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imakemywings · 1 year ago

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The Hope of Love: Eärendil and Elwing as Symbols of Romance in Popular Culture

KEY WORDS: Earendil, Elwing, Pop culture, Third Kinslaying, Sirion, Theater, Art, War of Wrath

Viewing options: AO3 | SWG

One of the most famous love stories in the history of Middle-earth, the quasi-mythical tale of Lady Elwing of the Havens at Sirion, last queen of Doriath, and her husband, Lord Eärendil of Gondolin has captivated popular imagination for centuries. Some of these portrayals are strikingly vivid, reaching to the heart of a young queen facing the destruction of her people at the hands of the Elves of the West, while others appeal to a narrower interest in the notion of the seemingly-doomed lovers overcoming insurmountable obstacles. We have seen everything from epic tales to reference in pop songs [See: Radio-favorite I’m Coming with its second stanza lyrics “Baby I’m falling fast/But our love will last/Baby I’m flying out to you/Hold your ship steady for me”] to more physical reminders of their story [See: Durin’s Jewelers’ pendant replica of the fabled “Phial of Galadriel” said to contain the light of the star of Eärendil. Its eye-watering price tag make it a niche item.]

What is it about this story that continues to draw us in year after year? Perhaps through an examination of the various efforts to tell Elwing and Eärendil’s tale, we can see.

The Play of Mirkwood – We know of the existence of this early play only due to the survival of a single document: a letter from a woman to a close friend. In it, she tells of her recent viewing of this sober tale. While hers is the only confirmation we have of the existence of the play, it would also be the earliest documented telling of the tale. Her story is very believable: it fits with the theory that Oropher, king of Greenwood the Great, and possibly also his son Thranduil, king of Mirkwood, were themselves Iathrim refugees who took shelter east with the handful of their surviving kinsmen after the Third Kinslaying. For them, Elwing’s tale would have been deeply personal to their cultural loss.

According to our letter-writer, the Play of Mirkwood has very few actors and focuses almost entirely on Elwing and her capacity as the last queen of Doriath. Her children do not appear in the play, but are frequently referenced, and her last words evoke a mother’s grief. Eärendil is relegated to barely a side character here, with Elwing’s mourning being largely for her people and her children. This tracks for the creation of a people mourning the death of their kingdom and their culture.

The Rivendell Frieze – Sadly, this frieze is all but ruins. However, a few key elements allowed for historians to eventually come to broad agreement that it depicts Elwing. The faded, cracked image—which must have once been a centerpiece of a likely highly visible installation, as even what remains suggest it was once fantastic in detail—shows a dark-haired woman clad in white, facing the viewer, clutching a shining jewel in one hand. Her location is unclear, due to the deterioration of the paint, but could plausibly be a cliffside.

The location in which this frieze was discovered also hints at the location of Imladris—more commonly known as Rivendell. This would also lean us towards assuming the figure in the frieze is Elwing, as Rivendell was formed and ruled over by Eärendil and Elwing’s son, Elrond. The discovery was a blow to the small minority of historians who continue to assert that Elrond preferred his Noldor heritage to the Sindar, or even considered himself Feanorian. They dispute the authenticity of the frieze as well as the details about its location and construction.

The Gondorin Opera (Title: Eärendil and Elwing) – This was the first effort by Men to retell the story of Eärendil and Elwing. Eschewing much of the politics of the day, the opera makes a love story of the tale, focusing almost entirely on the romance of Eärendil and Elwing. Here, they are childhood companions separated when Eärendil departs in early adolescence to spend time with his Edain kin. When he returns as a young man, he and Elwing fall in love at first reunion.

The later part of the opera centers on Elwing’s desperate flight to Vingilot and their impossible journey to Valinor. It concludes with their celebration in Alqualondë after securing the aid of the Valar.

Rumored to be a favorite piece of altos due to the standout solos available, this play captures a high romance angle of the story, digging deep into the personal feelings of Eärendil and Elwing and their quest for happiness and peace, with far less attention paid to the monumental historical significance of their actions.

Allegedly, it was popular in early performances to cast Hobbits as Elrond and Elros, as they took direction better than actual children. This fell out of favor when such casting choices came to be seen as infantilizing, though opinions differ even among Hobbits.

The Glamben Play (Title: Downfall of a Queen) – One of the most controversial depictions of Elwing in popular history. Here, the young queen is a self-centered and politically-inept scion of a dying dynasty, who out of pride refuses to surrender the Silmaril and by her own fumbling leaves Sirion open to the attack by the Feanorians. Downfall of a Queen fits in a few digs at Elwing’s ancestors as well. In a move fairly roundly condemned by historians, even those more inclined to show sympathy to Feanorian forces, Maedhros here bargains with Elwing for the release of her children for the Silmaril, which she entirely rejects, openly stating she would rather retain the jewel than her children.

Several runs of this play have Elwing slipping backwards off the cliff rather than making the decision to jump.

Eärendil himself does not even appear in the play and is perhaps implied to have abandoned Elwing by the end.

Downfall of a Queen has long since run out of whatever favor it had, and is not seen in any reputable theater these days. However, it does represent a viewpoint that at one point, had more traction, and the fight it has been for historians to reclaim the history of Elwing and Eärendil from popular misunderstandings.

The Angwedthor Film (Title: The Tale of Eärendil and Elwing and the Saving of Middle-earth) – This was the first effort to capture the story of Eärendil and Elwing on film, before “talkies” had hit the scene. As such, it is technologically incredibly limited, with a run time of only 40 minutes—and even this strained the finances and capacities of the studio. Some of the artistic license taken here is hard to understand—why, for instance, Elrond is here written as a female child, or why Elwing was given a youthful romantic affair with Gil-galad which motivates his effort to stave the Feanorians off the Havens.

Due to the expenses of the time, the film avoids any large-scale scenes of battle and destruction, and leaps somewhat jarringly from Elwing’s transformation to her and Eärendil’s arrival in Tirion. However, the film made several unique choices heretofore unseen in Middle-earth cinema, such as the crowds which awaited Elwing and Eärendil in Tirion. While historians debate the accuracy of whether or not Tirion would have evacuated on the news that strangers from over the sea had successfully landed in Valinor, it can’t be denied that this was the first time which crowds of this size had been portrayed in media. Furthermore, director Angwedthor went through the laborious effort of liberally showering the set in actual gold dust to give an ethereal, almost divine feel to the scene, and the sparkle of Tirion’s streets enchanted audiences at the time.

Furthermore, the film debuted several new cinematographic techniques which have since become standard in the film industry, although the film itself did not endure in popularity. For several decades, though, it was cherished by a loyal group of fans for the tender charisma between the lead actors, but few copies of it remain.

The Manthor Film (Title: Forever Across the Sea) – Learning from the experience of The Tale of Eärendil and Elwing, here was a stronger effort to capture this famed tale. This film opts to center Eärendil as the protagonist, with Elwing only entering the scene thirty minutes into the film, after Eärendil has already made the decision to begin questing for the Blessed Realm.

It is commonly agreed that the actress portraying Idril steals the first half of the show, despite her relatively few lines. Her powerful presence and guiding hand on Eärendil paint a picture of a remarkable woman and Falcthel’s palpable confidence onscreen bolster the image.

Behind-the-scenes controversy suggests Manthor originally meant to make a more foolish figure of Gil-galad: a dull-witted, self-interested clown who came to the throne only by chance. However, the actor playing him took things firmly in a different direction, presenting Gil-galad as war-weary and wary, though not unsympathetic to the unstable position of the Havens. In the end, director Manthor was so impressed with the gravitas of Goror’s portrayal that he ceded direction on the character to Goror.

Additionally, Tomben’s portrayal of Eärendil is still considered by many to be the best onscreen portrayal of Eärendil of all time. His booming voice and captivating demeanor make it all too believable that his sailors would follow him into the unknown time and time again.

Capping off these mesmerizing performances is Elwing’s final speech to the Teleri of Aman, a moment so fascinating that it has become the basis of many other dramatic confrontations throughout popular media. Almost anyone will recognize the line “I plead my hope,” or even its more extended version “Oh ye of foreign shores, I plead my hope. Let my home not be crushed ‘neath the boot of Bauglir,” even with no familiarity with the film. The passion of Torthoriel’s performance here has brought many a moviegoer to tears and captures a moment few had before bothered with—Elwing’s part in gaining the aid of Aman.

However, despite its artistic merit, this film is loudly criticized for fueling the largely-debunked myth that Eärendil came and went from Sirion multiple times during the course of Elwing’s converse with Maedhros, lord of the Feanorians.

The TV miniseries (Title: Saving Our Shores) – Attempting to reach a younger audience, this 5-episode limited series portrayed Eärendil and Elwing as high schoolers trying to stave off the efforts of Feanorian Oil Refining, Co. to validate some historical claim on the land where the teens’ hometown sits. Due to the characters’ young age, the kidnapping of Elwing and Eärendil’s children was replaced with the poisoning of Elwing’s beloved pet doves. Their backstories as refugees are largely retconned, though Elwing remains an orphan.

The series did not make much of a stir, being largely dismissed as an ineffective effort at “modernization.” The costuming and camerawork, standard at the time, painfully date the series and are contemporarily found laughably lacking in style or finesse. It was also criticized for putting its environmental message ahead of the story of the characters. However, it remains popular with teenagers (possibly in part due to the number of sequences the main characters spend lightly clad at the beach), such that at any given youth costume party, one is likely to observe at least a single young woman wearing Elwing’s signature look from the film: the breezy white sundress and the necklace of cowrie shells (a gift from Eärendil).

A few defenders of the series point to how well it captures the feeling of being up against an impossible enemy and how naturally Elwing and Eärendil’s relationship comes off. It is most remembered for the incredibly catching opening song, as well as a few other effective, limited uses of lyric throughout the series. So much so that it was said to be partial inspiration for the next adaptation in our study.

The Methoril Rock Opera (Title: Blood of the Day) – This is one adaptation people either love or hate (and in some cases, love to hate or hate to love). It makes no claims at being a historical piece and therefore makes no apologies for the broad artistic license it takes.

In this raucous stage performance—which includes, at one point, flamethrowers—Gil-galad sells out the location of Elwing and the Silmaril to the Feanorians in exchange for their recognizing his kingship, a scene which kicks off the story. Other notable stylistic choices include choosing to portray Tuor as a humorous if inept drunkard, the infamous make-out scene with Elwing and one of her female companions which is never raised again in the performance, Idril’s florescent pink mohawk and her somewhat bone-chilling solo “Mother Knows Best,” and the decision to show the Feanorians attacking the Havens with machine guns (one of which serves as Lord Maedhros’ prosthetic hand).

Historians largely disdain the piece, and its merits among the artistic community have been debated since its release, but what one cannot deny is the electrifying discography. Hearing Elwing scream into the microphone about having to choose between her city and her children is hair-raising in the best way, and the electric guitar work in Eärendil and Elwing’s love theme drives home the intensity of their relationship like nothing else. Other standouts include Tuor’s surprisingly touching goodbye to Eärendil before his and Idril’s departure, by far the quietest song of the score, and Eärendil and Elwing’s duet of lament for their lost homes.

What Blood of the Day captures is not the accuracies in detail of Elwing and Eärendil’s story, but the feelings of it. In these blaring odes to electrifying instruments that perhaps should not be electrified, Methoril captures the incredible weight of the feelings that bear on the lovers and their story.

The Helethwen Film (Title: Eärendil and Elwing) – Hopes were not high for this revival piece, with many arguing that we are past the need for further adaptations of this story. However, a number of opinion column writers were forced to eat their words after the debut of this box office-shattering instant classic. Helethwen’s masterpiece blew all expectations out of the water, even those of movie executives who argued that two and a half hours was far too long to engage any audience in a historical piece.

This is the first of any adaptation which begins with Elwing’s flight from Doriath during the Second Kinslaying and which centers her character around this formative trauma. It picks up Eärendil’s story with the trek of the Gondolindrim away from the smoking ruin of their city; they arrive in a Havens at Sirion already established by the Iathrim. The friendship between the child Elwing—initially aloof, but quickly warming up to the amiable Eärendil—and her companion is very believable thanks to stellar performances by the child actors, and the tender romance which blossoms in their late adolescence is sure to soften the heart even of the most cynical viewer.

This film also places the children—Elrond and Elros—firmly in the core of the narrative, with Eärendil and Elwing’s concern for their young family being a significant motivator. During the assault on the Havens, it is Elwing who lures the Feanorians away from the city center in an effort to keep them from discovering her children.

The main criticism of this film comes from the brief confrontation between Lord Amrod of the Feanorians and Elwing, wherein he attempts to rape her. The act never comes close to consummation, but there are voices on both sides, arguing that it accurately captures the violence of war, or that it was a distraction from the core story and unneeded additional victimization of Elwing. At least one DVD release of the film cuts the scene entirely.

There are others who feel Braxton’s performance as Eärendil does not compare with Tomben’s earlier performance, but most still feel that Braxton was a solid choice. Furthermore, Aelil’s electrifying portrayal of Elwing covers over any weaknesses in her co-star’s work. She is undoubtedly the heart of the story, a choice which many critics have cited as key to the film’s success.

Elfie Graphic Novel (Title: Peredhel Tale) – Beginning as a webcomic almost a decade ago, Peredhel Tale kicked off its print run two years back. Wrangling a huge cast of characters, creator Elfwyne (known online as “Elfie”)focuses the core of the story on Eärendil and Elwing, and their developing friendship and romance throughout their time in the Havens at Sirion, but also digs into backstories for supporting characters, featuring prominently Idril and Tuor and their struggles with a mortal/immortal marriage; Evranin’s difficulty in seeing Elwing grow up; and the history of Círdan the Shipwright as well as his relationship with Elwing (he here plays something of a grandfatherly role for her).

Peredhel Tale excels in the details of the story because it has the luxury of lingering on smaller elements that more condensed adaptations cannot. For instance, Elfie dedicates an entire chapter (18 pages) to Eärendil and Elwing’s first meeting on the beach as children. Their unusually adult dialogue in this sequence serves to display how quickly they have been forced to mature, and the difficult and heavy thoughts weighing on them even in the middle of seemingly normal child’s play. Her use of vivid color and bold linework make her style easily identifiable and lend great depth of emotion to her drawings. Her tonal coloring in particular sets the scene before any dialogue has been uttered.

The graphic novel has only issued the first book, which ends while Eärendil and Elwing are still in childhood and dealing with the struggles of their trauma as refugees and future leaders of their people, but the webcomic has gone as far as Elrond and Elros’ fourth birthday. Elfie also plans to include in one of the printed volumes the accompanying short story A Frog for Nana, which focuses entirely on Elrond and Elros, at play in the village and in the surrounding landscape of the Havens.

Much of the content in the story is pure fiction—Elfie goes into detail on things we simply cannot know, such as whether there was anything romantic between Elwing’s nurse Evranin and Gereth, or to what extent Elwing and Eärendil exhibited Elvish traits in spite of their mortal blood—but her author’s notes reveal a copious study of the historical period and frank admissions where things were invented for the sake of the story. Tonally, it remains consistent, and great attention was given to the most accurate depiction possible of life in the Havens, as well as various cultural details of the Gondolindrim and the Iathrim.

Above all, Peredhel Tale is a story of love—between Eärendil and Elwing, between Eärendil and his parents, between Círdan and Elwing, and between the people of the Havens and their city. Elfie never lets the reader stray too far from this core and the result is a deeply humanizing—if not wholly historically accurate—portrait not only of the central couple, but their friends, family, and neighbors. Scholars on this subject may wish to subscribe to future updates of Peredhel Tale to see how Elfie handles the Third Kinslaying and the voyage to Valinor.

Conclusion

What do all these things tell us about the story of Eärendil and Elwing and its place in society? First, it shows us that there is an enduring interest in a good love story—platonic or romantic—and that Middle-earth never loses its thirst for a tale of hope. Seeing characters onscreen, on stage, or on the page who have lost everything pick themselves up and carry on, find new purpose in life, can be comforting for us. There is something reassuring in seeing that, thousands of years ago, people loved and despaired and hoped just as they do now. It is a connection with ages long gone and an affirmation that we are all people—historical figures included.

Second, it illustrates the effectiveness of using a personal story to illustrate a historical event. The horror of the Third Kinslaying remains shocking and potentially overwhelming even today. The wanton loss of life as well as the wholesale cultural destruction from which the Iathrim never recovered is painful even now. Indeed, the tale of Elwing may be seen as the last gasp of the Iathrim, reaching through the years to remind us that they were here. However, it can be difficult to grasp the magnitude of such things. Wrapping it up in the personal story of Eärendil and Elwing’s struggles and tragedy drive it home in a way that facts and figures do not.

Most of all, it tells us that their story remains relevant even in our times and that we still find hope in their struggles and successes. Eärendil and Elwing are still speaking to us, and perhaps in listening, we are reaching back to tell them that their sacrifice matters. We may feel that these stories tell us we are not alone—but perhaps we also seek to tell them that they are not alone, either.

#earendil #elwing #starwing #the silmarillion #rocky writes #tolkien tag #fanfiction #tolkien fanfiction #fake academia

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2baddiesfanfics · 1 month ago

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Forever and Tomorrow

Pairing: Arlecchino x Furina

Tags: Birthday, Birthday Sex, Marriage Proposal, Singing, Vaginal Fingering, Love Confessions, Liyue (Genshin Impact)

Summary:

Arlecchino has used her connections to secure tickets to an unforgettable opera for Furina's birthday. What she doesn't expect is for the former archon to get called onstage! What will her performance awaken within her?

Read on Ao3

“C’mon Arle, we’re going to be late!” Furina called from the sitting room of their suite at the Baiju Guesthouse. She could barely contain her excitement. When the harbinger had told her they’d be spending her birthday in Liyue, she guessed her gift immediately. As a patron and performer, she’d only ever dreamed of getting to attend a live performance by renowned opera star Yun Jin.

“Alright, alright, droplet! Patience! We’ve plenty of time before the show starts, silly girl,” she teased as she walked out of the bedroom. The former archon licked her lips at the sight of her. She was extremely thankful the Heyu Tea House had a reputation for being an intimate venue - had other attendees seen the Knave looking like this, she may have had to split her attention between the performance and fending off romantic contenders.

“I-is that new?”

The woman smirked. “Lyney said it would make me look ‘fire,’ as the children say. I figured that’s a good thing considering I wield the power of pyro. Is it acceptable?”

Furina looked her up and down. Arlecchino wore a crimson cape around her shoulders that popped thanks to her charcoal-colored button-down and tight black slacks.

“You look incredible, love. It makes my choice of attire appear outright dull.”

The harbinger moved toward her swiftly. Grabbing her by the waist, her tall frame towered over her. She brushed the former archon’s snow-white hair behind her ear before leaning down and whispering, “I beg to differ. Were we not already behind schedule, I’d drag you back to bed and we’d never leave.”

Furina’s cheeks burned a deep shade of red, a direct contrast to the shimmering aquamarine low-cut dress that adorned her body. “Oh, stop! There will be plenty of time for that later. Let’s go already! I can’t believe you actually secured these tickets.” She paused and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Wait…you didn’t kill anyone, did you?”

The Knave let out a bark of hearty laughter. “Nonsense! I happen to have connections. The Tianquan is a personal friend. She and I have worked together many a time to raise awareness and mora for orphans all across Teyvat. When I told her I was at a loss for what to get you, she practically threw these all-access passes at me.”

Truth be told, Arlecchino still felt like there was no way she could properly convey how much her girlfriend meant to her. An opera was nowhere near the magnitude she felt was appropriate to celebrate the woman who had changed her life and made her believe she was worthy of being loved.

“Now, let’s be off. We may have reserved seating, but knowing Ningguang, I suspect there may be a few surprises waiting for us as well.”

————-

Sure enough, the Knave wasn’t wrong. Their table was front and center, a fresh pot of Chenyu Brew already waiting for them. Except for a handful of others likely also invited by the Tianquan, the women were about to be treated to a nearly private show.

Yun Jin took the stage, and Furina’s eyes sparkled in awe. Arlecchino had to force herself to actually watch the performance instead of just staring at her girlfriend for the duration of the event. The excitement that exuded from her provided a great deal of relief to the harbinger - she must have done something right.

After an hour and a half of numbers, the opera star took a bow - but the show was not yet over.

“Thank you, everyone, for your patronage of the arts here in Liyue. I understand we have some very distinguished guests from the Nation of Justice here tonight!”

Furina whipped around to face Arlecchino. The Knave couldn’t help but grin. “Did I not say there’d be a few surprises?” She whispered. “Pay attention.”

“Ah, yes! There you are. Lady Furina, would you please join me on stage?” The former archon stood shakily and proceeded to the front of the tea house. “I so admire your work, and when Lady Ningguang told me you’d be here tonight, I couldn’t help myself. Would you mind singing for me?”

“M-me? Sing f-for you? I couldn’t possibly…”

“Oh, please don’t be modest! I’ve heard recordings, but there’s nothing like experiencing it live.”

Furina looked out into the audience, searching for the one face that would give her confidence. Arlecchino stared back and mouthed, “You can do it.”

Taking a deep breath, the former archon nodded in agreement. Yun Jin squeezed her hands and bid her luck.

The first notes of La Vaguelette played, and suddenly, there was only the singer and her lover. The Knave watched enraptured by the sheer sorrowful beauty the lyrics evoked.

But love alone could be to no avail

Only farewell, I fear, would prevail

Thus are our lives filled with joy and sorrow

I'll be here always, forever and tomorrow

To behold the world's undying beauty

And that shall live on in perpetuity...

In this moment she knew what they shared was more than mere love. She would be damned if she’d ever allow anyone else to take her from her. They’d both experienced joy and sorrow - far more of the later - enough for both their lifetimes. The words “I’ll be here always, forever and tomorrow” struck her to her core; perhaps this wasn’t the only gift in store for either of them tonight.

—————-

“Arle, can you believe it!? The Yun Jin said I have incredible talent!”

After the show, they had spent a fair amount of time chatting with the world-renowned performer about coming to Fontaine to share some of Liyue’s culture at the Opera Epiclese. They exchanged contact information and then headed back to the guesthouse. Furina hadn’t stopped talking since they left.

“Anyone who’d deny it would be an absolute fool, ma chérie. You were exquisite tonight,” she commended before pulling her into a tight embrace. “But…there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound like a ‘happy birthday’ to me…”

“No! No, it’s nothing bad, I promise. When you were up there tonight…the way you sang…the words you sang…” Arlecchino loosened her grip and knelt before her.

“Archons…wait…Arle…”

“Furina…I know it’s your birthday, not mine, but I ask you to gift me something. Your heart. Your hand. I’ll be here always, forever and tomorrow. Will you do the same for me?”

“Yes…yes of course!” Furina quickly answered as tears welled in her eyes.

The Knave drew her close, her lips crashing against hers. Pulling away, she stared into the sapphires she now called home. “Then you’ve made me the happiest woman in all of Teyvat.”

Furina chuckled. “Surely you’re exaggerating. All of Teyvat?” Her fingers moved slowly but steadily to unbutton the harbinger’s shirt. “Prove it to me.”

“With pleasure.” Arlecchino hoisted her fiancée into her arms and dashed for the bedroom. Removing her shirt and slipping out of her slacks, she moved to slide Furina out of her dress.

“Wait, wait, wait! Chiori will kill me if we rip this!” The Knave rolled her eyes. That seamstress with an attitude would be the one to prevent her from ripping it off and ravishing her. She was careful to not snag the zipper on the cloth and hung it on the back of the bathroom door.

Diving back into her, Arlecchino kissed down her jaw and trailed to her neck. Her teeth teased the fair skin of her lover, biting down just hard enough to coax a moan out of her. The former archon arched into her girlfriend’s palm and felt her grab her breast.

“A-arle…need more...” she panted. Moving her hand from her chest, she placed it between her legs. The harbinger smirked against her mouth.

“Oh, so demanding,” she said as she collected her slick with a single lithe finger. “And needy.” Wetting her digits, she slowly eased into her. Rubbing her fingertips along her walls in a come-hither motion, she felt her clench around her.

“Fuck…Arle…”

With each moan of her name, Arlecchino sped up her movements. Her thrusts were perfectly paced, as if she were conducting a symphony of pleasure and Furina’s body was the instrument. It wasn’t long before the former archon’s hips started rocking in time, wordlessly racing toward a crescendo.

The Knave’s lips were on her once more, capturing her final scream of ecstasy as their performance reached its finale. Furina looked at her lover, eyes bleary with emotion. This woman was to be hers for the rest of her life.

After spending most of her existence pretending, she was now free to live and love as she pleased. The very thought was enough to make her cry with happiness. Instead, she would channel her emotions into showing the harbinger in her arms what she meant to her.

“Come here,” the former archon whispered to her.

“Darling, I’m already as close to you as I can get,” she chuckled in response.

“No! I mean lay next to me. I want you to feel the same way you make me feel.” Arlecchino rested on her side and faced her.

“Like this?”

“Yes. I want to watch your reactions. You’re so much stronger than me. To see what I do to you makes this feel a bit more even.”

“You’re so silly, droplet. You’re so much stronger than you know. But…I’ll allow it.”

Furina traced the Knave’s sharp features and felt the heat of her lover’s breath on her fingertips. Arlecchino closed her eyes and sighed at how soft her skin felt. Normally so ferocious in business and battle, this was a side she only revealed to her.

She felt the harbinger’s flesh rise against her touch as she slid her hands down her chest. A quiet moan escaped her, and the former archon knew she was on the right track. Kissing her gently, she felt the weight of the other woman’s breasts in her palms, her nipples perking up to meet her.

“Furina…” Arlecchino’s husky voice dripped with growing need.

“Shhh…I promise I won’t draw this out, love. Just relax. You’re safe with me.” The Knave visibly eased into her touch at her words. One hand returned to cup her cheek as their mouths met once more, the other wandering further across her toned abdomen.

When her digits reached their destination, her fiancé gasped slightly at the sensation. Already wet from what she had done to Furina, the former archon had no trouble lubricating her fingers for a smooth entry.

“I never tire of hearing you say my name, Arle…” The Knave’s eyes sought hers, and the weight of her love for her burned as fiercely as the power bestowed upon her by her vision.

“Furina…you are…my everything…” she panted.

“But you know what will sound even more beautiful to me? Hearing you call me your wife,” she continued as she sped up the pace of her finger circling her clit. “Won’t you humor me?”

“Fuck…yes…Furina…my wife…”

“Good girl.” With a final deep kiss, her tongue mimicked her movement below and Arlecchino came forcefully. The former archon held her as she rode out her orgasm, out of breath and body shaking.

“Well. I think that’s enough excitement for one night. Happy Birthday, dearest.”

“The best one I’ve ever had. But Arle?”

The harbinger yawned. “Mmm?”

“You will be getting me a ring, right?”

Her question was met with a sleepy chuckle. “Of course, droplet. Whatever your heart desires, it will be yours.”

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pandulce135 · 1 year ago

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Hey Hey! Just wondering, how would the Rise Turtles (or just Donnie if you're not feeling up to doing all of them) react to catching a S/O singing alone in the kitchen for the first time? Like they're actually really good but maybe they're a bit shy at first about singing in front of someone? I love to sing and have vocal training but I need encouraging.

Note: I low key high key am planning on doing this for all four turtles but Don was first (it’s all a tentative plan tho). I totally get the whole being shy in front of people thing, so I hope this helps and I’m sure you have a powerful voice :)

Warnings: None

Word count: 1.4k

~~~~~

With his arms up in the air, Donnie stretched his shell as he sat up from his previously hunched over position. When you sit at your desk performing numerous computer tasks for four hours straight, you tend to let your back hunch. He let out a sigh when his back gave a few satisfying pops and lowered his arms to look around.

His eyes scanned his lab. The lights were dim, his EDM music playing through his speakers, and the seat you once occupied empty. You had said something about homework and needed to get an assignment done and that the lab was usually a good environment to work. Donnie gave a smug smile when you said that, “Of course it is, Y/N. It is a state of the art work environment to fully allow one to achieve an 84.6% higher success rate for their goal.” He was boasting and using limited data points, he knew, but your smile when he invited you to work in his lab was enough to push him to that point.

He loved your smile.

You had left at some point after he turned on his thinking music, grabbing your stuff and telling him you’d be in the kitchen, where you’d most likely be able to focus a little better. He would have argued but you were already gone when he had finished the line of code he was working on. How could you not like his preferred thinking music that usually drove him to a higher success rate on big projects? He’d have to fix the statistic.

Donnie closed up his lab quickly, turning off his music, monitors, and lights before exiting the room. The pitter patter of his bare feet against the concrete of the Lair was usually enough to warn you that one of the turtles was nearing you. However, you seemed to be preoccupied. He peaked his head into the kitchen to see you sitting at the island. Your head was bopping to music being played through some over the ear headphones he had made you one birthday.

What could you possibly be listening to that is making you work more efficiently than his proven EDM music? He had done research and studies to show positive affects of working to EDM music (again, on very limited subjects and with very limited data points, but you didn’t need to know that)!

That’s when he heard your voice begin from your spot on the stool with your fingers frozen over your laptop.

“With more faith in God, I would tell you that this was the rapture

And we’ve been left behind

Why are we so young with tired, sunken, baggy eyes?”

Donatello stood in the doorway of the kitchen dumbfounded. In all your years of knowing each other, you had never once mentioned that you can sing. Were you embarrassed? Were you shy? Why didn’t you want him to know?

These thoughts stayed swarming around Donnie’s head as he stood frozen in the doorway. You probably assumed no one was in the kitchen. The rest of the Hamato brothers were out getting pizza and Splinter was watching his soap opera on the big projector, so it was a very plausible assumption to make, he concluded. His thoughts seemed to stop when you continued to sing the next part of the verse.

“So I’ll give myself a name, something stupid and pretentious

Like Mawce spelled with a C

And I’ll hope all the cool kids who graduated but stayed judgmental will finally accept me.”

Donnie’s eyes were glued to your form, eyes closed, chin tilted slightly upward. With each line, your head moved slightly, adding more emotion for the seemingly invisible audience of your one person show. Your fingers had curled up into fists and your eyebrows furrowed upward. Donnie found it hard to look away from you, so in your element with beautiful vocals.

“And I might be flying home today, but I’m not going home

’Cuz everything I thought I knew has proven to be wrong.

And I’m desperate to the point of flying straight into the over drinking nights that leave you feeling torn.

And I’m leaving,

I’m leaving for New York.”

He admired your inflections, the way your voice would grow then shrink in on itself to tell a story. He took note of the vibrato that made your voice almost sound like it was shaking. Your voice was so strong and so passionate. Why didn’t you sing more often? So many questions with no answers yet.

The words left Donnie’s mouth before he even had the chance to stop them. “It seems pretty redundant to leave for New York when you already live in New York.” He crossed his arms to lean against the doorway, an uninterested look in his eye. He couldn’t let go of his bad boy persona now.

You let out a small scream that made him flinch as you whipped your head around to face him. In the rush, you pulled down the bulky headphones so they rested on your neck. Heat rushed to your cheeks as soon as you heard his voice out of embarrassment. With wide eyes, you simply stared at him, mouth agape in horror as you realized what he heard. Maybe he wasn’t there for all of it? You began to move your mouth to ask when he spoke up again.

With his arms still crossed, he moved himself nonchalantly to make his lean against the doorframe more comfortable. “And before you ask, since ‘With more faith in God,’” he answered your nonverbal question so calmly it almost made you combust on the spot.

“So pretty much the whole time, huh?” Your voice came out in a squeak a few octaves higher than normal. Your eyes were still the size of saucers. You probably looked like a dear in headlights.

“Yeah,” he answered, plain and simple.

You turned back to your computer, hands still in fists from embarrassment. Through your headphones, you were still able to hear the muffled guitar and voice. You felt hot and tense, and you knew you looked on edge, too. But when Donnie placed a hand on your shoulder, you relaxed slightly.

“I think you sound nice,” he peaked over your shoulder to look at what you were working on. You had already submitted the assignment twelve minutes ago. He’s going to have to fix that statistic.

You dropped your head down into your hands. “Oh my gosh…” Your embarrassment showed through your voice.

“You do!” Donnie’s hand slid across your shoulder to your upper back to try and calm you down. “The crescendos, the vibrato. Oh! Your tone! Why didn’t tell us you sing?”

You lifted your head up from your hands to look at Donnie, a mixture of shock and confusion on your features. “Since when did you know so much about music?”

“Ah, ah, ah, dearest, Y/N. I’m the one asking the questions here.” Donnie immediately shot you down with a pointed finger. You frowned at him with a furrowed brow.

You sighed loudly, pulling away from Donnie’s touch. “I don’t know. I’m just- I don’t know it’s embarrassing? I’m.. a nervous wreck when it comes to singing in front of people? It’s terrifying, people judge.” You let it all out in a word vomit. Your whole body felt warm and tingly from your sudden sharing of feelings. Donnie’s eyes widened slightly obviously taken aback from your vulnerability. You turned your head back to your laptop screen and threw your head in your hands again.

To the side, Donnie stood tall and eyed your cowering form. “Well, based off of my observations, I can say that, without a doubt, you have a wonderful voice and your technique is near perfect.” You let out a soft sigh as you felt his lips against the side of your head to plant a kiss. “No need to be embarrassed, my love. How about we get some pizza?” He smiled warmly down at you as you turned to face him again.

His eyes, which were usually full of disdain for his brothers, were now full of love for you. You felt a smile break through and grow across your face. The smile he loved so much.

“Sure.” You nodded as you closed your laptop and stood up from the stool. Before you began packing your items, you pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, earning you a small gasp from the tall terrapin. “I love ya, Don,” you said as you shoved all of your loose items into your bag.

He chuckled as he watched you grab your stuff and face him. “How could you not-“ He was cut off by you elbowing his side. “I mean, I love you, too,” he chuckled out.

“I know.”

“Good.”With his arms up in the air, Donnie stretched his shell as he sat up from his previously hunched over position. When you sit at your desk performing numerous computer tasks for four hours straight, you tend to let your back hunch. He let out a sigh when his back gave a few satisfying pops and lowered his arms to look around.