#but still rude since it isn't for an orc

[dafukdidiwatch]

Well deserved on both accounts

[fbfh]

thinking about making eddie munson a daddy. specifically loud simp!eddie, just fuckin living the dream with you after high school. it's the early 90s, corroded coffin just finished their first world tour and are working on their fourth album. Eddie's a little older now, maybe mid/late 20s. His hair is still wild, it's even a little longer now, and he has a little stubble that tickles when he kisses you. or yk. does other stuff. anyway you're running some errands with Eddie and your 2 year old daughter Rose. He has even more sweet ol' tatties now, too. tucked right in next to the demon on his chest, he has a rose for your daughter, and your birth flower right over his heart so he can always keep you close to him. You're nearing your third trimester and your second baby is growing beautifully inside you. Eddie is so obsessed with your bump, always holding it for you, playing metal hits in headphones and kissing it. He tells it stories every night, too, right out of his dnd books. Rosie sits in on all of them, of course. She can't stand normal bedtime stories and only wants to hear about how the tieflings and orcs settled their age old dispute over the kryptgarden forest I don't play dnd don't come for me if this is inacurrate- Baby number two's nursery is almost done, you just need to pick up a few more cans of paint and some last minute decorations and additions. You're wearing a snug little maternity cami that shows off your bump and gorgeous figure, the one that drives Eddie crazy, and a pair of loose overalls with paint smudged on the side and cuffs. Rosie is wearing her favorite sundress, and Eddie has regretably left his leather jacket at home in an attempt to combat the hazy summer heat - but his vest isn't going anywhere. His hair is tied up all messy and a few stray curls have fallen out, brushing the neck of his cut off corrorded coffin shirt. He still can't believe his band actually has shirts, even though he sees you sleep in them every night. Rose wants to look at a music box for the baby, and since you're not allowed to pick up any more than 15 pounds on doctor's orders, Eddie scoops her up to take a look while you flip through paint swatches.

You're rudley interrupted by a grating voice you thought you'd heard the last of at your high school graduation. You look up as your name is called again at one of the bitchy girls you went to school with. You never thought you'd see her or any of her rude, cliquey, mean girl friends again, and you know exactly what you need to do.

You look at her blankly.

She keeps saying your name and introducing herself until finally mentioning you went to school together.

"Oh," you nod, ensuring no lightbulb of recognition goes off in your eyes. "Right."

You've only just started to take the wind out of her sails, and you look through paint swatches as she talks, and you remain completly bored and uninterested.

"You look... different!" She says with a fake kindness that she mircaulously hasn't grown out of yet. You hum in response. Right as you're about to exit as gracefully as possible, Eddie walks up the aisle behind you, Rosie on his hip. He's playing some little game with her, making her giggle like he always does. To this day, it astounds you how good he is with kids. You look back up at your former classmate, and have to bite back a laugh. She is totally checking him out. The irony of the situation - the exact type of girl who made your life hell and absolutely would have terrorized Eddie if they'd known each other back then - is now pushing up her boobs in her shirt and putting on the same pick me flirting face she apparently still uses.

"Hey there, sweetheart." Eddie says, gazing at you so warmly that his love for you is palpable. One look, and anyone can tell how head over heels crazy he is about you. He kisses you in a way that makes your stomach flip - and hers, both with longing and jealousy - then crouches down to your belly.

"And hello to you too, little dragon." Eddie chuckles, kissing your bump. Baby number two had earned the nickname from all your intense cravings for spicy food early on in your pregnancy, along with jokes about how Eddie wouldn't be surprised if the little guy can breathe fire when they pop out. He puts Rose in the baby seat of your shopping cart and reaches down to hold up your belly, swaying and kissing your cheek - and maybe nibbling your ear a little, just enough to make you laugh. He rests his head on your shoulder when he finally notices your former classmate.

"Oh," you say, like you just remembered she was there too. "How rude of me, Eddie, this is..."

You trail off, gesturing to her with the hand not on your cart for Rose to hold. She definitley takes after her dad, her love language has been physical touch since day one. The silence grows awkward as you're unable to recall her name, and after a painfully long wait, she finally relents, introducing herself.

"Right." You nod, chuckling. "Pregnancy brain. Anyway, we went to... high school... together." You say, like you're unsure if that's right. She nods, growing agetated that her status as popular girl and runner up prom queen doesn't extend into the real world.

"And this is Eddie. My husband." You look up at him lovingly as you say it, a warm gaze he returns. He takes your hand and kisses it.

"The luckiest husband in the world." He says sincerely, pressing another kiss to your temple. Her face sinks as she realizes you got married before she did.

"Oh," She nods, then tries to recover quickly. "Okay. Well, let's see the ring."

She says it playfully, but you know she's committing every detail to memory, looking for anything to scrutinize, and you're sure you'll hear about her gossiping about you from one of the kids you went to school with - you know, the nice, non-shitty ones. You extend your left hand despite the tacky nature of her question, and you wish you could have gotten a picture of the look on her face.

The ring and wedding band you wear are actually the second set of wedding rings from Eddie. The first one, the ring he proposed with, is actually one of his. You still wear it on a chain around your neck - it was always way too big for you, but you never wanted to resize it. When corroded coffin signed their first recording contract six months after you'd eloped, the first thing Eddie did with his signing bonus was buy you the biggest diamond he could find. The way you reacted with such genuine surprise, and still loved the old one too much to stop wearing told Eddie with more certainty than ever that he could not have made a better choice in handing over his heart to someone.

"Wow..." she says, trying to keep her face neutral. "Looks like you're ready to pop any day now too, huh?"

the backhanded comment rolls right off you as Rosie speaks up in her endearing toddler babble.

"I- I'm- mommy's making me a- a baby brother for us!" She says excitedly, "Or- she maybe baking a baby sister. Maybe." She emphasizes, repeating what you and Eddie told her about being surprised if it's going to be a baby brother or baby sister. You chuckle at your daughter, and Eddie looks down at her.

"That's right sweet girl. You're gonna have to teach baby how to fight dragons and be a big strong paladin, just like you!" He pokes her playfully and she starts giggling her head off again. You can't get over how much they look alike, she really could be Eddie's twin. Before you can find a graceful exit out of the conversation, a group of a few people freeze a few feet away. You're used to this sort of reaction by now, you have people from 12 to 45 shaking and crying at the sight of Eddie - dubbed the number one guitarist in the last decade by Rolling Stone - much less getting to meet him and take a picture, which Eddie always loves to do.

Your former classmate watches in shock as the guys walk over nervously, asking if he's really Eddie Munson, like the Eddie Munson. He confirms playfully, and you accept their cameras to take a few pictures for them. He offers to autograph their arms or notebooks and starts patting his pockets down for a pen. You beat him to it, pulling out a perminant marker from your purse. He chuckles sweetly, caressing your face.

"You really are always one step ahead, aren't you sweetheart?"

He signs some pages and shirts and even a forehead before they go, thanking him profusely the whole time.

"I'm sorry-" Your classmate interrupts. "What exactly is it that you do?"

One of the guys, still straggling to get a few more glances at Eddie scoffs, personally offended by her question.

"You don't know who that is?" he demands. Thankfully, you manage to slip away to finish your errands while he lectures her on the genius of corroded coffin. Once out of ear shot, Eddie says softly, intimately close to you, "Was she the one from the prom dress story?"

"Oh yeah," you nod. "She was a real bubhosh." Eddie laughs at your middle earth insult - roughly translating to dung heap - that the two of you used to substitute any words you don't want Rosie picking up yet. Eddie is glad you pulled him away when you did, cause if he was around her much longer, he probably wouldn't have been able to resist roasting her to a crisp. Then again, with someone as incredible as you it's pretty easy to make anyone else look bad in comparison.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for being truthful with my husband's coworker?

I (23f) have a husband (25m) who is very close with his coworkers. They come over to our house a lot for DND, holidays, etc.

One of his coworkers, N (27m) and I were close. N is very charismatic and flirts with EVERYONE. My husband legitimately did not care, I've even showed him me and N's texts before which look the same as my husband and N's- yes some flirting but nothing actually serious. Most of it is joking

Well, N started dating someone they all work with, J. I had never met J, I have 0 clue her age. The first time we met, I tried to be inviting as there isn't a lot of girls around except those of us that are married or who already are coworkers. She seemed shy, maybe a bit socially awkward.

Then the second time, I caught her pointing at me and whispering to her best guy friend and they both started laughing. It felt like I was in high school, but I ignored it. N had been out of the room. This was at MY house.

We've met a handful of times since, and by a handful I mean literally 5 times. Every time she does not say a word to me. I've tried talking to her and she'll blankly stare at me. So I've stopped. If she doesn't want to be friends that is her choice.

Except my husband caught her vagueposting about me on social media. N doesn't have social media fyi. She basically posted the exact outfit I was wearing, something that happened, and then put "what a dumb situation caused by someone stupid, but at least the outfit was cute". She also replied to a comment saying i was flirting with her man and a homewrecker, which is why I brought up how N is because he is like that with EVERYONE. So I haven't liked her since because, sure she can be upset with N and me joking and "flirting" even if N is like that with every coworker and even my husband, but to post about me and call me stupid just seemed petty and rude

I asked N if she was uncomfortable with our interactions, because J had me blocked on social media and I couldn't ask her, and N said she shouldn't be because he treats me no different then anyone else.

Well, any group hang outs she doesn't come to. There is always an excuse, and I dont even want to invite her because of what she said about me. Except for DND which I am not a part of (I do enjoy it, but the way they play is so fast paced and im dyslexic and not good at math, I have a better time watching then playing so I do other things while they play, it also gives my husband time to enjoy a hobby he likes alone). Anytime J is over for DND she ignores me or whispers to her guy friend when I'm around. N is still N, flirting with everyone (me, my husband, the guy who plays an orc, J, etc.). I dont even think he is intentionally flirting i think he is just very charismatic and some stuff he says can be taken that way

Well most recently N invited us to his house so me and my husband went. J came home started talking to everyone there and then saw us and went to her room (N, J, and two other people live together). She didn't come back out the entire time me and my husband were there, but I found out later she came out once we were gone.

N texted me asking my opinion of J. I was truthful and said, and I quote "Well she seems smart and she is pretty, but I don't really know her. I don't think she likes me, which to each their own. I wish she was a bit more polite about things when she is at my house. Cant really speak on someone i dont know except that shes a bit cold and not who i had thought you would be with.. Otherwise, as long as your happy, what does my opinion matter?" To which N replied "so you have a bigger opinion" and then blocked me.

My husband agrees with me but N is his best friend, they haven't discussed it at work. I have seen J recently, we ran into each other at a store, and she called me a bitch (I guess N told her what I said). AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[lloydfrontera]

Now I'm wondering how the Javiers would react to Webnovel Lloyd and Webtoon Lloyd just switching universes one day. I bet the Webtoon System would have a lot to say at the very least. XD

oh my godddd

i think webtoon javier would be a little worried about lloyd at first because he seems,,, a little down?? way too calm. maybe he's planning something?? he hasn't made a demonic face in several hours, does he have a fever? has he been overworking himself again? what's happening???? he also seems to be arguing with himself a lot more, why does he keep flinching every once in a while before starting to talk to the air???

(the system is freaking out because this isn't the right lloyd!! they're already breaking reality a bit by having suho replace og!lloyd, they can't afford another soul in the wrong universe!! and lloyd is freaking out because why is the system so chatty?!?! since fucking when?!?! no wait come back give him some answers he didn't know it could talk!! and also why are the orcs suddenly so hot it's been bugging him a little bit)

habiel meanwhile is having a heart-attack and also a crisis, because master lloyd is suddenly way more rude and vulgar than he's been in a while and what does that mean?? is he going back to how he was before?? is he going to turn into a violent drunk again??? no, he still seems to be really focused on keeping the estate safe, but oh god what is that face???,,, should he punch him again?? just a little bit. very softly. it worked last time, maybe it would work again. he just wants master lloyd to keep being like he was the last few months :(

(here's no system freaking out, but lloyd is freaking out enough for both of them. what is going on??? this is not his home, it's similar but he knows his estate by now and this is different. why isn't the system answering, why is hamang pink and oh hi hello what is that black armor javier is wearing and where can he get it when he goes back home???)

i think they'd both miss their respective lloyds very soon tho. like each of them have a very specific dynamic so it'd be weird for them to deal with another lloyd because despite how similar they are they're still different. and they want theirs back :(

[angel12-7274]

Waking up in darkness I try to move but I'm wrapped in a sticky substance. I open my mouth to try to call out, but I accidently taste the thing that is around me. It tastes like spider webs, ohhh shit.

Hearing something stomp by I start to call out, "Hey is anyone out there?" "Hello? Whose there?" The voice was muffled, but loud. It also sounded male, but I can't tell.

"Yes!!! Finally someone who I can understand! My names Angel, Captain, was Captain of the Plotting Hope! I'm a human! Please you have got to help me!!!" trying to say all of the information clearly so the person can understand me. "What? I can't hear you, where even are you?" The voice sounded further and confused.

Now talking with new dertmenation I yell even louder, "I have no clue where I am, but I think I'm wrapped in a spider web!! Please you have to save me!!" Wiggling to try to help the mystery person see me easier. "Wait you say you were in a web? Like a spider web?" the voice is very close now I'm sure of it. "Yes!!! I'm moving as much as I can! Can you see me?" Not giving up I keep moving.

"Uh I think I see you unless it's a coincidence, uhh, real quick stop moving," their voice is right behind my head. "Wha-", "just do it," exhaustion taking over I oblige. "Umm... now lift your head," I do so again thinking that they are going to cut me out.

"Get me out of here!" getting impatient I move again. "Yeah... about that..." the voice is quite "What? What is it??" stopping so I can hear better.

"I am terrfied of spiders. Especially ones that are bigger than my face, and unfortunately for you, you could ride on this thing." their voice is starting to fade.

"Wait!! Don't leave me please!!!" I frantically start to move again, I then feel something start to move me. "Hey!! are you moving me?!" hissing answers me. "SHIT!!! PERSON!!! HEY!!! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! GET ME OUT OF HERE PLEASE!!!" I try to fight the creature that has a hold of me.

"Oh fuck! Hang on, let me jus-" After that I heard the thing start to struggle, after a cupule of minutes it stopped. "There now let me get you out of there." I try making light of the situation, "please don't drop me on my head while you are dragging me." "Ha, if I dropped you, you would be dead... What species did you say you were?" Well that was kinda rude.

"Well I'm a human, names Angel. If you care she/her pronouns. I was the Captain of the Plotting Hope." I feel something wrap around me, then virago hit.

"Are you sure that your Human? Because dang your really small..." Dude what the fuck? "Uh yes I am Human, what are you?" shooting back. "Hang on it's hard to hear you with all of the webbing. What ever you feel do NOT move, I don't want to hurt you," What ever was holding me maneuvered me in a tight grip and pulled the webbing on my left side, then started to cut, fresh cold air hit said arm. I keep still, silently thanking this person as I shiver. When the blade gets to my leg I feel something pull the webbing; freeing my legs, then my arms. "Uhh Imma just let you get the rest because I don't want to be rude, but before you do, just keep your eyes shut, I don't want you freaking out on me. Or my hand to be frank."

"Ok??" Weird request but then again he did save my life so I guess that I'll do what he says... "Wait did you say hand?" Starting to take off the webs that was on my face and hair I kept my eyes closed but I'm now very warry. "Ehhh don't worry bout it," pausing the ground moves slightly, "shit it's lights out and I got to hide you. Don't open your eyes please, We'll deal with it after they do inspection" the ground starts to move faster. I then hear creaking and fabric moving. "Ok this is weird, ummm…"

"Ok what the hell is going on?" still keeping my eyes closed just in case. I'm laid down on something that feels like cotton. Then the person whispers "What ever you do, don't say anything, don't move; be as still and as quite as possible." Something like a weighted blanket is over me, it kinda feels fluffy and soft.

The freaking floor is vibrating as they are talki- wait.... hold up... and everything clicked, oh shit, oh shit!! My eyes flew open and low and behold I am on a black cotton fabric, and looks like a jacket is over me? Or like a blanket of some kind. Staying as still as I can because I do not want to die right now. "Hey calm down, you are going to be just fine, just stay calm and as soon as they leave we'll deal with it, but you need to be calm." The gro- being vibrates a small amount. I tapped on the black fabric twice to try to say ok. It feels like hours pass by, but my eyes are awake and wide as ever.

"Ok they are gone," they pause, "before we confront the situation, the name is Ryan, if you care he/him pronouns. I was Chief Engineer on the UFT Onward, and I am half Orc, half Human."

"Alright Imma make an opening and you come out as you need but just know that you are if fact on my chest under my jacket which I am currently using as a blanket, my hands are under my head after I make the opening." Telling me what is going on isn't helping me in the slightest.

A soft glow of Green and Blue light shine in above my head along with cold air.

"Just take it nice and easy because I'm not allowed to get out of my hammock, so I will try to be still." Slowly but surly I crawl to the opening and peek outside. I see his chin that is covered in hair and has a parcening of an upside down V. My eyes move past that and see the orc teeth, teeth that can easily kill me. I shake my head and trying to get the thoughts out of my head, "If it helps I would not do anything to hurt you," I vibrate from the depth of his voice, I nodded my head and open my eyes, I didn't even relies I had closed.

I look back up and look straight into his massive eyes. We both just sat there and staired at each other, not knowing what comes next.

A cold breeze hits me and I start to shiver, " I take it your cold then?" Ryan asked softly. Not trusting my voice I nodded. "Ok the safest place for you to sleep is probably right there, I know that it is weird since we just met, but if you don't die of the cold you'll die of something else because I don't know about you but this is decently a brand new experience for me, you know besides being trapped in this hell hole," I just nodded my head in defeat and recognizing that he is in fact right, I lay my head down trying to think on how I got into that web, or even in this cell.

Ryan lifts up the jacket and places it back down so that it covers all of him and me. "Question, do you mind if I put my hands under the jacket or do you want them away from you?" Thinking about it, I didn't want them anywhere near me, but then again its freezing and his arms would be really cold, "all I ask is that you don't try to kill me in my sleep," Speaking out so he could hear me better.

He laughed, "Ok I promise as long as you don't try anything your self." He shifted a small bit and slowly moved his hands under the makeshift blanket and lifting it to his shoulders. Then he moved his left hand on top of his abdomen, "are you still cold? If so you could use my hand as another blanket," I shyly responded, "Yes please, I kinda don't want to freeze to death," He proceeded to cover me with the right hand, "is this ok?"

"Yes, thank you." using my arm as a pillow I sit comfortably in the heat and let sleep take over. Ryan trying not to coo he just nodes his head and falls into a dreamless slumber.

[fanpom-imagines]

Requested by @infinity-war-heartbreak : I know Lord of the rings isn't as popular as it use to,but could you maybe do a Legolas x half elf half human!Reader? Maybe ,the reader is told to help with the quest to destroy the ring and at first Legolas and the reader bicker a bit,but when the reader gets hurt Legolas realizes that he could lose her and confesses his love?(sorry if it's cheesy)

Imagine being a Peredhil (half elf half human) and being with the fellowship while having a rivalry with Legolas.

Masterlist

Fandom: Lord of the Rings

Words: 2289 (got a little bit carried away)

Warnings: none

(Gender Neutral Reader)

(Translation: condo means prince in Sindarin)

In all honesty, I had no idea how I ended up on this long journey with four hobbits, one dwarf, one Dúnadan, one man, and one elf, but I guess it doesn’t matter does it? Since I’m already this far along with the fellowship.

It’s quite a peculiar circumstance, isn’t it? Kind of sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. All we need to do is walk into a tavern and we would be the joke of the realm. I thought to myself as I kept on walking not really paying any mind to where I set my feet which was a bad choice on my part. In return for not watching where I was going I end up tripping on a rock that stood out from the ground at ended up tripping which then ended with me bumping into the elf in front of me.

Great.

He looked back at me in anger with sharp pointed eyes that were almost as sharp as his ears.

“Watch where you’re going, Peredhil,” he growled the last word as if something foul tasting was stuck in his mouth. As if the word itself was disgusting to even think let alone speak.

“Oh, I’m sorry, condo,” I grumbled back in Sindarin which he only replied with a grumble under his breath as he moved along.

I huffed in irritation, but moved along nonetheless and followed in tow with the rest of the fellowship who by now had gotten used to mine and the elve’s antics.

After traveling for a good whole day once more, with gladly no interuptions, we set camp for the night to be able to rest and gather back the energy we had lost along the way.

I groaned out in relief as I stretched my back and my arms hearing a few satisfying pops and feeling my sore muscles starting to relax. I sigh and yawn as I lay down, but of course Legolas has to add in a comment once again.

Scoffing he says, “Do all Peredhil’s tire so easily or is it just you? I mean you haven’t even chosen to claim the Gift of Man yet you seem to already have the characteristics off a Peredhil who has.”

Before I could even reply Aragorn cuts me off and glares at the both of us before saying, “Can the two of you stop fighting for two seconds?! You fighting is starting to get unbearably annoying for all of us at this point. Both of you are my close friends, yet you do not seem to be able to get along.”

“How could I get along with this, condo, who can’t get off his high horse and actually treat me as his equal rather than as if I was below him?” I huffed out as I glared at Legolas when uttering the word ‘condo’ and then turning back to face Aragorn once more to finish what I had to say.

“All I’m saying is, is that the two of you need to find some common ground before you drive the rest of us mad.” Aragorn tried to reason as he massaged his temples in agitation and frustration.

“I got to agree with the girl on this one, even though she is half-elf, Legolas can be insufferable at times.” Gimli added in which only raised the tension in the air once more.

“Oh my God,” Aragorn groaned out as he just sat down as well.

Legolas was about to reply, but one of the hobbits, Samwise, cut in, “Could you two just not fight for the night? We all need rest and we won’t be able to get any if the two of you keep going on like this.”

“I don’t need rest,” Legolas muttered out as if he was a child which just earned a groan from the rest of the fellowship and made me on the other hand more irritated than before.

I honestly do not even know how we came to have such a rivalry. When we first started off on this journey. Legolas and I were quick friends, but it seems after he found out I was a Peredhil, he started to distance himself and become more snappy which in turn made me also aggravated and I guess from there the tension just started to build more. I don’t necessarily understand why he would feel the need to become more distant from me, but it may be the fact that even though Elves don’t have a specific social hierarchy, us half-elves have always been deemed as lesser by full blooded elves. I do not know if it’s because we have a choice to either live as elves with immortality or be able to live out the rest of our lives as humans after accepting the Gift of Man, but it has just never made sense to me. Though Legolas and I have a lot in common and not just our race wise, but also our culture wise as I as well had been raised by not just humans, but elves as well.

The whole situation between him and I was confusing to me and I believe to him too. It may be that because of how he was raised; he looks down upon me more just because that is what he was taught, but who knows really.

After a small glaring contest between the prince and I. We all ended up going to sleep seeing as there was no point in continuing any further in this unnecessary fight between the two of us.

It was a peaceful night with crickets playing their song of the night and the wind blowing from time to time, but it seems it wasn’t long lived. The world hasn’t seemed to be on our side as of late.

In the dark of night orcs had ambushed us. Though Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli had woken up before the ambush there wasn’t enough time to alert the rest of us quick enough. So the hobbits, Boromir, and I woke up to a rude awakening with Orcs surrounding us.

Without another thought, as an orc launched itself at me, I unsheathed my sword and and jumped into battle slashing and stabbing my way at the enemy along with the others. As I was fighting off one of the orcs from the corner of my eye I saw one orc coming up behind Samwise. I couldn’t just let the poor halfling fend for himself, I had to do something so I ran up behind the orc closing in on him and killed him swiftly, but it was a short lived victory as another orc came to ram into my side pushing me over into the ground and falling right on top of me with its full weight. I groaned out in pain, but twisted my body and pulled out my knife and stabbed it in the eye to be able to get a chance to escape from under the large beast. Thankfully, my plan worked and I was able to pull myself out from under it, but before I could stand back up to my full height and send down my sword on the orc for its finishing blow the orc stabbed me with its weapon in my thigh. I screamed out in pain and clutched my thigh and in turn dropping my weapon. A stupid and grave mistake, but thankfully before the orc could recover and stand up to full height Legolas swooped in and swiftly took care of it.

Legolas looked around seeing as that was the last orc and he turned to me and was about to open his mouth, but then his eyes widened as he caught sight of my wound and quickly ran over towards me. He kneeled down next to me and examined the wound as he stared at it in concern and worry.

“Aww don’t worry to much, condo, ‘tis merely a flesh wound,” I tried to smile, but my face twisted into an expression of discomfort as more pain shot through my leg.

“This is no time for jokes (Y/N). We need to get this sword out of your thigh and stop the bleeding before I becomes anymore serious,” Legolas said sharply, but rather than it being his usual tone of irritation it was now laced with concern.

I just nodded as the others came to huddle around me as Aragorn and Legolas took charge as they had the most knowledge of herbs and medicines.

All I could honestly remember from those painful hours of recovery was just pain and the fact that throughout the whole process Legolas was always there at my side. Huh, I guess he doesn’t hate me as much as he lets on after all.

After resting for a few days not only for me, but for everyone else to patch up any wounds they might have acquired or to hunt for any extra game or search for any extra supplies or food to help us on our journey and help restock what we lost in the ambush. I was able to walk again seeing as my elven-side’s recovery kicked in to help save my leg and help save us time as well.

During the night before we planed to one again head off on our way I stared up at the sky not really thinking about anything in particular; just taking in the views the world had to offer, but my stargazing session was cut short as Legolas’ voice cut through the air, interrupting the silence along with it.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

I just shrugged at him knowing I had no real answer to his question.

After that we fell into silence once more till my mind wandered back to the day we got ambushed and I then realized, “You called me by my name.”

“What?”

“During the ambush you called me by my name rather than Peredhil,” I clarified for him.

“So?”

“You’ve always called me Peredhil, except at the beginning of our journey where you did not know that I was half-elven, and speaking of why do you hate me so much? It seems like the fact that I’m a Peredhil makes you uncomfortable around me.”

“I don’t.”

“What?” Now this time it was my turn to look at him in confusion.

“I don’t hate you. I just don’t really know what to do.”

“What do you mean?” At this point my mind was racing with many different possibilities and scenarios, but none of them seemed to make enough sense to me so I just let him speak.

“I have a sort of, how do you say, uhm...admiration for you, but the fact that I’m an elf prince and you’re a Peredhil makes me also very conflicted.”

I blushed at his statement. Sure, I had suitors in the past and I had a few court me none of them were, well, Legolas. I guess you could say, that even with all this bickering, I still somehow ended up admiring him too and seeing him in a light of more than just a partner.

“My my mind is conflicting with my heart,” Legolas confesses, “I’m royalty and I should marry to royalty and to someone who is a full blooded elf, well at least that is what my mind is telling me, but my heart is pushing me more towards you so I in turn though that if I had you hate me then maybe the decision between what my heart and what my mind wats wouldn’t be so difficult, but atlast it seems it didn’t really do much, did it?”

I chuckled out at him and smiled at him as he also returned it while we made eye contact with the other, “No, I guess it didn’t.”

“You know I was worried the two of you wouldn’t ever confess, but here we are,” Legolas and I whipped our heads toward the voice only to see Aragorn smirking at the two of us before winking and turning back around to catch more sleep, but not before muttering, “Before you do anything remember, people are trying to sleep.” And with that he fell back to sleep leaving the two of us wide eyed.

After a pregnant pause we looked back at one another before we ended up laughing lightly, as to not wake anyone else up, at what he said.

“It is kind of ridiculous now that I think about it.” I laughed out as my mouth widened into a larger smile.

“Yeah it is,” Legolas sighed out as he leaned closer to me which somehow had made my body react in the same way. Compelling me to lean forward. I glanced down at his lips as he did the same and I smiled up at him, with him returning it, but just as the two of us were about to meet Legolas let out a yelp, and I giggled at his reaction. Legolas quickly turned back to the source that had kicked him and caused him the slight pinch of pain only to see a grumpy Grimli glaring at the two of us.

“Save it for when you’re alone, lover boy,” and at that the dwarf went back to his slumber leaving a baffled and aggravated elf and me, a peredhil trying to contain my laughter at the events that just took place.

“I guess we could continue in the morning,” I laughed out as I kissed Legolas’ on the cheek before also turning in for the night leaving a blushing elf as he looked on into the night trying to refocus on trying to spot any enemies that could attack us during the night.

[alternatez]

Hey, I read your alignment-fix-post, and it was interesting! I'd never heard it explained so cogently before. What I'd like to know is,My question is why do we need the system? Isn't it just an attempt to unnecessarily apply mechanics to a social feature? If there's a drive in players to differentiate from one another (and I'd argue there is), they are encouraged to oppose one another fundamentally, making cooperation nigh impossible/group dynamics super fraught. Why do we need alignments?

A fair question! And the simplest answer, in all honesty, is: we don’t. There is no need for the alignment system. Once upon a time it served mechanical benefits (detect good/evil, protection from good/evil, etc) but those have been removed and/or completely retooled by later editions. And wisely so, IMO! Because of the exact sort of interference to cooperation that you’re mentioning.

I’ve even got some notes on that post that (rather rudely, honestly) said a better idea was to toss the alignment system all together. And like: okay? You don’t have to use it. It serves no mechanical benefit. If your game group doesn’t want to use alignment, then feel free to toss it out! Anyone who gets a bug up their butt about you not using alignments (oh the wank when 4e tried to change that up) needs to chill out and maybe reevaluate their priorities.

What I would argue, though, is that it does serve a potential purpose as an RP guide. If you’re new to RPing and not used to trying to stay in character and something comes up that throws you off, there’s a simple guideline to say “how would me character act here?” Or say you’re a DM running a prewritten adventure: you’ve been handed some NPCs and a script for them, and your players just jumped track entirely. How do the NPCs respond? Here’s a quick cheat-sheet.

Or maybe you’re really into worldbuilding (as I am). The generic orc stats say they’re chaotic evil. What does that tell me about their society? I hate a lot of the details D&D has published for the orcs (Volo can kiss my ass), but I still want to flesh them out in a way that will be recognizable to my players. Those two words (chaotic evil) can help act as a guidepost for keeping stuff recognizable even as a I do whatever I want.

Etc etc. You don’t even have to be a beginner RPer, plenty of experienced RPers use different tricks to establish their characters in the first place. Sitting down with your new character and thinking about what alignment they’d be can be a good way to figure out what their ideals are and what they’re willing to do for those ideals. Hell, 5e added the personality traits/ideals/bonds/flaws thing, and it serves no mechanical purpose. Yes, yes, it theoretically grants Inspiration, but I’ve seen people leave those sections of the character sheet totally blank. It’s an RP tool. Since it no longer serves a mechanical benefit, people can feel free to use it however they like.

And then of course there’s the fallback that it Just Doesn’t Feel Like D&D Without Alignments, which is silly but definitely a feeling people (including me) have. But ultimately for me it’s this: the alignment system, for good or ill, has spread out through cultural osmosis so that people use the terms in completely unrelated settings, and it is probably still going to be around when we hit D&D 20e. It’s not going away. But it is getting more complicated and confused by different interpretations of it and confusion over the terminology, so occasionally pruning back the growth and simplifying back to essentials is a good idea. I like it as an RP guide, but it’s a useless RP guide if you can literally argue any character to fit into any alignment bucket.

One last note: while the original alignment stuff definitely included a fundamental divide between the extremes of the table, that’s dropped by the wayside (at least on the lawful/chaotic axis) and I think that’s a good thing. You’re right that encouraging polarization in the characters is a bad idea. There’s a reason I didn’t bring that up in my fix-it post, and that’s that I think it’s a relic of a bygone RP age and good riddance. Besides, there are literally BECMI era books that have lawful and chaotic people partying up together, so clearly the creators were never actually that married to the concept of individuals taking sides in a cosmic battle, either.