Realized I never posted this guy anywhere other than IG.... NPC for my best friend @ydteus 's dnd campaign! Whistler is.... Odd. Always talks in riddles and enjoys being distinctly uncomfortable to people. As the current herald of the Traveler, his purpose (and the god's) is currently unknown 👁️
My modern Thranduil HC is that everyone mistakenly thinks he’s an alcoholic.
Thranduil's reputation for overindulgence at parties had become something of a running joke amongst his “friends”. His flushed face, his unsteady gait, and the way he would occasionally slip away to "recover" only added fuel to the gossip that he had had a weakness for wine.
Only Elrond knows that his friend's behavior isnt the result of drunken excess, but the consequence of the fire that had scarred half his face, leaving him with severe nerve damage and debilitating migraines. The flickering lights, the loud laughter and music, the overwhelming scents of food and drink—all of these were triggers that sent sharp waves of pain crashing through his skull and often ended with him being stuck in the toilet throwing up. Being around lots of people already made him anxious but Thranduil felt an obligation to be present, to appear as if he enjoyed the festivities alongside everyone else even though he’d rather be at home.
The fire had also blinded him in one eye and left him deaf in one ear, another thing that Elrond keeps suggesting Thranduil let people know about. The injuries had healed, but not fully, leaving him struggling to balance and navigate the world with one side of his senses dulled. It often made him appear unsteady, especially when he was at someone else’s house or a place he was unfamiliar. Everyone assumed that he’d drunk too much when he stumbled his way to bathroom or had to be put to bed and Thranduil allowed the rumors to persist. The misconception gave him a shield—one that, while embarrassing, allowed him to conceal his pain and keep anyone from getting close to him.
Bard when he eventually finds out (Elrond had too much wine and couldn’t drive Thranduil home when a particularly bad migraine struck) is rather upset that he allowed everyone to convince him that Thranduil was a drunk. Not wanting an alcoholic around his kids was the main reason he’d not tried to peruse something with Thranduil earlier. That and Thranduil not trusting him enough to tell him stung quite a bit. Without being asked, he takes it upon himself to make sure any party or event is migraine friendly, even if that means just sitting outside with Thranduil where it’s quiet or offering to take him home when it’s clear he’s struggling. It’s on one of these drives home that Thranduil finally decides to tell Bard about his ailments. It feels rather nice when Bard tells him that he doesn’t care, whilst holding Thranduil’s hair out of his face as he throws up on the side of the road.
"Walk always with the brightness of the Hues in your heart."
And with that, we're finally, FINALLY, at the end of "Calcin, Act 3," the NEW longest chapter to date! Court of Roses will be on break for two months, with no updates this time so I can rest and recharge after a full year of work on this chapter. The main comic should be returning on Dec 2nd (and Dec 5th on mirrors) for "The Emerald Tree-Sea, Act 1"!
In the meantime, Spiderforest has welcomed a plethora of new webcomics this season!
Remember kids, Violins isn't always the answer! (Some times it's Atl-lute-l!)
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Breathing is something you don’t think about until you can’t do it anymore.💀
Story of Frill being brought back is something that has been hiding in my folders for several years unfinished. I’m still not quite happy with it, but I guess it’s time to accept it and move on to something else.
Frill is my DnD character. A skeleton bard with a lot of package to carry on his bony shoulders.