Prompt | Siblings

Critical Role

I know not many people watch Critical Role and will probably skip reading this one by I decided in honour of Campaign Three I'll write an Empire Siblings one-shot!

👊🏽 - 🍁 - 🔥

A loud thud sounded as a body brushed against his. Caleb recognized the tense figure to be Beau since Nott was much smaller and Jester tended to strangle with a hug anytime she was near him. The scruffy wizard didn't even glance at her, keeping his gaze on his book as he read intently. It wasn't until a spew of muddled curses began that he stopped and looked at her.

"Beauregard," Caleb said dryly, raising a tired eyebrow. Beau only grunted, leaning more onto his shoulder and crossing her arms, her chin tucked into her chest. Beau tried to appear aloof but Caleb had been around her long enough to see that she was frustrated. With a sigh Caleb reluctantly closed his book, his fingers running along the pages wistfully before he turned, forcing her to sit up.

"Something is wrong," Caleb said bluntly with a jerk of his chin. "What is it?"

"Aw, screw you," Beau grumbled but she sat up, her hands moving to adjust her ponytail. She was scowling (as she normally is) but her eyes weren't as hard as usual. They kept on flicking across the room. Caleb followed her gaze, a crease forming in his brow as his striking blue eyes settled on a hulking figure in the corner. The Barbarian smiled softly, nursing a mug in her hand as she listened to something Jester was rambling about.

"Does your sudden dip in mood have something to do with Yasha?" Caleb probed.

Beau rolled her eyes. "No." She huffed. Then she chewed on her lip, looking guiltily to the side. "Maybe.... yes."

Caleb chuckled lightly. A rough, ragged sound deep in his chest. He coughed, making Beau stare at him in concern. "Sheesh, you need to laugh more." Beau said.

"Ja, I'm a little out of practice." Caleb shrugged with a rueful smile. "But  it is all of you that have helped me gain back some experience."

Beau's lips twitched upwards but she stubbornly turned them back down. She still remained standoffish, a nervous energy humming visibly under her skin. Unfortunately for Caleb, he too, was awkward and not the best person to talk to about your problems. The Zemnian man drummed his fingers on his book thoughtfully, looking around through his greasy ginger hair as he tried to think of what to do. Something clicked in his head and he sat up, making Beau shift away from him and give him a questioning look.

"Would you like to pet Frumpkin?"

Beau perked up as well. "Yeah!" With a snap the fey cat appeared. The scrawny ginger feline stretched and purred like a dragon, strutting over to Beauregard and running his chin along her hand. Beau cooed with delight, a sound only the Nein ever get to hear, and wrapped her arms around him. Frumpkin snuggled into her hold and settled on her lap, loafing with a pleased expression in his face.

Beau continued to pet the cat, her shoulders falling as she unknowingly succumbed to the feline therapy. Caleb tucked his arms under his armpits, hunching his shoulders so he was bent into his coat. He was still increasingly uncomfortable with how busy the tavern was and he had just been drawn out of his distraction so he tried his best to make himself smaller. Caleb pushed away the feeling as best he could to nod at Beau.

"What is going on between you and Yasha?" Caleb asked.

Beau frowned. "Nothing." She mumbled, her eyes on Frumpkin.

"Is that the problem? That nothing is happening?" Caleb pressed on. "You are sweet on her, ja?"

"Yeah..." Beau admitted begrudgingly. She ducked her head to hide her smile.

"Then why don't you try and start it yourself?" Caleb suggested. He was in no way qualified to give relationship advice, especially how his last romantic relationships went down, but he wanted Beau to be happy and he was pretty sure this was the right way to go.

"I tried!" Beau suddenly hanged her first on the table, making Caleb flinch. "Sorry-" she hurried to say but the wizard waved her off.

Beau heaved a deep breath. "Every time I try to talk to her... I just... I dunno! My brain doesn't work! I do stupid things and say dumb stuff."

Caleb tilted his head. "Dumb as in threatening or dumb as in weird and awkward?"

"The second one... I hope." Beau muttered irritably.

"Well, you certainly have a bit of a problem." Caleb leaned back, picking up his drink and taking a sip.

"Did you ever have someone?" Beau asked after a pause. "Like, a crush or a lover?"

Caleb pressed his lips together. He slowly took another sip. "I did."

"What did you do about it?"

Caleb shook his head, wiping his lip with the back of his hand. "I don't think you should use my experiences to help you. I won't be any use."

Beau sighed dramatically, leaning so her chin rested on the table. Frumpkin meowed grumpily when her chest bumped against his head. "Maybe I should ask Jester."

Caleb snorted and Beau gave a wry smile. "Yeah, you're right. She only knows about romance novels."

"Sometimes the best information is from a book," Caleb offered.

Beau quirked a brow. "But not those books."

Caleb shrugged one shoulder before sitting back once more. He moved to open up his book, flipping to his marked page and bending low so his hair covered his face as he read.

"What is it like..." Beau said hesitantly after a moment. Her voice was soft and gravely. "To be in love?"

Caleb froze, his breath catching as the words blurred in front of him. He swallowed. "It's like... that warm fuzzy feeling when you pet Frumpkin. Or when Jester gives you a hug and it feels like your ribs are breaking but you don't want it to end... it's like that. But more..." Caleb shook his head, hastily rubbing at his eyes. "I don't know."

Beau looked at him carefully. "Wow..." Beau awkwardly said. "I didn't know you were so poetic."

Caleb laughed. A little sad, a little self-deprecating, but it was a laugh nonetheless. "I'm not."

"You okay?"

"Ja," Caleb said too quickly. "I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yeah! Of course!" Beau held the same forced cheerfulness.

"Good." Another pause. "I'm going to read now."

"Oh! Oh, yeah of course. Sorry." Beau stood, giving Caleb his personal bubble back. "Uh... if you need me I'll be with Fjord."

"I won't need you." Was all Caleb said. Beau rolled her eyes, saying something unpleasant under her breath as she turned to walk away. She patted him lightly on the shoulder as she passed.

"Don't read too long, okay Widogast? You should come and talk with us."

Caleb looked mildly confused but he nodded.

"Cool." Beau gave him some uncomfortable things up. "Bye."

"Bye." Caleb didn't look back up from his page.

Unbeknownst to them, Jester and Nott had been watching the two talk from afar. Jester cradled her chin in her hands, sighing sweetly as her eyes followed Beau across the room.

"They have no social skills." Jester said. Her accent lilted the words.

Nott looked at her with an unimpressed expression. "I think we all struggle in that department. Except maybe Fjord but he's useless about everything else."

"He's not!" Jester said hotly.

"Whatever." Nott waved a hand. "It's funny how they hated each other and now they talk like they're family."

"I think we all feel like family now." Jester said softly.

Nott smiled up at her. Her sharp teeth gleaming in the torchlight. "I think so too."

NOTE***
Beau and Caleb are not bio siblings but they definitely have more a sibling bond then anything. They bicker and poke at each other but there is love there.

I'm so excited for Campaign Three of Critical Role. So far, I'm loving Fresh Cut Grass just because their art is adorable and because I love all of Liam O'Brien's characters I'm interested in what Orym's backstory will be.

Hope you liked it!

LuckyBugBooks🐞

(Rough editing. It's late and I don't care)