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Summary
The Empire is winning the war. In the wake of his master's death, Volstrucker Bren ascended to Archmage of Civil Influence, but he's been secretly undermining the Empire by feeding intelligence to the Mighty Nein, a group of adventurers fighting for peace. When his rival and friend the Shadowhand is captured, Bren acts on the only idea that will spare a Kryn politician from execution: claiming him as a war prize.
Bren and Essek are forced to perform a fake politican/concubine relationship, including all the tension and jingoism it entails, while taking advantage of their circumstances to spy on and steal from the court around them. Bren may wield the leash, but Essek has cards up his sleeve, and even so, Bren fears hurting Essek almost as much as Essek fears losing Bren. Their mutual trepidation must graduate to mutual trust — maybe even love — if they have any hope of surviving the lie they started.
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“You accused me of treating this like a game. I am sorry if I’ve led you to believe that it is only a game—though I won't deny that part of it is.” Bren gives a disarming smile. “My life is either games or murder, after all.”
“Or mail fraud,” Thelyss says dryly, not even a little disarmed.
“The mail fraud is a sort of game as well.”
A sigh. “Is this your way of telling me that you intend to continue playing?”
Bren smiles again, sharper. “If you would let me.”(In which Bren Aldric Ermendrud decides to seduce the Shadowhand and finds that the best way to convince someone to be vulnerable with you is to be vulnerable in turn.)
Series
- Part 1 of aBiA
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“How does one simply lose a beacon?”
“Same way a Dynasty loses one,” Essek repeats, the lines under his eyes darkening with intensity. “The last person seen handling it was the young academic named Leo Alsfarin. And for the past few weeks, he has also been missing.”
Bren matches his smile in its glorious cruelty. “We are in this together, then.”
Essek’s smile falls so fast it almost makes Bren laugh. “Must we be?”
— Caleb has brought Essek to a hotel-resort in Ank'Harel with the intention of a romantic getaway. Bren and the Shadowhand hunt for a beacon at that very same resort in the other timeline. Surely, nothing can go wrong when they start to mirror.
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touch of magic by KmacKatie (kmackatie) for mllekurtz (TheKnittingJedi)
Fandoms: Critical Role (Web Series)
04 Apr 2023
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Summary
Turning, Caleb tips his head to the side as he takes Essek in. Takes in the two hands still firmly held around the book. The knee hitched up on the lounge and the drape of the fabric obscures Essek’s lower half. His breaths moving more rapidly with a slight shifting of the shoulders, the book slipping lower and lower. Essek’s lip being tugged further into his mouth, the single point of one white fang catching in the light against inky-violet skin.
Caleb takes him all in and swallows. Thickly.
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This is the Caleb POV of magic of touch.
Series
- Part 1 of magic hands
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Summary
There's something in Caleb's dreams. It wants him to know that he's not alone. It wants him to know that he'll never be alone again.
Elves don't dream, so all Essek can do is watch.