#i don't think they get married because that's not really something elves do on the regular if at all - especially wood elves

[ride-a-dromedary]

Wyll taking Halsin to the Wilden Oak after observing how much he was struggling to adapt to the City, thinking it would cheer him up *and* be special enough that maybe he can work up the nerve to ask him something important. Telling him about how he used to daydream about the stories it could tell him, and how it brought him comfort - how it may bring him comfort as well. And maybe he thinks he's talking too much, too fast, but it all pours out of him with heart-aching sincerity.

Halsin listening thoughtfully to Wyll's fanciful dreams of dragons and the Weave, and chuckling fondly at how eager he is; how whimsical he makes everything sound. Bubbling over with how happy it makes him to hear Wyll so beautifully matching the splendor of this tree with such fanciful tales, admiring it for what it is.

Wyll's face heating up, thinking he must be laughing at his stories, and ah, hells, he's gone and fumbled this, of course an Archdruid would think fairytales of trees to be foolish and childish. Mumbling it must sound silly to him.

Halsin frowning then, brought out of his affectionate thoughts. "Oh, no, not at all. I think it's wonderful. Here, let me show you something."

Halsin bringing Wyll's hand up to the bark of the tree and pressing it beneath his own to the ridges and grooves, encouraging him to listen closely again as he had as a boy. Telling him that trees speak to those who care to hear them, even if they cannot understand them. Wyll closing his eyes, flustered at how close they are, but - after a moment of quiet - hearing the barest tendrils of something touching the edges of his mind. Nothing he is able to understand, but he swears he feels it; more than he ever has before.

Halsin himself listening and catching the discernable memories the oak is able to give him amidst the transfer - the tiniest glimpses of generations and magic long past. Perhaps even a dragon cutting its lightning path through the sky, eons ago. He passes anything translatable gently off to Wyll, who listens, enraptured.

The Wilden reveals other things - other terrible things. Other sad things and tragic things, no where near the fairytales that Wyll spins. Halsin does not pass these memories on, but judging by the frown on Wyll's face, he senses it.

But there is something else - something closer to the heart - it calls Wyll "tree friend" - flashes of Wyll as a young boy, collecting its leaves from the ground. Of an older Wyll curled in on himself in the tangle of its roots, heartbroken; an even older Wyll turning his face to the dappled sun and smiling, little golden bands sparkling in his hair.

Halsin taking Wyll by the hand and bringing him deeper into the forest, scouting a good spot to plant the tiny wishing acorn Wyll had pressed bashfully into his palm with stories of his mother. Burying the seed deep into the ground so its roots may grow anew, just as glorious as its parent - waiting to bring joy to another a century down the line. Just as their lives have taken root within one another, tangled and new, but full of life.

#BG3 Musing #Halsin #Wyll Ravengard #wyllsin #the more i think about it the more i can connect these romance paths thematically near perfectly - i can blend them #and it doesn't lead into halsin's romance scene - not yet - but damn it sure does kickstart it #(i'm connecting the dots - you're not connecting shi- I'M CONNECTING THEM) #i don't think they get married because that's not really something elves do on the regular if at all - especially wood elves #which may be a disappointment to wyll at first because he has all these fanciful notions of relationships and fairytales - but also? #i believe they'd stay together for the rest of wyll's life - like i genuinely bonafide can see that #and wyll would thrive because he would be *free* for the first time in forever - he'd blossom and live and have someone to come back to #who would love and cherish him as much as if they'd never parted for a single moment #no pacts no contracts just someone who loves him and somewhere safe to be - and when he's ready he has all the children he wants #also: wyll 'canonically chases after mermaids' ravengard + halsin 'i could attempt a kelpie' silverbough js

[spacebarbarianweird]

I haven't seen much of Astarion n Elf!Tav, so I was wondering what you would think about them together 🤔

Hi! I've got so many requests for headcanons I really felt like I couldn't decide which one to take next so I asked my subscribers to choose the race for me.

The most voted for Elf! Tav. Since I have separate requests for Drows and Wood Elves, this one is going to be about High Elves.

Hope you will enjoy it!

Astarion x High Elf!Tav

Masterlist

Headcanons

You are young by Elven standards, still many years from receiving your adult name.

But you already have a lot of life experience - and there is sorrow in your eyes since many of your friends are already too old to accompany you.

And you know sooner or later you will be able to share company only among ones of your kind since the world will change too fast for you to grasp it.

You fall in love with Astarion at first sight. He is your Thiramin, a soulmate, a forever love.

Maybe you were together in your past reincarnations. Or in your past life, you met him as a mortal.

Or it's something new for both of you.

Astarion shrugs this idea away. He doesn't have a soul. He will never see his past lives in his dreams when he gets older (because he will never age), he won't reincarnate when he dies (because he is already dead). There is nothing, only the existence of the undead.

To have a Thiramin you also need to have a soul.

Which he doesn't.

But he still loves you. You are the first person he cares and loves. And unless you don't want him in your life, he won't go away

He also has come to terms with your mortality.

First, you will be around for many centuries. He has at least six hundred years together with you or even more.

Second, you will come back. Not right away, but you will. You will come to him, in your new body, and he will recognize you the same way older elves recognize their long-dead friends in children.

Post-game, you travel. Elven wanderlust takes you places - other continents and planes. Halrua, Kara-Tur, the Vilhon Reach, the Sea of Stars. Sometimes you settle for a bit, but never longer than a decade or two.

You speak Elven to each other. Astarion feels safe speaking his mother tongue to you.

You call each other "Salen Aester" and "Salen Thiramin": my love and my soul.

He likes teasing your ears, caressing and love-biting them.

You do the same to him, though, he wasn't comfortable at first.

But you just made him sit in front of you and allowed him to touch your ears while copying his movements.

He ended up a crying mess.

You also decide to spend some time searching for his family though it's difficult since he doesn't remember anything about his past life.

His surname is though of an Elven origin ("The one who learns by hand") sounds unfamiliar to most Elves you meet.

And Astarion is hesitant about searching for his past life.

"Whatever it was, I don't want it. I want the future. With you."

Once you turn 110 years, you return home to get the adult name.

And marry Astarion.

It's difficult for the elders to accept Astarion - a vampire, an undead, a person with no family or kin. 

But they do.

It's a sin to separate Thiramins, after all.

--

Tag list

@tugoslovenka @marcynomercy @wintersire @vixstarria @not-so-lost-after-all @ashiro20 @theearthsfinalconfession @herstxrgirl @starlight-ipomoea @micropoe10 @astarion-imagine-archive @veillsar @elora-the-slutty-songstress @fayeriess @lumienyx @astarion-beloved @tallymonster @caitlincat-95 @tragedybunny @valeprati

#spacebarbarian headcanon #dnd elves #high elves #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 astarion #bg3 #astarion romance #astarion bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #astarion headcanon #astarion headcanons #astarion x tav #astarion x you #astarion x reader #tav x astarion #astarion x f!tav

[autistichalsin]

When considering Halsin's polygamy, do you think it is just his way of coping with the scars and traumas of his past? He does admit that monogamy is acceptable, but not for him, and he often talks about roaming. However, the more I play this game, get to know him better, and analyze his character, the more I start to doubt that polygamy is not truly what Halsin wants. He has been through so much - pain, suffering, and torture. What if his polygamy is a shield he uses to protect himself from further pain? Perhaps he has realized that he's fallen in love with Tav and now he is afraid of losing them. Just as you mentioned in your previous post, he is afraid of being alone, rejected, and abandoned.

Just a note- it's polyamory, not polygamy. Polygamy refers specifically to marrying more than one woman.

I absolutely do not in any way, shape, or form, think that he's only polyamorous because of his trauma. Polyamory is who Halsin is. There's a devnote in Halsin's scene that says "sincere- this is a core belief of his."

Wood elves are polyamorous by default. The entire cultural belief is that jealousy is a waste of time, and exploring multiple relationships, as long as all people involved consent, is only natural. That is how he was even before becoming a druid.

This isn't an attack against you, anon, I know you were asking a genuine question in earnest, but I am so beyond tired of people trying to reinterpret all of the polyamorous characters in this game as actually monogamous people who are afraid/broken. Why do people insist on doing this? Is it that hard to conceive of a character with an alternative sexuality who actually is happy that way?

Let's just set aside the characterization reasons and look at it from a pure logical perspective. Halsin is the one to bring up polyamory with the player. He is the one to say this is a fundamental part of who he is. If the player answers that they don't have the same nature as he does and don't want a polyamorous relationship, the relationship doesn't progress. If Halsin was actually just pretending to be poly to avoid being abandoned, why would he not jump in at that point and go "oh, actually I'm okay with a monogamous relationship too, please don't leave?" Why would he be okay with the player leaving over this part of himself if it wasn't actually part of himself, just a lie he told to avoid being left alone? Because poly is who he actually is, not a lie he tells himself to engage in emotional self-harm.

Further, if he was so desperate not to be alone that he would deny who he is, he would actually be more likely to lie about being monogamous, not the other way around. Most people will flat-out refuse poly relationships (because it's not for them) and even call poly people perverts or cheaters. Halsin has probably forewent many other relationships before just because of this fundamental incompatibility. If he was scared of being alone, he would be far likelier to pretend he was happy with one person, so that he would be able to find a partner without navigating that situation, than he would to pretend to be some identity that already makes it harder to find a partner to begin with, and that often causes intense strain on relationships when mismanaged to the point that it can easily be the cause of many relationships ending.

Being poly isn't something you lie about because you want not to be alone- being poly makes it infinitely harder to find a relationship just by its nature.

Halsin is "poly and traumatized" not "poly because he's traumatized." It is absolutely absurd to deny his repeated statements that this is who he is and what he wants. Again, no offense, anon, and I hope this doesn't upset you, but I really have no patience for attempts to dismiss a core part of Halsin's identity as a maladaptive coping mechanism.

#halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

[dreadfutures]

Rules: If you're tagged, MAKE A NEW POST to showcase one fanartist and/or fanfic for any fandom you recommend (with links), and tag someone to give their recs next! Don't forget to reblog the rec you were tagged in!

Bonus: Choose works by people you aren't super tight with, or choose older works that maybe haven't gotten some love in a while. :)

Fanartist: @ratajota

I'm highlighting Ale for their amazing painterly style. It reminds me a lot of a painter friend of my parents and I just know that it would look amazing on a wall in large size. Alejandro does AMAZING portraits of real people and pets, and does commissions of OCs!

Please support this Argentinian artist for amazing talent and get a commission and tip WELL, every dollar counts these days and their pieces are absolutely worth every dime. Working with Alejandro is a joy and I already am looking forward to my next commission!

You probably know Ale's work like this masterpiece (reblog it!):

But one of my favorites is this really splashy pet portrait:

Ale is a kind presence in my notes and on my dash and I would hope gets some long due traction and support!!!

Fanfic: I come to you with nothing - commonevilmastermind

Good things come in small packages and this one shot is *good.* I always forget that it's just a oneshot, because its impact on everyone who reads it is just so huge.

It's a beautiful fic that weaves together the Jewish traditions and culture that we know influenced the writing of the elves in the Dragon Age setting, and it is incredibly tangible and earnest and rooted in real world customs. It feels like coming home. It makes me really miss my Jewish half of the family, on another coast. And it makes me love this fandom that could make something like this fit into the Dragon Age setting, and do it beautifully and with respect born of familiarity and love.

Rating: M

Pairing: Female Lavellan/Solas

Chapters: 1/1

Length: 9,478 words

Summary: The one where Solas and Lavellan pose as a happily married couple in a city alienage in order to catch a red lyrium dealer.

Tagging forward today to: @kittynomsdeplume | @anneapocalypse | @arendaes | @silvanils - for any fandom works you think deserve the spotlight!

#fan work friday #long post

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Multiple Choice - a Callum and Aaravos theory

Not to be all Han Solo or anything, but when it comes to Aaravos and magic in Xadia, I Have A Bad Feeling About This.

If there's one thing I love more than corrupt systems, it's breaking them, so let's get to it: please enjoy yet another way that Callum's pursuit of magic could potentially go very wrong for him - and how he can still fix it.

The system, in this case, isn't a monarchy (on either side of the border), wartime tensions reaching forward from the cycle, or a Xadia-wide racial hierarchy.

It's magic itself.

We don't know where it came from, magic. Was deep magic always here? Did one of the Star Touch elves create it, or perhaps choose to make it his bailiwick while others chose things like Justice and Mercy?

Aaravos, I mean Aaravos. If he's basically the god of magic (feel free to view him through a Loki-esque lens here, I am), then of course he's an archmage, and of course he's the only one among the Star Touch elves. Magic is His Thing.

And according to Zubeia, the Dragon Queen, its mages are his prey. We don't know yet what his full intent has been. We only have her millennia-long view from the surface of the planet. There's definitely more to the story, but which direction that story takes us is anyone's guess at this point. However, it seems clear that Aaravos's history during his time in Xadia does show a pattern of him targeting and influencing mages. He certainly has been during the years the show has covered.

What all he did with these mages, besides the manipulation, is also still unknown. But even if all he ever did was pull their strings, he's still choosing magic-imbued beings as his favorite puppets. The most likely explanation for this is that mages and Aaravos have something in common, making them easier for him to work with. Is it just magic? Does their ambition count too? Is there more to it?

I think there's more. I feel there is some deep dangerous secret Aaravos has managed to hide from everyone so far - including us. But just because it's dangerous doesn't mean it's evil, or even ill-intentioned. Do we consider the threat to anthills when we begin construction on a new apartment complex? Usually no. We're busy doing human-level tasks. The ants' welfare is truly not our concern. And most of them will probably be fine... right?

So. What's Aaravos really up to, and what does it have to do with Callum?

Something Rayla believes about Callum made me wonder: in the short story Chasing Shadows, she believes that he, and all humans, can change their destiny (and it's super annoying!). Why is that a human thing only, though?

Arcanums, perhaps. We've all seen the elven peoples get uptight about their own rules and the options they can choose for themselves. It's not just the Moonshadows. Sunfire elves can absolutely be sticklers for tradition - look at my disaster boy Karim over here, willing to go to war against his own people because his sister wants to marry a human.

Bruh.

So here's part one of the theory:

Having an arcanum in you forces your destiny into a certain path.

If you're born with it, you know the path of your whole life - and I don't just mean "serve your people" or "be a warrior" or "be one with nature." There is a very dark side to being locked into your destiny. It means you cannot escape it even if you desperately want to.

*wordlessly points to Runaan and his overly honorbound decisions*

*wordlessly points to Rayla and her overly sacrificial decisions*

*wordlessly points to Finnegrin and his overly fear-driven decisions*

*wordlessly points to Janai and her overly dutybound decisions*

*wordlessly points to Karim and his overly traditional decisions*

I don't need to say anything here, do I? Thought not.

But it's one thing to be born with an arcanum - maybe they know and accept this part of their destiny already. Maybe it's just a subconscious thing they... know.

It's another thing entirely to opt into an arcanum as a free choice. And here's where we get to part two:

Callum thinks he chose his destiny. He doesn't know he just gave it away.

If he just handed his fate to Aaravos by embracing an arcanum (and then one more), his destiny isn't currently in his hands at all. It's in Aaravos's. And the archmage has proven that he, at least, knows that, since he's been pulling at Callum's strings and toying with him for a while now. He wouldn't flex like that unless he was supremely confident - which he is, he always is - he wouldn't show that hand early on like this unless he knew Callum didn't understand what he'd done or how to reverse it.

This theory is about more than dark magic. It's about all magic. Even if Callum could cleanse himself from dark magic and never let Aaravos puppet him again, is he really free? He still has an arcanum. Where did that come from? He's walking around with a couple of magical bona fides stamped on his brain, and I just want to know...

Who crafted the stamps?

If all Xadian magic is some kind of... creation, or spill, or experiment... and Aaravos needs that power back for himself in order to be who he used to be and/or re-ascend to the stars, he's got more than one way to harness it again:

dark magic consumes primal magic - but matter and energy are never destroyed, so... where does that power go? Aaravos has a very convenient black hole symbol right on his chest. Maybe every spell dark mages have ever cast sends him some of his precious primal magic again. It would be a very convenient way of getting desperate humans to do his cleanup for him. And he has all the time in the world.

primal magic won't save anyone from his will - it just harnesses the elves to Aaravos's magic rules and binds their destiny to a predetermined outcome. They've become, in a word... predictable.

There's no way to beat a Star Touch Archmage at his own game. He literally wrote its rules. So what's a bright young kid like Callum to do?

To quote War Games, "the only way to win is not to play."

Callum's in a unique position, in that he knows who he was before he had an arcanum. Back when he could choose his destiny every day, without binding him to some powerful force he doesn't fully understand yet. This might lead him to a very difficult and dangerous choice, and it could break the game, and the world, wide open.

If Callum can choose to learn an arcanum, maybe he can choose to forget one.

If he can un-know the things that bound him to that magic destiny, he'd be free again, of Aaravos's reach and of his influence.

And that's just for him, but if everyone else is trapped too, how can he help them and hurt Aaravos's power grab at the same time? No idea, beyond "someone hand him a powerful magical artifact and wait," at this point, but I'm sure he'll find a way to break something important eventually! Something vital to the structure and distribution of magic itself, preferably.

If he manages to find a way to destroy magic itself, then everyone would be free. There would be no rules binding anyone to Aaravos. There would be no dark magic feeding off its fumes, either. It's theoretically possible that destroying primal magic would undo the taint of dark magic, all in one go.

And we all know how Callum loves to go around ruining ancient and powerful magical objects. Kid's got quite a track record by now!

Maybe he's not done yet. Maybe Callum's true destiny will be both Savior and Destroyer. But he'll have to play his own game to do it - he can't play Aaravos's game and win. He'll have to fight outside of magic itself. And if he's going to put down his most powerful weapon, forged by someone else - by the mastermind himself - and try without it, then he'll need help, just like always.

#tdp #tdp theory #tdp speculation #callum #aaravos #primal magic #dark magic

[grey-gazania]

I'm sorry someone bombarded you with bitchy comments 😭. While my To Read list is lengthy and continually lengthier (actually I think something of yours with her is on it), I'd like to hear more about Ianneth-Fingon-Maedhros if you want to talk about them.

@polutrope

It wasn't really upsetting, just annoying and honestly a little bit funny. This guy left comments on all six chapters of By Love or at Least Free Will, every time I updated the story, just objecting to the entire premise of the story and ranting about how Elves have incorruptible pure souls and are immune to lust. I was sorely tempted to respond with this quote from "Laws & Customs Among the Eldar":

Even when in after days, as the histories reveal, many of the Eldar in Middle-earth became corrupted, and their hearts darkened by the shadow that lies upon Arda, seldom is any tale told of deeds of lust among them.

'Seldom' is not the same thing as 'never', and furthermore, I don't think lust is even a major theme of my story. It's more about conflicting obligations and unruly hearts.

In the end I deleted the comments without responding, because I have a personal policy of not engaging with people who are acting in bad faith. But I have to assume that this guy has no actual hobbies if he spends his time hate-reading entire stories instead of just...closing the window and moving on with his life. Maybe take up crochet, bro? Or volunteer at a soup kitchen? Watch a TV show that you like? Grow some tomatoes? Do something that will be more fulfilling than typing long screeds on AO3. I promise it will make you a happier person.

Anyway. On to the actual topic of your ask! As you've probably noticed, I am very fond of Russingon. However, I am also very fond of Fingon as Gil-galad's father. At first I balanced these two ideas by keeping my Russingon ideas and my Fingon-father-of-Gil-galad ideas in two separate universes, but then I started really fleshing out Gil-galad's mother, and it made me think some thoughts. To repeat something I said to @cuarthol in a comment on AO3:

...half the genesis of Ianneth was seeing so many stories (in multiple fandoms, not just Tolkien) where the woman is written out of a canon or semi-canon couple to make room for a popular M/M ship instead, without the female character being treated with any respect. I decided that the female perspective on that situation would be a nice change of pace and interesting to write.

I'm not trying to point fingers -- I'll readily admit that I have my male faves just like the next gal and that it's fun to make them kiss -- but the wives and girlfriends don't get a lot of love in fandom, do they? And it doesn't help that the legendarium in general tends to be a bit of a sausage fest. So I decided that Fingon would have a wife and be in love with Maedhros. But instead of focusing just on the forbidden love, I was going to focus on the wife's feelings, too.

Ianneth ("bridge-woman") is one of the Northern Sindar, from the community that lives around Lake Mithrim. She's the daughter of Annael (yes, that Annael), whom I've imagined to be one of the more influential leaders among the Northern Sindar, and particularly among the Elves of Mithrim.

Her betrothal to Fingon starts as a political arrangement. Fingolfin loves Fingon dearly, of course, but he's also been hinting for a while now that Fingon really needs to settle down and start having kids so that there will be a strong line of heirs should Fingolfin die. After all, Argon's dead, and Turgon and Aredhel abruptly fucked off to god-knows-where some three hundred years ago and haven't been seen nor heard from since. Your dad needs some grandsons, Fingon, and this also seems like a ripe opportunity to strengthen the Noldor's alliance with the Northern Sindar.

I don't think political marriage is unknown among the Elves of Beleriand. (For one example in the text, see Celegorm trying to marry Luthien to force Doriath into an alliance.) And the quote I drew the title of the aforementioned Fingon/Ianneth story from, also found in "Laws and Customs Among the Eldar," is:

The Eldar wedded only once in life, and for love or at the least by free will upon either part.

Free will could easily mean, "Are we in love? No. But I'll still marry you, for the good of our peoples, and I'll bring some of Dad's soldiers along with me." That sort of thing happened all the time among real-world nobility, so I see no reason why it can't happen among Elven nobility in Beleriand, too.

At any rate, Fingolfin arranges for Fingon to meet the daughters of some of the more powerful leaders of the Northern Sindar, and he's hint-hint-hinting that Fingon really needs to pick one of them to be his wife. Fingon, having been in love with Maedhros since they were young in Valinor, is not exactly keen on this plan. But he goes along with it anyway because he is a dutiful son, he knows that his father is right about needing to strengthen the line of succession, and he also knows that revealing his (quite taboo!) relationship with Maedhros to his father would probably break Fingolfin's heart.

It takes Fingon a while to decide who to court, but he picks Ianneth because he likes her sense of humor; she has the guts to gently tease him at their first meeting, which he finds quite charming. He doesn't think he can love anyone besides Maedhros, but he does look at Ianneth and think, "This is a woman I could grow to care for and whose companionship I think could enjoy."

The trouble begins when, over the course of their courtship, Fingon starts falling in love with Ianneth without falling out of love with Maedhros. And he doesn't know what to do about this. He can't call off the marriage, and he doesn't want to break things off with Maedhros, so he decides to just...keep the whole thing with Maedhros a secret and marry Ianneth anyway. It's not a good decision, but really, are there any options here that won't end with someone getting hurt? I don't think so.

So we have Ianneth, blissfully ignorant of her husband's infidelity (for now); Fingon, in love with two people at once and feeling horribly guilty about it, but unwilling to pick one partner over the other; and Maedhros, resigned to the situation but still hurting because Fingon is no longer his alone.

Maedhros' feelings are complicated by the fact that, once he meets her, he finds that likes Ianneth. It would be easier, he thinks, if he could write her off as just a political necessity for Fingon, but it turns out that she's charming and intelligent and kind, and he can understand why Fingon loves her. His feelings soften further once Ereiniel is born, because Fingon is so happy being a father, and he loves Fingon, so how can he begrudge him that? There's a line from "Famous Blue Raincoat" by Leonard Cohen that I always think of when I'm getting into Maedhros' head at this point:

And thanks for the trouble you took from [his] eyes. I thought it was there for good, so I never tried.

Things tick along about as smoothly as they can for thirteen years, until, in the aftermath of Fingolfin's death during the Dagor Bragollach, as Fingon prepares to send Ianneth and Ereiniel to the Falas for their safety, Ianneth learns his secret. This is understandably devastating for her, and leaves her wondering if Fingon ever really loved her as she loved him, or if his marriage to her was simply a politically expedient sham.

Add to that the fact that she leaves for the Falas less than ten hours after this revelation and spends most of that ten hours either crying or asleep, as she's too upset to really talk to Fingon about what she's discovered, and it leaves her with this horrible knowledge and all the worst thoughts that come from it gnawing at her nearly a full year until Fingon next comes to Eglarest -- time that she spends as the sole caregiver for her young daughter, among strangers in a foreign city, without her mother or her sister or any of her friends who might have theoretically been able to offer her some emotional support.

Theoretically is a key word there, though, because even if, say, her sister had come to Eglarest, Ianneth isn't sure she'd even be able to tell her. For one thing, she can't help feeling ashamed, because infidelity is very rare among Elves, and she can't help thinking that maybe she failed as a wife somehow, and if she'd done something different, Fingon wouldn't have strayed. Then there's the fact that he's the High King of the Noldor, and if this gets out it could cause a crisis in the Noldorin government and possibly tank the alliance between the House of Fingolfin and the Northern Sindar. Ianneth is a practical woman, and she's of the Northern Sindar -- the people who have been living practically on Morgoth's doorstep for centuries, with no Maia queen's magic girdle to protect them. Their alliance with the Noldor is vital, and she would never want to jeopardize it.

So Ianneth is just...completely alone with this pain. She has no one to turn to, no one who can comfort her. And that pain is central to her story, and a not insignificant part of Ereiniel's story, too.

#polutrope #turns out when you ask me about my ocs i turn into treebeard #ianneth #fingon's wife #fingon #maedhros #gil galad #woman king au #my ocs

[beyonddarkness]

Thoughts on Haladriel/Saurondriel

(I might be converted)

Okay, can I be COMPLETELY honest?

I always understood the shipping of Halbrand/Sauron and Galadriel, but for the sake of analyzing, I never let myself believe that there was any element of attraction from either side. Because they have a "cosmic connection," you know?

But something changed today (even though that "cosmic connection" is still very much a thing). I came to the conclusion that, while my pain for Galadriel has now increased manifold, I am so relieved from everything Morfydd said in her recent interview, particularly that the ambiguity behind their relationship was Charlie's idea (how dare he) because now I know that Charlie is Sauron, irl. Let me explain. (Prepare for a long read—bonus content at the end):

Charlie never told a lie in press.

"Were we in a relationship of seduction or power? It's up to the viewer to decide" (Morfydd).

What Morfydd said didn't give anything away. It truly leaves everything up to interpretation even more than before, and yet any way you slice it, everything makes sense. It fits with everything that everyone has said in press (the 'cosmic connection', 'it's not romantic', etc.).

Think of it this way:

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

If everything was purely platonic, and Galadriel was not attracted to Halbrand in the least, then Sauron was tempting Galadriel with power. This makes sense, since we know that Galadriel left Valinor in large part because she desired to rule over a realm of her own. Power is very enticing to her.

That also means that Galadriel would never, ever, EVER think of anyone but Celeborn, which is nice. I mean, once Elves marry, that's it. No backsies. In this case, Sauron would be playing it safe, not fooling himself into thinking that Galadriel would fall for a MAN (of all things), after she has already been married.

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

On the other hand, BOY is Sauron able to seduce.

Now, when we think of seduction, some of us automatically think:

But Galadriel most likely would not be enticed by an extremely forward approach. She would slap that guy so silly.

So here's why Sauron is terrifying: Halbrand is so nice.

His approach would be: Become friends first, to make it difficult to resist joining him in the end. He made himself attractive in a way that, if successful, would make her attached to him for much longer than if he was strictly flirtatious (a few thousand years should do it). He never said anything forward until their friendship developed to a certain point (1x06).

And as long as I've been denying that either side was attracted to the other, the one thing I have never been able to get out of my head is the fact that in episode 7, Galadriel called to Halbrand before anyone else. Later, she mentioned Celeborn to Theo (for the first time in presumably centuries, after she assumed Halbrand had died). Then, when she saw Halbrand again, she called him her friend, and he for some reason had to say:

"Nor will you."

Then he made that STUPID SMIRK, and poor Galadriel looked SO TORN. We just barely learned that her husband was in the picture, so he was fresh on her mind. And then we had this thrown on us, to indicate that something about this friendship was not right.

(Oh, the discomfort and second-hand embarrassment I felt for Halbrand, before I knew that he was Sauron.)

Since Galadriel hasn't seen her husband in centuries (even though she loves him a lot—I mean A LOT), she was very vulnerable to seduction, because... she was alone. Halbrand saved her life, rivaled her intelligence, didn't beg for her attention on account of her beauty, connected with her on a level that probably hasn't happened in a while, became her really good friend, made her feel free fighting at his side, etc. If that doesn't spark someone's interest, I don't know what does. (His looks are a major bonus.)

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

Now, here is what's really unfortunate, and causes me pain beyond measure: Sauron wouldn't have fallen in love. But Galadriel would have, and he knew that.

No one (JD, Patrick, Charlie, and Morfydd) ever lied in any interview. Have you ever noticed that whenever they spoke of the lack of romance, they were always talking specifically about Sauron's perspective? :')

Here are some examples:

Charlie: "I mean, look. I don't see it as a... strictly—I don't know. I haven't run this past you guys [Patrick: 'Run it by!']—as a King and Queen thing. I love the reflection bit. But it's not like... I think ultimately, if she had said yes, he's very much the King, and she's like his sidekick, in terms of ruling." Patrick: "And it's not like a marriage—[Morfydd: 'How...]—proposal...—[...dare you.'] [...] Charlie: "You guys sent me something really early on. It's WH Auden, talking about good and evil in Tolkien, and the difference when it gets to evil. It's affection—I'm paraphrasing here—but affection goes out the window. And you see this relationship, and you see affection, but in the end, it's only for personal gain. [...] The whole season, you see them working together, and they have this sort of—we like to call it a 'cosmic connection'. Not romantic. [laughs] Although, I got in a lot of trouble for saying it wasn't romantic yesterday, because of the 'shipping'; the people shipping. [Interviewer: 'How dare you.'] [laughs] Yeah, exactly. And I think it's very clear on the raft that he's just using her for his own personal gain, rather than any sort of love and affection to her." (Empire Spoiler Special)

Charlie: "I think they have a 'cosmic connection', but I don't think it's necessarily, in his mind, a King and a Queen... like husband and wife kind of situation. I think it's more, 'I can use you to get what I want, and effect my designs faster.' Because ultimately, I think he would have ended up ruling by himself, whether she joined him or not. And when she says no on the raft, it angers him, but it's not the end of the world for him." (Deadline Inside the Ring)

So, if Sauron was trying to effectively seduce Galadriel into falling in love with him, it was always going to be one-sided. He would have never felt any real love towards her, but his goal would be to get Galadriel to feel something like that towards him. For personal gain.

And if Galadriel did feel something, how much more ashamed and violated would she feel in the end, knowing that he did it on purpose?

:'))))

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

Here is the ultimate question:

Did Sauron tempt Galadriel with power, or seduction (or both)?

Here's the thing -> Charlie

Morfydd said in her interview that "Halbrand's hold on Galadriel was less connoted in the storylines," meaning it was more straight forward, and not much was implied. But she did not say which direction the scripts leaned, meaning Charlie said one of two things:

"Let's make it seem less romantic."

"Let's make it seem more romantic."

Either way, he's actually so mean, I can't put it into words.

Here's why both possibilities work perfectly: Every time Charlie or anyone else has talked about the lack of romance in interviews, they're always speaking from Sauron's perspective; Galadriel's feelings are wide open for interpretation. Whether Sauron tempted her with power or seduction, he never loved her. He knows how to seduce, and he does it well, but it doesn't mean he feels it. That's why I'm terrified of him, and I'm also afraid of Charlie.

Ever since that interview with Morfydd, I've realized that Charlie has a lot more to do with the character than he's letting on. He knows enough about Sauron to propose an idea that fits into the lore. The fact that the scripts were "less connoted," and he managed to convince everyone to make the relationship more ambiguous is just... GAH. How dare he!

Is it power or seduction?? Both work so well, it could very well be both at the same time! (Charlie and his ambiguities. *sigh*)

But again, it's a matter of what Sauron is tempting Galadriel with; not what he feels, himself.

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

So, why am I relieved? Because Chapter 6. :)

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

Bonus: Translation of the Haunting Music

It is time.

With all of this in mind, I would like to take a shot in the dark. Remember that ultra creepy/seductive part of the music in The Broken Line? A couple of months ago, I was driven crazy by the fact that right in the middle of a musical phrase, the vocals transitioned from Black Speech to Quenya, when Sauron's doing this:

I wanted to know the translation, so I used Paul Strack's lexicon. I managed to pick out most of the words in the music, but since I'm not fluent in Elvish grammar, I don't dare try to translate it. I will just give you the translation for each word, and let you decide what it means for yourself. It'll be fun. :)

Here's the music:

Here are the words (red is confirmed, purple is what I made out, and the [?] is the last word that I cannot figure out, for the life of me. So if someone could enlighten me, I would greatly appreciate it):

ash gul ishi ghash [ash] gul insangarë antani márië i cilmë [?]

Here are the translations:

Black Speech:

ash: "one" gul: "phantom" ishi: "in" ghash: "fire"

Quenya:

insangarë: "temptation" anta-: "to give, present; to add to" ni: "me, I" márië: "well, happily; goodness, good estate, being well, happiness" i: "the" cilmë: "choice, choosing"

In episode 6, Adar said in Quenya, "What I seek. Give it to me." His sentence ended with "antani". So... if "antani" comes after the subject of a sentence... "insangarë antani"? O_O

Someone please help Galadriel. I can hardly stand it. Where's Celeborn?

#trop meta #haladriel #galadriel #sauron #saurondriel #quenya #black speech #morfydd clark #patrick mckay #charlie vickers #rings of power #bear mccreary #i usually use more gifs for these long posts #but i pulled an all-nighter #so we get stills today #random thoughts #i hate him (affectionate) #charlie #how dare he indeed #song lyrics #actor interviews #quotes #text #myedit #rop meta

[imakemywings]

Hey, were you the one who posted how Maglor himself thought the oath and kinslayings were such evil acts? If so, how come there are those who still believe the second and third kinslaying is justified when Maglor himself thought it to be such an evil deed? I really need like a solid reasoning cause I was talking to someone who still believes the kinslayings were justified/needed and doesn't take my "murder is wrong" thing as a reason lol

That was indeed my post! If we're thinking of the same one. I've definitely made a post like that.

I mean I don't really know what to say besides "murder is wrong" lol If we can't agree on that um. I don't really know where we go.

The argument in favor of the kinslayings that I've seen usually boils down to property rights. Because the Silmarils are the rightful (and that's honestly debatable) property of the Feanorians, anyone who keeps the Silmarils from them deserves what they get, basically.

Which is. Kind of bonkers as a moral philosophy, even if you DO buy that the Feanorians have an uncontested right to the Silmarils. #1: We're punishing theft or conversion with DEATH now? That's acceptable to us? #2: The harm the Feanorians caused went far beyond the individual who possessed the Silmaril (Dior in the Second Kinslaying and Elwing in the Third). Even if Dior had taken that Silmaril right out of Maedhros' hand and spit in his eye on the way out it wouldn't justify the wholesale slaughter of an entire kingdom. They literally murdered children over things. Items. Stuff. Magical cool stuff yeah--but they valued it over lives. Does anyone honestly think Tolkien would have written a story agreeing with that as a moral view?

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." (Thorin's final words, The Hobbit)

I don't know how you look at Maedhros and Maglor--the ONLY two of SEVEN sons to survive through the Third Kinslaying--and think THEY think they did the right thing. Five of their brothers have now died in assaults on other Elves which they began. Maglor argues for breaking the oath there, he resists Maedhros' drive to the Fourth Kinslaying (until he doesn't), and at the end of it all, he throws his precious Silmaril into the sea. Maedhros kills himself over it. These are not the actions of people who feel GOOD about where their lives have gone and the actions they've taken. Tolkien is so blatantly obvious about the Feanorians being in the wrong it's always a little wild to me that the KINSLAYINGS get defended.

On the note of the Fourth Kinslaying, let's not forget that: That after everything, after the War of Wrath is over and everyone is ready to go home and see their families and be at peace, a whole group of Elves get murdered by Maglor and Maedhros again over the Silmarils. A group--Eonwe's guard--of people who had survived a war with MORGOTH die because Maedhros and Maglor weren't willing to break their oath.

An oath which Tolkien casts as wicked from the very start--something that was always likely to bring them to evil acts.

"Then Feanor swore a terrible oath. His seven sons leapt straightway to his side and took the selfsame vow together, and red as blood shone their drawn swords...and many quailed to hear the dread words." ("Of the Flight of the Noldor," The Silmarillion)

Furthermore, as Dior points out in some versions outside Silm proper, at the time the Second Kinslaying is committed, Melkor still has two of the Silmarils. Even if Dior had handed over Luthien's Silmaril--to the people who had kidnapped and attempted to forcibly marry and presumably rape his mom; and also tried to murder her and his father later on--the oath is still not fulfilled, because Melkor has two.

The fact that the Feanorians choose to pursue Luthien's Silmaril with violence and bloodshed rather than make a go at the two that Melkor has has always revealed their hypocrisy to me. They chose Luthien's Silmaril because they knew it would be easier to get than the ones that Melkor has. Easier to kill other Elves if they don't give you what you want, than to attack or infiltrate Angband. Even now, when they know it's possible--because Beren and Luthien did it, and they had FAR fewer resources at hand than the Feanorians (and for the record, Fingon also successfully infiltrated Angband; Gwindor and others have successfully escaped from Angband)--they choose to slay other Elves instead. Say again the Second Kinslaying was "necessary"?

This is how Tolkien describes the attack on the Havens:

"And so there came to pass the last and cruelest of the slayings of Elf by Elf; and that was the third of the great wrongs achieved by the accursed oath. For the sons of Feanor that yet lived came down suddenly upon the exiles of Gondolin and the remnant of Doriath, and destroyed them." ("Of the Voyage of Earendil," The Silmarillion)

Does this description sound like people taking justified action? And let's not forget, in this battle, the Feanorians' own troops are so horrified by their actions that they turn against them.

"In that battle some of their [the Feanorians'] people stood aside, and some few rebelled and were slain upon the other part aiding Elwing against their own lords...Too late the ships of Cirdan and Gil-galad the High King came hasting to the aid of the Elves of Sirion; and Elwing was gone, and her sons." ("Of the Voyage of Earendil," The Silmarillion)

Members of the Feanorians' own people find their actions so terrible they cannot simply join those who stand by and refuse to attack the Havens, but they actively join the fight on the side of the Havens. Moreover, the heroic Gil-galad arrives intending to stop the Feanorians and aid the Havens. Sure, he arrives too late--but his intent is made clear: the Feanorians are the villains here, who need to be stopped.

And I don't think it is uncontested that the Silmarils belong to the Feanorians. For one, they were created entirely and only by Feanor; none of his sons had anything to do with it. And for two, the universe itself has deemed by the end that the Feanorians no longer have a property right in them, when the Silmarils burn the hands of Maedhros and Maglor because of all the evil they've committed. The jewels themselves will not be touched by these people who have done so much wrong. Eonwe tries to warn them about this before they even commit the Fourth Kinslaying.

"And they [Maedhros and Maglor] sent a message therefore to Eonwe, bidding him yield up those jewels...But Eonwe answered that the right to the work of their father, which the sons of Feanor had formerly possessed, had now perished, because of their many and merciless deeds, being blinded by their oath, and most of all because of their slaying of Dior and the assault upon the Havens." ("Of the Voyage of Earendil," The Silmarillion [emphasis added])

Like...I don't know how the book could be more clear that the Kinslayings were wrong and that Maedhros and Maglor were in the wrong.

I think fans are so invested in the Feanorians they're willing to bend over backwards to find some view where they didn't actually commit horrific war crimes and were in fact in the right. But that's just not the story Tolkien wrote. Also, you can like them and still admit they did horrible things. You are allowed to like characters who are in the wrong!

#asks #anonymous #mine #Hope this helps you in your quest Anon

[ceescedasticity]

Reviewed the extra-Silmarillion material on Eöl's pursuit of Aredhel and Maeglin. In this, Curufin:

Knows Aredhel and Maeglin are making for Gondolin

Has Eöl apprehended specifically in order to delay him

Says that Aredhel's marriage was under duress (though whether he knows that, guesses that, assumes that, deduces that, or just says that to piss Eöl off could be debated)

Does not kill Eöl even though he wants to, because That's Illegal

Gives some really very good advice re: pursuing people who want to leave you

Really a very good showing from Curufin! Well done. Except—

If Curufin knew Aredhel had married Eöl and at least believed it was under duress, why didn't anyone do anything about that? The Sons of Fëanor might or might not have been able to interfere without starting a conflict with Doriath, and Turgon was out of contact, but Fingolfin could have applied political pressure to Thingol. In such a situation I don't think Thingol would back Eöl up. (He may not like Fingolfin much, but missing daughter.)

I have trouble seeing Fingolfin not taking action knowing about the situation, so what gives? If Curufin is being reasonable in this time period which he apparently is, and he cares about Aredhel's welfare which he apparently does, why wouldn't he pass the news along to someone who could do something? Was he afraid if he breathed a word Celegorm would start a war with Doriath the minute his back was turned?

Or did he think letting word get out would hurt Aredhel more than it would help?

Because, see. Elves die if they're raped, right? And Aredhel's not dead. So she must not have been wholly unwilling. And yeah, maybe that 'willing' is 'willing to endure this rather than die', but that's still not wholly unwilling!

What if people don't believe her? What if they say it's her fault she's in this situation? What if no one helps but now everyone is gossiping about her?

(You could make something out of Curufin believing Fingolfin wouldn't help Aredhel no matter what he thought, make inferences about how deeply the family divide runs or about Curufin's thoughts about his own father. But I don't think that's required.)

Or, even, what if Aredhel thinks her options are the situation as-is or being stuck in society at large with everyone judging her and/or treating her as a helpless victim? —And a bond with Eöl still in her head because they can't get rid of that so easily. What if she thinks the status quo is easier, and doesn't want Curufin to tell anyone? —Not that there's any evidence of even indirect communication, but it could have happened. Curufin would very possibly honor Aredhel's preferences over Fingolfin's presumed wishes.

So pride and shame (and enchantments) keep her in place until Maeglin starts pushing, and then she leaves.

And she doesn't stay in Himlad, even though that would be easiest. Maybe she's afraid of judgment. Maybe she's afraid that Eöl following her to a Fëanorian stronghold could very easily turn into politically disastrous violence.

And when you cut out Fëanorian strongholds, Gondolin is closest. —Dorthonion is straight-line closest, but there are mountains in the way. Though given they had to go back through Nan Dungortheb instead…

In conclusion, perhaps things played out this way because of a combination of:

Elves are set up to victim-blame survivors of sexual coercion. (Presumably less so elves who've been in bad enough situations that they start noticing the spiritual eject button and themselves have to choose not to use it, or who are familiar with those situations. But at this point that is not most elves.)

Reputation and shame and pride are powerful motivators.

Aredhel and/or Curufin were trying to be politically savvy for once in their lives. Alas.

#a tolkien tag #unsolicited fandom opinions #rape discussion tw

[fintan-pyren]

i am a former kotlc fan. i was on the wiki before and during peak pandemic. i was on the discord server where i transformed into the little anarchist chaos gremlin i had been trying to hide on the wiki. i’ve moved on from kotlc, mostly. a few of my mutuals are from that era of my life, but i don’t think of kotlc when they’re in my notifs. i need you to understand i have moved on. i don’t think about kotlc usually and i’m not posting this on my blog because barely any of my followers know what kotlc is.

but recently, my brain went, unprompted, “hey remember keeper of the lost cities? remember in that series, elves don’t count their age by their actual date of birth, but by their conception date? isn’t that weird? doesn’t that make you ask questions that 10 year old you didn’t know needed to be asked? do you want to think about those questions more?”

eventually, i came upon a very natural question to ask about elven biology in this middle grade book series:

do elves have birth control and/or abortion?

like…they would, right? they must have some sort of birth control. like they have to at least have condoms. how do they get them though? and if there is abortion in the lost cities… how? there has to be a clinic right? is there even the equivalent of a gynecologist in the lost cities? i’m so sorry for this ask but i just need to hear other people’s thoughts and opinions on this.

Birth control, yes. Abortion, no.

Their birth control would vary a fair bit from that of the humans. IUDs and the implant would certainly not be used, as elves would find it horrifying and invasive to have something embedded in their body. I also think they'd find condoms a little primitive. They would probably rely on elixirs. Due to how advanced elven medicine is, these would probably be far more effective than human oral contraceptives, to the point where elves wouldn't bother to use multiple forms of contraception like many humans do, so this would likely be the only form of birth control widely available in the lost cities.

The elves REALLY care about the right genes mixing, so they'd definitely hate the idea of sex before marriage, but I think they'd also realize that they can't necessarily prevent it, so they'd make sure the contraceptive elixirs were easily accessible even to young elves. Elwin would probably have a stock on hand in the Foxfire physician's office, as would most apothecaries and physicians. They would, however, be accompanied by Council-mandated booklets about the importance of the Matchmaking system for any young elves that bought them. (Older married elves would still sometimes use them, but since they believe in the importance of passing on their genetics, and the elven birth rate is naturally pretty low anyways, most wouldn't bother)

They would not, however, have abortion. Since elves count age from the inception date instead of the day of birth, they would view the fetus as an actual person, and would consider abortion to be murder. Since elves don't have miscarriages, and it's basically impossible for an elf to be mistaken about being pregnant, they also wouldn't be able to perform them under the radar. Once that bellybutton pops out, there's no going back.

There wouldn't be many cases of that happening with unwed couples, since elves often marry pretty young. In the cases where it did happen, I think they'd be expected to marry. Partially because elves would rather act as though that kind of thing doesn't happen, partially because half siblings or unknown parents or other uncommon things like that make tracing family trees a little more complicated for the matchmakers.

As for elven gynecologists: Elves can cure diseases/infections and keep the body in good condition pretty well with bottles of youth and elixirs (which is why they only have to worry about birth control, and wouldn't have to use condoms to prevent STDs), and physicians can detect issues quite easily with their colored lights without doing a more hands-on examination, so most issues would probably be dealt with by regular physicians. Even Forkle, who isn't a proper physician (as far as we know), says that he could've fixed most of the patients in a fertility clinic with a couple elixirs. I do think they'd have a couple physicians in the lost cities who specialize in the reproductive system, but even then, I think they'd mostly stick to colored lights for diagnosing things. No poking around in places where nobody really wants people poking around.

#kotlc

[runawaymun]

Hey is there an elf headcanon you wanna rant about that's been tearing your heart out and using it as an embroidery tool? I feel like it's good for authors to get to air this out every so often.

this is has been sitting awhile just because I have been trying to figure out how to put the New Thought into words!

I've been thinking a lot lately about differences between Men and Elves and taking the consequences of what we know about how each interacts with Music to their logical end. So... this has somehow manifested in me thinking about how Elves build homes and decorate them vs how Men do. (and as per usual, this relates to Elrond and how he is different from everyone around him!)

Elves are super orderly and are bound to Arda and bound to their Themes...and they have all the time in the world to really think about their spaces and curate them. So I wouldn't say they're necessarily minimalist, but all of the decor is really built into the structure of the building -- especially for Noldorin Elves who like to Make Shit. So Elves don't really decorate with objects -- like, all of their objects are already inherently gorgeous in how they make them. Down to the silverware. So that's "decor" in a sense. But rather than clutter objects, you get beautifully wrought wall sconces and incredibly detailed murals -- stuff that got built into the building. And when it comes to soft items for making a space comforting, since they don't really spend hours on end sleeping and beds are more for relaxing & sex, and they don't feel temperature, I think they might just have like one or two pillows and one gorgeous coverlet and that's it.

Like they don't really get setting up objects around the room. But humans do it because we don't have the time to think so deeply and most of us don't necessarily build our own homes like that. We nest somewhere. So we bring in objects we love to surround ourselves with and sometimes it can get rather messy, and that's Really Weird to an elf. Especially if you're bringing in rocks/twigs/feathers etc. etc. because that has a home outside??? What are you bringing it inside for??? Leave it where it is???

And then this also brings me to Elves and clutter objects in general -- and collectables/gifts. And I can't remember if this is canon in Laws & Customs or something but I've just decided that you can't just give "raw materials" as a gift, short of flowers (but even then those ought to be arranged carefully into a nice bouquet). Like most Elves won't be mean if you hand them a cool rock you found but they'll just be confused.

Anyway this leads me to Elrond. I've already headcannoned that he has a level of nesting & bowerbird behavior from the Ainur genetics (What are Doriath and Mordor and Taniquetil but Big Nests? Rivendell = nest). And then, via Ainur have Bird Tendencies, that leads to bowerbird behavior of "I have a MATE and so thus I need to DECORATE" -- so naturally this leads to him absolutely going ham feral on Rivendell when he and Cel get married (hello pillows, hello blankets, hello clutter objects and ribbons and feathers etc etc. etc. oh Celebrian likes weaving?? Hi babe I bought you seven looms for your loom room!! Cel: "Wh--")

ANYWAY this brings me to the Mannish side of him, and I wonder how much of the decorating instincts are mannish. As well as the gifting instincts. And when he was younger he kind of learned that rocks & stuff aren't appropriate gifts. You gotta do stuff with that. And he just got super repressed about all of the collectibles and tried to keep that tamped down. Then Cel comes along and he starts leaving her rocks and she's like ????? and Gil's like that means he likes you. And once Cel gets the hang of this I think they make a great team. He collects cool shit and she does all of the crafting/carving/etc.

But yeah I've been thinking a lot about how Elves want things to be orderly, and how this might extend to even a room, and how each piece in that room is carefully designed and curated to be harmonious with everything else...and men, we just throw shit in there because We Like It.

#this is so hard to explain #but here have a ramble!! #thank you!!!! #tolkien meta #elrond #celrond

[tolkien-feels]

Just wanted to know, since elves don't touch much, do you think an elven husband and wife would kiss or be romantic?

(Like, they may have kids and obvs they touch, but like... do you think they touch whenever they feel like touching each other, or do they ask?)

Anon, I ended up writing you an essay-length post, even though I specifically decided to answer you right now because I thought it'd be a quick answer 😅 So, under a cut for length

Tl;dr: I don't see why elves would not do All The Romantic Things™️! It just might look Weird to mortals, maybe.

First of all, unless I'm forgetting something (which is entirely possible - adhd brain sieve is a problem), it's not canon that elves don't touch much. If so, it's up to how you want to headcanon it. I will share my headcanon but just do imagine whatever you feel like imagining :3

I do happen to headcanon elves aren't very touchy-feely, but I headcanon this in a very specific way. You know how when you are 6 years old one year seems to take forever to pass, because that's 1/6 of your entire lifetime - while if you're 20, that same length of time is only 1/20 of your life and therefore seems to pass much faster? I take that logic and apply to elves - I headcanon their perception of what "a long time" is is wildly different from that of mortals, and this only increases as they get older.

So the way I headcanon it, elves feel like they touch each other relatively frequently - they are neither touch-averse nor end up touch starving themselves. But from a mortal perspective, long stretches of time seem to go by without elves touching each other, because "frequently" is defined according to your perception of time.

By that same logic, a 50 year old elf is probably much cuddlier than a 1500 year old elf - much like to us, children seem impatient. "Frequently" for them feels different. (Plus, I imagine elves have something akin to teenage hormones at some point? Can't really imagine how that would work, though, given their wacky growth patterns.)

On top of all that, there are individual needs and preferences, like humans. Both inexplicable idiosyncrasies and things like neurodiversity-related touch-aversion. And then on top of that, there are many elven cultures, and they are ever-changing, and I imagine that impacts elves on two levels - first, the culture they were socialized in, and then whatever the current culture is (a bit like expats, but the displacement I'm picturing is in time rather than in place.)

All of this to say my headcanons tend to be very specific to each couple, because there are way too many factors involved. I think someone more organized than me could probably come up with a general theory, but I haven't been able to yet.

Even within the same couple, I headcanon things like how long they have been together, and current life circumstances affect how they tend to interact. Think of how much a human relationship can change dynamics over the course of a life together, and multiply that by centuries.

Also, contrary to a lot of headcanons I see around, I don't headcanon number of children is in any way attached to how touchy-feely a couple is. Elves can actually choose when to have children, so I don't see why these things would be related.

Anyway, to address your actual question - I do very much think elves are romantic with each other just for the sake of being romantic. And while I think consent would be very strongly emphasized in elven culture, I think what that looks like really depends on the situation. If you have eternity to learn your spouse's expressions and body language, and you also have mystical quasimindreading skills, I don't think you're going to verbally ask every time you want to like, quickly kiss the person you've been married to for millennia.

But I do think, on average, elves would find it romantic to be asked about things, especially when they are still courting rather than marriage - not only because of boundaries but because it seems on brand for elves to want to add Eloquence™️ to everything. But then again, I think this would also apply to friendship - I think friends start out as actively trying to learn each other's preferences, and over time they settle into certain expectations that only require confirmation occasionally.

On that note, learning is, I think, emphasized by pretty much all the elves we know (even if it's learning their land very well rather than theoretical pursuits), so I cannot imagine an elven couple would not actively set out to learn each other's needs, wants, boundaries, etc. They are probably much more intentional about this than mortals, because they've got plenty of time for that.

We also have to remember that elves seem to prize romantic love a lot, culturally speaking. I think they would be very fond of anything that is associated with romance.

Now, would a random mortal recognize elven romance as being romantic? Sometimes, but not always, I think. Mortals would probably struggle to understand things like the romance of spending a century away from your spouse so each of you can do your own thing. They might also not be too into "Hey what if we stared at each other motionlessly and silent for a really long time" or (and this is probably a thing that the Noldor would do) "Let's go around Naming things together."

But then, I also don't think elves would particularly understand mortal things like "This food sucks but I will say I love it because I noticed how much effort you put into it" or even the concept of bouquets ("Take them to the flowers yourselves!!!" scream the elves. "OH MY GOD why would you kill so many plants for a frivolous reasons, this is not romantic, it's disturbing!!!! One flower might be okay, and a wreath every now and then is a common indulgence but oh my god don't kill a hundred flowers for someone!!!")

But elves and men do have more things in common than not, and the few elf-mortal relationships we know seem to have no greater trouble understanding each other than you would expect given people from different cultures, which leads to think the elves would conceptualize romance in a really similar way to us, actually.

I would expect, generally speaking, that as long as you account for the differences in the scale of time, we would find elven spouses pretty unremarkable 🤷 Like. They hug, they kiss, they go on dates, there's probably nothing uniquely alien about it. I don't think, on the other hand, we would understand exactly what marriage between two Valar is like. But I headcanon love of all kinds, and how it is expressed, is one of the things the Children of Iluvatar have most in common.

[yourlocalfriendlyhobbit]

I don't know if your requests are open or not if not my apologies you can just ignore this lol but If you could, could you do a haldir x reader where they have the kind of relationship where they're always bickering but it's always seemingly in jest and they both know they don't really mean it but one day haldir is having a bad day and he accidentally goes too far with the usual banter and says something actually mean like maybe makes some comment about how time passes differently for elves and he won't have to suffer you much longer because mortals fade very quickly and dude I dunno angst ending or fluff ending somehow lol?

Pairing: Haldir x (human) Reader

Warnings: Angst, no comfort

Gender neutral, no hair/eyes/skin colour mentioned. might be a little OOC.

A/N:  

My dear Haldir! I love him soooo much! AHHHH! My first love!

Thank you for your request, anon! I love it!!! i usually like reading angst, but never wrote any, so idk if i’m good x)

Requests are always open, unless stated otherwise in a post, so don’t hesitate to send anything ;)

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From the moment you met, your relationship with Haldir has always been an odd one. To others, people who don’t know either of you, it might seem like you two don’t get along at all; but to the ones who were close to the both of you, they know that behind all your jests and bickering, you really care for eachother.

Some even jockingly said that you acted like an old married couple, but they were quickly chased away by (a flustered) Haldir, while you tried to hide your blush with a forced laugh... Because yes, you both liked (maybe even loved) each other, but were too proud or too scared to admit it.

Because, romance between an elf and a human always end up in tragedy...

...

The day had started normally for you. You woke up a little after sunrise, when the first hushed sounds of elves walking and quietly chatting reached your room... You went to the kitchens to grab something to eat quickly, before going on a small walk in the woods.

You didn’t see Haldir before the early afternoon, when he came back from a short patrol. He looked slightly tired, but was doing a very good job at hiding it. When he parted from his group, you took your chance and walked up to him; you didn’t have the opportunity to tease him for 12 hours... And what was supposed to be a fun time bickering with your friend, took a turn you never expected to take...

You had underestimated how tired Haldir was, and refused to leave him when he told you he wasn’t in the mood for your ‘childish’ behavior. And that word alone started the argument...

Words, said in the heat of moment, that both of you would regret saying later, were thrown back and forth. Both your faces were becoming redder by the second... But then, Haldir said something would’ve never expected him to say:

“Good thing humans’ lives are shorter than elves’; just a few decades and you’ll be off my hands! I wont have to deal with you anymore!”

The silence that followed that sentence was louder than anything known. You could only stare at him with wide eyes and shaky hands, and your face lost all it’s color. You shook your head a little, like you were shaking out of a trance, stumbling back, and tried to swallow the lump that had formed in your throat. You took a step back when Haldir reached out his hand to you. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, you ran away from him...

...

2 weeks later...

You had successfully managed to avoid Haldir until now, dodging all his attempt at talking to you... You couldn’t face him just yet. In those past weeks, you had the time to think about what would be better; the decision was not an easy one to take, but you needed to do what was the best for you...

You decided to leave Lothlorien and go to Rivendell for some time, to heal your heart, until you were ready to face Haldir again.

So it’s in secret, but with Lady Galadriel’s blessing, that you prepared your journey. She had sent a message to her dear friend, Lord Elrond, to inform him of your impending arrival.

...

The day of departure had arrived. It was extremely early, and you were pretty sure that you would be able to leave without anyone noticing; but luck wasn’t on your side...

As you turned a corner to the stabbles, with your bags, you came across Orophin, one of Haldir’s brother. He knew what happened between you and his brother, and he didn’t need to ask to know what you were doing.

“Are you leaving for a long time?”

He asked. You bit your lips.

“No idea. I need time away from here, and him... I need time before I face him again, and hear what he has to say..”

You lowered your gaze. Orophin stood by you and put his hand on your shoulder.

“Take your time. Haldir will understand. Rumil and I might have to hold him back from running after you at first, but he will understand..”

Orophin tapped your shoulder lightly, as a silent good bye, and left to probably tell Rumil everything, so they can figure out a way to tell Haldir in the morning. You were thankful for those 2 elves who always treated like a sibling.

You saddled your horse, and, like a shadow, left the place you had call home for years with a heavy heart, not knowing when or if you would come back... 

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DO NOT COPY, TRANSLATE OR REPOST MY WRITINGS!

#lord of the rings #lotr #haldir #lord of the rings haldir #lotr haldir #lord of the rings fanfic #lotr fanfic #lord of the rings x reader #lotr x reader #haldir x reader

[yourworsttotebag]

I want to hear everything about this arranged marriage AU!!

The first time I tried to figure out how Evie would interact with all the companions I thought: oh, if she and Wyll are both nobility from Baldur's Gate and almost the same age - wouldn't they have probably met before? Wouldn't they have spent some time at fancy balls trying to size each other up? Maybe even flirting before both being like, "Oof, actually no fucking way." And then since they're both nobility my mind immediately went to some abstract cloud that said "arranged marriage" on it and basically, I think they'd both kind of hate it at first.

Now a lot of this is vibes based. Like - a lot, a lot. Why do they have to get married? Um, I don't know - I imagine Duke Ravengard needs...something. Why did I write Orin pretending to be Wyll? So she would mess with Evie and make her think Wyll wanted to be intimate with her, a thing I needed someone to do. Why is Orin messing with them like this? Um...I have no idea, someone had to.

But! I wanted to write some of these scenes out so I wouldn't lose them and then I wrote sort of a lot of them.

Wyll and Evie would probably both take this arrangement sort of hard and getting them on friendly terms would be a tough putt. Evie is well known in their circle as a Mean Girl and Wyll, who had probably dreamt a lot about true love, is suddenly married to a woman he barely knows and who doesn't seem to really like him. The early days would be a lot of Wyll tentatively reaching out and getting cold, short answers. When Wyll tries to talk to Evie before the wedding she's like, "Phew, yeah, it's pretty wild. Anyway, see you at the ceremony, I got stuff to do."

We all agree Wyll is a stand up, kind hearted dude but I think there's potential for him to also kind of screw up the early days of their relationship. Not being horrible or mean to Evie, but perhaps saying some things he doesn't quite realize are unkind. And it makes sense that he wouldn't be perfect! His whole idea of love and romance is all out of whack now, he's upset. It's not even close to what he expected and the difference is disorienting.

And I think Evie could be pretty hurt by his reaction! She knows Wyll isn't happy either and how would you feel is your spouse saw your marriage as a break down of their entire world view and you as a villain? Evie also wants someone to love and care for her, not someone who feels like they've been trapped with her. Part of Evie's cold shoulder is her just being herself and part of it is trying to shut down all these big feelings she's struggling with.

I think they'd need a kind of blow up argument about it before they could acknowledge being a little careless with each other's feelings and deciding to see if they can be friends. And over time you open up all these tasty little tropes like forced proximity, sharing a bed, trembling touches of hands, falling in love after getting married, yada, yada, yada, lots of vibes and vapor waves here. Wyll becoming a warlock question mark, question mark?

[God bless Ed Greenwood for this tidbit about half elves passing a token of their affection from their mouth INTO their new spouse's mouth AT the ceremony. I got a few hundred words out of that one.]

Can I put a read more under a read more because I need space for the "Problems" section lmao.

Problem #1) I don't really know what fancy people in a fantasy world do all day. Like Wyll and Evie start to become friendly while doing....what? How many balls can they reasonably attend? Part of Evie's problem before adventuring is that she's so bored with her life and I don't want the audience to be bored reading about her being bored. But like, the "becoming friends" section is vital so you believe it when they become attracted to each other.

Problem #2) The other characters from the game wouldn't be there! Would I have to create a whole pantheon of characters for Wyll and Evie to hang out with so every scene isn't just them talking at each other? That doesn't sound fun. Could I include their families enough that it FEELS like there's a big world around them? I guess Astarion and Shadowheart live in Baldur's Gate but could they appear in a way that doesn't feel like an episode of Frasier where Ted Danson shows up? (Frasier hive rise up)

Problem #3) I was picturing Evie and Wyll at their in-game ages, mid 20s, instead of the age Wyll was banished which I believe is 17. I thought the marital relationship between two ~18 year olds would be way different than two ~25 year olds and bringing sex into it made it feel really weird for them to be so young. Does Wyll's character get altered too much if he's in Baldur's Gate for another few years? What does it mean that he's not the Blade of Frontiers yet?

Idk, man. This is all the reason that drafts exist in the first place and also why I don't know if I could actually complete this. But it's fun to try. Maybe I'll think of something shorter and more fun soon.

#tysm i enjoyed writing this on a very long train ride #sorry this is so long #i started just rubber ducking at some point #wyll x evie #m: asks #m: writing

[cavegirlpoems]

Another take on demihumans as social constructs

I had an idea knocking around inside my head, and then I saw that Dan had already done it over on Throne Of Salt, which rather undercut my brilliant originality. More time has passed, so I figured I'd have a crack at the idea myself.

So. Demihumans (elf, half-elf, hobbit, dwarf, orc, half-orc, goblin, hob-goblin, dragon). Rather than positing each as a seperate species - and then getting our skull-callipers out to compare them - we'll just look at the position each occupies in our setting socially, and extrapolite backwards from that. EG, let's suppose you're an elf because you do elf things and people treat you like an elf. But you're still recognisably an elf. What would that look like? How do you get that in society?

Suffice to say, this is all a thought experiment. I have no idea how this would play out in a proper setting or actual game.

Elves

"This person has autism, but their knowledge or power means we have to treat them respectfully."

An elf is quite possibly smarter than you, but (if you aren't also an elf) the ways they think don't make sense. They follow patterns and customs that most people don't, they prioritise things regular people don't, they just fucking know things sometimes. Sometimes unusually innocent, sometimes deeply worldly and old before their time.

Elves typically go into professions where knowledge is important, and people can't just reject you out of hand for being unearthly and weird. Mages, priests, artists, nuns, midwives. That air of oddness can be a perk; it lets people know they're dealing with an elf, and should be prepared to act accordingly.

You treat elves with respect. After all, they know things and they have sufficient power or clout that if you offend them, they can make you regret it. 

Most have at least a smattering of magic, some handy utility powers and maybe something like a magic missile to smack people who don't show respect. They take to it naturally, and often don't get that others can't just learn magic with the same fluency and focus that they do. Isn't it easy?

It doesn't have to be autism, but that's the most common one, and also the one the author has and is familiar with.

Different types of elves correspond to areas of focus. Wood elves like the natural earthy things like birds and trees, high elves like some 'respectable' topic like history or heraldry, dark elves know about something vaguelly taboo like poisons or spiders.

The term 'half-elf' is basically the same as 'high functioning'. Not really used by elves among themselves, but regular people use it to describe elves that seem more normal and approachable.

Generally, elf-ness is broadly hereditable, about as hereditable as autistic traits in the real world. A changeling is just somebody who turns out to be an elf despite nobody expecting it based on their family.

Elf communities exist. Cloisters and hideaways. They get weird fast.

Dwarves

"From a commoner family that knows marvelous trade secrets."

Being a dwarf means you've inherited the family name (or been adopted or married into it). You're one of a particular clan, and your clan knows how to do something that they guard jealously.

Metalworking is a common one. Mining and underground construction techniques are another. Warfare with specific secret techniques is another. Maybe a mix. Whatever it is, your clan has a secret way of doing things that gives you an advantage. Dwarf-made armour is just better than everybody else's. Dwarves who go to war fight in ways that seem impossible to replicate without their lengthy training, and are shockingly effective.

Dwarves often have magic of their own. More secrets handed down the clan. They have their own little sects of the mainstream religions, and their own priests.

The techniques of the dwarves give them an edge over other people. They're just commoners, but they can negotiate with nobles and even royalty, because if the dwarves aren't paid to their satisfaction nobody else can do it as well. And, really, a noble who's jewellery isn't made by dwarves is an embarassment. 

These secrets need to be kept, or the dwarves lose their wealth and power. Dwarves prefer to live away from outsiders, in innaccessable places like mountain villages or underground fortresses. They don't trust non-dwarves, who might try to steal their secrets. The exception is other dwarves, who have a vested interest in preserving dwarvish independence. 

They know how to hold a grudge. When you're jumped-up commoners bargaining with nobility, you have to.

Hobbits

"These people have fucked off to live independently, and its too much effort to get them to come back."

Hobbits have opted out of mainstream society to go and do something else. Maybe they dig holes in hillsides and make a commune that lives in a rural idyl. Maybe they have a caravan and travel the world with like-minded hobbits, trading goods and stories. Maybe they flee from persecution and live in floating villages hidden in the marshes.

Basically, they're hippies. They rejected the rat race and went to live some more authentic, satisfying or reasonable life off in the middle of nowhere. Their communities are tight-knit, idealistic and egaletarian, mostly. When a hobbit community goes wrong, it goes really wrong really quickly, and then falls apart entirely. 

Some people are first-generation hobbits, who - alongside a group of like-minded individuals - chose to live like this. Some were born into a hobbit community and decided to stay. Some found a hobbit community and got adopted into it.

They love their pipeweed, and they're good at hiding. Hobbits get on with dwarves a lot of the time, even if their relationships tend to be distant.

The author has dated a number of hobbits in her time.

When some horrible dark lord rises up, fueled by the fire and smoke of industry and averice, and starts building dreadful armies and dark satanic mills, hobbits tend to be among the first victims they go after. Them and other minorities. Hobbits don't tend to fight back in an organised way, they go to ground, move on, or form guerilla resistance movements.

They are probably living happier lives than you are. Why aren't you a hobbit, actually?

Orcs

"Soldiers without homes."

Being an orc means fighting as a way of living. No farms, towns, shrines, capitals. Just a military camp that moves as the campaign moves. War is all you know. Home isn't a real concept, or isn't anymore, you just live wherever the fighting is, or wherever you go the fighting follows.

Some orcs are mercenaries. Poverty or desperation or persecution pushes them to sign up with a mercenary band. A tent in a military camp is still a roof over your head, sort of. Sometimes the orc is fleeing something, or ambitious. 

Maybe they don't intend to be an orc for long. Really, though, cashing out isn't likely to happen. You die young, or if you don't your so scarred - emotionally and physically - that regular society doesn't want you back.

Other orcs didn't have a home to begin with. An invasion took it from you, and now your home is occupied by somebody else. Or your home has been on the front-lines of a trench war for decades and completely fucking uninhabitable, and the conflict is all you know.

Orcs stick together. Their real loyalty is to their comrades. An employer has their loyalty only as much as they pay them, unless that employer is also an orc. 

There's a code. They treat orcs on the other side of the conflict better than the rest of the enemy. If you capture an enemy orc, he's one of yours now. He switches sides. Maybe his whole band surrenders and joins you, and they're with you now. Their loyalty is to the orcs, not to whichever kings and emperors started this war to begin with.

Sometimes orcs end up in the armies of dark lords. This lasts as long as the dark lord keeps paying them and doesn't expect them to break the code. They don't care what fucked up stuff the dark lord is doing, spend long enough as a mercenary and you get numb to attrocities, so long as the money keeps coming.

Other orcs take a more direct approach, and support themselves through banditry and conquest. 

There's a lot of overlap between orcs and goblins. There's surprising overlap between orcs and dwarves.

Goblins

"Sentient vermin."

Even worse than being an orc. Somebody in power wants you gone, and now you don't have rights anymore. Basically outlaws. 

A goblin might be a heretic, a criminal, somebody whose land got stolen, a fugitive, or something like that. Or just born to goblin parents. You're not part of regular society, and regular society wants you fucking gone. There's overlap between goblins and orcs. People don't like to admit it, but there's overlap between goblins and hobbits.

There's absolutely no social safety net when you're a goblin. Individual people might be nice to you, but others won't be, and maybe there's a bounty on your head again. Best to hide from them, then.

Goblins get really, really good at hiding. They find places they can escape from the world, and they band together with other goblins. When society is your enemy, fuck 'em. Feed yourself through subtle theft, banditry, whatever it takes. Trust your fellow goblins to keep you safe. If regular folks look at you funny, kick their teeth in so they won't want to chase after you in a hurry, and go to ground. Fill your home with cunning traps. Fuck 'em, look out for your own.

The world wants you dead, but you're clawing and spitting and snarling and still alive.

Hobgoblins are when these outlawsarm themselves and actively fight back. Guerillas, terrorists, militias, what have you. They cobble together uniforms, and stick the heads of those who'd oppress or exterminate them on spikes before fading back into the shadows. They're probably also orcs. Kobolds are when these outlaws are also dwarves, and have secret knowledge that mean you have to take them seriously, even while trying hard to get rid of them. Kobolds tend to be very good at building impregnable fortresses full of traps.

Dragons

"Personally strong enough to do whatever the fuck they want with no consequences." 

The rule of thumb is this: if you can walk into an average town by yourself and demand they give you tribute, and get it without any noteworthy resistance, you're a dragon.

You probably weren't a building-sized fire-breathing carnivorous flying lizard to begin with. But once you hit a certain level of power, you realise nothing's stopping you from turning into one if you want to, and there never was. 

Dragons shapeshift. They look like people, until they don't. Every one is a legend. Every one is unique.

Kings aren't dragons. Their power comes from systems of laws and heirarchy and custom meaning people choose to follow them. Wizards might be, as might particularly mighty warriors. Subtlety and subterfuge aren't particularly inclined towards making you a dragon, normally, but often somebody who excels in those areas will - when their back is to the wall - reveal that they were a dragon all along.

If you can personally reduce anybody who speaks back to you to two whisps of smoke coming from a pair of shoes (or a red smear), you're a dragon.

Some dragons do their best not to act like dragons. They try to be benevolent, to blend in with society, to only flex their power in emergencies. The rest - the majority, even - are problems.

A typical dragon ensures those who follow them are loyal by making dramatic examples. They tend to enjoy skull fortresses, big piles of treasure, and appending titles like 'the terrible' onto their name. 

People who set out to slay dragons generally fail. Those who succeed normally become dragons themselves. 

Elves become dragons disproportionately often. It's the focus that does it. They're often the most reasonable dragons.

Orcs do too. We call them black dragons, and they burn bright and furious, leading a horde of orcs behind them until they inevitably perish doing something exciting.

Goblins also produce a lot of dragons, particularly kobolds. A goblin who becomes a dragon is really good news (for the goblins and hobgoblins and kobolds and orcs of the world) and really bad news (for the sort of people who decided you were a goblin in the first place). These get called red dragons, because of all the blood that they leave behind.

Red dragons tend not to be inclined to be merciful to their enemies. Their followers, on the other hand, often do pretty well for themselves. When you have a red dragon on your side, you might not have to be a goblin for long.

Very successful kingdoms have been founded by a red dragon with a big dream.

[roselightfairy]

From @mcquaden on the DVD commentary post:

"I don't have the specific paragraph, but it's from your collab with DeHeerKonijn, Velle? Specifically the scene where Gimli and legolas are saying goodbye and the other elves are like "bold of you to get married and then go celibate but you do you boo"

I will go ahead and paste in the scene I think you're talking about here:

Only when Gimli turned a corner out of sight did Legolas finally turn back to the assembled crowd of his friends and companions, many of whom were muffling snickers behind their hands. “Hush,” Legolas mumbled, and shuffled over to his horse.  They had groomed and prepared Arod for him, a kindness that meant he could hardly complain about their teasing, and now Arod stood patiently waiting, whuffing in greeting when Legolas laid a hand on his neck. They did not hush, of course.  “My, Legolas,” said Damion.  “Such a demonstration!  We had thought you might at least leave something in store for the wedding night!” Legolas could feel himself turning scarlet; his cheeks, ears, and the back of his neck flooded with heat all at once.  He fumbled for something to say, but his silence incriminated him well enough: as one, he could see them realizing it. “Oh,” said Damion at last, weakly.  “I see.” “Last night?” said Faimes, her eyes wide. Legolas could only nod.  What was the use of denying it? “You decided to” – She broke off. “You needn’t sound so shocked.”  He did not mean to sound so defensive; he tried to soften his tone.  “You knew we were betrothed; I merely – I did not want” – He fell silent.  How to explain the way their parting had loomed before him, threatening to hollow him out; how he had yearned for at least the memory of a wedding night, the promise of a marriage, to fill it?  Those thoughts were for him and Gimli alone. But perhaps he had made himself clear enough, for Faimes nodded to herself in understanding.  “Oh, Legolas,” she said, laughing a little and shaking her head as if in pity.  “I am so sorry.”

Hehehehehe I'm so pleased you asked about Velle, because this story was so much fun to write and @deheerkonijn and I combed over so much of it so carefully! So let me see what I can do here.

All right, so opening the commentary with an overall mention that Legolas's friends laughing at him was always, always part of the plan. It was in the very DNA of the story and the thing we giggled about when discussing the premise before we even realized that we were going to do it as a collab.

“My, Legolas,” said Damion.  “Such a demonstration!  We had thought you might at least leave something in store for the wedding night!” So most of these characters, but perhaps most prominently Damion and Faimes, are very minor background OCs who originated in the Finding a Voice 'verse, just because I needed people to fill out Legolas's company. We talked a lot about which characters to include and how to write them in this 'verse; we wanted it to be its own distinctive thing without too much crossover. So, for instance, Legolas's friend and my OC Eleniel feels too much a cornerstone of FAV to bring her over meaningfully into a new universe, so I decided to leave her over there; similarly, we didn't want to use Tauriel, who plays a role in modverse, because we wanted to distinguish this from that and from movieverse. So DHK let me transfer Damion and Faimes and Hadril over from FAV, and give them a more major role in our shared universe. And their role ended up transferring over to modverse, as well! This is the beginning of us experimenting with these two, who we came to call the Hot Siblings as a joke. (But, like, not really.)

He fumbled for something to say, but his silence incriminated him well enough: as one, he could see them realizing it. “Oh,” said Damion at last, weakly.  “I see.”

So fun fact about this: initially, it just started as a joke, but we realized that we were writing Damion consistently as the one who was most weirded out by the reality of sex, and we've come to decide that he would fit in the category of sex-repulsed. He's the squeamish one of the group of friends, and was actually very Not Chill about Faimes's own nuptial period. ;)

“Last night?” said Faimes, her eyes wide.

Hehehehehehehehe. :) This was just a ton of fun. We had come up with the "oh no" long before, and actually getting to write it was such a treat.

“You knew we were betrothed; I merely – I did not want” – He fell silent.  How to explain the way their parting had loomed before him, threatening to hollow him out; how he had yearned for at least the memory of a wedding night, the promise of a marriage, to fill it?  Those thoughts were for him and Gimli alone.

One of my very very favorite things about DHK as a creative collaborator is how much we are both into Crack Treated Seriously as a fanfic trope. She does such an amazing job of weaving humor with genuine sentiment, and I really felt like I was just writing to keep up with it! Velle in particular is I think our crowning glory in that respect; the way we were able to balance real feeling and the seriousness of feeling out of control and lonely and unhappy with the funny crack premise of the story is something I'm still really proud of nearly four years later. I had a ton of fun writing these lines and veering between the emotions.

Faimes nodded to herself in understanding. “Oh, Legolas,” she said, laughing a little and shaking her head as if in pity. “I am so sorry.”

And so Faimes begins her multi-story journey as a Mom Friend. :)

Thank you so much for asking this!! I'll kick it to DHK too to see if she has anything to add, but I had a ton of fun!

#my fic #velle #sweet readers #adventures in cowriting #nerdfriending #legolas #my ocs