#MarigoldVance writes

[stelly38]

These were the photosets I did for the Gatheringfiki holiday event. Thanks to @linane-art for welcoming my contributions and thanks to the writers that made stories to go with the images: @miaulady @marigoldvance @lazysaturdayonthebeach @bradner

Pretty colors, pretty boys, pretty stories. What's not to like?

Thank you, thank you everyone! Glad everyone liked them and were inspired to write for them--happy to help!

[gatheringfiki]

PSA - The Future of Gathering FiKi (Revisited)

Good day, all 🤓 I regret to announce that, as of January 12th 2023, I (@marigoldvance) had to make the difficult decision not to run the Kink Bingo event this winter. While the engagement with 12 Days was awesome, it was too low for me to justify putting hours-worth of effort into arranging everything. In late 2022, my offline life has changed drastically (in a really good way, trust me!), and it currently requires all of my attention and energy, leaving me with very little to spare.

I apologize to those of who you were looking forward to this event 🥺 In the interim, we will be accepting any FiKi (or DarkHawk, Britchell, IoLuke, etc) related content for submission. If you wish to share your fan videos, your fanfics (links or drabbles or writing of any sort!), your artwork---anything related to the content of this blog---please feel free to submit it and we will gleefully share it on your behalf 🥰

Thank you so much for your patience and understanding during this time of transition. If you have any suggestions, comments, ideas, go ahead and send us an Ask; we'd love to hear from you! ~gatheringfiki

[marigoldvance]

            Autumn in the Country AU

Kíli loves this time of year. Crisp, clean air, warm smells; there’s a coziness to autumn that goes deeper than sweaters and scarves and fancy lattes. Everything feels closer. Kíli can’t quite put a finger on it but it doesn’t matter. He beams up at the sky, the early sunset casting the woods around him into a wash of golden reds and oranges and browns, a child’s fingerprint painting of erratic, wild color that makes Kíli’s soul swell. 

There’s nothing else in nature as spectacular as fall, in Kíli opinion. 

Plus, best of all, that’s when Fíli bakes. 

The scent of pumpkin pie and cinnamon cookies wafts down to Kíli from the house, through the open back door that Kíli knows Fíli left open on purpose. It’s not so cold today, thankfully, that his brother’s mischief comes at the cost of a nipped nose as it would if it were a few degrees less. 

The Christmas spree of ‘05 comes to the fore of Kíli’s memory, when Fíli was feeling particularly petulant after Kíli told him that he wasn’t interested in gingerbread men anymore because they were childish. While Kíli was down the hill, gathering wood from the stockpile, Fíli had brazenly left the back door open to make a point. Though Fíli had been absolutely correct - Kíli still enjoyed gingerbread men - he’d caught himself quite the messy cold as a result. 

Kíli chuckles, remembering Fíli’s miserable face beneath the warm wash cloth and flushed cheeks. 

None of that today. Kíli leans his ax against the stump and finishes piling the wood nicely before maneuvering his way up the crooked path toward the back door. He takes a long, satisfying breath as he steps over the threshold, smile widening across his lips as a combination of spices drag into his nose. 

Fíli is bustling about, chopping ingredients, expertly quick and efficient, at the counter. Kíli can see that he’s keeping an eye on the pot on the stove which Kíli steps toward, bending over it to suck the aroma in greedily. 

            “What’s this?” Kíli asks, picking up the wooden spoon and stirring the simmering concoction. 

“It’s a surprise.” Is all Fíli says, scooping up the ingredients he just chopped and dumping them the bowl at his elbow. “Trust me, you’ll love it.” 

“I hate surprises, Fee, just tell me!” Kíli whines but shushes himself at Fíli’s raised eyebrow and smirk of disbelief. “Well, okay, I like some surprises.” Kíli emends, “C’mon, what is it?”

  “A surprise.” Fíli repeats slowly as if speaking to a child. “Now go get changed. Uncle will be back soon and I promised we’d have supper ready for ‘im.” 

  Kíli huffs a breathy laugh and leans back against the island, looking down at his boots when he says, “I can’t believe it’s take three years for him to get his boyfriend down here.” He lifts his head, a cheeky glint in his eye, and moves to stand behind Fíli, wrapping his arm around Fíli’s middle. “How long do we have before he gets back?”

Fíli pauses what he’s doing and turns in Kíli’s embrace, chewing his lip in that way that hits Kíli in the cock. He cocks his head in consideration and answers, “Long enough, I think.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Fuck the potatoes, we’ll have salad.”

“That’s not every autumn, is it?”

“Well. In that case,” Fíli throws his hands up and shifts back around, tossing the ingredients in the bowl, “I’ll just finish all this instead of sucking you off, shall I?”

The bowl clatters to the stone floor with a loud, echoey clang, spinning on its rim and sending the mix of herbs and spices all over the place. Footsteps stampede up the stairs beyond the kitchen and a door slams with purpose, the kitchen empty when a strong breeze blows the seasoning every-which-way and the bowl finally settles on its top with a metallic scrape.

[legolaslovely]

I absolutely ADORE all your fili works (my fave being serendipity and better than dreaming!), can you recommend me other good writers who write for Fili as well? I'm not a veteran in the fandom so i'm still exploring, thank you!

Thank you so much!!! I'm so excited you liked these stories! They're two of my favorites as well! And Serendipity I worked super hard on, so I'm super thrilled to hear this! Thank you! I will link them here for a shameless wee plug :)

Serendipity and Better Than Dreaming

As for some other lovely Fili writers, I will tag a few and link their masterlists/stories/blogs. I KNOW I will miss some and I also know there are more I don't even know about myself! So Y'ALL! Please tag and share more Fili writers in the comments or reblogs! :) Spread the Fili love! <3

@marigoldvance has some of my favorite Fili x Reader stories. Her writing is always absolutely squeal-worthy. 1- Here 2- Here 3- Series Here!

theimaginesyouneveraskedfor has a great Fili x Reader masterlist. (I'm not tagging them because I don't personally know them but I've read these stories over and over! Here is their masterlist.

This is some amazing Fili smut from fanfiction.net from a user named cecania. There are over 20 chapters with many dwarves from The Hobbit but there are some great Fili ones! Warning that some of these chapters have threesomes, so if you're not into that, beware! Link here.

@luna-xial has some lovely lovely Fili stories! Here is her masterlist! Also be sure to check out her amazing courting guides!!!!

@deepestfirefun has the first Fili stories I've ever read! They're so sweet and comforting! The pinned post on their page has their masterlists! :)

@elvish-sky has lovely stories for a bunch of characters, including lots of Fili! Here is her sweet masterlist!

@xxbyimm has some LOVELY Fili stories! Also be sure to check out the tag Fili Appreciation Week in her blog! That's where a lot of my Fili love began!!! Haha! It was such a sweet event! Here is her masterlist.

@saviorsong has some wonderful stories for a bunch of characters, but her Fili ones are super special too! Here is a link to their masterlist.

@lathalea has some very sweet Fili stories as well! 1- Here 2- Here

I'm sure there are MANY many more writers for Fili! Lately, I haven't had the chance to read as often as I'd like to and I know there are a lot of newbies on here too! So please friends, share away! Thanks for the ask, anon! :)

[legolasoftherings]

Fic Authors Tag Game!

Hey guys! I just had this idea, and I thought it would be fun :) It’s probably been done but whatever have a good day This is for your own works, so feel free to show off a bit!! I want to read your favorites!!!!!!

Share Your...

First Fic:

She Chose Me

Favorite Fic:

Family Dinner

Most Recent Fic:

Market Day

Fic with the most notes:

Distracted

A line or two from a WIP: 

As the loudly snoring dwarfs slept nearby, you pulled out the long knife that gleamed in the faint moonlight and weighed it in your hand. “How did Mulan do this?” you whispered to yourself, chuckling softly.

Favorite character to write for (and why):

Fili! For some reason, his character just comes really easily and natural to me, and I really enjoy writing for him.

Tagging:

@elles-writing @guardianofrivendell @moony-artnstuff @marigoldvance @luna-xial @xxbyimm @tolkien-fantasy @cassiabaggins AND ANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE! PLEASE DO I WANT TO SEE YOUR STUFF!

[alwaysfarawayeyes]

I’ve just posted the sequel to ‘Odin’s edict’!  Tags: Britchell, love confession, commitment issues, smut

It was a lot of fun to write!

Thank you @neferterim (the @-tag doesn’t seem to work for your tumblr) for giving me the Odin’s sequel prompt! I hope you enjoy this sequel.

@legolaslovely and @marigoldvance: you might also enjoy this :)

[legolaslovely]

Oh this is so cute! Sending this to anyone who needs a hug right now! @nerdbirdsworld @dreams-of-wander @winchesterandpie @patchworkideas @marigoldvance @gaia-writes-stuff

[zadien]

SLTS deleted snippet: Girl stuff

Sometimes I get bored and write things that will never make it into a chapter. But while I love writing Amber/Kai - Amber and Miyami’s friendship is one of the best fanfiction things to happen to me. Especially since it gave me an awesome friendship with @marigoldvance Miyami’s bonafide creator. 

Amber puffed out her cheeks then released a slow breath. “Yeah, you need to just stop this conversation now. It’s too weird for me.”

Miyami caught her wealth of silver hair and twisted it into a bun, securing it quickly with a pen and a paintbrush in a way that defied gravity. It made Amber’s head hurt thinking about it. 

“I just can’t get over how much it hurt,” Miyami continued. “I mean they say it hurts but it really hurt and I’ve waxed other places before. It’s never been an issue. I have a high pain threshold. Remember the time I broke my finger and just dealt with it?”

“You didn’t just deal with it, you kept showing it to people when we were trying to get you to the hospital. You wanted to detour to the kids' ward to show them.”

“But I wasn’t crying from the pain. I handled it. High pain threshold. Point is this was… oh. Oh.” Miyami squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath, shoulders slumping. “I’ve got to go, Amber, we’ll talk later. Keep me a seat at lunch. I want to hear all about tourist season. Also, there’re painkillers in the dorm right?”

Amber watched her scurry up the hall with a frown. What the hell was that about?

“Was that Miyami?”

She whirled to find Kai and Rei standing behind her with their bags tossed over their shoulders, both of their uniforms in casual disarray due to the humid heat gathering outside. 

“Um, yeah.”

Rei shifted and raked a hand through his dark hair. “She seemed in a hurry. Is she okay? Johnny seemed a bit upset when we asked him about the weekend away. Is everything okay with them?”

“Sure. She just had to go…” A sharp twinge shot through the right side of her lower gut and Amber froze, hand dropping just above the pelvic bone. Oh. Oh no. Now she knew why Miyami had run off. “Fucking goddamit.”

“Amber?”

“I’ve got to go.”

The problem with being a girl and sharing a dorm with other girls was that little issues popped up. Such as someone knocking them off sync. She grumbled under her breath, cheeks burning as she hurried to catch up with Miyami before mother nature decided to make its presence known in a more visible way.

[ao3feed-theboys]

Ghost Of We

by MarigoldVance

[Translucent/OFC]

The world as he knew it has gone straight to hell. Unable to return to the life he'd become very accustomed to, Translucent is coaxed into helping expose the company that gave it to him. Without the numbers, the fans, the publicity, who the fuck is he now, huh?

Words: 1115, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: The Boys (TV 2019), The Boys - Fandom

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Translucent (The Boys), OFC, Original Female Character, Hughie Campbell, Starlight | Annie January, The Seven (The Boys)

Relationships: Translucent (The Boys)/Original Female Character(s), Translucent/OFC, Hughie Campbell/Starlight | Annie January

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence: The Boys (TV), Fix-It, Non-Descriptive Sexual Situations, Flashbacks, Appearance & Abuse of Comicbook Characters, Explicit Language, Translucent Is An Asshole, But He's Living His Best Life, Short Chapters, Because I Can't Make Words Happen, Self-Indulgent Fanfic Writing

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2PZkBpI

[gatheringfiki]

**IMPORTANT NOTICE FOLLOWS UNDER CUT**

Hello beauties!

'Tis the season before The Season! Our most anticipated time of year! 12 Days of Christmas has returned 😃

We would like to invite you to help us decorate our virtual fandom Christmas tree! With shiny, new, delicious content!

Bear with, we’ll try to explain:

Fanart = Baubles

Fanfic = Paper chains

Photosets = Lights

This will make sense in a minute, we promise.

I would like to participate as a writer:

Step 1: Message @marigoldvance to request one of our festive photosets (this year, we've chosen to put together "aesthetics" or "moodboards". We hope these will still inspire 😊). You can do so between now and 13th of December - no sign up needed.

Step 2: Write something based on the photoset. Minimum 700 words, no max, Fili/Kili or any fictional Dean/Aidan pairing. You’ve created a paper chain for our tree.

Step 3: Don’t post it, submit it to us. (As well as the PAIRING, RATING and TITLE of your submission, please include a brief descriptor of the photoset in order to facilitate the queuing process. The descriptor will be removed upon queuing.)

Step 4: You can do this again (or as many times as you like), but you must submit one before requesting another.

You must submit at least some ficlets before 13th of December.

You will be offered a chance to continue writing after the 13th of December, but we want at least one complete wave of responses by then, so we can queue our content.

I would like to participate as an artist:

Step 1: Message @marigoldvance to request a bauble outline template.

Step 2: Within the bauble draw a little fanart. Photomanips are also allowed, but just edits or photosets won’t work for this. Must be Christmas or season-themed (no prompts, do what you like). Fili/Kili or any fictional Dean/Aidan pairing.

Step 3: Don’t post it, submit it to us.

Step 4: You can do this again (or as many times as you like), but you must submit one before requesting another.

You must submit at least some fanarts before 13th of December.

You will be offered a chance to continue drawing after the 13th of December, but we want at least one complete wave of responses by then, so we can queue our content.

Decorating the tree:

Between 13th and 24th of December @gatheringfiki will be posting all your creations (decorations).

We will also re-use some of last year’s decorations: photosets from 2020 will be reblogged between 1st and 12th of December to whet your appetite.

Baubles are precious and will be re-used year on year - we’re making a stash!

Questions, feedback, ideas, comments - please let us know!

~gatheringfiki

Please re-blog to spread the word! Thank you.

** IMPORTANT NOTICE UNDER CUT**

**Important Notice**

In order to ensure that I (@marigoldvance) am able to be there for you when you need me, I will be working on the following schedule:

Monday-Friday: 10am - 7pm (Canada EST)

Weekends: 10am - 5pm (Canada EST)

I will do my utmost to answer your requests in a timely manner, though please bear with me!

Mari - xx

[marigoldvance]

“I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night” or Flowers (2019)

T - FiKi     

Fíli had grown accustomed to it; the fear, the anger, the abhorrence. The downcast eyes and displays of submission, small efforts to keep Fíli appeased and away from them. They didn’t want to give him a reason to show them what he had become capable of. 

๑癶ᴗ癶๑

continued on AO3

[legolaslovely]

Cheers, King

A/N: Huzzah! I got something out tonight. I got over my little writing hurdles only to have my mind be clouded with some personal stuff, so no in depth Fili story yet, but have this one for Thorin! This idea has been on my mind for a while now! Based on this song. Thank you so much @nerdbirdsworld​ for your help with this one! Hope you guys enjoy! 

Pairing: Thorin x Human!Reader

Word Count: 996

Warnings: alcohol consumption, grumpy Thorin, not fluff, but not angst? Just a thing, lol

Summary: Thorin is not sure about the human woman who has recently joined the company.

Thorin eyed her. If he set aside every gut feeling presently screaming at him, he could see how the human woman could be a good addition to the company. He’d seen her skills with a sword when they found her two days ago, fighting off a small orc pack on her own. That was when he’d tried to help her and she had shoved him away, saying she could defend herself; before Gandalf threatened her, telling her she must join the company.

Thorin didn’t know what convinced her, but sure enough, she was now sitting with Fíli and Kíli a table over, enjoying the ale the tavern offered. Thorin tried to ignore her and relish in the ale, warm fire, and greasy food- things he may not have again until Erebor was reclaimed, but he couldn’t focus on anything but her.

The chair creaked as Thorin leaned back into it and set his folded hands in his lap, eyeing her shadowed face in the dark corner of the tavern. She looked smug. Brows pointed and smirk shining as if she already felt like she belonged. And maybe she did, Kíli was already laughing at something she’d said.

“Thorin, another ale for ye?”

Thorin barely turned to Dwalin. “No. Just the one is fine,” he said. The disappointed server- a tall, ever smiling human woman- crossed in front of him, momentarily blocking his view. “Is every tavern around here run by humans? Is there not at least a hobbit pub nearby we could have gone to instead? We should have stayed another night in the Shire.”

“Thorin. Enjoy the ale while you can, hm?” Balin said, bumping Thorin’s arm.

Thorin hummed, turning his attention back to the woman with his nephews. She whistled, clapping for the small band of musicians in the corner who had just finished their song. The main voice of the group weaved through the tables to (Y/N), beckoning her to the small stage. It was impossible to hear the conversation shared between the two humans over the hoots and cheers, but Thorin saw her shaking her head vigorously and holding her hands out. He read her lips saying, “No, no!” but they soon spread into a reluctant smile as Kíli pushed her to stand and the musician led her forward.

“First she slices orc hide like no human I’ve seen and now she sings too?” Balin said into Thorin’s ear. “What other talents is she hiding?”

“Good question,” Thorin said, downing the last of his ale. 

They’d missed the introduction, but Thorin guessed (Y/N) had sung at the tavern before. The fiddle slowed it’s usual tune and the soft, steady beat of the drum sent her and her audience swaying to the waves of music. Only when it sounded, did Thorin notice they’d handed her a small tambourine to play as she sang. It tapped against her thigh, trousers dampening the bright sound to match the solemn song. She closed her eyes and began to sing of a young maiden who lived alone on the shore and the sea captain who wanted her for his own.

The torches on the wall around the stage left the rest of the tavern dark, like dusk over a still lake. From barely making out her features at the table, now Thorin watched (Y/N)’s face shine bright in the light. It waved over her hair as she threw her braid over her shoulder, cascaded over her high brow as it creased and lifted with her tune, shadowed over her lips that looked even more tantalizing in the night. Thorin was permitted to stare because her own eyes were closed.

Her free hand flew out, delicate fingers leading the musicians and they followed like supplicants after their messiah. The song shifted into a lull of long lines and soaring melody as the captive maiden sang the sailors to sleep. (Y/N)’s lips closed tight to hum the verse and Thorin was drawn in, leaning forward in his seat to hear the thinned sound.

If he closed his eyes he could have drowned. Voice, limbs, breath, hair- all waves pulling him down into danger and ease and freedom and darkness when suddenly, her tambourine sounded and her humming turned to words.

Then she robbed him of silver, she robbed him of gold. She robbed him of costly ware-o. She took his broad sword instead of an ore And paddled her way to the shore, shore, shore, And paddled her way to the shore.

(Y/N)’s eyes had flown open wide and she was smiling, singing loudly of deception and evil. Her foot stomped with the beat as the maiden laughed at the captain, resuming her life alone on the shore with the treasure she’d stolen from the ship. 

Again, she closed her mouth to hum, but this time Thorin was not drawn in. He leaned back in his seat, stretching out a foot and kicking the table, sending Dwalin’s ale sloshing over the wood. He ignored the applause and didn’t hear another word out of (Y/N)’s mouth until he looked up to see her standing above him. Balin had moved to her seat next to Fíli and now the only empty chair in the tavern was the one next to Thorin. She sat in it.

Others within earshot congratulated her, complimenting her voice and offering to buy her another ale.

Thorin grumbled. “How do we know that’s not your plan for us? To steal the gold from our home and run back to wherever you came from?” he asked.

Her brows flew up, accentuating her glowing eyes. “You’ll just have to trust me.” She stood, taking a pair of ales off a passing tray and setting them on the table. She winked and pulled a few coins from her tunic for the server. She put Thorin’s mug straight into his hand before hitting the brim of her own against his. “Cheers, King.”

Taglist! @emrfangirl​ @misslongcep​ @raindancer2004​ @ladybugg1235​ @xxbyimm​ @burningcoffeetimetravel​ @fizzyxcustard​ @fire-flv​ @nerdbirdsworld​ @dashesofink​ @teagarages​ @dark-angel-be-thirsty-af​ @zulfiya-the-warrior-princess​ @winchesterandpie​ @marigoldvance

[marigoldvance]

            Ranch AU

imagine: For two generations, the Durins have been displaced from their country roots after Thrór decided to pick up and leave the ranch behind for better, more lucrative prospects in the big city. 

Now, though the company Thrór established continues to thrive, its president wonders - not for the first time - if it’s truly all that glitters. Watching his nephews slowly lose themselves under the pressure of leading Erebor Ltd., Thorin decides it’s high time to return them to their legacy.  

≡

i feel like Thrór would’ve left the ranch in the capable hands of Náin while he went off to find work in the city. so Náin manages and maintains the ranch but then, lo and behold, Thorin decides, “i can’t watch my nephews - who i love deeply - wilt under the monotony of the office grind” and, because i can’t picture him as if he perpetually suffers from Goldsickness, he encourages Fee and Kee to take a much needed vacation: a roadtrip to the ranch they’d only ever heard stories of. 

so, off they go. and when they get there, greeted by Dáin who has little to no interest in handing back ownership despite the fact that, technically, the land still belongs to Thrór’s direct descendants. but neither Fee nor Kee give a holler, they just want to be there because Fee is happy for the first time in way too long and Kee adores that look on his brother’s face when they get up in the morning and take their coffee out front in the bench swing on the wrap-around porch. 

it’s beautiful, it’s tranquil and it’s good, honest work and they love it. 

also: COWBOYS aslfjlhfdgazkdf 🤤🤤🤤

like, c’mon: Fee in a denim shirt and chaps, dusty from wrangling cattle. Kee shirtless in jeans and cowboy boots laboring in the barns. i can’t even. and the idea of Fee driving a truck makes me salivate.

[legolaslovely]

I FREAKING LOVE GREEK MYTHOLOGY EEE!!! Thank you @luna-writes-stuff​ for tagging me in this! Artemis is SUCH a good one! I’m a wee bit jealous haha!

So I totally cheated and played again because I got FUCKING ZEUS the first time and there’s no way I will deal with or accept that THANK YOU VERY MUCH

But I got Apollo! 

god of prophecy, music, poetry, plague; lord of the sun. you are complex and creative, but your passion may sometimes hinder rather than help you. you are often cheerful and thrive around those you love, but it’s okay to take time to be introspective and look after yourself. your emotions are strong and sometimes unpredictable, and you may clash easily with other strong personalities. it’s okay to be wrong. you work hard, and failure hits you hard- make sure not to burn yourself out.

Okay definitely feeling a little called out but WHATEVER

Tagging anyone who wants to play!  Also some No Pressure Tags: @winchesterandpie​ @nerdbirdsworld​ @morcanta​ @marigoldvance​ @patchworkideas​

I was tagged by @wigilda to take this which of the olympian personalities are you quiz, thanks! ❤️ Mythology my beloved :D

Also, loving your Hades result

Athena

goddess of wisdom and warfare. you are witty and clever, and your intelligence is an asset that you should learn to use. learning is important to you, you are introspective by nature, and you may feel anxious when you don't feel like you are being useful. your friends see you as a mentor, and value your advice and your support - remember that when you are overthinking or start to feel like you lack purpose. not everything you create has to be groundbreaking, and it's okay to have days where you don't achieve anything at all; you are worth more than what you do.

Most of this is weirdly accurate. Oh well.

Tagging @actuallymiriel, @theelfmaiden, @strung-by-fate, @iminye, @procrastinationonvacation, @niphredilien + whoever else wants to

[marigoldvance]

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, run ahead, leave it all behind.

Kíli turned his head away from the hand Fíli held out, refusing the caress. He glared at the dirt – all over him, all over them both.

           “We can’t keep doing this, Fee.”

Fíli slumped into a crouch, shaking his head like he’d had enough. Well, Kíli had had enough too.

           “We can’t go on like this and you know it.”

           “What else are we supposed to do, huh?” Fíli swept onto his feet, pacing in front of Kíli, gesticulating stiffly as he held back the surge of emotion forging a sour path through him. “What’s done is done.”

Kíli couldn’t argue.

Taking a deep breath, Kíli joined his brother, wetting his lips as he took Fíli’s hand in a loose grip. Together, they turned toward what they had left behind. Billows of smoke swirled, thick and suffocating, over a horizon of forest.

There was nothing else to do, Kíli swallowed, except go forward.

[marigoldvance]

VanceLore: Harlequins 

“Then,” He glanced around, desperate for something to anchor him as the last light of his sanity threatened to go supernova. And then he had a thought: “What if I asked you to be free, huh? What then.”

The boy snorted, eyed him, then threw his head back and laughed raucously when he realized the genuineness of the question. When he finally settled a few moments later, wiping the wetness from the corners of his eyes, the boy said, “I’m a Harlequin, genius, not a genie. We can’t be freed. Unless you fancy blood on your hands.”

Harlequins are tricky, shifty, unpredictable creatures who obey orders but don’t necessarily do as they’re told. When given a task to complete, they’ll often find the most entertaining way to go about it - ‘entertaining’ being relative to the individual Harlequin’s personality. Some may take an artistic, elegant approach while others attack with fireworks and theatrics. 

Thankfully, they only submit to one person at a time - a Master - and aren’t able to bend to the will of anyone else as long as they’re bonded. Which they have to be otherwise they risk degenerating into nothing. A Harlequin’s sole purpose is to be used; to perform for an audience of one. A Master feeds the Harlequin life from the well of their own energy, sustaining their Harlequin through the bond that’s forged between them.  

While they possess features unique to them, a Harlequin’s appearance often changes subtly in accordance to their Master’s preferences. Everything from pale to dark, masculine to feminine; still recognizable as themselves just somehow morphed. Even their name isn’t entirely their own, a new one adopted to fit their new Master. 

Harlequins are morally ambiguous, often recklessly unhinged, childlike creatures who are made to serve and cannot, under any circumstances, hurt themselves or their Masters. They don’t express interest in bad or good, wrong or right; they simply answer their Master’s bidding without guilt or regret since that’s all they know, all they understand. They have no choice. 

It’s a mystery whether or not they recognize or can even acknowledge their subservient nature since they can never truly know freedom (perhaps some bastard impression of it, if they bond with a gentle Master but nothing more). 

If you find yourself in possession of a Harlequin, best of luck, because they’re very needy: touch-starved, demanding attention - like an exotic pet with a bible of special care instructions.