#ch: allanon

[eventine-elessedill]

Shannara show au where the writers weren't cowards and Allanon's ill advised past love affair was with Eventine's actual canon sibling Breen Elessedil instead

[shannara]

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Flick is my favorite and this is going to become apparent 

So Allanon turns up and at first he’s being nice and then he suddenly grabs and lifts Flick into the air by his wrists and is like “oh yeah btw I could kill you right now if I wanted to” Allanon what the fuck

Then Allanon goes back to being civil ok I guess but what was the point of terrifying my boy

blah blah stuff happens

“...rounding off his muffled comment with a vow to have no more mysterious types at his inn.” That was Curzad and?? No MORE mysterious types??? They get these people so often it’s seen as a mild annoyance???? 

do they play mysterious types bingo or keep case files on each one or something else I need more info 

Flick remains most relatable character as he internally screams for several pages

Also we’re told that Flick and Shea are brothers and once Shea turns up the one of the first things mentioned is that he looks Elven - it isn’t immediately mentioned that he’s adopted (not until ch 2) and I recall being very confused the first time I read this

Allanon tells them that he came to the Vale for Shea and then refuses to say anything more and goes to bed 

[eventine-elessedill]

K so Terry Brooks once said that he could see Idris Elba playing Allanon (which like hell yeah gimme)

But consider Idris Elba...as Garet Jax instead

[eventine-elessedill]

@shannara Asked for some more and...

Sorry this took me a bit! But I was just thinking like...

We were talking about how Breen would - if we were to take anything from his literal seconds of screentime - probably have a lot in common with Flick Ohmsford. He's the unremarkable sibling. The one who wants nothing to do with power, would rather thrust the greatness on the "chosen" one (he wants nothing to do with being in charge for example), just in the shadows. He loves his older brother, and there's never any malice between them, but there is always part of him that is...wanting. For someone to acknowledge him, for someone to see him as Breen, since history won't see him at all. And no one really does! He's been Eventine's little brother his whole life and for as long as he can remember, he hasn't been much more.

But then here comes along Allanon, looking for information, and Breen can help him with that (it is not at all hard to put Breen in a scholarly position over a more militaristic one). And like suddenly...someone is paying attention to him? Not because he's Eventine's brother but like...actually interested in him as a person?? He's valued as an individual? And by Allanon the fucking Druid of Paranor??? The attention is addicting; he falls in love he can't help it. And Allanon likes him, too. The elves are a beautiful people to begin with, and Breen is sharp tongued and quick witted and funny.

Eventine isn't thrilled. He sees exactly what's going on. He tells Allanon as such, wary of potential repercussion, but firm about the safety of his brother. Allanon - to his surprise- agrees. He confesses to Breen that he will be leaving, that whatever happened between the two of them cannot continue. And Breen is massively hurt, and blames Allanon for leading him on (y'know...where the blame should have actually fully been...) if he knew he was never to stay - like Eventine feared he would feel. For making him feel like he was important. So much for being cared for.

The thing I wouldn't like is that it may have had the potential to cast Eventine into the not so flattering light of "the homophobic relative", since the show was already so set on smearing his name from here to kingdom come by not allowing him to like...explain why he did certain things, and this would have just been more icing on the cake (because the writers did not believe in any kind of nuance in characters over a certain age who were not Allanon - and sometimes not even him. As far as they were concerned, old people were just in the way of the young ones). But since I would be a writer in this hypothetical perfect world scenario, it would need to be clear (like it wasn't in show...implication doesn't work - subtly is lost on this audience and they just framed him as a dick) that the reason Eventine disapproved/discouraged any sort of entanglement with Allanon was that he knew it was a bad idea to do so. Allanon - though not a bad man - is not one who can be wholly trusted, nor is he one that can be depended on (he disappeared for literally years and then popped back like...sorry if that's sketch). Allanon, as much as we like him, is a dangerous man, and not one, I would argue, that Eventine would want anywhere near his younger sibling (no matter who it was).

Breen doesn't flee Arborlon to follow Allanon in a rage, nor does he particularly hold any sort of grudge against his older brother (their relationship is a touch more distant, but Breen understands why Eventine was so wary of them together). He retires from the palace and holes up in the outskirts of the city, where he remains for the rest of his life.

Then one of two things happens: either Breen is still alive when he hears rumours that Allanon has returned, and he goes to see for himself. He is not sacrificed to demons for shock value (because the last thing we should add to this show is the bury your gays trope). He and Allanon tentatively dance around one another, things are discussed, conclusions are reached.

OR

Breen dies before the events of the show because elderly, and when Allanon asks after him, he's told that he's gone. There's your angst potential.

Shannara show au where the writers weren't cowards and Allanon's ill advised past love affair was with Eventine's actual canon sibling Breen Elessedil instead