As promised, here's the oneshot collection-thing! I'll be posting all sorts of little snapshots into Malroth and the female Builder's adventures, thoughts, feelings, anything really. I have so many little oneshots written up but not posted, so most of them will be finished/polished up and posted here. I may even write from other characters' perspectives, who knows?

If you guys have any requests for a oneshot, please feel free to leave a review or PM me! I will gladly give you credit for the idea. The only rules to keep in mind are:

1) I will not be writing NSFW. I don't have anything against it, it's just not my strong suit. The highest rating I will write is T.

2) I will mainly be focusing on the Female Builder's relationship to Malroth because she's who I main on DQB2. If that's not your jam and you're more of a Male Builder/Malroth person, no problem, just giving you a heads-up that this is what I'll be writing.

Let the Builderoth oneshots begin! :D

Also: there may be spoilers, so proceed with caution if you haven't finished the game.

A Night in Skelkatraz

Malroth couldn't explain why he felt so at home in the dingy, poison-swamp filled cell. It was dark, damp, and dingy, yet it felt perfect.

He seemed to be a light sleeper by nature, never quite getting enough rest or resting too lightly to feel properly refreshed in the morning. Even with the meager straw beds they'd slept on in Furrowfield, he'd never been uncomfortable, but something always kept him on-edge. Alert. Too energized and restless to fall into a deep sleep. The Builder once suggested that his trouble with sleeping could be because he was expecting monsters to attack at any minute. She claimed to sleep lightly as well, yet he couldn't count how many times she'd snored and slept in after constantly pulling all-nighters at her workbench. Maybe he just hadn't been busy enough to wear himself out to the point of sleeping deeply. Who knows?

According to the other inmates at Skelkatraz, being thrown into the Hole was like being sentenced to death. Just the mention of the place caused all color to leave their faces, and some almost fainted at the very notion of having to spend time in this tiny little room filled with spikes and poison, yet Malroth and the Builder were made of tougher stuff than that. He had to give the girl credit: if she was scared at all, she never showed it. He could never tell when she was anxious or afraid of anything, and he could respect that. Malroth wouldn't think less of her for ever admitting fear over something, but she seemed to be just fine, no matter what they faced.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since they'd been thrown into the Hole. Minutes, hours, days... All he knew was that the Builder drifted off to sleep first despite her uneasiness. She was curled up beside him, her form small compared to his. He knew she was cold wearing those tattered rags the guards considered clothes. Malroth radiated heat like a furnace, so he shifted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her in an attempt to share some of his body heat. She unconsciously snuggled closer and he smiled. She was cute when she was asleep, probably dreaming up all sorts of new inventions and blueprints to make everyone happier.

She wasn't a defenseless girl, but she was soft at heart and her physical strength didn't even come close to matching his. She was better at talking to people and helping them see reason than lifting a sword... Which was his specialty. He couldn't remember anything before waking up on the Isle of Awakening, but he knew he was made for battle. He had the strength of ten men at his disposal and he had enough muscle mass to help him look intimidating if his thunderous face and blazing red eyes weren't scary enough (he took it as a compliment when others told him this). Wherever he came from, he was obviously a warrior. He had to be. And that strength came in handy when others started to give the Builder a hard time.

While the Builder worked to nurture and encourage hope in the hearts of everyone they encountered, Malroth worked to protect her. Much like he couldn't explain his comfort in this dingy cell, he couldn't explain what drove him to keep her safe. There was just something that made him want to look after her and ensure she was alright. It was that drive that led to them becoming close friends. She built things, he destroyed anything that got in her way. She made him stronger weapons, he used said weapons to keep the monsters from hurting her. They'd initially been partners trying to recruit more people to the Isle of Awakening, but many days and nights of talking, sharing stories with each other (the Builder mostly had stories to share; Malroth couldn't remember anything of his previous life), solving puzzles, and fighting side-by-side had resulted in them realizing they rather enjoyed each other's company. Malroth liked being around her; her bubbly optimism was contagious, and she never looked at him like a freak. Many others tended to give him a wide berth until they got to know him better, but from day one, the Builder had always treated him like a regular person. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when the Builder hadn't smiled at him or brightened as soon as she caught sight of him. Even when he tried his hand at building, only to have it literally blow up in his face, she'd still encouraged him to keep trying. She still made stronger weapons for him and cheered him on whenever he was fighting, whether he was in the heat of battle or playfully sparring with one of the Khrumbul-Dun miners.

Malroth could recall, on one hand (thankfully), the amount of times a monster had knocked her out cold and he'd had to carry her back to their base. Rosie and Babs had been instrumental in helping him patch up her wounds and create medicinal herbs to take care of any aches and pains that persisted. It was those times that made him grateful he was so inhumanly strong. She was brave, but she didn't have the fighting skills to back it up. To see her face bruised, nose bloody, eye swollen shut from a well-aimed punch... Those thoughts alone inspired him to fight twice as hard. Even now, although they weren't battling baddies, to see the Builder in tattered clothing, probably starving from only being allowed one cabbage a day... It bothered him. He hated the idea of her struggling, of not having everything she needed. He hated the idea of her going hungry, being cold, or suffering from some ailment that he couldn't fix with a swing of his club.

When he'd given her his cabbage their first night on this dreary island, he hadn't thought anything of it. It had seemed like a logical idea: he hardly ever felt hungry anyway, and even when he did, he never needed to eat much. She, on the other hand, seemed to have a more normal appetite. When he'd handed her his cabbage, she'd pulled him aside after they were out of the guards' sight.

"Please, you need this just as much as I do," she said, trying to give the vegetable back to him. "I don't eat much, so one cabbage is all I need."

Malroth refused, pushing it back into her hands. "You're already thin as it is."

"I'm thin, but not unhealthy. Please, Mal?"

"Keep it. It'll give me peace of mind."

She pouted. "And it'll give me peace of mind to know that you had something to eat."

"You know I don't need to eat. Besides, you're the one who always has a trick up her sleeve; you need everything at your disposal to help plan our escape. One extra cabbage can go a long way, you know."

The Builder's lips lifted into a tiny grin. It was the first she'd cracked a smile since they'd ended up on this accursed place. "And what am I going to do with a cabbage?"

"I mean, you could always throw it at one of the guards' skulls. Small headaches tend to morph into migraines, which means they'll be one guard short for when we sneak out of here. You have to look at the bigger picture here."

She giggled softly, that dopey grin still on her face. He liked that smile. It was good to see her smile again.

"Hey, boneheads! Stop flapping your jaw bones and get back to your cells, NOW!" a guard yelled, interrupting the moment.

The Builder sighed in defeat. "I'll keep it with me, but if you change your mind, let me know. I don't want you to go hungry."

"Not gonna happen, Builder, but I appreciate the sentiment. I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright?"

As the Builder slept on beside him, he felt his own eyelids growing heavier. Before he could close them and fall asleep himself, he was startled back to consciousness when he felt her cold, delicate hand slip into his. She wasn't awake or stirring, but she'd still reached for him, even in sleep. It made Malroth's heart melt.

He gave her hand a squeeze and could've sworn he saw her lips lift into a tiny smile despite the thick darkness around them.

He'd kept her safe thus far. He'd do whatever it took to make sure it stayed that way.