#it's vex throwing herself into helping people even though she's not the healer she's not the leader

[hope-whispers]

okay gather round (or scroll past at your leisure) bc it’s time for another round of meta about content that’s 4.5 years old

and this time we’re gushing about Matthew fucking Mercer

these feelings brought to you by Sing by The Dresden Dolls bc Matt has it on his first playlist to represent Tal’Dorei in general and that’s great on its own but then the Chroma Conclave happened and i’m all kinds of emotions now

because because because this massive absolutely massive story arc is introduced in a blaze of fire and battle and adrenaline but the first several hours aren’t dedicated to getting ready to kick ass. this story doesn’t hit hard because it’s fucking dragons and it’s awesome. it hits hard because Matt is very carefully showing us every single stake he’s set up.

the Chroma Conclave arc isn’t introduced as a challenge. it’s a tragedy.

Matt builds excellent distractions, downtime, side missions and side characters all to make them wonder exactly what will happen next. they just did something huge in Whitestone, but what’s their next step? even the characters start to question it, with Vax’s existential crisis and Keyleth once again questioning their morals and goals

and then all of that gets pulled out from under them when two, three, four dragons arrive to wreck the city. and it’s not enough to see it happen. they face off with two different dragons, back to back, and Matt makes it incredibly clear that they’re not going to win these battles but he doesn’t give them any hint as to what to do about it. by the time they can stop and breathe and think, the players are just as exhausted and confused and scared as their characters would be, and damn do they play it well.

but that’s not enough, nope, not for Matthew fucking Mercer, who takes care to describe the survivors as much as those who died. who tells them there are strangers crying in their keep, scared to death, calling out for loved ones who may or may not be there. he tells them Gilmore is nowhere to be seen, Uriel and his family are nowhere to be seen, you have no idea what happened to this city you love but it’s here, it’s happening

(and comparing this to the Mighty Nein, who don’t have a city to call home. they’ve slept in the hut in the Xhorhouse because they know it’s not truly safe. they don’t have a fortified monument to their deeds, they don’t have a place to retreat to, they don’t have this. but Vox Machina does, and now they’re faced with the idea of losing it and it’s harrowing)

they don’t get a reprieve, either. Keyleth dissociates and Grog is so desperate to fix things he’d attack his own friends and Pike’s desperate pleas to her goddess aren’t answered the way she wants and Vex is taking care of everyone while crying to her brother. and even after Allura arrives, they can settle down but they don’t get to be reassured. instead they grapple with the idea that this is their fault, that they fucked up and they couldn’t fix it. Allura has no answers, not really, but she brings more tragedy. Westruun has fallen. this is worse than they feared. the Fire Ashari might have been completely destroyed. no one knows where the emperor is. no one knows where the council is. no one knows where Gilmore is. no one knows, but they have to do something about it

Matt lets them argue and worry and feel guilty and weak and scared and he doesn’t give them hope. Allura leaves. they set off to find survivors because they have absolutely no way of fixing anything on their own. the emperor is dead and Gilmore wasn’t far behind him.

this arc lasts for how much of the campaign? Matt can afford to tell this story slowly, and boy is he doing a phenomenal job. we didn’t even see Vox Machina build their ties here, but we can feel how much it hurts to have them severed. Allura’s tower. Gilmore. the emperor and his family. the city itself, still burning when they set out again in the morning.

I just...Matt made sure this story stood out. they were sent to Kraghammer and had no hesitation diving in to get the job done. the Briarwoods were introduced and VM broke the law to chase them down and get justice. Zadash falls but the M9 can ignore the war for now. the Iron Shepherds attack and they stop at absolutely nothing to chase them down. even with Obann, which is arguably the best cross-campaign equivalent given that they had to regroup and do side quests and grow stronger before they could defeat him--even then, they chased him down and threw themselves into battles they couldn’t win every opportunity they got.

they can’t do that here, and Matt makes sure to tell them that in the most heart-wrenching way possible. this isn’t about showing them a villain, it’s about showing them every single thing they could lose if they don’t win.

#this post is alternatively titled 'laura bailey and marisha ray cried so i'm already emotional about this arc' #listen. listen y'all #i'm obsessed with the chroma conclave already #critical role #anyway the lyrics #'there is this thing that is keeping everyone's lungs and lips locked / it is called fear and it's seeing a great renaissance' #is absolutely the first day as they're all arguing in the keep #it's allura grabbing keyleth by the shoulders and shaking her until she can pull herself together #it's vex throwing herself into helping people even though she's not the healer she's not the leader #it's the staff running to greet them before hurriedly nodding and agreeing to go help some more #it's vax whispering reassurances to an unconscious gilmore #and pike going to beg sarenrae for help #and keyleth somehow managing to reassure a room full of strangers on her own #as it turns out. plots about the end of the world as we know it hit pretty damn hard in 2020 #oh since it's mostly about him i guess i'll tag #matthew mercer

[targaryen-vigilante-wizard-jedi]

The Child Of Geralt's Past

Pairing; (Platonic) Geralt x (Daughter)Reader

Warnings; potentially upsetting, involves death.

The small blonde ran into his arms with a haste like no other and he welcomed her albeit he was hesitant. Trying to suppress a gulp and repress his memories, he looked to the young girl but found himself to be looking at a face other than the Princess'.

Events occur 20 years prior to the first episode of the Netflix show

"You have to raise the sword higher," His white hair swayed in the wind as he took strides towards the young girl. He positions her arms in an upright manner and takes a step back.

"I don't understand why I need training when you won't even let me hold a real sword." The fourteen year old complained lowering the wooden stick to the ground. He lowered himself beside the fire and looked up at her while taking the skin off of a piece of roasted chicken.

"You don't, not while I'm around." Geralt reassured, his eyes rising from the chicken to the young girl who rolled her eyes and sat across from him.

"You're not always going to be around," she paused a twinge of regret seeping into her at her choice of words. She shook her head and continued speaking. "I could help you." She got up and sat beside him, their shoulders touching.

"I want to help you." Her eyes pierced into his. He averted his eyes and didn't respond, informing her that the conversation was over.

Three months had passed since she had last brought up the idea of joining him on one of his 'quests' -as she had called them- but Geralt had not changed his mind and was currently off, fighting monsters in the forest nearby the small village she currently resided in.

She had been reading a book, a fable Geralt had gotten her as a gift of sorts for her twelfth birthday (her birthday had been the day they had encountered one another), it told the story of a man named Jacob who had been shunned by those in his village for becoming overwhelmed with an illness which made his skin resemble that of a snake's until one day he slowly transformed into said creature.

A bell was ringing all throughout the village and sounds of manic yells and screams sounded throughout the village alongside it.

Her heart sped up and the first thing she had done was closed her book and ran out of the room, her hands still grasping it as she did so.

When she emerged she could see the barkeep cowering behind his counter and the patrons boarding up the inn.

"What's going on?" She asked her eyes wide and mouth agape. An older man with brown-grey hair and a balding beard turned to her drenched in sweat. "The dead, lass. Your witcher won't be finding them in no forest, they've come to the village, dozens, if not hundreds of 'em. We only thought there was ten of 'em at most." He shook his head overwhelmedat the thought.

She gulped before setting her book on the counter and walking toward the barkeep. "We should start a fire- perhaps that will deter them."

______

Geralt had been trudging his way back to the village, vexed that the villagers had lied to him and wasted his time as well as one of his potions. The only upside had been that he had been paid in full for a job he didn't even need to do.

It wasn't until he got closer that he heard a commotion of sorts despite doubting it would be anything more than two drunks fighting Geralt quickened his pace until he could hear it more; women weeping, men defiantly yelling, children screaming. Geralt's eyes widened in realisation before he began to race through the forest as best as he could with his sword at the ready.

He could see smoke rising from above the trees, he could smell it. Death and fire was all he could see as he emerged from the forest.

The village was up in flames, people running and screaming as creatures crawled, walked and sprinted towards them.

The streets were flooded with debris from the buildings and torn apart villagers.

"Y/N!" He shouted frantically as he ran through the village, failing to acknowledge those who too were in peril, and needed saving, around him.

"Geralt!" A strained voice yelled from ahead of him accompanied by coughing.

Thundering footsteps accompanied him as he ran towards her voice, hoping to see her emerge from the cloud of smoke.

"Geralt where are you?" She shouted despaired accompanied by more coughing.

She was close by he knew that and just as he was about to run past another fallen building he heard a weak raspy, gasp and as strange as it is he knew it was her.

He looked and saw her, clutching her stomach, one of the dead laying atop of her headless.

He rushed over to her falling to his knees. "Y/N," he breathed, his eyes assessing her current state. Her eyes were weary and half-lidded, her mouth open and her chest and wounded stomach rising and falling unsettlingly slow but the worst of all was the wound she had sustained on her neck, a chunk of it had been taking and despite it being small, the blood loss she was experiencing was fatal.

For the first time in a long time, he felt tears come to his eyes. "Stay awake." He demanded grasping her cheek with a steady hand. Pitifully she lay her hand atop his which continued to grasp her cheek though she didn't possess the strength to tighten her grip.

"It's o-" she paused opening her eyes a little wider to look at Geralt, whose eyes were still assessing her wounds. "It's okay."

A deep sigh escaped Geralt before he shook his head. "Come on," he grasped her limp body in his arms and with a slight struggle finally lifted her in his arms carrying her as he had done when she was only a babe.

She hadn't even the strength to wince at the pain of his actions and instead attempted to stay awake and gaze at her Geralt's determined face.

"You know what they say when one gets bitten by the undead." Y/N stated with a sigh as she tried desperately to look at her stomach wound.

Geralt didn't answer her and she didn't know whether it was because he had ignored her or was too overcome by the thought of saving her from her sealed fate.

"I'll become one of them, won't I?" She stifled a sob determined not to cry and make Geralt feel any guilt for not being there.

His eyes looked to her face as he shook his head. "I won't let you, we'll get help-" Her voice interrupted his brashly as she pushed his statement out the window with reason.

"I can already feel it." She revealed with a shudder as she felt even colder than she previously had.

Geralt could see his horse, Roach, within the distance, who seemed completely unaware of her surroundings.

"I'm scared." She admitted reaching a hand to Geralt's hardened face.

"We'll get you to a healer just hold on." Geralt told her fiercely as he went to set her down on the ground.

As he stood up to retrieve his bag of potions from Roach a hand grasped his wrist firmly.

"Don't." Y/N pleaded with a sob. Geralt tried to tug his arm away feeling heated. "I have to try Y/N-" He spoke, his voice rough and harsher than he had intended.

"It's no use!" She weeped loudly. "Just stop please I don't want to become one of them!" She begged, her sobbing causing her even more pain. Geralt ignored her and pulled his wrist from hers and grabbed the bag before making his way back to her.

He spit the cork out of one of the poitons; a pain alleviation potion. Despite her pleas he forced the potion into her mouth before throwing it away, resulting in it smashing.

Before she could speak again he had forced another one into her mouth, one that would slow her fate.

Instead of being thankful she just sobbed, knowing that what he had done was pointless and would urge him to keep preventing the death she knew awaited her.

After he had done so, he grasped her gently and set her atop Roach and repositioned his bag on Roach again.

Wordlessly he sat himself on Roach, positioning himself behind Y/N.

"We'll won't make it to a healer in time, you have to do it now." She murmured softly as she slouched against him.

"Yes we will." Was all he had responded with as they continued to ride onward to the next village over which was 12 hours away at the least.

_______

Geralt started to feel deflated as he realised night had approached and he couldn't see the path ahead. He slowed Roach and peered down to look at the young girl who was unconscious but still alive. His eyes traced her jaw where her veins were now prominent but upon closer inspection it appeared that her veins were transparent all over her face.

Wordlessly he placed a kiss on top of her head, slightly shaking as he did so. He knew he was too late, he had no more potions to delay her illness and she would die any second now so he decided to do the only thing he could, comfort her.

He halted Roach and dismounted her before lifting Y/N up, waking her in the process and setting her on the ground, with her back against a tree.

He then proceeded to make a fire, trying to make the scene as normal as possible for both him and Y/N.

It had taken a few minutes of switching sticks but he finally struck a flame onto the pile of twigs he had stacked together.

The fire wasn't large but would still supply them with heat. He made his way over to Y/N and sat beside her. His eyes glossed her face, trying to recreate what she had looked like prior to the deterioration her body now faced.

It was silent for quite a few minutes before Y/N spoke up. "I'm scared." She admitted for the second time that day and Geralt kept his eyes on her face as he reached out to push away a strand of her hair.

"I know, I am too." He breathed deeply wanting to say more but not knowing what to say.

"Don't let me know when you're going to do it." She instructed before breathing out a slow tremoring breath.

Geralt didn't reply or ask what she meant because he knew exactly what she meant and couldn't find the strength within him to even contemplate the thought of what he would do.

Silence ensued once again as both their eyes found comfort in the fire in front of them.

"I just," she paused attempting to compose herself and suppress a sob, drawing Geralt's eyes to her. "Want you to know that I've enjoyed every day with you and you're the best thing to ever happen to me," she found the strength to look at him. "I love you dad." At her statement Geralt smiled and tears trickled down his face. He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could without hurting her. "I love you more than anything, kiddo." He stated shutting his eyes tightly.

Once he removed his arms from her he saw her eyes glossing over and took notice that she was going in and out of consciousness. With careful slow movements as to not arouse suspicion he sat behind her so that she was placed between his legs with her back to his chest.

He stroked her hair, attempting to muster up the courage to do what must be done. He heard her struggle to breath and watched as her body convulsed repeatedly. He couldn't afford to look at her face or else he'll lose the courage to do what he has to.

"I'm sorry." He whispered mostly to himself than to her before wrapping one arm around her neck and forcing her head to turn so quickly that it snapped ceasing her pain and her existence.

As soon as it was done, his shuddering breath interrupted the silence of the forest and he forced himself to look ahead not daring to look down at what he had done. She lay limply in his arms. He didn't want to let her go, he couldn't so he just sat there, and attempted to trick his own mind into believing that she lay asleep in his arms, that her body was moving because she was restless in her sleep and not because his chest forced her body to move in sync with his breaths.

He lay in that uncomfortable position for hours, his breathing had calmed slightly but he still could not come to terms with what he had done. He couldn't fathom knowing he wouldn't ever see or hear her again or that he had been the one to kill her. It was the early hours once he had found the strength to move her and he had done so with his eyes closed.

As he stood he faced away from her body -which was propped against the tree- contemplating whether to bury it or to burn it.

Once his mind was made up, he left her along with Roach to search for more wood to create a pyre, a memorial if you will.

Once he was satisfied with his findings he got to work on the pyre, ignoring the thought of the person he was building it for.

It took him an hour or two and he had to use some strips of the shirt he wore to tie the many bits of wood together but after seeing it decorated with her blood he decided to discard it.

Once that first challenge was done the next came and with dread he turned to look at Y/N's body. Her face was a lot more pallid than its original dark/tan/peach/light colour however the veins were not visible anymore, and with the exceptions of the massive wounds and blood covering her, she looked asleep.

He felt relieved that he had managed to halt the process of her becoming a creature like him, but part of him would've rather she become a creature than die, but he would never have subjected her to that life against her will.

He began to make a fire again although this time it ignited upon his torn shirt which he had lay on the ground. He grasped the shirt from the end which was not yet burning and threw it onto the pyre. Although it took some time, the majority of the pyre was alight before it was noon and so as gently as he could he lifted Y/N's body as though he didn't want to wake her from her slumber and approached the flaming pyre.

He stopped directly in front of it and looked to the young girl in his arms. He stroked her face and looked fondly, taking note of her face so it would be engraved in his memory forever.

He leaned forward and placed a firm kiss to her forehead before wordlessly setting her body on the pyre, scalding his arms in the process. He flinched but didn't pull away until he was satisfied that she was presented as respectfully as possible.

Once he was done he turned away and walked over to the tree, bile making it's way out of his mouth as he vomited from the stress and pain he was enduring.

A sob escaped him and tears fell from his face before he once again composed himself with a deep breath and retrieved his dagger.

He walked to the tree Y/N had died under and carved her name and the date she had died.

It was decided from that moment that this was her grave. He waited until the fire died down, feeding Roach and talking with her, hoping to extract some kind of comfort from the mare. Once the fire was gone and all that was left was dead wood and ashes he approached the pyre where Y/N's body no longer lay and ashes lay instead. He retrieved as much of Y/N's ashes as he possibly could and scooped them into an empty potion bottle before leaving for good, never to return.

_____

As he gazed at Cirilla, his mind could only see Y/N in that moment as though he had been given a second chance to protect her but once he dismissed his vision he was disillusioned when he realised that the girl who stood before him was his law of surprise, Princess Cirilla.

Despite feeling some disappointment he felt a determination as he had a purpose again so he swore to himself that he would raise Cirilla different, that she would become a fighter, as strong as she could be so that she may survive unlike Y/N and live the life Geralt had hoped Y/N could.

He clutched his medallion which was engraved with the first intial of Y/N's name and held within it Y/N's ashes.

'Missing you everyday kiddo.'

(Just want to say thanks to reading all of @cas-kingdom witcher fics I managed to build the courage to finish my own. It might be a bit rusty since it's my first time writing a fic on Tumblr but I'm pretty happy with it. I completely made up Jacob's story btw.)

#the witcher imagine #the witcher x reader #geralt x reader #geralt of rivia #daughter #father #dad witcher x daughter reader #platonic #one shot #sad #netflix #henry cavill #cirilla #daughter reader #fanfiction #geralt imagine

[multishipperlove]

Keyleth finds out she's pregnant about two weeks before Vex gets her first suspicion about Elaina. Two weeks before Vecna, and Pandemonium, and even though they don't know exactly when these events are going down, by the time she finds out they are close enough that Vax might as well be dead already.

She can't bring herself to tell him. Their last few days together are worse enough at it is, and she knows that, if Vax knew about the child currently inhabiting the same body as her, it would make everything so much worse. So she doesn't say anything, pushes it to the back of her mind until she almost forgets about it herself. Tells herself the spell she used to confirm her suspicion must have gotten something wrong.

A small part of her, and she feels absolutely horrible for it, kind of hopes that it will sort itself out. After all, she is under a lot of stress, she gets hurt a lot, could even be killed in the fight against Vecna, and early pregnancies are... fickle. Turns out, healing magic is one hell of a drug.

So there she stands, after everything is said and done, after Vax has left them for good, not even trying to pick up the pieces of what used to be her life. The rest of Vox Machina try their best to take care of her, of course they do, but she is carrying this terrible secret with her that she doesn't know how to tell anyone about, and the only person she used to share anything and everything with, isn't there anymore.

First, she just tries to isolate herself. Despite her family's protest, she insists on returning to Zephra as soon as possible, and does so before the week is done. Her father, thank heavens, understands her need to be alone for a while, and gives her at least a few days to wallow in her self pity.

It's enough time for her that she can't stand it anymore, and finally, in a fit of tears and desperation, she tells him the truth. Asks him what the hell she's supposed to do now, how she's ever supposed to take care of a child when she currently feels like she's coming apart at the seams.

Korrin manages to calm her down, eventually, and starts listing options. Not that there are a lot. She can decide to keep the child, with the knowledge that all of Zephra, and surely all of Vox Machina, will be with her every step of the way. After all, it takes a village to raise a child. She is not alone. Or, the alternative... a visit to one of the village's healers. They are discreet, and understanding, and she would be far from the first person to seek this kind of help. Either way, he assures her, there will be no judgement.

Keyleth is not so sure about that, but decides that visiting the healers is at least not a bad decision. They do not have to act on it right away, but she needs to know how far she is along. She needs to know if the baby is okay.

Surprisingly, it is. And from the moment she knows that, the fact that she is pregnant, that she is carrying hers and Vax' child, truly sinks in. From that moment on, she can't bear the thought of loosing it.

She slowly learns to live with the idea.

Shortly later, Vex comes to visit for the first time. Keyleth shows her the ravens, and the shrine Vax had build before- well, before. And Vex seems to like Zephra. They spend a lot of their time on the outskirts of the small village, sitting near the cliffs and letting the wind wall that protects them from falling mess up their hair. It's the first time Keyleth feels anything close to peaceful again.

But Vex has come for a reason. She tells Keyleth the good news on their third day together, only a few hours before she is supposed to leave again. The healers at Whitestone have told her it's going to be a little girl, and Percy is apparently already beside himself with worry, turning the entire castle inside out to somehow make it baby proof.

Keyleth listens, and laughs and smiles at the right moments, but despite the fact that the last thing she wants to do is to somehow make this about herself, she can't keep her secret anymore either. But it feels more like a confession than a happy announcement, and she is so sure that Vex is going to judge her for not telling anyone. For not telling Vax, especially, and, in a way, taking it away from him through that.

But there is no judgement. Vex just holds her tight while both of them try their best not to cry, and fail miserably at it. She promises to be there for her, in whatever way she needs, whenever she needs her. She assures her that everyone else in their little family will feel the same.

Vex even insists on staying a few days longer after that, and they make the most of their time. With Vex' help, she clears her schedule for the next week and a half, to accompany her in visiting the rest of Vox Machina. Just writing letters is tempting, but maybe some travel will be good for her. And doing it together seems more fun anyway. She runs her plans by Korrin, and after making sure that Vex is going to have an eye on his daughter, they leave with his blessing and the assurance that Zephra will be fine in her absence.

The whole journey goes a lot better than Keyleth expected. There is some surprise, certainly, but everyone seems happy for her. For Vax, too, in a way. Scanlan, Pike, and Grog make her promise to send for them when she has a rough idea for the due date, and she is happy to accept Pike's offer of being there for her when the time comes. She trust the healers in Zephra, but she's trusted Pike with her life, her family's life, for years now. It makes a difference.

The two head to Emon next, staying there only shortly, but the two nights they spend at Allura's tower, which is now technically Kima's home, too, and sees Gilmore as a frequent visitor, is as warm and familiar as their stay with the gnomes and Grog had been. There are tears there as well though, and Gilmore and her hold on to each other for a long time, until he lets her go with a hesitant smile and a kiss to the forehead. They are not allowed to leave without promising to show up again as soon as they can, or at least once the children are there and well enough to travel.

Their last stop, at least for Vex, is Whitstone. Percy greets them with open arms, a bit surprised to see both of them but definitely not less pleased. Keyleth spends most of her time during the journey there, enjoying her family's company when they can or wandering around Whitestone when they are busy, or she simply needs a break from everything.

There is a lot to see, after all. She talks to the Sun Tree, makes sure the crops, plants, and wildlife around Whitestone are thriving, and checks on the Raven Queen's temple and especially Vax' bench in the woods, when she feels able to. It's exactly what she needs, a mix between alone time and getting to reconnect with everything.

By the time she returns to Zephra, she feels a lot better, and the next few months go by in a blur. Just as she's settled into a routine as Zephra's leader, doing her rounds with the guards in the morning and the evening, holding meetings in between and still trying to make time to teach classes in the afternoon, the healers force her to take a step back again.  They tell her she needs to rest more, if not for herself then for the baby, and despite the fact that it makes her antsy, she tries to listen to them.

And as promised, she sends out letters to her friends and family as they get closer to the due date. It's not surprising that Pike is the first to show up. Over the next few weeks, everyone else slowly trickles in as well, one after the other.

Vex is close herself, it shows, and Keyleth tells her about a hundred times that she didn't need to come, that it would have been alright, only to be shut down every single time. Vex tells her that she wouldn't miss being one of the first people to meet the kid for anything, and no, that's not only because it's her brother's. It's because Keyleth is one of her best friends, she is family, and family needs to be there for each other in moments like these.

However much Keyleth appreciates all these people though, as soon as the serious part starts she throws everyone out. Well, everyone except Pike, and another healer she's come to trust tremendously over the last few months.

One thing she comes to be aware of very quickly, is that labor fucking sucks. But neither of her companions seem to judge her for the foul language that comes up, even as she starts cursing Vax for getting her into this predicament in the first place.

But they get through it, with surprisingly little consequences considering her usual luck, and the three of them in the room become four. It's taken a few hours, and Keyleth is exhausted, more exhausted than she's been in a long time, but the moment Pike places the small bundle of five pound nothing into her arms, it all seems worth it.

It's a boy, and he's so much smaller than Keyleth had expected, but they assure her he's fine. He's healthy, seems to have a good pair of lungs on him at least, and doesn't need a lot of convincing to start nursing. It's a strange feeling, especially with both of them still covered in various bodily fluids, but she's not able to focus on anything else than him at the moment anyway.

He has small, pointy ears, a tuft of black hair that's still sticking to his head, and when she finally gets a look at his wide, open eyes, she can't tell what exactly their color is. He's perfect, in her eyes, and she feels very stupid in that moment for not being able to stop crying.

A few hours later they've both been able to get some rest, albeit not much, and she feels ready to introduce her little boy to everyone else.

He doesn't have a name yet, a thing she'd put off for way too long while panicking about more pressing matters, but it's fine. She has time to think of one. The last thing she wants for him is to carry his father's name, not because her feelings for Vax have changed, but because she refuses to put expectations on these small shoulders that they should not have to live up to.

Whitestone may live as long as the de Rolo name lives, but Keyleth does not want names to carry her feelings for her. She will find a name that fits, eventually, one that Vax would have been happy about as well. And their little boy will grow up knowing he is one of the most loved children in Tal'Dorei. Hopefully without the fate of the world hanging on to him.

#critical role #vox machina #keyleth #vax'ildan #vax'leth #vex'ahlia #cr #writing #pregnancy #unplanned pregnancy #abortion mention #miscarriage mention #neither of these things happen but they come up during the first third of the text #childbirth #mine #critical role fanfiction #fanfiction #canonical character death

[auberghyn]

Elysian Fields

Rating: M (T for now, but there will be eventual smut) Pair: KakaSaku

Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Worldbuilding, Romance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Dram, Travelling, Humor, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Sexual Tension, Wizard!Kakashi, Biker!Sakura, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Inspired by MMORPG Ragnarok Online

Quick SpeedPaint/Photo Manip by me

Chapter 1: Sawbones

A healer's duty goes beyond improving abrasions and maladies. Besides your everyday affliction ranging in severity, a healer is also responsible for the safety and well-being of their comrades. So when Sakura was asked to take over for her grandmother as field surgeon, it was an honour she hoped to fulfill.

Sakura expected long travels to the neighbouring city of Taki, where the surgical headquarters was located. She figured if transportation was too vexing, she would have to move to make work within easy reach. The Haruno Matriarch owned an old mint-green Konoha Roadmaster motorcycle that she had refurbished and given to Sakura as a parting gift. Although the automotive vehicle came with a few tiny scrapes that resembled claw marks on the rear fender, Sakura didn’t mind them. Rather, she appreciated the stories the remnants held. The scuffs piqued her interest. She would have loved nothing more than to hear each one's story, but her grandmother always answered the same way: a chuckle and "It's best to find out for yourself, my child"

Huffing in slight disappointment, Sakura deduced that they were probably from wild cats lurking in the deep forests of Taki. Whether she was right or wrong with her assumption, it temporarily sated her growing curiosity. With the inherited motorbike in her possession, at least transportation was doable now. As Sakura sped through the almost empty highway’s bike lane, with the moving truck a safe distance ahead of her, she recalled her overprotective mother, Mebuki, nagging the moving crew’s ears off to give her daughter enough space to travel and avoid any accidents. Before they set off northbound, she gave the men a hundred bucks as an apology. She had all the crucial necessities packed, including the wolf plushie from her childhood she had snugly tucked inside her bike’s compartment. All she had to do now was get there. Adrenaline coursed through Sakura’s veins at the thought of starting her career. However, if she were completely honest with herself, she was scared. Delighted to the core, yes…but she had doubts lurking in the back of her mind: the question “Will I ever be good enough?” plagued her constantly, especially after the wrongs that she worked so hard to right. There came a point where she had gotten involved with the wrong crowd during her adolescence. As she and her family constantly moved from town to town, it was difficult for her to find her place. Sakura was sure she never would have gotten out of that rut without her grandmother’s intervention. Sakura knew very well what the older woman was capable of, her fury infamous and threatening. But at Sakura’s most vulnerable, she’d sat her down and spoken to her in a manner that Sakura would never forget. The older woman, in her utmost sincerity, had instilled the Will of Fire in Sakura: To follow than to control. To listen to others who have been shunned. To keep her head high despite of adversity. And to keep standing tall despite losing ground. Sakura didn’t quite understand them back then. Like majority of the teenage populace, she only cared about technology, love interests, mind-numbing television, and junk food. It took her years to make her realize its significance and for her efforts to finally come to fruition. At the day of Sakura’s academy convocation, her grandmother, a typically stern woman, had been brought to tears. She’d pulled Sakura into a bone crushing hug, sobbing against her granddaughter’s dark green gown, telling her how proud she was that Sakura had come so far. Sakura remembered her saying, “The will of fire is strong, it runs deep. It’s a reminder that, despite our mistakes, we can draw our inner power, and that’s when we bloom. To serve a purpose and evolve into who we truly are, and that’s what matters”

A smile slowly tugged at her lips as warmth began to unfurl within. The travelling winds might have been chilly, but the memories gave her comfort on her long journey.

 —♦—

Once they arrived, the movers immediately set to work, helping her unload some furniture, boxes and bins of clothing, kitchenware—basically everything she needed as a starter, according to her doting mother. She poured them tea and helped with the other objects. It wasn’t long before the last box into the house.

Once she’d paid them, Sakura retreated to her new apartment to get ready for bed. Though the clock only struck seven time and the sun was still high in the sky, it had been a long day. She decided it was best to take a step back and relax before starting her new job tomorrow. That night, she slept blissfully like she hadn’t slept in years. Tomorrow for sure, there would be a tonne of adventure awaiting her, and she was ready to face it head on.

 —♦—

“Just keep going straight. It’s gonna take a while, but you’ll get there” Sakura had awoken that morning filled with purpose. She’d pre-packed her bag before she’d even moved in so the only thing she had to do was take a shower, put her uniform on, and ride to the headquarters. But there was one problem: Although she admitted she may have overslept a tad more than expected—which was a little disgraceful on her first day—the receptionist had informed her to head to the nearby headquarters where the group was currently settled, which would take no longer than a ten minute commute. The woodlands she was encroaching on eased her mind from her tardiness. As she raced along, she took in Mother Nature’s beauty. She thought Konoha, with all ts vast forested land, was beautiful, yet it was almost outmatched by the otherworldly backdrop of Taki, with its lush greens and azure waters. Completely lost in thought, it only took her a split second to realize a whirling blue light appear in front of her. She felt the air shift as she passed through the portal, to which she noted, felt like melting meringue, warm and glutinous. But there was nothing sweet about the way her bike bounced against the uneven terrain, catching her off guard and rattling her whole being. When she regained focus, Sakura was utterly speechless, blinking quite a few times in disbelief. Before her was a canyon so vast it dwarfed Iwa’s Great Gorge of the West. Sakura thought that she was dreaming, there was simply no way that she had been coursing through the woodlands a moment ago. Now she found herself speeding on what seemed like a suspended narrow bridge that stretched for miles. Up ahead was a slight curve to the path, and with Sakura too dumbstruck in the moment, she accidentally skidded off to hurtle down the canyon. She figured she’d wake up any second now, still in utter disbelief that all of this was real. She was probably having one of those dreams where she thought she was late for a very important event that day and would wake up an hour or two than originally planned, but as seconds passed and she starts noticing her descent coming to an end she began to panic. Sakura had a moment to herself, where she criticized her life choices down to the smallest of details. She’d also started to wonder when everything went downhill. Was the deliverance she received a figment of her imagination as she lay wasting away in a former friend’s bedroom? Had she hallucinated all the events that had happened in her life: leaving her childhood friend behind to move to a different city, her grandmother’s intervention, her turning her life around and graduating with the highest honours in the academy? Sakura felt despair mixed with delirium like a rancid cocktail. If she was going to phase out from this kaleidoscopic nightmare, would she be back in Samui’s place wasted, filled with no purpose and re-live her stupidity. If she was indeed hurtling downwards harsh jagged rocks raised like swords of judgment, then so be it. “At least I have lived a good life… I think” she whispered to herself, the air whistling through her garments. Within seconds she would be just a pretty stain on the ground, her Indian Roadmaster bike would be somewhere a few feet away from her body in the same mangled state. She accepted death, yet as darkness loomed over, the wind shift as if something had snatched her in mid-air. When she came to, she was sitting on a padded basket-woven armchair, a plush throw pillow sitting on her lap, and what seemed like a fox-owl hybrid curled under her feet. “Kami, what was she thinking sending her granddaughter off without an escort? Does she want her to die?” “Nah, that’s unlike Tsunade. We found a mine under the bridge near the exit. Neji and I had to disarm it before it causes any unwanted damage. Everything was fine but you had to be a GIANT bag of dicks and pushed her off” “I didn’t push her on purpose! I noticed a trap the second before she ran over it so I had to do something!” “You could’ve just grabbed her, Kiba!” a crack of a whip and a man yelping in pain finally jostled Sakura out of her daze and looked around to see three people in various states of undress. “Are you okay? You’re Sakura, right?” she turned to look at the woman crouched beside her, “I’m Tenten” she said, placing a hand to her chest. She then shifted in her place to point and introduce the other two in the room. Neji, who Sakura presumed hadn’t spoken a single word, stood in an imposing manner, his long brown hair gently framed his steely gaze, his pale pupil-less eyes unnerved her. Sakura took notice of the peculiar flesh-coloured mark on his forehead, wondering if that was a birthmark but it was highly unlikely due to the symmetrical pattern splayed across his skin. Green eyes then focused on Kiba who decided that he wasn’t interested in the commotion anymore. His messy dark brown hair swayed as he plopped on the couch. Sakura could have sworn she saw sharp fangs peek through his slightly parted lips as he grumbled, nursing the red gash across his chest, probably from Tenten giving him a good lashing for pushing her off the ledge. I mean, he deserved it. I could have died, you know? As she was about to speak, her eyes flickered towards a sudden movement in her peripheral vision and caught site of a tall man wearing nothing but navy-coloured breeches. The plains of his stomach where a wondrous map of lean muscle despite the numerous scars and bumps probably from the battles he had partaken in his lifetime. Her eyes traveled upwards to see amusement in mismatched eyes. Her cheeks began to pink as she realized she was gawking. Sakura heard shuffling from behind her and three voices greeting the man in unison. “Captain” Sakura’s gaze darted between the three and the stranger. The man sauntered towards them from the hallway, the sway of his hips precise and nimble. There was something about his gait that caught her attention, it reminded her too much of the wolf documentaries she loved to watch as a kid, how those predatory animals would prowl, the air around them absolute.

Sakura sensed the change of ambience and tried to displace the blame for rapid heart rate to the previous incident. Try as she might, her cheeks pinked before his presence, and she knew it would be unwise to wear her emotions so freely, especially when she was face to face with authority.

Regaining her composure, she finally stood and bowed as she greeted in respect, it was the only way to remind her of their differing status.

But the man chuckled, however, and she would have snarled had it not for the fact that her voice trembled mid-speech.

“At ease, Miss Sakura. I see you finally decided to join us” he teased, drawing his hands behind his back as he watched her lips curl slightly upwards with a grimace. She admitted her fault in hopes of being forgiven, but his steely gaze chilled her, “Just to let you know, we don’t tolerate that kind of behaviour here” there was a snort immediately followed by a weak yelp emitted by one of the three people behind her, Sakura was tempted to take a look but the captain had thrown her off guard by his question. “Do you even know what Tsunade’s role was before she left?” he asked, brow arching. She would have scoffed, however there was a certain truth to his words. What was Tsunade’s role? Pursing her lips and loathing the way he assumed she didn’t have a single damn clue, to which to some extent he had a point, but she stood her ground nonetheless. She huffed with her chest out and answered. “Yes, she was a highly skilled field surgeon—“ “Field surgeon,” he cut her off, eyes squinting and lips forming a thin line at the word as if it tasted odd just by saying it, “Here in Elysium, we call them Sawbones” “Sawbones?” Sakura asked, feeling a hint of regret for the short pause she took. She would have asked about Elysium as well but it would only confirm his belief of her naivety. He eyed her with deep intent before taking a stride towards the high ceiling window that she was sure wasn’t there a moment ago. He folded his hands behind his back and looked on, the glass slowly clearing, and Sakura’s breathe caught in her throat. “As you can obviously see, this isn’t the human world” he deadpanned without so much as a glance her way. It took her moments before the air grew dry around them, followed by pinpricking sensation against her skin. She looked down on her arms and could almost see tiny hairs standing on end. Confused and unnerved, she glanced at the three people behind her who seemed unaffected by the current in the air. When she looked back did she knew what, or rather who was causing it. When Sakura thought she was dreaming awhile ago only to be deduced by the rapid descent and the alarming knowledge that she was going to die, watching the silver-haired captain emit purple lightning coursing through his body is what convinced her that she was indeed back at her new apartment, still curled up in a ball and nuzzling against her wolf plush. There was just no way all of this was real. Soon, Sakura felt the need to sit down and alleviate the overwhelming urge to pass out. Authority be damned, she needed to rest. But her body betrayed her, and she crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. The four figures stood in silence, the current slowly faded away. “I think you overdid the introduction there, Kakashi” Tenten scolded, the utter disappointment evident in her tone. Kiba doubled over, roaring in the background. Neji rolled his eyes, obviously fed up with playing along, but he would be lying if he denied the fact that it was anything but funny, “I can’t believe she didn’t know what Tsunade does” Kakashi, knelt in front of Sakura to scoop her in his arms, chuckling as he want to set her on the warm daybed by the window. “I can’t believe Tsunade didn’t brief her on the situation at hand” Kakashi said, a huffing in amusement. “You know Tsunade, she can be pretty secretive. Still, you didn’t have to go overboard with being a complete douchecanoe. If Tsunade finds out about this, she's going to ram your wand through your skull” Kakashi let out a hearty laugh at Tenten’s flowery quips. “Maa, maa, Tenten you don’t have to be like that, I’m your captain” “True, you are the captain, but I’d also like to think its because of you being captain that Tsunade retired early” Suddenly the atmosphere grew a little grim, Kiba immediately stood to excuse himself, with Neji following close behind. It was too late for Tenten to retract her statement, what meant as a lighthearted quip somehow struck a nerve in Kakashi but he kept calm despite the steely glint in his gaze. “I’m sorry, I went too far—“ Kakashi lifted a hand to stop her, “That’s alright. Anyway, we have he rest of the day to ourselves, see to it that you enjoy your afternoon. I’ll wait till she wakes up” “Certainly, captain” Tenten left the room in haste, leaving Kakashi with Sakura. He lifted his hand slightly above his hips and languidly pushed downwards an inch to grasp the backrest of the chair that he just conjured up with the gesture. He settled down then pulled a book and reading glasses out of thin air. It wouldn’t do all of them good if he was on edge for the meeting once Sakura wakes up from her fatigue. Flipping to the page he last read, he began to read the passages.

#ks #kakasaku #fanfiction #auberghynwrites #fantasy au #wizard kakashi #biker sakura #chapter 1 sawbones #multichap fic #will be illustrated

[the-truth-will-light-the-sky]

The Habits and Mannerisms of Ravus Nox Fleuret, Part One

Ravus Headcanons about control, emotions and general snarky-ness

This is going to be a long post so I’m putting a cut to save your dashboards from the Ravus overload. I really want to squish his cheeks for some reason, though that probably won’t bid well for me, haha! 

This one is also for @ravus-week too. :) Please take a visit over and see all the lovely content for our dear prince of Tenebrae. He deserves more love. 

Ravus doesn’t feel cold. He overheard one of the officers in Gralea joking that it’s because his heart is already cold. But that is not the case.

The lord of Tenebrae grew up surrounded by cold gales and nightly wind storms. Fenestala Manor is high up above the rest of Tenebrae and the temperature is too cold. He’s grown used to it.

He doesn’t mind embracing V when she feels cold and she always does. He finds it as an excuse to cuddle.

Despite his want of affection from his lover, and gentle hugs from his sister, Ravus Nox Fleuret hates to be touched. 

One would not be surprised to hear a curt ‘Don’t you lay your grubby hands on me!’ if someone decides to touch his hands or his hair. He’s very protective of his personal space.

He has a habit of ignoring people’s eyes, too. He doesn’t like to be stared at, and most definitely hates it when he catches them doing so intentionally. He won’t stop himself from being snarky about it.

Scowls, glares, spiteful side-glances, Ravus Nox Fleuret is the master of them all.

As an imperial commander, it falls unto Ravus’ shoulders to train his subordinates. He’s merciless both in training and in the battlefield. He doesn’t hesitate to dismiss anyone who doesn’t put an effort into anything.

Ravus ignores every woman and man who sidles up next to him. And they hate him for it. He’s turned down everyone who asks him on a date or asks for any suggestive sexual favors. To him, there is only one person for him, and that is his lover.

People are afraid to enter his private office for a report because the snarky imperial commander doesn’t shy away from shouting and general heartlessness. 

He doesn’t hold his tongue either. He tends to be rather ruthless with his words, using insulting words if necessary. He does this expertly though, hiding his ruthlessness behind his sarcasm. 

He’s a completely different person when he’s within Imperial presence. It’s his way of raising his defenses. He’s survived because of this, along with his cunning and strength.

His hand always finds the sword his father gave him, his fingers curling around the handle absent-mindedly.

If someone dares to lift a sword against him, expect a quick parry. He’s trained with the empire for years and before that he trained extensively with his father, Sonus, and with his lover, V. He’s got quick reflexes. Try throwing even just a paper ball at him, he’d duck straight away. Though whoever throws that will have to face dire consequences. Lord Ravus hates to be made fun of.

Ravus is an emotional man. He tries his best to hide it and with success, too. Yet those who are dear to him know that his cold facade is just a cover up. 

Given this, his emotional outbursts are intense. One must be made of sturdy mettle just to be able to witness him at his rampage. Despite this, however, he never resorts to hurting anyone even though his rage has taken a violent emotional turn.

His emotions are never at a middle-ground. It’s always either extremely soft and vulnerable or an earth-shattering intensity. It’s a wonder how he can keep his composure. When he’s very much vexed and would want to punch somebody in the face if he can, he’d try to stop himself, except if it’s Noctis or Ardyn. But then, he won’t do that, of course. He’s a proper lord. Unless he deems it necessary, however.

If it’s an enemy however, they must be prepared to dig their own grave and hide, because Ravus would be merciless.

He’s very honest and won’t stop himself from speaking what is on his mind, even though he knows it can hurt. He puts absolute trust in his loved ones that they know he doesn’t mean any harm. 

This gif makes me laugh! I’ve written a post where Ravus eats all of the lemon madeleines during his tea time with Lunafreya and Queen Sylva. This fits it so well! Link to the story is at the end of the post.

He can be quite controlling at times. He never does it for harm though. He expects perfection from every one he adores. But most of all, he wants to control his life. 

Speaking of control, V knows how things will always go inside their private room. And it doesn’t mean she’s the one in control. A needy Ravus is an intense Ravus. So when Ravus goes home to Tenebrae for his vacation, expect the next few nights (or days) to be *ahem* quite sleepless.

The lord of Tenebrae hates it if a decision has been made without his knowing. He lets the others decide, but he wants to be in on it too. After all, for Ravus, communication is key.

Table manners for Ravus are a must. He’s one of those people who would judge anyone’s character just by their table manners.

He eats with an air of royalty and always conducts himself properly around everyone. Please don’t chew loudly. It irritates him to no end.

Ravus has a habit of apprehending people who disobey rules and instructions. Be it a soldier or an officer in Niflheim, a Tenebraen retainer or even Umbra and Pryna, nobody escapes his scoldings. 

Lunafreya usually gets scolded by her older brother, not because of any bad habits, but for pushing herself too far too much. He hates seeing her getting weaker by the day. Noctis, to him, does not deserve his sister’s suffering. 

Ravus apprehends V for swearing. She’s grown accustomed to living alone and accompanying men bigger than her on hunts that she’s picked up a few bad habits. Being a man of etiquette, Ravus sees this as his duty to straighten out his lover’s unruly behavior. Of course, he lets her slip a few curses here and there, but if he catches her on her own and cursing a table for stabbing her toe, he’ll have none of it. He loves her nonetheless. He thinks it’s amusing to find a woman both so feminine and masculine at the same time. 

Ravus is very meticulous about his surroundings, particularly his study and bedroom. 

His bedroom must always have matching bedsheets and blankets. Also, there should be no dust or else Ravus would turn into a sneezing mess, and no one wants to see him with watery eyes and sniffles. Although V thinks he’s quite cute when he has his allergies. He becomes extremely childlike, basking in V’s efforts in trying to make him feel better. 

His bathroom should be spic and span. No hair on the drain, please. 

There are no particular scents in his bedroom except for the natural scent of flowers coming from outside. He likes to relax surrounded by the perfume-like scent.

He hates it when people leave a mess in his study, or when they rearrange his books. Speaking of books, he keeps them in alphabetical order and by genre. If Ravus was not a prince, he’d either be a librarian, a naturalist, a healer or a scholar...with a penchant for sword wielding.

I think I’ve gone overboard again. Ravus might accuse me of over-sharing, to which I admit I am very much guilty of. I suppose I am going to have to cut it here again and proceed to put the rest in another post. Can’t help writing long things, to be frank. I hope to write posts with as much sacrosanct words as possible. I do hope you don’t mind me posting such long posts. 

Lord Ravenous Nox Fleuret : Tea & Madeleine post

https://the-truth-will-light-the-sky.tumblr.com/post/179556088178/tea-madeleines

#ravus nox fleuret #ravus nox fleuret headcanons #ravusweek #final fantasy xv #ffxv #ffxv ravus #lunafreya nox fleuret #veritas lux seculum #tenebrae #the truth will light the sky #msy the truth will light the sky headcanons #the snarky prince of tenebrae #slight nsfw?