#it's always a delight to see what you've come up with in my dash everyday

[gallusneve]

For one of the best Nevemancers I know @sekaithemystic

Neve Gallus ♡ Lace Harding

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Trickster: an Ethari theory

I've had yea many Ethari headcanons, and I hope I live to have yea many more. Most of them are probably wrong, or incomplete at best. But boy are they fun.

I love to wonder what Ethari will really be like in canon when we get to know him for more than 3 minutes, but whoever he really is on his own, he will have an effect on Runaan , Rayla, and everyone who loves him, because they love him.

The first headcanon I can remember having for "Tinker" was that he could be like Leonardo da Vinci: a genius, creative, surrounded by beautiful ideas given shape by his hands, but also capable of creating deadly weapons, enchantments, and devices with equal beauty, and perhaps not really seeing where the line between them was. It was fun, but Ethari has ended up far softer than my headcanon, and I love and support him in his softness!

After a nice string of Ethari headcanons, this year I've started poking at the Trickster archetype and seeing if it applies to him. And I think it absolutely does!

Tricksters often seem like Chaos. But they're not. They're just Difference. "Chaos" is subjective. Like the "divergent" in "neurodivergent." Who says? Divergent from what, exactly? Perspective matters, and Tricksters have a very broad take on things which allows them to think outside any box people might try to invite them into.

My enjoyment of Loki has brought all kinds of ideas to my dash with the arrival of the Loki show. I've got a copy of the Edda, and I highlighted the hell out of it a couple of years ago as I searched for the roots of Loki's origin story. (It's truly fascinating reading and the symbolic language hidden inside their poetry is dazzlingly amazing and I'm super using it sometime just so you know)

Loki is a Trickster, and he's far from alone in myth and legend. Anansi, Coyote, and Sun Wukong are some you may have heard of. Aaravos is another, of course. Tricksters can be called upon to lend aid and wisdom when the rules don't have an answer for some extraordinary circumstance which the Trickster's people find themselves in. But that's not because they are truly outside the rule of order. They are actually a part of it. They are the catch-all for when the everyday ordinary rules fail people, and something "unthinkable"--in the literal sense--might just hold the answer.

This post crossed my dash today, and something finally clicked in my head, and all of this coalesced from what felt like separate places. But they're not separate, not anymore! Serotonin, baby. It's basically upped my headcanon to a full-blown theory.

What caught my eye was an answer to why Ethari's clothing is so determinedly asymmetrical, compared to Runaan's specifically, but Moonshadows in general. It's because of this:

Long protective sleeves below patterns on shoulders. A high collar paired with a bright and noticeable swoop around the neck. Fine detailing and graceful taste. Asymmetrical tunic point on the left, below broad strappy leather. Knee high boots with stylish protective gaiters.

And let's not forget the curling horns! In some comics, Loki has a broken horn. So does Ethari.

Yes, there is a lot of similarity here, but I'm not focused so much on the visuals as the reason they were chosen. Feel free to consider other aspects of Ethari's personality and how they might be similar to certain parts of Loki's. I did! But I wouldn't be me if I didn't go deeper than that.

My favorite book in the universe (so far) is Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion, and one of the many reasons why is because of her pantheon. It holds five gods, represented by a hand: Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and Bastard. The first four all have their roles and places. The Bastard--the thumb--inherits everything else. He is the god of all things that do not belong to any other gods, and that includes self-sacrificing vengeance and queerness. He is a Trickster, and his influence on Cazaril's life is far deeper than at first glance. Chaos has its place. It belongs, and so do the Tricksters who engender it. God, I love this book. Please read it if you haven't. Bujold's work is amazing.

If you've seen or read any version of MDZS/Untamed, you know that Wei WuXian is a trickster. Competent and badass in battle, but playful and teasing to the point where sometimes even he isn't sure what he truly wants, he can bring a massive amount of power and focus when he wants to. It's always a matter of "but is it important to me?"

I love WWX so much. The Trickster vibe is very apparent in his character, and in a way you just don't get in Western media. We see him on his own, and we see him with family and loved ones. And he's always feeling something so intensely! He's driven by his emotions, for good or ill. He vibes with chaos, and he will create it if it doesn't exist yet. But he will also create family from nothing, and that's something you don't see enough of! WWX is a Trickster with an emotional preference for joy.

In TDP, Ethari doesn't have a lot of lore yet. It's being Moonshadowed because spoilers for future seasons, and I respect that. The longer the wait for S4, the more ideas I will just amuse myself with in the meantime--and yeah, this is one of them, so what? :))) But we do know a little about him.

He loves music. He loves to read. He leaves his mark on things in swirly form. He works very hard, even through headaches, because what he's doing is that important to him, even though he would much rather be making jewelry. He loves taking the time to polish rough stones into brilliant jewels, and he adores big pretty flowers and had them at his wedding.

Ethari has a temper, but he also loves puns. The weapons he crafts are exquisite: "light, elegant, strong, and clever." And he knew darn well that Runaan was trying to flirt with him, but why return a sentiment he may or may not feel yet when he can play with the overly earnest assassin just a little bit first?

Okay, just... A "simple craftsman" deciding that it's going to be fun to toy for a bit with a broody assassin's feelings? Would you risk that? Ethari got balls the size of the moon, and a brain to match. When he has to make weaponry, he does not half-ass it. Ethari's stabby creations nearly have a life of their own. His creations are literally called "trick weapons." This elf is a lot, okay. And it's possible that he doesn't even know how "a lot" he is. Yet.

We're meeting Ethari after he's found something that is, in fact, genuinely important to him: Runaan, and Rayla, and Laindrin too. Ethari has found a relatively stable place to settle and find a role to adopt. I say adopt, though, because making weaponry for his loved ones is not what he grew up wanting to do. It's what he had to do to keep them safe, once he found a place to bestow his heart.

But in the show, Ethari has lost his family, one by one. First Lain and Tiadrin, ghosted. Then Runaan, supposedly fallen on his mission. Then Rayla, ghosted for abandoning Runaan. He and Rayla have reconnected now, but the rest of his family is still out of his reach. If Rayla has indeed told him, by S4, what she learned at the Moonhenge in TTM, then Ethari may parallel Rayla's journey to seek answers. But even if he doesn't know yet, and gets pulled into some other story arc first, we will be seeing Ethari without his family.

Remember the ATLA episode "Zuko Alone"? Consider: "Ethari Alone."

Ethari has chosen, for love, to fit himself into a box that wasn't of his own making. And now that box has broken. His family doesn't need him to be their craftsman anymore. Perhaps others will need him to be other things to them. Or perhaps he will know that his family does need him, but to be far more than just a maker of pretty swords. A rescuer, perhaps. A healer, a guide? An avenger?

A trickster. Capable of taking many shapes, because he understands them all. Ethari works with form and function. If he needs to transform himself, he will.

That's what Tricksters do. It's delightfully queer and delightfully neurodivergent. Ancient peoples accepted and revered the different among them and actively sought their help with things they themselves struggled with.

Tricksters are Difference. Sometimes that manifests as chaos, sometimes as genius. But if you do not love and appreciate your chaos, it will absolutely turn on you. Wei Wuxian did. Loki certainly has, many times. Perhaps Aaravos is doing so as well.

I cannot wait to see what Ethari does with his difference. I have something very specific that I hope he goes and breaks.

All this from a picture of Tom Hiddleston in his Avengers 1 Loki costume? Yeah. Because Ethari was designed to wear asymmetrical clothing, in a Moonshadow culture that prides itself on balance. Sure, there are some other Moonshadows who wear this or that asymmetrical item, and I do love to see it. But Ethari has the most asymmetrical lines of them all. The meta glee I feel knowing that Moonshadow elves are designed to hold many layers of meaning in their appearances--that the writers, creators, and character designers just flexed with them--is truly a delight.

Ethari is asymmetrical. The full and practical application of that is a glass casket, and I hope it becomes a gift that keeps on giving, because boy do I want to keep receiving it. But right now, I'm genuinely seeing evidence of the Trickster archetype in him. And I really hope it gets to come out and play.

[kyunsies]

Mädch, I have been inconsolably lost and low energy for WEEKS and I am increasingly sorry for not stopping by with every passing day! Especially because I am still posting on my tumblr and interacting with posts, but just not stopping by to say hi!!

I have things to tell you about what we've discussed in the past, but I have not thought about any of it very much.. so instead I'm just here to say happy new year!! You've made the second half of my 2021 so absolutely delightful and I really do love seeing you on my dash (and occasionally in my notes💕). You have such a bright and wonderful energy and I adore how you love so freely and sincerely. I'm soooo glad we've found each other! I want to give special thanks to you (and Su!) for running mx info and working so hard to keep mbb tumblr up to date.

I hope 2022 brings you satisfaction and fulfillment with your schooling and your career, and I hope you can be happy and confident with what you do.

I love you lots!!! 💖💖 dkbtho

good morning love !!!!! i hope you’re starting the new years well 🥺 i’m so sorry you have been feeling this way lately :( but pls don’t worry about these things !! there is no daily requirement to stop by bub 😭 you are always welcome here no matter what or how often you wanna come, i’m always here 💕💞💖💗💓💘

anyways hun yes happy new years to you too <3 i’m super happy we found each other (your sister as well) and that we get to share experiences with each other !!! 🥺 thank you for giving this blog a chance and liking it so much too hun :( i hope we can continue to support and lift each other up this year as well <3 and also NDNND thank you for supporting mxinfo as well 💖 su and i literally bust our butt everyday to put it all together and sometimes we’re drowning but we make it work so it really truly means a lot that you’re saying all of these sweet words :(

you’re such a kind friend and it’s been lovely getting to know each other more <3 !!! love you to the moon and back and as i said before i hope today treats you well angel 💓💘💖💕💞💗💓💘💖💕💞💗

[yukikorogashi]

As 2021 comes to an end, I'd like to say that first & foremost, I have & will always be grateful for you being in my life. Becky, you've been nothing but a delight & a wonderful friend to not only get to know, but to nurture a friendship with. You've been such a great presence both on dash & in my life. I cannot explain to you how wonderful it's been to see you grow both in your art & your graphics, watching as you become more confident within yourself & your work. I love the way you push forward with passion & drive. You've become one of my great friends & I hope you know that I will support you until the day I ascend the astral plane. Honestly, you've done so much for me & I can only hope that I've done the same for you. I want you to know that I honestly think you're one of the most amazing, creative & determined people I've ever met. I know that times are hard for you, but I can only hope that as 2021 comes to an end, those times begin. You have worked so hard in life & deserve the break that all people find as times roll forward. You have such a brightness in you - a light that will never go out. It may dim as you grow tired, but I know you will shine just as bright as a star when the time comes ! I am so very proud of you, Becky. I know I say this a lot, but I do mean it from the bottom of my heart. I am wishing you all the best as 2022 comes around. Please, continue to write, draw & create all the content that makes you happy. I can tell that your heart is in everything you do & your work shows how happy you are with it. Know that your struggles pay off & your efforts are appreciated. I appreciate you being here in this galaxy so much & as well as being my friend. I can never thank the universe for allowing us to meet and be friends ! Our writing together has been so fun & something I would never pass up. Here's to another year of friendship - to 2022 & the success we both know you very much deserve ! ♥♥

We aaaare steppin; oooouuut!                             Into 2022, into 2022 🎵!

   SHAKES YOU BY YOUR SHOULDERS because I am honestly speechless with how poignantly this entire thing is worded... But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised by this point, knowing you, Ash aeuhawueh. But, good lord, what can I possibly say other than thank you? Thank you. THANK YOU. Thank you for being in my life. Thank you for being my friend, if not one fo my dearest ones by this point. Thank you for al that you do. And for just being nothing but one of the most exemplary human beings that this world has ever seen. And I thank you, for how much you have tolerated me, while somehow still seeing so much good in me. 

   I truly don’t know what I did to deserve it, but I want you to know how grateful I truly am. And still hope to repay all of that, in coming times. But haha look at us... saying that we have done so much for one another, when we are still finding ways to repay one another. You especially, have done so much for me, Ash, I can’t say that enough. Be it readily commissioning me (While ofc also promoting me in almost every way that you can) for things to aid me financially (I know I was only able to afford most of my christmas gifts for my family this year because of you), to just sitting there with me as I share the going ons that attempt to crush my spirits each and everyday... you have done so, so, so much for me as a friend, and I hope that I can do the same for you, or at least return the favour in whatever way that I can on my end.

   You yourself are a shining star, no matter what. For despite the hurt, sadness and exasperation that you understandably feel from the world around you, you still shine. For no matter how low they try to drag you down, you are still shining brightly no matter where you are. And I think that’s so damn incredible, as I bear witness to your strength each and every single day.

   There’s no denying by this point that there is still so much work to be done, so much up ahead that we will have to overcome. But you know what? It will be fine, especially with you and my other pals there alongside with me. And the fact that I KNOW we will be ascending, progressing, no matter what. But truly, things will improve. Things will look up. No matter how long it might take. And someday we will get to where we want to be. And I know I once again owe you and the others, when it comes to making it up those steps. Girl, please don’t you ever stop in your craft. You are truly one of the most talented writers that I know (Lord knows I have learnt so much from you, if not relearnt, when considering how often this shitty brain of mine resets itself LOL), and your drawings are so underrated and deserves so much love too. I know that you are going to become a successful writer one of these days, I JUST KNOW IT. So please keep going onward, girl, we believe so so much in you. 

   Here’s to another year together, my friend. I look forward to us RPing more, chatting more and just... everything tbh. Honestly I wish we could meet in person one day, when the world is a little less insane and when we are both in better places. Because you really need to come by Singapore one day, okay? ❤️ Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year in advance hehe.

@hamadaxfighter ❤️