🍺fav veth moment: asking caleb to dance during travelercon is too big a wish-fulfilment moment for me to ignore ngl
🤡worst take i still stand by: molly was an unpleasant person and I’ve never really agreed with “but they were all assholes back then!”. distrusting authority, being guarded, doing petty crime etc is different from being a bully. he was arrogant and belittled those around him, particularly Nott (taking pride in not caring about her feelings, treating her like a child, making a point out of giving her extra money, “you’re not nearly as smart as you think you are” “maybe [lucien] killed goblins. maybe he was a goblin hunter. maybe he ate them. raw.” etc etc)
🔥fav caleb moment: “You don't have to be brave alone. I am not, without you, Nott. I've been traveling with you for a long time for a reason. These people are traveling with you for a reason. (...) I just have seen what you can do, and I know it has nothing to do with what is in that flask of yours. Take that for what it's worth. If you are swilling booze tomorrow, I will still be your best friend and be with you. I really wish I could see you right now.”
My sister is currently doing a naruto re-watch and she goes absolutely hogwild every time Lee and Gai appear and honestly i'm proud to be related to a woman of taste!
widobrave + forehead kisses if you feel inclined? 💕
anonymous said: Hello! If you are still taking the prompts for writing I would love to see a widobrave fic from Caleb’s perspective! There are not enough from his point of view out there. Maybe pining? Or jealous? 👀 sorry I’m not very specific
thanks for the requests anon and @luteana 💌! hope this is ok
-
Caleb breathes in, and the air tastes humid: sweet and sharp with the scent of rotting seaweed. They are standing in an alleyway next to what looks like a quaint little restaurant, ivy climbing the side of the building and colourful bunting strung above them.
Veth opens one eye at a time and looks around in wonder.
“Where are we?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Caleb turns to look over his shoulder, and there are the docks; a grounded boat is being loaded with fishing tackle, the people on board too busy to notice the two of them watching.
“Well, it is Nicodranas at least,”
“Thank god,” Veth begins to take off her jacket, and pauses. “oh shit.”
“What?”
“I didn’t ask Jester to message my-” she sighs, turning away. “it’s fine.”
Caleb can already feel his sweat beading from the heat. He rolls up his sleeves while Veth leads the way to the cafe entrance, a door in the side of what used to be an upturned boat. It swings inwards and they both peer into a smallish courtyard with garden furniture, a potted tree, lanterns, and strips of fabric hanging from the canopy. Nobody seems to be around.
“I’m sure they won’t mind a surprise visit.” Caleb says as she leans around the door.
“What? Oh.” Veth looks troubled. “No, of course they won’t, I just - what if Yeza’s busy?”
He scoffs. “Too busy to see you?”
“I don’t know, what if he has plans with someone or,” she mumbles, and Caleb just blinks at her. “all right, you know what I mean.”
The sign hanging above them reads ‘The Crab & Oyster’. They stand at the doorway for a moment longer before moving to a more bustling street, where Caleb asks a couple of strangers for directions to the Opal Archways. It’s a relief to feel safe in this city again, and be able to breathe away from the group, too - Veth has been looking for a chance to visit for weeks. Still, as soon as they’re walking, the space between them feels dense with things they can’t quite say.
“You know I’ve never thought to ask. Is Yeza older or younger than yourself?”
She squints for a minute. “I think younger, his birthday’s later than mine. We were the same year in school,”
“Mm,”
“Though, you know, in Felderwin all the school years were kind of smushed together, so it didn’t really matter as much.”
“I remember mine being like that.”
“Oh of course, you were a small town kid too.”
There’s a warmth in the way she says that which makes Caleb’s chest feel full and strange. He suddenly wishes they had more time, wishes the route to Yeza’s apartment were longer. He should be happy he’s leading her to her husband, not to somewhere quiet and sunny, some sheltered beach where the two of them can sit and talk for hours about things that don’t matter.
He clears his throat. “You looking forward to seeing your boy?”
“Of course.” She says. “I don’t know, it feels like every time I see him he’s changed. I don’t know what to expect,”
“That’s ok.” Caleb says gently. “He’ll be happy to see you, that’s the main thing.”
“Yeah.”
He imagines Luc running into her arms, the look of aching happiness on Veth’s face when he tells a story or calls her Mom, and his heart is light again. All he wants is to be there to see it.
A clocktower tolls six, a flurry of gulls taking flight and screeching at the sound.
Somebody running the other way accidentally checks Veth’s shoulder. It’s that, along with the street growing busier, that makes the wizard reach down and offer her his hand. She hooks two fingers into it and hurries forward a step to take it fully. They’re walking uphill now, against the flow of a scattered crowd that might be coming from the market. Caleb keeps his eyes forward, on this or that temple, this awning or that store’s sign scrawled on a blackboard in white paint, and all he knows of Veth is the soft, cool feeling of her palm in his. Steady. By his side.
The apartment comes into view and Caleb can’t help a glance down at her: hair dishevelled but glowing in a light dress with flowers embroidered along the hems. She’s smiling, but clearly more out of nerves than anything else. Unconsciously he begins stroking his thumb on the back of her hand.
Neither one is sure who slows down first, but it happens, and they come to a stop in the shade of an olive tree. No need to walk her to the door.
“Where are you staying tonight Cay?”
“Well, I don’t know, I cannot go back to Rexentruum. I was thinking at an inn somewhere for a few days.” He pauses. “Maybe - I don’t know, if you’d like to - to meet up tomorrow,”
“Of course!”
“Lavish Chateau, for lunch?”
“Yes, let’s do it. I would offer for you to stay at ours but I don’t - I dunno if there’s space,” She trails off, and Caleb looks doubtful.
“I don’t want to intrude on your family.”
Veth looks like she’s about to argue, but nods once. “All right. I’ll um, say hello to Luc for you,”
“Mhm.”
Veth turns and pulls him towards the low stone wall next to them, raising herself up onto it effortlessly. With a jolt he realises that, since he took it half an hour ago, she hasn’t let go of his hand once. Her arms are bare, her neck proudly adorned with strings of buttons, tiny shells and pieces of blue-green seaglass.
She brings both of his hands between hers and squeezes tight.
“Thank you for this.” She beams, and the joy in her expression seeps into his own. “Um,”
There’s a stiff pause, but he doesn’t have time to think of a response, because Veth stands on her tiptoes and plants a kiss right between his eyes. She pulls back and takes a breath, her chest puffed out.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Caleb whispers.
Veth nods in reply, her face dark. Then she scurries off: not quite running, but too fast to be casual.
Once she’s gone, he utterly forgets what to do with himself.
-
It doesn’t feel right to stay at the Chateau - he wouldn’t want to sleep there without greeting Jester’s mother, and if he did, Marion might feel obligated to give him a free room, which he hasn’t earned in the slightest. So he retraces his steps back down to the Skew, and finds an unremarkable tavern close to their teleport spot.
The view over the harbour is a splendid midnight blue. He draws the curtain, strips naked, tries to read, begins to think about what the nein might be doing in Rexentruum and quickly gives up reading.
He thinks of Veth’s soft lips on his forehead: how his nose had bumped her chin, how close her breasts were as he shut his eyes in shock. Thinks of what she might be doing right now. He watches the candle burn down a little more.
After an hour of restlessness, the bedsheets in disarray and his face red, he eventually dozes off, his head full of that little cafe with the brightly-coloured bunting.
I think you have the prettiest way of drawing neji! my boy is finally done justice 💕
Right right! Thank you, I first found Neji very difficult to draw cause he's too beautiful, but now that I've found my own way to comfortably draw him it gets easier.
I could be biased but I think Neji is the prettiest character in the series!
