4: If someone close to them does die, how would they cope with it?
This is such an interesting OC to ask this for, considering what he is!
I think when a person dies, the first thing he'd want to do is pay his respects according to their customs. He tends to feel alien around basically everyone else, and I think his relationship with death is so different as a result, so he does his best to adjust to them and grieve in a way he can connect to them with (both the mourners and the deceased).
And I think it gets really interesting when you remember Taran is an Ainu who was raised around a lot of dark magic, by a guy people called The Necromancer 🤔 I think he has complicated feelings about his own godhood and how much power he might have over death (depending on the nature of the person's afterlife), and how much he might be allowed to meddle (and if it's even ethical). And this goes through his head even when he wasn't close to the deceased, but it gets amplified if they were close, except now his reflections on death and his standing with it are viewed through a personal lens rather than a strictly duty-bound one... Is it noble to play with death for the sake of the people he protects? Should he be allowed to do that? Does it become less noble when done for personal reasons?
I ended up making regular Linnéa, underworld Linnéa, vampire/Morroval AU Linnéa, and Taran! It's heavily conceptual, it's not how they look exactly cus I wanted to make an interpretation based on the picrew's unique elements that represent the characters best owo
I really love how Taran in particular turned out!
In case you wanna try it out:
This image was created with Picrew’s “Fantasy OC Creator“!! https://picrew.me/share?cd=xHlubyZBDO #Picrew #Fantasy_OC_Creator
If you're still taking oc asks - 14, 20, 23, character(s) of your choice? 🌹
Oh yes!! Thank you! 🌹
14. How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?
I think ultimately, Callonduin just wants people to cut him some slack :')
Linnéa wants to be left alone and unbothered, which comes to mean being respected and viewed with diginity.... which comes to mean being important and feared.
Taran also wants to just be accepted, but he goes in the opposite direction. He comes to want to be viewed as non-threatening as possible. He doesn't want people to be scared of him, and it upsets him to be viewed with suspicion.
20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?
Answered here for Linnéa! Though she wouldn't take it out on the other person. I imagine a situation where their group gets captured or something and she calms Taran down by saying they won't really do anything to him cus he's too important ("sins of the father" is a theme they both share but the difference is that 1) people may hate Sauron but if they hurt his precious Ashvaen, they risk bringing his wrath upon themselves, and 2) even without Sauron, Taran was born very powerful and could easily defend himself).
For Callonduin, he grew up pretty jealous of Elladan and Elrohir, namely cus those twins were always together in childhood and they were easily referred to in Rivendell as "the twins", while most people forgot Callonduin even had a twin in the first place. It subconsciously pushed him to always try to one-up them whether in academics or in battle. I imagine Callonduin felt the need to not just outdo one of them but both of them combined, as if to prove he doesn't need his brother.
23. What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?
Answered here for Callonduin!
I don't think Taran has a hard time processing emotions, but he comes to deem expressing anything "negative" as unacceptable. There's not a lot of sympathy when he's sad or hurt, given his ancestry, and if he gets angry people can immediately view him as a threat, so he keeps it all in.
I think Linnéa's the type of person who tends to process emotions late, the type who gets angry but doesn't always realize it. She can have a hard time expressing emotions at times, and I think it's tied to how vulnerable it makes her feel. There's this one fic where she essentially gets a bit choked up and is all "do not make me hope" to Fíli. I feel she's the type to go through something then break down about it later.
2, 7, 15, 17, and 25 for anyone you haven’t answered them for yet and would like to!
Ah! These are nice questions!
2. What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?
All my main OCs have these, complete with specific trope names!
Callonduin - how competent he really is (Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass). Linnèa - how sly and dangerous she can be (Beware the Quiet Ones). Taran - that he's actually very kind and sociable (Rousseau Was Right).
For Calarphain, it's how powerful he really is (Beware the Nice Ones). He tends to walk around in flowy all-white robes so maybe a more genre savvy orc would back away (it's certaintly a funny thought) but his powers are still a surprise given how sweet and pacifist he is!
7. What's one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them?
Linnéa went through the most change so far! It started with me giving her dad a backstory (Fëanorian spy) and then dropping the "cheating lover" part. Though it was an important starting point, I found the latter felt unnecessary and out of place, and realized the story is compelling without it (more so, imo). I enjoy her character much more now!
15. Does your OC have a faceclaim? If so, who?
Unfortunately I don't have any ;__; maybe some characters or photos provide the perfect vibes, but not quite a faceclaim.
I struggle with live action stuff, I feel (referring to the PJ movies). It's why I take so long to design for these guys compared to my other fandoms ^^"
17. What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?
I think that's a tie between Callonduin watching his brother die, spiralling, then trying to turn himself into a wraith, and modern AU Linnéa losing her dad (disappeared), her mom (dead), and her brother (on death row) in a short amount of time.
Oh, and a lot of the time, I imagine modern au Calarphain as having been subjected to human experimentation/some form of medical malpractice in the past, or just getting targeted for kidnapping a lot ^^"
25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?
I like that they're all very real! They have very fantastical stories but I think their inner worlds and personal problems can be relatable to anyone, even if they're a bit exaggerated.
We had OC asks on discord and I wanted to share some answers here cus some of them I realize are key details about my characters!
how does your OC feel about their siblings?
Callonduin doesn't envy Calarphain nor does he resent him for being the "favorite". Callonduin doesn't envy his brother and dad's relationship. Calarphain was very sheltered and Callonduin is very much a free spirit. He may envy the closeness but not the rest LOL
He doesn't resent Calarphain for being the favorite nor for leaving (guy had health problems after all), but what he later resented is that Calarphain never tried to get to know him then came with expectations when they finally met and then had the gall to be disappointed when Callonduin didn't meet them (very much "well what did you expect? Oh right"). And it really hurt Callonduin. Here's a fic about it!
Lastly, it's easy I think to look at the twins, see Calarphain is the "special" one and assume Callonduin is the overshadowed jealous one. This isn't true, Callonduin knows great power comes with great responsibility.... and therefore doesn't want it LOL also, Calarphain may have special light powers, but Callonduin is a prodigy in his own right, one of the best and brightest.
what is holding your OC back to achieve their goals?
first thing Callonduin needs to do: cry. Just cry. Just acknowledge without shame, that it hurts and admit that he needs help.
With Linnéa, the nature of her story is that a lot of the things that hold her back aren't in her control (she didn't choose to be immortal or Salabor's daughter). Though I think allowing herself to be vulnerable will help lift some of the paranoia fog and help her make better decisions. She could let her guard down enough to seek help, and let herself connect more with others. It may not solve her problems completely but she'd make better decisions, I think, or find people who are kind and can help, or at least react better ^^"
To which social class do they belong? How has it shaped their worldview?
Among my main OCs, Linnéa is the only one who isn’t high-born/connected in any way. Taran is essentially the Prince of Mordor, and Callonduin and Calarphain are the sons of a diplomat.
This extends beyond bloodlines. In their group, Tauriel is the other one who isn’t high-born, but she’s skilled and reputable and can easily find a place in another Elven realm (she gets offered a job in Lothlorien). Also, being an elf, she gets to sail. This shapes Linnéa’s worldview in that it makes her feel that at the end of the day, she’s on her own.
How did other people tend to perceive them when they were young (“mature for their age,” “problem child,” etc.)?
Callonduin used to be “well-behaved honor student elfling” but when he got older he “fell off the deep end” and became a “problem child”. Calarphain is “sweet, delightful miracle child whom we all love and are protective of”. Taran is “well-mannered and highly capable prince and heir, very precious”. Linnéa is “quiet, observant, perceptive, intelligent little girl”.
How much do they mask or otherwise curate their presentation? Do they do this for everyone, or only under certain circumstances/in certain company?
Calarphain is just himself XD Callonduin can “behave” (do his hair properly, sit still, act respectable) but hates to. I think Linnéa is accurately organized and reserved but hides how capable and cunning she really is! Taran presents himself as an impressive commander and prince (never overshadowing Sauron, of course), but around his peers he’s a normal guy. Later on when he leaves Mordor and is around people who resent him, he never shows how he really feels, always just acts as unproblematic and cooperative as he can.
If they were fairly certain they were about to go to their death, what would they do in the time leading up to it? Who would they spend it with, if they could?
Callonduin plays with death a lot, honestly. If given the opportunity though, he’d probably say his goodbye’s to the people he cares for most, probably throw one last party with his friends and make it one to remember cus they’re going out with a bang!
Calarphain is interesting, he’s had a brush with death as a child and survived by a miracle. Yet... I think he’s subconsciously under the impression that one day he’ll have to give back… he’d meditate, I think. Go out as peaceful as he can.
Linnéa will be lining up gambits upon gambits. Contingencies, favors to call in, chips to bargain, whatever she can do to make it out. However, if given the time to adjust to her life being forfeit, she’d arrange her workspace, make enough medicine for people who need it, write a detailed list of instructions and reminders (“one more time: do not go over the recommended dosage for this”)
Taran is so interesting in that he’s essentially an Ainu! Gosh, how would he deal with the idea of death? this is definitely something to ponder on… but if it was a sacrificial lamb kind of thing (or if he perceived it as such), he’d want some alone time. He’d pull away from others to give himself time to sort himself out before going back out there, cus he has so much resentment that isn’t acceptable for him to express given who his predecessors are (“the spawn of the worst people ever doesn’t get to be sad” kinda thing)