#aman ever after

[tanoraqui]

I think that during and especially after Beleriand, Fingolfin feels about the general Fëanorian faction that way a person feels about their cat who hates them. Like, “haha oh yeah, they like to hide under the chair and attack my ankles if I get too close. Aren’t they adorable? Don’t try to pick them up, they WILL claw you to death. But if I feed them raw meat, they sometimes let me get in one pet before the claws come out! I’m so sorry that they killed your pet bird and left it on my pillow—that’s just how they are. I take full responsibility. They haven’t burned me in effigy in years, you know!”

The reincarnated Fëanorians generally reciprocate, with an attitude of “as far as people who are still not Our Real King go, at least he was there, and died as epically and righteously as possible. 7/10, would leave dead animals on his pillow again.”

Arafinwë is sooo happy to let his brother deal with these people.

[butch-rem]

"You just ship it because it's sapphic!"

Kronk voice: Well, you got me there.

[tyrannosaurustai]

My kins !! (I am mentally ill)

[hanako-san]

as kid

as adlut

[tanoraqui]

Elrond offering to pay gives Finwë the chance to loudly and firmly insist that he is paying, because it’s his birthday and he wants to celebrate by making a nice evening for all his favorite people. The warning hint of distress in his voice + Nerdanel grinding her heel down on Fëanor’s foot (she was already stepping on it) while Miriel gently clasps his arm + Indis making a discreet violent gesture at Elu (he’s seen her wield a quarterstaff) = Finwë pays with no more argument.

Maedhros, Curufin, Turgon, Aredhel and Aegnor make money betting that Finwë would win, and Caranthir, Curufin, Fingon, Turgon, Finrod and Galadriel make money betting that it would take more than 1 hour but less than 3. Maglor tries to argue his bet DID come true, that Elrond would step in and save the day, but everyone else shuts him down. Amras makes money betting that Nerdanel would break the heel of her shoe on Fëanor’s foot.

The scene:

We are, perhaps, in Arda Reborn. It is Finwë's birthday begetting day. He has brought many dear friends and relatives out for a festive meal at his favorite restaurant. Finwë said he was treating everyone, but after the server brings the check, both Fëanor and Elwë reach for it.

They each have a hand on the check.

They cannot turn to violence or use any other kind of force or even be openly hostile. Finwë is right there. He would be Sad. And on his birthday begetting day!

The grandkid generation has mostly left the table to watch the live entertainment. Fëanor could still theoretically call upon his sons to do… something, but depending on the assistance of his children to get a check away from Thingol is not something Fëanor is willing to do when Fingolfin is also right there.

Also that might cause a fuss which would make Finwë Sad.

Most of those still at the table are neutral, as in they aren't thrilled with the idea of Fëanor or Thingol making the evening 'from them'.

Nothing is at stake but pride.

And doing something nice for Finwë which he didn't ask for and doesn't need.

[good-beanswrites]

es should go through the blender but my finger is tired of holding down the button. so i shall pass the blender to you (with an es nui in it). do whatever you wish with them.

Oh why thank you :) I will take the blender gladly :) *Tosses some T2 angst into the blender* *adds a little bit of funky structure/style* *gives it a little pinch of headcanons* *and another pinch of random angst I got from ace attorney at 14 and never forgot* :) BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Caretaker Log J.16.7.2

Summary – The Warden’s condition continues to worsen since last entry. All decline remains self-inflicted. 

J.16.7.2-M – Sleep deprivation has resulted in mood swings and irritability. Though denied by the Warden, extreme distress, melancholy, and laughter have been noted. They lash out verbally and physically toward the prisoners (1) only to apologize at a later time. Observations (2) result in speculation that hallucinations are another symptom. 

J.16.7.2-B – The Warden's obsession with notetaking remains steady, though most pages of planning are merely rewritten versions of earlier notes. Their nightly ritual has grown more rigorous: four cups of coffee ingested in the time between dinner and the kitchen’s closing. A fifth cup is brought back to the courtroom, where the Warden will once again sleep on the ground. (Refer to J.5.5.2.B for initial detail.) 

J.16.7.2-P – Sleep deprivation and/or caffeine intake has caused shakiness and overall weakness. They show severe eyebags and have not changed into nightclothes in several days. Though they wash themself and fresh civilian clothes have been provided, they insist on returning to the uniform. Motor skills (3) and computation abilities have suffered.

J.16.7.2-S – The Warden spends their days around the prisoners, but avoids participating in all necessary conversations and activities regardless of invitation (4). They limit speech to the Caretaker only about their denied request (5), though they can be coaxed into conversation when fatigue overtakes them.

(1) After 005 offered the Warden something to help with their sleep, they threw the pills to the ground and shouldered past with force; 008 attempted to read the Warden’s notes, and they slapped her hand away.

(2) Flinched away from 003 even when standing still; shocked expression at 004's face despite nothing out of the ordinary; looked nauseous and refused to eat fresh fruit from the dining hall; interrupted a conversation with 010 to listen to silence.

(3) Handwriting has grown nearly intelligible; dropped one of their coffee cups and nearly panicked at the subsequent breakage and spill.

(4) Left the room when 002 began setting up a game; ignored 001's encouragement to join him for a meal; refused to answer personal questions from 006; snapped at 007 when trying to begin a lighthearted conversation.

(5) Request submitted on 30.8.2 for padlocks to fit supply closet and cell doors.

Appendix. Subjective caretaker commentary – Poor kid. I’m glad it’ll all be over soon. 

[randomidiocyncrazies]

Honestly... milgram project is fun bc you get to analyze the characters (and try to work out their "murder" + the circumstances surrounding it) AND you get to analyze the fandom as a bonus too

[tathrin]

Hey. Hey, do you ever think about the fact that if Legolas hadn't been stricken by the Sea-Longing, if he had still had "peace under beech [and] elm," he would almost surely not have gone to the Undying Lands until many, many years later, long after all his mortal friends were dead?

Do you ever think about the fact that if he hadn't heard those gulls, if he hadn't spent the whole length of Aragorn's reign plagued by the ache in his heart ever pulling him West, he wouldn't have gone until long after Gimli was dead, too? And Gimli would have surely never even thought about asking to go with him, if Legolas's heart wasn't being ever drawn away by that call; it simply wouldn't have been a thing that would have ever occurred to either of them, without the weight of the Sea-Longing hanging over them both for so many years.

Do you ever think about how the only reason they get to have their forever-ever-after happy ending on the other side of the Sundering Sea is because of the wound that the cry of those gulls lanced through his heart?

Because I do.

[tanoraqui]

I've never heard of that "elves lose language in Mandos and have to re-learn it when they re-embody" before and I'm insane about it now. "Re-embody" i usually say, but this does make it "rebirth" in a big way. As discussed, language shapes the way you think, the person you are - to return to life without it, even in an adult body with all your memories, is to be born anew! And Elves would be so aware of this. I know studies about how language literally affects the way people think are overall more recent, but between the importance the characters and the text places on things like the Shibboleth of Fëanor and the Quenya ban, the fact that elves define themselves as "speaking people" ("Quendi"), and Tolkien's whole...everything...I think we can safely say that elves overall consciously consider language to be a key part cultural and personal identity, in a way we modern humans usually don't think about.

Which makes death so much more real for them, too, in a way men would recognize. If they lose language in Mandos and must regain it later, yes their essential spirit survives, their experiences and the self shaped by it...but how they relate to those experiences, how they define them, how they define themselves, can all be utterly changed when they re-enter the world. Is that not something like death as we know it? The best an elf could do to remain fully "themselves" is to seek out someone who spoke the same tongue they used to, same dialect, preferably similar lived experiences, but who never died and so has retained it purely; and re-learn language from that person. Does such a person even exist for every dialect of Elvish in Arda? I doubt it. And it's still not language as you knew it, but rather as Eldon from the woods next door knows it. On the opposite end, I'm sure there are elves who seek personal re-invention with their rebirth, who throw themselves gladly into the chance to relearn and redefine their experiences, grateful to not be quite the same person they once were.

And it would affect so much of how you treat people just returned from Mandos...

my friend, who listens to my constant speeches about the Silmarillion, just asked what language is spoken in Halls of Mandos, and I'm absolutely bewildered

[tanoraqui]

[some time in the Fifth Age, in Aman...]

"A living language changes, you blithering idiot." A familiar, heated voice rose unprompted from across the room, over the genial hubbub and burble of the fountain show gala. "If it does not, then it must be dead indeed, for it cannot be being sustained by the breath of speakers! The only 'uncertainty' in this 'debate' is how you can call yourself a linguist if you do not understand this basic principle!"

Fingolfin barely processed the words, not in that voice. If he had, he would not have believed his own ears. If he had somehow believed his own ears, he would have suspected mockery, or a ploy, or perhaps necromantic possession.

Fortunately, his reflexes for winning arguments were faster than any other working of his mind.

"I knew it!" he shouted, rounding on his brother from across the wide hall. He abandoned his conversation partner entirely in order to advance on Fëanor, alight with righteous victory. "I knew you agreed with the basic principle! You stubborn, contrary, illogical—"

"Oh, shut up, Nolofinwë." Fëanor likewise dismissed entirely the upstart linguistics professor he'd been haranguing, in favor of his older foe. A corridor had opened between them, as party-goers scrambled out of the crossfire or backed up to get a better view. "You've never met a principle of study nor logic that you didn't wish to twist to suit—"

"'A living language changes!'" Fingolfin quoted back over him, too elated to rise to any other bait. He drained his entire wine glass, slapped it down on the lip of a fountain in passing, and advanced enough to jab Fëanor in the chest with one finger. He grinned. "I knew it. You knew it. I was right."

Fëanor's face had, over the course of this exchange, made a very rapid shift from his original proud irritation to the embarrassment of being caught out to a familiar fiery sneer. It now settled into an even more familiar murderous glower.

"I have reconsidered my past positions in the face of new evidence and argument," he hissed. "It is the sign of an intelligent, ever-developing mind at work. I only wish you could say the same—"

Hands pushed them apart, followed by arms, followed by an entire Lalwen, aided by the stylish circumference of her skirts.

"Sweet Erudition, neither of you has changed a whit," she muttered.

Gripping the front of both their robes in a way that suggested that she could be choking them if she wanted to, she said more loudly, "My dear brothers! Joyous though I am at our collective ongoing reconciliation—" (she discreetly twisted Fëanor's robe in an ever so slightly choking manner, to remind him that she, too, had been entirely correct the entire time about the stupid thorn) —"perhaps we should take any further discussion outside? This is, after all, a debut of liquid forms, not a forum of linguistic debate!"

[kuromewos]

(100% based on my opinion) - Which MILGRAM characters would be royal or rebel

PS: I am bad with english and words, but I hope you guys still enjoying this shit

PS: Maybe it seems very stereotyped but keep in mind that it is how I see MILGRAM characters

Haruka Sakurai - Royal

Imo he seems to accept his destiny as somebody, according to himself, weak and pitful

Yuno Kashiki - Rebel

She is against of her naive girl "destiny"

Fuuta Kajiyama - Rebel

He would try to be a hero even though it is against his "destiny", tbh I just feel strong rebel vibes from him lol

Muu Kusunoki - Royal

This girl is 100% imo, maybe because she gives me super princess vibe and because of all this "queen bee" stuff

Like, she accept hers destiny of being the queen bee even though deep inside she feels like a crap

Shidou Kirisaki - Rebel

Even though he gimme major royal vibes, he didn't accept the destiny of his family dying and tried to go against it, even if it means taking away other people's lifes

Mahiru Shiina - Royal

Sorry, but I can't imagine her being a rebel, the strong desire of following the love tradition gimme royal vibes

Kazui Mukuhara - Rebel

He goes against what the others expected of him about his marriage

(Sorry my bad english again lol)

Amane Momose - Royal

She follows her destiny so bad by following hers family tradition even though it hurts her

Mikoto Kayano - Rebel (?)

Going against his destiny of stress because of his job, he tried to change it

Tbh this one is very hard because while I think Mikoto might be a royal, John and Midokoto gimme rebel vibes

Kotoko Yuzuriha - Rebel

Hmm... maybe she would goes against hers destiny by giving punishment to the criminals?

Ik she is 100% rebel, but I am not sure how to explain it sorry lol xD

[tanoraqui]

This almost certainly doesn’t make sense for my timeline, idk about yours, but…

“Celebrimbor, there you are! I’ve been looking for you all evening!”

Celebrimbor suppressed an urge to fight or flee at Fingon’s aggressively cheerful voice and the sudden hand on his arm. Unfortunately, this meant he froze instead, giving the former High King all the chance he needed to trap him between the parlor wall and a potted plant. Fingon was on the lithe side for a warrior of legend, but his sheer strength of presence more than made up for it.

It was many years since Celebrimbor flinched at a sudden touch, and many more since he…regularly…hid in a back room at house parties (was it his fault if people’s libraries were often more interesting than their guests?). But there was a glint in Fingon’s gaze which Celebrimbor associated with burning cities and wild, deadly charges, or at least with palace coups, and he had, in fact, been avoiding it all evening.

“I’m sorry to have missed you, then,” he said politely. “What can I do for you, Uncle?” It was an easier address than usual, with that fire in Fingon’s eyes. No, no, be forgiving; be optimistic: “Do you need a new blade for the upcoming Trials of Tulkas, or armor? I’ve been experimenting with a new alloy…”

“No—well, if you’re offering, please count me as a ready test subject,” Fingon allowed.

His hand tightened on Celebrimbor’s arm and he leaned in, lowering his voice. “But I’m more interested in discussing a treatise of yours which I recently read, in the Things The Valar Don’t Want Us To Know section of the University library…”

“If you wish to know of ring-craft, you must visit me in Caras Maenais,” he said, and feeling cornered, his heart beat doubly for a breath (I won’t tell you, I won’t!). He spoke smoothly over it. “No offense, but unless you’ve made a great study of jewelcrafting in secret, I fear that you’d need several practical demonstrations ere you understood—”

“Not that one,” Fingon interrupted and tugged him more fully behind the potted plant, out of view of anyone passing by in the hallway. “The other one. I have a question—”

“I don’t answer questions about the other one,” Celebrimbor said flatly. “I said in the foreword that I won’t answer questions about it.”

“Yes, but—”

“No.”

“I just need—”

“No.” Celebrimbor yanked his arm free and strode toward the door.

“Carnimírë’s haunted!” Fingon burst out.

Celebrimbor paused in the doorway, against his better judgement. He turned his head back.

“What?”

“Carnimírë’s haunted,” Fingon repeated, and began to pace like any anxious father. “At least, I’m almost entirely certain that’s what it is—I thought it was an imaginary friend, but then she pointed to one of Nerdanel’s statues and said, ‘That’s him, that’s my red elf’—that’s what she calls him, her ‘red elf’, red hair and red clothes—or armor—and red hands sometimes, or hand, except she only saw that once—the blood, not the hand, and Mirya says he said it was cloth dye—”

He turned to Celebrimbor with his own hands clasped in plea.

“It’s Russandol, Maedhros; Tyelpë, I swear it is. I’ve seen him too—in a crowd; I thought it was just grief playing tricks on me, but— But he won’t speak to me! He won’t even appear to me! I’m not sure he intends to appear to Carnimírë, but she’s too clever for him. And he stays… Is he trapped? Is he suffering? I’m sure he is, by his own thoughts if nothing else. Will you not help me summon him for good, and set him somehow straight?”

He trembled with distress for his loved ones, but still with that nearly-fell fire in his eyes, and a fierce hunger, and oh, Celebrimbor recognized all of that.

He’d been holding a wine glass this whole time, empty but for dregs. He placed it on a bookcase rather than break it.

“So you know of a spirit who it sounds like is doing no harm, despite a predilection for it, and you wish to entrap him and force him to speak to you? Words of weeping apology, of love? Do you wish to send him to Mandos against his will, or to bind him more permanently to your side?” He spread his hands in mocking offer. “I have more experience with the latter than the former, but I’m sure I can improvise if you insist, my lord!”

Fingon stepped back from the unexpectedly fierce reply. His fire faltered.

“It…sounds much worse when you put it like that.”

“Yes,” said Celebrimbor, flat once more.

“I would never bind Maedhros in any way he did not wish,” Fingon said vehemently. “Never again will I see him in chains, I have sworn it and I meant it.”

“Good start.”

“I just—” Fingon’s voice cracked on unshed tears—“want to see him again. Want to know that it’s him.”

Celebrimbor sighed, and shrugged, and re-collected his wine glass.

“I’m afraid I’m all out of advice for you, Uncle. Do whatever one usually does to summon wayward spouses—lay out some red meat and favored tools of his trade, and a work in progress which is obviously flawed but easily fixable? Or whatever usually works for you.”

Fingon laughed as though against his will.

“Thank you! I shall consider that most closely—it is the least I can do, for the trouble I’ve caused you this evening.”

It was no trouble at all, Celebrimbor did not say, lest he encourage more madness.

Reluctantly, driven by concern for his young cousin, he said, “If you ever have reason to think this spirit might be a danger to Carnimírë, you should seek aid from the Fëanturi.”

“No,” Fingon said with certainty. “It is Maedhros. I know it in my heart. He will not hurt her.” Then he shook his head, even in his furor too wise for such bald statements. “But if he does…yes, of course I shall, for he would wish it so as well.”

had the thought of Carnimírië Russingoniel with Maedhros's ghost. she can have a ghost dad. as a treat.

[transselkie]

I am the only one who is right about Misa Amane.

[ectoplasmer]

every time someone brings up how the yamis are supposed to be the “darker half” of their host and how they are meant to reflect/act on their deepest desires/thoughts/etc i think of monster world and just. crumble

[beddybites]

The horrors have returned D: I hope you get better soon!

Anyway if you're up to it I'd love to hear about the pint sized pillars "kid modes" that they have. It's so cute :( I just want them to have happy childhoods

hi anon! im so sorry i took so long to respond to this ask— this ended up in my drafts with how often i was going back to edit it haha ;u; i had to brainstorm a bit!

in order of eldest to youngest—

gyomei

sweetest soft spoken sensitive teenager ever

he really doesn’t change all that much— he’s definitely less “leadery” and “old” though. he acts like any other kid

very gentle and humble. he gets easily flustered

amane gave him a kiss on the head and gyomei had to excuse himself

sanemi and tengen found him knelt down and trying to hold back tears. he was not expecting such affection since he’s used to always being the caretaker

one day he was deep in kid mode while everyone else was fine. and him being so naturally kind and loving caused several of them to drop down with him

tengen

he’s 10x more silly and playful

however it’s also obvious he has some self confidence issues

tengen doesn’t go kid mode a lot but when he does he gets really embarrassed and upset about being seen like that

he’s like those disney channel cartoons where the little kid thinks someone is really beautiful so he constantly gives them flowers and gifts. thats him with suma, makio, and hinatsuru

“honey you don’t need to do that… we’re all married to you in the future!”

“WE’RE MARRIED?”

when tengen recovers from kid mode he is as red as a tomato while his wives fawn over him and reassure him its okay

kid mode tengen loves playing with the little ones, and rough-housing with sanemi and rengoku

giyuu

ohhhhh he’s a happy little thing. it freaks everyone out at first

very friendly and compassionate, though he mostly keeps to himself

kid mode giyuu is a little more talkative, but only after he comes out of his shell

usually it’s one of the older boys or shinobu who can get him to engage with everyone

if one of the other kids struggles he will awkwardly shuffle over and give them a hug

kid mode giyuu is fairly close with rengoku, kid mode or not

he also really likes being around sanemi and obanai, since they are his age

if all three of them , or if just sanemi and obanai , are in kid mode, they’re a trio of best friends

sanemi

he is so god damn helpful

sanemi is pretty sweet and smiley, and he always leaps at the opportunity to help one of the other kids

kid mode sanemi tends to constantly wander up to kagaya (or whoever is babysitting) and ask what he can do

but every time they just reassure him its ok, and he should go be a kid and play with the other ones

he’s disappointed but then he gets really excited when tengen and rengoku invite him to play and he’s the happiest little thing

kid mode sanemi likes hanging out with the big kids, especially tengen. tengen (and kid mode tengen) think its sweet, and make a point of including him whenever they can

he’s weirded out by genya being older and taller than him but genya makes up for it via piggy back rides

obanai

shy and jittery little thing. he doesn’t drop his guard until a bit into the transformation, even in kid mode

usually the telltale sign of obanai being in kid mode is how small he looks. he curls in on himself and his eyebrows furrow with anxiety

he’s also way more flustered around mitsuri. he has a big crush on her. kid mode mitsuri and mitsuri both find it adorable— though she doesn’t recognize the “crush” aspect. mitsuri just finds obanai very sweet and open

he is also really sensitive. you break a rule in a game? he’s upset. you take someone’s spot? he’s upset. you try to steal food from mitsuri? run

he always needs to be warm … if obanai is the only one in kid mode, you better believe everyone is offering him a warm hug or snuggles

obanai has a hard time choosing who to go to, so then half of them/all of them have a group hug

he whispers a lot. it can be hard to hear him sometimes

when he wants something, he frames it as “kaburamaru wants x” or “kaburamaru says y”

rengoku

think regular rengoku but now a literal child

honestly people cannot tell when he’s in kid mode or not. rengoku is sweet and chaotic no matter what

though kid mode rengoku tends to address everyone in a very polite manner. he calls gyomei “mr. himejima,” despite gyomei telling him he didn’t have to

he does get a little sad when people mention his dad. he will straight up start crying his heart out if he’s reminded of his mom in any way

kid mode rengoku tries to be a big brother to senjuro, and senjuro plays along, but then it cuts to rengoku being fast asleep and senjuro tucking him in, or senjuro having to help his brother get ready for bed

rengoku talks about senjuro whenever he can, kid mode especially. he has no filter at all

he would be a leash kid purely because he has a habit of forgetting small things and getting distracted and wandering off because he saw a cool butterfly and wanted to tell senjuro about it

mitsuri

similar to rengoku she doesn’t change all that much, but she’s even sweeter and more emotional than before

and like rengoku she’s more polite, though she doesn’t really have any problem asking for things or communicating her needs

kid mode mitsuri wanted to rough house too, but the older boys thought she would get hurt. she proceeded to lift sanemi up and hold him above her head

since then she has been invited to play with them every single session

she thinks obanai is super cute and is less filtered about it. same with muichiro, though mitsuri will just walk over and pinch his cheeks or scoop him up into a hug

when they play house, mitsuri is always the mama, and muichiro is always her baby

she and shinobu regularly team up to do the boy’s hair and makeup

shinobu

mischievous little beast

scary smart, but way more obvious about it

this four year old will casually list all the elements on the periodic table then pretend nothing happened , as to intimidate the others

everyone fears her

LOTS of batting her eyelashes and an extended “pleeeeaaaaassssseeee”

she has her rage and can be a grumpy kid. she’s usually well behaved, but if she didn’t get a nap, or if she’s hungry, that’s when she gets more bristly and sensitive

shinobu tends to be more open too. there’s multiple instances where she started getting really sad out of nowhere, and when pulled aside by gyomei, she would start crying about how much she misses her big sister

she and kanao are still extremely close. kanao loves having a little sister, and does her hair and plays dress up with her

she still pesters giyuu. though when giyuu is also in kid mode, the two can usually be found giggling and chatting, and giyuu will give her piggy back rides and what not

muichiro

literally a one year old baby

the sweetest and happiest little baby. he is usually seen smiling and his giggles will fill up the room

he loves being around the others. he especially loves “play time” because he’ll crawl around on the ground and go right up to people

mostly gyomei. he mostly approaches gyomei

but as happy as he is, he cries pretty easily. can’t find his stuffed bunny? cries. cant fall asleep? cries

everyone spoils the hell out of him. they love when he goes baby mode. he is the cutest little thing

lots of idle babbles and muichiro making one-worded sentences that mostly consist of him saying someone’s name or pointing out something

amane and kagaya are extremely paternal to the point baby mode muichiro refers to them as his mama and papa

it breaks everyone’s heart

the baby always wants someone’s attention. even if its as simple as being in their arms. he especially loves being with gyomei

there have been several instances where he noticed obanai wasn’t eating, and would try to feed him his baby food so “obi” could get a full belly

tengen and sanemi started laughing and it resulted in the two getting a face full of mushed up veggies and rice

[tanoraqui]

Every building & etc structure in Tirion is elegantly and aesthetically matched to its surrounding buildings, and almost any view of the city is going to look beautiful and elegant...as a massive, ever-shifting gradient of style to style. Every time someone has a Brilliant New Idea for a design, they make sure it's flawlessly aesthetically compatible with whatever is immediately around it, because that's obviously part of the appearance. But that doesn't mean it has to be aesthetically compatible with an unseen building 2 blocks down and around a corner!

In this, the apex of every Elvish style of architecture and decorating is shown off.

On the one hand every description of or allusion to Tirion we have suggests something elegant and architecturally unified. On the other hand we're talking about Noldor here. More than that, we're talking about Noldor over a very long time span, at the start of which they'd suddenly been handed a whole slew of new building methods they didn't have before. I have a hard time imagining no one got overenthusiastic in a way that might come across as ungainly or silly to future observers.

But that doesn't mean it couldn't be elegant and architecturally unified. Maybe Finwë's vision overrode everything. Maybe buildings are regularly taken down and rebuilt to match new themes?