darkwing-ramblings

[darkwing-ramblings]

@eri-pl exactly, he can't be the author: as a result he's instead the target to beat by outshining! Therefore it pictures him as someone (the government) with knowledge other people to know that's holding it back!

Is competitiveness of pretty hairstyles among the elves of Nargothrond something Finrod can't compete in? I'm sure he gave them/the basics to the edain given they needed a helping hand to catch up with elves enough to innovate their own way forth past that point but among other elves one (or ten) particular ways of putting up nice bejewelled hairpins he dragged across the Helcaraxe surely he's allowed to keep to himself for the edge among his peers!

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[Tulkas] has little heed for either the past or the future, and is of no avail as a counsellor, but is a hardy friend.

Another description I love. "Yeah, Tulkas is a big dumbass with a negative attention span, but he's friend-shaped and we love him." <3

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Elrond and Haldir! They have to have fascinating thoughts on birdlife in middle earth, not to mention knowledge of plants! Plus Elrond is spoken of glowingly as a host and haldir I found charmingly earnest when reading the books! Ecology from an immortal perspective sounds grand. Also I'm always fascinated by Rivendell and Lothlorien.

Sam and Frodo sounded interesting too and possibly a tad more approachable but there's just less opportunity in life to talk to immortals so I must pass on their company, also I don't do partying like hobbits do which is a significant consideration.

Legolas and Gimli would have neat things to talk of I'm sure but I cannot match Gimli's poetry and dwarven secrecy with less known people is a thing etc. Not to mention Legolas is a bit hard to understand talking about trees to those around him in the books even if trees are great. So it doesn't sound unpleasant but also doesn't sound like how I'd want to spend my birthday.

Aragorn and Arwen I only briefly considered as I don't think I'd have much to actually say? Aragorn must have bird thoughts and Arwen must have some kind of craft etc I'd want to actually hear about in terms of what she's up to as the books limit our knowledge there... but those reasons are less compelling for selecting them as birthday company.

Eowyn and Eomer I just don't know enough about horses about to feel I could enjoy conversations with without feeling woefully underprepared (plus my memory in conversations just won't compare to theirs from a primarily oral culture so... I'm passing).

Merry and Pippin are great but I don't think I could match their energy when it comes birthday celebration potential (I am still not a hobbit or very outgoing).

I don't think I'd stand a chance getting a word in edgewise if Bilbo and Gandalf were talking and I'm not that keen on fireworks so not them even if they surely have the ability to just talk and keep going. They're also renowned for not giving straight answers and having a sense of humour- cryptic humour that's a little clever to unravel is not something I understand easily.

Galadriel makes intense eye contact and Celeborn appears rather disinterested in mortals on the whole so that's absolutely not worth it. Sounds like an uncomfortable time at least in part.

Boromir and Faramir tempted me because Boromir's notable lack of marriage pleases me as common ground and Faramir's own taking it slow on relationship levels is neat. Their company allowing for learning about Gondor as a place sounds fascinating! It'd be neat actually getting to see them in one place while alive and interacting too. But still sounds like a little bit of an awkward time given my own conversational tendencies.

Saruman and Grima sound like horrible company and I would, reasonably I think, fear for my wellbeing if I someone registered as more than a random nobody to them. Absolutely not, thank you, it would be a horrible birthday. There are points in the timeline they were probably (?) decent company but... just no, particularly the implied at once duo timings of either sabotaging rohan or, you know, scouring the shire...

in honour of turning 22 today i of course have to make it about lord of the rings

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Elrond: Let's maybe not swear a binding oath to keep jewelry away from an Ainu at all cost. Let's maybe. Let's maybe just like, pinky promise to do our best. Trust me on this, you don't want to swear any oaths

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you know a joke that never EVER gets old is when a character says smth like “I will NOT go to [place] and that is FINAL” and then it cuts to them in that place I eat that shit up every single time

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Rayla deserves her title of murderer! She killed Viren fair and square and almost died doing it too! It’s hardly her fault he was resurrected- he only needed said resurrection given how thoroughly dead he was after she tackled him off a cliff after all!

Soren is the one who doesn’t have patricide as a deed to his name only because he technically stabbed an illusory decoy of Viren.

Ezran saying "He's a murderer" when everyone at his damn council meeting except for Opeli and maybe Rayla (on a technicality) have murdered at least one if not multiple people, and then Ezran brings Terry onto his council later who is, y'know, another murderer.

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Do you know anyone taking embroidery commissions now that the queen is, well...

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Eomer and Eowyn only talk to each other once in the films

but they communicate so much.

When Eomer first returns with a wounded Theodred, an entire dialogue is shared between Eomer and Eowyn without a single word passing between them.

This mutual look of concern, they're both on the same page.

Eowyn then goes on to look at Theodred's wound. It's interesting that Eomer now looks curious above all things, he's waiting on Eowyn's judgement.

Eowyn looks at the wound and grimaces. It's bad. Theodred isn't going to survive this.

She looks to Eomer, who looks back at her in grim resignation.

They go to Theoden to inform him of the situation. As Eomer walks by Eowyn, he doesn't speak to her or interrupt her, but he puts his hand on her back as he passes. Even when the focus is on other things, he is giving her that gesture of support and fondness. That it is done without fanfare shows that this sort of affection is commonplace.

They both stand before the throne, both of them united in their attempt to reach through to their uncle. They're a team, a unit.

Eomer throws down proof that Saruman, who Grima is trying to protray as a friend to Rohan, is sending his soldiers to terrorise their people.

Eowyn gives Grima a death glare, challenging him to refute her brother's accusations. She's on Eomer's side, Eomer's team.

Eomer sees Grima looking at Eowyn, and knows what he wants. It fills him with fury.

Eowyn sees her brother choking Grima against the wall. She looks on in cold silence, then walks away.

When Aragorn reveals that the beacons have been lit, Eowyn rushes into the throne room, drawing to a stop at Eomer's shoulder. They wait together for Theoden's judgement.

When it comes, and Theoden sends Eomer to muster the troops, Eomer bows, but even before he has fully straightened up, his eyes go to his sister.

Again, no words exchanged, simply a look of common understanding. They both know what the risks are, they both know what is at stake, for the world, for their country, for their family.

Before Eomer leaves, he touches Eowyn's arm, before walking away.

With Eomer gone, we see a steely determination come into Eowyn's eyes. Now there's something Eomer's missing, now Eomer's back is turn and there's something about sister that she's keeping from him. She's riding to battle.

The one time they speak to each other, they're in opposition. About Merry, about Eowyn, about war.

The words are harsh. Eomer is stern, Eowyn is defensive.

But Eomer puts his hand on Eowyn's shoulder. He doesn't say "I don't want you to get hurt, I don't want you in battle", but that hand on her shoulder, tells the audience that's exactly what he's saying.

Those small moments of physical affection culminate in one great moment, when stern, stoic Eomer discovers Eowyn on the battle field, and breaks down in tears, cradling her and rocking her like she's a child.

And his devotion to her ultimately shown in him sitting small and hunched, tucked in on himself, crouching down in armour for what seems to have been a lengthy space of time, as he sits by her side, waiting for her to be healed.

This is such an effective way of showing to an audience that two characters love each other, when there is a limited time window. The movie needed to crack on to cover the ground it needed to cover, and with so many important dynamics to reveal to the audience, the creators needed to be time effective. Eomer and Eowyn don't share much screen time, but the looks exchanged, the passing moments of intimacy, tells us clearly that these are two people greatly fond of each other, and have been fond of each other a long time.

The lack of spoken dialogue almost enhances it. Little is said between them because little needs to be said. They already know. The one time they do speak, it's when they're quarrelling, because that's the only moment when they need to use words. The rest of the time, a gesture, a look, is enough.

[darkwing-ramblings]

Nothing better to do on a quiet evening when only the breeze can be heard!

oh dear the insomnia again :/

guess i'd better take a walk in my old chapel and relax a bit

sure hope there aren't any pirates waiting to ambush me! :D

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Paradox and pair of ducks is not a rhyme I had thought of before but I am now enlightened!

A pair of ducks

A pair of ducks

A most ingenious pair of ducks

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It’s perfect! They’re so successfully stealthy , in fact, that the only resident of the house they’re preparing to rob to check the outside was the one already plagued by nightmares and sleeping badly who manages to dismiss it as the sound of the breeze!

I love that in the 1983 Pirates of Penzance Broadway album on Spotify, the very last time they sing WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD… UPON OUR PREY! WE!! STEEEEAL!!! the consonants stop being fully audible because they’re just screaming at the top of their lungs

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What's your favorite sneaking around music (e.g., Pink Panther theme, Mission: Impossible theme)?

Great question!

I'd say Mission: Impossible is not sneaking around music, it's heist music, and mmmaybe taking itself a bit too seriously. Too much competence implied for my tastes, too much action and epicness, and way too much (and fully underserved, since this is some Cold War bullshit) self-righteousness. A great and iconic theme, just not for our purposes.

Meanwhile, The Pink Panther Theme is 100% trickster music. I don't think there's even been another melody that captures so perfectly the concept of sneaking, but who's doing the sneaking? A trickster, for sure! So the music is all sleight, playful and light-footed and irreverent, and at no point is it remotely tempted to take itself seriously. And if you hear it and expect the graceful and precise balancing act of the most elegant jewel thief in the world to be immediately followed by a fucking piano falling on the hapless Inspector Clouseau's head like some Looney Tunes shit, well the theme did its job, because that's what it's supposed to evoke. 10/10, insurpassable.

I've always said that Henry Mancini was a genius (also notable for the Peter Gunn theme and Victor/Victoria). That said, Lalo Schifrin is also brilliant (he scored Cook Hand Luke! and Bullitt! and Enter the Dragon!), so yay for both of them.

Finally, I think we should give an honourable mention to The Pirates of Penzance where WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD UPON OUR PREY WE STEAL *keeps singing at the top of her lungs*

With cat-like tread upon our prey we steal In silence dread our cautious way we feel No sound at all, we never speak a word A fly's foot-fall would be distinctly heard

So stealthily the pirate creeps While all the household soundly sleeps

Come friends who plough the sea Truce to navigation, take another station Let's vary piracy with a little burglary

Here's your crowbar and your centre bit Your life preserver, you may want to hit Your silent matches, your dark lantern seize Take your file and your skeletonic keys

With cat-like tread upon our prey we steal In silence dread our cautious way we feel No sound at all, we never speak a word A fly's foot-fall would be distinctly heard

Come friends who plough the sea Truce to navigation, take another station Let's vary piracy with a little burglary

WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD UPON OUR PREY WE STEAL IN SILENCE DREAD OUR CAUTIOUS WAY WE FEEL

COME FRIENDS WHO PLOUGH THE SEA TRUCE TO NAVIGATION, TAKE ANOTHER STATION LET'S VARY PIRACY WITH A LITTLE BURGLARY

WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD UPON OUR PREY WE STEAL IN SILENCE DREAD OUR CAUTIOUS WAY WE FEEL

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Mabel’s sisters 🔼

Mabel, immediately shaming them: How could you suggest such a thing! What reason but pity and duty could I possibly have to immediate accept a marriage proposal from this very handsome man who we just met without our father’s permission?!?

The question is had he not been a thing of beauty, would she be swayed by quite as keen a sense of duty?

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A truly inspiring song! Who could possibly hear it and not be moved to utter enthusiasm in their upcoming venture! When they go… TO GLORY AND THE GRAVE!

Go ye heroes, go to glory, Though ye die in combat gory! Ye shall live in song and story Go to immortality! Go to death and go to slaughter! Die and every Cornish daughter With her tears your graves shall water Go ye heroes go and die!

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The caps lock perfectly befits the volume the verse is sung at, I heartily concur! A stealth mission bound for success! Nothing could possibly go wrong!

WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD! UPON OUR PREY WE STEAL! IN SILENCE DREAD! OUR CAUTIOUS WAY WE FEEL! NO SOUND AT ALL! WE NEVER SPEAK A WORD! A FLY'S FOOTFALL WOULD BE DISTINCTLY HEARD!

[darkwing-ramblings]

I mean I'd say he's absolutely following royal elven precedent going on a perilous, reckless and spontaneous but well intentioned quest! The job of elven royalty seems to be being a popular figurehead among their people and also putting themselves on the frontlines facing nearly every threat their kingdom chooses to engage with personally! Is there a high mortality rate among elven royals? Admittedly, yes (not entirely unrelated to the often miserable decisions they have to pick between). This does not make Legolas' position as diplomat to Rivendell less polite as a royal turning up in person to deliver the message still means something (even if the trek across varyingly dangerous lands is pretty standard for elves, particularly royalty).

But honestly even if Legolas doesn't have siblings it absolutely tracks he's wandering around as just some elf whilst being royalty (his father is immortal, it'll be fine probably plus popular vote can decide a new king in a pinch as it did for Oropher): I mean just look at Finrod in First Age Beleriand for a similar example of being approachable and making friends being a great networking technique!

(Legolas could well have a living mother and multiple siblings as far as we know in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, he may not be Thranduil's heir, I personally enjoy the idea of him having more than one living family member)

The human kingdoms being so strict among themselves about hierarchies because it's more present history tracks just as much as them being baffled by Legolas' everything given the scarce cultural contact Mirkwood has with other populations. Elves also seem to have less of a class divide given they're all immortal and presumably it's harder to gatekeep wealth and meeting one's basic needs when you're all essentially stuck with each other for an eternity, a low birth rate and many human life times worth of years to acquire useful skills needed to get by relatively self sufficiently.

Legolas is charming in his eccentricities though, I agree. The majority silvan mirkwood/greenwood population don't seem to stand on much formal ceremony.

I think that one of the funniest things about Legolas (especially in the movies) is that he’s literally the only Elvish prince in all of Middle-Earth but everyone treats him like he’s just a random guy. And he ACTS like just a random guy as well which makes it even better