#it’s a reference to Smaug and The Hobbit

[joshwontshutup]

If I was in Bilbo’s shoes in The Hobbit (woops he doesn’t wear shoes haha) when he started talking to Smaug in riddles, I wouldn’t have alluded to my accomplishments by saying ‘Web Cutter’ and ‘Barrel Rider’ because that put Laketown in danger. Instead I’d reference crap that was so mundane to give away NOTHING for Smaug to be fuckin’ confused as hell.

“FOR IT IS I, FINDER OF THE LOST KEYS ON THE GREAT TUESDAY EVENING. EATER OF POTATOES. TAKER OF ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. LEAVER OF THE STOVE ON!!!

Fear me, oh terrible Smaug, FOR I AM THE CONQUERER OF YESTERNIGHT’S MAGIC THE GATHERING GAME, AND AS MY REWARD I ATE THE LAST CHIP IN THE BOWL HA HA!”

#bilbo baggins #smaug the dragon #lotr #tolkien #the hobbit #the hobbit desolation of smaug #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings

[em-dash-press]

6 Steps to Create Fictional Creatures

Your newest story idea might require more extensive creative skills when it comes to creatures in mythology. You can use mythic creatures from centuries past or make new fictional species specifically for your plot. Check out these steps to create fictional creatures that feel just as real as any other animal or being.

1. Brainstorm a Big List

There are so many mythical creatures to consider while planning your next story. Some beloved options include:

Dragons

Griffins

Centaurs

Hydras

Harpies

Create a list of every fictional creature that interests you. Make sure to check out various mythologies from global cultures to expand your possibilities.

If you want to make something entirely new, list creatures that inspire you. You can draw from various elements of their backgrounds to invent something new that resonates with readers.

2. Match Creature Characteristics to Your Plot

Picture The Hobbit. Smaug is a crucial part of that novel’s plot. He represents the negative impulse to hoard wealth beyond what you need. That message wouldn’t be represented if Smaug was a kelpie, which represents perfection.

Consider how your creature’s appearance, behavior, and abilities will serve your plot or theme. If they tie together in at least one way, your mythical creatures will feel integral to your story.

3. Draft Creature Backstories

Characters need backstories because real people always have history. You don’t necessarily need to make them extensive, but they’re worth building as you create incredible characters.

Fictional creatures work the same way. They need a history on some level unless your character is somehow creating them in real time during your story.

Give your character’s species an origin. They’ll need an individual history that includes things like where they live and what their motivations are. Does your creature only care about surviving? Do they have a family they want to protect? Is there a dream motivating their decisions or goals?

You may not need to create all of these details for well-known creatures like werewolves, but they do help when you’re making an individual character your readers will get to know.

It’s also helpful to decide how your creature interacts with other creatures or humans. Are they a predator or prey? Do they act aggressively or not? These answers not only inform who they are as an individual but also what roles they can play in your plot.

4. Work on Their Design

There are some great sites for visualizing human characters, like Backstage or Pinterest. AI-generated images aren’t your only option. However, it may feel more challenging to find a generator site for mythical creatures.

You can search for creature inspiration on places like Pinterest or look up your creature’s species at places like Generator Mix. Writers with bigger budgets could also pay an artist they follow on social media to draw what they visualize based on what you’ve already figured out about your creature.

You’ll want a visual reference point for things like your creature’s physical features (plus clothing and accessories, if they wear them). When you’re one year and 200 pages deep in a manuscript, you may forget tiny details like how your creature’s scales look or whether they have mismatched toe nail colors.

A reference picture also helps writers remember how their creature’s appearance may affect their characters. A zombie gnome might terrify one character while they garner sympathy from another character who loves gnomes.

5. Add Magic (or Not)

Will your creature have magical abilities? Why or why not? The answers to these questions point out their purpose in your plot. Maybe they make magical abilities become useless in their presence. 

If your creature gets to use magic, remember to answer the most essential questions for creating a magic system, like:

What does the magic help your character do?

What can’t the magic do?

What are some external or internal limits for the magic users?

Is there a cost to using this magic?

What’s the most important reason your character or creature uses their magic?

6. Assign a Motivation

Even if your mythical creature is only running around in the dark by themselves, they’ll have some kind of motivation. That could be things like:

Finding their next meal

Discovering shelter

Tracking down their enemy

Looking for their offspring

Defending their territory

Seeking their purpose

Chasing a dream

Your creature may need a more purpose-led motivation if they play a key part in your plot. They could also just need to eat, which causes the mayhem necessary to move your plot along.

If you can’t think of a motivation, ask yourself if this creature is necessary in your story. Sometimes we get lost making creatures or characters because it’s fun, not because they’re essential to our plot.

-----

No matter what you want to write, these tips should help you create the mythical creatures your story needs. How in-depth your planning goes is up to you. There’s no required amount of planning for any character. You can always add details to their outline or character profile along the way.

#character creation #creatures #mythical creatures #fantasy creatures #creature creation #writeblr #writing advice #writing tips #writers of tumblr #creative writing #writing #writing inspiration #writing community #writing resources #writing help #creature design #monster #creature

[snaxxnaxa]

fantasy writers vegetable PSA

so we're all living with our nuts chained in a Tolkien-flavored fantasy book timeline, which means that "high" fantasy books default to medieval Europe, BUT somehow potatoes are always included in that vibe?

WHICH is WRONG becasue potatoes/tomatoes/eggplants/maize/pumpkins etc are all New World crops, so unless ur fantasy story also has jaguar knights (real thing hell yeah) or random fucking vicuña or mythos-heavy feathered serpents, the botanists/plant ppl reading ur book are gonna be like um wtf where did the potatoes come from? i know the whole point of fantasy is that it's made up, but the potatos feel like a mesoamerican cultural reference like if in the hobbit there was a corncob in Smaug's gold pile that was a variety of sacred corn that it would make sense for a covetous dragon to steal, (like Smaug would be all about glass gem), but to the reader (me) it feels like ur mind snagging on a microfiber towel.

but one thing that i think is cool is that Tolkien himself knew this was a problem, and waffled (apparently! confirm this yourself nerds) about things like a reference to tomatoes in the hobbit that he removed it in a later edition.

BUT he was such a little cottagecore fucker of a brit that he couldn't imagine the hobbits being as cozy as he KNEW they would be without potatoes and tobacco, and so he made little in-world hedging vocab choices like "taters" and "pipeweed" to skirt the issue

But then that means that any fantasy Europe-theme world that mentions potatoes is just a J.R.R. lifestyle reference

P.S. WE have TOTALLY ALSO lost the plot about Cinderella, the carriage turns into a pumpkin only in later versions of the story BECAUSE pumpkins had just showed up from the Americas and peeps were like what the FUCK, cause really what the fuck if you had never seen a pumpkin? You too would lose your mind. So the carriage turning into a pumpkin is because pumpkins were WACK MAGIC EXOTIC, not like, oh and her dress turned to rags and the carriage was actually a vegetable in the light of day etc.

#bippidy poppity mesoamerican plant breeders can GET IT #tolkien #the hobbit #fantasy fiction #fantasy novel #botany #vegetarian #lord of the rings #lotr #god whats with pumpkins

[qhoaaaa]

Am I including a possible LOTR/The Hobbit reference in this 18+ Milo fic ,,, yes

Yes I am

Bc the movies are great and Desolation of Smaug is my fav bc,,, dragon

#redacted audio #redacted asmr #redactedverse #redacted milo #redacted sweetheart #redacted shaw pack #redacted wolf boys #redacted fanfic #redacted fic #18+ #18+ writing #qhoa has words

[overthinkinglotr]

RE: the Hobbit characters as the Magnus Archives entities—

Smaug is the Desolation, obviously, that’s not up for debate! He’s defined by his destructive fire and his devastation is referred to as “the desolation of Smaug.”

Bilbo begins the story very close to the Lonely, living alone and “unattached” in his empty home; after he finds the One Ring, he obviously also starts to become an avatar for the Eye as well. (It’s also relevant that after the journey, he becomes obsessive about writing and recording everything he saw on his adventures!)

Thorin is either the Slaughter or the Desolation— probably a combination of the two. The Slaughter is the entity of war, and Thorin nearly helps kickstart a massive war between dwarves, elves, and men; the desolation makes sense because he’s meant to be a parallel to Smaug, and etc etc.

Thranduil is the Spiral or the Web. I argue the Spiral because his “elven path” in Mirkwood turns out to be a meaningless endless maze, that stops abruptly at a horrible dead end; his elves lure people off the path into an endless labyrinth of darkness. The characters are lured off the path feel as if they might lose their minds in the darkness; they touch the enchanted rivers in his kingdom and have uncanny dreams that cause them to lose their memories. His woodland halls are similarly a horrible maze of magically closing doors that require a lot of cunning to escape.

But he’s also the Web because his forest is literally a forest of spiders and traps. Thranduil creates cunning plans to lure the dwarves off the path and trap them away and get himself a share of the treasure; the dwarves become stuck in his dungeons like flies in his web. However, unlike the Web, his plans kinda suck. But to be fair, it’s hard when the dwarves have a secret lone invisible embodiment of the Eye on their side.

Beorn is the Hunt. Does this need an explanation?

The Goblins are War or the Slaughter; I lean towards War.

Gandalf is the Web, but a positive version? He’s got his own mysterious plans, and he won’t tell you about them; but in the end everything will uncannily come together exactly as he designed.

And those are my hot takes, feel free to add more!

#the hobbit #lotr #lord of the rings #TMA #the Magnus archives #I posted about how I drew the last chapter of my hobbit comic while listening to TMA #and these are the conclusions I came to

[trahald-the-burrower]

Gollum's Boat

Props may often have a reference point in our world while, at the same time, having some aspect to their design or construction that is uniquely Middle-earthly. One such example would be Gollum's coracle. 'It is.' says Paul [Tobin], 'a small one-man boat in the ancient style traditionally used in parts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The significant difference, however, is that Gollum's coracle happens to made out of the skin and bones of his Goblin victims!' Limited availability of Goblin body-parts meant that the prop department had to simulate those gruesome materials as well as making it possible for Gollum to use it in order to paddle across his underground lake. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Official Movie Guide

and

Gollum’s coracle is made of bits of Goblin skin, bones and a few twigs. He has very limited materials down there so he's made quite a serviceable little vessel with what he had at hand. It’s unclear in the book exactly what his boat was made of or how it got there, but this felt to us like a good, practical alternative to something more traditional. (Alan Lee: Concept Art Director)

#gollum #sméagol #the lord of the rings #smeagol #lord of the rings #smeagolsfriend #andy serkis #peter jackson #the hobbit #lotr #alan lee

[chrononautintraining]

All right! Fine! I’m in! Can you recommend me your favorite fic in the non-hobbit fandom that you post about a lot? I’m not familiar with it all so a fic that explains canon a little more than an a total AU would be best

No biggie if you don’t want to recommend any hahaha just send me on my way with a ‘no’

Yes! Join us! You must be referring to The Untamed, which is a Chinese drama based on a web novel translated into English under the name The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. It has a lot to recommend it to Hobbit fans! Swords! Legendary monsters! Do you like that scene in the Fellowship of the Ring where the hobbits stumble across the ancient tomb and are almost laid to rest by a barrow-wight, but come out with the Numenorean blades? I have good news about both leveling up weaponry in graveyards and ancient tombs!

If your preferred way to enter a fandom is a fic rec, I have to say A Narrow Bridge by JoLaSalle and FrameofMind is my current favorite. It's a Fix-it-AU that tells most of the early canon through flash back scenes while diverging wildly. I'd say it goes into even more detail than canon about how some aspects of cultivation and demonic cultivation works. Moreover, it has a *lot* to appeal to Hobbit fans. "How do you feel about pastoral novels?" she asked knowingly. Please enjoy two devoted, justice-loving idiots growing radishes in a graveyard, zero feet apart because they are in love.

Okay, so A Narrow Bridge is 700 thousand words. A big part of the appeal of this fandom is how many incredibly writers go for sprawling, epic AUs. There is a library here waiting, if you find you like the blorbos. That said, if you're looking for something a little shorter:

Short and Sexy - if this is what you like in a fandom, my friend, this one has a tremendous amount of well written, niche smut.

River-to-the-Sea Sure by Deastar is ~7k words of heat. This fic is A/B/O, which is not usually my thing. So believe me when I say that it is both extremely sexy and genuinely virtuous. It captures the characters of our main leads and their usual dynamic very well. Interestingly, this is the first in a series of A/B/O Bingo by the author, which somehow manages to keep Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in perfect character no matter their "dynamic". But the dynamic illustrated in this story is the one you meet with most often.

But the rose was awake all night for your sake knowing your promise to me by x_los is ~8k of magical lovemaking. Very magical. Using tentacles of resentful energy...

Midlength Mysteries - my understanding of the genre is that the typical format involves two cultivators traveling together to investigate supernatural mysteries. Here are some of those.

And I will Call You Home by Spodume 42k of a post-canon investigation into some mysterious deaths. This is an interesting example of the ways the monsters in cultivation novels differ from traditional western Dragons In Need of Slaying, ala Smaug. At its core, this is two investigators working a problem, and one very smart protagonist coming up with an answer. Also, the investigators are in love. Love is the answer.

Vagabond by xantissa is 65k of something similar, equally good, with added undertones of gay culture in ancient china. I really adore this one, but maybe read one or two other stories first so the climax has its full impact.

Look Not With the Eyes by Spodume 28k Classic tropes, truly classic mythological creature, absolutely adorable. Is it kind of cheating to recommend two by the same author? Maybe. Do I low key think you should just start with this one? Yes. Two men travel to investigate a mystery. After a strange encounter, they find that everyone they meet falls instantly in love with one of them. The other is totally not extremely jealous, but works hard to solve the mystery and fix this serious problem.

And once you're in deep, hit me up again! I have a million AUs to recommend.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling

[eddie-hellfire-munson]

𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝕳𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊 𝐈𝐈𝐈

pairing: Eddie Munson x gn!reader

synopsis: You love listening to Eddie read- but someone had to confess their feelings and surprisingly enough.. Eddie beat you to it.

warnings: pg-13 if you squint [heavy kissing sortof], drug use, but really just Eddie being cute. Cheesy DnD reference.

word count: 1858

parts: [𝐈][𝐈𝐈][𝐈𝐈𝐈]

Your eyes were glued to the TV screen wide and curious as you listened, or tried to listen, to Eddie reading out loud to you. Ever since that first initial movie night it had become a regular thing, you going to his trailer or him showing up on your doorstep every other day just to read or watch movies. You always enjoyed the time you spent with him, whether it be curled against his side sat atop the old but comfortable couch in his trailer- or cuddled up on the stiff sofa your mother had bought just a few weeks ago that very badly needed to be broken in.. you always enjoyed being around Eddie. He had very quickly become a big part of your life, just as you had become a large part of his. He taught you the basics of DnD, even helped you build a character that you could use if you ever decided to join in on a campaign- you weren't ready but he was a patient man.

The two of you shared a love for fantasy, for castles and dragons and wizards and princesses. You shared a mutual love for Tolkien, and when you told Eddie he reminded you of Aragorn you swore he looked like he was going to lift you up in his arms and kiss all over your face.. but he didn't. If there was one flaw in your relationship it was that things never went past heavy flirting and cuddling. You could tell he was holding back, tell he wanted to do so much more- he wasn't exactly hard to read, you just weren't sure why he refused to take things even a fraction further. You had come up with a number of reasons all less plausible than the last, the most reasonable of the bunch being that he was just trying to take things slow but the more time you spent with him the less feasible that seemed. Eddie was not the sort to do anything slow.

With two fingers twirling in his hair and your head resting on his chest to listen to the rhythm of his heartbeat as he spoke. "Fire leaped from the dragon's jaws." He paused, pressing the joint to his lips to take a long hard drag. He held it in his lungs for a moment, a wicked grin pulling at his lips as you glanced up at him. You squinted your eyes knowing full well what he had planned, waiting for him to begin speaking again so you could watch. You loved it when he read the hobbit books to you, Smaug being both yours and Eddie's favorite antagonist of the series. Smoke billowed from his nostrils as he hunched forwards slightly, a deep guttural growl rumbling in the confines of his chest as smoke swirled around you and down over the book in Eddie's hands. "He circled for a while high in the air above them lighting all the lake; the trees by the shores shone like copper and like blood with leaping shadows of dense black at their feet."

As the seconds ticked on his words grew muffled, like static background in your head as you just stared up at him watching him speak. You weren't a heavy believer in true love, or love in general. It just seemed silly, unattainable and unrealistic and those that pursued it always seemed to wade right through it only to come out on the other side with tragic stories to tell. Your mother and father were no exception, and you'd had a long history of shitty relationships yourself. You had partners that cheated, lied, manipulated and used you. You'd had people talk to you as a joke, as a dare from their friends.. so the concept of love and being with someone who really truly unconditionally cared for you just seemed so wild. You weren't stupid, you could recognize the stirrings of a strong crush and normally you tried to squash them down but every time he smiled at you.. ever time his hands lingered at your hips after you hugged or whenever he brushed a stray hair behind your ear your feelings grew even more. Like wildfire they spread until Eddie Munson was nearly 90% of your waking thoughts. You dreamed about him, thought about him all the time and Dustin had relayed to you multiple times that Eddie was much the same. He always spoke about you, daydreamed about you which even trickled over into his DnD sessions which had ironically become quite an issue due to his party being sick of hearing about you whenever you would miss sitting in on a campaign. While you believed your little brother there was a part of you that was scared- terrified to confront him about your feelings but you knew it had to happen eventually.

A large ring-clad hand waving in front of your face pulled you from your not so momentary daze, cheeks flushing a light shade as your eyes met deep brown and Eddie raised a brow. "You alright there? Space out or somethin?" You just nodded a bit, clearing your throat as you prepared for the inevitable. You had to say something.. he wasn't going to- it had to be you. You opened your mouth to speak, jaw however almost immediately snapping shut as Eddie glanced off to the side. His leg was bouncing, something he did when he got too nervous or overwhelmed, and you pulled away slightly to get a better look at him. He had his lip wedged between his teeth, eyes glancing almost frantically around the room. It was your turn to arch a brow as he faced you, chuckling quietly as he whispered a soft "fuck it" and snapped the book shut. The noise startled you, causing you to jump slightly against him as he continued to stare into your eyes. His brow knitted, the both of you just sitting there in complete silence for a moment. He slid the book onto the cushion beside him, raising that same hand to card his fingers through your hair as he slowly dropped his head down to rest his forehead against yours. "Á mele ni, mecin.." he spoke so softly you had nearly missed it, your own eyes widening as his slid shut. Now you weren't exactly an expert when it came to elvish, quenya specifically. You'd picked up a bit from the books, enough to know the full translation of those words. Do love me, please. It was as if he were pleading with you, asking if his feelings towards you were reciprocated and wanted.. and for a second you were shocked into silence. Leave it to Eddie Munson to confess his feelings for you in a language damn near nobody fully knew yet or understood.. and after you were so convinced he wouldn't ever confess.

Eddie was nearly shaking with panic, his breathing controlled.. in through the nose out through the mouth as his eyes squeezed shut. He didn't want to face you, the fear of rejection nearly palpable on the back of his tongue. It sat there hot, heavy, and bitter as the seconds ticked on and then suddenly you were laughing and cupping his face in your hands. Slowly he cracked one eye, and once greeted by your wide smile he opened the other. Your smile was bright, so bright and warm and infectious that he found himself smiling right back at you. His fears were still there of course, still very real as he gently scratched at your scalp. "What's so fuckin funny?" His grin widened as you just leaned your head further into his hand, sortof nuzzling it as you hummed. "carinyë." And as quick as lightning his eyes went wide. You had understood.. and you? Liked him too?

You couldn't count the number of times you had thought about kissing Eddie on both hands. It was in the hundreds at this point, but who could blame you? With his big brown eyes and full lips- the way he looked at you, the way he listened to you.. like every word that came out of your mouth was the most interesting thing he had heard in all his life. He was your best friend within a matter of days, and so much more than that. Time seemed to slow as he lowered his face, lips brushing against yours so softly as the hand cradling the side of your hand slid down to cup your jawline. "You've been paying more attention to the books than I thought-" you couldn't contain the soft giggle that escaped you, smiling wider against his lips as your fingers slid up and through his mess of wavy chestnut hair. "What can I say- you have a nice voice. I like listening to you read." He just hummed, finally sealing your lips with a proper kiss. It was gentile and slow at first, even as Eddie lowered you onto your back without missing a beat. One hand found its way to your hip, sliding down to hike your leg up to wrap it around him as he pressed his body flush against yours.

It didn't take long for the kiss to turn heated, panting softly into eachothers mouths as your fingers tangled in his hair tugging at it as you greedily tried to pull him even closer. With his full weight on you, sandwiched between him and the couch cushions, you couldn't think of a single place you'd rather be. Having waited so long for this it was everything you'd wanted and more. Eddie rolled his hips, pulling a soft gasp from you as your body shuddered and your breath hitched. You wanted more, so much more- but your desire to tease him was much stronger, and as he pulled away to look down at you with nothing but adoration in his eyes a wicked smirk curled at the corners of your mouth. He just snorted, going back in for another kiss however you stopped him with an index finger pressed against his lips. He was shocked for a moment, head cocking slightly to the side as he watched you. "You.. want me to stop or? I mean we can stop.. we don't have to-" your finger pressing harder against his lips cut him off and his other brow arched in surprise. Your smile only widened, barely able to contain yourself as you very softly said "Roll for initiative." You swear you'd never seen a man roll off the couch so quickly, scrambling into his room only to return with a bright red D20. His hair was sticking up in every direction from having your hands running through it and he was panting heavily from having basically ran into his room but as he held up the D20, arching a brow to test whether or not you were being serious you just sat up, looking him over before he gave the little resin piece a quick kiss before sending it clattering to the table. No matter what it read.. you wanted to continue- but seeing him so eager was definitely worth the wait.

authors notes: tried to stay as close to canon Tolkien elvish as possible- and I will not apologize for the shitty DnD "Roll for initiative" bit♡ it's crucial for the next part which will be nsfw so I am beating the minors off with a stick! Seriously, stay back.

[Sorry you're getting tagged in this one twice guys, Tumblr screwed me and removed all the hashtags so I'm reposting this]

tag list: @rome-alone @gamegirl1996-blog @mightiestheroes @what-the-heckin-heck @nerd-of-karasuno @ladychoco @intoanothermind @the-chocoholic-writer @my-infiniteuniverse @mymaraudersmen @kiszkathecook

#eddie munson #joseph quinn #stranger things #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson stranger things #eddie munson x !reader #eddie munson x gn!reader #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x gender neutral reader

[danger-xylophones]

Tease (Meriadoc Brandybuck x reader)

Disclaimer, I wrote this in 2017. This is five years old and comes from my old quotev account but I'm moving it here cause I can

Warnings: she/her, reader is referred to as a woman, reader is wearing a dress

Masterlist

The shire was alive and well on this delightful evening. The night was filled with music, laughter, and joy all around as every hobbit in the shire was gathered together in one spot for a very special occasion. 

    It was Bilbo Baggins’s eleventy-first birthday. Quite the admirable age for a hobbit. The old fellow was strange indeed. He went gallivanting off with an entire company of dwarves at the ripe age of fifty and didn’t come back for thirteen months. He was thought dead so all of his possessions were auctioned off as he had no last will and testament. In the middle of the auction though, the fellow appeared, bothered and flustered and carrying several strange, foreign objects with him. Once he got settled back into his  hole at Bag-End, the old hobbit spoke of faraway lands filled with elves, dwarves, and men. He told the story of a great battle against herds of orcs and of the slaying of a great fire breathing beast, the slaying of Smaug the Terrible. He told these stories to the young hobbits as they grew, you being among those that listened intently, and they had stuck with you and just about every other hobbit to this day. 

    So now, whether or not you liked the old odd fellow would have been irrelevant as everyone still flocked to his hobbit hole at the prospect of free food and drink. You, for one, were there in the hopes of catching a dance with a certain young gentle-hobbit. 

    You had helped prepare for this party all day, running last minute errands, cooking, and stitching up Bilbo Baggins’s old wine red waist coat for him, while your brother had busily set to work on the grounds, ensuring they would be the envy of all. After working all day, it was good to enjoy your work for the night. Thus, you danced along to a light hearted jig with a random hobbit fellow close to your age, laughing and smiling at the joy all around you. The tempo and melody was infectious and your dress was so alluring that you had hardly been at a loss for company all night, however you only wanted the company of one hobbit in particular. As the last chords played and the band finished with a yell, you curtseyed to your random partner, who took your hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it,  and dismissed yourself from dancing. You were now, once agin I might add, looking for that certain fellow I keep mentioning. 

    Your (e/c) orbs turned in their sockets as you surveyed the large assembly of hobbits. But alas, this search yielded no news of your quarry. You huffed annoyedly. 

    “Where could that silly boy be?” You tapped your foot in frustration whilst crossing your arms like a stubborn child. Seeing no point in simply standing on the dance area, you located your brother in the throng of full and drunk hobbits. A mop of curly blonde hair was your indicator for where Samwise was, seated alone with his face in a mug of ale. You rolled your eyes before crossing towards the elder Gamgee child, being mindful of the other guests. 

    “This is one of the biggest parties we’ve ever been invited to and he chooses to spend it with his face in a mug of ale instead of going after Ms. Rosie Cotton. I’d like to not be the only parent this genera-hey!” While you were muttering to yourself, you were unaware of another hobbit sneaking up behind you until he had yanked you backwards. You were sent stumbling into the chest of whomever decided that move was a good idea. 

    “Excuse me, this is NOT how you ask a lady to dance, si-Frodo!” You shrieked out in shock as you looked up at your captor who was busily laughing as he yanked you into a new uplifting, dance. Frodo Baggins was your best friend (aside from Sam) and “wingman” in most cases. And, he was the only one who would dare to startle you like this.

    “I’m sorry, (Y/n), but it was too funny!” The young hobbit laughed more causing you to roll your eyes again as you danced with him. The blue eyed male twirled you around while the other hobbits clapped and yelled in joy and merriment. When you returned to him, he started up a conversation.

    “Tell me, (Y/n). I watched as you danced happily with just about every other eligible man here, willingly at that, then suddenly I turn to find you scowling and looking as though someone had destroyed your brother’s gardening tools. What happened?” You sighed but danced along with the young Baggins. An idea came to you suddenly.

    “I have been enjoying myself all evening, despite not being able to locate a certain someone,” out of the corner of your eye, you saw Frodo smirk mischievously with a knowing look. “But, my brother has not. Look!” You pointed as Samwise Gamgee stood, cast a longing glance at Miss Rosie Cotton dancing nearby, then took off in the direction of the ale. Frodo groaned as he watched the spectacle and you made a gesture as if to say ‘you see what I mean?’ .

    “Before you pulled me into another dance, I was heading over to speak to him and get him to go after Rosie. He’s done nothing but pine after her for months and it is maddening!” You joined hands with Frodo as you began partner dancing, in order to allow for easy conversation. Frodo nodded along.

    “You’ve done the same as him though.” You glared up at the taller hobbit, stating that you at least intended to do something about your attraction tonight. Frodo smirked wider with a hint of pride at that and went back to your brother. “But, his is a worse case. It’s so very evident Rosie returns his feelings, Sam is too shy to ask her to court him though. Perhaps, we could do something to help them out?” Frodo looked to you as the song ended. He bowed and you curtseyed to him out of sheer politeness. Frodo and yourself continued to talk though as the band struck up another song, concocting a plan to get Sam and Rosie in close quarters for the night. With a plan hatched, the two of you made your way to Samwise. Frodo sat down on Sam’s left, facing the party, while you took the spot on his right, clasping your hands together on the table. 

    While Frodo quickly chatted with Sam, you stole your brother’s mug and drained the ale as quickly as you could without being too obvious about it. You sat the mug down with a light ‘tink’, causing Sam to look down at it and Frodo to wink at you.

    “Ah think I’ll jus’ have ano’her ale.” Sam said whilst lightly glaring at you. All you did was scrunch up your nose and stick your tongue out in return. As the blonde hobbit went to stand and head off, you and Frodo caught his arms and spun him into the arms of Rosie Cotton who gladly started to dance with your older brother. You giggled behind your hand as Frodo laughed with you. You laughed out a ‘thank you’ and finally asked the ravenette where he had last seen Meriadoc Brandybuck. With a smirk and a teasing comment about being sure to invite him to the wedding, Frodo Baggins pointed you to your next search area. You bobbed and weaved between carts, tents, and pavilions as Gandalf sent off more firworks. At each one, you came up short.  You padded past Gandalf’s firework cart for the third time before finally deciding to just sit and wait for Merry, and most likely Pippin too, to show themselves. You took a seat at a small table somewhat off by itself, where you sipped at your own ale and laughed as you watched Sam and Rosie twirl around. Suddenly, you heard a loud bang and the sound of a firework scream as it was launched high into the air. You turned to the sound and watched as a red explosion occurred in the sky.

    Many of the gathered hobbits clapped at the display, you simply smiled, until the red lights morphed and took shape. It’s shape was that of a dragon. Your eyes widened in shock when the great display of pyrotechnics turned and came barreling towards yourself and the other party goers. You yelled in fright like many others and bolted out of your chair, immediately hitting the ground to avoid the burning display. As the great firework dragon swooped past, it seemed to light the air around it on fire as it continued forward. You looked up to watch its tail wisk past you and you caught a glimpse of Bilbo and Frodo mimicking your actions by hitting the ground. 

    But just as quick as it passed over head, the dragon soon swooped back into the sky where it then exploded several times and rained down red sparkles. You breathed a sigh of relief while sitting up as the other hobbits clapped and cheered once again. Now that the “danger” had passed, you burst out in a smile and began to laugh as you got to your feet, dusting the dirt off of your skirt. As your guffaws subsided, your lips were drawn into a smirk. You caught sight of Gandalf making for one of the spots where a tent had been previously near his cart and it all clicked with you. You allowed Gandalf a few minutes by capering towards where you had last seen Bilbo and Frodo. The latter was helping his uncle to his feet when you arrived and you quickly went to the other side of the elder hobbit to assist in stabilizing him.

    “Oh-thank you, my dear!” Bilbo patted your forearm in appreciation and it was at that same moment that Frodo and you made eye contact. The blue eyed hobbit took in your smug expression, mimicking it with one of his own before asking,

    “Merry and Pippin?” He questioned in reference to the firework dragon. You nodded, your smirk morphing into a bemused smile.

    “Merry and Pippin.” You stated while gesturing with your head in the direction Gandalf had disappeared. Frodo shook his head, causing his curls to swish around erratically, before waving you off with his free hand, the other was still clapped on Bilbo’s shoulder. You giggled mirthfully and made your way back to the tents and pavilions, grabbing an apple along the way. Oh, you were going to have fun with this! 

    You paused beside Gandalf’s cart, thinking for a moment on where he would’ve sent the two trouble makers. With a snap of your fingers and another bite from your apple, you took off towards the tent for the dishes. You peeked around the fabric to spot Merry and Pippin begrudgingly but diligently working on cleaning the plates, bowls, forks, saucers, and everything in between that had been used up till now. Gandalf sat nearby, smoking his pipe whilst monitoring the two cousins. The gray wizard shifted his gaze from them for a brief moment as he blew smoke out of the corners of his mouth. He locked eyes with you and you sent him a small wave in return. Gandalf dipped his head in greeting, a smile forming at the edges of his lips, before looking at Merry then back to you, the same knowing look in his eyes that Frodo had earlier. Eru’s sake! Did everyone know? Your own brother hadn’t even caught on! The only people you had told were Frodo and Bilbo. Actually, the only person you had told was Frodo, Bilbo had been eavesdropping. When the older hobbit heard, he came charging out of his study, placed a firm hand on your shoulder, and wished you the best of luck. It was an odd thing to say, but you supposed you would need all the luck in the world when it came to the troublemaking Brandybuck. 

    You took in the singed look on Meriadoc, having to hold in your giggles at the sight of his lovely golden yellow locks standing on end and the soot covering his face. The black powder was even all over his waistcoat! That was a shame, you had been rather fond of that one, it was lovely and fun. Something you felt complimented his personality well. But it still gave him a distinguished and neat look, which you thought reflected the other side of Merry. You drew your lips together in discontent at the state of the waistcoat but brushed it aside and subconsciously licked your lips as butterflies began to take flight in your stomach. You ducked back behind the cloth and whispered a little pep talk to yourself.

    “Breathe, (Y/n). You can do it. Just, be natural but fun and alluring and mysterious and playful and-this isn’t helping me.” You shook your head, and took another bite from your apple as you emerged from the other side of the tent and strolled into Pippin and Merry’s line of sight. 

    “Hello!” You chirped in a perky voice to catch their attention. Pippin responded with a dejected ‘hi’, continuing to scrub the plate he was working on. Merry paused in rinsing the dishes of soap to take in your appearance. His eyes trailed up from the bottom of the (f/c) dress you were wearing to your face before his lovely blue eyes locked with your own and his jaw went slack. The young Brandybuck was at a loss for words, you were stunning. Of course, he thought you looked stunning whenever he saw you, but there was something new about you tonight that really made it feel like the only word to describe you. 

    You stood poised for a greeting from the second hobbit but received none. You began to fidget as all Merry could do was stare. Under his gaze, you began to feel nervous. Pippin looked between your increasingly anxious form and the awe-struck Merry before elbowing his cousin in the side, causing him to huff as air was forced out of his lungs. Despite the jab in the side stealing even more of his breath away, it did the trick to get Merry to talk.

    “(Y-Y/n)! Hi, uh, hello! You, ahem,” he cleared his throat before trying to continue. “You look...gorgeous!” Beneath the soot and powder, the Brandybuck began to blush and was suddenly very self aware of the state he was in. He felt as though he looked like a beggar before a queen. Merry looked at your face to gauge your reaction and was pleasantly surprised (and more than a little delighted) to find that you had a bright red blush painted across your cheeks and a small bashful smile you were attempting to hide playing on your lips. Those bright red, beautiful, soft looking, kissable lips...He shook his head to clear the, less then appropriate, thoughts from it. A lovely rouge color now flooded his face. Merry glanced down at his attire once more, taking in the unruly look that now adorned him and cringing as the weight of his actions tonight hit him. He had wanted to ask you to dance, woo you and sweep you off your feet before showering you in attention. When he was sure you would have been completely enamored by him and his charms, he was going to offer you the little ring he had picked out to ask you to court him-then he would have gone and messed with the fireworks. But no, his nerves had gotten the better of him and he had followed Pippin’s prompting into getting involved in mischief to take his mind off the anxiousness he inevitably felt around you. Anxiety mixed with glee, delight, and affection though. Ah, but now, here you were. 

    “-rry? Meriadoc? Did you hear me?” The hobbit was shaken out of his stupor by your gentle voice attempting to get his attention and Pippin grabbing his arm rather forcefully. Meriadoc looked up at you to see your hand reached out as if to cup his cheek and that you had taken three steps closer to him, leaning on the edge of the barrel he was working from. Merry was tempted to act as though he was still lost in his thoughts if it meant he could feel your hand against his cheek. However, the Brandybuck didn’t feel that to be any form of “right” so he attempted to respond to your questioning.

    “Uh...yeah, I-well no. I didn’t hear you actually...” he cleared his throat nervously, glancing down at the slightly soapy water between you, “would you mind repeating it?” The normally confident Brandybuck was completely at your mercy as you raised your free hand to cover your mouth as you giggled. A sweet, melodic tune that sent the male hobbit’s head reeling. You stood up straight as Pippin handed you the apple you had tossed into his hands.

    “Miss (Y/n) was asking if we were the ones behind the ‘display’ and if that’s why we’re doing the dishes.” Pippin piped up. Merry glanced between you and his cousin, his face growing warmer as you looked at him expectantly. He swallowed comically before answering your question with one of his own.

    “Well, uh-that depends,” he began hesitantly. “Did you...like it?” The hobbit before you felt utterly foolish asking something like that but it was all he could think of. 

    “Welllll-“ you dragged out the ‘L’ until Pippin interrupted you.

    “Were you impressed by it?” Merry felt his face flush even more at his cousin’s more direct route. He glared at the younger lad, ready to leave him behind in Farmer Maggot’s field the next time they went. 

    “I was, actually. Until it came barreling towards all of us that is...” Merry cringed internally and only now noticed that your hair was slightly disheveled and dirt was trapped under your nails where it hadn’t been before. 

    “Still, I dare say the whole incident was rather spectacular.” Eru, was it possible to blush anymore? If there was, Merry was certainly close to figuring out how. Said hobbit looked up at you with a lopsided grin. Suddenly regaining his confidence, the golden haired hobbit leaned forward on the barrel, getting slightly closer to your face. He angled his head down to meet your eyes due to your small stature, taking pride in the blush that crept up your neck, face, and stretched towards your ears. For a brief second, he thought he saw the same level intensity of his affection flash through your (e/c) eyes.

    “Spectacular, huh? That’s what I-“Pippin cleared his throat in an annoyed fashion, prompting Merry to correct himself (but not without an eye roll and a laugh from you). “That’s what we were going for.”  

    Your eyebrow arched at that and your mouth twisted up in a smug yet playful smirk. Your words to Frodo earlier suddenly rang in your head. Unlike your brother, you were planning on putting your feelings out there, weren’t you? What better time to engage in a little flirting that pushes that agenda? You moved your hand from its resting place on your hip and gently messed with the ribbons on the bodice of your dress, it was both out of nerves and to feign non-chalance. You felt your heart pick up speed as your mind was set. You were doing this! No backing out! Your throat tried to close in on itself but you refused to let it, releasing a quiet sigh instead. you averted your eyes and attempted to ignore just how close Merry was.

    “Really? Is that what you were going for? I thought you just wanted to see me lying down.” You had no clue where that comment had come from, but it did its job. The confident look on Merry’s face disappeared in an instant and you could see his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed in embarrassment. However, he didn’t move further away from you and he, albeit unsteadily, met your gaze when you continued.

    “You know, Merry...” you trailed off slightly, lowering your hand to rest on the edge of the barrel again. Except, what your hand landed on, was not the barrel. You had accidentally placed your hand on top of Merry’s which was gripping the barrel with a vice grip. You flinched involuntary. Merry felt you pull your hand back slightly before hesitating, fingertips brushing ever so lightly against the back of his hand. It sent shivers up his arm and he considered grabbing your hand himself until you gently lowered your hand again and left it there. You resumed your sentence, a little more confident his time.

    “If you wanted to get my attention-“ you slowly moved closer to the blue eyed hobbit before you, who mimicked your actions as if in a trance. If you were honest, that’s what it felt like. The two of you were trapped under some sort of spell that clouded your mind, heightened your senses, and made you act purely through instinct. It felt wonderful, especially knowing just by looking at Merry that he was under the same spell as you.

    “You could’ve just asked me to dance.” Your noses bumped together slightly as your lips almost came together. Eru, you wanted to kiss him right now. You could do it too, he would not reject you. You knew that for a fact. It was so tempting...then you got a whiff of the soot and powder coating the hobbit and a wicked idea pushed itself to the forefront of your mind. It was tempting to kiss him, yes...but this would be funnier and was sure to keep him on his toes. Just before you put it into action, Merry spoke very softly, careful not to break the moment.

    “(Y/n), may I kiss you?” Had his lips not been a millimeter away from yours, you probably would have missed it. You hummed in a questioning manner.

    “Right now?” You asked, matching Merry’s tone.

    “Preferably.” You hummed again in slight amusement, sliding your hand up Merry’s supporting arm till it rested on his forearm. You waited for Merry to take that as a nonverbal ‘yes’, and as soon as you felt his head move even slightly closer, you went into action. You smiled wide and pulled his arm out from under him. The poor fellow nearly planted his face in the dish water within the barrel. Pippin roared with laughter at his friend’s misfortune while Gandalf sat chucking to himself. Goodness, you’d forgotten they were there. Merry caught himself, looking at you incredulously. You grabbed his chin with the same hand you had toppled him with and held him in place as you got closer to him, partially stooping down. You giggled uncontrollably as you explained your “reasoning” to him.

    “I’m sorry, Meriadoc Brandybuck, but until your face is clean; your lips shall not touch mine.” With that, you released his chin, took another bite of your apple (purposefully licking the juice off your lips as Merry watched) then you turned to leave the trio alone. You had only taken a few steps when Merry came to his wits, puffing and sputtering up a storm as he tried to go around Pippin and past the plates to catch you. 

    “Why you- I’ll get you for that, you tease!” Merry called after you when Gandalf stopped him from running to you. You cocked your head to the left, letting a coy smile grace your lips.

    “Oh, I’m sure you will, Merry!” You scampered towards the edge of the tent, turning around the corner before replying once more. You poked your head around the edge of the tent, and made eye contact with the darling blue eyed hobbit.

    “In fact, I’ll be looking forward to it!” You winked at him and ran off to rejoin the gathered hobbits of the night. As you ran off, Gandalf pointed Merry in the direction of the, by now, dry dishes. Merry sighed and went to move them, though not before pausing at the edge of the tent to spot you running over to your brother and Rosie Cotton who were enjoying a nice chat. You missed the wonderful, wide grin that stretched out over his face and you were not close enough to hear him laughing under his breath as he watched you slip away.

#meriadoc brandybuck #merry brandybuck x reader #merry brandybuck #lotr #lotr x reader #hobbits #lord of the rings #shire folk

[fizzyxcustard]

Soulmates (Armitage Summer Splash. Day 7)

As part of @lathalea and I's Armitage Summer Splash, I present to you, day 7.

Masterlist of fics for Summer Splash

Prompts: "I've never loved you." / Soulmates trope.

Fandom: The Hobbit

Pairings: Thorin Oakenshield x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Angst, heartbreak, insecurity, sexual references

Summary: You know in your heart that you are Thorin's One, his soulmate. But how can you be his queen? Insecurity racks you at the very thought, and you try to break his heart with one lie, which he immediately sees through.

Comments/Notes: If anyone would like to be added to or removed from my tag list, please say. And, finally, I'm writing about THORIN! My dearest Dwarf king. I'm so sorry it took this long to get to you.

That night which you spent with Thorin would always be the pinnacle of your existence. To be physically worshipped by a man who was so beautiful that it made breath catch in your throat whenever you gazed into his crystal blue eyes. His touch, so careful and so heartfelt. Every time his skin made contact with yours and sparks flew. There was no other way you could describe it. He was your soulmate. You were two pieces of the same puzzle, meant to be locked together and be one.

Even after your lovemaking, he lay beside you, his breath gradually falling back to its normal, resting rate, and he gazed at you with such adoration in his eyes. You could feel the love pouring from him, like a heat.

That one night had sealed it. You were meant to be with Thorin forever. But all you could see now was a crown. A barrier. The battle of Five Armies had deepened your love so much for him. However, the crown that sat on his head and the robes draped over his strong shoulders, reminded you of the queen you would never, ever be.

***

Erebor was now won, and Dwarves from various clans and kingdoms began to arrive at the mountain city's gates. They wished to come and pay tribute to the battle, and to the king who had re-claimed the mountain back from the clutches of Smaug the dragon.

Thorin was growing restless. He hadn't seen you since horns had been blown, signalling that the battle had ceased. He had kissed you, drawing you in against him. Not only had he been victorious in the fight for his kingdom, but he had been victorious in finding his One.

Thorin asked many people, enquiring as to your whereabouts. Until he asked Oin, a Dwarf whom you had grown close to on the journey.

"She's set up a room on the east side, just a few doors down from the King's Library," Oin told Thorin.

The king nodded his head to his friend and thanked him, then began his search for you.

In your room, you sat at the desk which was to the right hand side of the four poster bed. There were pots of ink, quills and pieces of parchment which had lain here for decades, gathering dust and cobwebs.

Your door knocked.

As you opened the door, you gasped at the sight of Thorin.

The king swooped in and kissed you hard, his hand curling around your cheek. Both of you succumb to the desire which had built over many months, and only been truly explored once when at Beorn's Barn in the dead of night.

You were both breathing heavily as you parted from the kiss and Thorin pressed his brow to yours. "My love," he whispered.

"Please don't," you sighed, realisation hitting you of how beneath him you would always be.

You moved into the room, and Thorin swept in behind, shutting the door behind him. "What is going on?"

"We can't do this," you said, looking up at him with tears in your eyes.

Thorin's breath hitched. You distinctly heard it. "W...why? I do not understand..."

"All of this, everything. It's wrong."

"How can it be wrong?" Thorin asked, his eyes full of sadness and question. "You are my One. I feel that, and I know you feel it also. Our love is strong."

"I've never loved you," you said. The lie pierced your heart straight to the core, cleaving it in two. The pain hit your throat, red hot bile threatening to spill forth.

Thorin's eyes grew dark in anger. "Do not lie to me."

"I'm not....lying...." Everything was crumbling and your whole being broke down into weeping.

Thorin pulled you into his arms, feeling your tight grip. There was no way he could believe those words. Just in that moment, the way you were holding him, that was love.

You sobbed in his arms, and he remained silent, just holding you.

Gradually, you looked up, only to see those beautiful blue eyes gazing back at you. He smiled.

"How can I ever be a queen? It's so absurd a concept..."

"Is this the reason you have avoided me for two days and tried to lie to me? Quite badly, I must add."

"Am I that bad a liar?"

"Definitely on this occasion. How you could even consider that night we shared to not evidence our love for each other, is beyond me. You are my One, and I feel that in every fibre of my being, and with every breath."

"I'm scared, Thorin. How can you wear that crown every day and know what to do?"

Thorin sighed. "I was raised in this mountain, and everything I did as a child and young Dwarf was preparing me for this. I had no other choice; this was always my destiny. However, you have a choice that I never did."

"How do you mean?"

"You can walk away right now, leave. Or you can accept my proposal of marriage and take up the crown. That choice is yours, and yours alone."

"You've just seen the mess I've made of trying to walk away, so of course you know what my answer is going to be. You being born to be the king was just as much your destiny as mine is to be your wife."

***

Follow Forever tag list: @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @linasofia @xxbyimm @guardianofrivendell @meganlpie @msjava1972 @middleearthpixie @knitastically @sketch-and-write-lover @lilacpulse @asgardianhobbit98 @rachel1959 @enchantzz @medusas-hairband

The Hobbit tag list: @legolasbadass @myselfandfantasy @morriganwarrior @cryptichobbit @on-my-way-to-erebor

Richard Armitage tag list: @eunoiaastralwings

Thorin Oakenshield tag list: @exhausted-humxn-being

#Thorin Oakenshield #The Hobbit #Richard Armitage #Armitage Summer Splash #Thorin Oakenshield x Reader #Thorin Oakenshield x Fem!Reader #Thorin x Reader #Thorin x Fem!Reader

[aemiron-main]

Victor vs Thrain

Reminder that all of the hobbit movies are on the s4 board. I’m going to do a full analysis of the hobbit movies vs st at some point (esp since henry’s monologue is DEFINITELY inspired by thranduil’s speeches), but for right now, I want to talk about Thrain vs Victor. 

So, who the hell is Thrain? Thrain is Thorin Oakenshield’s father. And let’s look at some key info about him from the LOTR wiki:

“Many years later, Thráin grew older, and he became restless, fed by the Ring of Power in his possession. His desire to reclaim his kingdom of the Lonely Mountain grew. In TA 2841, he and a group of followers, including Balin and Dwalin, left their dwelling in the Blue Mountains and journeyed into Wilderland. The servants of Sauron pursued them, and one morning in TA 2845, in the eaves of Mirkwood, his companions awoke to find that Thráin was missing. 

They searched in vain for him for days, but he could not be found at all. It was later learned that he had been captured and imprisoned in the pits of Sauron's stronghold of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood. There he was tortured, and Sauron took from him the last of the Dwarven Rings of Power and left him there to die.

Before Thráin's death – while on a mission to Dol Guldur – Gandalf the Grey came upon Thráin and was given the map and key made by his father, Thrór. Thráin appeared so diminished that he had forgotten almost everything, including his name. Gandalf promised to deliver it to Thorin but could not confirm that this Dwarf was, in fact, Thráin due to Thráin's loss of memory. There he died.”

Let’s look at some of the parallels between Thrain and Victor: 

Thrain was found in Mirkwood, lacking his memory.

Victor was found wandering along Highway 49, near the Hawkins Mirkwood road, lacking his memory and fine motor skills.

Thrain was tortured by Sauron for information about his son, and the map, and the key. 

Victor was likely tortured/interrogated/drugged/electrocuted by the lab, resulting in his loss of memory and fine motor skills. 

Thrain had a map and key that he wanted Gandalf to give to his son.

Regarding Victor, I’m staring at all of the CONSTANT key imagery with the Creels, right down to Robin’s keyhole jacket. 

I’m also staring at the grandfather clock, which would need a key to be opened- and if someone was to reset the clock, after Henry/Edward turned it backwards, they would need the key (see the little keyhole?)

 And if we expand that idea, justt like how someone would need a literal key to fix the clock, if somebody wanted to fix the timeline/time, they’d need the figurative key.  And Victor is likely the one with one of those keys, either the literal or figurative one, or both. 

As well, in the Hobbit movies,  while Gandalf and Thrain attempt to escape Dol Guldur/Southern Mirkwood  Thráin talks about Smaug and Sauron working together, but specifically refers to Sauron as “The One,” which is interesting considering all of the Henry/Edward/001 stuff. 

As well, before Thrain dies, he  tells Gandalf to tell his son (Thorin), that he loves him, and then Thrain is killed by The Necromancer (Sauron)’s shadow tendrils (staring at both the MF and the UD tendrils.)

I’m not sure how these parts connect to Victor yet, aside from Victor loving Henry, which we already know, but there’s something rattling about it.

#stranger things #victor creel #henry creel #st analysis #st creel timeline weirdness #st-hobbit parallels

[tinyreviews]

Writing Tips: How a blurb can help your writing

What is a blurb?

A blurb is a short summary that appears on the back cover or the book's online listing. Marketing-wise, the blurb serves as an enticing hook for potential readers.

How does a blurb help your writing?

It serves as a through-line for your story. You can refer to your blurb as a guide whenever you face difficulty writing.

3 easy steps to writing a blurb:

Establish the character and setting

Establish the conflict (goal+obstacle)

Establish the stakes (price of failure)

Examples:

The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins, a peaceful hobbit, is thrust into an unexpected adventure to reclaim the lost kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. He must find courage to complete his quest or risk the fate of a kingdom.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Harry Potter, an orphan, discovers his magical heritage and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He unravels the mystery of his identity and confronts Lord Voldemort, whose return threatens the peace of the wizarding world.

Dune: In a distant future, on the desert planet Arrakis, young Paul Atreides navigates political intrigue with the looming threat of House Harkonnen for the survival of his own House Atreides .

Remember: Your initial blurb is not set in stone. As you draft your story, you can be flexible, you can change your blurb at any time.

This is part of my Writing Tips series. I publish writing tips to this blog.

#writeblr #writer's block #writing tips #writing blurb #blurb

[worldbuildguild]

Syllabus: Feature Creep ( and how to avoid it )

Let me introduce you to a term from software- and -game development: Feature Creep

Feature creep is the excessive ongoing expansion or addition of new features in a product,[1] especially in computer software, video games and consumer and business electronics. These extra features go beyond the basic function of the product and can result in software bloat and over-complication, rather than simple design.

( Feature Creep: Wikipedia )

To sum it up in the context of worldbuilding and design: Feature Creep is what happens when a designer overloads their project with ideas, which ultimately ends up making the final design confusing. You'll often find that your design also loses its ability to communicate your ideas properly, as it drowns itself in its excess of inspirations and references. But what does this look like in, say: character design?

This is Luso from Final Fantasy Tactics A2. On the surface, the character is competently illustrated. Everything is very nicely rendered with a good sense of structure and a high amount of detail ( if you're into that ). The proportions are fine, the style is very clear. It is a nice drawing. But upon further inspection, we start to notice just how many features the design actually has: Armour pieces, complex patterns, numerous dominating shapes and so. many. props. The palette, while not immediately clashing is also incredibly confused, spanning from just about any primary colour in the colour wheel, all contrasting one another, making it hard for your eye to find a place to rest when looking over the design. If you were to take a look at the design and tell me what it was supposed to invoke thematically, what would you tell me? - Well it's a mage ( mage book ) that is also a knight ( sword ) but mostly its a warrior with some kind of special proficiency in keyblades(??), but also there are some touches of nature and luck ( clover, ladybug on the belt, green, patterned cloth ). You'd have a really hard time convincing me that the design is invocative of any one of its ideas. (If you were part of the art community back in the 2000s to 2010s you'll also definitely remember all the memes about the angel-wolf-demon-goddess-mermaid-dragon OCs and all the derivatives of that particular line of design. Some faultily called these the markers of a Mary Sue character. Though I'd argue that Feature Creep can show up in any well written character regardless. Even those who are made by professionals, who are well aware of what they're doing: like Luso, for an example ) Feature Creep is, however, a typical marker of a developing designer or young artist who want to explore multiple ideas at the same time. Morally, there's nothing wrong with that. You can make as many hybrid creatures as you want. It is all in good fun. But if you want to sell people on a design or a story, you're going to need to edit them down a bit.

Economy in ideas

Animated features and shows are probably among the mediums that approach their designs with the most limited amount of ideas. That doesn't mean their designs are boring though, oftentimes they're actually incredibly effective since the limited amount of ideas allowed in a design means that designers can pour much more care into integrating the ideas into the final design.

Let's take a look at one of the animation industry's latest greats: How to Train Your Dragon. When Dreamworks artists sat down to design the dragons for HTTYD, they decided to go against the current trends. The western hemisphere has long been plagued by samey designs, as the likes of Drogon ( Game of Thrones ) Draco (Dragonheart), Saphira (Eragon) and Smaug (The Hobbit), who has solidified the European take on the mythological creature into the cultural conscious. The designs in themselves are not bad at all, but when HTTYD suddenly took flight with its completely reworked ideas for what a dragon could look like - it was a breath of fresh air. For toothless the designers seemed to have applied nothing more than two main ideas to their design. A black dragon with anatomical cues from an axolotl but the mannerisms and certain facial features of a black cat. This design invoked a sense of familiarity. It was simple, iconic, slightly strange to those who hadn't been familiarized with the axolotl yet, and clearly communicated a sense of pet-like behaviour through its feline gestures.

Staying in the vein of feline creatures; Pokemon is perhaps even more restrictive in their idea economy ( at least for the most part ). Many of the first generation pokemons were 'merely' combinations of animals mixed with either elemental concepts, such as the many evolutions of Eevee ( Flameon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, etc ), or Pikachu, a Rabbit that bears electric symbols incorporated into its design.

For something slightly more complex we can look to Blizzard's Overwatch game. Where a number of desigsn are inspired by combining real life stereotypes of certain cultural-historical peoples or occupations ( cowboys, ninjas, DJs/musicians, arctic explorers ). One example of such is the centaur-hero Orisa. Which combines the anatomical features of a quadroped creature with a human half on top. But with an added idea of incorporating patterns and assets that have been debated to be of Baluba origins. A tribe originating from Central Africa.

As you can see, designers usually stick to around 2-3 main ideas and then pepper in little extra details that are at least adjacent to their main ideas. It keeps the reading of the character consistent, and you're not at risk of overloading your designs with needless elements. If you're looking to make a character that is actively trying to look confusing, of course you can throw as many ideas in there as possible, but for when you need your design to convey a cohesive read to your audience ( which is supposedly most of the time ) you will do well in picking only a few ideas and incorporating as thoroughly into your design as possible.

How to chose your ideas

There aren't any hard and fast rules as to why you should pick some ideas over the other. It mostly comes down to your preference as a designer and storyteller. I personally prefer following these three milestones, as they ensure that your ideas are relevant to your design and provide the potential for visually interesting designs. Pick those ideas that can provide the most thematic relevance The most obvious choice is that which relates to your design's main idea. An example for props: You need to make the prop looks modern to your audience. Therefore you chose ideas that incorporate smooth, sleek shapes into the prop's design ( reflecting the modern design trends of today ). Maybe you'll combine the soft, rippling shapes of waves on the sea with the shape of a chair or couch, to eliminate the need for edges that could make your seat seem "clunky" and 'out of style anno 2022'. Example for characters: Your character likes fish, therefore you incorporate a number of blue-ish greenish colours into the pallette. Maybe you even add a few 'fin-like' shapes to the silhouette or outfit. Pick the most interesting ideas Perhaps you're picking between two aquatic ideas. Let's say: Ships and Seamonsters. Which one do you feel provides the most potential for fascinating solutions to your design? If you're making a sailor-character, perhaps the Ships are more interesting to you. If you're making a mermaid, looking to seamonsters might be a pretty cool idea.

Pick those who contrast the most Humans -love- contrast! it brings interest nearly by default in anything from character design, to environmental concept art, storywriting and art styles. It makes us curious as to how things work and why they are the way they are. Which is ample ground for you to do some interesting worldbuilding or character writing. If you are to design a submarine, you could just make a submarine. But what if it was in the shape of a seagull? A bird that only enters the water for fish once in a while. Hell, what if your main character; a young scholar who is very much not comfortable being underwater, had slight bird-like features to really emphasize how out of their element they are. These are just three parameters which I use to sort my ideas. Sometimes I also do stuff for the hell of it, but for the most part I like to put a lot of thought into how my ideas contribute to the design. For the most part, I'll try to connect my ideas to the world and the story as much as possible to make the whole experience seem more cohesive. What you value in your ideas is up to you, perhaps your art style demands that you use certain ideas to stay consistent. Maybe you prefer designing with certain palettes or shapes. That's fine. No artist picks and chooses their ideas for the exact same reasons. Everyone has biases. But it is important that you are aware of your choices. Moreso important that you are aware that you don't squash too many ideas into a design. Remember, every idea is a good one, maybe it's just not always relevant in the context you got it in. So save the unused ideas in a note somewhere - it might become useful later!

Mod Wackart ( Donate ) ( Linktree )

#mod wackart #essay #character design #environmental design #writing #syllabus

[anneangel]

Controversy: The dwarves are better characters in The Hobbit trilogy, than in the book.

Although much criticized by fans for differences comparing to with the book, it is agreed that the highlights the movies gave to the dwarves was welcome. Ok, the book has deserved public love, I love the book, but that did not stop me from having criticism about parts of the narrative either.

In the book, the dwarves were much of my discontent: (1) starting with their number, 13, practically unnecessary when it is clear that none gain true development and are usually referred to in plural. (2) They are quite inappropriate for the journey, since they carry musical instruments and, when their combat skills are needed, are mediocre, they can not overcome any obstacle on the way, needing to be saved all the time (by Bilbo, Gandalf or others). (3) They are more greedy, there is no voluntary noble attempt to recover the kingdom, are more focused on the treasure that will recover than in the kingdom itself. (4) They do nothing really useful along the way, besides being grumpy, talking about treasure, music, doubting bilbo and needing to be saved. (5) Thorin is a petty leader, there is no real vocation, only his royal blood, if the narrator not inform us who he is, would not stand out at all, his character does not kill Azog (in Azanulbizar) not even Bolg (in BotFA), it only serves as a moral to show the evils of greed, to be able to recover and apologize with Bilbo in the end. (6) Their "plan" is that Bilbo steal how much of the treasure could be possible so that they could retain and then leave, if there are no miracle that kill the dragon, and even Smaug mocks this. (7) The dwarves have no plan, at no time in the journey, and not even against Smaug, they do not even see the Dragon, they are all the time hidden on the mountain depending on the service and salvation of third parties, Bilbo is the only one that values courage to go to Smaug (3 times) and the only one who encourages all of then to continue. (8) Bilbo becomes the "leader" in the end having to make decisions that would be expected of Thorin (by the way, Thorin was never a leader but in the title).

In short, it is not possible to like any dwarves in the book. Not even form a development paragraph for each of them, their acts are tiny and their amount unnecessary. When three of the royal family die in the end, the only consideration I had to regret was about the age of Kili and Fili, but despite that I didn't feel their losses like characters to whom I had attached (they had to have development for this).

On the other hand, the movies had ridiculous decisions: how to relive Azog solely to give Thorin a plot and various scenes of action, persecution, escape and unnecessary combat. When only Bolg would be enough...

...it is obvious that Thorin being much younger and less bearded, and Thorin, Kili and Fili being heartthrobs is just an attempt to please Hollywood and people who watch only for the aesthetic standard. It honestly doesn't bother me that they are aesthetically different from what they are in the book (but it might bother fans more focused on what the characters "should" look like). Lmao...

...it is also obvious that the producers and screenwriters only highlighted Thorin because they believed a badass character, warrior and with a sense of purpose (everything that Bilbo is not as an archetype of protagonist), soon the films transformed Thorin into a “second protagonist”, giving him many scenes, differing from what he is in the book. Are hollywood standards and commonly used in diverse plots dictating the rules of cinema again...

...However, heroes, bumbling and comic as the dwarves are in the movies, there is a greater prominence in each of them and their different personalities, as well as there is a greater sense of nobility and dream to belong when their desire is to "return and conquer the kingdom" (all the thing about Arkenstone like necessary to rule was stupid, but at least they had a better goal than "stealing from the Dragon and leaving if no miracle happens as the prophecy says"), and the fact that they are more prominent fighters in the movies is good too (although the overkill of the nonsense action scenes and the absurd CGI spoiled many of this scenes). They plot a plan against Smaug (even if it was a ridiculous plan, after all who throws hot gold in a fire dragon that loves gold? Ridiculous!).

But these are flaws of the movies and the book, as there was an attempt to cover very silly, too childish or unfounded holes in the book.

The criticism made here about the book, for example, are common in reading groups of The Hobbit: (1) bad development of secondary and supporting characters. (2) Dragon premature death (four pages). (3) Battle of the Five Army summarized. (4) Absence of female characters. (Note that these are points that the trilogy tried to remedy, but in a mistaken and misunderstanding way, unrelated with book, scenes that were pure filler rather than good Extra Canonical contains which would be more preferable).

* And even a child complains about these points in the book!!! So the justification "is a book for children" does not support itself.

* Much of the errors of the trilogy was in script, script decisions badly thought to the scenes (a pity, because I love the cast, the soundtrack, the costume, setting and lease).

I Would follow more the dwarves of the trilogy than the Hobbit's book dwarves.

Do I have criticism of the movies? Yes. Most of them because I love Trilogy, but the criticism comes because I know it could be much better than it was if the amazing parts of the book had been used more carefully and devotion. But I am also not extremist to the point of thinking that the book is perfect.

@anxious-alien-overlord , fantastic conversation we had about this, I owe this post to you ❤️

#the hobbit #bilbo baggins #the hobbit trilogy #the hobbit movies #the hobbit book #jrr tolkien #tolkien books #lotr

[scary-grace]

Barduil Month 2023 Day 16: Ghosts

I'm repurposing day 16 of Barduil Month 2023 @bi-widower-dads for my own silly reasons and using it to post the Titanic AU, the inspiration/aesthetics for which can be found under #la chanson de la mer. In the meantime, welcome to the weirdest AU ever.

where the ocean meets the sky (7131 words) by BiSquared Chapters: 1/? Fandom: The Hobbit - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Bard the Bowman/Thranduil, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield Characters: Thranduil (Tolkien), Bard the Bowman, Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins, Legolas Greenleaf, Tauriel (Hobbit Movies), Gimli (Son of Glóin), Glóin (Tolkien), Balin (Tolkien), Dwalin (Tolkien), Kíli (Tolkien), Dori (Tolkien), Smaug (Tolkien) Additional Tags: Titanic AU, POV Multiple, POV Thranduil, POV Bard the Bowman, POV Thorin, POV Bilbo Baggins, Female Thranduil, Female Bard the Bowman, Fluff, Angst, Bard is a useless lesbian, Thranduil is also a useless lesbian, Historical References, possibly my most out-there AU, which really says something, Flashbacks, Story within a Story, Thorin Is an Idiot, Romance Summary: Thorin Oakenshield might be a treasure-hunter, but it's his own family's treasure he's looking for within the wreck of Titanic, and he's hit a dead end. His only clue lies in a mysterious sketch, featuring an even more mysterious woman: Thranduil Bowman, whose memory of Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage holds more than just the key to the lost jewels. As she tells her tale, she reveals dark secrets, harsh truths, and a love that burns bright enough to illuminate even the darkest depths of the sea.

#barduilmonth2023 #barduil #bard the bowman #thranduil #bagginshield #thorin oakenshield #bilbo baggins #a bisquared production

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read the Hobbit! Chapters 13 & 14

Wow so Tears of the Kingdom sure happened. I don't know what to do with my life now that I'm no longer ridiculously obsessive, but I guess I should become literate again? It seems like I should just be 100%-ing both Switch Zeldas but... it would be nice to finish something.

In the meanwhile, the dwarves sat in darkness, and utter silence fell about them.

Am I supposed to think this isn't their natural habitat? Are they not dwarves? Isn't mining their chief activity?

But somehow, just when the dwarves were most despairing, Bilbo felt a strange lightening of the heart, as if a heavy weight had gone from under his waistcoat.

I was going to joke that this is just because Bilbo is competent and no one else is, but to be fairer to the dwarves really this has something to do with the fact that Bilbo can be invisible and thus has way better odds of surviving anything than them. I'd be despairing too, despite Bilbo's quoting his dad.

At length Mr. Baggins could bear it no longer. “Confound you, Smaug, you worm!” he squeaked aloud. “Stop playing hide-and-seek! Give me a light, and then eat me, if you can catch me!”

Past Bilbo is of course having conniptions at the thought of addressing a dragon in any way, let alone this way in particular.

As Thorin carefully explained, Mr. Baggins was still officially their expert burglar and investigator.

Y'all really should have checked his references. "Hobbit fact: All hobbits are expert burglars!" is probably something Gandalf said when he was seven cups and six bowls in.

His small hand would not close about it, for it was a large and heavy gem; but he lifted it, shut his eyes, and put it in his deepest pocket.

"Is that an Arkenstone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" - a small taste of the Hobbit smut fic I will never, ever write, much to humanity's relief

All the same he had an uncomfortable feeling that the picking and choosing had not really been meant to include this marvellous gem, and that trouble would yet come of it.

You can tell that the Shire is meant to be where England will end up by the confidence in which its inhabitants claim the sacred cultural artifacts of others for their own use.

“Now what on earth or under it has happened?” said Thorin. “Certainly not the dragon, or he would not go on squeaking.”

Thorin is going to be a dick to the end, I see. So many more charitable verbs my dude.

The dwarves indeed no longer needed any urging. All were now eager to explore the hall while they had the chance, and willing to believe that, for the present, Smaug was away from home.

Okay my bros but what about the immediate future? This is not the time to get all gold lusty. There's a dragon on the loose! Or at least, you think there is, and that's dangerous enough.

With that he put on Bilbo a small coat of mail, wrought for some young elf-prince long ago. It was of silver-steel, which the elves call mithril, and with it went a belt of pearls and crystals. A light helm of figured leather, strengthened beneath with hoops of steel, and studded about the brim with white gems, was set upon the hobbit’s head.

Hey, this'll be relevant later. But also, a belt of pearls and crystals? That hardly seems practical, even by elvish standards.

“I would give a good many of these precious goblets,” he thought, “for a drink of something cheering out of one of Beorn’s wooden bowls!”

Way to be blatant about your messaging, Tolkien.

“This is the great chamber of Thror,” said Thorin; “the hall of feasting and of council. Not far off now is the Front Gate.”

Seems like an odd combination. The place is great as a hall of feasting; huge and blessed with fresh air. But is it good for council? I'd prefer a more intimate setting myself.

They passed through the ruined chamber. Tables were rotting there; chairs and benches were lying there overturned, charred and decaying. Skulls and bones were upon the floor among flagons and bowls and broken drinking-horns and dust.

All joking aside, Tolkien does ruin beautifully, doesn't he?

“How far is that?” asked the hobbit. “Five hours march, I should think.”

Not to sound too much like a hobbit, but if you're not getting to eat until afternoon, it's hardly breakfast is it? Not that this is Balin's fault; you really can't be too careful about your choice of eatery when a dragon's on the loose.

“That won’t be till Smaug’s dead,” said Bilbo glumly. “In the meanwhile where is he? I would give a good breakfast to know. I hope he is not up on the Mountain looking down at us!”

If GRRM wrote this book, this is exactly when they'd be immolated by Smaug, directly above them. Luckily, the real dramatic irony is that Smaug is already dead!

If you want to know what cram is, I can only say that I don’t know the recipe; but it is biscuitish, keeps good indefinitely, is supposed to be sustaining, and is certainly not entertaining, being in fact very uninteresting except as a chewing exercise.

For those of you who read this description and think, "Finally, something more bland than pilot bread for my easily overstimulated taste buds!", check out Feast of Starlight's recipe which can be found on most major search engines.

...really, you insist on being linked? Very well. Here you go.

In all their talk they came perpetually back to one thing: where was Smaug? They looked West and there was nothing, and East there was nothing, and in the South there was no sign of the dragon, but there was a gathering of very many birds.

Obviously he clipped through the ground and is now flying through the infinite void. Keep up boys. But anyway, they have no idea and set out and we cut to another chapter, stepping back in time a little.

“Perhaps the King under the Mountain is forging gold,” said another. “It is long since he went North. It is time the songs began to prove themselves again.”

This seems remarkably optimistic, but I suppose spending generations under the shadow of a dragon and having almost nothing bad happen ever makes one numb to the threats.

“You are always foreboding gloomy things!” said the others. “Anything from floods to poisoned fish. Think of something cheerful!”

This is too real and I now hope that all these Laketown idiots die like the climate change deniers they are. Sadly, it's not to be.

Every vessel in the town was filled with water, every warrior was armed, every arrow and dart was ready, and the bridge to the land was thrown down and destroyed, before the roar of Smaug’s terrible approach grew loud, and the lake rippled red as fire beneath the awful beating of his wings.

Of all the things that gets ripped off from the Legendarium, why not more Laketowns? Beautifully scenic, defensive, and easily fireproof one way or another. Dear fantasy writers, please steal Laketown more often.

No fireworks you ever imagined equalled the sights that night.

I dunno, this one New Year's Eve the university accidentally set off all of its fireworks at once and it was the most spectacular five minute performance of fireworks I ever saw.

Fire leaped from thatched roofs and wooden beam-ends as he hurtled down and past and round again, though all had been drenched with water before he came. Once more water was flung by a hundred hands wherever a spark appeared. Back swirled the dragon. A sweep of his tail and the roof of the Great House crumbled and smashed down. Flames unquenchable sprang high into the night. Another swoop and another, and another house and then another sprang afire and fell; and still no arrow hindered Smaug or hurt him more than a fly from the marshes.

Good, everyone except Bard deserves this.

He was a descendant in long line of Girion, Lord of Dale, whose wife and child had escaped down the Running River from the ruin long ago.

You know, this info might have been better placed in the chapter where the dwarves were in Laketown instead of this guy only being introduced properly now. It's kinda outta nowhere.

The black arrow sped straight from the string, straight for the hollow by the left breast where the foreleg was flung wide. In it smote and vanished, barb, shaft and feather, so fierce was its flight. With a shriek that deafened men, felled trees and split stone, Smaug shot spouting into the air, turned over and crashed down from on high in ruin.

RIP Smaug. You deserved better than to go out like a Legend of Zelda boss to a DMPC, but it was not to be. Hopefully some other dragons in the Legendarium did some damage.

But they had really much to be thankful for, had they thought of it, though it could hardly be expected that they should just then: three quarters of the people of the town had at least escaped alive; their woods and fields and pastures and cattle and most of their boats remained undamaged; and the dragon was dead.

It takes surviving a special kind of war to go, "Yeah only 1 in every 4 people you ever knew are dead, that's a lot to be thankful for." I for one, will be grateful that my wish came one quarter true.

“In the Lake-town we have always elected masters from among the old and wise, and have not endured the rule of mere fighting men.

I mean I'm all for forcibly retiring the elderly as much as the next person who's spent their whole lives struggling under the Boomer Gerontocracy, but I can't really get behind the whole "Fuck elections" thing.

That said the Master is totally asking for his being deposed.

Who obtained of us rich gifts and ample help, and led us to believe that old songs could come true? Who played on our soft hearts and our pleasant fancies? What sort of gold have they sent down the river to reward us? Dragon-fire and ruin!

He's not even wrong, which is impressive.

Then even as he was speaking, the thought came into his heart of the fabled treasure of the Mountain lying without guard or owner, and he fell suddenly silent.

Did Sauron make the Arkenstone? I mean damn it's got more of a pull than the titular dude's soon-to-be titular jewelry.

Many took ill of wet and cold and sorrow that night, and afterwards died, who had escaped uninjured from the ruin of the town; and in the days that followed there was much sickness and great hunger.

One wonders what percentage of the town dropped dead this time. It sounds like quite a large number. Not so much to be thankful for, is it? Unless you're me. Maybe another quarter died! Wish half true!

Even before the Elvenking rode forth the news had passed west right to the pinewoods of the Misty Mountains; Beorn had heard it in his wooden house, and the goblins were at council in their caves.

It's a Mirkwood Wide Web! Convenient for drama, but also cool in its esoteric nature.

...he was the lord of a good and kindly people...

Was he? The last we saw, they spent ages tormenting the dwarves and Bilbo with magic feasts and whatnot. Seems to me that they're helping out for fear that if Laketown doesn't recover their booze imports could be interrupted more than any particular kindness.

It was thus that in eleven days from the ruin of the town the head of their host passed the rock-gates at the end of the lake and came into the desolate lands.

And that's two more chapters! As we're now some ways ahead of Bilbo and crew, the question remains: how many breakfasts has Bilbo missed since we last saw him? We'll find out next time. Thank goodness I'm not into Diablo or this reread would really take awhile.

#the hobbit #j r r tolkien #let's read #bilbo baggins #thorin oakenshield #bard #thranduil