#ruthari headcanons

[lunastrider20]

Since we've established that Ethari is a sucker for big pretty sincere eyes

Now imagine Runaan learning over time and experience that if he turns up the charm just enough to hold Ethari's attention when they're at a gathering he doesn't want to be at, but also acts genuinely uncomfortable enough to not arouse suspicion and at the right time with the right words makes said large, sincere eyes at him,Ethari will do anything he wants. Including offering to leave early,after bidding their host goodbye and thanking them for the invitation of course,because Ethari is nothing if not a good guest.

But if he's lucky enough to have been wearing something flattering at the time he does it,uses that smooth soft voice he reserves for his loved ones Ethari will go up there and make some excuse to get them out immediately. Because while good manners matter to him, Runaan matters more. (The fact that he's so hot Ethari wants to practically devour him right there has nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.)

Runaan knows his husband loves him too much to refuse when he's showing that rare vulnerability he loves and you can't tell me he doesn't use it to his advantage every now and then—

[beautifulterriblequeen]

#i have the funniest ethari headcanon now

what is it? UwU

well well well, if it isn't the consequences of my own tagging 😂

Referring to this,

I had a sudden vision of Ethari catching sight of Runaan's long ponytail but suffering a rare attack of nerves and freezing up when he tried to talk to him, and literally running away to hide in his workshop, all embarrassed and shooketh. Assassin too hot!

The followup has to be that he works himself into a sweat to distract himself, and then Runaan comes in to check on him because he worried something serious was wrong, and Runaan losing 100% of his cool at the sight of the handsome buff craftsman flexing that hammer.

They figure it out. Temporary fumble only! :)))

[lunastrider20]

Headcanon that Ethari had an entire arsenal of weapons made specifically for Runaan and put aside a spare room built under his own workshop just for him. For their first anniversary as a married couple,he had them put up neatly on display and installed a well stocked cabinet of maintenance materials as well.

Different types of armour,weapon grease,deadly little gadgets and everything a good warrior would need—just laid out for him to pick and choose and test with ease and efficiency.

Runaan (who has spent his entire life being moved from one place to another and never had a place to keep all his weapons,or had to share it with the other assassins at the guild storehouse) is completely speechless.

(And if he tears up a little, that's his business.)

[lunastrider20]

Making this a separate post because I love this exchange too much,but it will also remain as a reblog under the original post:

Something Permanent

Ethari,carefully guiding Runaan down the stairs,hands covering his eyes: Ok so I know you said to keep it simple this year because apparently I' give you too many pretty things' —

Runaan: You do

Ethari: Yeah but see,I kind of noticed your old weapons vault looks like its gonna fall apart. Besides, that design is so old fashioned, it needs an upgrade anyway —

Runaan:It does I suppose. Though I distinctly remember asking you to repair it. Is this your way of telling me its done?

Ethari,sighing dramatically: Darling, not everything I build can or should be salvaged y'know —I mean who wants a dilapidated, teeny tiny storage unit to keep their husband' s finest creations in these days-?

Runaan: So it still is dilapidated and tiny.

Ethari, stopping in front of a room :.. Yes. But,well,you won't need it anymore.Ta da!

Runaan: Why are we under the workshop —?

Ethari: Like i said,you deserve an upgrade. * Opens the door *Happy anniversary my heart.

Runaan :

Runaan:

Runaan : You..you built this?

Ethari: Yes

Runaan: A- and the weapons... they're all here.

Ethari: Yep!

Runaan: Arranged by type and sub classified by deadliness.

Ethari: Wouldn't have it any other way

Runaan: Wait..a- all this * gestures to room at large* is for me? Even the maintenance cupboard?

Ethari: Especially the maintenance cupboard. Had that custom made by a certain very talented craftsman,I think he did a good job.

Runaan: There's—there's more than one exit—

Ethari: And in-built security systems. Obviously.

Runaan:

Runaan:

Ethari,softly: No more running around the guild stores collecting supplies before training,hm?

Runaan:* soft confused noises*.. Ethari, this is..I don't ..

Ethari, hugs him gently:I just thought you deserved something more..permanent.

Ethari:

Ethari: Love are —are you crying—?

Runaan:*chokes back sob,whispers*no

[beautifulterriblequeen]

This is one of my angstiest Ruthari headcanons ever, I think:

If Moonshadow assassins go on missions during full moons,

And if they also get married on full moons,

Then maybe a mission came up for the full moon when Ruthari were planning to get married.

And Ethari insisted that Runaan was busy, and Runaan was too soft and eager to wait another month, so he let a different assassin go in his place.

And the other assassin died.

On Runaan's wedding night.

And Runaan felt so horrified and guilty for letting his guard down for one single night, for the softest of reasons, that he swore he'd never do that again. He learned to put his mission first after that, because his soft heart got someone killed, someone in his extended family, someone he had worked every day to protect.

So, the day after Runaan got married, he started training harder. And he's never, ever stopped since.

Ethari never got his honeymoon. But he did get a lifetime supply of guilt for being so distracting with his affections that someone literally died. So he has retreated into his shell and never made any bold decisions since, deferring to Runaan instead. Because Ethari never wanted to be an assassin a day in his life, but he knows all too well that he can claim he's taken a life.

And so a distance grows between them, silently, in the shadows, looming over the light they should have danced in. And day after day, they know in their hearts that this is not quite the marriage they wanted, nor the husband they wanted to be, but what is done cannot be undone, and they can only dance forward and cling to their partner in crime, and hope against hope that the Moon doesn't come knocking for her measure of balance anytime soon.

oh wait she did

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Ethari headcanon time again

Ooh a fun one: normal Moonshadow crafters work far more during the two weeks around the full moon than the two weeks around the new moon, because they naturally rely on their magic for various everyday work tasks, and those tasks are easier when the moon is fuller, so they have a kind of overtime/vacation thing going with their work schedules. And this could apply to pretty much any Moonshadow job, I guess, to some degree - even assassins work harder with the full moon.

But Ethari, see. If he has a lower threshold for his magic, and if he relies on his tech to bolster his skill set, then that means he can work all the way through the lunar cycle. He doesn't need to slow down for the new moon at all.

And if there were ever a sudden need for a craftsman's skills during the darker part of the moon's cycle, say if a certain intense assassin were in a hurry for some mending or weapon tinkering, the one elf who could help him the swiftest would be the one who was least hampered by the moon's lesser energy.

Something like that could be how Runaan first came to trust Ethari's unusual skills, how he first learned to put his life in Ethari's hands. If there were a sudden need and Runaan had to act, and the only hands who could give him the tools he needed to defend his people were Ethari's.

I love this! Ethari to the rescue. Of course Runaan fell first.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Hey peeps, I'm currently enjoying the headcanon that Runaan is a closer parallel to Amaya than to Harrow as far as his position in Moonshadow society goes, and that Ethari is a Moonshadow prince from Hollow Wood who fell in love with the broody assassin when they met For Reasons, making them a closer parallel to Janaya but still paralleling Harrai as well.

I have no cute ideas yet about them meeting up in these roles because Vaccination Day +1 is foggy. Do you?

[beautifulterriblequeen]

What if the treehouse's lower door is for Ruthari and the upper door used to be Laindrin's?

Despite Runaan's elevated status in the Silvergrove, the lower door leads directly to Ethari's workshop because the only way to reach Runaan is through his big strapping craftsman husband with the charming smile and the wall full of razor sharp weaponry within easy reach.