#ethari's are the prettiest

[ask-runaan-anything]

What’s your favorite stim/stim toy? I like a fidget dodecahedron!

Ethari makes me fidget stones out of flawed gemstones. He facets them and then polishes the edges smooth, so they're bumpy but not sharp. I can turn them in the light and see all sorts of inclusions and fractures shining through. They're beautiful and calming. Not least because I know my husband uses them to remind me that imperfect things are still beautiful and useful and well-loved.

[hazieash]

He’s flustered your honor

[ask-ethari-anything]

I have brought you and Runaan mooncakes! *hands you a basket*

*eyes mooncakes with great interest*

*keeps staring, tummy growls*

...I won't tell him if you won't...

*winks and stuffs a whole mooncake into my mouth* Mmf fmm, M dmm thm mm'mm tmm.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Not-so-long white elf hair?

Am I on again about Runaan’s hair? Yes, yes I am! *finger guns*

Runaan’s worked really hard on his appearance. He wants it to say everything he wishes and nothing he doesn’t. And his look does have a lot to say:

But @hoothalcyon​ got me thinking about one particular bit of Runaan’s look that seems to only be visible here in this one image:

Is this a short lock of hair? It could just be an artistic take on the fact that Runaan has a ridiculous amount of long white elf hair, which he does. Just oodles and armfuls of it, it’s everywhere, RIP the Ruthari household shower drain.

Or, it could be a fun detail with a specific bit of character development behind it. Hair cutting can be a highly symbolic act, especially for a character with distinct long hair.

It’s interesting that this apparently cut lock has been deliberately hidden beneath Runaan’s voluminous hairstyle, as if its visibility might expose some kind of secret or weakness.. but what? Is Runaan just Moonshadowing things again, or is there something he’s shy or even embarrassed about regarding his potentially missing hair?

Hair can be cut in mourning--see Amaya, who may have chopped her hair in mourning for Sarai, and the gay icon Achilles, who cut a lock of his hair in mourning over Patroclus.

It can also be cut for failure or defeat. A recent fictional example is the long-haired and undefeated Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, whose people would cut their hair when they lost a battle--and he never had.

Hair is also given as a sign of deep affection, in curls and locks, and kept by friends and lovers as a remembrance token, especially when they must be apart. There are few gifts as intimate as literally giving a piece of yourself to another.

And then there’s the angsty possibility that Runaan didn’t cut it himself. Ethari might have taken it for a spell Runaan willingly agreed to, and that’s very soft and fluffy. But perhaps Avizandum had it taken, maybe as part of a blood promise that bound Runaan to his assassin leader duty or somesuch. Or Runaan had a close call when he got those scars on his chest, and he also lost a lock of hair during the same incident, for magic either primal or dark. We saw Rayla’s braid getting burned for magic, and it seems that much of dark magic has a primal magic inspiration, so I suppose it’s possible that a Moonshadow braid could be consumed during a Moon spell too.

If I were to take a guess--which I’m super gonna do--I’d guess Runaan’s hair was given as a gift. It’s got to be ridiculously hard to get up close behind an accomplished assassin long enough to cut his hair and then survive long enough to get back out of range!

Ethari makes gifts all the time. He is a crafter, a creator. He brings new things into the world. It’s easy for him to imagine and make things that didn’t exist before. Runaan is a taker, though. He doesn’t create, he destroys. And he’s super focused on that, so he probably doesn’t have a lot of soft hobbies in which he makes stuff. Alas.

But you know what he does have? His beautiful long hair. It’s unique to him. No one else has that hair. Runaan likes to give his husband things, he likes to speak Ethari’s love language to him. But perhaps early in their relationship (how fast does elf hair grow, anyway?) he impulsively sliced off a lock and handed it over so Ethari could remember him while he was away on a mission. Or perhaps it was part of their wedding ritual to braid and cut a long lock of hair and then hold its ends and dance, Prince-of-Egypt style.

The more important Runaan’s hair is to him, the more significant it is if this is a chopped lock. Did he cut it recently, or has it grown out from being chopped much closer to his head? Did he give it out of affection, dedication? In apology, out of guilt? As a promise? Is it involved in a magic spell? Was it taken from him? Where is it now?

I’ll tell you where I want it to be. I want it to be braided and looped over a little mushroom light next to Ethari’s side of the bathroom mirror, where it catches all the prettiest light glimmers, and he can look at it anytime he wants to, and it never fails to make him smile, because he put that braid in Runaan’s hair, and when Runaan gave him that braided lock, it was the first time anyone had ever given Ethari swirlies.

Do I have a fic in which Runaan braids and cuts a lock of his own hair for a magic spell with Ethari? Yes, I do. Did I know about this apparent short lock in Runaan’s hair when I wrote it? Nope!

[sufferingsoup]

Listen I’ve been fucking ~obsessed~ with @thenerdyalchemist ‘s pirate AU (I’m sure nobody could tell bc I definitely don’t reblog eVrY dAmN pOsT of it nope not me never😂😂) and I just needed to write this scene. I’ve had it in my head since I read all the HCs for this AU and I needed to put it on paper lol. I’m not great at writing whatsoever, I’m v out of practice and def didn’t edit this, but I wrote it and it exists so I might as well post it right? Lmao. Anyway here it is hope u enjoy 😩 (Also sorry in advance abt the wack ass formatting lmao. I never make posts on tumblr and I highkey wrote this in a note on my phone and then pasted it in here lol)

Runaan grinned as he practically hung over the side of his ship, watching the familiar dock inch closer and closer. It felt like years since he had been back to this town, /his/ town. He was finally in the home stretch, and his crew couldn’t dock the ship fast enough for him. Before, he could stay out at sea forever. If it weren’t for the need to restock supplies every once in a while, he probably would. The open ocean was his home town, his crew was his family, his ship was his home, he didn’t need anything else before. But now? Now he had a reason to /want/ to go back to land.

/Him./

It had been an absolutely agonizing few months. When he had first set sail, he figured it would be like every other quest. Of course he would miss Ethari dearly, but they would both be busy with their respective work, and they could write to each other in the mean time. But this time was different. The moment he left his heart had sunk, leaving a gaping hole in his chest that widened further as he watched Ethari sit on the dock and wave until he could no longer see him. The first thing he did was write a letter to him. Even though he had only just left, he felt like a huge piece of him was missing without him there by his side. He found that he could not enjoy himself as much as he normally would.

The salty smell of the sea and the rhythmic pounding of the waves that used to calm him no matter how upset he was now served only to fill his thoughts with memories of midnight walks along the beach. The sand between his toes and rough, yet gentle fingers interlacing with his own, shoulders knocking against each other every so often. Looking into those bright amber eyes reflecting the moonlight back at him, putting all of his emotions clearly on display for Runaan to see.

The beating heat of the sun that would warm him through to his bones after a stormy night now reminded him of the forge, his mind replaying all the soft, intimate conversations they had while Ethari tinkered away on whatever his current project was. That thick accent of his, and his deep voice that could command the attention of an entire town if he wanted to, clashing oh-so-beautifully with his gentle laugh and sweet words.

The sea shanties the crew would sing in celebration of a successful mission, the dancing that accompanied them, the merriment he once found endearing and joyous and hilarious now dragged Ethari’s ethereal voice through his mind, reminding him of the many dances they shared during the festivals Ethari would drag him to when he visited. The brightest, purest of grins gracing that magnificent face as they held each other close, moving together to the beat and singing along with the familiar lyrics.

Everywhere he looked he only saw Ethari. All the sounds he heard, the scents he smelled, the touches he felt, the flavors he tasted, everything came back to him. /Oh, Ethari would love these jewels, he would make the prettiest necklace out of them!/ ... /The fire smells just like his workshop tonight, I wonder what he’s working on right now/ ... /Ethari so adores the sound of the seagulls calling out over the beach, I’ll have to tell him how many have followed us!/ All of his thoughts were consumed by /him/. It was driving him mad not being able to see him, hear him, touch him for himself.

But today was the day. /Finally/ he would be able to hold him again, and this time he would not let him go.

Ethari hummed softly as he carefully shined thin wires around the glittering stone. He wanted to make a unique little ring as a returning gift for Runaan. The shiny silver wires braided together and held a small, elegant opal in the center. Runaan’s last letter had informed him that he was almost back again, he was expecting him any day now. He had made sure to clear his schedule for a few days so he could welcome him back properly. He had so many things to tell him and show him, and Runaan always brought him lots of sparkly things when he returned from his quests.

He has been terribly lonely while Runaan was away. He was always a bit uneasy when he left, always worrying for his safety and missing his presence. Working on his projects was much more fun when his heart was safe and sound right next him to tell him stories and laugh at his awful jokes. But this time was much harder.

He was gone for a long time, and even though they wrote each other frequently, nothing could quite fill the hole in his heart. He decided he hated sleeping alone ever since Runaan had begun to stay with him when he would return. Every morning he would awaken to find himself disappointed at the empty silence that met him. Runaan would always be up bright and early, practicing his sword-fighting in the living room or getting chores done for him before the sun even had the chance to peak over the horizon. He would have tea and breakfast ready for him every morning, and Ethari was convinced that there was no better sight than a messy, early-morning Runaan bustling away in the kitchen with his hair down.

No, he didn’t like having breakfast without Runaan at all. Just like he hated walking the market without their arms linked together, Runaan haggling over everything Ethari tried to buy. Just like he hated wandering the beaches alone, without his hard-ass, pirate-king lover to playfully kick sand at and push into the water. Just like he hated coming across a new merchant with fun new foods and goods he had never seen before without Runaan to explain what they were and eagerly buy the lot for him. Life was utterly dull without Runaan by his side.

But soon he would be back. Soon he would be back in his arms.

Runaan pulled his hair out of its messy bun as they approached the dock, allowing it to flow in the breeze as freely and lightly as he felt. The moment the ship was close enough to the dock, he leaped over the side and climbed down.

“Make sure she’s tied down good, lads! I’ll be back in a bit to help with the unloading!” He called to his crew as he ran towards the street.

His heart fluttered as he felt the little ring hidden in his coin purse bounce against his leg. Today was the day. He sped through the market on the familiar route he had taken hundreds of times before. People jumped out of his way as they saw the tattoos on his face, gazing after him questioningly. It wasn’t very usual to see the dreaded pirate king running through town like a giddy schoolgirl. He didn’t care, though. He was on a mission of utmost importance. His body was leading him to his heart as fast as it could carry him. Before he knew it, he could see the familiar old door with the splintering old sign dangling above it, swaying in the light breeze. His grin widened as he picked up his pace for the final few strides. He skidded to a halt in front of the workshop door and kicked it in.

“Ethari!” He shouted, ready to combust from the pure excitement and the slight nerves zipping around throughout his body. The tinker gasped in surprise from his position at his worktable, whipping around to see the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on grinning in the wide-open doorway. He gasped again and slapped a hand over his mouth as hot tears began to sting at the corners of his eyes.

“Runaan!” He replied, getting up from his stool and running toward his lover, “I didn’t know you’d be back so-“

He stopped hard in his tracks a few paces away from him when Runaan suddenly dropped to one knee, staring up into his eyes with the softest look he had ever seen on his hard features. Ethari watched silently with wide eyes as Runaan dug in his coin purse and retrieved a shiny golden band adorned with tiny, glittering aventurine crystals around the middle, holding it up to him.

“Marry me, Ethari.” He breathed. The tears were flowing freely down Ethari’s cheeks now.

“Are you sure?” He asked, voice small and quivering. Runaan nodded hastily, grabbing Ethari’s hands tightly.

“I don’t want to be without you for another second, my darling heart. I want to travel the world with you by my side. I want to show you all the amazing things I get to see. I want you to sing to me while we lay together in our hammock and let the waves rock us to sleep. I want to make you tea every morning for the rest of my life, just so I can see that beautiful, sleepy, lopsided grin of yours first thing every day. You are all I need in this life. Please, my love, my /heart/, be my forever.”

Ethari fell to his knees in front of him, sobbing into his hands. Runaan pulled him into a tight embrace, tangling a hand into his messy hair as Ethari buried his face in the crook of his neck. They stayed that way for a moment, Ethari crying onto his shoulder as Runaan comforted him gently. When Ethari had calmed down enough to think, Runaan chuckled softly.

“Is that a yes?” He teased.

Ethari pulled back, cupping Runaan’s face in his hands and staring deeply into his eyes.

“What else could it possibly be, my shade?” He sniffed before crashing their lips together desperately.

After a moment of passionate kissing, Runaan pulled back and took Ethari’s hand gently in his own, sliding the sparkling ring onto his finger. Ethari lifted his hand to admire it. The gems were the color of Runaan’s eyes, and they sparkled beautifully no matter which way the light hit them. Suddenly, he remember the little ring he had dropped on his table when his door had been busted in. He gasped and ran over to grab it. Runaan followed him curiously, trying to peek over his shoulder before Ethari turned and held it up to him.

“It was just supposed to be a ‘welcome back’ gift, but it seems it might be a bit more than that now.” He giggled as Runaan stared at it in awe.

“It’s beautiful...” he said as Ethari took his hand and gently placed it on his finger. He turned his hand over and over again, taking in every bit of the artistry and craftsmanship that went into the tiny piece of jewelry before grinning up at his newly betrothed. He fell into Ethari’s strong arms and kissed him again - more gently this time - before resting their foreheads together.

“So,” Ethari started with a mischievous grin, “does this mean I finally get to watch you swab the poop-deck now? I was never on the ship long enough to see it.” He teased. Runaan groaned, but he couldn’t mask the laugh that bubbled up from his belly.

“No,” he sassed back, “it means /I/ get to watch /you/ do it. The /king/ never does hard manual labor.” He grinned, pinching Ethari’s sides. Ethari snorted and grabbed his hands, wrapping his arms around him again and pinning them behind his back firmly. He smirked at him and brushed his nose lightly against Runaan’s.

“We’ll see about that later tonight now won’t we, my /king/.”

[moonlighttinkered]

“You’re not wrong.” Ethari hummed, looking over Shiro’s now bare form. He really had a nice chest... Why he fixated on that was beyond him but honestly all around Shiro was just hot. 

Understandable considering he was a Prince Sex demon. He wanted to reach forward, maybe touch but he withheld, instead going to take off his own clothes with far less confidence. He knew he didn’t look that bad, for a Knowing, but Knowings were generally just overlooked in general. Even the prettiest were mediocre at best. Average on everything but knowledge. 

Being a prince was one thing, being a demon was another. Being via dynamic a sex demon who could give another the opportunity to have children was a different thing all together. Demons like shiro were few and far between. That generally meant they had their pick of other demons. Some only took one other while others took more than one.

Shiro wasnt exactly normal in the fact that he was polite until he found the demon he wanted. Unlike others he wouldn't force himself on the other demon.

"Hey, you wanna go back to my room have a little fun and live with me?" Straightforward to the point. He hoped he wouldn't get rejected

[ask-ethari-anything]

if you were a part of queer eye, which of the 5 kinds of help would you give? (fashion, cooking, interior decorating, mental health, hairstyling)

I'd have to choose hairstyling. Runaan wore his hair down most of the time before I met him, and despite the practicality of your basic ponytail, he's never truly vibed with them. But his hair is, ah, rather more than a handful now that it's so long, and since he categorically refuses to cut it, we had to find some way to make it safe, practical, and comfortable. Thankfully, he trusted me enough to play with it as gently as I knew how, and he gave me all the honest feedback he could.

Which was sometimes nothing more than a grumpy grumble. But I speak Runaan, so I always managed to work around his unvoiced complaints while we searched for the perfect battle hairstyle. And you have to admit, I did find it! He looks amazing. His hair, I meant his hair! But I'm not wrong either way. *winks*

I made a lot of mistakes trying to help Runaan with his hair, but I learned a lot along the way. I'm sure I could help someone else, too!

Fair warning: there will be at least one braid, every time. It's in my contract.

[ask-ethari-anything]

what do you think about the video game called deathloop?

*pulls on Gamer AU goggles* Listen. Are you listening? That's the sound of my heart rate speeding up. I love time travel and time manipulation, alternate and rewritable realities! What is a time loop but the illusion of reality persisting? When some things remain constant and others change, and you walk that island long enough to tell the difference, then, my friend, you have begun to exist.

And then, Moon help you.

Because the longer you play Deathloop, the more Julianna you become, even if you don't mean to. Julianna knows you better than you know yourself, and she knows the island better, too. She knows you, but she doesn't like you. It's a surreal descent into knowing less as you learn more, and we don't always survive encounters with our more knowledgeable selves.

See, aren't we all safer with our illusions? Usually! Oh, my, I have so many thoughts now...

But first-person shooter is really not my speed. Everything happens right in front of your eyes, whether you want it to or not. I'm no assassin, and I don't want to play one on TV. Runaan may enjoy relaxing with Deathloop and find its storytelling elements familiar and possibly predictable. I'd be content to be his Guy in the Chair, scanning for clues and patterns, tracking enemies to keep him safe.

Colt isn't just a lone hero, he's an alone hero. He has no support and must learn everything about his situation in epistolary fashion, which is fine if you're good at reading comprehension, but wouldn't his lifeloop be better if he had even just one friend or ally? (his alternate self does not count, and neither does Julianna) Maybe if Colt had a Husband in a Chair somewhere, feeding him all the information he needed to survive and come home in one piece? He could still be a salty bastard - I am partial, you see - but he'd have one thing he could count on, and that's better than total uncertainty.

Deathloop is beautifully dense, using the same areas for initial play, for NPC behavioral study, for tactical maneuvering against the clock, and ultimately for a complete reversal: some Colts loop long enough to see themselves become Julianna.

And if that isn't the truest iteration of time travel and manipulation, then I don't know what is! It's a beautiful idea. Do you know the movie Tenet? *eyebrows waggle* Yeah. Good stuff.

I wish Deathloop had more options at the end, though, because the options that exist are, ah... not quite fictional enough for my taste. Should Runaan have listened to Rayla on the castle roof and decided to sacrifice the both of them then and there to avoid the madness of the cycle? To fast-forward them both to the inevitable death that awaited them and hope for a calmer world on the other side?

Or should he have killed her for her insubordination because that's his duty, knowing that his choice will bind him even more tightly to the endless cycle of death and war? He could just keep on keeping on, an eternal assassin, living the same bright and bloody moments over and over, forever. Is that safety? Or madness?

Or should he have put down his swords as she lowered hers, embraced the idea that they were more like each other than they were like the other assassins? Should he have swayed her with the trust they both wanted to have in each other, should he have drawn her after him into King Harrow's chamber and flung them both into the cycle with open eyes and hungry hearts, reveling in their godlike power over life and death?

*shrugs* I can't say which is better, because all of those are Bad Endings to me. And they all stem from the fact that Colt chooses alone, because he is alone. Even when Julianna is more than just Julianna.

*picks up lute, strums in a minor key* Gosh, it would be an absolute nightmare if someone were trapped in a hellcoin that looped through some kind of dark magic scenario meant to pry his mind open and break him. What horrors might a poor broody assassin be forced to endure under such circumstances?

Good thing that's never going to happen, right? Because if it did, someone would owe me an entire respawn... No. No, they'd owe Runaan.

Someone write me a game where the player begins by playing an assassin with a seemingly impossible mission and plenty of ways to try to accomplish it, all of which result in his death. Try how he might, he can't manage to survive, but the things he tries, the details he learns, as he explores the castle on new attempts will come in handy later,,,

because after every death, the game asks you if you accept your fate, and if you say no, it puts you back in to try again, but if you say yes, then the game shifts, and you're controlling the character who was actually playing the assassin all along.

And now it's his turn to try to analyze the clues that his character noticed in the castle, to try to piece together why the mission is actually impossible. There's a shadow antagonist hiding in the castle, thwarting the assassin's every move. And this new character of yours can only begin to look for them once they accept that the assassin cannot be saved. You can load him back in using Ghost Mode, but you can only watch the same events you've already seen...

The more clues your assassin uncovered, the more powerful any secrets he did not uncover become, making the shadow antagonist easier or harder to beat - but that's still not the end,,,

because the shadow antagonist has a shadow player controlling them, too. If you're lucky enough to defeat the castle's antagonist, then you can choose to reload the mission to try and complete it once and for all. Or not! You can bring the assassin home safely, having learned from the clues that the mission was all a trick and a trap from the get-go.

But if you do choose to try to complete the mission at any cost, you open your player to the risk of being attacked by the shadow player, and he will come for you and kill you.....

Unless you used the romance options when directing your assassin around the castle from the start. The assassin will respond to you via headset when you give him orders, and if you treat him like you're in a solid relationship, he'll become more loyal to you than to his mission. And when your life is in danger from the shadow player, he'll burst in and save you.

Because you've been playing from inside the castle all along. Neither of you were ever alone at all. You work together, even from a distance, and you save each other.

*big cheesy grin* I mean, I'd play that in a heartbeat! Call it Swirls of Fate, hmm? Practically writes itself. *strums lute* Now all it needs is a killer soundtrack. Something with a nice heady heartbeat in it sounds perfect to me.

*takes off goggles, stares at them* Wow.

[ask-runaan-anything]

If you could take Ethari on a vacation where would you go and what would you do?

On a what now?

I may be teasing you. I do work hard, and vacations are luxuries I dare not afford, but if you think I don't dream of lighter days and softer nights, I may have Moonshadowed you too hard.

Ethari would love to see the ocean. I'd take him to the prettiest beach, and find him the prettiest rocks, and fetch him the straightest sticks and the most uniform shells, so that he could build the most amazing sand castles you've ever seen. Although they're more likely to be to-scale recreations of the Moonhenge.

We'd explore sea caves, swim through kelp forests, climb the cliffs and dive off (alright that might only be me, but he'd watch and cheer), and feast ourselves full of roasted goodies by a crackling driftwood fire every night. We'd tell each other soft things in its light, sitting snuggled in the same blanket together, holding tight to each other and the moment we're in.

And we'd spend far too much time getting sand out of our mounts' coats, every single morning.

Ethari would deeply enjoy sunbathing with as little on as possible, while I would sit under a nice dark umbrella with my book and read between reapplications of sunscreen. Neither of us believe in tan lines.

The sea is loud and quiet at the same time, always murmuring, saying nothing. She accepts everything about you and never judges. You can visit her and never touch and she won't mind a bit.

Ethari and I would turn our mounts for home and ride away hand in hand. Our hair would be stiff with salt, our cheeks burnt, our smiles windblown. And our hearts free.

I love the sea.

[moonlighttinkered]

“Yeah, that’s him.” Ethari said with a smile, not glancing back that time. He already knew the painting well. “Runaan, considered one of the best assassins in the silvergrove. Also one of the prettiest.” He added a light laugh, then sifted through again. “That was from our wedding night. It isn’t actually paint, just an illusion, but it feels real if you touch it. As long as that ribbon is whole and nearby, and as long as at least one of us lives, the illusion will stay.”

Jekyll shouldn't have been messing with Dr. Heslby's machine however he had been curious on the mechanics... he was suddenly thrust into a strange forest. He glanced around at the trees and rocks, it looked almost like the forests of England he was familiar with but he didn't recognize most of the plants...

@moonlighttinkered

[ask-runaan-anything]

Totally get the hair thing. Mine is super fine, but there's so much, it tangles if I breathe! What I did, when I decided to grow it out again, was shave off the bottom half. Less hair to deal with, and after dying it silver (unfortunately, idk how I would make it opal like yours; a dye made in the reflection of a full moon?) The contrast between the dark shave and the bright length is super cool and has moonshadow duality! My choice was for practicality, is that often a factor for you guys?

Practical hair is best hair. But there's a delightful cultural challenge among some Moonshadow elves to make the prettiest and most extra hairstyles we can think of, while still maintaining that practicality.

My hair is styled for battle. It stays out of my way, and out of the enemy's way, too. So does Andromeda's. But it's not a look every elf wants, nor even every assassin. Callisto shaves most of his hair off so the markings he chose along his scalp can be seen. It's an extra look, but totally different than mine.

And then there's Ethari. His mop of hair is more than extra: it's extra cute.

[ask-runaan-anything]

Hi Runaan, any funny Ethari stories?

Well, I didn’t think it was very funny, but Ethari was rather amused.

We were grooming our mounts just the other day, and I was working on Lachir’s tail. I always tell her how pretty she is when I groom her, because she likes to feel pretty. Ethari told Tethu, “You’re pretty too, boy. Yes you are.”

So I told Lachir, “Yes, but you’re prettier, sweetheart. You’re the prettiest mount in all the Forest, and I love you, my good girl.” And she preened and snorted at Tethu.

Ethari just chuckled and kept brushing Tethu’s fur. “You may be right, love,” he said calmly. “But ‘pretty’ won’t save her from us in a fight.”

Tethu huffed in agreement and gave Ethari a supportive lick on the cheek. And then he eyed Lachir speculatively, like he was legitimately about to pounce on her!

The undignified and protective noise I made as I clutched at her tail! And then she yipped at me for messing up her tailfeathers! Ethari was in stitches. Or rather, he was about to be.

But then Tethu let out a single low growl, just as I started to think about taking a single step toward Ethari to tickle him half to death for his words. And I reconsidered, very wisely, after calculating my body weight versus Tethu’s, and the fact that he has claws and fangs, and he loves Ethari more than he loves me.

Ethari laughed for a solid five minutes over how quickly I noped out and dropped the issue, but he did help me straighten Lachir’s rumpled feathers, too. Because although he is a terrible tease, he is my sweet husband, too. A most Moonshadow combination in the most handsome of elves, at whose feet I am entirely helpless.

my moonstrider is objectively prettier though change my mind

[ask-ethari-anything]

Sooooo...I'm gonna need a story of a time where a) Runaan got very jealous and b) you got very jealous. And no Moonshadow-y workarounds, either ("he got the last cookie and I really wanted it!"). Specifically when a hot guy was jonesing on your dude and you didn't like it and vice versa. There are no judgments here, just tapping my fingertips together in delight. Indulge us?

You’re going to need these stories, huh? Well then… *rolls up my sleeves* Here we go.

Did you ever wonder why Runaan was so persistent in pursuing me? We all know he’s terrible at flirting. 

He wasn’t the only one trying to court me. Sure, he didn’t know what he was doing, but he needed to try, because if he didn’t, he might’ve lost me to another elf. No, don’t worry, he really wouldn’t have, but he didn’t know that at the time!

Who was this other elf, you ask? One of the village bakers. Runaan and I connected over weapons, because he came to me in my workshop. But Salvar and I connected over tasty food, because I would taste test his new creations for him. He saw me walking past one day, just as he needed a second opinion, and my feedback was so enthusiastic that he asked me to come help him another time, too! Well, I couldn’t say no to that. So I’d pop by and he’d feed me whatever he’d made. And a bite dragged out into snacks and then full meals.

Let’s just say I was a lot more visible out in the village, eating Salvar’s treats, than I was alone in my workshop with Runaan. It made Runaan feel very concerned for the trajectory of his courtship.

Jealous. He got jealous.

And then they found out about each other.

Most people would seriously consider backing off the moment they realized they were up against an assassin, no matter the context. Not even Moonshadows have that little self-preservation. But Salvar is not most people. He’s a few inches shorter than I am, slender as a whip, and very feisty. He’s good at what he does, and he knows it, but he can take things a bit too far…

Why do I find such elves attractive? These two were just different knives. One for the kitchen, and one for the hearts of his enemies. *sighs* I do have a type. And I do like plenty of social interaction. Why rush things? Even if I had made up my mind.

Anyway. one day, there was a bustle at Salvar’s bakery when I came by. He’d put a cake in his oven, shut the oven door, and when he opened it again there was an arrow right through the cake and its pan. He hadn’t left the kitchen. And it wasn’t an enchantment. He was pretty twitchy when I asked him what happened, and he just gestured imperiously to his arrowed pan.

We all knew whose arrow that was. We knew.

I couldn’t help myself. I started laughing uncontrollably. Of all the things Runaan could’ve done–lurking in Salvar’s rafters, poisoning his tea, challenging him to a duel–he shot his cake. With an arrow. Just as Salvar closed the oven door. Runaan had been hiding right nearby–somehow–and left his mark, and his intentions, unmistakably clearly. And he’d done it without threatening Salvar at all. A very Moonshadow tactic.

And I thought it was adorable. So soft, really, for an assassin’s skill set. Salvar was less impressed. But the fact that I was laughing so hard at what might’ve passed for a hard prank under other circumstances told me–and Salvar–that it would be better for him to move on. I’d made up my mind.

Salvar let me down easy, and I started cooking for myself again, with no hard feelings. That’s the beauty of Moonshadow courtship. The plausible deniability is astounding. And later, Runaan invited him to cater our wedding.

Victory flex? Generous winner? Just a good Moonshadow? This is Runaan we’re talking about. It was all three.

Now, me getting jealous? Hmm. That’s not really in my nature. On the other hand, I do have a really hot husband, and he’s occasionally attracted some intense attention that neither of us were interested in. You’d think Runaan would be good at saying no to that sort of thing–and usually he’s the first–but sometimes things get complicated. 

We’d been courting properly for just a couple of months when the Silvergrove got visitors. A squad of veteran assassins assembled from all over the Moonshadow Forest, come to brush up everyone’s skill’s because there were rumors that trouble was brewing along the border and Runaan and his teammates might be getting a lot more work. Well, that got us all to pay attention. Runaan especially. He takes the defense of his people very seriously.

So he was out at all hours, sometimes for days, training extra hard, running trial missions with his squad, learning these veterans’ hard-won combat skills. When I’d see him, he was exhausted and sore and more focused than ever. He told me he wished he had more time to spend with me, but this was very important to him. So of course I let him train all he wanted, and I did everything I could to take care of him when he wasn’t. That boiled down to feeding him and tucking him in, and telling everyone that he needed his rest.

And then I talked to Lain about the assassins’ training schedule one day. And Lain told me that not everyone was training like Runaan was. That one of the older asasssins was working privately with Runaan on some kind of “fast track skill set” that would give him a whole new set of skills and put him on the path to becoming a good leader for the Silvergrove assassins. 

Of course Runaan wanted that. Very much. And I wanted it for him. But something in my chest felt a little rebellious. Why just Runaan? Why not teach these techniques to every assassin and let them all decide who would make a good leader? They already know each other well. An outsider won’t know their strengths and weaknesses like they do.

By the time I started walking Runaan to morning training, a few weeks had gone by. He introduced me to his advanced trainer, Kelvik, and the moment our eyes met, I knew I’d been right to worry. The look he gave me when he realized Runaan had a boyfriend clearly said “How quaint. But I’m here now. You can go.”

Spoilers: I did not go.

I asked Runaan if he could avoid training with Kelvik, since he clearly had designs on him. And, bless him, Runaan said he’d been trying for the past week to shimmy away without making a fuss. But Kelvik was just as intense and subtle as Runaan is, and they both knew that everything came down to Runaan’s sense of duty. He’d do whatever it took to learn to keep his people safe. And Kelvik was teaching him that. Slowly and deliberately.

And then one day Runaan wouldn’t look me in the eye after he was finally finished training. And I knew that, whatever had happened, it had just gone too far. I was done being soft. My elf needed me, and I fully planned to step up for him. No one hurts my baby. I kissed his cheek and held him softly and told him that I’d make everything okay. And he just nodded against my shoulder.

There was a village dance that night. Runaan and I went together, hand in hand, as always. But I told him to sit with Lain and Tiadrin and chat. And I told them to make sure he stayed sitting. No matter what happened. Because I really wasn’t sure how my plan would play out–plans are more Runaan’s thing than mine. I just wanted him to stay safe, though. That’s all I cared about.

So I sat my boyfriend at a table at the edge of the dancing green and sauntered right up to Kelvik as he stood with his own squad and asked him to dance with me.

And the Moon granted me a boon just then–the rest of his squad looked between him and me with expressions that told me they knew exactly what was going on. And that was the last bit of courage I needed. I held out my hand with a bright cheery smile–Moonshadows can hide all kinds of things behind a smile, especially when they’ve got nothing to lose–and Kelvik took it.

I whirled him around the green with my best, most graceful moves. After the first dance, he begrudgingly complimented me on my skills. And tried to let go of my hands. 

I squeezed. Hard.

“Oh, I’m not done with you yet. Dance with me again! This next one’s a real favorite.”

And he was too confused to say no. So we danced again. And I slowly started crushing his hands every time we touched. He gasped and winced, and I just smiled broadly and kept up the small talk.

I didn’t let him go after the second dance, either.

Halfway through the third dance, he finally blurted, “What do you want, Ethari?”

And through my cheery smile, I told him, “I want to break you in half, Kelvik. Can you convince me not to?” And then I snapped a bone in his hand.

He hid it well. He was an assassin, after all. But he’d opened the floodgates, and I couldn’t stop talking as I swirled and stepped alongside him. “Your selfishness is endangering everything Runaan holds dear. He just wants to be a good assassin, to protect his people and his squad. You’re using that to get close to him, and he doesn’t feel he can say no. So I’m saying it for him. If he comes home one more time and can’t look me in the eye because you can’t keep your boundaries straight, I will very cheerfully hunt you down and disassemble you. I’m very good with moving parts, and I have a bigger collection of knives than you do.”

I dipped him at the end of the dance, squeezed his broken hand, and said cheerily, “Is this in any way unclear to you?”

He growled up at me, “You’ve made your point, craftsman. No need to keep stabbing me with it.”

I hauled him up, gave him a jaunty bow, and headed back to have a drink with my boyfriend and my friends. Runaan looked at me, wide-eyed, as I joined him and the others. “What… did you say? I’ve never seen him look like that before. I think you actually worried him.”

I pressed a soft kiss against Runaan’s cheek and clinked my glass against his. “Just telling him how it is, my heart. I protect what’s mine, just like you do.”

His cheeks flushed the prettiest moonberry red, and that smile… Moon help me. 

Then Lain had to go ruin the moment by saying loudly, “Does this mean we aren’t going to fight anyone?”

I looked across the green and caught Kelvik’s eye again. He’d heard Lain, and he gave me a long look. And then he turned away.

“Not this time,” I said. “This time, we win softly.”

[ask-runaan-anything]

We absolutely need to hear the "captured on purpose" story!

Humans and elves are at war. Being captured by humans while on a mission is the swiftest way I know for a Moonshadow to get himself killed . unless you're caught by a dark mage and then Moon help you

The one group who will try their best to catch an elf--and especially a Moonshadow elf--but not kill them is the dark market hunters. They're poachers on the lookout for magical creatures to sell to the dark mages in the human lands. Most of the hunters are human. But not all. And they usually like to keep their prey in one piece for freshness. But not always.

So there was a real risk involved in being captured, but I was a natural choice to play the bait because my hair is so long, and apparently Moonshadow hair is a very specific spell component. The rest of me would do as well as any other Moonshadow, but my hair would fetch a pretty price indeed.

So I played bait. Got into what looked like an accidental skirmish on the human side of the border. Pretended to get injured and limped away into the forest, leaving an obvious trail. Took my hair down and let them catch me at a stream. that was Ethari's idea but he gave it very reluctantly They dragged me off and tossed me into a cage in a clearing house, where I played hurt until they let their guard down.

It's not the easiest thing to break free of a cage using only your feet, and it's not ideal to take on three humans with your hands bound behind your back. But they all had swords, and it was easy enough to spin just right and let them cut my ropes instead of cutting me. They were all dispatched soon after, with their own blades.

I freed all the other captured creatures, burnt the supplies the humans had gathered, and stalked back to Xadia leading my freed menagerie like the prettiest and most badass Pied Piper you've ever seen.

And then I kind of collapsed and let Ethari take care of me, because I really had been injured the whole time. Mission first, hurt/comfort second. But boy is his comfort worth it.

[ask-ethari-anything]

Hello Ethari ! After these few days of depression, I would have thought to tease you ! But... *sits quietly at the foot of a tree as she was about to meditate* I will master the cat in the middle of crazy time that is inside me for a question about moon opal stones. The opal stones are all different, but the one you and Runaan are wearing reminded me of an amethyst in the moment. Perhaps I am mistaken. Are the opal stones all connected to the moon in Xadia ?

Mastering the chaos cat is no easy task, love. Congratulations on your focus!

Opals are a versatile stone. Some are connected to the Moon. Others to the Sun and the Ocean. There are even rumors of Star Opals, but in all my years, I’ve yet to see one. I find Moon opals the prettiest, of course. They’re rare and precious stones even among Moonshadow elves, and I knew that they’d be an excellent token of my love for Runaan, because he is rare and precious, too.

[melapisdeagros]

#Runaan is about to black out and wake up in the middle of his date#and Ethari is currently at home getting ready to be the prettiest girl at the party#everyone thank Lain for forcing Ruthari to happen#wait was he just plotting his future babysitter situation

He’s flustered your honor