1 - 20 of 36 Works by AngrySaltLamp
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A month after arriving at The Blooming Grove Funeral Home, Bren is finding his rhythm. When circumstances lead him to have a personal conversation with the drow he's been befriending the last couple of weeks, Bren discovers there is a lot more to being dead than he initially thought. With Bren's help, Essek can finally give one of the Grove's spirits some answers and start to answer the questions of another, although the process will give him plenty of his own questions and open up scars that will have dire consequences.
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- Part 3 of Let Your Skeletons Scream
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Everything’s More Clear Outside Your Atmosphere by AngrySaltLamp
Fandoms: Critical Role: Exandria (Web Series)
17 Jun 2026
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The devil I don't know might be my only hope.
The devil I don't know might be what makes me whole.Two weeks after Bren made the ultimate goodbye, he finds a familiar face at his grave. Not only that, but she's brought a friend. And it is, of course, the one friend she shouldn't have brought.
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- Part 2 of Let Your Skeletons Scream
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I'd Rather Hear Your Hell by AngrySaltLamp
Fandoms: Critical Role: Exandria (Web Series)
19 May 2026
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“How do you know I hold trauma?”
Caduceus’ eyes softened with sympathy. “You took your own life, Mr. Ermendrud. Someone doesn’t do that without routinely having gone through more than they could cope with.”Ever since Bren was 18, life has been hell. He's tried to escape it so many times, and failed with each attempt, until he finally succeeded. He knows heading into the unknown, whatever it is, is better than what he left behind. But he doesn't get peaceful darkness like he expected, or to see the family he's longed to apologize to for fifteen years. He's still here. Still trapped, just in a different way.
At least the people and spirits at The Blooming Grove Funeral Home are welcoming and kind. Far better than many of his housemates in the various institutions he'd gone through. His new housemates at the Grove are friendly, if not a little chaotic, but they make him feel wanted for the first time in many years.
Well, all except one.Series
- Part 1 of Let Your Skeletons Scream
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He recognized the purpose of the wrap fairly quickly, thinking of the times in recent years where he had to wrap his own injured joints while unable to afford a health potion. And when the Shadowhand graciously taught him a couple dunamancy spells in exchange for future favors, this revelation led to Caleb piecing together the purpose of the metal around each of Essek’s fingers, Caleb watching them closely as the other caster demonstrated his spell. They were splints.
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A story about Essek having EDS, and Caleb wanting to help him manage it. -
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The Bright Queen's Royal Court Gala, an annual party hosted by the Queen and reported on by the news, casted its invitations. Essek was horrified to discover Caleb was not just expected to go because he was Essek's partner, he was invited. Which meant declining wasn't an option. Caleb's attendance, for some foreboding reason, was mandatory.
What's worse? The Bright Queen wants to speak to the professor. Privately.Series
- Part 12 of Modern AU
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Caleb and Essek had many goals for their anniversary trip to Molaesmyr. Discover the cause of the corruption, stop it if they could, uncover what led up to the fall of the city, reach the center tower, investigate the labyrinth beneath Molaesmyr, find the crystal well hidden inside; if they completed just one of those goals, they'd be satisfied with their work. Not overjoyed, but satisfied.
They hadn't expected to solve a centuries old mystery about the Mad Mage of Wildemount.Series
- Part 11 of Modern AU
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When I want to write some spicy wizard sex scenes unrelated to the main story, I'll post them here. Maybe they'll have plot, maybe they won't, I don't know. Tags will be in chapter summaries/chapter notes. I'll try to include where in the timeline each entry occurs if there's a specific place/reference chapter.
*The 'Caleb Widogast has PTSD' tag has been included because Caleb has issues with sexual intimacy and vulnerability and I want it there as a explanation/warning for those that are just looking for some smut and don't know the series. <3 I don't anticipate that Caleb will have any prominent symptoms, it's mostly just there to explain some of the dynamic, but if I write something where he does I will add a TW.Series
- Part 10 of Modern AU
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Caleb, with patience and carefulness unmatched, lowered the door handle and eased the door open. The singer’s vocals and the bassy music covered for the soft sounds of Caleb setting a pair of pajamas on the counter by Essek’s, every movement measured and deliberate.
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- Part 8 of Modern AU
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"Your friends think I'm a freak.
What was in my drink?
I can't even think,
But we've got history.
In all of this, I lost myself.
Maybe I'll see you in hell.
Ok, whatever,
One man's trash is another man's treasure."Essek was listening to the song when Caleb showed up, the professor worried by the content of his boyfriend's text to him. When Essek tearfully explained the reason he needed to see Caleb and why he was crying, Caleb held him, the song replaying over and over in the background. After the third listen and explaining to Caleb how he found the song, Essek texted Mollymauk while Caleb held him, reassuring him silently that everything would be okay.
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- Part 9 of Modern AU
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It's that time of year again. This time it's Modern AU's turn, and it's not just whump!
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- Part 6 of Modern AU
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Laying in Essek's bed, among the proverbial debris of his mental state, Caleb did his damnedest to forget. Forget the trip to Chastity's Nook, forget their fight, forget Beau's betrayal and Caleb's subsequent mental breakdown; he wanted to forget it all. Reality had been a whirlwind that had knocked him around all day and now, just for a moment, he wanted to forget so he could sleep without trying to break out of Essek's window.
If only his keen mind could fucking forget.Series
- Part 7 of Modern AU
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The chaos of the holidays were over, but that left a new chaos in its wake: getting the research proposal to explore Molaesymr approved. Essek and Caleb were surprised to find that the approval process, once they submitted their proposals, also had some unexpected bonuses for them, like Essek finding out he loved the tranquil beauty of Blumenthal in the spring, Caleb discovering that he had a propensity to irritate his boyfriend and then say sweet romantic things to try and get out of trouble, and the pair deciding they wanted to move in together.
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- Part 5 of Modern AU
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Entropy (noun): a scientific concept that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty.
If someone had told Essek that the next two months were going to involve a sleepover, meeting an archfey, a death anniversary, the implosion of Den Thelyss, and Verin flirting with Mollymauk, he wouldn't have believed them. But standing in his living room, surveying the wreckage his mother created as Caleb and he cleaned it, Essek felt like he no longer controlled entropy, it controlled him.
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- Part 4 of Modern AU
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Caleb firmly believed that the difference between potential and probability was that anything could have potential, while only some things were probable. For instance, there was potential that the others would realize that Essek wasn't actually visiting his brother during the monthly sleepover, but the probability of that happening was insignificant. And if it happened, there was the potential that Caleb could get triggered and have a panic attack, but that seemed like such an exaggerated response to simply being discovered in a lie and Caleb was a better liar than that.
But then he saw Mollymauk holding up his phone, smiling and talking to someone, and his heart dropped like a concrete block.Series
- Part 3 of Modern AU
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Caleb thought quite a lot about probabilities. The probability that his class will understand the material. The likelihood that Jester will intrude on his personal life with the best of intentions. The inevitability that he would need to tell Essek about how he struggled with intimacy and the probability that he would need to tell him why. He even considered the dark possibility that Essek and his relationship could fall apart, despite the fact that he would hate to lose Essek for any reason. But it was still a possibility he considered, because Caleb had learned to consider all possibilities, regardless of their probabilities.
The one thing he didn't consider, when he asked his colleague to send Essek the research material on residuum, was the probability that Essek would learn of The Volstrucker Program.Series
- Part 2 of Modern AU
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Essek works with gravity all the time. He can recognize the pull of it, he knows how to manipulate it, and he can intensify it when he wants. But gravity cannot explain the pull he feels towards the Zemnian professor speaking on stage. He needs to know what it is about Professor Widogast that has resonated with him so quickly.
Caleb has a dark past. He's grown to accept that he's too traumatized by it to find interest in romance again. He goes to therapy, he works on his issues, but he never expected the work to actually pay off. Not until a handsome drow startles him outside the conference room after his presentation, wanting to ask some questions.Series
- Part 1 of Modern AU
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"Uh... Is he... crying?" Beauregard asked the rest of the Nein as Kingsley and Essek ran out from the Chateau to comfort a ratty-looking Caleb being held by Caduceus.
"Maybe he's just that touched?" Jester winced.
"Why is he in his pajamas?" Yasha pondered aloud. Fjord scratched his chin.
"Not sure, but he looks like shit."
Veth squinted, leaning closer to the window, and caught the expression of Kingsley falling. Grief and sympathy filled the frown on King's face, and Veth's heart sank, watching as Essek's illusory form leaned its forehead against Caleb's temple.
"Essek told us he'd been poisoned and really struggling when he found 'im." Beau was grimacing. "I didn't expect he'd look this bad."
"Should we go out there too?" Yasha asked. Everyone considered it, staring at the scene.
"Maybe just one of us." Fjord suggested.
"Veth?" Beau piped up. Veth's lips pursed.
Caleb pulled away from Caduceus and began wiping his eyes, his back to the window of the Chateau. Essek and Kingsley were both smiling sympathetically. She didn't want to get in the way, but Caleb looked so beaten down and tired, and she was worried. That was her boy.
"Yeah, alright."Series
- Part 6 of Two Wizards and a Blood Hunter
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One week of relaxation, just the three of them, was all Caleb wanted. If Kingsley's curiosity wanted to know more about the eighth floor, Caleb would indulge. If Essek's curiosity wanted to see the illusory memories, he would indulge that as well.
He did not anticipate it backfiring so spectacularly.Series
- Part 5 of Two Wizards and a Blood Hunter
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Let's try this whole "31 day writing challenge" thing!
Set in the universe of Two Wizards and a Bloodhunter. Some of the ficlets build off of each other and happen at the same point in time, but the events are not ordered chronologically. And all entries so far are considered canon to my series, I'll update if that changes.
I'm using the list of prompts from @whumpishprompts on tumblr, but will change prompts out when inspo strikes.Series
- Part 7 of Two Wizards and a Blood Hunter
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Just when Essek returns home, circumstances force Caleb to come clean about the secrets he's been keeping from both of his partners. Some secrets are easier to stomach than others.
Series
- Part 4 of Two Wizards and a Blood Hunter