#I want Combeferre to keep on learning about things he's interested in and sharing his knowledge

[portgasdsue]

Sometimes I wonder why I like scrolling through Les Amis text posts or shitposts (like, posts where they speak to each other and make jokes and have fun with the Ami: "" format, idk) so much and spend hours looking for them and reading, and then,, I realize,, "so I do this because I need to imagine them talking and having a good time together and stuff in order to stop being sad about them and this is yet another sign of me not getting over their deaths because I try to make myself feel like they're still alive and I'm going to cry-"

[midautumnnightdream]

Please ramble more about your les Mis/LOTR crossover concept! Where does each ami find themselves when they wake up, how/where/in what order do they find each other, what do they do upon finding themselves in Arda? I want to know all about this.

Friend! I'm being Very Enabled :D

(uh sorry it took me so long to answer; the last couple of weeks turned out to be A Lot, but the EXTREME WALL OF TEXT of this ramble might at least justify the delay. Consider yourself warned!)

Anyway!

Okay, as I said before, the basis of this concept is Pure Aesthetics, so any "logic" is derived from moving backwards from the result that I wanted. But! There is a sort of method to the madness, which is that the Amis are distributed to Middle-Earth in the same order as they die, spiraling outwards from the central point of somewhere-in-Rohan on the same date they die –so Prouvaire and Bahorel appear closest to each other on the 5th of June 3018 and Feuilly, Joly, Bossuet, Courfeyrac and Combeferre land in a loose circle around them a day later, increasingly further away from each other, but not super far. Grantaire and Enjolras, For Reasons, get propelled a lot further away in separate directions. But more of that later.

So! Bahorel and Prouvaire find each other pretty quickly and establish that something Extremely Weird has happened. Being themselves, they are more excited than confused or upset about the situation and immediately set about exploring this new world. In a way, out of all the Amis they are perhaps the most suited for it: Rohan with vast countryside and mountains and mysterious forests, with the oral culture that honours the poet and glorifies the warrior; the horses, the tapestries, even the shadow of some great evil they do not yet understand but can feel in every unspoken concern – it's something of a Romantic medievalist's dream, isn't it? Sure, they also hear Some Bullshit about the way this country is run and have every intention of doing something about that in the future, but for the time being they are satisfied wandering about the countryside, exchanging songs and stories and exploring that forest they have been warned away from by everyone they meet. (Yes, they totally make friends with the ents, is what I'm saying.) They don't search for the other Amis because they have no reason to assume anyone else died –as far as they know, they're busy living happily in a new Republic. They learn otherwise soon enough, however.

What exactly happens with the next four Amis at first is the part that i'm least clear about – they'd have the same kind of initial confusion about the situation and P&B, but they each know for sure that all their friends should also be dead, and would try to look for them. Probably causing some Unsettling Rumours to spread a bit further than is strictly speaking ideal, but i also want most of them to find each other reasonably quickly, because the group dynamic is more of what i'm into here (esp because Bossuet probably landed somewhere terribly unlucky, poor dude.) Other than that I'm not sure, except that I want Feuilly somewhere with Dunlendings for a little while, because I can just *see* him having Unpopular Dunlending Opinions and getting glowered at by every Rohirrim he stubbornly voices them to.

Anyway, eventually I want that group to come together and... not quite settle, but to have something like a temporary home they can share and come back to, as they figure out what to do next. A place just outside of Edoras, perhaps? The kind of community that is getting increasingly twitchy about the state of affairs in Meduseld, enough to shelter this incredibly weird but friendly and helpful bunch of strangers whom Wormtongue is oh-so-curious about and to help dispel wilder rumours about them ("look they are just foreigners okay? From, um, Lake town. Yeah, Lake town"). Of course, healers are appreciated wherever they go, and so are bards, especially when they have a whole repertoire of songs and stories no one has heard before. Bahorel and Courfeyrac probably know their way around horses, for different reasons, Feuilly also has the kind of skills that would be appreciated and Bossuet, for all his bad luck has the resiliency of a cat who always lands on his feet. And if the lot of them get a bit Sarcastic about monarchy and tend to express the kind of ideas that might get everyone involved into a lot of trouble, well. People are Not happy and they'd welcome anything that goes counter to Orthanc influence in Edoras. Bahorel and Prouvaire still go wandering sometimes, leaving with the herders taking horses to pastures, in effort to find out more about what's going on and how they can help to influence events. But mostly, the Amis stick together.

Things are a bit... tense, once the inital shock passes. There is a lot of unspoken grief between them, for the home and people that are lost to them, for the revolution that could have been, for the future they cannot quite see themselves having in this world, and in a strange way, for each other. The whole situation is just so weird they have no idea how to process it and nothing to measure it against. On top of that, there are people missing in their group: by the time all seven of them come together, it's pretty clear it's just Amis showing up in this world, not everyone who dies, and knowing that the barricade was on a brink of a collapse, it'd make sense for Grantaire and Enjolras to be there too. Still, there is a possibility that they survived, by being taken prisoner or in R's case for being missed because he was asleep – and at this point, no one can quite figure out which option they should be hoping for. Not to mention, Enjolras absence shifts the group dynamic around quite a bit and each of them finds themselves having to pick up some emotional slack – which they do, quite well, but in addition to obvious obligations of coordination and decision-making, there is stuff like Bahorel having to pick fights with Combeferre when he's stressed, so he could argue his heart out without having to hold back, or Courfeyrac and Lesgle taking extra time to attentively listen to Feuilly when he's having Dunlending Opinions. On top of that, they are still trying to find a place in this new world and there is this sense of tense expectation, of coming storm.

Grantaire though. He takes Enjolras's hand, he smiles and when he wakes up, he's in Gondor of all places, all alone and very far from everyone he ever knew. "Now why would you do this, you monster??" you might think. And the answer is, well, symmetry. Aesthetic. Enjolras finds himself alone. So Grantaire must be alone too. On top of that, there is the appeal of our guy Grantaire, just after his big moment of revelation, being put into a situation where he has to live with the full implications of it, without being able to revert back to the expectations as he might if he was surrounded by his friends. Gondor is complicated sort of place. Denethor... is not going to miss a universe-traveler landing in his backyard. Nor would he neither dismiss him out of hand or trust him fully. He knows there is a reason for this, but there is no way to figure out what it could be, no more than he can figure out Grantaire; still reeling with the exhilaration of taking a leap of faith, in some ways a transfigured man, but still with all his foibles. Including talking too much, in references that no one in this world could possibly decipher.

So what happens is, once Faramir catches on to what's happening (because no way is Faramir either going to miss an universe-traveler in his backyard) Denethor pretty much hands R over to him, like "Yeah keep an eye on him and figure out what he's on about, or at least get him to shut up." and whooo boy do i have Thoughts about this character combination. Because Grantaire would be like. Reminded of half of his friends within minutes of meeting this guy (which, ouch) but also.. those sure are some Politics he's got there. Would there be A Debate? Sooner or later, probably! Probably despite Grantaire's better judgement! When on one hand you've got someone who is very convinced of the moral righteousness of his opinions, but is also very open to discussion and very very curious and discerning about what people are not saying, and on the other hand a person who is riddled with guilt over convictions unspoken, who perhaps feels like he owes the arguments to those who are not present to speak them, who's just... not good and not being contrary and shutting up ever. It could get really interesting – not in the sense of anyone getting Converted here, but I feel like both of them would end up with lot to think about (and Grantaire would end up as part of the team going to Ithilien at Important Moment)

And that's the other point – what would Grantaire do here, other than cautiously trying to express A Conviction? Well, mostly he'd try to keep himself afloat. In a moment of irony, in this situation he'd be the only Ami to never doubt that he's not alone in this world: partly it's the context of people around him immediately deciding his presence must serve some kind of Divine Purpose – and well, surely no Divinity would pick him to fulfill some destiny and not the other Amis right? But more than that, it's the fact that he Believes, so utterly, not only in Enjolras but in all of them, to the point of just Knowing they'd never abandon him in such a place. So he waits. And hangs on. And tries his best to fight the darkness on the horizon that seems to physically fog his mind and spirit, because he told Enjolras he's one of them, he's got to at least Try, right?

Onwards to Enjolras then! Okay this is the part that I've thought through the most and (**looks back over the length of the post so far**) Cripes. Umh, I’ll try to keep it concise?

Enjolras ends up at, or very close to Rivendell: this is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it's as good a place as you're ever going to find if you get dropped into a different universe with no idea what happened or how anything works, and also a very good (and very Aesthetic!) place to heal both physically or mentally but on the other hand, it's very far from where everyone else ended up and no rumour reaches him. So he has no idea what to think: he certainly hopes the others are also around somewhere, but for all his soaring faith, this is not something he can control, so he tries his best to find a way forward regardless of what happens.

So he keeps trying to learn everything he can about the world he is in, mostly with the help of a chatty old hobbit who tells him all the histories and helps him figure out the writing systems (look, everyone can just magically speak Westron okay?) And as fantastical as everything seems, and sundry dark lords notwithstanding, there is a lot that is broken about this world which is perhaps not so different from the one he left behind. All the same, it's clear that fighting Sauron must take the first priority.

(This is what he keeps telling himself when he finds out about the Heir of Isildur thing. Please just take a moment to imagine his expression.)

Anyway! The actual plot of the book would catch up soon enough, the Council of Elrond happens and as the Fellowship is being composed, it would become pretty damn clear for anyone with eyes what the Divine Forces were expecting Enjolras to do here. However, that brings me to the other point of curiousity which prompted this AU, and that is Enjolras and the Ring. Because I do feel like in his own painfully pragmatic, bright-burning idealistic way he would be pretty vulnerable to the Ring's influence. Not for a lack of self-awareness, or overconfidence, or for thinking that such means could ever be justified, but from the same impulse that had him shoot Le Cabuc: he's the sin-eater, he'd take that fall to spare the others in full expectation that they'd have to overcome him and render him harmless. And the Ring being what it is, it could use any opportunity to force such a decision, making it seem like the only option available whether that is the case or not. Even so, I'd think Enjolras would be quite self-aware – and also pretty upfront – about his own vulnerabilities and oh, it'd be such an interesting conversation to have between him and Frodo and Gandalf before a decision is made. Also, bonding with the hobbits! and the rest of the fellowship! Gimli would immediately adopt him, idk it's just the Truth. Having people ask him “are you an elf?” multiple times, which he’s so confused about! Hella awkward bonding time with Aragorn! xD

Oh and then The Plot would happen but Geez, this is already horrifyingly long. If you are still reading this and haven’t been bored to tears yet I might tell you about it another time!

[littlesmartart]

Pls pls share your Spartacus au!

most of this au is based off the starz tv show Spartacus and whilst hopefully people who’ve watched it will have an idea who each of the characters have been inspired by (if people are interested I can list them specifically), it’s not a direct translation so there aren’t really any spoilers here :) I have a few bits of art and a few scene ideas to post later but for now, here’s the basic breakdown of the characters and early plot - 

So they all live in a ludus - gladiator training villa - in capua, owned by a rich lanista (uh… Louis Phillipe? I guess??)

Enjolras is a high-up house slave who has been educated and is trusted to manage the finances and business deals. although he is considered by the other slaves to be in a very favourable role, he knows that he was only chosen for his position as a child because the lanista took a liking to his pretty face - and that he could lose it if he ever lost his looks - and it kindles a silent rage inside of him at the idea of any human being having power like that over another. he starts planning a revolution, planning to ally with the gladiators and overthrow their masters with the ultimate goal of amassing an army of freed slaves and sacking Rome.

He works primarily with Courfeyrac, one of the house’s star gladiators who is famous for being pretty and putting on a good show. although he seems, superficially, a cheerful man who enjoys his role, the Romans slaughtered his whole family and tore him from them when he was a teenager, so under his pleasant facade he’s silently burning for vengeance. this makes him somewhat hot-tempered. he fights in the murmillo style.

Enjolras also works closely with Combeferre, who helped patch up Bahorel when the ludus doctor passed unexpectedly, and showed a great aptitude for medicine. he still trains with his brothers but is now rarely sent into the arena, considered too valuable in his skills to be risked. Combeferre is actually pleased about this because although he’s good at it, he hates taking lives - he too was stolen from his village and was forced to watch them be killed, but does not seek vengeance, just a world where everyone has the opportunity to live in peace. when he fought, he fought in the dimachaerus style.

Grantaire is the house’s other star gladiator, who always fights drunk and doesn’t appear to give a shit about anything. this is mostly to hide the fact that he does, actually, really really care about many things, but when you’re a gladiator it’s all too easy to lose what you love, so he keeps everyone at a distance and affects apathy. Joly and Bossuet are the only two close enough with him to know how he came to be at the ludus, everyone else only knows that he’s been there the longest. he is also a dimachaerus fighter.

Jehan is a house slave from another ludus who stole a stylus to practice writing the language of his people, trying to preserve it in his memory, and got caught, so was sent to fight (and die) in the arena. incredibly, he actually managed to hold his own and survive when all the other slaves fell. Louis-Phillipe was so impressed he bought Jehan from his master and sent him to be trained as a gladiator. he fights with a spear.

Marius is a house slave who falls in love with Cosette, house slave of a rival ludus (a ward of the domina, specifically protected and kept chaste), and Eponine is a slave from that ludus who helps him keep in contact with her because she’s in love with him and it’s the only way she gets to see him. Valjean and Cosette are actually Romans, but when Valjean stole some bread to feed his daughter he was caught and sentenced to death - a lanista took “pity” on them and instead of killing Valjean claimed them both as house slaves.

Bahorel is another highly-respected gladiator, he fights with a huge hammer. Feuilly forges their weapons and armour. Bossuet is a house slave (he would be a terrible house slave BUT HE WOULD BE A WORSE GLADIATOR), Joly is a house slave who is being trained to take Combeferre’s place so he can go back to the arena, Musichetta is a house slave.

Courfeyrac and Bahorel agree that if they want any kind of chance defeating the lanista’s guards and the doctore Javert (ex-gladiator gladiator trainer) they’ll need Grantaire’s help, but every time they try and speak to him about the idea, he shuts them down straight away. so after a big win in the arena, Enjolras gets himself assigned as R’s reward so he’ll have a chance to talk to him with no one eavesdropping. It… doesn’t go well, to say the least (a story for another post), but now they’re stuck in the charade and the lanista sends Enjolras to Grantaire whenever he does well.

Grantaire isn’t interested in the revolution, because one slave rebelling against their master sentences the whole ludus to death, what the fuck, but on the off chance that they do pull it off he doesn’t want to see Enjolras die, so he offers to teach him to fight rather than them both just sitting around arguing every night. OBVIOUSLY THEY (eventually) FALL IN LOVE.

Courfeyrac is assigned to mentor Jehan when he arrives - they butt heads a lot initially because Jehan is devastated at losing his access to learning and hates being babied when he feels he’s proved his skills already in the arena, and Courf is used to being irresistible and resents having to train some newbie (even if the newbie is hot), but they eventually form a Fighting Bond (and after a few months, fall in love).

The day of revolution arrives when Louis Phillipe throws a huge party and gets the gladiators to fight each other for sport. Tactically it’s a good shout, as they’ll all already have weapons, all the guests will be drunk, high, and distracted, and no one outside will think anything of a bit of yelling and screaming. Joly, Bossuet and Musichetta put poison into the guards’ food, Feuilly sneaks them all extra weapons, and when the time is right BOOM they slaughter the whole house and go on the run to glory and, historically, certain death.

(original post here)

[mysunfreckle]

You said I could request stuff so get ready for a mountain of things!!! ❤️ I am a fan of slowly revealed things but I love love love that selkie Taire, dragon Enj AU and I need to know what the others are please please pretty please??? I need more JBM as well so if you wanna combine the two I mean... I won't complain 😉😊 You're a sweetheart and feel free to give ME prompts bc I have no clue what to write now 😂

[I was so pleased you asked for this! Here you go, ~1.8k of j/b/m ❤️]

Joly likesto travel and they are particularly fond of meeting new people. The merrowsthat inhabit the sea around here are rather old-fashioned though. They only goup the surface when there is a storm on the water and they hardly ever approachthe shore. Joly had to ask his new friend Grantaire if there was any convenientriver he could use to swim further inland. Luckily there was and now Joly ishappily swimming upstream. They like the feeling of freshwater on their skin,even if the salt being rinsed from their hair always makes it stand on end inodd ways. Besides, there are certain things to be found on land that cannot begot from the sea. Today, for instance, Joly is in quest of willow bark. When itcomes to remedies against pain there really is no substitute.

Joly istaking their time though, allowing themself to enjoy the scenery as they swimsteadily against the flow of the river. With only their head just above thewater they look no different from a human out for a swim, at least to a casualobserver. Not that Joly has a particular reason to fear being discovered. Hehas learned from Grantaire that most of the humans around here are open mindedand that those that are not have by now learned to look the other way. In anycase there is no one walking near the river today and Joly swims in unhurriedtranquillity until they follow a bend in the river and spot a gorgeous willowtree. Joyfully they give a strong swish of their tail and swim to the grassybank. The drooping branches of the willow nearly reach the water, casting acool shadow across the rippling stream, but the tree itself is out of Joly’sreach. Admiringly they look up at the elegant braches.

“I’ve neverseen a mermaid so interested in a tree.”

Jolysplashes their tail in surprise. The voice came from above them!

“I’msorry,” they say politely. “I can’t see you at the moment so I don’t know whereto look, but yes I’m very interested in this tree!”

“Why?

“It’svery beautiful for a start,” Joly says pleasantly, peering into the tree. Theyare certain whoever is speaking must be hidden there. “But I’m also hoping tocollect some bark for its medicinal purposes.”

“Hmm…” Thevoice is pleasant, but a little wary. “Well, at least you’re nice about it.” Arustling passes through the leaves of the willow and suddenly Joly sees asshape on one of the sturdier, low hanging branches, that stretches out towardsthe river. A moment ago there was nothing there, but now there is a young womandraped across the branch, hair cascading down just like the willow’s leafytwigs. She is dressed in leaves and her slender arms and legs blend inperfectly against the willow bark.

Joly isdelighted. They have never met a woodsprite before.

“Hello,”the woodsprite smiles and she studies them with large, expressive eyes. “Are you a mermaid?” she asks after amoment. “You don’t look like a merrow…”

“No,” Jolysmiles. “I’m a jiaoren, but I must be closely related to both. My name is Joly.”

“Mine’sMusichetta,” she answers and with an elegant movement she slides off the branchand let’s herself drop down between the roots of her tree.

She israther close now and Joly can clearly see how beautiful she is. “Nice to meetyou,” he smiles.

She smilesback, slowly steps away from her tree towards the water’s edge, and extends asmall hand. Joly takes it in his webbed one and shakes it with another smile.As soon as they let go Musichetta returns to her tree. But she drapes herself acrossthe branch again, looking down on Joly curiously. “What do you need the barkfor?” she asks. “Do you need to cure someone?”

Joly shakestheir head. “At the moment I only want to study it. I’ve heard a lot about itseffectiveness against pain and inflammation.”

“You dothat a lot,” she asks interestedly. “Go around studying healing things?”

“Yes,” Jolysays cheerfully. They’re not really used to being asked this many questions,but they’re more than happy to talk. “It’s one of the reasons why I travel.”

“Where doyou come from then?” she asks with another curious glance at his face.

“The SouthSea by China,” he smiles.

Her eyesspark with delight. “Tell you what,” she says. “I will give you some bark frommy tree if you tell me about your travels.”

To talkabout themself to someone genuinely interested in them seems hardly a trade toJoly, but when they laughingly tell her this Musichetta says:

“Who saysdeals should be disagreeable? I’ve never made a single deal that didn’t pleaseme.”

Joly smilesat the sparkle in her eyes and finds a seat for themself on the river bank. “Whatdo you want to know?” they ask.

It turnsout Musichetta wants to know a great deal. Far too much to tell in oneconversation. So Joly comes back the next day, and the next day, and again acouple of day later. It was never really Joly’s intention to stay in this partof the world, but they are seriously considering it now. It’s not justMusichetta, although Joly has to admit they have quite lost their head overher, this place has a lot to recommend itself. Grantaire is very good companyand he has introduced Joly to a fellow selkie called Éponine. Joly has even meta young vampire called Combeferre, who has a lot of very interesting knowledgeto share. All in all Joly is certainly tempted to stay and when the weeks passand Musichetta’s smiles turn to kisses they decide there really isn’t any otherplace they’d rather travel to than upstream to her tree.

They gothere almost every other day, usually when the sun is at its highest in the skyso Musichetta knows to expect them. Today Joly is running late, so they areswimming fast, fully submerged in the water. They could find their way throughthis river blindly by now and they know they are reaching the bend in whichMusichetta’s tree stands without looking.

Just asJoly is about to surface they hear a voice. Cautiously they peer up through theshimmering of the water’s surface. Musichetta sings to herself sometimes, butthis voice does not belong to her. It sounds unhurried and nonthreateningthough, so Joly slowly lets their head rise above the water. They are greetedwith the familiar view of Musichetta, hanging draped across the lowest branchof her willow, but lying beneath it is a stranger. He is lounging stretched outin the grass, leaning back elegantly on his elbows, and looks up at Musichettawith such a look of admiration that Joly feels a pang of jealousy. Thestranger’s looks do not help them one bit. Had he been scowling he would barelyhave been handsome, but he has as attractive a smile as Joly has ever seen andit is unclear to them whether it is the sun or his good humour that gives sucha glow to his dark brown skin. With very conflicted feelings they swim a littlecloser.

“What afine day,” the merry stranger smiles at Musichetta. “It started with me gettinglost, but what a lovely place to be lost in.” His eyes twinkle. “And whatexcellent company.”

“I’m notquite sure what suits you more, your lounging or your idle flattery,”Musichetta remarks challengingly from her branch.

“You haveseen me lounge,” the stranger smiles. “But you have not even heard my idleflattery. So far I have spoken only the truth.”

Jolybristles slightly at that, especially since Musichetta is clearly rathercharmed by him. They don’t exactly blame her, but it does give them a strangedisgruntled feeling they have never really felt before.

“Really,”the stranger continues. “Between, the sun, the grass and your eyes fixed on meI’m beginning to think myself the luckiest creature in this meadow.”

Musichettalaughs with a slight scoff in her voice. Just the sound of her laugh is enoughto make Joly decide that not even the uncomfortable feelings in their midriffare enough of a reason to give up spending the afternoon with Musichetta. Theygive a splash of their tail to announce their presence and swim to theriverbank.

“Joly!”Musichetta exclaims, sitting up on her branch.

Thestranger turns his head, still smiling, and sees Joly. “Well,” he says with a look of unrestrained admiration. “Ifthis isn’t unequivocal proof of my luck today, I don’t know what else couldpossibly convince me.”

Jiaoren donot blush, but Joly would have if they did. “Hello,” they say, still a littlereserved.

“Joly,darling,” Musichetta chimes. “This is Bossuet.”

“Joly,”they nod.

“Pleasureto meet you,” Bossuet says brightly. “Really.”He looks from Musichetta to Joly and sits up a little straighter. “Oh, I’msorry! Am I interrupting a scheduled meeting?”

“You areactually,” Musichetta says, throwing a glance at Joly.

Bossuetjumps to his feet. “And here I am talking away at you both.” He shakes hishead. “Forgive me.” He laughs at them both by turn and Joly is seriouslywondering if it is even possible to feel resentment towards someone thatradiates so much cheerfulness. They likeBossuet. They hardly know him and they like him.

“I will leavethis lovely meadow to you lovely creatures,” Bossuet sighs. “And take myselfelsewhere.��

Jolyglances at Musichetta, who gives them a look that seems to say: we could keephim?

“You canstay,” they say, lifting themself out of the water to sit on the riverbank.

Bossuetlooks delighted. Musichetta smiles.

“You haveto trade something though,” Joly says, slanting their head playfully andshooting a twinkling look up at Musichetta.

“Oh yes,”she agrees. “We’re very big on trades.”

Bossuetpats the pockets of his colourful suit. It’s a fine suit, but badly cared for, itsrumpled and full of grass stains. “I don’t have a lot to give,” he laughs. “Butask whatever you want, if I have it I’ll give it.”

Joly grins.“Do you know any good stories?”

Bossuetgives him a look that feels warmer than the noon sun. “So many.”

“Are any ofthem about yourself?” Joly smiles.

“Only the tragicallycomedic ones,” Bossuet quips.

“Oh dotell,” Musichetta invites, letting her arms dangle down on either side of herbranch.

“Yes,” Jolysmiles warmly. “Please do.”