[The aftermath is—horrible, to say the least. The Tomb Takers are down for the count, yes, and the Somnovum haven't been released as of yet, but there is a dead archmage and multiple dead expedition teams and the damn eyes to worry about, still. Not to mention the book that started this all: the damnable book, the mad scribbles, the curse dragging in everyone who lays a hand on it.
And this: the purple tiefling in a warded room, who says he has no fucking idea what the hell is going on here. Which is true: Mollymauk Tealeaf has no fucking idea what is going on here. All he knows is when he woke up this time around, all his friends were pissed at him, he was not wearing his usual clothes, and he was a little bit blood-spattered.
When Caleb finally, finally comes in, after what feels like too damn long a time, Molly perks up, tail flicking side to side as he sits up on the bed.]
Caleb! Are you finally going to tell me just what the fuck happened?
uh wow this got buried in my inbox i hope this is alright with a lil more headcanon added
[ It's one thing to have been fighting a villain wearing your friend's body this whole time, but the emotional whiplash of having Lucien with them one moment, holding Beau by the throat and thrusting Caduceus into magical blindness, then having Mollymauk the next---someone they all had immediate hope was alive, and then, he suddenly wasn't---of course it's Caleb who has to weather this storm now. He'd done it before, twice. With himself, with Essek. And now, with Molly.
Molly. It was so strange to think of this being that way again. As he steps into the room, the eyes on his arm---his back, and now his neck, tingle. His sleeves are pulled up (he'd never shown his arms entirely to them before they passed) showing his history, and his first eye. Likely he'd pulled them up to help wash the blood out of Jester's hair, something Fjord would have done if Caduceus hadn't been tending to the mess that Cree had left him half alive with.
Beau, hovers close behind the door, stopping only when Caleb asks her to wordlessly.
She doesn't look very happy at all. But, there was a chance, and Caleb wouldn't blow it. She'd be nearby, right? Just in case. ]
I think there's a lot of explaining to do on everyone's account.
[ The mannerisms from his friend are---different. What he thinks could be Molly perks up, and looks---alert, confused, distraught, and if there was one thing he knew about Lucien, it's that he was far too cool to let himself be seen that way. He purses his lips. ]
[Molly blinks at him, surprised and very worried now. He doesn't know what the hell is going on here, only that he's missing time and he's not wearing his coat and for some reason, everyone's pissed at him. He'd chalk it up to a resurrection spell and anger borne out of worry over his health, but—those don't change your clothes, do they? And this isn't that kind of anger, he can feel it. His friends are furious because of god only fucking knows what.
(Well. He's beginning to have an idea, but—no. No, he won't look at that.)]
Caleb, it's me, it's Mollymauk. Molly to my friends. And we're friends, remember? [There's a note of anxiety in Molly's voice that Lucien would never have allowed into his own, and where Lucien's tail seemed to simply lazily sway all the damn time, Molly's tail is far more reminiscent of an agitated cat, flicking worriedly about.] I know it's been a while since—since I died, and we weren't exactly close, [although Molly did nurse a small crush on him, but then he was attracted to everyone,] but we fought giant spiders in a sewer together, that ought to count for something.
[Right?
Then his eyes catch on the scars on Caleb's arms. Then the red eye. His eyes grow wide, and he looks up to meet Caleb's gaze, confusion and worry written clear across his face.]
[ There's so, so much time he's missing. Caleb looks near a stranger now, and not just because the bandages are gone. His hair is longer, tied back tightly over a shoulder, he looks far less homely and more like a proper wizard. But the most noticeable difference was how he'd been ever so slightly----more expressive. Caleb would always hide part of himself away. Always. That was just his instinct. But even now in front of no one but Molly, at the mention of spiders, something in his face breaks. This couldn't be Lucien, there was no way. He approaches the tiefling, still cautious, but the look on his face betrays the faintest glint of hope. ]
I know, I know we are friends. I have to be sure.
[ He knows that won't exactly inspire the most soothing implications, but he needed to hear it. When he heard it, he imagined it would be easier to comfort and to hold him genuinely. ]
I'll tell you about it in a minute...what did you tell me, after the fire? Do you remember?
But no, Molly doesn’t know, not for certain. He’s playing with too few cards here, he can’t even bluff the way he usually would. From the bed he’s sitting on, he looks up at Caleb, and wonders just how long it’s been since Glory Run Road.]
If I’m remembering right, I smacked you in the face to snap you out of a fit and said, “Time for that later.” [It was the easiest way to get someone’s attention in the circus, and Caleb seemed so out of sorts that time that Molly hadn’t seen any other way.]
[ He leaves that there, without much other detail until he waves a hand and the wards? Drop. There wouldn't be a need for them.
This was their Mollymauk.
Hesitantly, Caleb sits on the bed next to him---like a stray cat, properly coaxed out. And he puts a hand on his friend's shoulder. ]
You are remembering right. Thank you.
[ In a rush of relief and emotion, yeah, Caleb wants to reach out to hug him, but it's not the right time. Everything was still so...raw and full of hurt. Again; only an hour or so ago, he'd had Beau by the throat. Even getting used to Yasha's presence after her being charmed was an adjustment.
Caleb looks over Molly sadly, and lets out a shakey sigh. ]
...he came back, Molly. And took you for a joyride from Glory Run all the way up to Eiselcross.
[Molly’s eyes go wide in shock, and he makes a horrified noise in the back of his throat. No one has to tell him who he is, because Molly knows only one other possible occupant of this body, and the idea of Lucien getting control of it back—
He can taste the bile at the back of his throat. He swallows it back, but it sits uneasily in his chest, just waiting for another moment. He knew—but he’d been able to deny it to himself. Now the truth is staring him in the face, forcing him to look at it, and Molly wants to look away but can’t.
There is a red eye on Caleb’s hand, matching his own. He wonders, suddenly, if Lucien had something to do with that.
He runs a hand through his hair, and notes to himself that he ought to get it cut.]
spoilers for episode 121/237 imminent
no subject
And this: the purple tiefling in a warded room, who says he has no fucking idea what the hell is going on here. Which is true: Mollymauk Tealeaf has no fucking idea what is going on here. All he knows is when he woke up this time around, all his friends were pissed at him, he was not wearing his usual clothes, and he was a little bit blood-spattered.
When Caleb finally, finally comes in, after what feels like too damn long a time, Molly perks up, tail flicking side to side as he sits up on the bed.]
Caleb! Are you finally going to tell me just what the fuck happened?
uh wow this got buried in my inbox i hope this is alright with a lil more headcanon added
Molly. It was so strange to think of this being that way again. As he steps into the room, the eyes on his arm---his back, and now his neck, tingle. His sleeves are pulled up (he'd never shown his arms entirely to them before they passed) showing his history, and his first eye. Likely he'd pulled them up to help wash the blood out of Jester's hair, something Fjord would have done if Caduceus hadn't been tending to the mess that Cree had left him half alive with.
Beau, hovers close behind the door, stopping only when Caleb asks her to wordlessly.
She doesn't look very happy at all. But, there was a chance, and Caleb wouldn't blow it. She'd be nearby, right? Just in case. ]
I think there's a lot of explaining to do on everyone's account.
[ The mannerisms from his friend are---different. What he thinks could be Molly perks up, and looks---alert, confused, distraught, and if there was one thing he knew about Lucien, it's that he was far too cool to let himself be seen that way. He purses his lips. ]
What is your name?
hell yeah!!
(Well. He's beginning to have an idea, but—no. No, he won't look at that.)]
Caleb, it's me, it's Mollymauk. Molly to my friends. And we're friends, remember? [There's a note of anxiety in Molly's voice that Lucien would never have allowed into his own, and where Lucien's tail seemed to simply lazily sway all the damn time, Molly's tail is far more reminiscent of an agitated cat, flicking worriedly about.] I know it's been a while since—since I died, and we weren't exactly close, [although Molly did nurse a small crush on him, but then he was attracted to everyone,] but we fought giant spiders in a sewer together, that ought to count for something.
[Right?
Then his eyes catch on the scars on Caleb's arms. Then the red eye. His eyes grow wide, and he looks up to meet Caleb's gaze, confusion and worry written clear across his face.]
Tell me you got that tattoo the normal way.
no subject
Caleb would always hide part of himself away. Always. That was just his instinct. But even now in front of no one but Molly, at the mention of spiders, something in his face breaks.
This couldn't be Lucien, there was no way.
He approaches the tiefling, still cautious, but the look on his face betrays the faintest glint of hope. ]
I know, I know we are friends. I have to be sure.
[ He knows that won't exactly inspire the most soothing implications, but he needed to hear it. When he heard it, he imagined it would be easier to comfort and to hold him genuinely. ]
I'll tell you about it in a minute...what did you tell me, after the fire? Do you remember?
no subject
[You know, don’t you. You know why.
But no, Molly doesn’t know, not for certain. He’s playing with too few cards here, he can’t even bluff the way he usually would. From the bed he’s sitting on, he looks up at Caleb, and wonders just how long it’s been since Glory Run Road.]
If I’m remembering right, I smacked you in the face to snap you out of a fit and said, “Time for that later.” [It was the easiest way to get someone’s attention in the circus, and Caleb seemed so out of sorts that time that Molly hadn’t seen any other way.]
Caleb, seriously, what happened?
no subject
[ He leaves that there, without much other detail until he waves a hand and the wards? Drop. There wouldn't be a need for them.
This was their Mollymauk.
Hesitantly, Caleb sits on the bed next to him---like a stray cat, properly coaxed out. And he puts a hand on his friend's shoulder. ]
You are remembering right. Thank you.
[ In a rush of relief and emotion, yeah, Caleb wants to reach out to hug him, but it's not the right time. Everything was still so...raw and full of hurt. Again; only an hour or so ago, he'd had Beau by the throat. Even getting used to Yasha's presence after her being charmed was an adjustment.
Caleb looks over Molly sadly, and lets out a shakey sigh. ]
...he came back, Molly. And took you for a joyride from Glory Run all the way up to Eiselcross.
We didn't know until half a month ago.
no subject
He can taste the bile at the back of his throat. He swallows it back, but it sits uneasily in his chest, just waiting for another moment. He knew—but he’d been able to deny it to himself. Now the truth is staring him in the face, forcing him to look at it, and Molly wants to look away but can’t.
There is a red eye on Caleb’s hand, matching his own. He wonders, suddenly, if Lucien had something to do with that.
He runs a hand through his hair, and notes to himself that he ought to get it cut.]
What...What did he do to you?