Caleb & Beau
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| Gen Relationship | |
|---|---|
| Relationship: | Caleb Widogast & Beauregard Lionett |
| Alternative name(s): | Empire Kids, Empire Siblings |
| Fandom: | Critical Role |
| Type: | friends |
| Canonical?: | close friends |
| Prevalence: | very popular |
| Archives: | |
| See also: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Caleb Widogast & Beauregard Lionett are a very popular friendship in Campaign 2 Critical Role. The characters started antagonistic (mostly due to their lack of people skills and inability to communicate), but quickly developed into close friends.[1] While Beau has issues showing vulnerability, Caleb does his best to show he cares, either by buffing her up in a fight (with a Haste spell) or making sure she can rest after a fight[2].
Fandom
Due to being the only two humans in the party, Beau and Caleb are often referred to as Empire Kids or Empire Siblings. Similar to the show, Beau is often portrayed as protective of Caleb in the fanworks.
Beau and Caleb admitting/reminiscing about the early days when they didn’t like each other at all (except that even then, even when Caleb was being driven up a wall and Beau was angry and annoyed and kind of hated the guy, even then, they always liked each other at least a little bit, they never would’ve gotten so angry otherwise). You know, sometimes it fades away for a while, but every so often I remember just how much I love Beau and Caleb as friends, because it is such a complicated, layered, hard-won friendship. They both worked so hard for this relationship! We call them the empire siblings, and it’s true, sometimes, but also it’s not true at all, because they worked so hard to get here, without any blood or parents or shared childhood joys telling them they should. They built this friendship all on their own. (And how often do you see such utterly platonic male-female friendships that are this hard-won and this concrete, in fiction?)[3]
In canon, they have problems communicating well with each other and the fandom loves every conversation they manage to have[4]. Some fans also recall (using gifsets from actual gameplay) the number of mirroring conversations Beau and Caleb have with each other that aim at staying together.
Do you ever just think about the way Beau and Caleb’s relationship started out super awkward and prickly (because both of them are awkward and prickly), even heating into a straight-up volatile mess at times (because “volatile mess” is an identity that they both carry with them, for better or worse), and the evolution of their friendship has been all about becoming softer and quieter and nerdier, and admitting that they care–not just about each other, but about their whole found family, and books and knowledge (in Beau’s case), and the actions of two governments, and the people of two nations, and the end of a war?[5]
Fanworks
Fanfic
- The fire was a familiar heat against his face as he stared at the building in front of him, Archived version by concept-stage - response to a Tumblr ask
- One of These Days by grandfatherclock - Beau and Caleb try to comfort each other, and it goes surprisingly well.
- FAMILY SECRETS by Mikkeneko - "Beau calls Trent's bluff so Caleb doesn't have to." The Mighty Nein get let in on some old news.
- Battle Strategies by knittedace - They take Caleb out of the cell again. Beau swears and spits and tries to punch one of them, while Caleb gives her this Look - one that says stop making yourself a target as clear as if he’d used a spell to whisper it in her ear - and doesn’t resist.
- swallow up the flame like me by Gunmetal_Crown - It has been nine days since Fjord, Jester, and Yasha disappeared in silence and left nothing behind them but blood and scuffed grass. When the rest of the Mighty Nein manages to capture someone who might have information, Caleb decides it's time to take things into his own hands and convinces Beau to let him.
- a study in attraction by invoked_duplicity - Caleb asks Beau about her attraction towards women. The conversation doesn't lead where Beau expects it to lead.
- Empire Siblings and Feeblemind? by sociallyawkwardfoxwriter, a Tumblr ask fill
- Beau hiding injuries? by sociallyawkwardfoxwriter - Empire siblings, hurt/comfort, Tumblr ask fill
Fanart
- my favorite humans, Archived version by diamancris
- (Love these Empire Kids. Trust is so hard and...), Archived version by caitercates
- you make vulnerability look so easy, Archived version by joalenko
- loving those new outfits, Archived version by mababwionarts
- waltzing by brettlei
- hug by misssato
- The constant awkward "Mom made us do it" hug by amarantheia
- the end of war hug by zroem
- consider: that one empire sibs moment but this time with Frumpkin by sivsi16
Cosplay
Other
- T E A M H U M A N : conquering the world, one library visit at a time { 2x18, Archived version gif set by cranesofibycus
- oh, those found family feels…, Archived version gif set by cranesofibycus
- Beau & Caleb Moments - Critical Role (Episodes 1 - 99)
- Caleb & Beau moodboard by drowninginstarlights
- you've got a friend in me by diamancris - Caleb & Beau moment in the library
- Beau and Eagle!Caleb by prideling
- Empire Siblings hug gifset by criticalsorcery
Links
- Beau & Caleb tag on AO3
- empire siblings tag on Tumblr
References
- ^ gifset of Caleb and Beau talking about their early days by criticalsorcery
- ^ siblings gifset by lilefarc, showing Caleb pretending he's been more hurt than he was, just so Beau (who was hiding the severity of her injuries) would be able to rest.
- ^ Man, I liked this episode. by C
- ^ So I love this conversation a lot, because it shows so much GROWTH, babey. by theregoesmylurkerstatus
- ^ Do you ever just think about the way Beau and Caleb’s relationship... by night-filled-mountain