#i am just starting The Two Towers and I love Gimli and Legolas

[dragoninatardis]

Also, just saying, I would maybe not have gone with "I told you you'd die if we went in there" as my first words mourning the death of my friend who has just died in saving the life on me and my companions

But you do you, Aragorn

[brunhielda]

I am currently watching through The Lord of the Rings again (as you do).

I love these movies. I will show them to my children (or nieces/nephews) and grand children and great grand children. There are quotes from these films that see me through dark days.

(Reason I can accept the flawed Hobbit films is that they too have quotes that stick around)

That said, as I watch with my parents and thier even older friend, I am listening to them react to Boromir the same way I did the first time I watched it. Knowing what I do now about the back ground of canonical Boromir, it hurts a little bit.

If you are a fan who has read the books, or even is involved with the online fandom- you know. Boromir is a good man- the best of men. He is supposed to be a shining example of the best of us, and his fall to the Ring is meant to show that it could happen to ANYONE. It is meant to be a message to us all that you are not your worst moment, or your worst fault.

And yet because of all the foreshadowing and arguing over choices to make during the quest, we the audience of the movie see him as someone just one step away from betraying everyone. His attempt to take the Ring is not a surprise, or even a tragedy, but a confirmation. The surprise is his redemption in death.

I think there is a version of “The Fellowship of the Rings” that I would have liked to see.

Indulge me:

Part of the problem is that Aragorn is falling into the spot Boromir could be filling. He’s just too epic to allow any other man next to him to look impressive. 🤴🏼

This not only does a disservice to Boromir, but to Aragorn himself, who could be having a much richer personal growth.

So, imagine this.

Strider leans more into his “Ranger in the Corner” persona. He is quiet, terse, filthy, mysterious, and comes across more like your traditional rogue than anything approaching Kingly.

Legolas is the only one to call him Aragorn, he does it exactly once when defending him to Boromir, and never again. Legolas himself is a little different- a few more sarcastic quips, more friendly and forward, the sunshine to Strider’s gloom. When they get to Lothlorian, the elves there acknowledge “Strider the Ranger” as someone known to them, but Legolas of the Woodland Realm does the negotiating. The vibe is “ah, yes… that human Elrond adopted. I suppose we should bid him welcome…” 🫤 (Obvious exception of Galadriel. She knows all. It just makes her seem more out there).

There are a couple less references to his lineage, and every time they do, the feeling from the audience should be- “Really? THAT guy?”

Arwen is clearly in a rebellious stage and looking for a bad boy. Him telling her to go very much has that angsty teen feel of “you could do better” and “I am poison to you.”

Elrond is clearly trying to get through to him, but do we think it is going to take? He remains quiet and moody. Was he the first to volunteer to go? Yes. But it was less a declaration and more of an ernest whisper meant for Frodo. Legolas’s immediate follow up is less “I am inspired” and more “My pet introvert will not survive without me, but I am so proud of you for asserting yourself.” 😂

Meanwhile- we have Boromir. Now, I love me some Sean Bean, but I need him at his most joyful. Most jovial. Give him a big old beard. Pad him out with thicker armor to give him a broader chest.

Boromir is supportive. Boromir is playful. Boromir is everyone’s big bro, ESPECIALLY the younger hobbits. I basically want every scene he has with Merry and Pippin expanded to everyone.

I want the sword drop to feel less like a stranger being disrespectful, and more like a himbo being clumsy.

I want him to talk about the path to Mordor of all the concern of the older sibling who has seen and been, and his dismissal of Aragorn to feel justified. “Yeah… sure, put that guy on the throne. Uh huh. I think we dodged an arrow there.” And I want the end of it to be a bit of a laugh and a clap on the back, and “no offense meant, Strider Ol’ chap, but you don’t seem the type!”

I want every disagreement with Gandalf or Gimli about which way to take to feel like him advocating for everyone’s safety.

I want him to slide into the role that Aragorn currently has, protecting everyone, especially Frodo, and to have Strider fall back into a quieter rear guard position, only to really speak up to sharply tell someone “don’t disturb the water” “Hide!” “get them up.”

Strider will speak on historical landmarks or lands we are entering, which always makes Legolas smile in support. “See, he knows cool things. I am telling you, you wanna be friends with my guy.”

Instead of Strider or Gandalf sending Gimli or Legolas chastising looks, we see Boromir, the peace keeper, laughing at both of them. “Come now master dwarf, the Elf will love trees as much as you love Rock, it is to be expected! I myself would be weary of being out in the open so often, and also loathe to spend as much time under ground as your kin, yet I have been known to be grateful for either tree or rock in a rough spot or two (chuckle) As I’m sure you would find the open forest or the dwellings of men far too open for your liking, but would not begrudge shelter in either when when the rain sets in. To each their own way, as my brother would say! You would like him (directed at Legolas) he speaks your poetry much better than I in any rate! (Aside to Gimli) I am more for the drinking songs myself. Speaking of, have you heard the hobbits tell you about their little place? Master Pippin- tell us, how do Hobbits live?” He just keeps cutting off rudeness with rambles about something his brother said or how the hobbits or men are like both of them, and really, do these fights between dwarves and elves matter when they have Sauron to face? Come! We are brothers in arms! There are moments they bask in it, and moments they are bonded by the annoyance of it. Either way he wins.

(In Lothlorien, they are bonded in grief, in appreciation of Galadriel, and in the strangeness of Boromir being too caught up in his own musings to try to fix them)

I want Galadriel’s speech to both Strider and Boromir to feel like a deepening of characters we are already starting to like, not confirmation of things we suspect. I want her to tell Frodo- “You know of who I speak” and have the audience to go “What?! WHO??? Who is this crazy woman talking about? Oh, she has those seer powers- what does she know?!”

I want every reference to Boromir starting to fall to the Ring to be less obvious foreshadowing, and more a sympathetic look behind the jovial curtain.

“What ails you Boromir?” “Oh- never mind me. My mind has gone back to my brother. I was meant to lead the armies you know.” Strained smile. “Now it falls on him. It is a heavy burden, but he is equal to the task. Probably better at it than me!” Laugh. “It will be well. When I see him again I will have to congratulate him on defending our people so well. And he will chastise me for being away so long to leave him to pick up the slack!”

Far away look. Any of the company gives him a questioning look. “We are not far from the borders of Gondor- she is just over that mountain.” Strained smile. “Forgive me, I have not before been so long from home. I did not realize I would yearn for it so. Perhaps that is why I keep trying to turn us that way- feet always point home, do they not?” (This would be poinant with Sam, Legolas, Gimli, or Strider)

At any of these moments, he glances at the ring. A glance. That is it.

If there are obvious moments of temptation, I want one for every single member of the Fellowship (the movie is long enough, there is room). Gimli admires its make, for all that it is wrought with evil. Dwarves know a thing or two about jewelry, you know. Very good craftsmen. Legolas speaks of the rings of the elves, How they never passed to his line- he isn’t surprised. Surprising bitter moment of saying his Father is one of the weakest of Elves. Gandalf interrupts his musing by talking about his ring. (Could be a moment of bonding with Gimli too) Strider tells Frodo he should preserve his strength- can he not put the Ring in a pocket or pass it to another hobbit? (He does not ask to take it, but music implies the question). Merry and Pippin keep talking about “I know it’s evil, but you have to admit, it has a nice shine to it, doesn’t it?” It is playful and flippant, but there none the less. Boromir might ONCE mention it’s use as a weapon, speaking of what Sauron was able to do with it “They say it was the Ring that allowed him to grow in size and strength- he could kill 8 warriors with one blow!” Only to back track when Strider or Gandalf give him a chastising look. “Forgive me,” he says with a laugh, “I am at heart a warrior, and see everything as a possible tactical advantage. Of course it would only do damage should anyone try to use it.” Gandalf turns away, mollified, Boromir whispers conspiratorially to Merry and Pippin “But imagine! Eight feet tall!” (Chuckles all around- foreshadowing to the two growing to be the tallest hobbits) The whole thing should be told around the fire at night like a good story- again, even in his weakness, we see him as an excellent big bro figure.

The point is, I want to get to Galadriel saying someone will take the Ring and the audience is suspicious of EVERYONE.

Then we arrive at the moment. We all have our suspicions. Strider has gone off to find Frodo. There are implications of everyone being out looking. We saw exactly one glance of Boromir’s shield. Out of everyone? The money is on the creepy mysterious Ranger who might have a heart under there but only seems to snap at people.

Then Boromir tries to take the Ring.

From this point on, EVERYTHING Is EXACTLY the AS THE ORIGINAL.

The context is wildly different.

The shock of Boromir taking the Ring has the gasp effect of Hans’ betrayal in Frozen.

Strider turning down the Ring has us all feeling guilty and weepy, because he’s just quiet and concerned damn it! He has always meant well!

Boromir suddenly realizing what he has done has us sobbing “He didn’t mean it! He didn’t mean it! It was the Ring!” And then he immediately turns to defend Merry and Pippin. There are no dry eyes.

We have seen Strider fight- he has precision and skill. But this fight suddenly feels like he is proving something. Like he is standing up for this man who cannot. That is Boromir, Prince of Gondor you struck down, and he is NOT undefended! Something has shifted. Strider is rising, and it shows in this fight against the leader of the Uruki.

Boromir’s final words to Strider, he calls him Aragorn. He calls him brother. He calls him king. It feels less like a shift in view to culminate a redemption, and more like placing a mantle, more like giving final support. Boromir would have been next to lead the people of Gondor- he is giving it to his friend. Vibes of : “You tried to hide, but I saw you. The elf was right. You will be a great King.” Even at the end, he is the Big Brother we all want.

The last moments of the movie when Legolas sees the hobbits across the river is a shift. “Aragorn!” He calls “they have reached the other side…. You mean not to follow them.” We suddenly realize that Legolas was never leading his quiet anxious introvert around, he was always (more subtly) following his lead. Aragorn (as he is called for the rest of the films) is standing tall, and assertive, and making a decision for the group. And they follow.

People rewatch the Fellowship 3 times its first week in theaters, just to catch the moments that warn us that Boromir will fall, and the moments that hint that Aragorn might rise. There are cries of “No spoilers! Let your friends and family find out for themselves!” People break scenes apart to analyze this dynamic for years to come.

Going forward:

Because of this shift in context in Fellowship, the rest of the Trilogy feels more like watching Aragorn come out of his shell and taking on bigger and bigger rolls.

Meeting the Rohiren is suddenly the first time Aragorn speaks for the group. He does so because these are men, and because his friends are being idiots. 😂

The rebuff of Eowyn’s affections feels like more of the same from his relationship with Arwen- he does not feel he deserves it, even now. She is a leader of her people, and he is not yet sure he can say the same. By the time he can, it is clear Arwen’s heart is with him and his with her. It also feels as if he is leaving Eowyn room to pursue her own destiny, to be a leader in her own right. Arwen is supportive, where Eowyn takes charge- perfect for a fully supportive Faramir. 👍

His approach to Theoden feels less like shrinking away, and more like feeling out when he should lead and when he should step back.

Disrespect from any character feels less like a fault of theirs and more like “I mean, I get it, he’s a bit grimy, but he knows what he’s talking about! You don’t know him! He could be a king!” Theoden’s refusal to listen to him feels more like a tragedy, because how else could it have gone?

The entire Two Towers plot becomes a discussion of leadership. Gandalf swoops in and out, and expects people to listen to him. Eomer is direct and aggressive, but only leads warriors, not a kingdom. Theoden has many under his protection, he must weigh risks and lean on older wisdoms. And then there is Aragorn, still figuring himself out, helping Eowyn to do the same. (With every step he takes, we wonder how Boromir would have fit into this discussion- would Eomer have recognized him? Would Theoden have listened more or less to the leader of Gondor’s armies? Would Boromir have stepped back as often? Would he have insisted, in his still jovial way, and would it have caused conflict? Would he inspire men in the same way? Would it have worked as well? We have no idea how he would have handled Eowyn, besides stepping in as a brother since her’s is out fighting. Suddenly this thought of Boromir is on Aragorn’s face with every decision) What Aragorn figures out is that he himself is honest, ernest, and relies on the support and help of others. The conclusion of The Two Towers is the understanding that Aragorn does not need to be a King to be a Leader. That has always been in him. Has he not lead his group this far? Does he not make friends everywhere he goes? Does he not inspire men and elves alike? (Gimli is but one dwarf, and we do not get further examples 😂) He is not Boromir, or Eomer, or Gandalf, or Theoden, but still, he leads.

The Return of the King is an obvious end to his journey, but it feels more fulfilling, since we have seen Aragorn come farther. The moment he claims his birthright with the ghosts under the mountain is a moment that elicits cheers. His speech at the Black Gate brings tears, not just because of his words, but because of how far he has come.

When he is crowned, his reunion with and acceptance of Arwen’s love means more. His moment of humility in front of the Hobbits make us all see how he HAD to be a Ranger to be the Great King he has become. Pride swells.

And we give credit to Aragorn’s growth to the leadership of Boromir in the first film.

We are also struck to the heart when Faramir announces himself as Boromir’s brother. THIS is the brother he spoke so highly of? Did Boromir that bias towards his own flesh and blood, to think THIS man, who captures hobbits and tortures Smeagle, is someone to be proud of? But by the end of Two Towers we are proud too.

At the end of Two Towers, Faramir has seen Frodo nearly fall to the Ring. Did he believe them when they said it drove Boromir mad? Of course not. We didn’t believe it. And we only had one movie with the guy. No one who knew him would buy that. But then there is Frodo, with a sword to Sam’s throat- “Don’t you recognize your Sam?” And there is a horrified recognition on Faramir’s face. Is it what he knows his Father may someday do with or without the Ring? Is it the recognition of how, even in the best of him, his brother could be like his Father? Is it a vision of himself in that position, his brother over him, because he came back with the Ring as their father asked? And does he admire Samwise that much more, because he handled the aftermath of that so much better than Faramir would in his place? (“Something worth fighting for” indeed- Boromir gave the speeches, not him. He must have LOVED this sunshiny little gardener)

When Sam tells him he is of the finest quality- it means more. They are passing on a message after all.

There may be another line from Frodo- “He spoke of you. He knew you would be a good commander. He was anxious to be home and congratulate you. I am sorry it is me here instead of him. He would be so proud.”

Maybe it is Pippin who mentions it. Maybe we get a flashback to another scene between the two of them. “You remind me of my brother- curious, adventurous, but educated, mannered. Much better mannered than I, as it has often been said!” Loud laughter. “The two of you would make for good friends, should you ever meet.”

“Don’t worry for him too much Merry. I have known one as curious as he. He just wanted to understand the world, as does your cousin. It has served him well- he out grew the recklessness of it, and there is no one I trust more.” “Your brother?” Laugh “How did you guess?”

I want us to love Faramir not only because he is good, but because Boromir loved him, and he loved Boromir. I want us to think of Boromir and what he would say to his brother every time he is on screen. I want us to see the love of Boromir direct all his actions.

The parallels of Eowyn and Faramir hint at thier future relationship more clearly in this version, because the connection between Boromir and Aragorn as different leaders of Gondor continues to shine through. Boromir’s brother could not defy his father’s wishes because he loved him and almost died for it. Aragorn’s student (she feels like a sister when he puts her to the side) does defy her father figure, again because she loves him, and is victorious in battle. Both thier fathers die in the battle. When we spot them together in the houses of healing it is not as much of a surprise. It feels right. They have much in common. Also… as Eowyn is seen to grown into a leader as Aragorn does, she also gets her supportive soft romantic partner.

I want Big Bro Boromir to be there in all but flesh throughout the entire thing. I want Boromir’s bracers on Aragorn’s arms to not only be the first thing we notice in Two Towers, but something to feel so right as to be obvious. I want “Then I shall die as one of them!” to feel like a chastisement to Legolas- “Boromir was human too, and he would want us here.” I want “Gondor will answer” to feel like a certainty, because Boromir would. I want Pippin’s rescue of Faramir to feel like a keeping of a promise to love Boromir’s brother as much as a rescue of a new friend. I want us to see the bracer on Aragorn’s arm as much as the sword in his hand when he says “I am Isildur’s Heir.” I want Theoden’s ride to Gondor to tie back not just to Aragorn, but further back to Boromir- a promise has been kept, and inspiration has come to bloom. I want us to see the white tree flags on the battle field of Mordor and feel like Boromir walked in after all. I want us to cry that Boromir is not there to greet Frodo as he wakes, as much as we cry for everyone else’s happy ending.

It’s just an image I had tonight. A beautiful image. Big Bro Jovial Boromir. Laughing down warmly at everyone from heaven. Making us proud to be of the race of men before Aragorn could.

Like I said- I love these movies. But ah, what could have been.

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

Someone asked me to expand a little on a topic that was buried down in a big chain of reblogs, so I'm doing that here--it's about the use of the archaic "thee", "thou", "thy", etc. in LOTR and what it tells you about characters’ feelings for one another. (I am NOT an expert on this, so it's just what I've picked up over time!)

Like many (most?) modern English speakers, I grew up thinking of those old forms of 2nd person address as being extra formal. I think that's because my main exposure to them was in the Bible ("thou shall not...") and why wouldn't god, speaking as the ultimate authority, be using the most formal, official voice? But it turns out that for a huge chunk of the history of the English language, "thee," "thou," and "thy" were actually the informal/casual alternatives to the formal "you", “your”, “yours”. Like tú v. usted in Spanish!

With that in mind, Tolkien was very intentional about when he peppered in a "thee" or a "thou" in his dialogue. It only happens a handful of times. Most of those are when a jerk is trying to make clear that someone else is beneath them by treating them informally. Denethor "thou"s Gandalf when he’s pissed at him. The Witch King calls Éowyn "thee" to cut her down verbally before he cuts her down physically. And the Mouth of Sauron calls Aragorn and Gandalf "thou" as a way to show them that he has the upper hand. (Big oops by all 3 of these guys!)

The other times are the opposite--it's when someone starts to use the informal/casual form as a way to show their feeling of affection for someone else. Galadriel goes with the formal "you" all through the company's days in Lórien, but by the time they leave she has really taken them to heart. So when she sends them a message via Gandalf early in the Two Towers, she uses "thee" and "thou" in her words to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli because now they're valued friends and allies. And--this is the big one, folks, that was already alluded to in my previous post--Éowyn starts aggressively "thou"ing Aragorn when she is begging him to take her along as he prepares to ride out of Dunharrow. She is very intentionally trying to communicate her feelings to him in her choice of pronoun--an "I wouldn't be calling you "thee" if I didn't love you" kind of thing. And he is just as intentionally using "you" in every single one of his responses in order to gently establish a boundary with her without having to state outright that he doesn't reciprocate her feelings. It's not until much later when her engagement to Faramir is announced that Aragorn finally busts out "I have wished thee joy ever since I first saw thee". Because now it is safe to acknowledge a relationship of closeness and familiarity with her without the risk that it will be misinterpreted. He absolutely wants to have that close, familiar relationship, but he saved it for when he knew she could accept it on his terms without getting hurt.

So, you know, like all things language-based...Tolkien made very purposeful decisions in his word choices down to a bonkers level of detail. I didn’t know about this pronoun thing until I was a whole ass adult, but that’s the joy of dealing with Tolkien. I still discover new things like this almost every time I re-read.

[sonofarathorns]

i finished reading the fellowship of the ring for the first time!!!

• one lasting impression i have is that i love boromir so much. when it started snowing on the mountain, he was so concerned for the halflings, it was so sweet. there were many instances like that where both he and aragorn fiercely defended the hobbits, or carried them, and i may pass away if i think about it too much.

• b-bill… 🥺 i was genuinely so sad for sam to have to send his beloved pony away to certain danger. if i didn’t already know from tumblr tolkien lore that bill lives, i would be really sad right now.

• damn, the movies really did gimli dirty, didn’t they? (don’t get me wrong, i love the movies and i have little to no problems with them) but literally no one wanted to go to moria because they knew how dangerous it was going to be. in the movies, it was like gimli was trying to convince the company to go that way. just a difference i noticed!

• i just put the book down, just now, to come type this bullet point because i needed a breather. i am currently, right now, on the edge of my fucking seat!!! (im laying in bed but you know what i mean)

my heart is beating out of my chest! like, i know what’s gonna happen, but they’re sooo close 😫 imagine never having read the books, and the first movie comes out, and you don’t know that gandalf comes back. that would be so insane/devastating.

• lmfao because of that one post on tumblr “when watching fotr with your friends and the balrog shows up you can tell them, this is where legolas starts screaming in the book” but friends. he’s not screaming. he’s wailing it (honestly valid, i would react the exact same way but for a minute just picture movie legolas wailing upon the arrival of the balrog and tell me that’s not funny).

• i like that we get more detail and interaction with the elves in lorien. book galadriel comes across softer, friendlier, less scary (maybe that’s just because movie galadriel scared me with that one scene when i was younger).

• i kept waiting for boromir to die, and i was like, he’s (tolkien is) running out of time here! how can we get to that part AND adequately say goodbye to him?

when i had like 5 pages left i was like yeah there’s no way. i went to my husband all stressed about it and he told me it doesn’t happen until the second book! i was like ohhhhh, okay.

• i can’t wait to start the two towers! of the movies, it’s my favorite and i’m interested to see how that differs.

[frodo-with-glasses]

for the friendship asks - #11 for Aragorn and Faramir!

11. “Which of the friends do I relate to more?”

Whoof, that’s a tricky one. I guess Aragorn and Faramir just never seemed particularly relatable to me?? I mean, the hobbits I can relate to just fine—as I'm sure was Tolkien's design, because he built them to be the Everymen through whose eyes we experience the story—but Aragorn and Faramir feel more like the heroes of ancient legend, or like wax figures standing stoically in a museum, than they feel like your cousin or your neighbor or your friend. They're sort of...distant, unknowable, and untouchable. A step above "normal people", so to speak.

Now, let's see...usually, what makes characters relatable are the challenges and struggles they experience. Even if the circumstances of their stories are extraordinary and far outside the realm of our boring lives, the characters will react to those circumstances with very human emotions, and that's what makes it possible for us, the audience, to connect to them.

Aragorn's struggle is that he's a lost king who's trying to reclaim his throne. He has a lot of responsibility and expectations on his shoulders, but he sometimes doubts he'll be able to live up to it all. He's not so prideful that he thinks he can't make mistakes, but he picks himself up and does what he has to anyway.

Faramir's struggle is that he is overworked by a father who's slowly going mad, and the strain drives him nearly to his literal death. One of these days I'll do a mini-essay comparing Faramir in the movies vs. Faramir in the books, but in the meantime, suffice it to say that Book Faramir strikes me as even less relatable than Movie Faramir, simply because he has less flaws. He's admirable and noble, but it's he's the kind of person that you respect from a distance, not one that you can really understand.

I guess that just leaves Faramir with one potentially relatable thing: his daddy issues. However, I am thrilled to say that I can't relate to those either. My dad is The AwesomestTM, and I'm not just saying that because he reads this blog occasionally. (Hi Dad, love you! 💚) I'm saying that because it's true, and because whether you guys realize it or not, you love him too.

My dad the one who introduced me to Lord of the Rings when I was a smol. My dad is the one who raised us on family movie nights watching bonus features of the Extended Editions on our chonky little letterbox TV. My dad is the one bought me this absolutely dope-looking copy of LotR, which has featured in every single Photo of the Text at the top of my posts since the start of Two Towers. My dad is the one who suggested I draw this moment with Treebeard, Legolas, and Gimli, which you guys evidently thought was hilarious, because it was my second post to break 2K notes! This blog would not exist without him (nor would I, by definition, but that's beside the point). He's a nerd, and hilarious, and one of the wisest people I know, and he has never, not even once, even remotely attempted to set me on fire!

All that to say: I think, by process of elimination, I'll have to say Aragorn is more relatable to me, if only because we get to spend more time with him, get him in his head, and see him when he's getting cross with hobbits and isn't at his best.

I'm sorry if that's a boring answer, but thanks for giving me the chance to go off on a tangent about my dad!

FRIENDSHIP ASK GAME!

[dapper-wings]

Okay, so we all know that iconic scene in Two Towers where Gimli and Legolas compare their kill counts from the battle (THAT STILL ONLY COUNTS AS ONE). But in my not so humble opinion, the book to movie transfer just did not capture some of their best moments in this saga and I am here to rectify this tragedy. 

So naturally, Gimli’s the one who starts it:

Legolas responds dramatically and patronizing, as usual “Two? Sure, not bad. I mean, I’ve got 20, but who’s counting, right?” Oh Legolas

Gimli comes back later with exactly one kill count over Legolas’ previous score and you cannot convince me that that was not out of sheer pettiness. Meanwhile, Legolas has been racking up points fruit ninja style but...he’s only killed like 4 more? Two dozen is 24 right? And he had at least 20 earlier? I really want him to just have thought that there was no way Gimli could’ve caught up to him, then he saw that Gimli was definitely catching up and oh shit better kill some more to stay in the lead and he barely scraps by 21-24, but of course acts a though that was the plan all along. 

After this there’s a break, until Legolas comes looking for Aragorn because he can’t find Gimli to brag about his new high score (39). I love that Aragorn thinks Legolas is looking for Gimli because he’s worried about him and tries to reassure him that Gimli is a strong dwarf and probably fine wherever he is, and Legolas is just, woah, what, no, I just wanted to brag. Who cares that they are in the middle of a battle right now. Nope, Legolas is just like gotta find Gimli and tell him I am KICKING HIS ASS. 

honestly these two

AND THE IRONY when he DOES find Gimli, Gimli’s in the lead 42-39. I like that Legolas has killed two more in this time. I can’t help but hope they were ‘Grrrr I can’t find my dwarf where is he’ passive aggressive killings, like two orcs who just happened to get in his way mid-rant. Because of course, we all know that he actually was worried about Gimli in all of this. 

So, Gimli wins. 

BUT THEN

We get THIS GEM

When Treebeard isn’t sure about letting Gimli into Fangorn, Legolas freaking uses Gimli’s high score to brag about his dwarf to impress Treebeard and it works. 

Legolas just proudly proclaiming Gimli’s victory to Treebeard to validate his presence in Fangorn feeds my soul and I love this so much

So there’s my take on the REAL reasons behind their friendly casualty count. God I love these two so much 

[zaraquinn]

Love Underneath the Stars

Legolas - Fluff + Mereth Aderthad [Mereth-en-Gilith] (The Feast of Reuniting/Stars)

Word Count: 965

Legolas Greenleaf x Fem!Reader (Human)

Requested: @naryamirie

A/N:

Y/N - Your Name

Additional Notes: I just watched the two towers I got a hot batch of motivational juice to write! so here’s this one (and I hope I did the Mereth-en-Gilith justice)! Also, I just realized how much of canon!book Legolas I added to this—with Legolas staying in Ithilien after the ring (with Gimli ofc).

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———

Mereth Aderthad. ‘The Feast of Reuniting’, but also known as ‘The Feast of Stars’. It was where Y/N and Legolas were preparing to go, as they were invited by Elrond of Rivendell himself.

Middle Earth had found its newfound peace once more—after the destruction of the One Ring and Sauron. And not only did Middle Earth find its newfound peace, but the race of men found their long lost king. All hope and light were restored, and the rest of time can pass on into the age of men. After the departure of the Fellowship, the members had all settled to what they desired to at the end. Aragorn became King and Arwen his Queen. Frodo was in the process of starting his adventure of the ring, preceding Bilbo’s adventures in his book, while Sam, Merry and Pippin used this time to have a well rest—they deserved it. Gandalf tended to some other White Wizard goals and tasks, keeping him busy.

All that was left were Legolas, Gimli and Y/N. After the Ring’s destruction, the three had decided to keep travelling and finding adventure around Middle Earth, and where their feet hadn’t travelled yet. Although, there were sometimes where their adventures, albeit shorter than most, were just times of rest and recovery. It was those times where Legolas and Y/N had finally settled together. Legolas had met Y/N in Gondor—along with Faramir, they aided in the mission to take down the One Ring, and during Gandalf’s stay at Gondor, she joined the Fellowship; promising to put her life for Frodo and the rest of the team—and just like that, Gandalf had accepted her place of fealty as she was welcomed in the group. A fair ranger she was, she was sent out of Gondor during the third age war to find and help the iconic trio; Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. Who knew her mission of fighting alongside a man, dwarf, elf and countless undead ghosts was one to reunite a bond of a lifetime.

It was since then, her admiration and bond grew with the three companions, especially the elf in particular. His warrior skills; light as a feather and tough as seven giants, the elf never left Y/N sight. There was nothing else to compare to him, and she knew after fighting alongside him in the fields of Pelennor, as well as him saving her multiple times, she knew her heart's calling. It was also rare for the elf to develop these feelings for the human woman. As strong as she was, she was fierce in her intellect—and agile as an angel; he had no shame as he spent more time with Y/N that the young elven princeling started to answer his heart’s calling as well. It was calling for her and her for his—they were calling for each other. In such little time, the two became close and even closer after the One Ring’s destruction, and it was a certain dwarf master that made them finally confess their love for each other. Safe to say, he was proud he finally made the two warriors do something. Legolas has still a way to go in the world, and Y/N still had more years to come, and Gimli decided it was for them to spend together (with him too at times of course!).

“Meleth nin.” The voice from behind Y/N had snapped her attention back to reality, as her brain had wandered back to nostalgically thinking of the past. She smiled as she was greeted with Legolas’s fair complexion in the beautiful moonlight. He held her from behind in his arms and planted a soft kiss at the back of her head. She smiled in bliss as she easily gave into his touch, humming as they both stood on the balcony of their shared room in Ithilien. “It is soon Mereth Aderthad.” Legolas said, and Y/N looking up at him for a quick translation to the elven language. “It is the reunion of stars; a feast. It is where the elves join together and celebrate every race of the elves and our culture. A meeting that has been the source of great bonds and friendship that last lifetimes.” He simply explained and Y/N smiled. “That sounds wonderful, Legolas! I am sure you and your people would love to see you again!” She said ecstatically, finding it odd he mentioned it out of the blue. It seemed like he was trying to ask permission to go, but she hesitated and kept the thought to herself.

“Why would I go alone? You would not accompany me?” His brows furrowed in confusion, turning Y/N around in his arms as his one hand travelled gently to her cheek. “I assumed it was only for your people—your kind. I am only human, Legolas. I understand.” She said, in full honestly and also confusion. “But I want you to come with me.” He took both of Y/N’s hands into his own and bringing them close to his lips. “Are the race of men even allowed at the gathering?” She said, looking down with some worry. “They will now. I won’t leave you behind. I am a part of your life, and you will be part of mine, whether they like it or not.” The young prince says, kissing Y/N’s hands.

She closed her eyes in solace; Legolas’ forever loyalty never failing to make her feel safe, welcoming and loved. Opening her eyes, she was met with Legolas’ sky orbs, as she leaned in to press a kiss on his lips. Soft as a cloud but heavy with love, the couple shared a moment of adoration beneath the moonlight above. “I love you.” They both said, coincidentally right after they departed from the kiss, being followed by a short chuckle between them.

———

MASTERLIST 🍃

LOTR REQUESTS 🍂

[elvish-sky]

Hope {Aragorn x Reader}

A.N: So no prompts done today cause I was working on this, but I’m proud of it and will get right on prompts tomorrow! This is the completely reader-insert version! I honestly had so much fun writing it and am honored that this person wanted me to do so. I hope y’all like it!

Requested by @ask-the-elf-stuff on Tumblr

Pairing: Aragorn x Reader

Word Count: 1,799

Warnings: Kissing, fluff, the smallest bit of angst.

****

Hope

“You’re really leaving?” You gazed into Aragorn’s eyes, hoping that it wasn’t true.

    “I have to, Y/N. The fate of Middle-Earth depends on it.”

Your head dipped in understanding, but also sadness. 

“Do not fear. I will return.” He cupped your chin with his hand, tilting your head and kissing you. It was a light kiss, nothing like the others you had shared before. This kiss was the hope that you’d see each other again.

Breaking away, you forced a smile as you hugged him, trying not to cry. Stepping back, you waved as he followed the rest of the newly formed Fellowship through the gates of Imladris. Your father stood next to you, and as Aragorn passed through the gates Elrond drew you into his side. 

“He’ll be back, hína (child),” Elrond said as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

Nodding, you rested your head on your father’s shoulder as you watched the man depart.

Weeks later, you were pacing your room, determined to do something. Arwen stopped short in the doorway as she saw you pack open on your bed as you shoved things inside.

     “Y/N? What are you doing?”

“I do not know why, but I have felt a pull to follow. An ache, almost painful in its strength, has settled inside me and so I knew I must follow. We have not heard from the Fellowship in weeks, Aragorn could be hurt, or someone else could be, or he could be,” your voice broke, “dead.

The elf nodded in understanding. “The ache is telling you to be with the one you love.”

She then clasped your hand. “Y/N. Look at me.”

You looked at her, unshed tears of worry clear in your eyes.

“If he was dead, you’d feel it. And I know as your sister I should be telling you not to go, but I cannot help but notice the pain you’ve been in these last weeks. So go, find him.” She spread a map out onto a small table nearby, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you just carry that everywhere?”

She shot you a look, and you quickly clammed up, peering over her shoulder as she pointed things out. 

“After crossing the mountains visit our grandmother in Lothlorien, the Fellowship had planned to pass through there, and she will know where they are.” 

You took it all in, remembering the route to Lothlorien from visits to your grandparents you had made before your mother went west. 

“Thank you, Arwen.” You smiled up at your sister.

She clasped your wrist before pulling away, placing her hands on your shoulders as she looked into your eyes. “Stay safe, Y/N.”

You nodded, shoving the last things into your pack before slinging it over your shoulders with your bow and quiver, daggers sheathed on your thighs, hugging your sister one last time before leaving your room.

   You strode down the hallway, dressed in leather hunting clothes as you made your way to the gates of Imladris. You had stopped by the kitchens to gather food supplies, making sure they thought you were only going for a hunting excursion. 

Entering the courtyard, you saw your father standing in the center, clearly waiting for you. Silently cursing Arwen, as you had hoped to slip away unnoticed, you made your way over to him.

“I should not let you do this.”

You frowned at his words, drawing breath to protest, but before you could Elrond spoke again.

“But you are free to go. I feel the ache and have felt it every day since your mother departed. I know that nothing but being with the one you love can ease that pain, and it would hurt me to know you are experiencing it. Go to Estel. I give you my blessing.” 

You hugged your father before turning and mounting your horse, brought from the stables. Turning to wave to your father one last time, you leaned down to whisper, “Let’s go, Daeroc. Let’s go find Aragorn.” The horse broke into a trot, and you left Imladris behind.

Weeks later, you led Daeroc into Lothlorien, waiting for the sentries to appear. One dropped down from a tree, and you smiled at him, recognizing the face.

“Haldir,” you greeted him with a smile.

“Y/N. It is good to see you again. I assume you are here to see the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn?”

You nodded, “Yes. I have not seen my grandparents in a long time. But before we go to them could you find someone to take care of Daeroc?”

Another elf came into view, nodding to you as she took the reins from your hands. 

“Thank you,” you smiled at her.

Later, you walked into the courtyard, bowing to your grandparents standing on the stairs above. 

“Y/N, my daughter’s daughter. What brings you here?” Galadriel smiled at you, descending the stairs with her husband to greet you, each clasping your wrist. 

“To see you, of course, and seek news of the Fellowship that I assume has passed through here.” 

Your grandmother smiled. “It seems you are in luck, for they are here as we speak.”

Your eyes widened. “But they should have been long gone by now. I wonder what has caused the delay?”

Celeborn’s face softened. “Then you do not know.”

“Know what?” You were beginning to grow quite worried. “What has happened?”

“They could not make it through the pass of Caradhras, so they turned and went through Moria, costing them the life of Mithrandir.”

You gasped, heart aching at the grief that must have caused them and the grief you now felt. 

“May I see them?” All you wanted now was to see your friends and the man you loved.

“Of course.” Galadriel beckoned you to follow her, and you did, softly conversing with your grandmother and updating her on the lives of her family in Imladris, as well as others she knew.

Stepping into the clearing, you turned to thank Galadriel, watching her fade from view behind you for a moment before continuing. 

There he was. Tall and handsome still, even grimy with dirt and dust from his travels. You debated casually walking up and greeting him more sedately, but watching him you just couldn’t hold back. All your elvish instincts left you, and you sprinted towards him, leaping into his shocked arms as kissing him for all you were worth. He kissed you back for a moment, and then pulled away, the surprise on his face clear.

“Y/N! What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you.”

His eyes widened. “You did?”

You smiled at him. “Of course I did, meleth.”

He smiled back at you, and drew you in for another kiss, hands holding you up as your legs wrapped around his waist. Deepening the kiss, he moved so your back was pressed against a tree and his hands were free to slide up your back, tangling in your hair as you lost yourselves in each other.

Sometime later, you sat with the rest of the Fellowship after the nighttime meal, talking. It was good to see them again, you had grown fond of all of them, even the dwarf, during their time in Imladris. But of course, the only person you really had eyes for that night was Aragorn, who sat next to you with an arm around your shoulders. 

Legolas had seemed puzzled with how comfortable you were with affection, it was rather un elf-like. You had explained to him that because of your father’s past, he was slightly more affectionate than a normal elf, and showed it. You hadn’t missed the wistful look on Legolas’ face as you spoke and recalled what you knew of his family, feeling sorry for him. 

Later that night, you sat by the dying embers of the fire alongside Legolas. Aragorn had gone with the hobbits to wash up, and Boromir and Gimli were sleeping, so it was just you and the elf.

“Legolas?” The older elf looked at you. 

“Can I ask you something?”

He nodded, and you continued, “I was just wondering, do you know of something like an ache? It began right after the Fellowship departed Imladris, and only subsided when I arrived here. What does it mean?”

He smiled. “Y/N. That was the bond between your soul and Aragorn’s, pulled taught with your fear of losing him. Now that you are reunited, it has gone because you are together. It is every elf’s greatest dream and worst fear to have that feeling.”

You smiled. “Have you?”

The pain in his eyes told you that maybe that was not something to be asked of others.

“I am not sure if it is in my destiny to ever feel that.” He gazed into the distance.

The two of you sat in easy silence for a long time, after that. 

“Y/N.” You turned to see Aragorn beckoning to you, and with a nod to Legolas, you rose.

“You do not have to come with us. It will be a journey of great peril, and I do not want to put you in that much danger.”

You gazed at him earnestly, “Aragorn. I shall be there when the crown is finally placed on your head. I shall be with you until the end.”

He smiled at you again and clasped your hand as you walked through the towering trees.

You had left Lothlorien the day after with the Fellowship, having officially joined up. Lots had happened after that, including almost dying with most of Middle-Earth, but months later, all was finally well. Frodo and Sam had destroyed the ring in Mordor, the forces of Mordor had collapsed along with the Black Gate, and today was the coronation of King Elessar, also known as Aragorn. 

You watched, standing next to Gimli on the dais, as Gandalf lowered the crown onto Aragorn’s head.

“Now come the days of the King!” Gandalf declared before Aragorn turned to face his kingdom. Everyone cheered as he stood there, silencing quickly as he spoke. His words were wise and sincere, and you couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. As petals began to fall, he started singing, the words quickly fading as he turned to you. 

You walked down to meet him at the bottom of the steps, gown trailing behind you. Once you reached him, he grabbed your hand, wrapping an arm around your waist as he dipped you into a spectacular kiss. Unlike the one you had shared in Imladris, this was not a kiss of sadness. This was a kiss of hope, peace, and promise. As the cheers rose around you again you knew that everything you had hoped for had come true.

Everything tag: @entishramblings @itgetsatadhazy @boyruins @anjhope1 @wellofeternalthirst @kumqu4t @katbby16

[lovely-v]

LOTR (films) Review

So I finally watched the LOTR films (20 years later). I’m super excited to review these because I read the books very recently so I feel at least a little prepared to voice some opinions. Overall I loved the films, here’s a very long (but by no means exhaustive) compilation of my thoughts, which are of course, totally subjective:

(Warning: a lot of me saying “well, actually, in the book...”)

THINGS I LIKED

- Casting! not much to say here, I thought the casting was great. One of my favorite actors that I didn’t think i’d have a huge opinion on was David Wenham as Faramir. I was kinda ambivalent on him when I saw pictures but i thought he did a great job. he showed his quality.

- Music. so much has been said about the films on the music front. I can’t offer too much original insight but when a bit of the Shire theme started to play as Frodo tries to make his way up Mount Doom I cried a little.

- Boromir and Aragorn. I liked the scene where they interact a little in Rivendell. I also like how Aragorn saves Boromir in the Moria battle and gives him this little nod of friendship. I think the films did a great job portraying the dynamic they have where Aragorn is clearly suspicious of Boromir’s motivations but grows to respect him to the point where he doesn’t even blame Boromir for being corrupted by the ring because he understands that, at heart, Boromir is a good person. 

- Sam and Frodo in Osgiliath. I expected to be kind of annoyed with the way this plot point played out (I knew ahead of time that it strayed from the book), but I actually liked it a lot. As I’ll say later, there’s some gripes I have with the way the films extremely play up the disagreements between Frodo and Sam, but I loved the scene where Frodo pulls the sword on Sam and then seems so defeated when he realizes what he’s done. I was pleasantly surprised by how emotional this scene made me. It’s admittedly A Lot, but it was done nicely, especially in conjunction with Sam’s “there’s good in this world” speech.

- Treatment of the ending. I almost think I should dislike the ending as it is in the movies, but my heart is soft and I like that they sugarcoated it a bit. I know the whole point of the Scouring of the Shire and Frodo’s depression conveys a lot about war and trauma and I think that is important, but after watching these things for twelve hours I just wanted Frodo & co. to be happy and I was kinda relieved that they cut the Scouring. Does that make me weak and perhaps bad at film analysis? yes. do I care? no. I was also very glad that the movies didn’t portray how depressed Sam was about losing Frodo in the end. Yes, he cries, but when he walks home to his family he seems happy and in the books that scene came off so much bleaker. I definitely liked the lighter tone.

THINGS I WAS NEUTRAL ON/DIDN’T LIKE

- Arwen. (Neutral) I don’t hate her, I don’t love her. I think the story she and Aragorn have is compelling and I 100% get why the filmmakers decided to add it to give her character more depth, but it felt misplaced at times. maybe it’s just because it was the only storyline I didn’t know in depth, but the scenes with the Arwen/Aragorn flashbacks felt a bit confusing and disorienting. Don’t have anything against Arwen as a character though, I think she’s pretty alright.

- Gimli. (Complicated thoughts) I want to start off by saying I don’t dislike Gimli. I like him a lot! I just think the movies did him a bit dirty. He had some good movie-exclusive moments, but I think his character really fell into this place of being the butt of too many jokes. Would have liked to see some more serious Gimli development, especially with his relationship to Legolas. Their friendship felt too much like subtext here, whereas it’s explored far more in the books.

- Two Towers Pacing. (Didn’t really like). The pacing of TTT was...weird. maybe I’m going into this with a closed mind because of the books, but it was odd to have the movie begin with Frodo and Sam and then have them only appear for a few rapid scenes after that. I think the fact that a WHOLE LOT of what happens to Frodo and Sam in TTT is moved to RotK is what makes it feel that way? In the books, Two Towers ends with Sam discovering that Frodo isn’t dead from Shelob’s sting, and I was surprised by how long it took the movies to get to that part. However, I will give the films a little leeway because I think they needed Frodo & Sam content for RotK, since most of what happens in that book is them walking through Mordor basically starving and dying. Doesn’t make for great cinema I guess, so they had to put the whole Shelob/Cirith Ungol saga into the final film. Still, I think there’s a weird lack of Frodo and Sam’s presence in TTT.

- The go home/missing bread arc. (Full of rage abt this one) yeah. so. my criticism of this is gonna sound pretty tired because people complain and complain about this part of RotK. but I’m gonna complain some more!! I don’t think the split between Frodo and Sam does anything for the plot. I really don’t. I guess it emphasizes the fact that Sam doesn’t understand how much Frodo is projecting onto Gollum, but it’s just. unnecessary angst? They had enough angst in the Osgiliath scene! Which I actually liked! And it simply doesn’t make a lot of sense for Frodo to suspect Sam of eating the bread when Sam had already offered Frodo his own food and made it clear that he would very much starve if it meant making sure Frodo could eat. But what I hate most about this scene is not that Frodo gets mad and tells Sam to go home. No. It’s that Sam actually... thinks about doing that? he actually? goes down the staircase? emotionally this is bad because Sam clearly cared enough about Frodo to follow him this far, to nearly drown for him, so why would he leave now. Practically this is bad because 1. how would Sam get out of Mordor alone and 2. where would he go. He turns around almost immediately, yes, but what was his plan. where was he going. why.

THINGS I LOVED

- For Frodo! This line, and every other shoutout to Frodo. In the books, they didn’t really actively talk about/worry about Frodo (and Sam) as much as they do in the movies. I like that they talk about Frodo more in the movies! I like that they’re thinking about him! I know it was implied that they were in the books, but I really like how it’s shown here. I think it gave a more complete picture of how much they all care about him on a personal level in addition to just needing him to succeed from a pragmatic standpoint. 

- Merry and Pippin! I feel like Merry and Pippin were so well rounded in the films. I’ve heard criticism about them being turned into comic relief characters (which they always were a little bit) but it honestly didn’t feel that way to me. They had a bit of a rough start because the films didn’t make their motives for going with Frodo as deep as the books did, but I think that by TTT they were absolutely amazing characters in every scene. In RotK their respective arcs hit really well and the scene where Pippin is singing to Denethor? *chef’s kiss* poetic. beautiful. sad. idk man I just feel like I have such a newfound appreciation for Merry and Pippin.

- Parallels! people have pointed out the parallel of Frodo and Sam’s hands before (drowning scene/mount doom scene) and I love how the movie did that. Just stunning. Also! The moving of the Smeagol & Deagol scene to RotK surprised me because in the books it was like,,,at the beginning of Fellowship, but I think the placement of it in the movies really helped emphasize the similarities between Smeagol & Deagol and Frodo & Sam (and how much Frodo fears this similarity.) There were a lot of other well done parallels between storylines and a few bits of dialogue that were repeated with great timing, but I can’t remember all of them at the moment.  

Edit: here’s one I remembered! when Frodo wakes up after being rescued and sees Gandalf, he says Gandalf’s name in a very similar tone to the one he used at the very beginning of Fellowship. It was a nice little subtle connection.

- I can’t carry it for you...alright this is self-indulgent. everyone knows I love this line. I’m just so glad it made it into the movie intact. Sean Astin’s delivery was amazing. I cheered. My mom cheered. It’s a raw line and it makes me feel secret emotions...like if shrimp colors were feelings. that line makes me feel shrimp feelings. idk i’m so tired i just watched twelve hours of movies this review is decreasing in quality by the minute but i’m about done for now anyway

Various silly afterthoughts

- I would have liked to see Sam kiss Frodo’s hands at least once. This happens 50 thousand times in the books, they could have given me one scene. one little extended edition scene. Please Peter Jackson I’m dyin’ out here

- They literally made Gollum so hateable. kinda the point yes, but I was so on board with Sam’s murderous rage. I know why Gollum’s a profoundly complex character, I know why Frodo pities him, I know why murder is bad, but I too would throw hands with that creature. also he literally body shamed Sam so much what was that skdjksdjksd. Sam is lovely. let him commit a small homicide. 

- the scene where merry and pippin drink the tall boy juice (as someone once referred to it in the tags of one of my posts)... not accurate to the books (since they don’t ever drink it with the end goal of getting tall) but so accurate to life. if I found some water that made me taller than my friends? let me at it

- Frodo panicking when he falls into the spider webs. so real bestie. i felt just as panicked watching that. i am terrified of spiders and Elijah Wood did an amazing job doing exactly what i’d do in the situation. yelping a lot and falling down.

- I feel like it’s never stated that Sam’s a gardener (or at least that he’s specifically Frodo’s gardener) until he tells Faramir he is. Did I miss this. Or do they really never say.  are you just meant to know. are you just meant to pick up gardener vibes from him.

*

This has been a very chaotic lotr movie review. Thanks for reading.

[entishramblings]

The Cruel Nature of the World [Legolas X Reader]

A.N: So here is another Legolas one shot because I am immensely skilled at procrastinating my fic and ignoring my ikr responsibilities!!! We love that!!!!

Request: anon — hii, if you’re taking requests can I ask for a Legolas X Reader where the reader is kind of touch starved...and really needs some soft gentle touches? Maybe one big with the fellowship she’s sitting next to him and something happens?

Pairing: Legolas X Reader

Summary: (Y/N) joins the fellowship and is focused on her own struggles. Legolas wants to comfort her. The fellowship teases him for being sweet on her.

Word count: 1,830

Warnings: themes of depression?

(gif not mine)

MASTERLIST

The moon had risen high against the blackness of the sky and it’s light pooled upon the weary group, offering solace from the dark. It was then when the fellowship finally decide to rest. Aragorn had picked a spot tucked into the side of a rather large mountain, where the vastness of the stone wall and adjacent forestry provided cover from those who might seek what they carried. The group could be seen from no sides and, quite frankly, the shelter was a comfort to them all.

Sam had built a fire and they eagerly gathered around it to siphon the warmth and eat a hearty meal. (Y/N) leaned her back against the sleek stone that towered above them and stretched her legs towards the flames. Her somber eyes gaze upon the stars while she waited patiently for a plate of food to be passed to her. Here, she let her mind wander.

The cruel nature of the world did not spare (Y/N). Her life was anything but easy. Alone and the run—where she hid from fear, from guilt, from regret, from her past. She was tired. Tired of the darkness that seemed to follow her through all the centuries that she had lived. Tired of all the death and destruction she witnessed. Tired of the pain. Tired of fighting. Tired of killing. There was no escaping it, so why had she even bothered concealing herself from the dreadfulness of it all? But now, it was unavoidable. The time had come to change direction—to sprint towards the ruthlessness of the shadows. That is why (Y/N) joined the journey to destroy the ring. That is why she chose to pledge her life to the quest.

The scent of crispy sausage and beans filled her nostrils as a plate was held before her, drawing her from her thoughts. She moved her gaze from the lights in the sky to the one who offered her a meal.

Legolas stood, towering over her, with a knowing expression upon his face. He lowered the plate as a gesture for her to take it, which she gratefully accepted.

“The boundless freedom of the sky fascinates us all,” he stated as he sat down next to her, placing his own meal in his lap.

The elven woman raised her brows and nodded in the direction of Merry and Pippin, “Well, maybe not all of us.”

Legolas lifted his head to see what she was motioning at. And sure enough, she was correct. The two hobbits were more interested in attempting to stick their sausages up their nostrils then contemplate the wonders of the sky. The Mirkwood Prince couldn’t help but crack a smile. How they came to think up this ridiculous activity with their food, he knew not.

The two elves ate their meals in silence for the blonde ellon didn’t know what to speak of. It was very rare for (Y/N) to carry a conversation, no matter how many times Legolas had tried. She seemed to be in a world far off—always sharpening her countless weapons and living in the crevices of death and despondency. He could see the emptiness in her eyes and the dread in her soul. She viewed the world as a vicious place; one with no comfort and no warmth. Quite frankly, this saddened the blonde Prince. There was more to existence than loneliness. He was sure the others noticed her ideology too, for many times they tried to engage with her but she shoved them off. Nevertheless, Legolas was not yet willing to give up on her; and sitting directly beside her, in quite close proximity, was a start.

.....

Plates were collected and the low singing voices of Boromir and Aragorn hummed through the air. The deep tones resonated within them all and it gently lulled them into a relaxed state.

It was not long before Legolas felt a slight weight upon his shoulder. He slowly shifted his peripheral vision and was surprised to see that is was the head of the worn-down elleth. Really, what else was he expecting? An orc?

Legolas was still as he focused on the sound of her steady heartbeat and gentle breathes. It was different to witness her in this state. Not once on their journey had she sought physical comfort. Quite frankly, Legolas couldn’t remember any time that she had even touched one of them. But now, in her sleep, she seemed so tranquil and welcoming of his warmth; and he was glad to give it to her. The corner of the Prince’s mouth tugged upward. He was rather pleased that she chose to use him as a pillow. He would be lying if he said it didn’t feed into his pride. He had wished thousands of time that he could pull her into his embrace and take away her suffering. Furthermore, Legolas had desired this closeness for a long time. He too craved consolation from the horrors of the quest.

The Prince’s brows furrowed slightly when a thought crossed his mind. The position she was in couldn’t be comfortable. He shifted and ever so carefully lowered her head into his lap. Legolas was shocked that she didn’t wake and push a blade again this throat.

In her unconscious state, a barely audible whimper escaped her lips and her fist clenched onto the fabric of his trousers. Legolas lips parted; the sound was so heartbreaking. He wondered if her dreams were also haunted. Hesitantly, the elf rested his hand on her head. He began to run his fingers through her smooth locks in hopes to provide some relief. As Legolas did this, he examined her appearance. Without the ever present angry scowl on her face, she looked peaceful—well as peaceful as one could get during these dark times. The curve of her jaw molded her structured features nicely. Her eyelids would fluttered occasionally, like a bird about to take flight; and her plump pink lips were were parted, like raspberries plucked to early. She really was beautiful, as all elves were.

Suddenly, the raking sound of Aragorn sharpening his sword with a metal file stopped. Heat rose up to Legolas’s cheeks and ears as he felt eyes boring into him. Ever so slowly the elf lifted his head. The Ranger’s body was frozen and his eyes were glued to the pair of elves with a surprised accusatory look. This, of course, summoned the attention of the rest of the company.

Boromir was the first to speak with amusement upon his tone, “So the wolf doesn’t bite...”

A teasing smiled plastered across Aragorn’s face. Legolas inwardly groaned; he surely was to hear an earful from his friend latter.

The uncrowned Ranger replied to the Gondorian, “Well, she doesn’t bite elf boy over there.”

A loud gleeful cackle erupted from Gimli. How it didn’t wake (Y/N) and the hobbits was a mystery.

Legolas rolled his eyes in attempt to hide the embarrassment, but he was sure the group could see right through him.

Gandalf, who was smoking his pipe, chided the men, “Oh, let the elflings seek comfort from each other for these are dark times we live in.”

Legolas sent a grateful smile in the old wizard’s direction, but regretted it when a glimmer entered Gandalf’s gaze and he continued speaking, “Maybe we will have some little ones in the near future to bring joy to us all?”

The Mirkwood Prince was positive his face was as red as a midsummer’s cherry at this point.

This could not get any worse.

.....

As the journey went on Legolas’s friends did not stop the taunting jests. Whenever the two elves arms brushed together or sat beside each other the men sent teasing looks their way. Of course, (Y/N) didn’t even notice. Aragorn went as far as constantly forcing them to complete daily tasks together such as hunting and scouting. It was embarrassing really. Even the hobbits caught on!!

It wasn’t until Pippin opened his mouth that the groups plans were revealed to (Y/N). The small hobbit and elven woman were gathering fire wood when Pippin spoke, “So (Y/N), do you like Legolas?”

The woman tilted her head, “What prompts you to ask such a question?”

The gleeful child-like being laughed, “Well, yesterday when your back was turned Strider was making kissy faces at you and Legolas!”

“HE DID WHAT?!” She hollered.

Pippin, surprised at her outburst dropped the sticks he was holding, “As...as I just said he—“

She shook her head, “Hush, hush. I heard you the first time.”

(Y/N) stormed off towards the camp and the hobbit quickly scurried behind her—struggling to pick up the assortment of logs.

All heads turned as she, visibly pissed, marched right up to Aragorn. She balled her hand into a fist and punched him right in the jaw. “THAT IS FOR BEING AN ASSHOLE!” She clocked him again, “AND THAT IS FOR ENJOYING IT!”

Aragorn had a confused and shocked expression upon his face as he wiped blood from his lip.

The sound of an amused chuckled from Boromir drew her attention. She stormed up to him and kicked him hard in the shin, “AND THAT IS FOR GOING ALONG WITH IT!”

(Y/N) then turned her head towards Legolas, “And you—“

She made her was towards the elf with long strides and jabbed her finger in his face, “How dare you not tell me of this!!!”

The Prince’s eyes were wide with shock, “I...I—“

She interrupted him, “Why?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

He moved his lips to speak but no words left his mouth.

She tilted her head, “Unless.....unless it’s because you are embarrassed....” Her lips parted and the looming question tumbled from her mouth. “You...you fancy me?”

All eyes were on them at this point. Legolas swallowed dryly and every so slightly nodded his head.

Without warning, (Y/N) grasped both sides of his face and yanked his head towards her. She smashed her lips against his and he froze in shock. Time stood still for a moment, but the realization of what was happening finally hit him. Legolas snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her form against his. (Y/N) felt the rush of helpless thirst flood her as their mouths danced against each other. It had been so long since she touch another with care, but never had she experienced this kind of intimacy. She tangled her hands in his soft blonde locks while gladly inviting his warmth to infect her being and bring solace to the turmoil within her soul. She would never admit it, but she had needed this. She had craved this.

If it wasn’t for the woof whistles and hoots from the rest of the fellowship they probably would have continued. However, the two reluctantly pulled apart with flushed cheeks and swollen lips. They did not break eye contact; instead, they took comfort in each other’s tight hold. Maybe, just maybe, the cruel nature of the world wasn’t so menacing.

[roselightfairy]

On the topic of hurt/comfort fics, do we have any Gimli/Legolas hurt comfort fics where Legolas is the one that needs comforting? Like dealing with his sea-longing and needing snuggles or he's pushing himself too hard and Gimli needs to remind him to sleep/take care of himself because even the tireless have limits, or Legolas crying over anything in general and Gimli coming to the rescue?

All right, so there are a lot more of these out there than the Gimli ones. We as a fandom do love our Legolas whump, and it was tough to cut down this list – but I tried to go for more the emotional side of h/c, which is a favorite of mine for the two of them. (Gimli physically injured; Legolas in emotional distress – that’s where it’s at!) A physical h/c fic or two did slip in, though, so I divided these into three main sections: one that deals with sea-longing, one that deals with war-related trauma, and one “other” category. As a reminder, this is not a catch-all list – again, Legolas might well be the whole fandom’s favorite whumpee – but these are some of the ones that first popped up in my mind at your request.

Sea-longing:

and yet the sea calls (series) by Laura JV (jacquez)

Summaries: [Gimli/Legolas] loves, and yet the sea calls.

…

This is a set of lovely vignettes (two stories, one from Legolas’s perspective and one from Gimli’s) about learning to live and love with the sea-longing between them, and to find comfort in one another as best they can. These stories make me feel so very many feelings and are constant rereads when I want to feel the bittersweet (but mostly sweet!) that is their love.

A Beloved Ballast, an Untethered Soul by katajainen

Summary: Gimli has spent long months on the new gates of Minas Tirith, all the while waiting for Legolas to return to him from the North.

But when he does, it's clear the year has not been altogether kind to his husband.

…

This is one of my favorites of a lot of things – a wonderful, gentle reunion in Minas Tirith after their separation after the war, Legolas worn from sea-longing and finally finding home in his husband’s arm, warm comfort and some very romantic smut. Please read it; you will not regret it.

Everything That Mattered Is Dust by SerStolas

Summary: A decade ago, the One Ring was destroyed. A decade ago, Gimli and Legolas traveled together first to the Glittering Caves and then to Fangorn. A decade ago, both of them failed to admit their deeper emotions for each other. Now they meet again in Minas Tirith during renovations on the city. But not all is well with Legolas.

Inspired by Through the Ghost by Shinedown.

…

This is another lovely story with a similar theme to the previous – but without the established relationship, so we get a very sweet love confession instead. Very gentle and loving and satisfying; this gets me right in the hurt/comfort feelings. <3

Where You Go, I Will Go by UnnamedElement

Summary: Lady Galadriel's message was a riddle too twisted for a Wood-elf and a Dwarf to initially unwind... This is a story of a friendship fraught with mutual ignorance: the concessions a dwarf makes to an elf, and the choices that elf makes for their peculiar friendship. It is how Legolas and Gimli pass through the threat of death to find, together, a better truth. (March 2016 Teitho)

…

Look, I don’t know if this is hurt/comfort as such, but it certainly comforts ME to read. This is a lovely little exploration of the sea-longing and how it changes Legolas and Gimli’s friendship – and in fact brings them closer together. It’s gen, nominally, but it’s so tender you won’t miss the romance (and I feel comfortable saying that because of multiple conversations with @unnamedelement on the subject!).

The Language of Power by Thewriternumber19238478356

Summary: It's the night before the march on the Black Gate. But sea-longing won't let Legolas sleep. Gimli offers him a secret dwarven practice that might just be the solution…

…

This is an underappreciated and really wonderful story, but contains some non-sexual BDSM, so be warned for that. It’s extremely tender and plays with the notion of power in dominance/submission with respect and love for the practice and the characters. It’s archive-locked, so you’ll need an account to read it, but I really do have such love for this story and I highly recommend it.

War-related:

A Night Beclouded by katajainen

Summary: Night falls after the fighting is done on the Pelennor Fields. For those left alive, it should be an hour for respite, for catching one's breath.

But there is the kind of darkness that seeps under one's skin, the kind not born of mere absence of sunlight, and this is not a time to be alone.

…

This is such quiet, atmospheric tenderness – comforting someone after a nightmare is such a wonderful trope, and @katajainen does it with all her usual sensitivity and care. A bit of pre-relationship sweetness and warm comfort – and honestly, it was a struggle to keep it to two fics by katajainen on this list; please go read all her stories!

Shared Spaces by mssileas

Summary: I know you think I'm a little different But I'm still somebody's son.

The night before marching on the Black Gate, neither of them can sleep.

…

Okay, so I adore this fic. I have a soft spot for any fics that focus on how Legolas must feel about Sauron and the origin of orcs, and this is a wonderful fic that deals with those ideas, as well as pre-battle anxiety, and Legolas and Gimli taking comfort in one another. Lots of lovely hand-touching and some very sweet kissing, too. <3

A time and times and half a time by Honesty

Summary: AU. Legolas, imprisoned by Saruman, discovers *exactly* how Orcs were made .... While Gimli keeps a vigil he will never forget.

…

Similar themes as the last one, though taken WAY over the edge past hurt/comfort and into serious hurt territory. Be careful with this one, because there’s a lot of pain for Legolas – warning for physical and psychological torture - but the love between him and Gimli is so powerful and all-consuming, it carries the story and provides the much-needed comfort at the end, though you’ll probably still be aching.

Comfort after Endurance by spinel

Summary: The battle of Helm's Deep takes its toll on Legolas. A stolen moment between the end of the battle at Helm's Deep and riding to Isengard.

…

Pre-relationship sweetness, comfort after battle. This one skirts the lines of physical and emotional hurt/comfort, combining the two with the soothing effect of touch and closeness after great trials. Lots of tender handling of one another – no explicit relationship content, but definitely little hints of more to come here and there. ;)

Other:

inkstains by apricae

Summary: Legolas isn't much good at reading, and an attempt at a learning his letters with Gimli turns into a revelation.

(Or: The one in which Legolas is dyslexic and sad, Gimli is a very good husband, and Dwarves are a lot better than Elves at handling disabilities.)

…

I am very big on neurodivergent Legolas in all its forms, and I love this dyslexic-Legolas headcanon a lot. Emotional distress and childhood trauma – but luckily, Legolas has a very kind, loving dwarf husband to talk him down and help him through.

Tainted Meat by lynndyre

Summary: On the road between Helm's Deep and Isengard, mistakes are made with supplies.

For the BloodyValentine prompt: someone feeds orc food to an elf, making them really sick.

…

This is one of my favorite underappreciated fics out there – I find that it really gets the way Legolas and Gimli are portrayed once they start meeting up with armies and other men: they are a bubble of two, responsible for one another’s comfort and supporting one another without question. In this fic, Legolas (and half the Rohirrim) are struck with food poisoning, and while the men deal with the aftermath, Legolas is so very much Gimli’s charge, and it’s so tender and lovely and wonderful. Gen, nominally, but it gets the particular something between them in canon that I so love. (It also fits with a line Gimli says in Two Towers about refusing to touch any orc supplies!)

 Teeth Like Knives by Evandar

Summary: Gimli wasn't expecting to have to stitch Legolas back together after their first attempt at lovemaking, but now that the initial shock has worn off, he can't say that he's surprised.

…

This is part of a larger series that involves half-orc Legolas, and all of it has some very wonderful emotional hurt/comfort. But this is my favorite of the series because of how good and gentle and wonderful Gimli is with Legolas’s existential crises and hurting himself on accident. Please do mind the tags, since this subject matter may not be for everyone, but I adore the sensitivity with which these topics are handled and reread this for comfort. <3

…

As always, if you enjoy any of these fics, please let the author know with a comment if you have capacity! Also, I encourage you to reblog this list so that we can spread the good word. :)

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

for the ask meme

being basic here: lotr fandom. or silmarillion fandom. or both, actually.

I'm going to do LOTR, I'm not a full on Sil fan though I'm super impressed by those of you who are 💜

1. The first character I first fell in love with

Elrond! I saw the movies before I read the books, and the first book I read was the Hobbit and through it all I was a massive Elrond fan. Still am, because he's the best.

2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now

Denethor! I know some might expect Grima here, but you have to understand: I saw that man slink onto the screen greasy as the day is long being unnecessarily creepy and went 'Ah yes, my new fixation.'

But I've really come to appreciate Denethor's complexity. He's easily one of the most complex character in the trilogy. I'm a sucker for characters who are part of a whole cycle that perpetuating itself and they're sucked so deep into it they can't get out. Like, he's just doing to his sons what his father did to him (particularly Faramir, but also Boromir but in a different way).

Love me some messed up family dynamics.

3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t

It's not that I don't love this character, it's just they're not a big focus or of interest to me - and I would say it's probably a toss up between Faramir and Gandalf. I like both well enough, but not the way I see most of fandom being super keen on them.

Just not my jam, personally.

4. The character I love that everyone else hates

Spooky! Snake! Man! Grima, obviously. For obvious reasons. He's a great, slimy character. Like, made to be hate-able. So I appreciate and understand most people's reactions to him. I don't think I need to elaborate too much on this one ;)

Denethor is probably my second up on this front. I think a lot of this is that the movie did him *so dirty* because book Denethor is cold and callous and ruthless, but he's not laughably mad the way movie Denethor is. His relationship with Faramir is also a lot more complex. Not better, certainly not better, but 100% more nuanced and complicated.

Also, he actually is what people think Machiavelli was (but wasn't). He's all about that cold, calculating Real Politik - and, indeed, is one of the few characters who veer in that direction. And I love him.

5. The character I used to love but don’t any longer

So I was a big Eowyn fan when I was a tween and teenager - for obvious reasons. And I still love Eowyn, because she's great, but as a character I've moved on from her. You know, I think I really needed her when I was twelve. She was important to me. But, as always happens, I've changed and grown etc. and while I'll always be fond of her, I'm just not super into her the way I was when I was younger.

Also, I had the oddest fixation on Haldir for years when I was a tween and teenager and that's also not a thing anymore.

6. The character I would totally smooch

Elrond! Would absolutely give him a smooch.

7. The character I’d want to be like

Elrond - hahah he's the best! He's weathered so much and is so strong and graceful. And despite all the darkness he's seen, and the immense loss he's endured, he's still the one with the most happy of homes. He's a caretaker, but not to the point where he's pouring water from an empty vessel. He's found that balance, I think. And ugh, I just love him.

He's also so talented! And smart! And funny - but that great dry wit.

Middle Earth's dad. I want to be Middle Earth's dad.

8. The character I’d slap

I'm not sure. Maybe Saruman - bitch, what are you doing. Sauron doesn't share power. There will never be two great towers. You are letting your arrogance blind you, you damn fool.

Oh, Grima. But only at the start of TTT and gently. Then I'd say "bitch, get your life right."

9. A pairing that I love

In canon? Legolas/Gimlil (I refuse to accept that they aren't canon). I love how they went from hating each other, willfully misunderstanding each other, to such deep love and devotion. They're so sweet yet snarky and have great sass-battles.

And Legolas sneaking Gimli into the Undying Lands like: "What do you have there?"

Legolas:... a smoothie?

In fandom? Well, Aragorn/Boromir, obviously. They're beautiful.

And Grima/Eomer, because I am the way I am and I won't apologize. They're less beautiful. They're just messy. That's because Rohan is messy.

10. A pairing that I despise

I don't like how strong the language is in this! I don't despise any pairings! I've never seen a LOTR pairing that made me go EW I HATE THIS.

There are pairings that aren't my jam, but that's not despising, that's just not vibing with certain pairings. Even like, Saurman/Grima, I look at that and "hm, not my thing. But you do you, pikachu" then I keep scrolling.

Because that's the normal, mature way to react to things you don't like.

-

💜💜 thank you for the ask! 💜💜

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Today in Tolkien - March 5th

This is an eventful day, but a simpler one than the preceding days. It’s the first moment since the Breaking of the Fellowship that we only have two groups to follow. Frodo and Sam are at the Black Gate (“The Black Gate is Closed”). Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin, and the Rohirrim, are at Isengard, and leave it late in the day; at night Pippin looks in the palantír and Gandalf rides off with him towards Minas Tirith (“The Voice of Saruman” and “The Palantír”).

And yes, this means that the end of the first half of The Two Towers happens at the same time as the third chapter of the second half. In the movies, I was annoyed at the Shelob’s Lair sequence being moved to the Return of the King movie, but when I look at the chronology I see it’s unavoidable. In a book that focuses on different people in different sections, these things can be managed; but in a movie you need some rough degree of simultaneity.

This also shows how the main events of the last two books roughly form three neat sections (each one ten days long):

1) The war against Saruman. Frodo and Sam travel to the Black Gate. Today is the end of this first section.

2) The war for Minas Tirith. Frodo and Sam travel to Cirith Ungol and enter Mordor. Frodo and Sam escape from the Tower of Cirith Ungol on the same day as the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

3) The (fakeout) assault against Mordor. Frodo and Sam journey across Mordor to Mount Doom. Ends with the destruction of the Ring at the same time as the Battle at the Black Gate. Although this is the last section, it’s also the shortest (4 chapters: 2 for Frodo and Sam, 2 for everyone else).

So, starting with Isengard. The description of Isengard is rather Mordor-y, though less so, again evoking the idea of Saruman transforming himself into a lesser version of Sauron:

Beneath the walls of Isengard there still were acres tilled by the slaves of Saruman; but most of the valley had become a wilderness of weeds and thorns. Brambles trailed upon the ground, or clambering over bush and bank, made shaggy caves where small beasts housed. No trees grew there; but among the rank grasses could still be seen the burned and axe-hewn stumps of ancient groves.

Wormtongue arrives at Isengard in the morning and is horrified by its ruin, but Treebeard will not let him run away, and sends him to join Saruman in Orthanc. Merry and Pippin spend the rest of the morning searching the ruins for food for the Rohirrim (and finding food, drink, and pipe-weed for themselves).

Gandalf, the Rohirrim, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli arrive at Isengard a little after noon, and, to their mixed consternation and delight, find Merry and Pippin at the gates, eating, smoking, and napping. Gandalf and the Rohirrim go to meet Treebeard and have lunch, whuch Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli stay to eat and catch up with Merry and Pippin. The parley with Saruman in Orthanc - one of my absolute favourite moments in The Lord of the Rings, due to my love of dramatic dialogue, but too rxtensive to cover in detail here - takes up the rest of the afternoon.

Gandalf does not initially recognize the palantír, despite immediately regarding it as significant and as something Pippin should not touch. While they are riding away from Isengard he says, “there was some link between Isengard and Mordor, which I have not yet fathomed; how they exchanged news I am not sure, but they did so.” The groups rides some distance south of Isengard and then camps. Pippin sneaks the palantír away from Gandalf and looks in it, a Nazgûl passes overhead, and Gandalf rides off with Pippin for Minas Tirith. Shadowfax is extraordinarily fast; they pass Helm’s Deep, and reach Edoras by the end of the night.

Meanwhile, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum spend the full day at the Black Gate, watching Sauron’s armies arrive and seeing no chance for themselves to get inside the gates. Gollum offers a different way into Mordor - already planning to take them to Shelob and get the Ring, as he mostly decided on the previous day - and Frodo, after long thought, accepts.

Here we have foreshadowing both of the Ring’s hold on Frodo, and of how the story will end, in Frodo’s words to Gollum

“You swore a promise by what you call the Precious. Remember that! It will hold you to it; but it will seek a way to twist you to your own undoing. Already you are being twisted. You revealed yourself to me just now, foolishly. Give it back to Sméagol you said. Do not say that again! Do not let that thought grow in you! You will never get it back. But the desire of it may betray you to a bitter end. You will never get it back. In the last need, Sméagol, I should put on the Precious; and the Precious mastered you long ago. If I, wearing it, were to command you, you would obey, even if it were to leap from a precipice or cast yourself into the fire. And such would be my command. So have a care, Sméagol!

In the evening they set out for the southward route, and walk through most of the night, covering 8 leagues (24 miles, or 38 km). That seems like an almost unbelievable distance for them to be covering in a single night. Gollum estimates it is about 30 leagues (90 miles) from the Black Gate to the Cross-roads.

[ladyideal]

This is Us Part 1

Pairing: Legolas x OC!Reader

Word Count: 2057

Warnings: Um arguing 

Summary: When the One Ring was found, it becomes a journey across Middle Earth to destroy it. Watch as the Fellowship is formed, and crossed the continent, where loyalty will be tested, and love blossomed. 

A/n: I decided to actually go forth with a series, and see how well I can write one. I will apologize ahead of time if any of the Elvish are wrong. I know it’s not exactly canon for the Valars to have kids, but where’s the fun if we follow canon? None, exactly. So here we are. I’ll eventually rewrite this one day lol.

Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 ~ Chapter 3

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

You grumbled as you lowered your bow, letting it fall slightly. The arrows had found their marks, but were nowhere close to the bullseye. With a sigh, you retrieved another arrow from your back, ready to resume practicing. 

"Mellon nin, what brings you here?" A familiar voice spoke from behind. 

You huffed, lowering your bow once more and pouting at him. "You're the one that said practice makes perfect. Plus, you know that I just started learning how to use one. Don't start telling me that I have to be good at it immediately."

It wasn't like you were forbidden to use your powers, but it was done out of necessity, for secrecy. As a child of both the Valar, Manwë and Varda, you were undoubtedly powerful. You'd watch the creation of Arda for some time, from watching the fight against Melkor to the peace where the elves were invited to live amongst the Valinor. Now under Sauron's reign of terror after so long, you had enough of the pain and suffering of Middle Earth dwellers, and came in favor of guiding them.

Legolas took a few steps forward, until his hands were wrapped around yours. You blushed as he righted your position. "Stand like this, and your bow up higher."

He had been the second elf to befriend you. You had made a home at Rivendell, and soon became the source of many rumors. You were fair, beautiful, even more breathtaking than other elves, but as clumsy as mankind. The elves there assumed you were a halfling, yet for the most part, you ignored the whispers and talks behind your back. Eventually, the rumors had reached Lord Elrond's ears. Knowing better than to dismiss them, he had made a visit. 

It was then that you admitted your true identity to the half elf, the first of Middle Earth's people. It didn't take long for the Lord of Rivendell to understand the meaning of why you were here, and swore that he would never let your name be known. Soon, he'd mentioned in his parting words before he left your home, Sauron would feel the shift of power.

Two weeks went by uneventfully until you met the prince of elves, son of Thranduil. It was a coincidental meeting down by the waterfall. There, you became friends with him. And as time passed, he became the second elf to have learned of who you were. It was him that suggested that you learned how to use weapons to better protect yourself. 

"This way?" You asked once he let go, turning away from him in an effort to hide the growing blush.

"Just like that," Legolas nodded, watching you train for a moment. "Y/N."

"Yes?" Your eyes still trained on the tree trunk that acted as your bullseye.

"Hir Elrond maquen-o cin." (Lord Elrond asks of you.)

"Mana ceri- cin foeg?" You frowned, turning to glance at him. (What do you mean?)

"Ho anír- cin na n- in i govanneth," Legolas stepped forward, placing a hand on your shoulder. "híril nín" (He wants you in the meeting, m'lady.)

"Am man." (For what? Why?)

He leveled a pointed gaze at you. 

You heaved a sigh, and nodded, understanding the underlying meaning in his words. "Where to?"

As Legolas entered the place where the council was going to be held, you lingered behind, tentatively taking slow steps in. You could see the dwarves, the Captain of Gondor, Boromir, Isildur's heir and Ranger of the North, Aragorn, a Ranger lady standing close to him, a hobbit, Lord Elrond, Glorfindel, and finally Gandalf all sitting in a circle. 

Instantly, both elves and the wizard snapped their heads to you, two in surprise. For a moment, the sun brightened warmly from behind you. You smiled at Elrond, nodded at Glorfindel, but grinned shyly at your parents' Maiar. You slid closer to Legolas anyways, turning your head back to Elrond when the half elf cleared his throat.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom."

He paused, turning to one of the Hobbits. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

The Hobbit that sat beside Gandalf stood up, and took even steps to the pedestal. With a shaking hand, the ring was set upon the pedestal for all to see.

"So it's true," Boromir spoke, while everyone within the Council gazed upon it. Your features screwed into one of upset, and even scowled upon the small piece of jewelry. Sauron, was a follower of your uncle, Morgoth. The power in the ring was overshadowed by your own, yet the evil within it, repulsed you.

"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand.'" The Captain of the White tower paced. "Isildur's Bane is found."

Without a second thought, he reached for the cursed ring. Gandalf, Elrond, and you exchanged concerned glances. 

"Boromir!" The half elf leapt out of his seat. 

Even the wizard himself was affected by the ring's power. Standing up and beginning to chant in the Black Speech, the ring echoed the harsh words. Thunder crackled loudly as the sky darkened. The Council stared around themselves in fear and confusion.

"Fárea!" You roared into the commotion, having had enough. (Enough!)

Cowed by your authority, the voice of the Ring eventually died away. People resumed their seats, horrified, Boromir amongst them. A few curious glances were thrown your way, but you ignored them.

"The Ring is altogether evil!" Gandalf spoke after a pointed silence. Giving the Captain of the White Tower a scathing look, he too took his seat again. 

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor," Boromir resumed, looking unperturbed. "Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

"You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master," The Ranger spoke for the first time, the other one holding him back.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir almost snorted.

You watched in surprise as Legolas stepped forward this time, briefly brushing his shoulder over yours. "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor."

Members of the Council widened their eyes at the realization, and turned to observe the Rangers. 

"Havo dad, Legolas," The mentioned Ranger replied in Elvish. (Sit down, Legolas.)

"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." Boromir responded, almost childishly, but resumed his seat. 

Aragorn briefly frowned, but only relaxed when his companion placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," The wizard spoke in the awkward silence.

"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed," The half elven agreed with a nod.

"Then what are we waiting for?" A dwarf spoke out. Grabbing his axe, he approached the pedestal. In one fell swoop, the axe clang against the metal and splintered apart, much to the surprise of many. In response, whispers in the black tongue issued forth from the Ring.

After watching Frodo wincing in pain, Elrond shook his head. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came."

"One of you must do this."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!" Boromir exclaimed from his seat. 

Standing indignantly, Legolas shouted, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" Gimli returned in kind. 

"And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Boromir continued, adding to the fuel.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli roared. "Never trust an Elf!"

With a shake of your head, you, Gandalf, and Elrond watched as the Council erupted into madness, each fighting the other to be the ring bearer. Through it all, you turned your gaze on the young hobbit as he gazed forlornly at it.

As the commotion continued, Gandalf thumped his staff on the ground, demanding silence. "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"

Suddenly, flames encircled the ring, engulfing the surface. 

"I will take it!" Frodo yelled, hoping to gain attention from the other Council members. "I will take it!"

You raised an eyebrow at the hobbit, then caught Gandalf's gaze on you. You nodded in turn, and turned away as the wizard's eyes briefly closed shut before opening again. 

Making up his mind, he got to his feet and approached Frodo. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," He placed a reassuring hand on the hobbit's shoulder. 

"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will," Aragorn knelt in front of the hobbit. "You have my sword."

Before you could stop Legolas, the prince of elves joined the center. "And you have my bow."

"And my axe!" Gimli glanced grimly at the elf in the front. 

Striding forward, Boromir joined the growing group. "You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

You smiled to yourself, proud that everyone was coming together to fight the dark lord. 

"Heh!" Another hobbit jumped out from the bushes. "Mister Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"

"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond smiled, sounding more amused than annoyed."

"Wait! We are coming too!" A pair of hobbits emerged from the pillars they were hiding from. 

"Lord Elrond. I want to join," The second Ranger stepped forward, sounding more like a lady. "Someone will have to watch the company as much as possible, and watch Aragorn's back."

As the half elf agreed to each of the demands, you pushed to your feet and stood up nervously. As all eyes turned to you, you cleared your throat unnecessarily.

"I too would like to join," You spoke in determination. Your parents' Maiar locked eyes with yours, and soon became a stare off. However, he soon acquiesced with a nod. You turned to Elrond next, who only watched you for a moment. 

"Eleven companions. So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" The Lord of Rivendell announced. 

"Great! Where are we going?" One of the newer hobbits asked.

For a brief moment, you wondered if you joining the Fellowship would even be a good idea. It was a secret mission to Mordor, any wrongly placed action could end into disaster. However, it was too late. Turning to the West, you were assured as a warm wind blew through each strand of your hair, and for a brief moment, gently caressed your cheek.

Your father, Manwë would never admit that he was soft at heart. Your mother would though. For a moment, you were excited to be a part of the journey, knowing that both your parents would be watching over this endeavor.

Looks like you were now officially part of the Fellowship of the Ring. 

Permanent Tags: @asraime @mournthewicked Taglist is open!

[i-dont-live-in-reality]

The lord of the rings

Quotes and thoughts on the two towers:

-‘mister’ Frodo

-Lembas bread! And look! More Lembas bread...

-I’m wasted on cross-country.

-They’re taking the hobbits to Isengard! (Memes galore)

Eothain and his sister Freida on the horse. So touching.

-Rohan, my lord, is ready to fall.

-I think we might have made a mistake leaving the shire, Pippin.

-A red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night.

-You would die before your stroke fell!

-I am no tree, I am an Ent.

-Don’t follow the lights!

-Shadowfax, lord of all horses.

-I told you to take the wizard’s staff!

-No parent should have to bury their child.

Gandalf is older than 300 human lives... wow.

-I don’t know why I said that.

I do. It’s the ring.

-Potatoes! Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew.

Gimli’s story about dwarf women: they are so like dwarf men, in appearance and voice (and the beards, according to Aragorn) that some think there are no dwarf women. This sparked the belief that dwarves just jump up from holes in the ground. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what happens to the Uruk-hai.

Legolas’ swing onto Gimli’s horse.

Eothain and Freida found their mother back!!

-Isengard has been unleashed.

-...and this is Samwise Gamgee.

Your bodyguard?

His gardener.

-Where was Gondor when the westmark fell?

Where was Gondor when enemies closed in around us?

Where was Gon...

-Haleth, son of Hama. (Best minor character)

That one ork that falls at the start of the battle of Helms deep because one archer couldn’t hold his arrow. Rest In Peace.

-I won’t let a pointy-ear outscore me!

-nineteen, twenty, twenty-one...

-Toss me! But don’t tell the elf...

-Many of these trees were my friends!

-The last marsh of the ents.

-Break the dam! Release the river!

-The battle for Helms deep is over. The battle for middle earth has just begun.

-‘Samwise the brave’

My favourite part of the lord of the rings is the ents. I love them. So ancient. So mysterious. So qool.

[aelixandra]

Dreaming On Your Feet: Chapter 26

Read on Ao3!

Summary: Aelin Galathynius is one of the newest company members of the Rifthold Ballet Theatre, and she is eager to make all of her dreams a reality. She has the talent, the ambition, the walls no one can get past, and the thick skin that no one can get under. Except for new principal dancer Rowan Whitethorn. He’s arrogant, talented, and infuriating - and they just might have more in common than they think.

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Chapter 26: Movie Day

Aelin had been looking at the door for what felt like a lifetime.

She was there on time, as she always was for anything. But this wasn’t just anything.

This was a day with Rowan. Just him, just her. No one else.

Does that make it a date?

No. Just a day with my . . . best friend?

Sure. Let’s call it that.

Oh, who am I kidding? It’s a day off to have fun, so let’s make it one.

Aelin adjusted her bag on her shoulder, using her other hand to knock on Rowan’s door.

It was only half a heartbeat before it opened.

As always, she had to lift her head to meet his gaze. The edges of his eyes crinkled as he smiled down at her. “Morning!” she chirped with a grin.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Rowan said, opening the door wider for her to enter his apartment. “Are you ready to do absolutely nothing today?”

“I feel like this is going to be a lot harder than it sounds,” Aelin said with a laugh. “I’m not very good at sitting still for very long.”

“Well, that’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

“Oh, we both know you can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do myself,” Aelin countered.

Rowan barked a laugh as he took her bag from off her shoulder. “This is going to be quite a great day.”

----------

Rowan settled on the couch as Aelin popped her first movie into his TV. “What’ve you got there?” he asked.

She padded back around the coffee table, plopping down next to him. “The Two Towers,” she replied with a grin.

“Not the first or the third movies?” he asked curiously.

Aelin shrugged. “Two Towers has always been my favorite,” she said, picking up the remote as the main menu appeared. “Gandalf’s return, Merry and Pippin and the Ents, everything that happens in Rohan, the Battle of Helm’s Deep . . . I feel like you learn the most about the characters in this one.”

Rowan was inclined to agree with her. “That’s fair.”

“Oh! I almost forgot.” Aelin reached for her bag, pulling out a heating pad. “If today is about taking care of ourselves, then for the love of the gods, please use a heating pad on your shoulder.”

“Why do I need –”

“You hold most of your tension in your left shoulder, just like me,” she observed with a knowing smile. “You’re not going to make it through Romeo if you let it get worse.”

Romeo.

She knows. She figured it out.

His heart thundered in his chest. “So. . . now you know, huh?” Oh, gods, oh, gods –

Aelin turned her turquoise gaze to him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said with a wink, lifting the ice pack he had provided her onto her foot. “Now shut up and watch the movie.”

Rowan let his eyes linger on her for a few extra moments before turning his attention to the movie.

Gods, I’m in so much trouble, aren’t I?

----------

It wasn’t long before Aelin had drifted closer to Rowan on the couch. And it wasn’t long after that before his arm rested on the couch behind her. Everything about him, with him, just felt so. . . right.

She watched Aragorn and Eowyn conversing as the scene shifted to a flashback of Aragorn with Arwen, returning the jewel to his love and telling her to move on from him.

Her chest tightened. She knew what it was to feel unworthy of someone, to believe that they would be better off without you.

Her eyes burned as she looked at Arwen, whose own eyes shone with tears.

As if he read her thoughts, Rowan’s arm circled her shoulder, gently tugging her to rest her head on his shoulder. “What is it?” he asked quietly.

Aelin opted for a change of subject instead. “Is there a Lord of the Rings character you think you’re the most like?”

He looked down at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Is there one that you think I’m most like?”

“Hmm.” Aelin studied him for a moment, then looked back to the movie at Aragorn. “The first and obvious instinct would be Aragorn. The broodiness, the self-imposed expectations, the –”

“Okay, I get it,” Rowan chuckled.

“And you’re definitely as stubborn as Gimli.”

“Hey!”

“When it comes to looks, though, you’re closest to Legolas, minus the pointy ears.”

Rowan laughed. “Okay, fine. Two can play at that game.”

“Oh?” Aelin looked up at him again. “Think you have me pegged, Whitethorn?”

His eyes flashed at that. “You’re as stubborn as Sam.”

Interesting. . . “And?”

“And as loyal.” When she was silent, he continued. “And you’re as noble as Arwen. As intelligent as Legolas.”

She felt the color rise to her cheeks as he spoke, working up her courage to tell him the truth. He always deserved the truth. “I think you’re the most like Faramir though,” she said with a deep breath, turning her eyes back to the screen. Bracing herself for him to ask –

“Why do you say that?” he asked quietly.

“You’ve lost a lot,” she began tentatively. “You’re always striving to be better. To be more. Just like him. But the thing is. . . Faramir shouldn’t have to. He doesn’t have to.” She reached for his other hand, slowly lacing her fingers with his. “Because whether he knows it or not, he’s already the kind of person that the people around him need.”

Rowan was still.

Aelin held her breath, waiting for him to say something.

Then she felt his head rest lightly on hers, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to her hair. She felt him exhale, a bit shakily. Is he . . .

He muttered something into her hair, something she couldn’t understand.

She didn’t say anything, choosing instead to nestle closer to him. To the man who deserved to have all the happiness in the world.

She didn’t deserve him. There was no way the world would give her something like this, someone like him.

She just hoped that maybe, just maybe. . . she was enough.

----------

The rest of the movie was spent in silence, with some occasional chuckles at Gimli or Merry and Pippin. It had been a long time since Rowan had watched it, and he forgot how much he loved the series. It had always struck him deeply, how much the characters – and their struggles – resonated with him.

As the credits began to roll, he felt Aelin shift beside him. “I love that movie,” she sighed.

“Excellent way to start the day,” he agreed. He moved to stand up from the couch, heading to the TV and taking out the disc.

“So what do you have now?” she asked.

“How about something a little more lighthearted?” He made his way back towards the kitchen, taking a bowl of berries out of the fridge. “I’ve got a snack, too.” He set the bowl on the coffee table in front of Aelin, along with a smaller bowl of sugar.

She looked up at him in surprise. Okay, so maybe he had asked Lysandra what Aelin liked to munch on. . .

He gave her a wink and shrugged, sitting back down next to her as Pirates of the Caribbean began.

“Good choice, Whitethorn,” she said, nodding in approval.

“The first one’s still the best,” he replied with a smile. Then he noticed that the blue ice pack was lying on the coffee table – and there was no way it was still frozen. He immediately stood up again and picked it up.

“Hey, I can get it –”

“I’m making sure you’re not doing anything, remember?” he called from the kitchen. He always kept two ice packs in the freezer, so after he put the un-frozen one back, he took out the other.

“I can take care of myself, you know,” Aelin huffed when he came back, handing her the frozen pack as he plopped back on the couch.

“I know you can, Aelin. Gods above, I know you can.” Rowan ran a hand through his hair. “But that doesn’t mean that you have to all the time.”

Her eyes softened. Rowan took her hand again, this time lifting it to his lips briefly before they lapsed into comfortable silence again.

“Do I get to help with dinner at least?” Aelin asked after a while.

Rowan chuckled. “Maybe.”

----------

Aelin did get to help with dinner after all.

Turns out Rowan had planned to make chicken parmesan, her favorite Italian dish. So naturally, Aelin had to make sure he got everything right.

She showed him how to season the tomatoes, how to fry the chicken just right so it wouldn’t burn. He took it all in, studying every movement she made when she was cooking. Of course, she let him do some of the work, too.

And they ended up with some of the best chicken parmesan Aelin had ever had.

Now, they were back on the couch – and the Disney movies had come out. The Emperor’s New Groove was followed by The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and they decided they’d watch one more before calling it a night.

“Here’s what I’ve got left,” Aelin said, holding up her bag for Rowan to browse. “You can pick the last one.”

Rowan rifled through the movies before pulling one out. “One of my favorites,” he admitted, gesturing to her copy of Hercules that he now held.

“Rowan Whitethorn is admitting to liking Disney movies?” Aelin drew back in mock surprise. “I’ve felt terrible for picking the last two, and here you were, secretly enjoying both!”

Rowan chuckled. “Okay, yes, I do enjoy Disney movies. Some infinitely more than others.” He moved to put it into the TV. “I could totally see you as Meg. For all the good reasons,” he clarified, coming back to sit by her.

“I take that as an absolute compliment,” Aelin said. “I could totally see you as awkward teenage Hercules, too.”

Rowan barked a laugh. “Well, you wouldn’t be far off, to be honest.”

“I can’t wait to hear all about awkard teenage Rowan.”

Rowan settled in beside her, opening his arm for her to nestle into again. Her hand found his automatically as the Muses began to sing on the screen. “Someday I’ll tell you all about him.”

----------

Hercules was, in all seriousness, one of Rowan’s favorite animated movies. It was one of the ones he had grown up with, one that had always given young Rowan something to strive for.

“Remember that whole training montage scene?” Rowan asked. “There was a rope swing by a lake near where I grew up. I may or may not have pretended to be Hercules when I swung into the lake as a kid.” He smiled at the memory.

But Aelin was quiet.

“What, no smart remarks? No comments about imagining little me pretending to be Hercules?” he asked. Still, she didn’t respond. He shifted to get a look at her face.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing soft and steady.

Aelin was asleep.

Rowan smiled. “I know you can’t hear me right now, but I just want to tell you that today was one of the most fun days I’ve ever had,” he whispered. He looked back at the screen, where Hercules was diving into the river of Death to retrieve Meg’s soul. “What is it Zeus says? ‘A true hero is defined by the strength of his heart,’ or something like that.”

Rowan brushed a stray lock of golden hair out of Aelin’s face, his fingers combing through the ends. “Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?” he said softly. “It reminds me of the color of the sun in the fall. Or that night that you were in the studio and you told me about Sam . . . your hair looked like the embers of a fire when you walked away.” He swallowed the lump in his throat at the memory. He looked down at the woman sleeping in his arms – this beautiful, brave, incredible woman. “And I remember going home that night and thinking that letting you walk away was the craziest, stupidest thing I had ever done.”

“People always do crazy things – when they’re in love.”

Rowan’s head shot up to look at the screen. He sighed, lightly resting his head on Aelin’s.

“Gods, they sure do, don’t they?”