I am desperately trying to find a fic that i read a while ago where the mighty nein formed without caleb and they accomplish somethings so trent gives the mighty nein caleb as a spy and caleb fights with a blindfold. Do you remember the name?
hmmm i don't know the fic offhand!
after looking on ao3, i don't THINK this is the fic you're talking about, but i'll link it just in case: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75413631/chapters/197153961
I am desperately trying to find a fic that i read a while ago where the mighty nein formed without caleb and they accomplish somethings so trent gives the mighty nein caleb as a spy and caleb fights with a blindfold. Do you remember the name?
hmmm i don't know the fic offhand!
after looking on ao3, i don't THINK this is the fic you're talking about, but i'll link it just in case: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75413631/chapters/197153961
Hi! I'm trying to find a fic I read a few months ago but now can't seem to find. It was a whumpy Caleb/Essek fic where Ikithon is invading Caleb's mind every night preventing him from actually resting, resulting in him basically gaining levels of exhaustion and deteriorating. It was multi chapter I'm 99% sure and it was on AO3
hmm i don't recognize it, but i haven't read a lot of cr2 fic lately!! i am posting this in case anyone else recognizes it
...but also if you give me any other details i can try and look on ao3 (i have fun doing this lol so i'd be happy to). is it mostly following canon or AU? does trent actually show up as a character? was it complete?
hey while i'm here. is it tacky if i rec my own fanworks? or would that be of interest? the one i'm thinking of now is a podfic, so it's also a rec for the original fic!
Hi! I'm trying to find a fic I read a few months ago but now can't seem to find. It was a whumpy Caleb/Essek fic where Ikithon is invading Caleb's mind every night preventing him from actually resting, resulting in him basically gaining levels of exhaustion and deteriorating. It was multi chapter I'm 99% sure and it was on AO3
hmm i don't recognize it, but i haven't read a lot of cr2 fic lately!! i am posting this in case anyone else recognizes it
...but also if you give me any other details i can try and look on ao3 (i have fun doing this lol so i'd be happy to). is it mostly following canon or AU? does trent actually show up as a character? was it complete?
Hi! I’ve recently gotten back into CR and I’ve been trying to find this one fic from a few years ago (don’t remember the name and I might be deleted but just thought I’d give it a shot asking)
It’s Essek-centric. From what I remember Essek got executed and about two weeks (?) later the M9 resurrected him and were keeping him safe in the Xorhouse until they had a better plan. Essek remembers seeing an orange spider in his cell for a time leading up to his death and the spider (which is insinuated to be Frimpkin) follows him.
That’s about as much as I can remember,
Thank you!
WOW FOR ONCE I ACTUALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT FIC AN ASK LIKE THIS IS ABOUT!!! HUGE WIN FOR ME!!!!
this is sleeping in the shadow of an other self by nonwhal! a BANGER of a fic that i absolutely should have done a proper rec post but apparently i haven't!
Just wondering if you've come across a fic that I've lost :,( both were focused on volstrucker/archmage caleb being sent to live with/spy on the M9 for Ikithon, but they find out what Trent is doing to kids at the cerebrus assembly. Takes place around mid/post campaign. I can't remember exactly but I think it was either fjord/caleb or molly/caleb.
this is the only thing i can find, and it doesn't look like what you're thinking of: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35454799/chapters/88376026
can anyone else help? this fic doesn't ring any bells for me, and ididn't have a ton of luck searching ao3 :(
This week, we have twelve fics exploring cultural differences between Caleb and Essek! Read more under the cut.
Careful Steps by chaya (6066, Teen)
Warnings: None
A pre-episode 97 fic about Essek's attempts at courting Caleb according to both Kryn and Empire customs.
Reccer says: It builds a cohesive picture of Kryn rules of courtship and by showing the wizards' interactions through this lens, it manages to express emotion and desire in subtle and often humorous ways.
Widogast 101: Introduction to Bread by ThreeGremlinsInATrenchcoat (2524, General)
Warnings: None
Caleb finds out that Essek has never eaten bread before, so he brings him a lot of Zemnian breads to try.
Reccer says: Caleb is so fascinated with Essek's opinions on the different types of bread. It's very endearing.
my kingdom for a braid by hanap (10998, Teen)
Warnings: minor violence
Caleb and Essek are the rulers of the Empire and the Dynasty as well as star crossed lovers. When Caleb reaches out, years later, with what he thinks is a romantic gesture, Essek understands it as a declaration of war.
Reccer says: It's got dramatic irony! It's got a wonderful breadth of POV characters! It's beautifully written!
In the Interest of Identity by firefright (2232, General)
Warnings: None
A late night talk on the importance of names.
Reccer says: Some lovely pining and Dynasty worldbuilding
Inventory by Operafloozy (3862, Teen)
Warnings: None
Yasha helps Essek out with some cultural misunderstandings, and also packing.
Reccer says: Great worldbuilding and voices - it's about Essek and Caleb's relationship, but also Essek and Yasha and how they relate to the Dwendalians in their lives.
the apple of one’s eye by saturdaysky (1286, Teen)
Warnings: None
Essek gifts Caleb a very authentic traditional Zemnian garment. Or so he thinks.
Reccer says: Hilarious, sweet, and surprisingly hot! It’s a quick read but a memorable one.
gilded by renquise (1949, Teen)
Warnings: None
A deliciously horny little fic with an old dynasty courting custom at the centre.
Reccer says: For such a short little fic, the world and the characters feel so rich and lived in. Super hot as well as tender and sweet and a treat for hand kink havers!
And All the Trifles, Sweet and Frail by Interrobang (2329, Explicit)
Warnings: Trans Essek-- this fic includes vaginal fingering.
Drow have certain customs about handwear and hand-to-hand contact. By Kryn standards, Caleb is a bit of a trollop.
Reccer says: Excellent sense of tension and sensuality, but also, the fact Essek finds handholding to be Extremely Scandalous is SUPER funny to me.
Appetites by portraitofemmy (1793, Explicit)
Warnings: None
Essek muses on the voracious nature of humans.
Reccer says: Lush, indulgent, and gorgeous
In My Head, I'm Yours by Marmeladeskies (31346, Teen)
Warnings: no warnings
“I… my Den’s annual meeting is coming up, and I need a plus one, to put it simply.” “You need someone to pretend to be your daaaaaaaate?” Essek brings Caleb as his "fake" date to a family reunion. Feels and shenanigans ensue.
Reccer says: I love the in-depth depiction of the Dynasty as a matriarchy, and thus Essek as a male drow has to put up with much of the same bullshit that female-presenting humans do. The flipped social dynamics are super interesting to me.
For these last two, we had multiple recs each for them:
Indecency by RainyDayDecaf (5898, Teen)
Warnings: None
Caleb and Essek keep accidentally performing courtship rituals from the other's culture
Reccer 1 says: A really adorable 6+1 fic, super cute and sweet
Reccer 2 says: It's just very cute and fluffy. The boys are in love and stupid about it at times.
Reccer 3 says: The wizards are flirting and pining and blushing and accidentally going WAY TOO FAR with their intended gestures because of cultural differences. It's soft and sweet and funny and like a warm hug.
In the Closet of our Discretion by Firefright (12280, Mature)
Warnings: None
Caleb gets a hands-on lesson on how the many layers of Dynasty formalwear. By taking it off Essek.
Reccer 1 says: I love the worldbuilding inherent in it, along with the wonderful build-up of tension as Caleb removes each layer.
Reccer 2 says: Such a good study of dynasty clothing.
Reccer 3 says: Well written, romantic, and sexy!
Reccer 4 says: If you like costume porn or headcanons about the Dynasty having pseudo-Victorian modesty standards, then this is the fic for you. Disclaimer: despite my costume porn description, there is no actual smut in this, though it does have one of the hottest disrobing scenes I've ever read.
Have some questions? Wonder who's doing this? Check out our FAQ, and look for us next week, when we'll have a new rec list centered around canon divergent AU's!
a post-campaign 2 AU in which Verin and some other Dynasty soldiers come to arrest Essek after learning of his whereabouts, only to find him with his child. They still take him back, but Verin ends up staying behind, meeting the Mighty Nein, and eventually helping them to free Essek. i loooovvveeeddd this fic! i was itching for something long and plotty recently, and i found this, and what a delight it was!!!! i think the plot is super cool and has layers to it that i didn’t expect, and verin is a delight, and the m9 make for a great ensemble cast. i fully admit i know nothing about kids, so idk if the kid character in this is realistic, but i thought she was cute and believably childlike. the action sequences really reminded me of critrole episodes too, which is always a hard thing to do in writing but i thought this author nailed it
Hi, I'm trying to find a specific fic that I suspect might have been deleted. It's definitely an essek/caleb fic from essek's pov, centered around essek knowing he'll be executed the next morning. If I remember right, the summary mentions this. Through the fic he imagines the town square he'll be in, with details about flocks of birds and sunlight. Ultimately there's a happy ending as the nein save him. Published probably before august 2021. I can't find this anywhere! Thanks in advance!
so this is the closest i could find to what you were talking about? i found several others that start this way and have something like that in the summary but they were all a bit longer and featured more stuff after essek was rescued, which doesn't sound like what you're describing.
if it really has been deleted, i can't help directly. BUT, if you can somehow find a link, you could look in the wayback machine, which archives pages on the internet. OR you could try the method for recovering deleted fics in this post if you don't have the link and are willing to slog through some spreadsheets.
if anyone else thinks they recognize this fic or know anything about it, feel free to respond on the post somehow or send your own message to me! good luck in your search, friend!
Hi!! I’ve been looking for this fic that I remember from a few years ago, and I’ve been informed you might be able to help? If so: it’s Caleb and Beau centric, where Caleb never broke and remained Bren. He and Beau were like… enemies forced to work together for something - I believe it was also focused on the war but I can’t remember if they were on opposite sides or not! Does this ring any bells?
anon, sadly this does not ring a bell for me :(
i did some digging on ao3, so maybe one of these will be the right fic? you’ll have to let me know! (since you said a few years ago, i stuck with ones from pre2021, although i did see a couple 2021 fics that looked like they might be along these lines as well)
ALSO, i discovered there’s a canonical tag on ao3 for Scourger | Volstrucker Caleb Widogast, so you could check that out and see if any of the works in that tag might be what you’re thinking of!
as always, if anyone else sees this and thinks they might know the fic, feel free to chime in on the post or send something to me!
Hi! I saw you do some fic searching sometime and I've been looking for this fic about Caleb and Essek (set quite early in the campaign) where Essek was teaching Caleb spells and their hands touched. But it was about cultural differences in the meaning of hand touching. For Xhorhassian standards it was incredibly intimate. And I have honestly no clue if it was just that and tension or if it followed up into more nsfw stuff and I have no clue what the tags were, just that it was on AO3. Thanks ☆♡
https://archiveofourown.org/works/19073062 this sounds like what you’re describing! the idea of xhorhassian cultural differences around holding hands does actually sound kind of familiar to me, and i don’t think this fic i linked is what /i’m/ remembering? so i wonder if there are others.
let me know if this is it! also anyone else, feel free to chime in with others (or your favorite shadowgast hand touching fics, tbh, there’s way more than i realized and i love that for them)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Behind the scenes - in the cracks between planes, and the gaps behind time - the Ring of Brass lives on.
The Sightwarden of Avalir lives a long life, as does his family. A person is made up of their memories, and the Archmage Por'co’s memories rest in young and responsible hands. Draconic souls never truly die, and the laughing ghost of the Guildmaster is more than happy to wreak merry chaos across the many planes. If one were to look deep into the glowing blue of the ley lines, they might catch a glimpse of the Herald and the Architect Arcane, who waltz hand in hand along the flicker and spark of the magical veins.
The world ends, and then restarts again. The souls of those who saved it rest easy.
For the most part.
___________________________________________________
One by one, the Ring of Brass finds their way back home.
In response to SWIMINYOUROCEAN's ask: the fic in question isn't a stand alone fic, but rather a section of chapter four of "Life Ain't Easy When You're Beauregard Lionette" by Averys_got_a_pen on AO3. The chapter is a collection of drabble moments between Beau and the other nein, and the Fjord section matches exactly. Stick this on the ao3 url and it'll take you there: works/18561472/chapters/44091247
@swiminyourocean is this the fic you were looking for? here's a link for convenience: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18561472/chapters/44091247
also just reading this chapter made me want to cry oh my god beau 😭
Okay so I don’t know if you do fic finding, but there was this one fanfic that I read a while ago that I haven’t been able to find again and it’s upsetting me. It was about Caleb and if Trent has given him and the rest of the Blumentrio branding tattoos. I remember this one line from the fic that said it was “so that they could identify their bodies without needing their heads”.
i don’t want to think about how long this has been sitting in my inbox, anon, i’m so so sorry because i don’t even have any answers for you :( i took a look on ao3 but was unsuccessful. if anyone has any ideas, feel free to reply or send me another message!
