putting the “romance” in necromancer

halam'shivanas: the sweet sacrifice of duty

It implies the loss of something personal for duty’s sake

===

How tragically ironic would it be if Solas, the rebel god and breaker of slave chains, is in fact bound to Mythal’s will, much like Abelas or the drinker of the well of sorrows is?

We can assume his duty was to advise/protect Mythal, as based on the imagery and statues that depict him. Mythal’s murder would have meant he completely failed at his duty, meaning he is still bound to her even after banishing the false gods and creating the veil.

This is why he cannot be swayed on his path. He walks the dinan’shiral because he is bound by his duty to the people, and to Mythal. He can’t just walk away like Abelas can at the well. He can’t even tell the Inquisitor the truth even if he wants to because his duty to Mythal always comes first.

We all know Bioware love their tragic characters and this would just be the icing on the already delicious cake that is Thedas lore.

Note: Assumptions and theories ahead are based on speculation and theorising only- this is simply a potential take on Solas’ motivations. 

===

Firstly, why would Solas even agree to serve Mythal?

Fen’Harel statues are often seen as a symbol of guardianship. In the Temple of Mythal he is depicted as a guard dog. Guard dogs infer protection and servitude to its owner. That’s the impression I get from his statues - that he guarded Mythal willingly and with great pride.

The only reason he came to be remembered as a god at all is because he takes the form of a powerful wolf beast, and walks amongst all factions freely as a rebel leader against slavery.

If Mythal is “the best” of the evanuris (and remember, the evanuris are self proclaimed gods who all owned slaves in some sense), how could Solas lead a slave rebellion while he was still on good terms with Mythal? 

It can be assumed from clues throughout the game that Solas used to be a pure spirit in some sense before manifesting as a material elf. He refers to a person’s essence through their “spirit”, and it seems like he very much misses being a pure spirit himself.

Cole: You don't need to envy me, Solas. You can find happiness in your own way. Solas: I apologize for disturbing you, Cole. I am not a spirit, and sometimes it is hard to remember such simple truths. Cole: They are not gone so long as you remember them. Solas: I know. Cole: But you could let them go. Solas: I know that as well. Cole: You didn't do it to be right. You did it to save them. Inquisitor: Solas, what is Cole talking about? Solas: A mistake. One of many made by a much younger elf who was certain he knew everything. Cole: You weren't wrong, though. Solas: Thank you, Cole.

(if Cole becomes more human)

Solas: How do you feel, Cole, now that you dealt with the Templar? Cole: I don't know. He hurt me... hurt the real Cole. I'm angry at him. Cole: I can't let that go. I have to become more, let it make me real. Solas: You may well become fully human, after all. I never thought to see it. Cole: When did you see it before? Solas: I did not say that I had. Cole: No, you didn't. It's harder to hear, sometimes. Sorry. Solas: Good luck, Cole. You have taken a difficult road.

Could Solas have been a pure spirit of wisdom before he took on a physical form to be at Mythal’s side? Did the ancient elves use spirits to do their bidding, and those with greater power used physical bodies to transcend singular character traits to gain the full complexity and spectrum of emotions and actions? Perhaps that seemed appealing to Solas at the time - to become more than he currently was?

To gain wisdom you have to actively seek it. That means travelling and learning, a trait that Solas embodies. He elaborates on more of his travels if you ask him at Haven.

“The Fade reflects the world around it. Unless I travelled I would never find anything new.”

“The Fade reflects and is limited by our imaginations. To find interesting areas, one must be interesting.”

I have explored the Fade more than anyone alive, but even I can only visit in dreams. 

Then in Trespasser, Cole cryptically reveals more snippets of his past (presumed). 

Cole: He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face.

Cole: He wants to give wisdom, not orders.

So, why would Solas willingly serve Mythal if he is so against slavery and servitude? 

I presume it is because he actively sought more wisdom and inadvertently fell into Mythal’s will to attain more knowledge. Whether or not he deliberately became Mythal’s servant/advisor is up for debate. His circumstances could mirror his personal quest in DAI, where Mythal summoned him as a spirit to be her advisor, turning him from wisdom to pride. Or, this could just be a red herring.

Abelas sheds a bit of light on what serving Mythal actually entails:

“Brave it if you must. But know you this, you shall be bound forever to the will of Mythal....Bound as we are bound. The choice is yours.”

I personally think Solas could very well have chosen to attain more wisdom at the cost of serving Mythal- becoming her personal guard dog if you will. He was after all, cocky and thought he knew everything. 

In any case, in forming a physical self, he inadvertently came into great power, becoming Fen’Harel, deified in his own right. 

And once you have power, you always want more. It’s what forms a part of being human- he touches on this a lot in banter and dialogue throughout the game. To a wisdom spirit who simply sought more wisdom in the world, it makes sense he would always want to learn more and know more and be more. 

To gain more wisdom, he had to constantly seek out greater things, and being in a position of great power as Mythal’s right hand man allowed him to collect this wisdom he so desired. 

Solas traded wisdom for a physical body, thus he lost his spirit form permanently. He traded the simplicity of being a spirit of wisdom, for the complexity of being a mortal elf with all the emotions tied to it. He traded the very essence of his being to become one of Mythal’s own trusted advisors.

That was the cost of him gaining more knowledge through Mythal’s position of power- without this sacrifice of self, he would never have seen more, or known more, or been more than the singular trait of wisdom.

This is perhaps why he feels so lonely and betrayed and like he can’t trust anyone- because as a spirit, life was simple, he simply collected knowledge and passed it on. As a physical being, he learnt the brutality of war and the cost of betrayal. These events define his overall perception of physical beings, which is why he doesn’t view people as people. He simply views them as pawns to be used, like a game of chess. “He wants to give wisdom, not orders.“

It could also explain why he disdains physicality and envies Cole - he simply wishes everything were that simple, but it can’t because he is now a material being. When he realises his love for the Inquisitor is real, and that the companions in the Inquisition are real, it shakes the entirety of his core beliefs about what makes people, people. He only falls back to his sense of duty because he has to. He failed Mythal when she was killed, and she wants revenge. To achieve vengeance, she needs her guard dog to do her bidding.

===

Solas’ purpose changed 

As the ancient elves warred between themselves, Mythal would have needed advisors and trusted friends. She would have relied on Solas heavily, because he was a willing servant full of wisdom and advice, and his wisdom would be invaluable during a civil war. What Solas was to the Inquisition, he was probably even more so to Mythal.

This may be the reason why Mythal actually uplifted Solas as the dread wolf, helping him shape the image of fear and rebellion. She allowed him to be free of his vallaslin and create his rebellion- it was all subterfuge and part of her master plan to create chaos amongst her rivals and their slaves.

The side benefit was Solas took the fall for her in almost every respect- she came to be remembered as Mythal, the patron of motherhood and justice, while Solas came to be remembered as the trickster “god”, the dread wolf who sabotaged Mythal’s enemies while freeing slaves at the same time.

It was a symbiotic relationship for both of them as their actions aligned with each other’s motivations. It wasn’t out of love that Solas served Mythal, but his bonds of duty, personal desire for wisdom, and eventually his personal quest to end cruelty and slavery. He says himself he did not lead a rebellion without getting his hands bloody. Solas is not a saint and it’s easy to forget that- he was part of the institution as well.

===

Solas’ is a mortal mage whose weakness is pride

Solas isn’t infallible and he knows this. He makes so many mistakes out of arrogance it would be funny if it wasn’t sad. I mean, he gave his orb to Corypheus...what possessed him to think that was a good idea?

His pride is his weakness and he severely underestimates the complexity of human emotions and motivations. Where once he simply desired more wisdom, now, he thinks he knows better than anyone else because of his pride. He thinks modern Thedas is full of “tranquil” because he is so arrogant to believe that his past was better than the future he helped create, even though ancient elvhenan was chock full of slavery and cruelty. 

In fact, his position of power was enabled through the evanuris, and Mythal herself, who was at the top of the pecking order. 

Somewhere along the way, Mythal used him as a general or commander in the war. That is when I think Solas changed from an advisor to one that embodied pride. In doing so he took on the form of a reptilian wolf / dragon hybrid. “I would not have you see what I become...”

If you drink from the well, and have high approval with him, he will be very upset after the fact:

“You gave yourself into the service of an ancient elven god!...You are Mythal’s creature now. Everything you do, whether you know it or not, will be for her. You have given up a part of yourself.”

Solas knows what the Inquisitor has given up because perhaps he also gave up a part of himself for her.

===

Solas vs. Mythal

At the end of DAI, Flemeth specifically says to Solas “I knew you would come”

When he says “I am so sorry” to Flemeth, she responds in kind. “I am sorry as well...old friend”. 

It’s not a “I’m sorry you failed” sorry. It’s a “I’m sorry for what I’m about to get you to do” sorry. It’s hard to be certain at this point exactly what power Mythal bestows upon Solas, but I think the fact remains, Solas isn’t simply Solas anymore. Through his bonds of duty to Mythal, his actions will be for her whether or not he knows it. 

With the essence of Mythal’s power, the things he will do in the name of saving the elven people will likely also form a part of her master plan for vengeance against the other evanuris.

Fan Fiction Recommendations Part V

The 5th and last part of FicRec series sadly.. Here are the 9th and 10th categories: 

Sad Fanfics

•Fanfics to cry you heart out to

1~Gradually by Lucystrn ~Mature ~Summary: "That's the first time i saw him again. The last is right now. But I am too weak and drunk to even attempt to shove the covers off his bed, stand and go away. Weak emotionally I mean, because I know that I should be running away from this thing." ~Site and Words: Fanfictionnet/ 5 Chapters, and  6,996 Words. ~Note/tw: Post-war, Hurt, comfort, romance, dark, emotionally rough.

2~Bitter sweet by provocative envy ~Mature ~Summary: When I finally came, it felt as if I had been flayed open, spine exposed, a cachet of fireworks set off in half-second increments along my vertebrae as he murmured my name so reverently I could not help but think that there must be some magic to it, to me, to him. ~Site and Words: Fanfictionnet/ 3 Chapters, and 5,746 Words ~Note/tw: Post-war, Complete.

3~Demolition Lovers by empathapathique ~Mature ~Summary: Words didn’t mean anything. Only a man who was absolutely sure of what he wanted—or was far too comfortable where he was—could tell a woman that she was the only woman he’d ever love then run off to bed another. ~Site and Words: LiveJournal, Fanfictionnet, AO3/ 3 Chapters, and 24,197 Words. ~Note/tw: Post-war, smut, angst, drama, Complete.

4~Mimi's Black Rose by xxSammySabotagexx ~Teenage ~Summary: Hermione sat beneath her tree, eyes pointed towards the sky. Tears were running down her face, as she slowly whispered, "I'm going to die." ~Site and words: Fanfiction.net, 18 chapters, 51k words ~Note/tw: Major Character Death, one of the saddest fic EVER.

5~Graveyard Valentine by Bexchan ~Teenage ~Summary: Hermione thought she was the only person in the world who would spend Valentine’s Day in a Graveyard, but she was wrong. He’s there. Every single year, with his gloves, roses, and answers. ~Site and words: Fanfiction.net, Ao3, 1 Chapter, 9k words ~Note/tw: Sad, sweet oneshot

6~Numbness by Slythadri ~Mature ~Summary: After the war, they feel numb. Maybe the way back to normalcy is through the craziness. ~Site and words: fanfiction.net, 1 chapter, 4k words ~Note/tw: Not very sad, hurt/comfort, hopeful one-shot

Unique Fanfics

•For all the non-cliche fanfiction lovers

1~Of Flavoured Names and Coloured Sounds by Pink Panda (Ejacyeolation) on Ao3 and Lance Corporal Chanyeol on ff.net ~Mature ~Summary: "He doesn’t question it at first, the fact that sounds have colours and words have flavours. He grows up with it, grows up seeing powerful ruptures of colour when his mother plays the piano and softer, translucent bursts when the people around him speak. His father’s voice fills his vision with sombre oranges and lilacs while his mother’s is a pleasant mix of delicate greens, blues, and greys. The word father tastes like wet wood and the word mother tastes like the pumpkin juice the house-elves frequently serve him." ~Site and words: Fanfiction.net, Ao3, 2 Chapters, 10k words ~Note/tw: Draco has synaesthesia, one of the most unique oneshots, slight smut

2~Procuring Hermione Granger by Curly Kay ~Mature ~Summary: When an old acquaintance offers Hermione 20,000 galleons for a single strand of her hair, she goes in search of the mysterious buyer and finds herself unwittingly portkeyed into the middle of his flat. Dramione twoshot. ~Site and words: fanfiction.net, 2 chapters, 12k words ~Note/tw: smut with amazing plot

3~Classroom 204 by mimifreed ~Mature ~Summary: Hermione and Draco find themselves locked together in a dusty old classroom while a strange virus sweeps through the Wizarding community. They must learn to make the most out of their time and surroundings, and maybe address a few elephants in the room while they're at it. (8th year) ~Site and words: Fanfiction.net, 1 chapter, 15k words ~Note/tw: Quarantined during the coronavirus trope, avoidable smut, beautifully written oneshot

4~Between the Devil and Draco Malfoy by Queen of Smoke and Mirrors ~Mature ~Summary: Seventeen is a dangerous age. Hermione Granger, arrogant and precocious and bored of her mundane life, thinks she can handle a deal with the devil. But Draco Malfoy - the devil's own son - plans on dragging her down to Hell with him. ~Site and Words: Fanfictionnet/ 13 Chapters, and 38,410 Words. ~Note/tw: Dramione Devil au, Dark, Drama, anti-order, Dark Hermione, smut, OOC Hermione, complete.

5~The Commoner's Guide to Bedding a Royal by olivieblake ~Mature ~Summary: Objectively speaking, Hermione Granger knows Britain has a monarchy, just as she knows Prince Draco (the grandson of the King of England) is probably off somewhere living his royal life in total unrelation to hers. Seeing as she isn't delusional, she doesn't really expect to be his friend. She doesn't expect anything that comes after, either. ~Site and Words: Fanfictionnet, AO3/ 45 Chapters, and 527,574 Words. ~Note/tw: Dramione modern Royalty au, Multiple Pairings, Humor, Complete.

6~Modern Romances by olivieblake ~Mature ~Summary: Witch Weekly's 'Modern Romance' series asks anonymous witches and wizards to record a week in their sex lives—with comic, tragic, provocative, and patently revealing results. Each week, a new episode unfolds in the lives of the Wizarding World's elite. ~Site and Words: Fanfictionnet, AO3/ 19 Chapters, and 293,493 Words ~Note/tw: Multiple pairings, post-war, EWE, complete, fluff, angst, smut, humor, romance, drama.

So here’s the last of it. We enjoyed doing the fic Recs, maybe we’ll do it again.

Shout out to all the amazing authors who took their precious time in writing these gems, y’all real talented.

P.S. If you all have trouble finding the links DM us either on tumblr or instagram

Aight Imma head out now.

Broken Promises

Part 4 of:  The Love of Every Lifetime to Come

When Ishara discontinued the spell, Helena totally lost all control over her emotions. With tears streaming down her face, she went to run to MC. Ishara stopped her by grabbing Helena's hand. "We spoke of this Helena.", Ishara scolded. "You are of no use to her in this state and we agreed that she would never know you were here. You gave me your word, Helena Klein." Now when the Queen of the elves calls you by your full name, you know you better sit up and pay attention. Breaking your word to a Queen has severe consequences in any realm or world, for that matter.

Helena understood completely. No other words needed to be said. Instead, Helena dropped to her knees and declared, "I owe you my life, my Queen." This is the first time that she used that title out of an act of total respect. It did not bring the same feelings as it had done in the past. This was a Queen she could follow. A Queen who possessed much of the same growth power that she did. A Queen who saw the goodness in her and blessed her with the gift of life. "Thank you for saving me and returning the life to my body."

"I did not bring you to life, my dear", Ishara replied as she bowed her head. She turned and looked towards MC. "I suspect that there are a many of great things that we do not yet understand about MC. Whether out of love or desperation, the reason for your return is your betrothed. I am still unaware of how this happened and must reflect more on the matter. But you stated that she has no possession of magical ability, yet this ability to bring back life goes well beyond my capabilities. I sense that things may have changed considering what she is capable of. Although, I shall admit that I am unsure how this occurred. You said that her world creates things when there is a need? Perhaps there is no greater need than to preserve love?" Helena rose to her feet and looked at her love in total awe. She was speechless. There was truly no finer gift than death and life all within the same day. Death of the woman who tormented her for so long. Besides the countless instances where she promoted a positive change that gave Helena will to live a new life, she had now brought life to her in a new way. She was the sole reason for her resurrection. This brought a completely different view of the amount of love that MC had for Helena. In that instant, she felt a love that went beyond what anyone else had ever or could ever provide to her. MC was absolutely the love of multiple lifetimes and she proved it with both actions. Helena was protected and resurrected. No one would ever do that for her. With that thought Helena bowed to Ishara and took her leave.

Ishara stood silent and gazed at the still sleeping MC. She was pleased that Helena had left, for it gave her the opportunity to release her own emotions. I single tear fell from Ishara's eye as she looked longingly at MC. "Oh my precious child, how do we help you get past such a tragic view of yourself?". She now thought back to what she had witnessed in the mind of MC:

"You BITCH! The only promise I ever made to her and you made me break it! I swore to her that you would never hurt her again. With my dying breath I will make sure that you never touch her again!". This was the thought that went through her mind when she hurled towards the Witch Queen. " I am sorry sorry I failed you, sweetheart. I am so sorry that I broke my promise. Please forgive my weakness. I wish I was stronger and could have spared you this pain." These were the words, spoken only in her mind, as she held Helena's lifeless body in her arms and kissed her dearly.

MC awoke. Her mind was now fully aware of every excruciating detail, including her thoughts. She screamed in agony. Ishara placed her hand on her shoulder. Ishara said no words. But the look on her face created a serene effect with MC. They understood each other with no need to vocalize it. Ishara bent down and kissed MC on the forehead and said, "Had you been of this world, I would have wished for you to be my daughter. Your soul is so pure and filled with compassion for those around you. Your heart has a great ability to provide healing to others. Please allow yourself to heal the pain you feel now. The threat has been removed." MC continued to cry and hugged Ishara. "I would have like to have had you as my mother." she said as she laid her head on Ishara's shoulder. Ishara continued to hold her for many moments.

It was the day before the ceremony and everyone was feeling festive. Well, almost everyone. Helena kept a watchful eye on MC. "Now that MC's memories have returned, I think that we should celebrate tonight." suggested Iseul. August nodded his head in agreement and said, "I really could use a night to relax." Altea snuffed, "Any excuse for a party, eh, Isuel?" He quickly replied "Can you think of a better reason to celebrate? The evil Witch Queen is finally dead." Saerys chimed in with "I will admit that this is the best reason to celebrate. We should enjoy the final demise of evil incarnate herself. Count me in Iseul." Isuel looked at MC and asked "Will you join us? It's not much of a party without the presence of the person who put an end to this madness". MC only nodded her head and let out a sigh.

Helena could see the look in MC's eyes. She knew MC was really not in the festive spirit and that her act of acceptance was only to make the others happy. This seemed to be a pattern with MC. She would give up her own comfort at the expense of others feelings, like it was an innate necessity to do such. Helena wrapped her arms around MC from behind and kissed her tenderly on the neck. MC hummed a contented sigh and said "This is the only place I desire to be, babe. Right here in your arms. Will you just hold me like this forever?" Helena, grabbed MC chin and guided it towards hers and leaned in a kissed MC deeply. This kiss answered MC's question without any doubt. Then Helena spoke and said "You can have every life. I will hold you like this, no matter which life we are in."

"We must prepare for tomorrow's ceremony." declared Reiner. MC rolled her eyes and the look on her face was of pure dread. "Helena, your presence has been requested by King Barzilai to help prepare for the festivities. We will need to return to the to the castle to make preparations."

"Will you be alright, my love, if I take leave for a while?" asked Helena. "Sure. I am fine. Go fulfill your duty." MC smiled as she replied. Altea walked up and looked at Helena and said "I'll take care of her. Nothing will happen on my watch." Helena smiled and nodded her head and then very genuinely spoke to Altea. "I trust the most talented wizard of all the land to keep my love safe." Altea blushed and nodded.

It had been about five hours and already Iseul was buying rounds for the entire tavern. The Retainers were in such a festive mood. August, having one way too many jumped up on a table and started singing songs of glory that were known to everyone in the tavern. All joined in with him and were signing loudly. It was like karaoke in a dive bar, but it was fun. They Saerys chimed in and he and Iseul began getting the tavern into a frenzy by chanting continuously: "Witch Queen Slayer! Witch Queen Slayer! Witch Queen Slayer!" MC smiled kindly, and thoroughly enjoyed her friends having a well deserved great time at her expense.

Moments later, Helena, Ishara and Reiner entered the tavern to relax and partake in the festivities. Of course the only festivity that Helena desired was MC. Helena walked up to MC and kissed her so passionately, that MC wanted to leave at that exact moment and go enjoy the company of Helena in private. "I have missed you, my love, and have longed for your kisses.", whispered Helena in MC's ear. MC's eyes lit up. She longed for more and her motion towards Helena's still open lips, to continue the kiss, left Helena expectant. It was the first time, since yesterday that Helena felt as if there was a possibility that MC would return to her as the same woman. She felt the excitement and desire in her kiss. This set Helena's heart (and other body parts) ablaze with passion. Helena was ready to whisk her away and enjoy a night of passion

"Promises, promises, promises, that's all you ever do." Altea said jokingly to Iseul. "I don't know why you even bother wasting your breath. You never keep your promises anyway."

MC stood up and smiled at Helena. "Hey, I will be back in a bit, okay?" she asked of Helena. "Would you like me to accompany you my love." Helena replied. With a glazed look on her face, she smiled, kissed Helena on the cheek and replied "No, babe, I think I can manage this on my own. I love you." She turned and walked out of the door of the tavern. She had no sooner reached the outside and closed the door, when she set into a full on sprint to get away from that tavern as quickly as possible.

Ishara looked alarmed. She look at Helena and said "Your love. She needs you at once. The time has come." She frantically looked back at Reiner and said, "I am afraid we may need your assistance Reiner." She ran full pace towards the door. Reiner and Helena followed her. When they reached the outside, MC was no where to be found. Ishara stopped and took in a deep breath. A green glow formed at her fingertips. She moved her arms in such a fashion as if searching for something. At one point the glow in her fingers moved up to her arms and glowed furiously. It was like a magical homing device. "This way!" she exclaimed. Both Reiner and Helena followed quickly in pursuit. When they reached their destination, none of the trio could believe what they saw.

MC was in a frenzied state. She was violently punching and battering a tree. Her screams sent chills up and down the spine of Reiner. He had never seen anything like this. There was so much blood due to the fact that MC had accosted the tree with so much power that her arms and face were covered with bits of blood and bark. In fact the damage to her face made it clear to all three that she must have head-butted the tree several times. She screamed, "NOOO! It's not fair. I was supposed to protect her. You made me break my promise and I HATE you!" At that moment Ishara understood that the tree was, in the mind of MC, the Witch Queen. She was reliving the moment, but getting in the words she never said aloud. She turned to look at Helena to tell her to go to her, but Helena would never wait that long for that prompt. Helena thinking fast, quickly conjured a blue rope and immediately bound it around MC to prevent her from doing further damage. She ran to her and took her face in her hands with such a desperation.

"Oh my love, what is this demon that haunts you so? Speak the name of this demon, my love." Helena pleaded as tears rolled down her face. "We shall defeat this monster together."

"NOOOO!" screamed MC. "I do not deserve you." MC dropped to her knees in front of Helena. Ishara smiled and sighed, "Finally, the healing can begin." she stated. Reiner looked at her, clearly not understanding the situation.

"I am so sorry, Helena. I am so sorry that I failed you. I made one promise and I couldn't even keep that! Please, I beg you. Please forgive me. I am so sorry I couldn't save you. I am so very sorry", MC wailed as she delivered her plea.

Once in a lifetime, a person, if one is lucky, they will find that perfect person who completes them. Some people refer to this as being soulmates. There is that moment when you find that key that fits the lock perfectly. In this moment, two women who were equally wounded found their meaning for breathing and living within each other. It was truly beautiful to see this synchronized dance of love and affection take hold. Helena, without thought had instantly healed her love of a million lifetimes with one single statement.

Helena grabbed MC head and looked straight into her eyes and said with tears steaming down her face: "Oh my sweet love, do you not understand? You did not break your promise at all. You kept it in the most beautiful way. She will never hurt me again, ever. She will never hurt anyone ever again. Your promise was kept and you saved me in so many ways. You are my hero."

Their kiss, could have brought light to the night sky. Nothing, as much as that kiss had ever shone so brightly. It was a power that could light the world forever. They were, in that moment, complete. Helena had managed to defeat the monster within MC, just as MC had defeated the monster of her life. They were, each other's hero.

The Dragon Prince: Fighting Game Banter

If there was one made in the style of a NeatherRealm game.

Callum: (Drawing a rune in the air) It's the fight of the century!

Ezran: (Riding on a Banther) Brother, vs Brother.  

Callum: Mage vs giant sharp-toothed Banth- Oh-this-was-a-terrible-idea.

Ezran: Callum, and Rayla, sittin' in a tree-

Callum: You've been waiting to use that, haven't you?

Ezran: K-I-S-S-I-N-G. And yes. 

Rayla: How’s our adorable little Prince? 

Ezran: Great. But I’m a king now. 

Rayla: You know I meant Zym, Ez. Good joke though. 

Soren: (Sword over his shoulder)  Rematch Time.

Rayla: (Her blades switching in and out of scythe mode) Really? You want to risk breaking your back again?

Soren: (Combat pose) Hey! That was a Dragon! Not you.

Callum: What did I do?

Rayla: You ate my last moonberry surprise...

Callum: Oh no, she's Hangry again!

Soren: Want to spar today your highness?

Ezran: I would like to, yes.

Soren: As you wish. For the record though, using a Banter is totally cheating.

Soren: Sometimes girls can be so weird.

Callum: My first girlfriend get's superpowers from the moon.

Soren: ...That's neat buddy. 

Rayla: Winner gets to plan our next date.

Callum: Neat. And the loser?

Rayla: (Chuckle) Has to tell your Aunt we're together. 

Callum: (melodramatically) Two lovers divided, forced to fight!

Rayla: (just as melodramatically) Can their love endure this tragic twist of fate?!

Callum: Only thing is for certain... Wing cuddles will ensue.

Callum: Hi there. What"s your name?

Rayla: I'm Rayla, I'm your girlfriend, and we really don't have time to play "Never Met."

Callum: ... Rayla's a pretty name.

Callum: You didn’t need me to dance with you to let me into the Silvergrove did you? 

Rayla: Hmmhmm Nope.

Callum: I’m dating an evil genius. And I’m okay with that. 

 Rayla: You think we should be called, what?

Soren: Eclipse Elves. ‘Cause that’s the only time the moon makes a shadow.

Rayla: That's... surprisingly A good point.

Ezran: What is it Aunt Amaya?

Amaya: (Gren interpreting) [Your mother would be so proud of you.]

Ezran: Thanks... I think she'd be proud of you too. 

Amaya: [What's this I hear about you jumping of a cliff?]

Callum: It was for love!

Amaya: [Good motive, still reckless.]

Soren: Sometimes for lunch, I eat nothing but butter.

Amaya: [You shouldn't do that.]

Soren: Probably. My chest hurts all the time. 

Corvus: (Spinning his sickle chain) We got off to a rocky start.

Rayla: It's okay. We all came together when it mattered. 

Corvus: Still feel like I owe you a free one.  

Amaya: [It's good to have you back.]

Corvus: Funny how we both ended up captured, General. 

Amaya: (Grinning) [Captured? I was just taking a sunny holiday.] 

Corvus: You really set an impossible goal post, your Highness. 

Callum: How?

Corvus: How can any other couple top; Confessed our love mid-flight?

Rayla: So... Got any hobbies?

Amaya: [I know your dating my nephew.]

Rayla: Wha... I don't, I wasn't. Okay, I was just building up to that. 

Rayla: Are you the reason we’re sometimes fighting copies of ourselves?  Lujanne: (Dissipating her Human form) Maybe I am, or maybe the veil of reality has been opened wide for your others selves to come through. Rayla: So it’s definitely you, then,

Soren: Waaait... Are you and Callum together?

Rayla: Uck, no Soren. (mock cheery tone) We just like to kiss, hold hands, and be around each other all the time.

Soren: Hey, some people do, do, that. I'm not judging.

Soren: This is freaky.

Soren: Are we in some kind of weird, reflection, world?

Soren: If it is, you'd think it'd be a lot shinier, other me.

Ellis: (Ava poised dramatically) Hey Banterboy.

Ezran: Hey Wolfgirl. 

Ellis: (Ava ready to lunge) Now, we fight crime.

Ellis: Yes! I knew you two would get together!

Rayla: Well we didn’t.

Ellis: Of course you two wouldn’t, dummy. 

Ellis: You can grow wings now?! Callum: Just call me, “Souring Callum.”

Ellis: Hehaha! Sorry I thought you said: “Snoring Callum.”

Viren: This is a test Claudia.

Claudia: (Eyes turning black her snake wrist chain moving) To prove what?

Viren: (Staff extending)  To prove If your strong enough to fight even your flash and blood.   

Claudia: Hey man-bun!

Corvus: I have a name.

Claudia: Well, I've forgotten it. So...  

Soren: Shouldn't have sent a Guard to do an Assassins job.

Viren: I sent you to save Katolis from a weak ruler. And to earn my pride.

Soren: I've got plenty of Pride. Big shock, none of it came from you!

Viren: Come to kill me for real, son? 

Soren: I should have left you when Mom did!

Viren: Yes. You should have. 

Viren: Impossible. How did you learn Primal Magic?

Callum: I did this thing called; Actually trying!

Viren: Dark Magic, Is not, A shortcut!

Claudia: Don't make me fight you Sorebear.

Soren: Claud's... Dad is evil.

Claudia: I can't choose again!

Callum: The way you use magic is wrong.

Viren: Oh? And how should I use it, oh wise, mongrel, Prince?  

Callum: To help people, not use them! You selfish idiot!

Callum: You say you cared about my Dad.

Viren: Like a brother.

Callum: Then why didn't you ever just consider trading back the egg?

Rayla: Shouldn’t you be a puddle right now?

Viren: Despite your best efforts I live.

Rayla: Your remind me of a bad itch that just won’t go away. 

Rayla: Do you even know my name? Or the names of those you’ve captured? 

Viren: Should I, Elf.

Rayla: You will. 

Ezran: I know about the Soulfrang, Viren.

Viren: How?

Ezran: Let's say, a little birdy told me.

Jenai: (drawing her Sunforge sword) Lux Aurea will be avenged.

Viren: I don’t even know who you are. 

Jenai: You will...

Callum: So. You and my aunt huh?

Jenai: (Genuinely confused) What about me and your aunt? 

Callum: Oh you’ll find out. 

Janai: You don't have to stand so close to me.

Amaya: (teasing) [But your so warm and cozy.]

Janai: *sigh* *You where much more intimidating before we started talking.

Soren: If it isn't the Hot Elf.

Janai: Excuse me?!

Soren: Huh? No, Wait! I meant like.. Your made of fire sometimes!

Claudia: I bet Callum hates me right now. 

Rayla: He doesn't hate you. He misses you. 

Claudia: Why? He has you now.

Claudia: (sadly) Just an 'Assassin Friend' huh?

Callum: I'm sorry. Me and Rayla... It was completely unexpected.

Claudia: ‘Unexpected’ is just another kind of expected.

Ezran: I'm not angry Claudia.

Claudia: How can you say that, after I let you down.

Ezran: Your not your father. You can still be helped. 

Soren: Your hair, what did you do?

Claudia: I made Dad better. Like for you.

Soren: Better, but he..? Claudia, no...

Amaya: (stern) [Your father is a liar, a thief, and a traitor. For your sake give him up.]

Claudia: It's not that simple!

Amaya: (sympathetic) It never is with family.

Aaravos: (After his familiar has possessed a host) I've looked forward to this meeting.

Callum: Do I know you?

Aaravos: No. But you possess something that can help me. A certain... cube.

Lujanne: They say “Time fades even Legends”

Arravos: Who does?

Lujanne: No clue? Read it in a book about vampires once, and thought you might know?

Callum: Why should I trust you?

Aaravos: I can help you achieve your full potential.

Callum: That just helps me, what about my friends? 

Aaravos: Why settle for being a mere High Mage? 

Callum: What else is there? 

Aaravos: Becoming the heir to my power. The new Archmage of Xadia.

Aaravos: We have both broken past the limits others set upon us.

Callum: That doesn't make us friends.

Aaravos: But it does make us equals.

Aaravos: I had such hopes for you.

Viren: Please, I still need your power. Anything you ask I’ll grant! Aaravos: Oh, have some dignity!

Amaya: [Stay away from my family!]

Aaravos: Afraid you’ll fail at protecting another of them, are you?

Amaya: [I’m only afraid I’ll enjoy this.]

Jenai: Any last words?

Aaravos: How’s your sister..? 

Jenai: (Heat mode) Arrrrgh!

Aaravos: You shall be quite useful. 

Rayla: Not happening. 

Aaravos: Your compliance is not required. You will lure my new disciple to me. 

Harrow: (Standing up from his throne as a set of disembodied armor) So... Tell me about this girl your seeing.

Callum: You do know she was one of the Assassins sent to kill you, right?

Harrow: Well, nobody’s perfect.

Character Flaws: How To Do Them (And How Not To)

Hi there, I’m going to talk about character flaws today! And I’m going to start with a very unpopular statement----I think flawless characters, or characters with minimal flaws, are just fine. It just depends on what kind of character you want to portray. Some character roles are SUPPOSED to be paragons of virtue or sweet innocent angels, just as some characters are SUPPOSED to be dastardly evil-doers or complex nuanced grimdark antiheroes. What matters is whether it’s what you INTEND, and how to pull it off. Also, I’m not an expert. These are opinions. Feel free to agree or disagree, take what you like and leave the rest, etc. I am not an authority in ANY way, and your thoughts are just as valid as mine. That said, let’s start. Strap in, this got long, I’m sorry.

There are three general types of flaws that you can give to a character: INTERVIEW FLAWS aka CINNAMON ROLL FLAWS aka NON-FLAWS I call them this because they’re the sort of “flaws” that you would say you have at a job interview when asked what your flaws are. They’re “flaws” that make someone actually sound better---more moral, or more endearing, or more sympathetic, etc. Things like “too loyal” or “kind to a fault” or “too protective of his friends”. They’re the sort of flaws that “cinnamon roll” characters typically have. These actually can become very damning mega-flaws if taken to the extreme, but more on that later; this paragraph is for when they’re still solidly in “interview flaw” territory. A big aspect of these “flaws” is that they only hurt the character, if anyone. They will seldom, if ever, negatively affect another person. If they do hurt someone else, it will often be in a way that is totally justified to the reader (the character who is “too protective” beating up someone who was being a jerk to his friends) or really not the character’s fault at all (a naive character being manipulated by a bad guy into revealing something important) Whatever trouble they get in will usually be done in a way that is meant to make the reader either feel bad for them, or see them in a positive light for it. If this is the sort of character you want to go for, that is a-okay! Cinnamon rolls have their place in a story, and they can be just as beloved by fans as more grimdark characters. The only problem comes is when someone tries to sell their character as “flawed” when actually they’re just one of these. Or, alternatively, tries to sell the character as one of these when actually they’re one of the categories below. But if it’s exactly what you intended? Great! NORMAL FLAWS Exactly what it says---flaws that a normal person would have. Things like jealousy, snobbery, misanthropy, negativity, bad tempers, irresponsibility, laziness, not taking things seriously when they should, the list goes on and on. This is probably the widest category, since what flaw you pick and how it manifests can span the range from being almost a non-flaw but not quite, to nearly a mega-flaw. It also depends on the character who has it, what they’re like otherwise, and why they have it. For instance, someone who is unjustly hostile to someone trying to help them because they’re suspicious due to being tricked, exploited, or abused in the past by people pretending to be well-meaning, is a lot more sympathetic than someone who just doesn’t think they need help because they see themselves as perfect and don’t like correction. Both still fall under the “normal” category most of the time, but are coming from very different places, and will be perceived differently by most readers. So, which to use? It all depends what you’re going for with your character! MEGA FLAWS The big ones. The ones that will really make others dislike your character. Things like real-life bigotry (as in, being homophobic, not hating elves), gleeful bullying and abusiveness, toxic egomania, blaming others (especially innocent characters) for their mistakes, sexual misconduct, and kicking puppies, to name a few. Sometimes, these can be used to make audiences hate the characters instantly, but that’s actually not always guaranteed. A great many characters that are among the most popular in their respective fandoms have one or more of these traits. Sometimes, that’s just because people love a good villain, but other times it’s because the character’s reasons for these flaws, or the character’s overall personality in general apart from the flaws, are very compelling and interesting. Just as some people love cinnamon rolls, some people prefer darker characters like these, and much like preferring different ice cream flavors, neither is superior to the other. These kinds of flaws also don’t always translate to truly inhuman, awful people either. Sometimes a character may actually be MORE human for them. The protagonist in a novel I once read was raised by his grandparents because his mother, who gave birth to him as a teen, hated him. She wanted nothing to do with him as a child, and outright told him she hated him when he was just barely an adult. The protagonist didn’t know why for most of his life, but eventually found out it was because he was born a twin, and his twin brother died when they were babies. He was born big, healthy, and strong, whereas his brother had been tiny and weak and sick, probably because he sapped the bulk of the nutrients in the womb, which sadly is something that sometimes happens. The mother was devastated by the death of her weaker son, and blamed the surviving one, feeling he was a monster baby that killed his sibling, not to mention resented how he was fawned over by the rest of her family when they had treated her like dirt, including her own parents. This woman was not meant as sympathetic to readers. It was pretty clear to me that the writer wanted us to see her as horrible. And what she did was completely horrible indeed. She blamed an innocent baby for something not possibly his fault, and held that against him his whole life. That’s unforgivably awful, and there’s no excuse for it. Yet it’s such a human reaction that it made me feel for her. People often are illogical and awful in ways like this, it’s very believable to me that a human being would feel this way. It was meant to make her an irredeemable strawman, but my reaction was to see her now as less of a 2D “bad mother” cutout, and more of a person. Sometimes, it’s the worst in people that can win us over, because that can sometimes be the most human part of them. Note that this will often be divisive; I’m sure a lot of readers actually did hate this woman all the more for this, and that’s a totally valid reaction too. However, if you wish to make your character truly despicable, hurting children or cute animals is generally a good way to go; most readers won’t forgive that (though I’ve seen it happen) That said, be warned that making your character sexy or tragic (especially in combination) will inevitably make some fans fawn over them regardless of how evil they are, and there’s not much you can do about it. Someone is ALWAYS going to find the bad guy hot/sympathetic even when you’re not SUPPOSED to. Now that we’ve covered the different categories of GOOD ways to write flaws, here are some ways that I see people failing at writing flaws: INFORMED FLAWS Informed flaws are flaws that the writer CLAIMS the character has, but never actually show up. For instance, they SAY that this character is standoffish, has a temper, and can be cruel, but only ever write him as being lovably surly at worst, and typically very tolerant and patient with others (especially cute children or cinnamon bun types) Or they claim that the character is shy and insecure, but here they are trying out for the lead in the school play without anyone pushing them to do it. This is often due to the author being overly affectionate towards their character. In the first example, they want their character to be a tough guy, but an ENDEARING tough guy, and not risk him doing anything that the audience might possibly dislike him for. So they go overboard with showing his “soft” moments, while never showing the “hard” ones that are what would make the “soft” ones actually special and unusual. In the second example, maybe the character is just shy and insecure in a different way (like they’re comfortable on-stage because there’s no actual interaction with people, and crumble when in real conversations) but more likely, they’re just acting out-of-character because the author WANTS them to be the lead in the play, regardless of how little sense it makes for them to try out and get the part. Informed flaws are basically a failure of a “show, don’t tell” rule. We’re TOLD that this character has a flaw, but we’re either never shown it, or shown the exact opposite. For instance, we may be told that this character never opens up to people because of her dark past, but it sure doesn’t seem that way if she immediately starts talking about that dark past to first man who shows interest in her as she falls into his arms. And it’s hard to take a writer’s claim that their character is “humble” with any seriousness if that character has a habit of bringing up his numerous talents and accomplishments in every conversation. And you may SAY that a character tends to get jealous, but how do we KNOW if she never encounters anyone she’s jealous of? INCONSEQUENTIAL FLAWS The character is a rude abrasive jerk, but everyone likes her immediately anyway! Maybe they can instantly see past her snarky surface to the sensitive soul beneath, or maybe they respect her toughness and candor. Some people have a problem with her attitude, but they’re either prudish sticks-in-the-mod, overly sensitive namby-pambies, sexists who are threatened by a strong woman, or they come around to respecting/liking her in the end! The character hates breaking rules and getting into trouble; he craves approval from authority, and will tell on his friends to get it. Fortunately, he’s never put in this position, or, if he does, his friends understand and forgive him, and may even agree that he did the right thing. The character is impulsive and acts on their first thought, if they think at all. Luckily, her assumptions prove correct (or at least lead her to the right place) and her reckless actions not only don’t cause any problems, they save the day! Everyone is proud of her, and no one scolds her for anything she did along the way that might have broken protocol or endangered other people. The character is super hostile anyone breaking his routine...but then his routine never gets broke in the story or any of his interactions. He’s also terrified of animals, but luckily no animals appear in the story. And he’s an asshole at work, but none of the story takes place there and none of the other characters are his co-workers. See the problem? None of these flaws MATTER. They either don’t come up in the story at all, and thus never get a chance to affect the character, or if they do come up, they don’t cause any problems for the character, and in fact may benefit them. That’s not a flaw. It doesn’t matter if your character is a freaking SERIAL KILLER if they never face any kind of issue because of it, it’s not a flaw in the context of the story unless it works AGAINST your character in some way. ACCIDENTAL FLAWS These often overlap with inconsequential flaws, and are kind of the opposite of informed flaws. In the case of informed flaws, the author claims to us that the character has a flaw, but then fails to show it (or shows the opposite). In the case of accidental flaws, the author claims that the character DOESN’T have a certain flaw...and then proceeds to give them exactly that. For instance, how many times have you been reading a novel where the heroine INSISTS that she’s very plain and not pretty at all, then proceeded to give us an extremely flattering description of herself? How many times have you read something where the protagonist was acting like a huge jerk, but you got the impression from how it was written that the author expected us to be cheering him on, and anyone who thought he was indeed a jerk was portrayed as always unlikable and in the wrong? This is a case where the writer is either so oblivious or so in love with their own character that they become unaware of how obnoxious their darling is actually coming off. They rush to justify everything she does, they portray any opposition as simply evil or jealous or stupid, they overlook any kind of actual harm that he’s doing to anyone else, and they often make the villains end up accidentally sympathetic by comparison because the hero we’re supposed to love and admire is just so unbearable. The writer has made a very flawed character---but they didn’t mean or want to, and that’s the problem. WEAKNESSES Weaknesses aren’t flaws. Being clumsy, having a physical disability, or being a member of an oppressed/disliked group is not a flaw. Flaws are personality traits. They can be the RESULT of things like trauma or mental disorders, so they’re not always changeable or the person’s fault, but they’re still part of WHO they are, not WHAT, and something they can be held accountable for. If your character’s only “flaws” are being deaf and having PTSD and being an elf in a world that doesn’t like elves, those aren’t flaws, they’re weaknesses or drawbacks. If they’re lacking in some skill, such as fencing or shooting or flipping hamburgers, that’s also not a flaw. It could be a flaw if having the skill is important yet they refuse to work on it (ex: a police officer who doesn’t bother to improve his aim) but it is not in itself a flaw. Hell, it’s not even a weakness unless it’s relevant---I don’t know how to use a gun, but there’s no reason that it’s immediately relevant to my life to do so, so I wouldn’t count it as a weakness or a flaw. TIPS: - Try to be objective as you can about your character, even if you love them. Keep in mind that the other characters around them are people with thoughts and feelings too, and that if your character is rude, cruel, annoying, or off-putting to them, then they may have good reason for disliking or losing patience with your character, no matter what good reason your character has for being that way. If your atheist character trashes the faith of a religious character, it doesn’t matter if they grew up in a household of religious abuse, they’re still being a jerk and the religious character has a right to think so. If your character loses their temper and wrecks a store, it doesn’t matter that they were provoked or are really a nice person, the store owner is still well within their rights to press charges and demand compensation. Avoid vilifying other characters, and take their pain and personhood as seriously as you do the main character’s own. This alone will open the door to showing a lot of flaws that your character has, which will let you then decide if that’s the amount you WANT your character to have, or if you should change some things. - Any trait, including very good traits, can be bad taken to the extreme. For instance, let’s take a common “interview flaw”--- loyal no matter what. A lot of people don’t realize just how dark this can get. But what if your character is so loyal to their friend that they overlook it not only when that friend treats them badly, but treats other people too? What if they discover the friend has done something terrible, like is abusing his wife? What if they’re loyal to a fault to a supervillain organization that is actively hurting or even killing people, and they KNOW this? You can take this some pretty terrible places if you want. You don’t HAVE to, it can remain in “cinnamon roll” or “normal” territory if that’s what you want, but if you’re looking to make a more dark scenario, remember that you don’t need to rely on inherently “dark” flaws like “he loves to hurt people”---the most mild and even positive traits can become disturbing and evil if taken far enough. - If you’re trying to make someone MORE flawed, look at the flaws they already have and consider how it might hurt OTHER PEOPLE instead of just the character. For instance, if your character is very insecure, perhaps instead of just thinking about how worthless or untalented they are, they are overly-critical, even mean, to people who are even less talented. Or when someone else is more talented at something they wish they were better at, they scrutinize that person to find bad things about them, or even just assume things about them---like “sure, she’s a much better artist than me, but she’s ugly and she can’t write worth a damn” or “he may have a girlfriend and be good-looking, but he’s dumb as a brick and probably a bully like all dumb jocks”. An attitude like that takes your character from simply being the purely sympathetic sort of insecure, to someone who is actually doing something wrong because of it. Again, this is if you WANT your character to have more of an edge; it doesn’t suit some characters, and that’s ok. - By the same token, if you want to take some edge OFF your character and make them less flawed, look at how their present flaws might negatively affect others, and decrease that. If  the character you WANT to be a “cinnamon bun” lashes out at people who just don’t understand her pain/genius/specialness/goodness/etc, maybe reconsider that. - If you want to get ideas for flaws, look at the things other people do that annoy you. What are your pet peeves? Maybe you hate “Karen” behavior, or people who don’t take proper care of their pets, people who think they’re funny or clever when they’re not, people who interrupt you when you’re talking, people who make assumptions, people you feel are fishing for attention, people who believe or share false information without checking it first, people who never seem to listen or learn, people who are always late, people who feel entitled to something, and so on. See if any of them fit your character. Be sure to be honest with yourself---yes, you REALLY love your tough guy character, and you HATE when smokers just throw their butts on the ground...but maybe he would? And maybe he WOULD be snappish with someone who didn’t deserve it? And maybe he WOULD be quick to stereotype others, such as labeling them privileged preps based on how they dress? Think about it. - Zodiac signs are another good place to get ideas for flaws, as are Myers-Briggs personality types, and anything else that categorizes people into different personality types. Note that your character need not actually, say, have that sign for their zodiac, it’s just good places to get base personality ideas. - Try to keep your voice out of your character’s mouth, and let their actions speak for themselves. Whether you want to portray the world’s sweetest cinnamon roll (tired of that phrase yet?) or the worst dumpster fire in the universe, what works to show that isn’t for your character or those around them to TALK about how sweet/terrible your character is, what works is to actually have them do and say things that are sweet/terrible! - Get second opinions! You want to make your character MORE of a jerk? You’re worried they’re TOO MUCH of a jerk? You think your villain is too soft? You want to add moral ambiguity to your hero? Get other people to look at your work! Friends are great for this, but what’s even better is people who aren’t particularly close to you, and won’t hold back on honest advice and feedback.If you want to see how your characters come off to a set of unbiased eyes, the best way is to ask someone! - Remember that everyone is different and no matter how well you portray a character the way you intend, there will always be someone who views them in a way you didn’t want them to at all, even if it makes no sense for them to do so. Make peace with it. Don’t dismiss everyone by saying they “didn’t understand” or “read it wrong” or “are interrogating the text from the wrong perspective”, but by the same token don’t get too hung up on making sure every single reader views every single character the exact way you wanted. It just won’t happen. Just do your best.

Hello! I'm trying to write a werewolf story, but I'm too worried about things we see in every single one (painful transformations, silver weakness, it's a curse, etc), so I'm trying to twist them kind of (painless transformations but you feel the beast fighting for your mind, silver weakness is a myth, it's a rare virus spreading by blood, etc), 'cause "all cliches and predictability are bad" but I never saw anything about cliches that are necessary to the story. Is there any such thing?

Ooh, a fun question! Thank you for asking. Get ready for a long answer! I have a lot of thoughts on this.

I already wrote one very big post on werewolf tropes we commonly see in fiction, and which ones I do and do not like. That’ll help a lot on this topic! But I have more to say, in regard to the points you brought up.

To me, a werewolf is - by definition - a variety of types of people that can, in different ways, turn into a wolf or wolf-man hybrid…

But also, to me, a lot of the fun can get removed with people trying to subvert too many of the fun werewolf tropes we’re familiar with today. The good ones, I mean. Especially the ones that came from folklore, or at least have an amount of basis in some legends.

For instance, painful transformations do have basis, though of course that wasn’t always the case, and I am very biased in that I love them - but non-painful ones and/or mental ones also sound very fun! Personally, I do both.

More than that, though, today we have so many people throwing around the word and idea of subversion that, frankly, almost none of the “classic” werewolf stuff remains. Just to use the examples you gave-

In quite a lot of things today (Teen Wolf, Harry Potter, Warcraft, Twilight [with both the retconned “we’re not actually werewolves” Quileutes and the “children of the moon”], and a lot more), werewolves are not sensitive to silver and that’s 100% a myth. Now, I don’t mind that at all, frankly, because a lot of very stupid and silly and preposterous things result from the Hollywood contrived silver weakness concept, which was never remotely in folklore, but I also think it can be done well and can be fun if properly worked into a setting (I myself use this trope in my main werewolf setting and series, heavily worked into lore so it isn’t just a random weakness).

Here’s the big one for me, though. A curse or a disease - which way should it be handled, and which one might be considered cliche? This is a can of worms for me.

First off, the concept of being a werewolf very much started off as a wide variety of things - a curse, a blessing, something one was born with, some other type of magical ability…

And being a werewolf was never, in folklore, considered a disease. This is completely a modern concept, and one that basically everyone everywhere uses today thanks to the Early Modern period and later concepts. This is a huge topic I could go into even more detail about.

Be it a disease spread by bite and/or through saliva, a disease spread by bite or scratch (ugh, the scratch thing…), a disease spread through blood, an experimental “disease” caused by “science gone wrong,” a disease spread through sex (don’t get me started, though, really)…

Today, it is pretty much always called a “disease.” This is especially when it is associated with madness and/or bloodlust. This is where the word lycanthropy first comes from - in the Early Modern period, people called those suffering with the “insanity” of being a werewolf were said to have lycanthropy. Later, this term was picked up by popular culture, so the term we still have today for people with certain types of mental illnesses is “clinical lycanthropy.”

Most pop culture today tends to turn lycanthropy into a disease instead of a curse. Even in terms of fantasy settings where one might think of it as a curse, it’s still largely considered a disease. D&D, for instance; it’s called an affliction, a disease, etc. Look on the wiki of any number of modern things with werewolves in them and it’ll refer to it as a disease first, if it refers to it as a curse at all, and many paranormal TV shows and the like will have some kind of reference to various bodily fluids in terms of how it’s spread/how it works/what it’s infecting.

Can it be both a curse and a disease, in a way? Yes, definitely! I actually kind of prefer it that way, myself. Though if I had to pick just one, I would pick curse, personally. I also prefer a less scientific explanation than “just” a disease, more often than not, though that’s just me - especially if it starts turning into some kind of STD or something… Bluh.

Details, though. In my setting, just to clear things up, I refer to it as both a curse and a disease. It is, of course, in this case, a setting in ancient transitioning into medieval times, so they wouldn’t really have a more scientific explanation, but some people are looking for a more logical one sometimes. Anyway, I do have other werewolves in other settings that are done differently, so don’t take all those ramblings as meaning that I only like werewolves done one way.

There are lots of ways someone can become a werewolf in folklore. And there are lots of reasons that werewolf might transform.

So, ultimately, you might be more unique in terms of werewolves if you dialed it back toward some of the “classic” “tropes,” like making it more of a mysterious curse.

But that, of course, is 100% up to you! There is no right or wrong way to tell a story that you want to tell. There are just people who’ll tell you which way they would prefer it told. Like me! I can definitely tell you how I prefer a werewolf story handled, and I’m very flattered you’d ask me for my thoughts on it.

And I will say this emphatically, while we’re at it - I love what most people call “cliches.” They are cliches because they are fun and they work. I am a classicist. A traditionalist. I love traditional stories, storytelling, and classical myths, folklore, and - generally - tropes, at least and especially when it comes to things like monsters.

Werewolves, vampires, dragons, elves, dwarves - I like the classics. I think people trying to subvert them too much is creating a world in which we are losing perception of what those things were in folklore and what they were meant to be and represent, and that’s pretty tragic to me, because now everyone is subverting. That’s a big part of my research and academic work.

People cry “cliche, cliche!” but there is no cliche. Because you can hardly find the stuff that is based on what used to be considered cliche anymore, since everyone is scared of being considered “cliche,” and thus are all mutually adopting new cliches in attempts to avoid the older ones.

That being said, sometimes it’s cool when people swap things up, of course, and I definitely don’t want to shoot anyone down!

I also would argue that cliches don’t necessarily mean predictability. A “cliche” done well is a beautiful thing. It’s all about the storytelling. It’s much more about that than the idea of “cliches” themselves.

So let’s reframe the word “predictability” - think of it as “familiarity.” Familiarity can be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask. I think some familiarity, at least, is a good thing. Because if you can recognize a werewolf as a werewolf, then that’s good. If it’s so different people don’t even recognize it as a werewolf, I kind of start losing interest, personally.

I don’t like “our [creatures] are different,” but that is just me.

Getting back on track - are there any werewolf tropes necessary to a story? Completely an opinion piece.

In my opinion? I don’t think so. I think you can make some radically different werewolves that are still werewolves and they’d be neat. BUT I have basically never seen this done, and my favorite werewolves remain ones that others might consider “cliche.”

Is it necessary to have a werewolf that howls at the moon? Absolutely not. Is it more fun than one that doesn’t? It very well might be. Is it necessary to have the werewolf be based in magic instead of science? Nope! Is it necessary to have being a werewolf be based in some kind of disease? Absolutely not. Is it better to have werewolves as rare monsters or as a plague sweeping across the earth? I can certainly tell you I deeply detest werewolves being turned into the zombie plague and/or plague rats, but hey, some people juggle geese.

A whole ‘nother can of worms is if there are cliches necessary to the storytelling itself and progression of the werewolf character(s), or werewolves as monsters within the setting itself if you are not telling a story from a werewolf POV. I’d pretty much reiterate what I said above in that case, too.

If we get technical, no, recognizable tropes are by no means necessary. If we get personal, I wouldn’t call them necessary, but they are familiarity and they are a personal preference - so I rather like at least a few of them.

Oh my goodness, this is a long post. Quite a bit of rambling! Sorry about that. Hopefully some of this was/is helpful, though! Please feel free to shoot me any followup questions this might’ve spawned, I could talk about this all day. :D Plus I totally feel like I left tons of things out, somehow.

Bottom line, though?

Tell your story the way you want to tell it. That is the most important part. Don’t feel like you have to alter something just because someone somewhere might call it “cliche.” Even if they think that, they are likely to enjoy it, anyway!

And ultimately, your story is yours; do what you want with it and have fun. Don’t let anyone anywhere tell you something you do is going to be bad just because of a silly term like “cliche.”

A “cliche” story can be just as amazing or just as terrible as a wildly original one. It all depends on how you tell it. And if you enjoy telling it, and tell it the way you want to instead of letting anyone strongarm you into altering things from your vision, it will be a story well told.

taako glamor fic very good. how long till more?

well, the twins did agree on ‘tomorrow’ and it’s almost midnight where i am…

When Magnus had explained the Winter Solstice to her, Lup didn’t really get it. Now, sitting around the fire with her family, eating the food she watched her brother and his apprentice make, she understood. As eating turned into drinking, as Angus and half the crew fell asleep, she really understood. Kravitz had brought out his record player and Carey tried to teach everyone a holiday dance. The music swelled and she and Taako spun each other in circles. Lup had almost forgotten about the snow blanketing everything until they both crashed into it.

“Fuck! That’s cold!” Taako screeched, scrambling to get up before slipping back down again. His hands floundered, looking for something, before his eyes focused on Lup. She was already standing.

Merle, half slouched into his fifth or sixth glass for the night, loudly grumbled something about past midnight and “out of party points” before picking up an already sleeping Mookie and carried him inside.

“Can you believe that, Koko?” Lup held out a hand, waiting until she pulled Taako onto unsteady feet before saying, “It’s already tomorrow.”

Taako whined, drunk enough to not put up a fight, but not enough to forget how much he didn’t want to do this. Lup just laughed, hoisting him over her shoulder in a fireman carry. “Hey!”

“Lup,” Kravitz was trying not to laugh, watching his boyfriend flail about. “I can take him upstairs if you want to keep dancing.”

“Thanks Bone Boy, but it’s twin time. Catch you nerds in the morning!” There were a few scattered goodbyes that faded behind them as Lup carried Taako inside and up the stairs, dropping him onto her bed.

“What’s up with your legs?” She dropped down next to him with a bounce, keeping her tone light. Taako just rolled over and glared at her.

“There’s nothing wrong with my legs.”

“I didn’t ask what was wrong, I asked what was up.” She grinned and he cursed. “Come on, Taaks, I know Dispel Magic too.”

He sat up, matching her posture, and Lup expected more of a fight. Taako didn’t say anything, though, just looked at her. He looked so tired. For a split second, Lup almost wanted to wait until the morning for this conversation.

“Why can’t--” Taako started, but then he shook his head and couldn’t look at Lup anymore. “I don’t want to do this.”

Lup put her hand on his cheek and, thank the gods, he leaned into it. She wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, before Taako scooted closer to her. They shifted around, curling together until Taako rested his head on her shoulder. Their fingers laced together after, with a flick of her wrist, Lup dropped the lights to a few flickering candles.

“Didn’t have this on the ’blaster,” he whispered, stretching his legs out along the soft duvet of the massive bed.

“Yeah.” More silence, before Lup whispered. “What are you scared of?”

Taako scoffed, butting his head against her shoulder. “Fuck you, I’m not scared of anything.”

She rolled her eyes, but waited. He snuggled closer, squeezing her hand, but she stayed silent.

“Besides, it’s not like there’s anything you can do about it,” he said.

“Do about what?”

Taako didn’t seem to hear her. “They’re already dead. It doesn’t matter. There’s, like, nothing to do about it.”

“I mean, it kind of matters. Angus said something about you limping--”

“And I don’t even care!” Taako sat up, suddenly, and winced. “I’m fine with it, so no one else should give a shit.”

“You’re clearly not fine.”

“Look at me!” He gestured to his face. Despite all the drinking and dancing, not a hair was out of place. His lipstick looked like he just put it on. “Of course I’m fine!”

The old Lup would have shouted back at him, would have just cast Dispel Magic and finally gotten her questions answered. She opened her mouth, tempted to give in, but instead she pursed her lips and pointed to her own face. “I’m not fine.”

Taako deflated instantly, anger rushing out of him. “Lu…”

“No, shut up.” She moved her hand back to his cheek, guiding him to curl up with her again as she spoke. “I was in an umbrella for an eternity and now I see death crimes that haunt me. And I’m, like, a dimensionally famous death criminal, so you know that shit is fucked up. My captain won't talk to my sister, my body is still new, I’m in a world I still don’t understand, and my brother has been lying to me. I am not fine.”

Taako tried to sit up again, but Lup held him down. It wasn’t much of a struggle. “I wasn’t lying to you.”

“You made the secret keeping rule.”

“That was for Cresha! Not me!” Again, she let her silence answer him. “Fuck, okay fine whatever. It’s not like my secret was hurting anyone. And you were keeping secrets too! I didn’t… I didn’t know you were still..”

“It’s not a secret,” Lup said, “I talk to Barry about it. And Cresha and Dav and Magnus and, I mean for fuck’s sake Taako, I talk to you about it all the time. I even talk to Kravitz about the death stuff and he’s a really good listener.”

“I’m not telling him about this.”

Patience, she reminded herself. That wasn’t a battle she could win right now, so she tried to say focused. “Everytime we sat together, you and me out on the porch or that one time cleaning out the Starblaster, and I cried and you held me, every time. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I’m not… Lup, I’m not gonna-- come on, I thought you didn’t by into my whole spotlight stealing bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit, you’re an absolute diva.”

He laughed and things felt a little lighter. They shifted again and Taako stretched his legs.

“There’s no spotlight right now,” Lup whispered. “It’s just me.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of the problem.” Taako sighed and stretched again, twisting a little until something popped and he relaxed against her. Her arm was curled around him, his back pressed into her side. When they were little, they always faced each other. There weren’t many secrets to tell, but they whispered together, looking into the mirror of their own faces. She wondered if after a decade of having no one to look at, looking at nothing was easier for him.

“I miss the umbrastaff,” he continued unprompted and Lup jolted.

“What?”

“Fuck, no not like-- you know not like that but--”

“Okay, but like, what?”

He squirmed around, trying to put his arms around her, but she pushed him off. They both fidgeted, starting and stopping as they moved, until they were lying down, heads together and feet dangling off opposite sides of the bed. He stared at the ceiling and Lup stared him.

“I know it was only a year but, before I got my memories back, it was the best year of my life. Everything that felt wrong about me suddenly felt right. And I think… I think the umbrastaff was part of that? And, Lulu, brand wise? It was absolutely the best! Easy to carry, dope as fuck spell focus, could lean on it whenever--”

“It’d probably help your legs.” She didn’t mean to rush in, but the way Taako froze, she was dead right.

He opened his mouth and she was expecting to be told off. The way his brows knit together was just like every time he cussed out Merle for having his plants too close to the kitchen on the ship. But the expression faded away and Taako stared at the ceiling, face blank. “Yeah, actually, it would probably help my legs.”

“Do you want to start with those or start with your face?”

“I mean, it’s kind of a package deal.”

She bumped her shoulder into his and he gave a weak laugh. She felt a spark of arcane energy and scrambled to sit up, patience long gone. But his face was still glamoured, he’d simply transformed his leggings into pajama shorts. He didn’t bother sitting up, managing to look up at her, arching a brow. “It’s really not that exciting, Lu.”

“If you drag this out any longer, I’m going to cast it.”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything else. Watching the spell fade away, she didn’t really notice much? His nose was a little thinner, eyes a little more sunken in, but it was the same face. He looked like he belonged on Faerun, less alien and more like the other elves she’d seen walking about Neverwinter.

“That’s what you were so worried about?”

Taako squawked and propped himself up on his elbows. “Fucking excuse you! I’m sorry my fucked up face isn’t shocking enough for you!”

“Oh please, you still look gorgeous.”

He blinked at her, brows knitted together in confusion. Those were a little thicker now too, like they both used to have before they came into money and then tweezers. She liked them that way. Since her body was tied to The Raven Queen, it didn’t change much anymore, but maybe she could pencil her eyebrows in to match his. “Lup,” Taako sounded annoyed, so she tried to focus. “I don’t look like you anymore.”

All this waiting and she was really ruining this whole moment, because at that? Lup had to laugh. “We haven’t looked the same since we were sixty! Are you kidding me?”

Taako tried to sit up, but gave up halfway through and collapsed back down, scrubbing his hands over his face. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I know it’s important to you.” She patted his leg and--

Lup had watched Taako exactly five times during the stolen century. Twice he died on an away mission she wasn’t on, and once with the judges they died at the same time. And four of those five times, she died with him. Explosions, arrows to the heart, that one time on that ice planet where they ran out of spell slots and froze to death. But on cycle fifty-three, he got hit with this blast of magic and Merle had already died in Parley. They’d managed to get him away from their attackers, but it was too late. It wasn’t a slow death, only a half hour, yet it felt like a lifetime. The agony on Taako’s face still frequented her nightmares. He’d shouted when he got hit, had this horrible gurgling sound like he was drowning when he tried to speak, and with his final breath, a tragic whimper that Lup would give anything to unhear. Through all of that, he never made a sound like this.

When Lup put her hand on Taako’s knee, he gasped like she’d stabbed him. She pulled her hand away and Taako was already curling up on himself. “Taako, fuck, I’m so sorry. Are you--”

“I’m fine, just don’t…” His eyes were squeezed shut as she laid down next to him, face next to his.

“You’re not fine. And that’s okay.”

“Lulu, can we not do that right now?”

“What do you need?”

“It’s not usually this bad.”

“What can I do?”

“Don’t fucking touch me.”

She knew he didn’t mean forever, she knew he was hurting, but those words burned. She sat back up, spine too straight, and scooted away from him. Taako’s breathing evened out and he eventually uncurled. His sweater had rode up and now Lup could see the rest of the ‘package deal’.

“What happened to you?”

Taako gave a strange laugh that rattled his whole body until he winced when something must have moved the wrong way. “Washing machine fell on me.”

“The fuck?”

He sighed and pulled the sweater down. Lup looked at the scars on his legs, hundreds of little ones and bruises all around his knees. “Where the fuck was Merle? Was this from when you were doing that cooking show?”

Another horrible laugh and Lup couldn’t stand it anymore. She put a hand over his mouth and Taako opened his eyes to look at her. “This isn’t funny,” she said. She waited another second, making sure he wouldn’t start cackling again, before leaning back and resuming her distant spot.

“I mean, it’s kind of funny?”

“No.”

“Lulu…”

“No! Why the fuck didn’t Merle heal you?”

Taako glanced to the door before looking back at her and shrugging. “He tried?”

“Now, hold on just a second, what do you think you’re doing? There’s no healing in Wonderland.”

The memory hit her like a freight train and she didn’t notice the fire in her hands until Taako was frantically patting out a burn on the duvet. She put out the flames and scrambled to hold his hand in hers, squeezing until her knuckles turned white, trying to remember how to feel anything that wasn’t those fucking curtains.

“Lup? Lup, come on, take a breath.” She wasn’t sure when Taako managed to sit up. Her eyes focused on him and he wasn’t wearing the glamour, which was soothing as much as it was strange. It’s her brother’s face and also not. It’s new. “Lup, you with me?”

She managed to speak, through the rage, through the pain, even though her voice was hoarse and everything was blurry. “I was there.”

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

A/N: Okay, this is incredibly sad, so I need you guys to prepare tissues, alright? I usually don’t write about stuff like this but I thought this up and then I cried and… I had to write it. Enjoy!

Words: 2184 Warnings: unwanted/unexpected pregnancy

If you like this story, would you care to support me by buying me a cuppa? I would appreciate it so much! ♥ ko-fi.com/sserpente Enjoy reading! 

Waking up next to the man you loved was the most beautiful thing in the world. Loki’s arms were wrapped tightly around your body, protecting you from any kind of harm. He was even keeping you save from your own nightmares, soothing you when they tormented you and using his seidr to ease your pains and fears.

You were the perfect couple—a modern Romeo and Juliet without the tragic ending and even the Avengers themselves admired your relationship. You had brought out the best in Loki. He was still the God of Mischief, there was no doubt about that, but with you by his side… he soon began to show the world more often he hid a warm heart beneath that black leather armour of his. When he did, you all but melted to a puddle at his feet.

It was love, admiration, comfort and safety you felt whenever you lay with him, when you enjoyed the warmth of his body heat and his protective grip on your naked body. Then there was sickness. Awful sickness.

Frowning, you opened your eyes.

No, this was wrong, sickness was definitely not among the sensations you felt when you woke up next to this gorgeous and handsome god. Something was wrong.

Gagging, you jumped out of bed all but alarmed, startling a very sleepy God of Mischief as you almost tripped with one of your legs getting caught in the blanket, then hurried to the bathroom attached to your room regardless of your nakedness.

Only the fraction of a second after, you were leaning over the toilet and threw up what was left of last night’s dinner.

This wasn’t right at all. You hadn’t drunk any alcohol, you hadn’t mixed milk with orange juice… perhaps you’d eaten something wrong.

“Are you alright?”

Loki appeared in the threshold within the blinking of an eye. Concerned and alerted, he frowned at your kneeling form and slowly approached you.

“It’s okay, I’m ok—“ You were interrupted by yet another gag, followed by your arms hugging the toilet seat once more. A food poisoning, maybe. You’d need to go to the pharmacy and describe the symptoms to get some medication. First, however, you should take a shower and then have breakfast.

Just the sheer thought of it made you throw up again.

By now, Loki was kneeling right next to you, about as exposed and naked as you were. You were used to each other’s bodies—even if your tongue itched to take his length in your mouth when you spotted it.

“It’s alright, really, probably a food poisoning. I’ll be fine again in a few days.”

Loki nodded, stroking your hair as he did. “I am unfamiliar with mortal diseases. I will look into it. Until then, you should stay in bed, rest and recover. Preferably with a bucket next to you.”

His concern was flattering, eliciting a warm feeling in your chest. Still, the timing was bad. You were supposed to be joining Thor and Valkyrie on a mission today.

“I don’t feel… ill, that’s the odd part, Loki. In fact, I feel much better already.”

You weren’t lying—that he would be able to tell anyway. Truth was, barfing was only one of the many tormenting symptoms of a food poisoning.

“If you think I will let you join my brother on his trip to a bunch of fairies in this condition, you are incredibly wrong.”

“Elves. They are elves. Loki, please, you know he needs me. It won’t take long and I promise, as soon as I get back I will go straight to bed and let you pamper me.”

The God of Mischief smirked. “Who said I was going to pamper you?”

Grinning, you bit your lower lip. “I know you will. And I love you.”

“I love you too.” He replied, sighing as he did.

In your imagination, elves had always been tender little creatures with glittering wings and pretty dresses, about as tall as a thumb and struggling with jealousy like Tinkerbelle in Peter Pan. These creatures, however, reminded you more of nymphs.

Eager to learn more about them, you stepped closer, careful to stay right behind Thor and Valkyrie, who were busy convincing them to blab the hidden location of yet another Infinity Stone. It was essential to find the remaining ones before Thanos did or else… well, you weren’t quite sure what “or else” entailed, only that the threat was very real and very dangerous.

Thus far, they’d had no luck whatsoever.

“Look,” you tossed in, taking a determined step forward. “If Thanos gets his hands on all of the Infinity Stones first, your race will not be the only one on the brink of extinction. He will go after you too. You know he will.” That was why Thor had brought you. Usually, your persuasion skills were remarkable.

The elves, however, were witty.

“You! You shouldn’t be looking for something so hazardous. The life within you… you will expose it to unnecessary danger.” One of them mused with a cheeky sparkling in her eyes.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I can sense its power. Aesir, Jötun and human…”

Your heart skipped a beat when you reached for your stomach to cover it with your palm. What? No… this wasn’t possible…

“The child will be invincible.”

You… you were pregnant? The morning sickness… could it possibly be?

Valkyrie and Thor looked about as shocked as you were.

When you returned to your vast living area in the manor, Loki wasn’t there. He was usually being very thorough when there was something wrong with you or when you had a problem and he was determined to help you out. For no one else would he spend hours on end doing research and sacrificing his sleep, not even for Thor.

In the end, so you figured, it was a good thing he hadn’t showed up yet.

Right after the elves had finally told you the location of the Infinity Stone, you had decided to stop by the next pharmacy on your way home and pick up a pregnancy test. You didn’t quite trust those elves… even if you were pretty suspicious yourself and after making Thor and Valkyrie swear not to tell anyone, you disappeared in your apartment and now stared at the white stick like a lunatic in the bathroom.

What if you were pregnant? Loki and you… you had never used protection, believing strongly that an Aesir… or a Jötun for that matter, was incapable of impregnating a mortal woman.

Apparently, you had been wrong. Two blue stripes appeared on the pregnancy test. It was positive.

“(Y/N)?” His smooth and velvety voice ripped you from your thoughts. You had been staring at the TV in your living room for the last hour without paying any attention to what was being shown, instead pondering over how to tell Loki you were going to gift him an heir.

You had, quite frankly, no idea how you felt about it. You were young. Way too young to be a mother and your profession… being an Avenger wasn’t exactly a bed of roses and still, knowing you were going to gift Loki a son or a daughter somehow filled you with excessive joy and pride. Could you manage to work this out somehow? You had never gotten a chance to think about it. You were pregnant now, the child was on the way already.

“I’m here!”

“You’re not in bed,” he stated reproachfully.

“Loki… I need to talk to you.”

He instantly frowned, his blue eyes widening a little. Your own voice sounded weak and tired—he had a right to be upset about your behaviour.

Slowly, he sat down right next to you and placed his hand on your thigh when you took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant.”

Silence. Awful silence spreading in the room like poisonous fog. Loki’s lips parted.

“What?” He whispered.

“I’m… pregnant. Those elves… they could sense it.”

“The elves? My love, about half of what leaves those awfully perfect lips of theirs is lies.”

“Perhaps. But… Loki, my morning sickness… I took a pregnancy test earlier.” You paused. “It was positive.”

Again, there was a terrible silence clawing at your guts and making you nauseous once more. Was it normal for you to be this sick? You were carrying a child from another realm, after all.

Loki refused to look you in the eye. He was avoiding your gaze frantically; keeping a straight and unfazed face. When he spoke again, he caused your whole world to fall apart.

“Get rid of it.”

It felt like your heart stopped altogether. “What?“

“I said, get rid of it.”

“L-Loki… this is our child we are talking about. Your unborn son or daughter!”

Tears welled up in your eyes faster than a lightning bolt. When you looked up to take a hold of Loki’s hand and force him gently to look at you… you noticed he was crying as well. The salty tears rolled over his cheeks like poison singing his skin.

Then, suddenly, he yanked himself from your tender grip, stood and turned to leave.

“Get rid of it,” he repeated one last time before disappearing in a green shimmering of light.

Sobbing, you stroked your stomach. “I’m… not gonna get rid of our child.” You muttered into the now empty room.

You had been crying for hours. Pressing your face into your pillow on the bed you shared with Loki, you screamed and whined and shrieked until you were spent and had dried out, your whole body going limp on the mattress.

Sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, you would constantly think about the tiny little being growing inside of you. A tiny little Loki… another sob escaped your lips.

“(Y/N)…”

Your hand flew up to cover your stomach instinctively when he cropped up. He was quick to turn on the lamp on your nightstand and meet your sad eyes.

“You are still with the… you are still pregnant?”

Angrily, you narrowed your eyes at him.

“I haven’t given birth in your absence if that is what you mean.” But you knew of course that wasn’t what he meant.

Loki seemed all but unaffected. He had always been extraordinary good in hiding his true feelings and thoughts—even, or especially—when the two of you fought. You did not do so often. Never before, however, had you worried about trying to convince him to keep your child. You were not going to murder it. Abortion was not an option, you couldn’t ever live with that.

Silently, he produced a plain little bottle and set it on the nightstand with a quiet clonk.

“What is that?” You began nervously, new tears already threatening to wet your cheeks.

“You swallow three drops. Three drops and not more. It will kill the fetus overnight.”

It was then you started to sob again, not bothering to hide your tears.

“I will not drink this! Forget it, god damn it! This is our child, Loki!”

“And it will be cursed to live as a monster just like me, do you really think I want to pass on this atrocious fate?!” He suddenly bellowed.

Your heart clenched upon hearing his harsh words. You had told him dozens of times before he was no monster, that his race was insignificant. He was Loki and he was your God of Mischief—and it was all that counted.

“Besides, I did not have particularly good role models in terms of fatherhood. How would I bring a child into this world?” He continued, his voice now quieter.

“What… you think I am ready to be a mother? Loki, I am (Y/A) years old! I barely feel like an adult myself, how am I supposed to raise and care for a child?”

“You’re right.” He glanced over to the bottle on your nightstand.

“D-do you really not want it?” You asked, weeping. “Loki… you’re its father.”

“Of course I... it does not matter if I do. It will kill you.” He whispered.

Your lips parted. “What?”

“My birth mother was Asgardian, (Y/N). That is why I can willingly change my form, that is why I am no giant. She died when she gave birth to me because her body could not put up with a Jötun infant.”

“You think it’s gonna happen to me too,” you mumbled through your tears. Loki nodded. Sighing sadly, he finally lay down with you and pulled you into his arms.

“Loki… this child… the elves have told me that it is human too. Maybe… maybe this will be different and even if…” You took a shaky breath. “You’ll still have a part of me.”

The God of Mischief closed his eyes, letting down his guard as a tear escaped his eye and dropped onto the pillow.

“We will try and be good parents, Loki. You will be an amazing father. I know it.”

You did not hesitate when you gently took your hand in his and then placed it on your stomach. He didn’t pull away.

DRUNK LIVEBLOG OF THE AKALLABETH BC I PROMISED @rose-of-the-bright-sea​

Uh unfortunately i’m not too drunk since once again my job was to bounce everyone once the party ended but uhhh it is early morning and i’m still not asleep and i did just spend 5 hours dancing and doing shots so...

ANYWAY: first scene of the Akallabeth, remember how the edain were the only Men who fought against morgoth in the war of wrath etc, and when morgoth was defeated the Evil Men who fought for him ran away and conquered all the Stupid Men who were still living in the middle earth area and these men’s lives sucked and were constantly attacked by orcs and monsters and they were dumb and wild and stuff. this explanation is like 20 kinds of LMAO NARRATIVES but also not like, in a lying way, just in a framing way.

otoh the edain got given a giant island in the middle of the ocean as a reward for fighting against morgoth and stuff, osse and aule and yavanna did it. (valar: ‘have an island way out in the sea’ elros: ‘SOUNDS LEGIT’). meanwhile the elves of ME are long-sufferingly granted permission to come to tol eressea because their lives kinda suck. the difference in the tone of the edain’s gift and the elves’ gift is totally not noticed by the narrator but the fact that avallone was build on the eastern edge of tol eressea where it could be seen from numenor is. lol.

there’s this super gorgeous entrancing description of how earendil burned super bright so that he shone night and day and the edain followed him over the calm enchanted sea until they found the island of numenor -- andor the land of gift, elenna that is starwards. however we all know all this incredible rich storytelling stuff isn’t important compared to the tiny scrap of smugness that can be wrung out of making elros hate earendil and/or elves, bc everyone knows that no character’s narrative matters except the feanorians’.

elves of ME also brought all the edain to numenor and elves of tol eressea gave the edain a ton of tools and gifts and stuff to help build their new nation, but you know it’s fun to headcanon elros as a bitter chest-puffing supercilious self-satisfied little prick who finds these elves embarrassing and blinkered and their existence pitiful and tut-tuttingly Wrong. bc that makes sense and is woke for some reason.

the numenoreans became taller than all the sons of middle earth, not all the men of middle earth, so numenoreans are taller than elves. also they didn’t have a lot of kids, bc i guess population explosions on islands with almost no death outside of like 300 years of old age is a Bad Time.

also “and the light of their eyes was like the bright stars” hahahahahahahahaha lmao! kill me! lies down. does not get up.

WHITE TREE FRACTALS

the numenoreans are super cool and get to talk and visit with both elves of tol eressea and elves of middle earth, which seems to lead to the completely inescapable conclusion that numenor is a place where the peoples of all lands can pass messages to one another but this is never mentioned. the numenoreans could totally also have prob defeated the evil human kings of middle earth if they tried but they were totes peaceful -- at an undefined point in time. nice vague timeline blurring bruh.

instead they like, instructed the dumb middle earth men on how to grow grain and grind flour and make stuff out of wood bc uh i guess the middle earth men are too dumb to figure it out, for “the ordering of their life, such as it might be in the lands of swift death and little bliss” hahahahahaha this is the most condescending line in the entire silm it’s great.

then the numenoreans start getting dissatisfied with how they still gotta die and stuff. it’s vaguely described as being something to do with how even their long lives are still not as long as elves’ loves, but every time i read this it reminds me how pissed about mortality i’d be if my great-great-great-uncle who was totally allowed to choose to become immortal kept popping in to talk about how he got to see the cool millennia of my country’s history first hand and debate with my revered ancestral founding king. so.

however the numenoreans totally brush over these sorts of super compelling and sympathetic and valid points and instead just whine about how they’re A Bigshot Kewl Superior Race and HDU Say We Can’t Control Everything If We Wanna, 36 Presents? But Last Century I Got 37! because they’re fucking useless dumbasses.

The valar reply that Aman Will Not Make You Immortal, Yo, and also that elves being immortal and men being mortal aren’t rewards or punishments, which are reasonable points. they then go on to go ‘TBH shouldn’t WE be the ones envying YOU bc you get to peace out of this clusterfuck world, huh, huh whaddaya think about that. also btw the whole mortality thing is some Secret Plan To Fight Inflation eru came up with, and none of us will know it until you and a bajillion generations of your descendants are all dead, lol!!!!’ THANKS VALAR. THAT’S REALLY HELPFUL. GREAT JOB OF ACTUALLY ADDRESSING ANYTHING THE NUMENOREANS ARE BOTHERED ABOUT. KUDOS. i love dumb gods.

the numenoreans are super dissatisfied but instead of anything constructive the king decides to hold his breath and throw a tantrum stay king until he’s totally senile and his son is old, bc of spite, then numenor gets divided into the king’s men and the faithful. the faithful are also bleh about death but assume that the valar have some kind of good reason for what they said, because um, reasons, i guess. no one says if the reasons are more mindless dogma or more a grounding and strengthening faith, but since numenoreans sound like RL humans to a tee it’s probably both. the king’s men aren’t skeptics tho -- they just conquer and enslave and colonize and steal from middle earth, bc ‘the west was denied to them.’ some fans find this to be a ‘yes, but--’ where it’s not the best thing to do but sympathetic and better than those un-nietzschean faithful. i’m gonna assume every single person who finds this nod-worthy is as White as sour cream.

later on Ar-Gimilzor bans the Faithful’s language, sends secret police or smth to find out everyone who is Faithful and forcibly remove them from their homes, relocate them to Romenna, and corral and watch them, call them and the elves of tol eressea spies, chase them out of numenor, and force the faithful leader’s sister to marry the king. some fans still somehow think this was a morally grey and understandable thing to do because secular-culturally-christian libs are vile and have never parsed a history book in their lives.

Tar-Palantir becomes king after being secretly taught Faithful stuff by his secretly faithful mom, but nothing he does to fix things helps and he eventually dies young from depression. His daughter Tar-Miriel becomes queen but her cousin Ar-Pharazon forces her to marry him and give him the kingship instead. exactly how this happened remains unexplained! Boo! I want more details. Anyway Pharazon is a Fragile Masculinity poster boy and when sauron starts causing trouble he decides he’s just gotta go capture him and bring him to numenor to show off and stroke his ego, bc he is an Heir Of Eärendil and Respect Meehhh!! God this guy sounds SO UNPLEASANTLY FAMILIAR DOESN’T HE EH. (parenthetically i am delighted beyond words at how absolutely bang-on it is that the King’s Men, both here and earlier with the convo with the Valar, totally Do Not Mention the fact that they’re heirs of Elros, not just Earendil, bc that would be super inconvenient to their vision of themselves and their mortality grievance!! lol!!! i love it!!!! god!!!!!!!! *fingers and thumb in a circle emoji*).

anyway sauron is super smart and an awesomesauce genre-savvy villain and way too good for pharazon and he flatters him and manipulates him into making him his councilor and convinces him that the valar are lying and and to worship morgoth and slaughter the faithful by sacrificing them on.....hm....altars....as rebels and as scapegoats for all numenor’s Problems(TM)....>_>....lmao tolkien can be really fucking dumb and scattered about his mythology and religion patchworking, and yet the wokeness-masturbating section of fandom is infinitely worse in the most predictable ways.

WHITE TREE FRACTALS (this time featuring bonus BAMF and Super Awesome And Lovable 21 Year Old Isildur......have i mentioned recently how much i hate peter jackson......)

anyway when Pharazon has a mid-life crisis about getting old sauron also convinces him he can become immortal by invading aman, which he should totally do bc The Strong Do What They Will And The Weak Bear What They Must (remember this is tragically admirable if flawed, because it’s defying fate!) and a super armament is built to invade aman and ar-Pharazon’s ex-bff Amandil who’s secretly friends with the Faithful freaks and makes secret plans to sail to valinor to beg the valar to do something and has his son elendil prepare to go to middle earth to see the elves who are hunkered down there doing.....uhhhhh???? probably hiding from numenorean conquest????

but anyway when pharazon invades aman and chases the elves out of tol eressea and then tirion, he has a Uh-Oh I Think This Was A Bad Idea feeling but can’t back down now so he lands ashore and camps out around tirion and then manwe prays to eru to bail everyone out and says he will lay down rule of arda for a minute since he doesn’t know what to do, presumably a la ‘omg dad i fucked up and totally crashed your car,’ and eru solves this by getting ar-pharazon & co buried under a mountain until the end of the world (funny how so few fans ever address this thing re: tirion in valinor fanfic eh? oh yeah i forgot silm fans don’t give a shit about humans), opening up a big crack in the ocean, pulling aman and tol eressea out into space, turning the earth from flat to spherical, and letting the island of numenor get buried under the resulting tidal wave and fall down the crack to wherever. because you know overkill is great! also sauron is too busy doing an Evil Villain Laugh to realize he’s about to get drowned and he totally dies and has to make himself a new body out of Anger and he’s now ugly, which sucks for the fanartists.

anyway manwe saves elendil and his fleet (it doesn’t say manwe, but it does say ‘but the great wind took [elendil], wilder than any wind that Men had known, roaring from the west, and it swept his ships far away...’ which, duh) and they wind up washed up on middle earth, but totally grief-stricken over the destruction of numenor.

I can’t liveblog the rest any better than verbatim so I’ll just quote:

Among the Exiles many believed that the summit of the Meneltarma, the Pillar of Heaven, was not drowned for ever, but rose again above the waves, a lonely island lost in the great waters; for it had been a hallowed place, and even in the days of Sauron none had defiled it And some there were of the seed of Eärendil that afterwards sought for it, because it was said among loremasters that the far-sighted men of old could see from the Meneltarma a glimmer of the Deathless Land. For even after the ruin the hearts of the Dúnedain were still set westwards; and though they knew indeed that the world was changed, they said: 'Avallónë is vanished from the Earth and the Land of Aman is taken away, and in the world of this present darkness they cannot be found. Yet once they were, and therefore they still are, in true being and in the whole shape of the world as at first it was devised.'

For the Dúnedain held that even mortal Men, if so blessed, might look upon other times than those of their bodies' life; and they longed ever to escape from the shadows of their exile and to see in some fashion the light that dies not; for the sorrow of the thought of death had pursued them over the deeps of the sea. Thus it was that great mariners among them would still search the empty seas, hoping to come upon the Isle of Meneltarma, and there to see a vision of things that were. But they found it not. And those that sailed far came only to the new lands, and found them like to the old lands, and subject to death. And those that sailed furthest set but a girdle about the Earth and returned weary at last to the place of their beginning; and they said:

'All roads are now bent.'

Thus in after days, what by the voyages of ships, what by lore and star-craft, the kings of Men knew that the world was indeed made round, and yet the Eldar were permitted still to depart and to come to the Ancient West and to Avallónë, if they would. Therefore the loremasters of Men said that a Straight Road must still be, for those that were permitted to find it. And they taught that, while the new world fell away, the old road and the path of the memory of the West still went on, as it were a mighty bridge invisible that passed through the air of breath and of flight (which were bent now as the world was bent), and traversed Ilmen which flesh unaided cannot endure, until it came to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, and maybe even beyond, to Valinor, where the Valar still dwell and watch the unfolding of the story of the world. And tales and rumours arose along the shores of the sea concerning mariners and men forlorn upon the water who, by some fate or grace or favour of the Valar, had entered in upon the Straight Way and seen the face of the world sink below them, and so had come to the lamplit quays of Avallónë, or verily to the last beaches on the margin of Aman, and there had looked upon the White Mountain, dreadful and beautiful, before they died.

MGA Chapter 1999

Chapter 1999 – Settlement “In that case, Chu Feng really succeeded? He is now capable of setting up a spirit formation that not even peak Martial Emperors can break through?” Baili Xuankong asked with excitement. After Baili Xuankong asked that, everyone present grew silent. At this moment, the palace hall became so quiet that the crowd’s heartbeats could be heard. “Yes, we are capable of that now,” The Weaponry Refinement Immortal and the other Dragon Mark Royal-cloak World Spiritists nodded in unison. “Woooahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Hearing those words, explosive cheering sounds burst forth from the quiet palace hall. Everyone was endlessly moved. In fact, some people even started to brim with tears of excitement. Through the various events that had happened, they already realized how frightening the Dark Hall was. Originally, they felt that they would definitely meet a tragic death should the Dark Hall attack them. However, now that they possessed that grand spirit formation, they were safe. As such, how could they not be excited? Overwhelmed with excitement, Zhang Tianyi and Jiang Wushang began to lift Chu Feng up high. Compared to the experts from the older generation, the two of them were even more excited. As Chu Feng was their brother, they felt even more proud of Chu Feng. “Hey, what are you all doing? Chu Feng’s body is still very weak. Quickly, put him back down.” However, upon seeing that scene, the Snow-haired Immortal shouted at them angrily. In fact, she even directly snatched Chu Feng away from Jiang Wushang and Zhang Tianyi. Even though she had already snatched Chu Feng away from them, she still stared ferociously at Jiang Wushang and Zhang Tianyi, “Have you all gone crazy? Chu Feng has finally woken up. If he becomes unconscious again because of you, I’ll slaughter you all.” The Snow-haired Immortal’s eyes were deep red. She appeared extremely ferocious and murderous-looking. Zhang Tianyi and Jiang Wushang were so stunned with fear that they didn’t know what to do. At that moment, the Weaponry Refinement Immortal and the others started to snicker up their sleeves. When Chu Feng was in his closed-door training, the Snow-haired Immortal had spoken in doubt of Chu Feng. Yet, after she saw his injured health, she was more worried for him than anyone else. She was truly a sharp-tongued but soft-hearted person. No, she was a genuine stone-hearted, vicious, and merciless demon. However, when it came to Chu Feng, she became very tenderhearted. “Senior Snow-hair, I am fine,” Chu Feng smiled in an embarrassed manner. “You’re really fine?” The Snow-haired Immortal was skeptical. “Really,” As Chu Feng spoke, he took out a healing medicinal herb and swallowed it. Then, with a thought, his Supreme Secret Skill, the Vermilion Bird Resurrection Technique, was activated. Once the Vermilion Bird Resurrection Technique was activated, Chu Feng’s complexion began to become much better. In merely an instant, his appearance and complexion returned to normal. “Chu Feng, what is that technique? It’s truly magical,” The Snow-haired Immortal’s eyes were wide open. She had an expression of amazement on her face. At that moment, the others were also astonished by Chu Feng’s technique that he had revealed. However, they all had joyous expressions on their faces. They were overjoyed by Chu Feng being able to completely recover from his injuries. “Lord Assembly Master, this is bad!” Right at that moment, a Cyanwood Sacred Assembly’s elder rushed into the palace hall in panic. “For you to panic and shout like this, what has happened?” Originally, Baili Xuankong had been in a superb mood. However, the sudden shouting from this person caused him to become extremely displeased. “The Heavenly Law Palace’s army has entered the Cyanwood Domain. They are currently coming to attack our Cyanwood Mountain,” That elder said. “Humph, so they’ve actually come. They truly have the nerve,” After hearing those words, Lord Lianghua started to narrow his sword-like eyebrows, and a burst of chilly air began to pervade his surroundings. The Weaponry Refinement Immortal, the Immeasurable Immortal, the Snow-haired Immortal, Nangong Longjian and the many other grand characters were also reacting in the same manner. They did not feel surprised by that news. Instead, they appeared to be ready to face the incoming enemies. Unable to contain himself, Chu Feng asked, “Heavenly Law Palace’s army? Could it be that something happened during the time I was in closed-door training?” Even though Chu Feng had publicly killed Kuang Kui outside of the Moonlight Maze in a burst of rage, and already knew that the Heavenly Law Palace would come to retaliate against him, it remained unnatural for the people here to react as if they already knew of the Heavenly Law Palace’s arrival. For them to be this prepared, Chu Feng knew that something must’ve happened during the time he was in closed-door training. “Chu Feng, the Heavenly Law Palace is truly shameless. Since they dared to come, we must teach them a lesson.” “Else, they’ll think that their Heavenly Law Palace is the ruler of the Holy Land of Martialism,” Lord Lianghua said. After that, Chu Feng came to know about what had happened during his closed-door training… It turned out that news of Chu Feng’s killing of Kuang Kui spread like wildfire throughout the Holy Land of Martialism. As the Heavenly Law Palace cared deeply about their face, they would naturally not leave the matter at that. Thus, the Heavenly Law Palace declared to the world that Chu Feng had a time limit of a month to proceed to their Heavenly Law Palace and give an account of his actions. If Chu Feng were to fail to show up, their Heavenly Law Palace’s army would flatten the Cyanwood Mountain. When that news was spread, the entire Holy Land of Martialism burst into an outrage. However, the Cyanwood Mountain was very calm to the whole threat, and simply did not even bother to respond to the Heavenly Law Palace. The reason for that was because the current Cyanwood Mountain was completely different from before. Countless experts were now gathered in the Cyanwood Mountain. Furthermore, Lord Lianghua, this rank eight Martial Emperor, was overseeing the Cyanwood Mountain. Thus, even though the Cyanwood Mountain remained one of the Nine Powers, their strength already surpassed that of the Four Great Imperial Clans. Furthermore, they possessed the backing of the Ancient Era’s Elves. As such, how could they possibly fear the Heavenly Law Palace? In fact, for the current Cyanwood Mountain, not only were they not afraid of the Heavenly Law Palace, they instead wished for the Heavenly Law Palace to attack them. They wanted to show the people of the world what sort of strength their Cyanwood Mountain possessed right now. That battle would not only be for their Cyanwood Mountain’s honor, most importantly, it was a battle to defend Chu Feng’s dignity. “Lord Lianghua, your intention is to face the Heavenly Law Palace?” Chu Feng asked. “What else? We’re not scared of them. Thus… it’s only natural that we must face them in battle,” Lord Lianghua said with a smile. “I understand,” Chu Feng also smiled. With those words from Lord Lianghua, Chu Feng became confident. Thus, Chu Feng’s body shifted and turned into a ray of light. He flew out from the palace hall and soared high into the sky. He was flying toward the main entrance of the Cyanwood Mountain. Following Chu Feng, the many experts also soared into the sky. Like reverse meteors, they followed after Chu Feng. “Little friend Chu Feng!!!” When Chu Feng flew out from the Cyanwood Sacred Assembly and reached the main entrance of the Cyanwood Mountain, several powerful figures flew towards him and began to greet him. These people were all Martial Emperors. They were people that Chu Feng had saved in the Moonlight Maze. They abided by their promise and had become nominal elders of the Cyanwood Mountain. Currently, all the experts from the Cyanwood Mountain were gathered here to face the incoming Heavenly Law Palace. “Senior Snow Blade, you’ve also come?” Chu Feng was delighted by the appearance of an old man among the crowd. That old man was none other than the Snow Blade Mad Demon. Snow Blade Mad Demon did not join the Cyanwood Mountain. Evidently, he had rushed to the Cyanwood Mountain after finding out that the Heavenly Law Palace planned to attack the Cyanwood Mountain. “I’ve said it before. Your business is my business. The Heavenly Law Palace waging war against you is equivalent to them waging war against me. I will definitely not leave this matter be,” said the Snow Blade Mad Demon as he patted his chest. There was not the slightest trace of fear in this old man. Contained within him was a dense amount of excitement. He was prepared to fight against the Heavenly Law Palace. “Very well, today, together with everyone here, we shall face that so-called righteous and upright sect,” Chu Feng spoke with a loud voice. “Hahahaha!!!” Hearing those words, the crowd burst into loud laughter. Chu Feng’s ‘righteous and upright sect’ was spoken with such mockery. As Chu Feng spoke, he reached the front of the crowd. After carefully inspecting the scene before him, Chu Feng discovered that the current Cyanwood Mountain was truly bustling with noise and excitement. In the distance, regardless of whether it was the sky, the ground or even the void of space itself, countless silhouettes were gathered. None of those people were from the Cyanwood Mountain, nor were they people from the Cyanwood Domain. Rather, they were from all over the Holy Land of Martialism. Evidently, after the news of the Heavenly Law Palace planning to attack the Cyanwood Mountain spread, these people had come to watch the excitement. However, having people come to watch the battle was precisely what Chu Feng wanted. He wanted to let everyone know that he, Chu Feng, was no longer that weak boy from back then, that he was not someone who could be easily bullied. Not even the renowned Heavenly Law Palace that had existed for tens of thousands of years would be able to bully him. Today, he would reach a settlement with the Heavenly Law Palace before all these people. Previous          Main menu           Next Click to Post