Critical Role: Caduceus's Unexpected Return

[Diaper Beast]

It was early morning in the small house of Clay located deep in the Blooming Grove. Cornelius and Constance were happy to finally be back home with the entire family. Well... almost the entire family. Caduceus's chair at the table was still empty as he was busy saving the world with the Mighty Nine. Though Constance likely prayed to the Wildmother that she'd bring Caduceus home safe and sound soon. Though she never expected to have him return quite so early. And quite so different than when she last saw him. Though it certainly would likely remind her of some of the happiest days of her life. Though given his often immature pranks Calliope would likely find this richly deserves. And Clarabelle would no longer be the baby of the family.

The peaceful morning was broken by the sound of strangely familiar crying from outside the house. Drawing whoever investigated to one of the big trees nearby. Whoever investigated would see a bundle in a tree... which looked like what they'd seen Caduceus wearing the last time they saw him. His staff there as well. "Wildmother! This isn't funny... gimme back my things. I know I can fix myself if I try again!" There was a young Firbolg that resembled Caduceus that looked to be younger than Clarabelle in some very poorly fitting clothes. Something Veth (Nott) had given him she'd bought for her son Luc. Caduceus was currently trying to climb the tree... though slipped from the damp bark and landed in a muddy puddle.

[Lord fluff]

The clay family was sitting round the table eating when they frist heard the crying. Constants was the Frist out of the house followed by Clarbelle and Cornelius. The group looked around for the source of the noise. Constants was the Frist to spot the young Firbolg. She made her way toward the pulsdled and helped to boy up" what are what are you doing out here all alone."


While her mother saw to the boy Clarbelle picked up the bundled and unrolled it. "Caduceus?" She said after she saw that it was his old clothes. She looked over to the boy and noticed he looked exactly like a young Caduceus.

---------- Post added at 05:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:25 PM ----------

(Sorry for the long wait........)

[Diaper Beast]

The curious pink hair was hard to miss... as well as some of the other things about him that only a Mother would recognize. So it was hard to deny that this was Caduceus despite the fact that he now looked to be younger than Clarabelle. As Constance helped him up out of the muddy puddle, tears were still streaming down the Firbolg's face and he tried to wipe them away with the back of his grey furry arm as he looked up at those around him and tried to stop crying and look mature. "Mommy..."

Caduceus noticed how childish that sounded and covered his mouth with his hands like a child who's said something naughty. He looked over at Clarabelle as she began undoing his bundle. "Hey that's mine!" He grabbed for the staff... though everyone felt the presence of the Wildmother warning them to not let him have it. "I need that. I was wrong to try Remove Curse... Greater Restoration should fix this." He grabbed for the staff, beginning a tug-of-war with once younger and now older sister.

[Lord fluff]

Look of confusion confusion fell over her face as she realize the young boy in front of her was her previously adult son. As her started crying the look of confusion faded to worry. "Shh..shh.. it's ok mommies here." She cooed, producing a handkerchief from her pocket and started to try and clean up his muddy face.

"Caduceus I don't think it a good idea." She said trying to pull the staff out out of his hand. "And it's not something children should play with." She said with a slight smile. Was the Jab at Caduceus in poor taste, probably but she liked the idea of no longer being the youngest plus Caduceus was adorable like this. She was distracted by her toughts6and Caduceus managed got get the staff out of her hands.

As soon as the staff was in his hand Caduceus shouted the words to greater restoration and immediately changed..just not in the way he wanted. He struck three inches and now looked even younger.

[Diaper Beast]

"I'm not a child... you are!" Caduceus shouted and looked frustrated about Clarabelle's words and refusal to let go of his staff. It was almost like he was having a tantrum like back when he was a child... so it was clear the change was more than just skin deep. He was acting his age.... well his new age, perhaps even acting a bit younger than that since he'd always been the most responsible one. "You don't know what you're talking about! I can fix this... I'm a big boy!" He snapped.

Once he managed to get hold of his staff his hand glowed as he managed to cast Greater Restoration on himself. Though the result was not what anyone would have expected from that spell as the clock for Caduceus clicked back slightly once more. Luckily the distraction gave them the opening to pull the staff away now so he wouldn't be so foolish to try that again. Though Caduceus's clothes now hung off him as his shorts fell down and he began to suck his thumb for comfort.

[Lord fluff]

"Caduceus no!" Clarbelle said as the staff slipped out of her hands. She glared at him and put her hands on her hips "now looked what you didn't if you just listened it wouldn't have gotten worst." She said scolding him.

Constants pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. "Fist things frist we need to get you cleaned up." She said picking him up and started toward the house. She laid his head on her shoulder and softly sang trying to calm him. She stepped into the house.

Colton was sitting in in and chair in the living room. "Hows that." He asked pointing to the small boy his mother was holding.

"Caduceus, apparently." She said and walked into the bathroom she sat him on the counter and starting pouring a bath.

[Diaper Beast]

Caduceus pouted some as Clarabelle yelled at him, sucking his thumb even more for comfort. He couldn't believe his little sister was treating him like a child, even though from his appearance to his behavior it was clear that's what he was. "Sowwy." The childish Firbolg erphed a bit as his Mother picked him up with little difficulty... resting him on her shoulder and making him feel safe and comforted. He was watching his staff as she cared him into the house. "I know I can fix this... I gotta."

Tough as his Mother began to sing she could tell he was calming down, comforted by his Mother's love and special way with her children. Caduceus no longer fussing and squirming and just resting against her shoulder and sucking his thumb. His tail swaying lazily back and forth in time with her loving singing. It had been assumed it would be a long time before he came home, but her wishes had been answered. It's true what they say.... The Wildmother works in mysterious ways.

Caduceus sheepishly waved to Colton, though was looking around for his Sister Calliope who would never let him live this down. The two had always had quite a rivalry of messing with each other. And that was only when he was 3 1/2 years younger. Now he was effectively the baby of the family. "Calliope not home?" Caduceus asked hopefully as he was carried into the bathroom and the muddy remains of his clothes were taken off for the bath. "S'not fair. My friends need me."

[Lord fluff]

"Shes in town to pick up a few things, she should be back later today." She said stripping off the muddy river seized cloths. She picked him up and put him in the bath. And kelt down next the tub. "Now can you tell me what happened to you?" She asked wetting a rag and started cleaning the mud out of is fur.

"I've prayed for the wilde mother to bring you home every day. " she said as she wet his hair and started to lather something that smelled like lavender into it. "But this isn't exactly how I pictured it happing." After he was clean she took him out of the tub and dried him off and warped him in a towel. "Let's go fine you something to wear."

[Diaper Beast]

"She can't see me like this... I need my staff." Caduceus begged to his Mom, even trying the pitiful big eyes on her. "She'll make fun of me." He whimpers, trying to make a case for getting his staff back and trying to fix himself again. Which went so well a few moments ago when he grew even younger before their very eyes. Caduceus looked horribly embarrassed as his Mom began to bathe him like she would back in the day. As he worked on trying his best to explain what had happened to him. He got distracted for a moment when she began washing his hair.

"I was tricked by someone pretending to be the Wildmother. She told me to bring my friends to give them a blessing. But it wasn't her... it couldn't have been her. She tried to absorb my friends.... promising me a place at her side. But they began to age.... to grow older. And I couldn't let that happen. I destroyed her but she slimed me.... and I woke up the next morning sick and wet. And I tried to cure the effect with Lesser Restoration but I just got younger. Everything I tried just made me younger. Remove Curse made it even worse... and Veth gave me Luc's clothes to wear."

He began to cry in the tub as he was worried about his friends. "They had a vote behind my back and thought I should go home. I can still help! But Fjord asked the WildMother to bring me home... and that's how you found me. Trying to get my staff so I could fix me cause my friends need me." He began to bawl even harder as he was both worried about his friends and feeling a bit betrayed that they had sent him home like a naughty child who had followed them without permission. Caduceus shivered a bit as he was wrapped in a towel at least being clean now.

[Lord fluff]

She Carried him to her bedroom and set him on the bed. "Caduceus, this is hard to hear not your friends made the right decision. It's not safe for you to go with them like this."
Went to the closet and started to dig through it and pulled out a wooden chest. She started looking through the chest.

"Too big. To small." She said digging through the chest. About halfway through she set something aside. After she had went through all of the chest she picked up what she set aside and walled over to the bed and pulled it over his head. It was one of Calliope's dresses from when she was about Caduceus current age. It was soft pink and covered in floral patterns.