#The Thrall Incident

[lady-phasma]

I felt compelled to cite my sources for Armand and Lestat being an item off and on over the years. I’ve been in this fandom too long to get involved in ship wars or to really have an OTP for these crazy-ass vampires. I happen to love Armand and Lestat from the books and think that Assad and Sam make it work so well on screen. I hope we get loads more of them for season 3.

Anne wrote all of her characters as deeply flawed, we can all agree on that, but the nearly fanfiction level of “let’s see what happens when two of my most flawed characters get together” writing she did in TVA is brilliant. Book spoilers below.

Here's a link to a post I made about Lestat's perspective of Armand from TVL. (I have included one quote from TVL below because it's too precious to exclude.)

Lestat spends almost a full page describing how he sees Armand at a ball at the Palais Royal:

Yet never had Nicolas, mortal or immortal, been so alluring. Never had Gabrielle held me so in thrall. Dear God, this is love. This is desire. And all my past amours have been but the shadow of this. - The Vampire Lestat, p. 275

They literally feel the same about each other: instant attraction, love, desire, and so on. And it is powerful.

So powerful that hundreds of years later (in one of my favorite passages from any of her books) Armand is the only person allowed to approach an unconscious Lestat. Not only approach him, but allowed to lay down next to him and cuddle, caress, and console Lestat, to cry onto him.

I looked down on Lestat, who was unchanged, his hair fallen as before, a little over his left eye. His right arm was out, and his fingers curling upwards, and there came from him not the slightest movement, not even a breath from his lungs or a sigh from his pores. I knelt down beside him again. I reached out, and without flinching or hesitating, I brushed his hair back from his face. I could feel the shock in the room. I heard the sighs, the gasps from the others. But Lestat himself didn't stir. Slowly, I brushed his hair more tenderly, and I saw to my own mute shock one of my tears fall right onto his face. It was red yet watery and transparent and it appeared to vanish as it moved down the curve of his cheekbone and into the natural hollow below. I slipped down closer, turning on my side, facing him, my hand still on his hair. I stretched my legs out behind me, and alongside of him, and I lay there, letting my face rest right on his outstretched arm. Again there came the shocked gasps and sighs, and I tried to keep my heart absolutely pure of pride and pure of anything but love. It was not differentiated or defined, this love, but only love, the love I could feel perhaps for one I killed or one I succored, or one whom I passed in the street, or for one whom I knew and valued as much as him. - The Vampire Armand, pp. 368-369 (emphasis is mine)

But the contrasting absolute annoyance Armand has for Lestat is hilarious! He loves him but can barely stand him sometimes (that isn't unusual for Lestat's admirers).

Lestat, not a bad friend to have, and one for whom I would lay down my immortal life, one for whose love and companionship I have ofttimes begged, one whom I find maddening and fascinating and intolerably annoying, one without whom I cannot exist. The Vampire Armand, p. 276

But it's the way he describes things that happen to him that maddens me, the way that he connects one incident to another as though all these random and grisly occurrences were in fact links in some significant chain. They are not. They are capers. And he knows it. But he must make a gutter theatrical out of stubbing his toe. The James Bond of the Vampires, the Sam Spade of his own pages. - The Vampire Armand, p. 288 (emphasis mine)

Though Armand's head on Lestat's arm might be the most beautiful image of the two of them from any of the books, this line gives me chills every time:

"Lestat, my Lestat - for he was never theirs, was he? - my Lestat was crazed and railing as the result of his awful saga […]" - The Vampire Armand, p. 320 (emphasis mine)

Yes, your Lestat.

[1ore]

the problem with me is i will make up a joke npc for gw2 rp with @soulfullofold and then a day later he will have lore. anyway this is Vax Madmaxim, he does unethical science and got drowned in a vat of dragon blood by Bingus Ruinbringer. the dragon blood fixed him, though

"mad scientist"-type who is taking a systems ecology lens to everything, from steam machines to magical constructs to biological organisms. unsatisfied with conventional engineering, he starts dabbling in dragon magic to construct biomechanical monsters. (see: I failed bioethics)  

contracted in secret by Bangar Ruinburger to figure out how to control an Elder Dragon. Vax came up with the idea of tapping Jormag's blood, initially as an experiment in manipulating Jorms (a la contriving weapons out of Kralkatorrik's blood.) Later, of course, this is used to convert the Dominion to Frost Legion en masse when things start going south.  

caused an international incident during Legion-Dominion peace negotiations, which involved a gladiatorial tourney, two Pact Commanders, a hydra made of Searing crystals, and highly confidential Dominion blood magic.

Vax was thus detained and, for his failures, dunked in the vat of jormag juice that he had helped create. Bunkbed Ruinbringer evidently didn't need a way to control Jormag anymore, and Vax had greatly overestimated how indispensable he was.  

Jorms later drags him out of the tub and uses his half-dead body to set a trap for the Commanders, by turning him into a shambling blood-bomb (see: jormag bloodbag.) Given that this is the second worst thing that's happened to him since the worst day of his life, he isn't a very cooperative dragon thrall. He'd also developed some sort of nemesis-rapport with the Commanders by this point. As his last act, he warns them away, just before violently retching dragon viscera all over the floor.  

He was supposed to die-- Jorms was done with him-- but my man saw himself being turned into a disposable vessel of primordial goop and said "oh so im pupating? guess i'll metamorphose." I don't think that was Jormag's doing. I think he Just Did That. (see: change of heart)  

the newly eclosed Icebrood Vax offers himself to the Pact as a weapon against Jormag, repurposing his earlier research for more benevolent purposes. (see: staying positive)  

uhhh what else. nominally Iron Legion and functionally a gladium, but like hell is he going to let them take his name away. his allegiance is to unethical science first and whoever is willing to pay him to do unethical science second.  

Has kind of always been a piece of work, but became a bigger piece of work when he lost the "mad" warband under mysterious circumstances. Incidentally, this is when he started making frankenstein chimeras. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

   

he Has A Sensitive Side

[animatorweirdo]

From the Shadows

You were expecting your baby's arrival, but then your friends decided it would be good for you to get out of the house and hike in the mountains with them. One incident of a missing friend somehow magically sends you to another place and not a good one. You end up as a thrall in a place called Angband, so now you take it upon yourself to find a way to escape before something happens to your baby. Luckily, you are not completely alone and find companionship with another thrall, an elf named Maedhros. Will you succeed in escaping? Or will things turn out badly for you and your unborn child?

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy, an ex-boyfriend who ran away, dealing with pregnancy alone, falling, violence, Angband, becoming a thrall, lying, suspicious food and water, paranoia, dead characters, escape, a complicated birth, some fluff moments, losing a hand, blood, explosions, cold, and angst.

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- Life has been a bit of a bitch to you. You had successfully finished high school, and college, and got the necessary degrees for the job you wanted. You had secured a job and were well off. It was just your unfortunate pregnancy. Ever since that cowardly ex-boyfriend of yours from college ditched you when you found out you were pregnant and left you to deal with it alone, you had not the easiest time. 

- Despite the circumstances and your emotional state, you decided to keep the baby and luckily your friends and family had been supportive of your decision. They helped you continue with your life and helped you get things good and ready for the baby. The boss who sent you the job offer when you were still in college was understanding and offered a job you could do online since it could cause some risks if you started your work as a graduated chemist while pregnant. 

- Things had become better during those months, but now that your belly was bulging and your due date was near, you had been feeling anxious and restless. It could be pregnancy hormones, but they did not help relieve all the heavy stuff on your mind. 

- You felt many things, mostly regret. You were happy that you decided to keep your baby, but you regretted some of your past mistakes, especially dating your baby’s father, who turned out to be a sorry excuse for a human being. 

- You had not even decided what to do with the baby when you told him. You wanted his input first, but then he just stood up and left without a word. Even though it had been months you still felt pissed off by his act. 

- When your moods didn't improve and your friends took notice, they decided it might be a good idea to go out and hike. Have a little adventure and fresh air, rather than being stuck in the house. 

- You were not excited by the idea but when your parents pushed you to do it, you agreed and they arranged most of the things for the trip. 

- You all went hiking in this well-known mountain place that held many stories. You were not excited about walking up to the hills and mountains, but you did not deny that it helped take your mind off the past and the view from there was lovely. 

- At the top where you could see the vast woods and the city in the distance, the air felt nice and you even imagined taking these kinds of trips with your little girl when she was born, learning to go out once in a while and appreciate nature was not a bad thing. 

- But then the trouble started when your friends wanted to check out one of the caves. They held a lot of stories and the guides warned you not to go in them because some people had known to go missing there and never come back. 

- You thought you would just check it out and continue with your hike, but then your friend decided it would be a good idea to go inside. 

- You rejected the idea and then watched as your friend went inside, yelling stuff from within the cave. You tried to tell her to come back, but then you and your other friend heard her scream and a sound that sounded like she had fallen. 

- When she didn't respond, your other friend called for help while you went to check what had happened. You went into the cave and called out to your friend but no response. You found a steep fall at the end and a pit that led to darkness. You feared the worst and called out to your other friend. But then, at that moment, you felt a powerful wind behind you, making you trip and slide down the steep while screaming to your other friend. 

- You tried to slow down your fall as you fell into the darkness. You used your hands, but unfortunately, the sharp stone and gravy cut through your gloves, cutting and bruising your hand. 

- Your fall came to an abrupt stop when you felt ground beneath your shoes and stumbled forward. Luckily, you were quick enough to stop yourself from falling on your stomach. 

- Your hands were in pain from the fall, and now you were alone in the darkened cave, far away from the cave entrance. You felt strange as you could not see the top but you were able to hear your other friend's voice. You called out to her and then tried to look for your friend who fell, who was nowhere in sight. 

- You tried to call out to her, your voice echoing through the cavern, but there was no response. It was like your friend was never there. 

- Anxious but worried, you tried to check one of the tunnels. It was dark, too dark for your human eye to see properly. 

- You continued calling out your friend’s name, but there was still no response. The darkness and the absence of another human being’s presence caused you to feel paranoid. How could a whole human fall and then disappear into thin air? 

- You were certain, you and your other friend heard her scream and fall. 

- The whole cavern system began to feel like one big labyrinth, but then you found something on the ground. It was your friend’s scarf. You felt some relief from finding her stuff, but now you worried that something had happened to her. 

- A bad feeling crept into your skin when your ears caught sounds that could only be described as whispers. You were not able to understand them, but they caused you to feel immense fear and paranoia. When you heard something move in the shadows, you quickly hid yourself in a small corner, and then waited for something to appear. 

- You did not expect a scaly hand to appear from behind your head, silence your frightened mouth, and then pull you into the darkness. 

- Your flight and fight instincts kicked in and you tried to struggle as much as you could, but then more hands appeared and forced you to move. You couldn't see anything, but then you felt a harsh strike on the back of your head and you lost consciousness. 

- The next time you woke up, you found yourself in a room with creatures straight out of horror stories. You quickly slapped your hand against your mouth to avoid alerting them and stared at them with fear as they seemed to be fighting for the possession of your outer clothes they had taken from you. Luckily, you were still dressed in your usual clothes so you were not concerned that they had done something to you while unconscious. 

- There was a sharp pain in the back of your head, but quietly, you stood up and avoided alerting the ugly creatures that you were awake. 

- You saw the door and decided to go for it. You stayed as quiet as possible as you walked toward the door, keeping your eyes on the creatures, you could only guess to be orcs. After reaching the door, you quietly sneaked out and dashed through the corridors. 

- You quietly stepped through the corridors and then hid when you heard more of them come running. You sneaked around and then took in the surroundings. You nearly couldn’t believe your eyes. It was some kind of underground fortress, straight out of some kind of dark fantasy book. 

- But before you could react, you were caught by a bigger and nastier-looking orc. He then dragged you back to the previous orcs and told them to throw you into the cell since they were unable to watch you. 

- They harshly grabbed you and began leading you to what seemed to be dungeons. They threw insults and for some reason called you 'a round-eared elf’. 

- You were then thrown into some kind of cell. It smelled awful and you were certain there was a rotting corpse in the corner. You quivered and hid in a corner, trying to control your tears and panic. 

- You cried for perhaps a minute or two but slowly managed to calm yourself and recollect your thoughts. You looked around the cell and tried to make sense of your situation. It was hard as none of it made any sense, and you knew you were not dreaming, even though you hoped this was just an awful nightmare.

- You came to the cell door and saw the corridor and many more cells. You then heard sounds coming from the cell beside yours. 

- There was a small hole in the wall and you saw another person through it. It was hard to see but it seemed to be a man with long red hair. He didn't look well. He seemed malnourished and there were some bruises on him, but he appeared conscious enough to talk with you and you hoped for some answers. 

- "Hey, carrot top.." you called out silently. He looked around before his eyes looked toward you. His eyes had an odd glow in them, but you brushed that thought away and concerned yourself with getting some answers. 

- You tried asking about the place and what was happening, but he only advised you to remain quiet since the orcs did not allow much talking among the thralls. 

- He seemed baffled when you shared you had no idea where you were. You then explained you were looking for your friend and got caught by the orcs. The man was then kind enough to answer your questions and you learned about Angband and elves. 

- You felt shocked and figured you somehow managed to travel to another world. There was no denying it since you were not dreaming.  Now the orc’s comment about you being a round-eared elf also made more sense. 

- The red-haired guy was an elf himself and he softly advised you not to get yourself in trouble, because it might end badly for you. You only felt dread at the thought. There was no doubt that these orcs were violent, and would do horrible things to you and your baby.

- There also seemed to be not a single human around. If they were to learn that you were not an elf, then that could cause unwanted attention on you.

- You questioned the elf if there was a possible way out. 

- He explained you two were deep in the earth and the main entrance was heavily guarded by orcs and creatures alike. Escape was nearly impossible. 

- You crossed the main entrance away from the list and questioned if there were other possible ways out since you did not come through the main entrance. 

- He shared he had heard about other tunnels but had no idea where they could be. He was too guarded to have allowed a chance to look for them. You nearly felt pity for the guy, he seemed pessimistic and lost of all hope. 

- You told him that you were pregnant and that there was no way you would allow your daughter to be born in a place like this. He seemed saddened by your reveal and told you that you should play nice and perhaps the orcs won’t be cruel to you and your child. 

- You had no idea how long you had been in that cell, but eventually, you were taken out by an orc and taken to a room with other people. You saw that they were women and that they were pregnant as well. You only felt more dread because they were singling you out for something. 

- You were then told to start working on stitching and clothing. You had some basic knowledge of fixing clothes, so you started working and tried to get more answers in the meantime. 

- You talked with an elven woman, named Siriel, who seemed six months due. She was a pleasant person and answered some of your questions. She said that if you agreed to give your child away to them, they would get better treatment and be safe from the cruelty of your masters.

- The idea did not appeal to you in any way. You did not wait for your daughter’s arrival just to give her away to some monsters. There was also a high chance your captors were lying about the whole thing. 

- You received some questions about your ears and why they were round. You quickly lied that you were born that way and played it off as a deformity. They seemed convinced and even the orcs guards lost their interest in you.

- You felt relieved since it would play in your favor. If you did not make yourself appear different from the other thralls, then your captors would likely pay less attention to you. 

- After working atrocious hours in clothing, you were given some food and returned to your cells. You did not really trust the food, picking out the bad parts away and carefully sipping the water.

- You had managed to memorize most of the corridors and paths to the work room, but you would need to see more to start planning. 

- You investigated the cell avoiding the dead carcass, bones, and sharp rocks that could prick your feet. There was almost nothing of use, but you found a rock you could sharpen on the edges and use as a weapon in your time of need. The orcs used swords and clubs, but they would definitely not expect someone to use a primitive weapon like a sharpened rock. 

- You were startled when you heard orcs bring the red-haired elf back to his cell. It was loud and when the orcs left, you looked through the hole and saw him in a rough shape. He had new bruises and cuts that were still bleeding. When you remembered him mentioning that he was heavily guarded, you figured he was an important prisoner and thus he was tortured for something. 

- You offered him a piece of clothing and water for his wounds. He tried to reject your offer, but you managed to convince him that if he cleaned his wounds with something, he might avoid suffering from an infection. 

- You two stayed near the hole, passing items through the hole. He was reluctant by the exchange, but you advised him to pass the items back when the guards came to do their rounds.

- He was the only one you could talk to and you preferred to have some sanity by having some companionship. 

- You asked very little of what they did to him and offered some words of comfort. You eventually managed to convince him to share his name with you, which used to be Nelyafinwe, now changed to Maedhros. 

- He tried to discourage you from talking to him because he was a hostage, and having some connection with him could cause you and your baby harm, and he did not wish that upon you. 

- You assured him that you would be careful. He shared a bit more info about the dark lord and his servants, telling you who to avoid. You put them on a note in your mind. 

- And for a long time, you were forced to work with other pregnant women. You gathered information while trying to avoid being too suspicious. You gave some things to Maedhros in your cell, who continued trying to convince you to take the food since you were expecting, but you did not trust the food. They could hold bacteria or other things that could cause harm to your child. You even went as far as to try to filter the water through a piece of clothing you managed to snatch. 

- One good thing you couldn't figure out was that no one had seen or heard about another round-eared elf in the fortress. It could mean your friend was either safe in your world or that she was somewhere out of your reach. You decided to believe the first deduction. 

- During your free time in your cell, you would talk with Maedhros and sharpen the stone. Talking to him about random things helped you retain some sanity and sometimes you offered words of comfort when he came back from another torture. 

- One day, when you had fully memorized the guard schedule and become familiar enough with the other pregnant women to stay quiet about your activities, you took the risk to leave the room and look for the rumored tunnels. 

- You dressed yourself like the servants you had seen passing by, hiding your belly and successfully passing the orcs without suspicion. You finally had the chance to memorize more paths and corridors, figuring out the locations of mines and other things. 

- You caught the scent of sulfur in the mines so you figured the fortress was under volcanoes. 

- The place was more horrid the more you learned about it. However, when you deemed it was time to return, you went back and waited for another chance. 

- You successfully investigated the fortress three times but made sure to wait to avoid suspicion. 

- You shared your findings with Maedhros, who seemed horrified and concerned for your safety, trying to convince you not to go too far or you might suffer punishments. 

- You assured him you were careful and that Siriel kept your secret. You just had to find one tunnel. 

- One day, you succeeded in finding an entrance to the secret tunnels. You took one of the candles and went exploring putting your mind on the time so that you would not be noticed. 

- You found a cave that was secluded and had a small pond with dripping pure water. You knew some underground places possessed pure water pockets, so you took the chance and drank to your heart’s content.

- The water had a salty and mineralistic taste, but it was better than the water served by the orcs. 

- And finally, came the day when you memorized most of the cavern paths and found a way out. You could have taken the chance to escape on your own but decided that since you were no longer in your world, you would need someone to help you navigate, so you started planning an escape with Maedhros and Siriel.

- Unfortunately, the plan to take Siriel with you was put on uphold when you noticed she was nowhere to be found and no longer came to work at your work place. You tried to question other women about it, and they shared that she was taken away and hadn’t returned since. It caused you to feel suspicion and worry. She was only six months pregnant, so it would have been too early for her to go into labor, so why was she taken away? 

- Well, you got your answer on her fate when you found her body lying in the pits where the orcs dumped the dead thralls. Her once bright eyes devoid of any life and her stomach was torn open. It was a sickening sight. 

- The orc guard who had the job to watch over you and the other pregnant women then said something that gave you a hint on why Siriel was dead. He faked sympathy and revealed that if one of you behaved well, she would not have been dead. It nearly made your blood freeze when you realized that someone was on to you and your secret activities. 

- The orc then said that he felt some pity for you and the other women and offered help to get you out of Angband. You knew he was faking pity, and Siriel’s fate wanted you to strike his head down to a pulp, but you saw the chance and took it, faking gratitude and agreeing to the plan. 

- The orc then secretly gave you a key to your cell and you took it to safekeeping. 

- You shared what had happened with Maedhros and he shared his sympathies. You wanted to cry for Siriel since she was a kind soul, but since the situation was dire, you needed to put your escape plan into action sooner than planned. You could mourn for her once you were out of that hell hole. 

- You had memorized the schedule of Maedhros’s guards and when he would be taken away for another torture. When the chance came, you sneaked out and struck the orc in the head with your sharp stone. You took the keys to your elven friend’s cell and opened it. 

- Maedhros was shocked to see you free and opening his shackles. You explained your plan to him and what had happened, and as a gratitude for keeping you sane, you were going to help him out. 

- Maedhros tried to urge you to escape by yourself, but you countered that you were only familiar with Angband, and would be lost in the outside world, so he was going to need to be your guide. 

- You then led him through the dungeon and then to the tunnels, which to your relief had remained a secret. 

- You checked on the orc on one of the entrance locations, and found him there with others, just like you thought.

- You secretly led Maedhros through one of the stairs. However, your time soon ran out when an alert was sent. You two quickly ran, but the anxiety and stress might have triggered your labor because, at the steps, your water broke. 

- Maedhros had panic in his eyes when he saw what was happening, but you quickly instructed him to the hidden cave. He helped you reach there and blocked the entrance while you kneeled down in pain.

- Since there was really no other way to go through your labor silently, you decided to strip yourself half-naked and dip yourself in the pond, blocking your mouth to avoid making too much sound while you started pushing. Maedhros allowed you to grip his hand as you then tried to push your daughter out. 

- You do not know how long your labor took, but it felt agonizingly long. Maedhros tried his best to give you assuring words while looking out for danger in dread. When you felt something pushing out between your legs, you pushed for the final time and then dipped into the water to grab your baby. 

- You soon resurfaced after grabbing your baby and removing the umbilical cord. Your daughter released a small feeble cry as you grabbed your dry clothes and wrapped her around her. 

- You were shaking and freezing, so you asked Maedhros to hold her, urging him to keep her warm with his body heat. 

- He didn’t question it and gently took your crying daughter, keeping her against his chest and soothing her. She stopped crying and you felt glad. Her cries could have echoed and attracted unwanted attention. It also seemed Maedhros was experienced with babies. 

- You cleaned yourself and removed the remaining cord from yourself. You pulled yourself out and laid against Maedhros’s leg--- cold and deadly exhausted. 

- It was like your hips and legs had been hammered a thousand times. It was a straight-up awful feeling. The withered dress barely gave you any warmth. 

- You then turned your attention toward your daughter and asked Maedhros if there was anything wrong with her. The elf quickly assured you that your daughter seemed healthy as a day.

- You nearly found it humorous how good he was at keeping her calm, and he shared that he has six younger brothers and had been part of their lives when they were young. 

- When he felt you shiver, he took off whatever remained of his shirt and laid it across you, trying to help you keep you warm. 

- It was quiet in the cave, but no one seemed to know you were there and you struggled to keep yourself awake. 

- You felt awful that you failed to escape before she was born, and Maedhros tried to assure you that it wasn’t your fault and that he would keep watch since you needed rest.

- You felt emotional as you would have liked to have your family and friends there when your daughter was born. Your longing for them finally resurfaced after realizing how long it had been since you had last seen them. 

- Maedhros tried to comfort you, assuring you would be able to see them and your husband once you got out. You were safe and near the entrance, so you two had better chances than before. 

- You nearly felt silly when he thought you had a husband, and confessed about your situation with your daughter’s father and that you were not an elf, but a human, from another world. 

- He listened attentively even though there was a surprise in his eyes, and pity when you revealed that you had gone through your pregnancy on your own because your ex-boyfriend was a coward and that you once considered getting rid of your daughter before she was born. 

- Maedhros did not judge you and his initial surprise about you being a human vanished. He comforted you and told you how strong you had been to make it on your own. 

- He then asked what kind of name you had considered for your daughter. You had not thought of many names but told him you considered Anastasia or Estelle. 

- He then humored, telling you how the word ‘Estel’ was a word in Sindarin for ‘Hope’. And for a moment, looking at your daughter, helped him feel hope after so many years in captivity. 

- The mood lifted for a moment, even though the name was slightly cheesy, and even you considered it was a proper name for your daughter for now. 

- You lost more strength than you thought but Maedhros assured you that he would keep watch and allow you to rest. You felt hesitant at the thought of falling asleep, but it was like an automatic response and your eyes closed by themself. 

- You might have slept an hour or two, but it felt like a long time. When you woke up, you were relieved to see that nothing had happened during your rest and you three were still safe in the hidden cave. Your legs and abdomen were still aching, but you were no longer in awful pain. 

- You urgently needed to get out, so you dressed up and Maedhros helped you make a small sling that would allow you to carry your daughter against your chest. 

- You two quietly sneaked toward the next hidden tunnel. However, Maedhros then suddenly pulled you back and covered you when an orc jumped out of the shadow with an axe in hand. The axe struck him in the hand and you watched as Maedhros lost his right hand and in its place now stood a bleeding stump. 

- Maedhros cried out in pain but prevented the orc from touching you and your daughter, pommeling the creature to the ground with the sharp stone he had most likely snatched from you and killing it. 

- The sight of Maedhros killing the orc nearly frightened you, but when you two heard a coming noise, the elf then urged you to hide. 

- You did what he said and hid, but then froze when you realized he did not hide with you and remained behind to fight the orcs. The fight was short-lived as he was overwhelmed and eventually pushed down by the mass of orcs. 

- You nearly cried when you heard him yell in pain and be taken away. You successfully remained hidden. 

- There was no doubt that they would punish him severely. You considered your options. The freedom was right there and you could escape with your daughter. However, you felt awful aching at the thought of leaving Maedhros behind. He was perhaps your cellmate, but during your time in this hell hole you had become attached to him in a way.

- Your nose was then invaded by the familiar scent of sulfur, and you paused to consider your next move, formulating a dangerous plan to save your elven friend.

- Maedhros was taken to a room where his most cruel master, Sauron, awaited. Sauron had grown accustomed to Maedhros’s escape attempts and always delivered the harshest punishments. However, this time, if Maedhros denied everything and refused to yield, he could buy enough time for you and your daughter to escape. The defiant fire that once burned brightly in his soul was rekindled.

- Sauron threatened punishment but complemented how near he was escaping. Maedhros felt dread when the Maiar revealed that they knew he got help, and would do awful things to his ally once they were found. He then felt determined to put up whatever shield he could offer to protect your identity since they didn't know who you were.

- However, Sauron was disrupted when the whole hall began to shake violently and a loud explosion could be heard in the distance. 

- Amid the confusion, an orc arrived in the room, full of panic. He yelled how the mines and the lower floors were on fire. 

- Sauron quickly acted, ordering everyone to go put out the fires, because damaging the lower floors could cause severe damage to the whole fortress. 

- Maedhros was left alone with a few guards, but when they did not pay any attention to him, Maedhros felt someone pull him into the shadows. 

- He felt shocked when he saw that it was you who had stolen him from the guards and were now leading him through the corridors. He wanted to scold you for not taking the chance to escape, but then another explosion shook the fortress. 

- You had gone to the mines where the sulfur deposits were. You had spoiled oil all over the floors and left a trail that could spread the fire to the other floors, then lit them with a torch since sulfur was highly flammable. 

- You were serious about needing a guide, and when all of the fortress was distracted you two ran like hell. 

- You managed to avoid the guards since most were busy trying to end the fire and the explosions that threatened to destroy the entirety of the fortress. 

- You two found the initial entrance. You saw horses that were left unattended and urged Maedhros to take them. 

- You two then rode out of the cave, into the outside world, and away from Angband. 

- After riding as far as possible and finding cover in a forest,  Maedhros helped you rest and make a fire. Your legs were aching after such a ride. It was evident that the labor was still taking a heavy toll on you. You felt glad letting Maedhros lead your horse while you held on to the creature. You had ridden a pony when you were small, but there was no way you would have managed to ride a full-grown horse on your own, especially with a newborn baby in your arms. 

- You helped Maedhros tend to his still bleeding stump with whatever cloth you had left and you two tried to enjoy the warmth you had from the fire. 

- Maedhros thanked you for helping him escape, but scolded your recklessness and risking your chances for freedom. 

- You rolled your eyes at him and told him you wouldn’t have survived long since this wasn’t your world. 

- You then offered some pace beneath a cloak you managed to steal during your escape since your withered clothes barely provided warmth. He declined, insisting he would be alright and that you and your daughter needed it more. You called him an idiot and threw the other side of the cloak over his shoulders, claiming it had enough space for both of you. 

- He looked flustered by the closeness, so you guessed he was either not used to being so close with someone, or that he tried to be more gentlemanly about it. 

- While you two tried to enjoy the warmth, you pondered about the future.

- Maedhros confessed about his deeds as a kin slayer and that his kin were at odds with each other. You could be safe with them, but since you two were thralls, he didn’t know if he should risk your safety. 

- You assured him that you did not care about his past. If he was willing to sacrifice his own freedom and well-being for you and your daughter, then you could trust him. Actions spoke louder to you than words. 

- You two then basked in the warmth of the bonfire and the comfort of each other’s presence, wondering about the days ahead. 

[shirefantasies]

Hello, may I please request fem reader x Elrond? With reader that is quite avoidant when it comes to touch, but accepts hugs and kisses from Elrond? I hope it is okay 👉👈 thank you so much in advance, have a wonderful day 💕💕💕💕

Yes, sorry this took so long but here we are! Hope you enjoy how this came to me, a one-shot featuring a third party POV as well as ‘yours’ 😊

The Steel Lady of Imladris- Elrond x F!Elf!Reader

It was known to the surrounding lands that in the Last Homely House one might be surprised by whom they meet; the lord of the land, after all, had a lady by his side, one whose presence was said to carry the chill of a harsh wind with her presence. Resolute as her home's walls, she cut quite the contrast to the hearths always said to be awaiting visitors of the fair valley. Perhaps she was even a witch like the one dwelling in the woods of Lórien.

Such were the rumors swirling in the mind of Rivendell's dwarven visitor, called there as he was to offer his people's wise council. Ha! What was it that had those pointy-ears finally asking for their help Gimli did not know, but happy was he to attend with his father at his side.

Riding in with his kin, he took in sailing white arches and a very well-constructed bridge, hearing his father mutter all the while about how nothing had changed. He had stopped there once before some sixty years ago, after all, during the dragon incident.

A whole gaggle of elves awaited there, some armored but most just decked out in their pretty finery, one clad in white emerging from the center with a deep blue-clad figure upon his arm. Long, elaborately twisted strands of dark hair hung onto his raiment and a circlet of silver crossed his forehead. Likewise, the woman at his side had what hair she could done with equal finesse, a matching headpiece, and a dress more closely tailored than the lord's robes. Elrond and his consort, the so-called Steel Lady of Imladris.

Sure enough, fair as you were your face was resolute as you stepped forward, practical even as you curtsied, surrendering the smallest of smiles. Ready for a fight as he was, Gimli wasn’t sure he’d want to take you on. At least, not without the proper head start and all.

You flinched as Gloin clapped a hand to your back, stepping forward in utter avoidance of his touch. Disrespectful though it may have seemed, you equally avoided one of your elven fellows’ advances. Gimli shook his head. Cold as they came.

~

Alright, fine, maybe this wing of the place was a little confusing. He still could figure it out for himself. One more corridor and it would be golden-

“Trouble yourself not, My Lady.”

Tilting his head, Gimli took a few steps forward, was availed the sight of Lord Elrond…holding you at the elbows, pulling you closer? The sound of… you giggling?

He’d turned away, but that sound along had Gimli swiveling around the corner again. Your head tilted and leaned onto the dark-haired elf’s shoulder. A smile cut further across your face as his lips fell to the crown of your head.

“You needn’t spend any more time in the crowds than you must. It was simply right to have you at my side for greetings.”

“I like being at your side, though,” you whispered, peeling your head from Elrond’s chest to kiss him once, twice, and far more lingering.

All right, that was enough. Off to bed. Gimli turned, trying the other fork in the hall with a faint smile playing upon his lips. Steel Lady indeed.

~

“Greetings, Madam.”

Frowning slightly, you turned to see if your eyes had deceived you; they had not- one of the visiting dwarves removed his helmet in your presence, giving you a jolly little bow.

Generally you were…unsuccessful, shall you say… with guests. Aversion to touch had bloomed from the harsh experiences of your past life, making trust a challenge. No bearing upon their race or character, but outsiders posed a threat. Disrupting routines, bringing louder, brasher customs. Viewing you as either held in thrall to their impositions or else some myth beyond their metaphorical touch.

Elrond was the anchor in your vast sea of anxiety, the only one who saw through story, perceived emotion seemingly unexpressed. Displayed hope and kindness abundant as the cleanest of springs.

But now stood a dwarf of all people fixing you with earnest hazel eyes. Understanding. What should you do?

A smile shook its way to your lips. “Good morning,” you chose a customary greeting. Standard, safe.

“Aye,” the dwarf nodded, “it is, isn’t it? Well, I know you elves like to keep time, so I'll be off to breakfast before there is none. Tell me your favorite and I will save you some if I can."

Stranger or not, you were sure anyone could have read the shock upon your face. Shaking it quickly aside, you kept your face neutral as you named it and gave a thanks. As the dwarf went on his way, he bid you his final farewell by your title, yes, but also your name. They didn't usually use your name.

Light footsteps rang out behind you, barely perceptible even by your sensitive ears. "And what was that about, hm?" Elrond.

Tension melted from your shoulders as the curious little quirk of your lips burst into a wide smile. Turning on your heels, you slid your arms about your husband's waist, relaxing when his hand caressed the top of your head.

"The dwarf," you answered, "he was so kind. Not in that rough way so often seen, but...genuine. Caring. Like he wanted to see me smile. Could someone have challenged him?"

You feel your husband's head shake. "How many times must I remind you," he teased, "of the light that lies in your eyes? That which reaches deepest into the heart. Surely he felt no challenge than that. Indeed, I would say he simply sees you as I do."

Heart thumping, you loosened your grip on Elrond to meet his lips in a loving kiss, safe in the warmth of his words and his hold upon you. Bit by bit he encouraged you to be brave, never leaving you adrift for long, you reflected as he took your hand, bidding you lead the way to the greater halls at your ready.

Taglist: @lokilover476 @fuckyoumakeart @mossthebogwitch @ibabblealot @kilibaggins @joonies-word @stormchaser819 @pirate-lord-of-narnia | Reply/Ask/Message to join 🥰

[quitealotofsodapop]

And it isn't until s4 that MK gets confirmation that Wukong had, indeed, live him even before the amnesia. Possibly even more than Peaches had!

Prev.

Yup!

MK is going head-first into four seasons of self-doubt that the Monkey King would even cared about him if he had kept his memory...

until the gang end up in the Memory Scroll, Peaches starts regaining his memories, and they hit the months leading up to Meng Po Soup-incident.

Where they see Sun Wukong doting and cooing over a tiny stone egg he found...

the whole Noodle Fam watches in awe as the previously thought-to-be aloof Monkey King vents and talks to the stone egg. Singing lullabies to it reserved for baby monkeys. Lullabies that Peaches somehow remembered even after he lost his memory that he'd hum to calm his baby brother down.

Then they see the fight between LBD's Thrall/The Not-Mayor and how he'd stolen the Stone Egg to draw Sun Wukong out of his island. How the Thrall caught Wukong off-guard and poured a strange vial of liquid down his throat, and how the king thrashed and spat even not knowing what it was.

And how a cracking sound distracted both of them long enough for the Monkey King to slam the Thrall half-way across the country.

A cracking sound that revealed a tiny, screaming, familiar newborn stone monkey.

Macaque and the Noodle family watch on in horror and sadness as Sun Wukong's memory slips away from, and even so he dragged himself towards the baby. Shushing and singing in an attempts to calm them down.

The last words on Wukong's lips before his memory dies is "Mihou" and "Flower". Macaque's hands shoot to his own mouth to cover his grief.

MK, Tang, and Pigsy watch with tears running as "Peaches" is born right before them.

A confused, hurt, and scared monkey demon, cradling a newborn in his arms.

One of MK's doubts is finally put to rest.

His brother loved him from even before the beginning.

[tk-duveraun]

5/? Luo Binghe is SO NORMAL about Shen Yuan

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (here)

Read up through even numbered parts on Ao3

"I need this loser's backstory," Luo Binghe directed to his System.

The screen appeared with the throbbing loading circle. On the top left was his current point balance: 522 S-points. No movement after unlocking the OOC feature. It was good that he hadn't lost anymore, but nothing seemed to gain him points outside of direct objectives. A question for later.

[New Quest Available! Side Quest: "Brother Got Nothin' on Grimm" available from Shen Qingqiu.]

Luo Binghe scowled at the floating screen. Shen Jiu hated him; this quest was bound to be unpleasant. Unfortunately, he wouldn't make any headway with Shen Yuan without knowing what kind of bullshit the Original Goods pulled to reveal his demonic bloodline and engender Shen Yuan's disgust. It wasn't the demonic lineage itself, since Shen Yuan dual cultivated with several demons to cure pollens or avert qi deviations.

After cleaning himself up and straightening his uniform to Shen Jiu's exacting standards, Luo Binghe loitered near the path leading to the Bamboo House. Well, not literally loitered. He had a large basket of laundry he walked back and forth with so that if either peak lord walked by they'd think he was busy.

"You, beast," Shen Jiu said, right on time.

Luo Binghe set down the basket and saluted crisply. "Acknowleding Shizun."

Shen Jiu's face was pinched like he'd just sucked on a lemon with his eyebrows in jagged, annoyed lines. He looked Luo Binghe up and down before nodding to himself. "You will accompany Shen Qingchun on his mission. Ensure the brute does not attempt to ride in his carriage."

Lup Binghe bowed. "Understood, Shizun."

"If Shen Qingchun lacks for anything on the mission, on your head it lay."

"This Disciple will see to it."

"Dismissed."

Luo Binghe picked up the laundry to keep himself from jumping in excitement. He'd stolen the schedule for Qing Jing Peak from Ming Fan and this mission with Liu Qingge was his best guess for the Incident that would result in his odious shishu deflowering his wife.

While Luo Baixiao's body was too young to substitute for the cure, Luo Binghe could prevent the Incident entirely. His first stop was the Qing Jing quartermaster, a cultivator from the same generation as Shen Yuan's master, who was aggreived that he was expected to have Shen Qingchun's carriage ready for dawn the next morning.

As Shen Jiu predicted, Shen Yuan hadn't even begun getting ready for the mission. That was fine, it was Luo Binghe's first chance to prove that he could support his wife in anything he needed. At his side, Shen Yuan would want for nothing. He would reach out his hand and have what he wanted delivered before he could ask.

In that vein, Luo Binghe's next stop was the kitchens. When he announced his orders the head cook rolled his eyes even as he sighed in relief. Here, as well, nothing had been prepared. However, instead of letting them cook Shen Yuan's provisions, Luo Binghe tied back his sleeves and accepted the preservation boxes from one of the staff.

It was time for Luo Binghe's secret advantage: a masters in culinary sciences.

His adoptive mother had been a line cook with dreams of working in a Michellan star restaurant that Luo Binghe had put his blood, sweat and tears into achieving. It was actually was stuck awake in the thrall of blackmarket Ritalin that Luo Binghe first found IRS.

Shen Yuan was a comfort during the hopeless nights when he had only four hours to sleep before he had to go to class and knew he wouldn't be able to get more than two. Working in a kitchen was backbreaking alone, but coupled with full-time university he was truly a golden child to make it out sane.

(And when he learned he actually was blue-blooded, he'd screamed, railed and thrown a chair through the window that it really was true the rich were blessed above the poor. His mother deserved better. She should have been a god, not the lazy, gilded sons in the heavens.)

Inedia would be a distant dream after this mission, Luo Binghe would bet on it!

It was like living in a dream. Luo Binghe drove the carriage and passed snacks through the curtain back to his beloved Shen Yuan, catching glimpses of his bare forearm as it reached out for a treat. There were also the absolutely pornographic sounds of enjoyment as Shen Yuan ate.

Luo Binghe could almost forget Liu Qingge was grumpily riding with them, if not for the ocassional complaint that traveling by sword would be faster.

Privately, Luo Binghe agreed. What was a cultivation setting that traveled by carriage? Ridiculous. It was all to stage intimate carriage rides with Shen Yuan and his suitors who could excuse bumping their erections into him as just unsteady ground.

And Shen Jiu clearly knew, since he forebade Liu Qingge from riding with Shen Yuan.

The mission was to see the blooming of the Five Hundred Year Speckled Iris. Not that Shen Yuan particularly cared about the plant outside of harvesting it for Mu-shishu. No, Shen Yuan wanted to see the Fox-eard Speckled Bees that pollenated the iris and were fiendishly difficult to find at any other time.

"This Disciple is certain Shizun could find any creature he wished," Luo Binghe had said in response to Shen Yuan's ramble about the fuzzy creatures.

"Oh, but they're so cute! They'll curl up in your palm like tiny cats!" Shen Yuan gushed, expression lit with excitement like the moon's favorite son.

Lesser men would faint at the sight, but Luo Binghe held firm. He'd resisted two days of intermittant moaning, he could handle Shen Yuan's beauty.

Truly, the worst part about Luo Qingge being the one to deflower Shen Yuan was that he didn't even appreciate him properly. Yes, he found him beautiful and panted after him for millions of words, but Liu Qingge often told Shen Yuan he was ridiculous and talked too much.

Talked too much! The brute was lucky Shen Yuan was there to hold Luo Binghe back.

At least the System was on Luo Binghe's side, though he kept glancing suspiciously at his quest tracker. It still read [Objective: Preserve the purity of spring!] which was certainly a play on Shen Yuan's courtesy name. Well, he certainly had no intention of failing! But the fact that he, again, had no idea what the quest name was referencing made his teeth itch.

[kuroneko1815]

Redemption of the forgotten love

Funny little snippet for this little angst filled fic that is currently one of my WIPs. P.S. that’s just my working title.

Penelope stared at this man, this high lord who claimed to have been her lover, the father of her daughter, and yes, he very much resembled her. But her memories of him were gone, along with any other possible feelings to tell her otherwise. Despite that, he swore a magic oath to speak naught but the truth to her and that he would never hurt her or Judith.

She nodded and turned away still, intending to think things through when she caught sight of golden fur and a frivolously wagging tail. “Callisto!” She called out and her puppy ran to her.

The high lord startled. “Yes, what? Do you remember me after all, Penelope?” He asked hopeful.

“What are you talking about?” She asked him in confusion.

“You just called out my name.”

“Callisto!” She snapped when the rowdy puppy knocked into the high lord.

“There! You just called me again.”

She stared at him blankly. “Your name is Callisto?” She asked. Staring between the high lord and the puppy that was her daughter’s best friend.

Slow dawning realization appeared on the high lord’s face. “Don’t tell me… you were calling the dog, weren’t you? You named your dog after me.”

“Unknowingly, it seems.”

It seemed as though he deflated a bit, now reminding her greatly of when her puppy experienced great disappointment that the food was not for him.

Plot synopsis: Callisto fell under the Laila’s thrall, hurting and nearly killing the woman he loved and causing her to flee. After she escapes, Penelope loses her memory and she gives birth to his daughter. Sometime after that, Callisto breaks free from the thrall and launches a search. After being mistakenly believed to have died in the incident where she lost her memories, Callisto finds her alive and well, daughter, dog, and all. And now he has to win all three over.

[darling-solaire]

Okay to build on my previous thoughts on William being a thrall before he was turned cause I think it would really inform his relationship with lovely after the Adam incident because he would have an element of understanding which is also why I think he wouldn’t have mentioned anything about Adam’s unceremonious murder because he could see himself in that situation and know that he did the same like I just think he would kinda see the reflection of lovely’s potential as almost a reflection of himself and what he could’ve been if he was saved sooner which would make their turning all the more crushing

[rawrsatthetree]

So I’ve had three play throughs so far where I’ve romanced Astarion. Two were Dark Urge and one was a vanilla Tav.

Since so many people can’t wrap their head around how anyone could possibly help Astarion Ascend so I want to run through my thought process of why my Dark Urge Tav’s did help him.

First I’ll start with Puk, my evil bard dark urge. I think of Puk as a dark urge that Orin should have stabbed harder.

He naturally falls back into who he always was, never resisting his killing urge and love of chaos. He’s a cruel, manipulative, power hungry, monster and he loves it. He’ll take any offer that equals more power, going so far to become half illithid. His evil nature is only encouraged by Minthara and Astarion. Puk knew as soon as he remembered his heritage that he wanted to reclaim his spot as Bhaal’s chosen having already re-earned his slayer form. Puk never thought twice about Astarion Ascending, more power for his little vampire meant more power for him. And if Astarion could make him immortal all the better. He doesn’t care how it will change Astarion, he’s always been a toy for Puk: a key to immortality and fine breeding stock for ascendant dhampire bhaalspawn. Puk doesn’t mind playing the submissive little consort either, at least until he takes control of the brain and makes his vampiric master nothing more than a thrall to sit at his feet while he becomes absolute in Bhaal’s name.

Next my other dark urge Ilona, they were my first play through. I’ll admit they started out as a self insert but I’ve replayed they’re run and fleshed them out to be their own character. Unlike Puk, Orin left Ilona’s head full of scrambled eggs. They barley remember how to be a person and start off with very little personality beyond their urge. As they gain companions and spend time around others slowly the urge is joined by a new person starting to form. As this new personality arises they start to become scared of the urge realizing how they’re companions react to them whenever they let the it take control. Especially after the Alfira incident they start to resist the urge and wanting to be free of it. Of course because they’re an excellent killer and their brain is easily manipulated goo, Astarion picks them as his protector. Ilona is completely defenseless against him easily falling for his honeyed words and attention. However as they grow closer they become completely codependent on each other. As they become more and more afraid of the urge they become more and more dependent on Astarion. He’s their protector just as much as they’re his. This only spirals out of control when they get to Baldurs Gate and learn of their past, they’re terrified. They start to feel hopeless in standing up to Bhaal becoming an unholy assassin and almost ready to except their fate to become their father’s chosen puppet. They’re so wrapped up in their past they’re not sure how they feel about Astarion ascending. It seems like what he wants to do and when he promises he needs that power to protect them both to keep them both safe forever, Ilona believes him. Plus it’s not like they can judge him what’s 7000 souls when they’ve killed countless innocents for less. They just don’t have the strength to deny him and risk loosing the one source of safety and comfort they have. They don’t mind becoming his spawn, between loosing their memory and the urge they don’t trust their own mind, better to let Astarion have it. Even if one day he compels them, it’s for the best if he does the thinking for them anyways. Deep down they know they deserve how he treats them. That and with the. daddy issues deeply rooted in their psyche from both Sarevok and Bhaal part of them loves it. They’re his little consort his beloved pet and he’s their master, their husband, and father. For better or for worse they feel they deserve each other.

My vanilla Tav is an Oath of Devotion Paladin. They were never really onboard with the whole Ascension thing. They love Astarion but they’re worried about what that kind of power will do to him. They do start to falter in act 3 after facing so many horrors they’re beginning to loose faith in their Oath and fearing the worst. Maybe it would be ok, he could use that power for good! To defeat the absolute and save the city, to save themselves. When he says he wants that power so they can be safe forever, for good; they almost make up their mind then and there to help him when the time comes. They steel their resolve to stand by him just like they promised however when they come face to face with his victims tied to the ritual, they break. Looking into Sebastian’s eyes, easily picturing themselves in that cell with him, they promise he will not die trapped in that cage and they mean it. Even if Astarion hates them, they can’t let him go through with the ritual if not to save him than to save those poor souls that fell for Astarion’s charm just as they had. And when Astarion smiles at them and tells them he loves them, they feel their faith and hope return.

[enzomancer]

There was something different about Escher...

In what we’ve been referring to as “The Incident,” my Curse of Strahd character, Lorenzo (dhampir wizard) hooked up with Strahd's consort Escher after a lengthy period of pining.

It was a strange, serendipitous meeting. Lorenzo had used a fly spell to go off on his own and brood in the woods, when he happened across Escher, who had been keeping tabs on the party.  They chatted, they fed together, things got steamy. 

The catch is that Escher was possessed by Strahd the whole time.

 (Additional context/campaign notes/Tome of Strahd and Amber Temple spoilers after break)

…so, Lorenzo is currently under the effect of two (2) dark gifts/curses acquired in the Amber Temple, one being the Gift of Vampyr which he has yet to consummate.   The other… well, he used his True Seeing boon one too many times, and now he has scales, crazy high CON and a sadistic streak.  The Amber Temple is a dangerous place for a character with an inferiority complex, deep emotional wounds and low WIS. 

Our party fled Barovia to Darkon to see if we could find a safe place for Ireena to lay low while we figured out how to deal with Strahd.  Ludmilla and Volenta accompanied us, as they are invested in protecting Ireena and have decided to support the party’s efforts to deal with Strahd.  

Of course, Strahd can’t leave Barovia himself so he would have to send someone after us to get Ireena back. That loyal, disposable someone was Escher.  Escher, wearing a magic circlet that allowed Strahd to possess him.

The party had spent the evening reading from the Tome of Strahd, when they reached the chapter where Strahd sacrificed his dear friend Alek Gwilym in order to secure his immortality from Vampyr.  Lorenzo had been deeply conflicted about accepting his own deals, as he doesn’t want to lose the rest of the party as allies by killing one of them while Strahd remains an existential threat.  The mental effects of the curses have corroded both his sense of self and his relationship to the party and sent him spiraling. Lorenzo knew he’d have to explain himself when they reached the chapter detailing Strahd’s deal, but what he didn’t bargain for was how loud and insistant Vampyr’s urging to kill would become. 

When Rémy, the party’s cavalier and wielder of the sun sword, confronted Lorenzo about what they’d seen in the book and the terms of Lorenzo’s own deal, Vampyr’s voice in Lorenzo’s head commanded him to act fast and kill Rémy. Lorenzo cast Fly and flew off into the night to resist The Urge.

I thought that would be the end of the session, but @tea-with-eleni had me roll a perception check to realize Lorenzo was being observed.  By Escher, who Lorenzo has been trying to score with since very early in our game.  There were hints, there were blatant red flags (Escher was wearing a magical circlet, for one!), but Lorenzo had taken leave of his senses many sessions ago and hooking up with Escher was a perfect way to dodge the crushing weight of his bad decisions and the persisting urge to kill his friends. 

He knew, and I as a player knew, that *something* was up, and Escher had some kind of angle, but the possibility of Escher being possessed by Strahd all along simply did not cross my mind, or Lorenzo’s. Strahd can’t leave Barovia, right?

In the morning, Escher was gone and Lorenzo returned to camp. He knew something was off. He told Ludmilla that he’d seen Escher in the woods and they’d fed together. Ludmilla went rigid and gut-punched him with the news that Strahd was probably piloting Escher as a thrall and the party was in imminent danger. 

Shortly thereafter, Strahd!Escher lead a troop of undead on the camp. Lorenzo banished Escher in the hopes of saving him, but that only bought the party time to finish off the other undead since Darkon is on the same plane as Barovia.  When Escher reappeared, Lorenzo swiped the control circlet with mage hand and Escher collapsed.  After deliberating, and coming to the conclusion that there was no way to save Escher and he was going to be a threat as long as he was around, the party killed Escher. 

Now Lorenzo has to live with not only Escher’s death and the consequences of his curses, but the fact that he shared a night of passion with none other than Strahd von Zarovich.  

(for the record, Strahd rolled over 20 for his How Good is the Sex roll, a fact that couldn't possibly have ramifications on Lorenzo's already porous psyche)

thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed baby's first dirty picture, this one really pushed my figure drawing skills lol

[mintywolf]

A Long Road Home - Page 67 Author Notes

Page 67

The note says:

Imogen Temult Female mid-20s, distinctive light purple hair Wanted for questioning regarding an incident in Gelvaan Approach with caution

???? Dead girl, black hair + eyes, creepy May be an undead thrall of Temult’s To be destroyed upon capture

(unseen price) REWARD

A long time ago when I was still working on Guardian I had some plans for a Dragon Age prequel fancomic about Morrigan’s childhood in the Wilds. (Because evidently I only know one way to tell a story.) I really enjoyed the stories she tells the Warden about her early life and wanted to expand them into a comic but I already had one going on so I shelved it and fortunately never got back to it after I finished my last comic because if I had I’d probably still be working on that instead of this!

Anyway there was a scene based on her story about how her mother used to use her as bait to lure Templars to their doom as a child and afterwards she cheerfully loots the bodies and finds, among other things, a “questionable sandwich.” (Also a holy symbol which she disdainfully tosses away, which I probably could have included here if I’d thought about it haha.

[whumpshaped]

Is there no special forces, vampire hunters, some kind of a vampire intervention team that beck could call when he first realized Helle was still after him after that first alleyway bite? Not that I want Vampire Killing Cops to get Helle, but I think they would be angy in a neat way if beck did such a mean thing to them ☺️ or was beck simply not thinking rationally (and actually part of him wants to become helle's favourite chewtoy) and forgot to do that and then it got too late?

:) this takes place before he invites helle into his home. enjoy

masterlist

tw vampire whumper, implied murder, manipulation, kidnapping mention

It was stupid. Beck knew it was stupid as he made his way to the bar, he knew it was stupid when he first laid eyes on the guy demanding free drinks from an exasperated bartender. He had stakes and crosses hanging from his belt, not even trying to seem anything other than what could potentially get him some special treatment.

A vampire hunter. The first one in the city since the incident that took place a few years ago. They had been avoiding the place like the plague, all except this one brave man who swore to liberate all humans in the area to avenge his missing brother. He hadn't gotten to work yet, as far as Beck could tell.

He walked over and took the seat next to him, nervous as ever. "Excuse me, are you the vampire hunter they've been talking about?"

The hunter turned to face him with an already annoyed look, like Beck had ruined his entire day. "Why else do you think I carry a goddamn stake, boy? What do you want?"

"I– I would like to ask for help, sir. Please. It's, it's pretty urgent."

He scoffed. "Nothing can be that urgent during the day."

That was fine. He was prepared for this. He knew hunters were an arrogant bunch. "I'll buy you a drink. Or two. As many as you want."

The stranger looked him over once again, top to bottom, trying to gauge how much money he might've had. It was a lot. He had asked for an advance at work just so he could come bribe this hunter, eager to seize the opportunity before he fled or died. "My name's Gael."

Beck looked at the bartender who had been not so subtly listening in on the conversation the whole time. "One drink for Gael, please? Whatever he wants." As soon as she nodded, he turned back to his newest friend and possible saviour. "My name's Beckett. And I know exactly where the vampire is going to be this evening. And the next. And the one after." He tugged down the collar of his sweater to reveal his mangled neck, littered with bite marks and fresh bruises. "And I don't know who else to ask for help with that."

"Oh, I'm not listening to a thrall," Gael said instantly, but Beck grabbed onto his sleeve to keep him from leaving.

"No, it's not like that! It's, it's so much worse, they're not using magic, they– they don't... they don't want me to want this," he choked out. "They specifically– they specifically want me to struggle. They're not using anything on me, and it hurts, and it's so fucking scary. Please. Please, just hear me out, at least let me give you the address–"

"Alright, alright, jeez." He yanked his arm out of Beck's grip, settling back into his chair. "That's fucked up, if you're telling the truth. I've never heard of a vampire doing that."

"Me neither. And I didn't want to." He looked at the hunter with pleading eyes, desperate for any sort of solution. "Will you help me? Please? You said– they, I've heard them say you're here to liberate us, and I don't feel very free right now. In an hour I have to get back home so they can rip my neck open again. I live in fucking fear. They, they threatened to turn me."

Gael nodded, finally looking somewhat serious. Determined, even. He pushed the glass towards Beck, much to his confusion. "You can buy me a thousand more once I killed the leech, but if we really want to do this tonight, I'm gonna have to be more focused than that. Give me the address and drink up. You need it more than I do."

-

Beck was extra jittery as he stood by the front door, hands buried deep in his pockets so he wouldn't be so cold as he waited. More than anything, he would've liked Gael to show up and tell him that all had been taken care of — but if he could only attack while Helle was distracted with drinking, well, that was fine by him too. He could endure one more bite.

He sucked in a breath when he spotted the vampire, bracing himself for the inevitable pain. One bite. Just one more. This was the last time he had to do this, because Gael was about to take care of it, and he was going to be okay. His biggest worry would be paying the bill at the end of the night in the bar.

"You look a bit anxious," they said casually as they got closer, and Beck shrugged, admittedly anxiously.

"It's, it's the whole 'having my blood sucked against my will' thing, I think," he muttered, and Helle chuckled. "And it's really cold. I'd like t-to get back inside, please."

"Yes, of course. I would not dream of keeping you longer than absolutely necessary. Oh, before I forget..." They reached into their pocket, pulling out some mystery object and handing it to them. "I think this might be yours. You must have dropped it on your way home."

"I didn't–" All the colour drained from his face when he realised what it was, a wave of nausea washing over him. It felt like his entire world had come crumbling down around him within a single moment, any hopes and dreams of freedom shattered and stomped on.

No. No, that couldn't– that was the hunter's crucifix, wasn't it? And that was... that was blood. That was definitely blood.

"No?" Helle glanced at it curiosly, then back up at him. "Who else could have possibly dropped it so close to your home at this hour?" They cocked their head to the side, eyes cold and devoid of any trace of humanity Beck had come to expect. "Did you invite anyone else?"

He thought he might collapse. He reached out with a trembling hand, slowly closing his fingers around the stolen item. "N-no," he breathed. "It's– it's mine. S-sorry."

Helle didn't let go of it right away. He allowed Beck ample time to think about all the implications, all the unspoken threats, and all the ways this could've gone down differently. Allowed him time to regret it properly. Honestly. Allowed the guilt and terror to completely devour him from the inside out, leaving nothing but an empty husk of apologies and fear.

He did regret it, now. He regretted it immensely. He regretted ever being born.

It won't ever happen again, they tried to say without words, begging Helle to continue playing along, to drop it; he understood now, he wasn't going to pull another stunt like this. Or any at all. Please.

"Good," they said eventually, letting Beck take the crucifix and put it in his pocket. He swore he could feel Gael's blood burning a hole into the fabric. "You ought to be more careful in the future. Losing something so precious can be quite the tragedy."

~

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[starbound-jupiter]

so i have a neurological disorder called fnd which essentially just fucks with my nervous system for yk,, shits and giggles and anyways the other day i was listening to the bifrost incident minding my own business and my brain was like “now’s a great time to have a seizure!! :D” and let me just paint you a picture real quick

so you just woke up from a seizure, you’re disoriented as all hell and trying to figure what happened while you had your silly little floor dance, your limbs are locked and you can’t really move properly when suddenly

Y'AI 'NG'NGAH, YOG-SOTHOTH H'EE-L'GEB F'AI THRODOG UAAAH

OGTHROD AI'F GEB'L-EE'H YOG-SOTHOTH 'NGAH'NG AI'Y ZHRO

AND THE WALLS BEGIN TO TEAR, NOT THE WALLS IF THE TRAIN BUT THOSE OF A FALSE AND HOLLOW REALITY

TWISTING IT ITS THRALL TO YOG SOTHOTH THE KEY AND THE GATE THROUGH WHOSE CASCADING RAINBOW BEING THE TRAIN HAS PASSED

YOG SOTHOTH WHO IS THE BIFROST AND WHOSE DREADED INVOCATION IS NOW SHATTERED,

DRAGS THEM TOWARDS THE ROLLING CHAOS OF THE MAD DEAMON SULTAN AT THE CENTER OF REALITY

A BILLION SCREAMING SQUAMOUS THINGS APPROACH, OOZING AND CRAWLING THROUGH THE SHATTERED TATTERS OF A SANE WORLD

ALL THE DOORS ARE OPEN NOW

so yeah chronic illness things ig

[honey-minded-hivemind]

The full moon incident in the H2-Oh No AU is a turning point for Reader and their friends, as this is the incident where they actually meet the platonic yans as sirens, and Reader's friends are under the moon's thrall/pup instincts. All they want is to be protected by their caretakers and warm and have Reader in the water with them, all while Reader is trying to keep them away from the platonic yans and keep themself from falling under the thrall, too. They keep trying to get to the ocean, and Reader is just trying to keep the four from flopping into the water like pleased seals. No, no, sirens are bad, the land is good! Don't eat that crab! Oh, please don't ask to go to the moon pool! It's creepy and dark, not safe!

And the platonic yans are taking full advantage of this.

They keep offering good seafood and warm nests and plenty of other guppies, and they're trying to get Reader to look at the moon, to fall into their instincts, to let them take all five of them to a nice safe den away from the humans and to curl up together. It sounds good, doesn't it? Now, get into the water, and let Caretakers take care of you...

(Poor Reader needs a break, but they don't want to take one from the platonic yanderes-)

[aliciavance4228]

Ovid, Art of Love: "...wear out some long road to discover them. Perseus brought Andromeda from darkest India, and Trojan Paris snatched his girl from..."

Ovid, Metamorphoses: "You [Dionysos] hold in thrall the Orient, even those remotest lands where Ganges waters dusky India." Ovid, Metamorphoses: "[Dionysos] conqueror of India."

If you go by Ovid's version where Dionysus is acknowledged as the conqueror of India and Andromeda is indian then there's a chance thay both Perseus and Andromeda have more reasons to despise him other than the Argos incident.

There's also this passage from Ovid's Metamorphoses:

The fortune of their grandson, Bacchus, gave great comfort to them—as a god adored in conquered India; by Achaia praised in stately temples. — But Acrisius the son of Abas, of the Cadmean race, remained to banish Bacchus from the walls of Argos, and to lift up hostile arms against that deity, who he denied was born to Jove. He would not even grant that Perseus from the loins of Jupiter was got of Danae in the showering gold. So mighty is the hidden power of truth, Acrisius soon lamented that affront to Bacchus, and that ever he refused to own his grandson; for the one achieved high heaven, and the other, (as he bore the viperous monster-head) on sounding wings hovered a conqueror in the fluent air, over sands, Libyan, where the Gorgon-head dropped clots of gore, that, quickening on the ground, became unnumbered serpents; fitting cause to curse with vipers that infested land.

Here it's emphasized the fact that he conquered India before Perseus (and by extension Andromeda) were even born, but what is interesting in this fragment is the implication that Danaë being impregnated by Zeus was Dionysus' punishment towards Acrisius all this time, because he refused to worship him.

On top of that, pretty much any sources which mention Dionysus wanting to spread his cult in Argos usually have Perseus opposing him, except this one. So my personal interpretation/take is that Dionysus punished Acrisius after his affront not by brutally murdering him (*ahem* Pentheus *ahem*), but by asking Zeus to get his daughter pregnant, thus participating into fulfilling that prophecy. He then continued to spread his cult in other places until he found out that Acrisius died and Perseus became king. So he turned back to Argos, being convinced that this time he would easily win against this new ruler.

[thelegolashairappreciationclub]

Noldorin Music; Afrobeat from Cuivinen to Valinor and back again.

Wanted to make a list of some afrobeat and adjacent songs that I associate with the noldor and other elven groups and why. It's great to see more elves of colour in art but skin colour isn't just an aesthetic, and its weird to see black characters only ever given white voices in music recs or playlists. This is just a small selection of headcannons I personally enjoy, I greatly encourage y'all to seek out other black artists to listen to.

Soso by Omah Lay. Older hymn from before the crossing, passed down more as a relic of old fear, has its resurgence among the noldor in Beleriand especially after the bragolach. Less of an entreaty to the valar than a demand for intervention from anyone who might hear. A desperate plea for anyone to take pity.

Love Nwantiti Remix by Ckay. You know the tra-la-la-lally elves that sing at bilbo and the dwarves in Rivendell? This is the Valinor equivalent. You are wandering Oromë's woods when you walk into a clearing full of half naked somewhat tipsy elves all dancing around and singing this.

Johnny by Yemi Alade. A song from before the crossing about a lady hunting down and beating up her cheating bf who is going around promising other women marriage and knocking them up. I have a vivid image of Míriel wine drunk at a party post-reimbodiment bursting into this song with Indis joining her. Everyone else is holding their breath waiting for an Incident... except Finwe, who is pissing himself laughing and actively cheering them on.

Pull up by Burna Boy. My hc is that Fingon is singing something similar to this in angband. It's completely unserious, just a fun song he remembers from home, remembers singing it outside Maitimo's window to bother him and make him come out faster. He's not expecting the wavering voice following his, thinks he's imagining it until it breaks away from his entirely and continues when he stops.

AKWAABA by GuiltyBeatz and Mr Eazi. Specifically a song for the weird cultural mishmash that occurred in communities built by thralls who escaped angband. Songs tend to be light on lyrics or include multiple languages. More about the sound of the music and embracing the feeling that your body is yours again, dance with us, you are free, go crazy, you are welcome here.

Bloody Samaritan by Ayra Starr. A prayer sung by Beleriand noldor, but not a serious one. Essentially used as a way to warn others you won't take their judgement while using the format of a prayer, like saying "God do you see this shit??" I associate this song with Galadriel in Doriath, dealing with rumours spread about her.

Bank on it by Burna Boy. The closest thing to a prayer that the thralls of angband's fighting pits have. A prayer for survival and for forgiveness for what they must do to survive. It's in Old Quenya, the first tongue. There's an intimate solidarity and fear between those who know it.