#also yall i Know this isn't canon compliant please dont come after me rip

[procrastinationonvacation]

Oh yes!! I do love your thoughts on things - you really have a knack for coming up with really interesting things! I’ve just realised I haven’t asked for your thoughts or Gil-Galad, specifically his parentage - so, if you would like to, thoughts?

- Captain Anon

Hey thanks mate!!!

For Gil-Galad, can I call him Gil? Well I'm gonna.

The run down is I have no idea what the canon story is pre-Isle of Balar is so in my imagination, Gil was adopted as Maedhros and Fingon's kid, but then as various people had their kingdoms wrecked/got killed, he got transferred from house to house until just... only his house was left.

Note: ok I'm sure you've noticed by now, I sometimes say "middle earth" and I just mean not-valinor.

If I'm correct, at some point Morgoth attacks Hithlum about 100-200 years after they arrive in Beleriand. Anyways Gil is one of the very few Young kids around (having been born after arriving in middle earth), so when his parents are (unfortunately) killed, Fingon's like "so, Neylo I hear you like kids" and Maedhros is like "haha yeah I do" so Fingon's like "great, we have one. This is Gil-Galad. Sign here."

A brief interlude from time lines to discuss Adoption: there's no "hey this guy isn't actually related!" no. no. If the person is adopted they are not only thier parent's child. They are everyone's nephew/neice/grandchild/cousin/they trace family ties a bit too far sometimes but they mean well. The point is, Gil is ABSOLUTELY part of the shiny murder family now.

Anyways, Gil has 7 uncles/aunts he regularly hangs out with plus one who he's never met, and a slew of his fathers' cousins (Arafinwe's kids) so despite the rough start, has a pretty awesome childhood hopping between Fingon's and Maedhros' houses, and going to Finrod's house once a month because Finrod is the only other responsible babysitter. At the time of the Dagor Bragollach, he's fortunate enough to be with Fingon, and it's agreed he should stay there for Awhile. In that time, he grows into a solid military commander himself, gaining a reputation across Beleriand but also trust and respect from Fingon's people.

Ergo, even if he spent time swapping between Hithlum and Himring later on, it's only natural that in the Union of Maedhros he be with Fingon's army. Unfortunately, that means Gil's group gets screwed over. He ends up in the Isle of Balar because they don't know what's going on/who'd betrayed who and I'm fairly certain Cirdan and Fingon hung out (I think there was an attack Cirdan helped repel) so he goes there bc, lets be honest, Cirdan is pretty awesome. Plus his other options were: Turgon has a hidden city someplace, the Feanorians are kinda crazy and don't really have a base anyways (plus they were inexplicably late), and hippity hoppity get off my property Doriath.

Anyways, if he claims to be literally everyone's child, it's because there isn't a Finwean who wouldn't claim him as their own. But primarily he's Fingon and Maedhros' kid, with 198475019 overly enthusiastic "uncles."