#elvish hair costume

[manoartesana]

Elven Rainbow Moonstone Circlet Tiara. Owieru elvish art.

Elven Rainbow Moonstone Circlet Tiara. Precious metal Sterling Silver 925. Medieval tiara. Owieru elven art.

The Owieru Elven Art Circlet Moon stone is a beautiful piece of fantasy jewelry inspired by the elvish aesthetic of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Crafted from sterling silver and set with a Rainbow Moon stone measuring 14x10 millimeters. This stone is very beautiful because it has different reflections and shades that change depending on how you look at it. The tiara is open at the back so that it is adjustable with satin ribbons according to the environment of the tiara, with which they can be tied or braided to the hair. This elven circlet is sure to bring an air of majesty and mystery to any costume or fantasy look. Whether you are looking for an accessory for your next LARP event or simply want to add a touch of elven elegance to your wardrobe, the Owieru elven art will make you look and feel like a true elven!

🔸 Store Mano Artesana.

*The stone has different characteristics that make each one unique.

*Please, if you have any questions, ask us and we will help you.

*The exposed photos are indicative, since the work is personalized and may have slight differences.

*Please note: Colors may vary depending on the type of computer screen you are using.

[unclewaynemunson]

If there is one thing Eddie Munson is good at, it's hyperfixating. He can spend hours upon hours wholly entranced by whatever it is that has his attention, whether it's a newly discovered band or a book series he's reading or some random new interest he likes to immerse himself in. It's something Steve, who himself has the attention span of a goldfish, will never really understand, but that's okay: even without understanding it, it's one of the things he loves about Eddie.

Some of Eddie's obsessions fade just as quickly as they appear, but others stay with him for years. So when he reaches a 1000-day streak on Duolingo learning Elvish, Steve has a surprise for him: two tickets for a Lord of the Rings convention in Chicago. The second ticket is not for Steve – they enjoy their own separate interests just fine without the other's involvement – but for Dustin, and the two of them wave goodbye to Steve with a suitcase filled with nerdy costumes and matching excited sparks in their eyes.

Eddie returns a few days later filled with stories about all that he and Dustin got up to.

'Guess who we met at the convention,' is one of the first things he tells Steve. He's bouncing around with excitement, too impatient to even wait for Steve's first guess. 'The guy who created the Elvish Duolingo course! And guess what? He lives in Indianapolis! I'm having lunch with him next week!'

And it's cool, Steve is happy that Eddie met his hero and made a new nerd friend out of him, he truly is – until Eddie shows him the picture that Dustin took of the two of them.

Here's the thing: Steve is not a jealous person. Not at all. He knows that jealousy is a gross thing to feel and he can't even imagine not trusting Eddie. But... he had not expected Eddie's lame nerd idol to have amazing hair, a lip piercing, and muscles in all the right places. The guy looks like a freaking model. And usually, that wouldn't bother Steve – he knows he's not exactly ugly himself – but usually he doesn't have to compete with guys who speak Elvish fluently.

'You should come with me, we can all hang out together,' Eddie suggests. 'I'm sure you'll love him.'

Steve is hesitant about it, but Eddie refuses to take no for an answer, and that's how Steve ends up at Vikram's house for lunch two weeks later.

Eddie gasps loudly when Vikram leads them into his living room, clutching a dramatic hand to his chest in true Eddie fashion. Steve knows it's not all theatrics, though: there's no way a room like this wouldn't genuinely impress Eddie. It's dark and filled with big leather furniture. Framed posters for various metal bands and horror movies hang on the walls. There are shelves filled with big fantasy books, and every corner of the room has a display cabinet filled with what seem to be collectors' items for various series.

If Steve had been hoping for Vikram to look more like a stereotypical nerd in real life, he would be severely disappointed: the guy looks amazing in a leather jacket that would fit perfectly in Eddie's own collection and black skinny jeans that show off a truly amazing pair of legs, making Steve feel oddly self-conscious about the couple of pounds he gained since he left his high school sports days behind him.

While they're having lunch – Vikram bakes his own bread and it's so good that Steve doesn't think he can ever stop eating – Eddie and Vikram enthusiastically talk each other's heads off about all things Tolkien. Steve, on the other hand, grows more quiet as time passes, not really following along and sure as hell not able to give any contributions to the topic at hand.

'Did you ever try to learn some Sindarin as well, Steve? Or are you more of a Quenya guy?' Vikram asks him in what is no doubt a well-meant attempt to include Steve in the conversation.

Steve hastily swallows a big mouthful of bread and feels his cheeks heat up.

'I never read those books,' he sheepishly confesses.

'Oh!' Vikram's eyes widen and Steve can practically see him think: You never bothered to show any interest in one of your boyfriend's favorite things?

'Well, I mean, I tried,' Steve rushes to explain himself. 'But I um, I couldn't really keep my attention to it. They're a bit difficult to read. For me.' Somehow, explaining it only makes him feel worse about it.

'Oh, yeah, I get it, man. Those books aren't for everyone.'

There is no meanness or hidden insult behind his words. But Steve only feels more like an outsider while Eddie asks Vikram some incomprehensible question that has Vikram giving an in-depth explanation about the difference between two words that literally sound the same to Steve's ears. And when Eddie laughs about a joke that goes way over Steve's head, then says something in that stupidly beautiful nerd language which prompts a laugh from Vikram in return, Steve is reminded in full force how ugly of an emotion jealousy is.

They say goodbye – Eddie says something in Elvish again and Steve has to watch Vikram laugh a joyous laugh about it again – and Steve is quiet during the drive back home.

'Is something wrong?' Eddie asks when they're home, perceptive as always.

'No,' Steve lies.

'Stevie, c'mon.' Eddie studies Steve's face intently, a frown between his eyebrows just barely hidden by his bangs. 'What's going on?' Something in his expression shifts. 'Wait. You didn't like Vikram, did you? Did you hate him?'

'No, I didn't hate him!' Steve is quick to say. 'He's awesome, Eddie, he's perfect and smart and funny and perfect.'

Eddie narrows his eyes like Steve said something weird.

'Why did you say he's perfect twice?'

Steve huffs and runs a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. 'Just drop it, Eddie.'

'No, I'm not dropping it.' Eddie crosses his arms. 'What are you not telling me?'

Steve sighs. 'Okay, I didn't want to bother you with this, because it's my problem and not yours, and jealousy is an ugly emotion, but–'

'You're jealous of Vikram?'

'I mean, he's like, super hot, and he has this cool house, and he loves the same things as you, and you can speak your cool nerd language with him, while I'm too dumb to even read your cool nerd books and–'

'Steve,' Eddie interrupts him. 'You have no reason to be jealous.'

'I just...' Steve pauses, pinches the bridge of his nose. He finally manages to voice the thought that has been eating at him ever since he met Vikram. 'I don't want you to wake up someday and wish that you were with someone as smart as you are.'

The way Eddie's breath catches is barely noticeable. Then, he reaches out and gently places his hands on Steve's shoulders.

'I am with someone as smart as I am,' he says softly.

Steve scoffs.

'No, it's true,' Eddie presses on. 'Okay, so you don't enjoy reading Tolkien, and you don't speak Elvish. I don't care about that, man. I love the way you think. I love your inexhaustible knowledge of weird sports facts. I love how precise you are about weighing ingredients when you're baking something. I love your through-the-roof emotional and social intelligence.' He lifts one hand off of Steve's shoulder to pet his head, almost as if he's some kind of animal. 'You got a pretty big brain in there, no matter what you tell yourself, Stevie. And that's why I love you, more than anyone who speaks Elvish fluently.'

Steve tugs Eddie closer until their bodies are pressed against each other, his arms around Eddie's waist and his head resting on Eddie's shoulder.

'I don't think anyone has ever called me smart before,' he quietly admits.

'Well, I'll do it more often, then,' Eddie replies. 'Cause you are.'

(I wrote this because @undreaming-rambles has reached the unbelievable milestone of a 1000-day duolingo strike today. obviously that called for a silly fanfic celebration moment, congrats on your incredible perseverance aneta 💖 and credit where credit is due: this one was inspired by an episode of my beloved comfort show brooklyn 99)

[anghraine]

thatinsufferableb-st-rd said:

@anghraine so i have read the books multiple times and am an avid fan of the movies. I enjoy both for what they are. I think the main difference is that Peter Jackson was very open about what they chose to cut and why from anything I've ever seen. They even have Sam give a nod to the book readers by saying "by rights we shouldn't even be here". No I'm not happy about what they did with Faramir and Glorfindel got jipped, and I would have lover to have seen Elronds sons but at the end of the day there were acknowledgments of what and why. Rings of Power to me has always come off as hiding from any criticism by using the shield of "well if you don't like it it's because you don't like POCs in it". To which I genuinely could not give a fuck less, like there are so many branches of elves that went different ways so that could make sense within what Tolkein established. But don't hide behind that when your writing is just "Sauron is evil. We know. And we know she knows. But we have to make it seem like she's the only one who Has A Clue so we must all try to shoo her off to make a plotline"

@lesbiansforboromir has already correctly and politely pointed out that you are doing the very thing we were criticizing in that post—intruding on ROP fan discussion to unfavorably contrast the show to the Peter Jackson films, while also applying a degree of scrutiny to ROP that the Jackson films are rarely subject to in a remotely comparable way and could not bear. Frankly, @lesbiansforboromir is nicer and more restrained than I am about this, but you chose to tag me as well, so I'll also respond.

We (lesbiansforboromir and I) were talking about being excited about costuming in S2 of ROP and disliking the fandom meltdowns over ROP's costuming looking (somewhat) different from the films' aesthetic. Since it had already come up in their discussion, I added that I'm not convinced by the anti-ROP contingent framing their seething hatred of the costuming and design as just caring so much about fidelity to Tolkien's vision. I pointed out that Tolkien fandom broadly cares far more about their preferred, film-influenced aesthetics than Tolkien's actual descriptions and gave some specific examples of this.

There's been a lot of talk, for instance, about how the universally long, flowing hair for Elves preferred by the fandom and used in the films is actually totally canon according to Tolkien even if it's rarely mentioned in LOTR proper. This is inaccurate. Galadriel's brother Aegnor is typically depicted in the fandom/film-preferred style rather than per Tolkien's description of his hair as "strong and stiff, rising upon his head like flames" (indeed, in general neither Aegnor nor anyone else is ever depicted this way, and this description rarely shows up in the lists of "no it's about ethics in adaptation" Tolkien hair quotes).

Tolkien repeatedly describes Elvish, peredhel, and Dúnadan women as wearing their hair bound up in braided coiffures with jeweled hair pieces/nets rather than loose and flowing à la the films and the fandom. Nobody cares, any more than they care about Tolkien's description of Arwen's clothing as soft, grey, and noticeably devoid of ornamentation apart from a belt and netted cap (i.e. the opposite of her highly elaborate film costuming and typically loose, unbound, uncovered hair in the films and most illustrations).

Meanwhile, my fave Faramir's hair is nowhere near long enough in the films or most art to mingle with Éowyn's as Tolkien describes. It's usually also depicted as blond, reddish, or brown rather than black as in the book; in Tolkien's LOTR, all described Gondorians have dark or black hair, with the only difference in coloring being that some Gondorians are dark-skinned and some are pale. Again, almost nobody in the fandom cares about this when they're going on about costume design and casting to reflect Tolkien's vision, and male Gondorians are overwhelmingly depicted with short or shoulder-length hair in the films and in Tolkien illustrations.

Popular depictions of Gondor, including the Gondor of the films, very rarely reflect Tolkien's description of Gondor's aesthetic as similar to ancient Egypt, the Byzantine Empire, and the Roman Empire. Film Gondor has, at most, extremely vague allusions to Byzantine architecture amidst the general and deliberate westernization of Gondor's design—as just one example among many, Tolkien's explicitly Egyptian-based design for the royal crown of Gondor is converted to a generically western European-style crown in the films and overwhelmingly in the fandom.

I then pointed out that it's been very noticeable that ROP haters tend to have a powerful double standard wrt fidelity when it comes to the Jackson films. For over 20 years, most film fans have been constitutionally incapable of tolerating even slight criticism of the films without jumping in to defend their greatness and condescendingly explain the most basic elements of adaptation. (Yes, we know film is not the same medium as text, we know changes are part of adaptation to another medium, we all know that, we all know that a word-for-word adaptation would suck and never be made, this is not new information and does not make the PJ films' every choice a good one.) Yet most film LOTR fans who vocally despise ROP display none of the charity towards ROP that they demand for the films (demand even from someone like Christopher Tolkien, a dead man the entire fandom is deeply indebted to, whose dislike of the films still leads to regular attacks on his character from Jackson film stans).

This hypercritical yet hyperdefensive tendency in the fandom is neatly illustrated by the fact that you responded to a conversation about the double standards in evaluations of ROP's costuming vs the films' to go on about how ROP is objectively bad for reasons entirely unrelated to costuming, how you're totally not racist (something nobody was talking about), and to quote you directly, "Like the show was just Bad." Truly, an incisive critique. Meanwhile, your concessions with regard to the Jackson films are mainly about extremely minor and defensible omissions like removing Glorfindel and the sons of Elrond rather than the serious and fundamental problems that lesbiansforboromir and I have with them, or even the ways they do pretty much the exact same things you're lambasting ROP for.

I mean, if we're going to talk about action hero Elves in ROP vs the Jackson films, what about the action hero-ification of Legolas in the films? He was described by Tolkien himself as the Fellowship member who accomplished the least, so super badass battle-skateboarding Legolas hardly represents fidelity to Tolkien's vision. Why should that get a pass while film-stanning ROP haters seethe about ROP!Galadriel being too special, even though Tolkien described her as one of the most special Elves to ever live and specifically as remarkably athletic and insightful?

Meanwhile, film Gimli is reduced to comic relief, the only dwarves taken seriously are conventionally hot ones in The Hobbit films, and Frodo's expressions of strength and fortitude are consistently removed to glorify other characters. Film Gondorians were deliberately designed to seem like useless tin soldiers (which they are in the films, as well as whiter and blonder than Tolkien wrote them) rather than the physically imposing and highly effective fighting force of the book. ROP imagining Elvish rituals upon approaching Valinor that aren't based in Tolkien canon but don't directly conflict with it is absolutely trivial compared to the films' handling of Denethor and Faramir.

The point is not that you, personally, are not allowed to like the films or dislike ROP despite all this. Many people do love the films, including most of my followers. They do have their strengths, though they are extremely racist and few film fans will acknowledge this without soft-pedaling it in some way (esp, since you brought it up, given the context of the truly unhinged degree of racism that has accompanied much of the broader discourse around ROP).

The point is that film fans who hate ROP are constantly showing up in our conversations to be "well actually ROP is just objectively bad, unlike the films, because the show has failings that are also in the films but it's totally different there because of the contents of Peter Jackson's soul" or whatever. The point is the absolutely glaring and obnoxiously hypocritical double standard of defensiveness about the films and obsessive nitpicking of ROP that leads to ROP haters continually going on rants to ROP fans that are unwelcome, uninvited, and usually (as in this case) irrelevant to what was even being discussed.

[charlidos]

Viggo has published two of the photos he took of Orlando (I'm sure there are plenty more. For instance that "best photo ever taken of Orlando" from getting lost in the rainforest... Will it ever be published? Fear it won't).

Elf Head is dated 1999, and in my mind this was taken very early on after Viggo arrived in NZ, October 1999. If you look at other clips and pics of Orlando in his mohawk hairdo, I don't see that long patch of hair in the neck like in this pic. It's a more extreme version here, less polished. So maybe this was an early version of the 'do.

According to what I've understood, the first scenes with Legolas didn't start shooting until after a week or so of shooting, so I think Orlando hadn't started filming anything when Viggo arrived on set (and started filming from the get go). I think they tinkered with Legolas' costume and wig for a bit at that time. For instance, I'm not sure what that collar is in the pic. Does it look like something Legolas wears in the films? In other words, I think the decision to have a mohawk might have coincided with Viggo's arrival on set. And I think this photo was taken very early on, maybe the first weeks of filming.

According to Orlando, it was Liv who suggested the style, as they'd realised that he'd need to remove most of his hair in order to facilitate putting on the Legolas' wig. But if Viggo had already arrived at this point, maybe he had something to do with it; maybe he even suggested it, and Liv thought it was a great idea.

Viggo used to be a part of the LA punk scene, via his marriage to one of its stars. I don't know to what extent he felt like a part of that scene back then, but I imagine Viggo was not only used to wild styles, hair and dress, but was perhaps rather fond of it. Finding a co-star with such an punk-ish style probably appealed to him a great deal.

Because I see a fascination in this photo. And it's not with Orlando's face, but with the hairstyle, the strange contrast of hair and pointy ears, the form of that skull and neck. Maybe he was intrigued by the contradiction of Orlando's very pretty face and the unruly, almost-ugly hair flap and strange ears.

The title "elf head" is a bit unexpected, considering the only thing even close to elvish about this portrait, is the ears. Certainly, no elf would ever have such hair, right? Unless it's a punk-elf. But maybe Viggo thought Orlando looked like a beautiful elf, no matter what hairstyle.

This photo was taken sometime in 2000, but there's no way to tell exactly when, I think. They filmed so many battles, so who knows which one. Maybe Helm's Deep, with those long, arduous weeks of night shoots, when they must have spent so much time with each other, when no one else in the main cast was even awake. There's this feeling of being in the dark in this photo, or in a twilight of sorts.

Again, there's a sense of fascination here; with the beauty of Legolas the elf, and the transformation from Orlando, the young, pretty, energetic, sweet young man to Legolas, old, wise, calm and focused. Viggo is an artist, so I imagine he's got a sense of beauty when he sees it.

There's also a sense of intimacy, like we're intruding, like we are in Orlando's mirror. Considering they shared a make-up trailer all that time, sitting beside each other, getting ready, not only for battle but for everything, it must have seemed, at times, quite intimate. Orlando studying Viggo, fascinated. And obviously, Viggo studied Orlando back, also fascinated.

I wonder if the photo was spontaneous or staged; did Viggo just catch Orlando putting in Legolas' eyes, like Orlando did every day, or did Viggo decide this was a shot he wanted and asked Orlando to pose?

I can read the added text two ways: full awe and respect, like Orlando really is transforming into Legolas, a fearsome warrior to be reckoned with. Or like it's slightly teasing: to point out the irony of this fey, lithe creature being able to fight orchs. Kind of like you'd pretend to scared of a little kid, acting like a scary monster.

After a discussion with @vamp-ress, I realised something else: these two pics have one particular thing in common, namely that they catch that twilight moment between reality and fiction. That moment when O is still O, but is about to become Legolas (or the other way around). That moment when he's neither completely O, nor completely Legolas. A transitional moment of blur between the two worlds. I imagine this is what caught Viggo's eye, that transformation.

Now, Viggo please show us the rest of your Orlando stash, I know you've got plenty!

And I'm sure Orlando does too..

[lonesomedreamer]

The Rings of Power Liveblog: “Shadow of the Past” (Episode 1)

Two years late, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided I had to see this thing for myself ahead of the second season premiere…spoiler: I didn’t hate it.

I’m not going to gripe about these children looking decidedly human (or at least not Elvish), because I understand the limitations of using, you know—actual human children as actors. But I will question the notion of Elvish children being smug bullies.

But baby Galadriel definitely looks the part.

“It’s not going to float, it’s going to sail.” Not off to a strong start with the dialogue…

Oh, the Elf children are…throwing rocks at her paper boat? All of them? Why?? I know the behavior of Elves in the First and Second Ages tended to be less detached/noble and whatnot, but little Galadriel is literally about to punch this Elf boy…

I have so many questions about this hairstyle choice.

“We have no word for death.” Somehow, I doubt that. This is the Second Age, right? Elves had definitely already experienced death.

Why does this seem like a slightly retooled Minas Tirith design? Is this supposed to be VALINOR??? (Actually, this would be a decent Amber design…)

A very underwhelming depiction of the destruction of the Two Trees…this is what Amazon spent amlost a billion dollars on? I know they can’t accurately depict what happened because, you know, no rights to The Silmarillion, but it still underwhelmed me.

This sequence is just all so obviously CGI. While I’m no fan of the original Jackson films (sorry, I know—boo, hiss), a lot of it looks real.

“See, it’s just like that Game of Thrones spinoff you like, but with terrible CG!”

It would be so helpful if Galadriel’s voiceover told viewers that Orcs were created as a mockery of the Elves, or hinted at why Morgoth created them/why he hated the Elves. Unfortunately, this is what happens when you try to adapt a work to which you don’t have all the rights.

She is very, very pretty.

“What devilry is this?” Is that a word in Middle-earth?

Lots of Galadriel confidently assuming she knows things she can’t possibly know (for the sake of hurrying the story/journey along, I guess)…if only the streaming services didn’t limit themselves to eight or ten episodes and gave their stories room to breathe!

Anyone watching who’s never read The Silmarillion (or even the trilogy): who the fuck is Morgoth? What are the Trees?? What year is it??? What’s going on here??!? Again, the huge problem of adapting a larger story/universe when you only have partial rights…

Insert obligatory video game-esque troll battle that’s also a callback to the Moria scenes of the FOTR film. You can use the bathroom here and miss nothing.

Some proto-Hobbits, because why not? I did like the “hidden village” reveal thing, though!

I kind of love them?

There’s a lot to be said for the charm and appeal of the Shire from an audience perspective, the comfort of it (which is why the Scourging of the Shire is so thematically important and excising it was an irredeemable sin…but I digress), so I actually 100% understand why they included these guys. TTT is by far the bleakest book of the trilogy, my least-favorite, and the lack of the Shire is a huge reason why.

23 years later and I’m still not over the utter miscasting of Hugo Weaving. Visually, this Elrond isn’t really better. Why is Elrond so damn hard to get right??? And his hair is described as black!

The best costumes a billion-dollar budget could buy?

“Elf-lords only.” Such a dignified, Elvish thing to say…

Yes, Elves could be haughty and unkind; just ask Bilbo! But Elrond is an Elf-lord. Hmm.

Also…Elrond and Galadriel appear to be approximately the same age. It doesn’t matter that Galadriel is actually much older (and his eventual mother-in-law!), because TV is such a visual medium.

This is actually a larger overall problem. Because most of The Lord of the Rings takes place over the course of one year, an adaptation doesn’t need to hold the audience’s hand regarding the passage of time. But in this case, as Galadriel’s narration too-briefly mentions, events are taking place across hundreds and even thousands of years. Elves like Galadriel are significantly older than others, like Elrond, but unless you tell the audience that, they won’t know, and the story loses something as a result.

Even though this design is clearly based on Rivendell in the Jackson films, it is quite lovely.

Pretty!!!

How do Galadriel and Elrond know each other? They seem close. Inquiring minds want to know!

The content and context of this scene is meaningless, but I don’t care—it’s just so pretty!

Even though I know they get worse, for now I don’t really mind the proto-Hobbits. They’re obviously not Tolkien, but they’re an homage, and they’re fun/visually appealing.

The casting director gets a D+ for the male Elves. (Then again, they were poorly-cast in the Jackson films too.)

“And as a reward, you will all be exiled!” lmfao. Being shipped off to Valinor doesn’t seem like much of a punishment, though. Where do I volunteer?

Still, it makes sense that Galadriel, who (correctly!) believes Sauron to still be alive and a threat and who wishes to avenge her brother, would be upset about this. They’ve changed her backstory/motivations—which I hate—but her attitude does track with those changes.

Nuns??

This set design is magical, no notes.

Luthien??

She really is perfectly cast.

Elrond, one of the wisest and kindest of all the Elves, is being written as some smug royal enforcer. Just like the Jackson films wrote him as a grumpy, condescending overprotective dad. Sigh.

“[Evil] waits. And at the moment of our complacency, it blinds us.” I mean…yeah, that’s basically how it goes down in Middle-earth. Repeatedly.

Not Elrond mansplaining about Valinor to someone who was literally born there…

None of these people look like Elves.

“I’m going with you!” But why?!? This lady is a healer with a youngish son still dependent on her at home!!!

I really hate them saying “mum” instead of “ma” or “mama” or something similar. (I’d also hate it if they were saying “mom,” to be clear. It’s just so modern-sounding and breaks any immersion they’ve built so far.)

Wow, the hilt of a broken sword with Sauron’s symbol on it… Generic “halfling” characters I can enjoy as a homage. This is lazy writing. And see? I knew her son needed adult supervision. (It’s also a ripoff of Pippin and the Palantir.)

(muttering) None of these people look—oh, forget it.

Elves don’t age as Men do (or age extremely slowly/imperceptibly), so what’s going on with this dude?

Gorgeous, all.

Ents???

Galadriel jumping off of the ship and just…floating there in the middle of the sea is as silly as the naysayers said it would be. However, I thought the scene leading up to it was fairly well-executed, though I wish they’d done a better job animating the rain of silver glass that leads into Valinor…that image has always resonated with me.

The Good:

Many absolutely stunning visuals thanks to great set design (with Valinor of all places somehow being the least-impressive!) and, apart from some cheap/underwhelming looks, costume design that varies from good to great

A solid score that seems to be trying a little bit too hard to mimic Howard Shore’s from the films

Morfydd Clark, in her entirety; the writing for Galadriel might be awful in upcoming episodes, but her casting was inspired

I find the Harfoots whimsically charming, at least so far, especially Nori.

The use of Tolkienesque maps to indicate location changes

An attempt was clearly made, in this episode if nowhere else, to pay homage to the source material, even the source material they don’t have the rights to use outright (the Two Trees, Morgoth, perhaps Luthien)…it’s better than nothing.

The Bad

Every single male Elf is miscast; yes, I said every single one, from Galadriel’s brother to Elrond to the OC Arondir. Gil-galad and Celebrimbor look like they’re in their late 40s/50s, at best, and idk…there’s nothing “Elvish” or “ageless” about any of the male actors playing Elves. (Full disclosure: I don’t remember being impressed by the male Elves in the Jackson films, either.) I also saw someone say that Gil-galad looks like Liam Neeson in a mullet, and now I can’t unsee that.

Some really clunky dialogue

Lack of adequate backstory/exposition…but exposition in an adaptation like this is hard, because most of it is contained in The Silmarillion, for which they don’t own the rights.

Building on that theme, I appreciate the idea of “showing not telling,” however…did they ever tell us Galadriel’s brother name (Finrod)? Or that “the king” is Gil-galad? Or even suggest that there are a variety of different Elves in Middle-earth? A lot of people know these things, because we know Tolkien. But I’ve got to assume that a lot of others don’t. Heck, it took them until almost the end of the episode to name one of their OCs (Bronwyn).

Some worthless scenes, like Galadriel’s company fighting the “ice troll” in the mountains. Actually, the entire sequence in the mountain lair was badly-written.

I don’t care about the “forbidden romance” subplot between the OCs Arondir and Bronwyn…if they’d spent longer than a few minutes in the first episode establishing their relationship/characters, maybe I’d be more invested. (See my earlier complaint about unnecessarily short seasons—some stories need room to grow!)

Even though my criticism outweighs my praise, even though I’m a self-identified Tolkien purist, I thought this was…fine. It’s an absolute feast for the eyes, truly gorgeous to watch (even with all those woefully miscast male Elves)—visually, apart from a few moments of obvious CGI, it’s what I would expect/want from a Tolkien adaptation! My expectations aren’t high for the rest of the series. There are upcoming plot points that I know will disappoint, infuriate, and disgust me. But considering that I went into this episode expecting to loathe it, I was pleasantly surprised.

Besides, I’m going to keep watching no matter what to see more of Nori and Morfydd’s face. This also makes me want to finish The Silmarillion, which I have been starting and then “saving for later” since I was a small child.

[mars-b4ggins]

Day 23: Crossover (LOTR X TOH)

Headcanons:

●Sam and Frodo join the Amity and Luz bookclub of Azura (they love the books)

●Luz teaches Frodo Spanish and Frodo teaches her Elvish

●When Amity wants to make a surprise gift to Willow she ask Sam for help for the meanigs of the plants or just to create one with magic

●Frodo and Amity are BIG nerds and they play trivial together

●Luz reads at loud her books for Sam (both of they are obsseded with fantasy books)

●Sam gets horrified and fascinated about the food of the demon realm

●Frodo gets adopted by Eda

●Luz is the new best friend of Pippin and Merry

●Willow and Sam become best friends

●Gus makes ilusions during Bilbo's birthday to distract Gandalf while Pippin is stealing the fireworks (they get caught)

●Luz and Frodo love to make their partners blush

●Pippin and Merry help Eda with her store (Merry attracts the costumers and Pippin pick-pocket them)

●All the hobbits love King and Gollum tries to eat him

●Eda and Gandalf are friends

●Legolas and Amity becomes buddys (they gave each other tips for their hair)

●Raine and Elrond play instruments together

●Luz makes fanfiction with Sam about Legolas and Gimli (at first Sam is a bit shy about doing it)

●Sam gets a crush on Eda thinking that she was an elf (Gimli too)

●Hooty freaks out Frodo at first but hey become friends

●Sam, Frodo, Amity and Luz go on double dates

●Gimli and Willow do excercise together, Gimli teaches Willow how to use his ax

[elvenwhovian]

Exactly 20 years ago I went to a late night premiere party for The Return of the King full of nerds and homeschoolers.

There was a costume contest, so naturally I dressed up as my OC (the character that would eventually become Claire Bernhart). One of my friends was dressed as Frodo and literally glued hair to his feet and borrowed his dad's wedding ring. One kid made some real chainmail, but it was so heavy he brought it in a sack and dared people to try to pick it up. I had an antique sword I found at a secondhand shop sheathed at my side and no one thought it was strange. There were homemade cloaks, kids speaking elvish, and a cake with Aragorn's face on it. I was 13. It was the best night of my life.

A lot has happened since then, but 20 years haven't dimmed the magic of that night. It's a memory I will always cherish :3

[toxycodone]

Another Idelle thing, separate ask bc I’m sending a pic: any thoughts on her design?? I know elves are pretty much exclusively light-haired, but she 100% learned how to dye her hair with magic bc she likes the attention. Her staff was bought at a night market bc she’s really into reptiles and thinks snakes are just awesome

Hello! I’d love some input on my character in progress. Her name is Idelle, she’s an elf mage. She was raised in a very tallman-heavy area and was adopted by tallman family friends after losing her parents. It led to a very convoluted situation with her tallman parents dying before she reached maturity and her basically being passed down to her siblings to finish raising. Due to that whole clusterfuck, she’s developed a cold demeanor towards short-lived races and thinks getting involved with them brings trouble. The only magic user in her small town used gnomish magic, so she is more experienced in that than traditional elf magic. Specializes in offensive spells and knows Jack Shit about revival magic. She associates with Kabru’s party even though they’re mostly short-lived, because her life’s goal is to Fuck That Gnome

*AGGRESSIVELY BANGS MY HANDS ON THE TABLE*

YES….YESSSSSSS

I’m sorry I will FULLY admit I am biased towards evil/mean women I will always. Fully support them. Like Idelle doesn’t fully seem like an evil/mean person but, cold women too. They will always rub me the right way ma’am please. Ignore me.

BUT I LOVE HER JOINING KABRUS PARTY JUST TO GET TO HOLM THATS SO FUCKING REAL (this motive is too good for me omfg like. I love a basic ass motive in characters just as much as complicated ones). But also can I say I love the fact she dyes her hair dark too and likes snakes. Those are like really interesting traits. Also as someone who sucks hard at character costume design I wanna say I LOVE. IDELLES. It’s dungeon meshi but still alternatively fashionable if that makes sense.

My questions to you are as follows….if you wanna build Idelle up I would suggest answering these

How does learning a gnomish style of combat affect her being an offensive magic user? Gnomish style magic doesn’t compel spirits like elvish magic does, so what happens if the spirits refuse to listen or don’t do exactly as she wants? ESPECIALLY in the heat of battle?

^To add onto this I want to say this is why Holm uses familiars, specifically ones he raised himself. They’re more likely to listen to him completely and without issue. Do Idelle and Holm start to bond over this? Does he teach her to raise/create familiars? (Or does she perhaps already have one? Or maybe one she’s “working on”?)

How does she feel about Kabru’s party over time? Do they start to grow on her?

How is she with Rin? Rin’s also an offensive attacker (I think??). Is Idelle better or worse than her at magic? Does Idelle care about this fact or just not pay her any mind since she’s a tallman? I think there’s like. A really good thing here party dynamic wise. (I also want to say like. Kabru probably doesn’t like the idea of making his party bigger but after talking to Idelle and seeing her reactions he adds her to the party out of genuine curiosity on how it affects Rin and Holm LMFAO.)

How does she react to Marcille’s “condition”? (Don’t wanna spoil anyone jic)

Lastly, about her past as being raised by tallman, is she cold to them as like a means of avoiding the pain when it comes to losing them? (Just making sure I got this right). I know elves reach adulthood at 80 so. It’s kinda sad imagining her like, losing her kid teeth at 30-40 and just becoming a true young child (like. Probably the equivalent of a ten year old) and her tallman parents are just. Grandparent age. Or don’t even witness it AGHH THAT SUCKS….i love it

[liminalpebble]

Eddie's Education: Chapter 7

Minors DNI

Masterlist link

Chapter 7

Early October descended on Hawkins with a chill in the air as hints of orange and red peeked out from the foliage, promising a riot of color soon. This was Leia's favorite time of year, and it cheered her up to see the grinning faces of more and more jack-o-lanterns popping up on front porches each day she walked past.

The smell of bonfires, the caramelized sugary aroma of toasted marshmallows, and the sharp scent of crisp apples wafted around her as she strode down the lanes and side streets to and from work. It occurred to her that, though she would never drive again, she rather enjoyed the view of the world as one walked. It was slower, more physical, more contemplative. She liked to observe and thought best on her feet while trudging the anxiety out of her muscles.

From the sidewalk she could hear laughter from backyard parties. Costumed keggers and barbecues, football games, farmers' markets, charming haunted houses, and corn mazes made their appearances and she was beginning to feel her old itch for the seasonal fun. She liked these events (well, except for the football games) and had forgot this about herself during her time with Sam. Leia fished through her mind, searching for other joys she had forgotten, finding all kinds of things; horror movies, and dance lessons, and drawing, and museums visits, and comic books. How had she forgotten so much about herself...about who she is and what she wanted?”

Suddenly, in the torrent of recollection, she remembered that she used to love hiking and exploring abandoned buildings. She loved the exhilaration of trudging through the woods, or long abandoned places and had yet to explore the forested or forgotten Indiana trails. She wondered if Eddie liked hiking (or at least getting high in the woods) as much as she did. Down girl, she warned herself, you don't stand a chance with him.

But she really, really, wished she did, and today as her feet traversed the pavement she found herself vacillating in that ever-present argument with herself. Every time she considered that soon Eddie would get his GED and no longer be a student, theoretically allowing her to move closer, something would pipe up from other parts of her mind.

Well what if he wants to come back and get his associate's? Then I might even be his instructor and that would be so so wrong.

What makes you think he would like you anyway? If he did, wouldn't he have made a move already?

The more negative these sentences became, the more they sounded like Sam. She sighed as she thought about her ex. Leia could almost see him adjusting his retro glasses as he looked down his nose at her. She remembered his clipped voice as it said, “How far do you really think you can get here? You'd have a better chance in Hawkins, anyway. Compared to the locals you'd seem like an intellectual giant. It'd be easy.”

She'd said, “Sam! That's a fucked up thing to say! Just because it's a small town doesn't mean everyone's a hillbilly and an idiot...and what do you mean 'seem'.” She crossed her arms and frowned.

He ran an agitated hand through his pretty mop of glossy red hair, as if her words were flies he could shoo off with flicks of his fingers. He was always vain about his rare hair, and his striking green eyes, and his delicate elvish features, but pretended very hard not to be. “Come on, Leia. It's not my job to bolster your fragile ego. We both know you're not stupid, but you're not Einstein. Don't give me that look! We need to be mature about critiques. We have a more evolved relationship than these people who throw flowers and candy at each other and pretend like the other person is some kind of god or goddess. Relentless honesty is best, even when it hurts,” he declared proudly, flipping pages as he talked to her, not even bothering to meet her eyes. She couldn't help but notice how this constant nitpicking only ever seemed to go one way in their relationship.

“Save it for your paper on Hemingway, or when you're jerking off to Bukowski or some other dead pretentious asshole,” she said in a tone teetering between playful sarcasm and genuine anger.

“Ouch...jealous, are we?” he'd asked with a disarming smile, as if it had all been a joke she was just a bit too dim to see the humor in. Sam Huxley had convinced her that she had no right to be hurt, so she pretended not to be and laughed it off with him. Being with Sam had taught her keep the pain to herself and nurse the wounds he inflicted in silence, to not show weakness or need. He praised her practiced stoic nonchalance after he would mercilessly pull apart her thesis, or her body, or her hobbies, or her tastes. It was the only time he ever praised her. She mastered this controlled response, eventually training herself to stop feeling anything about it at all, or having any preferences, because his came first. And she hardly came at all. Her family just thought he was “making her stronger” and liked him for it. They recognized their own impossible expectations for her in his, so it felt right and reinforced their every belief.

When he'd suddenly broken up with her and told her he was staying in Chicago, with no preamble or warning, she cried in front of him for the first time. He responded angrily, snipping out, “Why do you have to cause a scene and try to make me feel bad, as if I've done something wrong? If a man wants to be great he cannot be weighed down by these foolish traditional constructs. I have so much further to go still, Leia. I know you're smart enough to see that, right? I can't waste my potential with you hanging on my arm.”

She had only nodded. Sniffing her tears away brusquely, she immediately began packing. As she sorted the accumulated evidence of her life over the last 5 years, it felt as if she was packing someone else's things. Leia wasn't sure who this person was. There were only meager scraps of evidence among her belongings indicating what she actually liked and wanted in life; long-unworn dance shoes, an abandoned sketchbook, snapshots from forest hikes...things that were a part of who she was before Sam remade her, Pygmalion-style into what he could tolerate...but apparently couldn't anymore.

Those things were so few, so small, and buried like corpses in the bottom of her drawers. Here lies my dead ambitions, she thought with a smirk through her tears. In the collection she discovered an antique photograph of her great-aunt and namesake; the original Violetta Vespero. Her dark eyes burned like coals as she stood in a black halo of thick hair, rebellion blazing and coloring her expression even through the drab grayscale. She had been a suffragette, an Italian aristocrat turned fiercely independent and decidedly socialist. She never wanted children and never had them, insisting on a scholarly career in a world of people telling her she couldn't. Leia sighed, wishing she believed in some kind of spirituality, wishing she could call upon her like a patron saint of feminism to help her through this.

What would she think of me? A weak woman who did whatever a man said for 5 years and then was thrown out like an old pair of shoes? She'd probably be disappointed, just like everyone else in this family.

By May, she found herself standing in her empty new apartment in Hawkins with just a few moving boxes, packed with the little pieces of herself, to keep her company. She let out a long sigh, staring at the empty room. Digging out the photograph of Violetta she whispered to it, “blank slate,”as she placed it reverently on the table.

----

Eddie walked down the basement hall of Hawkins community college coming from his science class, when he heard a familiar low sweet voice reading aloud. He felt a little jolt of giddiness when he realized this must be her English class. He'd never seen her teaching in her element before so he risked peeking in, hoping he wouldn't disturb her.

The lights were out except for some fake candles on the floor with paper decorations around it to make it resemble a campfire. All the students were sitting cross-legged around it. Eddie would think that these adults would be rebellious and resistant, or at least take a nap in the darkness, but in the dim light he could see all eyes were on her as she read with a flashlight. He grinned so hard his cheeks hurt. It was amazing that she could do this; convince grown-ups to enjoy ghost stories by the campfire like little kids, determined to make it a game.

Legs crossed and pumps discarded behind her, she read from The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson:

Eleanor looked up, surprised; the little girl was sliding back in her chair, sullenly refusing her milk, while her father frowned and her brother giggled and her mother said calmly, 'She wants her cup of stars.' Indeed yes, Eleanor thought; indeed, so do I; a cup of stars, of course. 'Her little cup,' the mother was explaining, smiling apologetically at the waitress, who was thunderstruck at the thought that the mill's good country milk was not rich enough for the little girl. 'It has stars in the bottom, and she always drinks her milk from it at home. She calls it her cup of stars because she can see the stars while she drinks her milk.' The waitress nodded, unconvinced, and the mother told the little girl, 'You'll have your milk from your cup of stars tonight when we get home. But just for now, just to be a very good little girl, will you take a little milk from this glass?' Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don't do it; and the little girl glanced at her, and smiled a little subtle, dimpling, wholly comprehending smile, and shook her head stubbornly at the glass. Brave girl, Eleanor thought; wise, brave girl.”

Leia closed the book, marking her page, and passed the reading flashlight to the student next to her saying, “Okay, before we read further, what do you think this means?”

Hands went up, and she picked one. “I think...I think it's about not letting people walk all over you and saying what you want. Like Eleanor was shit on her whole life, you know, and now she's finally putting her foot down and doing what she wants.”

“Great interpretation, Frank. Thank you. Anyone else have thoughts about that?”

Eddie watched, smitten, warm eyes full of pride and admiration. In the darkness she hadn't seen him, which he was glad for, sliding back out as quietly as he had peeked in.

Yeah, Leia, don't let them take your cup of stars, Eddie thought as he walked on. You deserve the whole sky, sweetheart.

@sunflowerdaydreamer

[morethanaloveinterest]

A Nostalgic Look at Eowyn's Costumes in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Happy 20th Anniversary to the Two Towers movie! Finally time to talk about the beautiful costumes they made for the White Lady of Rohan.

This is the dress she is wearing when we first meet her in Edoras. Its darker color matches the rest of the interior during this dark time for her people. She wears it to walk away from Grima and to confront her uncle about his son's fate.

Best feature: The skirt configuration. It's pretty unique and could be representative of her own hidden layers.

Practicality: 8/10 She looks great sweeping around in this but it is somewhat limiting. Wearing it while she kneels before Theoden cannot be good for it, you know?

The iconic white dress - maybe just because it was in all the promotional material, but this is what I always think of her wearing. She wears it while mourning her cousin, fleeing Grima, and then witnessing Theoden return to himself. It stands out in a way the previous one did not and white is a good color for a new beginning.

Best feature: The gold details - the belt, the neckline, the ties on the sleeves. They add a lot to an otherwise fairly simple dress and make it a warm color (which differentiates it from Galadriel's white gown).

Practicality: 8/10 Probably about the same as the previous dress. It has more manageable sleeves but a longer train. Still, she obviously can move around in it just fine.

We don't get to see a whole lot of this one, mainly the color. She wears it to Theodred's funeral and then while Aragorn tries to convince Theoden to go to war. It looks more severe than her other dresses, which makes sense for both situations. The color is similar to her first dress and it seems to be black for morning. This is also the only time we see her hair up all of the way, and the intricate up-do is distinct from the other hairstyles (especially Elvish ones) that we see.

Best feature: The circlet looks very nice and matches the rest. I wish I could see more of what this one looks like, but even the wide shots do not show much. It retains her main color being gold, though, which is great.

Practicality: 8/10 Hard to say, so I'm going to put it in the same category as the other ones.

She wears this dress to pack up Edoras and to travel to Helm's Deep. It has a clear under- and over-dress. The colors are earthy, which differentiate her from Arwen (we mainly see her talking to Aragorn in it). It also looks more practical and foreshadows how she is different from other ladies we meet.

Best feature: I like how she can tie up her sleeves, but otherwise this is not one of my favorites (unfortunate that the action figure wore this!)

Practicality: 10/10 I can't see the skirt, but it does not seem to get in the way at all. It's a very serviceable work dress, unlike her other gowns.

While they travel to helm's Deep, she wears this overdress. It may (?) be over the previous dress but it's hard to tell. The underdress looks similar but does not seem to be the same color? Anyway, it looks very comfortable and good for riding and walking a long way.

Best feature: The neckline. The fur makes it pop as well as the brooch. I do wish the rest had more color.

Practicality: 9/10 Perhaps slightly less practical than the previous dress, but it is still obviously meant for traveling. The sleeves just may get in the way.

We barely see this one, but it is her victory dress (after Helm's Deep). It is sort of a warmer version of her earlier white dress, reflecting how she now has more hope than when we met her in TTT.

Best feature: The bodice. It looks really cool (though not much on screen).

Practicality: 7/10 Back to gowns, so not the most practical. This one also is very light and shimmery, and does not seem as sturdy as her earlier ones. (I do like it better than those, though)

She wears this to sleep and it appears that the gown underneath it is the same color, but with more detail. We obviously don't see too much of it, but it looks lovely and soft, which makes sense for the gentle scene that takes place while she wears it.

Best feature: The sleeves. I would love a robe like that. Or a nightgown like that.

Practicality: 10/10 It's for sleeping and that's what she's doing. It looks warm - she doesn't need a blanket. As well as being comfortable. No scratchy details like the other gowns.

Interestingly, most of the promotional material had a white skirt for this dress. But the skirt is brown in the movie. With white, it seems like an updated version of her Two Towers dress. Here, it seems like a mix between her work dress and her more vulnerable white dress. It's the dark night of the soul for her in this dress, so the white touches add to that idea amid the dark, more structured rest of the garment.

Best feature: The bodice. I love it, it's quite beautiful and flattering. Wish I had more outfits with a bodice like that.

Practicality: 9/10 The sleeves are extremely long, but otherwise it seems to be quite a useful dress for being in the camp and helping with things.

This is her suit of armor for when she disguises herself as Dernhelm. It looks much like the other soldiers' and does not set her apart (for either her rank or her gender). Which is of course her goal.

Best feature: The practicality, honestly. It is armor, after all.

Practicality: 10/10 It's perfect, no notes.

(I skipped her Houses of Healing dresses because there aren't any good shots of those, but I do have strong feelings about them if you want to watch this video). Anyway, this is the gorgeous dress she wears to Aragorn's coronation. It takes inspiration from her iconic white dress but is a warm and happy yellow instead to imply she's no longer miserable.

Best feature: The cape. The sleeves. Just all of it, really. It's a wonderful gown, perfect for the occasion.

Practicality: 8/10 Not very practical, perhaps, but very lovely (and seems to be warm, which is nice in the cold stone city).

Check out my other costume ratings here

Please come listen to me talk about the arcs of female characters, including Eowyn (or Arwen)!

[theskyexists]

reasons i cannot watch the rings of power even illegally:

1. the short boy elf hair

2. galadriel’s introduction is a pale shade of cate blanchett’s

3. i thought it was gonna be about the silmarillon but instead it is about galadriel and elrond and SAURON AGAIN

4. elrond’s short boy elf hair

5. the colours popping so much, the cgi being the opposite of watercolours

6. the weirdly awkward completely non-functional fight stunts

7. the short boy elf hair

8. hearing about beardless female dwarves

9. the short boy hair making elves look like hobbits

10. why is there so little elvish in the first episode?

11. i cannot take the elves seriously,because you guessed it, the short boy hair

12. story doesnt really feel mythical or legendary or even heroic

13. music is a double pale shade of the trilogy’s. just doesnt do the job

14. the costuming just can’t convince me, often, neither can the dialogue

15. elf boy hair

16. i know i should be happy about this but why is galadriel a warrior .it just feels like there should be simultaneously more grit and more ethereality to her

17. the ensemble approach - very meh

18. short boy hair

reasons i could watch the rings of power if i got over the above:

1. it is fascinating to think of the timescales here, galadriel really IS the most fascinating character, going from the era of myth to the era of legend. wish this echo and transition was more fully fleshed out

2.  the comparatively big snail props in the hobbit camp

3. the concept of the diaspora being so long-lived and so long away from home (due to war) that their homeland has become a spiritual heaven

[attractthecrows]

im the only one who cares but BOY i accidentally got a lot of stuff right. ish.

Aiona's carding/spinning/weaving. Lines up quite nicely with Tunisian Amazigh kilim weaving.

Revallen's loose flowy clothes/lack of clothes. extremely easy to tweak slightly so he's in sarouel and jebba. color scheme is also extremely easy to tweak to match more cleanly with the mediterranean coastal vibe.

Nessie's dancing. i cannot find the names of the dance or the costumes but there's at least one involving tassels that. again. extremely easy to adapt

so far the biggest problem is that mentally i've categorized Spanish as Elvish and that doesn't quite mesh with the Arabic. and also their RED HAIR but tbh i think that's justified given that the majority of the elves in the Dalish origin in DAO are. redheads.

followed immediately by the turbans. I do like them. but have already established that Revallen does not wear things on his head. no hats no wraps no turbans. maybe a burnous when travelling through the desert or trying to be stealthy.

[thornstocutyouwith]

Name: Cyrus Reinhardt Aram Lewin Ravencroft

Meaning of Name: Cyrus: Sun, One who bestows care. Reinhardt: Counsel, Hardy brave strong. Aram: Child of the son, Highlands. Lewin: Dear friend. Ravencroft:  ‘raven’ + Old English croft ‘paddock’, ‘smallholding’.

Nickname(s):  Cy, Rein, Aram, 

Age: 33

Birthday: July 16

Species/Nationality: Noble Elf-Human Hybrid, Aseara, Kingdom of Iyeayoton

Accent: No

Language spoken: Common, Elvish,

Powers:

Elf Physiology

Half-Elves

Mythic: Mythic ancestry could go up to Demigod Physiology.

Modern: Result of Elven and (usually) human relationship, those with Modern ancestry are unlikely to add much more to their mortal other parents abilities than Decelerated Aging, although even there exceptions happen.

Hybrid Physiology

Noble Elf

Elven Demigods, the offspring of elven deities and normal elves.

Task Adaption

Tranquilizer Manipulation

Magical Flight

Deity Soul

Lock-Picking Mastery

Candy Bomb Generation

Bio-Magma-Manipulation

Demonic Whip Generation

Mythical Bestiary

Earth Teleportation

Omnidirectional Sound Waves

Lute Mastery

Crystal Generation

Immortality Removal

Weapon State

Weaknesses/Illness/Allergies:  Mortal weaknesses, Bipolar disorder, An Illness, 

Pet: Wolverine (Preeti, Female), Mountain Goat (Niko, Male), Aardvark (Ātaahua, Female), Yak (Lucius, Male), Finch (Jahangir, Male), Jerboa (Lorri, Female), Bunny (Adilet, Male), Koala (Sigurd, Male),

Occupation: Virtual monster tamer, Firefighter, 

Faceclaim: Penn Badgley

Description: Light brown curly hair, ear length: long. Light green eyes. Has 10 scars. No easily distinguishable birthmarks. 4 Tattoos. 

Outfit/Accessories/Jewelry: Likes to wear murky colored dapper clothing. Virtual being summoner.

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 194

Body Build: Lean/Athletic

Backstory/Background:

Cyrus was born into a happy home. He had been an only child to kind and caring parents. For the most part the beginning of his life was our rather average, even some might say, mundane life. Being an infant was easy for him. Because he was raised in a rather easy life in the beginning, things around him were also easy. In his village everyone knew almost everyone. The small place was full of helpful and hard working people. Cyrus was also quite adored by those people. Much like many other talented children from the village. Something Cyrus enjoyed doing was performing in the plays in his village. It is during this activity he would meet a girl who also lived on his street. 

Cyrus would grow up alongside this girl, and act in plays beside her, with other performers. During these days the two would grow to become great friends. These happy times however would come to an abrupt end when overnight his entire village and all the people within it would be savaged. His village had been raided the night of a play. On that night, the young Cyrus had been dressed up in a chicken costume his mother had sewn for him herself. The raid on his village had happened just before his part. He watched plenty of his people there that night be murdered, even his friend. Which led to his being deeply traumatized. But because of his unique position and being knocked to one side, under a body, behind the stage, he was spared.

Along with the costume his mother had made him, he had been left an item from his mother. Of course, being the only child, he was left all of his family’s fortune, and their home. Though now he had no people. He did not know how long he had to stay there before finally a stranger had come along and found him, saving him from the decay and death that surrounded him. Still being just a very young child, the stranger, even if very anti-social, managed to be someone that Cyrus became attached to, after facing such a traumatizing situation of course, he needed someone. Because of this retroactive attachment and need of an adult, Cyrus grew to see this stranger as basically his family, in the end.They then arrived at a INN along their journey, making a home there.

At this, however, he discovers that there are beings, as strange as he is. Which this world has been calling Supernatural. Because of this kind of guest often staying at the hotel Human’s have often been too afraid to come into it, or even the woods where the INN has been built. Though, that could be because of the tendency for humans to disappear when they go into the woods near the INN. As he has come to settle in the town the young boy soon comes to go to a local school, which holds mostly Supernatural students within it. This school is coined as one of the most famous schools in the world. Especially in the supernatural world. This is where he simply tries to live a normal life, well as soon as he can given his situation. Being as he looks mostly normal in appearance, aside from some elvish looks to him, Cyrus is able to adapt easily to his new life, for the most part.

After some years of living and becoming one of the locals, Cyrus eventually is able to find out that a gift his mother gave him before she died has a special purpose. This device is able to tap into the virtual world and summon creatures from it. Over the last few years he has also found out that he is not the only one of these with a device like this, able to summon creatures from the virtual world. He then also comes to learn that not only was he destined to have this device, but so were all the others that carry them, either through inheritance, gifted, or by other means. As well, he comes to discover that this is not the first time these sorts of devices have been found or used. Cyrus comes to find that years and years before he was born there were other groups of, mostly children, who held these devices that could summon creatures from the virtual world.

These devices can be enhanced with other accessories and instruments as well. These items can help to make their creatures stronger. Though there is also another interesting thing about the summoning of these creatures and the virtual world that they come from. Cyrus also finds out that he, and others with these devices, can also go into the virtual world, or others, as well. 

(Work In Progress)

Personality:

Purposeful, Articulate, Romantic, Humble, Forthright, Droll, Pure, Glamorous, Modern, Confidential, Folksy, Stiff, Irresponsible, Airy, Naive, Abrupt, Insulting, Strong-Willed, 

Quirks/Savvies/Other: Gossiping, Claims to be married to a fictional character, Prefers sleeping outside, Prone to crying, Believes in Aliens, Fascinated with certain textures, Believes in the paranormal, Paces, Skills: Wrapping Presents, Gadgetry, Trading, Recruiting, Identifying Plants, Hobbies: Tutoring, Escape Rooms, Soap Carvings, Bird Watching,

Likes: Abandoned Buildings, Yoga, Cosplaying, Snow, Engineering, Women, Rain, Driving, Vocabulary, Drawing, Formality, Respect, Fossils, Crocheting, Knick-Knacks, Mannequins, Surfing, Giving Gifts, Architecture, Space Exploration, Romance Novels, Web Design, Arguing, Podcasts, Captain Marvel, Hoodies, Fencing, Meadows, Beaches, Dyed Hair, Theology, Goldfish, Musicals, Dogs, Animated Movies, Music, Notebooks, 

Dislikes: Tarot Card Readings, Confidence, Bicycling, Fictional Books,  Fantasy Movies, Fighter Jets, Mystery Novels, Kayaking, Walking, Peppa Pig, Late Evening, Puns, Playing Music, Pocket Watches, Country Music, Flashy Pop Singers, Character Shipping, Road Trips, Pastel Colors, Tin Tin, Nail Art, Canoeing, Crafts, Purple, Sleet, Organization, Cryptids, 

Fears: Body Defect, Worms, Dolls, Bridges, Mice/Rats,

Personality Tests:

Other: Cancer,  

Parent(s):

   -> Father:

   -> Mother:

Sibling(s): None.

Other Relatives: Shaun Ravencroft, Enzo Ravencroft, Bryn Ravencroft, Cole Coldblood-Ravencroft, Rafeal Coldblood-Ravencroft, Izaac Coldblood-Ravencroft, Ernst Ravencroft, Taylor Ravencroft, Casper Ravencroft-Coldblood, Jupiter Coldblood-Ravencroft, Saffron Ravencroft, Levi Ravencroft, Dietrich Coldblood-Ravencroft, Salem Ravencroft, Jackson Ravencroft, Maximinus Coldblood-Ravencroft, Angelus Coldblood-Ravencroft, Leven Coldblood-Ravencroft, Theophanes Coldblood-Ravencroft, Rembrandt Ravencroft, Leo Ravencroft,

Starters

Chat’s

Para’s

Face

Stuff

Information

Asks

All

                                                            Alternate Universes

[hanatsuki-esperanza]

The Emerald City Snippet 01

Sakuracon and Haruhi - Seattle, the Emerald City

The date is July twenty-fifth, twenty-twenty-two. In the northern land where green pine and red alder cover hills like a blanket and the northern winds soar southward, we descend to the ocean below, where a massive whale rises above the water, crashing down with a thrumming moan that carried across the waves, haunting yet beautiful. A flock of seagulls fly inland, through the sound and over the bay, towards a collection of stone and steel buildings that rise from the water and beach. Splotches of green break through the mass of silver and grey, growing more vibrant as the sun's light cuts through the fog, glistening like emeralds. On blackened roads, cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles moved along, carrying their occupants to their destinations, and a long line stretched out of a coffee shop called Starbuks. Parents are rising, savoring the quiet before their children wake up. A police officer is sitting in his car, munching on a rainbow-sprinkled doughnut as police chatter fills the background from his radio. A homeless man rolls up his sleeping bag, preparing to head out before the aforementioned police officer comes to give him a warning. The city's light rail pulls into the station, the driver stepping out, exchanging pleasant words with her replacement as she gathered her bag and trudged off, hearing the siren call of her bed. It's a start to another ordinary day in Seattle, the City of Rain. To the left of towering sky-scraping buildings that reflected the sun's light, a massive tower over six hundred feet tall rises above lesser buildings and trees, glinting silver in the morning light. The Space Needle stands tall, watching over the Belltown and Queen Anne districts next to Elliot Bay. This early morning, only joggers, the homeless, and street cleaners are the only beings moving in the area, though there was a lone red-and-yellow box that was flying through the air. But no one had thrown it, it was flying under it's own power. Some of you listening to my story may be confused, but others of you may have just realized what is happening. This is not a world that you and I live in. No, this is a world where magic is commonplace, and the arcane is real. In addition to the cars and trucks traveling on the ground below, a number of flying carpets, brooms, and cars fill the airs. A man with blue skin and natural white-and-black hair is speaking amicably with a black-haired woman who looked one degree away from death. A short, squat dwarven man ambles out of a coffee shop, his black brew heavily infused with bourbon. A human walking in the business district sends disgusted and disaproving glares to a pair of tieflings, who ignored the look. A young gnome in her mid-twenties is sitting in a padded room, and looks up from her tablet, casting arcane magic without any problems, a stark contrast to the explosions that decorate the room. A halfling man accepts a delivery of close-bud flowers from an elvish woman, watching as she tapped into nature's power to bring them to full bloom. It's a start to another ordinary day in Seattle, the Emerald City. To the south of the the Space Needle, amongst the bustle of early morning traffic, a stadium stands close to the waters, green backlit lights growing dimmer with the rising sun. Massive bronze letters across the stadium's main entrance declare this place to be BLACKWOOD STADIUM, and each entrance had a smaller, but still distinctive, sign declaring the same name. Underneath each set of metal letters, white cloth and paper banners hang, the word SAKURACON written in a vibrant pink brush font. In the open pavilions near each entrance, humanoids of all sizes and shapes are gathering, many of them wearing costumes and carrying props. They loiter in groups or by themselves, some looking down at their cellphones and others admiring the costumes of others. In this crowd of people, two figures cut through, making their way to the entrance of the building.

[stinesunflower]

I really dislike the short-haired elves in the Rings of power. They just don't feel very elvish or tolkien. They remind me of pictures from behind the scenes of the Hobbit where the elves are trying on their costumes or are practicing for a scene. They feel unfinised. Like they all forgot to put on their wigs.

[ariminiria]

Legitimately know nothing about the rings of power why are we not watching it though?

So sorry, I just saw this ask, it got buried in my notes! Anyways, I explained this in one reblog chain, but in case you didn't see that or don't want to dig through the notes (I don't blame you), here's the explanation:

A while back, Amazon the soulless megacorp acquired the rights to some portion of Tolkien's Middle Earth lore (not the Silmarillion, but some part of Tolkien). The LotR online fan circles immediately knew it would be terrible and hold no respect for the source material, by dint of it being Amazon.

And true to form, they decided to do the worst possible low effort job of making a show out of it. Not only did they attempt to essentislly make the Silmarillion without actually having the rights to the Silmarillion (and therefore being unable to do the story correctly because of that), but other grave mistakes include adding sexual content (very not-Tolkien), rewriting characters just cause they feel like it (turning an elegant, powerful sorceress into a warrior and a wise leader into an "ambitious" go getter), none of the male elves have long hair (and hair is a HUGE part of Elvish culture), the female dwarves don't have beards (cowards lmao), party city looking costumes, general low effort all around, and egregious inaccuracies a la Amazon the Soulless Corporation essentially just trying to make Tolkien's work more palatable for Game of Thrones fans rather than putting effort into just letting it be what LotR fans actually like about it.

Each new promo material makes it worse and worse, and more obvious that no one making it cares at all, hence why we want the Morb treatment to make it flop and show Amazon the fans won't stand for them trying to just GoT-ify other beloved properties and stray so far from the source material when they could make something original instead.

I also recently learned that, while they started filming it in New Zealand (as NZ is basically synonymous with Middle Earth thanks to the original movies), they had to pull out of filming in that country, a costly move for both NZ and Amazon, because Amazon cut corners on safety practices on set, resulting in a pretty serious injury to an expert stuntwoman.

Safety complaints from the stunts crew were ignored. There were multiple serious injuries, some requiring surgery. While they claimed to have followed the NZ government safety requirements, Amazon failed to report these incidents to New Zealand's WorkSafe program as required by law. They then relocated the production to the UK where worker safety rules are far more lax, ultimately removing the shoot from the iconic Middle Earth location.

Here is a link to the article:

Info about the safety scandal courtesy of @x-cetra