#but this is exactly the difference between him and Gollum

[fandomsarefamily1966]

If you're ever scared that you're not a good person, remember that bad people don't care about getting better.

Y/N, to Frodo

[velvet4510]

Y’all, I love Samwise Gamgee. He is loyalty incarnate, stout-heartedness incarnate, purity incarnate, love incarnate. I would die for Sam. I would do anything for Sam. Just as any of you would. Please bear this in mind before you read on.

Y’all need to stop claiming that Sam is “immune to the Ring.” He’s not. Besides Tom Bombadil (who is an entirely different kind of being), NOBODY is immune to the Ring. Not even the purest of heart are immune.

Gollum and Boromir are the most obvious examples of this, but it applies to everyone.

Gandalf isn’t immune to it. That’s why he refuses to take it from Frodo; he knows what it would do to him.

Galadriel isn’t immune to it. She gives the same reason.

Faramir isn’t immune to it. He gives the same reason.

Yes, some people are able to resist it better than others can.

Look at Bilbo managing to give it up.

Look at Frodo, one of the most pure-hearted characters in the book, winning the battle against it until the LAST possible moment, holding out ALL the way to Mordor until he reaches the one place where he has no chance, where the Ring’s victory over his exhausted mortal will is inevitable.

But they’re not immune.

And Tolkien makes it quite clear that Sam isn’t immune either.

He devotes whole passages to Sam’s temptation by the Ring, his visions of power and glory, of turning Mordor into a garden. But it’s not just that.

Between Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam, it’s quite clear that the Ring’s first course of action in preying on its bearer is making them want to put it on. Reaching into their mind so that their first direct course of action to handle a situation is to put it on. This is what Sam does not once, but twice. The second time is after the Orcs have already gone, and nobody can see him anyway. He has no need to put the Ring back on, but he does.

Then, multiple times, he offers to carry it for Frodo. Yes, this is born from concern for Frodo’s burden, but this is exactly what the Ring is using. The Ring is whispering to him, “save him from the burden, save him from the burden, take me for yourself, take me for yourself.” And Sam falls for it. The Ring uses the bearer’s greatest fears and desires to carve a path in their mind that leads them toward the thought of claiming it. It uses the same tactic on Frodo. By the time they’re in Mordor, Frodo is fully aware of what the Ring is doing to him and doesn’t want it to destroy Sam like it’s destroying him. This is his heart’s reason for demanding the Ring back from Sam and refusing to give it up again. Then the Ring twists this in Frodo’s mind to make him think it’s because he wants it for himself. This is exactly what it would’ve ultimately done to Sam if their roles were reversed.

I do think the fact that Sam’s time as Ring-bearer is so brief does cause it to have a lesser impact on him overall, especially compared to Frodo. But, my dear friends, he’s not immune. And there’s nothing wrong with admitting that. Loving Sam as a character should not be equivalent to putting him on a pedestal and thinking he’s somehow above the canonically-indomitable will of the Ring. Tolkien wrote a lore and created stakes that are quite unique in that there’s no “exception” among our mortal protagonists. None of them are immune to the power of a Dark Lord. That doesn’t make Sam any less pure, or Frodo any less pure. It’s just a canon fact.

And it makes me love both of them even more. They both are vulnerable to its power, but both resist it as far as anyone possibly could because of the power of their love.

[anghraine]

I got a comment that was like ... people are only mad about film Faramir because he doesn't act exactly the way they personally imagined him, and tbh I'm torn between being annoyed at how deeply disingenuous that argument is and slightly impressed at the sheer audacity of pinning the Faramir Controversy on difference from random people's headcanons rather than the book itself.

...then I got to thinking about how the whole time-consuming and wildly out of character handling of the temptation of the Ring is one thing, and justifiably gets a lot of attention, but Faramir allowing his soldiers to beat Gollum for information is quite comparable in my mind. They're his men! Gollum is an unarmed prisoner! I guess it's meant to show the exigencies of war or something and I'm just like ... hahaha no.

In a way it reminds me of film Aragorn just straight up killing the Mouth of Sauron in a way that seems meant to show their desperation in a badass cathartic way, and meanwhile, I'm thinking ... oh, our heroes murder ambassadors now. I feel like it's the same underlying kind of rationale, and quite far from not matching people's headcanons.

[batrachised]

Oh cousin Jimmy, cousin Jimmy, wherefore art thou Cousin Jimmy?

The reason I love this chapter so much is that it firmly establishes Cousin Jimmy as the "Puck-ish" character I once heard a scholar describe him as. We learn Elizabeth accidentally pushed him into a well as a child when she was mad (because it wasn't hard to make Elizabeth mad, of course), thus why he is so 'odd' and not quite there or, in the words of the various congregation of Blair Water folks, "simple."

We learn that he like Emily is a writer - he writes poetry, but he only recites it when the spirit moves him, and that's when he's boiling pig potatoes in the fall. It's so quintessentially Cousin Jimmy. It's a little eerie and almost fey for him to say that, but then he brings it cheerfully back to pig's potatoes. (barney, move over - we have a new gnome in town.) It's earthy and realistic, but realism can be scary and haunting, as Emily learns. Cousin Jimmy ticks between mischievous farm hand to something else, in a way we've only ever seen in Emily before.

“And what about my garden?” demanded Cousin Jimmy jealously. “It’s fit for a queen,” said Emily, gravely and sincerely. Cousin Jimmy nodded, well pleased, and then a strange sound crept into his voice and an odd look into his eyes. “There is a spell woven round this garden. The blight shall spare it and the green worm pass it by. Drought dares not invade it and the rain comes here gently.” Emily took an involuntary step backward—she almost felt like running away. But now Cousin Jimmy was himself again.

Everything about this screams fairy tale imagery. A jealous guardian, a young maiden, a "spell woven", an odd look in the eye and a strange sound in the voice, a transformation into - but then Cousin Jimmy is himself again.

It's not lost on me that Cousin Jimmy also has some sort of deal going on, and he's the only other artist at New Moon. In a different way than Emily, but still an artist. I'm still pondering exactly how they're different; I think it's significant, but I can't articulate it, but there's something how Cousin Jimmy is earthy and straightforward but at the same time almost tricksy (to borrow a term from gollum), while Emily is not that is sticking in my brain.

[ouroboros-hideout]

Time to go to Rewe and stock up on groceries for the house of Baddieghest! Shopping list: — 1 kg of Po-ta-toes — Aon — 1 Avocado — Aon as well — 100 soft dark Tomatoes — Vlad (don't buy, just throw at him) — 1 Lemon — each of them (since a certain oversized gollum stole all of them) If your credit balance is too low for the purchase, call mom Jago!

Time to make some salad of the things our circus director brought to the house. Italy won't get anything of it tho. She would only complain about it anyway bc there are potatos in it. Absolutely no taste.

AON

🥔 [POTATO] What do they have that others see as a flaw, but they don't care about?

Maybe her bossy attitude of “You can't tell me shit” and her tone in general. She can be very compassionate, but she's always walking a fine line between “okay, I'm being really nice and empathetic this time" or "lol get your shit together and stop whining.” But it's always been her way of saying what she thinks rather than wrapping the person she's talking to in a blanket just to create a sense of fake comfort. She's been through way too much shit in her life to care who she might offend or not. Deal with it, or get lost.

🥑 [AVACADO] What will they never back down about, even if it makes them seem bad?

I think the thing you can blame her most for is her work. It's not exactly a respectable job, manufacturing war machines and weapons, but it fills her with pride when she completes a big project. Building machines is her passion. That particular type of machine maybe wouldn't have been her first choice, but having already learned a lot about it while studying at SovOil, she stuck with it during her time with the Nomads and refined her skills. After all, it's lucrative because the world is just a rotten place and she has to look after her people. Is it reprehensible that people are being killed with the weapons she makes? Sure. But if it's not her weapon, then it's someone else's. Maybe she’s too pessimistic to think that anything in this society would change anymore. In a sense of: I could make this world a better place if I instead would do xy.”  

🍋 [LEMON] What is their kryptonite/ultimate weakness?

People she loves and cares about. She’s really protective for her found-family, especially for those she knows are no fighters or would struggle to defend themselves in a dangerous situation. She’s not overly protective of the ones she knows can handle themselves, like Kurt for example, but that doesn't mean you couldn’t do a lot of damage to her if something happens to him or any other person that’s close to her. 

VLAD

🍅 [TOMATO] How misunderstood is your OC? In-universe or IRL.

Misunderstood in the sense that it's hard to believe that there's still something human/empathetic in him that just can't come to the surface anymore and that's quite an inner struggle for him sometimes. Like: fighting the beast inside and knowing that you're gonna lose anyway. So of course everyone sees him as the cold-blooded bastard with the psycho mindset because that's the only thing that comes to the outside. That's why he's not really misunderstood, but there would certainly be an opportunity to understand him on a different level if someone had the chance to delve deeper into this man's mind. Though there is no way to repair the damage that’s done so it only would be a thing to satisfy curiosity instead of trying to fix something. 

🍋 [LEMON] What is their kryptonite/ultimate weakness?

Could be two things. One is his physical weakness, one is his mental weakness. Physically his artificial heart. Like in a natural body it’s the core of his whole system and if it fails everything else shuts down as well. He surely would have a bigger time window until all the other inner modifications of his body stop working completely but if you really want to take him out the best way would be to rip that thing out of his chest. 

On a psychological level it’s when he’s “getting aware of his condition”. He sometimes has very rare and short moments of clarity, where he knows that something is wrong inside his head. Those moments are triggered by strong emotions both positive and negative and affects him like “a glitch in his system”. He gets more careless, confused or even has a short blackout. Surely could be something that can be used against him, tho it is a bit of a gamble to trigger such a moment on purpose. 

[thetolkientroubles]

Comparison between the Movies and Books

J.R.R. Tolkien was a fascinating yet somewhat boring fellow. He would spend a lot of time in his imaginative world and had simple values. Values that got passed down to his characters. He loved good beer, good stories, and a good smoke. From that alone, there are similarities that are passed down between Bilbo and Frodo. Those are kept in both his books and Peter Jackson's films.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien had created entire races, worlds, and languages in his Middle Earth. Peter Jackson attempted his best to recreate that same magic in the movies. Not only the realisim but the magic as well. In an interview, Jackson mentioned how he wanted Saruman to be stabbed in the back and allowed Christopher Lee (Saruman) to the proceed to play the scene accordingly. Lee had actually fought in battle and knew exactly what kind of sound a person would make with that style of wound.

Jackson also seemed to demand a lot to recreate Gollum. There was another conversation that was recorded between Richard Taylor, Daniel Falconer, and Ben Wootten talking about how Peter Jackson really tried to push the technology available to the limits. Gollum was such a crucial character in the stories, two of the most famous J.R.R. Tolkien stories. Gollum was the terrible nightmare a hobbit could become if they were corrupt.

I don't think anyone had been brave enough to try to recreate that magic, at least not without some sort of example to follow through with it. As they said in the talk, not many characters were animated/CGI, they were only just creatures. The Lord of the Rings movies were revolutionary and made history in the world of cinematography. Just as the books did in literature.

Some areas were a bit of a shame because of their difference. Characters got erased along with the time span of the journey. I think the reason that Gandalf had taken so long to confirm that the ring that Bilbo found in his journey is because what are the odds he also found the Arkenstone. Yes, he was meant to technically find the Arkenstone but the ring was also extremely powerful and just found itself in the hands of a Baggins. It took him about 17 years in the books but it seemed like only moments in the film.

-M.C.

Sources:

"Christopher Lee calmly explains why he knows what sound to make when being stabbed in the back", https://youtu.be/Vx52kCxzllc

The Frodo Franchise (The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood), p279. https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=1odPDYvGBygC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=lord+of+the+rings&ots=6SZ52J0F_m&sig=6c4aS7puEH_UAQcADtUiBH-dUl4#v=onepage&q=book&f=false

[captainstoneybaloney]

I have got to the point where when someone makes an obviously bullshit accusation of someone being a russian misinfo bot if you say anything critical of biden, that's an automatic block.

You KNOW they're not a bot. You just refuse to engage in good faith with what they're saying. You know the things biden does are indefensible, so you don't defend them, instead you make up different stuff to pretend the commenter said, stuff that's a lot easier to argue against, and talk to them like they're a moron. "Oh, and trump's gonna be better how, exactly?" That would be an easy argument to win, if the other person had actually said that. But they didn't. You created a strawman to argue against instead, and are gonna be loud and aggressive about it so they'll just shut up, and you won't have to worry about the ethical implications of defending an evil status quo.

Biden lied, right from the beginning, about having personally seen the nonexistant photos of beheaded babies. He used that to try to trick us into consenting to help them bomb the bejesus out of a captive population.

Biden supports the ban on tiktok, which has been giving the american people a perspective not pre-filtered by major u.s. news sources and social media. If we don't hear those nasty facts, we might stop complaining about helping them do it.

He's also denying that it's a genocide and letting his press people get pissy at reporters when they press them about it.

Biden supports the suppression of the protesting students. Not a surprise, because the BLM protests and what led to them inspired him to tell us how much he loves the cops, and how the answer to police brutality is to just give them more and more money and support.

Let me emphasize this further: biden has access to more information on this situation than possibly any other. There is no question he knows what is actively going on. He is using his power as predident to make it easier for them to commit this genocide. His response to our backlash about this is suppression and punishment of dissent.

Biden campaigned on how fucked up the concentration camps for Mexicans at the border were, and then proceeded to not only do nothing to fix it, but to let it get even worse on his watch, and just never mention it again.

There's the health coverage crisis, that if you remember, when he was running in the primary against Sanders, his platform was to not help us because our ability to choose between insurance providers in the business of not helping us was more important than getting medical care. He said, out of his own mouth, that he was not a progressive.

If trump is standing there, and you draw a line in front of him, no, in fact, fuck no, biden is not nearly different enough from trump to be qualified to stand on the other side of that line and point at trump and call the kettle black.

I undersrand a lot of you are in vulnerable positions. You might say, "hey, i have to vote for him in self-preservation, because the other side are openly planning on criminalizing my existence." To that, I say "fair point." I'm not arguing against it. In fact, and I'll capitalize it for emphasis:

I AM NOT TELLING ANYONE NOT TO VOTE FOR BIDEN. I AM SURE AS FUCK NOT SUGGESTING ANYONE VOTE FOR TRUMP.

I would pay to see both of them fall into an active volcano like the Gollum.

What I am telling people they should do is stop perpetuating bullshit. Stop trying to get people to stop saying true things because it makes it harder to pretend the guy you want them to vote for isn't both stupidly evil and arrogantly obvious about it. Stop acting like it's our obligation to eat shit and pretend it's chocolate ice cream. Stop acting like voting for biden isn't something we're being made to do under the threat of trump. Stop acting like the democrat party isn't encouraging the republicans to get further out of control because it makes it easier for them to look good by comparison while steering, (I won't say "drifting" because that implies it could be accidental) further and further right every year.

Things are dire, but you don't have to be a useful idiot and give your fucking endorsement to things worsening. You don't have to volunteer to help them hold the gun they're pointing at us to coerce us into voting for them. You don't have to run into every post rightfully critcizing biden and accuse people of a psyop while making a show of how hard you can suck his fascist dick.

[manicpixiedreamcurl]

eddie reading to you

I am thinking so much all the time about Eddie reading lord of the rings to you

like I imagine you’re talking to him one day and he references the hobbit and starts explaining it and you’re like “Eddie, I have actually read the hobbit you know”

and at first he’s like (●♡∀♡) “you have???” 

but then he realises “but I’ve talked about lord of the rings so many times and you never said anything” and you have to tell him

“well, when I finished the hobbit…I realised I don’t really like reading fantasy?”

Eddie: I am betrayed, I am scandalised, I am heartbroken

but he asks you why and you’re like “it’s just hard for me to get in to something that out there I guess? if it doesn’t seem real to me, it’s hard to picture.”

“and then with every chapter there’s more characters with different names and sometimes a different species and…it’s hard to keep track”

and that, he can kind of understand

but it’s so important to him, so at first you try to read it yourself and save some questions for when you see him

but that’s even worse because without the context of where you are in the book it’s easy for him to go off on tangents

Eddie: and so that’s why there’s been a feud between the dwarves and the elves that’s lasted pretty much since they were created 

You: Eddie, I just asked you to remind me who Celebrimbor was

and also in his absolute ideal dream land he gets to watch you experience this amazing story 

honestly the real dream is that Eddie is alive and well in 2001 and you get to see the movies together I cry to think about it please hold me

but in 1986, the best he can do is reading it aloud to you ignoring the animated movie, and actually it’s just as good

cause the BEST Eddie scene (and I DO NOT accept criticism) is him playing D&D, describing everything that happens with so much confidence and enthusiasm, creating tension with his tone and acting things out, laughing with so much excitement and joy to see their reactions to the story he’s set up for them

so it becomes such a routine, going back to his trailer at the end of the day, maybe eating together or and talking for an hour

then he takes you to his room and sits up against the headboard with you against his warm chest

Eddie occasionally tapping your arm to get you to hold the blunt to his lips so he can take a drag while he turns a page

on turning the page, he holds the book in front of both of you so you can read along if you want

and you do, sometimes, but often you’re just watching his steady hands while he speaks

and it’s so much better, cause when you ask who somebody is or what something means he knows exactly the information you need to know for what’s happening in the story at that moment

and mainly it’s just how gooooood he’d be at different voices and tones

gentle voices for the hobbits, sam especially. 

a little joyful and mischievous for merry and pippin, slowly fading as they learn

the wisdom and strength that comes through in the voice he does for gandalf

growling and hissing in your ear as gollum in a way that sends a touch of terror through you even as you’re leaning your head back to watch his face for reassurance that it’s still him

swaying and bobbing you both together rhythmically during bilbo’s party, like you’re there listening to the hobbit’s folky harps and accordions

bringing his voice low to get you on edge before a chase or a battle, slowly tightening his arms around you to make you sense the impending trap

every surprise accompanied by a sudden shout and a jolt, sending your heart racing like you didn’t see the words a second before he said them out loud, like you didn’t know

and when Eddie’s voice cracks a little, reading Boromir’s death, or Frodo going to the Grey Havens, you feel your throat close up too

and when you finish return of the king, both of you start laughing a little sadly to look at each other, both wiping tears from the others face

and Eddie wraps you up in his arms all snug and kisses the top of your hair and asks if that was better than reading it yourself

and you tell him how good he is at making the story come alive and how much you loved listening to him over the weeks it took to finish the books

and Eddie is all blushy and sweet and bashful pulling his HAIR over his lovely FACE 

and he tells you he loved watching you experience it and thanks you for letting him share something so special to him with you 

and so then you have to ask

“Eddie, I know I said I didn’t like it much before, but I want to experience it like this. would you read the hobbit to me?”

i wnat…i want eddie to be my bf…

[legolas-is-a-himbo]

ok y'all i'm fully on my bullshit. so get ready for some silmarillion thoughts!!!

people (including myself, probably) have talked about this before, but i love how beren and lúthien is one part of a cycle. tolkien loves things that come in threes, and his Big Epic Romance TM is the integral part of a trilogy of sorts, but it's neither the beginning nor the end. which i think makes it even more beautiful and also has sooo many implications.

so first - obviously it's already been established that the parallels between beren and lúthien, fingon and maedhros, and frodo and sam, whether coincidental or not, are A Thing. but let's examine this even closer.

we have the baseline of (1) one half of a pair goes on a solo quest related to some kind of cursed object, (2) the second person in the pair follows after them, (3) person a gets into deadly trouble, (4) person b rescues and/or aids them in part or entirely by singing, (5) there is some kind of struggle and person a loses a hand/finger, (6) divine intervention in the form of manwë's eagles.

we know this. but it recently occurred to me that there is more - this is not only a pattern, but a cycle. in the first iteration, the issue revolves around the silmarils: maedhros ultimately wants to take the silmarils back from morgoth and return them to his family. he not only fails at this, but also ends up being tortured for decades and nearly dies. more is lost than is gained. in the second iteration, silmarils are again involved, but both the motives and outcome are different. beren seeks a silmaril, not for himself, but to give to thingol (yes, this whole situation is highly problematic, but his goals still are not Take This Cursed Object For Myself). he succeeds, albeit only briefly. however, for him and lúthien, more is gained than is lost - although for the rest of the world, more is lost than is gained. now, third iteration - years later. frodo seeks solely to destroy the ring, and while near the end he arguably in part does succumb to its pull, the story ends with the ring's destruction. the goal is accomplished, and for everybody, everywhere (well. except sauron and gollum lol), more is gained than is lost.

and yet another interesting thing - in all three situations, the "second" person has all of their motivations reached. fingon, lúthien, and sam all get exactly what they want: they each couldn't care less about the silmarils/ring, saving the world, etc., all they wanted was to help/rescue/be with the other person. there's another post out there about this specifically, so i'm not going to elaborate on it, but tolkien was really trying to tell us something about who gets what they want, and when, and how.

i no longer can fully believe that these three things are completely separate, and i think they are in many ways connected across time. obviously i don't know for sure, but i choose to believe that this was intentional - and after millennia, the cycle is finally completed.

also this is tumblr and it's pride month so yeah i'm going to use this to prove that everyone is gay

[frodo-with-glasses]

Sorry, just—shush—SHUSH, I need to get emotional about this one too, I’m not ready to move on from this yet.

I’m just thinking……like, about the nature of “inheriting the Ring”. Sauron had the Ring because he made it. Isildur got the Ring from Sauron because he killed him. Gollum got the Ring from Isildur because Isildur lost it. And then Bilbo got the Ring from Gollum because Gollum lost it.

You can’t really say that any of these folks “passed on” the Ring to someone else like you would bequeath an heirloom or give a gift. It was all very involuntary, or accidental, or unwilling. None of them had any particular love for each other; Bilbo might have felt some pity for Gollum, but that’s about as far as it got. There’s no warmth here. It’s all cold transaction and happenstance.

And then. We get to the hobbits.

Bilbo leaves the Ring to Frodo, intentionally, as an inheritance. He has to fight himself to do it, and he has to be pushed a bit by Gandalf, but ultimately it is his own act of will that allows him to give up the Ring. Frodo, for his part, also takes up the burden willingly. He chooses to carry the thing to Mount Doom. This is the first time that the Ring has been exchanged between people with any sort of continuing, loving relationship between each other. Bilbo raised Frodo. They’re family. We see how much they mean to one another in the story. All of the sudden, something that has only ever been acquired through losing and stealing and murder is now willingly—hesitantly, but willingly—exchanged from one friendly hand to another.

And Frodo carries it for a while—a long, long while—until they get to the doorstep of Mordor and he gets poisoned by Shelob and Sam believes he’s dead. Sam doesn’t take the Ring quickly. He has a good, long argument with himself about the whole thing. “I couldn’t. I couldn’t take it from him. I wasn’t the one assigned to do this. I don’t have permission; not from him, not from the elves, not from anyone important. What makes me think I could take it?”

That strikes me as terribly significant, for some reason. This Ring—this thing that’s notorious for making people Want It, and want it Badly—literally has so little sway over Sam that he has to argue himself into taking it. And when he finally does, it’s not because he wants the Ring—it’s not because he covets its power—it’s completely altruistic, out of nothing but a sense of duty and responsibility and love.

Duty: to finish what they started. Responsibility: to the world outside that’s counting on them, whether they realize it or not. Love: because he’s not going to let Frodo’s death be in vain.

And this is, I think, the most loving and warm exchange that the Ring has from one bearer to another. It’s a deeply painful and grief-filled exchange, sure, but that grief comes from love. Sam thinks Frodo is dead. He just lost a dear friend; his last one alive, maybe. All the heartache and hand-wringing here comes from the fact that he cares about Frodo. And yes, it is yet another involuntary exchange on Frodo’s part—he’s too unconscious to give it up willingly—but it has a distinctly different flavor to the ones that came before, doesn’t it? There’s something warm and intimate and almost reverent about it.

I don’t want to insinuate too much here, but…dude, there is just something about the whole “undoing the clasp at the throat” thing that just makes my brain buzz like an old office-building ceiling light. Is it just Tolkien being way too specific with his descriptors again? Maybe. But does it smack of something way deeper than that?? Oh HECK does it.

You guys do realize, of course, that undressing someone, for any reason, is something that requires a LOT of trust. Even getting undressed for a medical procedure requires a level of trust; you have to believe that whoever is carrying out this operation is going to be professional and ethical and only do exactly what they promised they’re going to do to help you. And sure, Sam isn’t doing much—he’s just undoing one button—but touching someone’s clothes is intensely personal, and reaching inside said clothes is even MORE personal, and I think the fact that he’s able to do with without much hesitation is Tolkien reminding us of just how much trust is built up between these two. Of all the things Sam apologizes for to a comatose Frodo, this isn’t one of them. He just does it. That says LEAGUES more in the silence than words ever could.

And I also think there’s a significance to the fact that it’s the clasp by his throat. Humans (and human-adjacent creatures, I’d presume) instinctively protect a few vital areas on their bodies when they don’t feel safe, and that includes the eyes, the insides of the wrists, and the throat. Why? Because they’re all vital bits of us. Sight is how most of us navigate the world; there are blood vessels in our wrists that are very close to the surface and easy to damage; and throats are where the trachea is, and the trachea is for breathing. I think it’s worth mentioning that, while the Ring changes hands here, one of the most vital and vulnerable parts of Frodo’s body is right there, unprotected, and yet it’s perfectly safe. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you how the Ring passed from Deagol to Smeagol. Not a good day. And sure, you could argue that even in the worst case scenario, Sam wouldn’t even see a need for measures that drastic—he’s pretty convinced that Frodo is already dead, after all—but I still think there’s a parallel being drawn here. One strangled his friend for his prize; the other had the exact same opportunity, but did not. One loved the Ring more than his friend; the other loved his friend more than the Ring.

And nothing says that better than the fact that Sam kisses Frodo’s forehead as he takes the Ring. At the same time! Do you realize how crazy that is? Even Bilbo didn’t do anything that warm; he had to leave the thing in an envelope on the mantelpiece for Frodo to find later. Again, here’s a thing of deep evil that has only ever changed hands through theft and murder, and here it is passing on with a kiss. And it can’t do a darn thing about it! It would probably be frothing at the mouth if it had one!! Of all the insults to its power and allure and desirability, here’s this “simple” little hobbit who says, “Nah, screw that, you know what’s stronger than evil and darkness? Love. Sauron can go suck a cactus for all I care.”

This moment makes my brain buzz like a June bug stuck in a porch light—not just because I’m a predictable sucker for Physical Touch and hahahaha BOY is this a LOT—but because this moment represents one of the fundamental themes of Lord of the Rings, and that’s the small ways that light and love and goodness triumph over evil and hatred and the dark.

Because for Sam, what matters most to him—in the very moment he becomes a Ring-Bearer—isn’t the ancient thing of cosmic power hanging on a chain from his fingertips.

For Sam, what matters most is Frodo.

Not SamFro!

[jaskiersvalley]

Meet The Parents

Over on The Bog on Discord, there is a cursed Shrek channel. The idea for this fic was encouraged there and, well, 1.5k later, I have so many regrets, this is definitely what I'd call a shrekcident. All I can say is that writing Shrek and Fiona is really really difficult!

@dapandapod, @thecomfortofoldstorries and @fontegagrilledcheese I think you all asked to be tagged when this is up?

Meet The Parents

There had been several letters from back home, suggesting Jaskier return and brings his lovely travelling companion. It was, without a doubt, Jaskier’s mother writing the letters, she had always had a better grasp on courtly things than his father. Truth be told, it was no secret that the Count of Lettenhove absolutely hated ruling and would much rather spend his time out and about. There were several swamps in Lettenhove that he claimed needed his very dedicated attention. The fact Jaskier’s mother went along with him was no surprise. Despite her upbringing, she was quite fond of a swamp or two too.

“It’s another letter,” Jaskier sighed, flicking it into the fire in the inn. “I don’t understand why they are so insistent on me bringing you home. I mean, they’ve never been interested in previous love interests before. Probably because they’ve all held titles and had standards.” Geralt grunted, eyes fixed on the small alchemy set up he had going on the table. It didn’t deter Jaskier as he carried on. “Mother thinks you and father might get on well once you get past the initial shock of meeting.”

“I can’t imagine anyone being over the moon to meet a Witcher. Especially not one that their darling son is fucking.”

“Well, quite. Father had a couple of run ins with Witchers in his youth. Not all of them were pleasant. But I’m sure you can change his mind.” Jaskier hummed to himself as he thought. “Plus Mother was a cursed princess so you might find some common ground with her. And did I mention my uncle? I spent a lot of time with him growing up, he was really patient, letting me learn to walk by clinging to him. Anyway, he and his dragon-”

“Dragon?” Naturally Geralt perked up at that. “You should have started with that. We’re going to Lettenhove.”

Naturally Geralt had assumed the worst. As if anyone related to Jaskier would be able to keep a dragon against her will. His family was just too nice! But Geralt would learn that fact for himself in a few short weeks when they arrived at Jaskier’s ancestral castle. It was a castle, not a mansion, well kept, if a little more shabby than most. There were overgrown bushes around it and Geralt could have sworn the small of a sulphuric swamp drifted on the winds. They marched up the stairs, everything eerily quiet until the door burst open to reveal two menacing figures.

“Ogres!” Geralt shoved Jaskier behind himself, a snarl on his lips and ready to fight. “I believe this is the Count and Countess of Lettenhove’ residence. What are you doing here?”

“Witcher!” The male ogre spat. “Nothing good has ever come of your kind. You’re not making us move.”

From behind Geralt, Jaskier sprang forwards. “Mother! Father!” He embraced the ogres before being almost bowled over by a donkey. “Uncle!”

“You call this a greeting? This is how you say hello to your favourite uncle? What have I got to do before I get a hug from my favourite nephew?” The donkey looked to the side where the ogres were still staring and turned to see what the issue was. “That’s a Witcher. Oh, that’s your Witcher! That’s a nice Witcher.”

That seemed to pull Jaskier back into the moment and he stood up, clearing his throat. “Right, Mother, Father, Uncle, this is Geralt of Rivia. Geralt, my family.”

Vesemir would be so ashamed if he ever found out how Geralt reacted. All the years spent drilling manners into Geralt’s head were for naught.

“How?!”

“Well,” the donkey said into the stunned silence, “when one ogre loves another ogre and they’re into experimenting with potions-”

“Donkey!” Jaskier’s parents cried in unison before his mother continued. “Please excuse Donkey. I’m Fiona, this is Shrek. And to answer your question, ogres and humans had different anatomy. We got curious, had potions to change temporarily and, well, Jaskier happened during those three days.”

It was Jaskier’s turn to hiss, “Mother! Please don’t tell Geralt about your kinky sex lives.”

“Yes, Eskel told me about ogre anatomy and the differences in rather too much detail,” Geralt grumbled.

“Eskel fucked an ogre?”

“It was an orgy actually - though he insisted on calling it an ogre-y. Said he couldn’t get the mud from the swamp out of certain places for over a week.”

As far as first impressions went, Geralt didn’t think he could have done any worse. But he was being ushered in all the same, Donkey already chattering away about the inane things that had happened since Jaskier last visited. It left Geralt in the rather silent company of Shrek while Fiona led the way.

“Dinner’s at seven,” Shrek gritted out and Geralt hummed in acknowledgement which garnered a grunt in reply.

“Oh my word, you’re marrying your father,” Donkey cried at Jaskier, head snapping to look between Shrek’s retreating back and Geralt standing in the hallway as Fiona opened a door.

“Don’t mind him-” Whatever else she was saying went over Geralt’s head because he caught up with Donkey’s words. Just what was that about marrying?!

They stepped into the room and Jaskier let out a wail of anguish. “Mother! Two beds, really?”

“Just be glad Shrek let you even share a room. But I couldn’t talk him out of having Mirror on the wall.”

“Hello,” the enchanted mirror called. “Please don’t rearrange the room or do anything untoward, I really rather wouldn’t see those kinds of things.”

Geralt closed his eyes and took a few steadying breaths. This was fine, he could do this, there was a dragon somewhere around and he was duty bound to make sure she was free. He regretted such a decision by the evening. There was indeed a dragon who lived at the castle but she refused to take a human form, far too happy and, of all things, in love with Donkey, enough to have a clutch with him Dragon-Donkey babies were terrifying, Geralt had ascertained, menaces, taking their temperament from their father while their mother gifted them with wings and the ability to breathe fire. Suddenly, Geralt understood why there were never any contracts in the area. The locals befriended every creature, monster and anything in between. And any they couldn’t? Well, ogres and dragons could easily keep things in check.

Once the shock of it all had worn off, Geralt could actually focus on eating. Other than Jaskier, there seemed to be no one who cared for things like utensils.

“Please, Mother, Father, at least try to have some manners?” Jaskier looked pleadingly at his parents. His only response was Fiona letting out quite the impressive belch before high fiving Shrek.

The sound of small, pattering feet caught Geralt’s attention. He looked at Shrek and Fiona before trying to find the source of the sound. This seemed like the kind of company that would appreciate his party trick with a fork. A hand around his wrist stopped him.

“Not the Three Blind Mice. They’re friends.”

Almost disappointed, Geralt settled back to finish his surprisingly hearty meal. It wasn’t the usual fair of courts, this was more about being filling and warm rather than showing off all the money that went into making tiny portions full of expensive spices. However, it certainly helped set Geralt at ease.

“So, when’s the wedding?” The small amount of peace was shattered by Shrek asking around a mouthful. It had Jaskier shrieking while the rest of his family watched him, frozen in place but not exactly surprised. More like they were patiently waiting for him to be done. Shrek shrugged. “I thought you were bringing your Witcher home to get married. Isn’t that how it usually goes in fairytales?”

“That’s only princes and princesses,” Donkey cut in. “You have a viscount. They don’t have to get married. Unless…?”

“I’m not proposing,” Geralt blurted out. There was a collective groaning sigh from the table, some of it relief, some of it disappointment and Geralt didn’t know just how offended he should be. He didn’t expect Jaskier to loudly but delicately put his cutlery onto his plate to make in clink pointedly.

“Good. Because I wanted to be the one to propose. On my own terms. In my own time. Mother, do you still have the ring? I think I will take it with us. Might eventually use it.”

Donkey gasped. “Not the One Ring?”

“No!” Jaskier sounded exasperated. “We all know what happened to cousin Gollum with that one. I don’t have any wishes to lose my hair because of that. I meant Grandmother’s ring. I doubt Grandfather’s would be very useful.” He turned to Geralt. “Grandfather was turned into a frog. His ring is rather tiny as a result.”

Of course Jaskier had ogres for parents and a frog for a grandfather. He still took after his uncle the most by the sounds of things. Given how Donkey hadn’t stopped making noises, whether it was humming or popping his lips, it was incessant. Geralt felt he now understood Jaskier a whole lot better. And, when the time came, if Jaskier did offer him a ring, Geralt had zero reservations about the knowledge that he would say yes. But the wedding was going to be at Kaer Morhen, he was going to have to insist on that.

[velvet4510]

Beren/Lúthien + Frodo/Sam: An Analysis of Parallels

The parallels between Beren & Lúthien and Frodo & Sam have been written about and spoken of plenty of times. But I’ve not yet found a full list, point by point, of each parallel. That I shall remedy.

These are listed in the chronological order of Beren & Lúthien’s story. The chronologies of the stories do not match up exactly, since the order of parallel events differs between each story. (For instance, 11 and 12 occur before 6–9 in the hobbits’ story, but after 6–9 in the Man and Elf’s story.)

Lúthien dances for joy in the woods, and Beren watches. / Sam dances for joy to warm in the sun naked on the Barrow-downs, and Frodo watches.

Beren is tasked to embark upon a perilous quest that involves keeping the Silmaril away from Morgoth and Sauron; the Silmaril is coveted by the sons of Fëanor. / Frodo is tasked to embark upon a perilous quest that involves keeping the Ring away from Sauron; the Ring is coveted by Gollum.

Beren is assigned this quest by a grey-cloaked figure, Thingol. / Frodo is assigned this quest by a grey-cloaked figure, Gandalf.

By completing the quest, Beren will win Lúthien’s hand and a chance for them to live in peace together. / By completing the quest, Frodo will ensure Sam’s safety and a peaceful land in which they can live.

Beren encounters an Elf, Finrod, who befriended his father, Barahir, and makes progress on his quest thanks to Barahir’s friendship with Elves. / Frodo encounters an Elf, Elrond, who befriended his father figure, Bilbo, and makes progress on his quest thanks to Bilbo’s friendship with Elves.

Beren is imprisoned in Sauron’s tower on Tol-in-Gaurhoth. / Frodo is imprisoned in Sauron’s tower in Cirith Ungol.

Lúthien uses her cloak to shield herself and scare off her enemies in Sauron’s tower. / Sam uses the Ring’s power to shield himself and scare off his enemies in Sauron’s tower.

Lúthien sings a song within Sauron’s tower and locates Beren when he sings in response, believing her voice is no more than a dream. / Sam sings a song within Sauron’s tower and locates Frodo when he sings in response, believing Sam’s voice is no more than a dream.

Lúthien confronts the monstrous werewolves to protect Beren. / Sam confronts the monstrous Shelob to protect Frodo.

Upon finding Beren in the dungeon, Lúthien believes for a moment that he is dead and darkness falls upon her in her grief. / Upon finding Frodo stung by Shelob, Sam believes for a moment that he is dead and darkness falls upon him in his grief.

Beren and Lúthien are aided by Huan. / Frodo and Sam are aided by the Fellowship.

Beren and Lúthien are attacked by the sons of Fëanor, who seek to prevent them from completing their quest. / Frodo and Sam are attacked by the Nazgûl and by Gollum, all of whom seek to prevent them from completing their quest.

Beren is wounded in his upper body (chest) by Curufin’s arrow, but is healed by athelas found by Huan, with help from Lúthien. / Frodo is wounded in his upper body (shoulder) by the Witch-king’s knife, but is healed by athelas found by Aragorn, with help from Sam.

Beren tries to sneak away to complete his quest on his own for the sake of Lúthien’s safety, but Lúthien catches up to him and vows to go with him, regardless of what may happen to them, and Beren gives up on talking her out of it, realizing they share a fate. / Frodo tries to sneak away to complete his quest on his own for the sake of Sam’s safety, but Sam catches up to him and vows to go with him, regardless of what may happen to them, and Frodo gives up on talking him out of it, realizing they are meant to go together.

Beren and Lúthien disguise themselves as Draugluin and Thuringwethil to infiltrate Morgoth’s territory. / Frodo and Sam disguise themselves as Orcs to infiltrate Sauron’s territory.

Lúthien uses her divine power to get herself and Beren past Carcharoth. / Sam uses the power of Eärendil’s light in his hand to get himself and Frodo past the Two Watchers.

Beren shields Lúthien from Carcharoth by shining the Silmaril in the monster’s face. / Frodo shields Sam from Shelob by shining Eärendil’s light, taken from the light of that very Silmaril, in the monster’s face.

Carcharoth bites off Beren’s hand with the Silmaril still clasped in it, an act which drives him into further madness and gives Beren the title “Beren the One-Handed.” / Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger with the Ring still on it, an act which drives him into further madness and gives Frodo the title “Frodo of the Nine Fingers.”

Lúthien tries to draw the poison out of the stump of Beren’s wrist, but is too weakened and exhausted to do more to help him, and they are stranded in Angband, with Morgoth’s forces approaching them. / Sam laments the loss of Frodo’s finger, wishing he had something to wrap the wound with, but is too weakened and exhausted to do more to help him, and they are stranded on Mount Doom, with the lava approaching them.

Gwaihir and Landroval rescue Beren and Lúthien from Angband. / Gwaihir and Landroval rescue Frodo and Sam from Mount Doom.

Beren fails to literally bring back the Silmaril due to the loss of his hand, but his quest is still completed indirectly, as his hand indeed holds the jewel. / Frodo fails to literally destroy the Ring due to its indomitable will that leads to the loss of his finger, but his quest is still completed indirectly, as his actions bring the Ring to its inevitable doom.

Carcharoth’s poison almost kills Beren in the aftermath, but he is healed by Huan. / Shelob’s poison almost kills Frodo in the aftermath, but he is healed by Aragorn.

Beren and Lúthien dwell peacefully for a time in the greenery outside Doriath, and don’t want to leave, but eventually return to Lúthien’s home so that she can check on the wellbeing of her father Thingol, as Beren does not want to keep her away from her fellow Elves. / Frodo and Sam dwell peacefully for a time in the greenery of Ithilien and later in Minas Tirith, and don’t want to leave, but eventually return home so that Sam can check on the wellbeing of his father, the Gaffer, as Frodo does not want to keep Sam away from their fellow Hobbits.

Thingol despairs back home in Doriath, worrying about his daughter Lúthien. / The Gaffer despairs back home in the Shire, worrying about his son Sam.

When they return from their Quest, Beren and Lúthien find new danger has come to Doriath via Carcharoth, and lead a defense of Doriath against him. / When they return from their Quest, Frodo and Sam find new danger has come to the Shire via the Ruffians, and lead a defense of the Shire against them.

Beren’s wounds force him to be separated from Lúthien as he dies, but he waits in the Halls of Mandos for her to join him. / Frodo’s wounds force him to be separated from Sam as he leaves Middle-earth, but he waits in Aman for Sam to join him.

The Valar pity Beren and Lúthien’s suffering and offer Lúthien a choice to be with Beren again (mortality). / The Valar pity Frodo and Sam’s suffering and offer Sam a choice to be with Frodo again (passage into the West).

Lúthien chooses to forsake the fate of her own kind, immortality in Valinor, to spend the remainder of her lifetime with Beren on the island of Tol Galen among the Green-elves. / Sam chooses to forsake the fate of his own kind, rest in the tilled earth of the Shire, to spend the remainder of his lifetime with Frodo on the island of Tol Eressëa among the High Elves.

Lúthien’s half-elven son Dior is known as “the beautiful.” / Sam’s daughter Elanor is known as “the Fair” for her Elvish-like beauty.

No Man ever saw Beren or Lúthien again, and nobody in Middle-earth knows when or where exactly they finally died, or marked where their bodies lay. / No Man or Shire-hobbit ever saw Frodo or Sam again, and nobody in Middle-earth knows when or where exactly they finally died, or marked where their bodies lay.

Tolkien, my dear friend and writing idol, you sure knew how to write a love story to end all love stories. And you did it twice. Whether you intended to do it twice or not, you did.

Bravo, good sir. Bravo.

[dimdiamond]

Hello, happy holidays! top 5 scenes from an unexpected journey and top 5 scenes from the fellowship of the ring

Happy holidays you too and thanks for the ask <3

Damn the hard one huh? But I really enjoy them so here they go!

An Unexpected Journey

The company's arrival: From the moment Gandalf finds Bilbo to Thorin singing Misty Mountains, you can't stop smiling! It's so enjoyable and fun and exciting, especially seeing this cultural clash between hobbit and dwarves! And honestly, I like the changes from the book, although book's is more hilarious, exactly because we see more realistically the characters and really get the first taste of their dynamics and different characters!

Riddles in the dark: The movie nailed this scene! It was creepy and fun and full of suspense as it should! Bilbo is in this terrifying situation and shows a side of his that he never knew he had and all that to survive! And the moment he spares Gollum's life? Enormously important for him and his humanity but also for the eventual destruction of the ring!

Bilbo's speech: I put it as a bagginshield moment but come on! It is moving and of great importance! Bilbo convinces the company that he really is here to stay and help them simply because they deserve a home! And all the dwarves are so moved because no outsider ever showed such empathy for them and this gives them the courage to carry on!

Bilbo saving Thorin from Azog: A small hobbit yeets himself to a huge orc to not touch the fallen dwarf to who has no obligation, what is not to love?! Seriously he didn't have to do that, he didn't have to risk his life but he did, and with acts showed how far he's willing to go for them! Plus Azog's face is everything!

The hug: I'm basic, I see two guys hug, I fall in love! Jokes aside, this is the moment where Bilbo and Thorin make a fresh start, open up and are willing to try to be better! Two lonely, stubborn in their way and proud men admit their faults and want to form a connection! And that makes me too sentimental!

The Fellowship Of The Ring

Bilbo's birthday party: I love this part because not only we see what happened to Bilbo after all these years but most importantly who is really Frodo! And Frodo is a young man, dreaming of adventures but loving his home, having fun and dancing but also a gentle and kind person! Everytime I see how happy he was I wanna cry!

The council: All the important people are here and discussing seriously about the ring, therefore, we get to know more about the relationships between races and the world in general and while all the big folk is yelling a hobbit offers to be the one who will carry the ring like it's nothing! They're all moved and don't dare to be proud or scared anymore and thus the fellowship is formed, from people truly willing to do what it must be done! A bit naive maybe but for sure honest!

Frodo's and Bilbo's scene: I know Rivendell again but damn these scenes are so SO moving, especially after watching The Hobbit trilogy! You know why Bilbo feels that way and what it means for him to give his mithril shirt and Sting and of course the burden of the Ring to his beloved nephew. Yep, pain.

Moria: of course all the arc here is amazing but I'm specifically talking about the moment they find Balin's tomb and Ori's skeleton and GOD THE PAIN IS REAL HERE (poor Gimli) and the words Gandalf offers to a scared and lost Frodo! That no matter the burden or the dark situation we're to deal with, we have no other choice than move on and maybe sounds simple but it's far from that!

Sam follows Frodo: Frankly, the finale is amazing, from Boromir's fall to the Ring and his immediate regret to the Three Hunters determined to save Merry and Pippin! Merry and Pippin being willing to be bait for the orcs so Frodo can slip away, Aragorn saying to Frodo that he would follow him till the end but lets him do what he must, Boromir's sacrifice to save Merry and Pippin and his last words to Aragorn! All of these are amazing and painful! But to the top I'd put Sam denying to let Frodo go alone and almost dying if Frodo didn't catch him! The one is willing to give everything and the other willing to accept help! They know very well that they may never return but still clench to each other and keep moving towards their goal, because simply it must be done!

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Today in Tolkien - March 1st

Two big events today. First, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum cross the Dead Marshes today and on the night of the 1st-2nd. Second, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli meet Gandalf the White and set off for Edoras. Also two smaller events: Merry and Pippin wait through the second day of Entmoot, and Faramir leaves Osgiliath for his guerilla mission in Ithilien (to ambush the men of Harad coming up the south-road to join Sauron’s forces).

For Merry and Pippin:

The next day they spent also in [Bregalad’s] company, but they did not go far from his ‘house.’ Most of the time they sat silent under the shelter of the bank; for the wind was colder, and the clouds closer and greyer; there was little sunshine, and in the distance the voice of the Ents at the Moot still rose and fell, sometimes loud and strong, sometimes low and sad, sometimes quickening, sometimes slow and solemn as a dirge. A second night came and still the Ents held conclave under hurrying clouds and fitful stars.

In the meantime, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli meet Gandalf. In the morning, they search for traces of the hobbits, and Aragorn finds their cut bonds along with leaf-wrappings from lembas with crumbs. Legolas is bewildered and gives a very funny and exasperated account of what the signs suggest:

“A bound prisoner escapes both from the orcs and from the surrounding horsemen. He then stops, while still in the open, and cuts his bonds with an orc-knife. But how and why? For if his legs were tied, how did he walk? And if his arms were tied, how did he use the knife? And if neither were tied, why did he cut the cords at all? Being pleased with his skill, he then sat down and quietly ate some waybread! That at least is enough to show he was a hobbit, without the mallorn-leaf.”

Aragorn discerns the course of events more accurately, and even makes an accurate guess that an orc tried to escape with the hobbit prisoners. He finds hobbit-footprints on the banks of the Entwash and then at the edge of the forest. Legolas senses that the forest is on edge: “There is something happening inside, or going to happen. Do you not feel the tenseness?” Aragorn find more hobbit-footprints where Merry and Pippin had a drink of water, and then again on the hill where they met Treebeard; he also seems to see Treebeard’s footprints, but cannot identify them. And on the same hill where Merry and Pippin met Treebeard, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli meet Gandalf.

Why Gandalf greets them the way he does rather than telling them who he is, I can’t imagine; it’s almost as though he’s trolling them. But he’s not quite his usual self; he has to take time even to remember his name when they say it. And after they call him Gandalf, he seems to come back to himself and sound and behave rather more like his old self, as if ‘Mithrandir’ and ‘Gandalf’ were rather different persons and he didn’t recall being the latter until called by his name. He says himself, “I have forgotten much that I thought I knew, and learned again much that I had forgotten” (the latter is probably his former life in Valinor as Olórin, or at least parts of it).

Gandalf provides some discussion of what Sauron is thinking: he knows that four hobbits, two men, an elf, a dwarf, and Gandalf set out from Rivendell, and that one of them has the Ring. He thinks they are going to Minas Tirith, as the best power base for a Ring-lord. And he knows that Saruman captured two hobbits, so he also fears that Saruman could have the Ring.

Gandalf also mentions that Saruman has been around (and that he must be who Gimli saw last night). He can apparently read Saruman’s mind to a degree:

[Saruman] was so eager to lay his hands on his prey that he could not wait at home, and came forth to meet and spy on his messengers. But he came too late, for once, and the battle was over and beyond his help before he reached these parts. He did not remain here long. I look into his mind and I see his doubt. He has no woodcraft. He believes that the horseman slew and burned all upon the field of battle; but he does not know whether the Orcs were bringing any prisoners or not.

It’s possible that the length of time between the First Battle of the Fords of Isen (Feb. 25, the day before the Breaking of the Fellowship) and the Second Battle of the Fords of Isen (March 2, tomorrow) is due to Saruman trying to figure out what happened to his orcs, any prisoners, and the Ring. Gandalf confirms that Saruman is afraid that Théoden has gained the Ring, and so is preparing to throw all his forces at Rohan (exactly as Sauron later does with regard to Aragorn and Minas Tirith; Saruman is an unconscious copycat even in the smallest things).

Gandalf brings messages to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli from Galadriel; Aragorn’s speaks of the Grey Company (the Rangers) and the Paths of the Dead. Galadriel sent messages to Elrond, and Elrond sent the Rangers. From “The Passing of the Grey Company”:

“Word came to Rivendell, they say: Aragorn has need of his kindred. Let the Dúnedain ride to him in Rohan! But whence this message came, they are now in doubt. Gandalf sent it, I would guess.”

“Nay, Galadriel,” said Legolas. “Did she not speak through Gandalf of the ride of the Grey Company from the North?”

They leave Fangorn, and Gandalf calls Shadowfax, who returns with the other horses. They ford the Entwash, and ride due south for Edoras. At sunset they see a great smoke coming from the Gap of Rohan, towards Isengard; Saruman is preparing for his second assault on the Fords of Isen and his invasion of Rohan.

Eómer, who met Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli yesterday and presumably arrived at Edoras later the same day, is imprisoned for threatening Wormtongue with death within Meduseld (in respose to knowing Wormtongue has his eye on Eówyn, among other reasons), and likely also for having ridden out against the orcs, and for having let strangers wander free in the land and even given them horses.

Also on this day, and the following night, Frodo, Sam and Gollum are crossing the Dead Marshes. They set out in the morning, guided by Gollum, but rest through the later morning and afternoon as Gollum dislikes even the faint sunlight that filters through the mists. They continue in the early evening, and walk through the marshes all night, seeing corpse-candles and dead faces. These are, I think, the dead of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, when they defeated Sauron.

Later in the night, they hear the cry of one of the Nazgûl far away; as if in response to this, the corpse-lights go out. Gollum is terrified, as are all three of them when the moon comes out from behind the clouds and they see it silhoutted against the moon, and hear another cry from it; it passes low over the fen, right above them, and returns to Mordor. Gollum will not get up again until the moon has set.

After this, Sam observes that Gollum has gone back to acting more Gollum-y, rather than the more Sméagol-y way he acted for his first two days with them. Contact with the Nazgûl may have in some way strengthened his desire for the Ring. Frodo is also becoming much more tired, and feeling the Ring as more and more of a burden, as well as feeling the increasing sensation of an Eye looking for him. They continue walking until morning.

[to-be-frank-i-dont-care]

the character ask game: sam from lotr, and kili from the hobbit (yes i have a crush on the latter do not mock my suffering)

~~Sam~~

First impression: I don’t honestly remember my first opinion of him when I first read the book, or when I first saw the movie. I think I was pretty excited about him though because he was one of my mom’s favorite characters, and I thought he was cool :) (I first read/watched lotr back in 7th grade, so…kinda dim memories lol)

Impression now: I love Sam; he’s such a great character and is so loyal and amazing. I will confess, he does annoy me a bit at times BUT ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE A FRIEND (the same friend who recently joined tumblr, actually) who would always claim that Sam was the best character and that he was way higher than anyone else, and that irked me because not everyone’s favorite character has to be the character you’re supposed to like the most. So sometimes I’m reminded of that…(but this was years ago, again, and she’s much different now)

Favorite moment: THE SAMWISE THE BRAVE MOMENT, because the musiiiiicccccc. Also the part where he remembers Rosie dancing—“she had ribbons in her hair” 😭😭😭

Idea for a story: hmmmdehmmm…well I’ve always wanted to know just exactly what Sam said to Rosie in that scene when they get back to the Shire; so that would be a good idea for a fic :)

Unpopular opinion: He should have been just a wee bit nicer to Gollum; yes, Gollum was despicable and awful, but in the books he was actually fairly decent for a few chapters, and Sam flat out refused to even give him a chance. :/ I always feel really bad for Gollum, especially after listening to Gollum’s Song a number of times (I’ve seen that it’s a conversation between Gollum and the ring, but I think it could also be between Gollum and Sméagol) and it always makes me a little sad to see Sam just not even give him a chance

Favorite relationship: ROSIEEEEE

JUST LOOK AT THEMMMMMM (they had thirteen children, by the way!!)

Favorite headcanon: uhhhh….ok I actually really liked that one post I reblogged recently about Sam thinking Elves would die if anyone was mean to them, and trying to protect Legolas.“Mr. Sir Blond Elf Prince” 😂😂😂

~~Kili~~

*I would never mock you, I totally had a crush on him too*

First impression:

twelve year old me: *jaw drops*

twelve year old me: w-who is that

twelve year old me: can I marry him

twelve year old me: HE DIED???? OH CRAP NO *proceeds to write a super long fic where Tauriel’s necklace magically brings him back to life (?????) and a bunch of dramatic crap happens such as when Elrond chases them up a tree FOR NO APPARENT REASON…*

Impression now:

Eh he’s cool lol, don’t have a crush on him anymore

Favorite moment: well…I really like the part where he goes absolutely insane after Fili dies. It’s so sad, but at the same time he just snaps and it shows how deep his devotion for his brother is :(

Idea for a story: definitely NOT the cheesy one that I myself wrote, but definitely an au where he and Fili meet Merry and Pippin…and maybe some more people *coughs and looks at the thing I’ve been working on for several months*

Unpopular opinion: I liked the Tauriel relationship thing. (The love triangle was a little much, but Kili and Tauriel were pretty cute).

Favorite relationship: his crazy I-could-kill-you-but-we’re-bros-so-I-won’t relationship with Fili XD

Favorite headcanon: well hhhHHHHMMmmm…I think he would really like Cosmic Brownies (stupid, but I couldn’t think of anything lol)

Thanks for the ask lovely! Also, I’m working on that other one you sent ehehehe *I don’t really know why it’s taking me so long to get around to it*

*im really tempted to find the Kili/Tauriel fic and make a post about all the cringe that happened in it….* 🧐🤔

Send me a character for me to analyze!

[emeraldskulblaka]

In the lotr musical what is the context of Wonder? Like what’s going on on stage during that musical number?

"Wonder" is one of my favourites! At least when it's suitably placed in the musical. There's quite a big difference between both productions: in Toronto, "Wonder" starts immediately after the Temptation of Galadriel in Lórien. However, in London, they introduced "Lothlórien" at the beginning of the Lórien sequence and let Galadriel sing a reprise of that song instead of "Wonder", which was then moved to Act 3, shortly before "The Final Battle".

Toronto

After Galadriel passes the "test", she and Frodo talk about the destruction of the ring and the impending doom of the elves:

Then, she gives Frodo the phial containing the light of Eärendil:

Soon after, Frodo falls asleep, and Galadriel gets up to sing "Wonder". She moves about the stage a bit, and other elves stand there holding candles, but nothing else happens:

In the middle of the song, the stage starts to rotate, the elves with the candles change position, and the rest of the Fellowship receive their gifts. Here Galadriel is standing in front of Gimli:

Soon after, the company leaves Lórien (as well as the stage) and Galadriel sings the final verse. Here's the last frame:

You can listen to the entire sequence here: Test - Wonder

Sadly, they cut most of this scene and song from the press reels.

West End

Once again, it's pretty hard to tell what exactly is happening during this scene because there's no complete video, sadly. EDIT: There is a video, but my assumptions were largely correct.

So judging by the audio recordings:

As I said, "Wonder" is part of Act 3. Sam rescues Frodo from Shelob and they chase Gollum away. Frodo's despair is growing and it's getting harder for him to muster the strength to go on ('There's nothing between me and the fire, Sam'). Sam manages to motivate him, and they set off (Let's go into Mordor, together'). Immediately after that, Galadriel starts singing.

She enters the stage when Sam and Frodo are getting ready to leave:

At some point during the song, Frodo and Sam leave, and the rest of the Fellowship, along with the Steward and the Army of Allies, enter and prepare for battle.

The synopsis contained in the brochure puts it as follows:

'Galadriel weaves magical spells of protection as the army goes to war.'

I assume she's standing on an elevated part of the stage in the back now:

... based on this photo:

And the brochure:

Before the last chorus of the song, Gimli and Legolas make plans for their time after the battle and sing a couple of verses while Galadriel vocalises in the background. She then starts with the final chorus 'Shine forever beacon of light...', and during the final (powerful) 'Shine foreveeeeer', Aragorn challenges Sauron. When he finishes his speech, Galadriel sings the final three 'Wondeeeer's. I have no idea what exactly is happening on stage at this point :/

After this, the final battle starts.

I took the two screenshots from here. Here you can listen to an audio of "Wonder".

I'm so sorry I can't can't provide more details of the West End version, but I hope this gives you at least an idea of what's going on on stage 😶

I personally like the West End version much better because the song feels just too massive after the Lórien sequence. It fits better with the battle preparations when it doesn't take up too much time. It's a GORGEOUS SONG, no doubt, and when sung in concert, you definitely don't get bored after a while, but when you're used to the fast pace of the LotR Musical, a massive song that does basically nothing to further the plot feels oddly out of place.

Thank you for the ask! ✨