#bagginshield tropes

[bagginshieldoferebor]

Hello! I am the mystical bagginshield cryptid and I'm here to ask you a question! . . . What is your favourite bagginshield fanfiction trope?

A cryptid?!? In my very own askbox?? Can I get a hoof/clawprint autograph??

Can I have 5 favs? no? fine. I gotta go with... BRAIDS. bonus if Thorin just doesn't fully explain what it means and the company are all side-eyeing Bilbo who is pretty much claimed as Throin's and doesn't know it. and BEADS (that counts as the same trope, right?!?).

[bagginshieldoferebor]

So the bagginshield fic tropes I'm in love with so far (bless all you wonderful authors) are;

Hair & braiding being culturally significant

Braid beads as a gift being culturally significant

Cultural differences between dwarves and hobbits

Bonus points if they're too stupid to actually discuss said differences so they wander about with a symbol of some kind that they have no idea the meaning of

Family groups of dwarves sleeping in groups / piles to keep warm

Thorin sharing his coat to keep Bilbo warm

All of the khuzdul pet names. All of them.

Everyone else being absolutely done with how oblivious the pair of them are

Bonus if the company end up scheming to get them together already

Dwarves all being hopeless romantics at heart

What are your favorites? Drop a comment and let me know!

[avelera]

There's quite a few fics out there with dragon!Bilbo, helping the Company take back the mountain for various reasons (some very well-written). What's your opinion on such a trope?

Well as far as role-reversal goes, I’ve already done dragon!Thorin instead... :P But it’s funny you should bring that up, since before I started writing PtBS I went scouring through AO3 to find dragon!Thorin stuff and there was basically none? It was all dragon!Bilbo and I was very confused because, y’know, dragon sickness and love of gold and whatnot....

I’m tempted to say it’s largely a result of the Smauglock stuff, where people wanted to ship Johnlock via the actors in a different fantasy AU basically? Which is fun and all kudos to them, but I must admit for me it didn’t make a ton of sense for the character, except that it’s always pretty cool to make a physically unimpressive character into a badass (like Linddzz with her werewolf Bilbo AU). I confess I haven’t actually read many besides, I think it’s called “Skin Gold” which was beautifully written but in that Bilbo was only a dragon very briefly and it featured non-canonical major character death which is sorta not my thing. 

Basically, I guess as with all tropes, I think it can be awesome in the hands of an enthusiastic writer, but it’s not a trope I personally have much interest in because to my mind and the way I write the characters, it doesn’t reveal a lot about Bilbo? Whereas Thorin’s got ALL sorts of issues wrapped up in dragons so you’ve got identity stuff and hatred and family history.... there’s just a lot more drama there for me ^_^ (Total side note, there’s SO much Smaug/Bilbo and I get that because of Johnlock, but I’m so incredibly curious to see some dark takes on Thorin/Smaug and as far as I can tell there are almost none and I weep)

[bofursunboundbraids]

Bagginshield Tropes (and what they mean to me)

I was tagged by the utterly fabulous thudworm! Disclaimer (which can be traced back as far as kailthia)...The usual disclaimers apply: firstly, that these are general likes/dislikes/squicks, to which there are exceptions; secondly, that these are my personal opinions and shouldn’t be seen as me trying to influence you people unduly; and thirdly, that good writing/style is a significant factor. What I really like: Set in Middle-earth...I'm not a big AU fan, especially modern. I LOVE MIDDLE-EARTH! And I love these characters primarily because they are of this otherworld. (i recognize that all fanfiction is technically AU) ANGST!!!...if you make me cry, I love you forever! This pairing has it automatically built in, so there's no shortage...even in fix-it's. And I'm going to say, for me, this requires a really good love story, with nice, emotional depth. Beautifully written smut...I think this probably goes without saying, but I did anyway : > And I really like both Bottom! and Sub!Thorin. Bilbo can hold his own with that thing. What I'm on the fence about: Incest...I don't seek it out, but if the fic includes Fili/Kili I'm ok with it. What makes me NUTS: Bilbo/Thorin/anyone else...I can think of one exception that I adore so...it all depends, but mostly nope. Jealous!Thorin...this makes me crazy IRL, it makes me nuts in fanfic. As well as Clueless!Thorin...he's a middle-aged adult, not a teenaged boy...he should have at least a modicum of emotional maturity. other than that...as long as it's well written, no first-person, no that weird present tense that 50 Shades of Grey was written in (actually, can work in drabbles, but anything longer...INSTANT NOPE!)...I'm probably going to like it. Okee dokee...now I pass this on to: followthatfandom, jgs22, pinkcatofsyah, and anyone else who wants to play!!!