#scene: elfhelm

[bthump]

I'm sorry about the confusion. By chapter 364 book 42, I mean this. griffith met guts again . he tears come out. want you to analyze whether he still has feelings for guts?

Ohhhh, yeah that makes sense, thanks for clarifying!

I definitely think those tears were a sign of his feelings for Guts not being totally erased, and NGriff in denial about it, rather than the Moonlight Boy's residual feelings. He describes it as a nostalgic feeling, which makes sense as a reminder of his human life. Moonlight Boy has no reason to feel nostalgic.

And I think there are a lot of reasons to assume that NeoGriffith still has feelings towards Guts, and I have a few posts about that if you're interested in a broader answer that incorporates more of NGriff's narrative.

Here's a post on why I'm sure Griffith still has feelings for Guts

Here's a post about how the narrative essentially revolves around Griffith's feelings for Guts

Griffith and loneliness

More on griffguts and loneliness

Here are two posts about the scene between Griffith and Rickert and how it reflects on Griffith's emotional state.

My theory on how those feelings will come into play at the climax of the story

Long story short, I think Berserk makes no sense thematically and as a coherently structured narrative if NeoGriffith doesn't still have feelings for Guts.

Thanks for the ask!

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

What do we know, or can infer from the text, about the involvement of Háma, Elfhelm, or maybe even Erkenbrand from afar in the West, in the resistance to Gríma's influence at the court?

I think this requires a lot more “inferring” than “knowing,” but there is some info to go on that lets me draw 3 big conclusions, which are below along with some textual evidence for each. Most of it is about Háma because he’s the most prominent of these 3 in the story, but I’ve got something for everyone!

They understood that Gríma was a piece of shit, and they didn’t like the influence he had over Théoden. It says that (in nicer words) in an appendix of UT, where Tolkien notes that Gríma’s practice of issuing orders in Théoden’s name to Háma and Elfhelm “was resented.” We also see several instances in TT where Háma’s poor opinion of Gríma seems evident. He has Gríma hauled out of Meduseld “cringing between two other men” at nearly his first chance after Théoden’s healing, and he minces no words in telling Théoden that Gríma has been a thief and a sneak. It gives me a big sense of “FINALLY, I get to speak the truth about this guy and see him get what he deserves.” He also subtly disparages Gríma on the way to Helm’s Deep when another soldier tells him that Gríma would have an explanation for Gandalf’s seemingly odd behavior, and Háma responds by essentially saying, “True, but I don’t care what Gríma thinks. I trust Gandalf.”

Despite the fact that they didn’t like Gríma and viewed his influence as highly suspect, as long as Gríma operated through the authority of the king himself then no one felt empowered to directly defy him. That same quote in UT about Háma and Elfhelm resenting receiving Théoden’s orders through Gríma also says that the orders “were obeyed, within Edoras.” And this does make sense. Théoden wasn’t absent from the scene — he gave authority to Gríma, and that makes Gríma’s authority an extension of Théoden’s own. Directly defying an order from your king is a Big Deal. No one wants to do it, both from inherent loyalty to Théoden and because, obviously, it’s super risky. In TT, Háma gets demoted for walking too close to that line, and Éomer describes breaking a king’s order as something that might cost him his life (and he does, in fact, get jailed after doing it). So that’s an absolute last resort.

The fact that they wouldn’t directly contravene the word of Théoden/Gríma doesn’t mean that they did nothing. Instead, they worked AROUND Gríma when possible, undertaking things on their own initiative that were contrary to his intentions but that they could argue hadn’t been expressly forbidden. Examples of that include:

—Per UT: In light of the harrowing situation in Edoras, Théodred “assumed without orders” the general command of the defense of Rohan and, in this role, issued orders to Elfhelm to bring men to the Fords and resist the invasion of Isengard. Not only is Théodred acting without orders here, but so is Elfhelm because Théodred is not his boss. Elfhelm’s men are the KING’S OWN MEN, attached to the role of First Marshal, and Théodred, as Second Marshal, has no inherent right to command them. But Elfhelm CHOOSES to follow the order because he knows that it’s a good one and that a defense of the western border is needed even if Théoden and Gríma have taken no steps to accomplish it.

—Also on the I’m Taking Control Because It Needs To Be Done train is Erkenbrand, who UT notes took over military command in the West after Théodred’s death, “again without orders from Edoras,” so that Théoden and Gríma’s lack of action didn’t lead to even further disaster for Rohan.

—Most famously, we see Háma’s parsing of words around the directive not to permit weapons into Meduseld. He clearly acknowledges the alleged danger posed by Gandalf’s staff and so he clearly knows that he SHOULD deny Gandalf entry as long as he has the staff with him. But he also clearly wants to let him in with it and knows that Gandalf will only use the staff for good purposes, and so he decides to rely on the idea of the staff as a “prop for age” to muddy the waters enough that he can make his own judgment to let it in — the legendary “in doubt a man of worth will trust to his own wisdom” moment. He also chooses to rearm Éomer even though no one has ordered him to do that. It surprises Théoden (“how comes this?”), but Háma did it because he knows Éomer will further help get them out this bad situation.

So those are my big conclusions, with a bit of my sourcing for where/how I reached them. These guys were all in a really difficult situation, with a king who was clearly off the rails and a counselor who they knew to be corruptive but they couldn’t PROVE that. So if they couldn’t get rid of Gríma, the choices were to go full Treason Mode and defy Théoden’s direct orders or instead resist in more subtle ways by stretching roles and definitions and practices to fit what they knew needed to be done but without blatant insubordination. And so that’s what they did.

How does that sound to you? Plausible? Are there things anyone thinks that I missed? I’m always happy to hear the views of others! And thanks for the question and the opportunity to think more about 3 very cool dudes!

[epilogue-and-prologue]

Happiness - Part 2

Fandom: LOTR

Ship: Eomer x F!Reader

Trope: Arranged marriage

Note: Reader is Elfhelm's daughter and I invented a lot for what I didn't know so probably A LOT of mistakes.

Fun facts: I only wrote this extended fic for this one sex scene during their wedding night. This gif is my favourite thing to look at right now. It's late and I'm tired so.

Word counts: 4 090

Warnings: Dealing with grief, loved one's deaths, depression, SMUT at some point, poverty, war's aftermath, diplomatic relations, pregnancy, blood, miscarriage

Tags: @heilith @asgardianhobbit98 @middleearthpixie @glassgulls @evenstaredits @fizzyxcustard @sotwk

During the long weeks leading to the wedding, your days were either spent with your mother or Gera, taking over in your mother’s absence.

Indeed, thanks to your father’s insistence, she had been appointed as the wedding organizer. Or something akin to it. She was fussing and busying herself like she had never before, not even for Moira’s wedding. Your mother was a force of nature, but she could be a lot and having Gera was a good contrast to your mother’s buzzing energy.

First, the chiefmaid had kept you company or helped you find your way around the place. Quickly, she became a big part of your days. You visited orphanages with her and brought food to those in need in Sofia’s company. Over these shared times, she became a godmother of sorts - and her daughter a friend - always present when you needed them, and you always there when they needed you.

“Milady, I do believe it is most improper for you to work with the cooks in the kitchen.”

It had taken you almost three whole days of imploring her before you had managed to make Gera yield.

Gera did not believe in such a fantasy as fun. It was working or resting, no in-between. With that statement in mind, she had still followed you to the kitchen while you were asking questions to the bewildered pastry chefs meeting the future queen in such an unofficial manner.

When she asked for what purpose you wanted to cook, the word “fun” came out of your mouth. “To forget” would have been a more accurate description. Eomer’s attitude towards you had become erratic and even avoidant. You could not know why as he would not give you straight answers, always mentionning something he needed to take care of. The gestures of affection he had towards you were limited to him occasionally kissing your forehead and offering you his arm while walking. You had not had a good walk in days, the weather going grim with your mood.

The plates you were cooking always ended up given to people in need.

After that first expedition, it had become a habit of yours to go down to the kitchen to help, a few hours here and there when you could.

But, for every effort you made, Eomer seemed to have forgotten about you. Your actions were out of boredom, but if it could benefit the poorer all the better. He was always busying himself with new economic plans or diplomatic correspondence. He would not tell you about any of those things either and you figured it would take his mind off of things to talk about more mundane things. Like cooking. Suffice to say, it did not work.

So, when he stepped into the kitchen one day, leaving Gera to usher the poor cooks away, you were surprised, to say the least.

“Milady, you do know it is most improper for a future queen to wander around without an escort.

It had to be a trick of the mind though, Eomer did not feel that way and he had made that clear, spending all of his time away from you. Telling you about her. Amongst the fleeting moments of affection you had shared, he had talked to you about Enora. About the woman she was. It felt as a much needed talk for him. For you, it left you questioning everything. Even his commitment to you. Especially his commitment. It was clear that he wanted to keep you out. What for, that was a question you did not have the answer to, as many others when it came to him.

I had Gera until you arrived, my lord.”

He called your name in a soft commanding tone. You could feel the embrace you were missing in his words.

“I am sorry, that you find no suitable distractions in the castle. Nevertheless, you can not come in here. It is not your place. Nor mine as it turns out.”

You sighed. This day was bound to happen. It was improper, and that was that. People would talk. Even he had to uphold his status. He had to, even if he did not want to. Just like you soon enough.

“I know. I am aware of that. I just… Needed space. From the wedding’s preparation, from my mother - I love her but she’s hovering a lot these days, maybe… maybe even from myself. I cannot hear myself think these days.”

You could have sworn his cheeks took a hint of pink as you looked at him from under your lashes. Unbeknown to you, he had grown quite fond of hearing what you were doing and who you were doing it for, your good deeds to his people never going unheard. The cakes going to orphaned children in need, bread to the beggars in the streets, when you were not willingly spending time with the servants, giving a hand where you could. He admired your dedication and kindness a little more every day, despite himself, and his lost lover’s shadow.

-Yet, you do not share that with me. We have not talked much or been in the same room for longer than a few moments since the engagement has been announced. Were you trying to avoid me?”

“I know. I feel the same way.

Over the weeks, your presence had been missing. The little things he would have loved to be doing with you. Your hand on his arm at the engagement party imprinted in his mind. He missed you. All of you. Eomer had thought himself more of a practical person, reasonable, and smart. In this case, he had thrown everything out of the window. Where his first fiancée enhanced his duties, you made up new ones. You were so different, her and you. You could not compare to her and she could not compare to you. She was gone and you were alive. So alive, he yearned for you in a way he had forgotten. You made him feel again.

His head bowed, his eyes cast down. Words were escaping him. He had thought long and hard about this relationship.

“Yes. I was trying to avoid you.”

Your anger was only growing within you. You were frustrated by his actions but could not blame him for them. When it came to Eomer, you had become blind. As soon as you had recognized it for what it was, it felt easier to smile when thinking of him even if he was not thinking of you. No matter what he would do, you knew you would forgive, for you would love him. From that first day until the last.

His voice was lower now, as one of a child being chastised.

“I was afraid.”

His steps brought him next to you, only a meter or two from where you were. Just as he lowered his voice, you softened yours.

“How could you be afraid? I am just a woman.”

His hand took yours and you released a sigh you did not know you were holding. In the back of your mind, you willed your memory to keep those moments tucked away safely. You were sure they would not happen again.

“A woman in grief. A woman I chose. A woman I can not seem to care for as she needs.”

He closed in on you, a mere breath away now, his palm a gentle reminder of his presence on the side of your face, your eyes closed for your own sake. You could not drown in him. You would not. Not when it meant heartbreak.

“Sometimes, I try not to seek you out.”

You could not look at him, but from under your lids, you could feel his breath fanning over your cheek, his head bowed to you in silent prayer. The question burned your lips.

“Why not?”

His hands were now cradling your face, your eyes forced to look at him. His brows furrowed, lips parted in quiet stillness, the way he looked at you, mercy and hurt in the eye, made your heart clench in despair.

“I am guilty of selfishness. When I am with you, I forget. I forget what she looked like and who she was. When I am with you, the ghost of her disappears and I don’t know if…”

His lips parted, as if to say something again, were an invitation you could not refuse. Pushing a little you grabbed him by his collar and kissed him with everything you had. His hands found your waist, making you pull away brutally.

-What for?

“I am sorry, my lord, I…

-The… Just now. And… I did not wish to make you forget. You loved her. Why would I wish to erase her from your memories? She’s a part of you. But, I am selfish too, and…”

You took a deep breath. The feelings you had wanted to snuff out were too strong now. They had to be faced and felt.

-I promise.”

“If you are feeling the way you tell me you are, then I need to know you will be there fully when you’re with me. I… Eomer, I cannot compete with a ghost.

There had been no hesitation in his voice.

He grabbed your face in his hands, and kissed you again, slowly, with eternity in his mind.

The day of the wedding was the worst. You could not see each other all day, it had you both on edge. You were nervous beyond what you could handle, your mother feeding you sweets and Gera swiftly pushing the maids out of your room. You were sure you would suffocate.

Every day it was something new. One day it was a brush of his lips below your ear. The other, his fingers linking with yours discreetly. Another one, he pulled you into an alcove, kissing you senseless, breathless, leaving marks on the exposed skin of your neck.

Once you walked down the aisle, your father’s arm securing and anchoring you, your nerves disappeared. Your father’s teary eyes as he handed you over, almost made you cry, but Eomer’s fond looks shook you to your core. Only then did you notice that the sword he had at his side kept his hand from shaking. A genuine smile on your lips, you had covered his hands with your own, wishing to settle him. The emotion in the man had been threatening to overwhelm him. He had hold onto you for comfort as you wished he would.

The ceremony and the festivities had gone by so fast, it had felt like the blink of an eye. Your parents were dancing and seemed happier than you had seen them in a very long time. They were smiling and laughing, bickering so much, you felt happy for them too. Eomer’s hand surprised you, sneaking under the table and linking his fingers with yours. He leaned down and kissed your cheek, before kissing your lips, your hand cradling his face the cold metal of your wedding band only making it harder to stop. You were his. To love and to hold, forever. How could he have been so lucky, he would never know. But he was willing and wanted to make you understand that. Your doubts and need for reassurance, although not voiced, were clear to him, in the soft moments you shared, a hint of anxiety always taking you over. He never wanted you to doubt his love and attachment for you.

Quickly enough, the night came to an end and the moment to go back to your chambers arrived. The thought of him sharing a bed with you brought a new kind of warmth to your body. The past few days your imagination had been running wild. Not that you would own up to it in front of him. Ever.

Upon entering the room, the door closing behind you, you stepped back until you were met with the wooden surface. It was your salvation when Eomer showed himself, barefoot and naked from the waist up. You wondered if your legs were not going to give out.

In the semi-darkness, silence overcoming everything, he feared you might have swallowed your tongue. In truth, you thought you had, your breathing becoming laboured and uneven.

He called your name, as you were staring, eyes blown while looking at his chest and the expanse of his shoulders, the grave notes in his voice only eliciting more heat to bloom in your abdomen. You bit your lips, not hearing him until he grabbed your shoulders.

“Hm?”

He chuckled, his knuckles caressing the side of your jaw, goosebumps left in his path. Your hands were clasped behind your back, not knowing what to do nor how to do it. Unease took hold of you where there had been only anticipation before. Eomer noticed. He stepped back, looking at you with hunger. He swallowed discreetly. You looked magnificent. His own chest was raising and falling rapidly, the adrenaline in his veins thining his patience to a thread. It made you feel desired and loved more than you could fathom.

“My love, what is the matter?”

“I-… I’ve never been with…a man before…”

You sighed, the endearment on his lips only making it harder to speak.

Fearing you might take offence if he said he knew - even though he did know -, Eomer kissed your temple trying to soothe you. His smile mirrored your own, as his hand slid behind your back, bringing you closer to him. His eyes kept looking into your own.

“I will show you if you wish.”

His lips a mere whisper away from your own, you only nodded. The span of his hands covered your hips as he kissed you. You could feel the laces of your dress coming undone thanks to his handy work, tender kisses caressing the length of your throat, and Eomer holding you against him in a gentle grip. Once the pool of cloth at your feet, your light under-dress was the only barrier between him and you. His kisses were growing heavier with every passing minute, the gentle hold he had turning into him trying to melt his body with yours. Without a word he hoisted you up in his arms, carrying you towards the bed. As he laid you down, your eyes went to the shadows of the fire on the wall before coming back to Eomer, his hair undone, tickling your bare shoulder in the dark. The space above his collarbone, the bridge of his nose, his fingers against your throat, everything illuminated by the feverish light.

Before he looked, his lips against your own he quietly asked “Is this alright…wife?”

Before you could dwell on it, he claimed your mouth for his own, his chest to yours. Your fingers found themselves in his hair, earning a grunt from him, making your core clench and your hand stop. He smirked at that as if he knew what had happened. His palm pulled up your last garment until the birth of your hips, almost revealing yourself to him.

A “Yes” escaped your tongue before you could keep it against the roof of your mouth. After all why would you?

The sweet nothing in his mouth made you whimper out of nowhere.

He helped you out of your dress, leaving the soft caress of his palms up and down your chest, the planes of his hands down your stomach and your back, open-mouthed kisses on your breasts leaving you arching into him, struggling to breathe and how he could be everywhere all at once you would never know, but you would not have stopped it for the world. His mouth trailed down your stomach, always looking at you, always making sure you were alright, just the right amount of overwhelming from him. When he reached the apex of your thighs, you noticed his bare ass in the flickering light of the fire. You swore under your breath. It only made him laugh against you.

“See something you like, princess?”

An idea came to you.

-Hmm?”

“Queen.

You propped yourself onto your elbows, looking him dead in the eye.

-Indeed… then I should treat you as such, should I not?”

“I am not a princess.

His mischievous eyes were new to you. You did not mind them one bit.

You moaned loudly when his tongue flattened against your clitoris. His eyes narrowed and he kept on going, a thirsty man finding a source to drink from. Your body arched of its own accord, full cries escaping you. Something deep in your belly was threatening to snap when he stopped. Concern was etched on his face, his lips gleaming in the dim light as he reached for your face. You shivered at the sight.

“I am alright, husband.”

You nestled your face in his palm, kissing the calloused fingers one by one.

“What about you?”

His body settled next to yours, and you could feel him against your thigh as you turned. Your mouth ran dry at the thought of him inside you.

“I am content.”

He pushed a hair out of your face, feeling the heat of your breath against his nose. What a sight you were. Pupils blown, lips swollen by his ministrations, your skin reacting to the harsh touch of his beard, a path down your body he started following with his fingers down and down again between your thighs. As he met your core, you held onto his shoulder, whimpering again, biting your lip in a silent plea for pleasure. Despite it all, you managed to utter a question.

“Only content?”

His head in the crook of your neck, you felt him stop, now looking straight at you with an adoration you were sure you could not grow tired of. You felt his fingers as he entered you. One, then the other. The soft burn of the stretch kept you from saying anything, your nails digging into his back, his hair now hovering above you, kisses raining on you. He did not answer you, only moving his fingers back and forth until you could not feel the burn of them anymore. He had you rocking your hips onto his hand, filthy sounds surrounding you, the thought of ever leaving this room having left you entirely, drunk on him and only him. Only then did he answer.

“I could not be happier than in your arms.”

“Tonight is not about me. But if you ask…” half a smile crossed his features, as you were marvelling at him, sweating and hungry for more. You never thought anyone could look at you with such reverence in their eyes.

Your heart clenched. Your hips stilled between his hands before he pulled your legs apart.

“If any of this hurts you, please tell me.”

As he pulled himself out, you could feel it down your thighs. It made you hungry for more, somehow. The emptiness he had left behind was soon replaced by the warmth of the sheets on you, his arm sneaking around your waist. He pulled you to him, your head resting on his chest, eyes weary and tired. He did not say a word, the pad of his thumb tracing the column of your spine in lazy strokes and you could hear his heart under you ever so erratic becoming soft and in rhythm with yours. Never could you have imagined this to happen to you. It was nothing short of a miracle, that he found you and you him. You let yourself bask in it for a little while, the shadows of the room luring you into a daydream you longed for deep in your soul.

He laid himself on top of you, his weight never suffocating you, his eyes ever so inquisitive. You nodded slowly, fingers weaving in his hair making him close his eyelids under your care. He placed himself between your legs, your folds welcoming him in a warm embrace. As he pushed into you, a tear escaped you, a dull pain at the pit of your stomach appearing. It stopped with the movement of his hips against yours, ever so gentle, his irises never leaving your face, forehead against yours, before leaving blazed kisses on your skin. Something feral woke up deep inside you, your hand clawing at his back, enticing him to keep going. His groans and moans were echoing in your chest, when he bit down on your shoulder with a swift bite, drawing blood to the surface. The heel of his hand was gripping tightly your ass, moving your legs until they were locked at the ankle behind his back. You felt a renewal of pleasure as he moved your legs higher, visibly impossible for him to stop. His hips were sure to leave bruises on your own. Soon after, you met your end, in a blinding white light, clenching around him. Then he could not stop himself from rutting into you, leaving his seed deep inside you.

“Do you want a boy or a girl?”

The question was asked as if in pleading, praying the bubble you were in would not burst with its utterance. Eomer merely smiled, reassuring you. He grabbed your fingers, kissing your knuckles one after the other in a tender gesture.

“Both.”

His cheeky grin made you smile despite yourself. Your eyebrows rose of their own accord, not able to hide your surprise. Amused by his newly found confidence, you laughed and kissed him deeply, weaving your hand with his. When you tried to pull back, his teeth grazed your bottom lip, and a shiver ran down your spine, eyes wide open. The warmth you felt before, came again. You pulled yourself up and as you were laying on top of him, kissed him as deeply as you could. He did not stop you, his hands on your hips again, where you could feel the friction leaving him hard again. The power you had over him was so obvious. It would have been a crime not to use it to your advantage.

On instinct, a hand to the headboard to support yourself, you dragged your core up the length of him never looking away from his eyes. This new side of you was a pleasant surprise he was delighted to discover. A grunt and an insult passed his lips as the movement dragged down, before starting again, and again, and again. Seeing him willingly relent his control into your hands did things to you, you never thought yourself capable of. Abruptly, his grip on your hips tightened in a desperate gesture to stop your actions.

-…inside me.”

“As much as this is pleasant, I’d rather be…

It had rolled off your tongue so easily. Sultry tone and all. Eomer wondered how he would cope if you were to disappear from his life, taking all you were away from him. The answer never came as he snapped back to you, guiding you down on him. A soft whimper escaped your lips, your back arching into his skillful hands, while he kept on guiding you, the movement of your hips made him jerk upwards deeper into you. Making you cry out in pleasure was his new favourite thing to do, he believed it to his very core. The little sighs, your heaving chest, your hands clasped on his, right on the dips at your hips, the full-out cries, the whimpers, the way you felt as you desperately chased your climax, everything turned him on more and more with each passing minute. The worst part was the way you looked at him, with only desire dilating your pupils, adoration in your every movement when he pulled you down for a sloppy, messy, heated kiss. Forehead against his, your hips moving on instinct, the hot breaths shared between you, all of it turning feverish upon reaching the high you were seeking, before it all snapped, a heat leaking into you as he pushed deeper than before.

You stayed there, relieved, shivering in pleasure. He was still, inside of you, not willing to let you go just yet.

“Sleep now. We have all the time in the world, wife.”

You did not even bother to meet his eyes, as yours were already closing.

“No. I want to be pregnant. Now.”

Eomer laughed and it shook your whole body. Barely registering his kiss on your temple, you fell asleep as he had asked you to, in his arms, protected and content.

Next and last part

[rauhallinen-hauki]

(this isnt to shit on Miura. his work has endlessly inspired and meant a lot to me, but that doesn't mean that it is exempt from constructive criticism)

i love Casca but damn it if she isn't the most misused character ever. I can understand what happened to her in the Eclipse from a narrative standpoint (Miura really didn't need to draw that scene in titillating angles though. It was fucking disgusting already). I can understand Casca loosing her memories. And as much as I despise it I can even understand her going into a zombie child-like state.

But what I can't understand is her being in this state…for what is essentially almost the entirety of the main story (20+ real life years) and GET 0 CHARACTER DEVELOPEMENT IN BETWEEN.

Don't get me wrong, arguably the best scene in the story is when she finally "wakes up" in Elfhelm. But they couldn't even give her a single thought, a short internal dialogue of the conscious part of her brain in between all this time? Nothing for who is essentially the tritagonist and supposedly the main heroine of this story, to who is at her core a really interesting and beautiful character with tons of wasted potential?

[torchwood-99]

Theoden and Eowyn's Relationship

There seems to me a shift in the way that Theoden treats Eowyn in Two Towers, to how he treats her in Return of the King.

In Two Towers, the first thing he says to her on awakening is an order for her to leave the room. The danger is passed, he is healed, she can go now.

Theoden hears of how Grima, the man he trusted, stalked Eowyn and obviously had malicious plans for her. Whereas Eomer is rightly incensed by that, we get little reaction from Theoden that his adoptive daughter had been harassed by the man he welcomed into his halls and allowed great authority to.

We then see Eowyn serving Theoden, waiting on him, while her brother and Theoden's guests get to sit with him.

Then, (an oh god does this piss me off) we get Theoden pretty much forgetting she exists when the people tell him they want the House of Eorl to rule them, even when he and Eomer are gone. The scene where Theoden heeds the people's wishes and puts Eowyn in charge, even giving her a corselet and a sword, could have been moving and a moment of pride for Eowyn, but it comes on the back of that total dismissal of her as a member of their house. Their parting is perfunctory, with Theoden giving Eowyn orders and then riding off, leaving her behind to guard an empty hall.

In turn, when Eowyn is dismissed from the hall, she looks at Theoden with "cool pity." She isn't rejoicing to see him recovered, she isn't warm and tender, she is removed, even contemptuous. Then, when she bids Theoden farewell, she says all the right stuff about how hard the parting is, but her focus is clearly elsewhere. It is with Aragorn, (the man who is everything she thinks a king should be.)

Reading Two Towers, any great love between Theoden and Eowyn would be a case of telling instead of showing. There's little warmth, interest or respect between them. The greatest hint of there being anything personal between the two is when Theoden has to insist Eowyn leave, as that suggests Eowyn was reluctant to leave his side.

In Return of the King, the dynamic shifts considerable. It is far warmer and much more tender and personal. When Theoden returns to Dunharrow, he asks after Eowyn, checking on how her work is going, but also asking how she is, probably seeing that has been weeping as Merry had noticed.

In Dunharrow, Eowyn is at last allowed to sit with her uncle while he dines with her brother, instead of waiting on him. During this dinner, Theoden notices Eowyn seems in need of comfort, and tries to offer it to her. Furthermore, just as he started calling Eomer "son", he now calls Eowyn "daughter".

Their parting is described as having been very painful, and Theoden later notes that Eowyn didn't want him gone from her side. While he dies with some peace, feeling like he has regained his honour and accomplished worthy feats, he mentions how Eowyn didn't want him to go and now he will never see her again, the closest thing to regret we hear in his dying speech. He calls her dearer-than-daughter, and uses his last breath to bid her farewell.

Eowyn, in turn, breaks away from Elfhelm's eored so she can ride close to the king, is noted several times to have Theoden as a father, and of course, is willing to endure a terrible death to allow Theoden to die in peace.

Now, the shift in their dynamic can be attributed to Tolkien needing to make Eowyn's attempted sacrifice and Theoden's following death more moving, but I also think there are in-universe reasons for the shift in dynamic as well.

First, in Two Towers, Theoden is still coming out from his own traumatic experience. A traumatic experience that probably left him feeling ashamed, as during that time he fit into his people's conception of neither a man nor a king, and his country suffered for it. Eowyn was with him that whole time, she saw his fall into dotage, and as the narrative noted that Eowyn "pitied" him for it, and saw in him the fall of their house, Theoden likewise felt the same, and also either saw or at least suspected Eowyn's own feelings. She is a symbol of his hurt pride.

Eowyn's presence at his side was a reminder of his time spent being nursed by her, a time of suffering and degradation, which Theoden would rather not be reminded of. and now he's coming out from that, there's a distance between them. That their relationship has been one of nursemaid and patient, only to be drastically altered, also makes it reasonable for there now to be a gap between them, now that Theoden has taken up a role of authority and power once more, and Eowyn, his living crutch, is no longer needed.

At the same time, Theoden has gotten used to seeing Eowyn as a crutch, a staff for him to lean on, and not a person with a will or capabilities of her own.

Eomer is his sister-son, the last of his house, the brave warrior who endured imprisonment at his own adoptive father's hands to do what's right for their people, and the future of Rohan. Eowyn is the nurse he no longer needs, the reminder of his lost pride and power, the crutch he can now throw aside and pray he never needs again.

That he lives in a patriarchal society and thus already has a lazy, general expectation of women and women's roles, also means he is going to have something of a blind spot to Eowyn. She waits on him and comes and goes at his calling because that is what women do. It doesn't occur to him that Eowyn can lead, because Eowyn as a leader simply isn't something he has ever seen her as.

The fact that he's dealing with his own trauma, loss of his son, the threat of Sauron and Saruman, and his imminent march to war, all means that he really isn't in the head space to re-think things with Eowyn, notice how she too has been suffering, or acknowledge the power in her that has been overlooked by him. Eowyn, likewise, has little time or cause to reform the bond with her uncle.

Come Return of the King, things have changed. Time has passed, for one. Theoden is a leading king once more, with a victory under his belt. His pride, to an extent, has been restored. At the same time, he knows more war is coming, and he will probably be dying soon. As such, Eowyn is less the shameful reminder of his past, and more a child he will have to say farewell to very soon.

On returning to Dunharrow, he is presented with two bits of information about Eowyn. One, that she had done her duty very well, the people are settled and safe, and they followed her, just as Hama said they would. At the same time, Eowyn has obviously been suffering. Before, Theoden was the king, the leader, and at the same time, he was the patient and the sufferer in need of tending to and comfort.

Now, Theoden sees that Eowyn is a leader, that she has an existence and virtues aside from being his carer. At the same time, he is reminded that Eowyn has feelings, that she suffers hurts and losses, and needs comforting.

The tension from Eowyn having seen and nursed Theoden at his lowest might be eased, at least on Theoden's side, for Eowyn is no longer just a crutch that Theoden doesn't want or need, and Theoden is now in the place of seeing Eowyn vulnerable and in need of comfort.

And just as how Theoden now looks on Eomer fully as a son following the battle, Eowyn is now fully his daughter. He has made that choice to embrace them so, and on doing this, he sees Eowyn has proven herself a leader, but is also in pain. Paternal pride and paternal comfort now have cause to meet.

On the note of leadership, that Eowyn now sits with Theoden at table, instead of waiting on him, marks a shift in their dynamic and Eowyn's position. Eowyn has taken charge of the people, she has organised the camp, she has acted as lord in his place, it's no longer right that she act as his cupbearer.

Going into speculation, we can also look at how Theoden assigns Merry to serve Eowyn. Now, this is to give Merry some purpose, and to keep him safe. But at the same time, he is acknowledging Eowyn as a leader, while also perhaps ensuring she has someone in her company who might be comforting to her.

Theoden rides off to death, knowing that this may very well be the last time he sees Eowyn. Eowyn, having had some part of her bond with Theoden reforged, her love and respect for him re-captured, coupled with a lingering sense of duty that it's her role to care for him, doesn't just ride to battle, but rides to protect him.

Finally, in terms of framing, we see Eowyn and Theoden through the eyes of Merry. Merry is compassionate, able to pick up on people's feelings, perhaps more inclined to notice the familial stuff, than the more removed narrator of Two Towers.

In his recollections, retold to Sam and Frodo for the Red Book, it is likely that he would have remembered more of the tender moments between Theoden and Eowyn, than whoever it was who told Sam and Frodo about the pair in Two Towers. Especially as Merry loved Theoden like a father and was very close to Eowyn, and in hindsight knew about what love for Theoden would drive Eowyn to do. Therefore, both at the time and in memory, he would have placed far more importance on their interpersonal relationship, than the Three Hunters would have done with their re-tellings.

Who knows what moments between Theoden and Eowyn we would have seen in the Two Towers; Eowyn's reaction to Eomer being called last of their house, Theoden's face on being reminded Eowyn was there, whatever passed between them when Theoden gave her that sword and corselet, had we got them from Merry's POV,

[beevean]

Just to put things into perspective

When the Sylux plotline was first teased, Guts hadn't even gotten on the fucking boat yet

In the time in between Guts has killed a Sea God, Rickert bitch slapped Griffith, the gang reached Elfhelm, Casca got cured, Miura died, Griffith destroyed what little hope Guts still had left and then some

And you just know that Prime 4 is gonna have a post credits scene like the other games, meaning that this story won't be ending now.

Fucking One Piece will end before the Prime games catch up to Metroid 2

Actually it would be very cool if Prime 4 finally connects to Metroid 2, but we'll see how long they want this subseries to go :P

anyway thanks for showing me the vastity of time

[swallowerofdharma]

1 and 18 for Isidro from Berserk?

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

To be entirely honest with you, at the beginning, when Isidro was introduced, I didn’t like him very much or better, I didn’t see the need to have him around. I was eager to see Guts’s progress in reconnecting with Casca, and to solve the mysteries surrounding the prophecy, the dreams of a White Hawk and the Tower of Conviction, a place where various characters were converging together. I could feel the anticipation of something big happening and I was a bit impatient. And since Guts was repeatedly leaving people behind, Casca herself, Jill just recently, Rickert especially - although I like how he inherited Godo’s legacy and who he becomes - I felt like Isidro following Guts was an odd choice at that time. He seemed to me a type of shōnen protagonist that Berserk could do without, although I understood that lighter tones and comedic moments were something that maybe Miura wanted to experiment with, too, and surprisingly his way of making things exaggerated or over the top or abruptly changing the tone and then go back and reconnect with the overall themes and more dark and somber moods somehow still worked for me. What I like then, after giving Isidro his chance, is that in his fascination with the “Hundred Man Slayer” of the mythical band of the Hawk, he never recognized Guts as that idealized figure in his head, nor Guts has any interest in revealing his past, because he knows what a negative example would that be. Begrudgingly he let Isidro tag along, and as more people came alongside Guts and Casca, this young boy in the background has a chance to grow and learn and trust in himself, to become his own person. Such a contrast with Guts’s boyhood, told more in the style of a shōjo manga, with little if any comedy or lighthearted moments, so I say to myself let Isidro be like this and let this story show the possibilities of what manga can do in terms of range.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Isidro is a bit of an outsider, I don’t think even his relationship with Guts is very deep and maybe it’s good that he is learning different things from everyone in their little group. But there is a scene the comes to my mind and surpasses all the other Isidro moments and interactions and that is the brief moment when Casca trains with him in Elfhelm. He seems genuinely happy to be able to talk to her, and I had never put much thought into the fact that he was instrumental in rescuing her in the Tower of Conviction, and when he gets to know her fully it is a very nice moment.

And it is significant, until other memories come back, but Casca’s first words to Guts after such a long time are about Isidro. Considering that she grew up alongside boys a lot like him, that feeling of familiarity and nostalgia mixed together are very bitter sweet. Thank you for this very interesting ask!

[measurelessdreamer]

Do you have a scene you really liked but weren't able to fit it in a fic? Would you care to share? Do you have a most recent favorite line or scene? What is it?

*Asks are sent for fun, no pressure to answer.

I'm one of the writers who start up tons of stories at the same time and never finish any of them, so, more than scenes I weren't able to fit, what saddens me is that some of my stories had really nice moments in them, that were actually written, but because I could never finish the fic or even finish some part of it that could be shared with other people, they sort of just stay in my docs, haunting me. There are two post-mountain break-up geraskier fics I was writing a long time ago that I feel particularly sorry I never continued. Neither was very long (one had 8k and the other only over 3k words), but I really liked the premise of both and I wanted them to become real stories, but they were both building up to be long fics and I had other stuff to write at the time as well and by now I haven't even looked at them for two years. The longer fic saddens me more and I still like to think that I haven't completely abandoned it, but the hope is minuscule these days.

With scenes that I had in mind at some point and I didn't manage to put them in... usually, I just like the alternative which turns into the final product much more and so I don't mourn them so much. I don't think if I can think of a single example right now, which, considering what I wrote in the previous paragraph, is kind of a relief haha.

As for recent lines, well, I have been having a bit of a hard time writing lately, so they are not recent per se, but they are the most recent ones I actually like? If it makes sense? They are more like passages, though, so that's why they are a bit longer:

(unpublished) Ch4 of my royjamie amnesia fic:

“Fine, let me rephrase that. I want you to tag along.” Jamie snorted and his eyes glowed with mischief. “Wouldn’t say no to helping an invalid. My mum raised me better than that.” “Oi!” Roy said, far more loudly than the non-existent distance between them warranted. “Fuck, man,” Jamie said after a grimace and Roy laughed and Jamie shook his head and kissed him, not stopping for a peck or a breath of air. He licked his way straight to Roy’s brain and Roy felt him absolutely everywhere and nowhere at once. Never in his life had he imagined that kissing Jamie Tartt could feel like this and that he would ever get to feel it. His hands tightened around where he was holding onto Jamie’s hoodie as he felt them go forward. He had no idea whether he was pulling or Jamie was leaning forward of his own accord but now he was lying on the grass and Jamie’s hands were on his waist and none of it rang any bell, but it still rang true. So much so that he’d almost forgotten where they were in the first place.

The (also unpublished) continuation of my Éomer/Faramir post ROTK fic:

Because he needed the solitude, needed to feel the cold air on his face instead of the warmth of the hall that felt almost scorching when it had Faramir orbiting inside and saying all the things Éomer had heard numerous times and still had no intention to heed. But were this the only hardship he’d had to face, he wouldn’t have lost his nerve. He hadn’t lost it with Elfhelm even though he had to face Elfhelm's opinions on this matter almost daily, and he hadn’t lost it once when Aragorn kept insisting that the Mark had only to call for aid and Gondor would answer. His blood wouldn’t boil the way it did now, and his instincts wouldn’t be so akin to fleeing.

They are both pretty out of context, but I really like them and I really hope they get to stay in my final versions of these stories. Otherwise, they would be the ones, I would actually mourn lol.

Thank you so much for the ask! I wish you an amazing day!

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: The Steward and the King

New chapter, let’s go!

Dude Eowyn chill out lol

Eowyn: “I’m bummed because I tried to commit sudoku and it didn’t work.” Faramir: “Please don’t do that. You’re too pretty to die. But hey, if it makes you feel any better, we all might die anyway, so you might as well rest up if you wanna be able to fight.” Eowyn: “But they want me to stay in bed. And my window doesn’t look eastward :’-C” Faramir: “Oh! I can fix that! :-D”

AND NOW MERRY AND FARAMIR GET TO CHAT!! DUDE!!

First Bergil, and now Faramir!! This just in: All of Pippin’s friends eventually become Merry’s friends. When am I gonna get my scene with Beregond and Merry, huh??

(I probably won’t but a girl can dream)

Tbh I think the Warden ships Farawyn

Faramir: “I’mma give you my dead mom’s cloak ‘cause it’s beautiful and sad like you”

Faramir: “Man, it’s been great hanging out with you. I really hope the world doesn’t end now, ‘cause I don’t want to lose this.” Eowyn, a genius: “This what?”

This whole scene plays out like a cheesy Bollywood movie. It’s so over-the-top. I love it X’-D

And then everybody MAGICALLY STARTS SINGING AT ONCE

“And his duty was to prepare for one who would replace him” 👀 John the Baptist is that you??

And here we see the healing power of love *throws confetti*

YOOOOOOO WE GET MORE GONDORIAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WAIT

Okay so we have trumpets, bells, harps, viols, flutes, and horns listed so far. I’m gonna want to answer that ask more thoroughly at some point won’t I?? ‘Cause I have didn’t have this information before but NOW I DO

Heyyy there’s somebody named Hurin! Hopefully his life has been better than the original one

(I can’t imagine naming your kid after someone who’s best known for having a son with the Worst Life Ever. Like, okay, sassing Morgoth to his face is pretty cool, but is it worth it?? Is it really?? Like the only thing worse would actually be naming your kid Turin. … They’ve done that too, haven’t they?)

ELFHELM!!!

ELFHELM SURVIVED!!

ELFHELM OF DAD JOKES I LOVE YOU

Hahaha hi Ioreth

“They are dear friends, I hear.” HECK YES THEY ARE

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW RIGHT YOU ARE IORETH

Listen one of my favorite tropes is when people in-universe acknowledge the bromance as An Official ThingTM, so this is PEAK. THANK YOU TOLKIEN

Faramir: “I give you my stick.” Aragorn: “No u”

Goodness GRACIOUS that is a whole paragraph of titles for Aragorn. What the heck. Who is it in my notes that always tags Aragorn as “local man has too many names, local authorities report” because you are RIGHT

“Now according to tradition, he should take the crown from his father, but given that his father didn’t have the crown and is also very much dead—”

Faramir: “I give you the crown” Aragorn: “NO U”

And now Frodo does the task of a ring-bearer in an actual wedding, which is to carry the shiny thing to somebody so they can give it to somebody else

“HEY! LET’S HEAR IT FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA!”

Woohoo King Aragorn!

WAIT

HOLD UP

‘ITS GATES WERE WROUGHT OF MITHRIL AND STEEL’??

YOOOOOO!! That’s a 100% METAL DOOR!! In a MEDIEVAL SETTING!! Even WE don’t have huge metal doors for most things, and we’re in the modern age!

First of all, imagine how shiny! Secondly, IMAGINE HOW FREAKIN’ SCI-FI—

BEREGOOOOOOOOND

HELLO MY BOO I’VE MISSED YOU

“And the king said to Beregond: ‘Beregond…’”

Pffft

I must be slaphappy, ‘cause for some reason I find his name being written twice in a row to be very funny

Aragorn: “Okay so you’re not in trouble, but you’re also not allowed to be a Guard of the Citadel anymore.” Beregond: “😨☹️😭” Aragorn: “…Because you’re gonna work FOR FARAMIR! GET PROMOTED ON, IDIOT!!” Beregond: “😧 … 🤩🥳🎉🎊🎈”

Aww haha Aragorn and Eomer hug X-D

Eowyn, to Faramir: “I’ll be back later, I promise.” Eomer, probably: “👀😨😡”

Aragorn: “Pls stick around, friends, I love you guys”

Frodo: “Pippin, you were wrong, Gandalf is keeping secrets again.” Gandalf: “excuse”

Aragorn, excitedly: “LE GASP!! A TREE!!”

Okay so lemme get this straight: Aragorn wasn’t allowed to marry Arwen until he found a tree??

Right. Okay. 🤣🤣🤣

I’m sure this is very symbolically important and whatever but it’s almost 3 AM and I just think it’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all night

GLORFINDELLLLLL

GLORFINDEL HI!!

I’VE MISSED YOU FRIEND!!! 8-D

I guess all these other elves are here too but I don’t really care ROFLOL

This chapter really is the epitome of Tolkien going “oh shoot I guess I’d better include some romance in here huh”

[alovelyburn]

Did the story drop the small detail of Guts’ brand causing him escalating pain every time he’s near a stronger demon? Does feel like after The Black Swordsman arc, it doesn’t really get brought back up again.

Like, it looks like he’s spurting out blood like a fountain when he was near the Godhand in the Black Swordsman climax, but when meeting Slan again many years later, I don’t recall him feeling any pain from the Brand.

Or heck, even when fighting cloud Ganishka, I don’t think he was experiencing any brand pain from that either. Guess all that can be justified as those being just manifestations, just a bunch of lesser versions of themselves?

I don't think it's been dropped as much as it's been walled off - Schierke has been controlling the brand with a talisman since the mission where he met Flora:

That accounts for why he doesn't have the extreme reactions he used to have, but you can see that Miura (and Mori/Studio Gaga) didn't forget through the effect on Casca on the Hill of Swords and on Elfhelm (where she hadn't had the talisman reapplied, probably because no one expected danger to come to Elfhelm).

With Slan, that wasn't really... her, she was just possessing some troll intestines so I would assume that he isn't affected by her appearance by proxy the way he would be by seeing Slan herself right up in the ethereal flesh. Also, he had the talisman applied by that point.

The real question I think would by why he doesn't keel over from pain and bleed like a geyser on the Hill of Swords or on Elfhelm and for that I would say... well I'm guessing he's literally just ignoring it. You can see that his brand bleeds on the Hill of Swords:

And on Elfhelm, I did check whether he was bleeding and the answer seems to be that we never see the back of his neck during that confrontation. I think it's safe to assume that he was, since Casca did.

Which I guess brings us to why he would be able to ignore the pain in those instances vs. in the Black Swordsman arc where it nearly killed him. I think what makes the most sense to me is:

Because Griffith's godhandness is currently filtered through humanesque flesh - kind of like Slan in the trollrolling scene. And...

Because it's only Griffith. In the Black Swordsman arc he was closest to Femto but the closer he got to Femto the closer he was to all four other Godhand as well.

And as for why Casca collapsed but Guts didn't, Guts clearly has more hit points than she does.

Thanks for the ask! I miss talking Berserk all the time, but my brain is still having a hard time getting back into it, so you know, thank you for getting my berserky blood moving again.

[bisexualmikisayaka]

like... okay, being trapped in several layers of your own dreams is not a trope exclusive to this movie and has actually kind of been around forever, but the casca dream sequence that takes over all of 372 is a little perfect blue-esque, no? like that part where mima keeps waking up after increasingly unreal action sequences? there's also something to look at there with casca's own fractured identity as a result of trauma and the persona that gets created for her in absence of the "true self," shall we say, which isn't quite the same in PB but the themes definitely parallel each other. anyways big unpacking of 372 under the cut because i love a casca mini-arc!

once you get to the dream sequence itself it's quite interesting - casca is totally mute for the first "loop", and dressed up and paraded around in this illusion of a noblewoman's life. here we're going back to two major parts of her character - the first obvious reference is her life as "elaine" and the behavior she exhibited as a result of how extremely her trauma impacted her, i.e. not being able to formulate words anymore. the second is the corridor of dreams, and casca viewing herself as a broken doll, which is pretty heartbreakingly self-explanatory, but it's echoed here in her being moved around by these presumably illusory handmaidens and having no control over her own dress, movements, or life. she is, for all intents and purposes, a doll. the only time we see the true casca before the bath scene is when she cries at seeing the band of the hawk. the handmaids believe that it's because she's scared of the soldiers, which we obviously know is not true lmao. the one possibly good thing about this scenario is that casca, in her own altered state of mind due to whatever the fuck is being done to her, finally has a way to grieve the losses she experienced during the eclipse without relapsing into her trauma because of the memories that grief brings up. also her taking care of kids makes me crazy insane especially because of Everything with griffith and the moonlight boy but i'm glad she got to be happy and nurturing for two whole panels.

then we get the bath. again, here water serves as a vehicle for truth - just as casca's tears represented her knowledge that at some level, she knows what she's experiencing isn't real, being submerged in this water triggers her memories of farnese, schierke, and dannan plus everyone else on elfhelm. side note but i love that it's the girls that she immediately sees, it is so important to me personally that casca gets to have meaningful relationships with other women. anyways here's when demure, voiceless casca completely shatters with her waking up in the chair (beginning the second "loop") and screaming. i would need to reread quite possibly the whole manga to figure out if there's a deeper meaning to the setting that she awakens to so put that on pause for now or if you've got a theory, drop it in the notes!

here, we are introduced to something of a combination of cascas that the readers are intimately familiar with. her outfit in the simple white dress is pretty similar to what she wore for a while as "elaine," and you can tell that she's reacting out of pure instinct in combat situations much like "elaine" did. but even amidst her panic it's still clear that she's operating at the cognitive level of the golden age/restored casca and her confidence in her abilities to incapacitate and get past the guards is one hundred percent normal casca. nonetheless, i don't want to completely gloss over casca's emotions during this scene - she's scared. you could honestly make a case for her being terrified here. she is one hundred percent fighting off the flashbacks she suppressed during the first loop and does not want to be in this combat situation. it's clear that this is a casca who is traumatized by violence - that reflection of the sword in her eyes after she chops off that guy's arm is once again heartbreaking, and honestly probably warrants its own paragraph if not its own post - but ultimately it is a necessity to achieve her goals of escaping and getting back to guts.

and then she falls. this panel is pretty small so it doesn't get a ton of visual (and therefore emotional/narrative) impact, but i think it is really interesting that casca's final waking moment in the second "loop" is on her hands and knees, collapsed, surrounded by soldiers. i think that has the potential to be an incredibly triggering situation for her, when she's already very triggered by the violence she enacted onto someone else, and thus warranting her passing out. interesting to not emphasize that moment, but then we get the third and final "loop," which seems to be what's actually happening to casca. hazy-eyed, she looks at us once, before drifting back off to sleep, clearly artificially induced by irvine. it's difficult to tell if casca actually managed to wake up and attempt escape before being recaptured, but it's certainly a legitimate possibility. i would also not rule out everything being a dream, and irvine's mention of her "flight" could be her internal struggles to break free which he's currently stopped and put her under for good (for now).

breaking away from the girl of all time, briefly, i want to talk about zodd in this scene. he is away from the rest of the apostles, who are all gathered behind griffith, near irvine when he reports. he's not even by griffith, who he's supported throughout this entire endeavor (he was the one who flew him and casca back to falconia!). zodd's alone, arms crossed and with an interesting expression on his face - it honestly seems like he's eavesdropping. i think his expression is ambiguous enough that you can interpret it a number of different ways, but i'm choosing to see it as him experiencing some form of internal conflict. zodd is the only apostle who knew casca before, uh, everything happened. she's never really been of interest to him, but she was there when he first met guts and griffith (iirc, she's the one who starts launching the volley of arrows that enables them to buy some time during that first battle), she's there when he kills wyald, and she was the other survivor of the eclipse when skully spirited her and guts outta there. while his primary focus has always been guts and griffith, it would make sense for zodd to have at least noticed casca always being around. of course he's gonna support griffith in his abduction of casca (for purposes still unknown, probably to piss off guts but nothing's really been confirmed yet as casca seems to have been allowed some degree of privilege and autonomy while she was being mind-controlled but had no interaction with griffith or the apostles whatsoever before breaking free, which is honestly pretty interesting) coz he'll do whatever griffith tells him. but there's something about this situation that seems to have caused tension between him and his group. idk, i wonder if he's gonna bust casca out, or at least play a pivotal role in getting guts back on his feet and ready to go after her again. i guess we'll have to see where 374 brings us because things are certainly getting crazy on the ship in 373!

[bthump]

hello! what do you think Skull Knight meant when he said your wish may not be her wish referring to casca?

I think there's room for a few theories here, but my theory of choice is that Skull Knight is referring to Guts' wish to settle down and stop pursuing revenge through a relationship with Casca.

I think that's definitely one of Guts' motivations for taking her to Elfhelm, and it's something that's teased throughout the Millenium Falcon arc with shit like Guts, Casca and moonbaby looking like a family, eg.

I don't think Guts was consciously thinking he was going to give up on revenge entirely, but after NGriff ditched him and then when he heard he could bring Casca back I think his priorities shifted in a way, and he was at least subconsciously hoping that if he brought Casca back he would find a sense of fulfillment in a relationship with her, and be able to let his obsession with Griffith go, like he alludes to in chapter 345 with his internal "I've come this far by letting go of my obsession with Griffith," thought. And like Godo suggests when he tells Guts he should've immersed himself in sorrow with the remaining Hawks instead of running off to kill things.

But oops Casca doesn't want to fuck him, so that's a bust. Skull Knight's "You've come to the end of your journey. It is not always a happy thing," when Guts is on the cliff swinging his sword and being pissy about Casca's trauma could serve as a conclusion to his warning about Casca's wish not being Guts' wish, if we go with this reading.

Of course I'd argue that Guts distracting himself from Griffith with Casca was always a pipe dream doomed to fail regardless of Casca's trauma cockblocking him, especially considering his breakdown over his sword rather than her right now lol, but yeah I think this is one way of understanding that foreshadowing that fits with the overall story.

Other theories I've seen are that Casca won't want to pursue his wish of revenge with him (kinda moot now probably), or that Casca will join Griffith (not looking likely to me either). Prior to the recent development with her kidnapping I was hoping that it alluded to her using the behelit and going ham in her own wave of righteous violence, but lol that didn't work out. So yeah, my money's on it just being a reference to her being too traumatized to look at Guts.

Thanks for the ask!

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

Oh, hello!

It’s time to replace my original pinned post with a more permanent choice, so here’s the quick, updated scoop on what you can expect here:

I love all things Tolkien and looking at, thinking about, and talking about those things. So I will absolutely reblog your fan art of Thranduil draped across his throne in that sultry pose or like your fic about how Tuor came to love Voronwë as a brother on their long journey to Gondolin. But in my heart, I’ve always been a Rohan kind of girl. That’s where you’re going to find my interest most often drawn, and it’s what I write about almost exclusively (with the very occasional tangent into Haldir-related content, which I understand is totally inconsistent, but the heart wants what the heart wants!).

So, if you could talk about the Eorlingas for hours on end, if Éomer is the Middle Earth king of your dreams, if you find yourself unreasonably attached to minor characters like Háma and Elfhelm or have tons of opinions about how amazing Théodred is, if you’re personally invested in Karl Urban’s dimples …maybe we should be friends! And if you like those things, then maybe you’d get something out of my fics. Or not. Either way is fine!

Those fics are now collected in one place below, which I’ll try to keep updated. I make no claim that they are fine works of literature, but they make me happy and that’s their primary purpose. While they’re all consistent with each other and exist in my unified headcanon, they tend to be one shots based on some particular thing I was interested in–a specific plot point, an unanswered question, a desire to see a certain character grow/develop a certain way. Anyway, you get the idea. So thanks for being here, click through to the master list (such as it is) and FORTH EORLINGAS!

Rohan: (stories in rough in-universe chronological order)

Éomer-focused:

TFW Siblings Prompt: Éowyn is frustrated by Éomer’s attempt to protect her from Wormtongue.

Turning Points: Éomer is back from the war of the ring with a changed worldview and an intention to get married. Includes the first look at the character who becomes his wife.

A Vigilant Eye: A marital scene between Éomer and his wife, Mereliss, focused on Éomer’s stubborn need to never admit weakness. This is as spicy as any of my fics get, which is to say…only very mildly spicy.

A Need of the Soul: Éomer is teaching Faramir how to speak Rohirric as a surprise for Éowyn. Cute brotherly bonding moments, remembrances of Boromir and Théodred and lots of horse talk.

TFW Parent-Child Prompt: Éomer becomes a father for the first time and has lots of feelings about it.

TFW Extended Family Prompt: Éomer’s father in law, Elfhelm, realizes what he means to Éomer in light of the many losses Éomer has already experienced.

Nowhere Else: A look back at how Éomer met his wife, told from both sides of the meeting. Includes a look at several other sweet moments from over their years together.

Théodred and Éomer art by Valeria Salo

Théodred-focused:

TFW Cut Ties Prompt: Traces the unshakable bond forged by shared grief between Théodred and Éomer, enduring all the way to Théodred’s literal last words.

What Do We Say: Théodred and little Éowyn have a heart to heart when she starts tormenting the women who are potential brides for him.

Into the Breach: My most comprehensive look at Théodred the person and his backstory, told in the few days leading up to his death. It's more or less my answer to the question of what Théodred was doing in/around major canon events from LOTR. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.

Ties That Bind: A look at how Wormtongue’s manipulation of Théoden affected the larger royal family, as seen through Éomer’s experience when Théoden had him jailed. Théodred's fiancee is a key element of this fic, so I'm putting it with the other Théodred stories though he's not directly in it.

A Life Interrupted: Éomer reckoning with the death of Théodred. My original story with details of Théodred's life and my HC for him.

Háma-focused:

Háma art by @ rinthecap

Those Worth Fighting For: Family fluff of Háma being a sweet dad to his little girl while shielding her from the reality of the increasing danger posed by Isengard.

TFW Freeform Prompt: Háma and his wife struggle with how to protect their children from the increasing likelihood of war.

Hewn and Sewn: Háma’s experiences both living and dying as a soldier.

Not This Time: The discovery of Háma’s body after the battle of Helm’s Deep has major consequences.

Other Rohirrim:

TFW Ancestors Prompt: Théoden’s father, Thengel, returns from exile against his will to take up the throne in Rohan.

Unwary: The story of the deaths of Théodwyn and Éomund, the parents of Éomer and Éowyn.

Untitled intro piece about Guthláf: A short musing on what it means to Guthláf to be Théoden’s banner bearer.

Where Now the Horse and the Rider: The love story of Guthláf and Wídfara, trying to hold it together as the world falls apart around them. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8.

Untitled ficlet on Elfhild: A short intro to Théodred’s mother, who had a premonition she wasn’t going to survive his birth.

Lórien:

Three Weeks on the Nimrodel: Haldir meets his perfect match while posted for 3 weeks with a substitute marchwarden who understands and appreciates his natural reserve.

The Guardian: Haldir finds a lost and scared little human girl while on patrol in Lórien. Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Epilogue.

[nekowreck]

the drop in quality in berserk from the golden age to elfhelm is insane. oh, an incredible chapter focusing on casca for the first time in ages? no, lets cut back to griffith winning his 50683457th siege while all of his monster fuckboys wax poetic about wanting to fuck him. we finally start to learn more about skull knight and his past connection with schierkes mentor?? ohhh no you dont we gotta focus on a scene where isidro is flipping all the girl mages skirts up and showing their underwear!!!! OOOoooooooOOOOo! fuck this.

[fanic-fictation]

When the realization sets in after reading this line

~The Cruel Prince, Holly Black

[nox-artemis]

Griffith's Motives

So this isn't going to be a long post, but...

I'm wondering if this "Abduct Casca" plan was a spur of the moment thing or if Griffith was planning this all along. I would like to think that it's the latter, since it's fucking Griffith, but even though we've grown to know him as this master strategist we also know that he is not immune to "moments of irrationality" a.k.a. stupid/mean emotional decision making (whether it's sleeping with the princess out of wedlock and getting caught or R-wording your friend's lover just to be vile and spiteful) and that he can't still spin things in his favor (i.e. no Griffith wasn't planning that R-word scene in some master scheme like how some would like to apologize away BUT he definitely took advantage of the aftermath b/c causality).

Of course if that's not the case, I just wonder at just what moment Griffith decided, "Ya I need to kidnap her." I guess we could potentially get a better perspective if we get into Griffith's perspective (which we don't really get a lot of post-reincarnation) and how he and the child became one body, but not necessarily one soul/mind.

Back during the post-Conviction Arc, at the confrontation on the Hill of Swords, it's evident that Griffith is aware that baby whose body he stole in order to reincarnate into the world is still aware itself. BUT, now that I think about it, was Griffith even aware that the body belonged to Guts and Casca's child? Was it something that he also had to piece together over time? Like, he's not going to say this in front of people (because it's a sign of weakness), but he most definitely was experiencing lapses in memory and black outs during the full moon. Maybe at the beginning he had no awareness or control over these transformations but somehow he figured stuff out.

I guess maybe it was in chapter 358, right after he and Charlotte shared some "tea time" together and she fell asleep. He was anticipating the transformation and that was the last time we saw him in Falconia before the arrival of Moonlight Boy on Elfhelm. If he was seeing into Moonlight Boys mind bit by bit over the duration of these last few arcs, he definitely might have been piecing together Guts and Casca's travel path, their activities, and more importantly, their relationship to the boy and the boy's own feelings toward them (which would surmount to the conclusion of the boy - whom he stole the original body of - being Guts and Casca's child). Of course I'm remembering the world tree has a lot to do with cosmology of the Berserk-verse, though I'm not sure how much either Griffith or Moonlight Boy know about its function as a sort of ethereal super-highway (if the Moonlight Boy was operating independently from Griffith up until at least very recently, how was he compelled to use the world tree to find Guts and Casca wherever they were in the world?).

Okay I said this wasn't going to be long so I'll stop there, BUT just to add I recall there were some fanfics from waaaaaay back that I really enjoyed that utilized the theory that Griffith is not in control - or at least not in complete control - of the Moonboy's thoughts and actions.