#and he just laughs and goes ���you're the ultimate troll!” like! they are friends surely :)

[raticalshoez]

Was thinking of my post about dream teams and got really invested in whatever Unrequited Hate has going on

[soyeahitsmiddleearth]

*not sure how this works, but here goes...* Imagine meeting the company in Bag End, but they don't know you're mute. There's question as to whether or not you should even come on the quest because you don't even have a sign language in the Shire (how will you signal any trouble, call for help, etc). You have some skill throwing knives and can whistle quite loud. There's debate amongst the company about teaching you the secret dwarven sign language (objections being from the older members mainly)

OH MY GOD THIS IS MY 100TH CHAPTER (on ao3)!! Should I do something special for it?

Also for this one I kinda just imagined Tinkerbell (Peter Pan) when writing the reader? Idk. Tinkerbell is quiet, feisty, clever, and like, the best? So I used her for inspiration.

---

You weren't born like this. 

For the first few years of your life you could speak, scream, cry, whisper, and make usual noises like every other child.

You were not a disliked child whatsoever, but you were always quite small, small even for a hobbit, and were also considered rather odd. The other kids considered you odd because you didn't like to play the games children usually liked playing, nor were you particularly good with conversing with others. Other children made you nervous, so you avoided them. 

Unfortunately, they took your avoidance for you being stuck-up and mean, so they often liked to pick on you and torment you for things. The fact that your older brother Bilbo would always stick up for you didn't help this fact either. 

It happened when you were 8; the incident that lost you your voice.

Some of the other Shire children were being mean to you as usual, throwing things and running after you when you tried to get away, and they chased you up a tree. They were armed with branches, rocks, and various other 'weapons' which you didn't much like being hit with, and so you raced up a tree and hid from them in the high branches to wait them out. 

You tried to call for help several times, but you were too far away for any adults to hear your cries, and at one point one of the children nailed you right in the head with stick. 

You fell from the tree screaming, and when you hit the ground, you never made another noise again. 

The fall damaged your larynx, and while you can still do things like hum, cough, and make some simpler noises, you cannot laugh, speak, or even whisper. 

That may sound horrible, but you actually got lucky all things considered, since many larynx fractures and damages can be life-threatening. 

Suffice to say nobody messed with you after that, though it's very sad that it took a life altering injury to stop your torment. 

You have long since given up your anger and hate for what happened to you that day, though sometimes you do feel a great deal of frustration for not being able to voice your thoughts or outright tell people what you mean or need. 

With all the negatives that come with being mute, however, come some positives as well. 

For example, you are a master of silence and stealth in your own right, you're an excellent listener (not that you can reply anyways), you've made good on plenty of other talents like writing and cooking with your brother to name some, you've got excellent aim, and your patience and charades skills are unrivaled. 

So when Gandalf the Grey comes about one lovely morning and proposes an adventure for you and your brother, suffice to say you were overjoyed to finally do something. 

The first meeting with those rowdy dwarfs was a doozy, and you got lots of questions about why you wouldn't speak, though, clearly, you couldn't answer them. 

When Gandalf announced that you and Bilbo would be coming along there was a lot of apprehension, and not just because you're mute either. 

Bilbo is, quite literally, the softest and least durable hobbit in the entirety of the Shire; and mix that with a verbally challenged hobbit as well? 

Suffice to say there was a lot of protest, but Gandalf shut it all down without hesitation and demanded that the two of you be welcomed onto the trip and treated fairly. 

Bilbo didn't want to go, and at some point he passed out and a bunch of things happened, but you made up your mind and let Gandalf know that you would do it with or without Bilbo. 

He can't look after you forever, after-all. 

You were as silent as usual that next morning while everyone traveled, joked, and placed bets on whether or not Bilbo would show up, but you were fairly certain that he would arrive eventually - so you didn't worry much about it. 

Some of the dwarfs tried to make small talk with you while you rode along with them, and though they knew you couldn't verbally respond, you still did your best to act out what you wanted to say; that, or you let your facial expression do the talking for you. 

It seemed that you could get your point across pretty well too, either that or they were sparing your feelings and pretending to understand, because they give an appropriate response to you each time. 

Bilbo did, ultimately, show up at some point, and from there the journey really began. 

---

Your inability to speak really does make things a lot harder a lot of the time, but you usually manage to push through. 

No matter what weaknesses you have because you've spent so much of your life in silence, the strengths always shine through in the end. 

This is one of those times. 

Fili and Kili managed to lose track of some of the horses and stumble upon three trolls, and then they had the bright idea to send in you and your brother to retrieve them! 

Obviously you both did it, but unfortunately Bilbo got caught and all the dwarfs came out and began to fight the trolls with everything they have. It wasn't enough, though, for soon they are all bagged and piled up. 

You got lucky and managed to hide in a nearby bush, and while you know for a fact that you can't take on three trolls by yourself, you can certainly find a way to release the poor. frightened ponies. 

Eventually, once the trolls are completely distracted by other things, you creep out from beneath the bush and army man crawl towards the little pen they made. 

The forgotten weapon lay there on the ground next to the gate, and without hesitation you pick it up and start to saw away at the rope holding it shut. 

Like usual you manage to go by unnoticed up to the end, and once the rope is cut, you open up the gate and watch as the ponies rush away at top speed. 

"Oi!" One of the trolls yell when it notices the fleeing ponies, taking a few quick steps in their general direction before another one of the trolls tells him to forget about it since they've got something better. 

"But how did they get out?" The same troll asks suspiciously, looking over in your direction. 

When he turns towards you, you dive to the ground and hide behind one of the supporting pillars of the gate, squeezing your eyes shut while your heart hammers in your chest when loud footsteps approach. 

Even though you know he can't hear you, you still find yourself holding your breath and awaiting his descent upon you. 

Only it never comes. 

"Huh..." The troll grunts, then turns and rejoins his troll friends around the slow roasting dwarves they've tied above their fire. 

You slowly poke your head up and look at the backs of the trolls who are gathered around the fire, then you glance over at the pile of dwarfs and meet Thorin's gaze from across the way. 

Slowly you bring up your hand and point at yourself, then point at him and make an untying motion with your hands. 

He glances at the busy trolls, then down at the dwarfs by his feet before looking over at you again and slowly nodding his head. 

As soon as you get confirmation you drop back low to the ground and carefully pick your way through the underbrush and manage to avoid crunching or snapping any dead leaves and sticks that may be in your way. 

Eventually, you manage to sneak your way over to the rock just above Thorin, and once you're sure none of the trolls are looking in your direction, you slide down it and land right next to him. 

He looks at you and whispers, "As quiet as a mouse, as always." 

With slightly shaky hands, you begin to try and undo the ties keeping him contained in the sack, but it seems that the knot is rather sturdy since you can't get your fingers into any of the holes in the rope. 

You tug on it a bit and furrow your eyebrows in frustration, going in to pick at it some more before he whispers again, "They're looking this way, hide!" 

As soon as the words leave his mouth you drop to the floor and roll over so you're hiding behind the stack o' dwarfs and fit yourself between Thorin and Balin's legs, reaching up discreetly to begin working at the knot entrapping Gloin. 

It's around this time that you hear Bilbo begin to speak and try to convince the trolls to let them go, though his logic doesn't do much, so you start to work faster 

You're so engrossed on freeing him that you don't notice the loud and large footsteps coming back towards you, and it's not until you hear, "What's all this then?" that you realize you've made a mistake. 

It's unfortunate too, cause you just managed to get Gloin free from his bindings. 

The back of your shirt is lifted suddenly, and then you're in the air next while the dwarfs you were trying to free start to yell and freak out, and Bilbo cries your name in a panic. 

You flail your arms and kick your legs, swinging your fists and beating on the hand holding you by your shirt while you mouth silent curses at the troll. 

"What's this? Another hobbit?" The troll asks, lifting you up to eye level so he can see you more clearly. 

You lash out and hit it right in it's big ugly nose, feeling a moment of triumph when it yelps and reaches up with it's other hand to rub it's abused nose. When that works, you start to beat on it's stupid face more, but before you can get in much more it pulls you away from it's face and starts to shake you back and fourth quickly. 

Troll uses earthquake; it is very effective. 

In seconds you're in a daze and left dizzy when it stops shaking you back and fourth. 

"Well now what? Can we eats that too?" The one with the lower pitched voice asks, looking at the other two while it resumes its turning of the dwarfs hovering over the fire. 

"Of course we can! Go get another bag." The higher pitched one holding you states, dropping you onto the ground from up high. 

When you hit the ground with a silent 'oof' you smack your head and the dizziness increases, but you still hear Gandalf's booming voice and the yelling of the trolls as they turn to stone when the light hits their skin. 

Slowly you push yourself up to your hands and knees and press a hand to your aching head, whining softly when the throbbing gets worse as you move. 

"Y/N!" Bilbo calls from behind you , worry clear in his voice. 

The sound of his voice snaps you out of your stupor, so you hurriedly get to your feet and scramble over to him with slightly wobbly steps, immediately going to the knot holding him in the sack and cutting him loose. 

Once he's freed, he reaches up and moves your head out of your face to check for any injuries, and when he sees none he sighs in relief. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" 

You shake your head no, then point over at the still trapped dwarfs, Gloin being the only one free at the moment while he tries to free Bombur from his prison. 

He seems to understand your point right away and nods his head, walking over to them so he can release them. 

You look around the camp for a moment while Gandalf rejoins you all and grab one of the heavy discarded swords, bringing it over to Gandalf then pointing at the few suspended in air and no doubt roasting hot in their position. 

The elderly wizard smiles at you kindly and accepts the blade, immediately going over to cut loose those still stuck. 

When you turn back around almost everyone is freed, and you find an unconscious smile spreading across your face when you see that they're all okay. 

Bilbo bounds over to you as soon as he's done freeing them, though not before getting some praise for his quick thinking and distraction that saved Bombur's life and gave Gandalf more time to free them, and when you overhear their praise of him your smile broadens. 

"But of course, Y/N provided an excellent distraction as well. Gave the young one a good beating." Thorin muses while he dusts off his coat and trousers, looking at you with a pleased expression on his face. 

You can feel your face heating up slightly at the compliment, but your smile remains and you nod your head eagerly in thanks. 

"Though, I suppose your job would be a fair bit easier if we could properly communicate with you..." He adds slowly, reaching up to stroke his beard lightly. 

Your joy deflates at that, and right away your smile is replaced with a pout.

There is no unspoken form of the language you once spoke, for if there was, you would've learned it a long time ago. Of course you can write well, but there's no time to write what you're thinking in the middle of a conflict. 

Bilbo sighs and shakes his head, "There is no other language for her to speak. I have no knowledge of any other signed languages, unfortunately." 

A few moments of silence pass on by before Bofur hesitantly suggests, "We could teacher her some iglishmêk." 

As soon as the words leave his mouth there is some protesting from Balin, Oin, and a few others, them saying things like, "only dwarfs can speak iglishmêk," "that's a horrible idea," and, "that's against our customs!" 

Bofur shrinks under the scolding and yelling of the older members of the company, but Thorin, surprisingly, says nothing. 

Kili comes to Bofur's rescue, thankfully for him, and states, "Well we need to communicate somehow! I think it's a good idea. We all know it, and I think it would be beneficial to the group." 

HIs brother nods in agreement as well as some of the other younger dwarfs, meanwhile you, Bilbo, and Gandalf kinda just sit back and watch them argue it out for a few moments.

It's not until something catches you eye that you leave the arguing, and once you catch sight of that odd glimmer from somewhere off to the right you follow it.

Nobody notices you slip away as per usual, but no matter, for you've just found a lovely gold coin. 

Right before you turn to go show everyone, you see another, and then another, all the way leading to a big hole in the ground. 

You can tell it has a strong stench even from your spot above it, but your curiosity gets the best of you so you venture cautiously into the small tunnel and see various things inside. There's some bones, more gold, a whole bunch of weapons, some random trinkets and horse saddles, and, like mentioned before, an awful smell. 

"Where did Y/N go?" You hear someone ask loudly suddenly, and right away you remember that you shouldn't go wandering off alone.

You crawl back out of the slippery slope and pop your head up out of the ground, seeing everyone looking around frantically for you. Since you can't yell for them, you take one of the gold coins you collected and chuck it at them, hitting Thorin in the back with it.

He turns and sees you, and right away his shoulders relax and he calls, "There you are! Why are you all the way over there?"

You gesture for them to come over with a 'come here' wave of your hand, then walk out of the cave completely and point at the hole in the ground when they come over. 

A few of them go in, but you stay outside with Bilbo this time and look at the handful of coins you collected from inside there. 

Bilbo looks at them over your shoulder and states, "As far as I'm concerned, you have first claim over everything in that tunnel." 

You look up at him with a big smile on your face and laugh soundlessly, shaking your head at his words. You only found it after all, that's nothing too special or hard, and it was the gleam of a coin that caught your attention anyways. 

To show him this, you lift up one of the coins and shrug your shoulders, then point back down at the cave and shrug again. 

"I know you think it was nothing, but you always manage to find and do things that later help us out. You're by far the best of us." 

You pout at that and shake your head in disagreement, putting the handful of coins into your pocket so you can cross your arms over your chest. 

"Don't you look at me like that. You know I'm right." A smile creeps onto his face while the two of you jokingly argue back and fourth, for he's missed this wordless banter (on your part) between the two of of you. "Just take a compliment for once, won't you?" 

A little longer do you stare at him, but when he doesn't waver or relent, you sigh and nod your head.

"You seem to understand those gestures and facial expressions really well." Balin comments from off to the side, smiling at the two of you with that same old sweet and cheery expression on his face. "It's like you know what Y/N is thinking." 

"Well to some extent, I do. We're siblings after all, and we've been around each other since even before the silence came about." Bilbo explains, putting an arm around your shoulders in a very brotherly manner. 

You nod your head in agreement and look over at Balin with a smile of your own. Honestly, you don't know where you'd be if you didn't have someone like Bilbo to understand you. 

A moment of silence passes by where you all just look at each other before Balin's smile lessens and he sighs, "Maybe we should teach you iglishmêk..." 

That certainly makes you brighten up. 

Oh how you crave the ability to properly communicate with others, so if they teach you and Bilbo this secret sign-language then you'll be able to properly talk to him for once, to talk to them too. 

You get up and walk over to Balin, kissing his rosy cheek lightly while the smile on your face remains just as vibrant and happy as before. 

Oh, you hope that they will. 

[words-writ-in-starlight]

starlight! starlight!!! you're one of the few people I know who reads toby daye and pls I need to yell with someone about night and silence because IT WAS SO GOOD I'M DYING I HAD TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND WALK AWAY SEVERAL TIMES

@maelace​ asked:

Have you read the new October Daye book yet? Because oh my goodness I must know what you think!

Y’ALL

Y A L L

LET’S HAVE A CHAT

OKAY FOLKS

So, some FAIRLY INCOHERENT thoughts about Night and Silence, which I keep calling Nights and Silences because my brain really likes them plurals I guess:

FUCK AMANDINE!!!!!! FUUUUUUUCK AMANDINE!!!!!! I HATE HER SO MUCH!!!!!!  SHE DOES NOT APPEAR ONCE AND YET I AM CONSUMED WITH RAGE

Seanan does such amazing work on all kinds of mental illness stuff, which I think I’ve discussed before re: Toby Daye and her ongoing upward mobility, but fuck the entire Tybalt plotline was so crushing.  That’s what it’s like, is the thing, to watch someone you love retreating from you and not be able to do anything about it because you don’t want to hurt them worse, and I cheered out loud when he came back, and asking Ginevra to come stand in as regent was such a bittersweet scene because on the one hand yes Tybalt my love take care of yourself, but on the other hand I just want him to be okay.  (FUCK Amandine, by the way)

I would die for Quentin, just kind of in general, but I’m specifically really delighted with the subplot of “Quentin thinks Toby could do better than this arrogant tomcat,” and I’m so proud of my best bisexual prince son for calling Tybalt and apparently just ripping into a King with all the worst swears Toby has ever taught him.  I can’t goddamn wait for the King of the Westlands to be this charming, kind-hearted knight-ling whose impeccable etiquette and noble bearing is deeply and profoundly at odds with the fact that he has really kind of absorbed Toby’s problem-solving techniques.  

Aside: there’s nothing I want more than for this series to go on long enough for the Court of the Westlands to be scandalized by their young king jumping up from his throne and hugging a grumpy changeling dressed in a blood-drenched leather coat without regard for his fine silk shirt.  Even more than that, picture the scene.  It’s the coronation of High King Quentin Sollys, attended by royalty and the highest celebrities of Faerie, Sir October Daye grinning fit to split her face with her husband Tybalt and her adopted nephew, the recently ascended King of Dreaming Cats, all looking ready to die from pride.  Quentin’s parents are both crying perfect beautiful tears, as Daoine Sidhe do, and he’s about to be crowned and presented to the people and it’s great and then--  The ceremony is already underway when the door opens again to admit the Luidaeg, as her most terrifyingly Firstborn self, scowling like a storm cloud and gowned like a hurricane, and everyone is fucking terrified for a moment as she sweeps up the aisle toward the dais.  And then she breaks into a smile and holds out her hands to the Crown Prince, and Quentin laughs and rushes into her arms as he cries “I thought you said couldn’t make it!”  And everyone has a moment of religious fear when the sea witch pets his hair fondly and straightens his shirt and then presses a kiss to his forehead and declares to the room at large “You will be a king like none that Faerie has seen in many centuries, because you have a heart as strong and fair and kind as any I have ever seen.”

No one’s sure if it’s a blessing or a prophecy or just a moment of deeply unforeseen maternal affection from the goddamn Luidaeg, but suddenly the sea witch comes to visit the High King on a semi-regular basis and Quentin is delighted and...well, she was right.

Speaking of people I love, I love Danny?  The best rock boy?  He just wants Toby to talk about her feelings, it’s so sweet, I hope they invite him to the wedding so I can read about an eight-foot suit-wearing granite troll sobbing into a handkerchief about how proud he is of Toby.

I ALSO LOVE MAY, God, give me her and Jazz getting married please.  Also I would love to know more about Jazz--maybe a book with the core mystery including Jazz’s flock of Ravenmays?

SOME TAM LIN SHIT GOIN’ DOWN IN THIS BOOK, I GOT A LOT TO SAY

We all know I’m a fucking weak bitch for Tam Lin retellings.  Tam Lin being a lying piece of shit isn’t especially novel, but I LOVE the idea of Janet being the villain of the piece, however unintentionally?  I’m honestly enthralled.  Bitch...give me a novel...make the Luidaeg the main character and let me weep bitter tears for my beloved sea witch....

You know how I just had a whole bit about “Fuck Amandine” up there?  I stand by it.  Furthermore, FUCK JANET.  Every time she gets nasty with Toby I puff up like an angry cat.  

Incidentally, both Janet and Amandine had a (terrible) daughter they doted on, and when their daughter slipped away, they went out and got a replacement that they tried to force to be completely and entirely mortal, without regard for what their replacement wanted or what would be best for them--and ultimately, the person who took the most damage as a result of their selfishness was Toby both times.  Janet is, I guess, slightly better because she seems to at least care about Gillian, but she’s still...weirdly possessive?  She focuses a lot on how Gillian is hers, and hottest of hot takes, love and possession are not the same thing.

Sign me up for front row seats to all of Toby’s family losing their shit over how Janet treats her.  Sign me up for seats in the goddamn orchestra pit when, having started to realize that, actually, Toby did not bail on her, and that Toby is actually a great person who wants nothing more than to have a relationship on Gillian’s terms, and that Janet actively arranged events to drive Toby out of Gillian’s life and then convinced Gillian that Toby didn’t love her, Gillian fucking Comes For Janet’s Whole Life.

Again, the Luidaeg is dear to my heart beyond words, so honestly the fact that she saved Toby all the way back in An Artificial Night by breaking Michael’s Ride like Janet broke Maeve’s, right down to singing the ballad of Tam Lin to hold the magic in place...not to sound like a little old white lady, but that shit is breathtaking, yo. Talk to me forever about how Toby is the first family the Luidaeg has loved and been loved by in a long time, about how the Luidaeg used the same ancient magic that destroyed her life to save this woman who wasn’t yet her favorite niece from the man who used to be her beloved brother, about how the Luidaeg’s entire life is about taking the skins of tragedies and making something new.

Anyway, on to non-Tam Lin things.  Gillian...honey...you’ve been so lied to by so many people.  Toby is the only parent who ever gave Gillian a choice in which life she wanted to live, and it’s so sad.  All Gillian focuses on in the blood memories Toby sees is how much her car represents freedom and safety and...oh honey.  Oh baby girl.  If Janet and Cliff aren’t careful, now that Gillian knows that they manipulated the truth about Toby to completely take her away from Gillian, she’s going to straight up buck their rules and leave.  (I...want Gillian to live with the Luidaeg?  The only full Selkie in history to have the blessing of the sea witch, living with both feet in Faerie and getting coffee with her mother on weekends, turning the full count of Small Children Who Adore The Luidaeg from one to two.  Let the Luidaeg be Gillian’s weird aunt.)

LET TOBY HAVE HER DAUGHTER BACK.  On Gillian’s terms, because Toby wouldn’t want it any other way, but God, just let them have a relationship.  Let Gillian meet someone who doesn’t have Jocelyn’s blind hero worship or the Luidaeg’s ingrained sense of honor and who will tell her that her mom, A, did not voluntarily leave her, and, B, is legitimately rad as fuck.  And then let them start with awkward weekly coffee dates that turn into an awkward dinner at Toby’s house that turns into a slightly less awkward trip to the movies or something and so on and so forth until they’re close and Gillian understands how much Toby loves her and Toby understands that sometimes it’s okay to push for a relationship.  Because Toby’s willing to do the work, but she’s not willing to push for the relationship because she believes Gillian doesn’t want her around, but Gillian only thinks that way because she believes Toby abandoned her, and the only way that vicious loop is going to change is if Toby actually pushes the boundaries for long enough to explain.

It’s so adorable how Toby thinks Quentin’s gonna be her last squire.  My boy’s going to be gone for two months before Toby comes back to the house with a baker’s dozen children and a mulish expression.  Within a hundred pages she goes from “I’m never having another squire because I’m so unfit for this” to “I should reopen Home and run it myself” and I just.  I love her so much.  She’s so dumb.  She has such a good heart and she’s so dumb.  I’d die for her.  Every fifteen pages in any Toby Daye book I just end up crooning “You’re so stupid, I love you so much” to the pages while Toby fails to notice, again, what an incredible person she is.  I’ve loved watching her grow so much, I’m getting weepy here.

OH MY GOD, AND THE NOVELLA?

HOLY SHIT, THAT JUST.  DESTROYED MY WHOLE SOUL.  EXACTLY EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED FROM A STORY ABOUT A NEW SELKIE.  I FEEL LIKE THIS GIVES A LOT OF SUPPORT TO MY HEADCANON THAT SELKIES HAVE TERRIBLE DREAMS ABOUT BEING CLUTCHED IN BLOODY HANDS WHILE A VOICE WEEPS FOR THEIR MOTHER IN THEIR EAR.  I WANT FIRTHA AND GILLIAN TO BE BEST FRIENDS.  I LOVE HOW DIFFERENTLY FIRTHA OBVIOUSLY TREATS GILLIAN, THE FIRST SELKIE IN HISTORY WHO DID NOT CHOOSE THIS.  I LOVE HOW MUCH ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE CHOICE THAT SELKIES MAKE, TO TAKE THE SKIN AND ALL IT CARRIES OR DIE.  

I LOVE SELKIES IN THIS UNIVERSE.  I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THE LUIDAEG CALL IN THAT FUCKING DEBT.  HOLY SHIT.