Lady Beetle Mouse: Polymouse Redesign, Original Design Sourette Rooster: Gold Wing Dog: Ultimutt Ox: Buckaroo Goat: Brebisou

Ivan:

Cat: Wild Cat Bee: Killer Bee Mouse: Rat Trap Rooster: Spring Chicken Dog: Bull Terror Ox: Minotaurox Redesign Goat: Battering Ram

Nathaniel:

Cat: Picatso Fox: (currently nameless) Mouse: Microdent Rooster: Caladrius Dog: Painted Dog Ox: Battle Bison Goat: Caprikid Redesign

Rose:

Ladybug: Dotted Lady Fox: Foxy Bee: Bumble Bee, first sighting Rabbit: Bun Bun Pig: Original Design Miss Piggy Tiger: Unnamed

Juleka:

Cat: Panthera Noir Bee: Yellow Swarm Peacock: Sweet Pea Pig: Unnamed Tiger: Purple Tigress Resign, Chibi, Original Design Tigresse

Max:

Ladybug: Spotted Guard Bee: Yellow Guard Horse: Pegasus redesign

Kim:

Cat: Hell Cat Bee: Roi Abeille

Alix:

Ladybug: Beetle Bug

Gabriel:

Cat: Black Plague

Nathalie:

Fox: Jackal

Jagged Stone:

Bee: Sting

Aurore:

Fox: many chibis Turtle: Shellegant, many chibis Bee: Miss Sting, many chibis Dragon: Pleut Blue, many chibis Rabbit: Lapin Royal

Ondine:

Turtle: Tortue Marina

Marc:

Mouse: Tiny Mouse Rooster: Rooster Bold Redesign Dog: Furmidable Ox: Oxenfree Goat: Goat Gruff

Zoé:

Ladybug: Coccecilia Cat: Dandy Lion Fox: Fox Glove Turtle: Shellonia Butterfly: Gladiolus Peacock: Poinciana Snake: Hydra Gea Dragon: Drakanthus Horse: Peony Trail Monkey: Simia Rabbit: Cotton Tail Mouse: Rodendron Rooster: Chick Pea Pig: Pigsqueek Tiger: (unnamed) Dog: (unnamed) Ox: Moobloom Goat: Fauna

Emilie:

Butterfly: Unnamed

Very Old Season 1 Kwami Swaps Compiled for Marinette, Adrien, Nino, Alya, Chloe, and Lila

#kwami swap #kwami swap master post #my art

[celestiall0tus]

Do you have a list of hero names you use for your aus? I sometimes get them confused with each other...

Well, now we do. Let's go through the lists. The structure of these are as follows: Miraculous - Holder - Superhero Name

Miraculous AU:

Ladybug - Marinette - Ladybug

Black Cat - Adrien - Chat Noir

Bee - Chloe - Queen Bee

Spider - Zoe - Widow

Mouse - Juleka - Souris Blanche

Pig - Amelie - Nacre

Fox - Lila - Volpina

Lynx - Marc _ Sleuthlynx

Dog - Sabrina - Cheri

Rooster - Felix - Ripper

Bat - Mylene - Dread Queen

Tiger - Kim - King Tiger

Goat - Ondine - Faun

Monkey - Bridgette - Harlequin

Raven - Nathaniel - Achlys

Wolf - Alya - Louve Grise

Owl - Max - Noctua

Ox - Ivan - Iron Bull

Horse - Alix - Liberte

Rabbit - Rose - Lapine

Peacock - Nathalie - Mayura

Butterfly - Gabriel - Papillon

Snake - Luka - Viperion

Dragon - Kagami - Ryuko

Turtle - Nino - Carapace

Salvation AU:

Ladybug - Luka - Metal Bug

Black Cat - Kagami - Kuro Neko

Bee - Marinette - Bumblebee

Spider - Nathalie - Black Widow

Mouse - Alya - Muridae

Fox - Marc - Fantastic Fox

Lynx - Lila - Lincina

Dog - Nathaniel - Familiaris 

Rooster - Audrey - Eris

Bat - Felix - Hades

Tiger - Alix - Tigrix

Ant - Tomoe - Ari

Goat - Nino - Sanguine

Monkey - Kim - King Monkey

Raven - Anarka - Sorrowful

Deer - Sabrina - Fawn

Owl - Zoe - Owlet

Ox - Chloe - Crimson

Koala - Sabine - Mama Bear

White Cat - Adrien - Chat Blanc

Rabbit - Rose - Bunella

Peacock - Gabriel - Paon

Butterfly - Colt - Emperor

Snake - Juleka - Vipress

Dragon - Mylene - Draconne

Turtle - Bridgette - Aegis

Absolution AU:

Ladybug - Marinette - Ladybug

Black Cat - Adrien - Chat Noir

Bee - Chloe - Queen Bee

Mouse - Juleka - Whisper

Fox - Lila - Volpina

Rooster - Nathaniel- Scorned

Raven - Marc - Mourn

Deer - Alya- Fawn

Wolf - Alix- Fera

Ox - Ondine - Ira

Rabbit - Rose - Bunelle

Butterfly - Nathalie - Papillon

Snake - Luka - Viperion

Turtle - Nino - Carapace

Paradise AU:

Ladybug - Marinette - Hope

Black Cat - Felix - Cat Noir

Bee - Chloe - Ambrosia

Spider - Zoe - Widow

Mouse - Nathalie - Dragnet

Fox - Bridgette - Void

Dog - Sabrina - Agape

Rooster - Juleka - Wrath

Pig - Alix - Circe

Bat - Rose - Dread

Tiger - Nino - Aurora

Goat - Luka - Sin

Wolf - Alya - Huntress

Rabbit - Mylene - Luna

Peacock - Amelie - Erinona

Butterfly - Emilie - Echidna

Snake - Adrien - Aspik

Dragon - Kagami - Delphyne

Turtle - Gabriel - Alexiares

Cow - Kim - Siegfried

Swan - Ondine - Odette

Separate Worlds AU:

Ladybug - Marinette - Lady Beetle

Mouse - Alya - Gold Mouse (Biker) Cream (Reporter)

Fox - Nathalie - Vixen

Dog - Felix - TBA

Raven - Luka - Nevermore

Owl - Alix - Snow Owl

Peacock - Juleka - Ghoul

Butterfly - Adrien - Iris

Snake - TBA

Dragon - Rose - Cinder

Turtle - Mylene - TBA

All That Remained AU:

Ladybug - Marc - Scarlet Lord

Black Cat - Felix - Cath Palug

Bee - Sabrina - Nymph

Mouse - Juleka - White Mouse

Fox - Lila - TBA

Dog - Chloe - Queen Spaniel 

Rooster - Ivan - TBA

Bat - Tomoe - TBA

Tiger - Adrien - Tigre Rose

Goat - Nino - TBA

Monkey - Kim - King Monkey

Wolf - Alya - Louve Grise

Owl - Max - Glauca

Ox - Kagami - Senketsu

Horse - Alix - Chevalier

Rabbit - Rose - Bunella

Peacock - Emilie - Hera

Butterfly - Nathalie - Faerie

Snake - Luka - Viperion

Dragon - Mylene - Drakon

Turtle - Socequline - TBA

Cicada - Marinette - Cicada

Chameleon - Nathaniel - Changeling

Swan - Zoe - Valkyrie

Cow - Ondine - TBA

Dolphin - Amelie - Amphitrite

Amaranthine AU:

Ladybug - Chloe - Carmine

Owl - Chloe - Minerva

Black Cat - Zoe - Midnight

Dove - Zoe - Atropos

Butterfly - Adrien - Adonis

Snake - Luka - Atropa/ Juleka - Belladona

Mouse - Luka - Atropa

Dragon - Marinette (Nimue) Longg (Guenevere) Marinette and Longg (Mordred)

Fox - Alya - Rena

Siren's Song AU:

Ladybug - Kagami - Lady Beetle

Black Cat - Ivan - Razor

Peacock - Ondine - Siren

Bee - Mylene - Honey Bee

Fox - Luka - Maestro

Butterfly - Marinette - Iridescent

Raven - Adrien - Scourge

Dragon - Zoe - Wyvern

Bat - Juleka - Banshee

Swan - Rose - Venus

Turtle - Chloe - Mariana

Pig - Felix - Aetolian

Mouse - Nino - TBA

Owl - Sabrina - Seeker

Robin - Lila - Pettirosso

Shark - Alix - Megalodon

Seal - Alya - Oblivion

Dog - Marc - Eros

Dolphin - Aurore - Sea Breeze

Koala - Nathaniel - TBA

Lynx - Colt - Lyncus

Rabbit - Amelie - Artemis

Horse - Emilie - Eleutheria

Ant - Max - Formica

Chameleon - Tomoe - Grandeur

Cow - Gabriel - TBA

Spider - Nathalie - Neith

Dove - Sabine - TBA

Bloody Bug Au:

Ladybug - Alix - Bloody Bug

Black Cat - Adrien - Chat Noir

Bee - Alya - Bomb Bee

Mouse - Mylene - Polymouse

Pig - Sabrina - Porcelet

Fox - Max - TBA

Dog - Rose - PomPom

Rooster - Chloe - Gallic Chick

Tiger - Marinette - Lady Tigress

Goat - Nathaniel - Caprikid

Monkey - Kim - King Monkey

Ox - Ivan - Minotaurox

Horse - Marc - Equestrian

Rabbit - Luka - Harlequin

Peacock - Nathalie - Mayura

Butterfly - Gabriel - Hawkmoth

Snake - Juleka - TBA

Dragon - Kagami - Ryuko

Turtle - Nino - Carpace

#au #miraculous au #alternate universe #au info #ml au info #salvation au #paradise au #absolution au #all that remained au #amaranthine au #siren's song au #bloody bug au

[flightfoot]

I have this headcanon that if Marinette was akumatized as Ladybug, she would probably have a name related to Asian ladybugs that are black with red spots. So, I would like your opinion, which of these three names do you think is better: Harmonia (from Harmonia axyridis, the scientific name of asian lady beetles), Harlequin (an common nickname for asian lady beetles) or Lady Beetle (the name used by entomologists to refer the Coccinellidae specie, in order to avoid confusion with true bugs)?

Depends on what kind of akuma she is. "Lady Beetle" is a pretty boring, but neutral name, While "Harmonia" and "Harlequin" both bring up other associations: Harmonia with harmony, and Harlequin with, well, harlequins.

If Marinette's akuma is based more off of an attempt at finding order and peace, then Harmonia makes more sense. If it's more chaotic and is indicative more of reaching a breaking point and lashing out, or if she's just trying to get through life by slapping a smile on her face regardless of how she's feeling inside, then Harlequin makes more sense.

#ask #miraculous ladybug #ml analysis #marinette dupain cheng

[dracolizardlars]

bruh I found a harlequin ladybird ("Asian lady beetle" is the US common name, apparently) today and I swear to god it gave me flashbacks to my early childhood living in Hampshire where those things were public enemy number 1 in terms of invasive species. they were breaking news (they only first invaded Britain in 2004, I moved away in 2007) and I so clearly remember first learning about them as a small child and them being a huge part of my understanding of invasive species and then seeing dozens and dozens of them in the hedges around my school one summer. and then I swear I haven't seen one once in Cornwall UNTIL TODAY, looks like the damn things have finally made it this far west. feels like I'm back in the trenches

#draco speaks #I've never actually killed one btw #I don't really have the heart to they're still just lil ladybirds but they fuckin eat the native ladybirds

[charleyharperid]

Giant Malaysian leaf insect

Carpenter ant?

Royal Goliath beetle

Blue Dasher

Polyphemus moth

Goliath stick insect

Two-spot lady bird

Harlequin ladybird

Rhetenor blue morph butterfly

Monarch butterfly chrysalis

Colorado potato beetle?

Luna moth caterpillar?

Some kind of katydid?

#charley harper #insect world #insect biodiversity #animal identification #idk folks it's hard to ID a brown ant #insects: not my strong suit

[princess-of-the-corner]

I mean...

*motions to my Harlequin Beetle and March Hare AU that I occasionally mention but have never actually written out*

It's not like I came up with that exact scenario for teen!Bunnyx's debut or anything!

(To recap, Harlequin Beetle is Ladybug getting Akumatized and March Hare is Bunnyx getting herself Akumatized to stop Hawk Moth from Akumatizing Ladybug, because erasing that timeline from existence is legitimately the only way to stop Harlequin Beetle.)

YEAH LIKE

I have. I have so many idea concepts for Akumanette. (I mean we do have the whole ass playlist).

Ideas range from 'things that would be in saltfics' to 'Marinette realizes her mistakes and secretkeeping too late to fix it' to 'this girl works customer service let her go feral on a Karen', to even what I did with Lady Luck and had it be 'black and white mentality is shattered'.

And yes it's a hard fight! Because it's Marinette who is also Ladybug she knows all the Heroes and their playbook she can figure out their plans easily.

But she's not immune

Hell you don't even technically have to have a "someone else takes the Ladybug Miraculous" we can just have Tikki do it which might have other consequences!

[happyfeetfuryroad]

I'm currently in the middle of a battle with harlequin lady beetles trying to make themselves at home in my apartment and it's moments like these that will forever make me resent whoever had the genius idea of deliberately importing them for whatever fucking reason

#rant #invasive species

[life-around-me-yura15cbx]

Гармонія азійська, або далекосхідна, або сонечко-арлекін

Гармония изменчивая, или божья коровка-арлекин азиатская божья коровка, или 19-пятнистая коровка или азиатская божья коровка

Harmonia axyridis is a large lady beetle or ladybug species that is most commonly known as the harlequin, multicoloured Asian, or Asian lady beetle. This is one of the most variable species in the world, with an exceptionally wide range of colour forms. It is native to eastern Asia, but has been artificially introduced to North America and Europe to control aphids and scale insects. It is now common, well known, and spreading in those regions, and has also established in Africa and widely across South America. This species is conspicuous in North America, where it may locally be known as the Halloween beetle, as it often invades homes during October to overwinter.

415 Huia Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604

2JXF+5RC Auckland

-36.9520530, 174.6245220

[beausbugbiome]

I was blessed today. 🐞

#insects #entomology #insect #bugs #bug #nature #beetle #coleoptera #beetles #ladybug #lady bug #ladybeetle #lady beetle #harlequin lady bird #Asian lady beetle #harlequin lady beetle

[onebugaday]

The larval stage of Harmonia axyridis, the harlequin lady beetle

#bug #insect #arthropod #ladybird #bugs #insects #arthropods #ladybirds

[creaturearchive]

An asian lady beetle, or harlequin lady beetle, which landed on my hand. Its wings weren’t quite folded back into the shell properly yet. Photographed July 29, 2019.

#creaturearchive #bugs #july #2019 #coleoptera

[thors-daughtersthoughts]

Asian lady beetle

Harmonia axyridis

Aka Harlequin, multicolored Asian, Halloween lady beetle, pumpkin ladybird

This insect is native to east Asia but was introduced to Europe and North America to control aphids. (Not the best idea) it's one of the most varied beetles. While somewhat helpful to farmers, it is considered invasive.

Asian lady beetles are known to infest homes in the fall and winter. They have a smell and body fluids that stain. They also bite. These beetles have a huge appetite and often outcompete native species. They've been known to even eat other species of ladybugs. It's immune to many diseases that kill other ladybugs and carry a parasite that infects and kills other ladybugs. The presence of this ladybug can alter the taste of wine.

Sources

Wikipedia Asian lady beetle

#insect #invasive species #asian lady beetle #ladybug #non native #genus loci #chautauqua county #beetle

[what-bug-is-this]

What Bug Is This? 21: Asian Lady Beetles

Image sources: top: entomart (free for noncommercial use as per website description), bottom: Rise0011, license  

Yes, all of these are the same species. The bottom shows (left to right), a larva, an adult, and a pupa.

Common name(s): Asian ladybug/bird/beetle, multicolored Asian, harlequin, Halloween ladybug/beetle

Scientific name: Harmonia axyridis

Can it hurt me?: They might take a nip at you, but they can't really harm you. They will also sometimes bleed on you if you pick them up as a defense mechanism. This liquid smells funny and can stain fabric.

Can it hurt my plants?: They'll eat aphids and scale insects that could harm your plants. However, if you're running a vineyard you need to be extra careful not to get them in your wine as they make it taste yucky.

Can it harm the ecosystem?: Unfortunately yes. These beetles were imported to North America and Europe as biological controls for aphids, but they have started to seriously displace other lady beetle species. Native species' numbers have plummeted as the Asian lady beetle's has skyrocketed. If you want to help out the entomologists trying to protect these native species, Lost Ladybug Project takes both donations and citizen science volunteers.

Should I kill it?: You're not going to reverse the ecological damage this species has done by squishing individuals. That said, don't feel too guilty about killing the ones that move into your home. They can usually be vacuumed up. More importantly, you absolutely should not release even more of them into the environment! If you really want to use lady beetles as biological control agents, double check that the species you're releasing is native to your area.

Anything else I should know?: If you find lady beetles overwintering in your home, they're most likely this species. It's widely believed that this behavior is a major factor in why they've been able to multiply so rapidly and take over.

#what bug is this? #insects #beetle #ladybug

[vexing-imogen]

hide your face (so the world will never find you)

Masquerade! Paper faces on parade Masquerade!

They’re the guests of honor tonight.

Fjord guesses that’s what’s supposed to happen when you’ve saved the world about half a dozen times and counting. It is a bit surreal though. Looking down at the sea of people crowding the Lavish Chateau and knowing they’re there for you, because of you.

He hasn’t joined the party yet, choosing instead to watch the revelry below from one of Jester’s childhood hiding places. He observes the masquerade through a simple face mask; a deep forest green, dappled with lighter greens, decorated with kelp and colorful sea glass, and held in place with a piece of the red cord he’s carried with him since his time on the Tide’s Breath. Jester had insisted that they all keep their masks and costumes a secret until the party, so Fjord makes a game out of searching the crowd for his friends.

Nott (Veth he has to remind himself. Not Nott anymore. Veth) er, Veth is easy enough to spot, leading Yeza around the buffet table. She’s wearing a pretty yellow dress, embroidered with delicate flowers. Her dark hair is braided into an elaborate updo, dark eyes sparkling with excitement above her broken porcelain mask.

He picks Caduceus out next, his firbolg form towering over most of the guests, but especially the white-haired gnome he’s conversing with. The beetle mask he’s wearing should be creepy as fuck, but his soft, floppy ears and long waterfall of hair soften the edges and make him look only mildly disconcerting.

Yasha would be hard to miss in a crowd, even without the large white wings that sprout from her shoulders. Her dress is midnight blue, embroidered with silver thread in patterns reminiscent of a lightning strike. Fjord thinks her white avian mask might be an eagle of some kind, but it’s hard to tell with her head ducked as it is, eyes on her dance partner.

Her dance partner being Beau. Beau, who Fjord wouldn’t recognize if he didn’t already know what her mask looked like. They’d gone shopping for masks together (Jester had pouted for hours when she found out), and he’d been the one to find the elaborate owl mask that looked a little too much like Professor Thaddeus. She’s dressed in a charcoal grey suit trimmed with blue. It has sleeves. Beauregard Lionett is willingly wearing sleeves and dancing and isn’t trying to start a brawl with the goliath from Vox Machina. He’s so proud he could cry.

It takes him a while to find Caleb. He’s sequestered himself in a dark corner (another one of Jester’s favored hiding spots), like Fjord, keeping himself separate from all of the attention and praise that none of them are quite sure they deserve. His cat mask is pushed up so he can better focus on his conversation partner. Essek, Fjord realizes with no small amount of shock. They’d invited him of course, at a banquet in Rosohna celebrating the end of the war, but none of them had expected him to actually show, Caleb especially.

Fjord searches the room for Jester fruitlessly. She isn’t by the stage, where a family of gnomes called the Shorthalt Seven play song after song. She isn’t sitting down with Allura Vysoren and her wife, Kima, who have abandoned their masks (a golden swan and a silver dragon, respectively) in favor of wine and ale. Nor is she at her mother’s side as Marion flirts with both Lord and Lady de Rolo. The Lady’s bronze dragon mask does little to muffle her laughter as her husband flushes a brilliant crimson behind a raven. She isn’t pestering Taryon Darrington, who is wearing a garish mask that can only be his construct, Doty. (the construct is wearing a mask, too. A truly horrifying thing that Fjord can only guess is supposed to be a likeness of Taryon.) In all of the music, laughter, dancing, drinking, mischief, and general chaos of the evening, Jester is nowhere to be found.

“Looking for someone?”

Fjord nearly cracks his head on a low beam jumping at the soft voice beside him. He’s halfway to summoning the Star Razor before he thinks that it might not be the best idea to run a random party guest through with a sword. He does spin towards the voice, and comes face to face with Keyleth of the Air Ashari and Vox Machina. The Voice of the Tempest. The powerful as fuck archdruid that could level the Chateau if she really wanted to.

Her rabbit mask is pushed up between her antlers, so he can see her wince and blush. “Sorry,” she says. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He waves off her apologies. “It’s fine, really,” he says, taking a breath and willing his heart to stop racing. “I just wasn’t expecting anyone else to be up here, that’s all.”

Keyleth nods, her mask slipping a little with the movement. “I get it,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong, I love getting dressed up, and the free drinks are always a plus, but the whole socializing part of events like these have never been my forte.”

“It’s not the socializing I mind,” he says, searching for the right words. “It’s being the center of attention that bothers me, I suppose. Especially when-”

“You feel like you don’t deserve any of it, and you’re terrified that everyone will realize all at once how much of a fuck-up you truly are and throw you out on your ass?” Keyleth finishes, giving him a wry grin.

Fjord laughs. “Um, yes. To all of that.”

“Unfortunately, that feeling never really goes away,” she says, shrugging. “Sorry.” She’s quiet for a moment. “Having friends helps,” she says eventually. “Getting to see the positive impact of something that you did? That helps, too.”

“Thank you,” he says. “I think it also helps knowing that you aren’t alone in what you’re feeling.”

Keyleth grins. “Don’t mention it. Now, did you need help finding someone?” Her fingertips spark with magic as she wiggles them at him. “I probably have a spell that can help.”

Fjord shakes his head. “Thank you, but sometimes it’s just nice to sit back and watch the crowd.”

She likely sees through the lie, but she doesn’t push it. “Okay,” she says awkwardly. “Well, I should probably get back before my friends send a search party after me. They can get kind of paranoid sometimes.”

He nods. “It was nice talking with you, Miss Keyleth.”

He’s turning back to search for Jester when Keyleth calls his name. He turns back to her, about halfway down the stairs, an unreadable expression on her face. “Yes?”

“One last piece of advice?” He nods. She takes a deep breath. “Don’t wait until it’s too late to tell someone how you really feel about them. It works out for some,” she adds, eyes darting to Lord and Lady de Rolo, now dancing close, lost to everyone else but each other. “But, the more time you get with someone you love, the better.”

He swallows past the lump in his throat. “Thank you,” he says quietly. “I’ll take that into consideration.”

What he doesn’t say is that he was already almost too late. They’d lost Jester during one of their recent battles. She’d gone down and Caduceus was too far away, too focused on keeping Caleb and Beau alive. Fjord and Yasha’s meager healing abilities hadn’t been enough, and, for twelve agonizing hours, Jester was lost to them. Cad was able to bring her back with Beau and Nott’s help. Fjord’s too. He’ll be damned if he can remember everything he said, but he knows he’d whispered his love to her, for only her to hear.

Keyleth is long gone when Jester’s voice interrupts his thoughts. “Fjo-ord, where are you? I’ve been looking everywhere for you. The party got too stuffy, so I went to my momma’s balcony for some fresh-”

He chuckles as her message cuts off. “Message received, loud and clear. Stay where you are, Jessie, I’ll be right up.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fjord finds Jester right where she said she’d be; in her mother’s room, out on the balcony, staring up at the night sky, the ocean breeze gently ruffling her hair. He stops to examine the mask that she’s left on the table before going out to join her. It’s a full face mask, styled after old theatre masks. One side laughing, one side crying; comedy and tragedy in one. The laughing side is a deep emerald green, the crying a jewel-bright pink, all accented with gold.

As he sets the mask aside and moves to join her on the balcony, he sees that the colors perfectly match her dress. The sleeveless bodice is patterned with harlequin diamonds, green, pink, and gold. Her skirt flares out, layer upon layer of emerald green tulle. She looks like a princess, and Fjord, in his simple mask and pirate costume, feels every inch a pauper.

The moment he sets foot on the balcony, she turns to him, and the smile she gives him wipes away any momentary insecurities.

“There you are, Fjord,” she teases. “It feels like I’ve been waiting forever.”

He grins, moves to lean against the railing. “Please accept my deepest apologies,” he says. “How ever can I make up for such a grievous error?”

Jester giggles. “Wellll, for starters, as cool as it is, you can take your mask off. This balcony has officially been declared a “no mask zone”.”

“Is that so?” he asks, smirking when she nods seriously. “I suppose I should comply, then. I wouldn’t want to break official rules.”

He unties his mask and hands it to Jester, watching as she runs her fingers over the sea glass. “This is really cool, Fjord,” she says, rubbing her thumb across a piece of kelp.

He blushes a bit, ducking his head. “Thanks, Jes. Yours is...gorgeous,” he says. “The wh-whole ensemble, really. I mean, gods, Jester, there’s rarely a day you don’t take my breath away, but tonight...gods, tonight...”

Her eyes are wide when he finally dares to look up at her, mouth hanging open just a little, a purple flush coloring her cheeks and chest. “Fjord...” She laughs a little, breathless. “Fjord, I...”

She’s speechless, searching for words, but she isn’t panicking. There are tears starting to gather at the corners of her eyes, but she’s smiling, and not the sad, pitying kind of smile she’d given Freddie de Rolo when he’d tried to kiss her, and she had to turn him down. He steps a little closer, gives her time to retreat if she wants. She doesn’t move.

He reaches up to stroke her cheek, and she leans into his touch, eyelashes fluttering. “We never did have that talk about the day you died,” he says softly. “Or about the day we brought you back.”

“No, we didn’t,” she says. She bites her lip. “What...what did you want to talk about?”

He has to close his eyes, can’t watch her face as he says what he’s about to say. “I don’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t been able to bring you back, Jester.” His head drops until his forehead meets hers. “Losing you would have destroyed all of us, certainly, but you can ask anyone, Jester. I was useless. It was only twelve hours, but it felt like a lifetime.”

She lets out a shaky breath that he can feel wash across his cheek. “And all of that stuff you said during the ritual?”

He pulls back just enough to look into her eyes. “I meant every word.”

Tears are flowing freely down her face. “Even the part where...”

“Especially the part where,” he says. “I’m in love with you, Jester Lavorre, and it shouldn’t have taken you dying for me to admit it.”

Her answering smile knocks all the breath from his lungs. Or maybe that’s her jumping to kiss him, throwing him off balance with her enthusiasm. He ends up on his back on the floor, Jester sprawled on top of him, both of them laughing hysterically.

“Oh gosh, Fjord,” Jester manages between giggles. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Jes, don’t you worry.” He pushes himself to sitting, giving her the chance to climb off of him. Instead, she settles more fully in his lap. “And you don’t ever have to apologize for trying to kiss me, alright?”

She grins, leaning in to kiss him. “Good,” she says. “Because I’m going to want to kiss you a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. I’m talking an obscene amount of kissing here, Fjord.”

He laughs, winds an arm around her waist. “I think I can live with that, darlin’.”

She rests her forehead against his. “Will you say it again, Fjord?”

He kisses her again. “I love you, Jester.”

“I love you, too, Fjord.”

#critical role #critfic #fjorester #fjord #jester lavorre #long post