"Is this going to be a sad story Caleb?" "And I turn the page." is probably my favorite interaction in this scene, doesn't spoil the story but gives hope for the future, which is a rare moment from Caleb
"I wrote it today. She said a couple days ago she wanted to read it, so I wrote it today." THIS! THIS is why I adore Liam O'Brien. Off the cuff he is so ridiculously creative, I mean he works with whatever you give him and turns it to pure gold. The man's no wizard, he's an alchemist!
Such a feat, Liam O'Brien is truly a master! Come to think of it, that reminds me so much of a bedtime story that I made some two years ago. It was supposed to be a seriously legit book series, but I had no energy to write that, so I improvised an abridged shortened version which I told as a bedtime story to my little sister. Took me 3 nights to tell the entire story. She loved it. Such is the magic of creativity. Such is the wonder of writing stories. And such is the masterful creativity of Liam O'Brien. ✨🤩😍✨
Can we acknowledge that Liam wrote an achingly sweet and beautiful fairy tale THAT DAY, to the point of confounding an eldritch god such as Taliesin? We have been blessed, Critters.
@@claybird6407 Would probably be better as a series of "Short Zemnian Tales" or something. I imagine this would only be a few pages as told by Liam, unless of course they padded it out a bit.
@@Eleglas typically children stories are short with only a sentence or two on each page, and lots of illustrations so I think it would be fine, though I would love a collection
It's beautiful how the story can correspond to both Caleb's and Jester's lives, different as they are. For Jester, the cat is like the Traveler bringing her joy and company while isolated as a child. For Caleb, the cat is like Jester and the M9 slowly teaching him how to dance and overcome the damage of his past trauma.
Can we like politely bug the crap out of Liam to to write a book of zemnian children stories like this one, in the same vain as brothers Grimm, with this one being the first story in the collection Oh and of course fully illustrated
Widogast's Curated Collection of Children's stories. Translated from Zemmnian to common. Basically a Mother Goose book of whatever Liam comes up with including that one story from Narrative Telephone.
Liam has said that his two best friends are Sam and Laura. That's how much Liam loves Laura. She said she wanted to read the Cat Prince so he wrote out the entire tale just for her.
The way Caleb looks at her as he says "goodnight...gute nacht..." UGH MY HEART (side note, Ashley's face during that entire post-book exchange was GOLDEN)
Caleb is obsessed with cats, from cat claw spells, to Frumpkin, to his entire tower. All because of fond memories from a book he read as a child. Liam is on a mission from god to absolutely wreck our emotions.
I would love for Jester to sneak into Caleb rooms and just.....decorate his room however, since he did tell her he had no time for himself and worked hard for everyone else. HELL He even made something specific for Dagon!
I saw a similar fic I think somewhere. Basically the fic was Jester hiding books for Caleb to find but Caleb didn’t know it was Jester until near the end. I’ll find the link if anyone’s interested
If we consider the tale Liam told in Widogast's Web of Words to be a canon zemnian tale as well, it's closer to actual german tales with horrifying endings.
She hugs it TWICE! That moment where she hugs it, stops and looks at the book, then hugs it again is amazing! That girl is smitten and I 100% believe that she will pick up a physical copy of that book when they get back to Rexxentrum.
@@andrewaddison777 yoooo right!? That would be so amazing. Or maybe Caleb will gift her a physical copy. But I hope Jester keeps initiating convos because I need more of this tender magic in my life.
Best part: Take our Cat's Grace with you This suggests that there's a different wholesome story for every Enhance Ability in which an animal bestows their gifts on those who need them most. I wanna read the Owl's Wisdom story
What I love is for jester it’s a story about how the traveler came and brought joy to her life, but for Caleb it’s about how jester came and brought joy to his, she has helped him heal and grow so much
It really was. And it gave me the idea of a magic item. An enchanted version of der Katzenprinz, you can read it for 10 minutes and then cast cat's grace on the reader. Basically ritual casting it by reading the magical story of the boy and the cat prince.
I don't know why, but this stands as one of my favorite moments of the campaign. In the midst of all the chaos this crew was involved in and for all of Caleb's sins that he so deeply regrets, this was just a genuinely sweet and innocent moment between friends. I just love that Caleb, who rarely takes time to treat himself to any kind of happiness, takes the time to translate and tell this story to a friend and it serves Caleb as a reminder of his childhood and fond memories with his parents. *SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED CAMPAIGN 2* I love this because also, in the campaign wrap up, Liam admitted Caleb was secretly in love with Jester for a while, and cited one of the reasons was that Jester always treated him like the person he wanted to be or would have been had he not gotten wrapped up in Trent. It speaks to Jester's ability to see the best in people and it speaks to Caleb's ability to have kindness and compassion for himself. This moment between these two character brought out both those qualities in them and I just love it. I don't know. I still feel like I didn't adequately describe why I love it so much. But that's the best I have.
I love Liam so much! He's got to be one of the sweetest best friends (and twins) ever! Also, the look on Travis's face at the beginning and end, and Matt's reaction to Laura's/Jester's joy at the ballroom of cats was so uplifting! Such wonderful, beautiful friendships here. *sigh* I miss mine SO much right now. And of course it's only natural at this point for me to ship the hell out of Widojest, am I right?
I honestly consider this scene the death knell of the Widojest ship. As this piont Caleb had clearly been in love with Jester, but there was no signs of reciprocation or rejection from Jester. And then this scene happened. This was essentially Caleb shooting his shot to connect to Jester. I mean he was sharing an extremely meaningful piece of his childhood, being as charismatic as hell, as well as being an all around soft boi with a face that just showed longing for her...... but she didn't notice or respond or feel any such thing in return. That pretty much shows she's not thinking of him romantically. It's very sad for Caleb. BUT I love the angst.
@@sybariticcupboardrat3763 She hasn't ever since she misunderstood during the dance that he was still in love with Astrid (when in actuality that's when he was falling for her)
To think we got a beauyasha confession and Laura's immediate response was to have Jester go and ask Caleb to read Der Katzenprinz to her. I'm not saying anything, but.... *insert eye emoji here*
I KNOWWW I'm so conflicted I think either way it goes, I'll be thrilled. In the mean time, a love triangle sounds epic. Imagine all the bonus romance content and pining we'll get. Sounds good to me!
I'm really conflicted. Fjord and Jester have such a good chemistry together (obviously steming from Laura and Travis to be an actual couple and be super cute together) but there are moments like this one and oh boi...
In the middle of a pandemic, Liam wrote a beautiful children’s story about a boy who was sick and couldn’t go outside. The boy gets his wish, but still comes back to be with his family. Such an amazing gift to his friends and everyone stuck at home.
I feel like this is gonna be one of those moments I just keep coming back to. Like the Grog/Taryon Guard debacle or Percy's "I live as long as Whitestone lives" speech from C1.
Lets be honest here, if we are ever going to get a successful ship here Jester is going to have to make the first move. If Jester does develop feelings for Caleb I could see her turning it into a game of chicken.
Something I want to point out, Caleb wasn't just reading this, he was translating it, so at least part of it was his own storytelling talent For example, the line "you do not wish to languish one more day in bed" could probably have been translated to "you don't want to stay in bed another day" instead, but Caleb chose to say the first one and it was much better because of it, he was basically writing this story himself based (heavily) on the original, and he did a great job
30-year-old man here crying at the end of the story. Such a beautiful and innocent tale. It just grabs my heart. Would love to tell this story to my kids as they get older
I Really Love How This Was Supposed To Be A Small Side Thing That Jester Just Wanted To Read It Herself, But Liam Was Like "Naw, I Got You Fam" & Now EVERYONE Sat Enraptured As He Read Them A Bedtime Story. Absolutely Amazing & So Very Very Lovely.
@@onyxcrescent9364 and then a puddle appears on the floor when the spell ends and all foreign objects inside are ejected But, if he saw the mural he could easily replicate it whenever he made the tower afterwards, so it would work i guess
its Jesters back story a lonely child who's mother loves her very much but has to be away to provide for them much of the time. A magical creature comes and plays with the child offers to take them away. they go with the creature have a really fun time but the child want to return to their mother. the creature impressed with the child gives them a gift of magic to take back with them. I do wonder if Liam has a Zeminen fairy tail about all of the nien
I think it goes a little deeper than that. I think the child is both Caleb and Jester, in a way. If you view the child as Jester, the cat prince is of course the Traveller But if you view the child as Caleb Then the cat prince is Jester - someone playful and carefree that came into his life one day out of the blue, and helped him realize he wasn’t stuck in the path he felt life had put him on
So now I have a head canon that Jester is our powerful love triangle point Jean Grey, Fjord is resident chad with cool hair Cyclops, and Caleb is modified super weapon with heavy baggage Wolverine.
Holy smokes! I just realized that the boy’s last word to the cat was the same as Caleb’s to Frumpkin: Danke. I think we all know Liam’s story-writing enough to know it’s not likely an accident.
I was watching this with "Stories - For Matt" song by Lilli Furfaro in the background. You have no idea how much that combo would punch you in the heart and then caressing it to tears :'(
This episode was actually the first one I got to catch on live stream it felt SOOOOO good. I'll bet one day when they visit his room he's gonna eventually have a tiny picture of jesture on a sidetable :P
this was my first live episode aswell, was watching it while playing some games, when this scene started inmediately droped everything juat to pay full attention
@@VonRibbitt Same here, the moment I heard Jester saying she was floating up to his room I perked up, put my eyes to the screen, and my grin got bigger and bigger with every minute!
once upon a time in a little house on the edge of a great white wood lived a boy and his mother. the poor boy was sick and spent much of his days in bed, watching the days pass by from a little window in his room. the boy's mother loved him very much but since it was just the 2 of them and the boy was ill of health and frail of form. Every day she had to make the journey to the town where she worked in the kitchens of the local lord. while she was gone the boy would mind the house, read one of their precious few books, and observe the bees and the trees and the birds in their flight as he spent the greater part of his time resting in bed. the boy knew that his mother loved him and that her time away was all for his sake and he was grateful to her and loved her in return. but it was a lonely life rereading the same books or talking to the air in their little home on the woods edge. one day, as the boy sat in bed looking at the fields between his home and the woods he noticed a cat making its way out of the forest. it was not long before the boy realized this cat, clearly making its way towards him, was no ordinary cat. for upon his head he wore a little top hat. and if that were not strange enough on its own the cat pattered up beneath the boy's window he stood. doffed his cap, took a bow, and said "greetings young master, you look as if you can use a bit of dancing." the boy stunned by these words from the dapper little cat could scarcely find his voice. "no good sir," said the boy " I don't know how to dance, nor am I made for it." "nonsense." said the cat "why anyone can dance if only they looked too. come out of doors and let me show you." as he spoke the cat donned his hat and began to turn in circles and dance. the boy was curious "but sir cat, I am afraid I am too ill. my lungs are too weak and my bones are too frail." "ugh maybe they are and maybe they aren't " the cat replied, "but either way you do not want to languish one more day in bed watching the world go by, do you?" "come take a walk with me through the fields and I will show you how to dance" overcoming his doubts the boy managed to climb down from his window and walk a few steps closer. this was no ordinary cat and no ordinary day though he was unsure his heart did leap a little and he began to follow the marvelous little cat through the grass, slowly at first but with more vigor as they crossed the fields. and eventually, he found himself stepping under the shades of the woods for the first time in a great many years. all the while the cat frolicked and capped their way deeper into the woods and eventually the boy found himself stepping into a ring of trees. the cat whirling about his hat in hand the fury little dancer twirled around the boy laughing and calling while the boy watched, his mouth agape. and then quick as a flash, the cat brought his top hat down right atop the boy's head who was very suddenly plunged into darkness. but only a moment because all about him, shining in the dark he saw the glow of hundreds of eyes. feline eyes glimmering in the dark. suddenly about him, lanterns flared to life and the boy saw he was no longer in the woods at all. here he saw a grand ballroom festively decorated. filled out the brim with cats. big cats. small ones, old cats young ones. cats of every breed and color and in the center of the great hall upon a stage stood the boy's feline guide. only now he was dressed in very fine robes and upon his head sat a thin golden crown of rot golden leaves. the boy stood in wonder and amazement as the great host of cats bowed to their prince and then in turn bowed to him. "the world of men is heavy and hard." the prince cat proclaimed "but here across the veil we move with a lighter step. dance with us child and forget your troubles for a spell" all at once scores of cats closed in around the boy, purring and turning his legs as thick as the sea. as they moved so too did the boy's feet. he swirled amongst them like a cork on the water and before he knew it the boy was dancing. dancing and dancing as he never imagined he could. and his breath, much to his surprise, was hearty and hail. he found he no longer felt ill in the least. hours passed and he and all the cats danced without end, and the prince of cats more than all of them. after a long while, the boy suddenly remembered his mother and immediately feared she would worry. he stopped in the middle of the great hall and called out to the prince of cats "Forgive me sir cat but I can no longer stay. my mother would worry I have to return." all the cats parted before him and the prince approached the boy. "are your sure boy? you can stay and dance with us for as long as you wish forever and ever and ever." "I cannot" the boy replied, "my mother has only me and I would not leave her alone, forgive me." the prince of cats looked at the boy with a sympathetic eye "not at all young one. fear not a wit. you do your mother credit." and with that, the prince of cats stepped closer. "do not look so crestfallen, you can always dance if the will is there" and from behind his back, he brought out his top hat again and pulled it over the boy's eyes and once again all was dark. sometime later the boy stirred and his eyes fluttered open. he looked about and discovered he had been asleep in the wood and the sun now dappled his face through the trees. next, he noticed a threadbare patched top hat laying in the soft grass beside him. he gingerly picked it up and stood in the same circle of trees, as he so he took a deep breath and smelled the earth and the forest. and as he did he realized his breath was strong. and his legs hardy. "Danke," he said as he looked down at the hat in his hands. and placing it upon his head, kicked up his heels, and quietly started to dance his way all the way back home. the end.
I think it was during an episode of Talks Machina when everyone was talking about how Liam is *That Friend* that always gives you the most thoughtful and wonderful gift because he pays attention and he knows what you love. I thought about that when this first aired. I've watched this so many times
Been digging back through the more beautiful moments of the nein after the recent episode. Tal's "Who are you?" as he's trying to work out which ancient being has been hopping their way through time and now sits within the person known as 'Liam O'Brien' still fills me with joy.
The thing that makes this scene better is knowing that Widojest probably won’t happen and that this is just another layer on the sad cake imma have to eat when they don’t become a thing.....Widojest ftw btw
This video gave me hope that Laura is considering widojest ... but i feel like it is false hope and I am planning on having my heart crushed just in case
@@epiclink11 I can understand that. Looking at recent Widojest moments really looks like she is leaning into it. It feels like Calebs and Jesters moments together are like getting sweeter and more romantic and more often than others.
I'm just loving the contrast between Ashley's big enthusiastic smile and Taliesin's skeptical frown through the entire read. 😂😂😂 After watching this for the umpteenth time it's interesting to see everyone's reaction to the story.
It perfectly fits Jester's two sides, and how (I think) he feels towards the two main men in her life. Fjord is studly and handsome, but Caleb is softer and more caring.
This made me cry when I heard it. I just had my first son and got into Critical Role. It kept me sane and happy with everything going on with Covid and the total change in my life. This show just has so many feelings and love this moment. I want them to publish as a children book. I would love that.
This is one of those moments that just transcends the game. Liam has such a wonderful heart, and you can tell Laura was touched beyond just acting as Jester in the moment. Incredible friendship goals.
I have a feeling that Caleb changed the ending of this story after jester showed signs of not wanting a sad ending. As many have pointed out most fairy tales have fought endings and lesions to be learned by the characters. And it sounds like it going to be dark for just a second and then suddenly the cats let the big go. So I bet that Caleb changed it.
Tbf I don't think that it was a sad story or had another ending. Since the beginning he shows that he loves the story and tells it with a soft voice. And he knows jesters and he never would read a sad or tragic history for her, he knows that she would hate it and picked a happy one that he really loved
And the boy really did a selfless choice, deciding to lose that place and being weak again just to his mother happiness. So he was rewarded for it. If the boy decided for his own happiness, he would stay trapped there forever, that I think it's a allegory for death
"Is this going to be a sad story Caleb?" "And I turn the page." is probably my favorite interaction in this scene, doesn't spoil the story but gives hope for the future, which is a rare moment from Caleb
"Oh it rhymes when I translate it" can't get over how awesome that little detail is
"I wrote it today. She said a couple days ago she wanted to read it, so I wrote it today."
THIS! THIS is why I adore Liam O'Brien.
Off the cuff he is so ridiculously creative, I mean he works with whatever you give him and turns it to pure gold. The man's no wizard, he's an alchemist!
Such a feat, Liam O'Brien is truly a master!
Come to think of it, that reminds me so much of a bedtime story that I made some two years ago. It was supposed to be a seriously legit book series, but I had no energy to write that, so I improvised an abridged shortened version which I told as a bedtime story to my little sister. Took me 3 nights to tell the entire story. She loved it.
Such is the magic of creativity.
Such is the wonder of writing stories.
And such is the masterful creativity of Liam O'Brien. ✨🤩😍✨
Can we acknowledge that Liam wrote an achingly sweet and beautiful fairy tale THAT DAY, to the point of confounding an eldritch god such as Taliesin? We have been blessed, Critters.
They need to sell this book on the crit role store!!!
@@claybird6407 thank you
@@claybird6407 Would probably be better as a series of "Short Zemnian Tales" or something. I imagine this would only be a few pages as told by Liam, unless of course they padded it out a bit.
@@Eleglas typically children stories are short with only a sentence or two on each page, and lots of illustrations so I think it would be fine, though I would love a collection
It's beautiful how the story can correspond to both Caleb's and Jester's lives, different as they are. For Jester, the cat is like the Traveler bringing her joy and company while isolated as a child. For Caleb, the cat is like Jester and the M9 slowly teaching him how to dance and overcome the damage of his past trauma.
Exactly what I got out of it.
My soul hurts...ugh. Perfect analogy.
I was sure that the katzenprinz was an analogy for Trent until the ending
@@williamparker1381 If the boy stayed and forgot about his mother then sure, cause it would be a tradition Zemnian ending.
That was such a perfect comment from liam because it's so damn true 😂
So we all know the next book that Critical Role is going to have to publish right?
Really looking forward to that book on Transmutation
Do it in completely untranslated Old High German and never make any other versions of the text
A nice book on Zemnia?
Can we like politely bug the crap out of Liam to to write a book of zemnian children stories like this one, in the same vain as brothers Grimm, with this one being the first story in the collection
Oh and of course fully illustrated
Widogast's Curated Collection of Children's stories. Translated from Zemmnian to common.
Basically a Mother Goose book of whatever Liam comes up with including that one story from Narrative Telephone.
Caleb knew exactly what he was doing planting a children's book in Jester's room that she couldn't read.
my boy has an INT of 20 to be fair, big brain moves all day
@@VonRibbitt exactly
Caleb Widogast. Master Of 4-D Chess.
About time he made his move
Liam has said that his two best friends are Sam and Laura. That's how much Liam loves Laura. She said she wanted to read the Cat Prince so he wrote out the entire tale just for her.
At the beginning of campaign 2 Laura said they were still twinnies
She asked me, so I wrote it.
Oh my heart
🥰🥰🥰🥰
The way Caleb looks at her as he says "goodnight...gute nacht..." UGH MY HEART
(side note, Ashley's face during that entire post-book exchange was GOLDEN)
Omg I just noticed it! 🥰🥰🥰
I also love her face during the reading! She gets so into it and it’s adorable!
I like the longer he reads it the more he gets into it and starts to do voices and all that!
Liam came READY to hurt me personally
Getting emotionally hurt: 😓
Getting emotionally hurt by Liam O'Brien: 😍
@@makaylakraus1897 literally_every_critter_irl
@@adamwilding9520 he's very good at it
@@makaylakraus1897 REAL 😂
Jester asked Caleb for a story, Liam said I got this on lock
I love how Taliesin goes "Who are you...? after Liam says he wrote it in a day.
The highest of compliments when it comes from an immortal pyramid, to be sure.
Caleb is obsessed with cats, from cat claw spells, to Frumpkin, to his entire tower. All because of fond memories from a book he read as a child. Liam is on a mission from god to absolutely wreck our emotions.
well Frumpkin is a "copy" of calebs childhood cat, wich most likely , you know... burned with his family
@@VonRibbitt One of the episodes (C2, 50) Caleb refers to Frumpkin as the Fey King. I'd imagine the Katzenprinz in the story looks like Frumpkin
@@VonRibbitt And that cat is in turn based on Liam's childhood cat so he will break us all with the feels
@@kelleenbrx6649 oh yea, when he was reading the story i totally pictured the cat prince as frumkping but with a top hat
@@Eadwulf_Skald damit liam, y you gotta do us like this
if anyone needs me for the next couple days i'll be in a corner watching this over and over thank you
I would love for Jester to sneak into Caleb rooms and just.....decorate his room however, since he did tell her he had no time for himself and worked hard for everyone else. HELL He even made something specific for Dagon!
of jester does that and widowjest doest happen , my heart wont be able to take it
My thoughts EXACTLY!!
Okay but imagine if she just started getting books in zemnian that look interesting so Caleb would read them to her
dont do that, dont give me hope
@@VonRibbitt i know better than to hope, but that's damn good fanfic fuel
Fanfic writers: Who summoned me!?
I saw a similar fic I think somewhere. Basically the fic was Jester hiding books for Caleb to find but Caleb didn’t know it was Jester until near the end. I’ll find the link if anyone’s interested
@@zm1639 link please!
Genuinely surprised the German children’s story had a happy ending
Children learn through the hardest of lessons but no child can have hope without a seed of light and warmth in the cold and harsh land.
@@nicolasachille4371 Mother, is that you?
The child made the less selfish choice- to help his mother be happy, rather than abandon her- so he's rewarded. That fits in fairy tales.
If we consider the tale Liam told in Widogast's Web of Words to be a canon zemnian tale as well, it's closer to actual german tales with horrifying endings.
"...and then as he entered his house he was swarmed by mice who devoured his eyes for leaving his home without his mother's blessing"
the way she hugs the book at the end and looks to him...my heart...❤️
She hugs it TWICE! That moment where she hugs it, stops and looks at the book, then hugs it again is amazing! That girl is smitten and I 100% believe that she will pick up a physical copy of that book when they get back to Rexxentrum.
@@andrewaddison777 yoooo right!? That would be so amazing. Or maybe Caleb will gift her a physical copy. But I hope Jester keeps initiating convos because I need more of this tender magic in my life.
@@MidnightHelena same
What really needs to happen is that Yasha pays it forward for Caleb, as Jester did to her for Beau.
I can't believe we got the book date. I must be dreaming...
MY WIDOJEST CROPS HAVE BEEN WATERED
Soon, the day will come to harvest. Soon.
I really think Ashley Johnson needs to pay it forward and blow Caleb's cover to Jester, as Jester did to Yasha for Beau.
Best part: Take our Cat's Grace with you
This suggests that there's a different wholesome story for every Enhance Ability in which an animal bestows their gifts on those who need them most.
I wanna read the Owl's Wisdom story
"Caleb, could you cast tongues on me?" Um guys, I didn't think this was this kind of show.
Other Laura: eyebrow waggle.
"Wait, no!"
it takes a few of them longer then others but by the time Liam is done his story the entire cast is completely enamoured with his tale
What I love is for jester it’s a story about how the traveler came and brought joy to her life, but for Caleb it’s about how jester came and brought joy to his, she has helped him heal and grow so much
Tals hushed murmur of "Who are you!?"
we joke the Tals some mystical creature but Liam keeps pulling these fey tails out of no where
@@jetvulcan2020 Joke? who the heck is joking? there's more than just great old one pact warlocks you know
Okay but the look on Taliesin's face when Liam said he wrote it that day 🤣
Yeah the Eldritch god really said "who are you????" XD
The look on Jester/Laura’s face at the line “take with you our cat’s grace” was Incredibly Cute
That was adorable.
It really was.
And it gave me the idea of a magic item. An enchanted version of der Katzenprinz, you can read it for 10 minutes and then cast cat's grace on the reader. Basically ritual casting it by reading the magical story of the boy and the cat prince.
I don't know why, but this stands as one of my favorite moments of the campaign. In the midst of all the chaos this crew was involved in and for all of Caleb's sins that he so deeply regrets, this was just a genuinely sweet and innocent moment between friends. I just love that Caleb, who rarely takes time to treat himself to any kind of happiness, takes the time to translate and tell this story to a friend and it serves Caleb as a reminder of his childhood and fond memories with his parents.
*SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED CAMPAIGN 2*
I love this because also, in the campaign wrap up, Liam admitted Caleb was secretly in love with Jester for a while, and cited one of the reasons was that Jester always treated him like the person he wanted to be or would have been had he not gotten wrapped up in Trent. It speaks to Jester's ability to see the best in people and it speaks to Caleb's ability to have kindness and compassion for himself. This moment between these two character brought out both those qualities in them and I just love it. I don't know. I still feel like I didn't adequately describe why I love it so much. But that's the best I have.
I like how Matt said that was sweet but got quieter so he wouldn’t impose
Seeing how Matt responds to most of jesters and calebs interactions makes me thinks he ships them.
Ashley is me throughout the whole scene
I love Liam so much! He's got to be one of the sweetest best friends (and twins) ever! Also, the look on Travis's face at the beginning and end, and Matt's reaction to Laura's/Jester's joy at the ballroom of cats was so uplifting! Such wonderful, beautiful friendships here. *sigh* I miss mine SO much right now.
And of course it's only natural at this point for me to ship the hell out of Widojest, am I right?
Hell yes!!
Ding dong, the ship is dead.
I honestly consider this scene the death knell of the Widojest ship. As this piont Caleb had clearly been in love with Jester, but there was no signs of reciprocation or rejection from Jester. And then this scene happened. This was essentially Caleb shooting his shot to connect to Jester. I mean he was sharing an extremely meaningful piece of his childhood, being as charismatic as hell, as well as being an all around soft boi with a face that just showed longing for her...... but she didn't notice or respond or feel any such thing in return. That pretty much shows she's not thinking of him romantically. It's very sad for Caleb. BUT I love the angst.
@@sybariticcupboardrat3763 She hasn't ever since she misunderstood during the dance that he was still in love with Astrid (when in actuality that's when he was falling for her)
Someone animate this , please , i need more dopamine
Yes please!!
th-cam.com/video/AVQpiOAxenw/w-d-xo.html
Not so much animated, but read in 'Zemnian' (German)
I want a friend that goes as above and beyond as liam does for his friends
I mean the game only exist cause Liam asked matt if he could run a oneshot for his birthday for him and some of his other friends
why not become that friend?
To think we got a beauyasha confession and Laura's immediate response was to have Jester go and ask Caleb to read Der Katzenprinz to her. I'm not saying anything, but.... *insert eye emoji here*
Yeah you could see a part of Caleb die when Fjord made his move
Move over Tusk Love lol.
I feel like Studio Ghibli might be interested in that book... :)
Fjord gettin outclassed over here and I’m all for it. (Fjord I still love u)
Liam needs to turn the cat prince into an actual children's book with illustrations..they make millions. hell even an ebook with liam as the narrator
And that's on going from Fjorester to Widojest posthaste
I KNOWWW I'm so conflicted
I think either way it goes, I'll be thrilled. In the mean time, a love triangle sounds epic. Imagine all the bonus romance content and pining we'll get. Sounds good to me!
I'm really conflicted. Fjord and Jester have such a good chemistry together (obviously steming from Laura and Travis to be an actual couple and be super cute together) but there are moments like this one and oh boi...
In the middle of a pandemic, Liam wrote a beautiful children’s story about a boy who was sick and couldn’t go outside. The boy gets his wish, but still comes back to be with his family. Such an amazing gift to his friends and everyone stuck at home.
I feel like this is gonna be one of those moments I just keep coming back to. Like the Grog/Taryon Guard debacle or Percy's "I live as long as Whitestone lives" speech from C1.
I find it interesting how much this story really feels like one that you would actually find in a German children's book
I love Liam’s smug face when he says he wrote it in a day. Never change, you glorious bastard.
Ight I'm hopping on the Widojest bandwagon
Join us!!
I’m so sorry lol
Big oof
Rip
This comment didn’t age well
"Now you have to tell that story to Fjord, and he has to tell it..." so good
Lets be honest here, if we are ever going to get a successful ship here Jester is going to have to make the first move. If Jester does develop feelings for Caleb I could see her turning it into a game of chicken.
I caved and posted this early. lol.
Bless you
"The world of men is heavy and hard," the princely cat proclaimed. "But here across the veil, we move with lighter step."
Something I want to point out, Caleb wasn't just reading this, he was translating it, so at least part of it was his own storytelling talent
For example, the line "you do not wish to languish one more day in bed" could probably have been translated to "you don't want to stay in bed another day" instead, but Caleb chose to say the first one and it was much better because of it, he was basically writing this story himself based (heavily) on the original, and he did a great job
Every time I rewatch this, i fall deeper in love with Liam.
30-year-old man here crying at the end of the story. Such a beautiful and innocent tale. It just grabs my heart. Would love to tell this story to my kids as they get older
I Really Love How This Was Supposed To Be A Small Side Thing That Jester Just Wanted To Read It Herself, But Liam Was Like "Naw, I Got You Fam" & Now EVERYONE Sat Enraptured As He Read Them A Bedtime Story. Absolutely Amazing & So Very Very Lovely.
I wished she just pulled out some paints and drew a simple smiley face on the wall before leaving. Q.Q
I like to think she'll do something better than a smily face I think she'll sneak in and paint a wall sized portrait like she did with Yasha's room
@@onyxcrescent9364 and then a puddle appears on the floor when the spell ends and all foreign objects inside are ejected
But, if he saw the mural he could easily replicate it whenever he made the tower afterwards, so it would work i guess
LORD OF SHIPS, THANK YOU FOR MY DAILY BREAD!!!🧡😭💙
I like bread
Ding ding, the ship is dead
@@iAmiride NOT till the fat DM sings! And either way, i still ship them even if it just ends up being platonically. Multi shipper rights baby!
The campaign ain’t over yet
@@khadijahdanielian3918 nope, but that ship is lol
1. He wrote that story in 1 day. 2. By the end...everyone was engrossed in the story. That's magic!
If Travis and Laura don't tell this story to Ronin I will be furious.
One of the best moments of Critical Role history. Came here a week after the episode release to hear it again
“Who wrote this Book?”
Checks: *Franz Bonaparta…*
“Oh No…”
(Oh God, Even the Music reminds me of The Show…)
its Jesters back story a lonely child who's mother loves her very much but has to be away to provide for them much of the time. A magical creature comes and plays with the child offers to take them away. they go with the creature have a really fun time but the child want to return to their mother. the creature impressed with the child gives them a gift of magic to take back with them. I do wonder if Liam has a Zeminen fairy tail about all of the nien
I'd really love to hear them
I think it goes a little deeper than that. I think the child is both Caleb and Jester, in a way. If you view the child as Jester, the cat prince is of course the Traveller
But if you view the child as Caleb
Then the cat prince is Jester - someone playful and carefree that came into his life one day out of the blue, and helped him realize he wasn’t stuck in the path he felt life had put him on
@@EclipseAtDusk Ahhh , come on man! Why you gotta give me feels like that?
@@EclipseAtDusk this guy gets it
So now I have a head canon that Jester is our powerful love triangle point Jean Grey, Fjord is resident chad with cool hair Cyclops, and Caleb is modified super weapon with heavy baggage Wolverine.
I love it
Holy smokes! I just realized that the boy’s last word to the cat was the same as Caleb’s to Frumpkin: Danke. I think we all know Liam’s story-writing enough to know it’s not likely an accident.
Caleb would fucking love The Cat Returns
Has to be one of, if not the sweetest moment in campaign 2
"i am Der Katzenprinz
and i danze danze danze and i danze danze danze"
I long for the days of the simplicity of dancing cat.
Tanz
Ich bin Der Katzenprinz
Und ich tanz tanz und ich tanz tanz tanz
YOOOOOOOU!!!!!!
NOW IT SHALL PLAGUE ME FOR ALL OF ETERNITY.
shush, you're dating us.
Liam putting all of us authors to shame--and just in time for NaNoWriMo, too...
If this isn't a moment in Mighty Nein animated I'll lose my mind.
I was watching this with "Stories - For Matt" song by Lilli Furfaro in the background. You have no idea how much that combo would punch you in the heart and then caressing it to tears :'(
Matt's mood music worked magic in the background. As if on queue it was uplifting when it needed
to be.
The little boy and Jester have so much in common. And no, that is obviously not a coincidence.
THANK YOU im crying
This episode was actually the first one I got to catch on live stream it felt SOOOOO good. I'll bet one day when they visit his room he's gonna eventually have a tiny picture of jesture on a sidetable :P
First one I caught since the COVID-19 changes. Fell asleep during this scene. Liam O’Brien read me a bedtime story.
this was my first live episode aswell, was watching it while playing some games, when this scene started inmediately droped everything juat to pay full attention
@@VonRibbitt Same here, the moment I heard Jester saying she was floating up to his room I perked up, put my eyes to the screen, and my grin got bigger and bigger with every minute!
once upon a time in a little house on the edge of a great white wood lived a boy and his mother. the poor boy was sick and spent much of his days in bed, watching the days pass by from a little window in his room. the boy's mother loved him very much but since it was just the 2 of them and the boy was ill of health and frail of form. Every day she had to make the journey to the town where she worked in the kitchens of the local lord. while she was gone the boy would mind the house, read one of their precious few books, and observe the bees and the trees and the birds in their flight as he spent the greater part of his time resting in bed. the boy knew that his mother loved him and that her time away was all for his sake and he was grateful to her and loved her in return. but it was a lonely life rereading the same books or talking to the air in their little home on the woods edge. one day, as the boy sat in bed looking at the fields between his home and the woods he noticed a cat making its way out of the forest. it was not long before the boy realized this cat, clearly making its way towards him, was no ordinary cat. for upon his head he wore a little top hat. and if that were not strange enough on its own the cat pattered up beneath the boy's window he stood. doffed his cap, took a bow, and said "greetings young master, you look as if you can use a bit of dancing." the boy stunned by these words from the dapper little cat could scarcely find his voice. "no good sir," said the boy " I don't know how to dance, nor am I made for it."
"nonsense." said the cat "why anyone can dance if only they looked too. come out of doors and let me show you." as he spoke the cat donned his hat and began to turn in circles and dance. the boy was curious "but sir cat, I am afraid I am too ill. my lungs are too weak and my bones are too frail."
"ugh maybe they are and maybe they aren't " the cat replied, "but either way you do not want to languish one more day in bed watching the world go by, do you?"
"come take a walk with me through the fields and I will show you how to dance"
overcoming his doubts the boy managed to climb down from his window and walk a few steps closer. this was no ordinary cat and no ordinary day though he was unsure his heart did leap a little and he began to follow the marvelous little cat through the grass, slowly at first but with more vigor as they crossed the fields. and eventually, he found himself stepping under the shades of the woods for the first time in a great many years. all the while the cat frolicked and capped their way deeper into the woods and eventually the boy found himself stepping into a ring of trees. the cat whirling about his hat in hand the fury little dancer twirled around the boy laughing and calling while the boy watched, his mouth agape. and then quick as a flash, the cat brought his top hat down right atop the boy's head who was very suddenly plunged into darkness.
but only a moment because all about him, shining in the dark he saw the glow of hundreds of eyes. feline eyes glimmering in the dark. suddenly about him, lanterns flared to life and the boy saw he was no longer in the woods at all. here he saw a grand ballroom festively decorated. filled out the brim with cats. big cats. small ones, old cats young ones. cats of every breed and color and in the center of the great hall upon a stage stood the boy's feline guide. only now he was dressed in very fine robes and upon his head sat a thin golden crown of rot golden leaves. the boy stood in wonder and amazement as the great host of cats bowed to their prince and then in turn bowed to him.
"the world of men is heavy and hard." the prince cat proclaimed "but here across the veil we move with a lighter step. dance with us child and forget your troubles for a spell" all at once scores of cats closed in around the boy, purring and turning his legs as thick as the sea. as they moved so too did the boy's feet. he swirled amongst them like a cork on the water and before he knew it the boy was dancing. dancing and dancing as he never imagined he could. and his breath, much to his surprise, was hearty and hail. he found he no longer felt ill in the least. hours passed and he and all the cats danced without end, and the prince of cats more than all of them. after a long while, the boy suddenly remembered his mother and immediately feared she would worry. he stopped in the middle of the great hall and called out to the prince of cats
"Forgive me sir cat but I can no longer stay. my mother would worry I have to return."
all the cats parted before him and the prince approached the boy. "are your sure boy? you can stay and dance with us for as long as you wish forever and ever and ever."
"I cannot" the boy replied, "my mother has only me and I would not leave her alone, forgive me."
the prince of cats looked at the boy with a sympathetic eye "not at all young one. fear not a wit. you do your mother credit." and with that, the prince of cats stepped closer. "do not look so crestfallen, you can always dance if the will is there" and from behind his back, he brought out his top hat again and pulled it over the boy's eyes and once again all was dark. sometime later the boy stirred and his eyes fluttered open. he looked about and discovered he had been asleep in the wood and the sun now dappled his face through the trees. next, he noticed a threadbare patched top hat laying in the soft grass beside him. he gingerly picked it up and stood in the same circle of trees, as he so he took a deep breath and smelled the earth and the forest. and as he did he realized his breath was strong. and his legs hardy.
"Danke," he said as he looked down at the hat in his hands. and placing it upon his head, kicked up his heels, and quietly started to dance his way all the way back home.
the end.
I think it was during an episode of Talks Machina when everyone was talking about how Liam is *That Friend* that always gives you the most thoughtful and wonderful gift because he pays attention and he knows what you love. I thought about that when this first aired. I've watched this so many times
I. Need. The. FANART!😍
can't WAIT for next week's art reel
@@gracehagele5462 Oh I'm sure the next 2 weeks will have art of this.
Thanks, I'm weeping.
Been digging back through the more beautiful moments of the nein after the recent episode. Tal's "Who are you?" as he's trying to work out which ancient being has been hopping their way through time and now sits within the person known as 'Liam O'Brien' still fills me with joy.
This gor'am group! They're so damn committed to each other and this story they're telling! Amazing!
Oh thank you, I missed the live broadcast but have wanted to see this moment so badly
The thing that makes this scene better is knowing that Widojest probably won’t happen and that this is just another layer on the sad cake imma have to eat when they don’t become a thing.....Widojest ftw btw
Liam's got a thing for ill-fated romances, what else is there to say? Well, that, and really warped, crazy whirlwinds of one-shot magic!
This video gave me hope that Laura is considering widojest ... but i feel like it is false hope and I am planning on having my heart crushed just in case
@@epiclink11 I can understand that. Looking at recent Widojest moments really looks like she is leaning into it. It feels like Calebs and Jesters moments together are like getting sweeter and more romantic and more often than others.
I just got to this part of the episode and I IMMEDIATELY had to pause and see if anybody had uploaded this. It made my heart so happy
I don’t know why this story genuinely gets me so well but god I love it, calebs character is like my all time favorite
I'd love to see Critical Role release a version of this story with illustrations and written in rhyme!
The ending of 118 was scary, so I'm here. It's 4am and this was the only way I could think of to calm enough to sleep. Thank you so much.
Hope this makes it into the animated show. It’s such a sweet and quiet character bonding moment.
I'm just loving the contrast between Ashley's big enthusiastic smile and Taliesin's skeptical frown through the entire read. 😂😂😂 After watching this for the umpteenth time it's interesting to see everyone's reaction to the story.
Im here for my daily therapy session
By the end all the ladies were enchanted. I still want the BOOK!
Thank you so much for uploading this!!
Liam needs to publish this book. I wanna see it in the critical role shop
I am gonna have to remember this if I get children
Jester & Fjord: Tusk Love
Jester & Caleb: Der Katzenprinz
Jester & Fjord: Porn
Jester & Caleb: Romance
It perfectly fits Jester's two sides, and how (I think) he feels towards the two main men in her life. Fjord is studly and handsome, but Caleb is softer and more caring.
Caleb and Veth: The Properties of Transmutation
Caleb and Essik: Courting of the Crick
Caleb and Fjord: Jameson's Hoedown
How much would you bet that the sick boy's name in the fairy tale is Caleb?
Sure. Just throw those feels at me. I can take it (goes and crys in the corner).
This made me cry when I heard it. I just had my first son and got into Critical Role. It kept me sane and happy with everything going on with Covid and the total change in my life. This show just has so many feelings and love this moment. I want them to publish as a children book. I would love that.
This is one of those moments that just transcends the game. Liam has such a wonderful heart, and you can tell Laura was touched beyond just acting as Jester in the moment. Incredible friendship goals.
I have a feeling that Caleb changed the ending of this story after jester showed signs of not wanting a sad ending. As many have pointed out most fairy tales have fought endings and lesions to be learned by the characters. And it sounds like it going to be dark for just a second and then suddenly the cats let the big go. So I bet that Caleb changed it.
I wouldn’t be surprised. Liam likely made two endings that fit, but depending on how Laura reacted he would go with one of two endings
Tbf I don't think that it was a sad story or had another ending. Since the beginning he shows that he loves the story and tells it with a soft voice. And he knows jesters and he never would read a sad or tragic history for her, he knows that she would hate it and picked a happy one that he really loved
And the boy really did a selfless choice, deciding to lose that place and being weak again just to his mother happiness. So he was rewarded for it. If the boy decided for his own happiness, he would stay trapped there forever, that I think it's a allegory for death
@@LapisD that’s a pretty solid interpretation. I like it.
I need a copy of this book for my children! Please make this a real book! ❤️❤️❤️
I loved Taliesin's who are you? at the end. He even impressed the great old one himself
This story needs to be illustrated by Critter artist(s) & published.
I would buy that book and read it to my kid.