#god i love it so much. and god the SOUNDTRACK
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
And In The Darkness Bind Them (Sauron/F!Reader)
A series of vignettes (smutty and angsty) chronicling S2 Rings of Power
Sequel to Homecoming // AO3 Link
Soundtrack: Beautiful Things by Benson Boone, Replay by Lady Gaga, Hands of Gold by Peter Hollens (kudos to @missjadesfics for this one)
Warnings: 18+ only!! Little bit of fluff, mostly smut and angst! Sometimes together!! P in V sex, oral (female receiving), fingering, possessiveness/toxic relationship, overstimulation, public sex/exhibitionism, dom!Sauron (I know smh, what am I doing??), carry-fucking (y'all I am cooking here, like he is basically a god so no matter how light or heavy you are, he can definitely pick you up and fuck you stupid okay), cumplay (idk how to describe it any other way), praise/condescending/degradation (it's a wild ride lmao), so much angst, very (!!) dubious consent towards the end (sorry, Sauron really leaning into his villain era now)
A/N: Reader is mad in love with our boy in this one but uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh well good luck guys idk
rather than a bunch of actual chapters, I've written a few vignettes for S2 Rings of Power (maybe I'll go back and expand on them later), starting near the start where Sauron is more Annatar, finishing at the end where he is ... very much himself. Some of the smut gets very dark, please take note of the tags!!
Word Count: 7.8k!! Wildly out of hand
The morning after Annatar climbs into your bed, you are momentarily confused to see long golden hair on the pillow next to you. Then you remember that Halbrand is no more.
âGood morning, love.â He props himself up on one arm, disentangling himself from your embrace.
You cannot help but stare at him a moment; this ethereal creature in front of you cannot be yours.
âIs it really you?â You ask him, eyes sparkling and fingers trailing over his high cheekbones, his broad firm chest, his sculpted lips.
âAlways, darling.â He pulls you close, kissing your forehead.
He always smells the same, like salt and iron, smoke and musk. If your souls were to no longer recognise each other, you swear you could follow your nose to find him.
âYou left so suddenly, I didnât get to say goodbye.â You murmur into his chest, fingers entwined in his golden hair.
âIâm sorry, love, circumstances arose, I had matters to take care of, but Iâm here now.â
He had set his plans in motion in Mordor, and waited for Galadriel to leave Eregion. He had a feeling that she would have told no-one there who he really was, her ego bruised and pride bleeding. He only had to wait for you to let him in. And with a little pleading, you had managed to convince Celebrimbor to open his gates.
âWe should talk, properly, about what happened, the last time we saw each other. At Forodwaith.â You stutter and trip over your words, nervous to bring up the subject, but it has weighed heavily on your mind.
He sighs, running his fingers up and down your arm, unhurried and unphased.
Of course you had been angry with him when youâd found out about his plans to become Morgothâs successor, and you stood by that anger. But knowing you had left him to die, to mourn the loss of your husband for centuries, your mind screamed at you to make it right, whatever you had to say.
âSome of the things I said wereâŠunkind-â
âCruel.â He interjects with a smirk; you purse your lips playfully and continue.
âBut so were your deeds, and I have forgiven you. Mostly. So perhaps you should do me the same courtesy,â you twirl a strand of his hair around your finger as you prop yourself up to search his gaze, âsince we are⊠what are we again? Oh yesâŠâ
You lean in and whisper in his ear, âBound in flesh and soul.â
His smile this time is dangerous, threatening, promising.
âAnd to think, if I were not so ravenous in my lust for you-â he grasps your wrists, pins them to the headboard with one hand and wraps his other arm around you, nose in your hair as he breathes in deeply.
â-I might have spared myself this torment.â He grins into your neck as you try to catch his lips with yours. âNot that I would have it any other way.â
He bends his neck and kisses you softly, releasing you just enough to throw your arms around his neck, through his silky golden hair, pulling him closer.
The dread that had dogged you for centuries is gone. There is no such thing as chance, and he is sure that you were supposed to leave him, whatever the reason, to save you from the same evil fate he suffered. After a millennium as primordial ooze, he canât bring himself to care, only grateful to have you in his arms again.
~
Celebrimbor had been rather taken aback when Annatar had walked into his forge with you on his arm. You had been a close friend for many years, having visited his city many times, even reinforced the defences with the ancient magic youâd learned from your lost kin. He knew you were married but had never met your lord husband; no one could have guessed he was an emissary of the Valar.
Indeed you were surprised by his cover story too, but dismissed it as your husband wanting to make the best impression as you introduced him to the world.
âDo they really need to know?â He had asked you one night, holding you close as the rest of the world slept.
âWhat do you mean, love? Oh, that youâre mine? Yes, absolutely, they must. If I donât stake my claim now, all of Eregionâs eligible maidens will be vying for your hand, and I cannot possibly entertain a rival for your affections.â Your tone is light, your words spoken in jest, but he sees in you the same dark possessive streak that runs so deeply within him, and his heart canât help but reach out for yours, dark tendrils of his power wrapping around you.
âHow could I look at another soul the way I look at you? You are the other half of me, the reason my heart still beats. No one compares to my wife, and I would reduce anyone who argued otherwise to dust.â
You laugh a little, burying your face in his side, but he needs you to know just how serious he is, cupping and lifting your chin to hold your gaze.
âMy love, if the sun were too bright or the moon offensive to your eyes or the stars were to outshine your radiance, I would tear it all down for you. Everything I do is for the love of you.â He means it, in his own way, and you know it, a thrill shooting through you, ending in butterflies in the pit of your stomach.
It amazes you that even after the eons youâve loved each other, you still feel the same flutters of excitement you did when you first set eyes on him in that golden glade, millenia ago.
The trials you have endured only sweeten the moments of contentment, making you all the more grateful to hold each other.
~
He has a job to do, a forge to supervise, and rings to create. But with you in his arms and a gentle breeze cooling you both in the burgeoning warmth of spring, he could be persuaded to stay abed a little longer.
âStay with me today.â You murmur into his chest, unwilling to let him go.
Itâs as if you could hear his thoughts as he could hear yours.
He chuckles fondly, stroking your hair, considering the vaguest possibility of letting Celebrimbor work unattended for today. Surely one day couldnât hurt?
âI have to oversee the rings, my love, their progress is precious in every sense of the word,â he says as he traces your arm, rubbing slow circles into your skin with his thumb.
You grumble with indignation, nestling closer to his side as if to keep him there with the sheer magnetism of your presence. He squeezes your arm softly before resting his chin on the top of your head.
âOne day with my husband. Is that too much to ask?â Your tone is still a little petulant, but he canât help but smile fondly at your yearning for him; after all, it is returned a hundredfold.
âYour husband is an emissary of the Valar, he has⊠important duties, what are you doing?â
You give him a mischievous smile, running your foot up and down his leg, hand reaching between his thighs.
âI am simply showing my husband what he is missing when he attends to these important duties, more important than keeping his wife satisfied, apparently.â Your smile grows wider as his eyes grow dark, pupils blowing wide as your hand finds its prize, his cock already half hard simply from lying next to you all morning, breathing you in.
âAre you implying I do not keep you satisfied, my lady? Oh, that simply will not doâŠâ he growls, rolling you over and caging you beneath his iron frame.
You look up at him through your lashes, your breath hitching as arousal pools in your core and drips down your thighs.
The dark glint in his eye only intensifies as he catches the scent of you, needy for his touch, as he dips his fingers between your thighs, delicately tracing your entrance as you shiver beneath him.
His hard length juts against your hip as he greedily swallows your moans, not sated until he has wrung every note of pleasure from you. His tongue doesnât need to fight for dominance in your mouth; he already has it, and you let him take whatever he needs from you.
His thrusts are lazy, languid, now that his plans for the day no longer involve leaving your bed, meaning to take his sweet time with you.
His index and middle fingers circle your entrance, dipping in and out, thrusting deeper each time until he is knuckle-deep inside you. He hooks his fingers in a come hither motion, watching your face soften through hooded eyes as he strokes the sweetest spot inside you. Your body shakes under his ministrations as you clench around his fingers, seemingly unwilling to let him part from you in any way, shape, or form.
He kisses the tip of your nose before drawing back to take you in, spread out underneath him, hair across the pillow, lips parted and panting, eyes glassy with pleasure. Heâd never tire of this sight.
When he first saw you, Sauron never thought he would end up here, with you so willingly his. His to hold close and torment with his loving words, torture with his lingering touch, to soothe with the lies that drip so easily from his tongue.
He covets you even when he has you pressed to him skin to skin, craves you even when he canât breathe for his tongue inside you, wants to wrap himself around you when he can feel your soul entwined with his.
You are his, and today of all days, it is overwhelming him completely.
âSo good for me, opening under my touch, I know what you need, darling, I have you, just let go.â He murmurs in your ear, aching for your release as much as his own; after all, they are the same thing.
He lowers himself to press his body against yours, needing to feel every inch of you against him, cunt clenching around his fingers as you give him your pleasure. You whine and pant against his neck as he refuses to give you a momentâs respite, stroking your inner walls, grinding his palm against your clit.
You shake through your orgasm, riding out your high on his fingers which relentlessly wring out every drop of pleasure from your body, until youâre breathless, pleasantly warm and tingly all over, and totally exhausted.
âSo beautiful, my darling wife, wrung out and ruined for me. Is there a single thought in that pretty mind?â He canât help but gaze at you fondly, slicked with sweat and writhing under his fingers.
Until this moment, he has had no thought of his own pleasure. Now he feels his cock ache to be inside you, and he rolls his hips against yours, sliding his cock between your thighs and rutting against your soft skin, his precum and your wetness soaking your thighs, easing his way. With every roll of his hips his cock grinds against your clit, rubbing against your lips, making you want him inside you where he belongs.
He throws his head back with a gasp, his golden hair falling over his shoulder, as the morning sun illuminates him from behind. You wonder, how could this ethereal being be yours? Giving into his carnal desires and binding himself to a mortal form for the love of you. It is too much to ponder, and you pull him down to your lips, desperate to taste him once more.
As you pull him down, he adjusts himself, teasing you with the promise of filling you up. He chuckles in your ear when you moan at the feeling of him thrusting deep inside you, his bare skin sliding against yours, as he makes himself at home between your thighs.
He slides his hand between you, his index and middle fingers parted to frame your clit as he rubs your cunt, occasionally tracing the swollen nub that begs for his attention. The whimpers that escape your lips only urge him to tease you further, forcing you to arch into his touch, chasing any semblance of release.
Your hips ache as you thrust to meet his hand, fighting the rolling of his hips as he takes what he wants from you. His cock driving into your wet heat, his hand between you teasing and caressing your clit, his forehead against yours as he holds himself over you with his free hand.
Before long, he feels his orgasm approach, too soon, but perhaps not for you, as you beg him to let you come, and how could he deny you when you plead so sweetly?
Not that he could ever deny any request made from your lips.
He pulls you close, torso to torso, and kisses you hard, a hungry clash of lips and tongues and teeth that leaves you both breathless, greedily swallowing your moans as if they were all he needed to survive.
It feels like a revelation every time, and this occasion is no different. When you both finally come down from the pleasurable peak he'd dragged you to, you still feel like you're floating, clinging to him just to stay grounded.
As you both lie there in your cozy bed, panting and nestling close, his large frame fitting around you so completely, he smoothes back flyaway tendrils of your hair from your face and regards you with a strange look, something akin to fondness but more hungry, more desperate, more obsessive.
As your breathing slows and you return to the mortal plain, you look up at him and smile.
âSo. About today. I could show you the city? You havenât seen beyond the forge, my love, and while it is no Gondolin, it has its charms, weâve built something beautiful here. I want you to see it.â Your eyes sparkle at the idea of showing Sauron around your city, and he cannot help but give in, even as he wants to stay here with you as long as possible.
âThen I must let our friend know he shall have to do the work of the Valar himself today.â He chuckles, brushing his nose against yours.
~
Hand in hand with your husband, you cannot help but feel at peace as you stroll through the streets of Eregion.
Musicians fill the air with song, lively market stalls line the streets, and children run and play amongst the revellers.
Your fellow Elves are still a little in awe of him, the crowds parting as you make your way through the city.
âDo you never tire of this?â You ask, a blush creeping up your neck, gesturing at the people nodding and bowing and staring as he walks past with you.
His derisive snort should tell you everything you need to know as he smirks, casting a glance at you, squeezing your hand to soothe your discomfort. You were so used to serving the people of Eregion, that this sudden change in treatment was unsettling. You appreciated thanks for your work, but anything beyond that was too much; this nigh-worship was almost unbearable.
Sauron, however, was flourishing.
âIt is what we deserve, my love, to be revered. We are more than them, after all.â He has always enjoyed your attentions, your worship, but he cannot deny that this satisfies his need to rule in a way that your love alone cannot touch.
âYou might be, love, but I am merely one of them. So it feels strangeâŠâ You trail off as you regard him closely, noticing just how at ease he seems to be.
âLetâs go back.â You fight the growing dread in the pit of your stomach, wishing that you had just stayed in bed with him instead.
âAre you quite alright, love?â He turns to you, searching your gaze, only now noticing your concern.
âYes, fine, darling, I just,â you search for an excuse, any excuse, âIâm just tired. Perhaps a lie down will do the trick, if you would join me?â
A flicker of irritation crosses his face; he might as well have gone to the forge today, if you were going to cut short your trip into the city.
âI might see how Lord Celebrimbor is coming along with the rings, and let you rest.â He gives you a smile but it doesnât quite reach his eyes, and your stomach flips.
âOf course, love, Iâll see you later then.â
He presses a kiss to your knuckles before disappearing into the crowd, a strange sense of trepidation filling you as he leaves.
You know him well enough, unfortunately, that you can immediately sense when he is up to something; an itching in the back of your mind and a dull ache in your heart. Nefarious or not, you have to know what it is.
~
You peer through the door, ajar enough to see your husband in his leather apron sitting at Celebrimborâs work bench, the forge otherwise empty. He is hard at work, his back to the door, and you can't tell what is consuming all of his attention. Most of his attention.
"Love, why do you linger at the door?" He asks, raising his head and smirking, before turning and leaning with an arm over the back of the chair, beckoning you to him.
You smile hesitantly, fingers fidgeting with the sleeve of your dress as you open the door and cross the room.
He pats his thigh, taking your hand and guiding you to sit in his lap as you wrap your arms around his neck. Leaning forward to nuzzle his nose in your neck, he soaks you up, breathing in your scent and relishing the feeling of you so close. Your anxiety melts, the knots in your stomach untying themselves.
"Are you feeling better, love?" He murmurs, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Yes, much." It is not a lie; simply being with him in his natural habitat soothes your nerves.
He hums in acknowledgement, nose still at your throat, the deep vibration rippling through you.
"I hate to worry about you, darling," he remarks as he brushes his fingers through your hair.
"You'll never have to." You reply softly, drawing back to meet his gaze, so intense, so focused on taking you in.
He smiles wide, his eyes creasing just how you love, a genuine expression that has become more and more rare as his stay in Eregion has gone on. It warms your heart and makes you reach for him once more, planting your lips on his, Sauron making an undignified "hmph" in surprised response.
He could stay there forever in your arms, kissing you softly and languidly, letting himself melt into you. But the reason for his visit to the forge today sits on the bench behind you both, and he cannot forget it.
"I have a gift for you." He pulls away to reach for something on the bench behind you.
âA gift, my love? You are gift enough, I need nothing from you.â You laugh, heat flushing your cheeks as your husband takes your hand.
âHow can I call myself the Lord of Gifts if I cannot even gift my wife a small trinket for her devotion?â He teases you fondly, his broad smile reaching his eyes, making them crinkle at the corners in the way that makes you want to kiss every crease and wrinkle from his face just to make them multiply a hundredfold.
âClose your eyes, love,â he tells you, still holding your hand with his other hand behind his back.
You do so with a dramatic sigh, grinning and rolling your eyes.
You feel him slip something cool and smooth onto your finger, and you feel a rush of his power through you that you have not felt in such a long time. You can feel it course through your veins, the towering inferno that is your husbandâs will, his might and determination in one tiny object.
âOpen.â He commands you, his excitement unmistakable.
A slim golden band graces your finger, radiating your husbandâs power. There is something about it, something that makes you never want to take it off.
âDo you like it? Say something,â he laughs nervously, eager to hear your thoughts.
âIt is⊠quite something, my love. Beautiful.â You canât stop staring at it, the plain golden ring catching the light and throwing off an inner radiance that captivates you.
His face lights up, a wide smile brightening his handsome features as he takes your hand in his once more.
âI wanted to forge us something worthy of our bond. Something to strengthen us, to fortify what we have. To bind us together.â He looks into your eyes hopefully, yearning for the eternal life together that youâve been denied thus far.
âIt is⊠precious, my love. And if it works, you shall never be rid of me.â You clasp his hand in yours, resting your forehead on his, breathing him in.
âI shall forge one of my own, but yours was more pressing. They shall be a pair when I am done.â
You cannot help but smile fondly at him; thinking of you before himself.
âThank you, love, I shall never take it off.â
You raise your hand to admire his handiwork, always in such awe of his talents, and notice him eyeing you hungrily.
"Are you quite alright, darling?" You tease him, as he leans over you, a large hand tracing your neck, pushing your hair back over your shoulder.
âI need you,â he murmurs, kissing your neck as he presses you against Celebrimborâs workbench.
âNot here, love, letâs go home,â you try to push him off, laughing but the thought of being discovered like this in the forge, where anyone could find you, sends a shiver down your spine and your stomach unexpectedly flutters.
âNo. Right here.â He runs his hands over your curves, ravenous for what only you can provide him. âRight now. I have to have you.â
He rucks up your skirts, lifting you by your hips onto the bench behind you, baring you to his lustful gaze, and to anyone else who could walk in.
âIs the door locked at least?â You ask him, your stomach still tying itself in knots.
âOf course, love, do you think I want anyone bearing witness to the mere sight of you like this? You are mine, and mine alone.â He growls, deep in his chest, as he grips your thighs, digging into the soft flesh with his fingernails, leaving red crescent marks to mark you as his.
He canât resist the sight of your wet cunt, has to taste you, flexing his tongue to delve into your entrance as he plays with your swollen clit. He pulls you closer, throwing your legs over his shoulders, gripping your ass to keep your cunt against his face.
You canât help but roll your hips, begging him for more, riding his face, taking full advantage of the fact that with his regained strength, Sauron doesnât actually need to breathe.
His iron grip keeps you pinned against him as you arch your back and moan breathily for anyone who might be passing to hear.
He senses your orgasm approaching, and thrusts two long deft fingers inside your cunt, stroking your walls as he laps at your clit. Your body quakes as you give yourself to him, your peak crashing over you with no respite, Sauron drawing every ounce of pleasure he can from your aching cunt with a delicious gleam in his eye.
Finally he gives you some kind of reprieve, drawing back to admire his handiwork.
He wipes his chin with the back of his hand, smirking as he pulls himself up to meet your lips. You can taste yourself on him as he kisses you hard, teeth dragging on your bottom lip, hands kneading greedily at your thighs.
"Are you ready for me, love? Always ready for me, aren't you, always so good..." he gasps in your ear as he slams his cock inside you in one solid thrust, rolling his hips and relishing in the feeling of you, tight and hot around him.
He thinks he hears footsteps on the stairs. He slows his pace just a fraction to listen, not that you seem to notice.
The door swings open a little, but whoever it is does not immediately enter, startled by the noises coming from inside the forge.
Thankfully your back is to the door, and one glare from Sauron sends the smith at the door running back down the stairs, leaving the door ajar. He rolls his eyes and smirks against your lips, crashing his lips into yours with renewed vigour, bucking his hips and slamming his cock deep inside you.
The thought of the world having borne witness to the love you share, it sends him wild and obliterates any sane thought from his mind, the only notion in his head to ravage you senseless.
"So good for me, such a good girl," he murmurs as he takes you in your exhausted glory, your limbs shaking and your cunt quivering.
He leans down to take your nipple in his mouth, mouthing at your tender flesh before nipping with his sharp teeth, a loud moan escaping your throat.
Working his way up to your neck, he lavishes your bare skin with his tongue, sucking hard on the sensitive skin of your throat, making sure to leave a bruise no one will miss.
You whimper as he slips his cock from inside you, marvelling at the state of you, dripping with his cum.
"Always so appreciative, aren't you darling? Always so giving, so grateful to receive whatever I give you. And you've given me everything-"
He picks you up, your arms clinging to his neck as you instinctively wrap your legs around his hips.
"-but you can give me so much more."
He slams his cock inside you again, letting gravity do its work as you're stretched to your limit, moaning as he angles his hips just right so you see stars on every thrust.
"Oh, darling, is that too much?" He mocks you fondly before swallowing your whines, stealing the breath from your lungs in his need, no, greed for you.
With you balanced in his large hands, his muscles flexing with every thrust, he bounces you on his cock like you weigh nothing, as if you were merely a plaything for him to use and spoil and defile. His, and his alone.
He can't get enough of you, of the sight of you ruined and writhing at his touch, desperate for more even as he wrings another orgasm from your overstimulated cunt.
His own peak crashes into him like a wave on the shore, pulsing inside you as your walls clench around him.
"I love you, I love you, love you, love you..." he gasps over and over into your neck, shuddering against you as he leans you back against Celebrimborâs work bench.
You can do nothing but kiss him, words beyond you, your tongue capable of nothing but kissing your husband.
"So good for me, beautiful girl, so good..." he murmurs softly into your neck as his cock twitches inside you, his seed dripping down your inner thighs.
When your legs stop shaking, he lets you stand, still leaning on him. He combs through your hair with his fingers, tucking it behind your ears. Then he glances down at the mess he's left between your legs and smirks.
"Leave it."
You raise an eyebrow at him, already reaching to clean yourself up before you leave the forge.
"I'll be home soon. I'll do it myself."
You finally realise what he's saying and squirm at the idea of trying to walk home in the state you're in. Defiled in all the ways that count. But the glint in his eye warns you not to argue.
True to his word, he arrives home not long after you, so you don't wait too long for his tongue to clean up the mess he made.
~
There are warning signs. You missed most, if not all of them. Or wilfully ignored them.
But when the siege horns blare, in your heart of hearts, you know it is Sauronâs doing.
The first place you think to find him is the forge, but instead you find Celebrimbor hunched over his bench, painstakingly at work.
"My lord? Do you not hear the horns? We need to leave!" You try to take his arm to hoist him to his feet, but he shudders and throws you off.
He catches you off balance and you stumble, throwing an arm out to steady yourself.
To your surprise, a large warm hand takes yours and keeps you upright.
"I told you not to come here, love." Sauron remarks, his tone eerily neutral, as if you haven't just stumbled into a nightmare.
"I was... I was looking for you." You mutter, still watching Celebrimbor, concerned for his state of mind as he rambles about mice and candles.
"I told you to stay at home where you'd be safe. Was that simple instruction so beyond you?"
Your head snaps toward him as the sharp knife of his words pierces you between the ribs.
A flurry of questions and indignant remarks fills your head but you merely stare at him, mouth agape, as he disregards you, stepping to the bench to inspect his precious rings.
"How much longer?" His impatience has always been dangerous, but it is in this moment you realise just how so.
"Soon... just the final touches, they are nearly complete." Celebrimbor flinches as Sauron places the ring back on the bench and takes his shoulder in hand.
"Do you hear that? I kept the storm at bay but you chose to peel back the curtain. Your city is falling, but the sooner you deliver the rings, the more of your city you save. Do not fail them."
He takes your hand and leads you out of sight, pushing you up against a wall. His large hand wraps around your neck with such ease, it startles you, and you can do nothing but whimper against him.
"I told you not to come here." He whispers in your ear, hot breath tickling your neck.
"I'm sorry-" you gasp as his thumb constricts a little around your throat, "Needed to know you were safe."
He loosens his grip and smiles fondly at you, though not quite letting it reach his eyes, as your hearts pound in unison.
"Oh darling. Aren't you just perfect?" Then he kisses you hard, before turning you around, pressing your face against the cold hard stone.
Your stomach drops as you realise what he's planning. Surely not, not as the city crumbles around you and the Lord of Eregion sits mere feet away?
"Love, no, not now-"
He enters you with a practised touch, knowing exactly how he has to please you to ease his way in. Your body betrays you as he fucks you without mercy, taking his pleasure from your needy moans and wanton gasps as you succumb to the feeling of him drilling into you from behind.
This is new, as usually he delights in studying your face for every microexpression, taking you in as he ravages you. Now it is solely about what he can take from you, the only thought in his head to come as quickly as inhumanly possible.
It leaves you breathless and panting, and when he peaks, you find yourself grinding into him to try and find some kind of release too.
He chuckles in your ear, thrusting his hand between your thighs.
"What's that, love? Weren't you saying no? Do you want me to let you come? Oh you do? You're lucky that your pleasure is mine, or I might not be so giving..."
His words fade to nothing as your ears ring with siege horns and explosions and the mind-bending sensation of orgasming around Sauronâs cock, even as you know what his plans have wrought.
~
âIâm so sorry, Iâm so sorry,â you murmur over and over, holding the Lord of Eregion in your lap, trying to heal his wounds well enough that he can finish his work.
The wounds inflicted by the man you call husband in a moment of cruel impatience.
âAmariĂ«, I need him to work, the rings-â
â-will be finished when he can stand. A momentâs peace, for pityâs sake.â You interrupt your husband, turning to look at him to find no pity in his eyes, only jealous rage.
âLet me work, so he can work. This is your doing after all, you should know it will take time.â
Your tone wounds him, the acid in your words corroding his black heart, but he cannot let himself pause in the pursuit of his goal, not when the rings for Men are within such tantalisingly close reach.
The melody you sing over Celebrimbor to knit his flesh eventually soothes his pain and stems the bleeding enough that soon he is sat at his workbench, still wincing, but for your sake, presses on with finishing the rings.
âWatch him, Iâll be back shortly.â Never has Sauron spoken so abruptly with you, and after everything youâve witnessed today, youâre loath to let him leave with no rebuke.
âAfter everything He did to you, you would inflict the same torture on someone who has only shown you kindness?â
He glares down at you, only the tiniest furrow of his brow giving anything away about his current train of thought.
"It is⊠necessary. If he had done what Iâd asked, I wouldnât have been forced to-"
"Absolutely not. Do not do this. Do not blame him for what you have done. That is exactly what Morgoth did to you, what I nursed you through, so donât try that with me." Youâve never been stern with him before so youâre not sure how he will take it, and frankly neither is he.
âThis is not you!â
âBut it is me.â He leans in to whisper in your ear. âYou just havenât been paying attention.â
Your stomach drops as he smirks, stalking down the stairs. He looks back up at you a moment.
âDo not let him leave.â His tone cuts you like a knife, and when the door swings closed, you crumble to the floor, head in your arms.
~
"How long have you known?" Galadriel can barely look at you as your tears blind you.
It takes you a long time to answer.
"Too long. I thought he had changed! At first I thought him dead, then he came back so different, I wanted-"
"You wanted your husband." She looks you in the eye, and once again, you feel a wave of nausea overwhelm you.
âIt is a twisted, evil fate, that I would take back in a heartbeat, but there is no earthly force that can break us apart. Believe me, Iâve tried.â Your voice breaks and Galadriel cannot help but embrace you; she knows how heavy the bond between couples is, and knows that to try to undo it is a foolâs errand.
âI just want to come home.â You sob into her shoulder, heart breaking for her that she must be the one to comfort you, after all your husband has done to hurt her and her family, and what he has done to your city.
"Are you with me?" She asks, hands on your shoulders as you pull away.
You don't even have to think. Your broken heart speaks for you.
"Whatever it takes."
~
You find him on a cliff's edge, surrounded by orcs that bow and simper as you pass.
"I knew you'd come." He greets you, though he doesn't turn from looking down over the cliff, as if his eye is trained on something no mortal being could see.
"Predictable as always." You quip, but your anger bleeds through and the edge in your voice finally makes him face you.
"You're upset-"
"Oh, really?" You interrupt him with a snort.
"I tried to save Eregion, but Adar-"
"Oh no, don't do that, we both know that was your plan all along. You have always played the long game, don't doubt your abilities now, dear husband."
He smirks, stepping closer, taking your hands in his.
âTell me the truth, please, just for once.â Your anger and your grief battle for dominance, and even now he feels a tiny pang of guilt.
âYou have always known my purpose, my love-â
You interrupt him with your fists, so angry with him now that words fail you. He holds your wrists calmly, impassively, speaking over your outburst as if it had not happened, as if you were merely taking tea on your balcony.
âYou have always known that Middle Earth is sick, that it needs healing, and who better than I to do so? I alone have the power and the will to remake this land, and you, my Queen, you will help me fix this broken world.â He is so sincere, smiling down at you as if it is already decided.
You try to pull away, shaking your head and fighting his every movement to keep you in his arms.
âI will not. I cannot, Mairon, I wonât.â You catch yourself and gasp. âEven now, even now I call you by the name you do not deserve.â
The tic in his jaw is back, and he inclines his head slightly, daring you to continue, warning you not to.
âDo you want to hear me say it? The name my kin gave you eons ago? The name you swore was dead and buried, along with your designs to rule the world?â
âYou make it sound so inelegant, ârule the worldâ, is it my fault that the peoples of Middle Earth need uniting under a strong leader, one who will bring them the order and balance they so desire?â He is still using that calm, condescending tone that drives you mad, that once soothed you but now feels like fingernails under your skin.
âIs it balance if it is by force? You cannot trick them into acceptance, Mairon.â You know that to reason with him is folly, but you have to try, against all odds, to make him see reason in his madness.
âYou want to be worshipped as a god.â You whisper, unable to believe this is the man you married, that you loved. Love. Love, still, as you rail against the feeling, hopeless to break it.
âAnd you, my goddess. It is as it should be, the right way of things, the people need order, and we can give it to them. You and I.â He traces your face softly, making you shiver. âOnly us.â
You fight to break free of his embrace, hands on his chest, but youâre damned if he will let you go, his grip like the iron crown he wishes to place on your head.
"There is no 'usâ. Not anymore. There can be no "us", for as long as you are unrepentant, I cannot bear to look upon you." The words taste acrid in your mouth, betraying every feeling still plaguing you deep in your soul.
His face twists, biting back every poisonous word he wishes to fling at you.
"You want to heal Middle Earth? How can one so broken know anything of healing?"
Despite your venom, and the wrenching in your souls, he tenderly holds your chin, upturning your face to him; even now you know exactly who he is, his radiance blinds you. Every heartbeat, every slow exhale, it all seems to stop, as you study his face for what you hope is the last time.
âWhat makes it worse, what really hurts,â your voice is unsteady, betraying the maelstrom in your heart, âis that in another life, another time, we could have been really happy.â The dam breaks and you cannot help but let a hot tear fall, willing the rest to remain unshed until you are alone.
âWerenât we?â He seems genuinely confused, crushed even, voice thick with all the things he wants to say, all the things he knows would break you.
The hard expression youâve worked so hard to maintain cracks; yes, you were, you were so blissfully happy, in those golden days where it was just the two of you, no war, no suffering, just two lovers meeting.
âDo not make me say it,â you choke out, tears now falling freely; gods, you had been so happy, and you wish with all your might to be taken back to those days in your loverâs arms, all tender kisses and warm embraces.
Even in your absolute sorrow, he cannot help but claim you one last time, pressing his lips to yours like you are his last meal on this mortal plain. Unwilling in spirit, but your body melts into him, desperate to forget for just a second before you turn your back on him forever. You can feel the ebb and flow of your souls crackling and churning around you, becoming palpable in the very air you breathe.
You break away first, hesitant to allow this moment to end. But it must.
âDo not go where I cannot follow.â He murmurs into the hollow of your throat, as he grips your hair and pulls your head back. With a heavy sigh you press your lips to his forehead, and back away, his fingers trailing yours as you part.
âYou can follow, any time you wish.â Your voice breaks, as does your heart, clean in two, as you turn your back and leave him on that accursed precipice.
The golden ring on your finger seems almost to pulsate with heat; indeed you had quite forgotten it was there. You raise your hand to inspect it, tiny engraved letters filling the band that you had never seen before.
You could feel Sauronâs power in the ring, its binding magic pulling your heart back to the comfort of his embrace.
âRead it.â His voice behind you is hard but pleading, wrenching your heart.
The script on the ring burns red like coals on the fire as you hold it up, trying to make out what he engraved there.
Two Rings to bind what Evil tried to rend,
Two Rings for a King and Queen, their bond none can transcend,
Two Rings to rule them all, a power with no end
A tiny part of you is touched that he poured so much of himself into a ring meant to soften Morgothâs curse upon the pair of you. The rest of you is incensed that he would use your love to satisfy his craving for power.
âYou simply cannot resist, can you?â Your voice shakes with anger as you turn back to face him, his face falling as he realises that perhaps you would not be so easily won.
âI donât know what you mean,â he shakes his head as if he hasnât an inkling what might have upset you.
âYou know very well. A ring to bind me to you? Very well, you told me what it was when you gave it to me. But a ring to bring you the power you crave? To bind all the other rings of power to you, to dominate the free peoples of Middle Earth with a trinket? I cannot be a part of it!â
You stop for a moment, pausing in the realisation that your husband has not yet, to your knowledge, forged his own ring. Perhaps there is hope.
âI cannot be a part of it. But I will take it with me.â You say, holding up your hand. âFor safekeeping.â
He does not argue. Instead he smirks and tells you, âIâd have it no other way.â
Perhaps you should be concerned, but surely it would do more harm in his hands than yours.
âYou donât want this.â For the first time in millennia, his voice shakes as he calls after you.
You turn on your heel and search his face for any sign at all that he might still come with you.
âYou donât know my heart.â It tastes a lie as it leaves your lips, but itâs the only retort you have.
With a soft smile, knowing and terrible, he replies, âDarling, I am your heart.â
The space where your heart used to be twists and shatters, leaving you breathless.
âThen you know how much this hurts. Please, donât make it worse.â With that, you take your leave, refusing to turn around without him at your back, abandoning him to his chosen fate.
âAmariĂ«,â you hear him softly behind you, as you refuse to look back.
âAmariĂ«, do not foresake me!â It is an interesting choice of words, considering Morgothâs curse that dooms you both to the otherâs absence, and the irony is not lost on you.
âDo not let Him take you from me again!â
You stop in your tracks, turning on your heel.
âThis is not His doing, my love.â You hold fast as he stalks towards you, trembling slightly as you take in your husband in all his fury.
He towers above you, taking your face in his hands.
âIt is yours.â You whisper, your strength waning as he lowers himself to claim you in a crushing kiss, hands wrapping tightly around your neck and waist.
You canât breathe, canât think, canât do anything but kiss him back with abandon, feel his hands digging into your sides, the pain in your heart-
âGive up this madness. Come with me. Please, you said once youâd do anything for the love of me. So come with me.â You plead with him, grasping his hands tightly as if it were possible to change his mind simply by imbuing his flesh with your will.
After what feels like the longest pause of your life, Sauron gazing into your eyes with an inscrutable expression, he rests his forehead to yours.
âI must heal Middle Earth. And I will do it with or without you.â His voice breaks, like your heart.
You pull away and nod, refusing to look at him.
âThen know this is not your masterâs doing, it is entirely your own.â
You turn and start walking, in desperate hope your people will forgive you, will take you in now you have nowhere else to turn.
He screams your name until he is hoarse, but he does not follow. He can always find you; time and space are no obstacles to the likes of your bond.
But that does not fill the hole in his arms where the world used to be, the space meant for you.
#sauron x reader#annatar x reader#halbrand x reader#my fic#could not resist a hadestown reference!! (kudos if you spot it!!)#okay merry christmas lmfao enjoy!!#comments and reblogs always appreciated bc i love the feedback it really helps lmao
57 notes
·
View notes
Text
THE DUCHESS
#fall in love with them right NOW#sorry we're closed#swc the duchess#sorry were closed#art#listened to okumura so much while painting this my god the soundtrack is so good !!!#okumura and new magic wand and FJM which is a combination i feel is reflective of their strong emotions. maybe#anyway play sorry were closed its so good#my art
409 notes
·
View notes
Text
So @sayuri-of-the-valley and I were talking about the music in Good Omens 2 and particularly the similarities and differences in the music that happens 'Before the Beginning' (that's the song title) and at The Kiss (that's not the song title) and I have accidentally developed Theories and had Thoughts, so Iâm gonna share them in case anyone else wants to weigh in.
First of all, the general musical structure is similar. They are both dramatic moments that start quietly, grow to a powerful crescendo at the Big Moment, and then resolve more quietly again, but with subtle changes that make them feel very different. Without actually going through and checking it, they sound to be at roughly the same tempo (around 140 BPM) and comparable time signatures.
Now, I'm treating these two dramatic moments and the surrounding music as two songs, although in the soundtrack the music surrounding The Kiss is actually divided into two songs itself: I Forgive You and Don't Bother, so that's. Fine. I'm normal about that. I'm sure dividing that in half doesn't Mean Anything at all. I'm NORMAL about it!!! Ah... anyways.
The instrumentation for both Before the Beginning and The Kiss is also very similar. Both songs start with orchestral winds and strings and add a powerful choral part (on the same pure round vowel sound, no less!) on the big crescendo. Both add orchestral chimes (bells) for that epic religious feel. Both the nebula creation and the kiss were a revelation. Something like a religious experience.
And then both songs resolve featuring wind and strings again, among other instruments. The "after" part of both songs also features more pitched percussion (harp, maybe a celesta, glockenspiel, possibly a dulcimer or some other fun, ethereal pitched percussion in Before the Beginning, but interestingly a piano in Don't Bother). Ouch. That hurts.
Now, to me: the piano is possibly representing the nightingale, Crowley and Aziraphale's love of Earth and humanity, whereas the glockenspiel and etc. may be more representative of heaven. Just a guess. I would have to do more careful listening for a more solid theory.
I donât have perfect pitch so itâs hard to tell without getting out my instruments or transcribing the piece, but Iâm willing to bet âI Forgive Youâ is in the relative minor key to Before the Beginningâs mostly major key (I *think* âBefore the Beginningâ might be mostly in the key of C major and âI Forgive Youâ in A minor, but I could be wrong). Regardless, the former is major and the latter is more minor, but otherwise a lot of the chord structures, especially at the big moment, sound very similar.
More on instrumentation: âBefore the Beginningâ uses more (ethereal?) flutes in the wind sections and The Kiss uses more reed-based, (earthy?) winds like clarinet, bassoon, oboe, etc. Different feel, but the same kind of structure. Both moments heavily feature a big string section for the nice full orchestral sound.
Before the Beginning has a lot going on musically before the crescendo and it intentionally feels kind of chaotic and unformed bc each instrument family is doing something a little different, building anticipation, etc. and then at the big crescendo, they all come together. Very powerful. Then after the crescendo, we get a subtle, playful reprise/variation of the Good Omens Main Theme. The strings and the winds are no longer entirely together at this point. Theyâre sort of playing off one another, leaving space. Having a conversation.
By comparison, in âI Forgive Youâ the wind/strings start off playing together, in a sad version of unison before the crescendo (they both knew the conversation they were having wasnât going to end well but they fundamentally *understand* one another now; theyâve been talking for millions of years). And AFTER the crescendo of The Kiss, the song âDonât Botherâ DROPS the majority of the string section and gives the melody to a solo violin (alone!!!!). Even worse (better) the strings and the woodwinds and pitched percussion are no longer playing together. This time, they arenât even having a conversation. Theyâre musically doing a separate lines. It feels extremely lonely (because it is). The violin is very exposed. The piano is very exposed. Even the chorus sounds exposed (smaller group of singers?). This ALSO includes a reprise/variation on the main GO theme, but instead of being playful itâs extremely sad (as though you didn't notice). The rest of the orchestra is still there, providing background, but it's not the same.
The Biggest Decision (the song after Don't Bother) has a lot more of those ethereally coded instruments again. Harp, pitched percussion. Full string section. Angelic chorus. Aziraphale is making the hardest/worst decision to return to heaven.
And to round it out, once we get to "The End?" we are back to piano. Our duo is separated. Now in place of the solo violin we have solo cello and piano. Gutting. We get notes of the ethereal celesta (I think). The piano keeps us grounded, but cello is a big focus. We also get more of that haunting chorus and violin runs. And then we end with solo piano playing the same 5-note run three times. Alone. After every other instrument has dropped out. Very lonely.
Just for fun, (and to end on a slightly more positive note), I went back and listened to the ox rib music as well, which was surprisingly consistent with some of my theories from up above and also not on the soundtrack so although I'm sure it has a name, I certainly don't know it.
In the ox rib section, there are more instruments before the first big moment (when Aziraphale tries the food) that are going back and forth. Again it sounds to me like theyâre having a conversation⊠tempting and being tempted. Winds and strings (strings are tremoloing like at the kiss for that sweet, sweet tension), but also brass instruments. We have some more ethereal sounding pitched percussion, especially *before* he tries the food but afterwards it... switches to piano! Like I said: Earth!!!
The choir is on a different vowel altogether for this part (more aggressive and ominous, a taller Ah instead of a round Oh/Aw like the first two musical moments). The choir is also much more rhythmic. Again, increasing tension. And, of course, after he tries the food the music supports the tension of the scene by gradually building, getting louder and bigger after the key moment has already passed. It's super interesting that Aziraphale trying the food is actually quite quiet, but the music grows quickly afterwards. Sort of the inverse of how the other two scenes play out musically! Fascinating!!
Anyways, let me know what you think I got wrong and what I missed and if I thought something was a celesta when it was actually a glockenspiel or something. I am thrilled and devastated by this incredible music.
#Good Omens#Good Omens 2#Good Omens Soundtrack#Good Omens music#David Arnold#Neil Gaiman#Good Omens meta#I have so much more I could say#but believe it or not this was the condensed version#also the strings used two types of tremolo which is neat#did I detect some col legno in there as well?#god I love orchestral music#Also I think there was mandolin or some other kind of picked tremolo in Before the Beginning#I love to see it... or hear it I guess
487 notes
·
View notes
Text
this man has no fucking right to be THIS beautiful⊠jinshi my LOVE.
#jinshi my BELOVED⊠god he makes me so. insane#i say that a lot but he really makes me Clinically Unwell i just love him so so so so so so so much#him & maomao <3 my favs of all time <3 the only people EVER#i NEED to order all the apothecary diaries manga/light novels STAT#ALSO THE FUCKING SOUNDTRACK TO THE ANIME??? THE NEW EPISODE TODAY???#BEST ANIME SERIES EVER IâM NOT EVEN REMOTELY JOKING.#the song that was used when jinshi carried maomao out after she saved his life⊠i teared up & got LITERAL chills holy FUCK#let me order the books rn actually like âm not playing around#the apothecary diaries#jinshi#personal
185 notes
·
View notes
Text
Man, Howard Goodall really put his everything into making the Observation Dome background music the most beautiful, romantic, wistful sounding piece of music ever didn't he
#GOD I LOVE IT SO MUCH#THE WISTFUL PIANO???#THE SAXAPHONE IN THE EXTENDED VERSION#THE OCCASIONAL VIOLIN AND ACOUSTIC GUITAR??#THE FLUTE (I THINK) ???#ITS SMEGGING GORGEOUS#insane to me that they only go to the observation dome TWICE in the whole 13 season show#I WANT MORE OF THOSE WISTFUL SCENES#AND I WANT MORE OF THE BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL SOUNDTRACK THAT COMES WITH IT#ugh give me more observation dome plsplspls i love that fucking snowglobe so much#my absolute favourite location in the entire show#red dwarf#red dwarf observation dome
35 notes
·
View notes
Text
said it before and will say it again, Padme and Anakinâs love theme is one of the best songs in the entire series
#I love Across the Stars#but also I love Love Pledge And The Arena even more#Across the Stars is much more gentle and light than Love Pledge is#but also Love Pledge has the transition into the clone march and that part FUCKS#god the soundtrack for the whole series is just so good đ john williams you fucking GENIUS#star wars#star wars music#anidala
127 notes
·
View notes
Text
Finished TGAAC around 2 1/2 weeks ago but only finished the doodles today. but still, here ya go!
#caluuart#art#dgs spoilers#dgs2 spoilers#tgaa spoilers#tgaa2 spoilers#ace attorney#the great ace attorney#tgaa#dgs2#not tagging characters bc it's a lot#RAMBLE TIME. so ever since I finished dgs2 I have been listening to the soundtracks and MAN these bang so much#esp as a person who plays the piano and likes music. it's just. good. yeah. some of these do give me psychological dmg tho lmaoo#like kazuma's nocturne theme or his prosecutor theme. or the secret trial theme.... the partners - the game is afoot! theme.... I am normal#WHICH SPEAKING OF! man I love the sholmes + mikotoba partner twist so much even if i got a bit spoiled about it. i just think they're neat.#The partners of all time I think.#Also also the found family!?!?!? I am A SUCKER for found family. they fed me so well.#funny thing was the barok character development surprised me despite the fact that I also expected it since the first game lolol.#I do think he's an interesting character and probably one of the best character development in the game. And that I find his design cool.#oh yeah I didn't draw it but when I saw that albert mentioned that barok is âthe darling of the van zieks familyâ I was genuinely like.#huh? wdym. like man at the time âvan zieksâ and âlittle darlingâ feels wrong in the same sentence. that was until I saw his pre-#-trauma pictures n well. albert isn't wrong. which was a slight surprise to me.#In conclusion: I liked it a lot. and now occupies parts of my brain along with my other brainrots.#They fight for priority in my brain whenever I try to sleep or disassociate lol. Well at least there's more material to think about.#off topic time: arlecchino animation. for the sake of the tag's length I'll just say a few things:#I am very very interested in her story and oh my god father.#My brain has stopped braining now; good night my fellows
78 notes
·
View notes
Text
Its 4:45 am rn rewatching ew
Transgender real
#eddsworld#tom shat his pants#eddsworld tom#ew tom#eddsworld fanart#tom eddsworld#tom ew#i love eddsworld#eddswolrd#edwrld#THE FUCKING SOUNDTRACKS-#URGHRGHURGHURGHURGHURGHURGURGHURGHURGHURGH#NOTHING AT ALL IM DYING ILISM!!!#WTFUTURE SOUNDTRACK-#AHHHHHH!!!!!#I CAN NOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE REWATCHING THE OLD EPISODES AND LISTENING TO THOSE MASTERPIECES#ISTG REWATCHING THEM GIVES ME MOTIVATION TO ANIMATE#ILOVITILOVITILOVITILOVIT!#AND THE INTRO TO 25FT UNDER THE SEA?!?!?#SO BUBBLY MAKES ME GIGGLE LIKE A DUMBASS EVERY TIME#THE JOKES HERE ARE SO STUPID BUT NOSTALGIC I CANT CONTROL MYSELF#OH GOD THE SONG IN THE MONTAGE AFTER THEY GOT FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET AAHH#I'VE NOTICED SO MANY STUPID DETAILS LIKE THE KEYCHAIN THAT SAYS âKISS ME IM GINGERâ AND IT MAKES ME FEEL SO HAPPY#NEW STUFF TO DRAW#NEW HC#NEW IDEAS JUST POPPING UP EACH PASSING SECOND#I LOVE REWATCHING THIS SILLY SHOW IT MAKES ME HYPER OVER EVEN MORE#OMG THE MONTAGE OF TOMS LIFE UGGRRHHHHHHHHHH#CUTENESS AGGRESSION WITH EDDS DUMBASS FACE BEFORE THEY MAKE THEM FLY UP ABOVE THE WATER#I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T
39 notes
·
View notes
Text
What the hell. They shut down the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush. What the hell. What the actual fuck.
#oh my god#i was listening to the soundtrack yesterday. again. because it's good music#hi-fi rush#this game was everything to me in terms of nostalgia. it was everything i loved about the 2000s#everyone loved this game. everyone thought it was so much freaking fun. and they just killed the studio behind it
88 notes
·
View notes
Text
The signalis soundtrack is haunting me and I need to talk about this or Iâm gonna explode
So. Orrery. The track that plays in. Well. The room with the orrery. Now I donât know much about the military but Iâm assuming this room is where things are planned it in relation to the different planets (attacks, current conditions ect)
The track itself has a sort of static in the background, faded noises and a distant piano.
At exactly 1:08 you hear the sound of a jet starting up
Then, at 1:24 you hear marching. But itâs not like a the type of marching that we have in the military, thereâs a pause between each step, and then a sudden two steps, before repeating again.
What weâre hearing is the vinetan army.
The fact that we can here all of these things relating to the military, that we know elster couldnât have heard, along with the static and fadedness of the track, and the fact that interacting with vineta elster literally says âThe Ocean World ravaged by war, I can hear the sound of the seaâ means that what weâre hearing is from elsters memories. Of Lilith. The track is representative of Elster memories from her gestalt life returning.
#THIS GAME IS DRIVING ME INSANEEE#I CANT EVEN LISTEN TO THE SOUNDTRACK WITHOUT THE STORY PULLING ME BACK IN IM GONNA LOSE IT#GOD I love this game so much. honestly the sheer amount of detail in it is astounding. the more I think about it the more I love it#signalis#signalis ost#signalis meta#elster#elster 512
36 notes
·
View notes
Note
What is Suikoden about? :>
Ohhhhh hohohohoho Meg, you have no idea what you've done (I'm sorry this is going to get wordy... I just really love this series so so much).
So all the mainline Suikoden games (plus Suikogaiden I&II which are visual novels) take place in the same universe, some years apart. All the games have war as a main central conflict, but you usually play as a young "unnamed" protagonist (technically all the heros have like manga canon names iirc), with the exception of Suikoden III which took on a tritagonist situation where you switch between three main heros and then you make a decision about halfway through the game which one you want to be the "main" hero (as a bonus you also get to play the story from the "villain's" perspective as well if certain conditions are met). The series is based on the classic Chinese novel, The Water Margin (perhaps rather losely. I own the novel but I haven't actually ever gotten that far into reading it OTL).
One major important part of the story is the runes system, which is essentially the magic system. There's many runes that you can just straight up buy from vendors in the game, but then there are also 27 "True" runes, which are super powerful, and usually come with built in immortality (except the Rune of Punishment which.... Does not :)) and a lot of them also come with fun and horrible Extra "Perks":tm:! Each game also has at least one of the 27 True Runes that your protagonist ends up wielding. The in-game legend about the origins of the True Runes goes as follows (pulled this direct from the wiki):
In the beginning, there was "darkness." Then finally, the "darkness" shed a "tear." From that "tear," the brothers Sword and Shield were born. Sword Bragged that he can cut anything. Shield replied that he could protect anything. Then the brothers began a legendary battle for seven days and seven nights. At the end, Sword cut Shield and Shield smashed Sword. Sword became the sky, Shield became the earth, and the sparks from the battle became the stars. And the jewels that adorn Sword and Shield Became the True Runes-- The runes that all other runes were born from.
Each game has a "base" that your hero finds at some point that gets built up not only as the story progresses, but also as you recruit characters to your army. Which is another thing all the games share! There is a collection of 108 recruitable characters in each game (give-or-take as III is kind of different in that it includes antagonists, and also the other games have some characters that will take other's places depending on certain conditions e.g. there's one character, who if you make certain decisions, will die in battle, and his son will join your army in his place, taking his place in the roster, but if you don't make those decisions, you keep the father and never meet his son). Not all the recruitable characters are playable in battle however, some of them are there as either battle support, offering you different benefits to your combat party, and some are there to add things to your base such as minigames, shops, or entertainment (The Suikoden II Iron chef style minigame is still my all time favorite videogame minigame, although some of that might be nostalgia talking lol). It's incredibly rewarding to return to your base after recruiting people and then find another wing added onto it and sometimes with more fun minigames to play. It really starts to feel so lively! Also if you recruit all 108 characters and fill your roster (known in-game as the Tablet of Stars) usually before the final major tactical battle, you unlock different really cool extras (like the aforementioned ability in III where you get to play through parts of the game from the "antagonist's" PoV)
Oh gosh, another thing all the games have in common is there are three battle systems. 1) your typical turn-based system (6 characters):
youtube
2) a duel system where it's 1v1 in a sort of rock-paper-scissors style thing where you have to read your oppenent's dialogue to determine how they're going to attack and react accordingly or take massive damage
youtube
and 3) the large-scale "tactical" battles, where you set up battle units with the characters you've recruited and then you essentially play a semi-chance based version of chess and fling them at each other on the field and try to reduce the enemy to a certain number, hold out until a certain amount of moves/time has passed, or just all out reduce their army to zero.
youtube
(also lol this video has the joke about Viktor's Lion flag)
Along with all the war, there's a bunch of deeper underlying themes like companionship, loyalty, hope, grief, loss, guilt, you know all the happy fun JRPG style storytelling elements! And honestly that's what really elevates the games. I think it's a lot like some of XIV, especially StB and HW in that respect. Like yes, war is going on, and it's the main big central conflict, but there's always more to keep you engaged and interested in the heroes and their journeys. I was going to go on and explain a synopsis of each game specifically, but lol just this is already soooooo long. There's also a villain (he's not the main villian.... ohhhhh no) in the first two games who's a vampire, his name is Neclord (fuckin lol), and he has a bangin battle soundtrack:
youtube
There is literally so much more I could say about the series, but like literally if it sounds even slightly interesting to you, I implore you to pick up the remasters when they come out in March (I believe on multiple platforms, including Steam and Switch iirc?)
Also a special mention about the creator Yoshitaka Murayama, who passed away in February of this year. He created his own game studio, Rabbit & Bear Studios which developed the Spiritual successor series to the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle (which had an incredibly successful kickstarter campaign and is available to play to the public right now, and I own but have not yet played).
#Suikoden#Oh my god I'm so sorry this is so long#I just have so much to say about Suikoden#I love it so much#It's so good.#It's a very old series#but it has that classic 16-bit charm#and a wonderful soundtrack#and ugh it's just so good.#Z speaks#Z answers#lilas
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
george as max from:
GeorgeNotFound & Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
#i love this book and movie with myentire heart it s just so damn beautiful n comforting n the movie soundtrack as well is SOOOOOOO LOVELY#george is so max to me in his crazyisms n wildness n lack of fear to just go out and LIVE. full of love he moved across the world for peopl#g is very inspiring to me in his daily insistence to just be himself n do whatever he likes n radiate his inner childish joy n adventurisms#just like max !!!! who sails away to an island full of wild things and has a blast. and i just think that is Very georgie and our dteamies<#theres so many moments in the film i was going oHHFHGFHUGHRUGH MY GOD at like. the script n dialogue bc so much Extra than the kids book#liek the yelling laugh match betbween max n judith is SOOOO SNF. LIKEIHRGIR maybe i do another post. who knows#if anyone enjoys this ..... hugs to u :')#i'll eat you up i love you so .............. âi have a sadness shield that keeps all the sadness outâ-- george to dream ACHHH .....#my webs#georgie#where the wild things are#web weaving#compilations#georgenotfound
63 notes
·
View notes
Text
some very very quick costume shorthands!
#&juliet#had the absolute luck of watching this live the other night and it was. truly amazing!!! aaah#rough character designs for the younger leads (excluding like the Grown adult duos..) because?? idk#this is how it always starts. once the character designs start getting simplified like this that's when it all begins#which is hmmm timing but i really can't shut up about this musical it was so so fun. absolute vibes and energy#made me laugh and cry and was such an Experience. i adore them all but may specifically made me sob at some parts dfjkldfh#lots of thoughts! but one of the favs is how they wrote it so the existing songs and actions fit so well.#like in a rhyming bit they had frankie accept a drink and then the song was like ''drink in hand'' and i was all !!!!!!#also maybe it's local censorship? but there wasn't the kisses.. they replaced it w kissing hands and then holding hands#which is like a cute nod to the ''hand to hand holy palmers kiss' or smth but also maybe two guys doing that would not have made it past :/#oh my god i. the way rnj parallels the shakespeare duo... whdskjfhgh. may + not being a Girl kdjhgf. frankie and may. aaagh.#angelique being so so badass. i . the speech about Gender by anne and the Proposal by angelique both made the whole theatre cheer love that#also rotating stage lives in my mind rent free i ADORE the set holy moly.. also also the actors were so good. also the Projections.#also the music and costumes and special effects and aerial moments. and the ensemble. and the choreo#also the cast is so talented. and pretty. and the whole confidence part vs the vulnerability of some bits... whshjfgjkl. hhh#im just listing stuff now but it was so vibes. what an experience ever. it's also shot me directly into 14-years-old again so#spent the morning alone vibing to the soundtrack intensely... i just... sometimes things hold special places in your heart idk!!!#i don't know what to do with these designs though... like the show is such a lovely Spectacle but also idk where to branch out by myself no#there's so much to Absorb again and again. i get the feeling any true work from this i would do in a form of an animatic though.. oops#tldr? 1. &juliet very good just as itself 2. we have History 3. i got to see it live which always propels me into bonkers over musicals!#so so rough but i needed to get smth out and . whatever. an art blog is an art blog. back to hiatus now i think#<reminder to myself: this is essentially an artchive.. there's no quality control if you don't want it! have fun!! ily>
67 notes
·
View notes
Text
Season 1 Episode 8
(Yes the rewatch continues. I'm averaging 1h05 per episode as I keep rewinding and losing my mind.)
You know that scene where Crosshair is half conscious, being patched up after having gotten fried by the engine, and the stormtrooper reports that ground forces have the Batch on the run ? See the way Crosshairâs eyes shoot open ? The way he jumps on his feet despite being in atrocious pain and covered in bandages ? In this very moment, as he says "Get me on the shuttle", I want to believe that he is not meaning it as "I have to arrest them", but rather as "I need to get the fuck out of here with them".
Look at it : his chip just got destroyed, or at the very least heavily damaged, his own thoughts are now pouring and covering the Empire's humming, yelling at him what's happening and what happened and what he's done under its influence. He is suffering in his entire body, his strong points as a sniper have been completely neutralised (face = seeing ; right arm = stabilising ; left leg = anchoring) and by definition so has he. He is waking up from a nightmare and the very first thing he hears is that the people he's been associating with safety his entire life are leaving, without him, I mean- In this moment, his tone and demeanour are completely spontaneous, there is not an ounce of his usual control and carefulness : he is deep into survival mode, like one would, and the instinctive reaction is to find his brothers.
Hell you could even say that there is a moment of panic when he realises he is surrounded by enemies : as he is now slowly getting back to himself, seeing stormtroopers and clones (that since Order 66 are not considered allies anymore -not that they were that much before-) all around him, there is that split second of fight or flight kicking in and telling him he needs to get far away from enemy territory. He knows that he is in no condition to make a run for it and that those are his real enemies, you can tell by the way he pushes the troopers away before remembering who he is to them here and now, and decides to use it to his advantage in asking for transport to the Batchâs location.
So imagine that : you just got second and third degrees burns on your entire body, are powerless as a sharp shooter, are surrounded by hostiles, the voices in your head are fading away and are slowly being replaced by your own, screaming at you everything thatâs been happening while you were in mental jail, the weight of the realisation spreading in your limbs and drowning your heart, the guilt, the hurt, the not understanding⊠Where would the reptilian part of your brain want to take you upon the second you realise your life has collapsed ? If you answered "to the only place Iâve ever felt safe and loved", fear not for I did too.
So having to watch it leave without you, leave you behind even, would not only be soul crushing : it would make anyone dissociate.
As we all know, Crosshair is going to have A Lot of time between him and himself in the coming months ; the sewing back of his two fragmented minds (the echoes of the chip and the pleas of his heart) is going to be an incredibly challenging task and will leave many shards and splinters behind, ones that only the hardly won back love, patience and understanding of his family will help remove.
Rant over.
#star wars the bad batch#the bad batch#bad batch crosshair#analysis#maybe a bit far fetched but idoncare 'cause i want to belieeeve#the bad batch rewatch#tbb season 1#God I love that episode so much#and the âBreakaway planâ soundtrack is one of the best in the show - it must be said
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
I can't believe the girls are back. I always dreamed of them reuniting because the way they broke up was so unfair to them and out of their hands. None of them wanted it to happen and now look at them get their flowers! Everyone screaming their heads off, singing the lyrics to every song, going wild like it's a festival, not a concert. Celebs of all sorts showing up, music acts from different generations giving their messages of love and gratitude, etc. People of all genders in the audience (what girl group gets so many guys yelling/screaming girl anthem songs like this especially in Korea? You know 2NE1 and BB were the special groups where they had more of a gender balance amongst their base than any other group)??!?!?! The girls belting out everything live and just. HIT AFTER HIT AFTER HIT AFTER HIT. Their discography is amazing.
Most of all, I love seeing them together, having fun. I teared up watching how emotional they were, with Minji crying and Chaerin trying SO hard not to cry. Bommie just....so much happier than we've seen her in a long time and soaking up the love we have for her. Dara having her dreams come true because there's no bigger Blackjack in the world than her. Them jumping around the stage together.
There's never been a girl group like them before, and there's never been a girl group like them since. Irreplaceable and impossible to imitate. No one has the charisma, the charm, the everything.
#i'm so happy. i've been on cloud 9 since yesterday and i don't remember the last time i've felt like this#lol barring liverpool's league and CL titles and leo winning copa america and the world cup#i love them so much. they've been the soundtrack of my life#15 years of being a blackjack and 18 years of supporting them since they were trainees#god. that's just...that's a huge chunk of my life#and okay so sure MAMA shut down rumors about BB performing this year but a girl can hope#GD's making his first variety show appearance in years#youngbae made his comeback and he's touring#daesung made his comeback and he's finally appearing on variety shows (and on youtube channels too)#and they're coming out to support one another#OG YG RISE#i will die if BB and 2NE1 did stuff together again
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
god i love watching The Thing with people who havenât seen it or have watched it like once or twice and dont remember all the scenes. like im watching it rn with 2 friends, one of whom has never seen it and one has seen it before(who has also said itâs his fave horror movie RAAAAHHHHHH) and watching them react to the movie OOOHHHHH they both got startled at the norris-chest chomp and good god did it make me feel like an ape IDK WHY i Live for these reactions THEY FUCKING RULE!!!!!!! yeesss you got scared at a big moment like you should have been when it was Way quieter before and it was not obvious norris was a thing(then again we arenât really Supposed to know like how the guys in the film donât know) and holyyy moly BALLAAKRKAKLAYAWMSKBWAAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#feothing at the mouth#every time i watch the thing thereâs somw sort of neuron activation that reminds me of Why i love this movie so much#obvs i know why. i still think about it every day. i wear my Outpost 31 Huskies hoodie almost every day still. itâs everything to me. but-#-then watching the movie and i feel like i could skitter around and bounce off the walls and start clapping joyously and do backflips#DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ACORE. GOD. benefits of having friends who r also in music: we talk abt scores and soundtracks and songs#âdont even get me started on the scoreâ itâs the reason why my url is the way it is#anyway. i feel like a beast#radio transmissions
16 notes
·
View notes