#not sure it merits that lol but i'll add it

[renegade-skywalker]

just felt like posting some pics and head canons for my OC bard, Merit 🥰

~~~

(this is mostly backstory but I'll probably add to this later and pin it somewhere idk)

Merit has seven sisters. She’s technically the second-oldest but has undoubted Eldest Daughter energy. The actual eldest sister is Fable. Her younger sisters are Morning Glory, Daffodil, Dahlia, Harmony, Festival, and Jovial (Jo for short). 

Part of the sisterly dynamic is inspired by the Bennet family of Pride and Prejudice though it’s definitely not a one-to-one comparison. Like Jane and Elizabeth, Fable and Merit are the eldest and are very close, having shared a room for most if not all of their lives. Like Jane, Fable is unendingly kind and soft spoken. Unlike Jane though, Fable isn’t interested in romance or a partner at all and is instead intent on opening her own business or taking over the family bakery. Like Elizabeth, Merit is known to be brash but eloquent about it (Vicious Mockery lol) but unlike Elizabeth, she’s the hopeless romantic. Also like Elizabeth, Merit loves to complain but does so in a jovial manner. Like Mary, Morning Glory is a bit off-putting but nice and straight-laced. Like Kitty and Lydia, Daffodil and Dahlia are vapid and boy crazy but are also hilarious and tons of fun to be around. The youngest sisters are a bit like the triplets from Brave in that they are simply a menace.

Her father is a wood elf of indeterminate age (I headcanon that he rarely speaks about himself and only very occasionally drops mind-blowing lore about his past in passing before leaving the room without any further elaboration lol) and is a (no longer practicing) druid though he still pays homage to Silvanus and will occasionally take his troupe of daughters out of the city and into nature to pay his respects. He left his old life behind to wander for a while before stumbling upon the wonders of simply baking bread when in Baldur’s Gate working an odd job and he’s been there ever since. He finds kneading dough to be meditative and soothing, and now runs a bakery with his human wife Alys, who is Way Too Hot For Him. Not that he’s an awful or hideous person, he’s just very, very old and very, very quiet where Alys is quite gregarious and social. No one understands their relationship but it’s something Merit has always admired growing up even if it’s often confused her.

Not sure why but they were somewhat inspired by Holling and Shelly from Northern Exposure which I’ve been watching all winter. Idk just I think they’re hilarious. Also running a store/restaurant together is a fun dynamic idk. 

Merit is closest to her oldest sister, Fable, who she is also the closest in age with. Fable was born sick and her mother had a difficult time with the pregnancy to the point that she thought neither she nor the baby would make it. Fable is named Fable because the idea of her making it into the world was like a dream. After her birth, their parents feared another child wasn’t in the cards and might spell death for Alys, so when Merit was born she was actually named Marvel. She hated that name so when she was six she dubbed herself Merit, because anything ‘worthy of merit’ that she did had to feel earned, whereas Marvel just made her feel like a fraud. Her parents and Fable still affectionately call her “Marv” though.

Merit picked up a love of storytelling from working the bakery with her parents, hearing the customers talk about their various backgrounds, their day-to-day routines, their travels, etc. 

She fell in love with music at 12 when a famous bard came to the city and performed for a while, a half-high elf named Laurel, who took a shine to her interest and taught her how to play. They remained pen pals for years even after he left Baldur’s Gate exchanging verse and ideas for songs, however their relationship was… complicated, and quite frankly inappropriate. Merit did not see it for what it was until she was much older.

Merit has a bit too many interests and has dabbled in fencing, languages, history, the arcane, and even what little druidic magic her father has taught her (she’s mostly familiar with animal speaking and plant growth) though her main love is poetry, song, the written, sung and spoken word. Her greatest ambition is to write an epic poem that can be performed in parts, essentially acting as a dramatic tome as well as what essentially is a concept album in our reality

Part of the reason Merit cannot see any of her ambitions through is a mix of her changing attentions which change with the wind’s direction but also her family… she’s often had to return to Baldur’s Gate to help the bakery, and her younger sisters are known for getting in trouble...

Merit has worked her way into the merchant’s guild on her parent’s behalf and has also done some work for the Guild in order to keep her family safe and unbothered, which is a secret she’s kept from them but had done for their safety

Her work pays for the family property’s “protection” so to speak. This would also mean she’s already acquainted with Nine-Fingers Keene before the events of the game.

She’s actually sacrificed a lot for the family business and is happy to do so but it is also to her own detriment. Fable has been able to man the kitchens but not much beyond that due to chronic pain and flare ups. The next eldest sister, Morning Glory, has a head for numbers and will work the books and run the orders but is such a downer that it makes working with her a chore and a nightmare, she’s incredibly controlling and neurotic. The next sisters capable of doing anything, Stella and Selene, are in their early 20’s and would prefer to socialize, party, and snog their way through Baldur’s Gate rather than do anything else. The very youngest sisters, Verity, Amity and Jo, are all too young to do much other than clean maybe but Merit would prefer they have a childhood than work the family business. Plus they are known for playing tricks on people so it’s best they stay out of the way.

Merit feels like she’s already raised a village of children given how much she’s helped raise her sisters practically since she was able to walk so she had zero interest in bearing children of her own. Not to mention how much she’s sacrificed to help the family business, she hopes to one day be able to see all of her dreams and artistic ambitions to fruition.

Merit has a few songs that have gained some popularity but only within Baldur’s Gate seeing as she can never seem to leave for very long. She is most known, however, for her serial called Sea and Shield. It’s a crime serial about a disgraced Flaming Fist who enlists the help of the last person he’s imprisoned, a notorious pirate, who he sets free on the terms that she help him discover who committed the murder he was framed for. It’s relatively popular but the series is unfinished, plus due to being kidnapped and tadpoled she is very very behind her usual publishing schedule. She has no idea how to continue (or possibly even end) the story though so she was already in a pickle before the game events occurred.

[meaningofaeons]

hello, its oi anon!

somehow i feel like there's going to be a twist with the emperor that's 'limited in public appearances'... i bet all of my stellar jades that he'll be some puppet ruler for the destiny faith faction.

how often do you read non-oi manhwas? shadowless night and blinded by the setting sun (i know i recommended this before but i love it it's so good the ml and fl makes me feel things and the actual character development and worldbuilding makes me go hrrgrgggggh) have to be some of my favourites outside of traditional reincarnation oi. fl of shadowless night reminds me of stelle in the 'deadly trash panda' way, her head may be empty but her hands sure are filled with knives (and food). ml also got that jing yuan vibes

FU XUAN BRONYA AND SEELE YOU WROTE THEM SO PERFECTLY THEIR ROLES ARE PERFECT IT MATCHES SO WELL!! i am so so excited for this series if you can't tell already sdafghm,lkjbsdflnjk

luocha honestly gives off saint/cardinal/priest vibes. that clothing and his coffin, fits right in tbh. caelus ig could be at the xianzhou empire, who also lost his memories and is looking for his sister, lumine/aether style? he could be friends with sushang and helps out the cloud-knights quite a bit whilst also just wandering around doing odd jobs here and there. kinda unsure he's hard to place\

anyways!! take care!! eat and rest and sleep well, majesty is coming along great!!

hi again oi anon !! (≗ᆽ≗)ﾉ

hehe I am super excited to write more on the emperor since he's the only original character really in the series thus far, and most of the others will probably just be side characters like servants or minor nobles... （๑´ﻌ｀๑）

I will read blinded by the setting sun asap!! I have seen it around before and it's so pretty I love it I don't read a whole lot of non-oi/reincarnation manhwa mainly bc they're either usually hard to find or translated in such a way that is difficult to understand hdjsjhfnjd ;w; but I have read some! I rather enjoy the more typical medieval-style world ones with magic and stuff, and the lead finding their way on their own merit, like the remarried empress. navier obv isn't reincarnated or isekai'd, she's just a badass!!

THANK YOU BY THE WAY!!! I had some trouble finding places for the xianzhou charas but I thought that role did fu xuan justice! I was going to add yukong as well but unfortunately I don't know much abt her yet :< as for bronseele, yas teehee I am very excited to write them together. they won't be a huge part of the story but I wanted them to have roles that fit! （＾・ﻌ・＾✿）

your ideas are awesome for luocha!! I love the saint/cardinal idea, I counter with this: he's from the Destiny religion in Stellaron, but he went to the Xianzhou Empire to "spread the word" (but really, he's there for his own means, perhaps something to do w/ that coffin in canon if more info about him comes out soon). this is because in the quests he's in, luocha mentions that "luocha" is just the name he goes by on the xianzhou, not his actual name! I did want to throw in sushang as well tho so I'll see what happens!! (=♡ ᆺ ♡=)

thank you for the care & support!!! I'm glad you're enjoying how it's coming along thus far!!!! (=◕ᆽ◕ฺ=)

EDITED I FORGOT ABT CAELUS !!! I was gonna mention him LOL I don't have a planned role for him but I like your idea oi anon!!! will keep it in mind :3

[laufire]

top 5 freudian/psychosexual/plain weird but compelling dynamics!

There are so, so many to choose from here... I'm not even going to attempt to put them in order, I'll just list them as they come lol.

-The Abrasax family, specifically each of the three children vis a vis Seraphi. Even more if you add poor Jupiter into that mess xD. It's serving Roman/Ancient empire family goodness where Seraphi is both Mother and King/Emperor (a truly claustrophobic figure for any child!) with an extra sprinkle of doppelganger/mirror/shadow-self and transference issues thanks to Jupiter's presence. Each kid (immortal centennials the lot of them) is obsessed with their mother and wants to use Jupiter to exorcise their Mommy Issues (the daughter is the smartest one about it and thus the one that comes away unharmed). One of them does it by trying to marry her, because of course! That family is everything to me and I'm glad it's back on the forefront of my mind.

-Eleanor & Henry & all their fail children (including Eleanor's surrogate daughter turned Henry's mistress, obviously). I debated not to include it because of the similarities with the example above (as I said, Seraphi is both Eleanor and Henry rolled into one xD), trying to make the list a bit more diverse... but, eh. I'm keeping it. It's just too good.

-David 8 and Elizabeth Shaw. Definitely psychosexual and plain weird and if we're counting David's Weird Issues easily freudian lol. I'm fascinated by them. I want to see more. Mr. Scott how much do you want for a proper sequel. Mr. Scott. Mr. Scott I'm talking to you-

-I mean. It doesn't more [redacted] than El cordero carnívoro but I'm particularly fascinated by Ignacio (protagonist) and Matilde (his mother). I don't know if it'll be a novel I'll ever be able to re-read, but it's okay because it's definitely going to stay with me for a long time lol.

-I'm rotating a few in my mind (Klebekah, for one, but tbh I think they end up being a bit disappointing on this front. In general I think the Plecverse could've gone harder with Freudian stuff. There was room for it! Doubles, parricide everywhere, twins destined to kill one another with already super weird mommy issues x2... c'mon). I've settled on Helly R/Helena in Severance. I hope season 2 doesn't disappoint because that is A Dynamic. I don't want to get into it because I think you haven't watched it and I'm not sure if you intent to, so. I'll say it merits this screenshot, at least in my head:

[anghraine]

Consolidating (...at considerable length) some of the ideas from the Denethor+Faramir vs most Silm Elves discussion:

A. The basic issue is this: Tolkien depicts or references Denethor’s and Faramir’s special Númenórean abilities (non-exhaustively listed here and discussed here) virtually every time either one of them appears. And some of these abilities seem like they would have been awfully useful to the Elves of the Silmarillion, but for some reason, weren’t actually used by them.

The most notable has to do with lies and deception. Gandalf says it is difficult to deceive Denethor and “dangerous” to try—a statement backed up by Faramir’s interactions with Gollum in TTT, when Gollum squealed in pain when he tried to lie to Faramir, and was unable to wholly prevent Faramir from seeing information “in his mind.” It is clear in the Silm, however, that a good number of Elves can be deceived without setting off similar abilities, with a few exceptions like Galadriel.

So I’ve been wondering why that is, based mostly on LOTR.

B. There is, of course, the potential meta-reason that some of these specific abilities would probably break the plot of the Silmarillion, which is packed full of Elves, while nearly full-throttle Númenóreans like Faramir and Denethor are quite rare in LOTR, only show up infrequently apart from Aragorn, and are thus much less disruptive to the narrative as a whole. But that doesn’t explain anything in-story.

Various ideas came up in the general discussion, but I think they can be roughly divided into two types:

1. Most Elves don’t use these abilities because they choose not to, or

2. Most Elves don’t use these abilities because they don’t have them.

Under #1, it’s possible that Elves prefer not to use these kinds of powers for their own Elvish reasons. It may be that many of them simply don’t care for intrusive telepathy and similar abilities. It may be that there are taboos and protocols around it that fade by the Third Age, especially the later Third Age, but are very much in effect earlier on.

But the underlying assumption here is that they could have used the same abilities if they had chosen to do so, but are not (by and large). One of the questions that arises here is if all abilities of this kind have to be deliberately ‘activated’ to work, or if they naturally just happen and will only stop if controlled or repressed. If it’s the latter case and there are actual methods of control, it may be that Denethor and Faramir never fully turn off their abilities because they don’t know how. Who was going to tell them?

The Faramir-Gollum scenes might support this. Faramir is certainly trying to extract information from Gollum, but it doesn’t seem at all probable that he would deliberately inflict pain on him. It’s possible that some of this is just part of his being as far as he knows. 

Meanwhile, there are also several possibilities involving #2. I think this one is, on the face of it, more difficult to accept (not-quite-full Númenóreans with greater powers than many Elves? bzuh?). But there are probably some ways it could work.

The first is relatively simple. It’s clear that Elves (like Númenóreans!) have different ranges and clusters of ability. An Elf being very powerful doesn’t mean they can do ALL THE THINGS. It means they’re very powerful at the things that they do (which might be many!). And there are some abilities that are very widespread, and some that seem to be less so. It may be that deception detection in particular is something that’s fairly uncommon among Elves as a strong ability. It’s not 100% assured that any given Elf has all the abilities of any given Númenórean.

The second possibility is a little more complicated. LOTR and Middle-earth generally (but esp LOTR) don’t operate on a hard magic system with clearly-defined rules. Galadriel points this out, and that the hobbits aren’t really distinguishing Elvish “magic” from Sauron’s “magic,” but they are in reality very different things. Elvish abilities are byproducts of their inner selves. Even outside of LOTR, Fëanor’s abilities (for instance) are inextricably tied up with his fiery spirit. The link between spirit or will or disposition and outwards ability is much stronger with Elves than with the other peoples of Middle-earth. 

So it would still be the case that Elves aren’t doing some of these because they can’t—but it wouldn’t be a matter of power or arbitrary talent, but because of their underlying characteristics. It may be that things like what we see Denethor and Faramir doing require a temperament that most Elves don’t have (but Galadriel does, lol). 

In that case, I would then wonder if Denethor’s and Faramir’s abilities are outgrowths of their dispositions. Their abilities seem to revolve around gathering information and commanding others; they’re described as “commanding” and they love information, so it makes sense that that’s how their abilities would manifest. Then again, it may be that Númenórean powers, though similar to some Elvish ones in outcome, operate differently.

Tolkien comes up with several ideas for where Númenórean specialness comes from in general. In some places, it was Númenor itself that changed them, and their decay in Middle-earth comes mainly from the loss of Númenor. In some places, their gifts have to do with their mode of living and thinking. In some places, it seems to be entirely hereditary; things run in particular families (like the kingly healing of Elendil’s heirs) and are reinforced by ~pure blood (um). And sometimes it seems like their gifts are, at least in part, literal gifts from the Valar which are gradually being withdrawn by the end of the Third Age. Or some combination thereof.

Regardless, the ancestors of the Dúnedain did not come by their abilities naturally. Either directly or indirectly, their size, their lifespans, their craftsmanship, their mental abilities, and more were given to them by other powers. Perhaps Elvish powers were the template for Númenórean powers, but it doesn’t work the same because Númenórean powers are ultimately coming from a divine source. That might even be why Denethor and Faramir are associated with wizards (i.e. Maiar) much more than Elves, which is pretty astonishing on the face of it. I mean:

“Ah well, sir,” said Sam, “you [Faramir] said my master had an elvish air; and that was good and true. But I can say this: you have an air too, sir, that reminds me of, of—well, Gandalf, of wizards.”

He [Denethor] turned his dark eyes on Gandalf, and now Pippin saw a likeness between the two, and he felt the strain between them, almost as if he saw a line of smouldering fire drawn from eye to eye.

???????????????????????????

The first quote is particularly interesting because it contrasts Faramir’s wizardliness with Frodo’s elvishness, as if those things are not quite the same, though Faramir is also briefly associated with Elves later on.

There’s also the issue of Elros; it seems extremely probable that most Númenóreans are descended from Elros at this point (in fact, multiple times over). The Stewards are explicitly so in multiple drafts of the Appendices. While it’s so remote that it wouldn’t make a difference in most cases, maybe part of what goes on with Númenóreans is that some of them inherit a fraction of Elros’s abilities, which ultimately derive from Elves, Edain, and a Maia. Maybe all these Númenórean-??wizardly??? types cropping up in time to fight Sauron is a sort of last hurrah for Melian’s blood among the Dúnedain, and what we see in Denethor and Faramir is the share they got. 

Or not!

Anyway, this is a lot, and it’s not like the possibilities are even mutually exclusive, so maybe two or more are all operating at once, to make things even more complicated. Or maybe something altogether different is. But I think this is everything that’s come up so far wrt the (inverted?) disparity between Númenóreans and most Elves. 

[notasdriedapricots]

Hi! If you don’t mind, would you share a lot more of dad!Lucas headcanons please!

Well I do not mind at all! I'm sorry if there's people wishing I'd shut up about it lol Here is the first part of these, just in case, and here are some comments on pregnancy and choosing a nanny. And sorry it took me so long to get to this!

So, some more general HC and then I'll add some specific for a girl or a boy because why not.

- That child is getting technology time so, so limited… They're gonna be playing outside (likely taking classes for a chosen sport), they'll get tons of pencils and paper to draw, paint, jigsaw puzzles, cubes, books, playdough… Physical things, rather than an iPad and Kids Netflix 24/7. I HC Lucas as working in rehabilitation, and some fellow psychologist will remark the importance of early cognitive and motor stimulation. And he'll take it very seriously, even if it requires a bit of extra work from him and MC.

- He would be the one teaching them how to walk (again, according to my work HC for him, he already does that with grown people so he would take this as a personal mission).

- OBSESSIVE about proper nutrition while they grow up. Lots of research about when children can start eating certain things, swatting forks away screaming "ARE YOU INSANE?? DO YOU KNOW HOW ALLERGENIC TOMATOES ARE??". That kid will have no allergies and a killer immune system.

- So much frustration during the "picky eater" phase, oh my god. He can't understand why they won't eat something they used to like, and now they just want spaghettis with cream and nothing else.

- Slightly hurt if he's woken up by a distant "Mom, I had a nightmare" instead of a closer "Dad, I had a nightmare" in the middle of the night…

- His worst nightmare is the supermarket tantrum. MC knows the basic principle of: You just explain why you said "no" and let them cry their eyes out, the rest of the people know kids that age throw tantrums. But Lucas? Lucas would get anxious that people would think he's a bad father and end up giving in even if he knows he shouldn’t, and then when they don't stop because sometimes what children actually want is just to cry, he would get even more anxious and just leave the supermarket without whatever they were there for.

- Punishments are smart and evil, but effective. Nothing physical, of course, and nothing unenforceable like "No TV for a month", and nothing cruel like "Not seeing your friends for two weeks". No. Something simpler. "No TV, only for two hours, for a week". Which two hours you ask? The two hours their favourite cartoon is on. "Sure, we'll still go to your favourite park. But later. When the dog you always pet has already gone home." "Yes, you can have a cookie after lunch. Any you want, except you favourite." Little things that make a point. They didn't do anything unforgiveable so it won't merit anything big, but he'll make sure there are consequences to it.

- No family portrait, but he takes all their drawings to his practice and pins them on a board next to his desk.

- Firm believer on the "one language, one physical activity, one artistic interest" triad. The specifics in each category are up to the kid.

- "Daaaad, can we go for a ride on your bike?" "Absolutely not." "… Why?" "Because it's dangerous. No." "Why is it dangerous?" "Because it goes very fast and you can fall and get hurt." "Then we'll get another bike that's not dangerous." "All bikes are dangerous." *Points to his arm* "That one too?"

- Bonus points if after that they cry every time they see Lucas grab his helmet. "Dad, no! You're gonna die!"

- The kid would be curious about his job and think he's a doctor. He would kinda let them believe it while they're still young because explaining the difference would be a bit too complicated for a small child; a "Not exactly a doctor, but close" type of deal.

- He's so over the top when it comes to material stuff… "Dad, can you get me a book by this author?" "Which one?" "Whichever you find!" *The next day* "I got what you wanted!" *puts three bags filled with the author's entire bibliography on the table*.

- I don't like it, but he would be kind of a "suck it up" kinda parent… Not because he doesn't get that you shouldn't shake everything off but because he doesn't know how to deal with it himself. Mom would be more understanding.

- This has to do with a very specific HC from my Lucas in my fic but I figured I might as well share it. Lucas would never ever suggest it, it probably wouldn't even cross his mind, but if MC said she wanted to be a stay at home mom for a couple of years, he wouldn't oppose.

- Another personal HC (a bit too personal as it vaguely comes from actual personal experience), is that he doesn't have a bad relationship with his family. They are all just a bit distant, mostly only talking and seeing each other for Sunday brunch with very little interaction besides that (which makes some sense on a particular level but I won't get into it right now). So, while he doesn't actually resent his family, he wouldn't want his kid to feel that distance or coldness; it would be difficult because that's the way he's used to interact with family, it's what he learned, but he would make the effort and follow MC's lead on being a more loving parent.

Lucas and a daughter:

- The OG, my first dad!Lucas HC ever, from the Baby Challenge I've had written since last year, is that he would melt for the rest of his life if he had a daughter.

- She is a princess, she's perfect, and no human being will ever be good enough for her, don't @ him. No one is surprised by this headcanon, right?

- He can't say no to her, he just can't. Again, no one is surprised.

- Also, she grows up seeing him as the model of the ideal partner, seeing how he treats her mom and being taught that's how her partner should treat her.

- "Can I put make up on you?" "Sorry, honey, no." "… Well, can I give you another tattoo, then?" "… Okay."

- "Lucas, we can't keep buying her just dresses. She's a kid, she needs to run around and play, and be comfortable. Just let her be in a pair of trousers or shorts and a t-shirt." "Yeah, you're right… She looks so cute, though!" "Yes, but all those pretty dresses are going into the sandbox, you know?"

- "Lucas, why did you buy her a real tea set?" "What do you mean why? What did you want me to buy her? Plastic?" "Yes! It's a toy!" "I'm not buying her a set of plastic Barbie-pink cups. That's tacky." "Okay then, what do you think it's gonna happen if she drops one, it shatters, and she tries to clean it up without asking for help." "… She- she would ask for help." "You never know." *Suddenly pale Lucas*

Lucas and a son:

- If he's into them, sports! If he's not, Lucas won't force him.

- While Lucas is away he would ask mom or the nanny for one of his white shirts and pretend he's wearing a lab coat like his dad. Lucas would get him a tiny lab coat of his own, with the pockets and everything.

- Some physical play, as in putting him upside down or tickle wars type of deal.

- He would look up to his dad so much it's ridiculous. He's his hero, and his role model. He would copy his walk, the way he seats, the way he talks… So much so, people would insist they look exactly the same even if they don't because the "vibe" resemblance is that strong.

- Just imagine his face if the kid said he wanted to follow his footsteps profession-wise.

- The chats about how to treat women and how to stand up to bullies both for himself and for others…

- Quiet camaraderie when he's older.

Okay, I'll stop here again lol. Now I'm thinking about teens and Lucas, but if I get into that this will be a novel and we don't want that. Again, thanks for asking these! Now I want to write a dad!Lucas fic, damn you all.