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rachelillustrates · 6 days

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My top 7 Faerie stories/worlds atm 🦋

**Note, I am super dupes aware that I haven't read/watched everything, so please feel free to reblog/comment with recommendations!**

Faerie is the pulse of my heart, and my mind/spirit/etc. spends a LOT of time thinking about it, SO here's the most resonant of depictions of the realm/faeries themselves in my current opinion (and why).

(And not in any particular order:)

Elfhame, @hollyblack 's "Folk of the Air" series and all related books

Arda, Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" and all related adaptations

"Suitor Armor" by @thepurpah

Studio Ghibli's take on spirits in Japanese folklore

Brian and Wendy Froud's take on Faerie

"Fraggle Rock"

"Tock the Gnome," by myself!

Thoughts:

(Art by Rovina Cai, from "How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories")

I feel very much that Holly Black gets the lushness and richness of Faerie, plus the trickery of it, and that level of dangerous beauty - what attracts humanity to it, etc. How everything is in extremes, too, but also how parts of it echo the human experience - both in terms of courts, but also in terms of the heart, and the emotional impact of intense circumstances and intense feelings.

I am, admittedly, not all caught up yet since I haven't read her earlier works, but of course I recommend starting with "The Cruel Prince" and reading forward from there (the more recent "Stolen Heir Duology" having an extra special place in my esteem)!

(Also special shoutout to the fact that there are Nisse - Gnomes! - in the recent books, AND that her take on Redcaps is absolutely Orcish 💚)

(Also also, cw: Changelings. They can be a triggering/upsetting subject, considering how our concept of them as humans seems to have come about. She does make pretty heavy use of them, but not in the ways that one might expect, and always from a very emotionally-centered space - not a humans-abusing-potential-fae space.)

So, Tolkien - yes, I am including the world of his works in this because even though he considered them religious and specifically-denominational, he took SO MUCH inspiration from folklore and faerie tales (do not even get me started on what got edited out of "The Silmarillion" istg) that Arda is not wholly Christian, from my Faerie-worshiping queer-ass faerie perspective thankyouverymuch. Not to mention what is being done in fandom with the faerie-races, especially the Dwarves and the Hobbits, AND what recent adaptations are opening up with the Orcs!! Obviously, his take on Faerie is a much more literally-grounded reality - they exist in the Earth-based world (as if Faerie has bled into what we expect Earth to be), they have magic (at least the Elves and Dwarves do) but it's both somehow super ethereal and super physical at once. And divinely connected, since the biggest magic in Middle-earth (or any part of Arda) comes from the lesser Gods - the Valar, and the Maiar who serve under them as well as from Big Sky Daddy Eru, but we're not talking about him right now. So that, to me, really speaks to the spiritual nature of Faerie too - which is always always always personally interesting to me, and Jrrt's take on the fae was absolutely foundational in my budding concept of them, before I even really thought about who they are in a conscious way.

I don't know where to recommend starting, since I got into the world through the Jackson films, first, and I wouldn't change my experience for anything because it's given me SO much. But in fandom, shoutout to the works of @conkers-thecosy (read her fics here!) as well as "A Long List of Happy Endings" by vicious_summer and "The Mushroom Mine" series by @chrononautintraining for Dwarf Stuff - and "Splint" by HelenaMarkos for Orc Stuff. Plus, as much as I know it's divisive, "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is - again - doing wonders about the Orcs AND doing very well by the Dwarves too, in my opinion, showing them as a fully realized and thriving people (though Dwarf women should still have beards, Amazon!! And there seems to be some confusion around how the name of Durin functions...)!! Available to stream on Prime, here.

"Suitor Armor" takes place in a world that appears very similar to medieval Earth, and as such the worldbuilding itself doesn't feel very specifically Faerie - yet. However, with the main character having significant ties to the fae, and with the story still having space to explore their culture once the tale takes the characters there, I have faith that we are gonna see more of this take on Faerie specifically soon. In the meantime, what we have seen so far - how faerie magic works, how they relate to each other, etc. - rings true for me, and is lovely to behold, especially in the face of the tragedy around their circumstances in the Big Plot.

Free to read here (and coming to bookshelves in 2025!!).

As for Studio Ghibli - Miyazaki's take on the spirits of Japanese folklore - which are absolutely Faerie - was SO formative for me growing up. I don't have anything else to say about that except that he's right!!

I recommend "Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro," particularly. All available to stream on Max right now (but buying physical media is better, and they're very likely available to rent other places, too).

Brian and Wendy Froud's work has, of course, also been absolutely formative for me - especially when I started getting into Faerie properly. Their work doesn't require much commentary either - they're just correct 💗 Nothing I've experienced has ever contradicted what I've read in their books, and I feel like their work really, really gets the energy of the fae and the liminality of their existence. And that there is kindness, and light, as well as danger.

I recommend "Trolls" and "Faeries' Tales," to start with, and of course the quintessential "Faeries" by Brian Froud and Alan Lee, which started it all.

(Also, considering what's below, special honorary shoutout to their work on "The Dark Crystal." Definite overlap there and absolutely counts.)

Obviously there's some crossover with The Muppets here, considering they come from the same studio, BUT if we're looking at just "Fraggle Rock" on its own - absolutely. Though a very different take than those mentioned above, if you're looking for the whimsy and delight at the heart of the fae, the Fraggles have it.

Both the original series and the reboot are currently available to stream on AppleTV.

Okay, and my own! What I'm doing with the world of "Tock the Gnome" is a little bit different - again, we're looking at a realm that isn't free from some of the physical bounds we find on Earth - but in its vast history there is Faerie at its purest, and the characters are on a Big Quest that will be instrumental in restoring the realm to what one would expect of Faerieland (all wrapped up in a body-positive, sapphic-presenting queer romance, btw). My focus is on Gnomes and Orcs, in particular, since the fact that they're also fae is a big part of my message. Recognizing that, as well as recognizing the importance of connectedness between people and the balance of that and personal sovereignty, and how damage to those things might impact the whole of a magical realm.

All pages available to read for free here, across several platforms (with print issues available here).

🦋💗🦋👏👏

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curiouselleth · 7 months

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I moved all my Tolkien books, legos, and assorted Things!!!!

Better pictures and full list of everything under the cut!

(stupidly long list of all my Tolkien stuff:) Books:

2 copies of the hobbit, one is the 75 anniversary edition

2 copies of lord of the rings, one with the movie covers and one of it all in one book,

2 copies of the Silmarillion, one is the Illustrated Silmarillion and one of the most beautiful books I own

The 25th (I think) anniversary edition of the Unfinished tales of Numenor and middle earth, another one of the most beautiful books I own (it has artwork in it!!!)

Beren and Luthien, the Fall of Gondolin, the Children of Hurin

1-8 and 11-12 of the histories of middle earth

A 1st edition secondhand Tolkien Reader

2 copies of the Complete Tolkien companion

A Gateway to Sindarin, (this one was kinda hard to get ahold of at the time because everyone was sold out at the same time, when I got it from a small bookstore it was actually still wrapped in plastic from the manufacturer)

The Hobbit an unexpected journey and the hobbit the battle of five armies west art and design books

the art of the hobbit by Tolkien

Pictures by tolkien

Recipes from the world of tolkien

a middle earth traveler by John Howe

a dictionary of Tolkien and an encyclopedia of Tolkien both by David Day

Middle Eartth: A lord of the rings quiz book

readings on JRR Tolkien

JRR Tolkien (biography)

master of middle earth - the fiction of JRR Tolkien

Understanding lord of the rings

Funko pops:

Aragorn

Pippin

Frodo

Legolas

Galadriel

Gandalf the White

the Witch King

Gimli

Gandalf

Legos and Miscellaneous:

The Lego Rivendell set

the Mirkwood Dungeon set

The extended editions of the hobbit and Lord of the rings, both with behind the scenes

To the top left the Thranduil crown I made, and a castle I painted kinda inspired by Tol Sirion

Not pictured but part of my Tolkien collection:

replica of Thranduil’s sword from the hobbit movies

a print of the two trees of Valinor and a print of the east shore of Valinor at sunset (both from red bubble)

a map of middle earth and beleriand

the Tolkien calendar

a foam replica of Sting

a portrait of Finrod

a crocheted version of Bofurs hat

A circlet that looks like Elronds from the hobbit

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outofangband · 27 days

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What were your dye/color thoughts?

In response to this beautiful art of Fingon by @welcomingdisaster

Some of my other dye posts: x, x

I was just thinking about the various plants and other materials that could be used to create blue dyes and where they could be found in Beleriand and Valinor (*according to Tolkien all species of plants and animals can be found in Valinor through the various gardens, the pastures of Yavanna, etc but I still have thoughts on where in Valinor)

Indigo plants would likely be the primary source of blue and purple dyes in Valinor.

It’s possible some seeds were brought to Beleriand either from Valinor or through trade with peoples East of the Ered Luin where it could also likely grow. It’s originally native to tropical and subtropical environments but has been naturalized in temperate climates as well. While it is unlikely to thrive in the colder regions such as Hithlum, it might be grown in Ossiriand, Nevrast or other warmer regions.

Woad, also known as dyer’s woad or dyer’s weed is more widely available in temperate regions and was likely a primary source of blue dyes in first age Beleriand. It grows in scrubland and could be found throughout Eastern Beleriand and parts of further south western Beleriand and possibly naturalized even further through trade. I imagine most humans in Beleriand would probably use this for blue dyes.

Dyer’s knotweed is another plant whose leaves have been used to create blue dyes. Given the climate it grows in, I would imagine it could be found in Dorthonion and northeastern Beleriand

There is also a mineral formed from iron called Vivianite which has been used to create blue pigments. I can see this being used particularly in Eastern Beleriand where deposits were likely more accessible or through trade with dwarven groups in the Ered Luin.

I like to think of this being used in Himring and Thargelion.

Finally, Sarcodon squamosus is notable for being the only mushroom species that we currently know of that can create a true blue dye. It’s found primarily in Pine Forest, so this is another possibility for some thing that could’ve been found in Dorthonion as well as possibly some montane forest throughout the continent. We know that the elves generally did not eat mushrooms although I don’t know if I necessarily wanna go with that is Canon and it’s from the nature of middle earth however, they could’ve still used them for non-food materials. I have a lot of thoughts on the Bëorians and dyeing which comes up here again

Note: Murex snails have historically been used to create royal purple and hyacinth 🪻 blue however I do not believe they would be widely used by the elves as production involves either harming or destroying the animals in large numbers. It takes an inordinate amount of these snails to extract even a tiny amount of the dye. It is possible to extract small quantities of the substance (a mucous secreted by the snail when aggravated) without causing it harm so some seafaring elves like the Teleri might use it, I really enjoy the possibilities of the Teleri using venoms from various sea creatures….

Anyways, I really love world building so if anyone wants to hear about all the possibilities for another color or any other questions, let me know!

#the silmarillion #musing and meta #beleriand #Valinor

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cocogrrrl · 10 months

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daisies

you find yourself growing close and eventually developing feelings for kenny—a guy you met at a party. you develop hanahaki because of it as well. now, what are you gonna do?

kenny x implied fem!reader but with they/them pronouns (hanahaki au) cw: n/a, just angsty wc: 5064

an: this is part of an sp au where different versions of the reader has hanahaki and is in love with the main three! read the other two parts here!

Hanahaki is a disease something that affects many daily. From a small seed in your lungs, you’ll experience petals and flowers coming out from your mouth. It could take days, weeks, months, or even years to develop. Many hypothesize that it happens because of a love not returned, a love waiting on a bench.

Fortunately, it isn’t something that everyone will experience in their lifetime, although it is common. For those who catch the illness, you only have a few choices to pick from.

First, the sickness doesn’t last because the affection is returned. Many of those who survive this still need to receive medical attention for the healing process, depending on how severe the sickness had become. Many of these people who experience this are bound to live a happy life, though.

Second, you undergo a safe medical procedure that, while cures you, makes you devoid of any sense of love anymore. These operations usually do not pose many health risks, and the survival rate is high.

Lastly, you could just bear the pain, although you will suffocate to death.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

You’re in your junior year right now. It’s been a few months since you moved to South Park. You moved over the summer, and now you were a month or two into classes.

The people here were often hit or miss. Rarely some of them hit, like your close friend Wendy, but there were a lot of other people that missed, like a decent population of the town.

You would say that you were adjusting to the place just fine. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t perfect as well. You could handle this place. It felt new and exciting, frankly.

Now, you were preparing for a house party at Tolkien’s. You didn’t know him that well, but you shared some classes with him, and he seemed like a pretty normal guy. Funnily enough, he might be the most normal guy here, even if he was better off financially than most people here.

Wendy was going to pick you up anytime right now, so you sat nearby your door waiting for her. Honestly, you thought she was going to be picked up by her girlfriend, Bebe, but she told you that Bebe had to pick up her friends Red, Lola, and Jenny.

You heard your phone ring as your doorbell did too. It must be Wendy. You opened the door and were greeted by a big hug.

“Hey, YN!” She beamed as she eyed your outfit up and down. “You look amazing! Where’d you get the shoes?”

“Oh, I thrifted it, actually.”

“Woah, we should go do that some time! I’d love to thrift with you.” She said as you walked out the door, double-checking your keys and locking the knob. “It’s great for the environment, plus you might already know some great thrift areas here.”

As you two got in the car, you continued chatting. Be it about music, art, poetry, and of the like, the ride was never quiet. Although you were a relatively approachable person, you didn’t talk a lot. With Wendy, it was the opposite. You found yourself going on long tangents and ranting as she listened happily.

“Really? Edgar Allan Poe?” Wendy mused. She was intrigued by your fascination with the writer during your middle school years. According to her, you didn’t seem like the type of person to enjoy his work.

“Yeah,” you sighed, chuckling at her bewilderment. “I mean, you don’t strike me as an Oscar Wilde enjoyer either.”

“What can I say? I like the simplicity and beauty of his writing.”

“Well, I like Poe’s use of imagery and dark themes.” Like dark and light were you two sometimes. Two sides of the same coin, yet somehow complete opposites.

“We’re here, by the way,” she said as she pulled up by the sidewalk of Tolkien’s house.

“Alright,” you replied, unbuckling your seatbelt as you exited the car.

Though it was just 9 PM, the place was already packed. The place somewhat reeked the smell of weed and alcohol already, and bright, colorful lights swayed and flashed nearly everywhere. Music was blaring, and peoples’ chatters filled the room and blasted your ears. It was an overwhelming atmosphere. You had been there for just 10 minutes, and you already felt like you were about to pass out.

“Hey, Bebe’s already here, so I’m just gonna say hi to then I’ll show you around.” She smiled at you. You answered with a nod, and she headed away in a dash. To keep your head above water, you decided to stand in the middle of a hallway, where it was a lot more quiet—just to ground yourself.

You were leaning back against the wall, minding your own business and calming down from the mess that was earlier. Needless to say, you were overwhelmed.

“Well, I haven’t seen you here,” A voice spoke in front of you. Immediately, you snapped your head up to see who it was. You were confronted with a taller guy sporting a dirty blonde mullet. He didn’t look shabby. No, not at all.

“Are you new here?” He smiled, casually bringing out his hand out for a handshake.

“Well, I’ve been here for a few months already.” You hesitantly shook his hand.

“Then why haven’t I seen a pretty face like yours around here?” You wanted to cringe, but you also wanted to be polite. You were intrigued as well, though. You’ve never been approached like this.

“I, unfortunately, do not go out a lot.” You sighed.

“Hmm… But you seem really familiar.” He paused, deep in thought. “Oh! You’re YN from English class, yeah?”

“You just noticed right now?” You raised a brow, giggling at his slowness.

“Well, sorry, we’ve only had school for a month, and I skip most of my classes. Forgive me if I’m a little slow.” He lightheartedly joked. “Do you know who I am, though?”

“Some guy from my English class, I’d assume.”

“Ouch. A cute person doesn’t know I exist. Ahhh, it hurts.” He placed his hands over his chest, acting as if he was having a heart attack. “The only cure is a kiss on the lips.” He said, fluttering his eyelashes.

“You’re desperate.” You rolled your eyes. “I’m not saving you.”

“On the cheeks?”

“Still no.”

“On the hand?”

“Nope.”

“Anything!” He placed the back of his hand on his forehead. “Woe is me, dearest YN!”

“Do you want my number?” You chuckled, pitying him a little bit. While he does seem a little weird, he was definitely an interesting and fun person to be around. You just have to keep your distance, you figured.

“Why thank you, great YN!” He said, handing you his phone. You chuckled, feeling a little bit embarrassed for him. You put in his number and handed it back to him. He sent a ‘hi’ on his phone, and you heard your phone ring with his number on it. “I’m Kenny if you don’t already know.”

“Huh, nice to meet you then.” You smiled at him—just to be polite, though. “I’m guessing you’ve already had a lot to drink.” You said, smelling the booze and weed off of him. His scent was the entire party.

“You know it, baby.” He winked at you before turning on his heel to head back to the main area of the place. “I’ll see you in English, YN. Byeeeee!” He waved.

You waved back, knowing he wouldn’t turn back to look at you anyways. You didn’t know why, but you seemed to like the guy’s presence. It felt inviting, unlike a lot of the people you’ve met here so far.

“YN!” You hear a voice call you out from the end of the hallway. It was Wendy with Bebe trailing right behind her. “There you are! I’ve been looking around the whole place for you.” She said, grabbing your shoulder.

“Ahh, sorry, Wends.” You apologized, feeling a little guilty for not telling Wendy where you were. “I was overwhelmed by the place, so I needed to find some place a little quieter…”

“That’s alright! You shouldn’t apologize for making yourself comfortable.” She patted your back. “Now let me show you around,” she said, whisking you away from one of the only quiet areas in the mansion.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

That night was a blast. You didn’t drink too much, but you had enough to get you a lot more chattier than usual. Besides Kenny, whom you did not tell Wendy about yet, you met three new people! They were of the names Tweek, Craig, and Jimmy. Tolkien was a part of their friend group, but you couldn’t say hi to him since he was plenty busy getting more ice for everyone.

You also remembered meeting Kenny’s friends last night. Stan, Kyle, and Cartman. You were only really well acquainted with Kyle. You’ve talked to him a few times outside academic matters, so you’ve come to learn that he had a boyfriend, which was the other guy mentioned earlier—Stan, who also happened to be Wendy’s boyfriend for a while.

All this history between a few people interested you, but it also kind of hit you like a truck. This town was built on years of people with deep connections. You had just moved in, and many of these people probably didn’t want you in your group, seeing how they’re comfortable and happy in their cliques. This made you upset at first, but then you realized you were happy to know that there were people who accepted you into their lives wholeheartedly.

You were recalling the events of last night, remembering that Kenny had approached you once more that night.

“So, how are you liking South Park, pretty?” He slid beside you on the couch. Wendy was currently getting drinks for the two of you, so she was currently occupied in the kitchen right now. “Is it good? Bad? I know it's sometimes pretty batshit weird here, but you just gotta trust me when I say-”

“I think I need more time to fully grapple with a single opinion on this place,” you answered, feeling a little dizzy from the alcohol. You didn’t realize it, but you laid your head on his shoulder as you spoke. “There’s a whole lot of niche people in this town. At least that means I can explore it from different angles.”

“Huh…” Kenny didn’t seem to be at all fazed by your touch. In fact, he indulged in it, even going so far as to pat your head. “That’s a very positive outlook—compared to all the other ones I’ve heard from here. I like that.” Really, yours was probably one of the most cheerful views among the town full of negative minds.

“Haha, thanks. You were kinda weird at first, I’ll be honest. Like, earlier in the hallway.” Your bluntness from being tipsy served you an appreciative comment from Kenny, but maybe not anymore. “I think I like you, though, Kenny, or at least I think I will.” You said mindlessly.

“Oh, really? What’ll make you really like me then?” He asked lightheartedly, expecting a dry reply from you.

You leaned back on the couch, removing yourself from the comfort of Kenny’s shoulder, as you looked at Tolkien’s ceiling to think. “Go to class more. If you do, maybe I can get to know you better.”

There was a quiet between you. All Kenny did was nod. While the party was booming and more live than ever, you were up in your little world enjoying the feeling of the alcohol pumping through your body.

That silence was disturbed when Wendy came back and handed your drinks. “Kenny? What are you doing here?” She asked. For a moment, you could tell she seemed slightly annoyed by his presence, but you didn’t ask her about it—not wanting to press on any possible wounds.

“I was just giving them some company.” He said, getting up from the couch. You felt the couch gently rise back to, what you could assume, was its normal state. “I’ll get out of your hair now. See you, YN.” He winked at you as he walked off.

How did you feel about the whole thing? A little weary because of how agitated Wendy seemed when she saw you two beside each other. Of course, it was more logical to trust your close friend over someone you just met. You just wondered why she didn’t like him.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

It was the day after the party. You were in your first subject—English class—and most of the students were absolutely hammered—including you. That didn’t matter, though. You had a blast that night, and you were sure that all the fun you had was worth it.

While waiting for your teacher to come, heard a crash by the front of the classroom. Curious, you looked up, and, to everyone’s surprise, it was Kenny. He scanned the classroom for empty seats and took the one next to you.

“Hey, angel face.” He winked at you. You rolled your eyes and quietly waved at him. Maybe the party brought some bad things as well. It’s not that you hated Kenny, but it’s just that you didn’t want to be flirted with nonstop.

You were currently just doodling in your notebook whatever you thought. Some scribbled-out lyrics and quotes here, some drawings there. “I thought you skipped school often. What happened?”

“I wanted to see you,” he answered, leaning his head on his palm as he watched you write away. He took a glance and saw your notebook. “Hey, is that Bocchi?” He said, pointing to a little sketch you indeed made of the character earlier.

“Yeah,” you said, surprised he knew who it was. Although, you were a little weary of the type of fan he was. “You’ve seen Bocchi the Rock?” You turned your head to him as you dropped your pen, your interest in him being piqued.

Now you’ve certainly got him excited. He lifted his head from his palm and leaned in closer to you. “I recently binged the show with Stan.”

Maybe this was a chance for you to know him outside of the flirty names. You decided to start somewhere simple. “Who’s your favorite character?”

“Hmm…” He sat there, thinking for a split second. “If we’re talking about the people in the band, Ryo, I think. If we’re talking about all of the characters, definitely the drunk bassist girl. She’s cool.”

“Kikuri?” He nodded. “Well, I can’t say I’m too surprised to know that she’s your favorite.” You chuckled.

“Huh? What does that mean?”

You hummed teasingly, continuing to draw in your sketchbook. He kept asking, but you kept prancing over the answer lightheartedly. This wouldn’t go on for long, though, since the class was about to start.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

The whole week was honestly a blast. You and Kenny bonded over your love for animation. You spent time at his place, he spent time at yours, and you two endlessly watched and rewatched a bunch of movies and shows.

He wasn’t much of an artist, but he did have a huge appreciation for animation and art in general. He told you once that it was his little sister who actually sparked his interest in the medium. You found it endearing.

Asides from that, you realized you two were becoming closer. He wasn’t as cheesy as you initially thought, but it was still definitely there nonetheless. Under the surface of pet names and bad pick-up lines was a genuinely positive and charismatic guy underneath all that.

I don’t know, you found him fun to be with, and you were looking to be friends with more people here. Kenny seemed to fill in that role. He seemed like someone you trusted, seeing how you’d already been to each others’ houses. You two grew close, needless to say.

“YN, can I tell you something?” Wendy’s voice snapped you out of thought. You were currently in her room with her and Bebe. She invited you first, and you said no because you thought you’d be intruding on the couples’ time alone, but she insisted for some reason.

“What is it, Wends?”

“Well,” she nervously trailed off. “I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with Kenny, and while that’s great and all, I need you to know the person he actually is…”

“What do you mean by that?” You replied, a little confused.

“He’s,” she paused, seemingly hesitant to continue. “He’s kinda known to go around flirting with other people.”

“Alright, and?” Now you were confused. Sure, you enjoyed Kenny’s company, but you weren’t entitled to it. “I don’t like like him, Wendy.”

“That may be true, but I’m just looking out for you, okay? Whether you like him or not, I want you to know the type of person he is so you’re aware of the type of people you surround yourself around.”

Wendy made sense, though. Maybe he was a bad person, maybe he wasn’t. Should you start distancing yourself from him? You didn’t want to, definitely, but should you? Could you? You didn’t quite know what to do. You really enjoyed his presence. It felt easy being around him. You felt like you could be yourself around him. Wendy too—no questions asked—but you couldn’t just also rely on her forever. You had to grow at some point.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

That night, you were deep in thought about what Wendy said. Was it even important anyways? Or did you just have nothing to think about? You weren’t sure. You were slumped against the bed, thinking about your choices.

Something caught you off guard, though. You felt something stuck in your throat. You gagged on it, scared of the feeling. Once you got it out, you looked at what it was—a daisy? Why, when, and how on Earth would you have swallowed an entire flower whole?

The next few minutes were wash, rinse, and repeat as more flowers bubbled up your throat and out your mouth. You were terrified, to say the least. Did you eat a daisy seed, and it grew in your stomach? Were you about to turn into one big flower?

There was no way you were telling this to anyone, though, not until you find out what it is. You looked up your symptoms and saw the diagnosis exactly aligned with what was happening to you right now—Hanahaki Disease.

Before you got in bed, though, you continued to look into it a bit more. So, your choices were either to confess, to get surgery, or to let it consume you. Yeah, you wanted to avoid the first two as much as possible.

That all lead up to the question of who was it you had a crush on? You sat there, a little confused. You skimmed through your options until it hit you—it was probably Kenny. Was this what Wendy was warning you about? Chancefully and quite likely as well.

You would just have to wait for tomorrow and see.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

Your first subject was English once more. You were currently wearing a mask, just in case you coughed and didn’t catch a petal or flower. You sat in your usual seat, scribbling away in your notebook.

“What’s with the mask, YN? Trying to be edgy or something?” Kenny said from behind you. After that, he took his place beside you.

“I’m actually sick, thank you very much.”

“Oh, well, get soon then.” He casually said, patting your head. “There’s an outdoor cinema showing tonight. I think they’re showing Fantastic Mr. Fox. You wanna go?”

“We just watched that a few days ago.”

“Who says we can’t watch it again?”

You hummed, finding yourself agreeing with him.

You were interrupted by a string of coughs, feeling the many flowers rise. Last night and earlier this morning, they weren’t too bad, yet why now did it seemingly amplify? You excused yourself to the bathroom just to get rid of the flowers, still trying to process the pattern of your flowers’ frequency.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

A little later, it was now lunch. Your mom had packed you some food, so you were by the bleachers of the field watching Wendy and Bebe practice for their upcoming cheer competition.

In your peripherals, you saw Kenny hanging out with a girl. You didn’t pay too much mind to it. I mean, who are you to judge him for having friends? Yet Wendy’s comment from last night seemed to have popped into your head. Should you really be wary of him?

Well, you did have another clue as to what to do as you saw Kenny get closer to the girl. Probably a bit too close for it to be considered friendly. You were confused, though—he never told you about him having a girlfriend. Perhaps Wendy was right.

You felt your throat closing on you again as you started to cough violently. This was the second time today you had flowers sprouting more violently than usual. You sighed, already exhausted from this disease, as you leaned back on the seat behind you.

Seeing how Kenny may or may not have a girlfriend, you began to rethink your choices. You most probably did start to like him, but what are you gonna do about it? Would it be best to confess, or is surgery—and even death—the answer?

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

“Are you ready for our date?” Kenny winked, pulling you out of the door by the arm. You found yourself blushing at his statement.

“Not really, but that is a very bold question to greet me with. I’ll give you that.” You hummed, letting go of his hand that was attached to your arm.

Your night with Kenny was fun. It wasn’t fancy or anything, but it was a very cozy night. You remember it in flashes. From takeout in 7/11 to the actual movie itself, it felt like there was a blurred line between romance and platonic. For you, at least.

You could recall many moments that night where you stared off at Kenny instead, telling yourself ‘You know, I think I’m okay with liking this guy.’ You fully accepted that you liked him.

You remember that, at one point, you were lost in his eyes. Your jaw was slightly agape, your eyes were off in the distance, and you were just focused on him. You hated how smitten he got you in a week or less, yet you also really liked spending time with him. The blame is probably on you.

You could just sit there and stare at him, though. You lost his appearance. The way his hair was always unkempt, the way he was so careless in his outfits yet so stylish, the way freckles littered all over his body, the way you noted the small gap in his front teeth whenever he smiled at you, the way his fingers seem so calloused. You were lost in it all.

“YN?” He called. “YN!” He shooked your body, not with too much force—just enough to snap you back into reality.

“Ah, sorry,” you apologized, shaking your head. “What were you saying?”

“The movie was fun, right?” For a moment, you could’ve sworn that there was a glint of worry in his eyes. Like your opinion actually mattered. You were probably just making things up, though.

“Of course. I mean, it’s not called Fantastic Mr. Fox for nothing, right?” You gave a comforting smile at him, in case by the off-chance what your eyes saw in his was right.

Maybe you were right cause you saw him beam after that. “You’re right. That final fight sequence where there are explosions and stuff will always get me.” He happily taped on the steering wheel of his extremely worn-out car. “You wanna go somewhere else right now, princess?”

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

Eventually, you knew you had to tell Wendy all about this, though.

“Wendy, I have Hanahaki, and I think it’s because I like—”

“Kenny?” You nodded. “What did I tell you?”

You sighed. It was a few days after your little outing with Kenny. You felt guilty. You should’ve listened to Wendy and gotten away before you had the chance. “Yeah, I’m sorry. You can’t fully blame me, though. I never thought I would like Kenny.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry for being harsh about him.” She pouted, rubbing your back as you buried your face in your hands. “What are you gonna do about it anyway?”

“I wanna try confessing, but I have my doubts. I mean, you’ve seen him with other girls, right?” She nodded. “If ever it doesn’t work, I’m not quite sure what to do…”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure things’ll work out for you.” She smiled hopefully at you. These were not the type of situations it’s easy to maintain hope, but definitely, you knew you could be alright for now as long as you keep your head above water.

“Thanks, Wends.”

“Of course, YN.”

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

A week went by. You were trying to build up the courage to tell him, but every time you did you were often greeted by someone talking to him first. It was either that or you were too ashamed to show your face to him anymore. You began to keep to yourself instead.

It couldn’t last like this forever, though, at some point, you did have to see some results appear. Kenny was starting to message you more often, and you could feel the worry from his messages. All this for someone you’ve only known for like two weeks?

It was either go all in or go with nothing. Seeing how your life was on the line, you decided it was probably best to confront him. You even asked Wendy about it, to which she was kinda annoyed with how you had even spaced yourself away from him. Thinking about it now, it was kinda stupid.

You called him up on the phone reluctantly. Luckily for you, he answered.

“Hey, Kenny?” You said, your voice much raspier over the week.

“What’s up, YN?” There was a hint of concern in his voice. You had been dodging him a lot recently—it was only right of him to worry.

“Are you busy right now?”

“No, not really. How come?”

“I can’t explain right now.” Your hands were shaking over the phone. Your chest was filling up with nervousness. “Can you meet me behind the school? Like, right now?”

“Alright.”

Minutes later, you found yourself playing with your hands on your lap. With every passing minute, flowers bloomed more and more out of your chest. Before Kenny could arrive, you tried to pull them all out of your mouth.

“What’s the problem, YN?” Kenny suddenly appeared by your side as he slid on the bench you sat on. The distress on his face was greater than you could possibly imagine. To be honest, you felt really guilty for making him feel this way.

“I like you, Kenny.” You said. Straight to the point, easy, quick. Painless, like ripping a bandaid off a wound. The question is if it’ll sting right after.

“I know,” was all he said.

“Huh?” You were confused. How could he possibly have known? Were you just that obvious? “Kenny, I like you a lot. Like, romantically.” You sighed, shaking your head.

Quiet was all you heard. This was new, at least for you. It would always be a little noisy whenever you were with him.

When you looked up at him, you could only see him staring at you, mouth agape like you on that one night. Not in a way that he was astonished by you, no, in a way where he was shocked.

You might as well explain everything while you’re at it. “I developed Hanahaki because of it, and I saw how close you were with others a lot.” You left out the part Wendy told you to stray away intentionally, not wanting him to be offended or anything. “I figured why even try to confess if it seemed like you were going to reject me anyway?”

“What made you confess, then?”

“I knew had to stay alive, and I had to face the fact that you were my only hope.”

He wrapped your arms around you in a comforting hug. You assumed the worst with his silence. You assumed that he didn’t like you. You felt the flowers in your chest push themselves out of you. You hunched over, detaching yourself from his embrace, coughing violently as flowers slipped out of your mouth.

He patted your back, and, before you could realize it, you started to cry. Was this it for you? Your life is at its end because a guy flirted with you at a party? That’s so stupid.

He noticed your tears, though, and he pulled your hair behind your ear. “Why are you crying, princess?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You don’t like me, and now I have to decide what horrible fate I have to put myself through!” You felt guilty for putting the blame on him, but you were scared. What the fuck were you going to do now?

“Woah, there.” He suddenly stopped you, pulling you up from your slumped position. “Who said I didn’t like you?”

You paused right then and there. For that very moment, all flowers growing in your chest and all tears threatening to pour had stopped. “Huh?”

“I like you too, YN. Ever since.” He chuckled at your dumbfoundedness, pulling you into another hug.

“You didn’t say it, though!”

“Were all the pet names and, quote-unquote, ‘dates’ I took you to not obvious enough?”

“I thought you were like that to everyone else…”

“Sure, but that was before.” He sighed, shaking his head as he laughed. “I thought you were a really pretty thing at first when I met you at that party, YN. It was shallow, I know, but our conversation later that night really sparked my interest in you. I’ve liked you ever since.”

“But the girls…”

“I was asking them for advice.” He smacked his lips. “I just never went through with them because I noticed you were distancing yourself away from me. I thought you were, like, trying to subtly say you didn’t like me anymore—or even at all.”

“Kenny,” you hummed against his chest.

“Yeah?”

“I’m so sorry. Thank you very much.” You whispered against his chest.

“Always and forever, pretty.”

#south park fanfiction #south park x reader #kenny x reader #kenny mccormick x reader #kenny mccormick x y/n #kenny mccormick x you #cocogrrrl's writing #cocogrrrl's hanahaki series

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astrovian · 1 year

Text

Richard Armitage on playing Thorin Oakenshield for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles

The first meeting I had with Peter, Fran and Phillipa was the casting. I was given a scene to read that was actually a construct - it wasn't from the book. It was at this point that I became really excited by the idea, that the book was going to be the backbone of a much more fleshed out, well-rounded story. The scene they gave me to read was Thorin talking to Balin about who the Dwarves had once been, what they had become, why the Wizard had come to him with the map and the key, but that he didn't feel he had the strength to do this. In one scene, the writers had captured exactly what his character was all about - his dreams, his regrets, his insecurities, and his power.

Throughout the filming process, I was able to bounce my ideas around our forum. Often, ideas would spring from drafts of scenes being 'workshopped', or in progress. As we all grew to know and understand Thorin, the collaboration became easier. The way the character looked was very much in Peter, Fran and Philippa's hands; the way he moved, spoke, and delivered the ideas on the page were mine and Tolkien's. I was inspired very much by a particular pencil sketch of John Howe's, particularly the hands, eyes and nose. I felt they weren't dissimilar to my own. There was also a gentle, pensive attitude in the picture which I hadn't seen in Tolkien. It gave me a useful colour to paint with.

The most exciting part of collaboration though, isn't when one sits down to negotiate for ideas to make it into the script or film, but when they appear in the script at the very moment when they are desired. This happened a lot. This is when I felt we were all in tune. The lines never had to be learned. I suppose Peter, Fran and Philippa were hearing my voice when they wrote a scene - another great compliment - and when imagining that scene, I was in tune with the flavour of neo-classicism that I felt our writers were enjoying: the Dwarf kingdoms felt like the great Roman empires, and the literature and philosophical ideas were in line with Greek tragedy, at times Shakespearean. I felt that it was appropriate to allow myself to wander down that path, after all Thorin was heading for a kind of megalomaniacal insanity, which is a difficult thing to play without embracing that 'full throttle' style of art.

I always imagine chracters who are defined by their history. If it's not there than I will inevitably construct a detailed biography. For Thorin this was very easy as Tolkien had given so much material to us through various other sources in his literature, but I still needed to investigate a more domestic biography; 'What do Thorin and Dwalin "chew the fat about"?' or, 'What was Thorin's relationship with his sister Dís like?' I felt that might inform how Fili and Kili would feature in Thorin's life.

The difficulty with Thorin is that he enters the story on the edge of failure, but with everything to win. I remember thinking when I first read the scene for the casting, that here was a character who felt like a dying ember, yet with the energy and hope to reignite into the furnace that once powered this great warrior. But, he has all the potential to fail.

I connect personally with that last sentiment. I was never really sure if I could pull this role off; I felt secretly that many others also felt the same and it's one of the reasons I could never sit down on set (I am a pacer, apparently). I could never rest.

Thorin is the same . He hasn't slept easily in his bed since the Dragon expelled them from Erebor. Thorin's grandfather went mad and his father disappeared a year ago to the day when the Quest begins. The desire for revenge upon Smaug and also on Azog, who beheaded his grandfather, has been bequeathed to him. That's a huge burden to carry, and one that can't be shared.

The glory of returning his people to their homeland is also in the mix, along with the personal revenge on the slaughter of his family. Also, buried deep inside of Thorin is a dormant lust for gold, a lust inherited from the line of Durin, and just as the Dragon who will be woken when the King returns to the Mountain, so too that dormant illness inside of Thorin will awake. He knows this and he fears it.

So really, the 'engine' which brings Thorin to lead his fellow Dwarves to their destiny is fuelled by the past but is 'front wheel' driven, towards their future, their destiny, their prophecy. It's a great place to imagine a character because they are always in flux, pulled towards something, which they fear, springing from a rage-fuelled past.

#richard armitage #the hobbit #hobbit #thorin #thorin oakenshield

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hwestalas · 8 days

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Glowing Elf, Part 1

Wanna see the very first piece of Tolkien fan art I ever drew?

This is the scene in FotR (chapter "Flight to the Ford") where Aragorn rushes down to the road to meet Glorfindel:

I learned a lot. For one thing, it was the first drawing in the notepad, and I had accidentally done it upside-down. More pertinently, however, I realized that it's hard to draw details when one zooms the perspective way out.

Armed with this knowledge, I tried again a few days later, being careful to put the notepad upright and to zoom much further in. To make the latter simpler to pull off, I set the drawing a few minutes later, after the initial greeting, when Aragorn beckons the Hobbits to come meet Glorfindel.

I learned three more things: 1) shadows aren't actually jet black, 2) it's hard to lighten black colored pencil after you've drawn darkly with it, and 3) it's surprisingly tricky to make a glowing, golden-haired Elf-lord look both graceful and masculine. I fear that I failed, at least partially.

On the upside, this remains one of my favorite depictions I've made of Aragorn, I enjoyed trying to make a glowy special effect by making the ground around Glorfindel brighter instead of dimmer, and my failure in Elven depiction taught me how to do better in the future! Anyway, without further ado...

POV, you are Hobbit:

At the time, I was under the impression that Elves tended to be a little shorter than humans. I have updated my opinion. Still, Aragorn was very tall, probably more so than most Third Age Elves. But now that I've read the Silmarillion (and various internet rumors about deeper recesses of the legendarium), I have an inkling of the stupendous stature of those First Age legends. If I ever re-draw this particular scene, methinks I shall not merely erase, but reverse the height difference.

("Methinks" is courtesy of Robin Hood. On Thursday, I rediscovered the joys of reading about him before bedtime.)

Explanation of the upper picture:

The purple stuff is heather, and the brown clumps are bilberry brushwood, drawn to the best of my no doubt inadequate knowledge; Aragorn is the awkward figure near the center; Glorfindel is the blue-cloaked golden-haired figure running up toward him; the Hobbits and Bill the Pony are huddled in the upper left corner behind the bushes; and Asfaloth's front half can be scene on the brown road at the lower right corner.

#aragorn #glorfindel #lord of the rings #the fellowship of the ring #hobbits (barely)#fanart #my art #amature #tolkien elves #heathers #sorry about all the text rambling #I just felt like it was pertinent

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emrys-rusts · 26 days

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HIHI BRAND NEW MUTIE!!!! YOU INTERACTED WITH MY POST SO I GOT MY SILLY QUESTIONS :))):

Obscure Fadom(s) you need to talk about

That song that you have a mental break down to and then kill a man to in the same day

Why are you so cool?

Something in your immediate vicinity that would look so much better if it was bedazzled

Favorite type of tit

Your favorite thing you've ever created (meme, art, writing piece, ect.)

Character you would love to kiss (romantically or platonically)

Person you want to meet so badly, alive or dead

Favorite meme ever (I would ask vine but some people don't even know what vine is)

Food you would currently devour of placed in frontof you

Favorite weather in detail

Hyper specific color appreciation

HII AND YEAH, I LOVE ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND OVERSHARING <3 makes me feel like a special little boy :]

Obscure fandoms I need to talk about:

Okay, so this is a bit difficult to answer, as I have a LOT of interests. I'd say the most obscure ones to most people would be russian classical literature, specificly the brothers karamazov by fyodor dostoevsky! I've read that book when I was 14 and it has never left my soul since. It marks an integral part of me as I continue to grow and find other interests that define me. Overall it'd be classical literature, and adding to that I'd say..sci-fi horror? Is that a genre? I just LOVE expressive gore and psychological torment, and if I apply that to anything fantasy and the 80s (which is also a recent interest-box of mine that includes a bunch if stuff I love) i guess a vibe starts to form..eldritch horrors? I guess?...BUT I think none of that is as obscure as my interest in The Mechanisms at the moment, I am being COMPLETELY sucked in, that and tma are just somehow perfect for me, and very comforting..It's tough at the moment, and they serve as good scapegoats for my anxiety, and offer comfort as well :) HUH so I think I got a bit side-tracked, other than that there is just interest in the history of human culture, including arts, linguistics, and probably the history of medicine (and just how horrificly unsafe the practise used to be). None of these are fandoms but they include a wide range of fandoms for me!

The song I have a mental breakdown to and kill a man for

OKAY SO, AGAIN, PROBABLY A LONG ANSWER-

Currently? I'd say lullaby and homesick by Dr.Carmilla - Exhumed & (Un)plugged.

https://youtu.be/lldnep2m2Bo?si=rbf2xP687lcp3HyQ

https://youtu.be/lLo0XpXU5GA?si=Xqmgk0L0dVNTsM9e

sweet sweet jonny and carmilla angst...jonny and carmilla parallels my love, I am thinking of you non stop...oh you are so drawable...

I'd also add Lost In The Cosmos Lonely by The Mechanisms!

youtube

It tugs at my heartstrings and rips open my veins, and I scream and cry into the vast void of bitter and cold nothingness. I cry everytime. The serene tone is so good and the song resonates with me deeply. I'd even go as far as to say that it is my favorite mechanisms song..

Other than that I'd add three more songs, Trees and Flowers by Strawberry Switchblade, and both Love, Me Normally and Against the Kitchen Floor by Will Wood. They connect to my soul.

Why am I so cool?

Well, I never take a proper coat with me outside especially when it's chilly. Do I have a coat that fits my style? Absolutely. Do I still want everyone to see how many belts I can put on my person? Without a question.

Something in my vicinity that would look better if bedazzled

I'd say my wall! My room has an in built second floor where my sister used to sleep before she moved to another one, and whilst the lower floor is littered with artworks and two tolkien maps and all my books, I'd like to decorate the walls up here with some posters of my favorite bands, some character shrines, you know the like :) also the washing machine needs to go

Your favorite type of tit

You evil little shrinklings already know the answer to that one. But..I shall indulge I guess..

*shakily inhales* Drumtit.

*everyone cheers*

My favorite creation

If I was Dr. Carmilla or Frankenstein I'd say a child, but as of now, it must be my two of hearts digital artwork where they kiss in all sorts of ways :) I am genuenly very proud of that one. I have some difficulty loving my art, it's probably a self worth thing haha. I also love my patched jacket, but it stinks by now and I'm scared to wash it

Character I would love to kiss

I'm ace but I do kiss romanticly when I ship them with a character I project onto

Jonny d'Ville (platonicly) (I project a LOT), Drumbot Brian (romanticly), Martin Blackwood (platonicly), jonathan sims (romanticly/platonicly), michael shelly/distortion (platonicly), gerry keay (romanticly), both gunpowder tim and tim stoker (platonicly), any of the mechs really (platonicly), not sure about carmilla yet, but a reluctant hug, pavel karamazov/smerdyakov (platonicly), any of the karamazov brothers (platonicly) I'm gonna stop here but yeah :]

Person I'd want to meet so badly (alive or dead)

Well if it comes to people I look up to then that'd include david tennant, jonny sims and ethan becker. If you read this, no you don't. But yes they inspire me greatly to keep going and do what I love doing. I'm very passionate about stories and story telling, wether delivered, written or visual :)♡

Then there are, of course, my online mutuals (@cryptile and @drdrizzey ) and some of my old discord pals over on the russian literature server! Haven't been there in a long while but a meeting would be nice!

Favorite meme/vine EVER!!

I KNOW WHAT VINE IS!! I WAS BORN IN 2006 I'M ONE OF THE LAST ONES!!

I love so many vines pls I'm having difficulty choosing, but I did make a couple of vine compilations on my youtube account (needs updating btw-)

youtube

Other than that..

Food I would currently devour

Jonny and Brian making out, water

Favorite weather (in detail)

When it's warm, not too hot and not too cold, and there is a slight breeze in the air that sometimes gets a bit stronger so that it can sweep up some leaves and branches to make that crackling sound on the asphalt I am walking on, but it's never strong enough to tussle my hair or anything. The sun isnt too bright and you can smell a far away waft of rain. You can enjoy the chill a bit when you pull of your cardigan. Not many people around. And I also love it when the sun is out but it rains slightly. Very damp but in a comfortable way :)

Specific colour appreciation

Warm colours!! Musty, dusty colours that have bits of tone sharpness within but overall present the image of a lived in eastern european apartment from the 19th century. Probably on the scale of yellow I'd say

Thank you for the asks, it was really fun♡

#asks #answer #fyodor dostoevsky #russian literature #the brothers karamazov #the mechanisms #pavel karamazov #jonny d'ville #personal post

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swearyshera · 8 months

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Advance apology for the long ask in a likely sea of 'em. A lot of people talk about wishing they could experience something they love again for the first time, this series was genuinely as close to that as I've ever felt. Just given the span of time my attention flucuated on and off but once the latter half of s4/s5 began my attention was absolutely nailed to your feed. Its up with Dragon Ball Z Abridged as parody series that become so dramatically effective they become a valid or definitive way to experience the series. Goddamned sensational.

Your portrayals of the characters soar. They provide a hilarious, cruder take on each that still cuts right to the soul of who these people are and lays it bare, which I think is the mission of any good-natured parody. Adora, Catra, Glimmer, Scorpia, Bow, Prime etc. There is not one that does not shine. It tackled a ton of issues and misgivings I had about canon, and even elevated or clarified many scenes and arcs through addressing them a more direct fashion. You took full advantage of not having to dress up and dance around the dark subjects canon was sort of doomed to handle inadequately given its age bracket and thematic priorities. Many scenes were jawdropping. Ive raved about it before, but your scene with Glimmer actually talking about her mom with Catra still leaves me gobsmacked every time I reread it. Your big moments towards the finale btwn Adora and Catra are obviously sublime and tie their wonderful arc off fantastically, but in my heart of hearts that cell talk will be the crown jewel of this project. Loved seeing the LGBT message take center stage in way canon had to hold back. To paraphrase Tolkien, I'm can't count myself among those gifted people, and youve def got a target audience in mind, but if youve ever worried if your stories resonate on a quote unquote "more universal" level, I promise you can put those worries to bed. Since becoming an adult ive intentionally sought out more and more queer-inclusive/created stories and I havent regretted it a bit, and the rising tide of fascist sexist/homo/transphobic bile in politics gets more and more frightening. But I've also seen how strong and resilient LGBT people are in the face of it, empowering themselves in no small part thru stories like yours. Please don't ever give up on your art. The world needs artists like you. Sorry if I come off pretentious or condescending, I feel like that when I try to get everything I think out at once. I'll be among the first to come running if you ever start another project like this or make something on an even grander scale. Thank you a thousand times for this. Also writing a wholeass sitcom pilot based on an offhand quasi-joke I made is the most weirdly touching thing I think anyones ever done "for me" (at least nominally cuz of me), especially a stranger. So thank you for that too.

Aw, you'll make me cry, you know! I think you've understood everything I wanted to do with this strip (or at least, when I started thinking beyond just 'characters saying fuck'), and... yeah, it's been an incredible journey, both for the blog and for me personally.

I've always tried to keep the parody good-natured. You can often tell, particularly in parody, when the creator dislikes one particular character (I mean, Horde Prime was probably the exception here), but I love all of them, so it really comes from a place of love. It's quite odd because I never set out to "fix" the show, and I wouldn't want to, but some things I've done seem to have had such an impact that a lot of people think I have done just that.

The Glimmer/Catra conversation is absolutely one of my favourite things I've written from this. It's such a pivotal moment in both their stories and character development, and I am truly humbled that multiple people have called it 'better than canon'. Like... I'm just some person trying to be funny and occasionally serious, and people are saying something I wrote is better than what a team of experienced professional writers did? Give over, no... But it's still a moment I can be proud of.

I won't be stopping writing things. This whole blog has given me a new lease of life and something to aim towards. I've got an excellent pilot script pretty much finished, and I do want to bring Hellspawn up to that standard too (thank you for suggesting someone make a Sweary Frosta sitcom - I'm someone!). That may well involve a complete re-write, but I'll be sure to share it.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your kind words along the way. It really keeps me going :)

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cuubism · 1 year

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If you don't mind me asking - what do you think Dream's attitude/reaction towards Tolkien's works (including the legendarium!) would be? (I'm asking a lot of Sandman bloggers this, because I'm extremely curious regarding your takes on this.)

oh! hang on i gotta brush up on my tolkien because i haven't actually read any of the books since like. 2011.

i guess my main thought would be about how dream missed like, 95% of his work when he was stuck in his Jar. my understanding (read: google search) is that tolkien was building up the mythology for his stories before 1916 (when dream was captured), but most of it was not finished/published until a while after.

(this became an insane and mostly unrelated rant i am so so sorry)

i think a lot about how much of his own... area of work and power dream missed when he was trapped. the 20th century, generally speaking, was a time of rapid growth in storytelling methods and media more generally. dream missed almost all of radio, particularly radio as it became a medium for stories. radio was invented in the late 1890s but didn't see a proper rise into a storytelling medium, rather than mainly a direct communication one, until around the 30s. so dream missed the creation and growth of the first, i guess you would call it, networked storytelling, and technological storytelling, and what was... probably? the biggest return to an auditory type of storytelling since the original oral tradition, folk tales, great epics etc, for radio at its peak of cultural relevance (at least in the US and probably the ""West"" more generally, alas i can't speak as knowledgeably for other parts of the world, obviously plenty of other parts of the world had radio in the early 20th century and onward, but i don't know much about its use as a fictional storytelling medium versus for news and government broadcasts. something to look into! part of why radio became such a medium in the usa was because of our rampant capitalism and commercialism lol, so less capitalistic places might have approached it differently - here, advertisers wanted to figure out a way to monetize radio better, but obviously people aren't going to just listen to hours of ads, so they packaged them around stories, live music performances, and variety shows. that's where soap operas as a form come from -- they were originally sponsored by soap companies! also serials, though of course books have also been serialized in the past. and sponsored radio programs also birthed the sort of episodic comedies that eventually evolved into the half hour TV comedies we know today)

which also means - as a direct result of missing radio, dream also missed the rise of television as a medium - it grew directly out of radio, even the big networks we know today, CBS, NBC, and ABC were originally radio networks. television has ended up being a huge change in visual storytelling, not only in its inception, but especially in its more recent years - it's probably the only long-form audiovisual storytelling medium, which is something that didn't really exist before. huge shift in storytelling possibilities. he also missed the development of comic books, and the internet, and the resulting increased accessibility of art and storytelling to both artists and art lovers. he missed an absolutely huge, HUGE shift in the democratization of art and the ability to share it. and, once again, the development of totally new methods of storytelling in the form of internet video! not to even mention the accessibility of MUSIC, music recording and sharing was still in its infancy when dream was imprisoned and now you can get, and make, and share pretty much any music imaginable! and the new genres! and the intermediality of everything and the cross-cultural awareness!

this is not even getting into the new ease of photography, or film, which was also relatively new in 1916. imagine going into a coma when there were only silent films, and waking up to everyone and their mother making tiktoks. the last film you saw was one of chaplin's or something and then you come back and see interstellar in imax 3d. i think i'd explode. (dream would love film, too, it's very dreamlike)

dream returning to the waking world in 2022 and immediately having the entirety of tiktok beamed directly into his head:

(another thing i think about a lot but won't get into because i'm already rambling - hob witnessing the entire development of accessible writing from the printing press to fucking social media. insanity. i want to pick his brain on it

what pushed hob over the edge, do you think. what's the one thing he saw written online that briefly made him regret ever getting involved in printing at all and wish everyone was illiterate again. it was not porn, btw, mr. monsterfucker gadling can handle anything, ok. no, it was something much worse...)

anyway. rambling over. this is all to say that i am not a tolkien expert and haven't read much of his stuff anywhere recently - though i was quite obsessed with it in middle/high school - so my main thought is in relation to dream getting cut off from all of these great stories. it must have been like, to put it flippantly, your favorite tv show getting cancelled halfway through after a cliffhanger XD. he has all these stories from great storytellers - tolkien included - storytellers who are building their whole own worlds in his realm, storytellers he's nurturing and supporting in his own way - and gets ripped away from them. and when he returns, they're all gone.

here's hoping someone who knows more about tolkien can give you an answer more specifically relevant to that. that's all i got for now 😂

#never get me started talking about media history. then again i kinda started myself on it this time #thanks for the ask! sorry for the lack of relevant answer lol #dream of the endless #tolkien #hamelin-born #ask #i think dream would actually like tiktok after he got over the sheer volume of existing content lol #like i feel like the endlessness and interconnectedness of the internet is similar to how it already feels in his mind #media history #belatedly thinking AGAIN about all the stuff dream missed like all of the cultural changes? the story genres? the new poetry and new style?#NEW ART MOVEMENTS? THE MOVEMENTS HE MISSED. DREAM MISSED FUCKING SURREALISM THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE IT WAS LITERALLY INSPIRED BY HIM #all the subcultures of story and art creation he missed. i'm gonna lose it actually

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andantexvii · 2 years

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// Promises // Pt. 1

Eddie Munson x Reader

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Word Count ~ 3,004

Summary ~ When a new girl in Hawkins strikes the younger members of Hellfire as one of Eddie’s ‘lost sheep’ types, he’s encouraged to reach out. She’s standoffish, for the most part, but Eddie manages to break the ice with a genuine admiration of her art. It’s a start, but by the time the bell rings, he’s thankful to have at least gotten a foot in the door...

Warnings ~ Profanity; bullying; Tolkien lore(?); use of she/her pronouns, though the main character’s details are kept to a minimum, only being plus-size is explicitly stated - so I hope it can still be enjoyed as a “reader” experience!

Author’s Notes ~ So, I’ve been messing around with this one for a while, and it really just started off as some private comfort drabbles for myself. I connected with Eddie’s character almost immediately, especially since I went through some similar experiences in school - up to and including some unflattering rumors. Some of the main character’s details, interests, and expressed sentiments may be specific, but all-in-all, I wanted to keep it a “reader” friendly experience for my fellow Eddie lovers. I'm disabled, so I can't promise a consistent posting schedule, only that they'll arrive as soon as I can finish them - that said, my addled brain can sometimes overlook some editing errors. If it's glaring, I don't mind being notified, but if it's passable, let it pass~

I did make a small time adjustment to be able to (time appropriately) include some themes and media I plan to reference in the future - so the year is 1987. Enjoy!

“Trees of Valinor” photo by Aronja-Art!

→

It was a long-awaited Friday, one of the first of the new school year, and the cafeteria buzzed with electricity. Mostly due to the anticipation of some sports ball game, or another, but in a friendly corner, toward the end of a familiar table, a group of voices clamored amongst themselves, excitedly, blissfully ignoring the energy generated by the rest of the room.

"New semester, new campaign! C'mon, Eddie, man!" A scrawny sophomore groaned. "We've been doing nothing but one offs for weeks now!"

Sliding a pretzel between his lips, the head of the rattling table lifted an eyebrow with a coy smile.

"By failing to prepare, Wheeler, you're preparing to fail. S'not my fault if you've refused to see my, mmh, readiness exercises as anything more than mere placeholders." He chuckled with all the sinister theatrics he could muster, bringing a laugh to the table, and gasps from a cluster of girls seated nearby.

"My sincerest apologies." Eddie gave them a cordial half-bow from his seat, which garnered him only a few odd looks and an eye roll. ‘Can't win 'em all.’ Though he'd grown quite used to that, thinking nothing of it as he turned back to his flock. "...a-a-anyway, we'll see how that lack of preparedness serves you in your daunting trials ahead."

"Daunting trials, he says. This guy!" A heavy-set boy to Eddie's other side droned in a tone half in disbelief and half in delight.

It was Hellfire Friday, once again.

"Indeed, and I expect you, one and all, to come prepared. Each of my, ahem, 'one offs', came packaged with a lesson." He rolled his head toward Mike with a smarmy grin. "A clue, if you will, that will aid you in your arduous tasks. An' no repeats if you weren't paying attention, been writing that shit for weeks. Not my fault if you refuse to appreciate it."

"At least give us a hint, man!" Gareth pleaded over the rim of his soda can.

"'Fraid not, my little adventurers! All will be revealed in due time, now huddle up; got a few things to keep in mind, yeah?"

In his best commanding voice, Eddie began to ramble a bit, seemingly enjoying the sensation of spinning an intricate tale - or the sound of his own voice, it was hard to be certain sometimes. All heads leaned in, hanging on his every word, save the far-gazed Dustin at Mike's arm who continued to gaze, curiously, out the window.

He sipped chocolate milk through a straw, idly, as he sat pondering something in the courtyard. For a moment, he looked as though he might get up, but quickly sunk back down into his seat. He had seemingly gone ignorant to the hum of voices around him, until he was snapped out of his daze by a pretzel grazing the tip of his nose.

"Am I borin' you, Henderson?" Eddie asked, another pretzel between his fingers, ready to be flicked.

"N-No, it's just-" Dustin began, grabbing for a napkin.

"Then why, oh why, is my little sheepie looking so lost again?"

"Rude, dude." Gareth mumbled under his breath.

Dabbing at his chin, and a few spots on the table, Dustin looked to Eddie apologetically; nodding, reflexively, if only to keep peace at the table for the time being.

"S-Sorry man, I just… n-noticed something, that's all." He gestured toward the window he'd been staring out.

"Well, clearly it wasn't all the effort I've been puttin' in for you guys, eh?" Eddie eyed him for a moment as he got to his feet, turning on his heels toward the row of windows behind them; the smirk on his face betraying the fact he was hardly upset at all.

A few short strides, and Eddie pressed his nose flat to the window pane, dark eyes scanning the busy school yard for whatever could have pulled Dustin's attention away from the gory details of their impending campaign. For several long moments, he noticed nothing particularly out of the ordinary, just the regular passing of the odd group of students here and there.

"Not sure what's got you so utterly transfixed out here, Henderson." His voice was slightly muffled as he comedically kept his face pressed to the glass, gathering him more than a few strange looks.

"So, as I was saying-" Eddie began again as he started to turn around, stopping only when his gaze crossed with that of a group of wild jocks.

Rather, he noticed them as they continued to enjoy pretending he didn't exist, lest it suited them - all the better for him, really, when it came down to it. Though their utter unawareness of the twisted, mocking face he made at them against the window pane was, admittedly, a bit disappointing. Content that whatever had been interesting had passed, and his antics would go unnoticed, Eddie made to turn around once more, before spotting what must have surely been the point of Dustin's fixation. Maybe?

At the far side of the yard, a girl sat hunched intently over a broad sketch pad, utterly engrossed in her task. Her ample thighs giving support to the wide, thick paper as she rested her back against the warm bricks - an array of fine colored pencils sat upright in a pouch by her knee, along with several others spread out within easy reach.

"Whoops!" An unfamiliar voice bellowed overhead. The girl barely had a moment to look up, before catching sight of her pencils scattering across the pavement and grass, neatly punted by one of the boys as they passed.

"My bad!" Said another, purposefully skipping a step to ensure his heel came down hard on the few that remained at her side, splintering the wood, and crushing the soft cores to a useless dust.

Snickering to themselves, the group didn't even take a moment to break their passing stride as the girl, with more patience and grace than the situation deserved, placed her work aside to gather her belongings back, before more were carelessly ruined underfoot by students scurrying by.

"Should be more careful!" A cocky blonde at the head of the group called over his shoulder with a mock tone of concern.

Jason Carver. Eddie was unfortunately familiar with the popular, well-liked, golden boy. He could almost remember a time when the two of them might have been friends, or at least not so stereotypically the antithesis of one another, but that time had long passed. Though Jason rarely participated, actively, in the antagonistic antics of his peers, he was woefully slow, if not completely unwilling to stop it.

Eddie grimaced sympathetically as he watched the girl gingerly weave her hands between passing legs, trying her best not to get her fingers stepped on. Holding his tongue between his lips for a long while, his train of thought was broken only when Dustin's gently inquisitive voice beckoned to him.

"I mean, I'd just never seen her before. Out there, by herself, never talking to anyone, and it's been that way for days. Weeks? I don't know, I guess I was just thinkin', y'know… little lost sheep?" He grinned and shrugged, unsure if it was his place to make such a suggestion. Eddie spoke often of passing the mantle to his younger group members but, at present, seemed rather content to be in the position of decision making.

Turning back toward the table, his face stern, Eddie opened his metal lunchbox and swept anything he hadn't finished, inside and slammed it closed. Lacing his fingers he cracked his knuckles, and nodded to the group members in turn, wordlessly. He hadn't anticipated playing shepherd today, on this, the day his longest and most brutal campaign yet began, but when had anything expected ever really happened to him? He'd made it his duty to look after people like those he called friends, those like Dustin, Lucas, and Mike - and they were the ones for whom he strived to set an example.

Besides, Higgins couldn't keep him here forever. Right?

"Good lookin' out, Henderson." Eddie clapped an amiable hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hellfire's gonna need people like you, when the rest of us ascend to the great beyond, eh?"

"Like that'll ever happen." Gareth snorted at him.

"Never say never, big boy." Eddie pointed a finger under his nose, giving it a friendly flick before skipping a few steps away.

"I'll catch up with you all tonight, same time, same place. Come prepared." He tossed a wink in Mike's direction.

Eddie had never considered himself much of a hero; it was easier to play one behind an inch tall figurine. Better even yet, to devise the machinations that would drive little would-be heroes toward their goals. On paper anyway. Damsels usually found him a cause for their distress, or at least tended to cross the street or double check their car door locks when he passed by.

Yet there he stood, a few bold strides away as Dustin's Damsel gathered the last of her sullied supplies, looking rather helpless, knees down on the sidewalk. Yeah, that looked enough like distress… and there was a first time for everything. Usually.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted one of her pencils that had likely been scattered in the brief fray and stooped to pick it up. Letting it roll across his palm, he admired the deep red hue or "crimson lake" as the silver, inlaid label called it - he knew next to nothing about art and what supplied it, but it was clear these were no discount bin Crayola. ‘Crimson Lake’ he thought to himself, lost briefly in thought; almost worthy of being the name of a campaign landmark. Leaving his dungeon planning for tonight’s festivities he finally stepped toward the girl, who'd yet to get to her feet, and held the pencil down to her eye level with the most genuine smile he could muster.

"Missed one!" He tried to twirl it, smoothly, between his fingers like a baton and only succeeded in sending it clattering onto the concrete. Critical miss.

"Ugh." The girl cringed at the sound and snatched the scuffed pencil off the sidewalk, securing it before more damage could be done. "Thanks, I guess?"

“Oof, hey, that’s not usually how that trick goes, my bad.” Eddie grinned, trying to smooth over his moment of embarrassment, quickly looked for any distraction from his fumble, a segue back to his trademark charm. Scanning for any additional pencils she might have missed, his eyes instead fell on her sketchpad and he was immediately, unabashedly, drawn in.

“Oh, this, th-i-i-s here? This is sick!” Resisting the childlike urge to snatch the paper up for a better look - he figured her belongings had been mishandled enough for one day - he crouched over the drawing she'd been working on and rubbed his hands excitedly. He licked his lips, eyes scanning the page back and forth, taking in the level of detail she’d managed already, and even he could tell it was only half finished.

"Sweet! It's… it's the Trees of Valinor, right? Oh man, this is so wicked. A lady of culture and taste, I see, to suffer the Silmarillion." He mimed tipping a hat, cordially, in her direction before turning back to admire the piece once more.

The girl was quiet for a few long moments as she got to her feet and dusted herself off, hopeful to preserve any shred of dignity she had left. Eyeing the strange boy for a moment she was flattered at his admiration of her work, to be sure, though curious as to what had drawn him to it now.

"Yeah… yeah it is. You, um, you recognized it? Just like that?" She asked gently; her encounters thus far at Hawkins High, including today, had seemingly left her unsure of who could be easily talked to.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Eddie lit up again, with no small amount of enthusiasm.

He'd been a rabid fan of Tolkien since he could remember knowing how to read. Even if the text didn't always make sense to his young mind, he'd devoured them again and again, enamored by the high fantasy lore. He could probably quote them by page number at this point, but one step at a time.

"Look at that, Laurelin, there…" His fingers traced the curve of golden boughs on the paper, again, careful not to actually touch it. "...and Telperion. Oh man, how'd you get it to look like true silver like that? I know, I know the magician never reveals their secrets but, damn, this is bitchin'!"

She watched curiously as he pored over her drawing, like a frantic boy, never having seen someone so enamored with art derived from, what most would call, nerd literature. Nevermind being able to recognize it at first sight. It brought a tentative smile to her face for a moment, before she laid eyes on the remains of a pale gray pencil, now mostly splinters.

"Doesn’t matter how, guess it'll never be finished." She bent to pick up the pencil, surprised at how well it still clung together, even if it was entirely useless now.

"Huh?" Eddie broke his gaze with the drawing and glanced up; he was fairly sure whatever was in her hands used to be a pencil. "Ah, damn, ruined, huh? Those dudes are such pricks, let me tell ya', don't feel too special, they pull that kinda’ shit with everyone who doesn't fit their mold."

"I'll try not to let the royal treatment go to my head?" She raised an eyebrow, knowing he meant well, but it was difficult to see much good, given the circumstances. "Fuck, these are expensive. Ack, uh, excuse me."

"Far be it from me to judge the speech of a woman scorned." He raised both hands with an unapologetic grin, though behind it lay a bit of an empathetic gritting of his teeth. Something in her voice told him they wouldn’t easily be replaced - a feeling he knew well.

She sank in on herself for a moment, and he couldn't tell if she was simply embarrassed at the outburst, or if something else was eating at her entirely. He knew the cost to have and keep something important to you, and the fear of having it ruined or lost… so quite likely the latter.

"I'm Eddie, by the way." He scuffed the toe of his shoe against the awkward silence blooming between them.

"I know."

"You… know?" He tilted his head to one side and studied her profile as she set about packing her things. His uncle had always warned him overindulgence in the herb would stunt his brain, but he was certain he'd never spoken to this girl before today.

"We have chemistry together. Though, you tend to spend most of it asleep, yeah?"

"Ohh, yeah that's right after lunch! Full tummy, it's nap time for growing boys, you know?" He patted his belly, hoping to elicit a laugh - but understood her sustained silence, all things considered. "Those who know me, call me ‘The Freak’, those who love me call me The Dungeon Master."

She tilted her head in his direction with a slight eye roll and a smirk. It wasn't the laughter he had hoped for, but it was a start.

"I see, and which would you prefer I call you?" She studied him for a moment as she hoisted her bag onto one shoulder, just in time for the bell to ring.

"We-e-ell, that remains to be seen. Right now, I figure you're hovering pretty close to 'freak', but if you churn out sick pieces like that?" He gestured to her sketch pad again. "I'm hopin' we eventually land at Dungeon Master."

His infectious grin failed to rouse her, yet again, as she pointed to the bound drawing book just behind him.

"Mind handing me that?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, sure, here…" Tenderly, he wrapped his fingers around the edges of the paper and handed over her collection of masterpieces. Clicking his tongue as he watched her fold it closed and tuck it under her arm, wondering what other treats for the eye it held. "Eddie. Eddie is fine for now. We can work with that, yeah?"

"Right. Well, 'Eddie Is Fine', I've gotta' be off. We, uh, both do… I guess."

"Yeah, right, 'cause the bell… oh, wait, I had something for you. Red, red, your red." He patted his pockets a few times, remembering vividly picking up the pencil he'd used to break the ice between them. Ice that was rapidly reforming.

"You… you gave it to me already." She wiggled her fingers, teasing him about his prior, pencil twirling mishap.

"That I did!" He said with feigned, and utter confidence. "Just makin' sure you remembered, you know? Sweet shade of red, by the way. ‘Crimson Lake!’ Hey, so listen…"

He looked up to see she'd already turned and begun to walk away, and he hadn't even made his proper pitch yet. Not a man to take no for an answer, at least not the first or third time, he jogged boldly to her side, trying to stoke the embers of conversation again.

"So, listen, mind if I talk while we walk?" He grinned down at her as his presence parted the hallway crowd for them.

"I don't think you've stopped talking yet. You pour all your points into charisma? I'd say that investment isn't paying off."

"Whoa! Attack of opportunity, and she knows when to strike. I like it… so uh, you're new, and I've got this thing I'd be interested in you being interested in…"

Hopefully, he could get his spiel out before they reached the door; not that he was averse to talking through another boring lecture, of course. It’d be a refreshing change of pace for his typical nap period, anyway. Still, she at least seemed to be listening, so far, and utterly unashamed to be seen walking with him; he'd thank a lucky roll for that.

#eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x plus size reader #eddie munson x female reader #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #promises #promises fic #slow burn #fluff n stuff #honestly nervous as heck to be sharing my stuff again but here we go #yes I named it after the Megadeth song #I love it so much

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thekingofwinterblog · 2 months

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What were the "High Men" of Numenorians really? A Tolkien Theory

In the two towers, Faramir gives an overview of how the Gondorians measure the different "races' of men, High men(themselves, that is to say the Edain), the men of twilight/middle men(men who were related to the Edain, but didnt go to Valinor during the migration after the war of wrath) and the men of Darkness(Everyone else why by their definition must have served Morgoth.

There are a lot of problems with this catagorization of men.

The DruEdain that Gan-buri-ghan belongs to is, as the name implies amongst the High Men, for their ancestors joined the trip to Numenor and was presumably blessed with all the same gifts as the rest, before much later, seeing which way the wind was blowing, left back to join the kin on the mainland, and mixing with them, creating thw modern Druedain, who presumably still have all the same blessings as the numenorians, even if they long ago forgot much of the arts and lore they learned in Numenor.

This very close ethnic and cultural connection is forgotten by both Dunedain and Druedain, but they are far, far closer than any other people of numenorean connections, other than maybe the Black Numenorians.

Sinilarily, the accusation that anyone not related to the Edain are "Men of Darkness" who served Morgoth is blantantly false, as the Dunlendings fit neither criteria.

And finally the middle men is very much played loose with, as while there is a distant, distant relation between the Gondorians and the Rohirrim, it's way, way more distant than the Gondorians make it out to be.

However, while very, very faulty, there is one bit of truth to this artificial catagorization of how "important" people are deemed to be.

Namely that the Numenoreans were and still ARE different than other men.

The different peoples of the Edain, that mixed together on their new island to form the new ethnicity of Numenoreans(with only the Druedain remaining apart from the rest, despite there no doubt being intermarriages through the years) blessed with a masaive, stupidly tall height, enormous lifespans, a natural capacity for creating magical marvels unseen in any other race of men, and when they started out, a distinct non fear of death.

All of these are said to have been a direct blessing from Eonwe, Manwe's herald who defeated Morgoth at the end of the War of Wrath.

This is very much historical fact in Middle earth.

The Numenorians for their part was blessed with amazing capacity, and they got the island kingdom of Numenor raised from the bottom of the sea for them to live on as a reward for their loyalty.

It was certainpy not a paradise, as the men of Numenor were capable of misdeeds, anger and all the other bad sides of the human condition, long before they came back to middle earth, but there is also no denying that just on a mental level, during that early period the Numenorians had become something... Very different in temperment. More like the Elves mayhaps, and yet not quite, for they accepted that they had to die in those early days, and they knew when it came, and so got their affairs in order before time was up.

There was no mentions of massive civil wars or internal conflicts during that first period, instead they seemed to have gotten along incredibly well on the island, on the same level as the early Elves before war and kinstrife, or maybe even like the hobbits of the shire.

Not perfect maybe, but as close as one can reasonably have it on earth.

Then that began to change as the centuries moved past, and especially as they made contact eith the outside world again, upon which they once more began to grow leaner and meaner, and the fear of natural death began to creep back in.

What i find most interesting aboyt this though, is that their blessed powers began to wane... Not because they interbred together with the "lesser" men of middle earth, but rather because they began to decline as Numenoreans become mroe wicked and cruel.

In other words, the blessings were interconnected with the people who carried them being good people. It had nothing to do with race itself, though that is how the numenorian percieved it.

And we see this as Numenor fell, as the two different kingdoms went very different ways.

The Dunedain of Arnor eventually split into 3 distinct groups, but it's very telling that the bulk of the nation's numenorians, the people who made up the successor state of arthedain, and who would be the only survivers of the kingdom in the form of the rangers from the North, whom would eventually spawn Aragorn, are NOT "Pure blooded" numenorians, for all 3 of the Dunedain groups that made of Arnor's 3 successor states intermingled and mixed together with their respective native populations of Eriador, "Middle men" all.

And yet only Arthedain, who managed to keep the nobility of early Numenor alive, did they retain their enormous lifespans, they still had great capacity for magic both in healing and smith crafting that far surpassed Gondor, and their kings very much had that old supernatural force of will that Gondor's Kings eventually lost, which Aragorn would showcase many times during the course of Lotr.

This was best shown as the great plague ravished the entirety of western middle earth... Only for the Dunedain of Arthedain to stand left as the only kingdom the plague didnt really seem to get any sort of foothold inside.

Clearly the old blessings of long life and health had a massive hold yet in Arthedain, while it smashed through the other two successor states as well as Gondor.

Meanwhile, Gondor managed to retain a lot of those old Numenorian blessings, if nowhere near as well as Arthedain.

The Numenorians blamed the fact that many of their clans were losing these blessings, slowly but surely, on their bloolines becomingless "pure".

There is some truth to that... In the sense that once a family lost their noble character, their blessings did indeed begin to wane, and it would rarely return, except maybe if one intermarried with someone who had the blessings still.

The ultimate example of the fact that it was character, NOT race that determined wheter the Nomenorians would keep their inborn gifts, is showcased nowhere as clearly as with King Eldacar, who was the result of his father's marriage to a northern "barbarian" princess.

This marriage outside of Numenorian nobility would cause a horrible civil war that slaughtered a huge part of the numenorean nobility, but by all accounts Eldacar was as blessed as every other king who came before him, despite only being half numenorean. His father and(presumably) his mother were of good character, and so was he, and he lived for a whooping 235 years, proving that the idea of the Numenoreans blessings weaking because of intermarrying with "lesser" peoples were complete nonsense.

No, the Gondorians numenorean gifts would decline for a variety of reasons(the kinstrife wiping out a huge percentage of the numenorean descendant population, their genocidal actions against the men of Rhun during eastern campaigns, and them losing sight of their own living relations in favor of their ancestors), but intermarrying with the non gondorians of their realm was not one of them.

So with all of this in mind, we have established how the Numenorean's divinely granted gifts work.

With this in mind, what exactly the high men of numenor were are self explanatory. They are(or at least their ancestors were) divinely blessed bloodlines who managed to keep that spark of nobility that the Herald of Manwe managed to impart to the Edain, and so retained the gifts that the Valar bestowed upon them.

Case closed. Or it would be, if not for one, single conversation from from the first age, between and elf and a human woman.

In the book "Morgoth's Ring" we get the debate of Finrod and Andreth, where we get our one, and only glimpse into what Mankind was when they first awakened to the world. Before the fall. before the corruption of Morgoth twisted the entire race. before the first sin.

The debate is between Finrod, that famous king of Nargothrond, and Andreth, a Human wisewoman who knows some human lore of the first days of man, which Elves know not of.

And here we learn a lot.

We learn that Humanity at it's beginning, used to be greater, stronger, completely unafraid of death, seems to have had very long life(described as immortality, though that is probably just because none of the early pre corruption humans lived long enough in that state to die of old age), lacking fear and hatred, and with a capacity for creation that far, far surpassed even the elves and maybe even the Valar themselves, as they would surpass the vision that the Valar had been shown of the world's future during those first sets of music.

Fingon who has been blessed with the gift of sight, even managed to see what Humankind's purpose in the world was supposed to be. Namely healing Arda, that is to say undoing, or at least halting and stopping the marring of Arda, the process which Moegoth used to infuse the essence of Evil into every bit of the world.

In other words, preventing the decline of magic and wonders that would pass on as the ages moved on, only to meet it's final ending at the beginning of the fourth age when wonder and sorcery began the the road to being snuffed out once and for all.

The age of man was always going to supplant the age of the elves, but as Eru Illuvatar originally intended it, it was not necessarily meant to be a literal supplanting, where Elves were doomed to either leave for Valinor forever, or begin to eventually fade away in physical form due to the Marring of Arda.

Now, we dont know the exact details of what derailed this vision of the future, other than the fact that Morgoth corrupted the entire Human race and made them acknowledge him as God, and in the end, by rejecting Eru, they lost that incredible potential.

But lets go over what we know of unspoiled Humans.

They were stronger, their spirits greater, their capacity for creation surpassed everyone else, they were untouched by(but not immune to) the corrupting influences of Morgoth in a way that elves are not, they did not fear death, had long lives, and it was their destiny to become masters of the world.

Now this might just be me... But this sounds a LOT like like early Numenor.

The very long lives, the non fear of natural death, the greater strength and spirit compared to other men, the unmatched capacity for creation and making of wonders, somehow lacking a lot of the darker aspects of humanity, even if they are not non-existent, and a natural destiny to fight sauron and bring greatness to the world.

My theory then is this.

The blessing's Eonwe gave the Numenorians, were not so much a boon granted to them and them alone, as it was given them the capacity to reclaim their birthright. The birthright of ALL of humanity.

A birthright that was stolen from them, and yet at this point could seemingly still return, and if things went well, maybe Eru's original plan might play out yet in some form(though wheter or not that was Eonwe's intent or not who can say).

If so, the Numenoreans intended destiny in the second age, was to defeat sauron and the rest of Morgoth's forces, somehow halt the long defeat that was the marring of Arda, and begin a slow reversal of the corruption of man, the relaiming of the entire race's birthright, as they willingly shared their gifts, their technology and lore with the rest of the world, and and ushering in the Age of man, not as a heralding that the age of all otgers were over, but that it was time for mankind to spread it's wings and lead the way.

If that truly was the case, then that is certainly how it began. But alas, that was not how it ended.

The fall of Numenor, and the bending of the world signaled that one way or another, there was no turning back.

The poamssibility of an age of magic and wonders as Humanity took dominion of the world died with the great island.

Any true healing for the Marring of Arda would now need to wait until the end of the world, after which it would be remade withouth Melkor's influence.

However, there is one, final note i want to end on.

Because there is one people amongst the race of man, that seems to have avoided the shadow of Morgoth, and been untouched by the darkness that swalled the rest of the race.

That of course being the hobbits. The hobbits fit almost all of the traits seen amongst pre corruption humans, other than great strength and capacity for grand creations.

They lack a lot of the inborn brutal nature of the rest of mankind, even if it's not completely non existence, they are not immune to the corrupting shadow, but it lacks the natural bite it has on bigger humans, or the allways there pressure it has on elves. They have a remarkably relaxed attitude to the idea of their own natural deaths, they live relaticely long lives, and has a surprising apptitude dor courage in the face of adversity, and capacity for pushing through hardships and pain, and they have a natural kindness and love of peace about them, almost unseen anywhere else amongst the rest of the known race and peoples of men... Other than that brief moment of early numenoreans, before they let fear and greed seep back in.

#tolkien's legendarium #j r r tolkien #the silmarillion #lord of the rings #the hobbit #man #mankind #humanity #meta #elves #morgoth #first sin #corruption #numenoreans #theory

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