#The Hunt for Arwen's Personality

[torchwood-99]

Arwen Character Analysis

I'm fascinated by Arwen's character, and the hints of personality we get from her in the text. She's a largely off-page character, but with close examination, a personality does form.

The biggest indicators of Arwen's personality are revealed, naturally, through her love for Aragorn.

Brave, Loyal and Kind

We know that Arwen is willing to make great sacrifices for love. To make that choice definitely speaks of courage, and to have remained true to that choice during the years of their betrothal also speaks of the depths of her loyalty.

She is also kind. We know this because she gave Frodo passage to Valinor. That she knows he will appreciate this choice, and will need to go to Valinor to ease his suffering, also shows her to be insightful.

That Frodo is a Ring-Bearer, as her father and grandmother are, perhaps gave her additional insight into the trials of being a Ring-Bearer, and seeing the impact on them and their need to go to Valinor might have allowed her to make a reasonable conclusion as to Frodo's own needs.

Proud

While it is Elrond who states that Arwen will not give up her immortality for any man less than the King of Men, but in the same statement he says that her doom will be a bitter thing for her at the end, which we know to be true. This suggests to me less that Elrond was making conditions, and more that he knew his daughter's mind.

Of course, Aragorn being king is tied with Middle-Earth being saved, but the emphasis that is placed on Arwen's greater lineage indicates that this is a case of Aragorn needing to be worthy, as it is a matted of expediency. Aragorn needs to be king for more than practical reasons for Arwen to marry him.

When Arwen falls in love with Aragorn, it is after Galadriel dresses him in kingly clothes, and she sees Aragorn looking like a king in both dress and demeanour. From the text, it seems her choice was made there and then.

When she and Aragorn part, she acknowledges that the situation is grim. However, she says that her heart rejoices, because she knows Aragorn will be among the valiant men who will end the shadow. While Aragorn is gone, out of hope she makes a banner that will declare him to be king.

Arwen's love for Aragorn is tied intrinsically with how she views and appreciates his kingliness.

This is not to say that Arwen only loves Aragorn for a crown. Aragorn is a king, being a king is part of who he is, to not love Aragorn the King is to not love Aragorn. But it is to say that Arwen has standards. Arwen knows her heritage and the grandeur of her lineage, and no less than a King will do if she is to marry a mortal.

Luthien Come Again

Arwen is Luthien's spitting image, and people have mistaken her for Luthien. Arwen knows this, but makes a point of saying that Luthien's name is not hers, even if her fate might be.

Arwen is living under the shadow of Luthien's memory.

How does she feel about this? When she says she has been mistaken for Luthien before, she says so "gravely". Is this out of some frustration for being forever associated with Luthien, or is it because she recognises the gravitas of Luthien's choice?

Arwen makes the "choice of Luthien" and frames it so, so she clearly feels in marrying Aragorn she is following Luthien's footsteps, yet there are differences.

First, Luthien assisted Beren with his task directly. She set out and faced the same peril that Beren did, whereas Arwen remained in relative safety in Rivendell. Second, Luthien experienced Beren's death before she made her choice to accept mortality, and was the one to arrange his resurrection and their ability to live and die together. Arwen admits she did not fully comprehend the grief of mortality until long after she had made her choice, only as Aragorn lay dying. Third, it was Luthien's father who set the terms for Beren marrying her, Luthien did not give a damn. The lives Beren and Luthien lived after the quest also seem to be humbler and more removed than Aragorn and Arwen's, settling on Tol Galen.

From this, does it feel like Arwen tried to follow the path of Luthien, without going through the same journey that Luthien went on that lead to that choice?

Naïve

It seems strange that an elf who has lived for thousands of years could be naïve, but one the subject of mortality, someone who has spent centuries knowing themselves to be immortal, surrounded by immortals, would naturally be unaware of the true cost of mortality, and what it's like to live constantly under the knowledge that life will end and all that will be left is the unknown. Even those years as a mortal queen probably would not be enough to fully undo all those centuries of thinking and acting like an immortal.

It is Arwen's line about the Fall of Numenor that makes me believe that when she made the choice to marry and die with Aragorn, she did so not fully comprehending what that choice meant. She reveals she felt "scorn" for the people who caused Numenor's fall through their fear of death.

For a woman who generally seems peaceful, gentle and kind, the aggression of that word "scorn" is quite a departure from the perfect, passive image of Arwen we often have. She has deep feelings and not all of them pretty.

Here we might see that pride of hers rear it's head. You have to wonder if she compared her own courage in choosing to die, with man's "foolish" rejection of the Gift of Death, a gift that elves have been known to envy. Did she feel that the elves knew better than Men what was good for them?

Only now that she is facing Aragorn's death, and in due course, her own, she suddenly understands that terror and feels pity where once she felt scorn. And when Aragorn suggests she go to Valinor, she says no boat will take her now, whether she will it or no. That choice is beyond her, and she does not speak as someone entirely without regrets for her choice, nor does she die as one.

Among Men, but Not of Them

When Arwen dies, she dies alone.

Despite having children and possibly grandchildren, despite having been Queen of Gondor and living among mortal men for many blissful and glorious years, despite not yet wishing to die, Aragorn's death means her own. It seems Aragorn was the only thing tying her to Middle Earth, and when he goes, she does not remain in the land she was queen of for so many years, but goes to the ghost forest of Lothlorien, where she had lived with her elven kin, and dies there, alone, her grave unsung and one day to be forgotten.

She is not buried alongside Aragorn, to be remembered as a great queen who ruled alongside a great king (and indeed there's little indication of how much ruling she did, Tolkien wrote that when Aragorn went to war, that Faramir ruled in his place as Steward).

She died dwelling on a memory of the Age of Elves, instead of living on a while longer in the Age of Men.

It's worth noting that while Aragorn did spend time among mortal men, he was also raised by elves, and was as elvish as a mortal man can be. Losing Aragorn was losing that tie for Arwen. And unlike Aragorn, who went out and fought with the Gondorians and the Rohirrim and the Rangers and went to many lands ruled by mortal men, Arwen remained entirely in the lands of the elves, despite intending to become a Queen of Men.

She did not use this time as Aragorn did, seeking out mortal men and learning their ways and learning how to live with them and rule over them.

Galadriel taught Celebrian to bake Lembas bread, and Celebrian taught Arwen, but Arwen did not teach her daughters, and that art was lost.

That Arwen did not pass on this skill might indicate why her children did not give her cause enough to keep on living, they were less elvish than they were mortal, and it was the elves Arwen longed for.

Arwen is an emblem of a bygone age, and when she dies, that age ends too.

Conclusion

Arwen is kind, gracious and wise. She remained loyal and true to Aragorn through many years of waiting, and endured great heartbreak to be with him. She gave Frodo a priceless gift that no doubt spared him much suffering. She and Aragorn also invited Bilbo to their wedding, which we must respect.

Passionate, perhaps? She fell in love with Aragorn swiftly on sight after seeing his kingly qualities, and according to the text, made the decision to die for him there on the spot.

Steadfast. She made the choice quickly, but she never broke it, and did not seem to waver from that choice until Aragorn died, and the full pain of mortality hit her.

She is of a great and noble lineage and is aware of that, and shows both pride in her birth and pridefulness towards mortals. She was good to Men from what we can tell, but she never became fully one of them, and I think her pride must have played some part in that, she would condescend to be a good queen to men, but she would not be as one of them. At the same time, her years as a mortal queen would have been like seconds to her, being thousands of years old, and she perhaps did not expect them to pass as swiftly as they did.

So, Arwen, kind, proud, passionate, naïve and loyal.

[mushroomates]

the fellowship grocery shopping (modern au!):

frodo: has a list which he always loses halfway through shopping. tries to bring his own bags but they’re never enough, or he forgets them in the car and realizes mid checkout. does not like a lot of the name brand foods, goes for the knock offs- partly because he thinks they taste better and partly because he’s rooting for the underdog. (also they’re cheaper which means more money go towards buying treats for the neighborhood cats.) makes an exception for name brand strawberry poptarts, a pippin favorite. keeps his fridge stocked with snacks for his friends.

sam: grows a lot of his own produce and makes an effort to shop local. has his own chickens and a thriving herb garden. he often trades with neighbors-tomatoes for honey, basil for goats milk, etc. once a month he teams up with boromir and goes to costco for insane amounts of flour (he bakes his own bread) and a foot long hotdog. sam refuses to get his own membership.

merry: has a list of things to get that he has worked very hard to compile. this list stays on fridge, and whenever he runs out of something he adds it. this is always sabotaged by pippin who, in a port attempt to mimic merry’s handwriting, adds a copious amount of sweets and things only pippin likes. ends up buying them anyways only to not share with him- will gloat by snacking in front of pippin and not offering any to his cousin.

pippin: does not actually grocery shop. yes, he has food in his house but this is more because he just tags along whenever someone else is going. selectively copies whatever they get into his own basket. has eight jars of peanut butter because he loves peanut butter but does not consume it at the rate he believes he does. also for backup, incase he runs out mid sandwich and needs eight jars of the stuff. loves to ride in the shopping carts when no one’s watching. definitely scooters along isles. loves to hijack boromir’s shopping trips as boromir is the only one who will push him in the cart and give him a lil treat at the end.

gandalf: kind of just. wanders around the store. gets lost in the bakery. buys the most random things, causing the clerks to conspire about what he’s doing with two packs of rubber gloves, a rosterseie chicken, and a tub of mayonnaise. is he a murderer? a professor? a single mother? what is he doing with this stuff?

aragorn: does a lot of trading with neighbors, like sam. likes to accompany arwen on errands and do the little things. she points at an item and he puts it in the basket. he bags at checkout. drives her home. unloads the car and put it away. real quality time and acts of service. yes, arwen is capable of doing these things herself, but he likes to do it for her: hunts so be always has a surplus of jerky, does need to buy more salt then the typical person.

boromir: also hunts. has a thing about using every part of the animal, will eat bone marrow straight out of the femur with a spoon for breakfast. eats a lot of protein. is real big about no food waste and will use everything he can. has his own compost bin and a humble herb garden. likes hosting barbecues for everyone, and makes the burgers and hotdogs from scratch. every other tuesday is grocery day. he goes to costco and buys his things in bulk. he’s the only one in the fellowship with a costco card and everyone loves to take advantage of it.

legolas: mainly just happens upon farmers markets and grabs what appeals to him in the moment. does not have any seasonings or cooking oil as it’s not something that’s ever really occurred to him to buy. will forget he has food in his fridge for weeks and when he finally does it’s gone bad. this, however, does not stop him from eating it. makes a lot of smoothies.

gimli: has a lot of preserved foods and a cupboard dedicated to emergencies. owns a lot of canned beans, fruits and vegetables- anything that will keep well. has a freezer filled with food in his garage with backup stock. is a very good with coupons- pippin likes going with him just to see the total (and the clerks jaw) drop. eats a lot of trail mix and jerky. enjoys fresh fruit when he can but doesn’t like to buy it because it doesn’t last.

gollum: sneaky little man. he hides in the bottom part of the carts meant for heavy items and parties his way across the store with his hands, scooting along tile and grabbing anything with reach, tossing it back up to the cart and continuing on his journey. then he just rolls right out the door. no one can stop him.

[live-laugh-legolas]

hi!! may I ask for some headcanons of the members of the Fellowship dealing with a puppy? or any pet, that is, whoever you think suits each of them :3

Omg so cute!!

The fellowship with a puppy

Aragorn:

-He probably found this puppy in a box in a town he was passing through

-He had no intention of getting a dog, but it was raining and he couldn’t leave this sweet thing out in the cold

-He’s really good with animals so he knows how to care for it

-Honestly I think he is good at not allowing himself to get attached, but puppies don’t have that skill

-The puppy adopts herself

-Seriously she won’t stop following him and cries when he tries to give her away

-And well, he’s a bit of a pushover sometimes

-Maybe Arwen would like her? Yeah, it will be a gift for Arwen

-He won’t want to take the puppy with him wherever because he doesn’t want her to get hurt

-Talks to the puppy like a person

Legolas:

-Ok this is kinda a story sort of thing, but he found a mom and her babies

-The mom isn’t doing well, so he promises to her that he will take care of her babies

-Does he know how, no, but he will die before he lets these puppies come to harm

-He has a quiet funeral for the mom and he takes the pups home

-His father is not impressed

-He finds homes for all but one

-Well he found a home for it, but it’s with him

-He fell in love with going out on runs with him and definitely goes hunting with him

-He lets his dog kinda roam wherever, kinda like a barn cat

Gimli:

-He was planning to get a dog

-A big fierce one to stand by his side

-But when he goes to the shelter he falls in love with a little guy

-I’m talking a tiny little yorkie

-He dresses her in the finest bows and gold incrusted collar

-Would kill for her

-I just love seeing big tough guys with their little dogs in bows

Boromir:

-He was looking to get a dog as a gift for Faramir

-He thought it might cheer his brother up to have a furry friend to take on patrols

-But he becomes attached to the puppy and refuses to give him up

-He says he is for both of them, but Faramir knows better

-He absolutely baby talks his puppy

-“He doesn’t understand I’m talking to him unless I speak to him like this”

Frodo:

-I think he would agree to foster a puppy to help someone out

-He takes very good care of it and trains it well

-He has every intention that he will adopt it out, but once someone says they are interested he realizes he can’t part with it

-I think he finds a lot of peace with the routine that comes with caring for a puppy

-Although I honestly see him as the type to have more unique pets like some sort of lizard

Sam:

-He didn’t really want a dog

-Rosie brought one home for their kids

-But it ends up being the situation where the dad doesn’t want the dog but then they become best friends

-The puppy tries to eat his flowers, and Sam tries to get it to pull weeds instead

-I imagine he would end up with a really lazy dog once it grows out of the puppy phase that just chills with him while he gardens

Merry:

-He literally squeals

-He’s such an animal lover

-How could something be so cute

-Absolutely the type to never shut up about his puppy (me too tho)

-Trains it to do tricks, possibly to steal…

-Would have an instagram for his dog in modern day

-Also side note, I think he would be the type to have birds, like parrots and such

Pippin:

-He just picked up a stray puppy once and was like “uhm you’re coming home with me”

-Dresses him up and takes him on lots of walks

-He doesn’t understand why everyone is scared of his little puppy

-He doesn’t realize until the puppy just keeps getting bigger that this is not a dog

-It’s a wolf

-But it’s his wolf and he loves him and he is his baby

PS: I mention giving puppies as gifts, but in general this isn’t something you should do unless it has been discussed prior :)

[spinningalbinoturtle]

Lotr characters and their dogs (and other pets)

Frodo

Canonically not a dog person but also just has cat person vibes

He has two cats one of them is a chubby gray kitty named Luthien and she is incredibly spoiled. A birthday present from Bilbo

His other cat is a stray who hates everyone but Frodo- its super scrangly and Sam calls it Gollum and it stuck

After the Quest Frodo gets a little beagle service dog that helps him with PTSD and other medical stuff

Sam

Pre Quest had an old basset hound named Fingon. His dad said they didn’t have room for it but Sam insisted on feeding it and when he moved in with Frodo it came along.

Post quest he has a border collie named Ellie (short for Galadriel) who helps him replant the shire

He also keeps chickens at Bag End and spoils them a bit. They are just for eggs

Also has a little dairy cow for fresh milk. Her name is Bell after his mom

Merry

The Brandybucks have a pack of mastiffs and they love Merry. Frodo is terrified of them

They also have several feral maine coones that lounge around their manor and also love Merry but hate everyone else

Has a full size horse post quest which he is very proud of and scares the other hobbits. Its name is Theoden

Pippin

Lets be honest with ourselves Pippin has a lab who has the exact same personality as him and they go everywhere together. Its name is something really basic like Buddy

He also keeps turtles and has a whole menagerie for them. They’re all named after different foods

Aragorn

Aragorn has a husky/malamute that he found on his travels north. He howls back and forth with it and is convinced he can understand it. When he becomes king it sits at the foot of his throne and occasionally will randomly howl in the middle of a meeting.

Horse girl all the way. Brego is his bestie. Man takes excellent care of his horse and buys all kinds of extraneous shit for it.

Boromir

Denethor has a pack of vicious looking dogs but Boromir has a Dalmatian that loves him so much

Faramir adopts it for a while after Boromir dies but Faramir is much more of a cat person, so ultimately its adopted by Aragorn and becomes mates with his husky. The puppies go to his and Arwens kids

Legolas

This could go one of two ways-either he has a super graceful hunting dog like a greyhound or whippet or he has a little pomeranian he dresses up and treats like a baby

He has tried to domesticate the spiders with little success maybe because he’s also killed a lot of them

Gimli

Gimli is a terrier person. He has a little Scottish terrier who sits on his lap all the time when he’s working. Gimli made it a little sweater and it hates Legolas (its jealous of Legolas stealing Gimli’s attention).

He also keeps canaries and they are very well cared for and all have names and he’s the only one who can tell them apart

Eowyn

Has a massive Rottweiler who is super intimidating to everyone except Eowyn. It has bitten Grima multiple times. Around Eowyn it acts like a little puppy.

She also loves her horse as all Rohirrim do.

I could also see her as raising ferrets or chinchilas as well

Faramir

Firmly a cat person

Doesn’t mind dogs but vastly prefers cats

Has six of them and they’re all rescues. Their names are : Mithrandir, Radagast, Varda, Melian, Beren, and Pippin.

Eowyn indulges her crazy cat husband even when their house is overrun with kittens

Arwen

Also firmly a cat person

She’s fine Aragorn’s dog but that’s just cause its well trained

Usually just has one or two cats at a time. They’re a special breed from Lothlorien and they’re really beautiful. They like to sit on her lap and purr. They’re also vicious mousers.

Eomer

Has a big great dane who hangs out in Edoras. Its super sweet and dorky. Everyone loves it.

[emmanuellececchi]

LOTR and Hobbit characters and cats -

Absurd headcanon

Warning : this is not serious. this was made out of whim, late at night. not editing done. Just for fun. And not all of them are funny anyway. You've been warned! - Feel free to add characters and headcanon. I forgot a few : Haldir, Hama, Theoden, Saruman, Treebeard and so on. I hope you will all have fun and play with this! (OC welcome - thinking of my moots with awesome OC).

Cirdan The cats roam freely in the Grey Haven as if they owned the place. Cirdan find them amusing and charming when he gets to pet them. Of course, what he does not know is that they tolerate him because he’s a great fisherman. And a good back scratcher.

Galadriel While there are not many felines in the Golden Forest, each time she is somewhere where there’s one (or two, or three) the cats are drawn to her and vice-versa. As a matter of fact, the cats consider her to be one of their kind. She does not correct them.

Celeborn There is no cat in Lothlorien. On the other hand, when there are cats, he has to tolerate them for Galadriel’s sake. Although, the truth is that they tolerate him because Galadriel shares her bed with him.

Elrond Rivendell had been free of felines for a while. Then, and he never found out how, they began to suddenly appear all around. Mostly around supper. They’re discreet and great pest hunters which he appreciate for his books sake. Although he would never admit it, he kind of like when they come and sleep in his lap while he sips his tea.

Aragorn learned to admire and respect cats as they can survive pretty much everywhere. As king, admits that cats are useful. But he does not like to share their bed with one of them, even Arwen’s pet. On the other hand, he relishes when the pet come in his lap to nap while he is smoking his pipe.

Arwen Since in Minas Tirith, she has adopted a few. Arwen is terribly jealous of their affection. She does not like when she finds out they nap on Aragorn’s lap, pretexting they smell like smoke. Aragorn only smiles which infuriates her.

Imrahil Cats hunt pests in stable, in kitchen, protect grain. He will tolerates cats. But they belong outside. On the other hand, he is actively ignoring the ginger fur transgression living in Lothiriel’s room. Relieved she left with it.

Lothiriel Positively delighted to realize cats prefer her lap to Arwen’s. Brings her pet with her in Rohan. Finds hilarious that Eomer is taking personally its presence in the bed and is jealous of the poor thing.

Eomer Blasted animals. Should stay in the barn and stable to hunt rats and mouse. Not in a bed. And certainly not between him and his queen when he wants privacy. Eomer is convinced the thing is plotting his demise. Always trying to steal his side of the bed.

Eowyn Cats were great listener when she was young. Once, one of them clawed Grima. She was delighted to see her little hero flee alive. Since in Ithilien, she has begun feeding the strays. She considers a high honor if one of them chooses to nap at her side.

Faramir Admires their independent spirit and intelligence. Consider them like a good blade: useful and dangerous. Will never admit he is a bit afraid of them. But if Eowyn loves them, he will say nothing. He is just relieved she does not bring them in.

Denethor Never could stand the little buggers. Tolerated them when his wife was alive but that was the best he could do. While he recognizes their usefulness he is terribly allergic to them.

Boromir Does not seem to care about the furry things. Until he is home. Where an old stray is waiting for him. Gave him food and a warm place to stay. Melted the first time the old cat came to sleep with him. Will never admit the cat makes him happy.

Gandalf Keeps a safe distance between him and them. They tend to appear out of nowhere and they don’t even have magic. He can’t even buy them with food.

Bilbo Find them amusing when chasing his smoke rings, love to watch them sleep in the sunny spot in the garden. Chase them away when they hunt the butterflies.

Sam Stupid animals. They dig in the garden and poison the flowers. And they don’t even like potatoes.

Frodo Good reading companions. Not very trustworthy with food. Love to climb in trees with him. Really good nap companions.

Pippin Cats are the evilest things after the ringwraiths. Did you see their eyes when they follow you in the night? Did you hear them meow after you in the night? That and their claws…

Merry Fights hard not to laugh each time Pippin speak about cats. Got a few scars out of the whole adventure but well worth it when seeing Pippin’s terrified face.

Thorin There is only one king under the mountain. And it won’t be a cat!

Thranduil He is the only one with the right of being fabulous. And this is HIS throne! Cats are not welcome in his palace.

Gimli Dwarves hate pests. But wild cats roaming unchecked underground? Unacceptable. What do you mean, he has adopted one? Don’t be ridiculous, he only keeps it in his room to hunt the rats that would eat his bed linen!

Legolas Never really got close of cats while in Mirkwood. Can’t understand why people would want to sleep with them when they're doing such noises. What was the great idea for Gimli to call his cat like him anyway?

[edges-of-night]

Hi hi💕 I was wondering if you could do how the characters would react to having a vampire partner? Like how they handle reader needing blood and unable to be in sunlight

Also I love your work so much💕

Thank you for your kind words ♡ This is such an interesting and spooky idea haha! I went with a classic vampire who’s still somewhat pre-Christianity, if that makes sense. I hope you enjoy your post!

CW: bloodsucking

･ﾟ✧ Aragorn.

Aragorn would treat you with the same respect he extends to any creature. He knows and appreciates your physical strength and special powers. Being a ranger, he’d have no trouble finding a gorgeous little cave for the two of you to stay in to avoid the sunlight. He would either help you hunt animals for blood or offer his own, depending on your preference. One thing is for certain: you won’t lack anything with someone as considerate as Aragorn.

･ﾟ✧ Arwen.

Arwen had read about vampiristic creatures in her books before and is brimming with excitement when you tell her your secret – previously, you’ve only visited her on her balcony at night. From now on, you’d share beautiful nights under the moonlight and playful games with your fangs. Arwen would also play games with you that include counting, to ease your thoughts toward that compulsion. You’d slip into a romantic relationship very easily.

･ﾟ✧ Boromir.

Boromir has great respect for your powers – sometimes, he is even a bit afraid of the things you can do. Though he is wary of monsters and struggles to understand your specific needs at first, your vampiristic nature would grow on him so much that he’d eventually ask you to turn him – sharing an immortal life with you is just too tempting. He’d also tease you with garlic, in a very playful way.

･ﾟ✧ Elrond.

Elrond is a man of rules and habits – and even having an untamable vampire as a partner doesn’t change that. When he learns of your vulnerability against sunlight, he reschedules his days to spend time with you by night instead. He also creates a bloodsucking routine for the two of you. Letting you drink from his neck or wrist is no big issue for him due to his healing powers. He always makes sure you feed on time and hides the bite marks with his long clothes.

･ﾟ✧ Éomer.

Éomer is very wary around you at first. However, your striking beauty, elegant demeanour and immense powers soon bewitch him. You two could communicate without a single word, as he’d read every wish straight from your eyes. He will steal you away for nightly horseback rides where the two of you can truly be free from everybody else’s expectations.

･ﾟ✧ Éowyn.

Éowyn strikes me as a person who would, upon first encountering a vampire, try to fight them. I feel like she would have an ‘enemies to lovers’ kind of thing with a vampire partner: learning of your incredible powers, helping you get through hard times, and eventually bonding over your similarities. Éowyn develops great empathy for your ‘monstrosity’ and that both of you simply want to live freely. Together, you can do just that!

･ﾟ✧ Faramir.

Faramir worships you no matter what – he is a stronghold for your self-esteem in a world that deems you monstrous. He is very weak for your fangs and practically begs you to drink his blood instead of settling for that of an animal, even if that poses no problem for you at all. He adores learning some of your vampiric magic and spells. He considers meeting you his greatest luck and would surely ask you to turn him eventually!

･ﾟ✧ Frodo.

Frodo would be extraordinarily mischievous when it comes to his vampire partner. He’d adore to plan pranks with you to scare unsuspecting Hobbits (and Merry and Pippin, too!), baring your fangs at them with a snarl and raised claws – and he’d also find your bloodlust amusing. With him, there is never any shortage of animal blood. And on special nights, he’ll let you drink some of him ♡

･ﾟ✧ Galadriel.

Galadriel would instantly bond over how similar you are in your demeanour, humour, and language. She is delighted to find her telepathy even more powerful when used with an immortal. By day, she’d have her best quarters ready for you, and by night, you two could hardly be seen separate. With the help of her magic mirror, you would finally be able to see your reflection again, which makes her very happy. She also has a huge weakness for your claws!

･ﾟ✧ Gandalf.

Gandalf doesn’t believe you at first when you tell him you’re a vampire. You’re his sweetheart – surely he would’ve noticed something so fundamental about you! He hasn’t, because he was so enamoured. So in the days after that, he’ll try and use several (mostly harmless) spells to ‘test’ that statement. He of course finds you were being truthful and is overjoyed – a magical creature, from before this age – he’d be incredibly happy to have an immortal being just like himself!

･ﾟ✧ Gimli.

As a vampire, life in a Dwarven mountain city or a dark mine would suit you very well – no sunlight, no disrespectful outsiders, just you and Gimli living your best lives. He is very smitten with your regal beauty and mysterious demeanour. Gimli also clearly wins the award for ‘best vampire meet-cute’ when he accidentally digs into your cave: “Oh! Blasted bats! Argh – what? Are you…? Oh, just a cave of bats, lads! Nothing to see here!”

･ﾟ✧ Haldir.

Though he tries not to let it show, Haldir is immensely fascinated with your vampirism. He grants you shelter in the shadowy forests of Lórien and turns a blind eye to you sucking the blood of its animals. He connects to you on a deep level, relating to your outsider status in normal society. You bond over your perceived differences. Haldir also cherishes that you are both ageless and can be together forever, should you desire so!

･ﾟ✧ Legolas.

With his Elven healing powers, Legolas is very adamant about you sucking his blood. No second-class animal blood on his watch – only the best for you! He cherishes you very much and enjoys the intimacy bloodsucking provides, be it chaste and cuddly or exciting and spicy. But I think, as much as he loves your vampiristic qualities, he would not share your true identity with anyone – for that, you are far too special to him ♡

･ﾟ✧ Merry.

Though he is initially a bit careful around you, Merry is very enthusiastic about being your partner. He even is proud to have such a peculiar significant other – so much so that he brags about you being a “gorgeous, mysterious night predator”! He definitely has a thing for your white fangs and bat wings.

･ﾟ✧ Pippin.

Once Pippin finds out about you being a vampire, he cannot and will not shut up about you turning into a bat. Watching you transform and fly through the night sky is his biggest joy. In a quiet moment, he’d tell you how much he’d love to fly, too. He’d have absolutely no problem being turned into a vampire himself, though he isn’t blind to the disadvantages that come with it.

･ﾟ✧ Sam.

After his initial time of adjusting to your special needs, Sam would definitely win an award for being the best boyfriend to a vampire – he’d substitute garlic in his cooking, builds you a giant parasol (so that you can still partake in Hobbiton’s social life), and helps you getting ready before you despair about not being able to see yourself in the mirror. He’s incredibly considerate and always makes sure you’re comfortable!

[the-quiet-fire-of-defiance]

Melian and her Descendants as Native Aotearoa Birds

For day 4 @tolkienofcolourweek

A detailed image description is at the bottom of this post but I've listed the characters and their matching birds below.

Melian: hūia. A sacred bird, often considered to be one of the most beautiful birds in Aotearoa. Their feathers were traditionally only worn by people of high status.

Hūia were forest songbirds who paired for life and were utterly devoted to their partners. The pairs would fly and hunt together, caressing each other with their bills, singing duets back and forth. Often when a hūia died, its partner would die of grief a few days later (typically due to failing to eat or drink).

There was a sharp decline in the numbers of hūia after the arrival of European settlers in the 1840s. By the early 20th century, they had disappeared from our forests forever.

Lúthien: tūī. The most talented of our songbirds, a stunningly beautiful creature with iridescent blue-black feathers. Their double voicebox allows them to mimic almost any sound, including human speech. They often sing all day long.

Tūī are messengers to the gods. In Māori culture we might compliment a singer by saying that they have korokoro tūī, the throat of a tūī.

Also I'm feral about this quote:

Farmer and ornithologist Herbert Guthrie-Smith, writing in the early 20th century, observed of a female tui singing on the nest (tui are the only bird in the world to sing on the nest): “We were close to her, yet she sang as if her song could have no ending, as if the world was too full of the ecstasy of life for wrong and rapine to exist. The sun was shining above the flowing river, the leaves green, of every shape and shade; her great love had cast out fear.”

(Source)

Díor: kōtare, aka the sacred kingfisher. (Yes, okay, this is partially a joke about Dior being a sacred king.) Although kōtare are native to Aotearoa, they're also found in other countries. Most Eastern Polynesian cultures, including many Māori iwi, believe that kōtare have power over the ocean and waves.

Kōtare can sit motionless for hours while waiting for their prey, watching with perfect stillness. For this reason, a person who is alertly watching for enemies is sometimes compared to a kōtare.

Elured and Elurin: tara iti, aka fairy terns.

For Māori, terns in general are associated with people of high status. Tara iti are the smallest species of tern in Aotearoa, weighing in at about 70 grams (or 2.5 ounces). They're also our rarest breeding bird. Sadly, there are only about 40 individuals left.

Elwing: kōtuku - I expanded on this in another post

Elrond and Elros: North Island kōkako and South Island kōkako (respectively). Kōkako are blue-grey songbirds who often have a similar call to tūī, although with a slightly less extensive range of sounds. They love to sing duets; in fact, they sing the longest known duets of any bird in the world.

The North Island and South Island kōkakō are closely related but distinct sub-species. Although the North Island kōkako has been the subject of a successful conservation campaign, the South Island kōkako is considered possibly extinct. (The last two reliable sightings were in 2007 and 1967.) However, some people who walk the remote tracks of the South Island swear they've heard its song.

Elladan and Elrohir: tīeke, aka the North and South Island saddlebacks. The two species are very difficult to tell apart for all but the most trained eyes. They're close relatives of kōkako and hūia.

Tīeke are notoriously fearless. In Māori culture, they're guardians and guides.

Arwen: Chatham Islands tūī. While these birds look extremely alike to mainland tūī, they sing a very different song.

(Since this bird is from the Chatham Islands, the Arwen faceclaim is a Moriori woman. Moriori are the indigenous people of the Chathams.)

Image description below cut due to length.

A series of paired images. Each pair has one bird and one faceclaim. All of the faceclaims, except for Arwen, are Māori.

1: Hūia and Melian. The hūia is a black bird with an orange wattle, long curved beak, and white at the end of its tail feathers. Melian is a dignified woman with light brown skin, brown hair, and a traditional chin tattoo. She wears traditional clothing and a pounamu (greenstone) ornament around her neck.

2: tūī and Luthien. The tūī is in flight. The light has caught its wings and tail feathers, making them look a vivid blue. Luthien is a light-skinned (but distinctly Māori) woman with long dark hair. She wears a black dress and a pounamu necklace.

3: a kōtare and Dior. The kōtare is a blue/black bird with a white neck and underside. It's in flight, carrying something in its mouth. Dior has dark brown skin and facial tattoos that mark him as someone of high rank. He wears a carved bone ornament in his hair, a pounamu necklace, and a traditional feather cloak.

4: tara iti and Elured and Elurin. The tara iti is visible from behind, its white wings spread, either landing or taking off. Elured and Elurin are infants swaddled in blankets side by side.

5: Kōtuku and Elwing. The kōtuku is a gorgeous white bird with a long neck and stilt-like legs. This one standing on a tuft of grass surrounded by water, looking down at its reflection. Elwing is a light-skinned, dark haired pregnant woman wearing a white cloak and cradling her stomach.

6: North Island kōkako (kōkako o Te Ika a Māui) and Elrond. The kōkako is a blue-grey bird with a black beak and blue wattle. The Elromd faceclaim is Alex Aiono (Ngati Porou, Samoa), a man with light brown skin and dark curly hair. In this photo he's shirtless, holding a flower and facing the righthand side of the image.

7: South Island kōkako (kōkako o Te Waipounamu) and Elros. The kōkako looks very similar to the bird above except for its orange wattle. The Elros faceclaim is also Alex Aiono, but in this image he's standing on a beach in front of the sea, smiling.

8: North Island saddleback (tīeke o Te Ika a Māui) and Elladan. The tīeke is a medium sized bird with a red wattle and mixed black/red-orange plumage. My Elladan faceclaim is Jordi Webber (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Toa, Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Maniapoto). He's a young man with pale brown skin, wavy black hair, and grey eyes.

9: South Island saddleback (tīeke o Te Waipounamu) and Elrohir. He is also represented by Jordi Webber.

10: Chatham Islands tūī (tūī o Rēkohu) and Arwen. This tūī is sitting on a flax plant, but it looks very similar to the tūī photo from earlier. It has blue-black plumage, a white tuft at its throat and orange pollen on its head. The Arwen faceclaim is a smiling Moriori woman in front of trees. She has long brown hair, light brown skin and a white dress.]

[tanoraqui]

key elements of Crownless (the Young Aragorn show that lives in my head and heart) season 1:

(Note that I will play a little fast and loose with timelines and for the sake of a better story. And/or take ruthless advantage of canonical slow Dúnedain aging to spread the timeline out over several decades)

First episode(s) is Aragorn (age 21, functionally late teens) leaving Rivendell to start wandering the wilds with the Rangers. I would do Elrond & his people dirty and say that Aragorn has been kinda sheltered growing up, a little because Elves tend to baby Men, especially young Men, and mostly because everyone wanted to be sure Isildur’s heir was safe as darkness grew in the world, especially after his father was killed when he was 2.

So Aragorn starts with significant book smarts, homely peace smarts—historical knowledge, animal friendship, herblore, diplomacy skills, technical sword/knife/bow skills…but he doesn’t know the dirty fighting tricks that win a fight. His tracking, hunting, forest stealth, etc. skills…suck at first. He’s prone to freeze in urgent healing (or combat) situations, because he’s never done this on his own before—though he has a natural talent for the ‘calling people back from death’ thing we see in LotR.

(This gives Aragorn obvious skills to pick up that demonstrate his character growth as a leader, while also establishing from the start that his real talent in kingship is, always was, diplomacy, strength of character & connection with his people, literal and metaphorical healing. Also, weirdass plans, often based on things he read, with success resting on luck/prayer/hope more than any reasonable thing…including a willingness to trust strange new and/or sketchy people…and they work.)

Maybe eps 1-2 is a double-length episode: opens with newly widowed Gilraen arriving in distress with a toddler 18 years ago, then first half is mostly restless late teen!Estel in Rivendell, ending with Elrond revealing his true name, broken sword, time to go forth… Smash cut to Aragorn tripping in the forest and falling in a stream while 2 other baby Rangers laugh at him and whoever’s stuck training these new recruits sighs heavily. There’s a lot of “this is the new Chieftain of the Dúnedain, Isildur’s heir?”

Format: 22ep 44min monster of the week (like GOD INTENDED) focused on the newest young Rangers: Aragorn, Halbarad, Dúnawen (OC: “maiden of the west”, don’t @ me for naming), as they range throughout Eriador learning how to be badasses guarding the boundaries of civilization. Monsters include orcs, wargs, mortal bandits, trolls, giant spiders, a small ice wyvern that made its way to northern Dale, barrow-wrights, unhoused fëa, rival clans of Men or maybe Dwarves who are about to go to blood feud war…

…and a slowly mounting season plot of the trouble of 3 Nazgúl reoccupying Dol Goldur, after the White Council forced the “Necromancer” out 15ish years ago. (Riling up ghosts throughout the countryside? Something something themes of moving on from the past. Also, can’t go wrong with an episode in which heroes must confront their literal personal ghosts.)

Repeat cameos from Elrohir & Elladan, cousins of all Mannish Dúnedain (and kind of older brothers to Aragorn in particular.) Are they helping him? Are they harder on him than on the other new recruits? Are they good cop/bad cop-ing it?

Arwen! Meet briefly ep1 and/or she’s a key feature of midseason finale; return in season finale to be badass. “Tinúviel! Tinúviel!” scene in Lothlórien casts a hiccup in a fledgling romance between Aragorn and Dúnawen

All combinations of Aragorn/Halbarad/Dunawen ARE welcome, nay, encouraged. They’re functionally in college and they’re all hot, and constantly in near-death situations. I advise the writers to have fun. Bisexuality is free.

Gandalf introduction early, ep2? Probably also in finale (something of a large team-up).

Late season bottle episode, maybe just before a 2-parter finale, in which due to a thunderstorm/mudslide/cave-in incident, Aragorn, Halbarad and Dunawen are trapped in a cave/small series of caves with a random assortment of other travelers on the road west of Bree: a pair of Dwarvish merchants, a few men, 1 elf (journeying to the Havens to Sail?), and 1 hobbit, Mr. Drogo Baggins of Hobbiton, who was making a perilous journey to Bree and back in order to fetch his beloved, very pregnant wife a particular kind of cheese she was craving. No loss of air threat, but they’re stuck. Obviously getting Drogo home is of utmost importance (and everyone else needs to get home safe, too). Tempers run high! Only once the Junior Rangers sort out their late-season interpersonal drama can Aragorn rise to the occasion and organize/mediate this microcosm of Middle Earth’s populace to dig their way out of this cave.

Aragorn is exceptionally good at facing down Nazgúl and their weaponized despair because he has—indeed, he is, by name!—hope. This show is about hope first and teamwork second, and looking badass in a beautiful landscape while Howard Shore music swells third.

[s2 in notes]

[joyburble]

The honey-coloured gown. It first appears in episode 13, and it alerts us immediately that something important has changed in the character's state of mind, several episodes before he works it out himself. Because the scheme of colour and texture is so totally different it's pretty hard not to notice, even in this light.

It is worn for the "why didn't you kill me?" converation with Shangque, in which he learns key information.

It's also worn for this moment where he decides to experience a positive emotion on purpose. We're looking at a river of dark honey, pale honey, soft reds, and shades of gold. All the textures are soft, and so is the shape and construction. The double collar wraps and yields, rather than standing tight around the neck. The pattern echos the flowers he has just spontaneously caused to fall like snow.

The hunting dress is also velvet, but it's a very stiff shape, like armour. The black-and-gold battle dresses we've seen him wear are made of crispy-crackly brocades and chiffons that float and fly and stand up straight, taking up space without actually filling it. This feels totally different to look at.

He reads a little book, trying to make sense of things. Here we can see that it really is the loose wrap-around shape it appears to be, and that there must be a dark underlayer, otherwise invisible, which perhaps also belongs to the long straight sleeves we can just see a corner of.

Look how gorgeous this is! The huge textured sunburst embroidery on the over-gown, the two different layers of facings on the mid-layer collar.

I'm pretty sure this headpiece is the same one he wears with the hunting dress, the one that looks like a present from an Ent. Like the roots of a small but ancient tree.

In Episode 14, the honey gown is worn for the explanation of the hellfire.

After this he returns to the green hunting dress to chase down the kidnapper, but the honey gown comes back in episode 16 for the discovery of Jieli's shenanigans. The cream-coloured robe with the red and gold belt seems almost as though it might be straight-cut, so the belt is actually doing work rather than just decoration. The black and gold robes all look very sharply tailored to the waist, even the one he wears in the dream.

There's also a gold layer we can't see from the front - it might be a lining of the outer gown? Anyway, the effect of this looser shape is to make it look cosy and comfortable, as well as warm in colour and soft in texture, and unusually like a real garment that a real person could plausibly put on or take off. The hunting dress looks like it would bite and then throttle you if you tried to get it off him. This doesn't.

Look at this fantastic texture (of embroidery over cord?), the variety of colour, and the subtle touches of pale green, the green of early Spring and Arwen Undomiel's wedding dress:

This outfit is a sensual feast.

Then, it's worn for the transformation sequence in Episode 17:

Briefly with bare feet! which is a hell of a visual message.

As sunlight falls on the tree, we get a view of the beautiful embroidery that looks almost representational, but not quite - it's a stylised design of branches or clouds or both, and it's gorgeous.

This look stays while he panics and tries to reverse the process, which doesn't work.

For the confrontations with father and brother, it's changed for one of the black-and-gold styles I'll come back to later.

Then in episode 18, he decides to roll with it, so it's worn for the smiling lesson, and the attempt at reconciliation with Xunfeng.

And this epic comedy moment

And the cave scene, which reinforces the idea that it is super warm and cosy: and in which he is comforting Xiao Lanhua with the best reasoning he can think of. "Of course you are an orchid, I took care of you according to the book, and it worked."

And for the scene where he thanks Xiao Lanhua and explicitly accepts the situation.

So: this gown is worn for the entire restoration process, from the initial moments of questioning, through exploration, confusion, bafflment, denial, agony, panic, resistance, despair, more confusion, acceptance, determined attempts at difficult things, unselfconscious sweetness, murderous sweetness, continued confusion, and gratitude. He switches to the green hunting dress for the chase interlude in Episode 15.

This is followed by much funnier confusion and exploration in the Human Realm, and after that the consequences start to hit, and I don't think this delicious outfit ever comes back.

It looks warm, soft, unrestricting, cosy, generous and comfortable while still being big, dramatic, and protective. It's visually telling us the direction his personality wants to go - not necessarily where it will end up, but the direction it's being pulled in, and I think it does a lot to bring us along, subconsciously, with this arc. I call it the honey-coloured gown, but its message is sun melting ice, warmth of feeling, and the possibility of happiness.

The DFQC costumes master post is here.

[lordgrimwing]

First Meetings #08 / At The Park #02

Heavy clouds hung over the park as Celebrían parked the minivan in the dirt lot dotted with a handful of other vehicles. The clouds rolled in about an hour ago, contrary to the very optimistic weather report that morning of sunny skies and highs in the low eighties. Despite the threat of rain, Elladan and Elrohir insisted they still wanted to go to a park, so here they were: picnic basket packed and dressed for a potentially wet adventure. 

(sixteen-year-old Arwen declined the invitation to the soggy outing, citing hanging out with friends later as a reason to not risk getting muddied)

“Here we are,” she said to the twins as she turned off the van.

“Woohoo,” Elladan cheered as they undid their seatbelts and scrambled out of the vehicle. 

Oh, for the enthusiasm of ten-year-olds, Celebrían thought with a shake of her head. She got out of the car, retrieved the picnic basket, and headed for the covered pavilion. The boys could run off some energy in the field or on the playset before lunch and before the rain started, with any luck. She’d reassess the situation after eating to see if they should head home yet. 

The park was nearly deserted, not surprising with the gloomy weather. The only other person she could see was a guy with long pale hair sitting on a bench near the hill that went down to the duck pond. She picked a table under the empty pavilion and sat down. Reaching into the basket, she retrieved her computer. She would put it away when the rain started, but until then she wanted to review the family’s budgets. The kids teamed up earlier in the week to ask their parents to please let them go on a fun trip before school started again. Elrond and she were currently in the phase of discussing what was feasible, both financially and logistically.  

The wind picked up slowly, prompting her to zip up the light coat she brought with her. Looking up, she saw the twins on the swings, seeing who could go the highest. 

The first fat drops of rain plunked against the aluminum roof as she finished and put the computer away. The wind blew the drops sideways as they fell, but her spot in the middle of the covered area wasn’t at risk of getting wet provided the wind didn’t get much fiercer. Looking up again, she didn’t see the twins (they probably went down to the duck pond), but the guy reading on the bench was walking toward the pavilion, shoulders hunched against the elements, book tucked under one arm. 

“Hello,” she said with a polite smile as the elf (she hadn’t been sure before but she was now) settled at the other table that wasn’t starting to accumulate little puddles on the bench.

“Hi. I suppose the brown-haired boys are yours,” he said, voice lightly accented.

“Yes,” she said, unsure where this was going. Conversations with strangers at parks were usually about mundane things, but sometimes someone (usually an elf) had opinions about her family based on her children’s ears. This guy, with so much hair he must spend at least half an hour on it every morning, looked like he might be one of those who wanted to air their narrow view on interracial marriage. 

He continued, oblivious to her thoughts. “They’ve joined my kid hunting for frogs in the pond. If he has his way, they won’t be back until they're soaked, but maybe yours will be a moderating influence.” He laughed a little to himself.

“They don’t mind the rain,” she said, relaxing. “Lunch is waiting, though, so that might sway them.”

“Ah, stratagem.” He set the book on the table, giving up any pretenses of going back to reading rather than talking. He pivoted on the bench to look at her better. She noticed opaque scarring in his left eye. It was a little surprising but she didn’t stare. “Should never go on an outing with kids without a way to entice them to come back when it’s time to go.”

“I guess so.” She suddenly imagined making a snack trail back to the car like some kind of fairytale. 

There was a pause in the conversation as she brushed the ridiculous thought aside and he looked out through the rain toward the hidden pond.

When her thoughts were mostly called back from their fanciful trip, she asked, “Where in Doriath are you from?”

He looked at her, mild surprise showing on his face. 

Oh, was she wrong? She’d spent enough time in the country while growing up that she was fairly confident in her ability to recognize the regional accents, even if she couldn’t quite place where each was from anymore. But maybe she was wrong this time. She opened her mouth to apologize for assuming—it wasn’t any of her business, anyway.

“Most people don’t guess with that much confidence,” he said mildly.

“My father’s from Menegroth. I spent a lot of time there on and off when I was young,” she explained, hoping he wasn’t offended by her assumption. She really shouldn’t have phrased it like that or asked at all really. Growing up, she’d moved to so many different countries to follow her mother’s career that she was inured to asking and answering questions about where people were from. It wasn’t like that for everyone, of course—her experience was a bit unique. 

“Sorry, I should have at least introduced myself before asking that,” she said as the rain began pelting down harder. “Hi, I’m Celebrían.”

“Hello, Celebrían.” He pronounced her name in the same way as her father did. “I’m Thranduil. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“How familiar are you with the country outside the capital?” He asked, apparently willing to go back to her original question.

“A bit. I spent a summer in Nan Elmoth.”

He contemplated her for a moment. “I lived in West Region. More recently, I’m from a few miles south of here.”

She’d been to East Region once to see the eponymous holly trees blanketed in snow (Celeborn later said he never would have forgiven himself if she’d missed out on the classic Doriadhrim childhood experience of hiding in the natural snow forts formed under the trees’ low branches), but the holly was probably what the region was best known for outside of Doriath so she wasn’t going to blurt that out.

“Oh, nice,” she said instead. “I think I have a great-aunt who lives there.” Then, because he’d pointed the conversation to where he was currently from, “it was a bit of a drive out here for me, but the boys wanted to come here again.”

“It’s a nice park,” Thranduil agreed. “There’s a trail, about a mile long, from here to an artificial wetland full of frogs and bugs. Legolas is a fan.”

Legolas must be his son. “Thanks, that’s nice to know. I had no idea.” That could come in handy when it came time for the twins to make bug collections for school.

Just then, a blond head peaked over the hill from the duck pond. A small boy came into view, soaking wet, with mud plastered to his shoes and bare shins and what looked like pond weed in his hair. Elladan and Elrohir came just behind him, windbreakers zipped and hoods up against the rain. They were also wet but clearly from the rain and not from playing in the muck of the shallow pond.

“Legolas,” Thranduil called to the little boy, who couldn’t have been much older than seven or eight. Despite his youth, he had long hair like his father (though more wavy than straight) that would take a considerable amount of time to get clean again. “Where’s your backpack?”

His hands came up as he spoke, and Celebrían realized he was signing. Was his child deaf?

Legolas pointed a muddy finger at Elrohir, who did have the strap of a red backpack flung over one shoulder. His hand then came up to wiggle in front of his face.

Thranduil snorted. “No, you’re silly,” he said, repeating the sign.

Celebrían stood up and unpacked the picnic basket as the three children arrived at the pavilion. They’d made lunch meat and cabbage sandwiches before leaving, Arwen pitching in too lest her brothers create some horrid combination (and so she could eat the pickle slices). There were carrots and apple slices, too.

“How was the pond?” She asked as Elladan and Elrohir plopped down on the bench.

“Super fun,” Elrohir reported. “We saw a lot of frogs and minnows.”

Elladan nodded in vigorous agreement as he bit into a sandwich. “Legolas knows all kinds of stuff about frogs. Don’t you?” He said through a mouthful of bread, good-naturedly nudging Legolas (who’d sat down between the twins instead of going over to his dad) with an elbow.

“Frogs,” the little elf murmured, his hands coming up to form more signs.  

“Frogs are his favorite,” Thranduil said, scooting to the end of his table so he could see his son better. He watched his hands move. “He likes the sounds they make and how they swim.”

“Did you catch any?” Celebrían asked. 

Her sons shook their heads, mouths full. Legolas’s eyes widened and then he shook his head vigorously and looked at his dad.

Smiling, Thranduil said, “We don’t touch frogs. We could make them sick or hurt them if we aren’t careful.”

A little bemused, she unwrapped her own sandwich as Legolas waved Elladan and Elrohir down to his level to whisper in their ears. The rest of lunch continued in a similar manner, part in signs and part in whispered conversations. She offered food to Thranduil—who politely declined—and Legolas—who shook his head and dug around in his flimsy backpack to retrieve a battered peanut butter sandwich.

The rain let up while they ate and talked, the sun suddenly peeking out bravely from behind the clouds. Thrilled, Elladan and Elrohir cleaned up their trash so they could go play again. Legolas jumped up to join them.

“Wait,” Thranduil said, snagging a dangling strap on the backpack that his son had put back on after eating his lunch so he couldn’t run away. “It’s about time to go.”

The child’s face fell. He raised his hands. Celebrían tried not to stare at the signing, but it was interesting to see how expressive the boy’s face was. He was plainly asking a question, even when there was no tone of voice to listen to.

“We can go now or stay ten more minutes, but if we stay then we won’t have time for the library today. Which do you want?”

Staying won out, and Legolas ran off after the twins who’d stopped halfway to the playground when they realized he wasn’t following them.

 Celebrían watch them go together to play. “Well,” she said, starting to put away the leftovers. “Your son is sweet.”

“He has his moments.” Thranduil’s tone suggested ‘moments’ meant ‘every moment of the day’. “What are your boys’ names, again?”

She’d said their names during lunch but wasn’t surprised he hadn’t caught which was which. “The one in the blue coat is Elladan. The one in green is Elrohir.”

“Elladan and Elrohir. Legolas likes them,” he said with a contemplative expression. “He doesn’t normally use his voice this much, especially with strangers.” 

She didn’t say anything to that. During lunch, she realized the child wasn’t deaf, but she felt like she’d risked putting her foot in her mouth enough today so she didn’t ask about it. She was curious, but that didn’t give her leave to ask personal questions. Elrond got so frustrated when strangers kept asking questions about his parents because he was visibly mixed-race. Even if questions were asked innocently, it wasn’t anyone’s responsibility to explain their existence. 

The ten-minute limit drew close.

Thranduil pulled a notebook and pen out of his pants pocket. He tore out a page and wrote a series of numbers down before offering it to her. “This is my cell number,” he explained. “I think Legs would really like to play with your kids again.”

She took the paper and slipped it into her coat pocket. “Sounds possible. I’m always looking for excuses to get them outside.”

He stood and dusted off his pants. “Right. I’d better go, or we will end up being late. I look forward to hearing from you, Celebrían.”

“Have a good day,” she said by way of good-bye as he picked up his book and headed for the playset where the kids were racing up and down the slides. 

She would talk to Elladan and Elrohir on the drive home and find out how they felt about setting up a time to play with Legolas again.

[thedecoy-if]

Can you tell us the tropes for each route, if there are any?

I hardly know what labels would be for any of their tropes so I'll just explain them ig lol!

Judging on MC's choices, they can all be enemies to lovers I suppose. Aside from Taleea and Drenwin, mostly because Drenwin's carefree/easygoing personality doesn't lend well to an enemies/rivals trope. He'd never hate MC.

As for Taleea, MC can be mean to Taleea but the enemies part would be one-sided as she'd be more so understanding of MC's anger.

EDIT: ALSO they're all slow burns aside from Vale, who you can have a fwb relationship before romancing. yup.

Azriel: bodyguard romance? Enemies to lovers. Monster "I'm not worthy of being loved" angst//the will-do-anything-in-his-power-to-stay-away

???: Enemies to lovers/villain romance/hunter, hunted dynamic/dark romance?

Ceris: Forbidden romance. Some more I can't say as it would be spoilery.//Like Azriel, they will do everything to stay away but for other reasons.//

Vale: the non-committal player who doesn't believe in romance//possibe fwb to lovers//the tragic romantic past//something else I can't say.

Arwen/Arya: childhood friends to lovers//arranged marriage//lying to the other party//will they, wont they//

Drenwin: friends to lovers//drenwin falls first?//by far the 'softest' route

Namara: purposely distant//familial expectations//will they, won't they//some more i can't say

Taleea: friends to lovers//fear of falling in love//some fae-centric fears that would be spoilery!

Sorry this isn't sufficient but most of the themes of their romances are very involved in the actual plot of the story so I can't say much!

[echo-bleu]

How about 38 with Elrond? <3

38. A person’s weight as they lie on top of you

I had to make it sad, of course. (Also on AO3)

Gil-Estel is perfectly framed in the tiny rectangle of sky that Elrond can glimpse from his position on the bed. He stares at the light unseeingly, tears blurring his vision. For the first time in years, he sees in the bright star not just the symbol it has become, but the man who steers the ship with a Silmaril on his brow, the father he never got to know.

Please watch over her in Aman, he prays, not to the Valar, but to Eärendil the Mariner. She will need all the help you can give her.

He doesn’t know if Eärendil is allowed to walk the lands of Valinor, to talk to the elves, or if he would even care to meet Celebrían. But she will be all alone over there, without anyone she knows, and Elrond’s heart is clenched with worry and grief.

He stays unmoving until Gil-Estel disappears from sight, and the patch of sky grows dark. Then he tries to shift, to get up and go watch the stars from the balcony, but his arms are pinned down to the bed by an immovable weight. Elrond sighs and settles back into the soft mattress.

The twins have nestled themselves on each side of him, asleep in identical mirrored positions with their heads on his shoulders. They haven’t done this since they were much smaller than they are now, and their combined weight compresses Elrond’s chest until he can barely breathe – unless that’s the knot in his throat.

Celebrían used to sleep pressed against him, one arm often snaking around his chest, sometimes tickling his side. In the past year, on the nights she could stand someone touching her, she let him wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly, and only then would lose some of the wracking tension in her body.

The twins are taller and broader than her, but here in the soft light of Isil, they look small and drawn. Elrond isn’t sure if they fell asleep here in a misguided attempt to keep him in bed – he hasn’t slept since he watched the white sail of Celebrían’s ship disappear over the horizon, and he almost nodded straight off his horse several times on the journey back – or if they felt just as vulnerable and lost as he does. For a year, they’ve been animated by vengeance and the desire to repair the hurts of their mother, but it all seems so futile now. There is nothing left to heal, not for them.

Elrond nudges at the edges of his mind, checking on the valley, letting Vilya expand his perception. Everything is quiet in the middle of the night. Out of habit, he reaches for his marriage bond as he comes back to himself – but the emptiness leaves him reeling. Celebrían has long passed out of range for ósanwe, and he can’t even feel her presence any more.

He finds another, instead. Arwen. She’s awake too, curled up on her own bed, crying. Come, Elrond invites her. Moments later, she pads in, barefoot, her night gown brushing the stone floor.

Ada, she says silently, tears running down her face.

Elrond forces a smile and shifts slightly to demonstrate how immobilized he is. Arwen gives him a teary laugh, and she burrows her head into Elladan’s chest, pushing him back until she can fit against Elrond’s side.

Anchored there by the weight of his three children, Elrond misses Celebrían like a limb. He can feel the shape of her absence in his mind and in his family, and he doesn’t know how he will bear it. The loss feels too great to encompass.

And it is, for a while.

He loses himself in his work so he doesn’t have to imagine Celebrían all alone in Aman, her pale face a ghost of the lively, generous person she used to be. He lets his son go on increasingly dangerous orc-hunting expeditions because he doesn’t know how to heal the wounds in their hearts, and he prays with each goodbye that he won’t have to lose another part of his family. He fights with Arwen because he doesn’t know how to love her enough for two, and he can feel her drift away from him more with each passing year.

But eventually, he learns to breathe around the pain. He adapts, like he has every time he’s had to let go of a part of himself and still go on.

His place is here, still, keeping watch over Middle-Earth with Vilya. He can only get glimpses of what’s to come – a mortal child with grey eyes and dark hair playing with a wooden sword, a white flower on a sapling, Arwen in a city of stone – but he knows that he must stay.

He will count the days, and those days will bring with them more grief and more pain. But he will be reunited with Celebrían eventually, over the sea in the land of their parents and grandparents.

He just needs to wait. And hope.

Send me a writing or drawing prompt!

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Silvans Journal

Exactly what it says on the tin. I hc that one of the silvan customs is for every elf to write down what happens in their lives as a way to remember, and as a momento for those they leave behind should they die.

Now, these journal entries aren’t usually full fledged day by day walkthroughs. More like:

“September 19, 1568 SA

Naneth took me out hunting today! We caught a big buck, and she showed me how to skin it!”

For more intense and larger events the entries are longer, obviously.

When going on trips (or marching to war) they bring a small pocket sized booklet to write their notes down in, which they transcribe into their larger journal when they get back.

Ironically this means that the silvans have the most accurate record of history.

Culture wise this means that giving a silvan an empty journal is a big thing only done by family/the spouse and really really close friends. It is seen as a declaration of love by the giver (either romantic or platonic). Elves can buy their own though, no problem.

Furthermore, an elf’s first journal is actually written by their parents, documenting the begetting untill birth and is filled with everything the parents want to tell their child, should somethings happen to them when the child is young.

Silvans keep their full journals neatly in their personal book cases to be perused by them at their leisure. But outsiders flipping through a silvan’s personal journals without permission is a major faux pass.

The older a silvan is/the more they live through, the larger their journal collection.

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

Frodo, noticing that every now and then Legolas writes something down in a little booklet: what are you doing?

Legolas: writing down interesting things that have happened

Frodo: why?

Legolas: to remind myself what I’m living for.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Legolas’s journal

June 18, 2230 TA, Imlardis

Arwen and I nailed the twins with all the rotten vegetables left over in the kitchen. Their faces were priceless.

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

Thranduil Journal

February 4, 18 TA, Greenwood

My son and his patrol took down group of orcs today, meanwhile I’m stuck drowning under paperwork and having to play nice with Galadriel. Fuck my life, why did Ada up and die on me!?

[frodo-cinnamonroll]

Deeper Than Fate (Part 1)

Prompt/request: Prompt 1-5: Y/N, Arargorn's sister, leaves Rivendell on an urgent mission. Y/N must find Aragorn and four hobbits before the Nazgul do. Arwen, Y/N's best friend, wanted to go but you had to in her place. Upon your arrival, you find a wounded halfling and Aragorn warns you that the Nazgul will stop at nothing to find him. Requested by @almost-gabrielle

Word count: 1.9k

Warnings: angst, injuries, and a little fluff

----------------------------

My horse’s hooves were pounding as they flew over the narrow dirt path. My long hair whipped in the wind behind me. My heart was beating to the rising urgency that grew as I went. How long would it take for me to find Aragorn? How long until it was too late? I pulled my horse’s reins back and slowed to a stop. All around me the forest was lightless except for the weak rays of the moon glancing off the thick leaves, giving them a ghastly white glare.

“Where are you, Aragorn?” I whispered into the darkness. I stroked the horse’s mane, searching about me.

Then I saw a small yellow flicker. Now two. Now three. These weren’t orcs, for those would be much louder. I led my horse through the underbrush, coming upon a small clearing with large stone statues in the shapes of trolls. I looked around, seeing shapes of some figures not far away. I dismounted my horse, coming upon the nearest figure who was kneeling in the grass.

“Brother,” I said, laying a hand on the person’s shoulder.

Aragorn whirled around, drawing his sword but relaxing  when he saw my face. He seemed anxious. “Y/N,” he said, “how did you come here?”

“I have been searching for you for many days,” I said. “Arwen was supposed to come but I had to go in her place. Elrond has told me that the Nine are abroad and I have seen them from afar. There are five hunting you now. Where the others are, I cannot say. I heard you were with four halflings. What has happened? You were supposed to arrive in Rivendell two days ago.”

“Quite a lot has happened,” Aragorn said, kneeling and cutting at an herb with a small knife. “I do not have time to explain it all right now, but some of the Nazgûl came upon us not long ago. I was not there and one of the halflings was wounded. Frodo is his name.” Aragorn lowered his voice to a whisper. “He is the one that carries the Thing. We do not have much time. Come.”

Aragorn led me to the middle of the clearing where three halflings stood, all looking very worried. Another halfling lay on the ground, gasping, his eyes wide. Immediately, my heart went out to him, breaking at the sight of his condition. I knelt beside him as Aragorn brought the athelas he had been gathering and the halflings watched us.

“Frodo,” I said softly, placing my hand on his forehead. He was drenched in sweat. “Frodo, I am here to help you. I am here to help you and I will do everything I can to save you.” 

Frodo’s eyes were cloudy and unseeing. They stared upwards and were filled with fear. Gently, I pulled back Frodo’s unbuttoned shirt, revealing the nasty wound on his shoulder. The raw flesh was black and I could see the darkness spreading slowly through his veins.

“No one so innocent should ever have to go through such hardship,” I whispered.

“But we cannot decide what one does and doesn’t face,” Aragorn said, putting a leaf of the athelas plant in the open wound. Frodo gasped and his eyes widened.

“I know, but I wish it never came to such things as this,” I said as Aragorn lifted Frodo up in his arms and the two of us walked towards my horse. “But wishing won’t do anything for him now.”

Aragorn set Frodo upon my horse. His head hung and he wasn’t far from unconsciousness.

“I can take him,” Aragorn said, reaching for the reins. I got to them first.

“Have all our contests of old taught you nothing?” I said, managing the best smile I could at the time. “I’m the faster rider.”

“I cannot let you—”

“Aragorn,” I said, “we don’t have the time. You must let me go.” I squeezed my brother’s hand. “I do not fear them.”

Aragorn sighed as I mounted my horse once more. “Ride fast,” he said, “do not tarry for even a moment. And do not look back.”

I nodded and slapped the horse’s reins, taking off through the forest. I could hear behind me, not far away, the shriek of the Nazgûl’s chilling voices.

“Ride!” I said to my horse in elvish. “Ride and do not slow!”

My horse ran even faster and the trees passed in dark blurs of gnarled hands and thick leaves. The cold moonlight flashed through their branches. On I rode as Aragorn had said, without stopping. Even as I went, the sun began to peek over the horizon of the mountains but its light didn’t give me much comfort. I was passing through a grove when I saw many shadowy forms on dark horses coming much too close on my flank. I knew time was running out fast. Glancing back once, I saw all of the Nine riding hard on my heels. One, not but a few feet from me, reached for Frodo and I clutched him close to my chest. I urged my horse faster again and gained a little more speed. I looked ahead and could see the shallow river shimmering through the trees.

“Just a little farther!” I said to no one in particular.

Finally, my horse leapt into the water and went straight to the other side. I brought my panting horse to a stop and faced the Nine who had halted at the bank, their horses rearing. I could feel their cold eyes piercing me but I did not waiver.

“Give up the halfling now,” the captain’s voice rattled like thunder beating metal.

I drew my sword and held Frodo firmly with my other hand. “If you want him, you must face me first.”

The Nazgûl pushed their horses into the river and advanced without hesitance. I whispered in elvish, my eyes on the water, and I knew Elrond and Gandalf, the ones who had sent me, were doing their part. The waters rose and a rushing torrent gushed towards us. I backed my horse onto the shore and the Nazgûl were swept away until I could see them no more.

I dismounted the horse and looked at Frodo. He was very pale and sickly-looking. His eyes were teary and faded. They were barely open.

"Hold on Frodo," I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek. "Hold on." I took a breath and gently pressed my lips to his cold and clammy forehead. I held him to my chest. "Please let him be spared,” I said. “Save him.”

Frodo's face looked slightly better and more at ease when I said this. I knew I couldn't mount my horse again while holding him so I spoke to it in elvish once more and it dashed off to get the others. I, however, ran lightly and swiftly to where Elrond was waiting.

Finally, I reached him and handed Frodo gently into his arms. Gandalf was right behind him, a look of deep anxiousness in his face. Elrond set him on a bed in the nearest room. He then began working on Frodo's shoulder. I helped him. Elrond whispered quiet healings over him which helped, but not enough.

For hours we searched for the shard or splinter that was ailing him so terribly. Elrond had looked for most of the time, and me a little. I was beginning to grow more and more worried.

"I cannot find it." Elrond said sitting back gravely.

"Please do not give up," I said quietly. "Let me try."

Elrond handed the tweezer-like instrument to me. I searched and searched until at last I felt something hard and small. When the tweezers touched it, a chill went up my arm.

"I found it!" I cried. Elrond and Gandalf stood. "I can't... get it..." I said as I struggled to pull it out.

"Here, now, give it to me," Elrond said calmly. I did so. He had a way of staying calm under pressure. Soon, to the glory of Grace, Elrond pulled the splinter out. He looked at it with intrigue and disgust and it turned to dust, vanishing in the rays of the morning.

Poor Frodo's face was no longer strained and he relaxed. We all breathed again. The darkness of worry was no longer on us. Elrond ran his fingers around Frodo's wound.

"It is gone," he said.

I almost cried for joy. We could all feel that the heaviness had passed. The darkness was no longer there. Frodo was safe.

Elrond proceeded to pour some special ointments in and around the wound and then bound Frodo's shoulder.

"It will not need a stitch," Elrond said. "For we here in Rivendell rarely need such things. It will heal fine, though it will never fully go away. But he is well and will be. It is no longer a worry." When he finished, he turned to Gandalf, "I must go now. I have other business to attend to. You may rest in peace now that the halfling is safe. Y/N will watch over him, if I am correct."

"As you always are, my lord," I said with a smile. "I would be honored to watch over him. If that is alright, Gandalf?"

"Of course! Of course!" Gandalf said, almost laughing, maybe more in relief than anything. "We are honored to have your service. I know you are fond of halflings, and you are so caring. I know Mr. Baggins is in good hands. I think I shall stay a little longer as well to watch him, then I shall rest."

Elrond nodded and left. "Y/N, you know what to do. Farewell for now."

Gandalf took his seat again and began smoking his pipe quietly as he started thoughtfully into the distance outside the window. 

Some time passed and after sitting for a good while, watching Frodo, I left the room and came back with a small bowl full of water and a cloth. After sitting on the edge of the bed where Frodo lay, I dipped the cloth in the water and gently dabbed his face from the sweat and grime. I also gently removed the bandage and dabbed around his wound and applied fresh ointments where it was needed. Then I grabbed a glass of fresh water that sparkled like a jewel in the early light. I very gently tilted Frodo's head back and poured a small amount of water into his mouth and over his dry lips. He swallowed the little bit I gave him and lay still and peaceful.

I smiled at him, running my fingers through his curly hair. I had never been friends with many halflings other than Bilbo. I had guarded their land, yes, but I didn’t want to disturb them or draw too much attention to myself with my presence (and height for that matter). Now, I looked at Frodo’s face and I leaned forward and kissed his head, my hand lingering on his cheek.

Gandalf stood from his seat with a grunt, reminding me that he was there.

“I’m going to get some rest now,” he said. “I know you will take care of your new friend.” 

“I shall,” I said.

Gandalf turned away and I heard him mutter not so subtly, “or perhaps more than just a friend, hm?”

I opened my mouth but Gandalf left with one wink in my direction. I shook my head and smiled, a tad embarrassed.

“Perhaps,” I whispered, looking down at Frodo again. “Perhaps.”

[edgessunflower]

Welcome to our prompt list! @romanthereigns 🫶🏻

⚠️ Give us credits if you use any prompts! ⚠️

✧ “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies”- Andy Dufresne, Shawshank Redemption

✧ "You'll have bad times, but that'll wake you up to the good stuff you weren't paying attention to" - Sean Maguire, Good Will Hunting

✧ “I’ve just had the best summer of my life and now I have to go away, it isn’t fair” – Sandy, Grease

✧ "They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up" - Edward Bloom, Big Fish

✧ “So it’s not gonna be easy, it’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me everyday” - Noah, The Notebook

✧ "We accept the love we think we deserve" - Mr Anderson, Perks of being a wallflower

✧ “And sometimes you love a person just because they feel like home” - Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones’ Diary

✧ "Something better than you? there isn't anything better than you" - Forney Hull, Where the heart is

✧ “I vow to love you, and no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always find a way back to each other”-Leo, The Vow

✧ "I love you, I've always loved you" - Jenna Rink, 13 going on 30

✧ “But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all”- Kat Stratford, 10 Things I Hate About You

✧ "You were born into a family that doesn't always appreciate you, but one day things are gonna be very different" - Miss Honey, Matilda

✧ “I want to wake up with you beside me in the mornings, I want to spend my evenings looking at you across the dinner table, I want to share every mundane detail of my day with you and hear every detail of yours, I want to laugh with you and fall asleep with you in my arms”- Dawson Cole, The Best Of Me

✧ "I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone" - Arwen, Lord of the rings

✧ “You know the smallest thing can change a life. In the blink of an eye, something happens by chance-and when you least expect it-since we’re on a course that you could have never planned, into a future you never imagined”- Logan Thibault, The Lucky One

✧ "We get to choose who we let into our weird little worlds" - Sean Maguire, Good Will Hunting

✧ “Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been 5 kisses that were rated the most passionate-the most pure. This one left them all behind”- William Goldman, The Princess Bride

✧ "You deserve a guy who says I can't imagine a world without you in it" - Drew Baylor, Elizabethtown

✧ “You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down”- George Bailey, It’s A Wonderful Life

✧ "You is kind, you is smart, you is important" - Aibileen Clark, The Help

[musetta3]

First Sentence Tag Game

Thank you for the tag, @nirikeehan! 

Rule: Post the first sentence of your last 10 fics.

---

‘Of Trysts and Tarantellas,’ a Sereda Aeducan x Gorim Saelac gift fic

“Princess, where are we going?”

‘Evergreen,’ a Fenris x OC gift fic

Fenris wasn’t, by nature, a morning person.

‘Gray Magic,’ Anders x Hawke

“You were supposed to talk me out of this, remember?”

‘Of Cocoa and Cooking Lessons,’ Fenris x my modern girl in Thedas OC, Rana El-Khoury

Fenris stood at his larder door with a candle, taking stock of the Satinalia leftovers.

 The Songstress and the Swordsman, Fenris x Rana, Marian Hawke x Anders, Sebastian Vael x OC (the Teyrn of Ostwick’s daughter)

Fenris wished he’d never come to the Hanged Man, that night.

‘Passing Notes,’ Fenris x Rana

‘dear rana why must i write a letter if you are seated beside me i do not understand the purpose of this sincerely fenris’

‘Under the Linden Tree,’ Aragorn x Arwen (Lord of the Rings fandom)

Ever since their arrival in Rivendell, Aragorn had been swept up in a tempest of meetings, discussions, and strategizing.

‘Of Acemennan and Emmental,’ an Anders and Warden friendship fic

“Owww! Maker’s Breath, Anders, hurry up!”

‘Sub Rosa,’ Solas x Lavellan   (rated M )

It happened quite suddenly, on a Wednesday afternoon.

Revka Cadash and the Great Nug Hunt, a friendship fic featuring my dwarven merchantwoman OC, Revka Cadash

When Revka Cadash had agreed to a ‘Wicked Grace night with the crew,’ she did not expect this…

~~~

Tagging: @bluewren @tkwritesdumbassassins @poetikat @midnightprelude @rakshadow @fandomn00blr @delicatefade @anderstrevelyan @tea42 @kittynomsdeplume @cleverblackcat @johaerys-writes and any that would like to do this! Tag me so I can read your fics <3