"There you are!" You look up as Gustav calls your name. Molly trails along behind him, though he stops to greet some of the other carnival workers.
"Gustav…" You raise your hand in greeting but the trepidation was clear in your voice.
"My dear! I've been looking all over for you, I was hoping-"
"Gustav." You cut him off with a pointed look. "Unless you're about to say you were hoping I was interested in a vacation, I'm not interested."
"Oh, but, please!" Gustav clasped his hands together, putting on his own little show. "You're one of the best barkers I have and, I'll be quite honest, those folks I was going to hire - I haven't told anyone else so keep that in mind - they've been stealing from some of our own. And we can't have that."
"Not at all." Molly chimed in, flashing you a smile and draping his arm around Gustav's shoulder. "We've got back what was stolen, ya see, but we could really use someone like you out front."
You stare at the two men from your settee…before eventually crumbling with a big sigh.
"Alright, alright." You wave their cheers away. "You owe me a good dinner and another night off."
"It's a deal!"
~
Being a barker for the carnival was not exactly a glamorous job but it was a fun one. A wild outfit, fancy make-up, and getting to people watch was what really made it entertaining.
You had placed yourself on a street corner near the edge of town, balancing on a wooden crate and calling out to passerby's. You flirted and sassed and cajoled people well into the late afternoon.
A pair of men started loitering nearby, eyeing you. You ignored them mostly, once waving a flyer towards them and rolling your eyes when they turned away.
Once it was about an hour til the show, you jumped down from your perch, gathered up the leftover flyers, and started walking back towards the carnival. You noticed that the two men followed after you, though they stayed a few paces behind.
You grumbled to yourself and picked up your pace a bit as you reached into your hip bag to grab your dagger. You were about to pull it out when a hand grasped your elbow tightly.
"Why don't you just leave it in the bag?" A voice said into your ear. You wrenched yourself free and turned to face the two men.
"Can I help you?" You sneer at them, hand now frantically digging in your bag for the dagger you'd lost your grip on.
"Sure can. Walk us right into that little tent city and give us some, well, behind the scenes entertainment?" The other man had pressed even closer to you so that they both bracketed you.
"What if I take you boys instead?" You glance behind you and see Molly approaching, hands tucked into his pockets. You knew Mollymauk well enough to know that he was pissed. "Let my friend go and I'll be happy to talk about it."
"Ha!" The man on your left laughed, then spit on the ground. "Nice try, clown. Well just rob you and your friend, then, since you had to make this so complicated."
He was distracted talking to Molly. The other guy was smirking, clearly believing that the two of them could handle the two of you.
So you kicked him in the dick as hard as you could, then headbutt him when he Brant over.
The big guy turned, clearly caught off guard, which allows Molly to bull rush him, using his tail to grab the guys ankle and unbalance him. The man topples over and you watch as his head bounces hard off the ground. You give him a kick in the dick for good measure.
"Well, that certainly was fun." Mollymauk said, hand on his hips.
"Your definition of fun must be different than mine." You huff, straightening yourself out.
Molly simply grins and shrugs. He tugs on your shoulders and makes you do a spin, clearly checking for any sign of injuries.
"Let's get you home. And I'll talk to Gustav about pairing up our barkers from now on." Molly says. You two walk the rest of the way back, chatting the whole way. You weren't too bothered by what had happened - it happened more often than you'd think but by now you just counted it as something that happened when you worked with the carnival.
When you reached the big tent, you went to break off towards your own tent when Molly catches you by the shoulders and has you walk with him.
"Molllyyyy." You whine. "I just wanna go clean up and lay down."
"And you can, after we talk with Gustav. I'll even help if ya like." Molly wiggles his eyebrows playfully and the arm around your shoulders squeeze you. You sigh dramatically but go along.
Gustav is, of course, rightfully enraged on your behalf and easily convinced to not let any of his troupe work alone. He apologizes a hundred times and sends you off for the rest of the night to rest, a bundle of sweets in your hands.
"Too bad you have to work, Molly. We could've shared." You joke, waving the bag in front of him.
"Not gonna come watch the show?" He asks as he follows you to your tent.
"The show I've seen a million times? I'm good, I'd rather enjoy some cookies and lounge around." You reply. Molly stops in front of your tent as you lift up the flap and pin it.
"I'll come see ya after, then." Molly says. You turn and raise an eyebrow at him.
"Why am I getting the special Mollymauk treatment?" You ask.
"Just gotta make sure you're alright after all that." Molly said. He gave one one more once-over before nodding. "I'll be back."
Molly winked as he meandered off.
-
During the lull of the week, when shows weren't happening, you'd usually wander the town and find odd jobs here and there, just to pad your pockets a little and get some extra treats.
Except this past week, because of a certain tiefling. Molly was almost always around. Joining you at meals, inviting you to join him for work around the carnival or practicing acts. You'd hardly had the chance to go to town with just how often Molly was commandeering your attention (not that you truly minded).
"Have you decided you're my new guard dog or something?" You finally ask one day, lounging on your settee. Molly had joined you for an early dinner. He looked up at you, brow raised.
"Beg yer pardon?"
"You keep following me around, dragging me to jobs. I haven't a moment alone for a week." You arch a brow at him. "You don't have to babysit me."
"I'm not babysitting." Molly sputters. You give him a deadpan stare, silently munching on another cookie. Molly made it a few minutes before deflating dramatically. "Is it so bad that I've been worried about you?"
"No, but you don't have to be attached to my hip."
"I only want to keep you safe." Molly said quietly. "If I hadn't shown up when I did, I keep playing over in my head what could've happened to you. And I know you can handle yourself and you would probably be fine but there's still that chance that something worse could happen."
"Molly." You lay a hand over his. "You can't carry all that worry around."
"I know." Molly takes your hand between both of his. "I'd just be…well, it'd be terrible if something happened."
You grin a little bit at his slip but let him get away with it this time. You roll your eyes playfully at him and lean over to press a kiss to his cheek. Molly's eyes fly up to yours in surprise.
"Just join me for dinner everyday. You'll know how my days gone and if I don't show up you'll know quickly if something's wrong."
"Not a bad idea." Molly concedes, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"You might get tired of my company." You joke. Molly snorts out a laugh.
hello could you do mollymauk x reader who is like frieren in terms of magic and is scary but is a total sweetheart relationships headcanons.
Mollymauk Tealeaf x mage!reader (Frieren-like) relationship hcs
Mollymauk was fascinated by you immediately because you looked like the kind of person people whispered about in taverns
Calm eyes, absurd magic, and the kind of presence that makes rooms go quiet
The Mighty Nein were initially deeply unsettled by you
Not because you were cruel, but because you radiated the energy of someone who could erase a mountain if mildly inconvenienced
Molly, meanwhile, thought you were hot
You had the habit of casually doing horrifying magic while sounding completely gentle
“Oh, I sealed the creature between dimensions. It shouldn’t scream anymore”
Molly realized very quickly that despite your intimidating aura, you were genuinely sweet
Just… detached from normal social reactions sometimes
Molly becomes one of the only people who treats you completely normally from the start, which you secretly adore
He never fears your power
Not once
If anything, he thinks it’s beautiful
You’re soft-spoken and composed while Molly is theatrical chaos, and somehow it works perfectly
He loves making people panic by casually mentioning terrifying things about you
“Oh, darling? Yes, they once vaporized a necromancer for interrupting tea.”
You often don’t realize when something you say sounds horrifying
“This spell only erased their nervous system temporarily.”
And Molly is beside you trying not to laugh
You express affection through acts of service rather than words - enchanted objects, protective spells sewn into his coat, healing charms hidden in jewelry
Molly notices immediately when your magic behaves differently around him
Softer
Warmer
You memorize tiny things about him nobody else notices - favorite wine, preferred cards, how he acts when he’s overstimulated
Physical affection from you is rare but deeply meaningful
Molly treasures every touch like a prize
Sometimes you absentmindedly play with his fingers while reading ancient tomes, and he completely melts over it
Molly thinks it’s hilarious that terrifying enemies fear you while you’re busy worrying whether you sounded rude earlier
He absolutely flirts with you during battles
“Darling, if you kill this one dramatically, I’ll kiss you later.”
He loves showing you off in taverns just to watch people panic when the quiet mage beside him turns out to be that powerful
Molly notices you don’t fully understand your own intimidation factor, which makes you even more endearing to him
The first time you genuinely lose control protecting him, it scares everyone except Molly
He just looks at you afterward with complete awe
Molly teaches you how to slow down and experience life instead of simply moving through it
In return, you make Molly feel safe in a way he’s never really had before
You listen to him without judgment, even during his identity struggles and hidden fears
Molly eventually becomes one of the very few people who can read your subtle expressions perfectly
Molly naps on you constantly
You radiate warmth naturally because of your magic, and he abuses this privilege fully
You collect strange little trinkets because Molly once said they reminded him of you
He drapes himself over you dramatically while you’re studying ancient magic and complains that your books are stealing his attention
You secretly love his dramatic storytelling even if you pretend not to
Molly once called you “terrifyingly adorable,” and you spent days trying to understand what that meant
If someone threatens Molly, your demeanor changes instantly - cold, ancient, genuinely frightening
Caleb and Beau both admit privately that your anger is one of the scariest shits they’ve ever witnessed
Molly is literally the only person capable of calming you once you’re truly furious
You would destroy entire cities for him if necessary and Molly knows it
But what he loves most isn’t your power
It’s the fact that beneath all the terrifying magic and immortal-feeling composure, you’re just a deeply gentle person trying your best to love people carefully
Molly O'Shea, a fiesty Irish woman turned bad, Dutch's ex-woman, caring for someone with the harshness of a goose-feather pillow.
genre: fluff
warnings: gore mention, not a lot of dialogue again IM SORRY, nonsexual intimacy, fem!reader, nothing else just gentle :>
a/n: guys i love molly someone get her a rugged woman instead of dutch
w/c: 780
Molly knows that it's wrong. The teachings from her parents settled deep into the marrow in her bones like infection. Feelings trapped and swallowed down whenever they rose an inch closer to the surface. A proper girl finds a wealthy man to marry, lives in a big house in the countryside, has children and dies withered on a velvet sofa.
But that seemed boring, futile. She mulls it over red wine and records in her father's study back home. Why create life if everyone was to live and die the same, unfulfilled?
So she flees when her family get to the New World. Running off with a man with a silver tongue and promises of protection and adventure. Maybe she was consumed by his stories and sonnets, either way she goes off with nothing but a single trunk of necessities to hang around outlaws for the rest of her life. All was okay, bug bites and drunken spews aside, until she saw you.
Returning from a treacherous stake-out for an upcoming job. Half a week of sitting and watching. Molly takes notice immediately. You're gorgeous even covered in God knows what, like intricate architecture that she has to thank the maker for putting their time into. And you speak, a slight strain in your voice that leads to a raspy call she wishes to hear her own name from. All her thoughts of Dutch are gone in a second, the rose blush on her pale face deepening as she flushes inside and out.
A few months after you first land your gaze on her, she knows she loves you. An outlaw, gunslinger, a woman. But she can't find it in herself to care. Against everything she was taught, Molly's heart will always rule over her mind. What was once an infection becomes liquid gold flowing through her veins when you ride in on your beautiful mare.
Bloody, muddy, a far away stench of gunpowder underneath silver and cotton clothing. But below all the foulness, Molly can still smell the faintness of honey, the dryness of her rice powder underneath her palms when she holds your caked face.
Every time, without fail, she greets you after the most draining of missions with a cherry red smile. She doesn't need the details beforehand, she can tell by the way your eyes seem distant, your body like a rubber band pulled taught.
She becomes your guiding light, pulling you into your shared tent and ignoring the look that Dutch gives her. Molly doesn't care about his cold looks, not anymore.
"Let me clean you up," She mumbles with the smoothness of her ancestors tongue, pulling the flaps on the tent closed. Her tenderness hidden from the outsiders' eyes.
In an organised flurry she removes your scarlet stained clothing - hat, shoes, socks, belt, trousers, blouse, chemise - after grabbing a cloth and a bucket of warm water from whatever source was available. Then, kneeled before you as if she was at an alter, she carefully presses the rag to your skin and drags away the crimson and dust on your skin. It's intimate, soft. An act she would never of dirtied herself for prior to meeting you. An act she hasn't done for a man that didn't truly love her.
Maybe it's the way you look at her that drives her nurturing; like she hung the stars and crescents the moon every month, eyes lidded or overshadowed by wet lashes.
Each practiced pass of the towel pulls more sin from the pores in your surface. Every dunk in the clear water becomes muggy and cloudy with grime and viscera. You let her move your limbs around, allowing her full control that she isn't used to, but be damned if she didn't take advantage of it. Molly does so with care, pastel pools of grass flickering over your bare body to see where to cleanse next.
You reach out from atop the bed and redirect a few straggling strands of her ruby hair, featherlike under your touch. As the droplets escape the rag and run down her freckled arms she places gentle kisses on your figure. Time passes and the rhythmic brushing of your skin becomes lulling until Molly breaks it. Humming a childhood lullaby softly, she pats your skin dry as if you're prised porcelain.
"You don' need to do anymore today." The fire-haired woman presses her lips to your cheek gently, admiring the stain of her that remains.
When Molly's done she picks out a more comfortable outfit for you, and the rest of the day she tries to act as if she wasn't taking such gentle care of the woman she loves.
hey your molly x reader was soooo cute can I request one where the reader notices that he’s always slipping his hand into theirs when they walk somewhere? thank u 💗💗
I'm so pleased you liked my other Molly headcanons 💜 And what a wholesome request!!
Requests are open!
~ Poet
Molly
This colourful character of a tiefling has rarely hesitated in showing his fondness for those he deems close to him. Whether it be the kiss to the forehead, or a playful slap on the ass, Molly is comfortable with the fact that everyone can see these affectionate touches (as long as the receiver is comfortable).
That's why when he almost shyly takes your hand, and the fact that it becomes a frequent occurence, the action becomes far more intimate.
It started innocently. Passing through a town on your travels, the Nein were swept up in local festival, a celebration of the harvest and season change. Molly was so eager to take part in the festivities he grabbed your hand and dragged you along with him to the nearest food stall. Laughing, you let him lead you through crowds and alleyways, enjoying the party buzz and his carefree nature.
The second time he held your hand, it was during a battle. The enemy caster fired a mass of chaotic energy in your direction, and you lifted your hands out of instinct to shield your face. Only the spell never hit you, and you were pulled out of the way and into the chest of a familiar purple friend. He saved your life, and he had the nerve to treat it like some sort of dance or scene from Jester's trashy novels.
The third time it happened, you were confronting your past. It all seemed a bit of a blur - was it an old friend turned rival? A disappointed mentor? Your divine patron scolding your choices? It didn't matter, because in that stressful moment, all you could focus on was the warmth of a familiar hand slipping into your own, grasping it and giving a comforting squeeze. You kept you head held high, with Molly at your side and the Nein at your back, and you only grew stronger. You faced your demons, holding the hand of someone you cared about.
The in between times were the most special though. The ones where you suddenly realise mid conversation that your fingers have been tangled with his for ages. The domesticity and meaning behind the gesture softens you to the core, and you lean into Molly's side in the hopes that there's more to this than tip toeing around each other.
But when he smiles at you, little pointed fangs poking out of his grin, you don't seem to care about what's to come. All that matters is this moment. Because you know that look, and it promises more than simple hand holding.
How they react to finding out about your insecurities and self-hatred
Masterlist
Sherlock
Sherlock can’t help but notice it straight away, it’s all so very clear in your body language and the way you present yourself. He doesn’t say anything about it even though he’s tempted to, though he feels he might get called insensitive again by John. As he starts to gain feelings for you, it gets harder and harder not to say something until one day, he decides he’s had enough of your constant self-bullying jokes. He’s angry and he shouts at you, “Why don’t you see that you’re good enough, why do you have to tear yourself down for no reason, can’t you see you’re hurting everyone else by hurting yourself?” He regrets his outburst when he sees the hurt in your eyes and the way you run out of the flat. Sherlock follows you and catches you before you make it to the front door, pushing you against the wall and kisses you, “Just let me show you how beautiful you really are.”
John
John takes a little more time to realise how you feel. He doesn’t pick up on your jokes about yourself and the way you try to hide parts of your body from people when you sit and the way you stand. When he does, he’s shocked. He doesn’t understand how someone as perfect as yourself can hate themselves so much, it doesn’t make sense to him. He sits you down to talk about it and hearing the words you use to describe yourself brings him to tears, making you realise just how much John cares about you. You’re guilty for it but John pulls you close to him, hugging you, his hand on the back of your head. He doesn’t let go until you promise you’ll learn to love yourself as much as he loves you.
Mycroft
Being so body-conscious himself, he knows exactly what’s going on in your mind, he’d be a fool not to see. You are one of the only people Mycroft has ever been interested in pursuing in a long time and to know that’s the way you feel about yourself upsets him. He just wishes he could show you the way he sees you and not the twisted version your mind deceives you with. Mycroft doesn’t bring it up but you notice him buying you a lot more presents, clothes, chocolates, flowers, just because he can. He shows you how much he loves you and it is his fortune that it works, he can see with each compliment he gives you, your spirit lifts a little bit higher and he knows now that he will never stop because he can never see that look in your eyes again.
Jim
Jim knows that you’re insecure about the way you look but he regrettably ignores it when he first meets you, you haven’t earned his attention just yet. But as time goes on and he become attached to you, he begins to despise the way you see yourself. Why can’t you see how gorgeous you are? Jim doesn’t laugh at your jokes about your body, he stands still and stares you down. You don’t know whether to be scared or worries but you’re a bit of both. The next time you say something bad about yourself, he’s angry, it needs to stop. Jim lets you know just how sexy you are in the most fun way, in the bedroom. He’ll tease you until you compliment yourself and he believes it. All in all, a good time for everyone.
Greg
You hide your feelings well so it takes him a while to figure out what’s going on. Truthfully, he would never have guessed you hated the way you looked had you not kept cracking jokes about your weight and your appearance. Hearing you talk about yourself in such a way was slowly breaking him down. You come home one day to see Greg sat on the couch, crying into his hands. Immediately, you rush over, thinking the worst has happened. Greg looks you in the eyes, “Why can’t you see how beautiful you are?” His words leave you speechless, you would never think someone like Greg would get so upset over your insecurities. It makes you cry as well, you’re not sure in a good way or a bad way. Greg holds you close and doesn’t let go all night, not wanting to leave you alone. You two have a long and emotional talk about why you think the way you do and you tell him that you’re going to try to get better. Greg accepts that for now, just wanting you to be happy.
Irene
Irene can see that you are uncomfortable with the way you look but she never realised just how insecure you were until she asked you to be hers. She notices the way you hide your body from her, the way you cower when she tries to be intimate with you. She eventually coaxes the truth out of you and you reveal that you are embarrassed of your body as you think it won’t be as attractive as her past clients. Hearing this breaks her heart, she thinks you are gorgeous, the most exquisite creature on the planet and shows you this. She goes slow with you, pressing kisses over every part of your body until you’re comfortable with her touch. She is determined to make you realise just how irresistible you really are.
Molly
Molly can see it in your eyes, all your self hatred, but she’s too sweet to bring it up for a while, hoping that she could make you feel better without having to talk about it. As time goes by, she can see your mental health getting worse and she knows she needs to put a stop to this. She compliments you a lot more than normal, telling you how good you look all the time, preferring the sight of you blushing in happiness than your self-pitying look in your eyes as you bully yourself. Molly would buy you tighter clothes and beg you to wear them to work and out in public so she could compliment you even more, giving you more confidence. You eventually ask her why she’s doing so much for you and you see her eyes start to water, “I just wanted you to see yourself the way I see you. You’re perfect the way you are (Y/N), you needed a little help to see that and I’m glad I was the one who got to show you that.”
» BBC Sherlock / Molly Hooper
… Y/N is a detective assisting Sherlock on his newest case. After the few visits they’ve made to the hospital, Y/N catches unmeant feelings for the doctor which pushes Sherlock to get them together.
A/N: The doctor needs a little love sometimes above Sherlock’s bitchiness. UWU, luv you, Molly.
Status : Acquaintances
Relationship : Crushing, Romantic
WORD COUNT: 434
The sociopath playing matchmaker to help the detective who has eyes for the doctor.
“Can you just ask her already, Y/N?” Sherlock complained as he fumbled with the dials of the microscope. He was even too busy to look up at you as you stood beside him. “Your fawning is distracting.”
You were still lost in your thoughts as you watched Molly from the other side of the room, arranging bottles in the medicine cabinet. You chuckled softly when she accidentally dropped one of them and picked it up. Sherlock’s words finally processed in you head and you snapped your head up.
“Ask her what?” you asked, very uncharacteristically dazed.
He groaned at your obliviousness to your question. “Out, obviously.” he said as if you already knew what he meant. “Do you honestly think the way you gawk at Molly isn’t evident?”
“Oh please, Sherlock,” You blew a raspberry. “everyone knows she has the eyes for you.”
Sherlock would’ve rolled his eyes, but he had them on the microscope. “It’s clear you haven’t seen her eyes when they’re on you.”
“What am I supposed to say then?” You glared at the man you know to be less romantic than you are. “I find it kinda hard to just go up to her and say, ‘Hey, Molly, I really like you so could I take you out for dinner tonight?’.”
“I thought you’d never ask, Y/N.” Molly suddenly appeared across the table from you, wiping her hands.
You jumped at the sound of her voice, but most importantly at the fact she heard you ask her out and potentially your entire conversation with Sherlock. Sherlock took his eyes away from the microscope for a moment to look at you. You were a flustered mess with your words trapped in your throat.
“A dinner out would be nice.” Molly settled down her towel and smiled, flustering you further. She was smiling at you. “Though it had been a while since I started seeing someone so…”
“Oh no need to worry about that. Y/N had never seen anyone before.” Sherlock spoke in your place. “You’re this lonely detective’s first.”
“O-Oh?” Molly hummed and placed fingers on her lips as she thought. “Well, uhm… 7PM tonight then? I can pick you up.”
“Y/N would love that.”
“It’s… a… it’s a date then!” she cheerily said. “See you tonight.”
Molly left your table to attend to a few other things and it was only then you snapped out of your fluster and regained your voice. Sherlock sighed, questioning why he made an effort to land you a date.
“I swear your a more hopeless romantic than me, Y/N.”
You whisper, hoping not to wake the other sleeping members of your group, but you can barely keep the excitement from creeping into your voice, especially when Mollymauk turns to regard you with an amused smile and a cocked eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“Mhm, but you have to be quiet so we don’t wake the others,” you explain, “And you have to close your eyes.” At the incredulous look he gives you, you can’t help but grin back. “Trust me, okay? It’s going to be great.”
He chuckles, but takes your offered hand to help pull himself upright. “If you say so. Alright, sure. I’ll bite.” The tiefling closes his eyes.
Pressing a finger to your lips to silently shush him, you maneuver your way past the others until you had enough free room to simply lead him on. Out into the fields, away from camp. The air was humid and alive with the sound of crickets chirping and the distant buzz of cicadas. The dark of night took a little edge off the summer heat, and you were more than happy to have comfortable weather for sleeping under the stars.
“So,” Molly starts, “what are we doing? Are you finally leading me away from the others to murder me under the cover of night and dump my body in the river?” Despite this rather morbid notion, his tone was light and filled with humor.
“Well, way to ruin the surprise,” you retort, teasingly. Molly laughs, infecting you with his mirth as the two of you continue on, his hand in yours, grip warm and strong.
You instruct him to watch his step as you both crest a grassy knoll and you guide him to sit beside you. He turns to you, jewelry tinkling musically in the dark, eyes still closed. Expectant. Waiting.
“Now can I open my eyes?”
“Okay, now.” You bite your lip in excitement as his crimson eyes flutter open and, with burning expectation slowly giving way to confusion, looks around.
“Where’s my surprise?”
“Patience, love,” you instruct, placing a hand on his arm and then pointing outwards to the rolling hills of tall grass shrouded in moonlight, looking for all the world like a strange sea of muted blue-green waving in the wind. “Watch.”
You can’t help but watch his reaction to the first tiny blips of soft yellow light emerging from the tall grass, floating on the gentle breeze like a dance. His expression is that of wonder as the fireflies slowly begin to congregate in the valley below you. He reaches out to the ones that wander close enough, until he scoops one out of the air, its belly still blinking with fluorescent light.
“I’ve never seen so many,” Molly whispers in awe, “Never this close.”
You lean your head on his shoulder. Sharing new experiences with him was what you lived for. You prayed that the gods gave you many more nights like this, filled with his warmth beside you, his carefree laughter, and many, many more fireflies.
