{❥} Authors Note - OOO YES of course! Oh so many feelings and probably a good lot of slow burn , perfect recipe for disaster and a whole lot of realization <3 - sorry if the essek one is a little *bleh.* Ive been watching supercuts for him but I also dont want to spoil myself since I know a lot of his story revolves around the later plot for campaign 2 , SOOOOO.... I tried lol. Though his was very entertaining to write for! {❥} Content Warnings: Mostly proofread , some depictions of “flame” for Calebs part (signifying feelings lol.) Also for Esseks describing love in a rather “painful” manner to put it. Other than that , I think that is all! Please let me know if I should add more in the comments :3c ₊˚✧꒰ᑕᗩᒪEᗷ ᗯIᗪOGᗩᔕT꒱₊˚✧ ･ That night originally was so peaceful, staring out at the moonlit sky with some of your other friends. Though as you conversed, you never expected to have everything get turned upside down. It was all so fast, not being able to call for the others happily asleep tore you apart. ･ Trying to fight off your captors was a struggle, you thinking the four of you could easily get away. But no, you overstepped and it ended in the bunch of you getting taken away. Not without some battering in the process. ･ You didnt know where you were, trying so hard to break free from the manacles that trapped you. Never stopping to find a way out. Your fighting senses were not very much welcomed by your captors. They picked right through you and your friends. ･ Sadly you got dealt the short end of the stick with Yasha. Spending the majority of your time being captured, getting your absolute shit rocked. All of it was a blur, only remembering the beating that came to you. ･ The coldness of the stone under you welcomed you into sleep. You were staying unconscious with Yasha as well due to the Shepherds. If you WERE conscious, you would have known of the entrance of your friend plus a couple of newbies coming in to save you and the others. ･ After they dealt with everything and opened up Jester and Fjord's cell, they found you and Yasha’s. The others decided to have a search around the Iron Shepherd’s base, and Caleb decided to sit that out. Instead staying behind with the “out like a light” you and Yasha. ･ Seeing you, so hurt and bruised sent something through him. With how much he's known you (I imagine the same as much as he’s known Nott), it sent a feeling of urgency through him. It wasnt like he was scared shitless before, but that made him feel that pit plummet even more. ･Laying there as the others went to go search around, he couldnt stop looking over at you. Those embers grew more and more, becoming a fire in his chest. What was this? , he hadn't really felt it in a while. What was this urgency? You were another one of his companions, why was he feeling all warm on the inside? ･Just like with Astrid and Eadwolf, that fire blazed to high heaven. This stood out to him, and the repeatings of “no no no no…” trailed along in his avoidant mind. He could bare to rid you of the burden of him being in love with you. A lot had happened in only a couple of days, which led him to lie to himself. ･He halted his flooding paranoia to a stop. Taking a breath in, he can think about this later and let it tare him apart. Now he just has to wait for the others to come back. He went on to clear his mind, rattling on directly to the unconscious Yasha next to him. ₊˚✧꒰ ᖴᒍOᖇᗪ ꒱₊˚✧ ･Even though Fjord could portray the persona of a calm and collected fighter, he was far from it. Under that mushy shell of suave southern charm and gentlemen' manners, was but a man. When he got to know you better, he didnt feel like he had to push up this sort of image. ･Originally he had met you the same way he met Jester. You had hitched a ride with the giddy blue tiefling. Trying to get away from some sort of mystery creeping up on you. Stumbling into him, he couldn’t help but trip over his own two feet. He could remember seeing you, watching over as Jester was messing with a few surrounding individuals. ･The way the Port Damali sun shaped your ever-so-collected features. You looked so excited watching your friend (who he would get to know as Jester) using magic to play her little tricks. Something about her and you formed a bubble of thoughts in his ever-expanding curiosity. Your big bright grin almost drew him closer. With this new set of abilities recently gifted to him, this display did defiantly catch his attention ･Fast forwarding to the present time, after trying to travel to the goal of the Solstice Academy in Rexxentrum: now everything was uprooted after meeting the band of assholes you got to know as your newfound friends. Even though he had bumped into you two and traveled alongside the both of you for quite some time, once you joined the “Mighty Nein” your relationship grew stronger in a sense. ･More comfortable with friendly banter, a trust was formed. It would only grow stronger as your party became more and more active. Though you could always be assured that Fjord always showed his loyalty in more ways than one Even if it was shown in smaller, more contained doses, he could and would always be by your side. He may have had appearances to keep up but rest assured that there were some times his heart couldn’t stop doing summer saults for you. ･With all of the chaos that rained throughout you and your parties' adventures, things got a little less hectic once you guys left the Dwendalian Empire and went down to the Menagerie Coast in Nicodranas. ･It was a more free-spirited atmosphere and you enjoyed the constant comfortable weather along with the wonderful ocean. Fjord was oh so overjoyed seeing you taking a liking to the place, being that you were a part of the group percentage that didnt really know of the gorgeous sandy beaches that inhabited the Menagerie Coast/Nicodranas.･He could clearly tell though that you were excited about Jester meeting her mother again. You and the girl were as close as could be , you held her really close to your heart. The same went for everyone else in the group. Fjord always admired how you always had that signature friendly air around you. Even if the person is a shopkeeper or a drunk you kept constant conversation with , you were never one for a boring environment. ･After you all become acquainted with the Ruby of the Sea , or better known as Marion Lavorre , you all end off your official first day in Nicodranas with some very rampant shenanigans. Now with the Gentleman potentially being Jesters father? That was a lot to rap all your heads around , especially Jesters. But with the suggestions of Fjord and the rest of the party , everyone decided to head to bed with how late it was. ･Right as everyone was getting used to their new rooms in the Lavish Chateau , you struck up conversation with Fjord about the new realizations that came to ahead. He could clearly see how you were worried for Jester , more so around the fact that this is such new news. Fjord listened to your steady rant about how this could mean so many things. You were really just getting your thoughts out into the air , and Fjord listened to it all. ･He racked your brain as well , though rangled your rampant stream of thought to a stop. Saying that they can figure it out more on on a later date. Which you agreed to , apologizing for keeping him up so late. He didn’t fuss though , instead giving you a warm smile and quelling your worries. He watched as you walked away , you both sharing a “goodnight” before hearing your door make an audible closing noise. ･He leaned against his door frame as he stared down that hallway of rooms , his eyes lingering on your door. Which was when he realized everything , when everything clicked together. He was in love... with you. There was nothing that stopped his brain from pointing this out , and why would he stop it? He wasn’t frightened about it or nervous , just relatively happy! ･You were one of the strongest sparks in his life , you were tethered to him if he liked it or not. He didn’t fight it at all and was just relieved to know this information. Though would he act on it? No of course , you as a group had things to do. He didnt want his feelings to blind him in any sort of way. Which meant he was going to let this meddle , keeping the new revelation close to his heart. ･Taking one final look at your door he would let out a content sigh before turning into bed. He would fully let sleep take over his mind , content with this day. He wasn’t going to fight what he felt for you , instead embracing it. He was in love with you and.. he was okay with that. ₊˚✧꒰ EᔕᔕEK TᕼEᒪYEᔕᔕ ꒱₊˚✧ ･At first meeting Essek was many things. Being in the same vicinity as the “Bright Queen” and in her court already made you tremble in ferocious anxiousness. Mainly because that woman had a certain look that could impale thousands of hearts. All of a sudden , as you and the group were here to get Yussa to freedom, she sent one of her shadowhands with you to escort you down to the dungeons. ･A smirk caught at the tip of your lips when you all were escorted by him. The sharp-chinned drow was definitely appealing in the eyes. His calm but calculated demeanor definitely matched his voice , smooth and cold like sharp icicles. You couldnt help but giggle to yourself like a school girl inside your conciousness , though outside you made sure to keep your composure. ･Impressions for him were wildly different. He wasn’t one for much care in this situation, following to do what he was told. Though he was definitely one that fell harder as your group became more inside his circle of faces he knew. ･When the group got to know him on a more personal level , so did you to him. Especially taking a liking of him , as a bright eyed explorer of the arcane. As you too shared a more ... competitive conversation in a sense after Caleb tried to convince him to the upmost charming manner (and of course succeed) , he even decided to give you some knowledge for new spells that involved Dunamancy. ･You were very open to every ounce of what the Dunamancy offered , no selfishness or greed at all when he explained to you some of the ties that came with those certain spells he would go on about for hours. All you did was listened , which is why you were so around him in the first place after hours. He was clearly taking a liking to you as well , again in smaller doses. But he was getting more friendly to you in his most of all Essek ways. ･When it wasn’t Jester sharing messages over to him about what was going on with the use of “Sending” , you would take a knack at it. One way or another you always got a comfortable chuckle out of him , already sinking your fangs into his affection. Sooner than he knew it , a burning feeling would grow in his chest. ･A painful , but heavy feeling emanated in his heart. His mind winced at the sudden intrusion of this but it slowly became more of a constant ... like the thought of you did in his mind. He tried to shake it off as best as he could , pushing those thoughts down into the pits with the fact that this had to mean NOTHING. It couldn’t and wouldn’t mean anything... or so he thought. ･It especially haunted his mind once he got more into his nefarious business and the situation grew more impactful so to say. The thought of hurting you and his new friendship with your group pained him. Though he had to keep faces up and work on what dealings were made with the Cerberus assembly and so on. ･His internal thoughts came to ahead when you and your friends found out how interloped he was with the chaos that was plagued around your every move. He couldn’t help but feel oh so ashamed, with the sudden realization of the betrayal that he caused with you all. Feeling so very very idiotic as if , within his mind , burning the bridge that he had with your party. ･Though to his utter surprise, your friends extended a hand out to him. A hand of both un-earthed vulnerability and understanding. Just with him coming forward about everything that was going on , his expectations for how that all was going to go down were very much flipped. ･Everyone shared words of encouragement with him, and words of as well - guarded forgiveness. But what you had told him most definitely left an impression on him and his mental state. The whole time when you all were talking about what he was interloped in, your eyes were trained on him and his presence. Something to say was most, of course forming in your mind. He could clearly see it as your facial features ever so slightly moved. ･You extended a hand to him and figuratively opened your heart up. Giving him a light at the end of the tunnel. Saying that everyone had some sort of redemption for them, especially if they decide to choose a more cleaner path. It was as if you sucked the pain out of him, that had gone widespread in his brain capsule of a head space. ･That once burning, aching feeling clicked in his heart. As Nott extended an invitation to the Mighty Nein, he finally realized what his brain was so panicked about. Finding a name for the one thing that especially plagued him. His love... for you. The love that kept him up at night, that had him pacing around halls when thoughts of you sprung up from his mental depths. ･The word repeated in his mind... love. Love love love love love, that's what it was. ﹌﹌﹌ {❥} Part Two or “Mollymauks” part
