#Human Halbrand AU

[verecunda]

#human halbrand has stopped working and needs to rebooted #(tbh so has annatar but annatar is not waking up on that chest)

@malkaleh (copying your tags on a new post so save op's notifications XD)

Halbrand was planning, as part of his Seduce Celebrimbor Plan (much hardship! very stress!) to find an opportunity to get shirtless in the forge.

He was not remotely prepared for Celebrimbor getting shirtless in the forge.

(Mirdania has to gently lift his jaw back into place.)

[hazelmaines]

I made this to accurately represent my feelings about your "Closer" fic.

I LOVE THIS!!! 🩵🩷

The only bad thing in store in the Closer-verse is that Bronwyn and Hal will both die. So they both are hoping their elf widows will want to at least be platonic life mates or something when they're dead.

That's my hc for the story anyway. Future parts are on hiatus but certainly planned 😍

Thank you for making this iconic meme for our favorite ME polycule!!

[buffyfan145]

So glad "The War of the Rohirrim" NYCC panel had a live stream today as I was able to watch it and I'm even more excited to see it!!! 😀 Stephen Colbert moderated and revealed he got to see the movie already and loved it. Am tagging as spoilers but from what the writers, director, producers, and cast talked about today mostly does match what is in the LOTR appendices. Also tagging "Rings of Power" as they actually mentioned it when talking about Héra.

First off the creative team talked about the movie and how they wanted to expand of Helm's daughter Héra, as she was unnamed in the books but the story does revolve so much around her since the war all starts because of the rejected marriage proposal from Wulf's father to unite her and Wulf and their people.

Brian Cox, who voices Helm Hammerhand, said Helm and Héra's relationship is a very loving father/daughter one and sets up things that happen later in the story. Brian also told some funny stories too and loved being able to be part of a LOTR movie.

The producers want us to love Wulf before we hate him and he's very different at the beginning of the movie before his father's death. Sounded very similar to the "ROP" creatives about how they made Sauron/Halbrand on the show. Stephen also said he was impressed with how amazing Wulf's hair is the whole movie. LOL

Gaia Wise and Luke Pasqualino then both talked about Héra and Wulf's relationship and confirmed there is a whole "What if?" situation with them as it's hinted at they likely would've married anyway if what happened between their fathers never happened. They teased about it being similar to childhood friends growing up and falling in love if the worst hadn't happened. I had also seen from a preview of the upcoming artwork book that Wulf is in love with Héra, but for her character only teased that she never realized it and till that point never thought of it. I'm very curious where this is going to go as I've also seen she tries to use their friendship to get him to stop the war. This is also why I keep tagging my posts about this movie as Haladriel as it does feel similar to them on "ROP" and even some of our AU fics where we kept him as human.

Gaia also confirmed she used a few LOTR characters as inspirations for Héra including her descendant Éowyn (Miranda Otto also narrates this movie as her too), but she also named Galadriel. I've noticed this too not just from "ROP" but from the books and how younger Galadriel is described to be.

The producers also said they are thinking of other LOTR anime movies after this. Depends on how successful this movie is and they will be making live-action movies like "The Hunt for Gollum" too.

They also showed some clips but us watching the live stream couldn't see. One of these clips showed that there is a Ring of Power involved. I don't think it's the One Ring but very curious what that means, especially since Wulf usually does end up recruiting some of the Easterlings that work for Sauron.

There was a motion tapestry of scenes from the movie released and a new song by a well known singer called "The Rider" will be released in November.

[verecunda]

Also, I feel it's important to stress that while Halbrand is going 🤨🔎 at every conversation between Celebrimbor and Annatar, he's also feeding Mr Mouse crumbs from his lunch. This is very important, actually.

[verecunda]

@malkaleh !!!!!!

celebrimbor and halbrand #CELEBRANDED 🔥🔥🔥

whoops, i sketched this when I was supposed to be working on something else. Just a WIP sketch, not finished at all, but i wanted to share 🙏

[constellationofaster]

I love how haladriel is easy to have sooooo many different paths to go down with them. Not that I’m saying it’s really any different or better than other ships of any fandom, but I find their chemistry off the charts and it’s so fun to have so many various AUs and ideas, especially within the world of Arda that we all love.

We can explore human!Halbrand, Dark Queen!Galadriel, mind palace, modern enemies, redemption, etc. The story in itself depicts how many paths open up to these characters and the choices that they make. Having hundreds of different variations trailing from a central point is so fun. I also never get tired of a lot of tropes so it’s so fun to read variations of a similar style.

I just love how much we can “play dolls” as it were and how creative the fandom is. There are so many different ways to appreciate this ship 🫶

[hopeforchanges]

okay I can’t stop thinking about this: reverse role AU where halbrand is just a Middle-earth dude and galadriel is a fallen eldar. I mean, is it really such a stretch? Our girl is always teetering on the edge of a knife. escaping valinor after her master´s defeat, swimming in the ocean five feet apart from death cause she ain´t going back she runs into a floating raft of raggedy ass humans but oh what´s this, is that the most chill, unbothered fellow she has ever met? mr im just minding my own business woman but hey get over here you. i like you. galadriel has indeed learned a lot of useful magic by morgoth´s side but none more useful than shapeshifting. and so the most famous fallen eldar who used to masquerade as numerous creatures of darkness is now just a human woman intending to hide in numenor and convince the mightiest kingdom of men she is their long lost sister and the gods are a bunch of assholes who deserve nothing but pain and suffering and their uber score dropped below 3 stars so no maiar could ever pick them up just so they could ride the backs of men like they´re not the ones doing all the work. if only this normal middle-earth dude didn´t get himself a job at a smithy, and wasn´t so kind and didn´t make her laugh and forge all sorts of trinkets with a deep connection to numenor which he like everyone else thinks is her home. and if only he didn´t pick a fight with Chancellor Pharazon defending her honor and didn´t get himself judged and sentenced to death, then perhaps galadriel could continue on with the plan to regain her dark queen glory of the first age and not think about how to destroy the people she needs for this one normal middle-earth dude …

[wreckedhead]

Guys, hear me out. Last night I had this insane dream where Galadriel and Sauron somehow got transported to our world, in the present day, but with all their normal modern human and their Middle-earth memories intact. I think this can be a really fun AU fanfic 😭

So, in this world, Galadriel(her modern name is not Galadriel btw) is a 20y.o something fresh graduate looking for a job, she still has both her memories from Middle-earth and modern world after she 'transported' herself from Valinor out of boredom. The same thing happens to Sauron, he has all his memories intact just like Gal. Things get spicy when Galadriel ends up applying for a job at Sauron’s company where he's the director. He’s reviewing applications for fun and spots one that stands out the most, her name might be different, but the resemblance from the picture is uncanny. Naturally, he sets up a personal interview to see if it’s really her.

Galadriel, confused because she had both her memories of Middle-earth and modern time at the same time, she’s confused, but since her current memories tell her she’s supposed to be job-hunting, she shows up to the interview anyway. It’s some kind of corporate lawyer gig (can’t remember exactly), but when she sees the interviewer, she’s stunned. Sitting across from her is none other than Sauron, the man she despised, longed, and the last person she wanted to see in her new life, except this Sauron looking man is sporting a modern look, short hair, Halbrand but very clean, and all that. Galadriel has to keep her cool and act like she has no idea who he is, all while trying not to blow her cover.

Anyway, Sauron calmly interviews Galadriel, who is stumbling a bit as she talks. In reality, Sauron knows exactly who the woman in front of him is, but he chooses not to reveal his identity (again), because there's a chance this woman might not be the Galadriel he once knew and longed for, so he obviously accepted her to the company with no hesitation.

Now, here’s the twist: While it’s Galadriel’s first time living in the modern world, it’s not for Sauron. He’s been stuck here for ages after THE one ring is destroyed. After countless failed attempts to return to Middle-earth, dying a bunch of times, and realizing world domination doesn’t really work in the 20 something century, he’s settled for just trying to blend in. But now that Galadriel has shown up, his heart is beating out of his chest (damn these weak mortal bodies!). He’s determined not to mess this up and is even entertaining the idea of a intimate relationship with her. This time, he’s not going to let her slip away even if he’s not sure if this version of her is the real deal.

Of course, both of them try to act like they don’t remember Middle-earth and this modern world is where they belong. But it’s harder than it seems, especially since Sauron still has some power over Galadriel at their workplace. Eventually, Galadriel gets so frustrated and accidentally blurts out something in Sindarin (oops). That’s when Sauron realizes she’s the one and only Galadriel of Lorien, and he’s beyond ecstatic. Finally, he’s not alone in this strange world anymore yayy.

Naturally, Sauron being Sauron, he starts getting possessive, and maybe a little obsessed. He even follows her home after work (yes, YOU style). He watches her closely at the office, keeps an eye on her at home, and tries to keep her around by piling on extra work. He’s trying to show his “affection,” but let’s be honest, it’s still kinda creepy. He tones down his sadistic and creepy side a bit though. Meanwhile, Galadriel is all mixed up. Deep down, she still has feelings for Halbrand, and she’s always fantasizing about him turning to the good side. But after seeing how much this Sauron’s attitude has changed, she starts to soften.

Their relationship gets intimate, to the point where Galadriel invites Sauron over for dinner at her place. But honestly before this, she was already suspicious of him and kept testing whether he was really Sauron or not right here in her flat. Sauron, however, plays it cool and convinces her that he’s just an ordinary harmless corporate slave in this world.

After dinner, they’re chilling on the couch, watching TV. Galadriel, exhausted from cooking, falls asleep on Sauron's thigh. While she’s asleep, Sauron starts stroking her hair and whispers, “For thousands of years, i searched for you and waited for you. I can’t believe you’re actually here, with your face, your body, your beauty that never changed. Don’t ever leave me again Galadriel.” He says it all in Black Speech, for no reason.

What Sauron doesn’t know is that Galadriel is only half-asleep. She hears everything and is freaked out but also thought that maybe what Sauron said was just part of a dream, since she was only half-conscious. She tries to stay calm and pretends to still be sleeping. The next morning, Sauron is gone as expected and Gal heads to work as usual but starts watching Sauron closely, spying on him to see if anything is off. For weeks, nothing happens. No weird behavior, no red flags.

Finally, she decides to invite him over again to see if he’s really Sauron. She uses the excuse of wanting to cook dinner again, because she had found a new recipe (Sauron and Galadriel often talked about food, since they both turned out to be big fans of cooking and trying new cuisines). but she’s secretly planning to confirm once and for all if this man is the Dark Lord himself.

After that, things in my dream got blurry, as they often do, but the gist of it is that during their second dinner, Galadriel invited Sauron to cook together. She was keeping a close eye on him the whole time, especially when he was chopping the ingredients. And of course, Sauron, with his usual expertise, sliced everything perfectly. It wasn’t enough to confirm anything for Galadriel, but there was a moment when he sharpened the knife using a technique she knew wasn’t from this era. That’s when she finally decided to say something.

“You know, there was someone i once trusted deeply, his knifing skill is legendary, and i admired him a lot, but he betrayed me… and basically everyone i cared about,” Galadriel said gloomly.

Sauron replied, “Oh? What did he do? Can you tell me more about him?”

“He did too many things for me to explain in just one dinner, but for short, he's a megalomaniac asshole. Oh, and also he had many names,” Galadriel added.

Sauron gave a small smile when she mentioned that the person from her past had many names, but also pissed she called him a megalomaniac asshole

“Tell me one of them. I’d like to know why he had so many names,” Sauron asked.

“I… don’t want to remember him. I’m happy with my life now, haha,” Galadriel replied, brushing it off with a laugh.

In that moment, Sauron could only stare at Galadriel as she focused on the meal she was preparing. Inside, he was wrestling with his emotions, he desperately wanted to tell her that he was the one she despised, the very being she had trusted and then lost. He longed for her to love him for who he truly was, not the shadow of his past nor the suave of a man he is right now. This was the first time Sauron felt genuine fear creeping in.

Fear of rejection. Fear of his identity being exposed. And fear that the deep longing he felt for her might never be returned. As he watched her stirring the vegetables, the walls he had built around his heart began to crumble, revealing a vulnerability he hadn’t faced in centuries. Would she ever see him as more than the monster he once was?

After that, things started to get jumbled in my dream, and I could only recall bits and pieces of what happened next. I guess you can let your wild imagination take over for the rest.

Honestly, in this dream, Sauron was pretty creepy. At one point, he even sneaked into Galadriel’s room while she was away and began sniffing her bed and clothes. It’s almost like Sauron was tapping into that possessive side of him, getting a little too carried away with his feelings for her. Maybe this is just who he is deep down, haha!

This has all the makings of a chaotic, toxic, fun AU with a mix of modern world absurdity, supernatural tension, and romance ofc. What do you think?

[verecunda]

Furious, jealous, possessive, vengeful, etc.

But there's also a part of him, deep down inside that's grieving as he watches the two of them together, the bright looks and the lingering smiles, the warmth between them, the genuine companionship as they stand over an anvil together, deep in their shared enthusiasm of their craft. Because it's been so long, so many long ages, since he's known true companionship like that. He thinks of Eönwë, of those early days when they were young spirits exploring this new world together, and suddenly he wants to weep.

It is important to note in the human!halbrand au that Annatar is screamingly jealous. Like how dare this mortal touch his shiny emotional support elven smith/future torture victim he might want for his own special possession he is So Angry.

Also That Fucking Human keeps giving him flashbacks to Her and Her Stupid Scruffy Boyfriend He Could Not Get Anyone To Grab.

And then then to top it off Her (now combined with like every single being who also annoyed) 2.0 Has Turned Up. Sauron somehow has a migraine.

@verecunda

[galstelperion]

The Indelible Fate (COMPLETED)

A/N: After nearly a year of work, I've finally got this finished piece for you all. A Haladriel Vampire AU that brings together a lot of gothic themes I found a lot of joy in expanding in. This one sees Galadriel as a human orphan girl growing up in the Southlands, she has Halbrand at her side, and a big man like Melkor to call her adoptive father.

WARNINGS: Blood kink, incest, dead dove, rape/non-con elements (see ao3 for full list of tags)

CHAPTERS: 36/36

WORDS: 151,871

SUMMARY:

When the Noldor curse takes out the last remnants of Galadriel's family, she is sent to live in The Southlands with the famed lord Bauglir and his only son, Halbrand. Coming of age in his shadowy manor estate, becoming the lady of the house, she must contend with Melkor's ambitions and her undeniable feelings for the smith she now calls her brother. Above all, her new family is shaped by their closely held secrets, an insatiable lust, and ever growing draw to power.

A power she has come to long for too.

Available on Archive Of Our Own

[dreamlandcreations]

Make it make sense...

Look away fragile canon and show canon likers, this is an attempt to make an unholy merging of the two (bc I like Halbrand, okay?! I'm weak 🙈)

Okkkkkkay so....

in canon canon making the rings took like 300+ years, right? So Annatar is in Eregion for this time, teaching the elven smiths the crafting he learned with the Valar... (EXTRA SLOWBURN OPPORTUNITY HERE!!! HELLO!!! Why isn't anyone writing this???)

Anyway... the Halbrand issue...

It could work as far as he was in hiding from the Valar... maybe even lost his physical form at some point after the defeat of Morgoth... I'm not sure about that goo concept but I'm not entirely against it. Let the blorbo suffer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What I cannnnnnnnot swallow is that ridiculous plotline of Sauron pitching to the orcs like it's election day (and the actor and whole scene is just noppppppppppppe for me) - purged by this unholy merge!

Adar is also a no for me, sorry not sorry...

On second thought... Let's go with Sauron trying to heal Middle-earth motivation and experimenting with the unseen world's power... Maybeeeeee something went wrong and puff his physical form... Then Adar can take over... 🤔

Slight detour... Galadriel... just no... I have not much further to comment on that, just no... THIS is not Galadriel! I stopped watching at the first attempt bc of her, I didn't even get through the first episode of the show then (not that I didn't skip most of it now but you know)... just no... she could have been a random made up elf like Tauriel and I would be less mad about it... anyway... no...

Back to Halbrand... he is picked up by Elendil at sea, taken to Númenor... aaaaaaand I know nothing of Númenor ooops 🫣

Okay, no problem... to be wiki-ed: Númenor, Sauron scheming at Númenor (he did lose his form there with the bye bye wave from the Valar right? *confused noises*), Númenóreans fighting on Middle-earth, what was Galadriel doing at this age at all???

Galadriel could come into the picture with Númenor, making a random Númenórean take her place as the overeager warmonger wanting to defeat evil and be interested in the stranger coming from the worst of it...

Miriel sending our overeager to-be-later-killed-off filler character as an envoy or messenger or whatever to get more info and consult with the elves - Elrond - enter Galadriel...

Speaking of characters to be killed... Elendil's daughter whatshername... Eärien... sheeeeee could work as a weird version of Éowyn wanting to play with the boys and whatever she is on the show... (Is she supposed to live according to the lore??? nevermind, doesn't matter)

Anyway, Halbrand needs a littttttle peace and quiet in the human paradise on earth... few months? a year? - just needs a fic of its own, idk

Finally, we are at Galadriel meets Halbrand... the supposed king who they will help fight evil... (Issue: Galadriel (and elves in general?) see into people...) WAIT! wait wait wait... Mordor... SA1000... Rings... SA1200-1600 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

...

okay okay this could still work

We are fighting Adar at the South in 1000 as Halbrand... he remains king and after saving Galadriel in battle they became friends even... until something happens... maybe she finally senses darkness in him or whatever... he is sent away from Lindon or wherever Galadriel was at the time and returns to rule the South as Halbrand....

(OMG EPIC FIC IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!! soulmate au? definitely reincarnation starting with human reader from Númenor being his queen and later somehow (he tinkered with dark magic and stuff) she returns as an elf in Eregion!)

uhm where was I????? Oh yeah, Halbrand is presumed to be dead after 200 years or so, and Sauron returns as ✨Annatar✨ (not even going to Galadriel or Elrond but to Gil-Galad or straight to Celebrimbor? 🤔)

[eowyn7023]

This is set in an alternate Season 1 AU, in which Waldreg fails, Orodruin never erupts, and human King Halbrand of the Southlands defeats the Uruks with Númenor’s help. Sauron is still dead, so there is no fading crisis (yet) for the Elves.

Galadriel is fascinated by the Uruk leader, and seduces him after his capture. Then she lets him go (Adar in Chains). He pulls the Uruk survivors together and finds safety for them in the Misty Mountains. Now she has coaxed Adar to visit her in Lindon. Or, Galadriel ties Adar up in the woods.

[lisenberry]

Lizzah's Haladriel (Halbrand + Galadriel, The Rings of Power) Masterlist

Series:

Chef Halbrand - A spicy modern restaurant AU.

The nightly escapades of the staff at Shenanigans, with Galadriel as the new waitress, Celeborn as her boyfriend/boss, and Halbrand as the ex-con line cook.

The ocean is holding all the kings - A collection of related canon adjacent AUs.

Begins with a missing scene of Halbrand crafting Galadriel's suit of armor, and ends with the Galadriel sailing for Valinor at the end of the Third Age.

Completed:

Love is heavy and light, bright and dark - Haladriel Fic Exchange Spring 2024 Entry

A Regency fairytale featuring a ball, a pair of star-crossed lovers, a peculiar dagger, a borrowed dress, and revenge.

No Crying (In Baseball) - A League of Their Own AU

While her husband is missing in action and presumed dead in WWII, Goldie O’Finarfin signs up to play baseball in the All Arda Girls Professional Baseball League to distract her from the grief of losing so many of her loved ones to war. She clashes with the surly team manager, Hank Smith, a recently returned veteran battling his own demons.

All the dead seem to know where I am - Hellbrand and Ghouladriel Halloween Week 2023 Entry

One was never to speak of Sauron in the dark, or alone. For his very name was an abomination. A curse. A cautionary tale of what happened to lesser beings who dreamed too loftily, aspired too greatly. Who coveted the power only held by the gods.

It burns like hell when two souls meet - Hellbrand and Ghouladriel Halloween Week 2023 Entry

A horror/noncon, in the vein of the Exorcist, where the demon Sauron possesses human Halbrand, and the nun-in-training Galadriel does her best to save him.

Where you drew the line, I would cross the line (a thousand times) - The Cutting Edge AU

A dubcon romcom with Galadriel as the rich figure skater, and Halbrand as the injured hockey player looking for another chance at glory.

WIPs:

Come on love, draw your swords - Roman Empire AU

Galadriel Artanis is the last princess of an ancient Celtic tribe wiped out by General Sauronius, under the command of Emperor Melkor. Sauronius wishes to keep her as his war prize, but she has other plans.

Take care of the blood that your love runs through - Milkman/Appalachia AU

Celeborn leaves his new wife Galadriel home at his dilapidated family farmhouse while he's away on business. Dairy farmer Halbrand stops in to check on his pretty neighbor every now and then.

[myfavouritelunatic]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💙

Awww thank you so much for this! ❤️

My five favourite fics I’ve written…

1. The Blacksmith - my epic Halbrand/Sauron x Reader (and Galadriel - LONG LIVE THE POWER POLYCULE) story that is to this day my longest fic ever. 102k! I’m so damn proud of it and am still in disbelief I even wrote it! Set during the events of The Rings of Power Season One and beyond, it’s a tale of love and destiny and how the two intertwine, for good and for evil.

2. Your Blood, Your Power - first time ever writing a modern AU (I used to avoid them and now that is NOT the case). Haladriel/Saurondriel Vampire AU that sees Gal as a huntress, tangled in lust (and love? 😜) with her evil vampire nemesis Hal. People have told me it reminds them of Buffy and True Blood and I’m just floored by that!!

3. I Felt It Too - a one shot that I’ve been asked to continue (I promise one day I will!). Haladriel/Saurondriel, basically what if they weren’t interrupted during that scene on the log before Orodruin erupted. 😏

4. Two Rings - two short companion pieces about Saurondriel, set during the Third Age. Their rings of power can’t help but remind them of each other and what they lost, what they could’ve had.

5. I’m sorry but I’m cheating and picking two because I CANNOT decide between them:

Shake Like the Bough of a Willow Tree - Human!Halbrand what if tale about Orodruin never erupting. From Hal’s POV (and I think I told someone recently I hadn’t written his POV before when duh of course I have). Haladriel one shot, inspired by the song Movement by Hozier.

And… Barred - Haladriel one shot, another what if, set during their brief time imprisoned together in Númenor. Basically a PWP 😂

[buffyfan145]

Loving all the new art work that's out from the new LOTR books about "The War of Rohirrim" coming out!!! 😀 I've linked to Fellowship of Fan's Twitter/X thread with all the new preview images. Be warned though as there's some more spoilers included about the characters and plot from the movie. Also, as a Haladriel shipper I know I keep saying how much Hera and Wulf are reminding me of them in the human Halbrand AUs, but there's even more after reading the preview pages on Wulf's character especially. I can't wait to see the movie in December!!!

[verecunda]

#re previous tags: and then human!halbrand saves middle#*earth via being incredibly good looking smith nerd#(sorry annatar celebrimbor too busy making out with human)#tv: rings of power

@malkaleh sdfgjks Annatar is left standing out in the rain because Celebrimbor was too busy bringing Halbrand inside and warming him up. :')

or Annatar eventually does weasel his way into Ost-in-Edhil, and Halbrand instantly clocks that this guy is sus (he's spent a fair amount of time pretending to be someone he's not, okay, it takes one to know one). He finally decides the only thing for it is to seduce Celebrimbor himself, to keep his attention diverted from whoever the hell this is. Ethereal blond beauties are ten a penny in Elvendom, but rugged, roguishly charming human blacksmiths are at a premium. He has a decided advantage here. ;)

The end of it all is, by the time Galadriel and Elrond & co. win through to Eregion, Annatar has already departed in wrath, and they're just in time for Celebrimbor and Halbrand's betrothal feast. They're utterly bamboozled, but hey, Sauron is thwarted and it's about time Celebrimbor found someone.

(Halbrand remains the most confused out of anyone. One minute he was soggy and miserable on a raft, now he's Lord Consort of Eregion. He's not complaining, but honestly, how is this his life?? XD)

thinking about the scene of Halbrand in Adar's camp and I cannot help but imagine what would have gone on Halbrand's head if he *hadn't* been Sauron in disguise. Try to imagine being that poor guy-

you try to bargain with your enemy for the wellbeing of your own and *his* people only for said enemy to get super suspicious and aggressive at the mention of his ex (boss)

you immediately get antagonized and threatened with torture??? Like alright you attempted to kill him during battle before but you're hardly the first one right?

you remind said enemy of his toxic ex and/or the enemy suspects you actually might be that same toxic ex (while you are completely unaware and know none of this, so his behavior makes absolutely no fucking sense to you)

the guy then waxes a monologue about how he met the aforementioned toxic former boss through an equally toxic work environment seemingly unprompted and completely at random while you lie in chains, beaten and bruised, and have to listen to his life/relationship problems.

"I drank it all" great he is making all of this weird now - ever heard of TMI dude?

you randomly become the subject of some kind of humiliation kink??? Out of the blue?? Like did the others also have to put their heads at the guy's feet or...? Plus the same dude who makes you do this won't stop looking at you a certain way

you get branded and have to swear loyalty to him. which. somehow makes the most sense out of all the things happening in this fucked up situation??

after all that, you get to leave. Utterly confused. Like what just happened?!

Poor Halbrand would have been like "dude what the heck is this guy's problem?!" the whole time.