#husband likes the silm more

[eri-pl]

"Maedhros's eyes have fallen out!"

Gif below cut, flashing lights warning

[thesummerestsolstice]

Silm AU Concept that Won't Leave me Alone:

Earendil falls ill, not long after his marriage. None of the healers in Sirion– human or elven– can explain why. Maybe it's because Idril and Tuor left for Valinor recently, and no one really thinks they'll make it there alive. Maybe it's the plague that's been sweeping through war-torn Beleriand. Maybe his body is just giving up on him– it's not unheard of for half-elves to die that way.

And it's becoming clear that Earendil is dying. Nothing they do helps. Some of Elwing's advisors try to keep her away from his bedside– half out of fear his illness is contagious and half because she spends all her time there, refusing to eat or rest. They're trying to protect her from the horrible truth. It isn't working.

Elwing knows of two great sources of magic. One is her own– inherited from Melian, running far stronger in her blood than any had expected, far stronger than it had in her father. Strong enough that she's spent most of her life learning to hide it. Flowers bloom under her feet, birds flock to her side. Elwing is powerful, but she's young; untrained. She tries to help Earendil. She fails.

And then there is the Silmaril. The Silmaril's power is not like hers. It does not make things grow, or bring the birds and gentle beasts of the world to their doorstep. But it drives away the orcs, keeps the wolves at bay, cuts through the darkness, burns away evil. It is a much more violent kind of purification.

And Elwing thinks, is it not evil coursing through my husband's veins, choking his lungs, threatening to tear him away from me?

She takes the Silmaril and pries it open with a dagger, pouring it's divine light into the abalone-shell cup that Idril had given her before she sailed away. She gives it to Earendil, comforts him, climbs into bed beside him. They hold each other, whisper their marriage vows again in the darkness. When Elwing drifts into sleep, she doesn't know if he'll still be there when she wakes up.

And then Earendil wakes up with clear, bright eyes. It works. It works very well. It works so well that Elwing has to teach Earendil how to hide the new light in his eyes and the shimmer under his skin.

Elwing keeps the Silmaril hidden away after that. Some whisper that she's become obsessed with it, just as her father had. In truth, she's just trying to hide the fact that the gem has no light left. Somehow, she doubts her advisors would approve of her decision.

But she doesn't care, and neither does Earendil. They are happy, and in love. Not long after Earendil's recovery– a recovery most think was a miracle sent by the Valar– they have children. Two very strange children with sharp teeth and bright eyes who they love very much.

It looks like everything will work out for Elwing's little family, right until the day the first letter from Maedhros Feanorian arrives.

[eilinelsghost]

So I ran across a (not particularly pleasant) conversation about my writing on someone else’s post the other day in which it was put forward that the correct way to frame Bëor’s wife was to erase her entirely and make his sons his nephews; also heavily implying a lack of creativity on my part (and a lack of commitment to the authenticity of Finrod and Balan's relationship) for not having utilized this "much easier solution that changes nothing much but allows for way less cringe".

I vented to friends and just moved on and tried to ignore it, but this particular aspect of the commentary has been bothering me so much that I'm going to take a moment for my own peace of mind to briefly address it here.

Bëor's wife is not a problem to be solved

The majority of women in the Silmarillion already exist as textual ghosts (Bëor's wife included). Why would the story be better served by eliminating her existence? One of the strengths of Silm fanfic that I've consistently appreciated has been the commitment to lifting women from the margins of the text and fleshing them out with full, complicated, and detailed identities. Her unspoken presence in the text is an opportunity to draw another woman forward into the narrative, not an excuse to erase them even further.

Furthermore, we know of Bëor's wife because of the existence of Baran and Belen. This suggested approach holds that they thus create a "problem" within the text for this particular story and the simplest solution should be to take her children from her and give them to someone else, all so that her husband can be free to fall in love without the encumbrance of her existence. Which leads me to the next issue.

Bëor's wife does not need to be erased to make Finrod/Bëor ok

The implication in these comments was that she needed to be scrubbed from the narrative in order for Finrod and Balan's relationship to be authentic or "monogamous." I'm not even going to get into the second part of that (which is...sure a take) but the authenticity of a relationship or the depth of someone's love is not determined by whether this is the only person they have ever been in love with. To be perfectly frank, that sounds more like the purity culture slop I was fed growing up than it does like the desire to uplift and enhance the queer relationship in the narrative that the op seemed to indicate was their intent.

It matters that the House of Bëor are the actual descendants of Bëor

This is a key point in the arc of the Silmarillion itself, but focusing just on what this means within a Finrod/Bëor context, it matters that the House of Bëor - who are consistently loyal to Finrod, who sacrifice to save his life, and for whom he eventually sacrifices his own life - are the offspring of the man for whom he crossed wisdom and wedded despite the chasm of sundered fates. They are how Bëor lives on even after Finrod's irreparable loss. Caring for them - dying for them - is a large part of how he carries Balan forward with him through the years of solitude and how he remains true to his love long after they are sundered.

There is a good deal more I could go on about, but I did say this would be brief, so I should leave it there.

[elswing]

i hate posting discourse it's pointless and doesn't do anything for me except prolong my annoyance but i'm Tired™ and feel like shouting into the void. apologies to my beautiful feanorian mutuals please look away i love u

i neeeeeeed everyone to stop claiming they like elwing if their characterisation of her is completely made-up biased bullshit that paints her as an immature and disdained ruler (?????) who couldn't balance her responsibilities with the husband she married too young (at 22. practically a child bride honestly) and the children she never wanted (where. where does it say this). she's clearly such a bad mother that she abandoned them at first opportunity (she knew the feanorians were more than capable of killing a pair of twin boys because they literally already did that. that's very much a thing that already happened. to her brothers) and it was her selfish nature that made her soooo eager to flee (she had no reason to think ulmo would save her it was literally a suicide attempt. she wanted to make sure the deaths of her people and presumed deaths of her sons weren't in vain by ensuring they never obtained the silmaril)

like i'm gonna touch your hand as i say this. it's okay if you hate her! just don't pretend that you weren't thriving in the 2016 era of silm fandom where everyone pushed all their male fave's negative traits onto any other woman in a 5 mile radius to grab Poor Little Meow Meow status for war criminal #1 #2 and #3 to then turn around and spout the exact same (factually untrue) sexist rhetoric concealed under seven layers of buzzwords just because it's the year of "unlikable and complicated female characters" like buddy who are we talking about here. have you perhaps considered making an oc?

and i'm NOT saying i want the whole fandom to mimic my exact opinions and thoughts about elwing i realise that one of the best parts of the silm is how divisive it is and how you have so much wiggle room to come to your own interpretations because of how VAGUE the source material is but i'm genuinely convinced everyone's just parroting shit they saw in ao3 fanfics where maglor is secretly lindir and the premise is elrond sneaking him into valinor and elwing yells at him for slaughtering her people. TWICE. and this is framed as a category 5 Woman Moment so elrond disowns her and calls maglor his real dad

(eärendil misses this entire ordeal because he went on a voyage to save the world that one time and no one's let him live it down since because the whole fandom as a collective decided he did this because he's a terrible dad and not because the whole continent was at war and about to be wiped out and maybe he came to the unfortunate but reasonable conclusion that leaving is the best thing he could do for his family if it meant there was a chance his sons could grow up safe in a world that wasn't ruled by Fucking Satan so now his whole Beloved Sacrificial Lion: The Thin Line Between Doomed and Prophesized Hero™ shtick is tossed out in favour of.... *checks notes* Guy Who Forgot To Pay Child Support? oh and they're a lot louder about this because he's a man so no one can call it misogyny that's why no one ever goes the #girlflop #ILoveMyBlorbosNastyAndComplicated route with him and he gets dubbed as that one asshole who just wanted fame and glory even though that goes against the general themes for tolkien's hero characters. and tolkien loved that dude to bits that was his specialist little guy so you can't seriously tell me you think that's what he was trying to portray???????? is that seriously what you think he was trying to portray????????? babe????????????

also there's a BIG difference when it's a character that's only named in one draft and doesn't exist in the rest or gil-galad who has like three and a half possible fathers but ELWING??????? the only possible way you could be coming to these conclusions is if you read the damn book with your eyes closed. FUCK.

[autumnshighlady]

Am I Making You Feel Sick?

Celegorm x reader

summary: Celegorm has taken things too far, and you're both pushed to the breaking point and things get heated

warnings: THIS IS NOT A HAPPY ENDING FIC! celegorm is an asshole and reader matches his energy, borderline emotional abuse

fic based off of the song Strangers by Ethel Cain

word count: 2.8k

request: you are such an amazing author, i am in awe of your writing! if you are accepting silm requests, can i request a celegorm x reader? we all know that this lil meow meow can be very rude and cruel, even to people he loves, especially when he's stressed :((( what if reader is his wife and lately tielko has barely paid her any attention, causing them to argument :(( and in the middle of the argument celegorm being celegorm gets impulsive and throws his wedding ring towards reader :(((( today i woke up and chose angst

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

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“Are you listening to a thing I’m saying?” You snapped at Celegorm, patience wearing thin. Your husband was pacing back and forth, his fists clenched and his blue eyes dark. His long, pale blonde hair was unkempt, hanging loosely around his face. Normally, your husband took care in his appearance, weaving and braiding intricate jewellery into his locks. When you had first met Celegorm all those centuries ago in Valinor, he was always dressed immaculately, a playful smirk on his face and a mischievous light in his eyes.

But there was no sign of the elf you married before you. There was no light or kindness in his face as he scowled at the marble floor, muttering to himself in Quenya and ignoring you. “I do not think Finrod will appreciate you wearing holes in his floors,” you added. “So stop pacing and talk to me.”

“We cannot stay here,” was all Celegorm said sharply for the tenth time that evening. “I will not be indebted to my pathetic cousin who is content to let a mortal man pursue that which belongs to my father.”

You sighed, rubbing your temples. Too naive you were to think that Celegorm and Curufin’s peace and gratitude to their cousin for sheltering them would last. You had lost count of how many times you had been relocated. Your husband was prideful, his refusal to accept help and be seen as weak becoming your downfall.

“And where do you propose we go, exactly?” All patience you had left was gone, and you crossed your arms and stood in Celegorm’s path, halting his incessant pacing. “Morgoth broke the siege, the Pass of Aglon has been taken, we have nowhere else to go. We have to stay in Nargothrond until we regain our strength. We suffered a heavy loss, my love–”

Celegorm’s eyes narrowed. “You have lost nothing,” he hissed. “It is I who have suffered. You weren’t on the damn battlefield.”

His words cut you like a knife. Normally you could handle your husband’s angry moods, fits of rage that would blow over as quickly as they came. But lately they have been more and more frequent, each one leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. Centuries of war and an endless quest had slowly chipped away at your husband like stonemasons on mountain rock. He had become a shell of the person he was when you fell in love with him, one that was harder to forgive with each argument.

“How DARE you?” You snapped, lifting your chin up to meet his gaze with equal fire. “You think I have not suffered amidst this ceaseless fighting? You think the constant war, the waiting on the edge of battle and having to pack up and move every decade has not had an effect on me? I may not be on the battlefield, but a piece of me is with you every time you go out there in that armour to try and get back some jewels. All because of that stupid oath.” 

To your fury, Celegorm merely rolled his eyes, turning away and striding over to the table by the bed in the guest room you were currently residing in. He grabbed the pitcher of wine, pouring yet another full glass and speaking with his back to you. “I will not have you whining about what you signed up for by marrying me,” he said dryly, taking a large swig from his goblet.

You scoffed, blood boiling. “Only you would call basic communication ‘whining’. I signed up for a marriage to the elf I loved. The elf who spent his days hunting and riding through the forest, who braided my hair in the morning and kissed me goodnight–”

Angrily, Celegorm slammed the goblet down onto the table, splattering droplets of red wine on the wooden table. They dripped down onto the pristine marble floor like blood from a wound. You flinched, stepping back as your husband stormed over to you. There was a mix of hurt and rage on his face as he grabbed your jaw in his hands, cupping your face. The gesture was anything but tender - it was possessive and dominant in a way that scared you. “Are you saying you don’t love me anymore?” He asked, voice trembling slightly.

Tears filled your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. “I’m saying that the elf I married and the one before me are not one in the same, and I do not recognize the latter.”

“That wasn’t an answer.” Celegorm said more sternly. “Yet it told me everything I needed to know.”

You shook your head, the grip your husband had on your jaw starting to ache. “Do not be like this. Do not make me your villain just because you want an enemy you can actually defeat and beat down.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you are losing this war, Tyelkormo. And you are taking it out on me and shutting me out because I am a reminder of all your mistakes. I am the face of your guilt and that is causing you to pull away from me because you cannot come to terms with everything you’ve done.” Your throat was thick with sadness, stomach churning at having finally uttered your darkest thoughts out loud. Never in any of your previous fights did you lay the truth so raw for your husband, ripping apart his delusions of grandeur and forcing him to face his reality.

Celegorm’s eyes darkened. “Everything I have done? It has all been for you, to end this quest so we can finally settle down and have a life together.”

You grabbed his wrists gently. “Do not lie to yourself, husband. You cling even now to thoughts of your own glory, and you are blinded by your own ambition.”

Celegorm growled and ripped your hands off of his wrists, releasing your jaw harshly and turning away. As you rubbed your jaw, the son of Fëanor continued his pacing angrily. “I swore an oath to my father–”

“As you did to me!” You yelled, voice echoing throughout the large chamber. Done you were with trying to reason with your husband. His anger and pain had festered like a wound for years, transforming and morphing into a dark and twisted creature that sought only the satisfaction of vengeance.

Celegorm matched your rage, throwing his hands up in frustration. “Why must you insist on my loyalty to one oath and my subversiveness to another?”

“Because one of those oaths is destroying you!” You crossed your arms in defiance.

“I cannot seem to figure out which one that is, as of late.”

You flinched as if Celegorm had struck you. The room felt still, as if any love between you two that was warming the space had been snuffed out. But your tears did not fall, to your surprise. Nor did you feel deeply wounded. You felt numb, as if those words he uttered had switched off all physical and emotional feelings. “If you feel our marriage is the oath that is ruining your life, then why are you still in it?” Was all you said, coldly.

Celegorm ran a hand through his ragged hair. “Why are you? If you feel shackled to this life then why stay with me?”

“Stop turning my questions around because you’re too much of a coward to answer them.”

He smouldered, that fiery rage inherited from his father blazing up within them. “I am no coward.”

“Yes, you are.” You let the words lash out of you, empathy gone. You wanted to hurt Celegorm, to make him feel a fraction of what you felt right now. “You are a coward who is too afraid of what others think. You are a coward who is too afraid to make the choice that you know deep down is right, a choice for which you refuse to make since it is easier to blame an oath you spoke in the fragility of youth all those centuries ago.”

Your husband angrily grabbed the table with the spilled wine, hurling it with all his might against the wall. The wood splintered and shattered with a loud crack, its broken pieces falling to the floor amidst the red liquid. “How dare you–” he began to yell but you cut him off angrily.

“Ah, yes, resorting to throwing things in a tantrum when I force you to see the truth,” you rolled your eyes and scoffed. “You really are your father’s son.”

Celegorm’s face went red, and he spoke through gritted teeth. “That is a compliment. My father was a great elf!”

“Your father was a fool,” you spat. “It was his arrogance, selfishness, and pride that got him killed, and I now see you will suffer the same fate.”

You did not stick around to hear your husband’s response as you brushed past him, slamming the door behind on your way out.

********************

The evening air felt good on your skin, the gentle water lapping at your feet. You sat on a flat rock by the edge of one of the cave’s pools, soft lantern light giving the area a yellow glow. It had been hours since your fight with Celegorm, and you had not crossed paths. You knew your husband would not be the first to apologise, not after everything you said. You were well aware that your words were hurtful, yet no guilt burdened your shoulders. It felt oddly freeing to finally explode like that, to throw words in his face instead of just being on the receiving end. 

Undoubtedly, Celegorm was sulking. Your husband’s temper was something you were always well aware of, and usually you were shielded from it. And for the last few decades, you had tried to understand his pain, to look at things from his perspective to justify his anger.

Yet now, you could not even do that. Celegorm’s madness had gone beyond your reach, the weight of his oath and actions dragging him down under the surface. You were no longer sure if you wanted to drown with him. A hundred years ago, you’d have walked through Angband for your husband. But now, you were tired of fighting. Tired of going to bed knowing that since you’ve been with him throughout this whole ordeal, you served as a walking reminder of the life he could no longer have. 

Celegorm would not be satisfied as Finrod’s guest for long, especially after the King allowed the human Beren to seek out a Silmaril with his blessing. You used to be able to predict how far Celegorm would go to get what he wanted, but now you were not so sure. Would he truly usurp his cousin in a mad scramble to gain control? You did not know.

Familiar footsteps sounded behind you. You didn’t have to turn around to know that Celegorm was standing behind you.

“Am I no good? He spoke quieter this time, sadness replacing the anger in his voice from earlier. “Am I simply not good enough for you anymore?”

You closed your eyes and sighed, refusing to turn and face him. “It is not a question of being good enough for me, my love,” you said gently. “It is a question of being good enough for yourself, of being the male I know you can be. Your endless pursuit of the Silmarils has been at the detriment of me, your brothers, your soldiers, everyone. Yet you keep pushing as if we do not matter.”

“You don’t understand,” he continued, his voice echoing up the chamber of Nargothrond’s caves. “I have to do this. It matters more than anything.”

“More than me?”

A cruel laugh sounded from behind you. “Ah, so we come to it long last.”

You frowned, pulling your feet out of the water and standing up to face your husband. There was no sorrow in his eyes, his mood changing like a storm amidst the flowery spring fields. “What does that mean?” You asked through narrowed eyes.

“It means I always knew that one day you’d ask me to choose between you and the Silmarils,” he said heartlessly, his voice callous and devoid of love. “I’m surprised it took you this long, in perfect honesty.”

Anger churned in your gut. “You have forced my hand into doing so!” You snapped, voice rising. “Am I supposed to live forever in your shadow as a slave to your mindless choices? To never prioritise my own happiness or seek a life outside of war and quests?”

Celegorm gritted his teeth. “Again, you knew what you were signing up for when you married me.”

“But did you know how far it would go? How many losses you would suffer, how many battles you’d lose and how many fortresses would be taken? If you had, would you have married me?”

“I love you!” Celegorm insisted, his blue eyes wide and wild. “I have always loved you and wanted you by my side. It matters not what we face as long as we are together.”

“Do you not hear your own words?” You were yelling once again. “The horrors we have faced have been partially your own doing, you fool! We have been made refugees Eru knows how many times already, been rationing food and living in fear all because of a war you did not start but have certainly helped uphold with vigour!”

“Keep your voice down, many listening ears are turning our way.” Celegorm hissed, glancing around and the shadows of elves scurrying past you in the distance, no doubt wanting to get away from the yelling.

“Good, let them hear us,” you said sternly. “Now they’ll see you exactly as you are.”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “And what is it, exactly, that I am, dear wife? A kinslayer? Murderer? Thief? I am many things but a liar is not one of them. I’ve always shown you exactly as I am, and you have accepted me until now. What has suddenly changed that entices you to hold this against me now?”

You threw your hands up in frustration. “Because you have not seen the error of your ways and refuse to change! I had hoped that as time went on you would mend that broken part of yourself and start choosing the path out of this darkness, but lately you have been rejecting that choice at every turn.”

“Everything I have done has been for a reason! There has been no error of my ways, nor do I need to change! I am simply doing what I swore to do and should not be punished for ensuring I see it through! You have not seen what I have seen, and yet you judge me for my actions. You have not been my wife as of late but a burden I must carry around, one that I can never make happy.” Celegorm’s rage was almost animalistic, like a wounded lion lashing out with anger. “If I’m such a horrible male, then go find someone better.”

With his final words, he yanked off the sapphire wedding ring from his finger, throwing it into the pool. You exhaled in shock, something inside of you breaking as the small but steady stream swept the ring away, carrying it into the deep crevices of the rock never to be seen again.

With a deep sadness, you looked into his eyes. The anger had subsided, and they were now wide as if for the first time in the entire argument, he couldn’t believe his actions. It was like a candle inside of you had been snuffed out - no longer was a scrap of the elf you fell in love with residing within the one before you. The Celegorm you loved was truly gone, replaced by a dark, angry shell of who he once was.

“You’re pathetic,” was all you whispered in disgust as the shock on his face changed into desperation.

“Shit, wait,” Celegorm pleaded, grabbing your hand and trying to hold it within his own large ones. “I didn’t mean–”

“Yes, you did mean it.” You ripped your hand out of his grip before turning to leave. After a few steps, you paused, as if some final hope within you wanted him to follow.

But he didn’t.

You sighed, turning to face your lover for the last time. “Consider yourself freed from the burden of our marriage,” you said coldly. “I hope you get those Silmarils you seek so desperately, and when you finally hold them all you can think of is what it cost you. And as the blood on your hands from the kin you have slain stains their precious light, and all that you hold dear is gone and turned to ash, I pray that you think back on our courtship. I hope the image of me haunts your every waking moment; and not even Lórien himself can banish the ghost of my memory, even as it walks amidst your dreams. I hope the mere thought of me makes you feel sick until the end of time itself.”

[conundrumoftime]

Been thinking about this, and here's why I'm more focused on what TROP might be doing with Celeborn than what it's planning to do with Haladriel at the moment:

With Galadriel and Sauron, I already know how that's going to end. They're going to end up 3000 years in the future as each others' chief adversaries where she's still tempted by the power that TROP has framed with Sauron's offer to her, and he's still constantly trying to get into her mind. So there are not that many ways the show can mess this up for me because I know that's the end-point. What's on-screen might be more or less appealing to me but the overall direction is set.

With Celeborn, though, they could really mess this up.

I do not say this just because I like canon Celeborn or that ship. (Although I do! And I still get to continue writing it in Silm/LOTR canon if TROP messes it up.) I say this more because I really like TROP Galadriel, and so much genre TV I've loved before has had an abysmal record at putting a female main character in an established relationship. So many times, it's effectively the conclusion of her character arc. So many times, interesting moral ambiguities, flaws, imperfections, ambitions, everything that's driven her part in the plot forward, are parked for Aren't They Sweet. 'Married' and 'parent' are seen as personalities for female characters in a way that they are not for male characters.

I like TROP's Galadriel. I like that she is flawed and that her flaws carry her story forward. I like her confidence, her grief, her loyalty, her single-mindedness, her response to being disrespected in that Númenor throne room to be to inflame the situation to the point where even Sauron the Dark Lord went "woah there".

I do not want her to stay unchanged for the whole show. At this point she is still driven so much by grief and pain and regret and in season 1 by isolation above all. I do want to see that get better for her, but not in a way where it changes her whole personality (& I've talked before about how I don't think the Galadriel we meet in LOTR is an all-knowing all-gentle wise forest lady) or reduces her to a background figure.

Introducing Celeborn to TROP could go, broadly, 3 ways:

One: they leave him out until the end, and reintroduce him as part of her happy ending. I would not love this - as I said before, I like him, I like that ship, and I want to see her husband and their marriage as playing parts in her story, not a prize delivered to her for successfully completing it; I want her conflicted feelings about Sauron to continue with Celeborn in the picture, I don't want the show suggesting to me she's only got those conflicted feelings because he's not currently there. "Well done for not flirting with Sauron recently! Here's your husband back :) now you get to be happy and have a baby :)" - deeply boring for me. But at least I'd only be bored for the last episode or two.

Two: they introduce him earlier and do something interesting with him, probably tying him to one of the other plots, maybe introducing him before telling us who he is so we get to know him as a character rather than as Galadriel's Husband. This would let them use that relationship to explore more of Galadriel's character journey in a far more interesting way than just awarding him to her at the end.

He's been away for centuries; the way she described him when he left, he was quite sheltered, he wasn't used to war, his memory seems very tied up in her mind with her own younger, happier, more naive self. And now he's back. Has he changed as much as she has? Has the war broken him too? Has he maybe not wanted to come back? Does he have his own traumas, his own griefs, his own goals and motivations, that may clash with hers? What's he going to think when he meets this Galadriel? What's she going to think when she meets him? How do you rebuild a marriage when you're effectively strangers to each other? What's he going to think of Sauron's offer - does he know Galadriel well enough to understand why she was tempted? Would he have been tempted? Might he still be? This could be really interesting and is by far my favourite option.

Three: They bring him back in a way that sidelines Galadriel in the narrative, blunts all the interesting sharp edges of her character, gives her 'married' as a personality, and makes her temptation by Sauron not something that exists because of who she is and what drives her, but something that only existed because her husband was not around and now he's back they can walk off into the sunset holding hands. Insert Darth Vader "NOOOOOOOO" scream here.

I don't think the show would go that route. Durin and Disa show that they can write a married couple fine (as a parent myself I cannot tell you how inspirational it was to see Disa in s1 deftly lying to Elrond while doing bedtime for her small children, because damn that takes skill). The showrunners and writers are invested in Galadriel; they clearly like the opportunity that less-canonically-fleshed-out characters give them to really play around. But! Like I said, I have been burnt on this one so many times, and my fear is that it's just what they'll do because they think the story calls for it in the same way they do Big Epic End-Of-Season Battle Sequence because they think the story calls for that.

I really really really so much do not want this to happen to Galadriel or her story, and so will continue to worry to some degree or another until I get some sense of what on earth they're planning to do with Celeborn.

[sotwk]

Hello! I was wondering, since Círdan has something of a place in the sotwk au, whether you're intending to write anything featuring him? (I ask casually, with very normal feelings about Old Ship Elf McGee)

I. LOVE. CIRDAN. If I ever stop being intimidated by the Silm fandom, I would LOVE to write a Círdan fic someday! XD My writing will never reach the exquisite quality of most of Silm writers I know (that includes you, @hobbitwrangler), but hey--maybe someday I will drum up the nerve to take the leap!

Círdan has more than just "something of a place" in the SotWK AU; he's a significant player! He participates in the lives of Thranduil's family many times throughout the ages, so there are plenty of storytelling opportunities. The Lord of the Falas and Master of the Grey Havens was never an idle bystander, and he was certainly not a lonely, solitary old man. In the SotWK AU, he had family from the very start.

Círdan's Roles in the SotWK AU

FIRST AGE

Círdan the Husband: He did love and marry someone--Eäriel, a granddaughter of Olwë and cousin of Galadriel, a headstrong and adventurous elleth who also crossed the Helcaraxë with her cousins. She soon realized that the destiny that called her to Middle-earth lay with Círdan, who loved her from their first meeting.

SotWK Fancast: Olivia Hussey as Eäriel

Círdan the Father: Círdan's beloved son and only child, Eärondir, was the gentlest and most reluctant soldier to perish in the War of Wrath. Although his tragic death caused his mother to fade, it did the opposite to his father; Eärondir's self-sacrifice inspired Círdan to remain and devote his life to the service of the Valar and the peoples of Middle-earth. Círdan's fondness for both Eärendil the Mariner and Elrond Peredhel was because they were deeply good-hearted, and reminded him of his son.

Turhir Thranduilion is said to look remarkably like his grandfather Eärondir in both face and figure, which gets him just a tiny bit of favoritism from great-grandfather Círdan.

SotWK Fancast: Alexander Skarsgård as Eärondir; Sam Heughan as Turhir.

SECOND AGE

Círdan the Grandfather: Círdan transferred all the love he had for his late son to his daughter-in-law, Laurinwen, and surviving grandchildren, Maereth and Calinondo. When Laurinwen sailed for Valinor, Círdan took over guardianship of her children when they chose to remain in Middle-earth. Even after Maereth and Calinondo left the Grey Havens to pursue their own destinies, Círdan continued to guide them from a distance throughout their lives.

Círdan advised Maereth through her hesitations surrounding Thranduil's marriage proposals, and even traveled all the way to Eryn Galen to attend their wedding.

THIRD AGE

Círdan the Great-Grandfather: As the great-grandfather of Maereth and Thranduil's children, the Princes of Eryn Galen, Círdan found himself in a special position of power. At any time and for any cause, he was able to seek military aid from Thranduil and his sons, and could always rely on a swift and valiant response. No other person in Middle-earth, not even Elrond, could boast of such an alliance. And a handful of Thranduilions were an army all on their own!

Círdan's influence was responsible for the participation of the Thranduilions in several historic battles during the Third Age, most notably throughout the centuries-long Angmar War. Whenever they answered their great-grandfather's summons, the Princes fought under his command and the banner of Lindon, so there was no historical record of Mirkwood's participation in these events.

When Turhir left Mirkwood in TA 2601 (after the deaths of Mirion and Arvellas) with the intention of sailing across the sea, Círdan took him into his home and counselled him for many years about where his true destiny might lie. (Hint/spoiler: It was NOT in Valinor. Yet.)

tldr: Middle-earth owes a great debt to Círdan's wisdom and foresight, and his unique influence on Thranduil's family is just a small part of it!

Thank you again for the ask, @hobbitwrangler! <3 I know this was WAY more information than you asked for, but it felt good to write it all out. Hopefully some of these will turn into fics someday.

Want to learn more about the SotWK AU?

Introduction to SotWK

Main Headcanon Masterlist

[sunnyshinesunshine]

A Tolkien Fic Rec

let the gods look down on this and wonder by @dialux & rainforezt - Aredhel-centric, 22.5k, rated T (complete)

This post canon Valinor fic has everything. Aredhel being a flawed badass. Nolofinwean drama. Complex mother-daughter relationships. Come for female-focused Silm Fics, stay for Aredhel breaking Valinor while dealing with her family. Cannot recommend enough.

A Boy, A Girl, And a Dog: The Leithian Script posted to Ao3 by GammaCavy (originally by Philosopher At Large) - Lúthien/Beren, 593k, rated G (complete)

A retelling of the Lúthien and Beren in script form based vaguely on Ol’ Will Shakes. I rarely read true canon compliant works, but this is worth every heart wrenching second. It’s funny, poignant, and deserves to be produced as an actual production. I would pay money to see it.

Aurë entuluva - series by @theheirofashandfire - multi pairing mainly Fingon/Maedhros, 589.5k over 17 installments, rated G-M (ongoing)

THIS. This is The Silm Fix-It. Begins with A Thread Unraveled, a Nirnaeth Arnoediad Ground-Hog day style fix-it centered on Maedhros, then expands. The author does a great job with the politics and the fallout of the Nirnaeth being a success and how that changes the rest of the events of the Silm. I especially love her characterizations of Melian, Finduilas, Turgon, and all the Brothers Fëanor.

The Last Spring by clothonono on ao3 - Finwëan fam + background Fingon/Maedhros, 26.2k, rated G (complete)

This right here is how I imagine the Family Finwë pre-canon. Fëanor brings his children to visit Tirion for the first time. The tension between the children of Finwë is delicious. The characterization of Fëanor is delicious. The foreboding ending, also delicious. This could be an entire six course meal if it was edible. Also baby Galadriel is amazing and terrifying.

As a Star Upon a Hill by @mynameisjessejk - Lúthien/Beren & Fingon/Maedhros, 11.9k, rated T (complete)

A fix-it au where Celegorm and Curufin decide to not be assholes, Beren and Lúthien steal all three Silmarils, and everyone agrees that dads kinda suck. Borderline crack, but such a feel good fic ugh it makes me happy.

Light Touched by whovianhiddlestoner on ao3 - kidnap + peredhel fams, 48.9k, rated T (complete)

Another (relatively) lighthearted fic where everyone who touches the Silmarils get to be Eldritch and Elrond has a lot of family reunions. Mainly set in the third age, ending in Valinor. Beautiful language all around, and also Maedhros’ hair is on fire. Which is awesome.

The Iron Ring by lulumiche on ao3 - Glorfindel/Maeglin, 39.2k, rated M (ongoing)

Post-canon in Valinor. Maeglin was actually in love with Glorfindel, which no one but Idril knows. Come for the discussions of homophobie in elf society, stay for some of the realest feeling characterizations I have ever read. Seriously, I don’t really like Maglor as Lindir but I ate it up here. Also lots of interesting magic.

The Silver Rule by SpaceWall on ao3 - Celebrían/Elrond/Gil-galad, 70.4k, rated T (complete)

More post-canon Valinor shenanigans. This time, Celebrían argues law, makes friends, and wants her husband back. I love breaking Valinor, and I especially love when Tolkien women do it. And let’s be honest, the Statute of Finwë and Míriel is utter balogney.

I Do; I Will by @littlewhitemouseagain - Fingon/Maedhros, 22.8k, rated M (complete)

The one in which everyone is on their worst behavior and the sons of Fëanor challenge Fingon to duels over his crown. I cannot emphasize enough how this is The Fingon Fic. His flaws are exposed and addressed in such a way that I’ve never seen before. The insights into the Fëanorians, especially Mae, are also really super poignant. This deserves so much attention.

Across The Table by Tuginda on ao3 - Gimli/Legolas & Glorfindel/Erestor, 9.5k, rated G (complete)

A conversation between two couples at Aragorn and Arwen’s wedding. Beautiful, sweet, and containing one of my favorite things: crotchety old Fëanorian Erestor. Somehow feels like both a conversation about dwarves and elves, and a lovely tribute to the Noldor.

+ 1

of drowning men by bimmyou on ao3 - Isildur/Valandil, 26.5k, rated E (complete)

The best Rings of Power fic I’ve read so far. Nails all of Isildur’s character flaws and gives such an incredible depth to Valandil.

[eri-pl]

Who counts as a Silm character? (Do we?)

So, I was thinking... and it spawned an interesting question.

People make polls and questions like "Who's your favorite Silm character", or "which Silm character [something]". And that's a really, really fuzzy question to ask when you think about it.

At first it's easy: Feanor, his sons, the Valar, all those who get speaking lines or do something. They clearly are characters in the Silm, so they do count. But then:

Characters mentioned only by name (many sisters and wives) - count as a Silm character, I guess?

"Maglor was wed." (and that's all about it). Is Maglor's wife a Silm character then? We get no info on her, but we know she exists. (Unless you assume a husband or a lie or whatever, I've seen many HCs. and this complicates the situation even more.)

Sam Gamgee is not mentioned in the Silm, but Silm links by event to LotR. Does Sam count as a Silm character?

What about the characters from unpublished drafts, linked by events? The characters that are unnamed in the Silm, but named elsewhere?

But then we get into situations like "in one draft, those two characters were merged" and stuff like this. Is Thu a Silm character? Is Thu the same character as Sauron? What about Tevildo?

Do the narrative frame characters count as Silm characters? Pengolodh probably counts. Bilbo? He is mentioned in the Silm. But what about AElfwine (who doesn't even probably exist in this version)?

Speaking of narrative frames, Tolkien sort of put himself as a narrative frame, pretending that he found those texts and translated them from Ole English(or smth?). Is... is Jirt himself a Silm character? Is an in-setting copy of Jirt a Silm character?

We do exist in the same word as Jirt. Are... are in-setting copies of us Silm characters? Are we?

Your thoughts?

[writerthatcannotwrite]

Modern AU Silm fic idea

So you know how if something is frozen, it's kinda preserved? And you know the elves who died in the Helcaraxë were... well... frozen?

So imagine, if you will, in modern times of Middle Earth, when the dwarves are no longer prevalent (maybe they live in the Middle Earth equivalent of El Dorado?) and the hobbits have gone elsewhere to do who knows what (they become forest cryptids in the Ered Luin AKA, the Middle Earth Appalachia), and humans have created modern technology.

As in RADAR, SONAR, all that jazz. And humans, who we all know are very curious by nature, go exploring the ocean.

Human scientists explore the northern oceans, where the Helcaraxë is/has been, and they find bodies in the ice; nonhuman, but bipedal and human ENOUGH bodies. Sure, their ears are pointed, their teeth are strange, and they have a different bone structure, but the likeness is uncanny.

After a while of simply observing, the scientists get the go-ahead from their respective governments (Gondor, if it's still there, maybe Rohan; all of those civilizations have forgotten the might of the Eldar, though) and they manage to carve one of the bodies out of the ice.

After bringing the body back to land and in a laboratory, they discover some things.

1. The body is female.

2. She has different DNA and tissues than the average human.

3. She is still living.

(They find this out when someone is trying to get a tissue sample but almost gets strangled in the process.)

She speaks an archaic language, one that no linguist can decipher. However, when she tries to communicate via writing, she writes in an ancient script similar to the letters and words found in some of Gondor's ancient artifacts---swords of olden kings, the runes on a stone crypt with a king and two (supposed) children beside him.

All the while, the news coverage is all over, and some people are panicking. Who is this woman who was found ALIVE in the ice? Why are her ears naturally pointed? How old is she? More importantly, what is she saying?

We, the readers, will know that this woman is one of the Eldar, and who is the last elf left in Middle Earth? After the sons of Elrond have sailed, after Legolas and Gimli headed West, and after Celeborn finally saw the shores of Alqualondë? Who is left?

Maglor.

Maglor sees these shocking images of a golden haired woman, obviously of the Vanyar, and recognizes her. That is Elenwë, the wife of Turgon and mother of Idril.

That is Maglor's kin.

And Maglor, who now works the most boring 9-to-5 teaching job in all of Eä, longs desperately for any kind of relative, whether they hate him or not.

So Maglor goes to the scientists, the elf that had evaded all suspicion of him being anything other than human, and wants to see his cousin. Of course, they ignore him; that is, until he shows them his ears and sings a haunting verse of the Noldolantë.

They let him inside and Elenwë sees him, speaking ancient Quenya.

"Where is my daughter, Makalaurë?" She demands. "Where is my husband?"

Maglor knows where Turgon and Idril are; they are in the Undying Lands, far, far away.

Maglor tells her, and Elenwë screams. Maglor, who has had hundreds of centuries to process his grief, tries to comfort her, but is dragged away by security. The scientists question him, and Maglor, who has not spoken of his family history in centuries, finally tells the story of burning ships, shining jewels, kidnapped twins, and the war that was supposed to end all wars.

Maglor, who is technically a citizen of whatever country this is, willingly allows himself to stay in the laboratory. He goes to Elenwë again, and after much screaming and weeping, tells her the story of a hidden city and a tortured son of Aredhel and all that followed.

Elenwë is distraught. Obviously. After, she knows that she needs to sail back to Valinor, Doomed or not. She WILL find her daughter and husband again, even if it means she has to cross the sea to do it.

After a few years, Elenwë is released to Maglor's care. She speaks the common tongue well, knows her history and geography, and, well, they can't keep a sentient being in a laboratory forever, now can they (A few want to. Maglor threads his voice with Song and they never speak of that idea again)?

Maglor returns to his job teaching at a university (he teaches linguistics and music theory) and helps Elenwë learn her way around the modern world.

"Yes, that picture is moving," Maglor explains. "No, it is not a palantír."

"I'm not stupid, Makalaurë," Elenwë hisses. She still has a shred of animosity in her heart for all the harm Maglor and his brothers had caused her family.

"And we don't list our genealogies when meeting new people," Maglor told her when Elenwë introduced herself to a bank teller and told them her lineage.

"I could tell by the look on his face, Makalaurë," Elenwë replied bitterly.

Elenwë always had the heater on, and Maglor could not blame her; millenia stuck in ice would make a person long for warmth.

One day, Elenwë points to the drawing on Maglor's mantle and asks, "Who is that?"

The ellon had lines on his forehead, just like her dear Turukano; she always said they were from dealing with Findekáno's oddity.

Maglor was hesitant. "That Itarillë's grandson, your great-grandson."

Elenwë is delighted to hear that her daughter found love in Beleriand, but there was something that Maglor did not tell her.

So he told her, of course; Elenwë always knew if he was lying. He told her about the fire-haired twins' death, the burning camp of refugees, and her grandson's children left at the hands of two kinslayers.

"And love grew between them," Maglor told her. "They were Elrond and Elros, and... I see them as my sons."

Elenwë wanted to be angry. Scream at her cousin for causing so much grief for her daughter's family, but she couldn't. Makalaurë was oathbound to find that silmaril, but he still sought to do good.

"He sailed with Galadriel, Artanis as you know her, a few Ages ago," Maglor said. "He was as kind as summer."

After a while, Elenwë got her own job, an apartment nearby. She gets a degree and finds a stable job. She lives by the coast, like Maglor, and feels the sea tug on her heart every time she hears the rushing waves.

Then, Elenwë buys a boat.

Elenwë buts a boat and asks Maglor to go with her.

"It has been millenia, Makalaurë," she says. "Will you not go to Valinor? Will you leave your family thinking you are dead?"

Maglor refuses. He thinks that he cannot leave Middle Earth. "I am Doomed, Elenwë, but do not let my choices prevent you from going. See your husband, your daughter, your grandchildren and so on. Do not dwell on the past as I have, Elenwë."

"You hypocrite of hypocrites!" Elenwë cries. "You tell me to go and see my child when you will not go and see yours?"

Maglor goes with her.

He takes his favorite pillow, his silver harp made by his father, Maedhros's copper circlet, Elros's wooden toy horse, and leaves behind a copy of the Noldolantë.

Elenwë and Maglor sail.

They think that they will aimlessly wander the Sundering Seas, but they are wrong. Eru smiles at them, and they see the banks of Tol Eressëa. The dock is long gone, but homes dot the sandy shores, still littered with pearls and white gems.

Maglor and Elenwë sail, and they are welcomed.

Maglor is welcomed by six brothers, all released from Námo's halls. He is welcomed by a guilty father, who begs for his son's forgiveness on his knees. He is welcomed by a grieving mother, who had never thought she would see her son again.

He is welcomed by a son that was not his, and a daughter-in-law that looks suspiciously like Galadriel.

Elenwë is welcomed by a husband who has grieved for millenia, who is guilty for not saving her. She is welcomed by her daughter, now grown, and a human man she calls her husband. She is welcomed by a woman with bird-like features, who is her granddaughter-in-law. She is welcomed by her great-grandson, whose picture sat on Makalaurë's mantle for all the time she'd been in Middle Earth.

Maglor returns to his family. He is not exiled, or Doomed to the Everlasting Darkness. He is called home for tea and to play games with his brothers. He is not a ghost story to tell children on rainy nights. He is not a warning to those provoked to anger. He is an elf; an elf who wanted to go home.

Elenwë returns to her family. She is not a casualty listed among the fallen of Helcaraxë. She is not a wife who was not named. Elenwë lives.

Elenwë lives, and she was not forgotten.

[thelordofgifs]

Obscure Tolkien Blorbo: Round 1

Tar-Míriel vs Eöl

Tar-Míriel:

The last queen of Númenor, who was forcibly married by her cousin Ar-Pharazôn.

RIGHTFUL QUEEN OF NUMENOR her throne was STOLEN from her and I may have constructed an entire personality for her based mostly on the lacunae where she is NOT described but it's canon-supported, okay! Like - she didn't support Pharazon, she didn't support Sauron, but she didn't ever act on that in any way major enough to make it into the narrative! It's just in the very last possible minute that she does something, trying to climb the Meneltarma to get to the sacred place at the top - and the Meneltarma I'm pretty sure was erupting at the time? So this isn't her trying to get to safety, this is her trying to make it to the holy place before the wave catches her. But it's too late and she's carried off. And I read SO much into that, that the phrasing is specifically "too late she strove to ascend the steep ways of the Meneltarma to the holy place" - I read it as a metaphor for her entire queenship, how she WANTED to oppose Sauron and Pharazon, but their power was overwhelming and she couldn't see a way to succeed. So she waited, and waited, and waited, and watched for an opportunity that never came, and who knows what would have happened if she'd just thrown aside caution and acted? Maybe she would've been killed, and her supporters with her. Probably that's what would have happened. But maybe not! And she will never, never know, because the time slipped by with waiting until suddenly the earth was shaking and the sea was surging over the land, and there was no more time.

Eöl:

Called the Dark Elf. Husband of Aredhel, whom he later killed, and father of Maeglin.

listen i know we’re all mad abt aredhel but eöl makes Some Points abt turgon’s claims of kingship/authority in beleriand and the fact that it’s a Pretty Shitty Move of turgon to be like “welcome to hotel gondolin, you can never leave, so live here or die here, it’s your choice” bc what kind of choice is that at all. the only guy in the silm who’s like “hey by what token do you claim your authority anyway” who Isn’t just trying to maintain their Own claim to kingship. a vote for the dark-elf of nan elmoth is a vote for anarchy <3

Round 1 masterpost

[ughtumno]

Saw somone post their fancast of Silm characters so here's my own casting starting w lord visine and his husband, evil incarnate.

and with my hand upon your shoulder just as a trusted friend would do, I ask you to hear me tf out

Sauron/Mairon: Eamon Farren

he has the PERFECT evil lil smirk, his pretty nose, and he's how I picture Sauron would look in front of Melkor and day-to-day.

His overbite is SO CHARMING and adds to the uniqueness of his face. Just look at him. I do like to imagine Charlie Vickers as a form Sauron would choose tho, hopefully he does justice with what he's given in s2 lmfao

I also see this guy as Mairon as well, much younger looking and corruptable

Annatar/Tar-Mairon: Stahma Tarr (Jamie Murray)

I am head over heels. I have a particular weakness for peeps w white hair.

I like to imagine that as Annatar, Sauron presented more androgynous (to get as many ppl he could to trust him lmfao. Public Universal Friend? More like Public Universal BITCH slaps knee)

dadd- i mean momm- i mean my liege LIKE COME ON look at her, you'd trust that face to benevolently rule an entire civilization of Men, right? No evil strings attached to those eyes.

Post-Alkallabeth: Prince Nuada (Luke Goss)

after he got his ass beat in Numenor and thrown out of his girlboss bod, that's when he started to lose the ability to appear as beautiful as he used to but still conventionally attractive to middle earth standards.

No matter what form he chooses each time he gets injured, it remains on his body to represent losing strength. The flame in his hair is nearly gone and as he loses his power but before the War of the Last Alliance and the Eye, his hair smoldered to grey and black. Mirroring Melkor like dis:

Melkor: Peter Steele and Keith Lee Castle

as a goth, peter steele is such a muse for me and I'm so glad other ppl agree that he's perfect for Melkor.

That being said, I see Melkor's face as a blend of these two.

They both have strong features and Peter Steele's eyes and eyebrows scream disgraced Valar and that's the form he would use in front of enemies and anyone he's trying to impress or intimidate. Keith Lee Castle brings a softer, friendlier presence and for me, captures how he appears in front of Sauron and in "recruiting and manipulation" mode in Valinor and wherever else he's trying to look more friendly.

If you got this far, my apologies LMAO

I wrote way more abt Sauron (rip Melks) I'll do more Silm characters whenever I remember to :P

[zealouswerewolfcollector]

End of Year Fic Recs

I was tagged by @swanmaids and @grey-gazania. Thank you both <3 The year hasn't ended yet, so I can post this.

Inviting all tagged authors to participate if you haven't already.

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).

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

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

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

Five Series/Multi-Chapter Fics

1. By Treason of Kin Unto Kin by @amethysttribble

This epic Silm/aSoIaF crossover is the third part of Tribble's Everlasting Song series. It's gripping, fantastically written and very carefully thought out. You won't regret checking out how the sons of Feanor, reborn in Westerosi noble families, navigate the aSoIaF world.

2. The Valiant by whyyesindeed

Reborn Fingon returns to Beleriand to find his husband just before the Third Kinslaying in this beautiful and touching fic. It has a sequel too, which I haven't read yet, but I'm sure it's just as well-written as the first part.

3. Celechwes Fixes the Noldor by @tanoraqui

To my shame, I haven't finished this fic yet, but I can't recommend it enough. Celechwes - who marries both Fingon and Maedhros - is a delightful protagonist, the story flows so smoothly and is so much fun to read, while also being very moving.

4. The Seven Trials of Fingon the Valiant by @melestasflight and @polutrope

All seven sons of Feanor court Fingon in this hilarious, brilliant and inspiring fic. I had so much fun reading it, and if you haven't yet, please do yourselves a favor.

5. For We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight by an_evasive_author

This fic began in 2019 and continues to this day, and I still love it like before. Post-Thangorodrim and beyond Russingon with canon divergence. It is exceptional but deals with a very heavy subject-matter, so make sure you read the tags.

Five Single Chapter Fics/One-Shots

1. Tender Morsels by @sallysavestheday

Everything Sally writes is brilliant, but this one did something to my brain. Dark romance (like cannibalism dark) and Russingon coupled with perfect prose. It makes me go insane.

2. Project Requirements by @searchingforserendipity25

This short supply list by Miriel will delight you and break your heart. The author is an expert in this.

3. The knife that shapes the knife by @quixoticanarchy

This OC-centric fic is a careful, heartbreaking study of observing without acting, going with the flow until you sink into evil when you were trying to do good. It stayed with me for a long time.

4. enemy of good by @welcomingdisaster

Every single fic by the author could be here, I chose this one because it was the first one of I read. Maedhros is going through some stuff and tries to resolve it through bondage and sex. Incredible characterization and writing. Russingon, E-rated.

5. post mortem by @swanmaids

Examination of four Feanorian bodies post-Second Kinslaying - a brilliant idea, executed perfectly. The clinical description doesn't take away from the horror, on the contrary, adds to it.

Five Oldies but Goodies

1. No Way You Can Fall by @hhimring

Himring's Maedhros is one of my absolute favorite Maedhroses ever. This fic takes place post-canon with Maedhros freshly out of the Halls meeting a suspicious Fingolfin at Fingon's house. It is written with so much care and gentleness. It warms my heart every time I read it.

2. Tributary by @oopsbirdficced

It's a Spirited Away/Silm fusion and it's Russingon! What's not to love? Adorable, beautiful and magical, I still remember this fic from time to time, even though I read it so long ago.

3. In From the Cold by @dorwinionwhining

Short but so sweet and so well-written Russingon ficlet. The tenderness and their easiness with each other kills me. So good!

4. fools enough to love each other more than we can bear by @potatoobsessed999

After the Nirnaeth, Maedhros receives braids with golden ribbons from Morgoth. Now he has to decide if he should go and save Fingon. Unbearably painful and so good. I can't bear to reread it because it hurts so much.

5. Testrun by goldtoashes and heirsofbrokenlegacies

This is just one part of the authors' series Grow as we go. It's a Modern AU that includes pairings Maedhros/Fingon, Maedhros/Sauron, Sauron/Celebrimbor and even Maedhros/Sauron/Fingon. The whole series is amazing, but this part is my favorite because it's just Maedhros and Fingon in domestic bliss. The series is E-rated, this one part is M-rated.

Five Fics of My Own

1. Lady Makalaurë Fëanáriel Dying of Poison, Late Second Age, Artist Unknown

Post-canon Maglor wanders alone in her spaceship until she discovers something that Gil-galad has to know. This fic doesn't get much attention, which is understandable (it's an AU, a Space AU at that, genderbent and Maglor/Wife), but I loved writing it and I still like it. This was my second TRSB fic this year, and it's the first time I wrote two fics for this event, so I'm pretty proud of it.

2. My cannibalism ficlet and it's companion the other cannibalism ficlet

The first one is quite tragic because I like tormenting Fingon. The second one is lighter in mood, but it's still about cannibalism, so.

3. Alone in the Unknown

The angstiest thing I've ever written. It's the latest part of my Fingon Lives AU. This one focuses on Maglor and his futile attempts to bring Maedhros out of his near-catatonic state.

4. Fingolfin and Fingon and later Maedhros and Fingon discuss some heavy subjects

Not to be too modest, but I think I did some of my best writing here. Fingolfin has fears that Maedhros might be under Morgoth's influence and shares them with his son.

5. Now a Quill, Now a Sword

Maedhros and Fingon's relationship told mostly through letters. This fic deserves a click just for @melestasflight's absolutely stunning art embedded in there if not for anything else. It was a pleasure collaborating with them.

[welcomingdisaster]

thinking about a discussion i saw this morning (please accept these very half developed ideas!) and i do think that part of the reason that the silmarillion fandom pays less attention to female characters (outside of misogyny, which is also a huge part of it) is that basically every single woman is a wife, and most of them are mothers?

i can't help but notice that the majority of popular male characters are unmarried and childless (looking at ao3 statistics, with the notable counter-examples of elrond, who is very often a child in fanfic, and feanor, arda's most divorced elf). which is possibly because many of the most influential male characters in the silmarillion are unmarried and childless, but it does feel a little disproportional.

some very disorganized thoughts on this phenomenon, presented with very little confidence because i'm just bouncing ideas around:

queer ships are far more popular in the fandom as it stands now, because it is heavily queer, and there is very little woman-to-woman interaction in the silm. the majority of the most popular m/m ships are based on some meaningful interaction between the characters. many of f/f ships involve characters that have never met (indis/miriel, finduilas/nienor) or have very limited interactions (thuringwethil/luthien). ------------ this does not explain, however, why m/m ships between people who have no interactions at at all (erestor/glorfindel, celebrimbor/maeglin, etc) routinely get more attention than f/f ships.

basically every woman's story is defined in relation to her husband's (and usually children). idril, i think, is the semi-outlier here (and to some extent aredhel). but even then -- the majority of the male characters, even if they are married, have a lot of story outside of their marriage/relationship (so much so that characters like finrod, fingon, and angrod can go from married with children to unmarried in some drafts have very little changed!). can that be said of any married female character in the text? i don't think so. once a woman in the silmarillion marries and has children, the progression of her story is almost always defined very heavily by her relationship to her husband and children. fingon rules the same and dies the same whether or not he has a wife and son -- idril's story would be very different without tuor and earendil. feanor gets to do a lot of things after his marriage to nerdanel -- fingolfin does very much after his marriage to anaire. both of the women disappear from the story once their marriages are no longer relevant. ---- here i will note that some male characters ARE heavily defined by their relationships to their families. turgon, whose motivations are very heavily based around the death of his wife and protecting his daughter, comes to mind. so does thingol, whose wife and daughter are equally central to his story. that said, neither of those characters is popular in fandom.

to expand on the previous point: characters whose main stories are romance stories, including male characters, do not tend to be very popular. earendil has just under 700 works on ao3. beren has just over 500. (elwing and luthien, for reference, have just over 700 and 800 respectively). despite our love for shipping, the fandom seems to be disinterested in parts of the book with a heavy romance focus. is it possible that the fact that nearly every single woman having a prominent romance arc "turns fandom off" them?

only four unmarried women come to mind as counter examples (watch me miss someone obvious). these are finduilas, haleth, findis, and lalwen. findis and lalwen are footnotes that disappear quickly from the story without being given much to do (which doesn't stop us with erestor or caranthir, but still). finduilas, despite being unmarried, is heavily defined by a tragic love triangle. haleth is the notable exception -- i would say she is more popular in fandom than many women, but less than most male characters. the only real explanations i can give for her getting so little fandom attention is misogyny/bias, the general fact that humans in the silmarillion get less love than elves in fandom, and and possibly her having little connection to any of the other popular characters outside of caranthir.

that being said, i do still think misogyny/the general fandom tendency to ignore female characters in favor of male ones is responsible for a good chunk of the difference. i also really welcome feedback on these thoughts because i feel very uncertain of them. the more i think about it, the more i can find counter-examples and outliers to a lot of the trends i'm talking about here -- perhaps i overgeneralized. is there no coherent analysis to be drawn here?

currently leaning in the direction of "this is a vague but not all-encompassing trend in the text, which affects fandom to some extent without explaining the preference for male characters and m/m ships entirely."

[melestasflight]

For the December Silm asks, Aredhel/Eol and "call upon her name out of the darkness." I'd love to see you explore their relationship more. Thank you!

Holiday Silm Prompt fill for @sallysavestheday. Thanks, friend, for encouraging me to come back to this controversial couple. Posting the collection of stories on AO3 here.

Aredhel returns to Gondolin and considers the price for her decision.

call upon her name out of the shadows

After more than eighty years under the Sun, Aredhel finds herself returned to Gondolin. She is a guest now, a refugee of sorts, in the very city that was once her home.

On their way from Himlad, Aredhel’s heart had been beating wildly like a drum on a festive day prompting bodies into reckless dance. From fear, excitement, or some other type of strange agitation, Aredhel could not tell then. The horse beneath her legs had felt her restlessness and had kept speeding up, faster, fiercer, the closer they were to the Dry River.

‘Mother, wait for me!’ Lómion’s voice would echo behind her from time to time. Ensnared in her thoughts as she had been, she would almost forget that her son had never known the way to the Hidden City.

It was the overwhelming impatience that had filled her, fed by the homeache of many long years, to know how her brother’s city had changed in her absence. To learn who in Gondolin still spoke her name with longing.

Now that she walks the fair white streets, Aredhel feels as if she has fallen into some queer dream she has already dreamt before. The city seems frozen in time, a well-preserved image in rock carved over eighty years ago.

Certainly, a few new houses are perched around the Great Market and streams flow down freshly built channels along the Way of Running Waters, but most things look precisely the same as she remembers them. The rows of trees stand immaculate along the walkways, their branches trimmed in the orderly fashion that Glorfindel’s house has favored since Vinyamar. The same gossip about the same century-old romance is still murmured between the greenery at the Square of the Folkwell. Aredhel even recognizes the song that spills from a corner house where some of Ecthelion's folk reside.

It is a shocking contrast to Nan Elmoth where all things are in constant evolution. Birds there come and go with the changing of the seasons, and colors blend endlessly in the glades. Even the giant trees of the forest move, making space for each other under the starlight, creaking as they lean against each other in a song that no one ever hears twice.

Gondolin lacks the deep shade of the ancient woods, and the trees here are too young to shelter Aredhel from the Sun that is too warm against her skin. The gardens she passes by are rich and tempting to the eye, but they are maintained with skill alone. They are, as with everything in Gondolin, too perfect. An abundance of skill and a lack of soul. 

Aredhel recalls Eöl’s words from summers ago when Lómion had begun growing eager, too eager, to know all that can be learned in the forges, when his young heart had already departed the forest for the marble city from Aredhel’s stories. He must learn that everything has a cost, Aredhel, even his craft. For the land gives, and the land demands. 

Eöl had been right, Aredhel reckons, about that and many other things, but by then the two of them had run out of patience for love. Over the years, the differences that had at first kindled the flames of thrill and curiosity had grown into impassable mountains. 

By the end, Lómion had become their battlefield where they contested their opposing worlds — East against West, Noldo against Sinda, a newcomer against a native, light against dark, change against preservation — it had all come crumbling down slowly but steadily until the meager contentment that remained was no longer worth the effort. So she had stolen her son, at last, a bitter victory against one who was not her enemy but her husband, the lover her heart had chosen. Aredhel wonders now what Eöl will feel when he returns to Nan Elmoth and an empty house.

Was it wrong to leave in the manner she did? Had she taken Lómion away from the forest too soon?

Trapped beneath the weight of her uncertainty, Aredhel gasps for breath. She inhales but nothing comes in, the air escapes her like smoke that cannot be trapped between one’s hands. Nothing stirs around, but Aredhel feels the city alive, almost menacing with its high towers that pierce the sky and its perfectly geometrical shadows that cut the streets blade-sharp. She avoids them on purpose as she walks, thinking they will slice her if she dares step across their boundaries. 

Left, right, right, left, Aredhel quickens her steps, running from what, she cannot tell until her feet hit the northern walls of the city and there is no path beyond. The Echoriad rise as far as up as the clouds, and beneath, nothing but the black rocky forest of the Caragdûr. Behind her, Gondolin catches up, pressing her against the wall above the precipice as whispers of things to come call upon her name out of the shadows.

Aredhel closes her eyes and waits, ready for anything, she is a hunter that has pursued a beast beyond her strength. The call draws nearer.

‘Mother!’ As the voice rings out behind her, clear as silver bells, Aredhel loses sense of the ground beneath her and all but topples into the abyss. She snaps her eyes open.

‘Mother,’ Lómion continues, ignorant of his mother's anxiety, ‘lord Rog has agreed to take me as an apprentice into his house. I can start learning as soon as I’d like!’

When Aredhel finds the courage to face her son, he glows with the joy of eagerness. She focuses on his face to steady herself. Gondolin appears tame behind Lómion’s shoulders; the city has withdrawn its claws, and the white streets are now bathed in the soft light of early evening. Elves greet each other here and there, and the scent of dinner being cooked fills the air from someone’s window. 

Lómion waits for her answer, wide-eyed. He seems changed already, the braids and attire of the Gondolindrim making him look both so young and grown all at once. He is happy here, Aredhel thinks, and for that, it is all worth it.

‘I am most proud of you, my dear,’ she says and draws her son into an embrace.

If you enjoyed this story, feel free to drop me a note/kudo on AO3. It makes my day!

[edennill-archived]

🔥 Tar-Palantir and/or Tar-Miriel

First of all, my deepest apologies for taking so long to reply — life stuff happened, but also I'm just simply awful at being punctual. In any case. Míriel (with a side dose of Palantir):

My key unpopular opinion about her is that I actually vaguely subscribe to the draft where she married Pharazon of her own will, mostly because it feels like the easiest way to make sense of the developments for me (I'm absolutely not saying there aren't any others, ftr, it's just a personal preference on my part).

And so, it follows that I think she was not entirely attached to her faithful heritage at the time she ascended to the throne. She saw her father's efforts achieve nothing except to bring him extreme unpopularity... she feels betrayed by the ones her father trusted¹ and yearns not to be reviled for once... The general idea behind the marriage is to unite the country.

That's how Pharazon presents it to her at least, and I'm not sure to what extent it is his true aim — he is certainly seeking power, but perhaps not yet aiming to outright usurp it. And he is passionate about her, while she isn't in love with him, but likes him more than other candidates for her husband. And of course, she's seen him be cruel before — but not to her.

By the time Pharazon's war with Sauron begins, however, it is long since she held any power, and as Númenor grows more and more corrupt, she slowly begins to return to her roots, because there is no comfort for her elsewhere. In the long run, I don't think it actually changes her fate much from the proper Silm version, save by giving her even more to regret.

¹My vaguely unpopular opinion on Palantir, otoh, could be that I don't actually think the Valar, or anyone, did him wrong. The Silm has some slightly awkward phrasing, but ultimately —a nation doesn't change in one day, and both Eru and the Valar respect free will. If the people of Númenor have spent a millennium festering in a state of decadent, grasping discontent... I don't think it's unlikely that it really was too late for one king's reign to change the course they were going.

Send me 🔥 + a character/place/theme/subject and I'll reply with a hot take about them