mordellestories

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I’m in my annual LOTR/THE HOBBIT marathon mood, It's been a long time since I last drew these two.

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thinking about going on ao3 again... does anyone perhaps have any good bagginshield fic recommendations... :))

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“Are you with us, Thorin, son of Thrain?”

Bilbo's breath caught in his throat as he waited, the silence growing heavier still.

Two soft knocks echoed through the chamber.

Elrond nodded, his expression unwavering. “Will you speak through me to your dear friend who wishes to make contact?”

There was a pause, then two firm knocks, louder than the first, resounded through the room. Bilbo's eyes widened slightly in surprise—Thorin had never been fond of elves. Yet here he was, agreeing to use one as his vessel.

Elrond took a deep breath. “Then I offer you a contract, Thorin, as long as your intentions are pure. I give you permission to voice your words through me. Now.”

A long silence followed, a chill settling into the room. Bilbo shivered as a cold breeze brushed against him, making the hairs on his arms stand on end.

He felt a sudden squeeze from Elrond's hands. After another awkward heartbeat of silence, Elrond's lips quirked into a lopsided smirk—an expression that Bilbo had never seen on the elf before. It was startlingly familiar, unmistakably Thorin’s. Bilbo gasped, his heart skipping a beat.

“Hello, burglar…”

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I kept forgetting to post this [October 2024]

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He was just trying to fumble his way out of a particularly awkward conversation about Bush’s policies on the Cuban blockade, when he saw him. He looked up, and down, and up again, and his heart attempted to run out of his mouth. He was well over six feet, all over strong and broad in a mouth-watering way. In his cream-coloured trousers and shirt (the button-up line embroidered with golden flowers that caught the light like fallen stars) he moved with the confidence of someone who had never questioned his place in the world. His long black hair, gathered in loose waves past his shoulders, marked him as someone who made his own rules about masculinity, and had the confidence to make others accept them without question.

He moved to the bar, gold chain glinting against dark skin and darker chest fur as he leaned forward to place his order. The bartender, who had seen every type of show-off and pretender in his twenty years serving drinks, found himself pouring top-shelf without being asked. Some people just commanded that kind of respect without a word. Bilbo was captivated by the bob of his throat as he downed the sparkling glass of rum, neat in his hand.

@lisellelascelles

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If you are looking for a crazy Modern AU to read on Halloween, look no further.

It’s got salsa dancing, akward flirting, language barrier, references to Tim Burton and Pedro Almodóvar, and the last chapter will have a funny/hot Kinktober prompt.

Collaboration between @shantismurf and @lisellelascelles for @mordellestories ‘s birthday

Video examples of M/M Latin dancing after the break

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Eloy J Rojas (@eloyjrojas)

I was trying to find a video of two men dancing salsa and that is the best that I could find that was easily shareable on Tumblr… and the guy in the right is wearing white striped slacks. Otherwise none look like my HC of B/T in this.

Here’s two women dancing together with a good size difference:

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A post shared by Latin Rhythms Dance Studio (@latinrhythmschi)

Ok. I found another interesting one… it’s bachata not salsa but a good example. Of course it’s possible for two men to dance together (another matter altogether is where and when), but the issue of who leads and who is led is quite thorny… as far as I know (I have no idea about dancing, and in fact, I do hate it) these two professional dancers have found a way for two men to dance which they call the rolerotation technique.

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A post shared by Felipe y Tiago | Bachata RoleRotation Official (@felipeytiago_official)

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it’s fucked up that I have to do things like have dinner and take a shower and laundry instead of losing my mind rocking back and forth curled into a corner like a dead spider about Thorin and Bilbo. fucked up. fucked up world

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MORE MODERN AU!!! interview about the book

I wanted to make this AU a slow burn but Im empty with ideas, so, you are free to make requests (about lotr/hobbit or anything else)

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Next chapter is up!

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So cute!!!

@flashfictionfridayofficial has offered a reference to the classic line, "It was a dark and stormy night" for us this week. I was inspired by this lovely ad shared by my dear friend @lisellelascelles yesterday. I looked up the origin of the line and this story wrote itself!

Thank you @lucigoo for your tireless support and encouragement! 🥰

[#FFF276 Dark and Stormy Night]

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Bedtime Story

A/N - “London” has been discreetly shifted to “Lindon” in the excerpt below, to place this story in Middle-earth. Let's all pretend Lindon is a bustling metropolis, hmm?

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"It was a dark, and stormy night;"

Bilbo sighed happily. His eyes fluttered shut as a peaceful wave of relaxation swept through him. His shoulders melted into the cushion that had been tucked under him so tenderly.

“the rain fell in torrents—”

Gentle fingers drifted idly over the crown of his head, sending tingles sparkling happily down his spine. As the warmth of the firm thighs under his cheek seeped into his skin, the blissful domesticity of the moment made his chest squeeze pleasantly. This was his absolute favorite thing.

“except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in Lindon that our scene lies),“

The soothing cadence drifted over him, flowing through without really being attended as he was rather distracted by the fingertip tracing the upper curve of his ear, dipping into the pointed tip and dragging along the other side.

“rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.”

A tiny frown marred his brow as he tried to parse out that line of text, but as the honeyed voice rolled on in its quiet tones he settled further into his comfortable position and let the soporific sound sink into his skin.

“Through one of the obscurest quarters of Lindon, and among haunts little loved by the gentlemen of the police, a man, evidently of the lowest orders, was wending his solitary way. “

His eyes flicked open, frown deepening. He darted a glance up at his bedmate, who was holding a suspiciously bland expression on his bearded face as his gaze remained fixed on the somewhat dusty linen-bound book in his hand. The warm light of the bedside lamp cut across his features, sharpening his nose (if that was even possible) and glinting in the silver of his hair.

“He stopped twice or thrice at different shops and houses of a description correspondent with the appearance of the quartier in which they were situated,”

“What in the world are you reading?” Bilbo couldn't take it any more. He'd never heard such drivel.

Eyes gleaming with humor over their wire rimmed spectacles and decidedly not looking down at the hobbit in his lap, Thorin was unable to keep the laughter from rattling through his velvet voice as he continued,

“-and tended inquiry for some article on another which did not seem easily to be met with.”

“Alright, that's it!” Bilbo rolled over quickly and mercilessly dug his fingers into the soft rolls above Thorin’s hips, where he was especially ticklish. The former dwarf king curled up into a ball and laughed helplessly, book sliding out of nerveless fingers and utterly forgotten.

“Just see if I ever let you pick the book we read again!”

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–Excerpt from the 1830 book “Paul Clifford” by Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton, which inspired the long-standing trope of the absolute worst starting line to a story, ever. Seems like he wasn't content to leave the banal hyperbole to just the starting line 😅

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Next chapter is up!

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“Now where did Thorin go?”

While on break from pages, I doodled a wandering Bilbo! Based of @tosquinha adorable illustration I found today! :)

Stay tuned.

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“It appears we’ve lost the hobbit. Again.”

And here’s a Thorin to go with the Wandering Bilbo I drew before based off of the cute illustration drawn by @tosquinha. :)

Stay tuned.

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Seems like I might be headed straight into another manic episode. I’m not usually this productive….

Yep… another goddamn bagginshield fic.

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Next chapter is up!

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The hypocrisy from that anon is just unbelievable.

For context, I’m the actor mentioned here. My career has already felt the impact of AI, and I’m certainly not happy about it. But I know what battles are worth fighting, and I adapt—like we all must, because generative AI isn’t going anywhere.

Honestly, I pity people like that anon. They seem blind to how the real world works, choosing instead to live in a self-righteous bubble, trying to impose their ideals. It’s classic entitled behavior, all while hiding behind anonymity.

They come off as naïve and condescending, clinging to a shaken worldview and acting out of fear. That’s a lonely and bitter existence.

As I’ve said before, those who are secure in their wealth won’t feel the effects of AI the way the rest of us will—and they won’t care, either. It’s up to those of us directly affected by AI to fight for ethical use, regulation, and legislation.

But targeting fanfic writers for using AI or being friends with someone using AI? What about people who have to use it because of their jobs? Will they be hunted down next for feeding their kids with that money?

I’d say it’s laughable but I’ve never found bullying and gate keeping funny.

It’s one of the strangest and saddest hills to die on in this day and age.

Same anon as before. Anon due to security reasons. I know you have to be aware that take is not well liked. It sounds like you're trying to say you support it without being irreparably canceled. A frankly disappointing sentiment. I agree those that those who use it shouldn't be harassed but they also shouldn't be given a voice or a platform which is unfortunately what you offer them. It speaks to a lack of integrity. I have seen evidence in your server very recently that suggests you outwardly support it. If I'm reading that wrong then you have not said anything to convince me to the contrary. In fact I asked the question to begin with to give you the benifit of the doubt. I would rather you come out and say that you support it and face the conciquences then poorly playing both sides.

Thank you for taking the time to answer the question, god speed in your days. Proverbs 11:3 and Luke 12:15

(Conversation continued from https://www.tumblr.com/shantismurf/764912386766503936/)

I am painfully aware of how unpopular my stance on this issue is with a subset of our fandom. Believe me, it would be a lot easier for me to just say exactly what you want to hear and rail all day about the evils of this big bad technology and how anyone who breathes a word that isn't hateful about it is morally defunct. It's actually precisely because I am a person of integrity that I cannot do that. I say what I mean. If you can't read my words without twisting them to your preconceived notions, I cannot help that.

I'm just not capable of boiling an issue as complex as this into simple black and white terms. AI is too broad, and the applications too diverse. I believe my position on this topic is that of an informed and reasonable adult (I am 46) who recognizes that the world is complex and that life is an unending process of trying to make the best choices that you can given the information and energy available to you.

So, what is your ideal outcome in all this? Would you like to see all Al eliminated? Do you expect no one to use it, ever? Who decides what's okay to use and what's not, and what gives them the right to make that determination? Where should the priority of fanfic writers using AI tools sit alongside abortion rights and genocide and, you know what, I don't have the energy for this. I have cancer. And I have four young children. The only reason I am investing my precious personal energy into this issue is because I cannot abide the fact that a certain group of individuals feel it is their right to gatekeep and impose their morality on others, harass my friend because she gifted me a fanfic, or to bully young writers whose first experience in fandom was being singled out when their writing tripped some ai detectors (but not all, because they are useless...and why are people going around policing other people's work like that anyway?)

I just want to read, and maybe sometimes write, stories about a fictional Hobbit and the fictional dwarf he loves. And I want to tell people who share their creations of those characters how amazing they are. And I want to talk about how much I love this fandom with other people who love it too. But you don't think I should have any of that because I won't say that people who use a certain technology in a certain way are immoral and should be shunned. 

You threaten me with being "irreparably canceled" and I personally find that practice completely repugnant. Witch-hunts where people run other's work through faulty ai detectors is what should be canceled. Badgering someone for who they are friends with is what's absolutely bonkers. This intolerant culture of unilateral humiliation and scorn for that which does not fully align with one group's personal worldview is what is immoral.

Oh, and regarding the discord conversation you referred to, it occurred between an actor and screenwriter who has been directly impacted by the infringement of Al in the industry, and a fanfic writer who has learning differences, and myself. The person with learning differences expressed how they wept with joy and relief when they saw how an Al tool could correct thousands of errors in their writing in a tiny fraction of the time it would take them to do so manually. It makes writing more accessible for them. The actor expressed frustration and despair over the future of their career and also has shared the ways they use Al tools to support their creativity and their career. I was supportive of both of their experiences and celebrated their bravery in speaking openly when it could leave them vulnerable to harassment. We each talked about our experience with and questions about the technology. It's precisely the kind of dialog that I value; uplifting, non-judgemental, and informative.

These issues are complex. You can't cut it down a line and say yes this and no that. You don't know where other people are coming from or what their reasoning is, and you don't have the right to judge them. You are most welcome to join our community and participate in our discussions in good faith, but if you are only there to lurk and spy and look for dirt on people, you should take a good hard look at your motivations for that behavior.

By the way, I understand why you would make the assumption that I am Christian based on my previous statement about Jesus. I admire the ideals that Jesus represents, but I put no special weight on the words of the Christian Bible over any other historical text. I am choosing to overlook the references you made that seem to imply I am duplicitous and greedy. My formative experience in a non-denominational Christian cult left me with a deep need to reject absolutes, and respect individuality. I am agnostic, which means I don't think it's possible to know what is and is not true, but I am always learning and always seeking that truth. That's actually a good metaphor for this whole situation. I'm agnostic about Al too.

Say it's playing both sides, if you must. This is who I am. I do not pander to anyone. I can't spend any more energy on this. I'm not going to judge or punish people for the software they use, and I'm not going to stand idly by when people around me are hurt by this senseless vitriol. Intolerance and discrimination are never okay.

I believe we've said what needs to be said, but I'm not going to turn off my anonymous asks. If you feel the need to offer a private rebuttal, feel free. I will not respond publicly again. You can dm me here or on discord if you really want to have a sincere conversation. I'm not interested in holding a grudge. I just want you to leave people alone.

Scripture references:

- Proverbs 11:3 NIV - The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

- Luke 12:15 NIV - Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”