HOT BOY ESSEK locking you, a high ranking guardian of the realm, long-time friend, newfound lover, in the basement of his tower while he tinkers with the beacon 😼 Reading your very exclusive, very fate-of-the-world mailings aloud only if you play with his hair for the duration. Stomaching his well-intentioned inedible eats for him to both act domestic and increase your tolerance for poison. Sitting in silence with his mother only for both your eyes to dart to the windows and doors—for but seconds at a time. Anymore and the other would suspect you of trying to abandon your dear Essek, and nobody wants for that!
So you bake cookies to pass the time, and study his novels, and try to forget the many lifetimes you spent grinding away for your position only to be reduced to.. This. His.
Do you have a request that's "headcanons of how would Mighty Nein Essek, Caleb, Mollymauk, and Fjord react to their shy s/o giving a quick peck on the cheek in private to cheer them up from a bad day"? Thanks!
-CV-Non
you got it 👌
masterlist 12
Essek
Stoicism and a firm demeanor keep others at bay, but your gesture is a comfort that centers him (metaphorically and literally)
amidst the turmoil of his dubious goals you’re the only reprieve he keeps close
Fjord
It’s no secret the half-orc can feel doubtful about himself but if you should feel so bold as to kiss him so suddenly (something he’s wracked to do in his brain) then he can be a better man for you
Caleb
it sends a strong not unfamiliar warmth down his spine to the very simmering core of his body
His hand ghosts to hold, touch yours but before he can overthink it, you whisk away to join the others
Mollymauk
he knows he’s always been the more outgoing type but when you do it? That tail wraps back around your waist, pulling in with a purring “we’re not done yet”
Did you get a request? It's headcanons of dating Mollymauk, Essek, Caleb and Fjord. Thanks!
Love me some Crit Role prompts, hope you like 'em!
Mollymauk Tealeaf
Molly is chaos incarnate regardless of whether you are in a relationship with him or not. Your life with the Nein is never dull anyway, but especially not when Molly's around.
Molly, however, is also incredibly smart for essentially being two years old. He's perceptive and picks up things about people very quickly. He is also adept at using that knowledge for his own benefit. All this to say, he picks up on your crush on him very quickly.
And uses this knowledge for evil...
...constantly.
Molly flirts with you every chance he gets with every possible idea he can think of just to see what kind of reaction he can get. He's incorrigible, but you blush all the same.
Don't worry! He also finds a nice time to chat with you when the two of you are on watch and lets you know that he has become just as fond of you. He, "just likes teasin' you, love."
Will find every opportunity to make you laugh or smile and is your biggest supporter and defender on and off the battlefield.
He's your circus man. He loves you fiercely, loudly, and sweetly as the world allows him for as a long as he can.
Essek Thelyss
Essek is a very difficult man to get to know. But, it has been scientifically proven that he can be worn down. Just keep at it.
Once you find something to bond over, Essek can be very sweet. He, despite any attempts he makes to instruct others that he does not, has a very big heart and cares an awful lot about the people he allows to really see him.
If you have a problem he will do whatever he can, within his abilities and around his busy schedule, to help you.
He is very hard on himself and in some instances probably should be to a degree, but you have to be there to stop him and that brilliant but treacherous brain of his from hurting his poor heart and soul.
Watch out for him please. He's battling a lot.
A relationship with Essek would be a sweet and loving one but it would also be fraught with the dangers of the lines he walks on a daily basis. The good news is, the love the two of you share is more than enough to whether it.
Caleb Widogast
Caleb, like Essek, cares very deeply for those around him. But, unfortunately also like Essek, also suffers through a lot of mental and emotional torment of his own making.
He's gotten better being with you and the Nein but you can tell that he still struggles. The kind of things he's been through are not things you can simply forget. He may need your help in the mental fight against his demons every once and a while.
Caleb would need a lot of coaxing to get him to really open up to you about his feelings for you (I mean we all saw how he got around Jester sometimes). You might have to be the one to make the first move because he will likely have plans to keep that secret to himself until the end of time.
I feel like Caleb would oddly be really good at taking care of you? Like reminding you to get the proper amount fo sleep (after all, he knows exaclty how many hours you've been awake for), and eating the proper amount as well as taking breaks. But, at the same time, he is awful at doing that for himself. Watch this one, make sure he doesn't fall asleep with his head in a spell book.
I also imagine that Caleb, once you get to a certain point of comfort in the relationship, is as cuddly as his cat. Imagine that after a particularly long day, he just flops on top of you, absolutely exhausted, curling in to you. Probably mumbling things in Zemnian that makes absolutely no sense regardless of whether you speak the language or not. He's very tired, just hold him and let him sleep.
Caleb is a very attentive person and he remembers literally everything. He constantly mazes you by the things he remembers about you and your relationship. He loves you and that love comes through in the detail he puts into every magical creation that you are included in.
Fjord Stone
Fjord, Wildmother love him, constantly finds himself in ridiculous situations. You, as much as you love him, have to find the humor in it. You are always there to help him out, but you almost have to laugh at him sometimes.
Regardless of his occasional fumbling, Fjord is very attentive and romantic.
He finds his own ways to fluster you, finding moments to be almost comedically romantic like someone out of Jester’s novels.
He, being a Paladin, and a new one at that, most likely feels a need to protect or like he has to prove he can protect you. He knows you are fully capable of defending and protecting yourself and he never wants to step on your toes in that field (he, like everyone else mentioned, is a respectful boi) but he loves you and sometimes assumes that he needs to prove that he is worthy of loving you, prove that he can keep you safe, prove that he himself is safe for you to be around.
He knows how to make you smile in the simplest of ways. Whether it be a flower left for you, a kind word, a reassuring hand on your shoulder, Fjord somehow always manages to know when you need something sweet like that.
He would never admit it, but Essek has come to like and even look forward to the sending messages he shares with Jester at the most random points in the Nein's Adventures - it allows him glimpses into your wellbeing, if only small and brief.
He sits at his desk, a quill in one hand scribbling aimlessly, the other hand pressing two fingers to his temple, softly smiling in the candlelight as the cleric recounts today's adventure. He asks how your injury from last week has healed, if you've been resting, if your training is coming along nicely, and if you've been happy.
If you miss him, or mention him at all.
"You know," Jester interrupts him, muffled slightly and he can imagine her hiding under a thick blanket with a mischievous grin, "I like this side of you, Essek. Caring and all, like, doting."
"As do I. It feels..." He trails off, a little at a loss for words. It's hard to describe the distance between you an him, hard to understand how despite it you've only nestled yourself further in his heart. "It's really, really... nice, actually."
"Falling in love?" Jester stage whispers so her voice does not disturb your sleeping form in the bed next to hers.
His answer comes easier and clearer than he was expecting: "Falling in love with them."
-
Poet's Note:
Yes I took creative liberties with the sending spell. Let me have my faves talk like they're on the telephone.
QwQ may we request a part two for the Essek cliches? QWQ
“I thought you’d have left by now.” Essek says from behind you. You look up from the edge of the pond. You had joined Essek on his journey to assist the Mighty Nein, fighting Lucien, and now returned to Caduceus’ home.
“I can’t leave you.” You reply, almost automatically. How many times had you had to reassure him you were by his side for good? Traitor or not. You’d devoted yourself to Essek, going even beyond your own duty. You were in too deep, really.
Essek hummed as he joined you, settling onto the ground by the pond (but still hovering an inch or so off the ground). He was exhausted, dark shadows under his eyes but he couldn’t rest.
“I’m glad.” He says after a long moment. You look to him, confused. “That you’re not leaving.”
“Oh,” you laugh lightly, “you’re not getting rid of me so easily.”
Essek smiles lightly, eyes still on the pond and ignoring the light dusting of blush across his cheeks. You reach out tentatively and take his hand. After a while, when you’re considering pulling your hand away, Essek’s hand turns in yours, holding your hand back.
“Thank the gods for that.” He says softly, rubbing his thumb along the back of your hand.
I made this very uh… caster friendly because I've never played a sorcerer and don’t know how to write for one.
You sat staring at the book. Reading and rereading the spells trying to commit them to memory. Rubbing your hands over your eyes you sigh, the words were becoming jumbled and blurred and you really couldn't make any sense of them. You lay your head on the book, maybe they’ll just. Absorb into you. You stay like that for a minute before you shake yourself awake. No, you had to get these couple down, then you could be done. You sigh and go back to your attempt at reading.
After who knows how many minutes you feel two hands start rubbing your shoulders softly. You groan and try to wriggle out of the soothing touch but the grip is tight. You hang your head, you had hoped he wouldn’t come looking for you. The impromptu massage continues with soft added kisses to your neck. You let out a quiet noise of disapproval but knew you couldn’t really stop him. He eventually rests his head on yours, violet hands moving to embrace you from behind. You let out an annoyed sigh and feel him chuckle behind you.
“Did you really think I could fall asleep without you?” You sigh again moving your head back to lay on your book. You feel him shift around you and his hands are guiding your face to look at him. “My love.” You make some noise of response and he frowns lightly at you. “Come on, you’re exhausted. Learning new spells right now is pointless.” You shake your head into your book.
“I gotta get these memorized.” You lift your head and continue staring at the pages, knowing if you look at Essek you’ll go straight to bed with him. He sighs and stands. You don’t hear him leave but you hear the door shut beside him. You groan quietly and let a few tears stray out. You know doing this to yourself is also stressing him out but you can’t fall behind. He is already so smart and then he goes and makes friends with Caleb who is beyond brilliant. You see the tear drip onto your book and sigh, maybe a small break would be okay.
You head to the kitchen to see Essek pouring tea into two mugs. He looks up and smiles at you. “Great minds think alike I see.” You smile softly. He finishes your tea and brings it to you. You thank him quietly and he grabs his and leans against the counter. Watching you, no, studying you. You sigh and sip at the tea enjoying the silence. When you finally decide to meet his eyes they’re intense. You keep eye contact as you take another sip of your tea, he raises an eyebrow and your eyes widen.
“You. Bastard.” It’s quiet, but he hears it and smiles. You pout at him and put the mug down crossing your arms. He floats over and behind you before wrapping his arms around your waist and nuzzling your neck while you pout. How tired you were was really hitting you now. No thanks to the sleepy time tea Essek had slipped you. Asshole. You let out a yawn. “I… really hate you.” He kisses your neck softly.
“No you don’t, come on it’s time for sleep.” You shake your head and feel his arms shift around you and suddenly your feet aren’t touching the floor as he carries you to bed. He sets you down and you don’t even have the fight in you anymore. You curl under the blanket and pout again. His arms snake around you and he peppers kisses on your neck and shoulders until you give in and turn to face him. He kisses you softly and pulls you into his chest. “I love you. I want you to improve in your craft. But I will not let you kill yourself to do so.” You sigh and nod snuggling into him before sleep takes you, safe in the arms of the man who loves you most.
