#the fellowship of the awkward conversations?

[ceescedasticity]

Unforsaken, 12e

(All sections on tumblr)

(AO3, lagging behind but more polished)

Major takeaways from this round of practice:

Yes, it's even more impressive in stone.

And even louder when not in a hole in the ground.

The ear protection they've come up with is probably good enough, at least for everyone besides the swan-twins.

Legolas somehow ends up trying to explain the history of explosives to the swan-twins. He has no idea what he's talking about.

A stick of Wizard's Clay will not explode if you drop it from thirty feet up. They aren't supposed to, but it was still nerve-wracking.

Nobody likes being under a rain of little rock fragments but there isn't really anything to be done about that.

They might want to leave the oxen farther away next time.

Estimated sticks of Wizard's Clay left behind to threaten the peace of Middle-earth (counting the 25 left in Emyn Arnen): 5495

Following Alphlîn and Alphsîr's continuing success in practice, Glorfindel is ready to sketch out a very rough battle strategy (which hopefully won't be needed since they still aren't 100% certain there's a Warden).

Alphlîn and Alphsîr will be attacking from the air, with power. (If they get grounded, they should change shape and run out of the way rather than try to take off where they are.)

Glorfindel, with Asfaloth, will be fighting with sword and power.

Maglor and Celeborn will also be ahorse. Maglor will be Singing and using the battle-harp. Celeborn has a bow of Lórien and a sword from Eregion.

Turgon and Celegorm will be on foot. (It would be possible to convince horses to bear them, probably, but the horses would be nervous and distracted and they aren't used to it anymore.) (Celegorm kind of wishes he had a warg for this.) Their weapons are dwarf-forged steel, and their own wills.

Whiterot has a crossbow and doesn't plan to get close. Sharlinnu isn't sure how well she'll be able to fight with the noise-generating Warden right there. She wants to, but she also doesn't want to get in the way — more discussion needed there.

That leaves the children Third-Age-born contingent, and here there is some disagreement.

Zuste, Zena, and Dyn readily agree that they are not up for demigod-fighting, either in capability or interest.

Khitwê and Risyind make it clear they are ready and willing to fight! Khitwê in particular would be happy to avenge his family's suffering on the Warden. (Risyind doesn't think it would make her feel any better than the Warden going down without her direct involvement.) But this isn't the kind of fight they're trained for, and even in areas they are trained for they are perfectly adequate, not outstanding. If Glorfindel says it's better for them to hang back they won't argue.

Legolas and Gimli — you don't want to make Legolas and Gimli think you're slighting their abilities, but they're not going to insist on pushing into a fight above their pay grade. They won't argue that this (hypothetical) fight isn't above their pay grade.

…So really the only disagreement is about Elladan and Elrohir.

This fight is above their pay grade, yes, but it's above all of their pay grades. It might have been within Glorfindel's right after he was sent back to Middle-earth, or Maglor's at the height of his power and skill before being ground down by time and grief for over six thousand years, and Turgon or Celegorm's before being ground down by being orcs for over six thousand years. It's not now.

Celeborn has over two Ages of experience more than his grandsons, and they have over two Ages of exhaustion less than him.

The best Glorfindel can extract from them is an agreement to hang back and stick to bows as much as possible.

******

Maglor finally gets up the nerve to approach Celegorm the day before they are expecting to arrive at the site of the Crucible.

"I know what I need to tell you," Celegorm says, before Maglor can ask. "It's just… Just don't interrupt, all right?"

What being an orc is, according to Celegorm:

Being bound by fetters on your soul.

Everything in you is warped to some purpose outside you.

Certainty that you are damned and there is nothing you can do about it.

Certainty that you can do as you're meant to willingly or you will be forced, and it will hurt.

Telling yourself it doesn't matter. Just do what you want — anything that brings a moment of relief —because nothing matters.

Hating yourself for everything you've done and every mistake you made to get into this situation.

Hating your fellow condemned for everything they do that's the same as you and everything they do differently.

Hating everyone not condemned for not being condemned.

Hating and hating and hating because it's warmer than despair alone.

It's all the worst days of living bound by the Oath of Fëanor, back to back, forever.

"I've said before it wasn't as different as it should have been," Celegorm concludes at last. "And that's true. But what I don't like to say is sometimes it wasn't different at all. Well, except elven hröar aren't as miserable, so being an orc is more physically painful unless something's gone really wrong, but— I know this has been easier on me because I've lived this already. At least this time I didn't do it to myself."

Maglor has to take some time to think about this.

It's coming together for him, though. He knows — he thinks he knows what he needs to say, now.

******

On a lighter note, Maglor has an idea about trying to get a better idea of Sharlinnu's noise — what if the orcs do some singing?

—This takes a while to explain as people are varying levels of informed about orcs' tone-deafness and well-established tradition of singing anyway. (Also the Hirnedhrim and the swan-twins have never heard of tone-deafness before.)

The orcs, meanwhile, are trying to pick a song.

Whiterot: "And then there were none", maybe?

[A ‘and then there were none’ backwards-counting song of elf-princes, some verses inspired by real events]

Celegorm: And then there was one!

Turgon: Two. And no, I don't think so.

Celegorm: I wish I was back in Goblin-town?

Turgon: If we must—

Sharlinnu: What about the Prince of Cats song?

[A prince of cats got his ass kicked by a girl and a dog, definitely not inspired by real events, honest, but also definitely not to be sung in Mordor]

Turgon: Definitely that one.

(Other noteworthy subjects of orc songs:

Fear Us We are doing a task [which isn’t very interesting and this at least livens it up] We are going to kill you and destroy everything you love and have fun doing it We’ve been marching a long time and it’s annoying The Sun is a bitch I Fear Nothing Except The Sea Which Is Fucking Terrifying My warg is the best warg, she’s eaten lots of babies Behold my gruesome trophies My body is the most fucked up and uncomfortable but I make it work There’s Something In These Caves (It’s A Dragon And Planning To Eat Us) These Orders Indicate Our Senior Leadership Has Shit For Brains Today Is A Terrible Day To Die But I Guess That’s What We’re Doing )

The orcs end up singing most of the day.

It does not sound very good, but it's nice to see them enthusiastic.

[acowardinmordor]

I want something Steddie to start here:

Eddie

I’m sorry. This is the last letter. I know you’d hate me if you found out who I really am, and I don’t want to see that. I don’t want you to know who you’ve been telling your secrets too. You wouldn’t want me to know them. You wouldn’t want to know me.

I’m so so sorry. Goodbye - X

He read it again and again when he got home, but Eddie couldn’t figure out what he’d done or what he’d said that made them end it. Sure, it was only letters, and Eddie didn’t know their name, or what they looked like. He didn’t even have a guess about who it was. A guy. That’s all he knew. But they’d been leaving letters in his locker since the second week of class. Two months in, when Eddie was losing his mind for having no way of replying, his secret writer told him he could leave a letter in a copy of the Hobbit in the school library. Since then, it was every other day, sending, then receiving. A slow motion conversation. It was his third go at his senior year, and the letters were one of the bright points.

The joy of a great campaign session could only stretch so far. His new sheepies were excellent, most of the worst assholes at school had graduated, and even if the teachers hated him, Eddie had taken the classes twice already. He knew what they wanted him to write in their homework.

Other than suffering through the freshmen talking about their beloved idol, Steve Harrington - despite the guy being a loser who was repeating his senior year - his life had been pretty great. The notes made everything a little bit brighter.

And now? Yesterday was sort of horrible, and he'd been excited to pick up the next note this afternoon. Mike caught the flu, and took down Jeff and Gareth. The session was already going to be a one shot, but down that many players, Eddie complained all week that they'd have to cancel entirely. Instead, Dustin dragged Harrington in with him. Horrible. The guy had never played before, and was so awkward and uncomfortable the entire time that it tanked the entire session. Eventually he called time. Ended the one shot without a conclusion. Pretty explicitly explained to Lucas and Dustin why.

Explained to Steve that he should have refused Dustin's demands. That he would never fit in with them. That he knew from the minute the guy walked in, that it was doomed. That there was a reason he hated jocks, and stayed away from them.

His bad mood was made worse by the way that Dustin and Lucas defended their idol, while Harrington himself picked up his things and silently left.

Eddie was so damn excited to pick up X's note, and see whether the guy had gotten the hobbits out of the Shire in Fellowship.

Instead.

[logans-mormon-blog]

Obligatory "bad mormons exist" disclaimer but I love us, I love mormons. Cheesy but sincere thought: I love the way we love each other. I love feeling embraced by a ward, I love feeling like the other ward members around me look forward to seeing me, that they make an effort to include me. I love the concerted effort we put towards sincerely fellowshipping. I love ward members who text me to check in or say hi. I love how enthusiastically one senior elder has been waiting for me to try his favorite ice cream place. I love leadership who are awkward but really trying to make conversation so you feel comfortable. When mormons fuck up, they fuck up bad, but when they get it right, it WORKS. Truly the dream at rhe heart of mormonism is a tight community of people socialistically trying to improve each other's lives and idk it just makes me feel really good to see it. There is so much good in us as a community. I just love mormons.

[live-laugh-legolas]

hii!! so your previous crush-post (xD) was so. cute! may I ask for some more romantic fluff and the Fellowship (and Faramir and Arwen, if it's okay?) proposing to the reader?

I added pictures of what the rings might look like because I have a Pinterest addiction and figured I could put it to use

How the fellowship proposes (+ Faramir & Arwen)

Aragorn:

-To be completely honest, I don’t see him being particularly traditional about it

-And by that I mean he doesn’t make a big thing of it and doesn’t do the whole kneeling thing

-I imagine him proposing just happens in a loving conversation that is pretty casual

-But honestly every conversation with him feels kinda intimate so it’s still very romantic

Legolas:

-He is restless

-He plans it to be thought out and to give a little speech

-But it just kinda comes out

-Not in an awkward or rushed way; but he is just so in love he can’t wait any longer

Gimli:

-Actually shitting himself

-I really think he would have planned to propose on multiple different occasions but got too scared and chickened out

-It’s not because he isn’t sure about it, or thinks you won’t say yes; he just wants it to be perfect

-He covers for his anxiety with a forced confidence that is frankly adorable

-Blushes profusely

Boromir:

-Very traditional

-I’m talking secluded paradise with rose petals and candles everywhere

-He spares no expense; no he’s not extra…he just wants to show how much he loves you…that’s it

-Down on one knee giving a honorable and sweet speech about how you are the best thing in his life and how he will spend eternity loving you

-Definitely gets a little emotional but for the most part he keeps it together (the same cannot be said for your wedding)

-He had Faramir help him find a ring because I refuse to believe Boromir knows anything about fashion, let alone jewelry

Frodo:

-He’s a bit restless, but in a giddy sort of way

-He’s just so excited about the idea of marrying you that he isn’t even thinking too much about the proposal

-He knows you will say yes

-I could also see him putting the ring somewhere you will find it; maybe on your pillow, and hide in the next room all giddy like a little kid as he waits for you to find it

-This is what my dad apparently did and I think it’s cute

Sam:

-Ok I know I said Gimli is shitting himself; but this guy is actually having the squirts

-But he’s nervous because he gets very down on himself at times and he worries you might say no

-Logically he knows you will be so excited because you have talked about marriage before; but he can’t help but worry

-Doesn’t take you anywhere too fancy; he keeps it kinda casual but romantic

-Maybe in the garden

Merry:

-He has had this planned for months

-He has one of his friends distract you for the day while he sets up a romantic picnic dinner

-Like a surprise party that you are kinda expecting because the person getting you out of the house is kinda sus

-But it’s so sweet and Merry is dresses so nicely

-Seriously a dapper little hobbit

-He has practiced some speeches to Pippin, but he doesn’t end up doing any of them

-Instead he opts for just a natural conversation that is sweet and to the point

-Big expensive gem

Pippin:

-He has been pretending to propose for a while

-Well not really pretending, but you know it’s not his official proposal

-That being said every “proposal” he does comes with some sort of offering; he once did it with your dinner plate

-All his fake proposals were to have some fun with it, but mainly to get over his nerves; he’s practicing

-Will continue to fake propose even after you are married just for the fun of it

-Likes to see people’s reactions (plus maybe get a free cake slice at a restaurant or something idk)

-I wanted to add a joke picture of a tiny with three plastic carrots but alas you are only allowed 10 pictures apparently so just imagine I did a funny thing

*Bonus Faramir

-He is just the sweetest and I love this man

-He seems like the type to propose pretty early on in a relationship

-Not because he’s rushing, but he just knows you are the one

-Surprisingly calm about it; or at least he appears that way

*Double bonus Arwen:

-She is probably the most confident of them all

-She is just so sure spoken

-She makes sure you both are dressed in your best clothes and will take you to a beautiful secluded place in Rivendell

-Idk why but I felt strongly that the gem would be blue

-(sorry hers is short, I wasn’t particularly inspired idk why)

——————————————————————-

Just a little reminder that Gandalf isn’t included because I don’t generally write him for romantic prompts unless specifically asked

[masivechaos]

TANGLED FEELINGS

legolas x fem! reader

Request: yes / no

Synopsis: One thing you liked about Legolas was the way he braided his hair, so when you asked him to braid yours, your feelings also end up tangled.

Warning/content: kissing, my English, poorly proofread

a.n.: 1.4k words- first time writing for legolas so it might be out of character, give me the time to find the best way to write him. i love the hair braiding trope and wanted to write my own version of it!

masterlist/ lord of the rings masterlist / navigation / taglist 

── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.──

Escorting Frodo to destroy the ring was a difficult task but you were willing to help. Whilst you were exhausted from the daily numerous hours of walking and fighting and being constantly on your guard, it was also an opportunity to meet new people. 

During the long moments of wandering, you were able to study every member of the fellowship. From Gimli’s regular mumbling to Sam’s awkward demarch when you were going through rocky mountains or even Pippin and Merry’s loud singing when it was time to rest. But what you cared the most about was Legolas.

As much as you tried to deny it for a long time, you had fallen for the elvish man. Your attention always ended up locked on him and one of the things you remarked the most was his hair. Of course, everybody would pay attention to his long blonde- almost white- locks but what stayed on your mind was the braids that kept his hair elegant even after a fight and the ability he had to so easily make them when they ended up undone due to the agitated day that just happened.

One calm evening, when everyone was resting on their own side, you approached the elf. You let yourself fall to the ground next to him without saying a word. Legolas turned his head and offered you a gentle smile that warmed your heart.

“How do you manage to do that?” you finally asked, breaking the silence lingering between the two of you.

Legolas raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a conversation starter “Manage to do what?”

“These,” you said as you pointed at his braids.

He let out a chuckle “Two thousand years of practice,” he laughed, leading to a laugh falling from your own lips.

“Could you braid mine?” you asked with such a smile he couldn’t decline even though you noted the surprised expression that crossed his face for a split second. You sat between Legolas’ legs, on a rock that was just sufficiently shorter than the one he was resting on.

You let his fingers brush your neck and ears as he gathered the hair he needed and you tried to stop the shivers from running down your spine. Enjoying this moment of proximity with the elf, you close your eyes, relaxing under his hands.

You didn’t know how much time it took him but it was definitely too short for you. “There you go,” he smiled warmly. You turned around to look at him and you couldn’t ignore the faint blush on his pale cheeks.

“How do I look?”

“Great. You look great.” And he had to stop himself from saying more.

Happy with your new hairstyle, you joined your two other comrades, Aragorn and Gimli since the other members of the fellowship were already taken by sleep.

They both shared a look when they saw you (and Legolas coming from behind you with a flustered face) with a smile on their lips. “What?” you asked confused. Aragorn let out a ‘nothing’ with an amused tone before taking a sip of his drink.

You furrowed your brows, not understanding their reactions but decided to ignore them and started to chat with your friends. The night was filled with laughter and for the first time in a while you felt like you could finally rest, however you couldn’t escape observing the glances shared between Aragorn and Gimli.

You took advantage of the moment when Legolas and Aragorn left you to survey the surrounding area, since a few suspicious sounds had been heard, to ask the Dwarf for some explanation.

“What is going on?” you asked and it came out a bit more exasperated than what you wanted.

Gimli laughed as he took a puff of his pipe “I should be the one askin’ ya” 

“Why?”

Gimli glanced at you with mischief in his eyes “Your hair…”

You smiled at this, remembering the feeling of Legolas' fingers tangled in your hair “Yes? Legolas braided it.”

“Do you know about braids?” 

Surprised by this question, you raised an eyebrow “No, that’s why he braided them”

Gimli shifted a little closer to you “One thing me and the pointy-eared elf have in common’s our culture ‘bout braids. For elves and dwarves, who braid your hair is important. It’s either your family or…” he trailed off with a smirk on his lips.

“Or?”

“The person you court.” Your smile faded and your eyes widened, Gimli laughed at your reaction “You don’t like him?” he said knowing very well your heart fancied the elven man. 

You thought about it. Of course you liked him. You loved him even, he was occupying every parcel of your brain. You had met him before forming the fellowship, crossing paths with him during some of his or your adventures. You wanted to impress him all the time, you wanted him to be proud of you, you would always try your best during fights or even when it came to making food when Sam wasn’t.

Suddenly, you were scared. What if you ruined it all? The last thing you wanted him to be was uncomfortable. Too many thoughts ran in your mind and you only escaped the grasp of your own mind when Gimli coughed.

“I- I do but he doesn’t. He only braided my hair because I asked him to…” you said with an ounce of disappointment. You didn’t think your feelings could be reciprocated, he was Legolas, a prince, cultured, brave and strong and you… you were you. Even at your best, you didn’t deserve him.

“Why d’ya think he did it, huh?” he said with a knowing smile before the elf and the dùnedain came back. “Aragorn, won’t ya come with me?” he asked as he got up. The interested quickly looked at you and understood, following Gimli. An awkward silence settled between you and Legolas. He could feel something was off with you. 

“I’m so sorry,” you finally said and received a confused look from Legolas.

“Why?”

“I didn’t know about the braids,” you swallowed, how much you wished he had done it with the intention of courting you. “I didn’t want you to feel obligated to do it and now that I know the meaning behind it, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Stupid, stupid me you thought. You regretted not knowing more about him, about the elves, about the other races than yours. But you hadn’t lived for two thousand years like him, how could you possibly know just as much?

To your surprise, Legolas’ lips extended into a smile “You didn’t make me uncomfortable. I did it knowing very well what were my intentions,” he said so confidently you could only believe him.

“You…?” 

Legolas chuckled at your sudden shyness and hummed “Mmh, but you maybe want me to be a bit more clear with my feelings for you, I may be good with my words when it comes to you I’m unsure of what to say and nervous. And if I can’t express verbally how my heart feels around you, I can show you.”

Apprehensively, you nodded. Legolas slowly got closer to you, his nose bumped into yours and he chuckled “Sorry,” he whispered as his smile brightened. Your face mirrored his expression and, carefully, you brushed your lips against his. He kissed you and got lost in the feeling. He was finally yours, after weeks and weeks of observing you. Since he first saw you, he wanted you. And there, he could hold you, he could kiss you. 

When Legolas pulled away, he rested his forehead on yours. You let out a breath and looked at him shyly. All your doubts and fears were gone now “So… Can I braid your hair?”

“No,” he said and he chuckled when your eyes widened “You’re way too bad at it.” You giggled, relieved. Legolas kissed your lips once more “But I can teach you,” he whispered with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

Your ears turned warm and you hid your face in his chest “Please do.”

[spasmsofthought]

starlight (legolas x reader)

A bit (or a lot) philosophical. Indirect allusions to depression/melancholy. Please take care reading and take care of yourself.

IDK word count LOL but not super long, I think.

This idea has been in my drafts for a while, but inspiration came this evening. I hope it's executed well for you. I haven't felt so creative in such a long time and this piece was such a treat to write.

Enjoy and please let me know what you think! Please like, comment, and reblog xo

+++

“My friend, what ails you?” Legolas has not been sure of you, try as he might.

Even though it is just the beginning of the Fellowship’s journey, you walk already battle-weary. You are heavy, it seems, in comparison to your fellow human companions. Aragorn nor Boromir carry themselves this way. Even Frodo, despite the responsibility he carries, retains some of the Hobbit carefree way. It had caused Legolas to wonder, apprehensively in the beginning, if it was the Ring. The more he watched and waited, the more clear it became that it wasn’t. Relief then became mixed with confusion, for if it wasn’t the Ring, what could cause such weight for you to carry? The brief conversations he has shared with you so far have not provided him further insight.

You turn towards him from where you sit. Your face is not unhealthy in anyway, but your eyes are not bright. There is something deep in them for which Legolas does not have the words to explain. You are close enough to be seen from camp, but far enough away that no one has had the heart to disturb you. It is a quiet evening, but even as he approaches, there is something that mixes in with the stillness that is foreign to him.

“Hello, Legolas,” He stands for a moment, unsure. “Please, you are welcome to join.”

You pat the stone next to you as if it is an inviting cushion. It is not.

“Thank you for your inquiry. I am only sad, Legolas.” Your hands settle in your lap. Legolas grows even more confused. Often human weep to express their grief, in his understanding. He has not seen, or heard, you cry once.

You clarify after a moment, sighing and then glancing at him. “There is no cause for it, unfortunately. Otherwise I would ask aid of our Fellowship. It is simply a—” You pause for a moment, trying to find the right words. It takes your brain a short time to unscramble to find something suitable, “condition I endure.”

“The understanding of the complexity of human nature escapes me at this time.”

You laugh is small, “It confounds me often.”

There is a moment, halfway between awkward and friendly, in which you sit together. Trying to explain your feelings to an Elf has not been something anyone ever thought to prepare you for.

Legolas has been an intimidating individual to try and engage for yourself. It has been your own inexperience and reluctance that has caused some of your avoidance of him. Elves had been figures of myths and folklore in the small village where you had been raised. To confront your youth’s inadequate tales against a far different reality has already been mentally exhausting. You always thought Elves would be the kind of stern and serious beings that immortality seemed to produce. Instead, Legolas was often cheery, reveling in merriment.

“There is a type of sadness for humans,” You try to explain. Legolas pays attention, “that can come for us regardless of circumstance or atmosphere. It is different than missing one’s family or saying goodbye, and it is hard to explain and justify even amongst my own kin. What I am feeling now is not something that carries a name for my people; there are a lot who do not try to understand. Some types of human sadness come and go. This type of sadness can be long-lasting. I carry mine with me, it seems, no matter what I go. It stays, though I do not ask it to.”

There is a little bit of shame to your countenance it seems to Legolas, as you glance down at your hands. You are meek in the fading light of the evening.

Legolas is not sure he has seen someone who looks as human as you do, against the backdrop of the trees and earth.

“Your mind seems fragile,” He says.

His words come as a frank observation, although gentled in tone. It is a paradox for something so piercing to be soft. Legolas takes great care to not offend you, even now. You would be offended if another of your race said the same, but there’s something about the way the words come from his mouth that do not make them a personal affront. These words do not seem to change whatever opinion he has of you. (An opinion that seems more positive than one you would give of yourself to him.)

“I suppose you could say that,” Your eyes drift up again to look at the dark sky, small glinting stars beginning to appear through the cracks of the trees. “Most human minds are fragile in some way, I think. We are not made to endure the long passing of time the same as you and your race. We are more effected… more vulnerable, I think. Or rather, vulnerable in different ways.”

Your words are met with Legolas’s silence. The light-hearted elf has turned contemplative. “The burden of human life is not what I have thought it was.”

“I don’t think I quite fully understand it either, thought I bear it,” You respond, lips quirking to the side for a moment. As they meet yours for a short time, Legolas’s eyes shine in the dark. “Although I fear comparison will still leave us lacking. I know little of what it is to be an elf, but I know you and your kind carry grief of your own. It is hard for me to conceive of what it must like to see so much, for so long, and still remain so physically unchanged.”

Legolas hums but then chooses to say nothing about the subject.

“I love the stars,” You say after a brief pause. Legolas does not object, so you continue to talk. “Even in the darkness, when I have had no one else with me, they have comforted me. Sometimes, like tonight, when my heart pulls me inward, they seem to whisper to me and cause my gaze upward.”

There is a companionable silence that follows. You sit next to Legolas, he next to you, as you stare up at the stars glittering across the black expanse of the night.

There is scant touch that comes across your cheek, like a breeze against your skin. A brief warmth follows, fading as quickly as it comes. As you turn your face, Legolas’s hand comes to rest against his side. Your eyes meet and he nods towards the forest path that leads to the camp where the others rest. His gaze is soft on your face.

You don’t think anyone has looked at you as he is now.

“Sleep, ithildin nîn.” You do not know what the words mean but they feel as a balm does, only for your heart and not for your body. “I will keep watch.”

For a little while, you hold his eyes. Legolas does not shy away even though he does not know what the immediate future holds; though he does not know what will become of you, or of him. You nod at his words, gathering your things and standing. You feel his gaze, even through the path you take to camp, on you until you fall asleep.

~~~~

Translation: Ithildin nîn — my starlight.

[loredrinker]

Dragon Age games as show genres

Dragon Age: Origins — The Classic Fantasy  

It’s the classic fantasy set in a bleak, war-torn world where everything is falling apart. The Blight is ravaging Southern Thedas, Darkspawn are everywhere, and the legendary Grey Wardens are supposed to save the day - until they’re wiped out in the opening act. Cue the fellowship! 

It’s a tale of sweeping battles and high-stakes choices, but beneath the epic surface lie some of the most fantastical, wild decisions that fit right into any fantasy setting. Sire an old god baby? Check. Exorcise a demon from an eight-year-old? Check. Crown a bastard prince - or execute him? Totally up to you. And forget dire wolves - you’ve got Dog. 

The stakes are massive, the battles harrowing, but there’s always time for sarcastic banter, passive-aggressive spats, and seduction. It’s a story of heroism, heartbreak, and just enough absurdity to keep the end of the world from feeling too grim. 

Dragon Age II — The Satirical Family Drama 

Welcome to Kirkwall, where everything’s on fire, and everyone’s yelling. Power struggles aren’t just a backdrop - they’re the whole show. Mages, Templars, and the unlucky souls clash in a city teetering on the edge of collapse.  

Your companions? They’re not just along for the dumpster fire - they’re the ones holding the matches. Fenris has enough anger to power the city’s infrastructure, Merrill’s quietly trying to rebuild an ancient mirror that screams “bad idea,” Isabella has definitely stolen something, Hawke is one zombie mom away from a complete meltdown, and Varric’s narrating every juicy detail like it’s his next bestseller. Oh, and let’s not forget Anders - because when has an explosion ever not started a productive conversation? 

Kirkwall isn’t just a city - it’s the dysfunctional dining room table where all the family drama unfolds. 

Dragon Age: Inquisition — The Soap Opera 

On the surface, Inquisition is about world-ending rifts, court intrigue, and saving Thedas from complete annihilation - but beneath the sweeping battles and political machinations, it’s all drama and emotional chaos.  

Welcome to the Inquisition, where secrets lurk around every corner and betrayal is a team sport. Blackwall hides his secrets behind his impressive beard while Solas conceals his with cryptic wisdom and a jawline sharp enough to cut through the Fade. Iron Bull is one questionable decision away from flipping allegiances and Leliana’s perched atop a mountain of secrets, ready to ruin lives with a single song. Meanwhile, the Herald’s handing out judgments like a morally conflicted deity, while desperately trying to keep the team’s approval from imploding.  

The game has everything: battles, intrigue, romance, and plenty of those brooding moments where someone stares dramatically into the distance. 

Tune in next time to Thedas of Our Lives. 

Dragon Age: Veilguard — The Comedy Sitcom 

It’s your new favorite comedy where the stakes are apocalyptic, but the vibes are immaculate. 

Meet Rook and the ragtag team of wildly attractive misfits, saving the world one awkward situation at a time while crashing at their boss’s magic lighthouse. Sure, they’re trying to stop the literal unraveling of existence, but let’s get to the real fun: Can the brooding Grey Warden save the griffons without losing his smolder? Will the dapper necromancer teach his spirit son the difference between shoes and sarcasm? And can the charming assassin and his demon roommate finally admit they’re the ultimate odd couple? 

This team is uncomfortably comfortable with existential horror, turning their “stop Solas” mission into Thedas’s most chaotic group therapy session. And when it’s time to relax? There’s always book club - next up: How to Survive Team Dynamics When Your Boss is the Literal Dread Wolf. 

It’s your perfect blend of heartwarming and absurd situations, with dialogue that loops so much it’s practically a built-in drinking game.  

Sure, the stakes are technically world-ending - Veil, ancient gods, blight, yadda yadda - but, seriously, guys who’s gonna clean up the griffon poop? Cue the laugh track! 

[starsofarda]

Following from here and here :3 It appears that I have enough time and energy for another ficlet <3

Hope you all enjoy!

Legendarium:

ᴛʏᴘᴇᴅ: ʟᴇɢᴏʟᴀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪꜱ ꜱʏʟᴠᴀɴ ᴅɪᴀʟᴇᴄᴛ

Italic: Sindarin

Bold: Khuzdul

Bold red: Ancient Khuzdul

𝒞𝓊𝓇𝓈𝒾𝓋𝑒: 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓎𝒶

And so Maedhros was given some new clothes to replace the ones falling apart that he had when he first entered Lothlorien and was being chaperoned by a couple of guards when not with either the Fellowship or Galadriel herself.

Speaking of, the lady of the Galadhrim dropped on him several scrolls and books. "You will be staying here for a bit. In the meantime you might want to catch up on what happened."

"That's kind of you."

And that made Maedhros realize how bad were things - definitely none of these books skimmed on details, especially when it came to Sauron - and having learned what happened to his nephew Celebrimbor certainly did not do anything except igniting back the flame that first had held him when he put foot on Middle Earth, after the Oath.

Now he understood.

He rushed to the Fellowship.

"Aragorn, which of you is carrying it."

Aragorn looked at the Elf very confused. "What."

"I know. I specifically know what effects have cursed artifacts, it's what brought my brothers and me to a quite early grave. Now. Which one of the children is the one?"

Aragorn quickly relayed the request.

Frodo now was looking at Maedhros with an uneasy expression. "What would he know, if I may ask?"

And once again Aragorn translated back the question. Maedhros sat down, quite resigned on having another akward conversation.

"I understand because my father, my brothers and I once swore a terrible Oath for artifacts both blessed and cursed. That's how we all ended up dying. I see that one of the halflings is carrying its burden, I would recognise that look everywhere, as it was my look too. And I can see that one of you men has been taken by it too, as that was the look two of my brothers had, that got them exiled and then killed."

Of course Boromir looked away, he knew what this ancient Elf was talking about. The latter kept speaking. "Please allow me to help. I need to know if you have sworn an oath."

Frodo spoke again, once everything had been translated. "I understand. I am the one carrying it and you are generally correct, Sir Maedhros. And no, no one is under oath, Lord Elrond was very insistent on not having anyone swear any oath."

Elrond. So he was alive, and hopefully well, and apparently lord of his own realm. Maedhros felt some tears fall down, that he wiped very quickly - apparently not quickly enough for the halflings, who immediately latched onto his arms.

Pippin scowled. "Aw, now you've made him cry again!"

"Don't worry Pip. Plenty of time to remedy that!" Merry replied encouraging.

With that Maedhros excused himself.

---

Galadriel and Celeborn did not actually expect Maedhros, his red hair and the same expression as someone about to kill Morgoth to storm into the throne room.

"Galadriel, why is a halfling with no battle training and with a very soft heart carrying the filth produced by Sauron?"

Galadriel was about to reply, but Maedhros was not finished. "What are we Elves hiding? Why are we not doing anything to fight? Are we really abandoning everyone here? Just like we had all been abandoned to fend for ourselves?"

Galadriel stood up. "Shut up! As if you, of all, have any voice in the matter! Abandoned! Have you heard yourself?"

"I have paid for my sins, I am not here to argue about this. We sent Morgoth and his filth away after the War of Wrath. I died shortly after, why have you all allowed this to fester?"

There was a long awkward silence. Clearly nothing could be said to placate Maedhros, and honestly by that time the only ones holding up with his gaze were Celeborn and Galadriel.

And yet, things could not truly be changed. Maedhros spoke again. "Galadriel, give me weapons. I am going with them."

"Over my dead body. I will not let you bring on another bloodshed." She replied.

"I do not have to uphold an Oath anymore. What I can do is getting rid of Morgoth's filth once and for all. Not for myself, but for everyone, for all the blood that I shed. This is all my bloody hands can do. Maybe this is my role here. Maybe this is wwhy I got re-embodied here."

"Oh, are you not acting very righteous, kinslayer? Now you want to fix what should have never happened in the first place?"

The discussion was getting heated, only Maedhros and Galadriel were now in the room, facing off.

"If we are going by semantics, Galadriel, everyone committed atrocities. Unfortunately the past is in the past."

"But maybe we can do something for the future. Ugh, now I understand where Elrond learned how to argue."

Maedhros assumed a curious expression. "Oh?"

"He married my daughter. He is myson-in-law. Fine. I recall the word kinslayer. Go prove yourself. I will give you weapons. Should I know that you turned against your companions, I will personally hunt you down and kill you."

That seemed to settle all arguments for the moment. Maedhros, feeling satisfied, turned around and went back to watch over the rest of his newly acquired companions.

Well, he did not expect being nearly tackled to the ground by Merry and Pippin, shouting something he really did not understand - luckily his long years as oldest brother made him understand fairly quickly that they were just jesting.

Sam, the third of the halflings offered him a cup of hot drink of somesort, something fairly new to him. "SirMaedhros, have a cup of tea, it's going to lift up your spirits. Mr. Frodo is having a cuppa too."

"Oh Sam, can we have tea too?"

"Of course, granted that you behave. Now leave him alone, he's been unearthed like a potato only a few days ago!" Sam replied to Merry and Pippin, who immediately sat down quietly.

Well, now Maedhros was fully reminiscing his entire family, as he sipped the drink, "tea" as he had understood.

It took him a moment for him to realize that Legolas was near him along with Gimli - the pair had sort of been bonding over similarities whilst in Lothlorien. He sighed. "I am sorry for your father and grandfather too, Legolas."

The latter shrugged. "I am a child compared to them. I have never seen or experienced a kinslayer. I am a lot more forgiving in that sense."

Gimli grumbled. "Well, am I not feeling the atmosphere here?"

Maedhros gave him a half smile. "Don't worry, Master Dwarf, I was simply saying sorry."

"That is thoughtful of you. Although you might not need it."

"I'd rather have a good second life without regrets."

"Ha, that's why you are an upright lad!"

Yeah, he was starting to feel again some sort of warmth, but at the same time the nostalgia stung. It would still be some time before the scars would heal, but the "tea" did taste like a good start.

[wordbunch]

the fellowship meeting their partner’s family

a/n: this brilliant idea was requested by @starlady66! I hope I did okay, let me know how it was 😄 and yes, of course I am including Faramir too. if you liked this fic, consider reblogging it so more people can potentially see it and enjoy 💕 it gives me motivation to write more!

ARAGORN:

is a little quiet at first, but not awkwardly quiet

remembers what you had told him about your family and then brings it up in conversation with the

very very respectful

offers to help with anything and everything, from cooking to cleaning or fixing something

your family thought he was initially just a little odd, but they warmed up to him very quickly

he’s invited to every family gathering right away, you insist that he doesn’t have to come if it’s too much, but he really wants to

💐

BOROMIR:

brings them flowers and a fancy drink at least

wants to bring even more gifts but you reassure him he’s already doing enough

he’s an absolute favorite among your younger siblings/cousins, they don’t want to let him go

and it warms your heart so much

he praises you in front of the family and makes you blush

they all liked him immediately and he was super charming and easygoing, you were the more nervous one

💐

FARAMIR:

not gonna lie, he IS stressed out, but you reassure him he’s perfect and has nothing to worry about

literally practices how he’ll introduce himself and all that

he manages to accidentally fumble something, but it’s a perfect ice-breaker because everybody is laughing

they love him instantly, even if he’s initially a bit quiet and awkward

he was going to bring them some little present, but he forgot

eventually gets so carried away talking and having some deep discussion that you almost fall asleep by his side

💐

FRODO:

simultaneously he’s a nervous wreck, but also knows that he generally makes a good impression on people

runs his hand through his hair a million times to make it look neater

offers to help with the food even though it’s not his strongest suit

asks a lot of questions after he gets comfortable, and listens with interest

accidentally takes a short nap after the meal and is SUPER embarrassed

but nobody takes it the wrong way, it just becomes an inside joke that runs forever

💐

GIMLI:

lots of gifts for everyone. EVERYONE.

you think it’s too much but he just really wants to make a great impression

you’re important to him, so, your family is too

they bonded so quickly that they almost forgot that you were also there (oops lmao)

lots of laughing, and they would be asking him to retell some fun adventures you had together

he compliments the food a lot and eventually they’d pack him some leftovers

💐

LEGOLAS:

you know the charming, charismatic elf that he is? well, you can forget about that, it seems

he feels extremely awkward, no idea why

regardless, your family likes him immediately, even if they do consider him a bit strange

you try to carry the conversation most of the time and he’s very grateful for it

eventually when he gets over himself, he will be very communicative and pleasant

your family asks him a bunch of questions; they’ve never had a guest like that before!

💐

MERRY:

charming and witty as ever, also brings flowers

fits in right away, as if he’s always been a part of the family

they all think he’s hilarious and can’t get enough of his stories

he wants to hear the stories about you when you were a small child (and will use the new information to poke fun at you for eternity)

compliments everyone and everything, loves all the food

also invited to all the family gatherings and events henceforth

💐

PIPPIN:

is nervous, but hides it decently well, or eases it through humor

really wanted to bring a little gift, but forgot

accidentally knocks something over or trips or something like that, but you all just have a laugh about it (he blushes)

he likes to talk about how great you are, so he will definitely comment on that in front of your family too

okay, maybe they did think he was a little too chaotic or immature, but he has a heart of gold and they know it!

you will overhear them commenting on the way he looks at you and how good he treats you

💐

SAM:

brings a half of his garden as a present: flowers, vegetables, you name it

maybe even he cooks/bakes something and then brings it over, then blushes at the compliments

they all love him immediately (who doesn’t!)

loves to listen to your family’s stories about you

offers to help with washing up

a younger sibling/relative of yours asks him something like “when are you going to marry [Y/N]?”

💐

everything taglist: @starlady66​ @lotrnonsense​ @lazyoswald​ @entishramblings​ @thesolarangel​ (ty all for wanting to be tagged and reading my stuff <3)

[a-s-levynn]

I'm terrified to post this. So watch me sprinting away into the distance after dropping this.

Open love letter to -in extension to the wider ST community on tumblr, but especially- to the fellowship of Sleep because without you, life would be much more lonely

My Friends,

It was today when it finally dawned on me that you gave me the most undescribably precious gift. Many of you probably going to relate to this to some degree because i am not unique in any sense but i had to get this out. And by just the sheer lenght probably not many of you will read it. But i still need to put this out there, even if i'm being obnoxious and probably sound overdramatic and maybe even cringy.

I struggle with a lot of things. Anxiety, self doubt, depression, paranoia, self destructive tendencies, self isolation and the list goes on to even darker places. All in all i have a suboptimal mental state to put it lightly. I feel inadequate in many ways. Especially with connecting to people.

To this day, i struggle every day, seeing my friends, you, talk on a daily basis, have inside jokes and wonderful conversations and whatnot and either i like it or not, thoughts intrude: "am i doing enough? Am i a good enough of a friend? Do i really have a place among these wonderful bright souls? Am i intruding? Am i inserting myself into spaces i do not have any right to be? Am i forcing myself into your circles?"

For the longest time, on most days the conclusion was no. I do not belong. You were just being nice to the pathetic little creature in the corner because by nature you are simply kind. But as the weeks went by i learned that you are also awkward people with your own stuggles and hardships which are far harder and more painful than mine. That you are choosing to be kind every day, in spite of what life threw at you. Because you know.

I started to see you also crave a particular type of companionship and you reach out with the same trembling hands, hoping that someone sees it and grabs it. That someone finally says: you are not alone. I am here. For you. With you.

And you did. You've seen a bunch of hands fumbling in the dark, desperate to hold onto something and went: yeah.. i think i'll grab all of them. Because we are coming from the same darkness. And if i can help pull you into the light than you might have the strenght to do the same for me, so we can all sit in the warmth of the fire. The fire we built together. A fire that is growing ever brighter and allowes us to see even more hands on the edges to be pulled and invited into the circle.

So we have. For a while sitting almost silently, showing the things we found along the way. Tentatively feeling out the boundries. Than we broke the silence. You even started to call me your friend at some point. I already considered you mine because i'm painfully lonely and just the gesture, that you included me among the hands you grabbed was enough for me to see you mine. But all in all, for some unknowable reason, we became friends.

The weeks turned into months and i felt a bit more comfortable to approach you on my own clumsy and awkward ways. Many of you know by now that Tiny Token was born because i was too afraid to send a happy birthday ask to someone. I still apologize regularly just for adding thoughts to posts even if i only do it in tags. I am afraid. Of so many thing.

We still don't talk daily. Yet we still call each other friend. We have actual plans now. I still stuggle with the though of not being enough. There are still days when i feel you just feeling pity towards me.

But lately there is an other thought there. Which makes me feel bad for thinking that way. A thought that's never been there before. "If i was truly bothersome or annoying or any way too unpleasent, you could simply walk away. This is the internet after all. You could just block me. You have the option to walk away but you are time and time again choosing not to. No matter how many days pass by with us not talking, you are there. I can count on you. I'm still hesitant to reach out and dump my superficial adversities on you. But i also see you keeping the door ajar, leaving the option there to be approached if anyone needs it. So it would be not just a disservice but an outright insult to you if i'd think you are just acting out of pity. But if you like me than.. there has to be something about me to actually to be worth knowing?"

And that is doing something that ten years worth of failed therapy could not. You made me question my self doubt. It is still there and will be for the rest of my life. But now there is a steady counter balance i never had this solidly in my life ever before.

I'm still afraid to ask even if anyone would be up for a talk, let alone a call because i have little to offer in conversations. I don't talk much by default and that is not a good base for conversations. I'm still terrified of overstaying my welcome. But i also know now that you probably wouldn't mind from time to time. Because you understand. Maybe one day i will get there. I don't know when but there is a hope i never truly had before.

This is something i will never be able to repay you. Thank you for understanding that we all have different levels of anxiety and fear and not holding it against one and other. I'm writing this to you with immens love and eternal gratitude i cannot truly express in any way that does it justice: Thank you for showing me hope. Thank you for being the way you are.

You gave me the biggest gift there is to give.

You gave me your friendship.

I love you.

Yours in friendship,

Levynn

[chronicallyaunline]

Legolas makes more sense if he’s autistic

I recently re-watched the Lord of the Rings movies and I couldn’t help noticing how strange some of Legolas’s behaviour is. So many of his lines are unconnected to a broader conversation, and when they’re directed at others they often feel at odds with the scene.

Alternative theories for why Legolas is weird:

Bad acting

Bad writing

That’s just how elves are

I’m going to disregard the meta analysis for now, but there is a decent body of evidence that elves do not behave the same way Legolas does. In fact, I think his weirdness is camouflaged by being the only elf in most scenes. The other characters and audience members are more likely to attribute his behaviour to being an elf than to him being whatever the Middle Earth equivalent of autistic is. All the elf characters love being aloof and saying cryptic bullshit, but this is something beyond that.

Some evidence:

Flat affect, issues with empathy

After Gandalf is believed to have died, the Fellowship is in Lothlorien where an elf choir sings a lament to Gandalf. Legolas tells the group that it’s for Gandalf, but then says he can’t tell them what is being said because the grief is too fresh for him. His facial expression and tone are extremely flat. He isn’t malicious and doesn’t seem to lie anywhere else in the series, which suggests that he really does feel so intensely sad that he can’t tell the others what is being said about Gandalf. The fact that he feels that level of emotion with an entirely straight face reads like autism. A few minutes after this scene we see Galadriel experience intense fear, and in some scenes Elrond is visibly angry, which suggests that low emotional affect isn’t a facet of the species. It’s unique to Legolas.

While it doesn’t make sense for him to be purposefully unkind, telling people that their friend is being eulogized in a language they don’t speak and then refusing to translate is an odd choice. Why tell them at all if he wasn’t going to tell them what was being said? It seems like he struggles to understand what the impact of that would be on others.

Poor interoception (understanding of one’s own emotions and body signals)

During a drinking competition Legolas appears slightly confused when he discovers that he’s experiencing symptoms of drunkenness. Legolas has been alive for centuries. It doesn’t seem plausible that he’s never had a large quantity of alcohol before. We don’t see other drunk elves in this series so intoxication could be highly unusual for them, but it still seems odd that Legolas would be surprised by a bodily experience (tingling fingers) being connected to drinking. He only identifies a “slight tingling” as a symptom, yet his movements and speech are slowed in a way that suggests that he is more affected than he realises. He has just failed to pick up on what is happening.

Unusual social behaviour

Aragorn shares a plan to help Frodo by diverting Sauron’s attention with an army. Legolas unhelpfully summarizes with, “a diversion.” He also smiles slightly after saying this, which makes it come across as genuine rather than sarcastic. Either he has wildly underestimated the intelligence of everyone else in the room, is voicing his interal monologue, or is making an awkward attempt to be part of the conversation. There is no evidence elsewhere of him considering the other characters stupid or of him voicing his thoughts aloud. This looks more like mirroring, trying to be part of the conversation by parroting back what someone else said. This statement adds nothing to the conversation except to get him involved, which may be the true goal.

When Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli first meet Eomer, Gimli says something rude to him and Eomer says that he would cut off Gimili’s head if it were further from the ground. Legolas responds by drawing an arrow and threatening Eomer, which takes a tense but calm interaction and escalates it into a stand off. There was nothing about Eomer’s behaviour to suggest that he was actually going to harm Gimili. It was more about trading aggressive banter than an actual threat to Gimli’s life. It’s Legolas who unnecessarily escalates the situation and causes the Rohirrim to draw their weapons. He isn’t dangerously impulsive elsewhere in the movies, which makes me think he didn’t understand the interaction. He took Eomer’s words as a genuine threat and reacted as though Gimli was already in danger, which doesn’t seem to have been the case.

Conclusion

I’m of the opinion that a neurotypical Legolas is kind of a bad character. It makes it difficult to get a sense of his internal life, what motivates him or why he responds the way he does. So much of what he does and says seems like the writers and actor just didn’t know what to do with him. That may be the case, but if we re-interpret his behaviour as elf autism, he’s a more interesting and sympathetic character. I think we are always meant to interpret him as having a different brain from humans, but even the oldest and wisest elves interact more “correctly” with others. I’m not suggesting that Legolas was written as intentionally autistic, but so much of what makes him an erratically-written neurotypical character makes him a plausibly written autistic character.

[thesevenwondersofawitch]

Watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Subspace Rhapsody

(spoilers for the musical episode)

I can't believe La'An and Kirk still haven't gotten that drink yet

(I mean obviously I can, La'An is so relatably awkward)

Have I mentioned how much I love Pelia? Because I do

Also her hair is gorgeous

I have dreamed of this exact scenario for all of my fandoms since I was little and it makes me so happy 😂(them all getting stuck singing)

(we all love a good dance break)

SPOCK IS SINGING

Holy shit, they're all so good at this

Oh I think this song about it being most peculiar is my absolute favorite song

THEY'RE ALL FANTASTIC SINGERS

Kirk: "Honestly I had assumed it was all something you rehearsed but then I sang too"

The crew members just looking at Una and Kirk as they sing😂

This must've been the absolute best thing to flim

Oh noooooo

La'An looks sad seeing the pair dancing 🥺

The flashback to her Kirk🥺😭

Ah yes, the classic Hollywood scene of a couple looking at each other under a white sheet with light somehow framing them perfectly

The Kirk brothers bickering 😂 the writers and actors were spot-on for siblings

OH NO

"Marie, I'm gonna call you back."

"Oh no, no you don't" the alarm in his eyes😂

Safe to say, it's not a private conversation 😂 I love that he fell to his knees and La'An immediately turned the thing off

THE WHOLE FLEET HAS IT?(the singing bug) AWESOME!

I mean, not for them

La'An looks like she's gonna be sick at the idea of working together with James🥺

Oh wow, they're floating(Una and La'An)

I kinda ship them

That's gotta hurt, Spock finding out about Christine's getting the fellowship by seeing her celebrating with others

Everyone dancing 😂

Damn, Christine saying if she has to leave Spock, she's not gonna fight it, ouch

Oh damn, La'An took a gamble telling Jim how she felt, and he just broke her heart a bit by being in another relationship

WHAT THE FUCK CAROL IS PREGNANT? POOR LA'AN

Also, I have no idea who tf Carol is

Spock is definitely in his emo/angst phase

Uhura's song is so damn heartbreaking 🥺😭

A grand finale of everyone singing? This will be fantastic 😂

Oh my god, it is fantastic

Pelia is freaking gorgeous and her singing with Spock and La'An makes me so happy

The doctor seeming to be posing while Christine spins is so funny and adorable to me😂

THIS IS SO GOOD

I have chills

THE KLINGONS?!!

I'm dead I was not expecting this one at all

Even the ships themselves are dancing

The way everyone looked at Uhura with dread when she started humming😂

I think this was probably my favorite episode of Strange New Worlds, if not my favorite Star Trek episode EVER!

20/10 would recommend watching

[too-destiny-panda]

Wyllvember Day 18: OTP

A/N: This prompt just gave me the excuse to talk about Wyll and my Tav lol. For those that have read my other ficlets for Wyllvember, this is the Tav I have in mind in all of them, if mentioned. I didn't give my Tav a name, because although I love her to pieces, I would rather not name drop an OC that I will likely never bring up again in a different context. Prompts are posted by @sagscrib, additionally tagging @commander-yinello WC: 782

Wyll never thought he would be able to settle down in peace, at least not since he had signed a pact with Mizora. He resigned himself to forever adventuring, forever roaming without proper home, and when he eventually died, to forever belonging to the blue devil. And although he desperately wished there was a way to change that, he came to terms with his seemingly unchangeable fate. Until he was thrown into the turbulent circumstance of having a parasite stuck to his brain. That’s when the first slivers of hope, of change began to appear.

They were subtle at first. Slight whispers of longing in his heart he attributed to fellowship, eyes following their leader's every movement, the curve of her face as she sat by the fire, that he attributed to curiosity. But the lingering touches when he helped her up, the unconscious smile when she chuckled at his stories, the fluttering of his heart when she shyly revealed a piece of her childhood, entrusting him with the memory. That was no coincidence. And so, he tried to spend more time with her. He would stay up later than usual to sit with her while on watch, to either whisper conversation or simply observe the human woman as she mended arrows or read. He couldn’t help but admire her warm eyes, the curve of her lips, the way her hands nimbly moved with practised ease as she busied themselves in the quiet of the night. That was when he first admitted to himself there may have been more to the ceaseless warmth in his chest than friendship.

When he asked the ranger to dance, her nervous smile and uncertain movements almost made him worry he overstepped despite their earlier kiss at the party, but as she accepted his hand after displaying dancing skills only taught to nobles, it was almost as if everything fell into place. He may not know more about her than the nickname, Tav, she called herself or the tidbits of their previous adventures she sometimes shared, but he knew right there and then as they looked into each other’s eyes that this was the person his heart longed for. This was the peace he dreamed about.

Later, right before they parted ways for the night, Tav pulled him closer to press one final, soft kiss to his lips, and whispered her name into the air as they parted, those golden brown eyes betraying vulnerability, and he almost couldn’t contain the waves of affection that came over him then.

Slowly, as their journey progressed, the mysterious ranger made an effort to stop being so mysterious, at least around him. Wyll felt incredibly giddy that she was dropping her walls because of him, for him. Of course, the others began learning about their leader more as well, but that was byproduct of traveling with others in such proximity. He didn’t mind. The blush that sometimes overtook those cheeks and the bashful lack of eye contact was his doing, after all. And eventually, during one of their evening cuddle sessions, he pieced together that she was the shy, socially awkward wallflower he danced with at one of the masquerades, her lovely giggles, breathtaking dancing and admissions about how sunflowers were one of their most beloved flowers leaving him with a strong enough impression that everyone else paled in comparison since that day. He made sure to ask Halsin to druidcraft him one later to give to her.

They became the subject of everyone’s teasing as well, because even though they did their best to not engage in anything lovey-dovey outside of camp, the looks, and smiles, as well as protectiveness in battle could only be described as devotion. Of  course, while in camp there were no such restrictions, and although Tav was more comfortable with being affectionate in private, she didn’t stop him from holding her close while eating or from holding her hand as they talked. According to Astarion, the pair almost make him starve himself from the pure amount of ‘tooth-rotting fluff his palate is subjected to’. And although the elf was prone to dramatics, the Blade supposes his description wasn't entirely inaccurate.

But that didn’t bother him. Because when they finally had a tavern floor all to themselves, the sweet nothings they whispered, the soft touches they bestowed upon him, the praise about his very being that rolled of their tongue almost mindlessly during one of his rougher nights was something Wyll Ravengard would cherish for the rest of his existence, whatever that may be. Because now, his peaceful fate was holding him in their arms and stroking his back absentmindedly and that was all he could ask for.

[carolina-swifthoof]

Earthmother's Blessings

Today was a remarkable day, one that reminded me of the Earthmother’s boundless generosity and the interconnectedness of our lives.

I ventured into the city early this morning with the intention of acquiring some much-needed supplies for our tribal grounds. As I walked through the bustling streets, my attention was drawn to a humble bull seated near a post, meticulously whittling a small totem. Intrigued, I approached him and learned that he was crafting a totem of protection for a friend. This sight stirred a memory within me of a totem that had been a source of strength during my own difficult times.

Feeling a sudden impulse, as if guided by a whisper from the Earthmother herself, I retrieved the totem from my satchel and handed it to the bull. His name, I soon discovered, was Quoko Sun-Forest. He accepted my gift with profound gratitude, and we spent some time in conversation. I shared stories of my tribe and the fellowship we hold dear. To my surprise, Quoko revealed that he was without a tribe.

I didn't want him to make a hasty decision, so I suggested that he walk with us for a while and experience the fellowship of our tribe. It was at this moment that a fellow tribesman and Quoko's Pandaren friend, Barbatos, arrived. Introductions were made all around, and we soon found ourselves immersed in discussions about the joys of the Earthmother and the deep respect we Shu’halo have for her.

Quoko and Barbatos seemed receptive to our ways, though I made sure to caution them against joining us without true understanding and conviction. Chor echoed my sentiments, reinforcing the importance of thoughtful consideration before committing to our tribe.

The conversation flowed easily and warmly, with nary an awkward moment until we neared the end of our time together. Quoko mentioned something about bringing members of the Alliance into our fold. While this did not trouble me personally, I could see that it struck a nerve with Kueya and Chorwador. The scars of past conflicts run deep, but I have made my peace, understanding that the true enemy was the Legion.

As the sun began to set, we parted ways with promises to meet again. I walked back to our tribal grounds with a heart full of gratitude. Today, I witnessed the Earthmother’s hand at work, bringing together strangers and weaving new bonds of friendship and understanding. I feel hopeful for what lies ahead, and I am reminded that in every encounter, there is an opportunity to grow and to heal.

May the Earthmother continue to guide us all.

Carolina Swifthoof

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Re-reading The Fellowship of the Ring for the First Time in Fifteen Years

Ok, you guys...these hobbits have me kicking my feet and absolutely adoring them in this chapter. Honestly, I'm really starting to come around to understanding why people think that the movies did the characterization of the hobbits dirty. I still love the movies, but I am increasingly loving this book and the relationships between our hobbits. Literally, why did nobody tell me that Merry is HELLA competent and probably should actually be running this mission??? Let's talk "A Conspiracy Unmasked."

So for like most of the last chapter, Frodo was over here panicking about how he's going to tell his friends that he's leaving and feeling guilty about making them help him move for fakesies, and I totally get where he's coming from. Moving sucks, and they did a ton for him.

So my face probably about mirrored Frodo's when Merry interrupts Frodo's suuuuuuuuuuuuuper awkward attempts to come clean and just goes,

...you are miserable, because you don't know how to say goodbye. You meant to leave the Shire, of course. But danger has come on you sooner than you expected, and now you are making up your mind to go at once. And you don't want to. We are very sorry for you.

SOMEBODY PUT THIS HOBBIT IN CHARGE. Especially after he comes clean about running the little spy ring with Sam and Pippin. The literal "Bro, you're not nearly as good at keeping secrets as you think you are, we've known about the ring for literal decades" reveal was SO ON POINT, especially for a group of longtime friends. Thinking you can pull one over on your friends and them just going, "Congrats, you're the last to know" is one of my favorite things.

I also love that Merry is fully prepared to just be absolutely blunt about this. Frodo is...philosophical, introspective, and deeply worried about maintaining group dynamics, harmony, and safety. Conversely, Merry has an intrinsic trust in those group dynamics and leans on them to make sure that everyone knows where Frodo is so he doesn't give them the slip. Merry's reveal of Sam as the master spy was also sheer gold:

"Where is he?" said Frodo, looking round, as if he expected a masked and sinister figure to come out of a cupboard. "Step forward, Sam!" said Merry; and Sam stood up with a face scarlet up to the ears. "Here's our collector of information! And he collected a lot, I can tell you, before he was finally caught. After which, I may say, he seemed to regard himself as on parole, and dried up."

Merry was running a successful spy ring that neither Bilbo NOR APPARENTLY GANDALF noticed in the freaking Shire, the small-town gossip central of Middle Earth. He moved Frodo with less fuss than any move I've ever experienced--he even had baths and dinner ready to go!!!--and he was fully up to speed on the Ring and the scope of what the mission at this point is. All of this while wrangling Sam and Pippin to make sure that Frodo didn't disappear on them. Seriously, I'm just deeply impressed by Meriadoc Brandybuck, and if this is indicative of the Brandybucks in general, then the rest of the Shire needs to stop disparaging them.

I also cannot believe that we are STILL on the freaking Sackville-Bagginses, but APPARENTLY they are just the worst, because without them being so awful that Bilbo was more than happy to use the One Ring to disappear just to avoid passing them on the road, Merry would never have seen that little disappearing trick. And if he had never seen that trick, then he wouldn't have known to set up his little spy ring and keep that close an eye on Frodo. Literally, I need to know who the Sackville-Bagginses were to Tolkien, because there is some serious beef there beyond narrative usefulness.

OOH ALSO: Crack theory time, because this chapter specifically says that Bucklanders "were not very different from the other hobbits of the four farthings. Except in one point: they were fond of boats, and some of them could swim." WERE SMEAGOL AND DEAGOL BRANDYBUCKS??? I have no further evidence to back this up, but like...I enjoy the thought that there might be an extremely distant familial relationship between Frodo and Gollum.

I'm also feeling a lot of sympathy for Frodo at the end of this chapter. Not being able to sleep because of stress and achy legs sucks, and then to have a vaguely ominous dream sucks, and it definitely does not set his ass up for a strong start in the morning, which I think he's going to need, because they're getting out the door early the next morning.

We'll pick up with our hobbits next time, and finally see if we can't actually get out of the Shire without a direct encounter with the Black Riders. (I know, they make it to Weathertop before they get nailed, and there's a close call at the Prancing Pony, but I only know that from the movies, I don't remember if they have any other close calls around those events.)

[pastorsperspective]

The Beautiful Uncomfortable Awkward

Friday is here again! If you missed Sunday’s sermon you can listen to it here: https://fb.watch/mNKkjsiIQd/ Until some of you out there start asking your own questions or sharing your own thoughts, I’m afraid you’re stuck with mine. I had a good time challenging Pastor Chad this week to answer a bit of an uncomfortable series of questions, but then again, the entire message was about striving to get comfortable with the uncomfortable; was it not? We hope you enjoy our conversation about last weeks message titled: “A New Life: Matthew the Changed.” The accompanying scripture was from Matthew 9:9-13.

Pastor Chad, I know we have talked about this before, that church is supposed to be "a safe place for the sick, the sinner and the scarred and the prodigals", just like the song says. (Truth Be Told by Matthew West) But you're right when you say that those people aren't walking through our doors because they don't feel safe. So, my main question is, what are we doing about that?

This is a great question and I think we turn to our Biblical predecessors for guidance in this. We start with Jesus who went to the hungry, the hopeless, the lost, the marginalized, and brought them love, food, healing, nurture, hope, and fellowship. In our communion liturgy we say every time, “and ate with sinners.” I tend to throw in the word ‘even’ and “EVEN ate with sinners.” John the Baptist was out in the wilderness and highways and byways finding people who needed Good News in their life. Paul went and wrote to churches all over telling them to go preach and teach about the God who loves us and wants a relationship with us. And we could go on and on with examples. The idea is that we MUST look beyond our walls at what needs there are and how to address them. In the movie Of Gods and Men there is a moment where the monks speak about being birds on a branch unsure if they will fly. The lady from the community says “we are the birds you are the branch. If you leave, we lose our foundation.” We have to ask ourselves, if we leave as a church, would this community feel the same? Would they lose their foundation?

We have these wonderful ministry programs. We help feed the hungry by collecting food for the food pantry. We help community families by offering an after-school program one afternoon a week with Homework Club. We have the standard programs for kids like VBS, Youth, and Children's Church. We have the unique C3'd group that reaches out to the kids who feel marginalized or unwelcome in other church youth groups, which is fantastic. All these things are truly great, but HOW are we really reaching people beyond these walls? How would anyone know they'll be welcome here?

I think in this question lies both the challenge and the excitement of endless possibility. We do so much good here that is amazing and I feel assured God smiles down on daily. But we can never be complacent. There is always more work to be done, and must venture into the uncomfortable parts of our community and the world to continue to grow and bring Christ to those who do not yet know that God that loves them dearly. This is the work of the Kingdom, this is the praise we offer to God, this is what it means to follow Jesus.

That’s true, but you didn’t really answer the question. We want that. We hope for that. We can never become complacent and we must get comfortable with going to the uncomfortable places to reach people, but DO we? Do you think people know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our doors are open and that they would be welcome? 

Well in short, no. I mean that’s the point and reason for the sermon. If we were doing this to the fullest extent then there would be no point in preaching this message.  But what church CAN actually boast this? I don't think any can, which is the problem. I think this is something every church all over Christendom is working on. Because there’s room for growth, we have to address it, name it, and own it. I think we have a lot of good, but there’s so much room to grow here. 

Exactly. If it seems like I’m pushing a bit, I am. Not out of disrespect or unbelief that people are welcome- I KNOW that they are. However, as someone who has been on the outside looking in as a visitor many times, in many different places; rarely did I feel that “come as you are” acceptance that we talk about. At my life’s lowest and most uncomfortable places rarely did I feel genuinely (and gently) pursued by someone who just cared enough to meet me where I was. I guess my question was what are we doing as a church to foster that for people who might not feel welcome? Or are we? Are we actually going OUTSIDE of these walls and meeting people in their uncomfortable places? 

I think, again, the answer is we aren't as much as we could. Sure, it’s happening on various levels and we do attempt this, but not to the extent that Jesus did. There is always a level of how can we continue to do more and grow and be the church that goes and seeks out the hungry, lost, broken, etc… Instead of the church that just expects them to just get fed up with life and come find us. In this is the wonderful hope for the future of what we can grow into. 

It’s hard. We live in a scary world. We are constantly having to be concerned with our safety as well. Stepping outside these walls poses its own set of risks and that’s something we always have to take into consideration as well. Yet, I think about Jesus and I think about how He never considered His own safety when He ministered. Well, I guess He never considered His safety, ever. His mortal ending was brutal… And He knew it would end that way. Still, He did everything that He did. It blows my mind that we (myself included) let merely being uncomfortable stop us from doing things that might help others.

*sigh*

There’s a song that I hold deep down in my heart that always brings tears to my eyes when it gets to the lines:

But when she opens up her heart nobody’s got the time

Could this be the day that you come to the rescue

She’s desperate for the light but she’s never gonna ask you

One word, one hand

Tell me is that too high a price

One awkward moment

Could be the one that saves a life

Your hurt, your scars

God will use to open up her eyes

One awkward moment

You’ll see the gospel come alive

Maybe we all need to be a lot more uncomfortable and a lot more awkward a lot more often… If you have some time today, check out One Awkward Moment by Casting Crowns https://youtu.be/W3rE_Szi6gY?si=v7hf4o9OhlLJ5Vn2

And have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. May you find a moment to be beautifully awkward.