#they're all elves so it's a Little Odd

[softlysilverfountainsfall]

There is an oft-repeated scene in the Silm when one of Our Heroes has died fighting a noble but hopeless battle that they chose, and someone, somehow buries them properly AND it is specifically mentioned in the text that the grave lay undisturbed until some far future date (usually the breaking of Beleriand).

This happens to Finrod, to Fingolfin (though his grave was only undisturbed until Gondolin fell), and Glorfindel. For other dead characters, this precise formula does not occur.

(Beren and Luthien die natural mortal deaths and no one knows where they are buried, Feanor spontaneously combusts and none of his sons' burials are ever mentioned, and Turgon dies & is presumably "buried" in the collapse of his tower. Hurin, Morwen, and Nienor aren't buried [edit: Morwen was buried]; Finduilas and Turin are buried but it is not specifically mentioned that their graves were undisturbed afterwards. Barahir is buried by Beren but it isn't specifically mentioned that his grave was inviolate. Aredhel's grave isn't mentioned, neither is Thingol's, Dior's, or Nimloth's. Aegnor, Angrod, Orodreth, and Gwindor die in battle against the enemy but in a battle that came to them (Bragollach and of Nargothrond respectively) and was one they had to fight, not a hopeless battle that they chose and their graves' aren't mentioned.)

You will notice that I have not mentioned Fingon, who was famously "beat[en] into the dust with their maces...they trod [his banner] into the mire of his blood," or any who died in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and were dumped in a pile by Morgoth's forces to create the Hill of the Slain/Haudh-en-Ndengin/Hill of Tears/Haudh-en-Nirnaeth.

The Nirnaeth is, of course, the ultimate noble but hopeless battle, and Fingon especially typifies that. (Relatedly, Azahgal's body is successfully borne away by his troops, presumably for a long-lasting burial place.) The Hill of the Slain is meant to be a symbol of Morgoth's power and a place of dreadful carnage and disrespect for those who fell and should break my argument--

But in one sentence Tolkien turns all that around:

"But grass came there and grew again long and green upon that hill, alone in all the desert Morgoth made; and no creature of Morgoth trod thereafter upon the earth beneath which the swords of the Eldar and the Edain crumbled into rust"

--and the symbol of Morgoth's total victory becomes a sacred, untouched grave of heroes.

[ittybittyfanblog]

I Exist to Nobody (but you.) – Part 1

Summary: You meet your soulmate on a serendipitous afternoon in your grandparents' backyard.

And on all levels except physical, Xavier is a normal boy.

Word Count: 4.2k

Tags: fem!reader x xavier, you x xavier (no use of Y/N), imaginary friend AU, imaginaryfriend!xavier, childhood friends (to lovers, but not in this chapter!), themes of codependency?, lil sprinkle of family issues lol, growing up, time skips as a plot device, again– pretty self-indulgent 

A/N: I understand that AUs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay! Xavier’s always been a comfort character to me and I wanted to write something different for him, which led to this baby <3 

Lmk if you guys fw this through likes/comments/reblogs; they're always appreciated!

(art + banners are made by urs truly x)

Part I

You stand a little over three feet, and your hair is in braids. 

You’re wearing your Sunday special; a pretty purple dress with a frilly skirt and your favorite pair of stripe-print leggings. Your sparkly jelly ballerinas have been long since discarded somewhere in the grass as you run barefoot in your grandparents’ backyard. 

You’re playing hopscotch by yourself, with the family Shiba for company. The sky is starting to turn into a pretty orange hue and you hear your mom calling from inside the house when you see something white move from the corner of your eye. 

With all the curiosity befitting a four-year-old, your tiny feet carry you in the direction where you saw it; near the mossy undergrowth, beneath the canopy shade of the old Kousa dogwood tree that stood for more than four generations behind the residential building you’d spent some days hiding in when you didn’t want to go back inside for dinner. 

It’s as safe a spot to you as it is familiar, so it takes you by surprise when you find something unexpected; in the form of a small, pale boy with hair the color of rain clouds in the summer, sitting with his legs up to his chin, looking like one of those little elves in your fairytale books. 

A pair of blue eyes meet yours, alight in childlike wonder.

_____

Xavier doesn’t know how he came to be– just that he’s now present in this plane of existence, in the phantom body of a four-year-old boy, in a place he knows human beings call a back-yard. 

He knows this– just as he knows things on an objective level; like what a house is, what the creature covered in fur is called (a small wolf), or what a human girl looks like. 

What he doesn’t understand is the knee-jerk reaction to hide when his sudden appearance catches your attention, which brings him to his current attempt at concealing himself amidst a thicket; beneath the tree with star-like blooms. 

He doesn’t account for the beating of his heart when your searching gaze lands on him, nor the unfamiliar excitement of being seen feels like. 

“Hi!” You finally exclaim after a few seconds of consideration, squatting down in front of him. Xavier notices that you’re missing a front tooth when you give him a big smile. He also notices how his heartbeat quickens at the sight. “Are you an elf?!” 

“No,” he responds quietly. “I’m human. I think.” 

His voice sounds odd to his ears. 

“Oh,” you say with an undercurrent of disappointment. “Well, that’s okay! I’m human too!”

You say it with such enthusiasm that Xavier’s lips pull up in a hesitant smile.

Bouncing back up to your feet, you pat away the nonexistent dirt from your dress and extend a hand towards him. “D’you wanna play with me? Oh, oh– we can play hide-and-seek! You seek, I hide!” 

You're off to run somewhere before he could answer. He doesn't know what hide-and-seek entails, nor what it means to be amongst the living.

He doesn’t know that many things, but he thinks he’d like to know more about you.  

___

You head inside the house after your mom calls you for a fourth time, her voice straining in (rising) agitation. Towing behind you is your new (best!) friend, who you decide is joining you for dinner. 

“This is Xavier!” You point at the boy sitting on the chair you dragged near yours, eyes wide as he takes in the spread on the table in front of him. “I saw him outside and we played hide-and-seek!”  

Your mom exchanges a look with your grandmother. She glances at the chair beside you, then at you. 

She sees your wide grin. Resigned, she sighs and smiles indulgently. 

“Hello, Xavier.” 

The boy perks up at that. She could also–?

…No. 

It’s not obvious at first glance. But when he studies the expression of the woman who shares the same nose and chin as his new friend, he notices that her eyes look past him. Not at him. 

Xavier falters upon realizing the… facade. He is aware that his form isn’t as corporeal compared to yours. His skin has a certain translucent quality to it, more obvious under the stark, fluorescent lighting. The manner in which he moves isn’t unlike the minute particles floating in the air; more buoyant, less solid. Less tangible. Less aliv–

You squeal in excitement, and he’s distracted. He watches as you turn in your seat to face him– to look straight into his eyes and tell him–

“I’m your bestest friend now, okay?” 

You say it as a statement; like a promise. And for a second, he feels more present in the world.

So you are. His bestest friend. 

Xavier’s chest feels warm; he likes the sound of that. 

___

“Grandpa, Xavier says your beard looks funny!”

“Huh? Who’zat??” 

_____

You learn the concept of an imaginary friend after introducing Xavier to person number six, who happens to be your preschool teacher. 

You overhear her discussing boring adult stuff with your mom when the latter comes to pick you up after school. You and Xavier are in a corner, playing princess and knight. It’s just the two of you, away from the other kids, since your friends refused to join when you’d asked them if they wanted to play too. 

Or rather– they don’t think it’s fair that you just made someone up to be the knight, and have them play the villains. 

That confused you. You also notice how it made your best friend sad. So in the end, you decided that you don’t need anyone else! Xavier is already the best knight who is now also an evil dragon.

“Honey, don’t you want to play with your other classmates?” Your teacher, Miss Dahlia, asks you as she and your mom amble closer to where you and Xavier are; her tone gentle, yet careful. 

You shake your head, a ‘harrumph!’ leaving your mouth. “They didn’t wanna play villains with us. But ‘sokay, Xavier is an evil knight dragon now.” 

Miss Dahlia smiles the same smile your mother gave you at dinner last night. “Oh, of course, sweetie. But maybe you and… Xavier can find someone else to join you?” 

Your brows furrow, starting to feel irritated about the whole thing. “I told you, they don’t wanna! They said they dun’ wanna have someone made up play the knight!” 

Your mom sighs and the two share a look. 

After a moment of hesitation, your teacher begins to explain how your friends “may not be able to see” Xavier since he’s special and only appears to you. That “It’s good you’re being very independent, sweetie, as long as you don’t let Xavier prevent you from hanging out with your actual friends.”

Because, according to Miss Dahlia, he’s just an imaginary friend. 

You blink, not understanding. Xavier is silent beside you. “Huh?” 

You’re looking at the boy in question, trying to make sense of how the other kids – and apparently, everyone else – can’t see him when he’s sitting right there. You don’t understand, and it’s making you more annoyed. 

So the moment Miss Dahlia finishes talking, you tell her that you’re happy playing with just Xavier, and that you’re gonna continue to play princess and evil knight dragon now, please and thank you. 

___

Back home, you and your imaginary friend lie starfish on the floor of your bedroom. You stay quiet while you count the barely visible water spots on your ceiling, waiting for the other person to speak. 

He doesn’t. 

Feeling fidgety, you break the silence. “They don’t see you.”

“I-I don’t think so.” 

“But I see you.” You stress the word, turning on your left to look at Xavier when you say it. 

“Yes,” He agrees, twisting his head to the right so that he’s facing you too. You try to figure out how he’s feeling about the situation – with all the naivety of a child your age – but his expression doesn’t give much away. 

You’re about to ask him directly when, finally, his lips curve into a small smile. A knot loosens in your chest.

“Don’t worry,” Xavier assures you. “That’s enough for me.” 

_____

You lost another round of hide-and-seek.

“‘S not fair,” you grouse, stomping a foot in frustration. “You always find me so fast!”

“We could always play tag instead,” Xavier offers. 

“As if you don’t win at tag too!” 

_____

It’s another bright, sunny Tuesday and your mom leaves you with her usual instruction to behave well for Mrs Dela Peña, a kind – albeit a little strict – lady in her mid-seventies who lives a block away from your house, and your babysitter since you were in diapers. You’re eight now, and starting to make heads with your multiplication tables, but your mom still thinks you’re a big baby that needs looking after. 

You think you’re old enough to be left alone during your summer break when she has to go to work, but she refuses to leave you by your lonesome no matter how much you insist. 

“I have Xavier with me anyway!” 

Your mom just shakes her head whenever you use that as an argument, not bothering with a response. 

So with the usual pout on your face, you stand at the front door with your arms crossed as you grudgingly bid your mother goodbye. 

“–and don’t forget to eat all your greens later at lunch, okay?” She reminds you one last time before giving you a wet kiss on the forehead. You scrunch your nose as you wipe it off. “Love you, honey. I’ll be home by six.” 

And off she goes. You turn to face Xavier – whose hair is a little longer now, almost past his chin, but with eyes the same shade of marble blue – and complain, “She always treats me like a little kid!” 

“But you are a kid,” he tells you, sounding a little confused by your ire. “And it’s normal for parents to care for their children, no matter how old they are.” 

You grumble, narrowing your eyes at him. “I know, but you’re supposed to be on my side.” 

“I am on your side,” Xavier says, blinking innocently. “I tell you when Mrs Dela Peña isn’t looking so you could hide your broccoli before she sees.” 

He does make for a good lookout. You divert the subject. 

“Okay, whatever. But we’re still on Project: Veggie Throw, right?” You ask him, excitement replacing the crabbiness from a moment ago.

Xavier hums in assent, both him and you sharing the same aversion for all things leafy and (barely) edible, despite the other one’s inability to eat. 

Apparently, just explaining to him the yuckiness of a watercress salad is enough for him to take your side of things. 

Xavier sneaks into the kitchen – quiet as a mouse, as usual – to observe the old woman who’s starting to prepare for lunch. He notes the celery stalks being chopped on a wooden board and makes a sound of disgust.

The little phantom boy waits until the woman finishes the rest of the vegetables to put on a corner before calling out to you:

“The veggies are contained in one spot, agent. Over.” 

Your head pops out to peek from behind the wall that connects to the kitchen. Xavier, who’s now sitting cross-legged on the countertop close to the awning window, waves you towards the sink while Mrs Dela Peña’s busy taking something out of the fridge. 

Trying your best to move swiftly before she could catch you in the act, you zip straight to where the sliced vegetables are, bath towel ready to snatch them away when–

“There’s that ginger cat again from yesterday,” Xavier casually comments, peering through the open blinds. “I think he’s brought a friend this time.”

Like second nature, you respond without thinking, “You mean Mr Snuffles?”

“...”

“...”

“Oh, I didn't see you there, sweetie!” Mrs Dela Peña exclaims, eyes crinkling from the smile that graces her face as she sees your frozen form over by the aromatics. “Would you like to help with the cooking? Oh-ho! Be a dear now and soak those mung beans in water, will you?” 

“... Sorry,” Xavier sheepishly offers, then shrinks down from your betrayed look. 

You end up on stir duty. The large pot filled with beans and green produce seems to bubble ominously as you’re forced to listen to the same story about Mrs Dela Peña’s neighbor for the nth time. 

An apologetic Xavier dutifully recites to you the play-by-play on how Mr Snuffles and his racoon friend are rummaging through the trash bins as penance, and you swear to be more conscious of your audience next time you’re speaking to your invisible friend. 

_____

You’re in fourth grade, and exam week is coming up.

You look at the textbooks that are laid neatly on the living room table, untouched. Then at the TV. Maybe you could sneak in one episode before–

“No screen time before you finish studying, dearie!” An older Mrs Dela Peña calls out from the kitchen, apparently having a sixth sense for children and their sneaky ways. “Your mother wants you to complete the set of exercises she’s left for you there before you watch your an-e-mays.” 

Groaning in response, you let your head fall down onto the table with a thunk. “But it’s booooring!”

Xavier hums sympathetically, patting your head with a spectral hand. “I can read beside you. Do you want me to ask you the questions?” 

“I want to watch Killua beat those guys at dodgeball,” you sulk, voice coming out a little muffled against the oakwood surface. “Not memorize dates from, like, a hundred years ago.” 

“Killua isn’t here to help you with The Revolution, I am.” You’re caught off-guard by the shortness in Xavier’s tone, enough to raise your head to stare at your friend curiously. He keeps his gaze fixed on the questionnaire in front of him. 

Wait. That gives you an idea.

“I think I know how you could help me, Xavi,” You say slowly, excitement creeping in your voice. Why haven’t you thought of this before??

The pouting boy tilts his head in confusion. You start explaining what you have in store for him for the next couple of days, and before you even finish your spiel, the pout is gone and Xavier’s nodding along with your plan, seeming to be fully on board. 

The idea that his… nonphysicality could finally be of use to you has him feeling oddly giddy. You, on the other hand, look identical to a cat that ate the canary as you reach for the remote. 

Seems like you’ll be able to watch your second favorite pale-haired boy after all. 

___

You’ve been asked to stay after class, two days before the end of midterms. 

Your history teacher has been on it with your adviser for a while now, in a heated argument about your test results. Well, yours and another student in your class. 

“How is that even possible? He’s sitting three rows behind her!” 

“I don’t know how she did it, but they even got the same answer to the third essay down to the last sentence!” 

You and your partner-in-crime share a look of alarm. Uh-oh.

Any attempts at making you fess up led to nowhere. You keep denying all claims of cheating, and your adviser recalls nothing that could warrant suspicion on the day of your World History exam. 

Without enough conclusive evidence of your dishonesty for them to be able to pin the blame on you and call it a day, their resolution to this ‘conundrum’ is to have you take another test in the faculty office tomorrow after school, under the watchful eyes of two (wary) teachers. 

-

-

-

You let Xavier help you one last time – by relaying to you the answers from the paper tucked between two books on your teacher’s desk – before deciding that it’s probably for the best if you refrain from using your invisible friend for anything that could cause you more trouble in the long run; especially on the remaining days left of midterm week. 

Xavier looks deflated, but agrees. (The pout is back, though.) 

_____

“Where’d you get the name Xavier anyway?”

“It came to me in a dream,” he says cryptically. His face betrays nothing, so you can't figure out whether he’s telling the truth or just messing with you. 

“... Right.”

Xavier hides a smile. 

_____

“Hey, what are they talking about?” You ask Xavier from your perch on top of the staircase. You’ve been eavesdropping on the conversation downstairs for a while now, but you could barely make sense of the words being thrown around except for a couple of bad ones. 

Xavier cocks his head to the side, trying to listen in as well, before deciding to just transport himself closer to the source. 

Your dad, a man that you’ve spent considerably less time with compared to your grandfather (or basically everybody else, for that matter), came to visit today for reasons that aren’t really clear to you. But judging from the hushed whispers and periodic bouts of angry shouting down the living room, it isn’t for anything good. 

Your mom frequently uses the term “deadbeat”, and sometimes when she’s really in a mood, “a good-for-nothing waste of a man” when describing your father. You don’t have much of a relationship with him to feel offended on his behalf so you just nod along and agree when your mom goes off in a tirade.

You wonder sometimes, how things would be if you had a dad. A better one, perhaps. The kind of dad that picks you up after school in an SUV, just like how the dads from your class do for their kids. Or someone that’d take longer “shifts” at work to bring home enough to take care of the family, like how your mom does.

You wonder what it would be like to spend the holidays with another parent – the three of you welcoming New Years at home with a bunch of round fruits and maybe some sparklers, instead of having to sleep early at your grandparents’ house. 

Xavier floats back to your side after a few minutes, face set in a frown. “They’re saying something along the lines of moving somewhere nearer the city and finalizing the papers for the divorce. Your father’s talking about remarrying, as well.” 

It’s relayed to you in monotone, like someone reading off a script – or reciting exactly what they’ve heard sans the curse words – that it takes you a moment to process the information. 

After a beat, the only thing that comes out of you is a small, “oh.”

“Are you… okay?” 

It doesn't take much time for you to shake your head, along with the passing pipe dream you’ve entertained, if only for a few short minutes. 

You stand up from your crouched position near the top banister, leaving your little hiding spot to go back to your room. Xavier follows. 

“It’s fine,” you tell him with a shrug. “Do you wanna read Nightwing with me?” 

He agrees, of course. If he curls up closer to you when you stay up later that night to stare quietly at the glowing stars on your bedroom walls, neither of you brings it up in the morning.

_____

You had a fight with your mother earlier today. Xavier’s with you while you sit quietly on the tire swing behind your house. 

“Would you come with me if I go someplace far away from ‘ere?” 

“How far do you want to go?” 

“I dunno,” you shrug half-heartedly. “It’d be cool if we could go live on a planet of our own, don’cha think?” 

“Just the two of us?”

“Yeah. Somewhere I can just…” You struggle to find the words, but you settle on– “Breathe, I guess.” 

A flock of birds fly eastward. Envy colors you green as you think about the fact that they could call any place home without being tied down to a single location. 

“I’d like that,” Xavier smiles. “Maybe we could, one day. Once mankind improves the means for intergalactic travel.” 

“...Whatever you say, Xavi.” 

_____

It’s your twelfth birthday.

You’re sitting at the head of the table surrounded by friends and family as they sing you a happy birthday. In front of you is a sunflower yellow buttercream cake with rainbow sprinkles and two lit candles in the shape of a large ONE and TWO. 

“Happy birthday to you,”

You watch your friends; girls in school that you grew up with since kindergarten, and some boys that you’ve climbed trees with during lunch breaks. Almost all of them have already gone through one or two phases over the course of years you’ve known them, and some you consider your closer friends are even acting a little distant as of late, already outgrowing old interests that you’d once shared. 

Even the general consensus on shows like Adventure Time and Spongebob has changed drastically ever since they all started watching Disney Channel. Flashy cell phones and handheld consoles are traded in place of old Barbie dolls and LeapFrog books; the latter are now kept hidden inside a dusty box underneath the bed, like forgotten relics of a simpler time.

“Happy birthday to youuu,”

They look different now, too. Some shot up in height, others gained a measly few inches. Some ditched the braids in exchange for a shag cut. The cooler kids even started wearing makeup. 

(You think you’d like to try putting on eyeliner if your mom wasn’t so strict.)

“Happy birthday, dear– ouch!” A yelp. “Jeremy, you dumdum, stop moving the cake too much!” 

Your gaze then shifts to your right, almost instinctively, to a space that all your other guests would find empty.

There, always by your side, your best friend remains the same as ever. Not the same in the sense that he looked the way he did when you first saw him eight years ago in your grandparents’ backyard, no. You’re not blind to the changes he’s gone through, in stages similar to your own. 

He’s grown taller, for one; almost as tall as you are now. The chub in his cheeks lost some of its roundness, and his limbs are lankier. His hair went through phases of being short, long, and the awkward in-between. When you had asked a couple years back how he’s able to change the length of it without going to a salon, he simply said he does it “to match yours when you do.” 

All-in-all, his physical appearance passes as a regular twelve-year-old boy, if not for the slight ‘otherworldly’ aspect one could probably… overlook. So ‘‘the same’ isn’t really how you’d describe him. 

“–happy biiirthday to youuu!” 

Xavier mouths the song along with the people in your life, his gaze trained on you the entire time. You look into the same galaxy-blue that you’ve associated with home, comfort, and just Xavier in every way– and you understand.

Constant. The word you're looking for is constant. 

You blow out your candles, wishing it could last forever. 

_____

“Don’t you think you’re getting a little too old for an imaginary friend, dear?” 

_____

Xavier finds you up the roof one rainy afternoon. You look like you’ve been crying. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, a heavy feeling settling in his stomach from the sight of your red-rimmed eyes. He sidles beside you, close enough that his right side almost merges with your left. 

(He’d like to imagine that you could feel him– as a source of warmth, of comfort to you while you shiver from both the cold and the heavy emotions weighing you down. He wishes he could be more than just a presence.)

“M-mom said that,” you sniff, angrily rubbing away the wetness in your eyes with the back of your hand. “–tha’ when I grow older, you won’t show up anymore.

That–that you’d be gone, ‘cos imaginary friends don’t stay with you when you’re all grown up.” Your bottom lip wobbles by the end of your sentence. 

A dark rain cloud looms overhead, signaling the coming of a storm stronger than the current downpour that’s drenching you to the bone. 

“You won’t leave me, would you, Xavi?” You whisper, turning to gaze at your dearest friend with greedy eyes, committing his form to memory, just in case he– “You won’t disappear on me, right?” 

There’s a crackle of energy in the air; a drop in temperature that causes the fine hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end.

“I don’t want you to ever go away.” 

(Neither does he.)

Something builds up inside Xavier. A desire, a need stronger than the limitations of the circumstance he’s dealt with since the beginning of his existence. It’s as vast and tumultuous as the birth of a star, and equally as brilliant. 

(He wants, he needs, he wishes–)

An answer from the high heavens comes in the form of a lightning strike, illuminating the world in a blinding veil of white for less than a second. The resounding “crack!” feels like a blessing. Like an affirmation from the court of gods listening in on the boy’s plea. 

A boon is granted, born from an ambition so great. And for a moment, Xavier burns brighter than any of the billion pinpricks of light in the night sky. 

-

-

-

On a roof, two children sit facing each other under a raging tempest, threads of fate tying them together in an unbreakable bond. 

Snip.

Something falls into place. 

“Never,” he vows. “I’ll always be with you. Forever.” 

[blackberreh-art]

Asking about the fantasy AU— how does the OFA AFO showdown go down? In the other AUs we can see either pretty much the canon grudgematch occurring, or whatever lovely eternal duel thing the demons fit going on.

For fantasy au, we’ve seen them kind of playfully banter and challenge each other but,,,,, do they fight 👀 is it a prelude to fucking👀 berreh pls drop the lore I need to know how the dragonslaying goes

Okay okay okay so i feel I need to start with AfO, because, ofc, everything always starts with AfO. I wont get into ALL of it because its a LOT, but to summarize:

AfO is an elder dragon, ancient divine creature, one of the first, old as dust. He's been alive a long long time. He's been a terrible tyrant and a benevolent king, just to give it a go, eager to see how those lesser than him exist in the currents he creates. So you gather he garnered a Very Bad reputation. One day, he was caught and imprisoned and forgotten, and subsequently starved for a couple centuries.

(The sealing was a whole thing involving younger brother yoichi helping humans/elves and betraying AfO, and thats how they got a leg up)

AfO cant die from something like starvation, but it CAN fuck him up a Whole Lot More than he already is. One day something accidently breaks him out and he goes on a rampage that earns him the title of 'Devourer of Countries). He just eats, and eats, and eats, and it's never enough. He's free, but he's now wracked with this persistant hunger that just wont go away. (and there's a part of him thats searching, searching for the brother that betrayed him)

Now during his Enji's kingdom had flourished. It was one of the wealthiest in the world, and as AfO's rampage came to a slow end as he learned to deal with the hunger, he settled in the last country he destroyed - Enji's neighbors. AfO reaches out first with a truce of sorts, because he truly did want to take a break, maybe hibernate for a bit and thats how he and Toshi met - treaty negotiations!!!

Now Toshi is a wild soul, he's grown restless in his role as Paladin General, Enji's right hand - and now desk jockey. And Toshi hates it. He hate's it SO much, he's SO bored, and he sees AfO and his hackles raise and instantly he's like 'this guy is dangerous. I want him' (he's drawn to AfO in a way thats kind of frightening. A part of him yearns to be near the creature because there's... almost kinship. And being near him gets his adrenalin pumping and he's SO BORED!!!!!) So he and AfO start spending time together OUTSIDE of negotiations. Due to certain rules in place they're technichally not allowed to cross the border into each other's countries, so they spend their time walking the border. When the negotiations finished and they came to a deal, thats when the proper flirting started, and AfO first 'invites Toshi over for a drink' (obviously they become very very very close)

It's not as if AfO is actively decieving Toshi. Really, he came to enjoy the funny little elf's presence. But that hunger persisted always in the back of his mind. And really, its funny, he doesnt just enjoy Toshi's presence. He really, really enjoys Toshi's presence. So much so that he doesn't actually want to do anything more than keep Toshi with him by his side. This funny little elf man was ever so entertaining, and got his blood pumping, and he wanted to eat-

AfO sensed something familiar in Toshi one day. The elf had always been rather knowledgeable about dragons and their habits, and he'd always had a bit of a draconic edge to his scent and taste and presence. But that wasn't an odd thing in itself, elves and dragons mingled and procreated quite a bit, so it wouldn't be a stretch if Toshi was part dragon-kin- Until AfO realized. It was similar to... Yoichi. He'd thought Yoichi had died as he'd not been able to find any trace of him. An elder dragon, upon death, is able to continue 'existing' if its soul can be bound to a chosen host. Over the centuries, Yoichi's vestige had passed from one host to another, and now he resided in Toshi. Something in AfO snapped. He was angry, betrayed, and full of such a fierce jealous love he came to one conclusion.

Obviously, he needed to eat Toshi. Then they could all be whole together.

The outcome was... not pretty. Toshi walked away, AfO did not.

(He, of course, doesn't stay down for forever, but I'll end it here lmao)

[eri-pl]

Silm reread 24A (the long-expected continuation): The Gift

Or: the Fall of Númenor

TW: well, it is Númenor. I will not give more details than the book does.

It is said among the Eldar (because where else :þ) that Men fear and worship the Darkness (which is a word the Eldar use as a synonym for "evil" which is a bit inconceivable but let's move on).

We get a recap od what we know of Men, also in the War of Wrath Morgoth was "ultimately defeated" ok I know you can't make your mind, (both Jirt and Pengolodh probably), I like this better than "he's going to fight Túrin and Fefe in a van".

Men in the East are in a bad situation, the Valar abandoned them for a time (until they send the Blue Wizards I guess) because they obeyed bad people. Generally the East is wild and bad and … :/

OK, so now we are told Manwë imprisoned Morgoth and the language strongly suggests "but he will eventually break out and do Ragnarok stuff". Huh. I did say something about not being able to make your mind, right?

Now there's the weird part about "the will of Morgoth" which sounds like a somewhat separate entity?… I get the general idea, it's hard to have him booted out and explain why there's still evil in the world. Still it all feels odd.

OK, quote (emphasis mine):

But Manwe put forth Morgoth and shut him beyond the World in the Void that is without; and he cannot himself return again into the World, present and visible, while the Lords of the West are still enthroned. Yet the seeds that he had planted still grew and sprouted, bearing evil fruit, if any would tend them. For his will remained and guided his servants[…]

Huh. Any thoughts?

Eonwë personally taught the leaders of the Edain. What did he teach them? I don't know. We are not told. But it suggests that Eonwë may have better social skills with Men than I have assumed.

It was Ossë who raised the island of Númenor (at least he does something nice and non-violent ;) ) + the Valar upgraded it and only then did the Númenoreans sail. It is almost as the history of Arda in miniature. Just make it better (Morgoth is not there, Men live longer etc), what could possibly go wrong with this?

[Yes, I read the situation as "the Valar are trying to jump higher than their heads here".]

The Númenoreans don't get sick. I forgot that part. Well, they don't until they get under the Shadow. They are taller than normal people and their eyes shine like stars. TLDR: they're like offbrand Elves and Tolkien likes shining eyes.

And they don't have many children. Why? It makes sense for Elves, but why the Númenoreans, even early?

No temples, only the open mountain. OK. and we get the mention of the graves of kings at the mountain's base even now. Does it mean that even the first kings had big decorative graves?

It was the Valar who chose Elros to be the king. I wonder why, but "he could be an Elf but preferred to be a Man" seems like a --- yes, this is a good reason.

We get a recap of the peredhil. Again.

The Númenoreans learned Quenya during the alliance with Elves, so again: they speak Vanyarin Quenya, or maybe non-Exilic Noldorin Quenya. So either they do read "ty" as "ch" or they read the "th" as "s". I don't remember which one it was. Anyway later they spoke a lot with the Elves so they probably settled with some kind of pronounciation based on whom they spoke with the most.

Nobody later reached the sailing awesomeness of the Númenoreans. The book is written in, what, late TA? Early FA? Makes sense that they sail less.

We get an explanation of why the ban. It makes sense, but also I get that it seems very arbitrary (especially with Númenor existing).

Also, a quote:

For in those days Valinor still remained in the world visible, and there Ilúvatar permitted the Valar to maintain upon Earth an abiding place, a memorial of that which might have been if Morgoth had not cast his shadow on the world.

OK, maybe it's just me adding to my little box of arguments, but this sounds to me as "Ilúvatar permitted them because they asked intensly but it wasn't a great idea". Also, a memorial. Of what might have been. This does not sound good. This sounds like the vibe of the Elven Rings.

Also, again we have mixed messages about whether Valinor was moved to the orbit or into the unseen world (made purely spiritual somehow)?

Sigh. the Númenoreans civilize the people of ME because they need it. *sigh* at least they're goodwilled about it.

Aaaaand, who could guess, with time they grow more and more focused on the bright thing that is nearby (Valinor). Just like it was with the Silmarils and almost everyone who saw them.

Also, they don't like that they die, and they murmur. And they are upset that the Elves don't die, even the ones who disobeyed the Valar and it's so unfair, the Noldor went to ME and did all kinds of bs and still they don't die and we never even get— I mean, and we die. How unfair.

Seriously, almost everyone in this book is so predictably stupid and the worst part is that knowing that all does not make us less stupid. anywa, let's continue with the reread:

"Aren't we the greatest?" Huh. :/

Manwë is sad. Relateable. I want to hug him, and it's not even from a fic. My guy [affectionate], my poor birb.

He sends emissaries to the king. Oh, he's learning from his mistakes around Feanor! <3 You'll eventually learn how to deal with the Children. <3

The Earendil argument (and as was discussed, no tuor arguement, at least not quoted in the book). And a recap of how Men and Elves work. <3 some vague Athrabeth-ish tones. <3

Thirteenth king and we're already deep in trouble. :(

OK, now we get the big graves. And colonialism. The good guys visit Gil-galad and figth Sauron together. The bad guys colonize the South.

We get a recap of Sauron. Who wants to be an overking and worshipped by Men and hates the Númenor for pretty much everything including "their ancestors fought against Melkor and me in the War". And he is afraid of them.

More kings. Some of you remember their names… 23rd king hates the Faithful the most… huh, he is not the one to burn them so I would argue with the narration here. The Elves from Tol Eressea still visit, but in secret. This has a lot of fic potential. (Also, don't tell me that nobody ever at any point of Númenorean history tried to sneak into an Elven ship and go to Aman with them. not at this point, probably. But earlier you could have someone who both doesn't like the Ban, and has contact with the Elves)

Then the Elves stop visiting, because the Valar get angry. i'm not sure why now, what exactly was the tipping point.

A recap of Andúnie, the, ugh, situation of Inzilbêth, we get a good older brother and bad younger brother— wait, maybe the Men have this scheme inverted in general? I'll need to investigate this.

Tar-Palantir. Whose remorse is too late because the Valar are already angry— excuse me, Pengolodh, my guy, what? I'd get it if you told me that the problem is that the whole nation has already been gone so far and the king could not convince them, but I really don't like what you said about the Valar here. But yes, ok, it;s probably because the nation is still full of bs. Pengolodh. Please, be so kind and spare us your opinions. Especially on questions like forgiveness. go handle your exilic trauma somewhere else. I can't find a quote for this, sadly.

So, Tar-Palantir gets a healthy dose of the typical Silm "sad about my brother" especailly that he (the brother) dies early. Aaand we get Pharazôn. Yay… :/ People love him, because he's a great general and gives out riches.

The 25th king. As I have already speculated in one post, the number 5 is not a good number.

Sauron provokes him to war. When the Númenorean fleet arrives, everyone is so scared that they run away and the army marches through an empty land, which gives me echoes of Earendil, but this makes no sense, I think tolkien just likes the image of someone (or an army) walking through a deserted land/city. I agree, it has a lot of atmosphere. they march for seven days, with trumpets, and in red and in gold.

So Sauron does his thing, but Ar-Pharazôn is not a fool—well, not this kind of fool—and doesn't trust him. which plays very well into Sauron's ringed hand.

Sauron sees the capital of Númenor and again we have someone reacting to a beuiful city with envy and hatered. (First: Melkor to Valinor in general; second: Maeglin to Gondolin; third: here.)

He tells the king a lot of secrets, and "he knew many of the things not yet revealed to Men". Like… what things? I wonder. Many of the Elf-Friends get confused and scared and switch sides. I wish I knew why exactly. It is before the violence started.

Something something Darkness and Sauron's peak bs.

Amandil and Pharazôn have been friends in their youth (yes, Pharazon liked him too!) → Fic. Potential. So much fic potential. Amandil gets higher on my "I like him because he has a lot of things to be sad about" list. So, Amandil—

We've had many, many instances of characters cursing things/characters/themselves/whatever. Now we get the only instance in the Silm of an Incarnate blessing something. (Amandil blesses the seeds of the White Tree.) which is very interesting.

OK, warning: it gets dark from here.

Sauron. The language. I know the style of description of the thing is not Sauron's fault… I suppose the style is, again, illustrative of his general vibe (which is a very smart writing btw), so, ugh. Seriously, Professor, you never give the dimensions, so we all know why you gave the dimensions here, and … yes I do get your stylistic choices, they make me want to punch him which i assume is exactly what you were aiming at.

I'm sorry, I should probably elaborate more.

So, to elaborate more: the temple which sauron built is described in a language that is vaguely reminescent of the Temple of Salomon (ie giving the exact measurements, and yes, this is very noticeable because tolkien is always very poetic, about sizes too) and the juxtaposition makes me feel offended, and this helps, because this is how we should feel at this point in the book. So, this is brilliant.

They didn't burn only the Faithful, I would assume also some criminals and maybe random people. Also, there were some anti-king conspirations, the book almost says that.

People die more, everything is awful, and of course the people of Númenor are "it's fine" (as you do). In addition to Sauron's main temple of Melkor, people have private temples. Where they burn people stolen from ME.

madness and sickness availed them; and yet so they were afraid to die and go out into the dark, the realm of the lord that they had taken; and they cursed themselves in their agony.

I really wish we had an idea how this came to the chronicler. anyway, an Elf repeating things he hard from some escaped Númenoreans about what their friends/lords/whomever were thinking. And still it sounds very much like what they would be thinking.

No, wait, there could be a better source. Imagine a noble and depraved lady (or nobleman) who left Númenor for the colonies, thinking it'd be just for a short time, and in the meantime— the whole thing happenned. Great fic potential for survivor's guilt leading to remorse and later this person as an old woman telling this stuff to an Elvish chronicler, or maybe not even so old, maybe telling the story in the times of the Last Alliance and fighting against Sauron to do at least that, and I'm not a fan of the "redemption equals death" trope, so living into old age, but without a leg or something. Maybe ending up in rivendell. that would be fitting. The guilt of it all. And yet you chose to live and to do what you can.

Anyway back to the story. Amandil. Nobody even speculates about what happenned to him. (Well, I do, but)

The Faithful prepare to sail and the seven Seeing Stones (all but one of them) given by the Eldar— by whom? I hope it was Nerdanel. Or someone wlse who actually had the right to give them away. Yes, I will assume it was Nerdanel.

Lightning strikes kill people on random hills… I would prefer to assume it's either Sauron or gossip. especially that just a bit later we learn that Sauron is immune to those lightnings. So yes, i think some elements of the "wrath of the Valar" is just Sauron trying to make people even more desperate.

I can't imagine Manwë killing people just like that, even in this context. Especially with how later he doesn't do anything to Pharazôn's army until given a very explicit leave to do so.

Logically, it is sauron killing those people.

The armada… they sail for 39 days (where did I find that information?) which I'm sure means something, but what. 40-1? 3*13? Both?

40 is a number of transformation, so 39 would be a failed or false transformation maybe?

Also, black and gold coloring. Beautiful but in the Silm, vaguely evil-coded.

Just as they break the ban(? but I think it is this moment) they get a strong wind. I guess it's Manwë saying "ok, if we have to, let's make it quick".

They pass Eressea, I think mostly ignoring it? Pharazôn sees Taniquetil and gets one good idea (to cancel his idiotic thing), but nope, he's too proud. Seriously. That's… "my guy" is not enough of a wording.

The Eldar have escaped from Tition… this makes me smile a little, because assuming the ex-exiles did move back to tirion, they do deserve a little fright. For Alqualonde. I know I know. But. It's not like any harm happenned to them. they were just terrified. Of an army of Men. Which is encamped around their island.

So yea. The world is round now. And again it sounds like Aman is moved to the unseen world. Huh. Mixed canon.

Oh, here is the 39. 39 days from the fleet leaving Númenor to the destruction. Including also a volcano and earthquake.

And speaking of numbers, 9 ships of Elendil, Isildur and Anárion.

Also, all the sea shorelines are changed.

So, back to Sauron. Idiot. He is terrified by what happenned, because he expected Pharazôn and everyone to die, but not something like this. So, he is sitting on his black (of course) throne and laughing. What had I said about Sauron being somewhere high up and laughing? So he laughs three times and just as he does the third time his throne falls down into the watery abbyss. "Not noticing a divine tsunami" level: pro. I am not surprised. I mean, I read the book before, so of course I am nor surprised, but anyway, that is nor surprising.

Loses his beauty. Just. The amount of mercy. "I convinced Men to sacrifice other Men to Morgoth, and put the Valar into a trolley dilemma and all I got was this ugly face so that I maybe finally learn" — he needs a t-shirt with this. I need to draw him in a frigging t-shirt.

I want to punch him in the face again.

Yes, i know, i know. It's not my fault he gets more infuriating descriptions.

Oh and the peak of Meneltarma is maybe an island, and people want to find it and have visions of Númenor's past glory… *sigh* Call me old and grumpy but focusing on that doesn't seem like— ok oh. they don't have anything better to focus. This is also true. Huh. I just realized that this makes the whole "focusing on unreachable shadows" things so much more tragic. anyway…

Oh, they do not find it. Good for them. I am sorry, I know it's sad, but it is good for them.

The Dúnedain seeking this island is peak amdir. (This is neither a compliment nor a accusation, or maybe both).

But explaining this would need a long tangent of "amdir" meaning etymologically "looking up" and of the gneral idea of looking in the wrong place. I know I shouldn't be quoting motivational posters when talking Tolkien, because they are much less profound but generally "Stop Looking for Happiness in the Same Place You Lost It"

So anyway, The Land of the star is lost, and the Straight Road is no more and Tolkien is sad and pretty much everyone is sad and we are growing up.

Still, there is a shortcut for Elves who want to use it.

Huh. this reread felt more profound than the others. Not so many facts I've been missing, but the vibe. I think I understood some vibes I didn't understand before. But this may be just the autumn.

[aipilosse]

Now I am really really curious and want to know more about your theory of C&C and M&M not being close anymore in Beleriand and why you don't buy their super duper close relationship. I noticed that as well as the fact that C&C are the feanorians often linked not just to Aredhel but to the three Arafinweans, especially Orodreth and Angrod who in the many versions are actually close to C&C which honestly is pretty interesting and such cool thing.

oooh yeah sure, I'll talk about this! This is more contrarian headcanon-not-contradicted-by-canon than anything I came to organically, but it's now become my preferred way of thinking about them.

Anyway, first, I will clarify that my theory is not Celegorm & Curufin and Maedhros & Maglor not being close in Beleriand; it is that they were NEVER close, even in Aman. We know from the story that Fëanor's sons were fiercely devoted to him, but it's never said that they were especially close with each other. And with a father who was likely demanding, played clear favorites, and had piles of charisma, I could easily see the brothers' relationships being marked by jealousy and simmering resentment, but not in an 'every brother for himself' way. It seems M&M have a strong relationship and C&C do too. Caranthir is the odd one out where it seems like none of his brothers are too attached, and honestly there's so little about Amras & Amrod but from what's there they form another obvious pair. But yeah, C&C definitely have a lot connections to the rest of the family! And it seems like those friendships were created before the Darkening and the Flight, and then renewed after Maedhros' rescue.

After Fëanor's death, Maedhros leads his brothers, but here I don't think that's because of any especial familial love or 'big brother Maedhros protective power uwu', and more because as Princes of the Noldor descended from Fëanor they are a *political* unit.

Sidebar: I think the 'family' part of the family politics of the House of Finwë is super overemphasized and the 'politics' part languishes. Like, Maedhros' brothers owe some sort of political allegiance to him (I'd say fealty... but I feel like someone with more historical knowledge will jump out of the woodwork and 'well ackshually' me) -- they are not a normal modern family!!

Now, I think the common fandom interpretation of suffocatingly close and devoted sons of Fëanor is a reasonable conclusion to reach from reading 'Of the Return of the Noldor' and I don't think my 'brothers at odds' theory is more canon; it's more that I don't think close and devoted take is the only reasonable conclusion. I have in fact seen people discard an obvious interpretation of events off hand because of the fact that all of the sons of Fëanor were soooo obviously devoted to each other, any time they didn't seek each other out there must be *something* preventing them from joining their brothers.

I really must disagree -- while C&C seem very close as do M&M, I think it's just as likely that when they're all together they're an acrimonious bitter mess, and that Maedhros staked out lands for them out east not just to keep the peace with Fingolfin & Finrod, but also to reduce fighting between his brothers. Also, them being an acrimonious bitter mess together does not mean they aren't charming, fun even, apart. Finrod is friends with all three pairs (sorry Caranthir); there's the other aforementioned C&C Arafinwean friendships and Aredhel friendship; Maedhros is friends with Fingolfin and Fingon. They even form alliances with non-elves apart, with Curufin befriending some dwarvish groups independently, and different brothers forming different mannish alliances. And I haven't even mentioned Amrod & Amras and the green elves. This all points to the brothers being reasonable, personable people when separated, capable of forming friendships and political alliances both, and perhaps to some degree hating each other's guts when together.

Food for thought! I welcome any and all enjoyers of my 'the sons of Fëanor would rather not be in a room together ever again' theory.

[lilietsblog]

suddenly randomly thinking about Max Frei's Labyrinth of Echo (finally a Russian fantasy book actually translated into English!!! rejoice!!!) and tbh every isekai author should be legally required to read it for like. Educational purposes. so they have a bit more imagination about it

it IS in fact an isekai, or portal fantasy perhaps fits better. its so weird and good?

the protagonist: a guy. yes, i know, it's sad. but he's sad and cute and it's honestly just good. relatable without being an everyman. the sort of guy who would be a tragic poet except he's very self conscious about this part of his personality and prefers to be funny instead. hes very good at being funny. his narrative voice is fantastic i promise you will like it

the method: our protagonist had been having the same vivid and memorable dream for years where he meets with another guy in a very odd looking but very comfortable cafe and has drinks with him and it's very soothing. one day the dream guy makes him a job offer, and gives him extremely specific concerningly-kidnapped-by-fae-like instructions to follow when hes awake. when the protagonist wakes up hes got little enough going on in his life that he decides hes got pretty much nothing to lose by trying to follow the instructions. to his bafflement, it works. hes now in another world where hes got a job offer and a boss who summoned him from another world and is very self-satisfied about it. dont ask why he wanted an employee from another world (actually, do ask. very much do ask. its important and hes not telling you the full truth at all)

the genre: magic detective mystery. not always murder mystery mind you, theres plenty of fun magic stuff that can be concerning and require investigation without anyone being dead. mostly murder, but really not always. and yeah the protagonist is a magic cop but its like. its like a treatise on what police should be like in an ideal world where its actually good. and you really do need some people to do the job of extremely capable mages capable of untangling whatever bullshit people accidentally or deliberately wrought on themselves and/or people around them (they also have non-magic police. those are worse, though still not to irl degree, because this magic world has some wish fulfillment ass laws. not quite fully automated gay luxury communism but they're getting there)

the magic system: the mc learns two, but is made aware that a significantly larger amount exists. basically every country in his new world has its own chosen special magic system. also theres 'true' magic thats the kind of thing that can summon you from another world and is the coolest. not geographically locked. our world meanwhile is a magic dystopia and no-one here realizes it except for people who do, mostly subconsciously, but they can do jack-all about it so thats how depression happens so much. the local magic system the mc learns actually has clearly defined 'levels' ('steps') and divides neatly into two kinds, 'black' and 'white' - except instead of any good/bad connotations 'black' deals with material objects and 'white' with abstract concepts. the neatly divided thing is to the point where they have pocket sensors that tell you what step-and-color spells have been cast around here (v helpful for magic cops, except of course when the magic system involved is not the local one. well at least they tell you that fact then). theres no litrpg elements though, and what step magic the mc can cast is not really treated as important. its just a worldbuilding element

the woke: eh. goes with the weird russian-specific-i-think trope "specifically elves are bisexual/gay but they intermix with humans and thats why some humans are too". ableism... bad. very bad. the whole thing is founded on a deep understanding of particular kinds of being non-neurotypical but very, uh... ignorant that that's what it is. soo bad. fatphobia: very rarely comes up i think, but, uh, also. sexism... sincere well-intentioned attempt to worldbuild a society without it but i wouldnt say it worked. fun attempt though. queerphobia: actually a pretty damn successful attempt to worldbuild a society without it (a society that the mc is very much not from and periodically smacks into this, which is always fun), though i feel it could do with more non-cis-or-straight main cast. my favorite part is the part where the protagonist is told to crossdress for infiltration anonymity one time and is weird about it in a classic transmisogynistic sort of way and everyone around him is like ??? @ the entire thing like what? whats funny we dont get it. whats embarrassing. why are you being so weird about it. what IS the problem. and then he asks himself the question and realizes there's no reason and proceeds to not be weird about it henceforth. uses the disguise as an opportunity to bond with his love interest that he had just had magic drama with, and she loves the idea and approves fully. girl-boy interactions are awkward but hell yeah they can have a girls' night. also as an opportunity to prank his flirty coworker who is about 15 minutes into lying his ass off to this cute girl who is totally into him before the protagonist finally can't take it anymore and breaks down laughing. the coworker finds this also hilarious once he figures it out and it becomes a good prank memory between them

the power fantasy: yes. the mc is mega super special. hes not the first person to ever be so mega super special and theres even specialized predators that go after people like him (his boss is like, halfway there) so the power fantasy is well tempered by challenges. also the genre is inherently investigative so the mc being super powerful is not always particularly. relevant. to the challenge at hand. like its nice that when he figures out who the culprit is he can win the fight no problem but the main conflict is usually figuring out what even happened so yeah. good. also the dose of existential horror this book loves to pair the power fantasy shit with is a great balancer too

the humor: this is the first book in my life that actually made me laugh out loud, to tears. like i am not usually very expressive when Experiencing Stories, i never cry over books or shit like that, and i had never made an out loud noise over a book since i'd learned how to read not-out-loud. until that book. those books. they are hilarious. they are ridiculous. it goes super well with the existential horror

the language shit: this is the fun one and the one that spurred me writing this post! so the backstory is that the mc was talking to his future boss in his dreams right so they already somehow spoke the same language. and this doesnt become a problem when the guy comes over either. he understands the words, be they a different language or the same one (this is never really addressed in detail, which given the fae vibe i'm honestly fine with). HOWEVER the new culture has ALL ITS OWN IDIOMS. sooo many of them. the irl author is bilingual and has lived in another country before writing this and you can tell. the mc picks up local idioms more and more over time but early on it often happens that he says some idiom of his own and his friends and coworkers instantly turn into a descending horde of gremlins like "OOOH WHAT DOES THAT MEAN" and after he does his best to explain they just. start using it. mixed with their own idioms. colored by their own understanding. questionably correctly. they eat that shit up. at one point the guy brings over his movie collection and a dvd player to watch it on (it works in another world because magic, it makes sense in context) and thus introduces his coworkers to Another World's Pop Culture which they react to the way you would to being introduced to another world's pop culture. he regrets it immensely forever after

the romance: alas, the mc is tragically straight (and is incapable of being normal about learning other people aren't, at least until he's given 15 minutes to sit with the fact it's perfectly normal in this new world. its actually really satisfying to read tbh). his turbulent love life however introduces us to two absolutely IMMACULATE girls (and they meet each other through him and instantly become besties btw) who have their own shit going on. theres never drama in the sense of romantic triangle or jealousy but theres the FUN drama along the lines of "magic rules say we cant see each other but we're still coworkers so lets figure out how to painfully and caringly be friends" and "i can't survive here. i have to leave. i love you but i cannot be where you are right now" and "sooo i panicked and now im basically dead so no we're no longer dating but i still exist in this other place so come see me sometime actually". just. fucking ace. (technically theres a love triangle for approximately five minutes between the mc and his flirty coworker both flirting with this girl but she was never actually into the flirty coworker and he knows it so when she actually is into the mc hes like ok fine fair enough). the series DOES HAVE OTHER FEMALE CHARACTERS BTW. and they are awesome. not on a 1-to-1 basis with male characters alas but they are soo good

the vibes: immaculate. lovely romantic urban mystery. sometimes the ghost eats local children but sometimes the city just has a different street layout at night and some locations are only accessible at that time and that's just normal. sometimes the culprit is a restaurant owner who figured out how to make people into super extra delicious food with magic and sometimes the culprit is a group of idiot teenagers who found a description of a ritual in an ancient book and decided it would be a great idea to try it, and sometimes the culprit is an ancient dying beast from the depths of the ocean that accidentally got stuck on a ship's prow and brought to foreign shores where people don't know how to be careful of it. just. incredible

does he get to come back home: yes! at least twice that I can remember! both are horror. the conflict is that he desperately needs to get away from there if he is to survive. not in a 'magic soul sucking will actually die' sense but in a 'depression is a deadly disease' sense. it's really cool tbh

the bad parts that maybe need a trigger warning: i mean, the existential horror gets pretty bad and i cant reread some of the books, though that's not what i want to note most. the BAD shit: ableism. fatphobia. the sideways kinds of racism like exoticization, 'savages', white savior bullshit. the 'main' culture the mc lands in are the white people of the setting and everyone else. uh. uhhhhh. varies. the author put all their pussy into fun imagination lands but they do not know a lot about non-european cultures around the world and it reeeeally shows

[anonymooose]

==== Spoilers for Delicious in Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi! ====

Ok, so, I randomly saw a post by @corvidonia about Falin!Hypnos.

So, I thought to myself, y'know I just started watching too and this seems like a fun mini-project so I started it. Then I subsequently got way too into it and accidently made a whole rendered scene and au concept... welp! It's here now!

For this little crossover Au whatever you wanna call it I did this main drawing but also came up with a bit of background stuff.

In this Meg would be a tall-man paladin in a sort of Chilchuck situation where she's mostly here because it's her job (and bonus, Dusa's here) and she'd be a paladin. Paladin might be an odd choice (?) but I felt it made sense due to her dedication and none of the other martial classes really stuck out to me like paladin.

Zagreus would be the party's Laios of sorts and a fighter tall-man, I imagine that the reason why they went through all the trouble for Hypnos is 50% Zagreus being friends with him and 49% Than not wanting his brother dead and 1% pity. I don't know if there would still be the culinary focus in this Au, probably not, so maybe instead it'd be more about just general monster knowledge. Like Zag and the gang filling out the codex?

Dusa would be a Half-foot, probably the farthest from their Dungeon Meshi inspo character, Senshi, only really sharing the fact that they came into the party late. I imagine that she's kind of in an "I'm the only monster around that has any sentience or emotion??" type situation though I don't really have a worked out reason why. She's also friends with Meg prior to joining and comes because of her.

I translated Thanatos and Hypnos' godhood into having a particular magical ability as elves, so they're elf twins. Than being a sorcerer rouge mostly for the vibes but also because sorcerer powers are innate to their being. Instead of a wand/staff I think he'd just use his scythe as a casting focus. I figure he'd be sort of like a mix of Chilchuck and Marcille, not bound to the party by a job but still kind of obligated to help Hypnos since they're family and all. I don't think he'd be thrilled about having to risk his life to save Hypnos from another screw up though, but he would and I do think he'd be relieved to have him back after the ordeal. (does Falin ever actually 100% come back? I've only watched the anime so idk actually, I like to think Hypnos would here though because I like my happy endings)

Hypnos is obviously the sort of Falin stand-in, but in a very different way I think. I do think he'd be a sort of magic prodigy like Falin but in more of an intuitive way compared to Than/Marcille's book smarts. I definitely think that the connection to the strange would remain but instead of ghosts it'd be personified dreams in the form of something like the Oneiroi. In this Au the starting incident with the monster would be the same but it'd probably be some sort of big bird/sheep to explain the bird/sheep design I went with for the Chimera design and it'd be Than in place of Laios. I also think that he'd be a cleric type situation like Falin sort of is, I like to think he'd excel at healing magic. I do kind of like the idea of Hypnos not being really encouraged to partake in adventuring due to his lack of physical ability but he'd go against that to spend time with Than and try to look out for him. As for Chimeros (As I've been calling it) I think it'd be accompanied by fog from Lethe rather than the harpies in the original and it'd have a similarly blank personality like Faligon (which'd be especially off-putting from him). Added angst potential, I figure his powerset would be very different from Faligon's and revolve around putting everyone to sleep (go figure) and memory erasure, so maybe the main party wouldn't even remember their first encounter with them?

I do actually have ideas for the remaining party, I'll keep it to one bullet though. I think Achille's would be a paladin/fighter or something like that and would be similar to Namari as a weapons expert, probably leaving for a different reason though maybe to join Pat's party? I don't have a particular idea for Shuro's stand-in, maybe switch the Shuro Falin romance thing to Charon Hypnos brotherhood thing and it could work? Idk though.

I did also make a full design for Hypnos as an elf/not Chimeros and here that is. The staff is inspired by actual myth where Hypnos sometimes has a wand dipped in Lethe to induce sleep.

Ramble over!! Congrats if you were able to push through my incessant yapping to actually get here. First Tumblr post btw, who would've thunk it'd be for this. If anyone is interested in using these designs or ideas for art/writing feel free, I'm probably not going to do anything else with this idea but if you want to I'd be very interested in seeing/hearing it! Also, really sorry if this isn't properly spoilered?? I'm not exactly sure what the proper spoiler etiquette is so I tried.

[kaibacorpintern]

halloween costumes for yuugi’s halloween party, year SIX ✨

Atem: wearing a chef's outfit with the tall hat. Linguini from Ratatouille

Yuugi: wearing little rat ears and whisker makeup. Remy the rat from Ratatouille

Ryou: Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3 but Jou's like "heyy nice costume! lord of the rings right?" and ryou steams because first of all lord of the rings elves have LONG HAIR, rings of power was NOT accurate in its depiction of elves it gave elrond SHORT hair which is nonsense, and anyone who knows anything about high elves knows that tolkien elves have long hair but that doesn't mean ALL elves have long h

Jou: already across the room. dressed as snake from escape from new york. the eyepatch is really fucking up his beer pong game

Honda: Luigi, looking cute but annoyed. Jou was supposed to come as Mario but he changed his mind without telling him.

Otogi: sexy cat =^-^=

Anzu: Katniss Everdeen. drunk. Atem confiscates her bow and arrow after she takes aim at Kaiba for real and announces that the odds are not in his favor.

Mai: Cowboy Barbie. Did not need to buy a single thing for her costume she already had all the clothes

Malik: Buttercup the PowerPuff girl. incredibly mad. steaming.

Isis: she was SUPPOSED to be Blossom.

Rishid: he was SUPPOSED to be Bubbles. LIKE THEY DISCUSSED. Instead, he and Isis are dressed in dour brown clothes and he's carrying a fake pitchfork and wearing glasses. They're famous painting American Gothic by Grant Wood :)

Mokuba: Wednesday Addams, the movie version (but he knows the whole dance)

Kaiba: KaibaCorp F1 driver. Still incensed about last year's evil trick so he refuses to talk or drink anything and wears his racing helmet the whole time. It's not until Atem hits on him ("hey kaiba. why don't we find out what happens when you pull my hair?") that everyone realizes "kaiba" was actually Isono the whole time, deeply uncomfortable.

Real Kaiba: at home, happily handing out candy to trick-or-treaters and playing Baldur's Gate 3, romancing Karlach.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Panotti

CR 2

Neutral Good Medium Humanoid

Module: Murderer's Mark, pg. 29

Apologies for the incredibly huge picture, but shrinking it down made it look abominable.

Bit of an unusual one, today, but not for the reasons you may think. Panotti are not "monsters" in a traditional sense, like most of the creatures this blog features, but they're just strange citizens. While they're not as common as, say, halflings and humans and dwarves, they're very much just people and can be found mostly in Casmaron and Tian Xia, where their colonies can be found.

Or would, had we any information on them outside their sole appearance in Murderer's Mark, where the only member of their kind we're introduced to is working in an unscrupulous circus, the rest of the details on what their actual society looks like crammed in the back of the book. According to their lore block, Panotti largely keep to themselves and only rarely leave their colonies for an obvious but still heartbreaking reason: their appearance earns them mockery and sometimes even scorn. Panotti are universally bald, and their Elephantine Ears look almost like (and can be used as) wings, the large folds visibly flexing and lifting as they listen to whatever conversations they're a part of (or perhaps just near) so anyone mistaking them for an odd cloak quickly realizes what they're truly looking at.

Anyone viewing a Panotti for the first time would likely be a little startled by what they see, especially considering their rarity, which they are unfortunately quite sensitive to. While there are many wanderers among their numbers, not all of them are willing or able to bear the constant jabs at their appearance no matter how light they may be from people they might try and consider friends. It's quite unfortunate that they remain reclusive and biased towards the company of their own kin simply because microaggressions gradually wear them down, because their culture is stated to have a rich history of song and story with an oral tradition stretching thousands of years into the past. Indeed, adventurous Panotti who lean towards casting will usually become Bards, though the book states they can easily slot into just about any class.

But just because they're normal people doesn't mean a DM should get eager to allow them as a playable ancestry, oh god no. Their Elephantine Ears may look fragile to an outsider, but those things are packed with enough muscle to give them a slew of powers that should never be freely granted to players lest they get too wacky with them, including: 60ft of blindsense, a 20ft fly speed (poor maneuverability, but they get Hover as a bonus feat), and a pair of natural slam attacks which deal 1d4+1 damage and roughly blast their targets backwards by 10ft via Push. They're not only useful weapons, but they're sturdy enough to grant the Panotti an extra +2 natural armor!

Even in their day-to-day life, their ears grant them mundane but useful advantages, including +4 to Perception checks made to hear, and excellent thermoregulation, allowing them to keep cool by gently flapping them or keep warm by wrapping themselves in them (mechanically equivalent to a heavy blanket and bedroll). AND, if they need to make room in a crowd, they can flare their ears out like a cobra hood to startle people! They're Swiss-army appendages!

I have to admit, while normally we here at Monsters Down The Path enjoy highlighting monsters by talking about how they battle, sometimes it's nice to take a break and just appreciate the rarer inhabitants sharing the world with the men and elves, and what makes them special. Golarion gets a little bit bigger with every statblock we see!

You can read more about them here.

[lassieposting]

Anyway on the subject of the Ainur being Higher Forms Of Life, things I think would be hilarious: Morgoth/Sauron lowkey finding it difficult to tell the elves of the First Age apart.

Like. Human beings can tell lesser primates apart very easily...by species. Gorillas are massive. Orangutans are orange. Mandrills are brightly coloured, and tamarins are tiny and cute. But if you ask a human to tell apart the different individuals of a gorilla troupe - unless that human has spent a lot of time observing/interacting with/studying the gorillas - they're gonna struggle. Because to the average human, gorillas all look the same.

Perhaps that is also true of the Valar and the Maiar. Little babby Mairon knows the races of Arda as well as any of his kind: elves are tall and fair, dwarves are short and hairy, men are a scruffy bunch who multiply faster than rabbits, and ents are trees who talk. Easy-peasy.

But like. While the Ainur who live in Valinor shelter and protect - and therefore, spend a lot of time with - the first elves, and come to know how to tell them apart as their own kind do, Mairon spends that period of his life metaphorically sneaking off to smoke and set fire to things with Melkor, so he doesn't get that extended contact. Most of his interactions with the early elves take place either from a distance - as in, he's directing Morgoth's troops and keeping track of intelligence on the opposing army - or on the battlefield, where a) he's wearing a helmet and b) so, if they have any sense, is his enemy.

So like. He still thinks they all look alike. One tall, blond, fine-featured elf is much the same as another, honestly, and their fëar don't look that different to him either.

(If Galadriel were to show "Halbrand" a memory of her childhood, of herself with her three golden brothers, Sauron would not be able to immediately pick out which was Finrod, despite having come face to face with Finrod before. Nor, most likely, would he be able to tell Aegnor and Aegrond apart.

Galadriel herself, on the other hand, he'd be able to pick out instantly, even though elflings all look the same to him. Because he's spent long enough with her that he knows her mannerisms, obviously. It's got nothing to do with being able to identify her fëa among a crowd of other fëar. Sentimental? He's not being sentimental. You're sentimental. Shut up.)

Bonus thought: When it comes to men, though, the board probably flips. Men are not taken to Valinor when they awaken, they are not sheltered by the Valar, they do not go there after death. Sauron has had more close contact with men than any other Ainu save the Istari - he rules them, treats with them, leads them in battle, learns to whisper in the ears of their kings and play them like music. His human disguise is virtually faultless; he can feign humanity so convincingly that he doesn't trigger the uncanny valley effect at all until he knows he's been caught out, and we see him drop the act.

But most of his fellow Ainur have rarely (if ever) directly interacted with the race of men. So I think it would be deeply funny if, when Elrond and Galadriel show up to Valinor with two hobbits in tow, the Ainur react like...well, like that one tumblr post of well-meaning angels unintentionally getting Real Fucking Weird about trying to set the humans they appear to at ease. Or their idea of mannish customs has been influenced by the stories told by dead or returned elves who met a weird man once, and so they're expecting and trying to accommodate some really odd behaviour that has the Hobbits like, what? No? Why would we do that?

[honeytabbies]

OKAY so i wanted to talk a little bit about my rewrite tonight because i'm getting excited thinking about it again

i haven't started on any of the story yet really, i'm mostly adjusting worldbuilding details and personal headcanons before i start on anything major, so i wanted to talk about one of them tonight hehe ..

(post-writing update: this is a lot longer than i thought it would be. Oops)

one of my more major changes is that i wanted to expand more on non-humans and add some extra stuff since i really like when fantasy settings do that.

i didn't want to include like, a Whole ton more since that would sort of interfere with the clover kingdom's whole backstory and conflict with the elves, but so far my lineup of different peoples within my rewrite are humans, witches, merfolk, elves, dwarves, and chimeras. (as well as devils and spirits but they're sort of their own thing)

witches are their own race because i thought it would add a little bit more interest and mystery to both vanessa and dorothy's stories! and also an extra incentive as to why the witch queen wouldn't want any witches to leave the forest, since i don't think that's ever expanded upon. the witch queen has been alive for hundreds of years and has seen the cruelty clover enacted towards the elves, and in a somewhat backwards protective way wants all of her children to never leave the forest at all.

witches are actually more closely related to elves than they are to humans, though there are key differences in their appearances. some being;

- witches generally all have the same ear length/shape with minor variations. elves have a wide variety of ear lengths/shapes

- all witches have a darker nose-bridge/facial marking, elves do not

- all elves have tails, but not all witches do

here's a really small headshot doodle i did of what vanessa would look like in my au :] her catlike pupils are considered unusual and are a result of her magic. her ears are also considered longer than an average witch's!

the only kingdom i imagine being openly welcoming to most non-humans would be heart; clover, diamond, and spade are all considered somewhat hostile, especially after what happened with the elves.

merfolk are pretty self-explanatory; think of the seabed temple people such as kahono and kiato. another thing i don't think was ever expanded upon much was why those of the seabed temple aren't allowed to go into the cities, and so i came up with my own reasoning!

the seabed temple is not technically a part of the clover kingdom. much like the borders between kingdoms, the ocean is mostly considered a neutral zone, and therefore the merfolk of the seabed temple are not a part of clover's sovereign people. therefore, to enter clover territory and cities requires an extensive process to gain dual-citizenship, as well as the pre-existing conflict between humans and non-humans.

the seabed temple is pretty much the extent of merfolk who live in/near clover. however, i imagine there to be a large population of merfolk (as well as other races) who live in the heart kingdom!! i think that the heart kingdom would sort of be the central choice of living for most non-humans. it's always struck me as a little bit odd that there were elves only in clover, so i think that there would be at least a small populous of elves in heart as well.

elves i decided to make less humanoid looking, because i enjoy that in fantasy as well .. i also think that, as close as they were to nature and natural mana (especially in clover) that it'd be cool for them to have traits from their environment too! an example being here with my personal headcanons for fana;

(here's the text written down in case my handwriting is illegible)

- some elves have more animalistic attributes due to natural mana influence. horns, extra limbs, fur, and other odd features are fairly common!

- "magic markings" in the style of their attribute are common on the elves with exceptionally high mana. so for example, fana's flame markings! (i draw patri with little light sparkles and stuff to represent his magic but i really don't like the one drawing i have of it right now)

- most elves have tails that provide extra balance, although bobtails do exist.

- their ears are always pointy, though they can vary pretty widely in size/style

- they have claws which can be filed down

- plant growth can sometimes occur on elves (mostly water or plant mages) who are particularly close with nature/natural mana.

- they have animalistic feetpaws that allow for extra dexterity with tough padding that doesn't necessitate the use of shoes or covering in most environments.

chimeras are sort of my own original addition to black clover's world. they aren't a separate race in and of themselves, but instead a curse which could be placed upon anyone. chimera curses are extremely rare and are considered a form of forbidden magic stemming from a devil's power. (i may or may not have my own chimera devil oc in progress .... hehe ....)

essentially, a chimera curse causes the afflicted to gain animalistic or monster-like features, which may induce a loss of humanity or other unsavory things. i know that in the black clover wiki, weg is listed as just the term for humans who gain horns through use of forbidden/devilish magic, but i'm altering it to just mean any curse or affliction. curses are inherently devilish, stemming from megicula's sphere of influence, and hence, chimera curses are a form of weg.

there are two main types of chimera curses, which are generational and individual.

- generational chimeras are those whose bloodline has been cursed, and are born with their affliction. these typically result in less obvious physical changes, which makes it easier to hide and live a normal life.

- individual chimeras are those who have been directly cursed, either through their actions of tampering with forbidden magic or somehow by a powerful curse user themself. these physical changes are usually more obvious and very difficult to hide.

in my au, nero is considered a chimera!! here's a little doodle of what my headcanoned nero looks like next to canon nero LOL (also the glasses are just a personal thing, they were so cute on her in the movie. i had to keep them)

humans pretty much remain the same, albeit i do want to make some adjustments to how mana works, the differences in those born in different kingdoms, as well as elaborate more on the genetic factor of magic attributes. (i'm a HUGE biology nerd and i WILL be making punnet squares)

dwarves are the one race i really haven't done much with or thought of anything for yet. i will eventually, but i'd like to start getting other stuff worked out before i do!

OKAY I THINK THATS ALL FOR NOW ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC TOPIC!!!!! if you managed to make sense of any of my incoherent rambling, you get a gold star and a forehead kiss from me. mwah /p

[dragonologist-phd]

just a bunch of rambling below

As excited as I was to get dwarf lore, I was kinda disappointed because I can’t deny that the spirit of Harding’s quest (specifically the climax) should have been given to the elves. The anger she had at what’s been done to her people- that would work with an elf companion way better than a dwarf

Dragon Age dwarves have always been more about inner conflict. From the caste system, to the abandonment of Kal-Sharok, to how betrayal plays a major theme in the Aeducan and Brosca stories- they’ve always been about isolation and division within a society, not a society that’s been oppressed by outside forces. And none of their problems would suddenly be solved if they had the ability to dream or do magic, so it’s hard to meaningfully connect with that being taken from them!

and honestly, the core of Harding's quest could still work. she has moments of resentment towards Orzammar over their view of surfacers like her; she mentions being raised Andrastian but still being the odd one out amongst humans; there's a running theme of her trying to keep the peace while others are voicing their opinions. all the pieces are there for a plot about how her connection to the Titans informs the way she defines herself, and how she relates to this history that she's always felt apart from. it's just frustrating because the framing of the themes they end up with in that climax doesn't fit.

And of course turning it all into another thing to blame on ancient elves just isn’t satisfying, because the modern elves deserve more than anybody to harness the literal power of their people’s rage. I can't help but feel that Bellara’s quest and her final decision felt so flat, because the Archive and ancient elven knowledge are only talked about in the vaguest of terms and there’s so little sense of what it means to her. The question of what to keep and what to leave behind should be the focus of her journey, and it almost is, but it’s never really explored

and it's a shame because I really like both these characters, and I can easily see a version of this game where they're narrative foils, both diving into their people's history and grappling with what it should mean to them and how to best move forward with what they have

[lythea-creation]

The Price Of Family - Draco Malfoy x sister reader

summary: (f/n) isn't exactly a perfect heir to the Malfoy family. How will Draco deal with his sister sticking out?

warnings: reference to abuse

word count: 944

Author's note: Feel free to check out my Masterlists and make requests. No reposting please! Reblogging, comments and requests are always appreciated <3 If you like the story/my writing, please don't be shy to say it via comments or asks! It takes you a few seconds and might make my day. It's the best appreciation you can show to a writer you like.

Requested? Yes

--------------------

Being a Malfoy was not coming naturally to me.

For starters I despised the whole pureblood supremacy shit. Not even talking about the dark lord.

At school I was an outcast. Most Slytherins stayed away from me due to my beliefs which I did not hesitate to declare. A lot of other students avoided me because of my brother.

Luna was one of the only people I truly came along with. Maybe because she was the odd one out as well. I loved that about her though. She was true to herself and never questioned being herself. It was inspiring honestly.

But there were also somerismatic and cunning twins who I liked to hang around with. It was always fun to be with Fred and George and they did not care about my family. They saw me and not just my name.

Draco and I used to come along well when we were younger and life easier. But he preferred impressing our father over me nowadays and we were drifting apart the more time passed.

The year was over sooner than I had wished for.

I was sitting in a train compartment with Luna and Neville, enjoying our conversation. At the same time I could not help but dread the end of this ride. The summer break was the worst time of the year for me.

So I hesitated to say goodbye to my friends to join the family reunion that was already taking place at the gate.

Our parents were delighted to see Draco. They were all smiling and talking. Sometimes I wondered if I should just not return home one day to improve all our lives. But that would feel like running away and everything inside of me was clenching at the thought of giving up when it was getting hard.

Reluctantly I stepped over to my family who actually greeted me properly.

Our mother let us talk about our school year the whole way home. But as soon as we arrived I escaped into my room.

I unpacked my stuff immediately to get it done quickly. But that did not work out as I was interrupted by Draco bursting into my room.

“I've wanted to talk to you for a long time now”, he proclaimed.

“You can't just come into my room like that”, I noted.

“Of course I can and I just did”, he insisted. “The Weasley twins? Seriously? Do you want to ruin our reputation for good?”

“Just get out”, I shot back.

“I won't. You may not care about our family, but I do. I wasn't exactly excited when you started hanging out with that Ravenclaw weirdo, but this is a different level. Why do you keep interacting with blood traitors?”, he ranted.

“This is stupid”, I mumbled, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“The future of our family is a joke to you? When did all of that even happen? You used to hang around the right people”, he recalled.

“Oh, you mean your friends? Our rather the kids of our parents' friends? They're narrow-minded and total jerks”, I stated.

“What did you just say?” He growled, getting dangerously close.

“Drop the act, Draco! I'm not scared of you”, I enlightened him.

“You should be”, he warned me.

“You're weak, Draco. Always have been. You only do what everyone around is expecting you to do”, I proposed.

My brother clenched his fist before snapping his fingers and that way calling one of our house elves. “Go and get my father”, he ordered.

“That's another thing. You all treat the house elves like shit. I just don't get it. They're doing so much for us. A little appreciation and kindness isn't too much to ask for”, I remarked.

“What is going on here?”, our father questioned.

“(f/n)'s going insane. She's spending all her time with blood traitors and wants us to treat the house elves better”, Draco revealed.

“Is that so?”, father reassured.

I gulped. Honestly I was slightly scared of him because he was always afraid our family honor may be at risk.

“It is”, I confirmed.

“Alright then. I've given you enough time to redeem yourself. It's time for you to learn the hard way”, he announced.

“What do you mean?”, I inquired anxiously.

“You're going to spend the summer with your aunt. Maybe she can put you back on the right path”, he considered.

I could feel all color drain from my face. “You mean aunt Bellatrix? Are you serious? She's a maniac”, I reminded him.

“Don't talk about your family like that! Apparently I failed to teach you properly. Maybe I was too soft on you. I'm sure she won't be”, he assumed.

“No, you … you can't do that”, I protested.

Now I was scared to no end. Facing my father was one thing, but my aunt. That was a completely different story.

“I'm taking your wand in the meantime”, he decided.

My wand flew his way with a flick of his own before I could react.

“I'll contact Bellatrix immediately. You don't get to take anything with you. I'm sure she can provide you with the essentials. Draco, you will watch over your sister until your aunt arrives to make sure she doesn't do anything reckless”, he ordered.

“Yes, father”, Draco replied obediently, although he was looking a bit paler than before as well.

My mind was racing to find a way to get out. Suddenly I wished I had just run away after all.

--------------------

What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments or asks!

[group-dynamic]

Rings of Power Spoilers for Season 2 Episode 8. (Also, predictions based on book knowledge. Beware!)

So very much to talk about in this finale which I loved, but three takeaways for now:

What a testament to Charlie Vickers' performance all season that Sauron's tears after Celebrimbor's death feel so utterly layered and genuine and entirely grotesque. The immediate image that was conjured for me was a cat that's just killed the mouse they were playing with. That look you see in a cat when they touch the dead mouse with their paw a few times despondently because they're now genuinely upset and sore and sorry for themself because the mouse won't "play" with them anymore. The self deception of those tears, unwitnessed, and thus genuine, but also entirely unearned due to him being the sole arbiter of that death. Horrifying! (And Charlie revealed in his recent interview with Nerd of the Rings that he's fully aware that early draft Sauron was essentially a cat so we keep winning on this metaphor, haha)

2. The absolutely beautiful little moment we got with Theo and Isildur made me even more certain that Theo will grow up to be the king who betrays his oath and doesn't show up to fight against Sauron in the last alliance, leading to him being cursed by Isildur. And it's absolutely going to shatter my heart. Theo, the son of a healer and thus, as Aragorn will one day express, perfectly aligned with the role of a king. Theo whose father is unknown in a country looking for the king they were promised. Theo who is theoretically (no pun intended lol) not blessed with long life like the Numenoreans--which means Isildur would see him grow up and pass him in visual age and grow into his role. The deeply personal nature of a curse between old friends. I will not survive it if that is Theo's destiny. These are my sons.

3. I truly loved how well everything wove beautifully into the thematic threads of this story. I was deeply moved all episode. Except. . . okay, was anyone else really baffled by the imagery in the last moments? It was so clear that Galadriel's arc and the story as a whole was coming to a close on this idea of choosing to act as a shield (protect, defend, don't use your children as warriors to seek revenge, choose togetherness and healing, not singular acts, don't make war heedlessly, gather strength together). I mean, Galadriel has been fighting over giving up her sword (dagger) and all it represents for ages, and in that last moment in future Rivendell of all places, a place of healing and rest, with a battered collection of wounded veterans and refugees and non-combatants and children, Gil Galad raises his sword??? and the gathered elves also raise any weapons they have??? And they're making battle cries??? I . . . was . . . confused, lol. Was I interpreting this incorrectly? I mean, of course the free peoples of Middle Earth should fight back against a powerful enemy, no matter how small they are or how impossible the odds seem (i.e. Durin v. Balrog), but. . . . I felt like that was a little out of sync with every other piece of imagery and message that the elves were working through this season. . . This was their moment to realize the rings were not a weapon in their hands but a shield and instead it bordered on disturbing for me. . . that's how jarring that last shot felt. . It didn't ruin the episode for me or anything, but I was . . . ????

(I think Galadriel being a visual light for the elves works. I think Gil Galad and the gang drawing swords together to make a promise to defend the vulnerable would have worked, but this felt like a real mix of metaphors here. Maybe there was some debate on set about which way to go and they compromised on a mix of imagery. )

[fractured-shield]

character introductions: Therien

Therien Athealin, Ther’, Chianthe

17 years old at book 1 ch1, mid-20s by series end

Haven’t given her an actual birthday yet but it’s in the fall

She/her but she’s fine with neutral pronouns

Aroace, sort of gender apathetic

5 foot even. Tiny little fucker my beloved

Description: kind of nondescript mousy hair, light brown eyes, similar skin tone to her mother but she gets sunburned way easier, lots of freckles, kind of scrawny and has a hard time building muscle. Cuts her hair short (about jaw length) early in book 1, lets it grow back out to right above her shoulders over time. She’s more at home in the armored uniform of the Tarnuvin Watch than a formal dress. Collects a bunch of little scars through the series which she is very proud of because she sees them as evidence of her hard work, even lets her father worry over them usually.

Kind of awkward and clumsy, thinks before she speaks and then overthinks everything afterwards, curses a lot on accident. Did not cope at all well with her mother’s death and tries so hard to make herself useful and learn everything at once because she wants to be helpful to her father. Eventually she’s halfway competent with all of the Tarnuvin Watch weapons (messer sword, spear, hunting bow) but her best is the bow. Her instinct in every situation is to run and she hates it. Deeply weird, knows way too much about obscure history and trade policies, has bitten people before. Has a sweet tooth and will under no circumstances admit it.

Goals/arc: when she’s introduced, she wants nothing more than to get away from Durnthain, where she’s been staying since her mother’s death. She feels stuck, especially as an elf growing up alongside two humans around her age, and can feel she’s getting to the point where they’re growing up faster than her. When she gets to speak with her father again and has her suspicions confirmed about why she was sent to Durnthain, she feels even more strongly that she needs to be useful and mature in order to help him, despite his insistence otherwise.

She gets involved in the unrest in Durnthain and unearths evidence of dragon-plague, and once returning home she throws herself into her studies. Next to other elves, she feels clumsy and incompetent, and wants nothing more than to fix that. As the war begins in earnest, and as she grows up a little more, she’s given more responsibility and tries to learn confidence and independence, all the while facing the same struggles her father is so familiar with. Although they're often at odds, with her rose-tinted optimism against his tired despondency, there's no question they care for each other. By the series’ end, she’s a lot more relaxed and comfortable with herself, and after being tested her flighty, childish idealism settles into something stubborn and unyielding.

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[reddpenn]

Let us know how the D&D game went!

Sure! The turnout was a bit smaller than my usual group due to a bunch of Adult Scheduling Conflicts, but I honestly prefer DMing for smaller groups anyway. This was session zero, so it was mostly just establishing lore and rolling up our characters.

We went over the lore of my homebrew setting. We’re doing an urban fantasy set in a film noir-style fantasy city - built vertically into the walls of a massive sinkhole. The economic boom caused by the town’s mithral mines have turned it into a cultural melting pot, populated by diasporas of elves, orcs, drow, humans, etc. It has also attracted its fair share of organized crime, such as the powerful elvish mob known as the Gabbro Family. The players are part-time private eyes who own Deepwell Detective Agency, a small detective agency in the depths of the city, where the sinkhole’s walls cast the streets into perpetual twilight and the Gabbro Family rules with an iron fist.

We rolled up some characters! (We’re using Pathfinder as our system for this one, ‘cause I like it the best.)

Jericho is a drow witch who’s a young student at the city’s college of magic. They're accompanied by their familiar, a tophat wearing hedgehog named Hazel, and their imaginary friend reality-challenged friend Impy. After reading tons of mystery novels, they aspire to be a Detective Conan-style kid detective. But their sheltered upbringing in the upper levels of the city has left them naive and unprepared for the realities of being a private eye.

Homes is a monkey-goblin investigator who traveled to this city looking for adventure and new experiences, but has since fallen into the mundane routine of doing construction-related odd jobs. A dexterous and handy little guy who’s good at building things, he built the Deepwell Detective Agency’s headquarters and the other players pay him rent to use the place. He insists he’s just their landlord, but as the cleverest of the group he often gets caught up in solving mysteries with them.

Perdita is an aasimar sorcerer who runs a simple tailoring business in the lower levels of the city. Few people know about her past as a thief, but she once had ties to the Gabbro Family, who took her in and raised her after she was abandoned as a child. After being caught and forced to work with the police for a while, the Gabbro Family disowned her as a failure and a traitor. Her past and ties to the criminal underworld will come in handy when it comes time to solve some crimes.

With what little time we had left after all that, the characters interacted and got to know each other a bit! They solved a small mystery, helping a little girl find her missing friends - and eventually discovering that these “friends” were bullies who had purposefully ditched her. Homes gave them what they deserved by scaring them and stealing their lunch money. Now the players are ready to go out into the city and SOLVE SOME MYSTERIES!