Yikes.

This is the way I cope, dear Nonnie: I tell myself that this particular character is not Dain. That’s some nasty OC with Dain’s name. Dain is nothing like that. 

Here’s some nice Dain ideas I am just rattling off:

– Dain loves to walk up behind Thira and hold her gently by the hips, resting his chin on the soft, smooth dark skin of her neck. Nothing salacious or pressuring about it. Just loves to hold her that way, smelling her and being near her warmth.

– Dain has raised every single pig in his sty, and names every single one. EVERY ONE. Even the ones that only live for a day. (and you’d better believe he weeps for them).

– Thorin Stonehelm used to clamber atop his father’s shoulders and tug on his hair as though riding a battle-ram. Dain ended up with slight bald patches over his temples. He filled them in with tattoos, and stared down any Dwarf who dared suggest that the loss was unfortunate. What on Mahal’s good earth was more important than the happiness and laughter of his son??

– Before Erebor fell, it wasn’t uncommon for Dwarflings to toboggan down the gentler foothills of the Mountain. On Dain’s one and only visit before the dragon came (he was a BABY when Smaug invaded), Dis and Thorin bundled the tiny thing onto a sled (Frerin thought it was a bad idea) and gave it a gentle push, intending to guide it along. It soon gained too much momentum, and sped out of their reach, zooming over the flat. When the three finally caught up with their miniscule cousin, he was laughing so uproariously that he was nearly blue, unable to catch his breath. 

– Dain plays fiddle. He’s rather good.

– Not many have seen the mourning marks that Dain bears. He doesn’t wear his as publically as Dis does. He prefers to keep his public decoration less personal.

They spiral over his chest in concentric circles, one after the next.

(There are a lot.)

– Children are always clamouring to hear Dain read their story-books. He reads aloud the bestest of everybody ever. He does the voices and acts out the stories and sings silly little songs, and they are simply amazing. He even captures the adults when he reads, and there’s laughter and joining-in with the songs, and clapping along, and gasping when the children do. All the early childhood teachers agree that he’d make a fortune… well, if the whole Kinging thing doesn’t work out in the long term.