#No mention of Willow's secret elf powers | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dumplingsfordays · 8 months

Text

in the willow wood, pt. 1

pairing - prince!gepard x elf!gn!reader (they/them)

genre - fluff

summary - pt. 1 - gepard, the son of a wealthy and powerful duke, meets an elf one day while hunting as a boy and his fellow hunters "arrest" (kidnap basically) them because they insulted the son of a high-ranking noble.

cw! : swearing, killing of forest animals (rabbits, deer, etc), mentions of blood, gepard's dad doesn't rlly care about him, serval hates her dad, belobog (with the exception of gepard and maybe serval) hates elves, reader is wearing a dress, reader is going to be wed in an arranged marriage to a random man, strangers to friends, reader runs away from their parents,

note : still held captive by writer's block :( school also started for me so I won't be posting as much. got the idea when listening to the Regal Ancestor Spirit ost from Elden Ring it's soso good omfg- anyways apologies for any mistakes I make in this fic, but always feel free to correct!!

artwork credit

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

"Ha!" cries Dunn, who has finally shot his first rabbit.

His victory was accompanied by clapping from the other hunters, who came forward to encircle him in praise and laughter. Gepard also came forward, beaming at his friend's acheivement, and the two preformed their not-really-so-secret handshake with enthusiasm in front of the group.

"Can't believe you actually did it," the golden-haired boy said to Dunn after the initial excitement of the situation dimmed. "It took you a month. A whole month!"

"Not a whole month," Dunn retorted, cheeks blazing red in embarrassment.

"And for a rabbit!"

"Rabbits are hard to shoot, though! They're tricky little devils. They run and dip and swerve and it's confusing to even watch."

"Sure, sure," Gepard giggled, "you'd be confused if you found out that candles aren't little pieces of sunlight that we steal from the sun and keep for ourselves."

"Wait, they aren't?"

Oh, how he loved these moments with his best friend. These moments of bursting joy, of pure happiness, of melodic laughter - they brought a smile to his face every time that he reminisced with Dunn. Interestingly, most of these tended to happen while the pair went hunting in the lovely, serene woods outside of their kingdom. Hunting was one of those activities that never ceased to be fun, unlike horseback riding or sparring, and it was also a relieving little escape from the grey, cobblestone streets of Belobog. Ruled in part by his father, it towered in the distance as a constant reminder of what Gepard was always, and always will be, part of.

But he decided not to focus on that. Right now, the most important thing to him was to finally prove to the senior hunters that he was capable of hunting alongside them despite his young age of 16.

Previously, they told him that he was to hunt and kill a deer. Gepard was, at first, underwhelmed.

"Hunters do that all the time, and with relative ease," he had said to them before they entered the forest. "Why should this mean anything to you?"

"Because it isn't as easy as it seems," said a grey-haired one, towering over Gepard. "You'll know what I mean when you're about to kill one."

The boy took this reply with a grain of salt. Surely it was easier than that, right? The other hunters do it all the time and they always hit their mark. Their hands don't tremble, their bows remain steady - what is so hard about killing an animal? It's like a rabbit, just bigger, and it doesn't move nearly as fast. It usually stands there, and really, the only thing you have to do is to hit it in the leg or neck or something to make sure it can't run away.

But Gepard was now starting to doubt his previous feelings about the hunter's reply as he started nearing the spot where the group usually kills deer. He felt a sort of uneasiness - not the horrible one that he would get when entering abandoned ballrooms with their dark lighting and thick shrouds of cobwebs, but a gentle, quiet one. What if I wound the deer so it survives and runs away? Will it bleed out in agony, still living, or will it submit its life to him reluctantly, like a fallen champion, bested by the new?

He decided not to dwell on these thoughts. After all, this trial was going to determine Father's opinion of him, and maybe, just maybe, he was going to finally say "I'm proud of you, son." Gepard would fight for that chance.

"And here we are," said a hunter from the front of the group, donned in brownish-grey attire.

A mere 20 feet away stood an elegant, gorgeous deer. It was grazing, pulling the grass from the ground, and the clearing which it was standing in was framed by willow trees swaying gently in the breeze. When Dunn's foot beside Gepard's stepped on a dry leaf, the deer raised its slender head suddenly. It peered over to where the company was crouching behind some bushes, its wide brown eyes alert, and with a flutter of its eyelashes, it resumed grazing.

"Get ready," whispered a hunter beside the golden-haired boy. He nodded, taking out his bow and an arrow from his quiver, and, stepping behind a tree for cover, lifted his bow. Hooking the arrow on the string as gently as possible, Gepard raised the bow and aimed.

But before he could shoot, the deer lifted its head and looked over behind it, to the shadowy glen. From behind a willow in that direction emerged a hand, still gripping the bark, and then a bare foot, and then the whole, radiant figure. Its hair glimmered in the few specks of light that poured through the canopy, and the long, white dress that trailed after them hazily shone like thousands of pearls.

As the figure strode up to the deer in the middle of the clearing, they stretched their hands forward, and the slender animal slowly turned around and walked over to them. The person caressed its head and sighed.

"Oh, Isabella," they cooed, lowering themselves to the ground, the deer following suit. "How I missed you."

This felt like a scene from a storybook as the deer laid its head in the figure's lap, encouraging the person to keep stroking its head. They sighed once more.

"Mother is nagging me again about that man. I don't even remember his name! We met only once, and that was back when we were mere children - why should we be expected to love one another if we don't have understanding of each other? Why should we be forced to go along with this?" The person's voice rose in pitch and volume little by little as they kept talking to their friend. "And why do we have to be so young? You know that elves get married when they come of age, which is still four years from now for me and him. Even Mother was married at twenty, so why shouldn't I be? Why should I marry at sixteen, and her at twenty?"

Gepard had never heard a deer whinny before, but now he knew that apparently it could happen.

"I'm sorry, Isabella," the person sighed. "You don't want to hear about any of this. I know I've been talking about it for several weeks now, but no matter how much I do, my situation isn't getting any better. I really wish that there was some sort of escape."

The deer in her lap whinnied again and sighed.

"No, I can't do that. They'd find me immediately. The guards are a nasty sort, they sneak and snoop around like bloodhounds. And even if I do manage to run away, where would I go? You know how the humans are, and the dwarves are even more suspicious of us. Living on my own isn't an option, either - I'd probably die within a week." They ended their monologue with a dry chuckle.

Gepard couldn't believe that this was happening. Was this an elf? Throughout his entire childhood he'd be told stories of the elves and how selfish and prideful they all were, and how they were deserving of death - but did this elf really have to die? What atrocities could they have possibly committed? What selfishness, or excessive pride, was housed in this individual's soul? Was it really necessary to kill this deer, which was obviously their close companion, and cause them more grief than they are already experiencing? He just couldn't do it. No, he'd find another, different deer, and spare these friends the sadness of losing one another.

A scrape of wood on wood sounded through the forest's relative silence like the crack of a whip. The elf and the deer turned their heads to Gepard's tree, behind which the blonde boy was trying to hide his now-lowered bow and hold his breath.

"Who's there?" cried the elf, standing up. The deer's ears were erect and alert as it listened for further noise.

Gepard looked to the hunters in the bushes a few feet away from him - they were exchanging panicked expressions and sending a few angry ones his way.

"Come out!" the elf called once more. They began to approach the tree with cautious steps, wading through pools of sunlight, bare feet anchoring them to the grass so they could spring back at any sign of danger. "I won't hurt you. I'm not armed, either, so please come out so that we can resolve this peacefully."

The last word that they uttered struck something in Gepard. Yes, peacefully - violence or staying put won't solve anything. If he were to keep hiding, the elf would discover him anyway, and no trust would be established to justify Gepard having a bow in his hands. If he were to come out, to present himself truthfully, then maybe the elf would pardon him and let him go. After all, they seemed kind, understanding.

To the absolute horror of his companions, Gepard stepped out from behind the tree, bow in hand. Their eyes met as the boy neared the elf, stepping into the light.

"I'm Gepard Landau, of Belobog," he trembled. "I was- I was hunting in this forest, and I saw your deer and I wanted to shoot it and then I changed my mind, and-"

"You what?"

"I changed my mind! I promise! I don't want to kill you or your deer, I swear! Please forgive me."

The elf's eyes narrowed in suspicion. A human, a creature which their mother and father had warned them about ever since they was born, was standing right in front of them, begging to let him go. They'd developed a special kind of hate for humans and their stink, their brutality, and their heartless, seemingly everlasting hunt. But their mother and father surely weren't right about everything - after all, they were set to marry not according to custom, which was something that their parents definitely wouldn't do under regular circumstances. Maybe they were wrong about humans, too, but they wouldn't take that chance just yet. But then again-

"I've been told that your kind is despicable and utterly disgusting all my life, and you come into our domain to kill our companions? It seems like my suspicions about you are correct."

Gepard was full-on shaking now. He dropped his bow and raised his hands up into the air. "I promise that I come in peace. I don't wish to harm you or your people."

"What about Isabella?" the elf questioned further. "You would've killed her if I hadn't come. Is that correct?"

"Yes," the golden-haired boy breathed. "Yes, I would've."

His honesty is... admirable.

"But if I let you go, you promise not to harm me or her or any of my kind?"

"Yes."

"Hmm." The elf tilted tilted their head up to look at the dark green canopy of the forest, closing their eyes. "I'd like to add another condition, however - let me live in your home."

Every single person's (and Isabella's) eyes widened in shock. The hunters' mouths were agape in pure, unadulterated surprise, and even Gepard couldn't help but stare at the elf dumbfoundedly.

"I- well, um-"

"I mean, it's fine if you don't," they replied hastily. "But I-"

And then chaos erupted.

The hunters sprung from the bushes, bows ready to fire at the elf and their companion. Their eyes were hard and steely and they were ready to pounce.

"Damn pointies!" one yelled. "Always shovin' their nose where it ain't supposed to be. You'll get a home alright - a home in the castle dungeons."

It was the elf's turn to be surprised. The deer stood protectively in front of them, blocking them from potential arrow fire, but the hunters weren't exactly merciful people. They ran to the figure, wrestling the elf away from the clearing as the deer tried to fight back against the attackers. The elf screamed, a desperate, saddening cry, before being shut up by the hunters, and at this point, Gepard felt he had to do something.

He tried to reason with the hunters, but to no avail - the elf had apparently insulted them, and they were set on punishment. The deer kept kicking, so the blonde-haired boy attempted to soothe it, saying that its friend will come back as soon as they could, and that he would help them reunite. The deer, after some minutes, seemingly understood Gepard, and with a quiet, lonely sigh, walked off to the tree where the figure first came from.

The elf was now being carried by the hunters in a stretcher-like fashion through the dense thicket of the woods, the familiar sounds of crackling leaves and the occasional rustle ambient. Gepard leaned to his side to whisper to his best friend, Dunn.

"Do you think they'll be alright?"

51 notes · View notes

masterweaverx · 3 years

Text

So anyway I think that the heroes are going to snatch control of Atlas right out from under Salem and Ironwood’s noses. It’ll take a few episodes, but it’ll happen by V8′s end. Here’s the probably inaccurate spiffy:

Ironwood and Salem are busily playing army and being absolutely ignorant to their own and each other’s underlings thinking maybe they’re in the wrong. So while they think they are controlling the Battle For Atlas (TM), everybody else is going to be trying to save people. Emerald’s going to get to the lamp first(ish).

Emerald: JINN! I must ask you something! Jinn: For reasons related to metaknowledge I like you a lot kid, so I’ll warn you to word your question very carefully. Emerald: Well... shit, give me a minute. Jinn: Time’s frozen, I’m magic like that. Take as long as you need.

Exactly what Emerald asks is up in the air, but it’s probably either ‘what is Salem hiding’ or ‘how can Cinder be freed from Salem’ and either way Jinn will make it clear Emerald needs to get to Ruby, so Emerald shrugs cause she was totally going to jump ship from Salem anyway (woman is dancing murder, literally) and so she waltzes out to pick up Oscar and then they run into JYR.

Yang: You framed me! Emerald: Yeah but I’m good now. See? Saving kids, got the relic-- Ren: I HATH SEEN HER VIBES, AND SHE DOTH BE GOOD NOW. Yang: Wait but how do you know it’s not an illusion? Ren: YOUR VIBES DOTH PROCLAIM AFFECTION FOR THINE PARTNER, OF DEEP AND INTENSE KIND, YET YOU DOUBT YOUR VALUE TO HER-- Yang: Okay okay I believe you! Oscar: Hey I’m kinda bleeding to death can we escape already?

And as they rush out of the whale, there is DRAMA in the Schnee mansion. Ruby’s panicking over Penny, and because Penny came in hot she can’t touch her with her bare hands so she’s getting Weiss to summon up some remote gloves for Emergency Robot Surgery and totally ignoring that pain in her heart. Meanwhile Klein’s patching up Nora--

Nora’s Past: Excuse me, sir, I need to reveal myself now. You don’t mind do you? Klein: This girl is pretty badly hurt, so I do rather mind-- Nora’s Past: Not to worry, I won’t interfere in your healing and you can have a conversation that sets up a future plot point.

And Blake and May are talking about how they robbed people to save people and Blake’s kinda trying to hint maybe that the situation’s pretty bad up here without offending May who is really just this close to exploding.

May: If you can’t give me one good reason to stay I’m taking the jet down to Mantle! Whitley: Jacques has a work computer in his office, maybe you can reactivate Mantle’s heat from there? May: ...fuck it get me some cocoa.

And indeedily, it turns out that there are programs to reactivate the heating grid! And switches to flip the direction of the Mantle/Atlas chute system! And a bunch of other stuff that’ll help Mantle, and May’s getting into it when she hits THE JACKPOT. You know how Jacques got elected a councilman? And how he got some key codes for that? Well, being the brilliant genius that he is, he put those key codes on his home computer and nobody’s thought to erase them since his arrest. Which means May can spoof Atlas systems to think ONE council member is doing things!

[Interlude with Cinder going aircar shopping, surprisingly easy when the city stores are abandoned. She has a run-in with the Glass Unicorn, which does not survive. We get a close-up of her face, and she’s frustrated that this isn’t satisfying her.]

But only having one councilmember’s codes isn’t enough to do more than move some people around the subways to safer places--great and all, but won’t solve the problem. If they had more control of Atlas’s automated systems, they could maybe do something, but the only way to do that is get more councilmember control codes. Like a majority. That’s two codes, and there’s no way to--

Blake: Wait doesn’t Ironwood have two seats? May: Yeah but he’s not going to work with us. Blake: We’re already spoofing Jacques’ codes, we can spoof Ironwood’s. May: We’d have to get to the terminal in the military compound! Blake: ...or the one in Atlas Academy. I need to make a call.

Cut to team FNKI, not at all chillin’ in their dorm. They’re ticked for so many reasons, they’re antsy, Neon gets a call from Blake and listens for a bit before saying ‘hey everyone wanna go infiltrate the Headmaster’s office and save Atlas?’ And Flynt’s like ‘You know what, sure.’ And four teenagers with attitude Power Ranger their way through some very confused soldiers and then Ivori puts on his hacker glasses and says--

Ivori: Oh crap guys. Ironwood only put the Headmaster codes on this terminal. Not the military council codes. Neon: Paranoid bitch. Ivori: Also he knows we’re here now.

Meanwhile JYR and their new pals (who may or may not include Hazel and Neo, depending on how effective Oscar is at handing out redemption arcs) have a bit of a tiff over the whole ‘recruiting bad guys’ thing and Emerald’s like ‘Guys fine arrest me but I literally have all the knowledge you need and for plot reasons we need to go to the Schnee mansion now’ so Winter’s like ‘Oh shit! I hate plot in my house!’ and she checks the clock and yeah, there’s PLENTY of time to hop over before the bomb arrives and, hey, probably fugitives, so dad Ironwood can’t yell at her for this!

[Interlude with Fiona and Joanna, who start characterizing each other and mention Important Plot Details that will probably come into play in the next volume but the fandom’s all going to speculate about how it’ll come into play this volume because we’re like that.]

So back with Ruby, she’s managed to juryrig Penny back to life and there’s this big emotional moment and Ruby has a breakdown and Weiss is all ‘I’m not equipped to handle this shit but I’ll try anyway’ and Penny has a breakdown and Weiss is like ‘yeah okay, cuddles and comfort time, come here you crazy girls’ and THEN Whitley bursts through the door and shouts ‘GUYS GUYS TEAM FNKI’S ON TV AND THEY’RE SAYING SWEAR WORDS!’

Neon: I’ve come to make an announcement: James Ironwood is a bitch-ass motherfu-- Ironwood: Okay this teenage rebellion is stupid. Luckily it’ll be easy to take back control of Atlas Academy because I am always right and never miss anything. Random Intern: But Sir! Aren’t You Worried They Will Hack Atlas’s Systems? Ironwood: Allow me to exposit on how impossible that is and how they would need three council codes to make a majority that could let that happen. Camilla, in her office: YO BITCH! REMEMBER ME?!

That’s right, Camilla’s noticed this TV broadcast, put together the pieces, and as scared as she is of Ironwood she’s noticing that he’s not really doing so hot fighting Salem so, what the heck, she’s going to tell everyone that Ironwood killed Sleet and he’s a treasonous traitor and soldiers should totally turn to Robyn Hill. Because she just sent her own council codes to ALL FOUR OF THE HAPPY HUNTRESSES. Also she says this is a pre-recorded message and she probably got killed by her doorguards.

[Meanwhile, the Hound gets a smoothie. It’s plot-detail flavored.]

Ironwood rages, but it’s okay! He’s got Robyn’s scroll! So he’s got the codes, he’s still in control aaaaaand Fiona’s already changed the password. But you know this plan is totally going to fall apart without Robyn, who’s trapped in her cell, so he marches down there to kill her before she can become a problem and comes face to face with Cinder God Damn Fall.

Ironwood: Get out of the way, I need to kill that woman. Cinder, flipping him off: Fuck you, Atlas scum, I do what I want! Hardlight generator: Hey why are you reaching for me scary lady OH GOD THE PAIN I AM DEAD THE PRISONERS ARE FREE BLEGH-- Watts: Let’s get out of here while they’re fighting each other! Cinder: ...yeah, that, that was totally my plan, yeah.

So Cinder and Watts skedaddle and the soldiers are like ‘uh should we catch them’ and Ironwood’s all ‘WE MUST KILL ROBYN’ and Robyn has no idea why but she’s not going down easy and Qrow’s screaming how Ironwood’s just the worst and Jacques is cowering in a corner because everybody has guns. Realistically a whole bunch of soldiers are able to easily subdue Qrow and Robyn and Ironwood gets ready to kill them when suddenly--

Raven: Looks like I need to save your weak ass, bro. Robyn: Who’s the hottie? Qrow: A fucking bitch. Raven: Yeah, okay, but I brought Tai along so... Taiyang: Anybody want a brownie? No? Fine. Sic’ em Zwei.

Obviously the might of the War Corgi (and yeah, the Spring Maiden, sure) is enough to get Robyn and Qrow to safety, and they also snag Robyn’s scroll on the way out, and Robyn gets informed of basically everything in one long ‘thank god you’re back’ speech by May who is REALLY tired of wrangling all these teenagers and their drama, but she’s interrupted when the Ace Ops land at the Schnee mansion and bring in their drama and should they turn on Ironwood like Camilla says and Blake says some stuff about ‘did you promise the man he is or who he pretends to be’ and Penny also has lines and there’s so much yelling--

Watts: According to my notes, Penny’s at the Schnee mansion. Cinder: My orders are to deliver you to Salem. Watts: But Cinder, there’s a lot of plot at the Schnee mansion right now! I know you looove ploooooooot! Cinder: Are you trying to tempt me to do a dumb? Watts: What can I say, I’m mischievous. Cinder: ...okay, you can drive yourself right back to Salem--I mean it! Drive STRAIGHT BACK, don’t get yourself CAUGHT AGAIN, and you tell her that you ordered me out. Watts: You have my word! Watts tells Salem Cinder totally abandoned him of her own free will.

So Cinder Fall strides into the conflict and she’s all smug--right up until she sees EMERALD IS WITH RUBY and she just flips out like ‘what the shit! What the shit girl what are you doing?!’ And Emerald says ‘I’m doing this for you! Allow me to begin my melodramatic speech about--’ Cue the Hound smashing through the window with a horde of Grimm and suddenly everything is chaos nobody knows who’s on anybody’s side Penny’s being fought over by everyone and--

Penny, eyes red: THE VAULT--Aaaaargh! Ruby, watching her fly out: Oh yeah, she was hacked, right, forgot. Cinder: The Hound: The Ace Ops: JNOR: RWBY: TRQ: May: Robyn: Kids, go after her, we’ll clean up here.

Everyone RUNS OUT OF THE SCHNEE MANSION and it’s a race to get to the Vault using every method they can and Cinder’s melting the ground and getting into fights left and right and the Ace Ops are showing their true colors by getting random citizens out of the way and meanwhile the Happy Huntresses are coordinating everything in Atlas AND Mantle and it’s all chaos but it’s clear that Ironwood’s not in control and then--

in the vault--

there he is, holding Penny’s sword. And he’s picked her up and started literally banging her against the door because the vault won’t open--

Cinder: Yo, moron, you need to do it right. Cinder: *Whips out a frying pan and conks out Ruby* Cinder, sweetly: Penny, if you don’t open that door I’ll melt her booooones~!

Welp, there’s no way to solve that hostage situation, so Penny reluctantly opens the Vault of the Winter Maiden and it looks like, oh no, somebody bad is going to get the staff, when all of the sudden--

Nora: THIS is what I’m good for! Nora’s Past: Go get ‘em girl!

Nora just catapults herself into the vault, grabs the staff and--before anybody can react--gets it to land next to Mantle. And THEN the Ace Ops come in and say ‘yeah, uh, Ironwood, totally under arrest for being stupid’ and turn off the hackersword which lets Penny get Ruby away from Cinder. Cinder’s right ticked so she reaches for the staff with her Grimm hand but, in a fit of realization, Nora decides to use the staff to regenerate Cinder’s lost arm (which destroys the Grimm Arm entirely).

Cinder: Wait... what the fuck? Why’d you do THAT?! Nora: I have complicated in-character reasons but the truth is I’m setting up a plotline for you to doubt the path you’ve chosen so you’ll turn on Salem down the line. Cinder: Well now I’m feeling existential. I think I’ll go back to Salem and whine about this whole crazy day.

So anyway the volume ends with reinforcements arriving, Robyn the new leader of the Kingdom of Mantle, Ironwood locked up for being a moron, Salem just totally blindsided by the complete upset of the board, and Nora offering to regenerate Yang’s arm. Yang says no because she gave up her arm for something precious and her new arm was a gift plus it’s awesome plus her sister’s dating a robot so saying ‘I don’t like metal arms’ is kinda hypocritical.

....

And then in the stinger Cinder’s staring in a mirror and Pyrrha says ‘Hello again.’

#RWBY #V8 #Spoilers #V8 Spoilers #Speculation #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long #Actually a whole bunch of characters #This is probably going to be wildly inaccurate #No mention of Willow's secret elf powers #But let's see how badly I can guess

30 notes · View notes

virlath · 4 years

Text

harellan

Some time after the second Exalted March against the Dales, Fen’Harel’s title and meaning changed from rebel leader to the god of betrayal.

The Dalish use "Harellan" to mean "traitor to one's kin," but the word does not appear in any elven text before the Towers Age. The ancient root-word is related to "harillen," or opposition, and "hellathen," or noble struggle. The Dalish call Fen'Harel a god of deception, but I posit a far more accurate translation would be "god of rebellion."

===

If you drink from the Well of Sorrows, you are able to enter Fen’Harel’s sanctuary with a secret greeting.

Ar-melana dirthaveren. Revas vir-anaris.

Ar-melana = I, now

dirthaveren = promise (elves refer to it as the Exalted plains)

revas = freedom

vir-anaris = path/way(passage) of time ? (this is an interpretation based on the word bellanaris/bellanar)

I realise many people often translate vir-Anaris to the “way of Anaris”, but I disagree. If we’re going by consistency I would expect the phrase to be “vir-Anaris” and not “vir-anaris”.

Given that we know the elven language is intentional, I interpret the phrase to mean “I promise my time in the fight for freedom” . In other words, his rebels dedicated their lives to his cause, which was a weighty promise considering they were immortal.

Anyone who wanted to enter Fen’Harel’s sanctuary were made to promise this. Sure, none were beholden but by choice. But the blessing also says “He leads only those who would help willingly.”

The Promise of Fen’Harel

A wash of powerful magic carries a pang of hope. Images flash by: a man in wolfskin standing with a group of freed slaves, clasping one's arm in friendship. Words aren't so much heard as felt:

"Fen'Harel has been falsely named a god, but is as mortal as any of you. He takes no divine mantle and asks that none be bestowed upon him. He leads only those who would help willingly. Let none be beholden but by choice."

This is because Fen’Harel also made a promise to them in return.

The specifics of his promise aren’t elaborated on, but based on the Skyhold codex (which I’ll break down later), I think it’s safe to say it was the promise of freedom and freedom of choice. I also think there is a possibility the promise he made to his people formed the foundation of the meaning of dirthavaren.

Dirthavaren is often referred to as the Exalted Plains, land promised to the elves by Andraste. If you connect enough dots though, I believe the elves’ search for a homeland can be traced back to the promise made by him - that they would one day be able to live freely on land they could call their own.

When the veil was created, Fen’Harel fulfilled his promise to the rebels, ensuring their freedom and imprisoning the false gods for “eternity”. However, this came at the price of the elves’ empire and immortality- a loss many of the elves likely never even imagined was on the cards to begin with.

Not only did the survivors of Arlathan have to suddenly contend with a vast new world sundered from the Fade, they could now also age and die, a fearful thing to consider when you realise these beings likely previously existed for millenia.

The pages of this book—memory?—show a solemn group of elves in an ampitheater of living wood, entire trees grown into seats and stairs for the listeners to recline on. Two other elves and a spirit of learning are speaking in turn on ways to bend the properties of the material world when casting spells. At the end, the spirit, with the air of a senior lecturer, floats forward and booms in a surprisingly deep voice.

"The unchanging world is delicate: spells of power invite disaster and annihilation. The unchanging world is stubborn: the pull of the earth fiercely resists making fire run like water or stone rise like mist. The unchanging world rings with its own harmony. Listen with fearless hearts, and great works will unfold."

Without warning, survivors were thrown into the unchanging world where their magic now invited annihilation.

Clans and tribes gave way to a powerful empire called Tevinter, which—and for what reason we do not know—moved to conquer Elvhenan. When they breached the great city of Arlathan, our people, fearful of disease and loss of immortality, chose to flee rather than fight. With magic, demons, and even dragons at their behest, the Tevinter Imperium marched easily through Arlathan, destroying homes and galleries and amphitheaters that had stood for ages. Our people were corralled as slaves, and human contact quickened their veins until every captured elf turned mortal. The elves called to their ancient gods, but there was no answer.

Slavery relics such as the vallaslin lived on in elven nobles with the hopes it would save them, but the gods didn’t answer because they were imprisoned. And while Fen’Harel’s people knew he had won them their freedom, their mortality (and fear of it) meant the majority of the elven empire was inevitably decimated.

Solas believes in “cause and effect” and the way he won this “victory” is very similar to the Slow Arrow story, or the story about the noble asking him for advice on how to find the woman he desired.

“Nothing is gained without something being lost”.

With the eventual fall of the Dales, I presume it was only a matter of time before his people rejected the notion entirely that the Dread Wolf had in fact saved them and so the word ‘harel’ eventually morphed into ‘harellan’.

What care have I for gods I have never seen, for a Maker I do not know? Let others distract themselves with such lofty concerns. I know only this life, I have seen only this world, and I care only for you.

Mourn for the past—and all that was left there. For we trusted in dreams and perceived immortality. We trusted in promises and in hope. So we dreamed in vain, for we lost these gifts long ago.

===

The creation of the veil

Skyhold, or Tarasyl'an Te'las ("the place where the sky is kept" or, more specifically, "the place where the sky was held back") was once Solas’ fortress and likely the site where he created the veil.

"After he held back the sky to imprison the gods, the Dread Wolf disappeared" - Archivist in Vir Dirthara

Skyhold is filled with elven imagery and old notes and carvings are found throughout the castle as it is renovated. A scratching under a pillar reveals this block of elven text (which was probably translated by Solas ironically)

Skyhold has not just been claimed time and again, but sacked as well. We've managed to uncover some remnants, including a scratching under a pillar that mentions the name given by your witch. Old but still long after the place had been built over. But the author knew something of its first purpose, or at least, something of a legend.

Var'landivalis him sa'bellanaris san elgar Melanada him sa'miras fena'taldin (word missing) Nadasalin telrevas ne suli telsethenera Tarasyl'an te'las vehn'ir abelath'vir (word missing)

Even with assistance from your elf, we managed only a partial translation. Elven is often a game of intents, not direct mapping of phonetic meaning. That means it's a mess.

Our belief transformed into everything. (assertation/problem? uncertain) All time is transformed into the final/first death (uncertain), Inevitable/threatened victory and horrible/promised freedom in the untorn veils, (uncertain) Where the sky is held up/back, where the people give/gain love that is an apology/promise from/to....(missing subject, uncertain)

Mostly complete, as fragments go. The rhythm is strange, not like others I've recorded. Perhaps less a poem than a statement? The elven language does tend to meander.

My interpretation of the elven text, in bold:

Our belief transformed into everything. (assertation/problem? uncertain)

All time is transformed into the final/first death (uncertain),

Inevitable/threatened victory and horrible/promised freedom in the untorn veils, (uncertain)

Where the sky is held up/back, where the people give/gain love that is an apology/promise from/to....(missing subject, uncertain)

The elves used will to shape their empire. This was a gift and a curse, possibly because it led to endless wars and in-fighting between those in positions of power.

The veil changed the flow of time and "quickened” the elves’ immortality, allowing them only one chance to live, age, and die

The veil was created to ensure their freedom when the rebellion was threatened (I presume the threat was Mythal’s death). Thus the rebels got the freedom they were promised, but at the “horrible” cost of the entire elven empire.

Fen’Harel fulfilled his promise to his people at Skyhold by creating the veil, however he did so apologetically as the price of freedom was the destruction of the world that they knew.

Solas says “every other alternative was worse” when it came to the creation of the veil. Given the fact the evanuris were clearly drunk on power and the blight was possibly already floating around too, I’m inclined to believe the urgency was there for him to make that hard decision. I think the biggest flaw in his plan however was that he didn’t seem to warn anyone but instead acted recklessly out of pride and rage.

Where willows wail

We/it lost eternity or the ruined tree of the People,

Time won't help when the land of dreams is no longer our journey.

We try to lead despite the eventual failing of our markings.

To the inevitable and troubling freedom we are committed.

When we could no longer believe, we lost glory to war.

When the Wolf failed/won, we lost the People to war.

The war against the evanuris didn’t stop with the veil, as evidenced with Tevinter’s ransacking of Arlathan. Thus any memories or guidance that might have been saved by Arlathan’s survivors were just as quickly lost.

===

The din’an shiral / journey of death

The veil was the lesser of many evils, and it could even be argued it did/will end up saving many lives in the long run. Solas however only sees the ruins of a once grand, golden empire.

Imagine, waking up after millenia and realising the people you freed have become subjugated and live in squalor? Imagine encountering the Dalish and realising the majority of their culture is formed from relics of slavery? Imagine leading a rebellion fighting for freedom, only to be branded a traitor and god of betrayal by his own people in the aftermath?

Perhaps he has realised he actually needs to let go of his own pride so he can properly fulfil the promise he made to his people, hence the di’nan shiral/journey of death.

When he says to Flemeth “...the failure was mine. I should pay the price...but the people..they need me”, she understands he is still beholden to the promise he made to them, because as it is, the elves have basically lost everything of their once grand empire.

When Solas encounters Nightmare in the Fade, Nightmare says to him:

Dirth ma, harellan. Ma banal enasalin. Mar solas ena mar din.

Learn my traitor. You were not victorious. Your pride will be your death.

And Solas replies:

Banal nadas

It was long speculated before JoH that “Banal nadas” meant “Nothing is inevitable”, however Jaws of Hakkon revealed “telanadas” actually means the latter. Considering the fact the dialogue in JoH very specifically underscores the word’s meaning (In the old tongue, your name, Telanadas, means nothing is inevitable. I will remember your name and hope.) I’m inclined to believe “banal nadas” means something more specific.

banal = negates (inferred from banal'vhen=astray, banal'abelas, banal vhenan=you’re not sorry, you’re not my heart)

nadas = something that must be (inferred from telanadas=nothing is inevitable, mala suledin nadas=now you must endure)

It’s a fuzzy interpretation, but I think the phrase could be a negation to Nightmare’s assertion that his pride will be his death. Solas is rejecting Nightmare’s mockery as he is now willing to let go of his pride and potentially his life to save what’s left of the elven people.

This is where it gets interesting, because his collusion with Mythal is one of the biggest mysteries to me. Did anyone else influence the creation of the veil or was it Solas’ own single-handed creation? Do Solas and Mythal’s end-games align or will his absorption of Flemeth’s power come back to bite him? Does Solas have a new plan for imprisoning/killing the false gods for good? Or is he actually planning on reinstating/working with allies from his time once the veil is destroyed?

When you say to him “you would murder countless people?”, he replies “wouldn’t you, to save your own?”

Considering he doesn’t consider the modern elves as his own people, who actually are the people he is intending on saving?

And- this is the kicker for me- the fairy in the Tiniest Cave quest says this cryptic message:

"He'll remake the world to suit his desires. His chosen to reign."

Given the fact that I don’t think Solas was working alone in the rebellion, and the fact Flemythal went out of her way to save the old god soul, I’m starting to think they both have diverging plans for how everyone will be led into this new age of existence. This will obviously be a sticking point, because Morrigan was groomed to be the inheritor who awaits the next age, something I could see Solas disapproving of.

Now we know from TN that Solas’ plans involves “saving the world” and that he is “sympathetic to elves”. While all of this may be true, the reason you cannot sway him on his path is because his primary motivation is upholding the promise he made to his people. Perhaps he even intends to clear his name in doing so, whether that is by exposing the evanuris as frauds once the veil is destroyed (maybe his pride will come back to haunt him after all, depending on your relationship with him in DAI) or by destroying the eternal/Black city for good.

#dragon age #dai #solas #da theories #evanuris #fen'harel #dirthavaren

44 notes · View notes

inkdrinkershadowsinger · 4 years

Text

Thoughts/Background on Chamber of Secrets

There simply cannot be neighborhoods like this, where there are miles upon miles of cookie cutter homes that stretch out into the horizon. Does anyone know if this is a real shot? Or did they multiply the houses like they do to extras in a battle scene?

I never noticed that this photo album is this detailed. There is a little J and L on either side of James and Lily’s photo here. Hagrid is an artist.

It’s on every page? Was this supposed to be something that Hagrid found from Godric’s Hollow? How did he get something so specific? Or is that rumor true that Hagrid owled Lily and James friend’s and Remus, who had been left things like this when there was no one else left to claim them, got it off his bookshelf and sent it to his best friends’ son?

I like how Harry’s room progressively becomes more his own. Look at it in this movie, the walls are bare, everything is relatively tame and plain verses in Order of The Phoenix, when Harry’s room has distinctly more decoration.

Those pink candlesticks are ghastly.

Harry, my darling, you have been getting letters it is merely a well meaning house elf who has stopped them. I wonder what everyone else thought about Harry’s silence? Especially Hermione. Did she think for even a moment that Harry and Ron had decided that they didn’t want to be her friend at all? Ron isn’t much of a writer, and Harry wasn’t responding. I don’t want to know what kind of a mind fuck that must have been to 12 year old Hermione who had just got home from “magic school”, and none of her new “friends” were responding to her letters.

We have heard that theory that James is Harry and Sirius is Ron, etc. But Dudley is Petunia. Dudley and Harry were raised in the same house, closer than cousins because of location alone. But whereas Petunia never got over the resentment that she felt towards Harry in book seven Dudley was more concerned for Harry’s well-being when they were leaving for the safe house then I think Petunia ever was if Lily ever mentioned how hard and dangerous things were getting during the First Wizarding World. Dudley received some characterization and growth where Petunia never bothered.

Harry sounds so sarcastic when he says that.

Dang! Every time Harry leaves his room he has to see a pencil drawing of Dudley’s face? The Dursley’s cruelty knows no bounds.

All of this decoration, and the shelf are missing from the first scene with Harry in this movie.

Harry is just like, “Fuck it all.”

But he’s got manners galore.

At this point, Harry has never seen a house elf. He has no idea what a house elf does. He has no idea why one would be in his bedroom. He has no idea that this even is a house elf? Why is he so calm? This could be a blood thirsty toga wearing creature that they only study in seventh year, and yet, Harry is all but like, “Can I take your coat, sir?”

And now he’s crying, (those could have been lethal gas releasing nerve agents), and now he’s hitting himself (gearing up for attack.) Oh, Harry, number one at defense my arse.

And their champagne flutes are pink? You can’t buy taste.

Those people look so offended like, “You have a cat? How common.”

I know that the fanon is that wizarding children all heard bedtime stories about Harry Potter, but Dobby is proof that other beings also heard about Harry’s triumph over the Dark Lord.

Who painted that picture on Harry’s wardrobe? Dean Thomas, fanon artist. Or does Harry Potter have latent creative talent? Or can you buy these out of the Hogwart’s catalog? Lol

Dobby is like, “Oh, shit, I should not have said that.”

This is where Harry’s Gryffindor really shows because he could just lie to Dobby, but he doesn’t. It’s that Gryffindor honesty.

The man is just like, “Oh, look, cake. Neither of them even looks angry.

Vernon bowered Niall Horan’s hat for this scene.

Harry sleeps with the scrapbook right by his bed. Someone shoot me.

I love that to Ron, Fred, and George that this is a completely normal thing for them to be doing. None of them look nervous about flying a car in a Muggle neighborhood. Destruction of property? Who gives a fuck? They are just like, we have to do what we have to do for our bud. Just a regular drive around.

Hedwig is very annoyed at being called a pigeon.

Ron knows to appreciate the simple things. Tell you mate Happy Birthday, no werid shows of masculinity here.

I love the Burrow. I love the position of the Burrow. I love that they are surrounded by land and a little pond. I love that it is secluded, and that it looks pieced together.

The inside of the Burrow is stunning. You have the Farm House sink. The detailed windows. The hardwood surfaces. The eclectic but perfectly fitting furniture. It would be considered chic to many a Muggle. And that DOOR, that opens up, and then also opens out. The extra space above that little cubbie. Fireplace. Hand, or magic, knitted blankets.

There is a wooden orange cat, a la, Crookshanks on the fireplace there.

Ginny is me.

He says, “Morning Weasleys.” Like they are a clan. He could totally use that tone and call them all to action.

I feel like Mrs. Weasley could sound more disappointed here. I feel like she is kind of annoyed, but also kind of interested in their little stunts as well.

The stainglass windows, the open placement for the dishes, like this house is amazing!

“Dumbledore must know that you’re here.” So, the headmaster is the one who can keep track of the placement of certain students and their whereabouts, or is this simply a case where Mrs. Figg informed Dumbledore that Harry had taken off. Can you imagine that letter? Like, “Super sorry, Professor Dumbledore, but it seems as if Number Four Pivet Drive has been attacked by three red haired boys in a flying car. The red haired youngsters seemed to be on quite friendly terms with Mr. Potter however, as they helped them into the flying vehicle. Just thought that I should mention it.

Sincerely,

Arabella Figg

So, does Appartition take a lot out of a witch or wizard? Why don’t Mr. and Mrs. Weasley just apparate all the kids to the Diagon Alley? Is there such a thing as flooing by twos or threes? Because that would also be useful. Are there many fireplaces lining Diagon Alley like the tones that are shown in seven part one in the Ministry? Where to they floo into? Just one of the thousands of questions that need answers, Mrs. Rowling.

There is a gilded head of an elephant behind Harry’s head before Harry examines closely a cabinet that seems to follow a very tight skull aesthetic for maximum creep.

On the top shelf, there seems to be a lamp? A magical one?

More skulls. The hand of glory, that is mentioned in the books. And then a vase full of eye balls. This place is a health hazard. I know the wizarding world lacks mental health professionals, but you’re telling me they don’t have health inspectors?

Harry looks like he has been covered in spiderwebs. When was the last time that Floo was used?

Who are these random people just immediately accosting a twelve year old boy?

They pass a book seller. Knowledge is the root of all power.

The sign in front says from top to bottom: Quality. Value. Ease. Style. Then I think, Variety.

Hermione is internally shrugging because of course her ride or die new friend is covered in ash and has broken glasses. Of course, he is.

The girl behind them as they walk away looks back at them like, “Oh, Harry Potter.”

The fashion and lighting in this movie went from drab and seventeen hundreds to really flamboyant and really stylish with bright colors. I love that the dashes of color really followed them into the other films. Even Prisoner of Azkaban with its more muted color scheme is still vibrant.

The front page that reads: Gilderoy Lockhart gives Wizarding Wolrd Hero Hygiene Tips. Ash free for the cameras, always.

They are literally crammed into the bottom floor of this shop, and Draco Malfoy has an excellent view from above?

Ginny’s got some balls. Love her. All the boys are silent, and she just ain’t taking no shit.

Like Lucius, it is not okay to fondle people’s foreheads, you creepy mother f-er.

Hermione is a bad bitch. Like she knows how dangerous magic can be know, and yet, she doesn’t back down from this grown wizard.

They are all dirty. What happened to scourgify? Or were they scouring grate after grate trying to find Harry, and just didn’t have time after the relief of finding him? Literally, no one else is dirty.

Ginny’s trunk has a Hogwart’s emblem. And we all know the Weasley’s use hand me down items. Whose trunk does she have?

Like Ronald, this is not logical. Dang! I know y’all aint in Ravenclaw, but you are twelve years old. This is basic.

“Your hands all sweaty.” This is no time to be a snob, Harry.

So, did the car fail because they hit Hogwart’s wards? That would seem logical for its sudden failure.

It could also be why the Womping Willow attacked the car so viscously. It may have sensed that this car doesn’t belong to the grounds, and thus, could potentially be a threat. So, it tried to dislodge and pulverize the threat.

Pete, you rat bastard.

This car knows its way around Hogwarts? Or did some of the sentient magic that is in Hogwarts take over the car, and that is why it saved Harry and Ron when they were in the forest with the acromantulas.

To make things more environmentally friendly. The Daily Prophet should have a self updating paper, that changes with each news day. People can still buy the others, if they want to keep them for posterity, but I mean, come on, save the planet.

I feel like this is just a flashback for Snape. James getting away with everything and now Harry.

And Ron, is just so used to getting caught out by Mrs. Weasley, that he just instantly thinks that he is going home.

The look on Snape’s face is so sad here. Will no one ever take this man’s side?

I like this overhead view of the greenhouses. I like the idea too, that there are several levels of greenhouses. The ones that we see in this movie are close to the castle and are set for first and second years, but then the Greenhouses that we see in Half Blood Prince are set away a bit from the castle for the upper years. And some are just for Professor Sprout.

There are little dragon statues on top of the greenhouses. That’s a bit ironic.

Do you think that those large pot like things hanging from the ceiling are

Like, how common is getting petrified, that this would be in second year school book. Also, why were they being grown in the first place if there uses were so rare.

Headcanon that Neville truly developed an interest in Herbology when he fainted that year. He went back to see what work he missed, and Professor Sprout was just straight battling some giant carnivorous plant, and just kicking the fertilizer out of it, and Neville helps her. Then she shows him something else, and something else, and talks about all the things that plants can do, and what they are capable of achieving. “But that’s normally a lesson I reserve for the older years.” But Neville doesn’t want to wait, he wants to do it now. He goes back to the common room with several borrowed books from Professor Sprout, and he is never the same again.

We are legit just going to leave a student lying on the ground. Are we? The wizarding world is really survival of the fittest.

There is a studious Ravenclaw behind them there, reading away.

Neville still has flashbacks to be honest.

When the wizarding world doesn’t have cell phones to yell at or embarrass your children with, you hit them with a howler. Respect.

This DADA room is surrounded with pictures of Lockhart. All the frames along the side of the room are pictures of Lockhart. Bless this man.

This painting of Lockhart is painting a picture of Lockhart.

He bought those Cornish Pixies on the Wizarding Web.

Is that a skeleton of a hippogriff handing above them there?

Even the pixies have had it with Lockhart’s shit books.

The painting Lockhart runs out of the way as well.

Hermione is a baddie.

Hogwarts is so beautiful.

Flint, Wood is tired of your shit.

Hermione and Ron smell trouble, and are like, “I’m going to get me some of that.” Because Gryffindors.

Clap back Hermione.

I love that in the book everyone reacts to what Draco calls Hermione. I wish they would have included that a bit more in the movie.

Ron must have learned that from somewhere, but instead of someone helping him, they just laugh.

This interaction here with Hagrid and Hermione always melts my heart. I like to think that Hagrid is one of the reasons that Hermione worked so hard later in life for the protection and promotion of creature rights. Hagrid being a half giant.

Hagrid is number one. Let’s be real.

Where can I get this level of staged photograph when I go to the Wizarding World in May?

Lockhart is like, “Dang, the fame is already getting to this one. What a shame.”

Harry hears someone threatening to murder people, and of course, he runs right to them.

If Tom Riddle had a giant, most likely extremely hard to kill snake, why didn’t he just try to ride it on out of Hogwarts, take over Diagon and flatten everything? Why didn’t he come back for it during the first wizarding world?

Ron is not down with spiders, and neither am I.

Look, this may be a controversial opinion, but I love Mrs. Norris, and I think that her and Filch are cute and are not to be messed with.

Let’s be real, Filch has been hearing for a solid year from Snape about how Harry Potter is such a little shit. That rage has got to come from somewhere.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry thinking that they were just about to sneak off. Dumbledore is like, “Bitch, please.”

Hermione, Harry, and Ron: “Is Snape taking up for us….actu….oh, wait, of course not.”

I feel so bad for Filch here. That cat is probably the only thing in the whole world that he actually loves.

McGonagall has a large number of zoo like cages in her classroom as well. Her classroom is also very symmetrical, from the two blackboards, to the candles in the front of the room.

Draco and Goyle are reluctantly impressed.

That is the beautiful thing about libraries. There is an unlimited amount of information available at any point in time.

I’m glad that there is at least one adult in the common space for the students. Is that supposed to be Madam Pince? Or a helpful teaching assistant? We all know that the teachers at Hogwarts have an intense work load.

Why is there a spider depicted on the woman’s head in this book?

I just imagine that every time that Harry is in the air that Ron and Hermione experience quite a lot of anxiety.

I can just hear Lucius in the stands saying, “We do not show off for such people.” When the snitch is right beside Draco’s head.

I feel that Lucius grew into being a good father when the threat of his family became a reality. I think before he judged Draco by too harsh means because things were always rather simple in his mind. He thought he was the best, and Draco should be too. But he was humbled, and became a better father because of it.

Dobby strictly uses the word, “Enslavement” here. That word makes what Hermione does with Spew seem less radical.

The table is decorated with the phases of the moon.

Snape rises from the crowd like a ghost.

How on Earth did Lockhart get Snape to agree to do this? He had to have accosted him in the staffroom or during a meeting when Snape couldn’t get away.

“Severus, I really think it would be a great idea. We could really give the kids something exciting, riveting, and imaginative.” It is only when McGonagall tells him that he could probably get Lockhart on his perfectly pictured arse a few times that Snape considers it, and eventually concedes.

The most iconic Drarry line ever. “Scared, Potter?” “You wish.”

Can conjured things kill people? Or are they just charms? Is the pain temporary, or a real solid thing that can seriously damage?

Is this study hall?

Harry Potter has the crappiest luck ever.

Some of the headmasters and headmistresses seem to be still. I like the idea that all of the professors that get promoted to that level get to be immortalized whether they would like to put apart of them inside of a portrait or not.

I really like the idea of Dumbledore as a scholar and an academic, so I really like that they show all of his scrolls and books.

I feel like Fawkes dying and then being rebirthed among the flames is a really poignant thing for Harry to experience at this stage in his life. This image of the phoenix dying, but still having life probably stuck with Harry and it might have been something that he thought about when he was preparing to walk into the forest in book seven.

Hagrid has got Harry’s back, and I love it. He is a really good friend.

This image of the Black Lake frozen over, and the students being pulled across it’s icy surface is stunning.

Hermione was training to join MI6 before she got her Hogwarts letter, and no one can tell me differently.

Are flying treats that common that Crabbe and Goyle are just like, “Dead on.” It must have been a cute thing that there house elves did for them when they were children, levitating treats or toys in the air for them to grab. Or their parents showing them magic and giving them treats at the same time. Otherwise, how would they have ever thought, “You know what? Excellent and safe idea to eat these random treats.”

Harry literally doesn’t know here which one is Crabbe and which one is Goyle.

The Slytherin common room looks way more lush then the Gryffindor common room. I feel like you can see really clearly into the Black Lake there, and since it is frozen over, the light that you see is light blue instead of green. I mean, look at how big there common room is. It looks like they have a designated study area and everything.

Draco, don’t be the stereotype of rich boys who steal. Just don’t.

Myrtle is not to be fucked with, bro.

A young Tom Riddle for sure got this one year for Christmas at Wool’s orphanage before the war started, and things got so tight that they couldn’t even afford three meals a day. Then, like everything in his past, he transferred these basic Muggles things to something more extraordinary, like him.

Tom Riddle in this movie is a hottie. Like, y’all can’t even fight me because there is no denying his killer beauty….get it?

Okay, so are we thinking that during this flashback that Tom’s soul piece is not only aware that Harry is watching a scene from his life, but is also, acting out the part of himself? He is the director and the lead, so to say.

I like this sequence because it shows more insight into who Tom Riddle is, and where the fear of death started to come from. I wish that Rowling would have made this connection more thoroughly for the viewers of the movies. A single mention of there being too many bombs, or a lot of fighting by Tom here when he is talking with Dumbledore would have provided some more insight into this character.

Ginny knows how to do some damage. I think it would have been easier for them to figure out. Girls can get up boy’s dorms, but boys cannot get up to girl’s dorms. It would have had to have been a Gyrffindor. The common room couldn’t have been completely empty. Hermioen could have fact checked this, and figured out who had wrecked their dorm.

Look at those game plans back there. I just envision, Oliver Wood drawing frantically on the blackboard wild circles that simulate flying motions, but he goes too quickly for everyone else to understand what he’s saying, and thus, the only one who knows the plan is Wood, himself.

Did they show Colin’s friends his frozen body? Or Penelope and Justin’s? Not one person in this school thinks of the potentially traumatizing circumstances that they are putting these kids through.

It is popular fanon that McGonagall and Riddle went to school together. From this perspective, it would be doubly as traumatizing for her to hear that the school could be closing again.

Ron is me. I ain’t messing with no mother flipping spiders.

Ron is no help in this scenario. Absolutley none.

Harry replacing Hermoine’s flowers, and thus subtly telling the viewers how much time has elapsed.

Harry is wickedly smart. He is also very logical which I think attributes a lot to that sarcastic personality that he has.

McGonagall has some Slytherin in her for sure. She went from worried to blasting Lockhart in 2.5.

Lockhart packed up really quickly. It was almost like he….. had….experience…leaving…quickly.

I wonder if Lockhart’s victims ever got any retribution after he wound up in St. Mungos. It’s almost certain that his sales went up when he got admitted to the hospital just because of the public’s sheer curiosity and gossip mongering.

Salazar Slytherin was one slick mother f-er. “I’m going to hide my chamber in the bathroom.”

I can just imagine Riddle not having a lot of time in between OWLS and what not, and taking the easy way out and opening the Chamber whenever he could just to chuck down dead rabbits and chickens. Forays into the Forbidden Forest were many for Tom’s minions back then.

Honestly, Lockhart, Harry probably wouldn’t mind if you took a few of his less than pleasurable memories.

Tom Riddle also has that innate need to be polite even though he’s about to stab someone just like Harry does. Or is this a British thing?

I love how the villains in these movies say, “Potter.”

That does not look like the hole that they came down? It looks like Fawkes took them up another exit.

Why is Dumbledore trusting Hagrid’s release papers from the wizarding world’s worst prisons to a twelve year old? To a twelve year old Ron Weasley at that.

It looks like Dumbledore has a crystal ball by his desk. Trying his hand at divination? Or is that how he keeps track of all the students? I need to know what headmaster powers enable him to do all of these things.

Jason Isaacs is super fine. I can even deal with the wig. In fact, the wig makes it better.

It looks like Dumbledore’s office is located outside of the courtyard which makes the scene in Order of the Phoenix when Fred and George are comforting that boy all the more poignant.

#Harry Potter #Chamber of secrets #Harry Potter thoughts #Harry Potter movie thoughts

3 notes · View notes

starlling-writes · 4 years

Text

Bewitching Monsters - Fae Royalty (Titania & Oberon) P1

Series Rating: 18+ Chapter Contains: mild swearing Pairing: f/f/m

BeMo Masterlist ☆ Writing Masterlist

“You’re fae?” Aero demanded as he rushed inside the café and slammed his hands on my table. “Why have you never said anything before?”

“Sweet day to you too,” I coolly said. With Caera’s loose lips, I knew this conversation was bound to happen. Really, I was more surprised it hadn’t happened sooner. I took another bite of my pastry, ignoring him.

Willow walked up, chuckled and sat down. “Sweet day, Witch,” he greeted. I bowed my head to him, not wanting to talk with my mouth full. He looked up at his boyfriend. “Sit.”

Aero looked between us, exhaled in frustration, then sat down with his arms crossed. To sooth his temper, Willow reached over and casually rubbed the back of his neck. “Sweet. Day,” he clipped. “Now answer me.”

“Someone’s in a mood today. Do you need a timeout? Or perhaps a nap?”

I enjoyed watching him become flustered. “Do not make this about me. You’re the one being incorrigible and avoiding my question.”

“Considering my moniker, you could have easily guessed, Aero—the air elf.” He glared and started to make another quip but stopped short when Willow’s grip tightened around the back of his neck. “Besides, I’m only legally fae. I haven’t inherited, like, any fae qualities. Anyways. I have a question about the royal feiseanna. Do you get a plus-one or anything?”

“You don’t know?”

“No. Why would I?”

“Well… legal fae are invited to the feiseanna, predominantly the Aestival feis.”

Damn. That was something I would have to unpack later. “Looks like all my invites were overlooked then.”

An awkward beat passed before Willow cleared his throat and continued. “No, each invitation only allows one guest. Were you looking to go?”

“Sorta. I was looking to try to talk with the Queen and King. And since Vernalis is so close, I figured that’d be the easiest—and right now only—way for me to do so.”

“What do you need to see the royals for?”

I bought myself time by taking a big bite of my pastry. I didn’t like bringing others into my business needlessly. But if I couldn’t get into the ball... perhaps they would be good council. “I’m looking to make a high level deal. The Queen and King have the power for what I need.”

Aero’s brow shot up curiously. “Oh? And what are you looking for?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Yes,” he deadpanned. “That’s exactly why I asked.”

“Well suffer.”

The rest of our lunch date went typically well. But while the conversation drifted from the ball and my potential deal, my thoughts stayed locked on it. The only way I was getting to that ball was to find someone willing to give up their ticket. And I didn’t know many fae well enough to be too hopeful.

I returned home no closer to a solution than I had started.

Before I went inside, gold eyes caught my attention. Vérus was appearing more often now. I met his gaze and went over to the tree line. I greeted him with a small bow and gentle smile. How did my dumb ass not think of him before? “Just the fae I needed.”

“Oh really?” he purred, tracing my chin as he forced me to look up at him more.

“You hate socializing, right?”

He quirked his head and blinked. Perhaps I was a bit too forward in my phrasing—it was hard to tell exactly how casual I should be with him now. Sure, I saved his tree, but he was still an ancient fae. Where, in all the stars, was the right middle ground between formal and familiar with him?

When he still didn’t speak, I continued. “What I mean is—are you going to the royal feis?”

“Ah. That.”

Yet again, I suffered through silence. “Well?”

“No.”

“I see.” What was the best way to ask for the invitation without adding more work to this task? I already made my interest obvious, so I couldn’t try playing coy. Not that he’d fall for that. Perhaps I had curried enough favor with protecting his tree that he’d give me this one extra reward. “It’s a shame the invitation is going to waste.”

The amount of smugness in his smirk and quirked brow and amused eyes made me feel powerless. He knew exactly what I was dancing around. And he was going to make me say every word. How much ego stroking did I just get myself into?

“Vérus,” I said, adding a sweet little note in my tone. “Would you be ever so magnanimous and bestow your invitation to the next royal, Vernalis feis to me? Please?”

He circled me like a predator. “You know, Witch. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this formal before.”

Well, you’re too much of a bastard to be granted such politeness most of the time, I thought to myself. I curtsied low to hide how much I worried my lips as I held my tongue.

He leaned down and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I rather like you like this.”

Fuck it. Nope. I did not have the energy for this right now. I rose back up, not caring that he was still close and I almost clocked his chin with my shoulder. “Goodnight, Vérus.” I turned on my heels and marched to my house.

“Not even letting me give an answer?” he called. I went inside without acknowledging him.

I flopped onto my chaise and groaned. I was mentally exhausted. Shadows crept up from below, slinking and swirling like an ink drop in water. Just as I noticed, it surged up to the ceiling. Darkness was all there was. “I’m not in the mood,” I groused. There was a hiss before the dark retreated to the pillows by the bookshelf.

“They’ve been like that all day,” Caera said.

I sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s going to take longer than I hoped.”

“Can the Queen and King not help?”

“I won’t get a chance to ask. I can only get in with an invitation—which I don’t have.”

“Yes, you do.” Caera brought over a gold-gilded envelope. “Vérus left it before you came home.”

I jolted upright and snatched the paper. That prick… that entire time he had already given it to me? I made a fool of myself for nothing? Wait—how did he know before I got home? I sighed again. “You told him, didn’t you?”

Caera’s silent fidgeting was all the confirmation I needed.

“Can you ever keep a secret?”

“When you order me to, Mistress, yes,” she said cheerily.

“You know what—I’m not letting you help pick my dress now.” I smiled when she started protesting and apologizing.

The foyer of the grand palace was overwhelming. I had never seen so many fae before in my entire life combined. While I did my best to learn about all types of magicals, there were still some races here that I had never even heard mention of.

I was in over my head.

I picked at the beading on my purse as the queue slowly progressed. If the bag were of lesser quality, the floor would be bejeweled. The guys had been helping calm my nerves when we first arrived, but they were soon swept away by old friends. It was just me now. And all the eyes on me. My ears burned. My skin crawled. If it wouldn’t be such a fight to get to the door, I’d leave now.

“Invitation.”

I was at the security point already? Fuck. How did this purse open? When did purses get so complicated? Finally, I got the paper out and handed it to the attendant. I should have taken better care not to wrinkle it.

With a small flick of a finger, a small crystal ball and a needle appeared on a floating tray. “Place a drop of blood on the crystal, please.”

“O-okay.” No one else had been asked to do this. I did as asked. The crystal started glowing white, then turned purple. Was that good? I looked up at the attendant; they glanced over their shoulder. Was that good?

A second attendant came over and escorted me away from everyone else.

— — —

BeMo Masterlist ☆ Writing Masterlist

Story: Previous — Next Character Arc: [Here] Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

#monster love #exophilia #exophilia fiction #fae #fae love #fae royalty #titania and oberon #titania #oberon

0 notes