#this is only part one since theres a LOT to talk about regarding ruby

[boomhealers]

Lore about Ruby from my fallout ocs since I absolutely love him part 1

Theres gonna be a LOT of horror/cosmic horror in this and will have themes abt identity and that whole philosophy.

[This will probably also be moderately absurd but thats my jam(Also anyone sends asks abt him i will answer them SOFAST) Also this is the oc x canon oc [heart eyes emoji]. He is dating maccready. ]

So Ruby is a bit of a strange one, even in terms of Boomhealers. And that’s saying a lot since the family has stuff like people without bones(good ole OWB), cowboys, ghouls, pre war specimens that by all accounts should not exist, vault dwellers that defy most laws of the universe, cosmic horrors beyond comphrension, etc. Ruby mainly stands out because hes the only (so far, anyways) synth in the family, as well as being one of the few with connections to Library7.

When Ruby escaped the institute, he opted to keep his memories of being a synth. He did his normal rounds around the commonwealth until he found something that kinda…beckoned to him in a way. In an unknown location, he found himself being drawn to a part of the ocean. Ruby knew that just jumping in there was a bad idea but he had this overwhelming, cosmic urge to pursue whatever it was that was calling to him. So, he said fuck it. He didn’t have much to lose in the first place.

And so he entered the depths and went on the long and treacherous journey to the man made island stuck in an ethereal, terrifying reflection of the old world—Library7.

The journey there was, difficult to put it lightly. You ever try to avoid getting killed by mirelurks, terrifying abominations you never even knew could exist, alongside fucking raddolphins that were way too good at scaring the shit outta you? Ruby did. He’d be dead if the world wasn’t having too much fun laughing at the guy.

The real fun began when Ruby actually made it to the island. Whatever was beckoning to him was louder than before. A horrific, ethereal sense of awe took over him when he saw the island.

Buildings with uncannily pristine conditions with lights that resembled the eyes of a radscorpion peering over the world in the darkness of the night, the only thing obscuring it being the mixture of fog and smoke that floated throughout like a ghost. In contrast, they stood in the middle of a series of untouched yet aged concrete buildings. Fences of rusted steel, extending towards the sky like the gates of hell guarded the majority of the land.

If there was a hell for synths, it would look an awful lot like this.

And maybe he did deserve that hell. Who knows. He didn’t know anything about the original Ruby—not much anyways.

So when Ruby did truly enter the island, he was met with the sight of…people? They looked like people from a distance. But they were certainly not. Some moved in uncanny ways, some straight up looked like nightmares. They acted like they never saw another living thing besides themselves, and took Ruby in as a bit of a “project.” Modifying his DNA, asking him questions, having him do strange tasks—things one might compare to big MT, the major difference being that they seemed weirdly…managed? Moral? Contained? It was hard to describe. The specimens felt more like AI trying to fulfill a request, despite its team being long dead.

Ruby didn’t understand what the hell was going on for the first hour. That is, until he was called upon from the dark, looming pristine building. Never a good sign, he thought. And when he reached it, he saw what can only be described as a portal to hell. Eyes. There were so many eyes. They were everywhere—on the floors, the ceiling, the wall—it was a sight to behold. As he ventured deeper, he saw the source of them all—a woman who could only be described as a cosmic horror extension of what it meant to be human.

Her robotic voice echoed as the eyes connected to the surfaces of the room honed in on Ruby. “I’ve been waiting for someone like you.”

The feeling was indescribable.

Specimen 101 was her name. She wasn’t one for beating around the bush, but she knew best answer the questions before they were asked. 101 explained how the island was a pre war experiment to create near immortal, highly intelligent researchers that would aid the government post war.

Of course, we all know what happened to the government after the bombs fell. Before then, they had made an emergency vault. Like vault 111, they froze the specimens. The previous 100 specimens were all failures, with the remaining 14 being their only chances of success. Of course, there was more complexity to it, but 101 figured it was unnecessary to go into that level of detail.

How this relates to Ruby is simple: 101 worked hard to make sure the other specimens would not leave the island and turn the rest of the world into their hellish lab. However, she could not stop 114 from leaving. Ruby was to keep an eye on 114, so to speak. Thankfully she had calculated that 114 was the least likely to cause harm to the world, but she needed to make sure.

And how was Ruby going to do this? He wasn’t. 101 was going to do all the work. Her plan was to use Ruby as signal. The specimens had a distress signal built into them already—that she knew. The purpose of Ruby’s signal was to attempt to find 114’s exact location, and from that send that data to 101.

101 didn’t trust Ruby, and in a way, wanted to apologize (in her own strange way) for the behaviors of the other specimens. She somehow found a way to retrieve the original Ruby’s memories and implanted them onto him alongside his own while erasing his memories of Library7. 101 did this as a way of ensuring that Ruby would continue to behave in a way that wouldn’t make 114 suspicious of what she was doing with the signal. Adding some extra things to him to make Ruby juuuuust a bit more resilient (afterall, 101 was likely never going to have this opportunity again).

And thus, Ruby was sent back out (in a device that would stop those damn raddolphins from destroying him for sport) into the commonwealth.

[birdsareblooming]

Infinite is connected to Solaris

This is gonna be a long one, strap in.

Infinite, Infinite, Infinite. The most recent in-game villain, and the most powerful in recent history as well. Despite being only around 3 years old, he’s become extremely popular. and half of that is because of the song.

Mephiles, Iblis, and Solaris. Villains over 10 years old that haven’t been used since their original game appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Or... have they?

Now I want to say before all of this, this all could be coincidences, me being delusional, or something otherwise. It is ONLY a theory, but for something as crazy as I’m claiming I need to preface with this for my own sanity. 

But i’m gonna cut the bullshit. You’re here to see how I am going to bs my way to saying that Infinite the Jackal is connected to a dead god from what is regarded as the worst Sonic game. 

And, like most of these, I need to start with some house cleaning, some things you need to understand.

1. Time Eater is Mephiles

You might have seen me meme about this before...

...But yeah that’s exactly the situation.

I had theorized this before I knew Ian Flynn thought the same thing. Their identical color-schemes, almost identical aesthetic, and completely identical power-set. 

Even the name Time-Eater, that was Mephiles, and Solaris’s goal. To eat time. 

2. Ifrit is Iblis

Now i’m going to assume you have two questions

If Time Eater is Mephiles, than where’s his counterpart, Iblis?

Who the fuck is Ifrit

Long and Short, 

But, more importantly, 

Ifrit is what caused Silver’s Future post Sonic 06.

Ifirit was their retcon for keeping Silver’s future the way it is (even though they defeat it at the end of sonic rivals 2, causing the future to not be that way, hence why Silver was 3 conflicting backstories. Thanks guys.)

So, when it comes to fire demon that destroys the world and causes the future that Silver the hedgehog lives in, that’s a good amount of evidence already, especially with the preface that Mephiles is alive in the form of Time-Eater. If Mephiles was reborn, why wouldn’t also Iblis? and Ifirit is so uncannily similar theres no other candidate. 

also, might I add:

(thanks @zorloser​)

For you who don’t know, Ifrit’s story ended being re-trapped in it’s pocket dimension with Eggman Nega. 

3. The Phantom Ruby

The Phantom Ruby... Oh, the Phantom Ruby.

A very new addition to Sonic, and yet very important. It was the leading mcguffin of two games, and is made out to be very powerful. 

yes I know that’s a lot up there, but you need to understand the Phantom Ruby to fully understand this theory. 

It’s also very important that Eggman didn’t create the Phantom Ruby as he claims. He created Infinite, not the stone attached to him. Despite there being prototypes, which does confuse me, but from what info we’re given from the wiki the Phantom Ruby seems to have come from Classic Sonic’s universe, even retreating there after the events of Forces. This is also confirmed in Episode Shadow:

Although, Eggman did name it, seemingly on a whim.

~Tangent Time~

Despite being CALLED a Ruby by Eggman, the Phantom Ruby doesn't LOOK like a ruby, despite being magenta.

Rubies CAN be dark even to the point of being Black, but never connected. They’re usually just one shade.

(And don’t you dare say “The chaos emeralds don’t look like emeralds bc they’re not green. They’re all TECHNICALLY emeralds, they’re part of the beryl family, and even if only green beryls are called emeralds, they are all the exact shades of beryl.)

But what the Phantom Ruby DOES look like, is obsidian. 

note this for later.

4. Infinite

For those who don’t fully know Infinite’s backstory, it’s expanded upon on the wiki and Rise of Infinite 

Now that we’re all on the same page, lets continue to him now. 

Lovingly referred to as the “Masked Clown.” Infinite goes about the entirety of Sonic Forces revealing nothing of himself, the only things we know about him are from Episode Shadow and Rise of Infinite. We don’t even see his real face in-game. 

Although we have enough to know that his personality changed post Phantom Ruby, it’s even mentioned on the Wiki. Although how much of that change was spurred on by being beat up by a 15 year old, we’ll probably never know. 

Although his goal has always been the same. Starting the planet over as a desolate wasteland. What a fun dude to be around. Probably the life of the party.

5. Connections

(i’m using Mephiles and Time-Eater intermittently, same with Iblis and Ifrit.) 

Alright, now we’re all on the same page. Let’s move on.

I’m going to play a game we’ve played before. I’m going to name something about Infinite or the Phantom Ruby, and add something that’s eerily simmilar to Solaris (Mephiles + Iblis)

All of this Info can be found on the Sonic Wiki

Phantom Ruby: -It is an interdimensional gemstone of incredible power- Ifrit: It is an interdimensional, demonic fire-creature of incredible power- (wow those are, the same description huh)

Infinite: -After Infinite's fusion with the finalized Phantom Ruby prototype, he acquired the ability to generate, destroy, and manipulate virtual realities, which he could turn into virtual reality projections to interact with reality.[32] Said virtual realities are illusions, which Infinite creates by exercising control of one's visual and depth perception by feeding the brain false information- Ifrit: -Described as capable of binding one's soul, the Ifrit can enslave others with powerful mind control powers.- -Ifrit, which manages to use some kind of mind control on Sonic and/or Tails (or Knuckles and/or Rouge, depending on which team the player is controlling), but is defeated by the other teams, and is destroyed.-

Infinite: -Infinite's newfound strength proved so great that he was able to effortlessly defeat figures like E-123 Omega and Silver the Hedgehog, and ultimately best even Sonic the Hedgehog twice. He was even able to single-handedly overwhelm the entire Resistance army during Operation Big Wave. His power was such that not even the Miles Electric was able to give an accurate reading of his capabilities.[31] Time Eater: -the Time Eater has demonstrated immense super strength; even in its incomplete form, it easily knocked Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic unconscious with a single hit. After being completed, the Time Eater was able to effortlessly repel both Classic and Modern Sonic's and knock them out using brute force alone-

Phantom Ruby:  Its powers can also warp the fabric of space-time,[1] allowing it to create pocket dimensions such as Egg Reverie Zone and Null Space, as well as teleport entities from place to place. When used alongside the Chaos Emeralds' time-space powers, it transported Classic Sonic and itself to another dimension, and later sucked Dr. Eggman into a rift- Time Eater: Its signature skill however, is creating "Time Holes",[8] spacial rifts that lead to any point across time and space, including alternate timelines and across different dimensions.

Infinite: When everything you know has come and gone (You are at your lowest, I am rising higher) Only scars remain of who I was (What I find in the ashes, you lose in the fire) When there's no one left to carry on (This is an illusion, open up your eyes and...) This pain persists, I can't resist But that's what it takes to be infinite Solaris: -Much like his two halves, Iblis and Mephiles, Solaris is immortal and virtually indestructible.- -As a transcendent life form, Solaris possesses a unique state of existence that lets him exist in the past, present and future simultaneously, making him omnipresent throughout time and virtually impossible to defeat unless he is attacked simultaneously in all eras-

Possible reach:

Phantom Ruby:

Solaris:

(I’m refering to the odd red-stone in the middle, also that the wings somewhat resemble Infinite’s sword.)

~Tangent Time~

remember the first tangent? Where I meantioned that the Phantom “Ruby” looked more like obsidian than a ruby?

Well someone else looks like a certain type of obsidian, Snowflake Obsidian to be exact:

Alright Reaching time over. 

Now you might have noticed that the Ifrit-Infinite connections seemed to fit just a bit more-Maybe it was just me- even down to the Phantom Ruby and Ifrit’s OPENING DESCRIPTION being almost copy/paste, which i’m still amazed at.

This get’s to the next part of my theory.

6. Where are they (Mephiles/Iblis) now?

Welcome to~ where are they now!

Mephiles, or Time-Eater, So far is undocumented. It’s said they were “Destoryed” at the end of Sonic Generations, but for all we know it was just the machine additions, and Mephiles was “destoryed” over 10 years ago and he started kicking again.

Iblis, or Ifrit, was locked in it’s own pocket dimention along with Nega, and hasn’t been seen since...or have they?

haha that’s a callback! Do you remember the beginning of this post or is it too mindbogglingly long for your brain to comprehend in one sitting? 

7. The Phantom Ruby is Iblis/Ifrit

let’s talk about the power set of the Phantom Ruby. Interdimentional, very powerful, capable of some kind of mind fuckery.

Ifrit is, Interdimentional, very powerful, capable of some kind of mind fuckery, immortal and is constantly on fire,

You may be wondering about this “Fire” thing. “Solaris was a sun god and infinite has no connection-” WRONG! 

sorry that was forceful.

Infinite used a very specific and strange method to destroy the planet. He made an illusion of the sun, and set it on the planet. Out of all the methods, and interesting choice to be sure. But not for a sun god.

also: “What I find in the ashes, you lose in the fire”

“What are you saying you dumb bitch?” You might be thinking. First of all, rude, second of all, I��m saying that the power inside the Phantom Ruby IS Iblis/Ifrit, hence their connection.

Before I get to timeline and other stuff, some minor things:

The decision to have Infinite take on specifically Silver, and showing Silver being able to withstand a fight against him for a good amount of time, as well as giving them a minor repertoire, which no other seemingly “unconnected” Resistance Fighters get. 

the name “Infinite” fitting the naming scheme if “Iblis and Ifrit” and you know how this franchise is about naming schemes.

Now, where we last left Ifrit he was trapped in a pocket dimension with Nega. 

Where we first find the Phantom Ruby is “In Sonic Mania, the Phantom Ruby appeared on Angel Island after a dimensional breach occurred in the atmosphere.” (via sonic wiki)

Now, it is kinda hard to connect those two lines, but the dimensional causation is there. 

(I could add an ENTIRE subsection of me trying to connected Mephiles to the time-traveling nature of Little Planet, therefore connecting Solaris to Classic Sonic’s world ((and “fun is infinite)) but this theory doesn’t need to be any longer and I cannot physically do any more research.) 

it’s possible Ifrit would be trapped, Mephiles was trapped in the Scepter of Darkness, so it’s more possible than impossible. 

But, Imma be fully honest with you guys, Most of this is because of the song.

If you haven’t heard “Infinite”, What is wrong with you. Go listen to it. Oh my god. 

But, some of the lyrics, don’t totally make sense knowing Infinite’s backstory. But it makes more sense seeing through the lens of the added Ifrit influence.

“And after all this time you're back for more“ (If talking about Shadow, it wasn’t a “long time” inbetween Infinite’s defeat and his rise. And Infinite has no stated relationship with Sonic. However, Solaris and subsequently, Iblis, do.) “When everything you know has come and gone“ “But that's what it takes to be infinite“

Even the name “Infinite.”

He chose that name after fusing to the Phantom Ruby and “ABAndoNiNg hIS pAsT SeLf” 

But, the Phantom Ruby has no connotations of immortality. None specified. it’s possible it’s power could be used to trick the user into immortality, but it’s never specified. You’d think he’d be called “Phantom” or, even, “Zero” (his working-and possibly true-name) But no. Infinite.

Now, think back to the connections earlier, and the info I took from Solaris’s wiki.

“Omnipresent throughout time and space”

Sounds pretty “Infinite” to me.

Am I saying Infinite is the new Iblis Trigger? Yes.

Ok my fingers hurt from writing this sorry it’s so long 

bye

[bonjour-rainycity]

Double Heart | Chapter Nine ~ Cosima

|previous part|

Pairing: Haldir x OFC

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 3476

Warnings: None

**Read on Ao3 under the user “bonjour_rainycity” if you prefer!**

A/n Sorry this was a little late! Happy reading :)

Translations: Mae govannen = well met! // Meleth nîn = my love

Two weeks after I woke in this strange world, we reach Imladris.

When Haldir tells me that the sparkling city in the valley is our destination, I can scarcely believe him. After endless days and nights riding through open country, to finally reach civilization, even if it’s not the civilization I’m used to, is so welcome I nearly cry with relief.

Four men on horseback race up the slope of the mountains to meet us. They wear heavy armor—more than what Haldir and the others wear—and carry tall spears. Their leader, fierce though he seems, takes my breath away. Even from here, I can see his face because it reflects an ethereal glow. His hair, which has to be spun gold, flows long down the back of his horse and glints in the sun. Whoever he is, he is no mere man.

“Elrond’s patrols,” I question, remembering someone mentioning them earlier.

“Yes,” Haldir responds, and I can hear a grin in his voice. “We have reached their outer borders. Congratulations, Cosima.” He twists to offer me a proud smile. “You have completed your first journey.”

I swallow, unable to keep myself from smiling back. Haldir can be so stoic at times that praise from him is completely unexpected. Warmth spreads through my chest.

The riders come to a halt in front of us and the one I assume to be their leader dismounts, striding confidently in our direction. Haldir slides off Faervel, approaching in a similar fashion. I take the horse’s reins in my hands, stroking his back affectionately. The horses’ height doesn’t bother me anymore and I’ve become much more confident in riding them in the past two weeks.

“Mae govannen, Haldir o Lórien!”

“Glorfindel.” Haldir clasps the man’s elbow jubilantly. They converse in that language I haven’t heard since I arrived — the others have been speaking solely in English for my and Alex’s benefit — and it’s jarring to hear the unfamiliar sounds. It serves as a reminder that, though I have allowed myself to become comfortable here, too comfortable, maybe, this is not my world. This is somewhere different.

Haldir turns over his shoulder and extends a hand in my direction. I catch my name and Alexander’s among the strange syllables and offer the man—Glorfindel, Haldir called him—a smile in greeting. He approaches, stunning golden hair shining in the light of the sunset, and bows elegantly. A laugh bubbles from my throat—startled by the action. Vaguely, I remember Rumil bowing to me when we first met. Whereas his motivation had been to make a joke, Glorfindel seems totally genuine, the gesture one of respect and welcome. He performs the same movement for Alex.

“Welcome, lost humans and my elven friends. Come, I shall keep you waiting no longer. Elrond is eager to see you and I am sure you are equally ready for proper food and a full night’s rest.” With that, he strides back to his horse and mounts.

I scoot higher on Faervel’s back to give Haldir room and hand him the reins. The horses must sense how close we are to extended rest, because they race faster than they did the entire journey. Despite my new skill, I have to grip Haldir extra tight to make up for the frantic pace and only being able to use one arm. Though the mountain slope is steep and the city surely has to be miles away, we arrive in less than an hour.

Streams of blue and white cascade above us, falling every way I turn and crashing down below. The air smells impossibly sweet and fresh — perhaps due to the flowers that bloom all around. The rays from the sinking sun, brilliant orange and gold, mingle with the water in the falls and, just as Haldir promised, send gently curving rainbows over our path. I let out a breath, completely stunned.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Haldir’s voice holds a reverence I’ve never heard before, but it is aptly placed. I could not fathom regarding this city with anything less than the utmost respect and admiration.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Even in my homeworld, I—” I blink, unable to comprehend the etherial nature of my surroundings. “I would have remembered it. This…”

“I know.” Theres a soft, almost vulnerable quality to his voice that caresses the phrase. I can imagine his eyes are alight like mine, taking in the splendor of the city even though he’s seen it many times before. I’d wager this is a sight one never gets used to.

Glorfindel pulls his horse to a stop before an arching, narrow bridge.

Oh no.

I suck in a sharp breath, gripping onto Haldir with both my injured and uninjured arm. My wound stings, but it is preferable to suffer this momentary pain than to loosen my grip and go plummeting off the edge.

Haldir chuckles, the vibrations rumbling deep in his chest. “The bridge is only the beginning. Look ahead—part of the main city is suspended on pillars.”

My stomach churns and I feel my heart race. By the way my arms constrict around him, Haldir seems to figure out that he has not employed the wisest strategy. His voice softens and he squeezes my hand like he did earlier, after the attack. “Faervel knows the way. Neither he nor I will let you fall.”

I take a deep breath. It’s either the bridge and the safety of Imladris or the orc-infested mountains. And, I suppose, Haldir has gotten us this far. Minor injuries aside, we survived a heavily out-numbered attack relatively unscathed. I trusted him then and I can trust him now. “Fine.”

He chuckles again but makes a big show of lining Faervel up with what will be the middle of the bridge. I resist the urge to elbow him in the ribs — armor covers them anyway. It would hurt me more than it would him.  

Glorfindel calls out in that language again, then directs his horse onto the bridge. The three other mounted guards follow. Then, so gently I barely register the change, Faervel steps from the lush grass to the stone of the bridge. Water roars and tosses below us, drowning out any words the others might say. And drowning you if Faervel doesn’t keep straight. That is, if the impact doesn’t kill you first. I fight the urge to whimper and keep my eyes locked straight ahead. Almost to the end.

The bridge is mercifully short and soon we are on much surer foundations, having crossed into the city. While the water still cascades around us, its noise has subsided, almost like it’s been muted. In its place, soft, lyrical music fills the air. Harps. Once we are far from the bridge, I look around. The buildings are made of stone yet seem a natural part of the valley. Chains of flowers spill from every archway, peek between small cracks in the stone, weave into the intricate designs in the masonry. Trees, the same ones that welcomed us at the border, make a home in the city, growing where they wish — even if that means rising alongside a fabricated pillar.

Haldir speaks softly, hesitantly, almost like he doesn’t want to interrupt my exploration of the city. “Is it worth the bridge?”

I realize we’ve come to a stop in front of a large dais backed by a constant stream of blue and frothy white. It’s like we’re in the waterfall. “Definitely,” I exhale. Though, I have no desire to cross that bridge again any time soon.

A tall man steps onto the dais. His face is kind and, though the edges of his mouth and forehead are lined with creases, he could be any age. He seems altogether outside of time. His eyes hold wisdom, more than I could ever hope to collect, and I know this must be the Elrond my friends talked about. He could be no other.

He spreads his hands and smiles warmly. “Welcome. Our friends from Lothlórien and the humans who accompany them, welcome to Imladris. We have dinner prepared for you. Leave your horses with the guards — they will be well cared for.”

I believe him. He could probably tell me the sky is green or Faervel is a mouse and I wouldn’t question it.

And if he told you that you’re in a different world?

I gulp and push the weighted thought away.

Haldir swings his left leg to meet his right and slides off Faervel’s back. As always, he keeps a gentle hold on me until my feet are securely on the ground, then clasps his hands behind his back in his most favored stance.

I peek behind me to locate Alexander. He shifts from foot to foot and darts his eyes suspiciously around the room. With his short hair, lanky stature, and clear discomfort, he looks so out of place here. With a start, I realize that I must, too. Though the physical differences are certainly apparent, there’s just something about these men…an otherworldliness I had somehow gotten used to during our journey. But here, in this unreal city surrounded by others who are so clearly not men…For the first time, I truly, honestly consider that they might not be human.

Rumil appears on my right side, practically beaming with excitement. “What do you think?”

I exhale on shaky breath, my recent realization having left me feeling a little lightheaded. “I think it’s a lot to take in. It’s gorgeous, though.”

At my left, Haldir eyes me curiously. He heard my reaction upon reaching Imladris and is probably wondering why I’m downplaying it to Rumil. Truth be told, I just don’t have the energy to take much more this evening. A good meal and sleep will hopefully help.

“Orophin!”

I tilt my head around Rumil to find the source of the delighted shriek and find myself staring at the most enchanting woman I’ve ever seen.

Her hair, coiled and dark, tumbles down her back in tight curls, brushing the back of her legs. Her espresso skin shines in the nearly-faded light, almost as if it has a luminescence of its own — perhaps a result of the joy that radiates from her. She wears a long, ruby-colored gown that sweeps gently over the stairs as she practically throws herself down them, sprinting in our direction.

“Meleth nîn!” Orophin calls back to her, breaking from our informal line and rushing to whom I assume to be his fiancée.

Indulgent chuckles run through our group as the two collide, gripping each other in a fierce hug. They pull back almost immediately, pressing their foreheads together and just staring into each other’s eyes. The action seems much more intimate than if they had fallen to the floor in a passionate embrace, and I avert my eyes, feeling the need to give them privacy.

“Come on,” Haldir whispers, ghosting his fingers over my elbow. “They will join us later.”

Elrond leads us through open-air hallways. Every way we turn seems to offer a view of the waterfalls and brings with it a light, fresh scent. He takes us right, bringing us through one final archway and into what looks to be a dining room. In the center is a long rectangular table surrounded by ten matching chairs. The table is already stacked with food — breads, salads, fruits, and various kinds of meat that smell absolutely mouthwatering.

Elrond smiles invitingly, entering the room and stopping behind the chair at one of the table’s heads. “I expected you would be weary this evening and would wish to dine in private. Please, sit and help yourselves.”

I follow Rumil and Haldir, hoping I’m not violating any social rules I am unaware of by choosing a random seat in the middle. Before I can pull the chair back, Haldir steps in to complete the task, gesturing for me to take a seat. I have to hold back my amusement at the antiquated gesture — perhaps it’s a custom here. He does seem more formal than Alex and I are.

Haldir and Rumil take the chairs on either side of me and, before long, Alex appears at my opposite. I smile at him. Given our recent arguments and the fact that I don’t really know if we’re friends in this life, I’m not quite sure where we stand. But he returns the gesture which allows me to breathe a sigh of relief. He’s familiar, at least. Baranor sits between Alex and Elrond and immediately the two healers engage in deep discussion.

I distract myself with the food and soon have more piled on my plate than I could possibly hope to eat, but I can certainly try. Before long, Orophin and the woman from earlier join us and are welcomed jovially.

Orophin beams, gesturing to the woman at his side. “Lavandil, these are the humans I was telling you about. Cosima and Alexander, this is my betrothed, Lavandil.”

Lavandil sets her excited gaze on both myself and Alex. “Hello, it’s so nice to meet you. Welcome to Imladris! We are pleased to have you here.” Her voice is warm, welcoming, and I find it impossible not to smile along with her, distressed though I am at Orophin’s clear distinction of me as ‘human’.

Orophin pulls out a chair for Lavandil and sits between her and Alex, who looks ridiculously uncomfortable in the presence of so many of these…humans. Though, I must admit, my resolve to call them that is steadily weakening.

Minutes later, Glorfindel enters the room accompanied by a demure man called Lindir. Haldir and Glorfindel fall into a spirited debate about patrol strategies and border security. Rumil piles something on my plate that he claims I have to try. He’s not wrong — it’s really good!

“So, Cosima, Alexander.” Lavandil props her elbow on the table and rests her chin on her hand, looking at us with interest. “Orophin says they happened upon you both near the river and that you haven’t any memories?”

All eyes converge on me and Alex. I don’t trust him to be polite, so I hurry to answer her question.

“Yes. We remember each other and tiny snippets of our home, but besides that, nothing.”

“How strange,” she muses, looking fascinated. “That must have been so shocking. How are you adjusting?”

I exhale slowly, playing for time. How am I adjusting? The weight of everyone’s eyes feels almost crushing. “It’s definitely a lot to get used to,” I say diplomatically. “But we’re really lucky to have run into good people who were willing to help.”

Despite his feelings towards our companions, Alex wisely remains silent. It would do us no good to offend our hosts.

Lavandil giggles, the sound bright and cheerful. “I’m glad they were helpful and not rude. I know Haldir has a tendency to interrogate first and help later. He’s slow to trust.” She shoots Haldir a teasing grin, to which he merely rolls his eyes, but his cheek twitches like he’s fighting a smile.

I try to suppress a grin. “Well, he wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy, but he calmed down quickly enough.” I purse my lips, contemplating. “But now that I think about it, no one really left me unattended or gave me a weapon even though the trip was dangerous. Hold on, do any of you actually trust me?” I lean back in my chair and cross my arms, though I raise an eyebrow at Haldir to let him know I’m only kidding.

He shakes his head, huffing in mock exasperation. “We trust you now but at the start, how was I to know you weren’t some sort of spy?”

“A spy!” I huff. “I’m hurt. But moving on. Later, once you decided I was not a spy, how come no one gave me a knife or anything?”

Rumil chortles. “Have you seen the lines of your mending? You’re more likely to impale yourself than an enemy.”

I grumble indignantly. He’s right, but that doesn’t mean I have to tell him so.

Haldir quirks an eyebrow. “Would you like to learn? I can teach you.”

I think on this. Hmmm…do I need to learn how to use a weapon? Probably. But do I want to? Surprisingly, I find that the answer is yes. This world is obviously dangerous—I got a very real reminder of that just a few days ago—and I want to be capable in it. Haldir or the others might not always be there to defend me—I should learn how to protect myself.

“Yeah, I would. Thank you!”

Haldir nods, the edges of his mouth pulling into an expression of grim determination. I quickly discover why.

He’s psyching himself up, I realize with a quiet laugh.

He inclines his head towards Alex. “And you, Alexander? I can teach you as well.” By the gravity in his tone, it is clear Haldir’s offer is real, but begrudging.

Alex takes a bite of fruit. “No thank you.”

That’s to be expected. Though Haldir was angry earlier and probably overreacted, he did make a good point when he said that Alex has yet to make an effort to adjust to life here. He’s stayed on the edge of things since the moment we encountered him, always keeping one foot out the door.

A voice warns me that, rather than criticizing Alex, I should have been doing the same.

Elrond motions for an attendant to refill my glass of water. “Baranor says you were attacked in the mountains? That must have been very frightening.”

Flashes of grotesque beasts and shining swords enters my mind and I shrink away from the images. I know we’re safe inside these halls but the fear is still there, lurking at the edges of my thoughts.

Haldir cuts in and I realize I have been silent for longer than is polite. “We were attacked, yes, by about eighteen orcs, wouldn’t you say?”

Rumil and Orophin both nod — I didn’t even know they had a count. I had been focused trying to dodge the blades and arrows. To me, it seemed there was an endless stream of the monsters. Haldir continues. “We killed them all and had no trouble for the rest of our journey. It does make me wander though,” his eyes dart to mine and then quickly away. “Such a large party so close to your borders? Is that common these days?”

“Yes.” Elrond nods gravely. “We have seen an increase in scouting parties and attacks. Just last month, a fully armed company of forty attempted to breach one of our southeastern border stations.”

“No,” Orophin breathes, gripping Lavandil’s hand tightly, a stricken look of horror stretching his face.

She brushes his concerns aside. “Oh, I’m fine. I was up north visiting my mother at the time. I didn’t even know the attack had occurred until I returned home.”

Orophin’s reaction worries me. I lay my fork on my plate, appetite fading as fear gnaws at the edges of my gut. “That’s unusual?”

Haldir shakes his head. “It is not unusual to encounter orcs at the borders, but an armed, prepared, planned attack of such a large number is…telling.” He avoids my gaze.

My body runs cold. “Telling of what?”

“Sauron,” Elrond says simply.

“That name means nothing to them,” Orophin reminds him, still looking at his love. He holds so much concern in his eyes—and a measure of fear—and I wonder just how big of a threat this is. Is Lavandil in danger? Is Elrond? Are we?

Elrond elaborates. “Sauron is a being of great power and even greater evil. He was defeated once before, but whispers of his presence have been heard throughout the realm. I believe he is growing in power again, gathering his armies. He is preparing.”

I drop my hands into my lap, gripping the edges of the chair in an attempt to find an anchor. Across from me, Alex has gone pale.

I don’t have to ask what this being is preparing for. It’s obvious. He’s preparing for war.

If the orcs weren’t bad enough, now we’ve got an evil power looming over us all? I wonder…is my homeworld safer than this?

Glorfindel raises his glass of deep red wine. He holds a steely, almost feral glare in his golden eyes and, suddenly, I am very, very afraid of him. “As quickly as he rises, so shall he fall.”

All aside from Alex and me raise their goblets, a forceful, “hear, hear” resounding through the room of stone. My eyes meet Alex’s. He raises an eyebrow as if to say, what do you want to do?

And I know my answer.

I want to go home.

A/n Thanks for reading! Likes, comments, and reblogs make my day! Let me know if you would like a tag :)

|next part|

|masterlist|

Tolkien tag list: @anangelwhodidntfall @eru-vande

Haldir tag list: @tolkien-apologist

Double Heart tag list: @lainphotography @themerriweathermage @thophil2941btw @kenobiguacamole @wishingtobeinadifferentuniverse @from-patroclus-with-love @boywivlove @ordinarymom1 @my-darling-haldir @sweet-bea-blossom @moony-artnstuff

[maskyartist]

(Runs at you) headcanons for childhood friends, royalty AU and/or mafia AU 👀👀👀

what if i gave you...all...because i like you...?

Childhood Friends

- Ozpin grew up in a rich lil house with a rich lil family and as such, is incredibly sheltered! so meeting Qrow, he just asks him so many questions about just about e v e r y t h i n g. Qrow finds it dumb but he answers em cause if he doesnt Oz just keeps pestering him.

- Qrow absolutely tells Raven about his new friend and states that, since he’s from OUTSIDE the tribe, that he’s better then Raven’s friends and as such Qrow is now cooler then Raven.

- THEY DO THE FUCKIN “we should get married! that way we’ll always know we have each other!” THING AND I DONT TAKE CRITICISM. Ozpin brings the rings from his mothers lil jewelry box, and its too big for either of em, which is why Qrow can wear it when he’s older cause he’s got u know adult fingers now. Ozpin keeps his on hand but doesnt wear it.

- b...but he totally DOES start wearing it after Qrow arrives at Beacon and they reunite fully n u know start gettin those romantic feelings together

- it’s the vibes of Qrow knowing way more then the others early on. cause he knows about Ozpin, he was THERE when Ozymandias showed up (with Ozpin rushing to the outer walls in hopes of having Qrow be there and he was and Ozpin just tells him everything about this voice in his head telling him hes the newest reincarnation or whatever and Qrow just holds him for the night), and while he wasnt told about Salem, Ozpin trusted Qrow more then anyone else in the world. so he told him as much as he thought he would need to know.

The Prince and The Thief

- Qrow returns to the castle at late hours, mostly because hes uh...hes not sure if he CAN just go up to the front door and be like “hi im here for Ozpin????” cause hes not actually a prince and doesnt know what hes doin!!! so he sneaks in through Ozpin’s balcony a lot. Ozpin seems to enjoy it, though. it makes him smile whenever Qrow pops up.

- scared the SHIT out of him the first night, though, because Qrow just sorta showed up while Oz was sleeping and long story short Qrow now knows that Long Memory can easily be used as a self defense weapon.

- Ozpin used to carry Oscar EVERYWHERE around the castle. he was just a baby before the accident, so Ozpin would cradle him close and walk him around, showing him every room and making sure he knew that this was his home.

- Oscar likes this big painting in the hallway most of all. it’s of King Ozma, Ozpin, and Oscar. a family portrait of the men. the only family Oscar actually knows. theres a mirroring one, of his mother and his four late sisters, but...Oscar doesn’t feel as connected to it.

- Ozpin has read Oscar so many fairy tales he can recite them by heart. sometimes Qrow will just...ask him for a story, and Ozpin will easily spin him a tale of a man who could never truly die, or a warrior in the woods with silver eyes.

Mafia

- Ozpin is always smiling. no matter what. either they’re happy, sad, disappointed, even crazed at points. it’s when he STOPS smiling that you know you fucked up. 

- there have been moments where Ozpin and James would u know...get into arguments or fights because they dont exactly meet eye to eye on how things should be handled. but those get shut down easily when Ozpin reminds him where James’s father currently lies, and he smiles and asks him if another Ironwood should be placed 6ft under. James is usually quiet after that.

- Tai and Qrow actually do stay in contact. Qrow’s still good ol “Uncle Qrow” to Yang and Ruby, and hes part of the family n all that. Tai forbids him from talking about anything regarding Ozpin or his business or the past there, so Qrow ended up twisting the tales into “school stories” for the girls to digest easier.

- Ruby ended up getting herself involved with a heist at a Dust store like in canon, and Roman did his thing with her like in canon, but when he arrived to tell Ozpin the bad news that the recent shipment aint gonna be perfect , Qrow’s just like “Oh that was my niece Tai aint gonna be happy about that” and Roman just looks over like “YOU COULDNT GIVE ME LIKE A HEADSHOT OR SOMETHING??? I COULD’VE KILLED HER!”

                - “Yeah. But you didn’t, so...”

                - “You’re taking this way to easily.”

- Oscar takes after his dad A LOT. when he really starts getting into the family business properly, he wears a similar big ol coat like his dads, only his is unbuttoned n stuff. Ozpin thinks its the cutest damn thing. Oscar is also the one to grumble about how he’s gonna have to get this dry cleaned to get all the blood out, thanks asshole.

[rubyneoalt]

On BB and BS

This is gonna be long

TL;DR BB has more buildup and a more solid foundation than BS

Bumbleby: whether you love it hate it or dont care, its a big part of the fandom. And right now theres a lot of hate/love for the ship because of the song “Bmblb” being released after a lot of people deeming BS confirmed after Volume 4. I’m going to lay out some very simple (and obvious and repeated) information why BB is more likely than BS. This is not a “which ship is better” post. Most of the “gotcha!!” scenes that BS shippers use are scenes where Blake blushes when he says something/someone else says something ABOUT Sun. Mainly when she blushes as he points at her during the Vytal Tournament or when she blushes and hisses “Mom!” when Kali says Sun is attractive. Alright. But think about it: Blake is a very quiet girl who tries to stay OUT of the spotlight and Sun just put attention on her in front of a HUGE crowd. Also how many times did your mom say you liked someone you didn’t like and you got flustered and upset because you were being embarassed? Another thing they like to point out is that Blake went to the dance with Sun. But even when he asks “So we’re going…together?” she only says “technically, but my first dance is spoken for”. They only showed up together and we never actually see Blake and Sun dance, because they were only *technically* there together. Sun is a stalker. He has no regards for what Blake wants. He doesn’t care that she went home to see her parents and recover from the trauma of the Fall of Beacon, he thought she was leading him to a fight so he FOLLOWED her and then REFUSED to leave her alone. Sun didn’t even think about going after Blake in V3C13 when Weiss tells Yang she went after some White Fang. Why? Because he had a fight. That’s all Sun wants. A fight, and since he had one, why go after Blake? Alright enough bashing Sun. Okay as for the Yang side of things, Yang is very caring and loves her team. You can see in V2C6 (the big episode that BB shippers point out) she does things as an attempt to make the people she cares about laugh! As she carries the speaker over by Ruby, she drops it and you can see a huge grin as she looks at Ruby, expecting her to laugh. Yang is a jokester and likes making everyone feel good. Now while Sun is making it seem like Blake is always in a bad mood (when she’s honestly not, we’ve seen her laughing and joking with the team - uh hello? when they decorated the room?) “What does Blake think about all of this? Is she still being all, uh, Blakey?”, Yang is certain Blake is going to the dance. “Don’t worry she’s going” and “Guys, trust me, Blake will be at the dance tomorrow night.” She immediately goes off to find Blake to talk to her, too! Yang trusts Blake enough to give her information she hasn’t even told Ruby! She tells her about Raven and her search and how she’s still doing it today, but she isn’t as fervent about it because it nearly got her AND Ruby killed as children. Yang is very caring and sympathetic towards what Blake is going through because she understands while Sun does not. Now if we go back even further to V1C6, we see Yang walking through the forest and then - huh? what’s that shadow? could it be? BLAKE? Blake is following Yang through the woods. Blake could have chosen ANYONE in that forest, and yet…It was Yang. Because from the VERY moment Yang dragged Ruby over to talk to her, Blake decided “that one. I want that one to be my partner.” (and by anyone I mean she could have tried to find Ruby or even Weiss and we still would have gotten RWBY), “So what Sage,” you cry “that doesnt mean anything!!” But it does. Because in choosing Yang out of the three girls she could have chosen (to give us RWBY) she set in motion a partnership that gave us Bumbleby. In V2 and V3 we often saw Arkos scenes right? Each of those scenes has a complimenting Bumbleby scene. Pyrrha and Jaune have their talk on the roof about how people feel like Pyrrha is untouchable because of the pedastal she’s forced on in the same episode where Blake and Yang have their big talk about Yang’s past and how Blake needs to rest and calm down on her search. There’s a lot of buildup for BB as compared to BS. @yangingaround has excellent proof of the subject so you should also check them out and (http://sir-adamus.tumblr.com/post/150651615391/the-evidence-of-winter-no-buildupjpg-but) here are photosets of the time Blake and Yang have spent together