#dwarven clothing rules

[shurikthereject]

I've been re-reading A Hobbit's Gamble by CQueen on ao3 for the third time now and it had me imagining what Bilbo's clothes would look like if he stayed in Erebor and became Thorin's consort. I decided to create a balance between Hobbit and Dwarvish fashion for these two outfits, one being for the outdoors and the other for indoors. That being the the jacket, waist coast and capri pants mixed with capes and belts. The colour palette also become handy in creating that balance. I mixed Hobbit's bright colours and Durin's blue,which represents his statues in the royal family (This is also Thorin's favourite part of his outfits). It is often discussed how flowers and plants are important to Hobbits and with that I added embroidery of different flowers with meanings that are compatible with Bilbo. The flowers on his head are mostly just a replacement for a crown for day to day. Please comment if I should add something, I love reading your ideas!

[mushroomates]

gimli headcanons:

likes doing laundry. finds it soothing

history nerd!! loves reading old tombs/biographies of his ancestors

is incredibly intelligent. beats frodo in chess. would beat gandalf but gandalf cheats. has been in a stalemate with aragorn for two and a half years.

well mannered but chooses to forgo his politeness to make a point. especially around elves.

does NOT like horses. not just riding them, which is canon, but actually dislikes the animal itself. the reasons why include (but are not limited to) :

he does not like being not on ground. he does not have a fear of heights so much as a fear of… feet not on ground. as evidenced by refusal to jump, treehouses, and well, horses

he does not like their faces. they are long and have eyes on the side like prey. gimli thinks this is deceiving as horses are very large and can kick in someone’s skull. not his skull.

gimli believes that in a one on one match with a horse, he could easily win. he has thought of several, very specific, scenarios of this and has a detailed plan of attack should this situation occur.

they so easily turned against their home for an evil overlord (read: sauron stole all the black horses from rohan) and therefore cannot be trusted. as a rule, anything that willing you let you ride it cannot be trusted. they can’t be satisfied with this life. they are plotting something.

believes he would be great at drums. it’s just hitting things hard and he’s pretty strong.

ok, another thing about horses: they are fragile to a ridiculous extent. you breath wrong and it breaks. they have bad bones and bad blood flow in their legs, and their legs are all that they’re used for. he doesn’t understand why humans invested so much time into horses when they’re genetically bad at what they are meant to do. he’d feel bad for the horses if they weren’t so awful.

drinks coffee, not tea

takes great with the up keeping of his gear. he sharpens his axes, polishes his boots, shines his armor and waxes his mustache. that’s not gear, but he takes great pride in looking groomed and caring for his belongings.

has an axe for every occasion. battle axe? do you want throwing or slashing. a day on the town? have you seen this intricately carved masterpiece that also is a weapon? digging a hole? PICKAXE. cutting a cake? how about an axe???

hates the rain because it ruins his hair and beard. also loves the rain because it ruins legolas’s hair and clothes.

will eat anything. has a great tolerance for spice. contrary to popular belief, dwarves are not shy of seasoning but are very cautious around other races in fear of poisoning their friends

will also eat some rocks. salty is his favorite (halite, hanksite, glauberite) but also likes to add chunks of chalcanthite to his food for a slightly sweet yet metalic flavor. this is also slightly (SLIGHTLY) poisonous as evidenced by sharing his trail mix with boromir

also calls dirt the “local seasoning”

will taste dirt to try and get a feeling for the land. this tells him the acidity, weather, possible wildlife, and also pisses off legolas

actaully genuinely likes the taste of dirt. (note: if you desire to eat clay/dirt that is a symptom of iron deficiency. for gimli, he eats spoonfuls of the stuff like their supplements because as a kid it was fed to him like multivitamins)

OK SO HEAR ME OUT: lack of sunlight can cause really low hemoglobin and ferritin (a blood protein that contains iron) sooo being constantly in dark caves can cause some forms of iron deficiency. because dwarves are conscious of their young, dwarf children often grow up not often being in direct sunlight.

the solution? dirt. dirt contains iron and other tasty minerals that are good for the body. charcoal has natural antioxidants. so does clay. am i saying that momma gimli (unnamed) fed her son ash and clumps of dirt? yes. also bits of broken pottery. it’s good of the immune system.

fr tho clay/dirt/charcoal are the dwarven multivitamins. you have a tummy-ache? here, have a rock. i truly believe this was scientifically proven by dwarves and only FOR dwarves (plz do not eat dirt)

fuckin loves mushrooms. has a mushroom log at home. whenever dwarves find some fungai in a cave they go feral

likes dogs. thinks it’s great that they dig holes. thinks it’s fantastic that the bury things in holes. absolutes loves when they get muddy, and then shake off all water and dirt all over you.

when he came back home with the name lockbearer, a lot of the dwarves thought it was really cool and he has some sort of elven puzzle that requires a code to unlock something. imagine their surprise when he rocks up and is like: no, even better. HAIRS. three of them.

enjoys making mudpies- made them as a kid with his cousins, (mostly with rock slurry) and continues to, even even as an adult.

made them on the fellowship with the hobbits. taught them all about the best types of dirt and the water-to-soil- ratio needed.

while cutting up slices of his pie, he offered one to boromir, who in good nature, took it, clearly thinking it was just part of the bit.

poor boromir was locked in a stalemate after gimli cut his own slice, and began eating it.

to his credit, boromir did brave a few bites, but had to stop once he nearly had a mouthful of maggots

“protein”

gimli is like crazy good at hair. can braid quickly and efficiently in elaborate styles

picked up eleven hair style techniques in lorien (quicker than legolas) and was forced to relay them to the elf through twine as there is no way he’s letting grubby elf fingers to touch his glorious mane that’s been decades in the making

would ask for a drink “on the rocks” and get slightly upset if it did not come back with actual rocks

[jungle-angel]

"I Don't Need A Nurse" (Sentry x Reader)

Summary: Your husband insists that he can take care of himself, but just this once, he'll let you help him

Warnings: Light smut (ya'll know the rules), hurt, injuries etc.

Tagging: @floydsmuse @attapullman @withahappyrefrain @hangmanapologist

You didn't realize how long you had been asleep until you blinked your eyes open and found your copy of "The Mists Of Avalon" splayed on the floor, the pages slightly dog-eared and crumpled from the fall. You picked it up and stuck it on the coffee table, rubbing the grog from your eyes, surprised that it had already gotten dark out.

You looked at F.R.I.D.A.Y's screen in the kitchen, each one with a small, typed message from the rest of the team. A few were due to return in an hour, some were still out for the night and others had gone to help down at S.H.I.E.L.D due to an emergency. A loud meow from Goose had caught your attention, the orange tabby hopping up onto the kitchen counter and his tail swishing as you scratched his ears.

All of a sudden you felt something warm around your ring finger on your left hand. You looked down and found that your wedding ring, the one Jane and Thor had made in the dwarven forges of Asgard, was glowing bright white.

Robert.

You saw something streak across the sky followed by the sound of a quinjet approaching the landing pad outside. Relieved though you were, it was unusual that your husband and the rest of the team was home this early.

You rushed outside with Goose hot at your heels, the engines on the jet dying down and the back hatch opening. Out stepped Steve and Robert first and the rest of the team behind them, your husband looking a little worse for wear. The white hospital scrubs were torn and tattered, his hair clinging to his sweaty forehead, the paper tag bracelet still around his wrist and a pained look on his face.

You rushed right to him and he immediately caught you in his arms. "Oh baby......baby......m'so hot and tired," he panted.

"What happened?" you asked him.

"Mission took longer than we thought," he winced.

"Why don't you two go inside," Steve told you both. "We'll finish up here."

You helped Robert back into the tower, your ring having cooled down and the glow now so faint that it could hardly be seen. It took a while, but at last he was home and in your shared apartment where he could rest.

You ran a hot bath in the adjoining bathroom, not even bothering to measure the epsom salts you had dumped into the steaming water. You had tried the traditional way of getting his clothes off, but Robert was in so much pain that he could barely lift his arms.

You went straight to the First Aid kit in the medicine cabinet and pulled out the surgical scissors, cutting away the ratty scrubs that would be used for kitchen rags later on. Robert sucked in a breath as you helped him into the hot water and helped him clean the cuts, scratches and bruises that were all over him.

"Baby thank you," he croaked.

You kissed the crown of his head and put a cold soaked washcloth on the back of his neck. "You know I'd do anything for you," you whispered.

As soon as Robert was done, you helped him out and left a fresh set of clothes on the bed for him just in case he wanted them, but sleeping naked seemed to be the better option, even with the air conditioning going.

"Aw fuck!" he hissed, laying on his back. "Fuckin hurts."

"Well shit Bob where doesn't it hurt?" you chuckled.

"Here," he said, pointing to his cheek.

You rolled your eyes and pressed a gentle kiss to his soft cheek.

"Right here," he mumbled, pointing to the other.

You kissed his other cheek. You could feel the lazy smile forming on his face already.

Robert silently pointed to his lips, a yearning look in his eyes and the need and want for you burning inside him. Your lips met his, the kiss sweet and gentle but passionate and fiery all at once. You let it linger as his eyes fluttered shut and soon he was quietly snoring away in deep sleep. You crawled in next to him, your head resting on his chest and the strong beat of his heart putting you to sleep.

[verkomy]

okay so I’m rereading the hobbit and I want to make a list of my favorite quotes and parts so here we go:

“bilbo (…) got something a bit queer in his make-up from the took side” I chuckled

“mr. baggins was very fond of flowers” of course he was he’s a blorbo

“it was a beautiful golden harp, and when thorin struck it the music began all at once, so sudden and sweet that bilbo forgot everything else” bombastic side eye

“as he lay in bed he could hear thorin still humming to himself in the best bedroom next to him. bilbo went to sleep with that in his ears, and it gave him very uncomfortable dreams” criminal offensive side eye

“the explanation did not seem to explain” my brain 24/7 (but also when someone’s trying to explain the rules of any board game to me)

“bilbo was wearing a dark-green hood and a dark-green cloak borrowed from dwalin. they were too large for him, and he looked rather comic” bilbo in dwarven clothes, just throwing it out there

“bilbo baggins, a bur — a hobbit,” said poor bilbo, shaking all over, and wondering how to make owl-noises before their throttled him” this one made me laugh

“trolls simply detest the very sight of dwarves (uncooked)” this one too

“his house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all” I want to go to there

“dori, who was at the back next to bilbo, and a decent fellow. he made the hobbit scramble on his shoulders as best as he could with his tied hands, and then off they all went at a run. (…) that sent them on faster than ever, and as poor bilbo could not possibly go half as fast, they took it in turn to carry him on their backs” WE WERE ROBBED

“why, o why did I ever leave my hobbit-hole!” said poor mr. baggins bumping up and down on bombur’s back “why, o why did I ever bring a wretched little hobbit on a treasure hunt!” said poor bombur” comedic duo

gandalf answered angrily “I brought him, and I don’t bring things that are of no use” we love a supportive friend

“(gandalf) gave bilbo a queer look from under his bushy eyebrows” live gandalf reaction

“you ought not to be rude to an eagle, when you are only the size of a hobbit” good life advice

“here they sat on wooden benches while gandalf began his tale, and bilbo swung his dangling legs and looked at the flowers in the garden” a short king <3

“that only makes eleven and not fourteen, unless wizards count differently to other people” I LOVE BOOK BEORN SO MUCH and this whole chapter is probably my favorite by far

“the hobbit felt quite crushed, and as there seemed nothing else to do he did go to bed” what a mood

“long noses are sometimes useful you see” do with that information what you want

“they knew only too well that they would soon all have been dead, if it had not been for the hobbit; and they thanked him many times” AS THEY SHOULD, too bad thorin didn’t see any of what happened

“he did not like being dependent on by everyone, and he wished he had the wizard at hand” honestly, same

“never laugh at live dragon, bilbo you fool” another hopeful advice

“you are more worthy to wear the armour of elf-princes than many that have looked more comely in it. but wonder if thorin oakenshield will see it too” ouch

“then bilbo turned away, and he went by himself, and sat alone wrapped in a blanket, and, whether you believe it or not, he wept until his eyes were red and his voice was hoarse” this one hurts

“he was in fact held by all the hobbits of the neighbourhood to be queer” of course he was :D

[daitranscripts]

The Descent Conversation

Valta

The Descent Masterpost

Valta: The Inquisition is on everyone’s lips. Even the Assembly has taken an interest.

Valta (Harrowmont rules): In his younger years, King Harrowmont would have greeted you personally. But he is too old now for such a journey. Valta (Bhelen rules): I’m told King Bhelen wished to meet you personally, but the deshyrs talked him down. The earthquakes present too great a risk. When the previous king died, Orzammar nearly fell apart.

Spoken to again Vlata: Those tomes were pristine before the Deep Roads. Shaper Czibor’s going to kill me.

General greeting Valta: Atrast Vala, Inquisitor.

1 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: How do you become a Shaper? [2]

Dwarf PC: Why was House Cadash exiled? [3]

General: How do you know Titans exist? [4]

General: Let’s talk about Orzammar. [5]

General: That’s all for now. [6]

2 - Investigate: How do you become a Shaper? PC: How does one become a Shaper of Memories? Valta: I was born with a keen stone sense. It caught the Shaperate’s attention. But my passion for history earned me the title. It was never really a choice. [back to 1]

3 - Dwarf PC: Why was House Cadash exiled? PC: House Cadash was exiled from Orzammar long before my time, but no one has ever told me why. Does the Shaperate know? Valta: It’s my understanding that your House tried to obtain information about a war golem during the First Blight. PC: Why would that warrant exile? Valta: Their methods were considered… offensive. House Cadash was feared long before it joined the Carta. I wish I could tell you more, but family histories are not my area of expertise. [back to 1]

4 - General: How do you know Titans exist? PC: You seem quite excited by the idea that these “Titans” may exist. Valta: My connection to the Stone allows me to hear it. But I can only listen. Titans can sing through the Stone. It is… extraordinary. We call ourselves children of the Stone. What does that make the Titans? [back to 1]

5 - General: Let’s talk about Orzammar. PC: What’s life like in Orzammar? Valta: I haven’t lived in Orzammar for three years, but I receive updates. Is there anything in particular you’d like to know?

6 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: Do you miss it? [7]

General: Dwarven politics intrigued me. [8]

General: Why are castes so important? [9]

General: Let’s discuss something else. [10]

7 - Investigate: Do you miss it? PC: Do you miss living there? Valta: I do sometimes—particularly the easy access to a warm bath and clean clothes. But the importance of my work outweighs the comforts of the city. [back to 6]

8 - General: Dwarven politics intrigued me. PC: How’s the political climate in Orzammar? Valta: There have been riots due to food shortages, but they will pass. I hope. I’ve no doubt some deshyrs will try to use the situation for their own gain. But the king has a good hold over the Assembly.

Dialogue options:

Special: Deshyrs?

[Back to 6]

11 - Special: Deshyrs? PC: What are deshyrs? Valta: Members of the Assembly, all noble born. Through the Assembly, they govern Orzammar. The king presides over them. [back to 6]

9 - General: Why are castes so important? PC:A dwarf’s caste seems to dictate their entire life in Orzammar. Valta: I could bore you for hours about our society’s castes and the tensions that go along with them. Simply put, citizens of Orzammar are born into a caste and that is their lot in life. A member of the Smith Caste can never join the Warrior Caste and vice versa. Everything is predetermined.

Dialogue options:

Special: You can’t change castes?

[Back to 6]

12 - Special: You can’t change castes? PC:There’s no way for someone to change castes? Valta: It is possible for a member of the lower caste to marry above their station. But only their children’s caste will improve. Similarly, when dwarves are made casteless, so are their descendants. [back to 6]

10 - General: Let’s discuss something else. PC:That’s enough about Orzammar. Valta: Of course. [back to 1]

6 - General: That’s all for now. PC: Thanks for the insight, Shaper. Valta: My pleasure, Inquisitor. PC: We’ll speak another time.

[outofangband]

Basic Tol Sirion World Building

world building post for the Isle of Wolves!

World Building Masterlist

This was requested by an anon awhile ago, I’m so sorry for the delay

Please feel free to ask more!! General posts are hard because I didn’t have specific categories to cover so feel free to send categories or more questions!

Tol Sirion stood from the middle of the first century of the first age, for almost 400 years until 456 FA. Finrod first oversaw its building but Orodreth was left in charge and it was under his rule that the fortress lasted until Sauron

-Minas Tirith, unlike Nargothrond, is primarily a military operation rather than a creation of a realm where people can live and work and prosper. Minas Tirith means watch tower.

-Minas Tirith is constructed primarily from white limestone, mostly from deposits of the river Sirion, south of Tol Sirion. Slate, wood and clay were also used

-It is not a city, but rather watch tower with a collection of outer buildings, including an infirmary, a library of sorts, where information about the lands and its creatures and people were collected for sometime, an armory and forge and small houses. The watch tower itself has a number of personal rooms.

-There are also gardens and a small greenhouse, partly modeled after the one built at Barad Eithel which was warmed through hot springs. The greenhouse at Tol Sirion is mostly warmed through the sun and with steaming and misting practices originating from Alqualondë

-The library was a project of Finrod’s and at the time of its creation held very little text, because there was not room to bring many tomes, and written, works over. However, by the time it was invaded there was a modest collection of research. Not all of it would turn out to be completely accurate, but always done with sincerity, and with the help of truly preserving information. All of it was destroyed when the island was invaded.

-Food was primarily sourced from the river itself and from trade with Dorthonion, Hithlum, and Nargothrond. The island of Tol Sirion was probably both too small and its soil in ideal for large scale agricultural production though materials like leaves, roots, some fruit and meat were obtained locally. There were also some smaller gardens, mostly for medicinal herbs but some vegetables too.

-Fresh fish and vegetables, both grown and foraged, are common. During the Watchful peace, small scale agriculture projects are headed by some of the host. These were primarily west, in the shadow of the Ered Wethrin. Trout and river lampreys are delicacies

-Wild mushrooms are also eaten. Elves who have more contact with dwarven and human groups are more likely to eat mushrooms

-Materials for clothing, weapons and other supplies were also mostly acquired through trade however during the Watchful peace, mineral and ore deposits in the nearby mountains were quarried to gather metals and other resources

-The environment is far colder than Tirion, Alqualondë and the rest of Valinor and Orodreth and his host would suffer homesickness at times. The summers and spring are warm however and the island is draped in wild flowers and wild herbs, the scene mixing with the cool water

-The island is large enough that there are several small underground streams that cut through it. It’s from one of these that a well is sourced which provides Minas Tirith with water. It is from two of these wells that form the caverns that will become the pits of the Isle of Wolves. With the streams corrupted by Sauron’s force and repairs of the wells and foundations are no longer done so frequently, the water that drips down the walls where Finrod’s company are chained is poisoned and foul

Please feel free to ask more!

[charis23]

Bagginsheild Fics

A Shot in the Dark

Rated: T. Words: 213k. By: Silver_pup

When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself in his old bed in his old home in his old body. Is this death? Or a trick of magic? Either way, Bilbo recognizes a second chance when he sees one, and this time his adventure with Thorin is going to go a bit differently.

One of These Days (Again and Again)

Rated: G. Words: 13k. By: authoressjean

By a curse or a blessing from the Valar, Bilbo finds himself repeating the same horrific day of war outside of Erebor again and again. His repeats are always triggered when someone from the company falls. He suffers days and days on his own before the others begin to repeat the day with him. One would think that with the whole company, an elf king, and a bowman all knowing what was to come, Bilbo would have an easier time getting them all through the day alive. One would think that, wouldn't they.

The Riven Crown

Rated: E. Words: 254k. By: BeautifulFiction

The aftermath of war is no laughing matter. Those who died must be honoured, those who are wounded must be healed, and those who remain need food and clothing, peace and sanctuary. With Thorin's life hanging in the balance, it is up to Bilbo and the rest of the Company to rule the rag-tag remnants of Erebor in his place. Then there is the matter of the gold... Can Bilbo save both king and kingdom, or is Erebor destined to fall deeper into ruin?

A King Under the Hill

Rated: T. Words: 14k. By: mEEtyouinheLL

A Dwarven caravan stops in the Shire on their way to the Blue Mountains, and while Bilbo is curious to meet these strange people and learn a bit about their secretive customs he never expected to get caught up in their political and personal lives.

An Unexpected Addition

Rated: T. Words: 88.9k. By: karategal

All of the dwarves survive the Battle of the Five Armies, but Bilbo must return to the Shire to sort out his old life and make way for a new one in Erebor. Over one year later, Bilbo comes back to the Lonely Mountain with a recently orphaned Frodo. King Thorin isn't quite sure what to make of this new, tiny addition to his Company.

Sansûkh

Rated: T. Words: 577k. By: determamfidd

I think we all know this, but if not:

(Bagginshield, Gimli/Legolas) In which recovery takes time, the dead members of the Company take to watching Gimli as though he’s a soap opera, the living struggle with being left behind, Legolas is confused, Khuzdul is abused, and Thorin is four feet and ten inches of guilt and anger.

Happy Hobbit Holiday - The Only Thing

Rated: T. Words: 32k. By: helisol

A story in which neither Bilbo nor Thorin can fully explain what they want, but at least they can show it through their actions.

A Fair Wind Homeward

Rated: M. Words: 90k. By: Daisy_May

‘You stupid, stubborn dwarf!’ Bilbo bellowed. ‘I saved your arse from being warg-food, Oakenshield, so show some bloody appreciation.’

The Valar send Bilbo and Thorin back in time to fix things, but the afterlife changes people considerably.

Some folk are in for a few surprises.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

Rated: G. Words: 64k. By: diemarysues

Bilbo Baggins has been plagued with dreams for some months, always filled with the same stranger: big hands, strong arms, dark hair. It seems a mystery until he figures that it is a Dwarf, though this only narrows down his search to every Dwarf in Erebor.

When he overhears mention of a special party in the Mountain he wishes briefly that he can attend. But that's ridiculous. He's a Hobbit, not a Dwarf.

Turns out that's not a problem when magic is involved.

An Expected Journey

Rated: E. Words: 294k. By: MarieJaquelyn

“I just wish…”

“What do you wish?”

“I wish I could have changed it all.”

For years Bilbo has written about his adventures and told stories about his dealings with dwarves and dragons. To most it seemed like fanciful nonsense but to Bilbo it was all very real. A weight followed him home from his travels, one called regret. Now in his final moments Bilbo has a choice to make – go quietly into death’s embrace or go back again and face all the fear and pain for the chance to make things right?

Of course, change is a fickle thing and not everything can be done again as Bilbo is about to find out. In the end, it may not only be salvation that he’s fighting for.

The dangers of parent meeting

Rated: T. Words: 15k. By: Alx_GG

“What do you mean you are not scared?” Pippin said to Sam

“Why should I be? One of them is a cook and the other is a writer, Frodo describes them as very nice” Sam said

“That is just one parent, Bilbo Baggins, you are missing the other parent” Merry said

Or were Sam is going to meet his boyfriend's parents but he doesn't truly understand the importance, or danger, until Merry and Pippin enlighten him

Between Vices and Virtues

Rated: G. Words: 40k. By: LordOfTheRazzles

King Thorin Durinson has only held the throne for a few months after the death of his greedy predecessor. When Shire Inquiry journalist Bilbo Baggins is brought in to observe a meeting of powers, it's quickly made apparent that Thorin's sheltered and strict lifestyle has him completely disconnected from those he rules, as well as his family. It's up to Bilbo to show Thorin that the world is worth exploring and that not everything is as it seems.

Yavanna’s Whisper

Rated: not rated. Words: 109k. By: RavenShira

When he opened the door of his smial and looked at the individual standing on his steps, for the first time in his life Bilbo could hear the voice. Yavanna was singing to him, only a few lines but it was enough. This was his long awaited mate.

It took a few more days for Bilbo to realize what Yavanna was singing to him was not the happy ending like it had been for his parents.

His mate was fated to die.

...

Not on his watch!

Or: The one where Thorin is oblivious and Bilbo's plans mostly have one major fault: He forgot to include himself in them.

Of Palaces and Ruins

Rated: E. Words: 117k. By: livelongandgetiton

Slow burn. Bilbo Baggins is a half-baked archaeologist who has put his dreams of adventure on hold to teach secondary school. Thorin is the grandson of a politically powerful figure in the historically rich and deeply isolationist country of Erebor.

When he flees conflict and corruption in Erebor to settle in London, he finds his hands full with two young boys. Gandalf meddles, and Bilbo signs on as a personal tutor for the boys in hopes of getting a foot in the door to archaeological work in Erebor. He soon discovers that Thorin is a tough nut to crack.

As Bilbo takes care of the boys he and Thorin grow closer, and secrets about not just the brooding stranger, but the mysterious country and politics of Erebor begin to unravel. It turns out that Bilbo isn't leaving adventure behind, after all.

Intertwined

Rated: E. Words: 88k. By: badskippy

After a devastating winter, that took the lives of many Durin's Folk, The Dwarrow of The Blue Mountains forge a treaty with The Hobbits of The Shire ... food in exchange for increased protection. And if an arranged marriage between their King, Thrain, and one of the grandchildren of The Shire's Thain, is required to seal the deal, then the Dwarf-king will do what it takes.

However, crown-prince Thorin Oakenshield isn't totally convinced that the Hobbits can be trusted and he sets out to find the truth behind this so-called, 'Good-Will Treaty', and the miserable mite of a Hobbit that would agree to a loveless marriage.

Come what may, Thorin is determined to find out what tricks and deceptions this ... Bilbo Baggins has up his sleeve.

[konfizry]

dirk dad

words cannot describe how appreciative i am of Shady Dirk. the man makes counterfeit relics!! granted the one example of this we’re provided is not some dodgy black market stuff, the relic actually goes to the Church but. still. you’re helping someone cover up a lie by making a fake, Mr Dirk!!! what about dwarven vow number 11 mister dirk??? But hey, he’s got a kid to keep fed and clothed. goodness and love in the end! Like. I love it. For all his hammering the dwarven vows as this ubiquitous moral code, he doesn’t mind bending the rules a little if he has to. (And i do think that rubs off on Lloyd as well. lloyd’s not above deceiving, playing mind games and using a little bit of trickery if he feels it’s justified)

That’s how i love to draw the parallel between kratos and dirk tho like. Dirk abides by his moral code very strictly except when he doesn’t. He has no qualms about overlooking the very rules he likes to quote at the drop of a hat for the greater good (and like that’s not necessarily a dichotomy. maybe dwarven vow number 7 transcends all the others and it’s ok to disregard a vow or two if you do it for love and justice. also tbh it seems the dwarven vows are numerous enough that you can probably find some that contradict one another anyway. and i would argue that’s by design). So that’s why he keeps some things from Lloyd and makes fake spiritual statues. he has his own way of solving the moral dilemmas that come his way, i think. Doesn’t mean it’s necessarily easy for him every time, but he knows to trust himself and create flexibility when need be. Kratos on the other hand, doesn’t. He wants to be loyal to his friend and his friend’s ideals. That’s what guides him, period. And so long as said friend remains faithful to his ideals, that’s all well and good, but the moment Friend starts acting counter to his own ideals, Kratos BSODs. he’ll stay in denial for a couple decades or centuries, then he’ll abandon ship and and wander around aimlessly for a couple extra decades not truly committing one way or another, until he finally meets Someone who can (knowingly or not) answer the question: “is it ok to turn against my mass-enslaver genocidal shadow-of-his-former-self of a friend (i did say i would always be by his side so idk)??”. (and then when that Someone goes bye-bye, he’s back to square one, we know the drill)

this would be a no-brainer for dirk i think? idk. anyway

dirk knowingly crafts counterfeit objects of worship that are subsequently used to trick hundreds upon hundreds of people so he can put food on the table and i think that makes him interesting (and fun) (do you think a part of him enjoys doing it. do you think he takes pride knowing that his statue might fool even the most zealous devouts. i dont have the answer to that question)

[convxction]

SHIPPING INFO. answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

what’s your OTP for your muse(s)?

self love. jk. tbh i love all possible spouses for c.hrom because each of them is unique and adds to his personality and life. away from canons, i love my friends' ocs who are in relationship with him Rebecca, Takako, Lacie, Robin and Eira. My precious <3

what are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

Almost everything? I don't mind exploring any situation and plotline. I love exploring things, especially if it makes things semi realistic, as possible, not the uwu boy meets girl and now kiss~ nah fam.

how large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

This is kind of question that gets you roll eyes no matter what you answer lmao. Personally, between 10 or 12 years as long as one of the parties are in the 20+. tbh i find some age gaps like 20 are cool to explore if the other is "old" and tired of life and suddenly upbeat and lively person be like hewo do you want to love life again? thats kind of cute the vibe of giving someone's life colors again. anyway yeah. as long as things make sense and legal lol

are you selective when shipping?

Honhon yeah. i no longer entertain everyone because I used to think everyone is fun and willing to write fun things and explore ideas and not just the 'imma book this muse ehe~' and bail out on me haha. we gotta have that telepathy moment lol. so yeah i want the good time not just booking muses so i can have their names in my relationship page like some sort of badge or achievement. dont get me wrong i understand what burnt out means. i dont want to control my partners' lives lmao. just be ...my friend too??? not just oh i lost interest in my muse, i will now proceed to ignore you. and yes it happened. a lot. and it is very annoying. ANYway, communication then communication then communication then just having fun. thats the key, yes.

how far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

asking the person who sucks at writing it but uuuuuuuuh. when someone starts sliding dem fingers down the other's clothes and proceed to undress them. yep.

does one have to ask to ship with you?

I mean thats the way? unless you can say all the dwarven rules lmao then ask permission haha. jk. or is it? yeah i think of myself as friendly as a moogle. you are welcome to state your wish and we'll see if things can work out or not~

how often do you like to ship?

idk what to say 'how often'??? whenever a spark happens im not gonna shy away from trying out the ship. if it works then yey if it doesnt then thats a new exp for the both of us. and lets be real sometimes they can become the best of friends and it warms my heart to see we can still make out something in the end. HEY! even if they turn out to be rivals or heck enemies! thats kiss chef too dont think i dont support these relationships. i looooooooooove them.

are you multiship?

I guess so. I tried one time to make it a single blog and it was a painful experience when you pour all your heart into this ship that you missed potentially fun and interesting ships because you want to be loyal and then you get abandoned on a drop of a hat ahahahaaha. But yeah, I am not though I want to keep it single ship per muse portrayal. I won't ship with the same muse UNLESS all parties are ok but first and foremost your portrayal is different and gives new meaning for their relationship. i'm not here to horde everyone. been there saw that happened i dont want to do the same to others. its not nice feeling.

are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

im here begging on my knees for people to befriend chr.om and not just ship wise but any sort of relationship. i dont want my blog to be ship centric anymore. i want FUN AND INTERESTING AND ANGSTY AND FLUFFY AND MIND BLOWING THINGS TO HAPPEN IN HERE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

what is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

a couple years ago id yell c.hrobinnnnn! now im too old for this war so forever and always ... Chrom and Shepherd pie. ask alm about it. jk. currently?? i dont have a preferred ship over the other; as i said above, i love them all. they each add something interesting about chr.om. tho in general i'd say ultimate ship is krumb and becca <3 we have built a lot over the years so basically it is kind of main ship at this point haha. rebecca my beloved <3

finally, how does one ship with you?

100 PUSH UP, 100 KILOMETER RUN GO GO GO. talk to me, really. i dont read minds. if you want to try something go ahead come and say yo what do you think? and i'll tell you lets go. lets see where this can go. but sometimes i know it does not work right from the get go so don't be sad or dejected if i said nah fam it wont work. sankyu kupopopo

tagged by: @gamenu [sankyuuuuuuu <3]

tagging: @isaaccecilbryant , @wayward-sword , @pieman1112 , @toestalucia +akira and anyone else if you wanna rant mwah <3, @psychcdelica (your pick), @dcviated (your pick), @coolrpblog , and you ! i tag you!

[dmwrites]

It was the song that caught his attention. Ren had just come back to the castle, his castle, and heard very odd music coming from the vault. He peered down into it, and saw the heads of a crowd of people, all just casually hanging out with the diamond reserves.

“Uh, guys?”

And then the assembled crowd looked up as one, and for a moment, the breath in Ren’s throat seized as he looked down upon a sea of Xisuma’s faces. He imagined them reaching out their hands as one and tearing at his clothes, taking his crown, telling him he was no longer king, that the admin was in power now, and always had been.

But no, no, it was just a costume party, of course. The moment of panic burrowed back under the king’s skin as he saw each person holding up their Xisuma mask with a delicate pole, or tied behind their head.

“EXCUSE ME!” Ren dropped down, megaphone held to his mouth, a flurry of concerned murmuring greeting him. “What on earth is all of this?”

There was a flurry of rockets and sparks, and almost every Xisuma took off, fleeing the party like rats from a pantry. Only one remained, and he was already groveling, bowing so low that there was no question as to who was under the mask.

“Bdouble0, what is the meaning of this?” Ren shouted into the megaphone, reaching over and pushing up the mask his right hand man wore.

“I- my liege, I thought this was approved by you!” Bdubs took off his Xisuma mask and set it on the jukebox.

“Why on earth would I arrange for a party to be held in the vault, penetrating my most private of areas?” Ren blustered.

“Yeah, I did think the party favors of diamond blocks was a bit out of character for you.” Bdubs said, eyes then widening at what he’d revealed.

“WHAT?” Ren looked around, then, shouting expletives into his megaphone, flew back up to the castle main, and out towards the royal quest area, hoping to catch someone guilty around. But the area was silent, and Ren landed by the entrance with a huff of annoyance. Bdubs landed next to him after a moment.

“Who arranged this?” Ren asked.

“Impulse.” Bdubs replied.

“Impulse…” Ren hummed, walking over to the royal priority quest and taking out the placemarker Impulse head that lay inside. He held it up so he was eye-level with the dwarven man’s head. “The to-the-books rule follower? You’re sure he didn’t have someone whispering in his ear? I’ve heard the local cleaning lady is a bit of a menace. Or perhaps a soulmate from another land…” Ren’s ears flattened as he came his made-up conclusion.

Bdubs held out his hands. “My king. I am loyal to you and only you.”

“Perhaps you are correct, sir Bdouble0.” Ren sighed. “It was just the masks… Xisuma is no leader, but he does have certain powers that I… lack.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it, Ren.” Bdubs said soothingly. “Why would the people ever turn on you? You’re a wonderful king.”

Ren nodded slowly, not quite believing either one of them.

[erikahammerschmidt]

I actually think Terry Pratchett kinda missed an opportunity to show just how mind-blowing the culture clash between humans and dwarves would be. The more you think about it, the more of an absolute mindfuck you realize it is-- far beyond how it's ever described in the books.

But it would have been genuinely hard to describe, in a way humans could grasp, just how brain-breakingly weird it would be.

I'll give it a try, though.

Imagine (for the sake of simplicity) that you have always lived in Relatable Humanland. Where people wear baseball caps and tennis shoes, call themselves I and Me, eat chocolate and don't eat cockroaches, and do not care at all whether your navel is an innie or an outie.

Then imagine that you travel to Bizarro Bellyworld.

This is a place that's very unlike what you're used to, in lots of ways-- many of which are centered around the fact that their society does, in fact, attach a whole lot of importance to the difference between innie and outie bellybuttons.

Those with outies, you notice, are culturally more similar to people back home:

If you have an outie, you're expected to wear baseball caps and tennis shoes. If you have an innie, you're expected to wear rainbow clown wigs and diving flippers.

People with outies call themselves I and Me, while people with innies call themselves Glip and Glop.

Chocolate and cockroaches are both popular foods here, but chocolate is for outies, and cockroaches are for innies.

As an average Relatable Humanlander, whose taste in clothes, snacks and first-person pronouns is perfectly standard for your homeland… you have just happened to walk into Bizarro Bellyworld with your clothing, language and food preferences all set to Outie Presentation. Maybe no one else will see your bellybutton in your entire time there, but they will assume, from everything else about you, that it's an outie.

And this will be important to them!

And they will have difficulty even understanding that all these behaviors do not, inherently, mean "outie bellybutton" to you! To them, your sneakers and cap are a dishonest disguise if there's not actually an outie somewhere between them. Your use of I/me pronouns is a way of literally SAYING which way your navel points. If they were to find out otherwise, they would consider you a liar! Their minds just cannot comprehend how totally irrelevant this whole business is to you.

This is how I imagine most dwarves would feel when they first arrived in Ankh-Morpork.

To the average mountain dwarf, Cheery Littlebottom and the other feminine-presenting dwarves who follow her example must seem just as weird as Relatable Humanlanders who come back from Bizarro Bellyworld wearing clown wigs and flippers, eating cockroaches, and talking about themselves in the Glop person.

And, looking at it from the dwarven viewpoint, it's hard to imagine that they even cared whether or not the dwarves embracing these Bizarro trends were following the Bizarro rules about who could and couldn't dress and act that way based on their anatomy. The sheer weirdness of the style, itself, would have to be the main issue.

Because… traditional dwarves did not have skirts and dresses, for anyone at all. They did not have lipstick or earrings. They did not have feminine pronouns-- they had the same pronouns for everyone, which apparently got translated into Ankh-Morporkian as "he/him," but had always been used a lot more neutrally on dwarven soil. The Ankh-Morpork versions of all these things would just look… utterly alien to them.

And there would be lots of unreasonable prejudice against it, because that is what often happens when people encounter things they find weird and unfamiliar.

In the books this isn't a particularly ham-handed metaphor. It gives hints, here and there, that the traditional dwarves' reaction may be analogous to sexism against women, and also transphobia. But to me (an admittedly barely-human mind, who spends a lot of time looking at humanity as an outsider from some other world) the clearest analogue would be simple nonbinary bafflement at the very concept of gender roles.

[galactia]

art credit.

BIO: Zhongli is a mysterious but amiable man that came to live in Pelican Town fairly recently. Despite the short length of his residence, somehow it feels as if he's always been there.

A man knowledgeable in nearly all things, he works as an assistant curator and librarian at the Museum. Though a man of seemingly modest means, he never seems to lack for what he desires.

The people pf Pelican Town regard him as an oddly sage man, almost too wise for his age, whose good will and ability has taken great strides in expanding their Museum's collections.

HISTORY: Zhongli is a man of unknown origins. If asked where he came from, he'd explain he's from ZuZu City, and detail a brief history of his tenure as a professor of historic art. His deep, soothing baritone would lull nearly any resident to sleep as he rambled off onto the topic of canvas restoration.... all the while his amber eyes staid sharp and focused.

In reality? He is one of the last surviving members of an ancient species - the dragons.

Shifted into a human form for the peace of the humans and for his own survival, he is the final earth dragon in existence in the modern age. While most, if not all, the citizens in Pelican Town would claim that dragons are a myth, a legend, they would only be partially right.

In this current time, yes, dragons are only stories, but there was a bygone era were dragons lived, thrived, and ruled. To this day, their bones can still be found in deep caverns and on high mountains. Their teeth are used as rare commodities in the modern world, and even in ancient times, their pelts were sometimes hunted by the most preeminent of elven and dwarven trackers.

APPEARANCE:

art credit/full aesthetic

Physical: Athletic, lean muscular, tall. Orange eyes, long brown hair with orange tips.

Additional: Sleeve tattoos in black and gold that run up both arms. They bear foreign symbols no one in Pelican Town would know. Glases. Pierced ears.

Clothing: One. Two. Only wears a suit when he is at work. Typically prefers to wear a turtle neck and a coat or jacket, or just a turtle neck. Sharp, pressed, immaculate clothes.

PREFERENCES:

Loves:

Earth Crystal.

Jade.

Pumpkin Soup.

Green Tea.

Likes:

All Minerals.

Roasted Hazelnuts.

Ginger Ale.

Cranberry Sauce.

Blueberry Tart.

Pancakes.

Honey.

Wine

Crocus.

Blue Jazz.

Dislikes:

All Fish.

Maki Roll.

Fish Stew.

Squid Ink Ravioli.

Beer.

Caviar.

Aged Roe.

Void Mayonnaise.

Hate:

Eel.

Fried Eel.

Spicy Eel.

Sashimi.

Shrimp Cocktail.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS:

A Chinese-style cottage set back from the Museum, on the hill just above. It is in need of renovations, which Zhongli is slowly personally seeing to and commissioning Robin to complete.

[lady-of-the-spirit]

You've been isekai'd to the fictional world of what you last played, read or watched (whatever was the most recent option)…what was it, would you survive and what would you do in it?

I was reading Lord of the Rings...

The boring answer is, I'll probably just end up living in whatever place I'm closest to. If it's a human civilization, let's hope they don't see me dressed in weird clothes and not knowing anything about the world and think I'm some dark being from Mordor or something. Chances are I'll probably just be living as good a life as I can, just trying to figure out how to survive in Middle Age-esque times. If it's a dwarven kingdom I feel like I'd only survive the way Bilbo does with the dwarves - being hopeless at anything practical but endear them to me with my personality. Elves? They've already adopted one weird human (Aragorn) what's another? Hobbits? They'd probably give me directions to Bree and send me off with a wave, don't want any Big Folk Funny Business in the Shire, do we?

BUT if consider the possibility that a general rule is "We found an abandoned person who doesn't know anybody or anything, let's bring them to the palace, they'll know what to do with them", there's a possibility I'll end up living a royal lifestyle and ideally having some sort of courtly romance (minus the Shire because as stated they're not dealing with me). And luckily, every option has either a character I'd happily hook up with or the possibility of a good hook up. Or be best friends with, or both, but only time will tell. Imminent war and destruction is constantly looming overhead so who knows what'll happen to be then.

If I'm living a true isekai story life, though, no matter what happens, I'll end up in the Fellowship in one way or another, and then my chances of survival will go down. Or increase, because story rules means I'll survive if there's not a narrative purpose for me to die. And because they've already agreed to deal with Hobbits, one more kinda useless person on the team isn't THAT much to deal with. Boromir, teach me to use a sword, please.

[tathrin]

🎤—Describe the opening scene

Hmm, I have several stories in progress right now, so let's see which one to pick for this...I think And His Hands Ran With Gold And Shadow, because I think that's the one I have going right now that would need the most changes from the way the opening scene is written to how it would best be filmed.

We would start the scene sort of the way The Two Towers does, with a long pan-in across Middle-earth, perhaps starting on the Anduin and then scanning across the dark trees of Mirkwood, over Dale, slowly closing in on the Lonely Mountain.

There would be faint voice-overs from some of the familiar lines we all know and remember, sometimes mingling together half-heard and sometimes crisp and clear, slowly getting louder as we get closer to the Mountain and to the moment of divergence, until at last we reach new lines, a changed scene that we do not see, but we can hear, and infer, and shudder at...

Galadriel: I amar prestar aen...

Elrond: I was there, Gandalf. I was there the day the strength of Man failed...

Frodo: I will do it. I will take the Ring.

Boromir: It is a gift...a gift to the foes of Mordor.

Galadriel: But they were all of them deceived...

Aragorn: Boromir. Give the Ring to Frodo.

Boromir: Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.

Gandalf: All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us...

Elrond: Evil was allowed to endure.

Boromir: Why do you recoil? I am no thief.

Frodo: You are not yourself.

Boromir: What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the Ring. And you will beg for death before the end!

Elrond: The line of kings is broken. There is no strength left in the world of Men.

Boromir: I see your mind! You will take the Ring to Sauron! You will betray us!

Galadriel: And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life.

Boromir: It is not yours, save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine. It should be mine! Give it to me!

Frodo: No! Let go! Let me go! Noooo!

(sounds of a scuffle; a scream in Frodo's voice; panting breaths; frantic footsteps on crackling underbrush; silence)

Aragorn: Frodo? Frodo!

Samwise: Mister Frodo, no! Look, Strider, he's still breathing! Oh, hurry, he's still breathing...

Aragorn: But Boromir, where is Boromir?

Samwise: Strider, please! (sounds of someone dropping to the ground; rustling cloth; a moan.) Frodo: The Ring...Aragorn, he has taken the Ring. Forgive me, I could not stop him. Boromir has taken the Ring...

Denethor: And so my son returns to the White City at last!

Boromir: Father, I bring you a mighty gift.

Denethor: Can this be? The One Ring—Sauron's Master Ring?

Boromir: Yes, father. Isildur's Ring, returned to Gondor at last.

Denethor: And Gondor will make good use of such a gift, my son...

Galadriel: One Ring to rule them all...

And on Galadriel's last words, the camera swoops down through the enormous double-doors of the Lonely Mountain and inside to the great hall, tall and shadowed and lit by crystal lamps that are not quite numerous enough to drive away the gloom that hangs in the corners of the tall ceiling and around the wide pillars that hold up the weight of the mountain.

On the throne in the center of the hall sits Gimli, dressed so regally that we can barely recognize him, with heavy beads of gold and gems braided in his beard but, crucially, no crown upon his bare head. A few other dwarves mill around, some by the throne and others lining the walls; it is clear that court is being held, but that it is an ordinary day of no especial significance. Perhaps a few proposals or orders are issued as we pan in for some establishing flavor; their specific content does not matter, because the focus of the scene will be on the slight scuffle by the door as the dwarven guards step aside to admit a handful of ragged, filthy, half-starved looking Men from Dale who drag in four struggling, bloody, wounded elves draped in heavy chains. The Men shove the elves to their knees before the throne, a line of dwarven guards in front of them with others gathered close behind; there will be trouble, and no escape, from either the prisoners or their captors.

Gimli looks bored—a cover for his misery—barely interested, until...he sits up a little in his chair, a look of horror growing behind his beard as the camera draws in closer to him. Then we switch to see the elves he is staring at, three of them with dark hair and one of the two in the middle a pale golden-blonde. Cut back to Gimli, who is gripping the arm of his throne with one white-knuckled hand, on which rests a heavy golden Ring adorned with a thick gem that catches the light and glimmers brighter even than the crystal lamps.

Gimli whispers so quietly that the audience can believe that none of the dwarves are standing near enough to hear him: Not like this. He closes his eyes, swallowing hard as though to fight back tears.

All the elves kneel, some struggling slightly and some staying stoically still, and their heads are bowed, but as Gimli stares and as the camera of his eyeline pans in closer, focusing in on the blonde one, his head comes up and the audience can see Legolas's face, streaked with blood. There is no recognition in his cold eyes as he stares back at the dwarf on the throne.

"A fine tribute," Gimli says, his voice ringing out strong but hollow in the echoing hall. "Tell the Men of Dale that they have earned their people four months of triple rations in addition to the gold-price on the heads of these elves."

The bedraggled Men lift their heads, grinning with joy and relief. Dwarven guards step forwards to take charge of the prisoners and the Dale Men back away, murmuring gratitude to the Lord of the Mountain for his generosity. Some of the dwarves stare at the elves through narrowed eyes; others eye the Dalemen with either pity or distaste. Some confer quietly among themselves, so used to these sort of things that they aren't even worth watching any longer. A few (one of whom we will later meet as Mólin; it is important that he be seen to be part of this scene, although he should not have too much focus put on him yet, to telegraph ahead of time that he is a Notable Character) watch Gimli closely, curiosity or suspicion glittering sharply in their eyes.

"Have the elves taken to the cages," Gimli announces, in his bold and hollow ruler's voice. Then his regal tones break a little, and he says, "Except — except for the golden-haired one."

Legolas's head snaps up, but there is still no recognition in his expression; just a sort of sad, smoldering anger and resignation. The other elves glance at him, then away again, the same grim looks on their bloody faces. One of them snarls at a dwarf who holds her arm, but can do no more than that with the heavy chains around her wrists and ankles and solid dwarven hands holding her tight.

"Take that one to my chambers," Gimli commands, his head thrown back and his voice ringing out boldly across the stone. He curls his lips into a cruel smile that does not reach his eyes. "I will see to his breaking personally."

The elves are dragged away, some struggling and some stoic, by their dwarven captors; Legolas is separated from the others. He holds his head high, his face blank, and does not look back, although two of them turn with miserable frowns to stare at him as they are pulled through different doors.

The Ring on Gimli's hand glitters in a close-up. His fingers are curled into a tight fist.

"Oh," Gimli says, making his voice light, "and heat water for a bath as well; the elf is all-over filthy with blood, and I will not have him defiling my rooms any more than can be helped."

Several dwarves chuckle with varying degrees of sincerity (Mólin is not one of them). Gimli holds his smile long enough for all the elves to be pulled away through the doors that lead deeper into the Mountain.

Then his smile fades to a bleak look of horror and he sinks down heavily into his throne.

We close-up on the Ring again, and see blood dripping from his hand from where he has gripped it so hard that the band has bitten through his skin and broken it.

Then we end with a long-shot of Gimli on the throne in the shadows, the other dwarves at a bit of a distance now and out of focus and looking to their own conversations, leaving him looking very very alone.

End Scene.

Technically I suppose it still opens the same, after the opening...but because we're doing a canon-divergent AU, I think it works best to establish what the divergence actually is, in broad-strokes at least, before the story itself starts. And since TTT has already established this style of opening with voice-over exposition/reminders, it seems the best way to go about it here too I think.

Granted, we could ostensibly actually cut in to show some of those scenes here too, the way they do with Gandalf battling the balrog...but I think it's stronger if we don't actually show anything in this case. Also because we don't want to then segue into Gimli having a dream or flashback, so the cut would be somewhat awkward — but also I just think it's got more weight, in this case, without actually being able to see what happened.

Just make everyone listen to some familiar lines, and then gradually realize that that part isn't the same, oh no...

[attractthecrows]

Fun facts about my bitches OCs while i wait for my ibuprofen to kick in

- Laure's childhood name was Laurel; she'd have grown up to be Lady Laurel Amell if not for her magic, probably married off to some noble in Starkhaven. The L at the end got dropped when she transferred to Kinloch during the same incident that turned her hair white (Jowan accidentally smashed a bottle of lyrium potion over her head before she'd managed to introduce herself. the templars that escorted her didn't care to learn her name and between the blood and the lyrium the label on her clothing was obscured so they- Greagoir, Irving, and Wynne- didn't know her name for sure, and guessed at "Laure". when she awoke with white hair she embraced the new name as part of a new start.)

- Laure went temporarily nonverbal from the trauma of being torn from her childhood home, and the apprentice's quarters were heavily overcrowded, so the enchanters at the Gallows in Kirkwall just passed her from enchanter to enchanter until room opened up somewhere or the first enchanter decided to do something else with her. Orsino, not yet first enchanter at the time, was the first to get her to talk and the one she warmed up to the most until her transfer to Kinloch.

- Laure always had a certain fondness for Cullen, but she resents Templars, and thus just outright never trusted him (or any who wear the uniform). She regards him as a well-meaning idiot with great capacity for harm. Like a pitbull. She also knows about his crush on her, and is not above using that to her advantage.

- Laure has a knack for picking up languages, but tends to have book-taught pronunciation issues until corrected. she is conversational in Dwarven, Tevene, and Ander, and was beginning to pick up Qunlat from Sten by the end of the Blight. Velanna has taught her some elvish, and she's learned quite a bit of Antivan from Zevran. (as a result, her personal notes and journals are almost indecipherable. rather than a code, she uses a mix of different language vocabularies and grammar rules, picking and choosing which to combine on a whim and even using different forms of shorthand.)

- Aiona and Revallen may or may not have another sibling they don't know about via the Arlathvhen orgies that I decided definitely happen. their father was very popular.

- part of why Revallen refuses to wear clothes is that, as a pyromancer, he naturally has a higher body temperature. another part is that his full-body vallaslin acts as a mana channeling system; as his mana runs hot, when it's amplified, it increases in temperature, meaning his vallaslin can burn his clothes if he's not careful (even as a keeper he didn't cover more than he had to. even for pyromancers too much heat can be unpleasant) (this does in fact mean he hasn't worn tight clothes or regular shirts since he was 16. up until inquisition forced him to)

- Revallen is a complete flirt but also somewhat oblivious as to how flirty he actually comes across; he's not trying to be deceptive, mind, he's just usually preoccupied with something else. He loved Ilithra deeply for years, and loved spending time with her; he was still stunned into comical silence when she finally broke the tension and kissed him. Same thing with Dorian; he loved the flirting and teasing but it didn't occur to him to expect more until Dorian finally had enough and they were making out in the library all of a sudden. In short, Revallen has a type, and that is "smart enough to realize that I'm too stupid to make the first move".

[the-dragonthief-passages]

6th of Heartfire, 4E 201

I took off from the farm after some breakfast. It was a fairly straight shot from Sarethi Farm to the Imperial Camp in the Rift. To no one's surprise, a Dark Brotherhood assassin attacked me on the road. Nothing new. As soon as I got to the camp, she sent me to Riften to get evidence of Anuriel, the stewardess, having connections with the Thieves Guild. The irony of a thief exposing someone's connection to a guild full of them.

After passing through Heartwood Mill, I came across Merryfair farm run by Dravin Llanith, who's bow was stolen by a thief in the Ratway under Riften. I agreed to get it for him.

I sold some stuff to the Khajiit caravan just outside the gate, then tried to walk in. The guard tried to make me pay some phony "visitor's tax" and I called him out. I'm liking this city already. I stepped inside, and a man named Maul confronted me right away interrogating me. He also told me that he can get dirt on anyone, and I told him I'm not exactly clean myself. He filled me in on whatever I asked, and I continued on.

I watched a little argument between a woman named Sapphire and Shadr the stable hand. According to what I heard, Shadr had a shipment with his repayment to Sapphire robbed on the road, and she was the one to take it (I think). I agreed to help him pay off the debt. But first, I wanted to speak to Brynjolf about the Thieves Guild.

As soon as I got close to him, he could tell right away that I'm always up to no good. He asked me for help with a job: stealing Madesi's silver ring from his stand, and planting it on Brand-Shei to frame him. It was perfect. I agreed right away. Once he started his distraction, I got to work. I unlocked the stand door, then the strongbox, and grabbed everything inside. Since Brynjolf had everyone distracted, I decided to rob the next stand over too. After that, I planted the ring on him without hesitation. Brynjolf wrapped up his distraction as soon as I did.

He said it was surprised it went so well considering how things had been going for him and his organization. "Bad luck," he told me. He also told me to locate him and his crew in the Ratway's Ragged Flagon if I was considering joining them. And trust me, I was. I did a little more looting in the marketplace before heading down to the Ratway.

There were two idiots at the entrance that I took down without issue. I kept going further and further in, cutting through the stragglers down in the sewers. It wasn't any trouble getting down to the Flagon. He was bragging about me to the others. He spoke to me about getting some debts from shop owners who've refused to pay. I told him I'd get it done, for a cut. I had to hurry, though, with how close to closing time it had gotten.

I headed to Bersi Honey-Hand first. He was stubborn. He wasn't going to listen to words, so I followed Brynjolfs advice: I destroyed his tacky Dwarven urn. He turned around real quick. Dibella-obsessed Haelga was next. She was rather sour as well, so I took her precious statue to teach her a lesson. She folded like cloth. I didn't even have to do anything once I got to Keerava. She just handed it over with her tail between her legs. I even bought some stolen Black-Briar Mead from Romlyn Dreth.

After I handed over the debts to Brynjolf, he gave me some potions as a reward. I asked about the guild not doing well, and he told me not to worry about it, it's just a rough patch. He then had me follow him to the back, where there was a secret entrance in a cupboard to the guild's very center: the Cistern.

This is where I met Mercer Frey, who explained the very basic rules of the guild. Then they immediately started talking about a job at Goldenglow Estate. After that, they welcomed me to the guild. Brynjolf told me about the job: burn three of the estate's hives, clear out the safes, and get out alive. He said if Aringoth tries to stop me, I can kill him. Vex and Delvin could tell me more, and Tonilia has a set of armor ready for me.

Vex is the infiltrator of the guild, and she hands out break-in jobs like robberies. She told me there was a secret back way through the sewers under the estate. I went ahead and took a sweep job from her before finishing up that conversation. Clan Shatter-Shield has some valuables worth taking. I'll grab those on my way to or from Windhelm.

Next was Delvin Mallory, who's convinced the guild is cursed by some higher power. He's good with sneaking in general, and he deals with personal jobs like forging ledgers. All he could tell me about Goldenglow is that the mercenaries Aringoth hired are trained killers. I took up a bedlam job in Solitude for him.

After that, I got my armor from the lovely Tonilia. She's a fence, perfect for selling all the little goodies I've been taking before the guild. I got my armor from her, and sold some goods to her. The guild armor is even better than my old stuff. Never going back to that mismatched shit again. A real breath of fresh air. I got some supper from Vekel the Man, then went to lay down.

The more I'm with the Thieves Guild, the more comfortable I'm getting. I'm definitely going to fit in here.