awwyeah107

[awwyeah107]

i think people get so used to their own creative work that they forget how amazing it is so i’m making this post as a reminder You are the only person capable of making art the exact way you make it. nobody else on earth can do that. there are always going to be those little habits and intricacies and details that simply cannot be replicated whether it’s in writing or painting or textiles and you make life all the better for it i love my friends’ art i love art from strangers im trying to love my own art I LOVE YOU!!! THE PERSON READING THIS!!!!!!! YOU ARE A PART OF THIS WORLD NEVER EVER STOP MAKING THINGS THAT CAN IMPACT IT

[awwyeah107]

(re: my tags about us saying coat vs jacket) #Coat and jacket mean different things for me#What you gave me is right on the line for me#Coats are heavier and jackets are lighter

Funnily enough, my definition is basically the same as yours, except the one I gave you is just slightly more in the "jacket" category to me. XD

How It (Was) Made: Star Jacket

So, some of y’all have seen the star coat I gave @thegreenleavesofspring for Christmas. I wanted to make a post to show the process of painting the star on the back, because I was excited about & really enjoyed doing it, I haven’t gotten to share the process of making it with anyone yet (and wanted to!), and I thought this post might be helpful for anyone else looking to do a similar project.

If you’ve read the Sons of the Star series and/or the spin-off Annaáuchiwee, you probably know that the Ways, along with anyone under their protection, each have a leather jacket with an eight-point star on the back: their family symbol. So, my idea was to give Bri her own jacket with the star :)

Now, I hadn't done anything like this before. I’ve painted before, but not frequently or on fabric, let alone any kind of leather. However, I was confident I could do it with a bit of planning and research. It came down to the following steps: 1) acquire jacket 2) acquire other necessary materials (paint, finisher, etc.) 3) figure out what size to make the star 4) prep, paint, and finish the jacket.

Actually, let me back up a little: the real step 1, or pre-step 1, was surreptitiously finding out as much information about the jackets from Bri as possible. Fortunately, this was largely achieved by simply sending her an ask about the Ways' jackets. Quite easy and not suspicious at all XD It served a double purpose: learn more Sons of the Star lore *and* learn what I’d need to do for the jacket.

Step 1: Acquire jacket. This step involved a lot of online window shopping, lol. I am SO glad I had this idea right before Thanksgiving week, which meant there were lots of Black Friday sales on jackets. I had been hoping to find a genuine leather jacket, but a) even with sales they were all really expensive, and b) there was a plethora of faux leather jackets that were more within my price range. I decided, alright, faux leather it is. After ordering one in hopes of proper sizing and discovering it was way too big, I went to a few stores and found one that seemed appropriate: cool but not too stylish (the Ways are pretty badass but don't attempt to be the trendiest, flashiest guys on the block XD), slightly rugged, and comfortable.

Step 2: Acquire other materials. As I said earlier, I don’t paint much, and I’ve never painted leather before. So, I did a bunch of research on painting leather jackets (specifically faux leather jackets) to make sure I knew the best types of paint and what to do, at least in theory. I learned that Angelus brand paint is highly recommended for painting leather (whether real or faux), and I found I would also need to prep the leather (which means to rub off the manufactured finish from the leather, so that paint will stick better) with acetone before painting and then finish it (which means to apply a transparent finisher that seals the leather for durability and protection) once I was done painting. So I got 100% acetone nail polish remover, Angelus white leather paint, and Angelus standard gloss finisher. I also discovered my craft store had some small packs of leather scraps, so I decided to get a pack in order to test out prepping and painting before doing so on the actual jacket.

Here is the plain jacket (though with cutout stars resting on the back; I realized later that I didn’t end up getting a photo of it all by itself, lol) along with lots of materials on my bedroom floor, on top of a plastic tablecloth I use for potentially messy art projects.

(Okay, yes, this was slightly staged. The papers were covering up most of the other stuff, and for the photo I wanted all the materials to be visible, so I rearranged a little XD)

Step 3: Figure out proper sizing for the star. There was absolutely no way that I was going to risk painting the star on the back of the jacket freeform. I know from simply drawing stars on paper that I cannot for the life of me get proportions of the points right on my own. I figured that the best way to get a nice-looking star on the back would be to make and use a stencil. Thankfully when Bri answered the ask I sent her, she said that the design for the star is the one she put in her moodboard for Max, so I just had to figure out the best size for it on the back of the jacket. (To print it, I inverted the color so I didn’t have to print out a whole pageful of black ink; only the star was black, lol.) I printed and cut out multiple stars (as you can see in the photo) to figure out good sizing for the back of the jacket. I wanted the star to be big, because it is big! The star is supposed to stand out so that people—specifically, Wolfriders or other opposing gang members—can see it. I ended up printing the star slightly too big (intentionally) on a piece of 8x11 paper, tracing it onto a large piece of stock paper, and then cutting out the star from it so I would have a stencil.

Step 4: Prep, paint, and finish! I knew I would need to attach the stencil to the jacket to keep it from sliding around, so I used some bag clips to clip it on and pull any loose material back. I also used some tape to stick the stencil down (which wasn't terribly successful; it didn't stick well to the faux leather). As mentioned earlier, the first thing I needed to do was prep the leather. I didn't really like that I had to do that because when I prepped part of a leather scrap, I saw that it radically changed the color of the leather, and I was terrified I'd get the acetone on too much of the jacket. However, I did have the stencil, so I simply applied the acetone as carefully as possible to not go outside the lines. Here's a photo of the prepped section of the jacket with the stencil clipped on:

Then, once I had prepped the leather, it was time for the most exciting part: painting! I listened to the Sons of the Star playlist while painting, as well as a few songs I associate with Annaáuchiwee. It was so enjoyable, and I was so excited to see how it would turn out. After painting the first layer using the stencil and letting it dry, I pulled off the stencil. All 3 photos below are of the first layer of paint on the jacket.

Something to know about me is that I am all about being as precise and neat as possible with art projects; I will use rulers to make sure I have straight lines and that everything is even. So naturally, when I pulled off the stencil and saw bit of roughness around the edges of the star, I was like "noooo, I was trying to avoid that!!" Then I realized that a) it really doesn't look bad from even fairly close-up and b) the slightly imperfect/scuffed lines actually fit the rugged style of the jacket more than if they were perfectly straight. I also found that once the paint was dry, I could scratch off tiny bits as needed, and that helped too. So, I ended up being pretty dang pleased with it, even with the slight roughness around the edges. I recalled from other art projects I’ve done that the first time doing a new type of art (or new anything, really) is usually not the smoothest, and I hadn’t had the chance to practice fully before this, so all things considered, I was doing fairly well.

After I took the stencil off, I simply painted over what I had already done. I think I ended up doing 6 or maybe 7 layers of paint in total, letting the jacket dry in between each layer. Close-up of the star, one layer of paint and finisher away from completion:

(This was about how close I was to the star while painting it, lol.)

Around the 5th layer, the main brush I'd been using to paint started shedding its fibers, and I panicked a bit about fibers getting stuck in the paint. Fortunately, I had a few different brushes (I'd gotten some for another painting project a while back), so I was able to use another smaller one to do the last layer or two. Then, I put finisher on; when I had been looking at finishers, there were a few different Angelus ones to pick from. I had chosen the standard type, which is glossy (but not super glossy), because I wanted the star to shine :) The finisher isn't just for the look, though; it sealed the star for protection, so the paint won't wear off (at least not easily or for a long time).

Here is the finished jacket, star shiny and complete:

I was quite happy with how it came out! The star is bright and easily visible against the black jacket, and I think I made the star a good size.

Here's a photo I found online of a model wearing the jacket as sold in the store, and then a photo of the finished, painted jacket hung on my closet door:

I definitely think it looks cooler with the star :)

(Also, when I had been looking for a good jacket at the start of this whole thing, I discovered a faux leather that I liked for myself, and since it was on sale, decided to get it with the possibility of returning it if needed. I’ve pretty much decided to keep it; the return-by date has quite possibly passed by now anyway, lol.

If/when I end up painting the eight-point star on the back of the jacket I got for myself, I have two things to try/do differently:

Use tape to outline the star on the jacket—if it will stick—instead of a stencil. This should provide very neat lines without the risk of the stencil moving at all.

Paint the jacket on a table instead of on the floor, so that I don't have to shift positions every couple of minutes to be more comfortable XD)

Anyway, I was so happy that I succeeded in making a star jacket, and that Bri has it now! It was so fun to figure out and then execute each step of the process, and I'm really glad I did it :D

[awwyeah107]

🥹😭🥰

It's one of my favorite gifts I've ever made/given 😁 Also aww, thank you, what a compliment! ❤️

How It (Was) Made: Star Jacket

So, some of y’all have seen the star coat I gave @thegreenleavesofspring for Christmas. I wanted to make a post to show the process of painting the star on the back, because I was excited about & really enjoyed doing it, I haven’t gotten to share the process of making it with anyone yet (and wanted to!), and I thought this post might be helpful for anyone else looking to do a similar project.

If you’ve read the Sons of the Star series and/or the spin-off Annaáuchiwee, you probably know that the Ways, along with anyone under their protection, each have a leather jacket with an eight-point star on the back: their family symbol. So, my idea was to give Bri her own jacket with the star :)

Now, I hadn't done anything like this before. I’ve painted before, but not frequently or on fabric, let alone any kind of leather. However, I was confident I could do it with a bit of planning and research. It came down to the following steps: 1) acquire jacket 2) acquire other necessary materials (paint, finisher, etc.) 3) figure out what size to make the star 4) prep, paint, and finish the jacket.

Actually, let me back up a little: the real step 1, or pre-step 1, was surreptitiously finding out as much information about the jackets from Bri as possible. Fortunately, this was largely achieved by simply sending her an ask about the Ways' jackets. Quite easy and not suspicious at all XD It served a double purpose: learn more Sons of the Star lore *and* learn what I’d need to do for the jacket.

Step 1: Acquire jacket. This step involved a lot of online window shopping, lol. I am SO glad I had this idea right before Thanksgiving week, which meant there were lots of Black Friday sales on jackets. I had been hoping to find a genuine leather jacket, but a) even with sales they were all really expensive, and b) there was a plethora of faux leather jackets that were more within my price range. I decided, alright, faux leather it is. After ordering one in hopes of proper sizing and discovering it was way too big, I went to a few stores and found one that seemed appropriate: cool but not too stylish (the Ways are pretty badass but don't attempt to be the trendiest, flashiest guys on the block XD), slightly rugged, and comfortable.

Step 2: Acquire other materials. As I said earlier, I don’t paint much, and I’ve never painted leather before. So, I did a bunch of research on painting leather jackets (specifically faux leather jackets) to make sure I knew the best types of paint and what to do, at least in theory. I learned that Angelus brand paint is highly recommended for painting leather (whether real or faux), and I found I would also need to prep the leather (which means to rub off the manufactured finish from the leather, so that paint will stick better) with acetone before painting and then finish it (which means to apply a transparent finisher that seals the leather for durability and protection) once I was done painting. So I got 100% acetone nail polish remover, Angelus white leather paint, and Angelus standard gloss finisher. I also discovered my craft store had some small packs of leather scraps, so I decided to get a pack in order to test out prepping and painting before doing so on the actual jacket.

Here is the plain jacket (though with cutout stars resting on the back; I realized later that I didn’t end up getting a photo of it all by itself, lol) along with lots of materials on my bedroom floor, on top of a plastic tablecloth I use for potentially messy art projects.

(Okay, yes, this was slightly staged. The papers were covering up most of the other stuff, and for the photo I wanted all the materials to be visible, so I rearranged a little XD)

Step 3: Figure out proper sizing for the star. There was absolutely no way that I was going to risk painting the star on the back of the jacket freeform. I know from simply drawing stars on paper that I cannot for the life of me get proportions of the points right on my own. I figured that the best way to get a nice-looking star on the back would be to make and use a stencil. Thankfully when Bri answered the ask I sent her, she said that the design for the star is the one she put in her moodboard for Max, so I just had to figure out the best size for it on the back of the jacket. (To print it, I inverted the color so I didn’t have to print out a whole pageful of black ink; only the star was black, lol.) I printed and cut out multiple stars (as you can see in the photo) to figure out good sizing for the back of the jacket. I wanted the star to be big, because it is big! The star is supposed to stand out so that people—specifically, Wolfriders or other opposing gang members—can see it. I ended up printing the star slightly too big (intentionally) on a piece of 8x11 paper, tracing it onto a large piece of stock paper, and then cutting out the star from it so I would have a stencil.

Step 4: Prep, paint, and finish! I knew I would need to attach the stencil to the jacket to keep it from sliding around, so I used some bag clips to clip it on and pull any loose material back. I also used some tape to stick the stencil down (which wasn't terribly successful; it didn't stick well to the faux leather). As mentioned earlier, the first thing I needed to do was prep the leather. I didn't really like that I had to do that because when I prepped part of a leather scrap, I saw that it radically changed the color of the leather, and I was terrified I'd get the acetone on too much of the jacket. However, I did have the stencil, so I simply applied the acetone as carefully as possible to not go outside the lines. Here's a photo of the prepped section of the jacket with the stencil clipped on:

Then, once I had prepped the leather, it was time for the most exciting part: painting! I listened to the Sons of the Star playlist while painting, as well as a few songs I associate with Annaáuchiwee. It was so enjoyable, and I was so excited to see how it would turn out. After painting the first layer using the stencil and letting it dry, I pulled off the stencil. All 3 photos below are of the first layer of paint on the jacket.

Something to know about me is that I am all about being as precise and neat as possible with art projects; I will use rulers to make sure I have straight lines and that everything is even. So naturally, when I pulled off the stencil and saw bit of roughness around the edges of the star, I was like "noooo, I was trying to avoid that!!" Then I realized that a) it really doesn't look bad from even fairly close-up and b) the slightly imperfect/scuffed lines actually fit the rugged style of the jacket more than if they were perfectly straight. I also found that once the paint was dry, I could scratch off tiny bits as needed, and that helped too. So, I ended up being pretty dang pleased with it, even with the slight roughness around the edges. I recalled from other art projects I’ve done that the first time doing a new type of art (or new anything, really) is usually not the smoothest, and I hadn’t had the chance to practice fully before this, so all things considered, I was doing fairly well.

After I took the stencil off, I simply painted over what I had already done. I think I ended up doing 6 or maybe 7 layers of paint in total, letting the jacket dry in between each layer. Close-up of the star, one layer of paint and finisher away from completion:

(This was about how close I was to the star while painting it, lol.)

Around the 5th layer, the main brush I'd been using to paint started shedding its fibers, and I panicked a bit about fibers getting stuck in the paint. Fortunately, I had a few different brushes (I'd gotten some for another painting project a while back), so I was able to use another smaller one to do the last layer or two. Then, I put finisher on; when I had been looking at finishers, there were a few different Angelus ones to pick from. I had chosen the standard type, which is glossy (but not super glossy), because I wanted the star to shine :) The finisher isn't just for the look, though; it sealed the star for protection, so the paint won't wear off (at least not easily or for a long time).

Here is the finished jacket, star shiny and complete:

I was quite happy with how it came out! The star is bright and easily visible against the black jacket, and I think I made the star a good size.

Here's a photo I found online of a model wearing the jacket as sold in the store, and then a photo of the finished, painted jacket hung on my closet door:

I definitely think it looks cooler with the star :)

(Also, when I had been looking for a good jacket at the start of this whole thing, I discovered a faux leather that I liked for myself, and since it was on sale, decided to get it with the possibility of returning it if needed. I’ve pretty much decided to keep it; the return-by date has quite possibly passed by now anyway, lol.

If/when I end up painting the eight-point star on the back of the jacket I got for myself, I have two things to try/do differently:

Use tape to outline the star on the jacket—if it will stick—instead of a stencil. This should provide very neat lines without the risk of the stencil moving at all.

Paint the jacket on a table instead of on the floor, so that I don't have to shift positions every couple of minutes to be more comfortable XD)

Anyway, I was so happy that I succeeded in making a star jacket, and that Bri has it now! It was so fun to figure out and then execute each step of the process, and I'm really glad I did it :D

[awwyeah107]

How It (Was) Made: Star Jacket

So, some of y’all have seen the star coat I gave @thegreenleavesofspring for Christmas. I wanted to make a post to show the process of painting the star on the back, because I was excited about & really enjoyed doing it, I haven’t gotten to share the process of making it with anyone yet (and wanted to!), and I thought this post might be helpful for anyone else looking to do a similar project.

If you’ve read the Sons of the Star series and/or the spin-off Annaáuchiwee, you probably know that the Ways, along with anyone under their protection, each have a leather jacket with an eight-point star on the back: their family symbol. So, my idea was to give Bri her own jacket with the star :)

Now, I hadn't done anything like this before. I’ve painted before, but not frequently or on fabric, let alone any kind of leather. However, I was confident I could do it with a bit of planning and research. It came down to the following steps: 1) acquire jacket 2) acquire other necessary materials (paint, finisher, etc.) 3) figure out what size to make the star 4) prep, paint, and finish the jacket.

Actually, let me back up a little: the real step 1, or pre-step 1, was surreptitiously finding out as much information about the jackets from Bri as possible. Fortunately, this was largely achieved by simply sending her an ask about the Ways' jackets. Quite easy and not suspicious at all XD It served a double purpose: learn more Sons of the Star lore *and* learn what I’d need to do for the jacket.

Step 1: Acquire jacket. This step involved a lot of online window shopping, lol. I am SO glad I had this idea right before Thanksgiving week, which meant there were lots of Black Friday sales on jackets. I had been hoping to find a genuine leather jacket, but a) even with sales they were all really expensive, and b) there was a plethora of faux leather jackets that were more within my price range. I decided, alright, faux leather it is. After ordering one in hopes of proper sizing and discovering it was way too big, I went to a few stores and found one that seemed appropriate: cool but not too stylish (the Ways are pretty badass but don't attempt to be the trendiest, flashiest guys on the block XD), slightly rugged, and comfortable.

Step 2: Acquire other materials. As I said earlier, I don’t paint much, and I’ve never painted leather before. So, I did a bunch of research on painting leather jackets (specifically faux leather jackets) to make sure I knew the best types of paint and what to do, at least in theory. I learned that Angelus brand paint is highly recommended for painting leather (whether real or faux), and I found I would also need to prep the leather (which means to rub off the manufactured finish from the leather, so that paint will stick better) with acetone before painting and then finish it (which means to apply a transparent finisher that seals the leather for durability and protection) once I was done painting. So I got 100% acetone nail polish remover, Angelus white leather paint, and Angelus standard gloss finisher. I also discovered my craft store had some small packs of leather scraps, so I decided to get a pack in order to test out prepping and painting before doing so on the actual jacket.

Here is the plain jacket (though with cutout stars resting on the back; I realized later that I didn’t end up getting a photo of it all by itself, lol) along with lots of materials on my bedroom floor, on top of a plastic tablecloth I use for potentially messy art projects.

(Okay, yes, this was slightly staged. The papers were covering up most of the other stuff, and for the photo I wanted all the materials to be visible, so I rearranged a little XD)

Step 3: Figure out proper sizing for the star. There was absolutely no way that I was going to risk painting the star on the back of the jacket freeform. I know from simply drawing stars on paper that I cannot for the life of me get proportions of the points right on my own. I figured that the best way to get a nice-looking star on the back would be to make and use a stencil. Thankfully when Bri answered the ask I sent her, she said that the design for the star is the one she put in her moodboard for Max, so I just had to figure out the best size for it on the back of the jacket. (To print it, I inverted the color so I didn’t have to print out a whole pageful of black ink; only the star was black, lol.) I printed and cut out multiple stars (as you can see in the photo) to figure out good sizing for the back of the jacket. I wanted the star to be big, because it is big! The star is supposed to stand out so that people—specifically, Wolfriders or other opposing gang members—can see it. I ended up printing the star slightly too big (intentionally) on a piece of 8x11 paper, tracing it onto a large piece of stock paper, and then cutting out the star from it so I would have a stencil.

Step 4: Prep, paint, and finish! I knew I would need to attach the stencil to the jacket to keep it from sliding around, so I used some bag clips to clip it on and pull any loose material back. I also used some tape to stick the stencil down (which wasn't terribly successful; it didn't stick well to the faux leather). As mentioned earlier, the first thing I needed to do was prep the leather. I didn't really like that I had to do that because when I prepped part of a leather scrap, I saw that it radically changed the color of the leather, and I was terrified I'd get the acetone on too much of the jacket. However, I did have the stencil, so I simply applied the acetone as carefully as possible to not go outside the lines. Here's a photo of the prepped section of the jacket with the stencil clipped on:

Then, once I had prepped the leather, it was time for the most exciting part: painting! I listened to the Sons of the Star playlist while painting, as well as a few songs I associate with Annaáuchiwee. It was so enjoyable, and I was so excited to see how it would turn out. After painting the first layer using the stencil and letting it dry, I pulled off the stencil. All 3 photos below are of the first layer of paint on the jacket.

Something to know about me is that I am all about being as precise and neat as possible with art projects; I will use rulers to make sure I have straight lines and that everything is even. So naturally, when I pulled off the stencil and saw bit of roughness around the edges of the star, I was like "noooo, I was trying to avoid that!!" Then I realized that a) it really doesn't look bad from even fairly close-up and b) the slightly imperfect/scuffed lines actually fit the rugged style of the jacket more than if they were perfectly straight. I also found that once the paint was dry, I could scratch off tiny bits as needed, and that helped too. So, I ended up being pretty dang pleased with it, even with the slight roughness around the edges. I recalled from other art projects I’ve done that the first time doing a new type of art (or new anything, really) is usually not the smoothest, and I hadn’t had the chance to practice fully before this, so all things considered, I was doing fairly well.

After I took the stencil off, I simply painted over what I had already done. I think I ended up doing 6 or maybe 7 layers of paint in total, letting the jacket dry in between each layer. Close-up of the star, one layer of paint and finisher away from completion:

(This was about how close I was to the star while painting it, lol.)

Around the 5th layer, the main brush I'd been using to paint started shedding its fibers, and I panicked a bit about fibers getting stuck in the paint. Fortunately, I had a few different brushes (I'd gotten some for another painting project a while back), so I was able to use another smaller one to do the last layer or two. Then, I put finisher on; when I had been looking at finishers, there were a few different Angelus ones to pick from. I had chosen the standard type, which is glossy (but not super glossy), because I wanted the star to shine :) The finisher isn't just for the look, though; it sealed the star for protection, so the paint won't wear off (at least not easily or for a long time).

Here is the finished jacket, star shiny and complete:

I was quite happy with how it came out! The star is bright and easily visible against the black jacket, and I think I made the star a good size.

Here's a photo I found online of a model wearing the jacket as sold in the store, and then a photo of the finished, painted jacket hung on my closet door:

I definitely think it looks cooler with the star :)

(Also, when I had been looking for a good jacket at the start of this whole thing, I discovered a faux leather that I liked for myself, and since it was on sale, decided to get it with the possibility of returning it if needed. I’ve pretty much decided to keep it; the return-by date has quite possibly passed by now anyway, lol.

If/when I end up painting the eight-point star on the back of the jacket I got for myself, I have two things to try/do differently:

Use tape to outline the star on the jacket—if it will stick—instead of a stencil. This should provide very neat lines without the risk of the stencil moving at all.

Paint the jacket on a table instead of on the floor, so that I don't have to shift positions every couple of minutes to be more comfortable XD)

Anyway, I was so happy that I succeeded in making a star jacket, and that Bri has it now! It was so fun to figure out and then execute each step of the process, and I'm really glad I did it :D

[awwyeah107]

My 2024 Fics Review

This is a round-up of the fics I published in 2024—including a list of the fics, some of my thoughts on each of them, and a customized AO3 wrapped of my own :)

Quick list of my fics this year:

Lost and Found (9,489 words, 3 chapters, T)

Meeting the In-Laws (1,280 words, oneshot, G)

but for the look in his eyes (10,057 words, 3 chapters [in-progress], M)

A Rude Awakening (1,600 words, oneshot, G)

Mondays In Imladris (1,127 words, oneshot, G)

I'm putting my thoughts on my fics and the AO3 wrapped below the cut. Names of the fics below are colored just to make it easier to distinguish where I start talking about a different fic, there's no specific reason for the colors other than I like them. All links for my fics go to AO3.

Lost and Found (9,489 words, 3 chapters, T)

Date/month published: April

One-sentence summary: In the aftermath of the second kinslaying, Maglor and Maedhros are faced with the disappearance of a pair of twins; years later, another pair of twins—this time under the Fëanorians’ care—are missing.

My thoughts: I’m going to be completely honest: I adore this fic. When browsing through the lists of AO3 wrapped questions, the question “What was your favorite work you published this year?” came up, and as I ran through the list of fics I published in 2024, this one gave me the clearest sense of warmth and fondness. I love each of my published works for different reasons and in different ways, but this one has had the most “straightforward” timeline of writing, publishing, getting interaction, and rereading—and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. One of the reasons I wrote this fic was because I had been thinking about how Maedhros would have reacted to the news that Eluréd and Elurín had been left in the woods, and I wanted to write about that. I didn’t want to leave it there, though; I really wanted to give Maedhros some hope, and so came the idea to write a follow-up kidnap fam story where Elrond and Elros get lost in the woods and Maglor and Maedhros find them. (I had intended to draw parallels of twins being lost, which I…sort of did. Looking back, I could have tried doing that more strongly; I think the story would have come out differently, which would have been fine, but I believe I ultimately succeeded in writing the story I wanted to write—and read.) Many parts of this story came easily to me (that first scene just flowed so easily, like water down a stream), but I took my time working through the writing process and not rushing it. I had originally started writing it midway through 2023, wrote a lot of it through the fall, gave it a pause in early 2024, and returned to it in the spring (by which point, it mainly required editing). I feel like I learned a lot through writing this fic, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even the frustrating parts, because I was writing. I could say so much more about this fic, but I’ve already said a lot, so perhaps another time. XD

Meeting the In-Laws (1,280 words, oneshot, G)

Date/month published: August

One-sentence summary: Caranthir is nervous about meeting Haleth’s father and brother for the first time; Haleth is sure everything will go well.

My thoughts: This one was so fun. I have never, ever come up with a fic idea, wrote it, and published it in the same day. Granted, it helped that this was fairly short, and I didn’t feel the need to give it a very defined setting XD As I put in my author’s notes: “So, this morning, the idea of Caranthir meeting Haleth’s father and brother and being awkward and nervous about it popped into my head. As soon as I could, I started writing it, and then bam, the fic basically wrote itself with minimal editing. It practically fell out of my brain fully formed, which virtually never happens.” I was thinking about Silm characters during my work shift, as one does, and then had the idea for the fic, kept getting ideas for what to write, finally wrote down a few snippets on my phone to keep for later, and then immediately picked it up as soon as I could after work. It quickly coagulated into a light, humorous, sweet fic with a somewhat serious yet warm undertone. (Now I feel like I’m giving a review for a drink of some kind XD) I really enjoyed writing all of Caranthir and Haleth’s interactions; some of the phrasing for the meeting was tricky to work out, but I felt like it all came together pretty well in the end. I doubt I’ll write and finish anything this quickly again—my stories very rarely form so fast, and I really do like taking my time on the writing journey—but it was a fun challenge that I think worked because I wasn’t pressuring myself.

but for the look in his eyes (10,057 words, 3 chapters [in-progress], M)

Date/month published: August (last updated in November)

One-sentence summary: Celebrimbor sneaks out to accompany Maedhros to the parley with Morgoth, and he is captured instead of Maedhros.

My thoughts: I love writing this fic and am intimidated by it in equal measure. It’s the kind of fic I never thought I’d write, largely because I didn’t think I had it in me to write a long during/post-Thangorodrim type fic. However, after I initially came up with the idea of Celebrimbor being taken instead of Maedhros (which happened because of theScrap_Witch’s fic “Despair Like Poison”), I found that I kept thinking of what might happen in that sort of story. As you can see in my comment thread on that fic, I kept coming up with more and more ideas for it. The story started to come together in my head and I was like “am I doing this now?……yeah. I think I am.” So I began writing. And I kept getting ideas. I’ve gotten SO MUCH inspiration for it over the last several months. I have tons of scattered scenes and snippets for it, and I have a basic outline that’s gotten more and more complex as I go. I’ve written multi-chapter stories before, but never published any, and never really finished them either. Lost and Found is the exception to that, but I had all of it finished (with a very few last minute edits) before I published it, and it wasn’t a very long fic. This one almost immediately started shaping up to be a (probably much) longer fic, and the fact that I started publishing this without having it all written feels a bit like diving into deep water. I really want to be able to finish it, for myself and for readers. Honestly, the readers are a fair amount of motivation right now, because I could see myself at some point going “eh, I’ve worked on this a bunch, I generally know how it ends, I can live without having written all of it.” But the thing is, nobody else knows how it ends. I’m a little terrified I won’t finish it, especially because the ending right now still feels very open-ended (ha), but I am trying not to think about that and simply focus on expanding what I have. I keep having to remind myself that the readers don’t know what happens next, and I may not know specifics, but I do know some of the long term things and the overall shape and form of the story. Every so often I’ll get what I call an “evil thought” (usually a flash of an idea for something ultra-angsty to add to the story, whether it’s a scene or an action or a line), and I’ll throw my head back and give a villainous cackle…no, not really. But I’ll grin and generally get excited, because oh boy, this is going to cause the characters so much painnnnnn and give the readers SO many feels. So far, out of all the chapters, the first chapter is my favorite. I certainly like the other two. But it’s the first fruit of the initial idea that sprang into my head, and I’m really proud of it. There’s a lot of feeling in it, a lot of hopefulness and shock and angst. I worked really hard to flesh it all out, and I am quite happy with the result. As for 2025, I truly have no idea how far I’ll get with this fic this year. It would be awesome if I managed to finish it, yet I could see it taking longer than a year (I mean, I spent roughly 8 months on Lost and Found, which is just three chapters long). I haven’t had a lot of inspiration for it lately, though I think that’s partially due to current life circumstances and stresses. It’s also a pretty dark fic (which I waxed eloquent about in my author’s note for the first chapter, and could wax eloquent on more tbh XD), and so I can only take writing so much at a time. All that being said…it would be pretty cool if I could get it done this year. Or at least through a certain chapter that’s a bit of a turning point ;)

A Rude Awakening (1,600 words, oneshot, G)

Date/month published: October

One-sentence summary: In which Maitimo is the latest victim of Makalaurë’s early morning bagpipe playing.

My thoughts: Writing this one filled me with absolute glee. As I mentioned, I had a lot of fun writing Meeting the In-Laws, but this one was fun in a slightly different way—I think because I’ve had real-life experiences that helped me to write it well. (I’ve never been woken up by bagpipes like Maedhros was, but I know people who do play pipes and knew enough about the instrument itself to describe things in the fic.) There were some parts to write that were more difficult than I expected: It took a little while for me to figure out exactly what Maedhros had done to annoy Maglor, and the explanations or backstory for certain things (like why the family didn’t often go to Maglor’s bagpipe competitions) felt like they dragged a little. Those were the weakest points of the fic, but I think they were rather necessary to fill it out. However, I really enjoyed writing the rude awakening itself, as well as Maglor and Maedhros’ interactions; those parts flowed quite easily. I’m quite happy with how I established Maglor and Maedhros’ dynamic. Also, I knew right from the start that it was a fic largely for myself; I definitely wrote it with Alantie (dreamingthroughthenoise here on Tumblr) in mind because it was our conversation that inspired this, and I planned on sharing/publishing it, but it’s also one of the fics I wrote simply because I loved the idea. (I think it’s also why some of that exposition stuff felt forced, at least to me: I didn’t need to write it down for myself, but the readers needed it.) In any case, even with a bit of clunkiness, it’s still fun to read and fun to recall the memories of writing it.

Mondays In Imladris (1,127 words, oneshot, G)

Date/month published: September (for Imladris Week)

One-sentence summary: Imladris is filled with magic that allows it to move rooms, hallways, and any part of its structure, causing both whimsy and mayhem for the residents.

My thoughts: I really hope I can do more with this AU, because I love the concept so much! I reread this fic for my review, and I genuinely enjoyed it. It feels polished, like I had hoped it would when I published it, and I’m still very happy with my lively writing tone. To be honest, I was kind of hoping for a little more interaction than this fic got (don’t get me wrong, I was delighted with the couple of comments it got!), but I know it’s an AU of a niche book series, so I can’t be surprised. I wrote this not only out of love for Imladris but also out of love for the Castle Glower series, and I can feel that fondness seeping through the words. Once I had the idea for this fic, I wrote a whole lot of stuff and then did SO MUCH editing and sanding down. I worked really hard to get the phrasing and tone right, and I think I managed to smooth out any roughness and keep the voicing pretty consistent throughout! And since I wrote a lot that I didn’t use in this fic, I have some snippets that I might form into fully-fledged oneshots…we shall see :)

AO3 Wrapped Questions

(From the AO3 wrapped list I used last year and the one I found this year. I like statistics when it comes to Spotify Wrapped, but I don't really care for stats much on AO3—I'd rather focus on things I can write about instead of kudos and hits, so that's what I'm doing!)

How many fics did you post this past year + biggest surprise while writing this year? I published 5 fics, and the surprise is that I published more than 1, lol! 4 out of those 5 were unplanned as of the start of 2024, which very much surprised me. (Lost and Found was the only fic I published that I had planned/hoped to publish when I started the year.) I’ve historically taken a long time to write fics, even oneshots, so the fact that I wrote several (I’m including individual chapters of “but for the look in his eyes”) in less than a year was exciting. Of my 5 fics, 3 were oneshots and 2 were multi-chapter fics.

How many published works are you leaving unfinished going into the new year? 1 (“but for the look in his eyes”).

What are you most proud of accomplishing in your writing goals / published works this past year? I didn’t specifically set any writing goals for 2024, but I really hoped I would be able to get Lost and Found done and published, and I did!

Do you have playlists for any of your fics/wips? Yes! I have a playlist for Lost and Found. I also am slowly building a playlist for “but for the look in his eyes,” but I haven't revealed it yet.

Favorite title you used? I answered this one in an ask, but I wanted to include that in my fic round-up/review, so here’s what I put: I'd say it's tied between A Rude Awakening and Mondays In Imladris. "A Rude Awakening" was just SO perfect for the fic, and it leapt into my mind as soon as I thought "what should the title for this fic be?". "Mondays In Imladris" fit the naming convention for the Castle Glower book series (the titles are all "[day]" at/in [place]"), and the point of the fic was that it was a Castle Glower AU, so I was delighted to name it the same way.

What work was the quickest to write? Meeting the In-Laws, by far; I wrote it in a single day. XD

What work took you the longest to write? Lost and Found—it took roughly 8 months.

How many WIPs do you have in your docs for next year? By “in my docs” I’m counting that as “I’ve actually started writing these/have a really detailed outline,” lol! I have two Tolkien ones and two Inkheart ones, so four in total. No clue if I’ll finish any of them in 2025, but I hope so! Whether or not I finish them, I definitely want to work on them.

What WIP are you taking into next year with you? “but for the look in his eyes” :)

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag? I came up with this one and it always makes me laugh: “No beta we die like…uh…never mind,” which I initially came up with to use on Lost and Found. It was because I was originally going to say “No beta we die like Eluréd and Elurín,” but I was like “oooh, that is so blunt and it’s sad, I don’t know if I really want to say that!”, so I essentially wrote down what I was thinking XD and just kept using it because I liked it.

Which published work of yours have you reread the most? Ooooo, this one’s hard, but I think either Lost and Found or “but for the look in his eyes”. I do tend to reread fics or parts of fics multiple times in the few days after I publish, so I think because they both have multiple chapters, they’ve gotten more rereads from me overall.

What do you listen to while writing? 95% instrumental folk music with adventure vibes (from composers I found on YouTube), 5% other stuff that goes along with what I’m writing in the fic XD Adrian Von Ziegler gets a lot of listening time from me (he actually ended up being my top artist on Spotify this year!!! That’s definitely thanks to listening to songs on loop while writing fic), and so do Peter Crowley and Brunuhville.

Share a line/paragraph/snippet that you were especially proud of (or one of your favorites) from a work this year! There are so many parts from each of my fics that I enjoy, but this was one bit of dialogue I particularly loved from Meeting the In-Laws:

He let out a deep sigh. “Okay. But…what do I say to them?” His voice had become a whine.

“Just be yourself.”

Caranthir’s expression conveyed skepticism about this idea. “Love, I don’t think my ‘self’ is the most pleasant person to be around. As you should know.”

“Alright, then, be yourself on your best behavior.”

Give us a sneak peek of one of your upcoming works! This is one of my favorite snippets from an Inkheart fic I’m writing. Context: Mo is teaching Dustfinger about things in our world today.

[Mo is speaking here] "Virtually nobody living in society would go to bathe in a river or outdoor water source. In fact, if you spend a while in water outside—for example, in a lake—it’s common to come in and wash off in the shower.”

Dustfinger stared at him like he had two heads. “You get under a stream of water…to clean yourself from just having been in water.”

When one put it that way, it did sound kind of funny.

AO3 wrapped questions that I came up with and wanted to answer :)

Describe each of your published fics from this year in one word. Lost and Found - classic Meeting the In-laws - spontaneous but for the look in his eyes - in-progress A Rude Awakening - bagpipes Mondays In Imladris - whimsical

What did you learn from your writing this year? First, that I tend to write VERY long intro author’s notes XD I also learned how to let a scene breathe a little more, that I don’t have to narrate everything in a scene, that I can take my time (and taking my time often leads to better writing), that writing ending author’s notes is harder to do than I thought, that writing in present tense takes some getting used to and influences my word choice, how to explore a character’s emotions more, how to use punctuation more stylistically to convey a feeling or thought even when it’s not entirely grammatically correct, that it helps to relax and write characters based on my own understanding of them instead of fanon interpretation/what I’ve seen, that my own interpretation and understanding of a character will grow as I write them, that getting the tags and formatting and stuff ready for publishing fics always takes longer than I think it will, and that some fics will come easier than others—and that’s okay.

What fandoms have you not written for that you would like to in 2025/the future? I’ve had a few ideas for Longmire fics after watching the TV show this year, so it would be cool to actually get into writing those!

Also, thank you so, so, SO much to anyone who's commented on my fics this past year. As I wrote in my Thanksgiving post, I always get excited when I see a comment in my inbox, and they really do mean a lot. ❤️

Finally: if you got all the way to the end of reading this, thank you! Hope you enjoyed :)

[awwyeah107]

2024 Fic Recs

Hello and welcome to my fic recs from 2024 post :)

Like in 2023, the vast majority of fanfiction I read has been Tolkien-centric; my hyperfixation is still going strong, lol. I also got into Longmire (the TV show; I haven’t read the books yet), so there’s a handful of Longmire fanfics in here too. And as I said last year, buckle up, because it’s a pretty long post (this one’s got roughly 80 fics, not counting series!).

For each fic, I’ll give a one-sentence summary and then my thoughts on the fic! I’ll also mention whether the fic is a oneshot, doubleshot (2 chapters), or a multi-chapter fic, as well as the fic rating. I’m sorting the Tolkien fics into series, topic-based, character/time/place-focused, AUs & others, and then I’ll put the non-Tolkien fics at the end. I am including in-progress fics in each of those categories.

Credit to @cafekitsune for the galaxy banners used to separate the sections :)

Intro: What to Expect & Fics Legend

Expect: Lots of angst—LOTS of it. I didn’t realize how much there was until I went back through all of these! Also a bunch of fluff and hurt/comfort. Majority of fics are genfic. Mostly Silmfics; some Lord of the Rings and/or Hobbit characters are featured. Most fics are rated T, with a few rated G or M.

Do not expect: Stories with a focus on romantic!Russingon (or any other first cousins x cousins ships), smut, or excessively gory or dark stories. No E-rated fics.

Notes about formatting: Sometimes, the bullet points may be spaced out a little strangely; that’s because Tumblr won’t actually tag more than 5 people at once in a set of bullet points, so I have to space them out in order for people to get tagged properly. When a fic has quotation marks around the summary, that means it’s taken straight from the summary of the fic. Occasionally, I’ll consider a fic to be rated differently for my personal taste than it’s marked on AO3, and in those cases I will mention that. For example: G [AO3 rating] / T [personal rating]. Otherwise, ratings are from AO3.

Fics Legend/Key These emojis are used to denote any stories that have the following elements, and I’ll do my best to put appropriate warnings/mentions of certain potentially triggering topics as well, when needed. Most if not all the stories do have necessary tags or content warnings given by the author, so if I miss something, the author and/or the fic tags should tell you about it. My apologies if I do miss anything.

🔒 Fic only available to AO3 users

🩸 Features somewhat shocking or graphic violence and/or heavy topics (including abuse, severe trauma, mental illness, etc.)

*️⃣ Features background romantic!Russingon or other cousin ships

🏳️‍🌈 Features LGBTQ+/queer ships and/or characters (for those who do or do not prefer to read fics with queer ships/characters. If you have any questions about this, feel free to send me a DM.)

✍️ Fic is in progress/incomplete

Also, this may go without saying, but I feel like it does need saying: Your mileage may vary with these fics, especially those that are not particularly fluffy. So, read what you’re comfortable with, and don’t read or skip what you aren’t.

I will tag authors who are here on Tumblr; I've included multiple fics by the same authors, so I will only tag each author once.

To all the fic authors, people posting meta/analyses, and fan artists: Thank you for sharing your work with the world. Your stories, musings, and art have brought me a lot of joy (and frequently, encouragement) this past year, and it’s still kinda crazy to me that I can read or see it for free. Because you loved canon enough to make something from it, and you wanted to share the results of that love with others. Thank you. ❤️

Series

Annaáuchiwee by @thegreenleavesofspring (Brievel on AO3) & The_Anonymous_Coauthor 🩸✍️ - [Modern AU] The story of how a biker thug scrapes a street rat up off the street and discovers, for the first time in thirty years, that he has a conscience, which leads him halfway across the country and into a lifestyle of love and sacrifice that he had long forsworn. (In-progress series of 4 works, multi-chapters, T) Y’all. Y’all. I cannot recommend this series enough. If you follow my sideblog, @fandomsandfairytales, you have almost certainly seen me posting about this over there. This series is essentially set in the Sons of the Star universe, which is a “sons of Fëanor as a biker gang” modern AU, but it’s a step to the left of that AU. Annaáuchiwee is focused on the modern equivalent of Celegorm, named Riser Way, and his journey (both literal and figurative) to become an honorable man. I absolutely adore the characters and writing in this series. There’s so much: humor (and lots of it), angst (and lots of that too), violence, domestic fluff, thoughtful moments, and so much character growth. I get excited every time I see an update in my inbox! (Warning: The series features a fair amount of violence, and it deals with heavy topics, including trafficking, rape, and child abuse.)

On Elrond Peredhel by @elvinye (leodesic on AO3) ️*️⃣ 🏳️‍🌈 (Russingon + biological son Gil-Galad; prominent in one work) ✍️ - "A series examining Elrond's kidnap-adoption [and Elrond himself] from a variety of different characters’ perspectives." (In-progress series of 13 works, oneshots and doubleshots, all rated T or G.) I enjoy reading lots of different perspectives on kidnap fam, and I love how this series explores a huge spectrum of characters’ reactions to a very Noldorin Elrond. It’s so well-written and gives me major Elrond feels. Seeing Elrond through so many different lenses is really cool; I think leodesic does a great job handling each character’s inner narrative and also showing Elrond as a kind and caring yet assertive individual, no matter what that character thinks of him. If you are into pro-Fëanorian kidnap fam, you’ll like this series!

Quenta Nossëo by HonoraryDawn ✍️ - Elrond accidentally travels through time and space and arrives in Valinor just in time for Fëanor’s birth in the Years of the Trees; Elrond decides to change history and raise Fëanáro himself. (In-progress series of 2 works, multi-chapters, T) This is such a cool series! I love how it changes history, and all the twists and turns throughout! Nature vs. nurture is a key theme in Fëanor being raised by someone other than Finwë, and Fëanor’s development and the way tensions rise differently in Valinor in the Years of the Trees are fascinating. Highly recommend! (I also recommend Fanarts for Preventative Measures by Leira_E, which has several pieces of fan art and fan-written blurbs for the first installment in this series.)

Horrible Goose Fingon by @pearlescentpearl (PandaFlower on AO3) - Fingon, having experienced life in Beleriand, wakes up in the Years of the Trees Valinor and immediately decides to make it Morgoth’s problem. (In-progress series of 2 works, oneshots and multi-chapters, all rated T or G.) Fingon hits the ground running here, and his quick deductions and planning are so much fun to read! I enjoyed his interactions with Maedhros and with Ingwë’s family, and I’m looking forward to more.

Topic-Based

Post-Thangorodrim

I went through a period of time where I was really into rescue-from-Thangorodrim and post-Thangorodrim fics, so here are my top Maedhros-Thangorodrim-trauma recs from this year!

The Shackle by @valarhalla (Elisif on AO3) 🩸 - Fingon rescues Maedhros from the cliff of Thangorodrim. (Oneshot, M) This fic was exactly what I was looking for when I was craving a rescue-from-Thangorodrim fic!!! Masterfully written. It really depicted the sort of state Mae would have been in, neglected and hanging from the cliff as he was. The entire thing is SO angsty and incredibly heartrending and I loved it. (Warning: Graphic descriptions of injury, bodily fluids, and the effects of an extended period of physical neglect.)

Open Wounds by @markedasinfernal (theeventualwinner on AO3)🩸*️⃣ - “Maedhros' post-Thangorodrim recovery.” (12 chapters, M) I devoured this fic over two days and oh my goodness. What an amazingly well-written piece. I loveddddd all of the medical terminology and the very analytical (though never at the cost of emotional, or vice versa!) way Maedhros’ healing was approached. There’s so much angst and tension amongst the rest of the sons of Fëanor and Fingon as well, yet it is borne out of care for Maedhros, and that care is shown very clearly in all their interactions with Maedhros himself. The richness of the relationships in this fic is really beautiful. (Note: Any Russingon in this fic is very, very lightly implied. Warning: Descriptions of injury, physical trauma, and PTSD.)

Whoops, They’re Both Asleep by until_the_stars_are_all_alight - Findékano comes to visit Maitimo when he hears his cousin wanted “Káno” and finds Makalaurë [Kanáfinwë] is already there. (Oneshot, T) A short, absolutely adorable oneshot! It’s only 350 words, but everything is so well-portrayed: the tension between Fingon and Maglor, the way Maedhros is dealing with his recovery, the affection he has for both his brother and cousin. I’ve reread it a few times now and I love it more every time.

No Resemblance by Elisif - Nolofinwë struggles to recognise his nephew after his rescue from Angband. (2 chapters, incomplete, T) This is SO PAINFUL and angsty and so good. From Fingolfin barely recognizing Maedhros for who he was (when Fingon brought him back) to all the memories of young Maedhros in Valinor, it’s shot through with feelssssss.

Dawn by potatoesanddreams - Maedhros’ first sight of the Sun. (Oneshot, T) A proper drabble clocking in at 100 words. I really enjoyed this one—I was fascinated by the second person point of view for Maedhros! The descriptions are so evocative and eloquent.

More About the Things that You Take With by @imnotdyingbutyouallare - Maedhros struggles with Maglor cutting his hair. (Oneshot, T) There is so much gentleness in this fic despite how much Maedhros is still suffering, and so much awareness of each other on both Maglor and Maedhros’ parts, which I loved. Even a “simple” thing such as cutting Maedhros’ hair is difficult for him, and I could really feel the fragility of Maedhros’ state of mind throughout. So, so good!!!

breakdown by @leucisticpuffin 🔒 - Maglor breaks down and Maedhros struggles to comfort him. (Oneshot, T) Oh my goodness, ugh. This is soooo painful and I love it. I feel terribly for Maglor, and for Maedhros feeling so helpless. What an angsty vignette of their relationship in the immediate aftermath of Maedhros’ rescue.

Let them see! by BarbieBlue - Maglor attempts to console Maedhros in a difficult moment during Maedhros’ recovery. (Oneshot, T) I loved reading this fic! I felt the acute frustration on Maedhros’ part that he can do so little and Maglor’s intense guilt. Maglor’s compassion and determination to prove to his brother that he cares is very compelling. (Fingon’s bewilderment at the end is rather hilarious, too.)

Us Against the World by @annoyinglandmagazine (Caranthirwasalesbian on AO3) - It’s the first feast after Maedhros’ recovery, and he realizes only having one hand makes table manners difficult. (Oneshot, G) To me, this fic really demonstrates how much the sons of Fëanor care for each other, and I simply adore it. It’s a beautiful picture of love on a practical level.

Crablor

Oneshots of our favorite singing elf-turned-crustacean, Crablor!

Soft-Shelled Soul by @thescrapwitch (theScrap_Witch on AO3) 🔒 - Maedhros learns from Námo that his brother has been transformed into a crab, and he is determined to find him and bring him home. (Oneshot, G) I really enjoyed this lovely Crablor story! I loved the fact that it was Maedhros and Celegorm who found Maglor—it makes perfect sense to not only have Maedhros, the caring older brother, searching but also Celegorm, the one who knows animal languages. Everything back in Valinor (the reactions! Maglor’s new living space!) are wonderful, too.

The Trial of Crablor Fëanorion by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maglor, in crab form, is put on trial for his crimes. (Oneshot, G) This fic could very well go in my humor section as well as the Crablor section. I found myself laughing throughout, and even typing this I’m smiling just thinking about it. The format of a court trial record is delightful, along with all the shenanigans included for the sake of the record!

lured to be loved by LadyHaleth - Elladan and Elrohir search for their long-lost grandfather…who they discover has been turned into a different form. (Oneshot, T) A sweet adventure! Elladan and Elrohir’s dedication to finding and caring for Maglor is so admirable, and I enjoyed their dynamic as twins and with Maglor. The details in every scene really make this fic! (And don’t miss the awesome art in the middle, since the art and fic were one of the TRSB collabs for this year.)

Humor

to speak, to scream and laugh with the echo by @artandsuffering (Tamatoa (SaltandtheSoul) on AO3) - When Maglor wakes up in the past after the Fourth Age, he decides to make it Sauron’s problem. (Oneshot, T) This fic is SO FREAKING FUNNY. The understated humor in this is incredible, and I love the phrasing throughout. The framing of the atmosphere of Angband as a corporate workplace of sorts (while still being fully in Middle-Earth, of course) simply makes this fic.

This Battle Could Have Been An E-mail by @tilion-writes (Tilion on AO3) ✍️ - A series of emails in Maedhros’ inbox throughout the ages. (4 chapters, in progress, T) INCREDIBLY hilarious. The email addresses, the domains for the email addresses (nargothrond.com! himring.net!), the email sign-offs for each of the characters, the subject lines, the files, the messages (including punctuation and tone of professionalism, or lack thereof) from each character—all of it was priceless.

Please Do Not by @mynameisjessejk - “In which Maedhros has all the foresight of the House of Feanaro and uses it entirely to prevent brother and cousin shenanigans.” (Oneshot, bullet-point, T) This fic is absolutely hysterical. I probably broke something trying so hard not to laugh (I was reading this when there were people around). The phrase “the transitive property of Finrod” still lives rent-free in my head months after I read it XD This fic also turned out to be really heartwarming and gave me many feels. So, so, so good.

How Dare by @catkin-morgs-kookaburralover (ATalkingCat on AO3) - The palantir experiences Pippin picking it up. (Oneshot, G) I laughed out loud multiple times reading this. It’s a short, delightful read with a VERY snarky palantir point of view, and I highly enjoyed it!

Give A Whistle by Prackspoor - “After the sacking of Ost-in-Edhil, the Dark Lord Sauron ordered his prisoners crucified and carried at the head of his army as banners so that their approach would strike fear into the hearts of his enemies; no one could have imagined that the last resistance of the Elven City had no plans to go out quietly… literally.” (Oneshot, T) A VERY humorous, somewhat dark oneshot (with a second chapter solely for references). It’s very Monty-Python-esque, with some direct Monty Python references, so if you enjoy that sort of humor, this will be right up your alley. The sympathetic orc captain point of view is fantastic! (Warning: There’s a few dark mentions/descriptions of torture.)

Romance-focused

Tax Fraud and Picnics by @thesummerestsolstice - Haleth and baby Erestor convince Caranthir to go on a picnic. (Oneshot, G) I’ve got three words for this fic: SUPER. DUPER. CUTE. This fic is as sweet as candy. I adore how much Caranthir loves Haleth, and the light humor sprinkled throughout made me grin (the Caranthir-Turgon arguments over taxes will never not be funny to me).

Mending by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “Caranthir sits by Haleth’s side as she dies and thinks of his family, his life, and his craft.” (Oneshot, T) Very sweet! I loved how the story wove Caranthir’s memories into the present day (pun very much intended), and his love for his craft is so beautiful. I also really enjoyed the visitors at the end :)

Your Eyes Are Like Knives (And I Really Like Knives) by @sweetteaanddragons (Drag0nst0rm on AO3) - Haleth knows that Caranthir is hiding something, and she is determined to find out what it is. (Oneshot, T) I saw that this fic was going to be part of TRSB 2024 a few days before the fics all got released, and I was so excited to read it! I had a fantastic time eagerly devouring it with much excitement and laughter, and as per usual, I thoroughly enjoyed Haleth flustering Caranthir.

Yours Dearly, Most Sincerely by Drag0nst0rm - “Five times Nerdanel had to help Feanaro write a letter, and one time he returned the favor. (And two times they had to write a letter alone.)” (Doubleshot, T) This fic both filled me up with the love Fëanor and Nerdanel had for each other (and their sons!) and ripped me to pieces with angst. The way Nerdanel often balances out Fëanor’s fiery spirit when it comes to composing a letter—and the way he chooses to listen to her!—is wonderful to read; the scene with the third letter practically gave me a heart attack from how adorably fluffy it was. Of course, this makes it all the more heartbreaking when they are apart. A very emotional read all around!

Breaking Into Light by @starspray ✍️ - Glingaereth happens to meet Fingon, the crown prince of the Noldor, and the two begin to take an interest in each other. (4 chapters, in progress, T) I haven’t read any Fingon x OFC fics before, and I really liked this one! Glingaereth and the other original characters stand well on their own, and the chemistry between Glingaereth and Fingon feels natural. I also liked the outside perspectives of the Noldor royal family and the uneasiness amongst the Sindar about the sense of doom following the Noldor.

Nothing in the World is Single by StarSpray - Eärendil and Elwing become friends…and then more. (5 chapters, T [AO3 rating] / G [personal rating]) This is so sweet! I really enjoyed this fic—the easy pacing, Eärendil’s friendly nature, and Elwing’s more reserved personality all combine to make a great read. The descriptions are wonderful, and I liked Eärendil and Elwing’s adventures.

Character, Time, or Place-Focused

Kidnap Fam

What matters is ‘you’ and not the state of you. by @havenotwillnotreadthebooks (EclecticKefi on AO3) - “Maglor contemplates the Peredhel that he and his brother have taken in, then contemplates the effect of this new life on Maedhros.” (Doubleshot, T) This was such an enjoyable read! I loved reading Maglor’s reflections, especially on Maedhros as a father figure to Elrond and Elros. I also enjoyed reading how the twins’ nature as peredhel (and being somewhat eldritch to boot) affects their domestic life with Maglor and Maedhros.

I keep my enemies closer than the mirror ever gets to me by EclecticKefi 🔒 - Elrond and Elros hide in Maglor’s closet and overhear Maedhros and Maglor talking. (Oneshot, T) This fic is both heartbreaking and heartwarming in multiple ways. The two peredhel have seen far too much trauma and suffering in their young lives, but their empathy is really sweet. Also, I’m always a fan of eldritch!peredhel, so I liked the notes of that scattered throughout the story.

On Monsters and Lullabies by Tilion - Maglor is the one the twins like, not Maedhros, and Maglor confronts his brother. (Oneshot, T) I will never tire of the angstiness of Maedhros and Maglor arguing over the twins and the role they play in their lives, nor how Maedhros becomes someone the twins can trust. Maglor’s softness with the twins is so sweet (baby Elrond and Elros are ADORABLE), and the reflections (both Maglor’s and Maedhros’) on how much Maedhros had changed since being in Valinor are really well-written.

And Love Grew by @polutrope (polutropos on AO3) ✍️ - Maedhros and Maglor deal with the aftermath of their attack on Sirion, and Maglor leads their host—including two young peredhel and their caretaker—to Amon Ereb. (6 chapters, in progress, T) A wonderfully complex, angsty, deeply woven tale. Every character and relationship has so many layers, and polutropos does a great job of exploring the darkness of the Oath and the ripple affect it has on the sons of Fëanor, their followers, and the people of Sirion.

And when we’re in the dark, it echoes in your heart by ElectricKefi - Elros unintentionally triggers Maedhros’ Sauron-related trauma. (Oneshot, T) Poor Maedhros AND poor Elros! The idea that the peredhel with Maia blood would bring back Maedhros’ memories of being tortured by Sauron—especially when Elros is trying to help him—is so sad. I loved the instantly-on-alert Maglor who is there to de-escalate the situation, too.

though the shadow closes in by millyfaraway - Maglor and Maedhros strategize to keep Elrond and Elros safe. (Oneshot, T) I really like the dialogue and OCs in this one! The discussion of Sauron and Morgoth’s desire for the peredhel, the plans to keep moving, and the connection Maedhros and Maglor share all flow quite well.

First Age Beleriand

Finwëons & Fëanorians:

Mind the Gap by Tilion - Maglor visits Himring. (Oneshot, T) Loved reading this!! Great characterization of both the characters themselves and their relationship. They are SUCH siblings in this, and I really enjoyed reading them snarking at each other and checking up on each other and seeking to ensure all was truly well. I’ll also never pass up a scene with Maglor braiding Maedhros’ hair.

The Light Behind Your Eyes by Tilion ✍️ - Scenes of Maglor and Maedhros after Thangorodrim. (2 chapters, in progress, T) I love how beautifully this portrays Maglor and Maedhros’ relationship. It balances the past and the present really well. Even though Maedhros is still clearly suffering from his time in Angband, this fic has a calm tone to it, and I can see the healing taking place in Maedhros’ spirit. A lovely read.

Scribbles and Squabbles by @dreamingthroughthenoise (Alantie on AO3) 🔒 - An argument between the Fëanorians, through letters. (7 chapters, T) This was a delight to read! Humorous at times, and heartfelt at others. I could pick up on the underlying hurt and desire to be seen that sparked the argument, and the love and care rising from the letters as things resolved. (The very clear and present sass was quite fun, too.)

Gingerbread Cookies by Elisif - Aredhel and Fingon supervise Idril and Tyelpë while they make Christmas cookies. (Oneshot, G) This is such an adorable fic—tiny Idril and Celebrimbor are so cute, and I loved Aredhel and Fingon’s brother-sister relationship. Their interactions have such fond sibling energy!

A Mere Shadow by Elisif - Maglor comes to visit Maedhros and is reminded of Thingol’s Quenya ban. (Oneshot, T) So good and so sad! I could immediately feel the shift in Maglor’s mood when Maedhros inadvertently reminds him of the ban, and the sorrow oozing from both brothers, as if from a wound.

the raging storm of a foreign war, and a face i'd seen before by @arafinweanappreciation (TelerinJedi on AO3) - Finarfin comes to Beleriand. (Oneshot, T) This fic is short yet so expressive!! I love Finarfin seeing Tol Sirion and him talking about avenging his son in such a terrifyingly calm manner.

Ill-Tidings by TheScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maedhros brings news to Curufin that Nargothrond has fallen. (Oneshot, T) Poor Curufin 😭 This fic has all the dad!Curufin feels!!!! Curufin’s humanity (or elvish equivalent, lol) shines through in this fic in his anguish over his son. His grief and rage are so palpable (and so well-written!).

Too Big, Too Heavy by @hwestalas - Maedhros visits the new High King of the Noldor after the Dagor Bragollach. (Oneshot, T) Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Fingon’s grief over Fingolfin is so raw and real, and I love how he tries to keep it together but fails in the face of Maedhros’ calm, devoted friendship. Such a great read.

ever an anguish that pursued by @thelordofgifs (TheChasm on AO3) 🩸 - Maglor tries to save Maedhros from the fire, but he keeps waking up. (Oneshot, T) UGH SO ANGSTY. So so angsty. All of the “what if”s that Maglor dreams could have happened are so terribly sad, because he can see so many ways out that don’t involve Maedhros jumping into the chasm. (Warning: suicide and multiple near-suicide attempts.)

stone on the board by @dalliansss - The Finwëons play games with politics in Beleriand at Mithrim. (Oneshot, T) So good! Love the politicking going on in this fic, primarily between Maedhros and Finrod. Quite an intriguing read.

there's no timer on grief 🔒 by Kat_isaconfusedbean - After Losgar, Amras mourns. (Oneshot, T) This is SO painful. Especially for how short this fic is. My heart aches for Amras (and for Celegorm). I love Celegorm coming to comfort his brother, along with Huan.

Unrepentent by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maedhros will not give up on obtaining the last Silmarils. (Oneshot, T) The Oath has Maedhros in its grip so tightly in this fic (along with his own memories and experiences), and it’s horrifying yet understandable to see him act and think the way he does. I love the dynamic between Maedhros and Maglor in this fic, too.

the ways of birds by @welcomingdisaster (welcoming_disaster on AO3) - “When Maglor is captured in the aftermath of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, he doesn't expect a rescue. (for the prompts maglor + maedhros + "need to keep quiet" & "roadside wound tending.”)” (Oneshot, T) SO MUCH MAGLOR WHUMP. And so much tension, too. I could really feel Maglor’s raw, gritty pain and the ugly experiences he endured. It made the comfort part of “hurt/comfort” that much more relieving when he was, indeed, rescued.

Non-Finwëons:

Mad, Not Angry by AfricanDaisy - Young Thranduil is woken from a thunderstorm, and searches for a source of comfort: his father. (Oneshot, G) SO so cute! I could really feel Thranduil’s panic in searching for Oropher, and then his simultaneous relief and upset when he did find him. The descriptions are vivid and well-crafted, very fun to read!

no vela, no orion by TelerinJedi - A comment from Andreth’s sister causes her to wonder if she is in love with Nóm (or vice versa), and it is harder to have a discussion with him about this than she thinks. (Oneshot, G) The adolescent awkwardness and embarrassment in this fic brings me back to my teenage days XD This is really sweet though, truly. A light bit of fluff!

Second and Third Age Middle-Earth

living arrows sent forth by @balrogballs (timelessutterances on AO3) - Thranduil and Elrond discuss fatherhood at Arwen and Aragorn’s wedding reception. (Oneshot, T) SO. SO. GOOD. I seriously love the phrasing in this one, as well as Thranduil’s and Elrond’s characterizations, their long-held opinions and memories of each other, and their discussion of parenthood. Thranduil is so snarky and Elrond so earnest. Phenomenal all the way through.

rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated by @lighttrls (thunder_and_stars on AO3) - Unaware of elves’ habit of sleeping with their eyes open, Estel finds Elladan unmoving with his eyes open and thinks he must be dead. (Oneshot, T) POOR BABY ESTEL aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. The angst is off the charts in this one; my heart was breaking for tiny Aragorn. I was so glad that his assumption was corrected, in the end.

i'm fine, i prom- by thunder_and_stars - Elladan and Estel are captured by orcs and tortured. (Oneshot, T) Oh my goodness, I wanted to kill each and every orc right along with Elladan. The descriptions of the orcs’ actions, their impact on Estel physically, and the impact on Elladan emotionally were so vivid. It’s some good, heavy whump (with some comfort at the end).

sticks and stones may break my bones by thunder_and_stars - Some people don’t like the fact that Estel lives with the elves. (Oneshot, T) Once again, right there with one of the twins on wanting to beat up people for mistreating Estel. The way Estel tried to hide his injuries and then admitted what happened and what was said and done to him was so sad. Lots of hurt/comfort here.

A Long Way To Go In The Morning by @nocompromise-noregrets (likethenight on AO3) 🔒 - “The night before the Fellowship of the Ring leaves Rivendell, Elladan and Elrohir give Aragorn some encouragement.” (Oneshot, T) I really enjoyed this one! Elladan and Elrohir are such good brothers to Aragorn, and the way they lifted his spirits was really sweet. I liked the discussion of mortality as well as the hopefulness that the twins had about the Quest and Aragorn’s success.

Advice Unlooked For by sehellys - Aragorn talks to Elladan and Elrohir when they return from the Wild, and then he goes to the Feast in the Hall of Fire. (Oneshot, T) The descriptions in this one are simply beautiful—and so is the dialogue! I loved the shift from serious to “shenanigans mode” after the twins update Aragorn on what’s going on in the outside world.

Re-embodiment in Valinor

Red, Red Moon (Keep On Rising) by Tilion 🏳️‍🌈 (Celegorm/Oromë features somewhat prominently, especially in the back half) - Celegorm wakes up outside Mandos with two silver-haired elflings and no memories; he sets off to bring the boys to their parents and figure out his identity. (24 chapters, T) This was such a fun fic to keep up with as it got updates! Celegorm and the twins (kidnap fam 2.0, one might say) were incredibly adorable. I loved Legolas and Tauriel’s inclusion, and I highly enjoyed the whole identity crisis Celegorm went through (seriously, it was awesome). Celegorm feels SO Celegorm to me in this fic: cocky, rough around the edges, more caring than he’d like to admit. Overall there’s so much to this fic, and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.

Hemlock and Niphredil by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “In Fourth Age Valinor, Elrond and Thingol connect over a shared love of gardening and grief for their daughters.” (Oneshot, T) I had never really thought about Elrond and Thingol’s similarities before this fic, and I loved getting to read them interacting and forming a friendship! Both have lost daughters by the choice to give up immortality, yet they have quite different personalities (and a complicated family tree), and it’s beautiful to see them connect through their shared experiences. (It’s also interesting to read Thingol portrayed in a more sympathetic light than most fics—yet not without his imperfections, certainly.)

Memento Vivere (Remember, You Must Live) by Drag0nst0rm - “Maedhros and Maglor have a long overdue discussion of what happened at the edge of that chasm - and what happened after.” (Oneshot, T) UGH so GOOD and so ANGSTY. There are so many emotional beats in this fic, and I found myself bracing for each one. I painfully love Maglor’s instincts when it comes to protecting/taking care of Maedhros after all these years, and how he doesn’t want the people he loves to be hurt because of him—though he has been in so much pain himself, and Maedhros sees that. Really, really good. (Warning: Discussion of suicide.)

White Water Flowing by StarSpray ✍️ - In Valinor and homesick for Imladris, Celebrían decides to build a new one. (6 chapters, in progress, T) This is such a lovely fic!! I’ve really enjoyed reading it. I love Celebrían’s characterization—many people underestimate her, and it’s wonderful to see her bloom after healing in Lórien. She simultaneously has a gentle soul and an admirable tenacity and drive. I also love reading her interacting with members of Elrond’s family and seeing how those relationships develop.

Handle with Care by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “When Fëanor left the Halls of the Dead, he did not expect Mahtan to be the one waiting for him.” (Oneshot, T) I loved this!!! I don’t see a lot of Mahtan and Fëanor interactions, and I really enjoyed reading their conversation. (I grinned at Mahtan telling Fëanor off about Nerdanel. I haven’t seen that before and I’ve really wanted to, so it was quite satisfying.) It’s clear that they both carry a lot of grief, and they have a familiar relationship underpinning everything.

From Ruins We Grow by TheScrap_Witch 🔒✍️ - Fëanor learns how to live again (and how to garden!) when he is returned to life and placed under Yavanna’s responsibility to tend a small corner of Valinor. (7 chapters, in progress, T) I get so excited whenever I see an update for this fic in my inbox! There’s so much feeling in this fic, which is very fitting for Fëanáro’s fiery, intense character. It’s in turns amusing and exasperating to see him humbled by learning a new craft, yet I always find myself rooting for him in his endeavors. I love the relationships he forms with the visitors to his garden, and all the sweet memories of his sons practically make my heart melt.

AUs

In-Universe AUs

An Unexpected Rescue by SpaceWall - Fëanor realizes that someone has taken on the form of his half-brother Fingolfin, and that the real Fingolfin has disappeared. (Doubleshot, T) This is SUCH a cool AU!!! I really enjoyed reading this one. I love Fëanor’s insistence on figuring out what happened and finding Fingolfin, though of course in denial that he cares for his brother deep down. I’d say more but I don’t want to spoil it!

Will You Greet the Daylight Looming? by Tilion - Maglor persuades Maedhros to live. (Oneshot, T) Oh, this fic is terribly, delightfully angsty. I love how Maglor and Maedhros’ relationship is portrayed here, and the vivid imagery really brings it to life. Lots of thee/thou and ‘dearest’ language, too!

Reforged by theScrap_Witch 🔒🩸🏳️‍🌈 (background Celebrimbor/Gil-Galad) - Maeglin survives the fall of Gondolin, and Celebrimbor and others help him to find his way to healing. (20 chapters, G [AO3 rating] / T [personal rating]) What a story. Just—what a story. It takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion and growth and change and just, wow. I am so freaking proud of Maeglin in this fic, and I love his characterization. He digs his claws into life and doesn’t let go, and it’s incredible to see his transformation over the course of centuries. I also loved the inclusion of many other Second and Third Age characters in this story and how Maeglin’s life becomes intertwined with theirs. This fic is angsty and agonizing on so many levels, but it is fiercely emotional and cathartic in good ways too. I really enjoyed getting to follow along with this fic as it was published!

Scion of Mystery by Tilion 🏳️‍🌈 (minor Erestor/Curufin) - Elrond is determined to uncover Gil-galad’s true parentage. (7 chapters, T) Absolutely BUCK WILD Gil-Galad theory. Complete and total plot twist that I did NOT see coming until a few sentences before it was revealed!! Elrond’s shenanigans along the way to uncover Gil-Galad’s parentage were so much fun to read. Features kidnap fam and Celrond, along with other Fëanorians.

Parley AUs This is a subset of in-universe AUs where someone other than Maedhros gets taken at the parley with Morgoth. Apparently this was the year for me to get into parley AUs, and it even inspired me to write my own, lol!

The Price We Pay by theScrap_Witch 🔒🩸 - “In which Makalaurë goes to parlay with Morgoth, Findekáno still performs his dramatic rescue, and Maitimo struggles with both his little brother’s recovery and his responsibilities as king.” (Oneshot, T) This fic yanked out my heart and stomped on it and then tossed it off a cliff for good measure. I’ve read a few different Maglor-is-taken-at-the-parley fics, but oh boy, this one poured on the FEELS. Everything in this fic is heartbreaking—from Maglor’s belief that he is a “pretty bird” meant to sing to Morgoth, to Maedhros’ distrust/fear of Fingolfin, to all of Maglor’s brothers’ pain over his traumatized state—yet there is an undercurrent of hope that slowly rises throughout the story. It’s so well-written, and I highly, highly recommend it.

Despair Like Poison by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “Thinking that he’s protecting his family, Maedhros rides to the parlay alone, unaware that Morgoth has a different trick in mind.” (Oneshot, bullet-point, T) Sooooo so angsty!! I really can’t say much about this without spoilers, but aaaaaaaaa. Maedhros is firm about his decision to go, but he’s so gentle with his brothers at the moment of departure, which makes what happens after so much worse.

A Crown of Bones by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maitimo and Makalaurë are taken in the parley with Morgoth, and Tyelkormo must take up the crown. (Oneshot, T) I really liked this AU! Celegorm has a lot to deal with here, both in being the oldest Fëanorion and being king of their people. The reminder that he can handle himself in political situations and display his power in words—not just physical action—is fantastic, and the way he cares so deeply for his younger brothers and misses his oldest two is heartwrenching.

Boldness Be My Friend by @a-tehta (tehta on AO3) - Celegorm has been captured by Morgoth, and it is up to Aredhel and Huan to rescue him from the cliff of Thangorodrim. (Oneshot, T) This one is surprisingly humorous for being a rescue-from-Thangorodrim fic, yet also sweet! I really loved getting a Huan POV (so cool), and I enjoyed Aredhel getting to be the rescuer. (There is a bit of implied future Celegorm/Aredhel at the end, but it’s mostly, if not entirely, played for humor.)

Modern AUs

Little Stars, Little Souls by Tamatoa (SaltandtheSoul) - Fëanor looks for his second son, who is dressed up for Halloween. (Oneshot, G) SUPER. CUTE. This is some of the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff and I was just gobbling it up. Baby Maglor is the cutest thing and I love Fëanor as a dad here.

the adventures of Elf Guy by red_01 - “A group of friends obsessed with The Silmarillion discovers a guy who bears a resemblance to Maglor—and uncover the truth.” (Oneshot, T) This was so much fun to read (and highly amusing)! The Twitter format was a great choice, and I’m impressed by the dedication to it. I enjoyed the back-and-forth chaos, internet-typical keysmashes and all caps, and references to artists in the Tolkien fandom (e.g., Clamavi de Profundis, “Phobs-style” cosplays).

Cookies by Brievel 🔒 - Girl Scouts visit the Ways’ house. (Oneshot, G) This absolutely delighted me. I love everything about it—the POV of the girl scouts, the way they were all intimidated by Max, a cameo by Nell, Birdie yelling for cookies in the background. It’s so sweet and made me grin so much.

Valentines Flowers by Brievel 🔒 - “Max brings Misty flowers.” (Oneshot, G) Max and Misty are just straight-up ADORABLE. The way they interact and how they familiar they are with each other’s habits shows how comfortable they are with each other. They both are down so bad, and I love to see it. I also love to see Max doing something nice for Misty :)

Other Tolkien Fics

These are fics that didn’t fit into any other category or had less than three fics within each category.

Miscellaneous:

The War of the Ring by @winterinhimring (morwen_of_gondor on AO3) - The sons of Fëanor are re-embodied and sent to Middle-Earth to atone for their crimes during the Third Age when the Quest for the Ring begins. (42 chapters, T) PSA: if you’ve read The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, you must read this. Required reading. I am only very slightly joking. This story is absolutely PHENOMENAL. I was curious to see what the sons of Fëanor joining the Fellowship would be like, and I was blown away by how beautifully written it is. Y’all. It’s written in the style of The Lord of the Rings books. Like, legitimately. I never knew how much I needed to see the Fëanorions interacting with the hobbits, or showing the strength of ancient Valinorian-born elves in battle, and it all being written in true Tolkienian style is so incredibly wonderful. I can’t recommend this enough.

Joys to Come by @darkfrozenabyss - “Glorfindel, from Tirion to Rivendell.” (7 chapters, T) Loved this fic!!! I love darkfrozenabyss’ characterization of Glorfindel so much. There are so many emotionally powerful, simple and sweet, and feels-inducing moments in this story, and I really enjoyed Glorfindel’s family and how close he is with them!

Years of the Trees Valinor:

Little Father by feanorianswelcome 🔒 - “Maitimo finds little Atarinkë and brings him home for luncheon.” (Oneshot, G) Cute little Curufin oneshot with big brother Maitimo! I haven’t read a lot of Curufin & Maedhros together, so this was enjoyable (and very sweet).

Fine Feathers, Pretty Songs by an_evasive_author - Everyone loves tiny Findaráto (as they should). (Oneshot, G) SO. FREAKING. CUTE. All the fluff for Findaráto! I loved him so much (and the writing style of this fic, too).

Rings of Power:

Look into the Mirror (Tell Me What You See) by Drag0nst0rm - Second Age!Gil-Galad and Rings of Power!Gil-Galad switch places. (3 chapters, T) I have watched one (1) episode of the Rings of Power series, but I have thankfully read enough articles about it that I understand enough to read this fic! It’s a highly amusing and enjoyable read :) The difference in Gil-Galads is quite noticeable, and I loved seeing Second Age!Gil-Galad quite surprised at his (supposed) past actions in RoP, whereas RoP!Gil-Galad is a little less aware of the change in his surroundings (but everyone else certainly is).

Another Skin by crystal_buizel - Second Age!Elrond and Rings of Power!Elrond switch places (based off of “Look into the Mirror (Tell Me What You See)”). (Doubleshot, T) Another swapped places fic! Poor Elrond in both situations, but especially poor Second Age!Elrond. Like the other fic, I can’t say too much about it without spoilers, but this one is also enjoyable, with a bit more angst on the part of both Elronds.

Tumblr Oneshots:

just you wait by @lintamande - “being brilliant in mind and swift in action she had early absorbed all of what she was capable of the teaching which the Valar thought fit to give the Eldar…” (T) I really liked this oneshot! Galadriel in her youth is rather clueless when it comes to social interactions, though she is vastly intelligent in intellectual matters, and I can feel her frustration, restlessness, and pride so strongly in this. Really well-written.

Oropher and Celeborn have a conversation by @amethysttribble - At a party, Oropher and Celeborn talk about the line of Lúthien. (T) SO good!!!! I loved this so much. Oropher and Celeborn’s characterization and views on things make a lot of sense, and I love how their discussion flows. They are the last two of Doriath, and that weight on their shoulders is so evident throughout this fic.

Non-Tolkien Fics

Longmire

A Never Ending Bake Sale by ladygray99 - Walt and Henry spend a casual evening together at The Red Pony. (Oneshot, T) I absolutely loved reading this fic. I feel like ladygray99 really nailed the characters, their relationship, and their mannerisms. Everything in Walt and Henry’s conversation, said and unsaid, felt very natural and relaxed. You can feel the depth of their 38-year-long friendship and how comfortable with each other they are. Although I’ve only seen the TV show and not read the books, I liked how it incorporated things from both. A great read!

Every Page You Turn You’re Writing (Typing) Your Legacy by @cminerva and @whatamess 🔒 - “For nearly four decades, Mathias has found many reasons to admire Ms. Ruby Mason née Taylor and in that time Ms. Ruby has found just as many reasons to be fond—and so proud—of the man Mathias has become.” (Oneshot, T) Oh my GOSH. This fic is adorable and cringy (in the best way!) and so freaking cute. I highly enjoyed the descriptions of Durant high school in the early 80s, complete with a typing class; although I wasn’t alive at the time, it feels quite realistic. I loved seeing Mathias’ journey through high school into adulthood and the way his and Ruby’s friendship developed over time, from Mathias’ schoolboy crush to his respect for the amazing woman she is. Mathias and Ruby’s friendship has now become canon to me, to the point where I’ll watch episodes and get excited whenever these two characters (who, for anyone who doesn’t know the show, are minor characters and very rarely interact) get to see each other, even only for a quick nod or short smile.

Something New by cminerva - Though they’ve known each other for years, May Stillwater and Mathias Littlesun have never been friends—and indeed, they’ve been enemies before—but perhaps it’s time for something new. (Oneshot, T) I am now a May/Mathias shipper after reading this fic XD I really liked how this not only addressed the (admittedly few) interactions they had in the TV show but also added more “off-screen” ones to give more depth to their on-screen appearances. They have a lot of reason to dislike each other, but I loved how in this fic, they began to see reasons to respect each other and then caught feelings. So cute!

Quigley Down Under

Morning Sun by Brievel 🔒 - Matthew and Cora wake up together. (Oneshot, G) This fic is SO SOFT. I can totally picture this happening as an epilogue after the end of the movie, and I can hear their voices so well. The details are quite lovely. Quigley Down Under is a pretty niche film, but if you’ve seen it, you deserve to read this fic!

I mentioned this at the start, but I wanted to reiterate because I truly am very grateful—To all the fic authors, people posting meta/analyses, and fan artists: Thank you for sharing your work with the world. Your stories, musings, and art have brought me a lot of joy (and frequently, encouragement) this past year, and it’s still kinda crazy to me that I can read or see it for free. Because you loved canon enough to make something from it, and you wanted to share the results of that love with others. Thank you. ❤️

And thank you to all who read this far XD Hope you enjoy some (or all!) of these fics!

Other Fic Rec Lists: 2023 Fic Recs, Fic Recs for Elrond Week 2024 (on fandomsandfairytales)

[awwyeah107]

final post of 2024

God is good. This last year might’ve been the worst of your life, or the best. And either way God is good.

You might not know the why of what you’ve been through, or where you’re going, but He does. He knows exactly what your purpose is and the hard road that purpose is. You’ve just gotta put one foot in front of the other and rely on Him through it.

Because if God is for us, who can be against us?

[awwyeah107]

Welcoming in the New Year (technically two hours from now) by reading Psalm 118—both in remembrance of 2024, and in celebration of 2025.

[awwyeah107]

Clouds on the last day of 2024. The year had its rough side but I saw a lot of beautiful things.

[awwyeah107]

hey one really really important thing that people need to realize about suicidality is that when you're trying so hard to find reasons not to kill yourself, your brain often will not let you use the people in your life as valid reasons. the unhealed part of your brain will try incredibly hard to convince you that everyone around you would be better off without you; that you'd be doing them a favor by no longer being in their lives. this is objectively untrue, but your ability to be rational is extremely skewed when you are in the throes of suicidality.

with this in mind, you need to know two things:

1) you are NOT selfish or broken or evil for needing to find a reason besides the people around you, and

2) it is IMPORTANT that you try your hardest to find a different reason if you can't use your loved ones as reasons to stay.

some of the best reasons to stay that your brain can't rationalize itself out of are pets and plants. things that are living, that depend on you, and would not ever be able to understand your sudden absence. my cat Penny is one of the biggest reasons i'm still here.

again, i have to reiterate this:

please do not feel guilty for having to find some other reason to live besides your loved ones. it follows that when the voices in your head are trying to convince you that the world would be better off without you in it, the first thing they'd attack would be what you'd THINK is the most obvious reason for a person to stay alive. you're not broken beyond repair for having to look for a different reason. whatever reason you need to use is not important. what is important is that it works for you, and keeps you here with us.

[awwyeah107]

THIS IS SO GOOD EVERYONE READ IT

The Coat. In which I finally pull out and brush off an old draft and finish it up to send out into the world. Everyone thank @awwyeah107 for giving me the impetus I needed to get back into main Sons of the Star storyline.

[awwyeah107]

🥹🥹🥹

Anyone get any nice presents?

[awwyeah107]

#Chanting #Star Coat Star Coat #Thank you my friend!! #😁😁

You are so welcome!!! I am super glad I was able to get it to you :D legitimately one of my favorite things I was able to give to someone this Christmas.

Anyone get any nice presents?

[awwyeah107]

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” -Isaiah 9:6

It’s more than a nice story. It’s more than a holiday myth. The birth of Jesus Christ was an event that changed the course of human history. God in the flesh come to save us from our sins.

God is not willing that any should perish. The Creator of the universe loves you so much that He sent His Son to offer every single person on this earth the chance to be saved from eternal damnation due to the sin we commit. Jesus died to give you that chance. He loves you enough to die for you. Without Him, ever single one of us is lost.

This season is not important because of the presents or the lights or even the time with family and friends. The meaning of this holiday is, first and foremost, a celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Savior.

Praise the Lord for His indescribable gift! Merry Christmas to each of you!!✨💖🎄

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16

[awwyeah107]

The Battle of the Five Armies 10th Anniversary

So tonight (December 14th) I watched The Battle of the Five Armies in honor of its 10th anniversary. I'm posting this a few days later, on December 18th, because that's the official date I watched this movie 10 years ago. It's wild to me that it's been that long.

Here's a bit I wrote about BOTFA from my Forays Into Fandom post:

My Tolkien hyperfixation started when I went to go see The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in theater. It was my first Tolkien movie, and although people often criticize The Hobbit movies (myself among them), I will always be grateful for that film. It drew me into Middle-Earth and kept me spellbound throughout the entire movie. I had read The Hobbit when I was younger, for a book club, so I was generally familiar with the story: I knew Bilbo and the dwarves journeyed to Erebor to take back the mountain from the dragon Smaug. Despite the changes in storyline that they made for the movie, I was able to follow along enough to enjoy it. This led me to watch the other Hobbit movies and some behind-the-scenes/making of videos.

I still have the 3D glasses from when I went to go see the movie :) I'm sentimental, what can I say. (It's also the closest thing I have to official merch, lol. I absolutely love that film logo was printed on the arm of the glasses!)

As I said, I had read The Hobbit—the only Tolkien book I had read—so I was familiar with the story, but it had been a while. And I hadn't seen the other Hobbit movies before, so I didn't have any point of reference for the changes in the storyline going into the movie. I remembered Bard the Bowman existed, and of course Bilbo and Thorin's company, and Gandalf, and Thranduil (only as the Elven-king, though). I had no idea who Tauriel was (though I picked up her name right away), or who the blonde male elf was (it took me a bit longer to pick up that his name was Legolas), or why some of the dwarves were in Laketown instead of Erebor. Although I was certain the romance storyline with Tauriel and Kili wasn't in the books, I really liked it and thought it was sweet (at the time). I absolutely adored Bilbo; whatever else they got wrong, they got his character right. I got chills when Thorin's company came out of the mountain to fight in the battle (that Sons of Durin track on the soundtrack still gets me to this day). I was pretty sure that Thorin, Fili, and Kili died in the end (and I teared up when that did indeed happen). I was captivated the entire time, even knowing there were differences from the book, and it was epic in a way I hadn't ever really seen before on-screen. Watching all this in 3D was pretty cool, too—I don't recall a lot of what that was like, but Smaug in 3D stands out most clearly in my memory.

Tonight, I was settled in on my couch with snacks and gave out loud commentary here and there (primarily to myself but my sister was there for part of it, lol). Mostly jokingly judging characters or scenes, pointing out themes in the music, quoting parts as the characters said them, and cheering characters on. (I also cheered when certain characters came on screen; for instance "it's my boy Feren!!!") I teared up at scenes with Bard and his kids. I smiled a little at the scene with Tauriel and Kili on the beach, because I remembered my much younger self being super into it, even though I'm not now. I rolled my eyes at the whole Tauriel and Thranduil standoff (come ON, this is kinslaying you're talking about doing, they would never actually threaten each other like this lightly). I enjoyed all the details of the locations and scenery and costumes/makeup and the work that went into making the town of Dale look real. I recalled clips from behind-the-scenes videos for certain scenes. I went "aaaaa NOOOO" when Fili, Kili, and Thorin died. (And subsequently got a craving for "everyone lives" AU fics for the battle, lol.) I felt warmth and fondness for Middle-Earth filling me up as Bilbo left Erebor and returned home and as "The Last Goodbye" began playing when the credits rolled.

The juxtaposition between how much I knew about Middle-Earth back then and how much I know about Middle-Earth now is crazy to me. XD It just really means so much to me because without this movie, I wouldn't be here now. And sure, I definitely could have found my way into this fandom some other way. But I didn't; it was through this final movie, and even though I hadn't been present or active in the fandom for any of the previous movies, I could feel the weight of emotion in wrapping up the final Middle-Earth movie. I wanted to know more and feel more, and so I found my way in. I watched the other Hobbit movies, read Lord of the Rings and The Silm, finally got around to watching LOTR, read parts of the Unfinished Tales and The Nature of Middle-Earth, and read so, so, so much fanfiction. I've written fanfiction now, too. And I've made friends with so many people, online and in real life, because of this world and this fandom. And yeah, The Battle of The Five Armies isn't the greatest movie of all time. It's not the greatest movie of the Middle-Earth movies, and it might not even be the greatest of the Hobbit trilogy. But it will always have a special place in my heart for opening the door further into the world of Middle-Earth and welcoming me back in, and for that I will be forever grateful.

[awwyeah107]

nimble, a border collie-papillon mix, wins the 12” class in the 2024 masters agility championship. the first time a mixed breed has won at westminster ever.

[awwyeah107]

i'm tired of how boring the little free libraries are in my neighborhood. i'm going make a little newspaper to put in them. i will inject some whimsy and delight into this godforsaken suburb all by myself