Chapter 1: Friendship
Summary:
This is my collection of the Critical Role Rare Pair.
Cassandra gets a bit overwhelmed with politics and needs to take a breather. Luckily Allura and Kima are there to help calm things down.
Chapter Text
The voices swirled with chaos in the room, rising as the discussion became heated. Sighing heavily, Cassandra rubbed her temples, fighting off an oncoming headache. Her eyes shut tightly, trying to block out the ongoing crescendo of voices.
Too much. It’s all too much.
Panic started to rise in her chest and her palms started to itch and sweat. Cassandra fought the sudden urge to puke as she a series of deep breaths.
“Enough!”
Lady Kima stood up and cracked the butt of her halberd onto the stone, the halls echoing with the impact. The halfling stared down everyone in the room until silence fell.
“We will not get anything resolved by bickering like children.”
Kima’s dark gaze landed on Cassandra and her storming eyes softened for a moment before she led on.
“Whitestone’s future depends on us and if we don’t make a decision soon, we run the risk of this city falling again.”
Kima’s words were harsh but true. Allura took that as a cue and placed a delicate hand on Kima’s arm.
“What Lady Kima means to say is the sooner we make a decision on what kind of protection we can place, the better. And I agree.”
Gazes turned to Cassandra at that point. She took a small breath of relief and addressed the rest of the group, summoning strength from her core.
“Alright. All in favor for the wards, say aye.”
There was a moment of silence before over half the group responded with aye.
“All oppose?”
There were only a couple “nays” that resonated. But it was obvious with the next course of action.
“Majority rules. Motion passes with opposition. Lady Allura will head this project and,”
Cassandra stood at the table and faced the arcanist,
“all of Whitestone’s resources will be at your disposal. Council dismissed.”
As soon as the words had been uttered, Cassandra made a beeline for the door to the balcony. The doors gave way easily to her hard thrust and the wind whipped her dark hair around her face.
Thank the Gods. Some peace.
Her hands no longer itched and the vomiting sensation departed. A cough from behind pulled her out of her peace. Cassandra turned to the source and discovered both Allura and Kima studying her cautiously. Allura took a step towards her.
“Cassandra, are you alright?”
Cassandra eyed the duo. Concern was etched into their eyes but Allura’s held pity. For some reason, that pissed her off. Anger swelled a
“I’m very fine, thank you. Save your pity for someone else. I don’t need it.”
That was a mistake. Stunned, Allura took a step back. It was then that Lady Kima took up a defensive stance and growled,
“Oi! She was just trying to make sure you’re okay. Don’t be fuckin’ rude!”
Damn, way to make the situation worse.
Cassandra held her hands up to them, aware of her mistake.
“My apologies Lady Allura, Lady Kima. As of late I’ve not been sleeping well and these discussions take longer than I care for. Please forgive me for my outburst. It seems I need to keep a better check on my emotions.”
Allura placed a firm hand on Kima’s shoulder and they shared a look. Kima immediately dropped her defensive stance as Allura addressed Cassandra.
“Cassandra, how old are you?”
This took Cassandra by surprise. Her brows furrowed in concentration for a moment as she attempted to recall her age. It had been so long since anyone had asked.
“Uh, 18.”
Allura echoed,
“18. Hmm. How many 18 year olds do you know are trying to plan defense for a city from a dragon?”
The youngest de Rollo shrugged. Kima advanced,
“How many 18 year olds just discovered that the brother they thought they had lost, returned with vengeance?”
Cassandra wiped away the tears angrily before shooting back,
“How many 18 year olds watched their brother come back and then turn around and leave again? Not once, but twice. Out of the two of us, he should be the one running this. Not me. I’m not qualified for this. And if half these people knew what I had done-“
She immediately gasped as she realized she almost let her shame slip. Cassandra’s hand flew to her mouth as she tried to stifle a sob. Immediately she was enveloped in warm arms as Allura pulled her into a hug, a hand stroking her hair softly. The arcanist smelt of lavender and mint, a calming sensation.
“It’s okay dear. Just let it out.”
Hesitantly, Cassie wrapped her arms around Allura. Almost instantly she felt like she was a child again as she released her pent up emotions into Allura’s slender shoulder. Kima squirmed, unsure of what she can do to help the situation. Allura’s soft voice whispered into Cassandra’s ear as she stroked her hair,
“No one will ever blame you for what you had to do in order to survive. And we don’t have to speak of it if it brings you pain. I will never ask this of you.”
Sniffling, Cassandra could only nod her head. A few moments passed and Cassandra eventually pulled away and was immediately embarrassed.
“I’m so sorry Lady Allura. I’ve managed to leave stains in your gown.”
Allura only smiled and with a wave of her hand, the stains disappeared. Lavender and mint scenting the air once more.
“Don’t worry about those. Are you okay dear?”
Nodding her head, Cassandra managed to wipe at her blotched face and then bowed her head in gratitude.
“I believe so, yes. Thank you Lady Allura.”
Allura captured her hand.
“Please, just Allura. If you ever need someone to speak with or simply wish to get out the castle, you are always welcome to speak with me. However, if you’re looking to deal with anger,”
She looked behind her at Kima’s broad smile,
“Kima’s your best option. She’s great at channeling her anger into beating things to a pulp.”
A small laugh escaped Cassandra’s lips as she returned the smile.
“Thank you, Allura. I appreciate everything you’ve done for Whitestone. We will be in your debt.”
At this, Kima scoffed.
“There’ll be no talk of debts as long as we kill these damn dragons. Come Allie, let’s go start our wards and let Cassandra have a moment of peace.”
Allura squeezed Cassandra’s hand once more before parting.
“I mean it. Anytime of day you need to get away, come find us.”
Cassandra watched the human and halfling make their exit and for the first time in a long time, she actually felt at peace.
Chapter 2: For Safety
Summary:
There is something to have been said about safety in numbers. Who is Vex to argue? Especially with Pike
Notes:
This is chapter 2 of my Critical Role Fan Week. Once more, I hope you enjoy and I'm always open for constructive criticism and feedback. Thank you to the two people who proof-read this. You know who you are. Enjoy!
Chapter Text
There was a soft knock at Vex’s door. Frowning, Vex tried to think who it could possibly be at this late, well now early, hour. Vex grabbed a dagger from her bedside door and approached the door cautiously, Trinket padding behind her.
“Vex? Are you awake?”
Pike’s voice called from the other side. Gasping softly, Vex quickly opened the door and hid the dagger behind her back. Pike rubbed at her bleary eyes as she squinted to look up at Vex.
“Can I come in?”
Her platinum hair was askew from its usual tight braid, her hair falling into loose curls around her face. Vex fought the urge to tuck a flyaway strand behind the gnome’s ear and stepped aside to allow Pike entrance.
“Pike, hi! Of course, come in.”
A wide smile lit up Pike’s face as she walked in. Vex shut the door silently and turned to face Pike, questions riddling her expression. Pike shifted her weight and stared at the ground, a hand scratching at the back of her head.
“Vex…I was uh…I was wondering if…”
Pike trailed off for a moment. At her sudden change of attention, Trinket sauntered to the gnome and nuzzled her face, drawing a giggle from her.
“Pike, what is it dear?”
Pike leaned forward and placed a kiss on Trinket’s muzzle before continuing.
“Well, I was just thinking about everything recently. And after getting attacked by assassins and stuff, I thought that maybe there is safety in numbers.”
A blush speckled across Vex’s face as she took Pike’s hand in her own. A mischievous glint shone in her dark eyes.
“So, are you suggesting something?”
Blue eyes returned the mischief and a smirk tugged at her mouth.
“I’m suggesting, Vex, that we sleep together.”
A giggle erupted from Vex.
“For safety?”
The gnome nodded enthusiastically,
“For safety of course.”
Vex winked at Pike and promptly moved to the bed. Before climbing into the bed, Vex placed her dagger back on the bedside table. Vex moved the blankets as she climbed into the bed and stifled a laugh as Pike clambered in next to her. The small cleric curled into Vex’s toned arms, breathing in her earthy scent. Her small fingers deftly wove into Vex’s as she snuggled closer. Vex nuzzled into Pike’s hair, closing her eyes in bliss. Silence was drawn but Pike could practically feel Vex’s thoughts running rampant.
“What’s on your mind Vex?”
Vex snickered,
“Safety.”
She was rewarded with a slap on her arm and another small laugh.
“Vex, come on. What is it you are thinking about?”
The light mood faded as Vex heavily sighed. Arms tightened around Pike and her voice cracked,
“Do you have to go?”
There was silence as the words wrapped around Pike’s thoughts. Carefully, she released Vex’s fingers and rolled in Vex’s embrace, keeping a level eye with Vex. Her hand reached out and cupped her face.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. I am needed here to help protect the city. If it helps the people, then this is where I’m needed and then that’s where I’ll be.”
Vex let out a frustrated moan as her eyes roamed Pike’s face.
“Why are you such a good person?”
Pike leaned forward and placed a kiss on Vex’s nose.
“To keep you safe.”
Chapter 3: Good morning
Summary:
Gilmore spends the morning with his favorite gunslinger. Day 3 of Critical Role Rare Pair.
Notes:
I saw somewhere that someone really loved the idea of Gilmore and Percy. They'd be a force to reckon with. But I figured they both could use a little love so, please enjoy. Thank you!
Chapter Text
Sunlight danced across Shaun’s freckled face as he turned in to the warmth. A soft gasp escaped his lips as he closed his eyes in bliss and a light breeze tousled his hair. Shaun faced a table that was filled with a wide variety of fruits and a pitcher of water. As he filled a plate with succulent fruit, there was a low groan from his bed. A smile played at his lips as he turned to the bed his lover currently laid in. A white tuff of hair peeked from under the deep red covers. Shaun moved to the bed, leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his temple.
“Percival darling, wake up.”
There was a grumble of protest as Percy rolled away, taking most of the covers with him. A deep chuckle filled the room while Shaun adjusted to Percy’s side.
“Come on dear, we’ve already slept most of the day away. We have to meet your companions.”
Percy grumbled again and this time he wrapped his lithe body around Shaun, his long arms clutched around Shaun’s waist and his head rested in his lap. Shaun weaved his fingers through Percy’s hair as the gunslinger mumbled,
“They can wait.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
Arms tightened around him.
“’Cause they can.”
Shaun stopped stroking his hair and cupped Percy’s face, pulling him to a deep kiss. When the kiss broke, Percy peppered kisses into Shaun’s neck.
“Why were you up so early in the first place?”
Dreams from last night danced at the edge of Shaun’s memory. Memories of dragon talons, flashes of red, smell of blood and fire and acid danced in the air for a moment. Death was there, waiting for him. And yet, he escaped.
“Darling, there isn’t a dragon here. You’re safe.”
Percy was sitting up, resting his hand above Shaun’s. It was then that Shaun realized that his own hand cupped over the old wound. Closing his eyes, Shaun slowed his breathing down.
“Yes…you are right my love.”
At this, Shaun stood up briskly.
“It still doesn’t change the fact that it had happened.”
Percy pulled the massive blanket on his back as he stood behind Gilmore.
“Shaun,”
Shaun turned and was met with a blanket cascading over him and Percy pulling him into another tight embrace, the blanket encasing them in their own world.
“I am here now. I will protect you if I must, don’t ever worry about that. Myself and the rest of Vox Machina will defeat the Chroma Conclave and we can return home. Until then, I will destroy anything that tries to hurt you. You have my word.”
Comforted Shaun returned his tight embrace.
“You always say you are a terrible person,”
A light laugh was his response,
“But I can’t imagine No Mercy Percy when Percival is standing here with me.”
Percy sighed into his shoulder.
“Let’s hope you don’t have to see No Mercy Percy. He isn’t that great, I assure you.”
Playfully, Shaun reached up and nibbled Percy’s ear. Shaun was met with an equally playful slap on the shoulder.
“You’re changing the subject.”
Shaun pulled back, his golden eyes roaming his lover.
“Good. That’s the plan.”
Chapter 4: Dinner for Two
Summary:
Jarett is supposed to be watching Lady Cassandra, per instructions from his employers. Lady Kima strongly believes that having him help train Cassandra is a great way to protect her.
Notes:
Hello! This is my Day 4 entry for Critical Role Rare Pair featuring Cassandra de Rolo and Jarett. I kinda wanted to keep it light and flirty. Hopefully I did it justice. Once more, I always welcome feedback. Enjoy! I also ended the series here because life happened and I wasn't able to get to the rest of the prompts. Sorry.
Chapter Text
“Cassandra, fix your stance!”
The woman in question shifted her weight and drew her arms up to parry a fist flying towards her. Spinning swiftly, she avoided the next punch and lifted her leg for a roundhouse kick. It landed squarely in the chest and Cassandra shared a smirk as the guard she was against was knocked prone on the ground. Jarett let out a low moan.
Is this what I signed up for?
There was heavy pressure on his chest as Cassandra straddled his form and attempted to place him in a hold of some sort.
Lady Kima did say make it hard for her.
He flashed her a smile and a wink that Lady Vex would have been proud of,
“Lady Cassandra, you’re supposed to buy me dinner first.”
Planting his feet into the ground, he lifted his hips, grabbed her waist, and flipped them. There was a surprised gasp as she hit the ground and Jarett effortlessly whipped around her and successfully put her into an arm bar hold. Dust filled the area of that they were practicing and sweat dripped into Cassandra’s eyes. Kima simply barked,
“Cassandra, he has you pinned. How are you going to get out of it?”
Survival instincts kicked in. With a frustrated roar, Cassandra brought up her free hand and clawed for Jarett’s hand. Her fingers found the webbing between his thumb and forefinger and she dug her nails in. With a surprised yelp, Jarett let go immediately.
Ah, damn.
As soon as her arm was free, she aimed a fist under the belt that connected and Jarett’s stance broke as he went into fetal position. With the fight at her advantage, Cassandra successfully managed to place her foot in Jarett’s back as she grabbed his arm and twisted into the next hold. Her dark hair escaped her tight braid and cascaded down her face. A smirk played at her lips as she called out,
“Do you yield?”
Jarett’s dark head nodded enthusiastically.
“I yield, I yield!”
When those words flew from his mouth, Cassandra dropped her hold and stepped away from him. There was a light round of applause and Cassandra looked to where Lady Kima stood and realized that their training exercise caught the attention of several residents of Whitestone. Lady Kima had a grin that lit up her whole face as Gilmore and Lady Allura were trying to hide their laughter. The other guards that came from Greyskull Keep didn’t even try to hide their excitement and Cassandra was pretty sure she saw gold passing from one guard to the pretty female guard.
Jarett was trying to catch his breath, resting his weight on his knees. Blood mixed with the dirt under him and a sweaty lock of dark hair drifted into his eyes. Breathing heavily, Cassandra extended a hand towards him.
“Sorry, Jarett.”
A smile lit up his dark face, surprising Cassandra.
“No, don’t be. That was a good fight!”
He took her hand and she wrapped her fingers around his and helped him up.
“Damn, you are getting better. By the time your brother gets back, I’ll have employed you to be my personal body guard!”
Cassandra let out a laugh as they made their way to Lady Kima for further instruction.
“It seems that I do owe you dinner then.”
He let out a breathy laugh. As Kima gave criticism on the fight, Jarett hobbled off to tend to his wounds and the crowed dispersed. After running through a few more drills with Kima, they decided to call it a day.
“Cassandra, you did well today. Go clean up. You fucking earned it.”
Lady Allura patted Cassandra’s shoulder and winked at her as Cassandra made her way back to her room. When Cassandra arrived back to her room, she fought the urge to collapse on her bed and sleep through dinner. Luckily, she realized someone already drew a bath for her. Lavender floated in the air as she sank in the tub and proceeded to wash off the day’s sweat and blood. She didn’t realize that her knuckles were caked with a bit of blood. Remembering the fight and the handsome guard, she smiled.
He was certainly handsome. And a flirt.
Leaving her bath, Cassandra dressed for the evening in a light gown and braided her hair back. As soon as she opened the door, she jumped back startled and a hand flew to her heart. Jarett was standing there with a raised fist. His dark eyes widened and she realized that he was just as surprised.
“Ah! My lady! I am so sorry; I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Taking a deep breath, Cassandra tried to slow her breathing.
“It’s okay Jarett, really. What can I do for you?”
At this, she noticed his other hand. It held a giant basket. The smell of freshly baked bread and meat filled the air. He held up the light basket and flashed her his amazing smile and this time, she did blush.
“Dinner?”
C (Guest) on Chapter 1 Mon 11 Jul 2016 03:25AM UTC
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Roguenamedevyn on Chapter 1 Mon 11 Jul 2016 04:16AM UTC
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MrBimzan on Chapter 4 Tue 23 Aug 2022 06:39AM UTC
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