#botfa spoilers

[levithestripper]

“I’m so sorry that I have led you into such peril.”

“I’m glad to have shared in this peril. Each and every one of them.”

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES— Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins

[icarus-falling-down]

I think a part of my heart shriveled up and died alongside Kíli and Thorin. At least they didn't kill Bard, Thranduil, or Bofur!

[whispering-about-bagginshield]

We knew it was coming.

Before BOTFA came out almost eight years ago, we knew what was going to happen. The people who had read The Hobbit knew, the ones who had absorbed the information through popcultural osmosis knew... the ones who had sought out spoilers, the ones who remembered from watching LOTR that Old Bilbo had become reclusive and antisocial living in Bag End... we all knew what was going to happen in the Battle of the Five Armies...

We knew it. And yet we still showed up to the Bagginshield party. We started making fix-it fics and art before there was, technically, anything to fix. We came up with headcanons and what-ifs and AUs and consumed as much Bagginshield as possible before BOTFA was released.

And so we went to the movie knowing Thorin would succumb to the dragon sickness, knowing he would send Bilbo away in anger, knowing he would die, knowing that Bilbo would mourn him then go back to an empty home.

We knew it was coming, and we knew it was going to hurt. And man... did it hurt...

And hurt...

And hurt...

And hurt...

And hurt...

And hurt...

So we let our thoughts linger on better things, better memories. On first meetings and hugs and trust and acorns and Mithril...

And that made it hurt a little less...

And a little less...

And a little less...

And a little less...

And a little less...

And here we still are, still writing, still making art, still making fix-it-fics, still ignoring canon and having Thorin show up at the door to Bag End with Fili and Kili in tow. Still dreaming of coffee shop AUs and royal consorts and reShirement and snuggling the night away in Beorn's house...

But really, this is just to say... thank you all, my Bagginshielders, my fellows, my friends, my cousins-in-shipping-hell. Bagginshield truly is a Ship that will sail forever... even though sometimes it may feel a little like we are sailing against the wind.

[snakesofindia-sursesaji]

the various forms of sauron

for those who read my fic sirivennela, i have finally decided to post this series of how sauron keeps changing his form throughout the series (even though i never finished the series, but do not fear, i will not leave without completing it.)

terms to remember- a fanar refers to a corporeal body used by a maia or vala.

taglist- @aarasiswear, @herawell

also, srry for not frequently updating sirivennela, i will try to update sooner, same for song drabbles and navarasa drabbles as well.

and if you have any doubts regarding this post (except why sauron takes up a female fanar at some point, since answering them would be giving out spoilers) pls do ask them in the comments, i will try my level best to answer.

so, here goes, the list of sauron's innumerable forms:

the smith and liutenent consort of melkor- cody fern

timeline: valinor- glaurung's birth

name: mairon aulendil (later- bagulir) / sauron gorthaur

the mother of dragons (a female fanar)- kate winslet

timeline: destruction of lamps- post glaurung's birth

name: mairon bagulir/sauron gorthaur

the lord of tol-in-gaurhoth - jack lowden

timeline: post glaurung's birth- tol in gaurhoth incident

name: sauron gorthaur/mairon bagulir

the one who bore wyrms- meryem uzerli (a female fanar)

timeline: post glaurung's birth- tol in gaurhoth incident

names- mairon bagulir/sauron gorthaur

the abhorred

timeline: valinor- war of wrath

names: sauron gorthaur/ mairon bagulir

the cat (a form reserved for melkor's eyes only)

timeline: valinor- pre tol in gaurhoth

names: tevildo

the bat (a form reserved for melkor's eyes only)

timeline: utumno- pre tol in gaurhoth

the wolf

timeline: utumno- post tol in gaurhoth

names: thu

the vampire- elena anaya (note that this is a male fanar though athe actress is a female)

timeline: utumno-post taur in gaurhoth

the aggrieved - charlie vickers

timeline: post tol-in-gaurhoth - post war of wrath hiding (since he occupies a diffrent fanar after nearly dying)

name: mairon bagulir/sauron gorthaur

the mother of the worm of erebor(a female fanar)- freya mavor

timeline: post tol-in-gaurhoth - post war of wrath hiding (since he occupies a diffrent fanar after nearly dying)

name: mairon bagulir/sauron gorthaur

the seductor - keerthy suresh (a male fanar, though the actress is female)

timeline: post war of wrath- pre eregion (note, form used only to ensnare those who would later become the nazgul)

names: sauron gorthaur/ tar-mairon

the lord of gifts- david tennant

timeline: eregion-pre numenor

names: annatar

the whore of pharazon- sai pallavi (a male fanar, though the actress is female)

timeline: pre numenor- post numenor (note this is his physical form and not the form he takes when he enters another's mind)

names: Tar-mairon/zigur

the one who plagues the mind- nissankara mahanati savitri ganeshan (a male fanar though the actress is female)

timeline: pre numenor- post numenor(note that this is the form he takes when he is entering another's mind)

names: tar mairon/zigur

the lord of the rings- jarred blakiston

timeline: post numenor- war of last alliance

names: sauron gorthaur

the lord of barad dur

timeline: war of last alliance

names: sauron gorthaur

the necromancer

timeline: post war of last alliance- pre battle of five armies

names: the necromancer of dol guldur

the spirit

timeline: pre battle of five armies- post battle of five armies

names: sauron gorthaur

the eye

timeline: post botfa- post war of the ring

names: sauron gorthaur

the corpse- luke goss (note that this is his new corporeal form after the incident in dol guldur)

timeline: pre botfa- void

names: sauron gorthaur/ mairon bagulir

[amethystviolist]

holy shit you wrote so much since march??? that is so fucking impressive!! and hey, creating things for older fandoms is the best, it's always good to see people still keeping them alive. now when you give updates i will finally know whats it about :'D would you wanna give a summary of the fic's premise?

Thank you for the appreciation and the ask again! Yeah I went kinda crazy with it lol; I slowed down to a more normal rate again in May, thankfully.

And sure! It's not a terribly original premise I'm afraid, and I don't have a real blurb yet, but basically, the fic revolves around Bilbo being a dragon with a limited ability to shapeshift. I've read multiple dragon!Bilbo works (and enjoyed them!), but I wanted to do a pretty different take on dragons compared to canon Tolkien or other fanfics I've read.

A teaser might be something like: Five hundred year old former dragon Bilbo Baggins has successfully kept his private vow of peaceful hobbitish living for fifty years when Gandalf turns up with an inviting offer of adventure and less-than-inviting dwarvish company. Bilbo is forced to weigh his need to protect his new friends against his fear of discovery every step of the way to the mountain, and by the time he realizes some secrets are truly too big to keep, Bilbo will have to decide exactly how much a dragon is willing to sacrifice for the dwarves of Erebor.

So for the conception of the fic, Tolkien's dragons are of course based on medieval epics where they're no more than cunning, cruel, and greedy creatures, and while that simplicity can be a good narrative tool, I got interested in the Middle Earth creation of dragons and then what else they might be besides vehicles for plot or embodiments of evil.

From extant theories on their creation (I'm skipping a lot of details on that or we'll be here all day!), I got really into my own take on draconic culture in Middle Earth, and then really into exploring Bilbo's trauma from his draconic past and how he's handling it as a hobbit (spoiler: he's just avoiding it). His canon character arc takes a naive bachelor to worldly adventurer, but my fic starts him from a place of power already. Dragon!Bilbo knows evil intimately and so he's terrified of himself. His arc instead involves accepting all parts of himself and allowing himself to really live again, and of course there's a lot of secrets and lying and oh god feelings that he has to deal with along the way.

Anyway, at its emotional core, the mega fic is about identity and self-acceptance/forgiveness. At its plot core, it's about keeping a terrible secret from thirteen people you want to befriend and how that causes a lot of interesting problems. I've written all the way through canon events (which are definitely more guidelines than rules, considering the impacts of Bilbo's true heritage) and am now in the murky waters of post-canon. I've got an outline and am working through it now. Post-canon deals mainly with the aftermath of a major sacrifice during BotFA (no spoilers!), and then what to do with the One Ring.

If you've read this far, thank! If you're still interested, please enjoy a little early excerpt below.

“‘Bilbo Baggins’, is it?” a deep voice read out.

The hobbit by that name, a middle-aged and bronze-haired fellow with a green waistcoat and a pipe in his mouth, looked up from the book on his lap and startled quite violently. 

“Gandalf,” Bilbo gasped, barely saving the book before it fell to the ground. The wizard in question was standing by his front gate and frowning at Bilbo’s nicely-labeled mailbox, his brow tight with confusion.

“My old friend, what in the names of the Valar are you still doing here?” Gandalf asked, sounding as genuinely surprised as Bilbo had ever heard him. 

“Ah.” Bilbo shifted a little on his nicely cushioned bench. “Well, you’ve been away for quite some time… I daresay I’ve changed quite a lot since we last met.”

“On that, we are agreed,” Gandalf replied, and stared at Bilbo as if trying to see through his very bones.

“Er, do come inside,” Bilbo invited him politely, and got to his feet. “I’ve got a kettle on, and some biscuits which aren’t too terribly burned.”

“A real achievement for one of your kind,” Gandalf chortled, until Bilbo shot him a glare. The wizard hurriedly quieted his amusement and let himself in the gate, following Bilbo up the grassy steps and through the green door that led to Bag End.

As soon as Bilbo closed the round door, he found himself unexpectedly nervous. He had nothing to fear from Gandalf, of course, but his situation was… inexplicably odd.

“So,” Bilbo began a little more hesitantly then he would have liked to admit, “What… brings you to the Shire?”

Gandalf fixed Bilbo with a disgruntled stare. “I was seeking you, of course! Imagine my surprise when I found your old caves deserted, your books and blankets all gone! I thought you’d been slain, and your treasures carried off, and yet somehow no one I asked knew anything about a-”

“Yes, yes, alright!” Bilbo interrupted with a suspicious glance out the nearest window. “I appreciate your concern, but not so loudly! I’m treated with enough suspicion as it is,” the hobbit grumbled, and motioned for Gandalf to follow him through the halls of Bag End until they reached the pantry, which was windowless and had two doors with sturdy locks. Bagginses of course protected their food well, as any respectable hobbit would, but Bilbo had also found that it was an excellent space for less-than-respectable happenings. 

Which he himself had no prior experience with, naturally.

“Olórin,” Bilbo breathed after he had lit a candle and closed both doors, sealing the wizard into the wide room. “My friend, it’s good to see you! I was going to send word, but I had no idea how a letter would reach you. You’re not called the Wandering Wizard for nothing, it seems,” Bilbo said with an amused smile.

“You could have left a note in the northern Blue Mountains!” Gandalf complained, shaking his head. “I had to fight my way through three dozen goblins before I found the levels where you used to reside.”

Bilbo gave him an unimpressed look, for only three dozen goblins were no match for one of the Istari at full strength, and they both knew it.

“It was an annoyance,” Gandalf amended at Bilbo’s expression. “And more importantly, it caused me no small amount of worry for your well-being.”

“Well, I didn’t mean to worry you. But you also could have come back sooner,” Bilbo said rather stiffly. He found himself compulsively organizing the jars of jam by size, until he realized he was acting a bit too much like Bungo and tried to stop fidgeting. “Belladonna and Bungo offered me their home and their name as my own, and Bag End is a much better place for reading than my old drafty caverns. It would have been ridiculous for me to refuse their kind offer.”

“And how are the dear Bagginses?” Gandalf asked, his eyes crinkling happily. “It’s been far too long since I’ve seen them…” The wizard trailed off. His countenance sobered all too quickly as he saw that Bilbo’s expression had turned cold and stony, his hands stilling on the many jars of jam. “Oh. Oh, I see,” he murmured. “I’m terribly sorry to hear that, my friend. I know how much they meant to you.”

The pantry was unbearably silent for a time.

“We shared books,” Bilbo finally said very quietly, and Gandalf looked so shocked that Bilbo would have surely found it amusing under other circumstances.

“Indeed,” Gandalf finally managed, eyeing Bilbo with fresh concern. 

The room was once again silent, and Bilbo shook his head to clear it. “My loss is not the reason you’ve come, though,” he said after a long moment, glaring at an innocent wheel of cheese, for anger was better to keep moving on with than sorrow. But he forced himself to gentle his gaze somewhat to look back up at Gandalf. “Is this merely a social call, then?”

Gandalf’s lips quirked back up into a typically mysterious smile. “I’m afraid not. In fact, I came looking for you to share in an adventure.”

“Adventure?” Bilbo snorted loudly, and ignored the twin wisps of smoke that emerged from his nostrils. “Gandalf, please, I’m far too old for such nonsense. Surely you have many other - and far more pleasant! - options for traveling companions.”

“I’m not going on a walking holiday,” Gandalf corrected him with a huff, now looking rather put out. “I’m escorting a third party on a quest to reclaim their homeland, and your skill set would be most helpful on this dangerous journey.”

“My ‘skill set’?” Bilbo repeated incredulously. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean? My ‘skills’ primarily consist of reading voraciously and offending the delicate sensibilities of my neighbors.”

The wizard fixed him with a piercing, knowing look. “We both know you’re more than a simple hobbit, my old friend.”

Bilbo scowled as fiercely as this face allowed, and crossed his arms in annoyance. “Maybe I don’t want to be more than a simple hobbit anymore,” he said sharply. “Has it ever occurred to you that I am safe and comfortable here, in this form, in this life? I’m Bilbo Baggins now. I’ve changed, Gandalf, and I don’t want to be… who I was. I’m nothing like that anymore, and have vowed to never be again.”

Gandalf’s blue eyes twinkled a little, and he nodded once. “Very well. Bilbo... I understand your feelings on the subject.” He pointed one gnarled finger at Bilbo, and added firmly, “But this will be very good for you.” With that cryptic pronouncement, Gandalf turned and unlocked one of the pantry doors, knocking his head on the low doorframe and cursing to himself as he hastily exited.

“Gandalf!” Bilbo exclaimed, his annoyance now tainted by his damn curiosity. “What do you mean? I will not be going with you on any sort of mad adventure, and I mean it! I couldn’t leave my hoard for that long as you should well know!” He ran after Gandalf, who was finding his way to the front door much too quickly.

“I expect I’ll be seeing you again soon,” Gandalf said instead of offering any kind of explanation. “Do try not to incinerate anyone while I’m away.”

“Pfft, incinerate anyone,” Bilbo scoffed. “You’re the only one in danger of that, Gandalf the Grey! Stop running away and tell me what you meant by that! Ah, you confounding-”

Bilbo tripped on the upturned edge of a rug (undoubtedly Gandalf’s fault, as so many things were) and tumbled most ungracefully to the floor. By the time the hobbit had regained his feet, the wizard was long gone, his gray-clad form hurrying down the path away from Bag End.

“Blasted, meddlesome wizards,” Bilbo muttered, not for the first time and certainly not for the last.

[If you've read this far, please let me know! I'll be wanting a beta reader probably at some point, or someone to bounce ideas off of would be lovely as well.]

[sotwk]

Fine then (somone already chose the last one I sent)

Gimmie "Returning" (Thorin and Thranduil, post-BotFA) please?

Another old Ask you probably don't remember sending (I'm cleaning my Ask Box, can you tell? XD), but when I say "I don't delete/ignore Asks", I'm serious!

Here are some details about my WIP, "Returning", a gen fic that features both Thorin and Thranduil.

This is set in the "Durins Live" AU, where Thorin, Fili, and Kili all survive the BotFA in SotWK AU canon.

The frienemy relationship between Thranduil and Thorin is an extremely complicated yet extremely strong friendship that holds a special place in my heart.

This story will cover a very important event in the SotWK AU, in which the Elvenking and the King of Erebor formally sit down and hold a diplomatic session for the first time in the aftermath of the BotFA.

The title "Returning" not only refers to the return of Durin's house to Erebor, but also refers to the return of a priceless heirloom to its rightful owner. I'm sure you can guess what item will be returned to which person. ;)

This "returning" also symbolizes the return of peace and the healing of relations between the Woodland Realm and Erebor.

Several other important things happen. I just can't reveal too much about this fic because it's got a TON of spoilers for other SotWK AU fics that I are ALSO still WIPs.

Yeah, I know, my stories are all over the place. Hee. Sorry.

Thank you the Ask and for always being interested in my fics! <3

Tagging @lathalea who is my go-to plot counsellor for all things Durin, especially Thranduil and Thorin relations! <3

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

The Marali Festival Commentary Part 2

Alright, the next 3 chapters! Honestly, I think it’s fair to say these might be my favorite 3 chapters... 👀 But more on that below!

**SPOILERS FOR THIS FIC BELOW**

Chapter 4- Hug

Dwalin took his place next to Thorin, silently holding the same position as the king.

“I have a plan.” He finally explained.

Dwalin chuckled. “I would hope so. Mahal knows we’ve all been waiting for one of you to do something.”

This was supposed to make people still think that Thorin wrote the note, but I don’t think any of my readers were actually buying it.😂

Thorin had already been placed in the first position and was almost pleading with Mahal for who would be number sixteen. His prayers were answered and he met Heor’s glare with a challenging grin.

Let’s call this chapter the “what-if Thorin got to fight Heor in Guardian of Kings instead”. I don’t think it was nearly as good a battle scene as it was with Bilbo, but I had more time to work with on GOK. 

Thorin immediately took to the center ring as soon as he was summoned. His head held high and his shoulders pulled back. Heor met him stride for stride.

“Been awhile, Thorin.” He smirked.

The disrespect.😒 You know, with this particular OC, he was always supposed to come off as ‘the asshole’ but not necessarily the villain. That definitely didn’t happen in this fic. 

“Heard that before. Although that is a lovely trinket. Did you get that from your hobbit courtesan?”

Thorin’s nostrils flared, and he had Heor shoved three feet away before he even had time to think.

The lesson here: don’t call Bilbo a whore to Thorin’s face.

The blade cut straight up his sternum (would have sliced open his neck) had the chain carrying the acorn button not snagged it. The metal snapped, Thorin hit the dirt, and there was a plethora of guards restraining Heor. Dwalin at the forefront. Thorin lay there as blood ran down his chest in amazement that once again, the hobbit had inadvertently saved his life.

I liked the symbolism here of the ‘acorn’ always saving Thorin and him tying that directly with Bilbo. It was just a nice little parallel.

Something in the hobbit suddenly snapped, and before Thorin knew it, he had Bilbo pressed tightly against him, sobbing into his chest, his arms encircling as much of his body as he could. Thorin felt pained at the memories that still haunted his hobbit, but he returned the hug as best as he could murmuring softly all the way.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. Everything is fine.”

If I remember correctly (this was a year ago after all), I think my initial plan had this hug being a lot more light-hearted, but the moment I brought Heor into it I was like WAIT I CAN MAKE THIS HURT. Did I have a plan to explain how exactly Thorin survived BOTFA? Not exactly.😆 Everyone just got to use their imaginations as I referenced it.

Chapter 5- Harmless Flirting

I feel like I should preface this chapter by saying as someone who is a terrible flirt, I really worried about this prompt...

When asked why the king himself did not choose to show off the merit of his skill, Thorin became surprisingly tight-lipped.

FORESHADOWING! 👀 I either already had @stardryad-random​‘s commission at this point, or she had sent me updates so I was pretty sold on the metallic bouquet at the end.😂

“How about you try and guess. If hobbits had a seven day passion festival, what would we feature?”

Thorin smirked at the challenge. “And what do I get if I win?”

“Whatever you want.” Bilbo breathed almost before his mind could catch up.

Does this count as flirting? Because I’m not so sure it’s harmless at this point.😆

“That’s six.” Bilbo agreed.

They walked in silence for a while. Thorin clearly lost in thought while Bilbo pretended to be impressed by a particularly hefty stone-hewed bookshelf they passed.

Writer Thoughts: What in the hell can be a seventh hobbit ‘passion’? Think, Sunny, think...

“You’re right that dwarves take their crafts to a much more serious level than any hobbit, but if you’ve ever been to a harvest festival…there are contests for nearly everything! Sure the farmers are showing off their prized vegetables and livestock. But oh, there’s so many different contests just for eating! Pie-eating contests, pudding, fudge…and of course lots of games and activities for the faunts. My cousins on my mother’s side that I was particularly close with and I would make the most handsome paper boat. The object being to see it safely down the Brandywine to the finish line, and it would always sink just beforehand. Siggy would get in such a tiff over it. Then there’s beautiful handcrafts that are up for judging too! Hand knitted blankets, prized family recipes, gorgeous wreaths for your door. No, hobbits don’t have crafts persay, but I would think we would have a day just for being passionate…about life, I suppose.”

Good job, Sunny. Self-five. As someone who grew up in a small, rural area, this was 100% based on our county fairs. I won showmanship with my sheep, and my homemade wreaths usually won 3rd place.😏

“Well I suppose I lost our little game, so I feel it only fair to turn the prize to the victor. Ask what you will of me, and I will see it done.”

“Be my escort tomorrow?” Bilbo blurted, catching Thorin off-guard. “I just…today was so lovely. And I thought if you didn’t have anything else…But then you are the king! Of course you would have better plans than to escort…”

Thorin cut him off with a gentle whiskery kiss to his hand.

“It would be my honor.”

So it was actually a little before this chapter that I knew I had messed up. But to be fair, I only had up to Chapter 4 written before I started posting. If you guys actually look at my tumblr post for the first chapter, you will notice the next chapter was supposed to be ‘Dance’. I realized about halfway through this chapter though that I had this idea of Thorin and Bilbo seeing the opera before going to the dance. So he would need an escort for that...

Chapter 6- Be My Escort

So on the original prompt list I borrowed from, it had ‘Movie Night’. I decided to replace that with the Middle Earth equivalent: play/live theater, but named it “Be My Escort”. 

There was a shift in their relationship that has happened recently that Thorin didn’t feel entirely prepared for. Perhaps, he should have been. Perhaps, this was just logically the next step. However, he found himself concerned for Bilbo’s image. The ‘courtesan’ comment made by Heor has sat ill with him, even though the vile vermin was sitting comfortably in a cell right now.

Does anyone else HC Thorin as somebody who has to have a plan and stick to it? Maybe it’s his stubborn nature, but I always imagine Thorin freaking out if anything deviates from the way he saw things working out. This plays into his ‘freak out’ in the next chapter. 

Bilbo had indeed dressed for the occasion. He wore one of his hobbit button-downs and nicer knee length dark slacks, but over that was a dwarven tunic of Durin blue with golden trim and a golden belt around his waist. However, Thorin felt his eyes drift to the hobbits chest where in the gap of the vest, he could see the mithril glittering brightly.

FUNNY STORY! I was complaining to @lordoftherazzles​ that I didn’t know how I wanted Bilbo’s outfit to look, and then sent her down a rabbit hole for a reference pic just for these few sentences of description.😅 Thank you Razzy!! Your efforts were well appreciated.

There was once a point when Thorin was still quite young and naively believing that Erebor would always belong to him, that wanted to forgo any notion of kingship in favor of an operatic career. Before puberty dropped him into a deep bass, his range had been wide and high, and he had been mesmerized by the players on the stage utilizing such gifts for storytelling. Thorin’s grandmother probably would have been the first dwarf in his corner had he ever brought it up. She had always been rather adoring on him and his vocal talents. Alas, life did not turn out the way he wanted nor ever envisioned.

Is this not the cutest headcanon for a young prince Thorin? More on this later this week... 👀

“I didn’t mean to offend.” Bilbo stated quietly.

“You didn’t.”

However, even Thorin recognized the waspish tone in his quick answer.

More evidence of Thorin being needled by things not going his way. It will blow up on him soon. You’ll have to wait til tomorrow though for me to talk about it.😏

[twotchy-frog]

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

Thank you kindly for the tag, @lordoftherazzles!

Rules: answer the questions and tag fifteen mutuals.

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yup! My first name is the same as my grandmother's! However, I go by my middle name, so it's sort of a secret by happenstance.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Funnily enough, the last time I cried was while watching BotFA for the first time. I shed one single, manly tear (whilst vocally sobbing). In the last few years, I've seemed to kind of turn into a robot, beacause I don't really cry much anymore! Yay, I guess?

3. Do you have kids?

I do not, I will not, and I most certainly shan't ever!

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I used to, but I got relly afraid people wouldn't realize I was being sarcastic, so I don't as often now. In my mind, though? Constantly.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Probably the way they stand and how they speak! I've always paid a lot of attention to body language and how people say things. Call it anxiety, or just being really observant. Either way, that's my answer!

6. What's your eye colour?

They're dark brown.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings! I can't watch sad or scary movies too often. They put me in a mood for hours after.

8. Any special talents?

Hmm. I would say none. My mother would say "All of them!" in an obnoxious and proud tone, as mothers tend to do. In reality, I guess I've been told that I have a habit of finishing people's sentences with them- like, predicting what they're going to say and saying it as they do. I've never done it consciously, but I guess that's just how my brain makes sure I'm listening :D

9. Where were you born?

Good ol' Missour-uh

10. What are your hobbies?

I play and run D&D campaigns, I like to story-build and make fun little characters in my head (sometimes with friends! Collaborative Storytelling, my beloved), and I recently started rollerskating for fun! I also sew on occasion, play the cello in my local symphony, and jam out on the guitar when the mood strikes. So, what I mean to say, is I'm a hopelessly nerdy art-student.

11. Have you any pets?

I have three beautiful cats named Athena, Artemis, and Calliope!

12. What sports do you play/have played?

I did Irish Dance for 6 years, and Jazz dance for like, 3 months. I also did Cross Country for a semester, but really, that was just to prove I could if I wanted to (spoiler: I was not very good at it).

13. How tall are you?

I'm just barely 5'3"!

14. Favorite subject in school?

In terms of core classes, probably English/Literature. Overall? Art, if you couldn't guess XD

15. Dream job?

Well, in a dream world, I would get to direct and produce my own animated TV series OR be the art director for a cool video game OR do concept work for a big fantasy or sci-fi series (If you look at the bts video on creating the dwarves for the Hobbit triology, I'd do horrible atrocities to do what they do there).

Completely optional tags for anyone who feels like joining!

@geezumarts @mimics-when-frightened @donaydonay @tondw0o2blog @pomgore @linktera

There are more of you I'd like to tag, but I cannot for the life of me remember more than like, 5 or so usernames at a time. If we're mutuals, buddies, or you just saw this and want to join, I formally invite you!

[whats-she-gonna-post-next]

I'm gonna talk about The Hobbit films for a moment, specifically BotFA, so like... spoiler for that.

So, I think that The Hobbit films kinda suck. Are they enjoyable in the mindless, watching them for action sense? Yes. Did I adore them the first time I saw them? Also yes, however, since then I have had a chance to step back and examine them more closely, and have found that - at least to me personally - they are neither a good adaptation of the book, nor do they work as a fantasy epic setup for the LotR. This is, in my opinion, due to these movies wanting so badly to have their cake and eat it too, in which they could have had a really good, funny, lighthearted comedy that fits the tone and story of the actual book, or they could have had an awesome, cool, grounded retelling that fit the vibe of the original trilogy. But they wanted both.

They could have had a film comprised of insane slapstick fun, which would have made sense since Tolkien wrote the book as a bedtime story for his kids and lends itself as to why the dwarves are functionally useless at getting out of the situation, and Bilbo need to help them, it's also why a character we barely know kills the dragon over our protagonists, it's why Bilbo gets knocked out of the fight, and we miss the whole thing. It's meant to be told to children over the course of a few bedtimes, and as such is episodic and a little silly. But because they wanted to tie it in with LotR while keeping it consistent with the story (and let's be real, make as much money as possible), they tried to add some of the realism beheld in LotR, but refused to change the more childish storyelements - even inheancing the obserdity of some of it (I'm looking at you barel scene -_-) - which leaves us with a film trilogy that doesn't really do the book justice nor does it fit the established continuity of the original trilogy.

But there are some scenes that I think are absolutely phenomenal, and in which I think truly come to ahead at the end of BotFA

Specifically, the fact that Thorin's death scene actually kills me.

His complete acceptance in the fact that he is going to die playing in conjuncture to Bilbo's pleading with him to hold on brings me near to tears if I even just think about it - which, considering my mild distain to moderate apathy in relation to the rest of that particular movie, is quite a feat - and I think it's a real testimate to both Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage's acting abilities and is something I find quite fascinating, when, to be quite frank on the matter, I really kinda dislike the bulk of the rest of the movie - especially when it does so much to glorify war, which Tolkien took great strides to avoid in his books, going to far as to literally condem the Battle of the Five Armies as completely stupid and mindless fighting and is tge whole reason Bilbo isn't present for the fight and why it gets so little story time in the book.

But I think my love of this scene - though I'll often say I hate it on principle that it makes me sad - is, as mentioned earlier, completely on the part of the actors being absolutely amazing at their jobs. Despite the convoluted nature of Bilbo and Thorin's relationship (be it platonic or romantic, however you interperate it), watching them build from a mutual sort of dislike/apathy of each other (which I have always read as stemming from Thorin viewing a younger version of himself who had yet to see the hardships of the larger world in Bilbo and resenting him for it, and Bilbo subsequently refusing to give Thorin respect that he himself isn't being shown) to mutual respect and understanding (stemming from Thorin watching Bilbo risk himself again and again for him and the company and Bilbo coming more to understand why exactly Thorin is the way he is) to true friendship/love depending on your interpretation - in wherein Thorin, even in the throws of dragonsickness, gifts Bilbo with a piece of armor made of an exceedingly rare material that is worth more than the entirety of the Shire - to something torn apart by said dragonsickness and the force of trying to do the right thing even if it means hurting the one you love, only to have them reconcil at the end of it all in a truly heartbreaking moment in which the battle is won but much is still lost, is, I think, such a deep and profound moment that somehow manages not to be cheapened by the insanity of the film it is set in.

And I think it goes a long way to show that - had they not been so focused on rivalling LotR or in making extra money or creating a shock value fight for no real reason - there was huge potential for a really good film within the 9 hour destruction of a frankly amazing and fundamental piece of literature. There are several fanedits of these movies that really pair down the movie to the story it wants to tell at its core, and those mixed with my own interpretations are how I choose to view the film version of The Hobbit.

Anyways, I don’t know if any of this made sense because I kinda just word vomited

[cyphers-and-sunspots]

I know this is a Marvel blog, but please hear me out

(Spoilers for The Hobbit BotFA.) If I buy the Hobbit LEGO video game, let it be known to the world I will beat up Azog and Bolg so many times to the point where they cannot hurt my dear Kili. Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk I have not been the same since I watched BotFA last night for the first time. (I forgot to watch it when it first came to theaters.)

[bitter-sweet-farmgirl]

BOTFA SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

Okay, so I just finished watching BOTFA for the first time (didn’t cry as much as I thought I would, which was surprising).  Also, warnings for graphic talk and blood.

Here is my rundown on the deaths of the Durins.  And my defense on why they are not dead.

Please note that I have no medical training whatsoever, but I consider myself fairly well-versed in anatomy and such, so I believe my theories would be correct.  I’ve also done a bit of research, so....

1.  Fili

Personally, this one was the hardest to watch.  He was killed in cold blood with no way to defend himself and that stung A LOT.  But I think it would be possible to argue that he could live.  Of course, his death is the hardest to find a way around due to how he was stabbed, but I think I can manage it.

So we all know he was stabbed straight through the middle of his upper chest (the camera shot never focused on it very clearly though, so I could be wrong), and based on how he did not die instantly, I would guess that it did not pierce his heart.  In real life, getting shot or stabbed to the heart does not cause instant death, because the brain has about 4 minutes of oxygen, but due to the massive adrenaline rush these guys are on, I would assume the brain has much less and the heart is pumping much faster.  So death would occur within 3 seconds normally, but Fili hangs on a bit longer than that I believe.  Possibly could have clipped a lung, but that is something I can deal with.  

The fall would undoubtedly break some bones, but I don’t think it would kill him, and if he received medical attention in time to staunch the bleeding, it would be possible for him to survive the wounds.  (Providing that the major arteries that runs down the middle of his spine (Superior vena cava and the aorta I believe) were not punctured, of course).

2. Kili

I actually really didn’t cry to much over his death, mainly because I found it hard to believe that he could have died from his wounds so quickly.  But once I saw him crying, that broke me.  My little baby Durin crying?  I WILL SLAUGHTER BOLG.  

Kili’s stab wound was well-focused on when it happened, so that helped my cause a bit.  The angle of the stab would just narrowly miss his heart since it went straight through his chest, so he would be fine.  Also, based on how long he stayed alive, I would wager that it didn’t hit anything really major.  His breathing was fine, no blood or anything coming up, so it’s safe to say he didn’t get a lung punctured.  

Therefore, if he received medical attention quickly, then he would live.

3. Thorin

His death was actually not too horrible, I was more caught up in how he obviously wouldn’t have died from his wounds than his death.  Ironically enough, his death is the easiest to prove unnecessary.

So we know he gets stabbed through the foot (stupid Thorin for walking along the ice and watching Azog), but that’s not too concerning.  Dwarf boots are really tough, so it would have stopped a lot of the force of the blade, even though he did get his foot stabbed.

But the final blow is really interesting.  I don’t see till the end where exactly Azog ran him through, but based upon how he is able to get up and walk around (note that he isn’t coughing up blood or labouring too much for air), as well as not clutching at the wound to stem the bleeding, I think it’s safe to say that Thorin did not receive a blade to the heart, lungs or any major arteries.  

When Thorin stumbles and finally goes down, I come to the conclusion that he’s mainly suffering from blood loss, because once you lose around 3-4 pints of blood you’re heading into unconsciousness.  Anything over 4-5+ is considered fatal, and men naturally have a bit more blood because they are bigger.  

At the end, I finally get to see where he was stabbed, and it just made me laugh with astonishment.  While the wound is not small by any means, it lands right below his ribcage and would narrowly have missed hitting his left lung.  Of course, it might have caused some internal damage, but if someone applied pressure to the wound and bandaged it up quickly to stop the bleeding, then Thorin’s life could easily have been saved.  

~~

While I didn’t really cry much at their deaths, the funeral scene had me bawling.  Seeing everyone else (read: Bilbo) so sad and trying to keep from crying just reminded me of some traumatic times in my life and brought those memories and feelings back.  So I bawled for that entire scene.  

Also, quick side note, it was so strange watching the movie because I was mentally inserting Estel in certain places or running through how she would react to this situation or that.  I really think that A Deep Misunderstanding is my emotional support story that got me through BOTFA, because in it Thorin lives and Estel and him live happily ever after, so in my mind, my story is the canon, PJ’s movie didn’t tell the whole story and cut out the important bits.  (Like the Line of Durin not actually dying, cough cough).  

[wherethesunsails]

the cut away from tauriel grieving over Kili's dead body to bilbo, in shock after having thorin pass away in his arms was a CHOICE. someone DECIDED to do that. that was NOT. a coincidence.

[elvish-sky]

1/2 (because the ask box limits my characters and I have more to tell, XD!!!) Spoiler confession of mine, I somehow found out that Fili, Kili, and Thorin all died in BOTFA when I had just finished watching AUJ. But I didn't know when or how they died, so in DOS I was freaking out when Kili got hit with the morgul arrow because I literally thought that was where he was going to die. But same as you, my parents have no sympathy for my grief over fictional characters.

OH NO!!! Parents just don’t get it. 😭😭

Actually, same thing happened to me! I was freaking out when Kili got shot!!! Literally crying it was very upsetting!!!

Spoiler confessions?

[legolaslovely]

I Will Never Leave You

A/N: Welp! Here we are! I know there are a million of these stories out there but I had to write one of my own! Wrote this after my total breakdown last week when I couldn’t escape Fili’s death scene on my computer. I was innocently looking for fluffy Fili stuff to share and my computer froze on the video! AWFUL! Anyway, this is a little rough in the beginning but it ends in sweet Fi comfort. Hope you guys can relate and enjoy.

Pairing: Fili x Reader

Word Count: 1,283

Warnings: DANGER FOR ANGST HATERS, this has a pretty rough nightmare in it, blood and gore, sad sad sad, but ends in comfort and fluff from both Fili and Kili

Summary: (Y/N) has been plagued by nightmares since the Battle of the Five Armies. Though all are safe, on this night, she dreams her husband, Fili, is not.

Giving you the happiest Fi pic I can find to soothe the soul:

Everything was cold. Cold, frozen, white, snow. Your body trembled, shivered, and you looked around for something familiar. You found nothing. There was nothing. Nothing but cold, frozen, white snow.

Then, sudden warmth. Your fingers were hot and wet. You looked down to see the snow painted red. The color was dripping from your hands, staining your skin and clothes. What is-

“It hurts, amrâlimê.”

Your vision blurred as the world rushed around you, fighting, defending, assisting, screaming, dying. The only clarity was brought by his voice.

“Help me, amrâlimê.”

Under your hands was a gushing, painful, deadly wound. You held pressure, trying to stop the leaking, but blood pooled in the cold, frozen, white snow. A whimper fell from your lips. You weren’t able to help the one below you. Who was it?

“I-I need something, something to bind the wound,” you said. Your voice didn’t reach the one in anguish, it was taken by the floating wind. “You’ll be all right,” you tried to say.

“Please, amrâlimê.”

Then the injured came into focus. First, the blond hair that fanned out over the cold, frozen, white snow. You recognized the beads at the ends of the braids as your own. The etched runes were caked with blood. Next, the armor over his shoulders came into view. It was pierced down the middle. Then the face. The features were twisted in such agony, the once bright eyes fading, the ever present smile non-existent, the dimples painted red.

“Fili.”

“I’m dying, amrâlimê.”

“No.”

Your eyes flew to the wound, desperate to find some way to stop the bleeding, but it was nowhere to be found, though the puddle of red around you was only growing. You unfastened his armor, throwing it to the side and tore open his tunic and saw nothing. But Fili still groaned and writhed under your hands. “I-I can’t help you,” you said.

“It hurts, amrâlimê. Help me, amrâlimê. Please, amrâlimê. I’m dying, amrâlimê.”

“No. Stop- stop saying that. You’re going to be all right.”

You wiped the blood from his face, but more appeared. You looked around frantically for help but everything had disappeared. There was only cold, frozen, white snow, you and Fili.

Then black. An all-encompassing black started enclosing around him, taking first his feet, then his legs, torso and chest. “Fili. Fili, stop. Where-where are you going? Look at me. Fili? Fili!”

“Amrâlimê.”

The black closed around his face, taking him from you forever. “Fi. Fili! Fili!”

“Amrâlimê, wake up. Wake up, (Y/N). It’s all right. Look at me.”

You woke with a jolt. You were trembling and your stomach lurched as you opened your eyes that were blurred with tears. Fili was sitting above you, he’d pulled you into his arms as you slept and screamed his name for the mountain to hear. You sat up and stared at him, holding onto his arms with a bruising grip.

No braids. Warm eyes. Soft dimples. No blood.

“It’s all right, amrâlimê. It was just another-” His voice caught in his throat as you crumbled in his arms. Your hands covered your face in shame as you shook from the force of your sobs. He knew how you felt- that you knew better, that it was indeed just a dream. But the nightmares were too real after the quest. And they’d been plaguing you for months.

He separated his legs and placed you between them, pulling you against his chest. Finally, you opened up to him, wrapping your arms around him and hiding your hot, wet face in the crook of his neck.

“It was just a dream, amrâlimê. Everything’s fine.”

You gasped and your voice shook. Your grip tightened on him and he imagined what your demons had made you see. He wondered if your nightmares were similar to Kili’s. He hoped not. Kili always told him of his terrors in great detail, it was the only way he’d dispel them from his thoughts. You, however, never shared too much with him, as if talking about it would bring the danger back.

When you’d calmed just a bit he asked, “Was it the battle again?”

“It was so real. I…oh, it was so awful, Fili. I couldn’t- I couldn’t help you.”

You spiraled again, weeping desperately. He hushed you, running his fingers through your hair and down your back. He listened to you try and fail to match the rhythm of his breathing. This meant, you’d dreamed he’d died. Again. He pulled you closer. Of course he wished he’d never been attacked in the battle, he didn’t need the pain and the scar of reminder. But he especially wished that you and Kili didn’t have to witness it. He wanted so badly to protect you both from it. But he was failing.

“I’m all right, amrâlimê. It wasn’t real,” he said to you when you couldn’t shake the pain and fear you were feeling. Every time you cried like this, it was as if another crack in his heart broke through. It was torture, he thought selfishly. He leaned his cheek on your head. “I will never leave you.” His voice fell away as he felt his own tears skid down his cheeks.

You noticed his shaky inhale and left the safe place at his neck to look at him. You shook your head and wiped the tears from his cheeks. “I’m sorry,” you whispered. You didn’t want to bring him into your pain.

He kissed your hand as it passed his lips. “I’m sorry too. We’ll get through this, amrâlimê. We’ll get through these nightmares, to a time where they’ll be only memories.”

You nodded and kissed him. “I love you, Fi.”

“And I, you. With all my heart,” he said, hugging you tight to him.

When you finally calmed and met him breath for calm, serene breath, you drew away and found the scar on his left side. There it was. You ran a finger over it. He was attacked, but you were able to help him. He was safe and healthy and yours.

He wiped the tears falling swiftly down your cheeks and something on the bed side table caught your eye. A small glass jar you’d never seen before. You reached over Fili and took it. “What is this?”

Fili sat up against the headboard of the bed and ran a hand down your back. “Kili brought it.”

“When?”

“You didn’t see, but he came in, arrow nocked when he heard you crying out. When he realized it was a dream that distressed you, he brought this. There’s a note here,” Fili said, picking up a small piece of paper from the table you hadn’t seen. He gave it to you to read.

My dear sister,

The smell of hyacinth helps keep the nightmares at bay.

Sweet dreams,

Love Ki

You huffed, always blown away by Kili’s sweet gestures. Unscrewing the jar allowed the sweet, clean scent of the flower petals to fill your senses. The glass vial was filled to the brim with purple and white circles, freshly picked from the royal gardens. “So, this is why he asked for hyacinths to be planted in the gardens,” you said.

Fili hummed, taking a whiff himself.

“I’ll thank him in the morning,” you said, placing the note and the jar in their spot on the table and gluing yourself to Fili once more.

He kissed your forehead. “Tired?” he asked.

“No. I think I’m awake now for at least a small bit.”

“In that case,” he said, reaching for the drawer of the table and grabbing the book he’d been reading to you after your previous terror. “Where did we leave off?”

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[evepolastrl]

Thorin + smiling at Bilbo

[idrilearfalas]

Sometimes I wonder where the Mandalorians learned to work with mithril