#and I STILL got fucking MAGLOR

[lokittystuckinatree]

Me, taking a “which Feanorian are you” quiz, knowing I’m probably going to get Maglor: tehehe lololol

Me, actually getting Maglor: still laughing, but now on the verge of tears

[havenotwillnotreadthebooks]

Hello! Back at it with a kidnap fam headcanon, except this ones about Earendil.

Consider; Maglor is so awkward around Earendil in Valinor. Earendil is good-natured about Stuff™️ but also awkward.

Anyway, at one point Earendil comes to Elrond’s home straight from his ship and Maglor accidentally brushes against him, only to find out Earendil’s skin is ice-fucking-cold.

Maglor instantly enters some sort of trauma response from the E&E twins’ childhood and starts lecturing Earendil on dressing properly for the weather and doesn’t he know Peredhel get cold more easily than elves? What if he got sick?

Maglor emerges from his parent haze to find Earendil has been wrapped in a sweater, two blankets, and one of Maglor’s outer robes.

Earendil is kinda just chilling. Like, he hasn’t been smothered like this in literal Ages of the world and its sorta nice to be cared about since he doesn’t get a lotta social time (touch-starved Earendil headcanon insert)

Anyway, the awkwardness has broken because Maglor is a bard, you best bet he is gonna commit to this bit. He puts a beanie hat on Earendil the same way he did for Elrond and Elros. Earendil is real quiet and just basking in the attention.

Elrond thinks this whole thing is fantastic. Slightly weird, but fantastic.

The meme format for this goes;

Earendil, fresh from the sky: heyo *COLD TO THE BONE*

Maglor, feeling Every Peredhel-Parent Instinct Reactivate: Where is your coat.

Yes this is inspired by RaisingCaiin & Jaz-The-Bard’s fics about cozy peredhel. No, I am not ashamed of anything.

Maedhros, if he’s around, is worse about it. Because Mae is used to getting the “baby is cold” instinct around grown adults (e.i his brothers) so that, combined with his Peredhel Is Cold instincts is just a recipe for disaster.

Maedhros has the thought peredhel is shivering, and next thing anyone knows there’s a blanket on Earendil. They both blink owlishly at each other for a moment, but Maedhros grew up with Feanor and he will Not Back Down.

Earendil gets another blanket.

Elwing, when she learns of the Cold Peredhel Instinct is…temped, to see what happens if she shivers near them. Because she is an awful seagull elf with an awful sense of humor. But there’s still too much tension between her and them for the joke to be funny yet. So she waits until she can look at them without flinching, and they can look at her without stiffening.

Then, and only then, does Elwing shiver around Mae&Mags and subsequently get blanket bombed.

[chthonion]

👀 The version of things where Annatar does use the Benign Necromancy Thing to help Maglor when he runs away?

Answering asks waaaay out of order because this one is easy: I might as well just go ahead and drop the outtake under a cut.

You can see that the intensity wasn't yet where I needed it to be, and also that...as soon as I raised the intensity a bit, it was clear that no one was ever going to allow this. But it was a pretty neat thought.

---

Maedhros puts his arms around his brother and stands there, his face grim and alone and far away, his chin resting on Maglor's head.

"It's all right," he says again, as if he's said it a thousand times. "It's all right. You can come back."

Annatar cannot see Maglor's face, from this angle, but he can see Maedhros's, and--he doesn't like it. He doesn't like the helplessness, the loneliness, the hurt.

Annatar looks at Maedhros, only at Maedhros, and says, "Do you remember what I did when Curufinwë hit you, in Mandos?"

Pause.

"Wait," Maedhros says. "Can you still do that?"

"You never actually explained that," Ambarussa says warily.

"Try it," Maedhros says. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you."

"Trust me, I'm aware," Annatar says dryly. He comes up closer to the creek, so that he's near enough that he won't have to exert himself, and closes his eyes so that he can find the edges of himself.

His spirit is here; the world is there--

He reaches those edges out, as he has long been in the habit of doing when he didn't have a body to get in the way--

Finds Maedhros's spirit, steady and hurting, and discards it; finds Maglor's, all diffuse and blurry at the edges--

He narrows in on Maglor's spirit and clamps down, slow but inexorable, pressing the diffuse and disintegrating edges back together again.

Maglor jerks in Maedhros's arms, gasping for breath, struggling suddenly against the embrace. Annatar steps back, holding his hands up, as Elrond takes a threatening step forward.

"Shhhh," Maedhros says. "Shhh, Mags, it's all right, I'm here. Everyone's safe."

"What the fuck," Maglor says in Westron, and then, when Annatar starts to let the pressure up, "No, don't stop."

Annatar reasserts the pressure.

"The fuck," Maglor says again, in Westron, and then, in Sindarin, "Let go, I need to breathe." And, when Annatar starts to let up, "Not you, don't you dare make me do this by myself."

Annatar clamps down again.

"Me?" Maedhros says.

"Yes, you," Maglor says, and, when released, falls promptly to his knees on the ground and presses his hands to his temples.

"Hmm," Maedhros says, and crouches down so that he can keep an eye on his brother's face.

"It's fine, it's fine," Maglor says. "Who in Music's name is doing--that?"

"Me," Annatar says. "Should I stop?"

"No," Maglor says.

"Tell me when you're done with it, then," Annatar says.

"Why on earth," Maglor says, slipping back into Westron, "is this a thing you know how to do?"

"It's useful for other things too," Annatar says, in the same language.

"Quenya?" Maedhros says. "Sindarin? Any language we all speak, please?"

"Sorry," Maglor says in Quenya. "Sorry, it's fine, I think I've got it now." He looks up at Annatar. "Let go?"

Annatar lets go. Maglor sways for a moment, disoriented, and then shakes his head and steadies himself.

Then he blinks at the river, and blinks at the trees, and says, "Wait. Where are we?"

[starsofarda]

Hi, hello, so because of this post I have gotten attached to my random Elven maid who has to sew all of the banners.

So, because I have also been rotating her in my mind like a rotisserie chicken, have some fun facts about her.

Her name is Molinde (Mudriel in Sinda)

She's obviously a Noldo and by Elvish standard she's average. Pretty, but average. She grew up sewing and embroidering, she adores it.

She also follows Feanor and sons out of Valinor when they get exiled, she has not counted on actually starving, so she gets crafty with sewing the sails of the ships.

She eventually gets hired among the others as embroiderer for the Feanorian war banners (bc let's face it, it's Feanor and sons mainly doing that, we will have to wait until the end of the Helcaraxe hike to see more).

She's young and bushy tailed and her faith in the world is still intact. This all will pass by the tenth banner she has to sew, but she's fueled not by law, not by love, not by league of hell, BUT BY SHEER SPITE. A very Noldorian thing to do.

She has had to embroider and sew SO MANY banners one more complex than the others, and she has seen them destroyed, set on fire, torn apart, thrown in the marshes, seized by Morgoth's army. She's fed up.

"Ugh, can't these Elf lords have simpler designs?"

She says, beefing up to the Elf that comes up with these designs.

"One less star is not gonna be noticed!"

"One less star is going to be too close to the Nolofinweans' banners!"

"So WHAT, they are COUSINS!"

And so on. She absolutely knows how to use a battle axe. She has to get revenge on the orcs that set on fire her workshop.

And that's when she says, at the nth request for banners: "Yes, my Lord, I will sew these stars all over, but IF I AM NOT GETTING MY WEIGHT IN GOLD and *Insert Elvish king/prince* as my SPOUSE you are gonna go into battle with barely threaded banners and Morgoth will LAUGH at you all".

She has tried to get married to an unmarried Son of Feanor like that many times, unsuccessfully. She has gotten the gold tho, a meager consolation.

By the Second Age she's in Eregion, basically mothering Celebrimbor and still sewing. It's not war banners (yet), but by then she is known for being That Bitch in her restricted circle of embroiderers.

"Oh no, Lord Annatar, it's fine. By the way, you do look somewhat similar to someone I saw in the First Age, any relation?"

And Eregion gets destroyed and her workshop is once again destroyed. More fuel to her spite. And also she embroiders a huge "FUCK YOU, I TOLD YOU THAT ANNATAR GUY WAS FAMILIAR!"

She does end up in Elrond's Homely House and teaches embroidery to Arwen.

She KNOWS that ""Lindir"" is Maglor. At least one of them survived, that's enough for her.

She sails back to Valinor dragging Lindir/Maglor with her. I reckon that by the Fourth Age all the sons of Feanor are re-embodied. Will she finally get to marry one of them, after all she went through? That's for y'all to decide.

NOTES:

She has had generations of cats. The first one was given to her after the fifth unsuccessful try at marrying a Son of Feanor as a "haha you are going to be alone forever lol" kind of move, but she got attached to the little beast and becamea catlady.

She has embroidered a lot of cat-themed stuff.

Thoughts so far?

[anittmyer]

Fuck it no one can stop me!

Here i give you Daeron and Maglor's magic babies! (Don't ask how they got here THEY JUST ARE!) In this AU Daeron is the son of Melian and Thingol and I place his appearance with silver hair and brown eyes.

Daemags first born is Winyàrissë, her name means Fresh Dawn and Maglor named her this hoping she'd be his new fresh start. She has Maglor's black hair and Daeron's deep brown eyes, she also has a small beauty mark under her left eye. She loves to ride horses with Maglor and and is skilled with a sword and bow. She is a protective older sister and isn't that close with Thingol on account of how he treats Maglor. Her own horse, Alcarin came from Maglor's own mare and Maglor helped her raise the horse.

Their second child is Harmië, meaning "treasure". Daeron named her for her sweet disposition and the uncertainty that a second child was possible. She has silver hair and blue eyes, her eyes shine brightly that some believe the tree light in Maglor's eyes passed on. She is sweet and soft spoken, she loves clothing and jewelry, but loves to dance despite actually being a clumsy dancer, Daeron and Maglor's music is her favorite to dance to. She is a little naive and doesn't tend to sense the tension between her parents and grandparents.

Their youngest child is Luhtano, name meaning "To enchant". He is the only son of Maglor and Daeron and was actually named by Melian. He has dark brown hair with a singular silver streak and has brown eyes. He is Maglor's shadow and doesn't tend to stray far from him or his sisters, at this point in their lives Daeron has been constantly fighting with Thingol and wasn't seen often. Luhtano inherited the musical talent of both his parents and had a wonderful and powerful singing voice yet he was far too shy to sing in front of others, his cheeks and ears going bright red and his eyes would fill with tears at the suggestion of performing. Thingol accused Maglor of babying and spoiling Luhtano and tried to have him removed from Maglor's care though Melian argued against separating the two.

And that's the three wee babs! I'm still working the actual story though! Let me know what you think!

[silmarillaure]

Finweans ranked by Aura

Feanor - So powerful he sucked the life force out of his mother, invented a ton of cool shit, had more children with his wife than any of the other Eldar, died in battle while his body combusted into flames because he was just that hot, & the King of the Valar who he hated cried over him.

Earendil - Cool as hell, has a wife who's cool as hell. Predestined to be a hero even though he comes from a basic vanilla bloodline (besides his great grandpa Fingolfin). Even though most of his ancestors were nobodies or flops, most of his descendants that came after him were cool as hell.

Maedhros - Might have been higher than his father & cousin if he didn't khs, Lowkey an Aura loss moment but he makes up for a lot with his gorgeous red hair, height, surviving Morgoth's torture, & sorta fulfilling his dad's dumb oath.

Fingolfin - The only good thing his bland vanilla mother did was give birth to him. He was a total badass I've got to admit even as a Feanorian stan. Him crossing the helcaraxë & his death were top Aura moments.

Elrond/Elros - They're twins so they can share a spot too. Both badass as hell.

Fingon - Called "the Valient", braids gold into his hair, saved his sexy redheaded cousin, & became King of the Noldor. Everything about him screams Aura.

Galadriel - Despite the fact she's a Feanor anti (Booooo!!!), she admittedly has a ton of Aura. She's smarter than possibly everyone else here given she survived when the rest of her generation either got themselves killed or spends all their time being a sad beach cryptid.

Gil-Galad - Cool as hell, managed to make an alliance Maedhros could only dream of.

Maglor - Has a couple Aura loss moments but in the end he LIVED which is an Aura gain. Also gets Aura points for having the best voice in Arda.

Celebrimbor - Pretty rad dude, love how he's more like Feanor than his father Curufinwe Jr is, unfortunately he died.

Finrod - His death is cool as fuck. Looses points for cockblocking his little brother & dying for that basic joe Beren though.

Caranthir - Goth Icon. Love how despite his raging anger issues he's also an awesome guy you'd want to be friends with.

Finwe - A massive flop in a ton of ways but definitely still has Aura. Looses Aura points for failing Feanor & choosing to marry an unsexy Vanya when he could've waited for his sexy talented silver haired Noldo wife to come back to life. Only good thing about him besides his awesome hair is that he's Feanor & Fingolfin's father.

Aredhel - Cool as hell but has terrible taste in men. Her whole white aesthetic & her wild personality gain her Aura points though.

Turgon - The only cool thing about him is that he built Gondolin which wins him some Aura points. Looses Aura points for getting played by his nephew & dying pathetically though.

Idril - She's cool I guess, the only thing of note that she did was give birth to the chad Earendil. Tuor is such a basic guy though, he's not the worst but she could do better.

Aegnor - Cool hair. Pulled a baddie. Fumbled the baddie.

Angrod - Not the most stand out Finwean but he seems to be a mama's boy & he didn't do anything wrong so I'll put him above the family flops.

Finduilas - She's a sweetie but she looses Aura points for falling out of love with a great guy like Gwindor & falling in love with Turin the walking L.

Celegorm - Stupid as hell for trying to use a powerful half-Angel as a political weapon against her father. Looses more Aura points for getting abandoned by his dog & dying at the hands of said half-Angel's 30 y/o mortal son while he's over 1000 y/o. Gains some Aura points for being able to talk to animals, his hair, & his hot bastard energy.

Curufin - Feanor with 99% less Aura. His only achievement is having Celebrimbor yet he still couldn't even succeed at being Feanor 2.0 and having 7 kids to continue the family line. Had the chance to kill Eol but didn't which led to his favorite cousin dying (that's a huge L).

Finarfin - Takes after his mother in the sense he's vanilla af. The tiny percent of Aura he has is from his Noldo side obviously and he used that to pull a baddie like Earwen. All his kids get their Aura from their mother's side.

Orodreth - I like the guy, but he's definitely a dumbass with no Aura. He inherited a kingdom but isn't particularly good at anything. His only accomplishment is possibly fathering Gil-Galad.

Maeglin - Orodreth might have no Aura but this guy has negative Aura. His childhood sucked but he's such a walking L that's he's somehow more of a loser than both Celegorm & Eol combined.

[polutrope]

For the holiday prompts:

26. Accidental drunkenness with Celegorm, Caranthir, and Curufin! Thank you, love your writing 🤍

Amazing prompt Anon, and thank you! This is also for @melestasflight who requested Caranthir with the same prompt and @grey-gazania who requested Caranthir + Ugly sweaters. 1.5k words, Rated T for a lot of swearing and drunkenness. These guys are awful. Posting these to AO3, here. Prompt list (prompts closed). Little context: Curufin owns a craft brewery and Celegorm works for him. Maglor's referenced boyfriend is Daeron. See Beleria Cast of Characters for the full scoop!

Curufin cleared their empty glasses and wiped a wet cloth over the bar. He didn’t usually like to drink at work, even after closing, but they’d tapped a keg of the new Red River Winter Ale to sample.

Curufin had been wound tight all month worrying that it wouldn’t be ready for bottling in time for Yule gifting — and it barely was. But it had turned out perfect: not too heavy, with a warm spice. He’d use the late release to his advantage, slapping plain handwritten labels on the bottles and marketing them to panicked shoppers as a limited release last-minute gift. They could sell the rest of the batch under a new label in the New Year.

That weight off his shoulders, combined with the loosening effect of the alcohol, had put Curufin in a light mood. But not so light that he fell for Celegorm’s suggestion to have another pint. It was a Tuesday, and while that might make no difference to Celegorm, he had to get Celebrimbor to school in the morning.

“How did you get here?” he asked Celegorm, who was mopping the floors.

“I rode the bike. Why? You need a ride?”

Curufin shrugged. He’d hoped his brother would say he’d taken the bus. He wouldn’t have minded the company on his commute tonight. A ride would be nice, in theory, but Curufin hated being crammed on the back of Celegorm’s motorcycle.; he hated being forced to cling to his brother like a limpet as Celegorm careened around the corners… but it was a cold, and late…

“I can take transit,” he said.

“Yeah, I know you can. But you just asked me how I got here, sooo.” Celegorm dropped the mop in the bucket and crossed the floor. “You’re obviously looking for a ride. I can drop you off, bro-nut, no worries.” His hand came down hard on Curufin’s shoulder and he jolted forward.

“I’m still your boss until your shift’s over, Tyelko,” Curufin grumbled. “So you can’t hit me.”

“Oh? I assumed my shift was over when we poured the brewskies.”

“It wasn’t,” said Curufin. He sighed, considering the pros and cons of accepting a ride—

—when the front door banged open.

Curufin shot daggers at Celegorm. “What the fuck, you didn’t lock the—! We’re closed!” he shouted at the intruder.

He was cut short by the entrance of a tall, black-haired man with an unmistakable red mark on his left cheek, currently dimpled by a broad grin. Caranthir gave a throaty laugh at the look of shock on his brother’s faces.

“Moryo!” Celegorm bounded across the room and smothered him in a hug. Curufin twitched sympathetically. “When the fuck did you get into town? Didn’t think you’d be here until the twenty-fourth. How you been? ”

Celegorm might as well have been Huan, yapping and bouncing around his brother as if they hadn’t just seen him two weeks ago.

“Never mind that,” said Curufin, “what the fuck are you wearing?”

He sneered, indicating the heinous sweater his brother had on: a chunky red knit that looked like someone’s first disastrous venture into a new hobby. Too short in the sleeves and too wide in the torso, with an awful depiction of a light-garlanded cat (orange, clashing terribly), snarling in what might have been intended as a smile but which looked like an oddly anthropomorphic grimace.

“Oh yeah,” Caranthir said, spreading his arms to display the garment. “It’s hideous isn’t it? It was free, though. Don’t get rich saying no to free shit, Curvo.”

Curufin rolled his eyes. “You’re absurd. So why are you here?”

“Got some freight I can’t take to the port until the morning so I’m here for the night. Then it’s back east and time to replenish my social arsenal before I hunker down in the trenches for the battle of Yuletide.”

By which he meant spending three full days with their family. Many (Fëanor chief among them) were baffled as to why Caranthir, who had been offered scholarships to pursue a PhD fully-funded by some of the best economics programs in Endor, had instead taken up a career as a long-haul trucker. Curufin wasn’t. It wasn’t about the job, which he hardly needed with his investments. It was about the solitude. Curufin could relate. Curufin resented him for it.

“Do Mom and Dad know you’re here?” Curufin asked.

“Hell no, and don’t you dare tell them. ’All’s they know I’m not here until the twenty-fourth like I said. Anyway stop being such a dick, Curvo — you should be honoured that I chose to spend this precious evening off with you.”

He, too, slammed his hand down on Curufin’s shoulder. Curufin withdrew behind the bar to shield himself from any further assaults.

“As if.” Curufin snorted. “You’re only here because Cáno wouldn’t let you stay with him. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re not wrong.” Caranthir perched on a bar stool and grunted. “But fuck Cáno. He has a whole spare room now that he’s fucking his roommate, but do you think he lets anyone use it? Nope! He’s ashamed of us, you know. Doesn’t want his environmentally-challenged boyfriend knowing his brothers are capitalists.”

“I’m not a capitalist,” said Celegorm.

Curufin and Caranthir both looked at him incredulously, then silently agreed not to respond.

Caranthir slapped the bar counter. “What’s on tap, brewmaster!”

“Nothing, we’ve closed up. Tyelko and I were just about to leave. I have to get home, it’s late, and—”

“Nope,” said Caranthir.

“Nope what?”

“Nope, you’re not leaving.”

“Nope!” Celegorm seconded, and jumped onto a stool beside Caranthir. “Come on, Curvy Scurvy, pull out some glasses, just one more round.”

Curufin frowned. He worked hard not to let on, but he felt as much the baby around any of his older brothers as he had since he was— well, an actual baby. He’d been seven when Amrod and Amras were born: it was too late to rewire the psychological violence inflicted growing up with four (gifted, brash, adored) older siblings. And now Celegorm and Caranthir leered at him from across the bar with those taunting smiles, and his resolve buckled under the desire to please them.

“Yeah, okay, sure,” he said, pulling out two glasses.

“Nah nah nah nah.” Celegorm wagged a finger. “You’re having one, too.”

“No, I’m not,” said Curufin. “I have to wake up early to take Tyelpë—”

“Oh boo-hoo-da-loo,” said Caranthir. “I have to be at the port at six a.m. Drink, Curvo. It’ll be no fun if you’re just sitting there watching us.”

Curufin ground his teeth. “Fine. A small glass. And then I’m kicking you out of here.”

*

“… and then she says: ‘Yeah okay, thanks dude. You can leave now. I know how to replace a tire.’”

“What a bitch,” Celegorm slurred.

“What?” Caranthir said. “No, man, that’s hot as fuck.” He tipped back the last of his beer then reached across the bar and refilled it directly from the tap, sloshing more of it on the floor than into his glass.

“Yo, careful!” said Curufin, then laughed. He looked into his own glass, which was disappointingly still empty. Had he had a third? He didn’t think he’d had a third. No, he’d only had two. Or it might have been three. Well, he’d just have half to be safe. He dumped half of Caranthir’s pint into his.

“Hey!” Caranthir grabbed for the glass, but Curufin had already chugged most of it down.

“Sorry, gone,” he said, then gripped the edge of the bar as he felt himself swaying backwards.

“You know what’s funny,” Celegorm said, staring at the wall. “I have no idea why Aredhel is with me.”

“Oh god, please don’t be a sad drunk,” Curufin begged. He dropped down and rested his head on the bar. “I’m so tired,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. “So fucking tired…”

“No, but really, you guys. I’m such a loser. Why would she be with me? You know, I almost told her I love her the other day. I mean, I’ve told her that when we were together before, but I haven’t said it again since we got back together and what not and— damn it fuck, you guys, I do love her.”

“So tell her,” Caranthir said, then barked a laugh. “Or at least don’t tell me— I don’t give a shit.”

“You think?” Celegorm asked earnestly. Curufin groaned. “Yeah, I should tell her. Why hide?”

Curufin’s eyes squinted open just long enough to catch Celegorm picking up his phone. He flung his arm across Caranthir to smack it from his hand. It crashed to the floor.

“Hey!” Celegorm yelled.

“Don’t tell her now you dumb bag of dick rockets!” Curufin shouted, and sputtered over his lacklustre name-calling efforts.

As he stumbled to retrieve his phone, Celegorm said, “Fuck you, you broke the screen.”

“It was already broken,” Curufin lied. He snuggled against the crook of his elbow and closed his eyes. “Guys,” he muttered, “how we gon’ get home? I’m so sleepy…”

“Agh, hold up.” Caranthir bumped Curufin’s shoulder as he reached for something. “I’ll call Nelyo to come get us.”

“Good idea…” Curufin said, "Nelyo'll fix it..." and fell asleep.

[tanoraqui]

Oh, Old Kingdom Feanorians is very fun I love it! Thoughts that occurred to me 1) lore of Melkor can be split between Oranis and Mogget; Oranis for destruction and deaths, Mogget for lies; in fact, I can see Mogget feanor relationship being something like in book Clariel; Mogget using him but two of them growing fond of each other, if only due to similar desire for freedom 2) Astarael already is Nienna in a way, no? Itd be fun too see yfeanor or Maglor down the well

That's exactly what I was thinking, re: Morgoth, Orannis and Mogget! Mogget saw the division in the Abhorsen's family, notably Fëanor's jealousy, paranoia and pride (and fear of abandonment and loss), as well as his genuinely non-malicious curiosity and love of exploration, and egged him on in his feud with Fingolfin and his experiments with not just the Charter but Free Magic as well. He egged on FIngolfin as well, though less so - it was always harder to act directly against even the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and anyway, he barely needed to. Fëanor provoked Fingolfin enough all on his own.

I don't know how exactly Orannis starts to wake - I don't think Fëanor unburies him, though maybe he unburies him a little, gets hideously bad vibes, and stops...and it's too late; he's broken some preliminary seal that he fails to properly repair? Or maybe he's just revealed the location to Sauron, who will overall be playing the part of Chlorr of the Mask in this au... At any rate, Orannis wakes some notable amount, but as he does Finwë brings battle to him, which kills Finwë but buys the whole Kingdom many decades, maybe centuries, as Orannis slowly regains his full power.

(I still like the idea that those of the Shiners' blood live longer than normal people in this au, like, Númenoreans long - several centuries on average. Unless killed, of course, as many of them are.)

Mogget was likely with Finwë, briefly uncollared. Finwë orders him to deliver bells and sword to Fingolfin, who is at the extremely awkward festival the royal family (Vanyar) are throwing in an attempt to get him and Fëanor to reconcile...

(Hm, did some Great Charter Stones get broken in Orannis's emergence, a la the death of the Trees? They're reparable, though... I'd need to think about this au more to figure out exactly how bloodlines and frankly geography and range of rule, work. The Old Kingdom doesn't really have anywhere to exile people to, but that's such an important part of The Silmarillion...)

From Mogget's pov, what comes next is roughtly:

Fuck yeah, dead Abhorsen, and his kids more likely than not to go to war over his title, even though it's patently obvious who should have it! Lol! (Okay, Orannis is an unwelcome surprise buuut he's delayed, so, like, I can still work with this.) Time to drop of some objects then get righteously vengefully slaughtering...

Ugh, new Abhorsen is quick with a collar. And the boys are...getting along, in the wake of Finwë's death. That is, Fëanor is too distracted by vengeance to make trouble about not being Abhorsen, and Fingolfin is too distracted by vengeance to make trouble about Fëanor blatantly using Free Magic. Well, at least they're going to stop Orannis before he causes--

Aaand Fëanor in his paranoia and fury took all the ships to sail [south to Edge? north of above the Glacier?] to attack Orannis, then blindly charged ahead and got himself torn to pieces by Greater Dead- oh, no, actually he self-immolated at the very end. Yeah that tracks. I may have encouraged that path of thought. Okay. Damn, and Maedhros captured? RIP, except of course he won't. I kinda liked that kid, too.

Fingon did wh-- fucking Seven, that's a construct of Astarael they're flying back on.

Alright, business as usual, Abhorsen alternately bossy and ignoring me while his kid runs around fighting Free Magic dragons and flirting with Wallmaker scions (who rae definitely still using Free Magic over there; maybe I'll just take a nap in these saddlebags and someone will accidentally bring me to visit...) Only difference is it's a semi-active war front because no one can figure out how to re-bind Orannis so all they can really do it wait--

Ugh, I HATE fire. The soot gets EVERYWHERE and I have to lick it out. This is undignified.

Good showing on Abhorsen Fingolfin's part. Stupid, but good. Death-seeking despair is in their blood, there's really not much you can do about it. Serious issue that Orannis kept the bells, though - Fingon's always been better with the sword, but that won't be nearly eno--

The remnant of Ranna had a DAUGHTER with a HUMAN? What the fuck?

This plan is doomed but as usual the Abhorsen won't listen to me. /shrug emoji

Yyyep he's dead. Ooh, no new Abhorsen anywhere nearby, and he's just a baby anyway... Look, one of Turgon's last people is even picking up the sword; I'm sure it'll get to the new kid somehow... Clearly the most appropriate and helpful thing for me to do is to find the nearest heirs of the blood and help them stand against Orannis. Hey, Fëanorioni, long time no see! You know, I'd be able to help much more if you just take off this pesky little collar...

(Fëanorians spend the next several decades letting Mogget lose to kill things and people then wrestling a collar back onto him, which gets increasingly difficult as there are fewer of them to do it. Moggets stays with them because a) killing is fun, b) eventually they're fail to re-restrain him and he'll be more or less free, and c) he kinda likes them shut up. They're so fucked up and still trying so hard; it's...intriguing.)

(Mogget refuses to identify whether Elros or Elrond is the true Abhorsen-in-Waiting literally until they figure it out themselves (it's Elros. Elrond, once Orannis has been re-bound with the help of assorted relatives, takes up the mantle of being Ranna-than-remains, and builds himself a welcoming manor near the woods that were once Doriath.))

[deadqueernoldor]

End of Year Fic Recs!

I got tagged by @camille-lachenille for this, and boy I havent had time to read fic in a hot minute but this was literally the perfect opportunity to go through my ao3 and tumblr bookmarks again! Also I feel really bad that I couldnt get 5 for the first 3 categories, so pls dont take it personal if I forgot. My tagging system is a mess and idk if it works but if you want more tumblr writing recs go into the "writing that has me foaming out the mouth like a rabid dog" tag I have at the top of my account.! There's so many good drabbles and ficlets i couldnt possibly name them all! Also i likely could have tagged other author's tumblr accs but i didn't feel like looking bc I'm exhausted. I love these all sm

Also I cheated with the self rec bc one is from 2022 but I didnt want to rec only my OC lol

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).

Beneath a Boundless Sky by @runawaymun — ongoing — Rating (M)

Summary: Elrond’s two new wards both struggle to feel at home in Rivendell. The wounds from their slavery in King Frumgar’s court are still fresh, and the scars are deep -- and they’re not the only ones. Maglor is home at last, but each day he lives he is haunted by guilt and grief. Elrond is nothing if not patient, and he is certain that given enough time in Rivendell, all three will heal.

I am always frothing at the mouth at OCs and world building and this work *and the prev work/part 1 of the series* is SO good

dare you see a soul at the white heat? by millyfaraway — ongoing — Rating (M)

Summary: Lómion is reembodied, but struggles to cope. His uncles try to help.

BABY BOY GETS FAMILY THERAPY ABBY BOY SLOWLY GETS CONFIDENCE AND PUPPY LOVE SOBBIG ITS WHAT HE DESERVES anyway go read

The Last Heir of Fëanor - Part Two by Astrance — 87k — Rating (T)

Summary: This is the second part of the tale of the surviving child of Celebrimbor of Eregion and how she fared through the Ages of the world. From the Fall of Ost-in-Edhil to Imladris and the vastness of Second Age Eriador, the fight against Sauron seems never ending. Plans have been set in motion across the Misty Mountains, but, in Lindon, many tasks await.

Have I mentioned how much I love OCs? This is literally one of the best OCs I've read, flaws and all, and the way the whole thing is written is chefs kiss. Cant decide if I'm sweating from the amount of sobbing I've done with this work *and the previous/first part* or because of the delicious angst.

and rain will make the flowers grow by @swanmaids — 800 — Rating (G)

Summary: Glorfindel and Idril; on the Helcaraxë, in Nevrast, in Gondolin.

THEM. THEM. THEM. That's all I have to say. bUT THEM!

Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.

your veins are empty of dust by @echo-bleu — 1.7k — Rating (G)

Summary: Anairë finds her late one day in her workshop, surrounded by slabs of stone larger than her. Nerdanel is hammering forcefully at one of them, the barest hints of an elven shape already taking form in the marble. Bitter, stinging tears run down her cheeks and into her collar, and her arms ache with exhaustion.

The body is only barely sketched, but the face is already chiselled, smooth curves and angular cheekbones.

Fëanáro emerges out of the marble, looking like he’s about to take life.

(Across the sea, her sons lead a funeral.)

Frothing. Gnawing. I love the writing. The angst. Fucking mourning. Gimme all and then hurt me some more.

Babysitting #01 by @lordgrimwing — more chaps likely, atm oneshot

Excerpt: "She brought her children."

"Who did?”

"That Elwing woman, the pro bono case Celegorm talked me into."

Modern!scenario fix with Exhausted!lawyer!maedhros. He's tired and that's very sexy of him. Maglor is secy. They all are. Idiots. But very sexy. Elrond and Elros best boys. No argument.

Dreams of Doom by @camille-lachenille — 3.8k — Rating (M)

Summary: “She runs in the dark, alone. Where her feet carry her, she knows not, and her heart is heavy with dread. Someone - something - is watching her.”

Niënor from the moment she arrives in Brethil to her death.

THE ANGST THE LOVE THE TENDERNES THE FORESHADOWING I AM BITING THIS BC I CANT FIND GLASS TO CHEW.

Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies.)

Those Peaceful Hours by SpaceWall — 3.9k — Rating (T)

Summary: At the end of the Third Age, faced with her impending return to the home she left before the sun, Galadriel seeks out the one person who will understand her fears and grief.

It's so well written and the premise as a whole is so great!. Compelling and Galadriel characterisation is just so very sexy to me.

Their oath will drive them, and yet betray them by musing_and_writing — 2.2k — Rating (G)

Summary: Elrond had hours to spare, and if Maglor wished to spend the short time they had together reminiscing, he would not blame him for it. As Maglor began singing, Elrond settled himself across the clearing in his own bed of autumn flowers. Maglor’s voice resounded in the clearing, clear and powerful, just as it had upon his fortress’s ramparts as he pushed back Morgoth’s forces with a Song, just as Elrond assumed it must have echoed before the poisoning of the Trees in his family’s halls as Feanor crafted his cursed jewels.

Hehehehehe cryptid mf with a heart I love it the angst the tenderness it's just so *holds gently* while also *bodychecks maglor*

Double The Baggins, Twice The Took by fogisbeautiful — 138.5k — Rating (T)

Summary: The Baggins twins, Briallen and Bilbo, have spent their whole lives taking care of each other. So when the world outside makes an (uninvited) appearance, only one thing is certain. Not for wizard or king or mountain or dragon will the two of them part. Not if they have one word to say about it.

And besides, as Gandalf points out: It never hurts to have a spare burglar on hand.

I'm a sucker for Thorin x hobbit, and you give me a fic with bilbo's sister who's so lovely characterized? I'll kiss you sloppy style

The One With All The Birds by clothonono — 46.5k — Rating (G)

Summary: Would it never end? Would there always be one more mother standing on the shore, looking out to sea, full of a grief made more terrible by hope?

Elwing and Nerdanel in Valinor in the Fourth Age; a story about children coming home.

I think swanmaids recc'd this to me once upon the time when it hadn't been finished and I want to kiss their forehead for it. It's so good! Go read bc I lick my screen every time I re-read it.

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Bitter end — 6.4k — Rating (T)

Summary: Maglor has one brother left.

Both have one more fight in them.

The ghost you dress up as (knows how to haunt) — ongoing — Rating (M)

Summary: Maedhros was not the first Finwëan to be captured and taken to Angband, nor did he remain there the longest. Ranyatinwë, twin of Caranthir, was the first.

She escapes.

(Series) Old Maggie Took — 7 works — 402k — all Rating (G)

Summary: The headcanon about Maglor, second son of Fëanor, lives hidden in the Shire? Yes.

[animatorweirdo]

Reunion with an old friend

You settle in your new situation, but then end up meeting an old friend.

Warnings: Mentions of a struggle, fighting, hunting habits, assaults, blood, a bit emotional, hugging, leaving behind, torture, mentions of a ripped-off arm, and a happy reunion.

Chapter 14

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

An annoyed, tired sight left Camilla as she stopped beneath a tree with her hands on her hips. Her eyes looked around the forest till Maglor arrived, pulling his horse behind him with a neutral expression. Camilla looked at him. “Any luck?” 

He shook his head. 

“Fuck—”  Camilla hissed, looking around the forest one more time. “Well! It looks like she has officially disappeared. Again!” she declared. 

“Where do you think she could have gone to?” Maglor questioned. 

“I don’t know. I found her feeding place, which still has uneaten orc limbs and a dead giant bat,” Camilla explained. Maglor frowned at the last part. “ A giant bat?” he questioned. “A vampire, most likely,” she pulled out a long, sharp fang from her pocket. Maglor grabbed the fang and took a closer look. 

“(Name) most likely got attacked when she was feeding and telling from the marks and signs of struggle I found. There was more than one of those creatures,” Camilla motioned at the fang. 

“What I know about vampires of this world is that they’re a lot stronger and much sneakier than orcs, so they most likely gave (Name) a challenge, which caused her to run off and take the fight elsewhere,” she then points at claw marks upon a tree bark. 

“Telling from these marks, (Name) used one of the beast's favorite types of ambush, attacking from above,” she explained. “And not only that— they can use the trees to travel, which gives them the benefit of leaving fewer tracks, so trying to find where the fight leads to is pretty pointless. Unless you’re willing to climb every tree to find the tracks,” she glanced at the elf. 

Maglor imagined the fight between you and the vampires. He couldn't imagine vampires being in equal strength as you, but knowing you were weaker during spring and summer left him anxious. He did not want to find you in devastating injuries like last time. 

“What shall we do then?” he glanced at Camilla. 

Camilla flailed her arms with a shrug. “Hope she’s alright and manages to come back on her own or at least give us a sign. There isn’t much we could do,” she said. “And I don’t think I can use the moth trick to find her again. I need to have some kind of clue where she might be, or I’m putting the poor bug search for nothing,” 

“This shit is just getting better and better,” she angrily stated. 

Maglor laid his hand on her shoulder. “I’m certain we will find her. We just have to have faith,” he said reassuringly. 

Camilla stared back at him with a nonchalant look before letting out a sigh. “We should get back. It's getting late,” she brushed his hand away and left to find her horse. 

Maglor withdrew his hand, observing as she departed. Her closed-off nature made it challenging to approach her, and he wasn't sure how to earn her trust. It was strange. She wasn’t like that when he first befriended you. Had something changed between you and him that she didn't like?

Maglor brushed off the thought with a shake of his head and followed her. He will think about it later. The most important thing at hand was ensuring you were alright. 

The halls were brimming with life. The elves went along with their things, working and doing errands, sparing looks at you as you passed with Luthien. It still felt strange, but you were getting used to it. 

You took in the designs and constructions of the kingdom. It was quite an exciting sight. Despite being underground, wildlife and plants thrived nicely without disruption. It was like something out of a fantasy book. 

“Your home is very beautiful,” you remarked. “It’s unlike anything I have ever seen.” Luthien smiled at your compliment. “It is a sight to behold, though it can get quite tiresome and less impressive when you see it every day,” she said as she led you to the healer’s halls.

“Well, it is more alive here. Where I'm from, it's more like stone, cold, and orcs since Angband is nearly next door,” you said. “You’re from the north?” Luthien asked curiously. “Yeah, not maybe the safest place to live, but good enough for me. I never had a peaceful life, so I kinda need a drop of chaos to consider it normal for me,” you teased a little, making her chuckle.

“You need chaos to have a normal life?” Luthien asked. 

“Yeah. Once you have faced enough hardships, you find it hard to fit in a peaceful way of life without some chaos to make it feel somewhat normal,” you answered. “Anyway. Thanks for helping me and showing me a way around here,” you said. 

“Of course. You are my guest, so is it up to me to guide and care for you in my home,” she smiled at you. 

“I appreciate it, but you don’t have to worry about me. You probably have better things to do as a princess than entertain a silly human like myself,” you said. 

“Oh no! I don’t mind at all. I would be more than happy to entertain you,” Luthien said. “New things rarely happen around here, so this will give me something else to do for once in many years,” she said with a smile. 

“Really? Last time I checked. You ran away like a squirrel when I tried to ask you directions,” you smiled, making her snort. “Well, you startled me, and my mother’s girdle does not allow humans to come here often,” she said, then opened the doors. 

“We’re here,” she said, and you looked around. 

The halls looked nearly similar to the one you worked at with Camilla in Himring, except more nature-filled and less cold. 

Luthien took you to what seemed to be a private room. 

“You can rest here. If you need anything. All you need to do is ask,” Luthien said, looking at you. “Well…” you looked down at your worn-down bloody clothes. “Maybe a change of clothes?” you said

Luthien smiled. “Sure. I will have someone bring you new clothes and maybe have those washed. In the meantime, stay here. I will also have someone check on you and those wounds,” she said and then left, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You decided to sit down on the bed. The sheets felt nice and clean beneath your fingers, and the atmosphere was peaceful. The shapes of the wall and the nature-like decor reminded you of your family’s old cottage where you liked to go on summer weekends. It was a place surrounded by nature with a lake where you and your little brother liked to swim when your dad and grandpa were done fishing.

It filled you with a strange nostalgia. You missed going there.  It was one of your grandfather’s favorite places to go. And you would do anything to have a chance to fish with him and your dad again, even when you used to think of fishing as a boring hobby. 

Your mind was in deep memory that you did not notice someone walk in. 

“I thought I sensed someone familiar,” A voice snapped you out of your thoughts. 

You looked, and your eyes widened when you saw a familiar woman leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and looking at you with the familiar cold eyes she used to look at you when you shared a cell in Maglor’s former fortress. 

“Hello, (Name),” the woman said. 

“Nelle,” you said, shocked to see her. 

“I already knew something strange was going to happen when I heard a human had passed through Melian’s girdle. I never expected it to be you,” Nelle walked closer. “It seems trouble follows everywhere you go,” she said, looking down on you as you stood up. 

You got a bit emotional and hugged her. 

Nelle froze but didn’t push you away. She awkwardly gently patted on your back in return. 

You released her when you realized what you did. “I’m sorry—” you quickly apologized. “I’m just glad to see you and not dead after what happened in Maglor’s Gap,” you said. 

Nelle looked at you softly. “It's alright. I’m glad to see you safe and sound as well,” she said. 

“What happened? I’ve never seen you or Melui part of the prisoners that were freed?” you asked, and her expression fell back to normal. 

“Remember the day when you returned from Maluk’s care, and I left to confront him, leaving you and Melui alone?” she questioned, and you nodded. 

“When the — whatever darkness took control of you that day. I took the chance to take Melui and escape when the orcs were distracted,” she explained. “I did not know what was happening and taken from how many orcs you slaughtered. I did not dare myself to find you and take you along. I’m sorry for that. We left you behind,” she said with nearly a regretful look. 

You shook your head. “No. It's alright. I’m more glad that you managed to escape than end up captured like how Langon and Maluk made me believe after retaining me,”

“It could have ended worse, so It's good you left then came to find me. The beast doesn’t spare anyone from its bloodlust,” you thought about that day when you went on a rampage after getting assaulted by those orcs. 

You then remembered and looked at Nelle with worry. 

“Melui? Is he–” You hesitated to ask. 

Nelle nodded. “He’s here … and his arm is healing. I managed to stitch it back before it was too late,” she answered. You stared at her, confused. 

“Stitch back? How?” you asked as you did not think the elves were advantaged enough to stitch up severed limbs back to their places, bones, veins, and everything. 

Nelle breathed in. “That is because, like Langon, Maluk, and Melian — I am a Maia myself,” your eyes nearly jolted out of their sockets. How did you not know? And what is it with you meeting Maiars from left and right? 

“You’re a Maia? I’m sorry, but how do you not emit a terrifying presence like the other three I met so far?” you questioned. 

“Because my powers were sealed by that silver collar I was forced to wear,” Nelle said. “Thanks to the help of Melian, I was able to use my healing skills and magic to re-attach Melui’s arm—bones, veins, and everything,” she explained.

“That’s amazing – so wait. Does that mean you’re a Maiar of Este since she’s the Valar of healing, and you Maiars always have a Valar you learned your skills from?” you questioned. 

“You’re correct. Though it has been many years since I have seen my lady,” Nelle said with a longing tone. “Thanks to you. I’m able to return to her. Once I see my work is done here and my aid is no longer needed,” she stated. “I am truly grateful for that,” she bowed her head to you, making you nod with a smile and feel somewhat happy that your beastly rampage did something good.

You then hugged your arms with a grim look. 

“So… how is Melui doing right now?” you asked. 

“He is recovering, physically and spiritually. He has taken solace in the comforts of Menegroth’s libraries. Do you wish to see him?” Nelle asked, making you nearly panic. 

“No! I mean— not right now. I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to show my face to him. I did turn and ripped his arm off,” you said with regret in your eyes.

Nelle looked at you empathically. 

“If its hate you expect to receive from him — banish that though because he bears no hatred for you,” she said. 

“He doesn’t? Why not?” you asked. 

“No…” Nelle shook her head. “Even after what happened and what you did to him, he was still worried for you and felt reluctant to leave you behind,” she explained. “He understands you were not being yourself, so you have nothing to fear,” 

You thought about it. 

“You should go see him since it seems the whole incident has bothered your mind ever since, but in your time — once you feel ready,” she said. 

“Thanks… But I think I will wait,” you said. “At least to mentally prepare myself,” you added. 

“As you wish,” Nelle nodded. 

“Now. How about you show me those wounds? I will be your caregiver for now, and in the meantime, you will tell me exactly what this darkness and the beast is about,” she said sternly. 

You chuckled nervously. 

“I guess I owe you and Melui that much. It's a long story, though,” you said. 

“It's fine. We have all the time now. Now turn around so I can see the bite wound on your shoulder,” Nelle said. You smiled and did what she asked. “Alright, let's see. It started with my –” You continued to tell about your childhood and the curse to Nelle as she listened while caring for your wounds in peaceful silence.

[nin-varisse]

Carabthir for the ask game :)

Caranthir for the character ask game!

Thank you so much for asking @herinke9

One aspect I love about Caranthir

EVERYTHING. Just kidding of course. I love that despite being the Feanorian who is canonically easiest to anger, they really try to keep themselves out of conflicts. They kinda just do their own thing far away from their brothers, forging strong relationships with humans and dwarves, respecting women (and getting that coin ofc). I also really like the fact that we know very little about them, which is why I can project a lot into them and make up LOTS of headcanons and scenarios. (watch me cheat at the first question already hksks)

One aspect I wish more people understood about them

They’re really not the moody person canon wants you think they are (fucking fight me, Tolkien)! They got angry once and I think Angrod really got it coming. They are actually quite respectful or else they wouldn’t be able to make such strong allies. He also respects the Haladin’s wishes to rule their own lands and doesn’t just make them his vassals. Thanks to his good connections and riches he also an essential part of the Feanorians, which a lot of people seem to forget.

One headcanon I have about them

As you might have already assumed by the use of pronouns, I headcanon them as genderfluid (I use pretty much all and any pronouns with them). Since this was really short, you’re getting a second one! Caranthir loves children (all the Feanorians do) and they have always wanted to have some of their own. They’re also surprisingly popular with children. Everytime they visit the Haladin settlement, children start swarming around them asking for stories and games and they always makes sure to bring toys they bought from dwarven craftsmen. [this one was inspired by someone on twitter, just a heads up!]

One character I love seeing them interact with

Very surprising at this point but Haleth! I think she enables their other, softer side. I also just love their fanon dynamic! They are m/m, f/m and f/f at the same time. Icons.

One character I wish they would interact with (more)

I want to see them interact with Maglor. Maglor was still fairly young when Celegorm was born, so Caranthir was the first person he could act as the older brother with (in my hc ofc). I would love to learn more about their sibling relationship!

One hc that involves them and one other character (Haleth)

This is gonna be sad but I have this scene in my head that as they are dying in Doriath, they see Haleth’s spirit has waited for them, refusing to move on alone (she’s stubborn if anything). They never follow the call to Mandos Halls, instead they move on with Haleth together beyond the bounds of Arda (Mandos is a sap and lets them). No one ever sees them again but they stay together to the end of time.

[scary-grace]

ooh! 1, 4, 7 and 8 for the choose violence asks please! :D

Thank you for the ask! You sent some good ones :)

1) the character everyone gets wrong

Mmm, I'm weighing how much trouble I want to get myself in with this one. I'm going to go ahead and say Thorin, and I'm including myself in the "everyone" statement. He's one of the more complex characters Tolkien created, and I think we all have a tendency to move him to one side of the equation or the other -- either he's totally woobified or he's so much worse than he is in canon. I feel like the real answer as to "what is Thorin? why is Thorin?" is probably that he's selfish in the way we're all selfish, proud in a way that doesn't let him back down even when he knows he's fucked up, brave even when it's the wrong thing to be, so loyal and affectionate that it makes him look stupid. I love him very much, but I beat the shit out of him when I write him, and I think the level of complexity is part of the reason why.

4) what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

It was a certain Silmarillion headcanon that makes me spit nails. I saw the same dumb post three times in a row on my dash and unlucky blogger number three got blocked because of it, even though it wasn't their fault.

7) what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

FINROD. Admittedly I was already a little wary of him because of the Athrabeth (my girl Andreth deserved a debate partner who wasn't so condescending) but the fandom conception of him as a soft uwu bean and perfect angel baby drives me up the wall. He's by far the least objectionable Feanorian and I still want to put him in a jar and shake it really hard.

8) common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

I spent this whole ask-answering period trying to decide whether to go for it and I've decided that I am: The kidnap fam is not a cute little found-family lovefest. It's the tragedy of two children who are survivors of a physical genocide being abducted and promptly culturally genocided by two guilt-ridden mass murderers who were responsible for the genocide that orphaned them. Based on my family history/cultural history I have a huge allergic reaction to stories like that (look up the Catholic Church's unfortunate history of, uh, "rescuing" Jewish children) and while I'm aware this is fandom and not real life and Not That Deep, it still bothers me when I see demonization of the twins' real parents and utter woobification of two ambiguously evil fandom faves. I don't buy for a second that Elrond and Elros were full of warm fuzzies for Maedhros and Maglor, and I often wonder how much influence his experience with the Feanorians had on Elros choosing the fate of Men rather than Elves. I mean, who wouldn't want to get away from that?

(Bracing myself for a wave of unfollowings. It was nice knowing you all, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.)

choose violence fandom asks

[polutrope]

oooh holiday prompts! Can I ask for Maedhros & Maglor, and “singing carols” please? ❤️

Thank you for the prompt! Here we have ~1100 words of Maedhros saving the show -- a little canon fix-it, if you will. Handful of F-bombs, otherwise G-rated brotherly fluff. Posting these to AO3, here. Prompt list. Beleria Cast of Characters.

Maglor flung his hand under the tap and unleashed a string of curses entirely inappropriate for the greenroom of a children’s theatre school. Already blisters bubbled up on the tip of his index finger and the heel of his palm. There was a gash across his thumb joint from the broken ceramic.

Shit. He glared at the microwave as if it had personally injured him. What kind of shit-ass microwave only heats the bowl—! Why was it so damn hot!

“I swear, I could throw you out the fudging window right now,” he grumbled at the appliance.

“Hey, uh, Mr. Finvesen? Are you okay?”

Maglor startled. “What? Oh, hi, Galdor. Yeah yeah, I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine,” said Galdor with all the arch attitude of his thirteen years.

“I just burned myself a bit.” Maglor examined his blisters with trepidation.

“Why is there a shattered bowl and soup all over the floor?”

“Because that’s how I burned myself!” Maglor snapped, then took a deep breath.

“That doesn’t look like a microwavable bowl,” Galdor drawled.

Maglor grit his teeth and did not respond.

“Hey,” said Galdor, “how are you gonna accompany us for the concert if your hand is fucked up?”

“Galdor! Don’t swear!”

At that, Maglor’s eyes flooded with tears and he sank to the ground in front of the greenroom sink, cradling his bleeding, burning hand in his lap.

Galdor huffed and left him to his misery.

*

Relatives and friends filed into the small black box theatre at Lindon Studio. For all the effort that went into the children’s summer musical, it was the Yule concert that the kids’ families looked forward to most. The old metal folding chairs creaked as proud parents took their seats and boasted good-naturedly about their children’s many achievements that year.

Maglor stood in the entrance, greeting each group with forced enthusiasm and hoping no one would notice that his left hand was rammed in his pocket where it clutched an ice pack.

In the background, he listened anxiously to the garbled melodies Daeron was plunking out on the piano. It was not good. It was frankly embarrassing. Maglor had to implement Plan B.

But would he come?

There! Maglor nearly tripped as he wound a path through the press of bodies towards the head of red hair rising above them all.

“Oh thank god you're here,” Maglor said in a breathless rush.

“Whoa, hey. Of course I am,” said Maedhros, pulling him into a hug, which Maglor returned one-armed. His head fell against Maedhros’ shoulder with a pained choking sound.

“Uh, Cáno?” Maedhros pulled back to look at him. “Are you okay?”

“No, no. Not at all,” Maglor gritted through his teeth, aware of the crowd around them.

Maedhros guided him to a bench around the corner of the building.

“What’s going on?” he asked when they were seated. “Why do you have your hand shoved in your pocket like that?”

Maglor took a deep breath and pulled the hand and ice pack from his slacks. Then, eyes shamefully cast to the ground, he showed Maedhros the ruination wrought by his dinner plans.

“Yikes,” said Maedhros. “Still not using a rag to take things out of the microwave, then?”

“Shut up,” said Maglor.

“Sorry. Looks pretty bad.”

“It is bad. I’ve got to lead kids in a concert in twenty minutes and my hand is fucked! I can’t play piano!”

“Oh. Right, shit. What about Daeron?”

Maglor frowned and glared at Maedhros. He waited for the sound of Daeron’s playing inside the theatre to make itself heard.

“Is that him?” Maedhros asked, and grimaced. “I thought he was, like, super talented.”

“He is!” Maglor said, and stuck his throbbing blister in his mouth. “But he can’t read sheet music,” he said around the finger, “and barely knows his way around a piano. He taught himself by ear on a guitar, the fucking hipster prodigy.” He pulled his finger from his mouth and flapped it frantically in front of him. “That was mean. Don’t tell him I said that. Ugh! I’m just—!”

“It’s all right," Maedhros chuckled, "I know you like fucking hipster prodigies.” Maglor groaned. “Okay, so. Surely someone else who works here can play piano though?”

“No! Of course not! The admin is all actors who didn’t make it because they didn’t have these skills. Nelyo,” Maglor pivoted towards him, “you remember how to play, right?”

“Oh,” said Maedhros. “I mean, yeah, I guess, but…”

“Can you do it?” Maglor grabbed him by the shoulder and stared intently. “Please. Please, I am begging you. Save my dignity in front of these theatre moms.”

“I mean, I would, but…” Maedhros showed Maglor his right hand, which was wrapped in a tensor bandage. “The injury has been acting up. I’m down a hand, too.”

Maglor’s eyes dropped to his brother’s hand and back up. “Fuck.”

“Hey, hey,” said Maedhros. “No wait, I’ve got an idea.”

“Please,” said Maglor.

“Well you remember how we used to play duets, when I sucked too bad to do the bass and treble at once?”

Maglor smiled wryly at the memory. “Yeah, you were pretty terrible.”

“So we do that. People will love it.”

Maglor’s racing pulse started to even out. His eyes widened. “Nelyo. You genius. Agh!” He threw his arms around his brother’s shoulders. “I could cry. Again. You saved me.”

A discordant clang slipped through the theatre door. Maglor winced.

Maedhros patted Maglor’s back reassuringly. “Now let’s get your poor boyfriend off that piano bench ASAP.”

*

With his left hand resting on a fresh ice pack, Maglor lifted his right to the keys. Beside him, Maedhros did the same with his left. The house lights dimmed and voices dwindled to a hush. Maglor could sense the buzz of excitement from the choir of children huddled on the stage, holding their breath almost as a single being in their shared anticipation.

As the stage lights came up, slowly bathing the space in soft gold, Maglor looked at his brother beside him. Maedhros’ eyes smiled back.

“I might still suck,” he whispered out the corner of his mouth.

“Too late,” Maglor replied, and struck the first chord to cue the children: Jingle Bells was about to begin.

Maedhros did struggle a little, but Maglor barely noticed, overcome by the warm pride that welled up in his heart whenever he heard a chorus of young voices singing in harmony. Yes, he was terribly underpaid, and terribly overworked, and terribly stupid about handling hot objects —but he loved this job.

By the time they were singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Maedhros was mouthing the lyrics along with them. Soon after, he was merrily singing along to Wonderful Christmastime (“ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding!”) with such performative gusto that Maglor laughed so hard he fumbled his own part.

No one seemed to mind.

[fangirl-erdariel]

Quote time!

'Cake is eternal'

'Was it just the dreaming of my heart?'

'Dress me all in flowers white, so no mortal eye can see'

'Sing with me a tiny autumn song, with the melodies of the days gone by'

'Call my name from the heart'

'Forgotten phrases, tender and sweet'

'Clinging to affection, we somehow do learn to live'

'Running and reaching for the light'

'And I'll show you who I am, if you come where I go'

'In blinded night we are singing a glorious cry for freedom'

Okay let's see... :D This got unreasonably long so i'm putting it under a cut, sorry!

"Cake is eternal" - this is absolutely a crack fic. Maybe a bakery AU of some kind? I just can't decide what fandom or characters

"Was it just the dreaming of my heart?" - ok so for some reason what my brain went to was Beren and Lúthien fic, centering on Beren as he is dead, clinging onto the world, somewhere in Mandos, even though he's feeling the almost irresistible pull on his mortal soul to leave the world, because he can't leave yet because she asked him to wait and she promised to come and say goodbye right?? he can't leave until he sees her one last time, but at the same time he's dead and death does things to you so he's no longer really that certain of how much of what he remembers from life was true

"Dress me all in flowers white, so no mortal eye can see" - okay i know you've asked this before and fuck if i remember what I replied then. But right now I'm thinking immortal Merlin fic, with him through the years, through the changing tides of the mortal kingdoms and societies, slipping through it all almost unnoticed (and possibly going slightly mad with loneliness)

"Sing with me a tiny autumn song, with the melodies of the days gone by" - oohhh, this has a Tolkien vibe somehow. Maybe Aragorn and Arwen, long after LOTR, looking back on their lives?

"Call my name from the heart" - hmm... I have no idea why but I'm kinda thinking some kind of Garashir slowburn? idk anything else tho

"Forgotten phrases, tender and sweet" - again no idea where this came from, but maybe some kind of Glorestor fic? Like starting when Glorfindel's still newly come to Middle-Earth, and maybe he didn't have too much time to adjust to the whole "after thousands of years I'm alive again" thing, and he definitely hasn't had the time to process the fact that living comes with constant new feelings, new experiences, not just slowly sorting through and making peace with all the feelings and experiences from before you died, so he's still kind of reeling a bit and figuring things out again... and then, because Glorfindel was never one to do anything little by little or halfway, he goes and falls head over heels for Erestor and has to try and figure how love (and specifically communicating that love) works again

"Clinging to affection, we somehow learn to live" - so I don't really go for that very often, but somehow I'm thinking of Maedhros and Maglor with little Elrond and Elros? Maedhros and Maglor are all kind of worn down and burdened with like, everything, and Elrond and Elros are small children just torn from their home and family and friends, and it's all kind of a mess... but there's a bit of affection, a spark of something, some care for the twins, from Maglor, and maybe if they all hold onto it they can figure something out, maybe two kinslayers half-mad from their trauma and the Oath can live for a little rather than stumble forward after a terrible and seemingly unattainable goal, maybe two kids torn from everything they've ever known can learn to live, can grow up to make something of themselves, if they all just care for each other a bit and find a little affection for each other?

"Running and reaching for the light" - somehow (probably because i've already gotten myself into a tolkien mood and there's that whole metaphor about moths and candles in Athrabeth, lol), I'm thinking of an Andreth/Aegnor fic where Andreth doesn't submit so easily to the fact that Aegnor rejects her despite loving her, and maybe Aegnor isn't all that convinced about their love being impossible either, and Andreth goes after him, to stay at his side, reaching for his flame... and I don't know if that saves him, or if it ends in tragedy anyway (maybe she just dies at his side, when Dagor Bragollach comes. Or maybe she outlives him despite everything), but at least they have a while together, at least they get to love each other, whether or not it's enough to change their fates

"And I'll show you who I am, if you come where I'll go" - tbh no idea and my brain is out of idea making juice now, sorry ':D

"In blinded night we are singing a glorious cry for freedom" - I'm absolutely sure you've sent this to me before and I'm not sure what I replied then but right now what I'm vibing with is a Merlin AU where for whatever reason Merlin doesn't end up in Camelot (or at the very least doesn't end up as Gaius' apprentice, and doesn't end up really being involved with the court) and ends up sticking together with druids or just with other people who have magic instead, all keeping their heads low and fearing being exposed, but hoping for and working towards some kind of change nonetheless

Thanks for these, this was fun!

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Silm Characters - Who Do They Hate Most (for cases where the answer isn’t ‘Morgoth’)

(Note: the people for whom it’s Morgoth include, but are not limited to, Fëanor, Fingolfin, Fingon, and practically all of the major Edain characters.)

Turgon: The Fëanoreans, collectively and individually. They got his wife killed, they got his sister killed (by not showing up when she went to visit them, leading to her getting entrapped by Eöl), they got his best friend killed, they got his brother killed, then they decided to murder the only remaining intact kingdom in Middle-earth outside of Gondolin, and then they murdered the remnant of his people who survived the fall of Gondolin.

Aredhel: Eöl. Not before her death, she’s got somewhat conflicted feelings up to that point (she does beg for his life), but once she hears of her son’s fate she’s convinced that it never would have happened if he hadn’t been an orphan. And Eöl’s the reason he’s an orphan. After that, you could power a nuclear reactor with how much she hates Eöl.

Finrod: Now I know what you’re going to say, “Finrod’s a perfect cinnamon roll, he doesn’t hate anyone,” well you’re wrong. It’s Sauron. Not even primarily because of having Finrod’s people devoured by werewolves, or for killing Barahir and his people, though those are contributing factors. Primarily, because of Númenor. Because Sauron takes the Edain, who Finrod loves, and turns them into something utterly evil, and brings them to their destruction. Finrod’s angry at everyone after the Akallabeth, the Valar and Eru included, but most of all he’s angry at Sauron.

The end of the third age is very satifying for him.

Orodreth: He’s unhappy with a lot of people for the events surrounding and leading up to the Fall of Nargothrond, including himself, but at the top of his list are Celegorm and Curufin. He was very much a king-in-name-only during their attempted coup; he knew he was powerless to bring Nargothond to Finrod’s rescue because he didn’t have the people’s support and Celegorm and Curufin would overthrow him if he tried, and the charge Finrod left him with was to hold the kingship so that’s what he did; but they made him, through inaction, complicit in his brother’s death and he will never forgive them for that.

Thingol: The Fëanoreans, as a whole. They killed his grandson. They killed his granddaughter-in law. They murdered his great-grandsons. They slaughtered his people. They should all be in the Void.

Maedhros: Maedhros. Come on, this one’s not even difficult.

Maglor: He is so very done and he doesn’t have the energy for hating anyone any more.

Celegorm: Dior. Practically canon.

Curufin. Lúthien. Fuck her for sparing his life. Fuck her for humiliating him like that. Fuck her so very much.

Nimloth: Celegorm and his followers, for obvious reasons.

Elwing: Maedhros and Maglor, also for obvious reasons. In a contest of “who hates Maedhros most,” most of fandom would give the award to Maedhros, but I think Elwing has a slight edge.

Eärendil: Eärendil, by the point that he petitions the Valar, doesn’t hate anyone. But Maeglin is the one person he dislikes. He can’t shake the memory of being a child, being grabbed by him at the side of a cliff, and looking in his eyes and seeing something that very much wasn’t an elf anymore. It’s unsettling; it gave him nightmares for a while as a kid. He pities Maeglin, but he’d much prefer never to see him again.

Elrond: Sauron, for similar reasons to Finrod, but aggravated by the fact that those were his brother’s people, and he was in Middle-earth and still poweless to stop it, and also aggravated by Celebrian’s torture.

Galadriel: Sauron, primarily for Finrod and Celebrian reasons, as well as because of the Third Age generally. She recognized that the Númenoreans were trouble well before Ar-Pharazon and isn’t sentimental about them.

[thevalleyisjolly]

A lot of fan depictions of Elrond often depict him as primarily culturally Noldorin, which is understandable.  He was an important figure in Gil-Galad’s court, to the extent that he was appointed his vice regent if you go by Unfinished Tales, and he was one of the bearers of three Elven rings.  Periodically there will be some meta or fic which dives into his connection to the Mortal side of his heritage, but most depictions frame him as culturally one of the Noldor.

What I’ve never really seen (although I’ve admittedly been on hiatus for a few years) is much talk about the implications of Elrond being regularly depicted as culturally Noldorin, which is often attributed to the influence of Maglor and Maedhros.  I think that’s a pretty logical assumption to make, but it’s also quite a horrifying and sad one if you deconstruct it.

Because Elrond and Elros are sons of Elwing, and a significant portion of their heritage is from Doriath.  Not only that, but they and their mother were the last survivors of their entire family by the end of the First Age, something that was almost entirely the fault of the Fëanorians.  And then the Fëanorians came and slaughtered their people again, kidnapped them, and Maglor at least raised them for a while.

So the implications of saying that Elrond culturally identifies with the Noldor because of Maglor’s upbringing becomes that much more horrific because it also (unintentionally) says, “his family and entire people (the Sindar of Doriath) were attacked and murdered en masse twice, and the murderers kidnapped him and his brother as young children and raised them in their (the murderers’) own culture such that as adults, at least one of them continued to identify with that culture before any of the other lineages and history that should also have been his by family, by upbringing, and by right.”

And it’s not that you can’t enjoy Noldor!Elrond, but it’s just odd that you seldom see any approaches to Noldor!Elrond which acknowledge the inherent fucked-up-ness of why he would be culturally Noldorin.  There are so many avenues you could take it down too.  Maybe Elrond reclaiming Noldorin culture for himself in a positive way, discovering the non-Fëanorian experiences and histories and choosing them for himself, or even coming to terms with Fëanorian expressions of Noldor culture.  Maybe Elrond having a difficult time processing his relationship with his heritage, caught between the culture he was raised in and the other cultures that he never got a chance to grow up with.  Maybe Elrond working through various conflicting feelings at different stages in his life, because there are no such things as easy answers or “right” ways to feel when you grow up forcibly disconnected from your family and culture.

I personally like and headcanon an Elrond who identifies a great deal with his Sindarin heritage and who makes an effort to reconnect to that part of his family history.  I think there’s some textual support for it, such as in FOTR in “The Council of Elrond” when he briefly summarizes his genealogy and he puts a great deal more emphasis on his descent from Lúthien through his mother Elwing than he does on his patrilineal descent through Eärendil.  But that’s also a personal preference - as always in fandom, you do you. 

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with seeing Elrond as culturally Noldorin.  It’s a very common perception of the character and even if it didn’t have textual basis, everyone’s still entitled to enjoy their own readings of the character.  I just think there’s often a missing dimension when we talk about Elrond’s relationship to culture (whichever one you believe he identifies with most), which has its foundations in and cannot be extricated from the trauma of the Third Kinslaying, no matter what love grew afterwards.