#Finrod gets lost CONSTANTLY

[mamwieleimion]

Ah yes. Let's see him shepherd the Fëanorians around and then let's imagine he gets the hobbits to help him with it.

I really need Gandalf to shepherd First Age Elves around like he shepherds Thorin’s Company and The Fellowship. I just think it would be funny.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

One of the oddest Silmarillion takes that I’ve seen recently is the idea that Beren and Lúthien had it easy.

I mean, let’s take a look at Beren’s life. The Battle of Sudden Flame hits when he’s in his early twenties. He spends five years carrying on a guerilla war against the invasion of his homeland by orcs and other evil creatures; his mother and all his female relatives have to flee, and he has no knowledge of whether they are desd or alive, or captured. There’s a strange darkness speading over the forest and turning it into something out of a horror movie, a place most people won’t even dare to go into. The band of guerillas is slowly whittled down to about a dozen people, who are hunted constantly by Sauron and his wolves. Then, while he is away, his father, his uncles, and everyone else remaining are brutally killed, and he returns to find crows eating their corpses and orcs joking about looting the dead.

He carries on an guerilla alone, against Sauron, for another several years, in the haunted woods od Taur-nu-Fuin. When he absolutely can’t last any longer, he crosses the most horrifying wasteland in all of Beleriand, where the only water present is poisoned and turns you mad, filled with evil spiders and who knows what other creatures. He’s in his early thirties but he’s been through so mich that he looks like an old man. He has lost literally everyone he has ever known; he does not know if any friend or relative of his, anywhere, is still free or living.

Then he meets Lúthien.

When he leaves Doriath on the quest of the Silmaril, which every sane person in Beleriand knows is laughably impossible, he goes to Finrod, the one person he can hope for any assustance from. Finrod has an entire realm; I don’t think Beren is any expectation that Finrod will go with him personally. And what happens? The king of the largest remaining kingdom in Beleriand besides Doriath is overthrown by his own people at the instigation of Celegorm and Curufin and left with only a few loyal people around him. All of whom then die torturously in the dungeons of Sauron, followed by Finrod’s own death saving Beren.

On top of everything else he’s been through, on top of spending several months in despair being tortured in Sauron’s dungeons, the survivor’s guilt that Beren must be feeling is extreme. Even after Lúthien rescues him, it takes him a while to recover. And he still hasn’t made any progress on the quest itself!

Then they’re attacked by Celegorm and Curufin – the people who bear a substantial amount of respinsibility for the death of Finrod and the Ten, the people who very deliberately abandoned them all to due and coerced all Nargothrond to do the same, and the people who kidnapped Lúthien and attempted to force her into marriage – and they try to kidnap Lúthien again, and to murder Beren.

The fact that Beren does not kill Curufin in that moment is a deed of extreme moral fortitude. The difference between Beren and Lúthien compared with many of the Finwëans isn’t that they don’t face temptations, or that their choices are easy, it’s that they overcome those temptations.

So. Beren spares Curufin’s life at Lúthien’s urging and Curufin immediately tries to murder Lúthien; Beren jumps in front of the arrow, is severely wounded again, and for the third time since they met Lúthien gets to work healing him. Virtually all of their time together has been spent with Beren recuperating from physical injury, psychological injury, or both.

And as soon as Beren recovers, he walks away from the one person who loves him who’s still alive, and prepares to rob the gates of Hell, alone. Because Beleriand is dangerous, and as long as Lúthien is with him and therefore unable to go anywhere safe, she will be in danger from both the servants of Morgoth and the sons of Fëanor. And even if there’s a virtual 100% chance that him walking into Angband will lead to him being slowly tortured to death, that’s a better option than the one person he has left getting killed or, worse, captured, because of him.

And then she goes with him anyway. And beyond all hope they actually succeed in getting a Silmaril - and then he immediately loses it, and his hand, to Carcharoth, and it was all for nothing.

And for the fourth time since Lúthien met him, he’s near death and she’s desperately fighting to heal him and kerp him alive, while she’s exhausted to the point of collapse. And this is the moment when she gives up and goes back to Doriath, because that is what has the best chance of keeping Beren alive.

And then, at last, a ray of hope – Thingol looks at all they’ve been through and says, fine, you crazy kids can get married. And they’ve scarcely been married yet when they learn that oh, it’s not over, Carcharoth is rampaging through the land killing people and this needs to be dealt with. And Beren, even after everything, insists on going. (Because, hello, survivor’s guilt! he probably feels that this is his fault for, uh, getting his hand bitten off.)

(The fact that the Silmaril was, for a time, inside a wolf and outside Doriath, and Celegorm, noted hunter, never got near it, is, okay, rather amusing to me.)

And then Beren dies, saving Thingol, because he knows deeply what it feels like to lose his family and he’s not going to let that happen to Lúthien. And she loses him instead.

Now let’s shift to Lúthien’s point of view. Since her first meeting with Beren she has been betrayed by literally everyone she knows and everyone she meets except for Beren and Huan. She has been treated like a child, and a madwoman, and a trophy, and a pawn, and a sex object, and literally everything except an adult person whose choices have worth and meaning. She is not a superhero; she does not know what she is doing; she is terrified for practically every moment of it, for Beren’s sake even more than for her own, and for much of it she is hopeless. She does not know how or if she can achieve anything; she only knows that she has to try, because it is better than sitting in Doriath waiting to find out if Beren is dead. She puts substantial work and thought and effort into figuring out how to get out of Doriath (given in more detail in the poetic version) – and then, just when she thinks she’s found help (note: Celegorm and Curufin do not give her their names when they first meet her; she doesn’t know they’re the sons of Fëanor), she is again taken captive, this time with the goal of forced marriage and the threat of rape hanging over her. And she still knows Beren is in desperate danger, and she still can do nothing about it.

When Huan aids her and she goes to Tol-in-Gaurhoth, it isn’t because she feels she has the power to fight Sauron one-on-one! It’s because she’s desperate and can’t think of any other options. And in fact, it is not she who defeats Sauron, it is Huan; once he is defeated by Huan, she has the intelligence and strength of will to force his surrender by threatening him with something he fears more than defeat, and to demand – not the freeing of Beren alone – but the destruction of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, freeing all its prisoners. The reason she defeats Sauron is not that she’s a half-Maia badass who can wave her hands and do everything easily! The reason she defeats him is that she shows up there completely vulnerable and in effect uses herself as bait. That is an extraordinary degree of courage, not some kind of deus ex machina. And she’s putting all the strength that she has on the line – she’s pretty much passing out by the time she finds Beren. Similarly, all her healing of him is hard, exhausting work that she’s doing despite being, the whole time, terrified that he’s about to die. None of this is easy.

Likewise in Angband – Huan’s advice and Lúthien’s magic of disguise and sleep is invaluble in getting them through the door and past Carcharoth, but the reason she is able to enchant Morgoth and cast all Angband into sleep is not primarily because of extreme power, but because, like every other non-Beren person she meets, he doesn’t take her seriously. Morgoth finds the idea of using Melian’s daughter as a brief entertainment amusing (and, if you read the poetic version, makes some truly creepy sexual threats against her), and that’s how she is able to get him unguarded enough that she’s well into her song and he’s already getting sleepy before it starts to occur to him that maybe this isn’t going quite as he planned. Lúthien’s victories are not because she’s just on a different power level from the rest of Beleriand, they’re because she’s amazingly brave and willing to walk into the most dangerous places virtually defenceless. And she and Beren rely on each other utterly – after her sleep song she’s practically passing out and can only get out of Angband because Beren is holding her up.

So this is who they are, at Beren’s death. A man who has lost everyone he loves and everyone who loves him, every friend or family, often helplessly witnessing their gruesome death – everyone except for Lúthien. And an elf-woman who has been betrayed by everyone she loved or trusted, except for Beren.

When Beren dies, I wonder if he’s even relieved that it’s finally him dying instead of everyone around him. When he sees Lúthien in the Halls of Mandos, I believe his first feeling would be not joy or love, but horror. That the last living person he loved, and the one he wanted above all to save, had now died because of him.

But Lúthien isn’t done. She goes to Mandos, and she sings, and her song says: look at what we have been through, look at what all Beleriand has been through, Eldar and Edain. We don’t want realms or glory or power; we only want a few moments of peace with each other, and we fought so hard for it, and we didn’t even get that. And when she’s offered bliss and immortality for herself, she says No, I don’t want it, not without Beren. She isn’t promised happiness or long life – she only know that for the short time she will get, she will have the chance to be with Beren. And that is enough for her; for that, she gives up everything else.

This is a faerie-story; but it does not sound to me like a trite tale of easy victories handed to the heroes by Fate or by the author! They fought and struggled and sacrificed for those victories, amd they did it without ever letting go of courage, and mercy, and humility. There is a reason why this is the story that Frodo and Sam hearken back to for inspiration.

[animatorweirdo]

Good morning/evening! It's me, muffin anon! How do you think a genderbent Beren and Luthien story would go? I am almost certain Beren (or Berin as it is genderbent) woyld not be sent to the Silmaril quest. But then, how would Thingol stop his beloved son from marrying a mortal woman? I think this is a very interesting topic to think about but has many holes in it as Middle Earth is a typical medieval society with strict gender roles. One way to make this work could be with using "Modern Girl in Middle Earth" trope. We can make our protoganist have a hobby that consists of fighting like martial arts, fencing or maybe kendo. Imagine the elves seeing Reader fight with a type of sword and technique nobody has ever seen. But this still leaves the question: why would Reader need to go on the Silmaril quest🤔? Celegorm trying to marry Luthien against her will may change as well. How about Finrod? The reason he agreed to help Beren was because of his linage and I doubt Reader coukd get his helpnas easily as Beren did.

What do you think? What other changes would the genderbending have? Do you think the story could still go at least a bit like in canon or would it change entirely? And what about Aragorn and Arwen or Tuor and Idrıl? Could they be genderbent in a way that makes them stay close to the canon? I am really curious as to hear what your thoughts are. As always I wish you a pleasant day/night.

Oh dear, I've enterteined genderbent Luthien and Beren idea before and seen some interpations. It's a lot to unfold but I do like to think that even if fem Beren might not get sent on the death quest to reclaim the silmaril, she might be stubborn to prove herself since she was just as stubborn as a man to marry Luthien, might as well try to get some revenge for her father. Our prince Luthien might just be stubborn to keep his mortal lover safe and I do not think Thingol has much power over his son either.

I do like a little modern girl version of Luthien and Beren. Reader who one day ends up in Middle Earth through a magical portal, has a rough start with orcs everywhere, and all the people she cared about get either taken or killed. She's forced to survive and learn to fend for herself. Ends up meeting an elven prince, falls in love, his family doesn't approve and reader starts a leading rebellion against Morgoth because... grudges. Finds out a silmaril might just be enough of a power source to send her back home, and starts the journey. Gets Finrod's help somehow. Celegorm and Curufin try to sabotage her and get those under her leadership to turn on her. She has really bad days and its just an emotional roller coaster, especially for her feelings for her prince and the choice to leave or stay.

I once had a fic idea where Beren's sister ends up lost and separated from her brother after living as outlaws and trying to escape the orcs. She ends up lost in a mystical forest and meets an avari elf. She adapts to living among his people and the two constantly nag at each other till they fall in love against logic and nature till the day arrives when she hears about her brother and wants to find him and the two have to make the decision to go together or separate for now.

[verecunda]

Thinking about Aegnor and Andreth, and one thing that strikes me is how much their relationship seems rooted in the landscape around them.

Finrod tells Andreth that Aegnor will always remember “the morning in the hills of Dorthonion” - presumably a reference to their first meeting. More poignantly, he talks about their last encounter by Tarn Aeluin. This is the same Aeluin described in the Silmarillion: “with wild heaths about it, and all that land was pathless and untamed, for even in the days of the Long Peace none had dwelt there.” It’s a remote place, wild and rugged enough for Barahir and his men to hide out successfully for several years (and in fact, their hideout is only discovered because Sauron torments/tricks poor old Gorlim into giving it away). It’s an unlikely place for a lovers’ tryst, even a parting. It’s clearly a place well off the beaten track, yet it’s a key location in Aegnor and Andreth’s story. You’re left with the impression that their relationship, which seems to have been relatively secret, flourished in these remote, wild places, away from the eyes of their kin.

For me, this idea is reinforced by the impression given in the Athrabeth of Andreth being an active, even athletic woman. Finrod describes the young Andreth as a “maiden, brave and eager” (he describes Aegnor in similar terms - “swift and eager”), and though the forty-eight-year-old Andreth sees herself despondently as “old and lost”, one of the footnotes describes her as being “in full vigour” at the time of the Athrabeth. This idea of physical health and activeness also comes across when she speaks of her relationship with Aegnor: “I would not have troubled him, when my short youth was spent. I would not have hobbled as a hag after his bright feet, when I could no longer run beside him!” She’s speaking figuratively, of course, but the image it conjures up in my mind is of the two of them running together across those moors and highlands of Dorthonion.

And the physical landscape also has a role to play in the end of their relationship. Finrod claims that Aegnor ended it because he has no faith that the Siege of Angband will last indefinitely, and that in times of war “the Elves do not wed or bear child.” I’ve seen Aegnor get some flack for this, with people pointing out that other Elves seem to have no problem marrying and having children during the war-torn First Age. 

However, to return to the Silmarillion, we’re told that as the Siege of Angband rolls on and Noldor and Men alike establish themselves in Beleriand, Fingolfin ponders another assault upon Angband: “But because the land was fair and their kingdoms wide, most of the Noldor were content with things as they were [...] Among the chieftains of the Noldor Angrod and Aegnor alone were of like mind with the King; for they dwelt in regions whence Thangorodrim could be descried, and the threat of Morgoth was present to their thought.”

That passage alone makes sense of Aegnor’s motives. Most of the Noldor have actually grown complacent during the siege, but he’s one of the very few who hasn’t. He can’t - his fortresses are actually within sight of Thangorodrim, and the northern slopes of Dorthonion that he and Angrod rule are regarded as a key bulwark against any attack from Angband. It’s constantly there in his mind. Even setting aside the mortal/immortal divide, it’s only too easy to imagine what a shadow that would cast across his relationship with Andreth. Finrod reckons that Aegnor is too duty-bound to imagine abandoning his post and fleeing south to safer lands with Andreth; but equally, I think he’s too duty-bound to countenance the idea of marrying her and bringing her north to face the danger of the front line. (And the danger, as it turns out, is real - after all, he and Angrod are among the first casualties of the Bragollach.) Again, the landscape, and his awareness of their place in it, that influence Aegnor’s decision to call things off. 

Taken altogether, Aegnor and Andreth and their story seem inextricably tied to the landscape they inhabit. So it is for the reader, and so it is for the characters themselves. Finrod suggests that Aegnor’s predominant memory is of “the morning in the hills of Dorthonion”, while Andreth conjures up an image of Aegnor, “bright and tall, with the wind in his hair,” suggesting that her abiding image of him, too, is set outside, with the wild hills of Dorthonion as a backdrop.

[rey-jake-therapist]

Damn.

It never occurred to me that maybe Galadriel and Celeborn never consummated their marriage 🤯 But I must say it makes sense.... Not really because Celebrian isn't born yet (heterosexual sex doesn't automatically lead to pregnancy and it's possible they were married for only a short time before he went to war), but because Galadriel's behavior is indeed very off, regarding Celeborn.

The way she talked about him only once, and even the way she talked about him... It's as if the writers were reluctant to even mention him at all, tbh. Theo's reaction was hilarious, by the way. "Your husband??" He seemed genuinely surprised she had a husband. My headcanon's that he totally believed that she was with the handsome king of the Southlands because he saw them eye fuc*ing haha. Besides it wouldn't be surprising for him to see an Elf in love with a man.

Anyway, I was always sure that Celeborn and Galadriel didn't stay married for long before the war started. All that she had to say about him was how they met, which I found a bit strange. And it was only his point of view that she mentioned : "I was dancing when he saw me there". Tbh, it was pointed that it was probably a reference to how Luthien and Beren met : Beren saw Luthien dance under moonrise in her father's forest, and fell immediatly in love with her. So we're meant to understand that for Celeborn, it was love at first sight.

But what about her feelings? She said nothing about that, except that she obviously regrets that the last thing she told him was that he looked like a silver clam.

And it's indeed very strange that she would constantly think of her brother as the most important person in her life, and not of her husband. I guess the reason is that she took Finrod's quest where he had left it when he died, which would make the bond stronger, but still, she believes Celeborn died because of Sauron too. I honestly expected her to mention him at some point during season 2, for example when talking to Elrond. I thought she would say she felt lost since he disappeared and that's why she had been vulnerable to Sauron's deception, but nothing, nada. I get why Celeborn's fans are frustrated, really, because she sounds like she doesn't give a shit about him anymore, which is very... Un-Elfish.

How come indeed that she's so sure that Celeborn's dead? Did she try to search for him? Did she hear rumors that he was made prisoner by Sauron's Orcs? Did someone tell her they saw Celeborn fall on the battlefield ?

Regarding the ring, I noticed she wears a ring at the right hand, maybe it's her wedding ring? I know that in our culture, it's usually worn on the left hand, precisely on the, well, "ring finger", but maybe Elves don't use these codes, idk.

But the biggest hint is that she fell in love with Halbrand, really. If her heart was already taken by her husband, and considering that Elves feel things much more intensely than us mere mortals do, it doesn't make much sense even if she believes her husband, her soulmate by Elven standards, to be dead.

I wouldn't like to learn now that Galadriel and Halbrand had sex tbh, but just like I don't like "late revelations" in general, as they're often made for shock value. I mean, if there was a moment to reveal that, it was in season 1 or in season 2 when she was still mourning Halbrand imho. It would of course explain even better why she was so devastated by Sauron's betrayal, because having sex for an Elf IS a big deal, but it seems a bit too late to reveal that now... Unless of course they decide to take the "Celebrian half-Maiar" route lol But it would mean that they'd go against the lore again, since a Maiar can no longer take another form if he produced a child : theorically, if Sauron had sex with Galadriel and a child was conceived, he should have stayed stuck in his human form. Imho, it's not a risk he would take, unless of course Galadriel had agreed to be his queen.

Regarding Celeborn's return, I think the writers need to show how he reacts to the "new Galadriel", and not have them both act as if nothing had happened, or as if it wasn't a big deal. Because Galadriel is definitely not the same Galadriel Celeborn knew when he went to war, and he's probably different as well. She fell in love with not just another person, but for Sauron himself, the same Sauron who's probably responsible, even if indirectly, for Celeborn's sufferings. They can't just have Galadriel and Celeborn take their marriage back to where they left it. And indeed, they also need to show us what happened to him, not just tell us, so we can empathize with him and want him and Galadriel to find some well deserved peace of mind and happiness at last.

An anon asked earlier about my thoughts on Celedriel and my answer turned into another long ass meta. Shocker. So I decided to post it as a general response to the ship and Galadriel's marriage in TROP. I haven't said much about it because my takes are controversial and I think only 3 people in Borneo would agree with me. But the brain rot is what it is.

As for the Celedriel/haladriel in-fighting. I don’t get it. There’s room for everyone. It shouldn’t threaten anyone. I’m not against the ship either. I just have to see TROP’s take on it. I will say this, and it's an unpopular opinion: what I hate is the idea of boxing Galadriel in a ship because she is canonically married. I see that argument all the time on X. Like that’s it. That’s the tweet. “She’s married.” “Married” isn’t a personality trait. To me, it doesn’t say anything of the individuals involved. It doesn’t even denote love. It gives me nothing, sorry. I want to see their relationship before I ship it. Like I said, I am very open. And I do know what marriage means to elves but that’s clearly not what many of these online folk are asserting. We live in a post-modern, non-Middle Earth world. I'm not a big fan of chivalric love stories but that's my taste.

I love TROP Galadriel because she exists outside of her marriage. She became a warrior and commander. She’s dirty and bloody. She’s a brash, surly, tempestuous, unapologetic woman with priorities that are decidedly un-wifey and not traditionally feminine. Her husband disappeared in the war and she moved on with her life.

What I find interesting is that while Galadriel accepted her husband as gone... Sauron? She refused to. She pursued her rival for centuries with little more than a hunch and a handful of ashes. She pointed to her heart and said he wasn’t gone. Where was that certainty, that intuition about her missing husband?

And when Halbrand confronted her in Numenor, asking whom she had lost, for whom was she fighting? Her answer was not her husband. So why is Galadriel not as bound to Celeborn as she is to Sauron? In elven tradition, the fear of elves are intertwined through courtship, marriage and then sex. If their fear are tied, as they should according to Tolkien, she should know if Celeborn had passed and wouldn’t she be looking for him? But in TROP, does she know? And if she has no flarking idea if his fea had passed to the afterlife, i.e Halls of Mandos. Why?

Here’s my next unpopular take. The showrunners have already stated that Celebrian hasn't been born in this timeline. What if it’s because Galadriel and Celeborn have not consummated their marriage yet? And that’s why Gal’s fea hasn’t pinged on her husband. (Compare that with the text in the Unfinished Tales) So if she hasn’t had sex with Celeborn, their marriage contract is incomplete. The only 2 people who would know that are Gal and Celeborn. The other thing too is, elves do wear marriage rings. But here Galadriel is never seen wearing one for Celeborn? Why? Now let’s get to the meat. Why is her mind so attuned to Sauron? Why was that door open? Their bond had always been unique and singular. And now we know from the director that Galadriel loved Halbrand. I posit that there’s a possibility that they already had sex. I also suggest that Elrond believes they had too. His speech to her in Cirdan's workshop was very sensual in imagery: “Sauron looked inside you, plucked the very song of your soul, note by note. Making himself out to be exactly what you needed - the lost king who could ride you to victory.” Dude, he was trolling her. I believe that’s part of the reason why he’s so feral about Galadriel dallying in anything to do with Sauron. Because she fell in love, (maybe?) had sex with him (possible?) and she is wearing a ring he believes to be under Sauron’s power. At this point, she is more the bride of Sauron than she was to her actual husband. Yeah.

I’m not saying she didn’t and doesn’t love Celeborn. I’m not saying she doesn’t value her marriage. It’s just clearly, it isn’t high on her list of priorities and if it doesn’t crack it, then obviously she doesn’t define herself by it and…*drumroll* she wouldn’t confine herself to it either.

So where would Celeborn fit in the grand scheme? How they would portray their marriage? In many ways, she’s the same elf Celeborn married: good, graceful, beautiful, charismatic, strong-willed, and clever. She could be all those things again. Sometimes that’s what marriage is. Being that person whom your partner married. But to find someone whom you could be yourself? Truly? That is a soulmate. So far, in the show, we’ve seen Galadriel with someone with whom she can be all parts of herself at once. Someone who sees her light and tells her to embrace her darkness. Who invites her to blaze at her brightest because he can withstand the flame. There is danger in that, of course. The flame could be a conflagration, destroying everything it touches in its wake. A temptation and adrenaline rush that only another one who bears a ring of power would understand.

If I were a TROP writer and I had to bring Celeborn back and make him a compelling counterpoint to Sauron, I would give him a whole arc and backstory of his own. I would show him on his own odyssey home to Galadriel. I’d show him in dire straits and similar obstacles where he triumphs because of his decency and devotion to the love he left behind. (Cold Mountain comes to mind). It’s a classic tale and it works every. damn. time.

[dragonfirez]

Short Crack fic about the Hair 😂

Maedhros, returning from torture, cuts off his hair. It was a dramatic gesture and he did not anticipate the events it would set in motion, but once done he could not go back.

His brothers, being Fëanorion and also slightly guilty about abandoning him, all cut their hair in a public act of solidarity. (All except Celegorm. His hair is the most beautiful silver so why would he cut it? Just below shoulder length is the shortest he can bring himself to go.)

To Maedhros’ despair the hair thing only grows from there and soon all the Fëanorions are doing it as some kind of declaration of loyalty and to show Fingolfins people what they think of them. Maedhros tries to explain they are only making themselves look like fools but it has gotten out of hand and no one will listen to him. At first the haircuts are dire but then, with everyone doing it they do get some pretty good barbers.

The first to run into problems is Celebrimbor when he first separates from Curufin….and therefore Curufin’s personal barber. While he is still hanging at Nargothrond it’s not the end of the world. Nargothrond have people who can cut hair because……Finrod. (Who we will get to later) Though he is not really keen on what they call “the Nargothrond fade.” But when he moves to Gondolin it is an absolute disaster. No one cuts hair there, no one! They haven’t even heard of such a thing. He has to do it himself and he is well aware he looks absolutely dreadful, but what can he do? He may have foresworn Curufin but he is still a Fëanorion.

By the time Maedhros and Maglor find themselves lumbered with Elrond and Elros they have forgotten what it was like to have long hair and Maglor has become pretty darn good at the hair cutting. Elros’ curls really suit the short styles and he loves fashioning Man-style cuts for him. Elronds hair is more problematic but Maglor still thinks he does a reasonable job. It all falls apart when they deposit Elrond with Gil-galad. Gil-galad is horrified at the Fëanorion looking boy he is left with, but try as he might he cannot convince Elrond to grow his hair out. If only the boy would see sense. He has a hard enough time fitting in as it is, but no. A more stubborn elf Gil-galad has never met. None of his people in Lindon will cut hair. They hate the Fëanorions with a passion and cutting hair is seen as an absolute betrayal. Gil galad is forced to be in charge of cutting Elronds hair himself. He’s appalling bad at it, swearing every time that he has inherited none of his fathers hairstyling ability. (Fingon being so very good with beads and ribbons). When Celebrimbor shows up Gil-galad is SO relieved to be able to hand the Fëanorion hair cutting responsibility on. But Celebrimbor seems even worse at it. How can that be? Elrond is doomed to have bad haircuts until Celebrian gets her hands on him and puts her foot down.

As for Finrod……. Bored while in Valinor, wanting to create some drama, he cut his hair off one day in an act of rebellion. However it did not have the desired effect, his father just sighing heavily and saying, “oh well, It’s your hair I suppose, Finderáto.” Having made the gesture he had to stick with it or he would have looked a complete fool.

This had unfortunate consequences when he announced he was leaving for Arda and Amarië said she would only go with him if he grew his hair out. (If she hated the hair so much why had she not said something earlier?) Still Finrod was not one to cave in to blackmail. He gave a very impressive speech…he thought….. about freedom of expression and love being respecting choices you might not like.

And Amarië stayed behind.

So that didn’t work. But having grandstanded and lost her he had to keep the hair. To do otherwise would mean losing Amarië was completely pointless.

He did get sick of constantly being mistaken for a Fëanorion in later years however. Could they not see he was blonde?

On arriving back in Valinor after the unfortunate werewolf incident the first thing he did was to grow the dratted hair back.

Then he and Amarië could forget the whole thing had ever happened.

It was an aberration, that’s what it was.

[that-angry-noldo]

He Who Sings Against Gods - Part Five

[part one] [part two] [part three] [part four]

Chapter Five

The Talks

Time stopped.

Finrod was lost again, squeezing his father in a desperate hug. 

You're here. You're here.

I'm here. I'm here.

He had no control over his thoughts, emotions, or Osanwe. His father's strength enveloped his mind, his hands firmly on his shoulders.

Loneliness. Pain. Shame.

It's alright. It's alright.

Anger. Fear. Where are you?

I'm sorry. I'm here. I'm here.

Smoke, fire, screams-

I'm here. I'm with you. I'm holding you.

Tears rolled down his cheeks.

I'm here.

He felt weak.

I'm holding you.

His heart cried with pain, reminding him of a long healed scar.

"I'm here," Finarfin whispers. "It's alright. I got you." 

Finrod gives up - in fact, he didn't even fight - and closes his eyes.

He's here. He got him.

The silence is broken only by the quiet whisper of the king, who hugs his long-lost son.

~

Lahto was worried.

The king disappeared. Not completely - Lahto felt his presence, bright and strong as always. However, he disappeared.

More precisely, Lahto knew where the king was, but he could not physically get there, because at the door to the prince's room, calm and unruffled, throwing control glances at the corridor from time to time, stood Thamion.

Lahto did not like Thamion. Thamion was- Thamion constantly steered the king in the wrong direction, constantly stood in his shadow, smiling defiantly, laughing with him behind closed doors. Thamion was as dangerous as a wild cat.

Thamion led the king away from Valar. The pain echoed in Lahto's chest. 

He can't get his king back without losing Thamion.

This made him desperate, because it was impossible to get rid of Thamion. He'd repeat that to Irmo over and over again.

Irmo, unlike others, listened intently. He supported him, he comforted him.

You're doing everything right.

The king needs your help. He just doesn't understand it.

He's still a child, isn't he? You remember how he ran around your king's palace and laughed.

Lahto wants the king to laugh again. He wants him to finally listen to him and get some rest in Irmo's garden.

And he wants Thamion to go there too. He is wrong, but he is not guilty. Melkor's lies are too deep in his head.

Irmo calms him down by hugging him close to his chest.

Lahto is crying.

Lahto just wants his king to laugh again.

~

"-mion."

 It was quiet.

"I'll bring you dinner."

The hand stroking his hair stopped uncertainly. Finrod groaned in protest.

The hand returned.

"Are you sure?" 

Sigh. 

"He didn't eat for - three days? four days? And even don't get me started on you. You hadn't eaten today, had you?" 

Finrod was a bit annoyed. He's resting. He wants silence. Is it so hard to organize?

He opened his eyes and looked at Thamion with the most annoyed look he could muster.

Silence. He wants silence. Get out of here, Thamion.

"Thamion, you are asked to get out."

The figure in the doorway gasped.

"The child has spoken?"

Hm, maybe it's time to introduce the death penalty. Finrod closed his eyes.

He stopped at the ants. Yes. Tamion should be drenched in honey and thrown into the anthill. Hmm.

Thamion snorted but went out and closed the door. There was a pleasant gloom and silence in the room.

Anthill? something in his head asked quietly. Finrod moved unhappily, shifting to a more comfortable position. Yes, an anthill. Beor once told him how Edain extracted information from orcs. What's strange here?

The voice fell silent and disappeared, leaving behind something that could be interpreted as "we'll talk about it later." Finrod nodded. Yeah. Later.

Or he will switch to the wet sheepskins and how they, while drying, slowly break the bones of those who continue to bother him with unnecessary questions. Now, please stroke my hair. 

Finarfin chuckled softly, and Finrod almost imagined his surprised smile. Hmm. It was good. Tamion will bring the food. And you're not going anywhere from here. You will stay with me all night. If i can't know how the hell I appeared here, then I'm going to get everything out of this situation. Artanis will be jealous.

The memory of Artanis echoed in unexpected pain. Oh. Exactly. Has Finarfin not seen her for at least half a millennium? So what. She' s still a pain. Why do you need Artanis, when I'm right here, Finarfin?

He blinked contentedly as his father's mind responded with a vibrating warmth. Of course you're right here. My little golden prince. Does your heightness want something?

Finrod closed his eyes completely, relaxing. He won't think yet. He has a father. He has a bed. Thamion will bring food. He will think tomorrow. Think, think and think.

We have a lot to talk about. 

Yes, Finrod agreed, but before that you'll say that you love me more than Artanis.

~

Thamion balanced two plates on his hands and a third on his head. No, he couldn't ask for help from the servants. Yes, that was his mission. Yes, most likely it will turn into a catastrophe, and he will end up with three plates of food on the floor, but hey. It'll be fun.

He just can't tell Arafinwe or that little pain of his that somehow came back from the dead. Thamion had a reputation to maintain.

The same reputation he thoughtlessly spoiled before the servants. Well. Now he will have the reputation of a clown balancing a bowl of soup on his head.

He just couldn't let Arnie know about it, because there is nothing worse than when your wife finds out about your noble proffesion of a clown. 

The wife in question mercilessly broke into his mind, said that today she expected him to come home, and went out, doing the osanwe-equivalent of slamming the door shut. Out of the blue, Tamion almost tossed the plates over, sighed, called the servant (who found the scene very funny), and tasked him with delivering dinner to the prince's room. After thinking for a while, he moved his plate from his head to the windowsill.

Lahto's black robe flickered in the yard, and Thamion winced. The headache returned from the psychotherapy session.

One can only hope that this idiot will not go straight to the prince's room. But hey, they're elves. Hope is their second nature.

~

The soup was a good dinner.

First, because it could be drunk.

Second, because it was warm.

Third, the last time Finrod ate soup was in Nargothrond. In general, the last time he ate normal food was in Nargothrond. In Sauron's cellars, he was stuffed with dirty water and something Finrod's mind refused to remember. It was probably a stew of rotten potatoes.

In fact, it didn't matter then, because when your friends are eaten by a werewolf, the form in which you are given calories does not matter at all.

Finarfin, who was sitting on the floor by the bed, froze, and Finrod belatedly remembered that they were still bound by Osanwe.

Ahem. Well. This was not his problem.

A werewolf?

Ahem. Finrod set the plate aside. Uhm. I want to sleep.

What the hell, Arato.

Good night, Dad :D

[emeraldskulblaka]

The Backstory to Finrod Zong

~ stream announcement ~

This is a very condensed summary of the events that precede the story of Beren and Lúthien featured in Finrod Zong. It's simplified and not entirely accurate in places, but will hopefully do its job.

Relevant characters:

Finrod, King of Nargothrond

Galadriel, his sister

Amarië, his lost love

Celegorm, his older half-cousin

Curufin, his younger half-cousin

Sauron, lieutenant of Morgoth, the Enemy

Lúthien, an elf princess

Beren, a mortal man

Thingol, King of Doriath, Lúthien's father

Melian, Queen of Doriath, Lúthien's mother

mentioned: Fëanor, the Silmarils, Morgoth, Barahir's Ring

Map:

In the early days of Tolkien's world Arda, all elves lived in Middle-Earth. Some were persuaded by the Valar (the 'Gods') to cross the sea and move to their own rich and bountiful land, Valinor. Others, including Thingol, stayed behind in Beleriand, a region of Middle-Earth. Thingol founded the kingdom of Doriath, married Melian, a Maia (a 'lesser God'), and the two of them had Lúthien, who grew up to be the most beautiful and powerful elf in the world.

Meanwhile in Valinor, the 'mad scientist' Fëanor created three exceptionally beautiful gems, the Silmarils. He had seven sons, two of which are Celegorm and Curufin. Fëanor's younger half-brothers had children as well, making Finrod and Galadriel half-cousins to the two Cs. However, the time of peace suddendly came to an end when Morgoth, the Enemy, stole the three Silmarils and killed Fëanor's father. Enraged by the Valar's inaction, Fëanor decided to claim his gems back himself and headed towards the sea, but was met by resistance from the elves living there, who were unwilling to yield their ships to Fëanor. In a rage, Fëanor, his sons, and their followers killed several of those elves (the First Kinslaying), stole the ships, and sailed to Middle-Earth. Upon arrival there, he burned the ships, forsaking his promises to his extended family. Those who had followed Fëanor to the shore, but had not taken part in the Kinslaying, including Finrod and Galadriel, had no other option but to turn North and cross the Helcaraxë (the Grinding Ice) to reach Middle-Earth as well. In leaving Valinor and the Valar behind, Finrod had to let go of his beloved Amarië, who chose to stay behind. All elves who decided to leave Valinor were banned from returning. Fëanor's betrayal and the Kinslaying created tensions within his family, which were never fully overcome.

Fëanor (who dies in battle not long after reaching Beleriand) and his sons are constantly driven by the Oath of Fëanor, which compels them to reclaim the Silmarils and pursue Morgoth as well as anyone else who tries to get between the Silmarils and their rightful possessors. This Oath is the prime motivation for Celegorm and Curufin in Finrod Zong.

As the elves from Valinor settled in Beleriand, Finrod founded Nargothrond, Galadriel stayed in Doriath in close proximity, and the Sons of Fëanor lived in the Northern parts. Several hundred years later, the Fëanorian strongholds were largely overrun as a result of a major battle, and Finrod agreed to let Celegorm and Curufin stay in Nargothrond with him. During that same battle, Finrod was saved last minute by a mortal man called Barahir, whom he promised friendship and gave a ring as a token of a favour owed.

This is were the events of the rock opera begin:

A few years later, Barahir's son Beren, exhausted from his journeys and on the run from Morgoth's servants, stumbles into Doriath, where he meets Lúthien. The two fall in love. Thingol, however, doesn't want his daughter to marry a mere mortal, and sends Beren off to claim a Silmaril from Morgoth - a quest that's very likely to kill Beren and solve the 'problem.' Beren remembers Finrod's vow to his father and leaves for Nargothrond to ask Finrod to raise an army and join him in his endeavour. When C&C hear of this, they remind Finrod of their Oath and dissuade Finrod's people from following their king. Finrod, however, remembers his own love for Amarië as well as his promise to Beren's father, and decides that at least one of them should be able to fulfill the song of love. He casts down his crown and leaves with Beren and a handful of his most loyal subjects. Soon after setting out, they are captured by Sauron, Morgoth's lieutenant, in Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Finrod doesn't reveal their identities and fights Sauron with songs of power, but loses. He and Beren await their end in Sauron's prison.

Meanwhile, Thingol sets out from Doriath and offers C&C (specifically Celegorm since Curufin is married) his daughter's hand in marriage as well as the crown of Nargothrond. Melian scolds him for this, reminding him that there is but one true love, as he himself should know.

Lúthien escapes from Doriath and arrives at Nargothrond, where she is taken captive by Celegorm and Curufin. When she's unwilling to give up, they resolve to let her go. She even manages to arrive at Sauron's tower in time to save Beren and frees him both by defeating Sauron. Beren is the only one of the prisoners still alive - Finrod had sacrificed himself to save Beren mere moments prior to her arrival.

After the events of the rock opera:

Beren and Lúthien make it to Morgoth's stronghold. Lúthien enchants Morgoth while Beren cuts a Silmaril from his crown. They flee back to Doriath, but Beren is mortally wounded and dies. Stricken by grief, Lúthien fades and joins Beren in death. Once again, she puts forth her great power and appeals to Mandos (the 'God of the Dead') to release them. Moved by her beauty and the powerful song, he grants them both another life - as mortals. They live happily ever after and have a son, Dior, who would succeed Thingol as King of Doriath.

Celegorm and Curufin as cast out of Nargothrond, and Finrod's nephew Orodreth takes up the crown.

After his death in Sauron's tower Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Finrod is re-embodied fairly quickly in Valinor and reunited with Amarië.

Galadriel as the one to narrate both the prologue and the epilogue outlives them all by millenia and returns to Valinor only once she is allowed to after the destruction of the One Ring and the final defeat of Sauron.

[elfy-elf-imagines]

Used to Be Mine P.II | Finrod

Pairing: Finrod x Human!Reader

Genre: some angst; fluff 

Warnings: implied mention of suicide (very tiny mention)

Requested: Yes, but so far back idk if the original requester is even reading this

Prompt: --

Words: ~3k

It was cold that night. Not the, ‘the stars are out and the wind is gently blowing against me’, but the obnoxious kind where the wind was aggressively smacking against you as your hair blew all over the place. The kind that left bitter kisses all over your skin that would only be remedied with a velvet soft blanket and an even warmer person to snuggle closer with. But you only had a fur lined cloak and the distant memories of a roaring hearth. Perhaps running away in the middle of the night in the dead winter wasn’t a smart decision, but your mind was far too cloudy to make sound choices. 

You’d hurt Finrod, you knew you had. It felt like a barbed arrow had pierced through your chest everytime you wandered too close to civilization, seeing dozens of postings offering mountains of gold to anyone who had information on you. It felt like a thousand tiny blades were piercing your skin when you‘d look at the stars, only to be reminded of Finrod’s eyes that shined like ten thousand stars. Or when the sun's rays would dare be so radiant and bright, nearly enough to blind you, and remind you of the warmth and comfort his smile brought you. Only for that to be ripped away when you were left alone in the cold

There wasn’t a day you didn’t consider turning around. Every night you’d relive your fondest memories with him, feeling his phantom touches that would wrap around you, hearing his voice whisper to you in elvish as you drift off. And every morning, even as you set off further and further away from him you’d mentally prepare a grand and emotional speech to recite to Finrod in hopes of earning his forgiveness. But you didn’t. You didn’t even dare to look behind you most days, because if you did, you knew you’d crack. 

But you weren’t ready to face that yet, instead opting to increase the distance like a coward.

So you stood by the still river, watching the reflection of the stars in the water. Your camp fire rapidly burned behind you, casting everything in a warm glow, but doing little to nothing about the freezing cold. So entranced by your own thoughts, living in a fantasy that was just out of reach, you didn’t hear anything amiss. Until it was too late.

“Y/N.” a voice called from behind you, a voice you’d recognize anywhere. You froze in your place, back stiff as a board. Your heart hammered in your chest, so loud you were sure he could hear it clear as day. You know it’s him, it couldn’t be anyone but him. However there was a shadow of a doubt in the back of your head. That nasty voice that shouted to you he wasn’t really here, that this is just one big hallucination. 

Needing confirmation, you turn your body, your hands that lie limp at your sides shaking like autumn leaves falling from the trees. And for a moment you hope that the little part of your brain was right, prayed that Finrod wasn’t standing before you. You didn’t want to have to face the consequences of your rash actions, to see first hand how much damage you did. Yet there he was, regal and ethereal as ever, however something seemed… off. 

His pale skin that usually glowed with otherworldliness - something that clearly separated him from morals - seemed dim. He was still pale, yes, but not like the pale light that washed over the world when the moon came out or the scintillating glow of the distant stars, but more like the dead. His skin looked sallow and aged, deep set bags surrounding his eyes that looked like her ran a stick of coal under them. But worst of all was his eyes. His sapphire blue eyes that used to glitter like thousands of diamonds were dull and tired and defeated. You always knew what he was feeling or thinking just by looking into his eyes, and now you wish you hadn’t. 

But hidden in the depths of the sea of despair he seemed to be drowning in, there was a slight sparkle to them. A small smile tugs on his lips, but it isn’t filled with the usual radiance he carried himself with, this one looked… exhausted, like it took all his willpower to keep himself together. 

Taking all of this in, your heart stopped and your breath got caught in your throat. Your mouth grew drier than any desert as you watched him. Time seemed to grow still, seconds that used to tick by rapidly halt until it feels like a century before anything changes. You open and close your mouth, unsure of what to say. What could you say? It was written all over his face the effect you had on him when you left. 

“How did you find me here?” The words finally manage to leave your mouth, your voice hoarse and quiet. You continue to watch him, unblinking. 

“You always did like to be near the water. It was not difficult to find you when I began to follow the river,” he said. His voice, normally soothing and musical, the way you often imagined the gods themselves talked like, was rough and scratchy. 

“I did always talk about the water, I suppose,” 

The two of you stood there, silence enveloping you. It was awkward and tense. Once again you felt yourself growing antsy as the guilt crept up inside of you. 

“Why did you--”

“I’m sor--” 

Each of you speak simultaneously, cutting yourselves off upon hearing the other speak. It grew silent once more, the weight of your guilt burying you deeper and deeper into the ground. 

“You go first,” you finally muttered, sure that the noise would be carried off with the ferocious wind. But elves always did have keener ears than the race of Man. 

“Why did you leave?” he said. His words made you flinch, like a dog being scolded by its owner. Not because of any fury or fire in his words, the exact opposite actually. His tone was quiet and gentle, soothing enough to lull you to sleep right then and there. But maybe that’s what hurt most, he wasn’t angry with you, but hurt; hurt that you ran away from him. 

It was stupid, you thought. And shame burned bright red on your face, embarrassed that you wrecked his heart so quickly when you took the easy way out rather than facing the problems head on. At least then, he would’ve known you weren’t happy and had an understanding of why you’d leave. 

“I’m sorry. It just got too much, I guess.” you muttered as your eyes traced the forest floor a dozen times over, anything to keep your gaze from his. 

“What became too much, mime úrin ar elena?” he asked. You couldn’t help but notice the substantial amount of distance between you, like an invisible barrier he refused to pull down. It hurt, like a knife to the gut, but it was understandable. A part of you wished he’d left you to wallow in your guilt and pain forever, but he deserved closure, even if you didn’t.   

“Would it be too vague to say everything? I just-- I’m not made for high court, and this only proves it,” you said, trying to put more vigor into your words. Maybe if you convinced him you were better off in the woods, he’d leave sooner.

“Yes, it would. I’m not understanding you, mime mel” he said. The wind aggressively rushed past you, forcing your hair in front of your face. 

“I’m not made for elven high court Finrod. They chewed me up and then spit me out. I couldn’t stay there, not anymore, who knows what other damage it would’ve done to me.” you said. Invigorated with a rush of courage, you raised your head to meet Finrod’s gaze. You immediately wished you hadn’t. His initial appearance was bad enough to be faced with, but this was worse. His eyes were trained on you, pain on display to any who might glance at them. His lips were downturned and his nose scrunched up ever so slightly. It was the only vaguely human thing he ever did whenever he was confused by something. 

“Who mime mel. What did they do to you?” he exclaimed, his voice raising in volume just a hair. But it was enough to cause a shiver to run up your spine. Finrod hardly ever lost his composure and this is the closest you’ve been to seeing just that. 

“Everyone! They would dance around me like a lion stalking its prey! They mocked me constantly about anything that would come to their minds” you exclaimed, straightening your posture ever so slightly. 

“I wasn’t aware of this,” he muttered, to himself or you? You’re not sure. 

“Of course you weren’t, my love! You always see the best in everyone, blind to the malicious intentions behind their fair faces!” you said, you voice no longer a whisper, it was a roar, a lion’s roar. You were tired. Tired of everything that involved that stupid castle and now here Finrod is, dragging up everything you fought so hard to bury deep in you. It was irrational and wrong for you to be angry, you knew this. But you also knew you were human. 

A human tired of being treated like trash by the Fair Folk. 

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve--” he began, but you cut him off. 

“And do what? Get together all of the nobility and tell them to stop being mean to your wife? There’s nothing you could’ve done Finrod,” 

“And I suppose just fleeing from your problems is a better solution! To just up and leave with nothing except for a hastily written letter left behind?” he responded. His voice was no longer delicate like glass, but strong like steel. He straightened his back and squinted his eyes, carefully watching you. 

“I did what I had to do! Any moment longer in that castle and I probably would’ve--” you began, swiftly cutting off your sentence, refusing to admit how far you’d spiralled. 

“Death. You were considering death,” not even a second later and the steel left his voice. You couldn’t speak, you didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly, in fear of shattering the careful glass that encased the two of you. So you simply nod your head and clench your jaw. 

“Mime mel--” 

“Please, don’t,” you said, voice thick with emotions. It was taking all your willpower to keep any tears from falling down your face. You couldn’t crack, not now, not with Finrod so close. “I-- can’t. I’m sorry.”

Like a coward, you turned your back and began to run, disregarding your traveling pack and everything else at camp. However you’d only managed to take three steps before you felt a presence behind you. A hand tightly gripped your shoulder, not so tight that it would bruise, but enough for you to know it wasn’t the ghost of a caress caused by the wind. It turned your body, forcing you to face Finrod. He was only two paces away from you, so close you could feel his breath fanning across your face. His eyes that previously were filled with hurt and confusion still looked hurt, but there was a sliver of hope. 

And that’s what made it worse. He still wanted to be with you, for you to come back to the palace and rule by his side despite your careless actions. This only caused you to shake your head again, this time more frantic and desperate than before. 

“Please, we can fix this together. Just, don’t shut me out please. Our time is already so limited, why waste anymore time?” he whispered, his voice sounding like it was right by your ears. As if nature was in tune with Finrod and only him, the ferocious wind calmed down, opting for a gentle sway rather than an aggressive wave of air. 

“I can’t,” you whisper, the ability to stop your tears crumbling with your words. They slowly poured down your face, the liquid reflecting in Finrod’s blue eyes. Your voice was scratchy and rough, like you hadn’t spoken in a thousand years. You would’ve looked away from him too, averted your gaze so you wouldn’t have to see the damage you continue to cause, but his hand stopped you. 

They were soft and smooth, lacking any of the callouses his rigorous weapons training should’ve caused. He delicately cradled your face, as if you yourself were a silmarilli the elves coveted so ardently. His thumb traced your cheekbones and up to your temple, his warm skin a stark contrast to the bitter cold. 

“You can. I’m sorry I didn’t realise how hurt you truly were, but I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to ensure that will never happen again,” he said, the passion and fire in his voice nearly melting the frostbite you could swear was creeping into your toes. 

“How do you know? How can you promise that?” 

“Because I don’t know what else I can do. I need you, by my side. These past months have been proof, not that I needed to be assured of my love for you,” he whispered. You were wavering. You knew it; he knew it; even the stars seemed to know it, as they shined just a bit brighter in that moment. 

“And if I say no?” The question escaped your mouth before you could comprehend it. The nasty voice inside your head rearing its head, spitting at you that this is all some ruse, that he doesn’t love you. The delicate smile that creeped onto his face lowered just the slightest and his eyes dimmed a notch, and you couldn't help but notice the star matching their luminosity. 

“Then I will leave here heart broken. However, I shall not pester you any longer if you truly wish to be free. Just know that you will always have a home at Nargothrond if you ever change your mind,” he said. The words sounded like poison from his mouth, twisting the knife that had been embedded in your gut since he arrived. He leaned forward, pressing a light kiss on your forehead, his lips barely making contact with your skin before pulling away. 

Your heart raced in that moment, aggressively beating against your chest as it screamed how foolish you were. Head pounding and hands shaking, you make a decision in that split second. Finrod only managed one step away before your arms wound around his waist, urging him closer. He faced you, the grief melting from his face and being replaced with hopefulness and joy. The moonlight reflected beautifully off his golden hair and the urge to touch it burned in you. So you did. Removing one hand from his waist, you trailed it up towards his hair and touching any skin along the way. His hair was soft as silk and as fine as gold thread. 

“I suppose I’ll come with. No sense in wasting anymore time,” you said, twirling his hair in between your fingers. A small smile formed on your face, the first genuine smile to grace your face in a long while. Your eyes lit up with glee, small lines forming under your eyes and Finrod’s face perfectly mimicked yours. 

“Ni mel tye mime úrin ar elena” The moon shined just a tiny bit brighter, the stars dancing above the two of you.

“Ni mel tye too mime silme,” the flowing language of the elves felt foreign on your lips, but it was welcomed nonetheless. His smile brightened and then Finrod leaned forward, capturing your lips in a kiss. It was warm and sweet and everything good in the world, filling you with a euphoric sensation that always followed Finrod like a ghost. You smile into the kiss as the tears continue to slowly stream down your face. 

At some point one of you pulls away, yet you maintain the same distance, neither of you willing to untangle from the other. Finrod pressed his forehead against yours, your noses touching as well. And you stay like that, basking in each other warm presence with big dumb smiles painted on your faces. 

But it was nice, well more than nice, but you couldn’t think of any words that could describe your feelings. 

So nice will have to do for now. 

You weren’t naive, you knew life in high court wouldn’t just magically be better now. But the grin on Finrod’s face and the look in his eyes, a look you surely mimicked, it all seemed worth it. 

Your grin widened and you leaned forward, losing yourself in another kiss. 

                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations from Quenya (apologies if this is wrong, I used a translator): 

~ Mime mel: my love

~ Mime úrin ar elena: my sun and stars

~ Ni mel tye mime úrin ar elena: I love you my sun and stars

~ Ni mel tye too mime silme: i love you too my starlight 

                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~

TAGS: If at any point, you no longer want to be tagged, just shoot me a message! :D 

@atenr​ |  @aearonnin​ |  @emiliessketches​ |  @vibratingbones​ | 

[gffa]

Tagged by @generallkenobi Rules: name ten favorite characters from ten things, then tag ten people. 1. Star Wars - Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker - mmffffmmmfffff, no, you can’t make me choose!  I know it seems like I’m probably a bigger fan of Obi-Wan’s, but honestly as much time as I spend thinking about and yelling about Anakin Skywalker, I’m pretty sure they’re tied.  I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, sobs.  I love Obi-Wan because he’s what I aspire to be, someone who is reserved but shows a depth of feeling at the same time, who has his shit together even when the worst happens, he still finds a way to keep getting back up, and still is kind to the galaxy, finds the good in people. Meanwhile, Anakin Skywalker is someone I see so much of myself in, all that messy noise in my head, the anxiety and depression that I read into his character, the fear of rejection that I’ve experienced on a bone-deep level, the disastrous choices he makes are ones that I feel come from a place where I understand what led him to them, and the fear of how hard it is to look within myself and really face myself, that I avoided it for a lot of years because it was too terrifying.  I trash talk him a lot and I yell about the shitty choices he made, but it’s never without the understanding that I feel I understand why he made them and why they resonate so powerfully with me. 2. Sailor Moon - Tsukino Usagi - My forever girl!  Usagi’s journey, especially in the manga, as someone who was emotionally fragile and would rather die than live without her special people, to someone who stands up and says, no, this time I’ll be the one to save them!  That her journey being told, from that fragile person to that strong person, was worth the telling, that her starting point was worthwhile, not something to be derided, that the journey itself, the back and forth progress of it, that it wasn’t just a straight line, is one that has incredible meaning to me, as someone who has struggled with similar things. 3.  Tolkien’s Legendarium - Thranduil - I was totally won over by Lee Pace’s portrayal in the movies, despite my frustration with the way he was written.  Part of it is that I’ve always loved the Elves (let me yell about how much I love Thingol, it’s ridiculous) and I love the connections he has to my favorite groups (I love the Sindarin Elves so muuuuuuch, I cry, even as I love the Noldor and Vanyar, too, like, I will fight a man for Finrod, okay, oh, and Fingolfin deserves the world!! and my problematic fave Maedhros ;__;) and I love his relationship with Legolas (or the potential of it that fandom runs with much better than the movies did), but mostly it’s that he’s a king who loves his people and chose them and they loved him in return for it. 4. Bleach - Inoue Orihime - I have a weakness for characters who doubt themselves, but find a core of strength in being kind and loving.  That Orihime has this tremendous power, that she could have been the most OP of the entire cast, but thoroughly rejected the idea of using it for violence, and instead only for healing, for kindness, cemented her as one of my forever loves.  She can be so silly and loopy and ridiculous, she can be “weak” in the way she cries and reaches out for people, she has trouble letting other people see the truth of her sometimes, but when it counted, she refused to break and instead chose to be kind.  I love her so very much. 5. Marvel - Thor - Thor is one of my favorites because the galaxy dumped a whole lot of shit on him and he refused to let it make him be less than he was.  Well, at least until Endgame, but we don’t talk about that movie.  (And even then it wasn’t that he stumbled, it was how they treated his depression, as one long joke, that makes me RRrrhhhaaggghh about it.)  He grieved for everything he lost, including his brother, but he also refused to let Loki walk all over him, that he missed his brother, wished he could trust him, but wouldn’t let Loki’s pain rewrite what actually happened.  The conversation on the skiff in Svartalfheim alone is why The Dark World is a movie I will always defend, “Who put me there [in the cell]!?”  "You damn well know who!”  YOU TELL HIM, THOR.  That care + refusing to be budged on what was right, yes, that’s my guy right there. 6. Gravitation - Yuki Eiri - As dumb as this show was (and the manga even more so, but I enjoy the show more), as much as it was a silly BL show, I loved this character for being there for me when I needed him.  Someone who had all this anger and hurt inside him, this depression that constantly ate at him, that he pushed people away because he couldn’t stand to let go of it, and it didn’t matter that there were people who loved him who wanted to help him, that a simple hug didn’t fix him, that it could help, but it couldn’t make him magically better--that was something I really needed when I watched the show.  That depression and the rage it could cause wasn’t something a hug could fix.  That he had to be willing to start opening up to people again, to risking more hurt, and that it wouldn’t be easy--I really, really needed that message at the time I got it, and I will always be thankful to that dumb show for giving it to me. 7. Steven Universe - Pink Diamond - Did you know that one of my favorite things in the world is hot mess lady characters?  I love them sooooooo much, like, you give me a lady who did questionable things but we’re still meant to find her sympathetic and her story worth telling?  I AM THERE.  And Pink just slammed her way into my heart with everything she’d faced, the terrible things the other Diamonds put her through, that she had to change on her own, that she never had a Steven there to help her, she had to realize everything by herself, and that she wasn’t perfect at it, that she hurt people in the way she stumbled forward, yet there was a person there who loved and cared deeply?  I love her forever. 8. Adventure Time - Princess Bubblegum - Nerdy science princess who is the sole possessor of a single braincell on the show and yet is just as batshit as the rest of them?  The one character who looked at all the wild shit that happened in Ooo and said, sometimes you gotta prepare for the worst or do things that aren’t nice because otherwise we’ll all die?  But never stopped caring about her people or the rest of the world and listened to others and tried her best to help?  And had this complicated, fraught relationship with Marceline which is one of the best “f/f doesn’t always have to be nice” relationships that I’ve gotten to consume?  I LOVE HERRRRR. 9. Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed - Lan Wangji - I am weak to his character type, okay!  Reserved, talented, driven up the wall by the genius brat that bugs the shit out of him but also he loves them the most in the world, and utterly devoted to them?  YEAH THAT SOUNDS LIKE MY TYPE.  Also, Wang Yibo is so good-looking in the drama, oh my god. 10. Fruits Basket - Honda Tohru - Another character who refused to let the crap piled on her make her any less kind to the world.  She goes through so much and yet never stops loving people and finding sympathy for them, she never stops reaching out her hand.  While she’s never expected to do this, she’s never obligated to do so, there are plenty of characters in the series that are understandably angry and closed off that aren’t judged for being that way, that Tohru chooses to be open and loving, no matter how much she’s hurt for it, is a wonderful counterbalance.  And I am forever grateful that she got the family she wanted, she got the guy she wanted to fall in love with, she got to meet all these people she cared about and they cared about her in return, and she was stronger in her love than any of them were in their fear, anger, or hate.  I LOVE HER FOREVER. Tagging:  DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE sobs

[ambarto]

Finwean Ladies Week Day Four: Finduilas

The general theme for this day of @finweanladiesweek​ was later generations, and I have to say Finduilas is probably my favorite here. Which is a bit weird as she’s not the kind of character I usually get attached to, but she really grew on me. It’s also weird because the Children of Hurin is one of my least favorite parts of the Silm but whatever.

Finduilas was born in Tol Sirion during the Long Peace. Tol Sirion was maybe not a place many would consider fit for a child - what with being so far north, and more at risk of an attack from Angband - and since she was young she was taught how to defend herself. She had a talent with the bow, something that often made her father comment she might just get to be as skilled as her cousin Idril, that Finduilas however never got to meet. She was also taught how to handle a sword, but she was never good at close range combat.

Despite living in a dangerous place with the occasional Orc incursion, Finduilas grew up with a surprisingly gentle disposition. She was an optimist at heart, which was something she surely didn’t take from her mother, who many described as being at times rather grim, or her father, who was for his part an eternal pessimist. Finduilas was usually laughing and joking, and many found her presence made all of Tol Sirion brighter. She was friendly and liked to help others, and many said maybe she was even too helpful, often putting other people’s wishes above her own. She also a tendency to daydream, and often got lost into her own fantasies.

The main source of pain for Finduilas in those years was due to her parents’ protectiveness. Both Orodreth and his wife insisted on always having someone to look over their daughter, worrying something may happen to her. This suited Finduilas fine as a child, but growing she developed a resentment towards it. Like all adolescents, she chafed by being checked on constantly, and gave her a bit of a rebellious spirit. She never did anything outright dangerous to her, but she most definitely started pushing her limits and sneaking out of Minas Tirith when her parents weren’t looking.

Finduilas was a few years from becoming an adult when the Dagor Bragollach happened. With her family she escaped from Minas Tirith once it became clear the Pass of Sirion was lost, getting away with nothing more serious than a few cuts and bruises. The battle, with all the death that came with it, put a damper on Finduilas’s general disposition. She lost some of her previous naivety, and her laughter became more subdued. Still, she still remained friendly and always willing to hope any problem would be resolved for the best.

In Nargothrond, she went along very well with Finrod, and also found herself on good terms with Celebrimbor. Celegorm and Curufin, on the other hand, she liked less, and they for their part rarely bothered with her for as long as they remained there. (Going with the Gil-Galad son of Orodreth version) Orodreth would have liked for Finduilas to go to the Falas with her younger brother and their mother, but Finduilas refused and dug her heels in until Orodreth had to allow her to stay. Finduilas was rather attached to Gil-Galad, but she enjoyed Nargothrond, and didn’t want to run away again, not when in her opinion Nargothrond was much safer than Minas Tirith had ever been. She didn’t know at the time that she would never get to see neither her brother nor her mother again.

She met Gwindor here. He was a little older than her, and had built a reputation for himself as warrior. He often carried an air of gloom around himself, but he was very kind and thoughtful, and when he asked her permission to court her she found there were little other people that she would have wanted. Orodreth wasn’t entirely happy about the news - Finduilas was still young, to which Finduilas pointed out that Orodreth himself had married young, and with a Sinda no less, and her father had to concede, only asking the two of them to at least make the engagement long in order to have time to think things through in depth. It broke Finduilas’s heart when Gwindor disappeared, and after the news for days she barely left her room.

When Gwindor came back, Finduilas might have still married him, had he not been bringing Turin with him. Turin took “dark and mysterious” to a whole new level, and Finduilas wasn’t the only lady in Nargothrond to be fascinated by this strange mortal. She tried, for a time, to stay faithful to Gwindor, out of fairness to him, but in the end she couldn’t keep her heart from turning to Turin.

When Finduilas found herself in Mandos after Narogthrond fell, her father took her to speak with his uncle Aegnor. Finduilas had met Aegnor in life, but had never known him well, as he only sometimes came around to visit Tol Sirion. The two of them bonded fast over having loved a mortal and never really been able to act on it.

After she was reborn, Finduilas at last met Idril, that she had been so often compared to for her archery skills. She might have had a little moment of hysterical laughter realizing that the two of them cousins had ended up falling for two cousins, although Idril had most definitely gotten the better deal out of it.

[sorrowssinger]

Finrod invented bleach (well an eco friendly elven version of it) for Turgon, Artanis, and Aredhel. No one remembers that he did it though because come on Finrod inventing something like that? He did though it uses Aethelas as one of the key ingredients which is why men don't have it. The bleach is why so many elves wear white while men only use white for special occasions or certain things.

[legolasgoldy]

🤗 || 🎶 || 😡 || 🏷️ || 📖 || 🛏 || 💚 || 👫 || 💔 || 💝 || 🚀

My muse in a relationship ?s

🤗Are they physically affectionate?

Yes! Very much. He’ll hold hands a lot, give hand kisses, cheek kisses, play footsie, nuzzle, put his arms around him, rest their foreheads together. etc. Hes likes being physically affectionate

This could also work for the affectionate in public question but he’ll do it any of what i said above at home or in public. The only difference is, he’ll only give one or two kisses in public at a time, and at home they can make out.

🎶 Do they have a type? 

Yes! He tends to fall for interesting unique people. Whether its a boy or girl, if they interest him and are unique with a personality that appeals to him, he’s at risk of falling for them.

Looks wise, he does gravitate towards interesting looking people as well. Hes demi so hes not sexually attracted at first, but he will find them very very good looking and will get heart eyes. They tend to be uniquely pretty, and very naturally pretty. They wont need to try at all for Finrod to find them gorgeous. Also, they always have a gorgeous smile.

To better elaborate, some examples would be. Finrod’s Maglor is very quirky, even if hes a prince he doesnt particularly look it. He’ll have very unruly frizzy hairs at the sides of his face when its humid, and cow licks on top of his head. but very very soft emotional grey eyes, dresses a bit plain and disheveled at times, most times has muddy boots. Pays more attention to music than looking princely. Smells like harp strings and soaps he uses. Very introverted but wonderful at performing music, and has a secret genuine smile he only does around Finrod that he just goes crazy over. Secretly loves dancing, hips wiggle when excited, has the cutest giggle.

Finrod’s wife in some aus is Italian ( middle earth version of Italian). She has a pretty accent that gets deeper when upset or sassy. Has a very specific clothing style according to her culture. Has a completely different culture than Finrod does and he loves learning about it and participating. Loves sparring and will throw Finrod down on his butt every time. Shes very “i’ll kick anyone’s ass. i’ll kick your ass. i’ll kick maglor’s ass. i’ll kick my own ass” XD Again has a pretty smile too.

Rhys is extremely unique and why Finrod fell so hard. Pale with long fluffy white hair, white eyebrows and eyelashes. Cloudy eyes because hes blind,  full pale lips with pink tint. Makes a lot of facial expressions that give away how hes feeling, eye contact is never ever needed, hes got a unique way of expressing himself with other types of body language, and of course with words. Theres just something about all those expressions, the way he smiles, and how his eyelashes flutter when his eyes are part of the way open showing his cloudy eyes that just.. drew Finrod in. Everything he does is so intriguing and has a way of making Finrod smile, even when Rhys is a bit sarcastic. Theres a gentleness, love and loyalty to him along with layers upon layers of other things like shyness, bitterness, frustration, a little afraid, stubbornness. And of course everyone has so many layers to their personality, but his in particular Finrod fell in love with.  Obviously there are even more unique things like his mutation, but even without it Finrod would have still been just as intrigued. The way he sits at windows for warmth, the look on his face when he eats sweets, his smile, his laugh, the way he says certain words in his accent,  how he can melt with just a small physical gesture or when holding a soft bunny. Despite everything hes been through, hes still soft and sweet and beautiful, any roughness around the edges Finrod loves just as much. He embraces the uniqueness in its entirety, whether Rhys may consider some aspects of himself flawed or less than perfect, Finrod just sees his unique Rhys, perfect just the way he is in every way.

😡What are their deal breakers?

Nothing turns him off from a person faster than seeing them being hateful to someone. Just needlessly underhanded and hateful to someone who did nothing wrong. Like bullying, tripping someone just to be mean or throwing stuff at someone for no reason. In general, if they pick on people and bully them. But chances are Finrod wouldnt have been too interested in them if he didnt know them well enough yet to know their true nature.

Cheating. Or even just implying they would cheat turns him off so fasttt. A random example would be If Finrod had a crush on someone who happened to be dating someone. He wouldnt ever bring it up or imply that he was crushing, its rude and he would respect they were in a relationship. But if they started talking to him about how they would cheat with someone or even him, or even try to kiss him. Nope, turned off, right then. He could understand if they werent happy in their relationship and wanted to end it and find someone else, thats perfectly normal and fine, but not cheating and wanting both people ( or more than both).

Insulting him or his friends/family. Theres a difference between playful banter/playful insults and flat out true insults.  This may or may not be something that builds up to it being a deal breaker. If someone happens to tell him his hair looks awful one day hes gonna take it as them letting him know as a favor so he wouldnt have walked around like that too long or something so he could fix it. Thats totally fine and normal, but if someone makes that an every day thing where they constantly are insulting his hair, his clothes, his work, his food, etc. If they insult everything about him constantly hes gonna be turned off from them. However, before he does anything hes gonna talk to them about it first and let them know how theyre making him feel. Then their reaction will determine whether or not its a deal breaker. They would probably remain only friends though.

Similarly, if he hears someone outright insult a friend of his or family member hes gonna be turned off right then. A little communication will be applied again but still, only remain friends most likely.  It depends on the situation.

🏷️ Do they give their partners cute nicknames?

He does! If his partners name is long he’ll shorten it to a nickname. Rhys’ name is short already so he wont do that, but he’ll use things like “ Love” or very possibly a term of endearment in Gaelic that Rhys likes. Or maybe darling. Things like that. But I doubt he would ever say “Babe” or “Sweetheart”. He uses sweetheart for little kids, and babe just sounds funny to him.  He would never say Baby for sure.

📖 What is their favorite outside of the bedroom activity to do with their partner?

I dont know that he has a favorite. He likes cooking together, going for walks, going to the park… So many things… if he had to pick a favorite its a tie between Cuddling on the couch with Rhys explaining tv shows, movies, and books while having a snack; and cooking together.

  🛏What is their favorite bedroom activity to do with their partner?

Well..Reading for one thing. They do most of their reading before bed all cuddled up and that technically counts for this question because its in the bedroom.

In terms of physical bedroom activities, he just likes kissing and making love in general with Rhys in any way they feel like. He could never choose a favorite if he tried, its all heavenly to him.

💚Are they prone to jealousy?

Not really. Finrod gets more sad and envious rather than jealous. For example, if before they became a couple, someone flirted with Rhys or Rhys flirted with someone, he would get a bit sad and envy them. He would never say anything though, hes too polite so there would never be any resentful feelings of jealousy or anything. Just a bit pouty.  Unless the person flirting with Rhys, or who Rhys was flirting with, was a jerk then he would be resentful toward that person and very protective. Most likely he would just talk to Rhys about it, communication is the best thing for it.

Although, if he and Rhys ( or just in general he and a partner, this applies always) were dating, he would never ever get jealous, sad or, envious because there would be no reason to. He trusts Rhys completely and knows he would never cheat on him, so if anyone ever flirted with Rhys, his response wouldnt be jealousy, it would be to politely let the person know Rhys was his boyfriend. If that didnt work and they still were bothering Rhys, then he’d tell them to get lost.  Probably growl if the person is stubborn and takes it to far.

👫Do they display affection in public? What about in private?

This ties in with the first question. He’ll hold hands, give hand kisses, cheek kisses, play footsie, nuzzle, put his arms around him, rest their foreheads together, and one or two kisses at a time maybe three. He wont make out in public ( unless theyre somehow hidden they might have a mini make out, like ex: making out under their umbrella at the beach)  but is very affectionate in a tasteful way. Granted terribly sappy, but tasteful.

The only difference between public and private is that they kiss a lot in private, will definitely make out for as long as their hearts desire. They also have a lot of sex.

💔Do they have a certain type of person they will not enter into a relationship with? 

Going back into the deal breaker question, he will never enter a relationship with someone whos a bully to anyone or him. Its just not going to happen, ever.  If someone doesnt treat people right or him right, he doesnt want any sort of relationship with them at all.

💝How long until they feel secure and comfortable in a relationship?

It depends on the relationship. With Rhys he was always comfortable because they had been friends for years prior. Sure a little awkward, but also comfortable. Since they had been best friends i think it was a little scary. Finrod didnt want to ruin their friendship but they both knew things would get better rather than anything getting ruined. They fully trusted each other so they knew they would always be together regardless and let themselves follow where ever their feelings led. I would say after a few months of dating they were pretty secure, a little awkward and it felt like a dream, but secure and comfortable. In terms of being comfortable with new stages in the relationship thats something different, they took each step slowly at a comfortable pace.

In a different situation, in general it would take him several months to feel secure and comfortable, possibly almost a year if he and the person hadnt known each other that well before they started dating. That would mean they dated in order to get to know each other and it takes a long time to fully get to know someone that well.

🚀 How far are they willing to go for the person they love?

Finrod would do anything his love needed. Anything. Finrod would kill for Rhys if he had too.

That being said, Rhys is someone he trusts completely and he wouldnt ever be in a relationship if he didnt trust his partner like that wholly. Rhys would never ask him to do anything unless there was a solid good reason. Finrod knows that. So if a reason ever presented itself he would do what ever Rhys needed in a heartbeat.

Doing anything to protect Rhys isnt even debatable, he would protect Rhys with his last dying breath if he had to.

[gurguliare]

talk about a silmarillion relationship or like, character facet, that you never see mentioned in fandom. (sorry i know nothing about hxh!)

DOES THIS MEAN I CAN’T DO OSMOSIS MEME ON YOU YET. Also: hm, I don’t know, the other day I was groping towards some kind of observation about Beren that I myself haven’t fully articulated, so it’s unfair for me to frame this as a “fandom never talks about [x]!” thing—

I was just thinking about like, why it is that Beren persuading Luthien to go back to Doriath after they escape Angband reads so differently to me from, say, Beren willfully running off on his own. Because both things are about Beren’s sense of right and wrong and Beren’s idea of what Lúthien needs—the fact that he’s more on-point the second time doesn’t change the fact that he’s constantly sort of ignoring or trying to get around her Stated Preferences. I guess part of it is that he has, of course, already made the central concession of admitting that where he goes, she goes (on that level the climax of Beren’s arc is his song about Lúthien that lets her and Huan find him); … I also love the… twinning of “Beren sneaks away, leaving Lúthien asleep in the dell” with Beren’s long recovery coma in the same dell later, while Lúthien holds watch over him. Every time Beren wakes up in the Lay it’s like, the seal on another loss: we first meet him after the dream about his father’s death, and then he starkly “awakens” after Lúthien runs away from him in Doriath, and then he comes to in the pit and Finrod is dead, and he wakes up in the dell and he’s made the decision to leave her (which remains With them even after he yields and acknowledges her right to not be left), and he wakes up under Morgoth’s throne, and he … opens his eyes on the bier before he dies. Like, part of the story of the Lay is not only dying but having the chance to know what death is, and still not knowing, because the person awake can’t… say that, they can’t be like “I remember death,” but at the same time it’s not true that resurrection just destroys the fact of having died; every close escape brings you closer, until you’re actually dying and still don’t fully understand. So like, my favorite Beren moments are when he seems animated aaand carried forward by the lingering non-horror of what it was like not to exist, which gives him this lightness and freedom in his handling of other problems, and greater but less painful interest in living people’s laws and duty: not so stuck in the teeth of his own pride, since he’s lost lots of things he used to be afraid of. —Oh, that’s the other bit about him bringing Lúthien back to Doriath, it has less to do with pride/fear of shaming oneself, since he’s finally satisfied THAT ravenous monster (and doesn’t yet know that he still hasn’t finished the quest). But it’s very cute, and it’s great how he has to die over and over to keep reminding himself of something, if only “and it was spring again.”

[sunflowersupremes]

I really need Gandalf to shepherd First Age Elves around like he shepherds Thorin’s Company and The Fellowship. I just think it would be funny.