simonetingz

[honeysulani]

Now that I'm home & slowly feeling better I can't wait to play tomorrow!! I've seen all your beautiful little post about the new pack and now I need to buy, it looks so much fun :-)

[tathrin]

If Finrod is Legolas's other dad, explain Lorien.

Reference is to this post, and also I'm tagging @z-h-i-e because this is their ship-baby, I just popped in to sprinkle some additional inspiration because my brain went "ooh hey!" when their post crossed my dash because that's the kind of supportive community fandom is supposed to be made of fyi.

Right, so. There's no sense of tone in straight-text communication on the internet, so I know that it's entirely possible that this ask was sent in the spirit of giggling-with-popcorn delight while you eagerly await the resulting explanation. It's equally possible that you're playing at being The Ship Police and challenging me in the expectation that I won't be able to make this Just For Funsies ship sail without floundering on the rocks of canon.

Either way: buckle up. Because the boats of Lórien don't sink.

Because when Legolas gets to the woods of Lothlórien with the rest of the Fellowship, he's delighted. He's never actually been here before! He's heard all the stories, and listened avidly, but. well. Thranduil and Galadriel both blame the other a little bit for the nasty way Finrod died (they know it's not the other's fault so they don't say anything, either to each other or anyone else but, well. it feels like it ought to be the other one's fault, somehow).

And there's all that tension re: Doriath still, and why Galadriel couldn't just pick-up where Melian her teacher left off and maintain the Girdle afterwards—because I'm not a maia, Thranduil, you ass! Oh, so you couldn't even TRY?—especially because she then proceeds to do basically that for Lórien just a few thousand years later...and of course Galadriel thinks it's Oropher's fault that so many of Lothlórien's elves died in the Last Alliance, because if only he hadn't been so reckless and pig-headed then surely Amdír would never have thought up that idiotic suicidal charge on his own...and if she'd maybe tried a little harder to rein-in the son/nephew of the Kinslayers, maybe Sauron would never have even made the Rings, and Mirkwood would still be Greenwood, which you'll note she can't be arsed to extend her convenient semi-girdle to either...and if he wasn't so damn prideful maybe somebody could help his precious stupid spider-forest...etc etc.

They aren't like. enemies. but they don't really get along anymore, either. They don't talk. (There's a reason the elves of Green/Mirkwood were moving north even before Sauron took up housekeeping in Dol Guldur.) So even though Lothlórien is like maybe a week's walk away, Legolas hasn't actually been here before. And he is stoked! Because he's always wanted to visit, but he didn't want to hurt his remaining dad's feelings by being like "bye, gonna go visit my aunt whom you haven't spoken to in like three thousand years, nbd!" so he never did — but here they are now, and it's part of the Quest, so it's not like Legolas just popped in for a visit, is it? He's doing something that just happened to bring him here, so Thranduil can't take it personally, and...well, here he is! At last! This is awesome! He's so excited to see his aunt's fabled forest!

And then they want to blindfold him!? He's FINALLY in Lórien, and he's not even allowed to look at the place!? This is his aunt's forest, for fuck's sake — he is an elf and a kinsman here, dammit! No wonder he goes from zero-to-sixty re: "golly Gimli don't be so stubborn" => "hOw dARe yOu!?!?!?" when the blindfold is suggested. He's not just pissed, he's taking it personally. Because he's family.

Okay so far so good, but when the Fellowship comes before Celeborn and Galadriel why doesn't anyone say anything about Legolas literally being their nephew, one might ask? Ah! Well, that's because we have Hobbits for our narrators, and they simply don't know elvish family trees well enough to catch that detail. Which is why when Celeborn says "Welcome son of Thranduil! Too seldom do my kindred journey hither from the North," it's perhaps a little more pointed of a statement than the Hobbits know. Celeborn is saying long time no see nephew, how nice of you to visit FINALLY. But Legolas and Thranduil have called themselves "Wood-elves" since moving to Greenwood, so the fact that he's actually half-Noldor just never gets mentioned, because it's not like it's relevant, is it? He doesn't mention being half-Sindar either. He calls himself a Wood-elf because he is a Wood-elf...by adoption. So why would the Hobbits even think to ask?

And we know that Galadriel uses ósanwë on everybody, so why wouldn't she be using it with her own nephew? What better way to have a private family chat, after all? And she doesn't say anything aloud to anyone while Celeborn is greeting everybody else, and it's not like Galadriel really needs to listen to the "hellos" either; perhaps she and Legolas have a little mental confab just the two of them while everybody else is settling in. You could easily write that in, if you wanted to, without breaking any of the existing canon.

After that, we actually have a perfect textural opening for Legolas to go hang with his aunt and uncle some more: while the rest of the Fellowship doesn't see Galadriel and Celeborn again until the Mirror and then their departure, the book says "Legolas was away much among the Galadhrim, and after the first night he did not sleep with the other companions, though he returned to eat and talk with them." So we know that Legolas is going off to hang-out with the Lórien elves...a.k.a. Aunt Galadriel. Probably sleeping in the guest bedroom and pestering her for embarrassing stories about his dads. And maybe asking her for tips on how to talk to dwarves without putting your foot in your mouth since she's clearly got experience.

And no, none of them went in for stuff like gushing hugs when they meet...but if they haven't spoken to one another in a few thousand years, and probably didn't spend all that much time together even before that (Galadriel and Thranduil weren't much in any of the same places after Doriath fell) then they wouldn't likely be all that cuddly with one another anyway, would they? Distant-but-fond seems like the order of the day to me, and you can definitely read their fleeting interactions in the book that way. (A kickass bow potentially strung with your own hair is a great gift for a nephew you don't know well who's about to go off into danger! I bet he could even shoot-down a Ringwraith with a bow like that!) Tense-and-awkward-but-trying-to-be-polite would work too, of course; depends on what kind of drama you want.

So yeah, actually I think it's perfectly reasonable to posit that Galadriel could potentially be Legolas's aunt; I've seen several fics that present Celeborn and Thranduil as cousins or some other close relative, and nobody gets shirty about the canocity of that kinship re: the Lórien scenes, so why wouldn't the connection be just as acceptable to come via Finrod and Galadriel instead? There's nothing in the text that I know of that says it can't be canon.

Anyway, Finrod-as-Legolas's-other-dad wasn't actually meant to be a serious "look how well canon supports this idea, it's definitely a very plausible thing that people should embrace in a wholly serious and canonical manner" theory to begin with. I was just having fun. Somebody said, "hey check out their weird rare ship, it's a lot of fun!" and my brain had a lightbulb moment and went "ooh what if you took that silly fun ship and leaned-in even harder with it, though?" and here we are.

Does a marriage between Thranduil and Finrod actually fit with all the canon of the Silm? I don't know, probably not; then again it might, simply because so much of the Silm is vague, especially when it comes to the elves of Mirkwood who barely even get mentioned once or twice. Personally I prefer having Legolas be born in Mirkwood and to be relatively young for an elf when Fellowship starts (there's no canon about that either way, I just like the vibes of it). However, this ship is a lot of fun too. In fact, I think it's already my favorite idea for an older-Legolas-with-ties-to-important-people take on the character, if that's how you want to take the character, simply because it is so much fun.

Do I think it's canon? No, of course not. But who cares? We're not writing Academic Articles on Accurate Tolkien Scholarship, we're writing fanfiction. We're having fun. So if you're a giggling-with-popcorn anon: good, awesome, glad to have you here enjoying the fun too. If you're a Ship Police Anon...well, acab and farewell because I frankly just do not have the time to give a shit about what somebody else ships or doesn't. Block the tag and move on.

[badventist-petite]

for the wrapped: multiples of 7!

okay but i'm gonna omit most of the ccm/gospel tunes because those don't really count lol i mean, they do, but they don't because those are just in here so i can learn them for church which requires repeated listenings heh

7: Everlasting Love - Howard Jones a banger! i think this was a fairly popular hit for him in the late 80s

14: Galileo - Indigo Girls another banger and it's currently #1 on my On Repeat at the moment. the drumming is so good on this one!

21: They Can't Take That Away From Me (Reprise) - Bruce Greenwood i really thought this one would be higher since it's so short and i know i listened to it A LOT but whatevs HE SOUNDS SO GOOOOOOOOOD OMG IM STILL NOT OVER IT AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE

28: One Thing Remains - Israel and New Breed this one slaps, it was so fun to play on the drums for my old church in TN, it'll get ya hype

42: King of Kings - Hillsong Worship also a nice one if you're into the ccm stuff, starts off mellow and builds quite nicely towards the end. a good one for easter

63: Do You Believe In Us - Jon Secada this is my childhood and my siblings and i know this whole album front to back, but this one is probably my favorite on the album

77: One Heartbeat - Smokey Robinson another one from my childhood and was crucial in Smokey's comeback in the late '80s. i remember years ago trying to explain to my mom that the verse and chorus seem to be in two different keys but she didn't get what i meant. i'm sure an actual musician can explain it better lol

91: Breakin' Away - Al Jarreau this album was also pretty important in my childhood, i mean, how could you not love Al Jarreau? this song was always my favorite on the album (but the whole thing is gooooood) oh and also, the amazing Jeff Porcaro from Toto playing drums on this track!

98: Valerie - Steve Winwood this one really puzzles me because i don't listen to it like ever because i'm more familiar with the remixed/rereleased one from his Chronicles compilation in '87 (this one is from 1982) and i feel like every time this one starts playing, i immediately queue up the other one and play that one instead. definitely feel like spotify got this one wrong

and this one wasn't in there at all! 😒

thanks for the ask! this was fun 😊

[xopheliasunflowerx]

School Rivials (Jerome Valeska Imagine)

Summary: So you want revenge on the girl who bullied for basically since you met, she crosses the line by breaking your phone and then that's when the line snaps. You find her again with the Maniax team on the bus, you're destined to get revenge for all the years she made harder on you. 

Pairing: Jerome X Reader 

Warning: Spoilers for 2x03 or 04? 

~*~*~ 

“Ew! Look it's Y/N!" Patty Wilson yells as her friends gags at you, their faces making a disgusting look at you. You couldn’t hear them, you didn’t even know they were there. Your music way too loud to even hear her whiny voice, what a relief. Once she notices that she didn’t get a reaction she frowns in a anger always wanting attention like the attention whore she is. She walks over towards you snapping. “Hey!" She yells again, she notices that you’re wearing ear phones and she smirks. She snatches your phone out of your hands and pulling the ear phones out almost ripping your ears off, and making your music disappear.

Your eyes widen in shock and anger, no one ever takes your music...not ever! You turn around angrily at the attention whore, you frown so dangerously even a serial killer wouldn’t mess with you. Patty laughs at you, twirling her sunflower blonde hair with a smirk on her pink plump lips. Her baby blue eyes shine through the glim lighting of this pathetic school, she giggles at you.

"Well looks like you aren't deaf after all." She said laughing as you frown, you remove your hood from your hoodie as you stare at her.

"Give that back." You demanded dangerously as ever before. Your eyes are dark and dangerous but she didn't care she laughed at you.

Hmm, why should I? Or maybe I should just do this?" Before anyone knew it she throws your phone into the ground, smashing it into pieces. Your eyes widen in shock, anger, sadness and mix feelings (ill be crying) washing all over you. You look up from the floor to her eyes, seeing the laughter echo into your ears. It was like time had slowed down, your anger washing all over you at once. It was all too much, before you knew it you grabbed the gun from your pocket and shot her. It was amazing... if it was real. That’s what you wished had happened, but it didn’t.

“Awww what’s wrong? Gonna cry you crybaby!” She laughs as her minions do the same, echoing through your mind. You frown at her, your nails digging into your skin, knuckles turning white. Anger fulfils you, you scream in anger turning all attention on you and them. You then punch her square in the face, causing loud gasp and whispers in the hall. Patty falls to the ground with her hand covering her cheek. She then whimpers as she scoffs at you.

"You crazy bitch!" She snaps as her minions cloud over her, making sure she’s okay. You roll your eyes at her as you begin to walk away from her and this situation.

"One day I'm going to kill you, and I'm going to like it." You said as she laughs at you.

“Crazy freak!”

~*~*~

A couple months later

Under the Gotham bridge you and your beloved boyfriend Jerome sit in a fire truck, wondering on what on boring earth we should do. 

Arnold was outside playing with the fire lighter, holding his gun in the air. Flicking the lid back and forth, amusing to him he thought.

Jerome taps his feet as he wonders what to do, he looks around with a frown on his gorgeous pale face. You giggle as you watch your beloved maniac besides you. He makes two circles with his hands as he pretends too look through them like a pair of binoculars. He hums as he looks around.

“Hmm. I spy with my little eye, something that is…” he starts, he turns his head to the right. Then he stops. He smirks as he watches the yellow school bus drive by, school girls cheering and so on. Jerome smirks, making you giggle at him. He puts his hands down with a dangerous smile. “Yellow.”

You laugh as Greenwood screams in cheer, banging the door in joy. You smirk as Jerome leans back with a grunt and points to the school bus ahead of him. Aaron starts to drive away as your eyes light up.

“This is going to be sooo much fun!”

~*~*~

The bus comes to a stop as the big red truck pulls up in front of it, blaring it’s horn as you al pull up in front. The truck comes to a stop as Arnold jumps off and humbly skips his way towards the other side of the truck. He opens the door for Jerome, a wide smile appears on his lips as he jumps down.

He stands besides the truck as he holds out his hand for you. You giggle as you take his hand and jump out of the truck. He leans down on one knee and kisses your hand like a gentlemen. He smiles as he gives off a wink towards you.

“After you, my lady.” He smiles as you roll your eyes at the red head.

“God you’re such a cutie.” You say as you cup his cheeks making him throw a laugh. He stands up and heads towards the bus.

“Whoo!” He twirls around making a show, like he always does. “Ahhh!” He slides as he walks towards the door. Gun in hand he knocks on the bus door, causing a riot inside.

You laugh as all the children start screaming in fear, you crave their fear. It’s what got you here in the first place. Burning the school was what got you here, to meet your boyfriend.

A gun shot was heard as you watch the bus driver’s body collapse onto the floor. Jerome then shoots the button making the door of the bus open. Everyone screams louder making Jerome smirk even more.

Jerome then enters the bus, turning around and grabbing your hand of course. He then walks forward watching everyone of them in fear, he giggles.

“Go tie them up like the good girl (baby) you are.” He smirks as you giggle at him, leaving a peak on the cheek for him.

You begin to cuff up the school kids as you then face eyes with the attention whore. Patty. Still looks the same, stupid blonde hair, stupid blue eyes. And probably still the same bitch. You smirk as she struggles to get out.

“Well, my my. How have the tables have turned. Hello Patty.” You say with an enlighten smile. She freezes as she begins to recognise you.

“Oh my god, Y/N? What are you doing with these freaks?! Get us out of here!” She begs making you laugh. God you really thought this was hilarious!

“Me? Get YOU! Out? Hahahaha I don’t think so toots. You made my life a living hell! I think it’s time I return the favour.” You say holding her cheek with the cup of your palm, she squirms as her eyes tear up.

“Please! I’m sorry!” She begs you.

“Remember when I said I’m going to kill you? I hope you’re prepared because I’m going to live out that fantasy.” You say with a wicked smile making her scared like crazy.

“You’re insane!” She screams making you hit her with your gun, her grunts make you laugh. She leans forward with a bloody nose. “OMG MY NOSE!” She squeals as you roll your eyes at her.

“Always the looks with you.” You exclaim as you turn to Jerome with a wicked grin. “Can I kill this one?” You ask, he tilts his head with a hum. He then skips his way towards you as he leans down towards her with a smile.

“You’re the one that ruined my doll’s life? How pleasurable! Welcome aboard to the death row! And yes dollface you can kill krabby patty here.” Jerome laughs as you smirk with a dangerous glare.

Patty screams as your eyes darken with glee. You aim your gun right at her, she sweats underneath you making you giggle. God having the advantage now was great! Amazing! Powerful!

“Now I’m god.”

And with that you pull the trigger with a bang.



[youareunbearable]

What if Hobbits aren't creations from Yavanna like everyone thinks?

Sure they like growing things, and sure their home is a beautiful little paradise of green and goodness, and sure, I love the parallels of Dwarf/Hobbit ships because they reflect Aule/Yavanna

But Yavanna already created the Ents, she already made her creatures to protect her beloved trees and green things.

But shes not the only Vala to live in a beautiful, nature filled garden

So I'm suggesting another Vala made the hobbits: Irmo

Irmo is the Vala of Dreams and Visions, he lives in the Gardens of Lorien with his wife is Este, the Vala of healing and rest for the weary.

He is never called upon during times of war or strife, but he would still work behind the sceens and in subtle ways to send hope amongst the Children of Illuvatar. He is associated with hope, inspiration, love, desire, dreams, sleep, and visions.

Don't a lot of these traits sound familiar? Aren't all of these traits the roles hobbits play in every story they're involved in?

Dwarves are going on an impossible mission to reclaim their home from a dragon? you are gonna need a lot of hope for that, and here is Bilbo, noticing things that need to be noticed (like the Hidden Door) and is always working behind the scenes to get the Dwarves to the mountian, and to find their stone, was the only not to be corrupted by the Gold Sickness, and inspired love and dreams of a better future to so many during the quest (like Thranduil, Bard, Thorin, Gandalf, Elrond, etc)

Being a symbol of hope and inspiration is literally Frodo's role in the LotR. Along with Merry to the Rohirrim, and Pippin to Faramir and Gondor, and both of them to the Ents. They become these types of mascots because people feel joy and love and hope when they see these cheery little folk

Hobbits are just friend shaped. Bilbo stole 13 Dwarves from Thranduil's dungon and he was so charmed by him that he called him Elf Friend. You just see one and wanna adopt them. They just emit these vibes of hope and love and dreams of a better world where everyone could just live as peacefully as Hobbits do

None of the Hobbits (besides Gollum) are really tempted by the visions and desire the Ring pushes forward, and if they are they shake it off fairly quickly, and I think this is because of Irmo. Of course he would make HIS children impervious to wicked temptations/desires/dreams, which is why none of Sauron's evils really tempt them, and if it does they don't really do anything with the power given. Like Gollum had it for a couple hundred of years and all he did was sit in a cave and look at it. If ANY OTHER race had that ring kingdoms would have fell.

I like to think that Irmo saw how fell whispers, temptation, greed, and hope was used against the Elves in Valinor, so he created his people (Hobbits) and their perfect little pockets of peace in Middle Earth for them to find rest and care.

But he messed up.

The Garden of Lorien is located very far away from everything else in Valinor, to help make it a peaceful getaway, so he does the same thing with his Hobbits. Except that no one knows where they are and now can't find them. This becomes a habit of his people, that since Hobbits were so isolated when they were born, they don't really like to interact with others. Of cource they'll accept any that comes to their land, but making them leave it?? naw nice try.

But they do have some interactions with others during the First Age, as they live between the Greenwood and Moria in the Gladden Fields, they probably talked with the Avari and Durin's Folk. Then in the Second Age they had Oropher's Sindarin people too. Then in the early Third Age they travel Westward. They befriend human Kings and the Dunedain and settle in the Shire, and it becomes a Haven, one that Gandalf recognizes. Oh sure it doesn't have the splendor of Lorien, nor the echo of delicate voices in the air to calm you, or the brilliant beauty in its landscapes, But it is a place to recuperate and even the air seems lighter in this lands then any other he's been within Middle Earth.

(If Maglor was found and rested in the Shire, he would heal there just as he would in the Gardens of Lorien in Valinor, for only he, with his mastery over Song and Music (for an Elf) could hear and understand and appreciate the strings of the Song of Irmo within the heartbeats and breaths of the Hobbits, as it dances around their Party Tree, burbles in the Brandywine, and echos from the branches of the Old Forest)

The Shire doesn't hold the same beauty of Lorien, but it holds a beauty that suits the peoples Middle Earth, and it still a haven for all that come across it, the people that dwell within, and to those that meet it's inhabitants .

For Hobbits follow in their Creator's footsteps and bring love, dreams, visions, desire, inspiration, and most importantly, Hope to the peoples of Middle Earth

One little, subtle, sneaky Hobbit at a time

[runawaymun]

For the wip game: give me sugar baby?

haha yeeeeeees you have a talent for finding the ones I desperately want to be asked about!!

Ok so we all know how I'm really really really partial to Celrond. I'm also really partial to Elrond/Lindir as an otp. Idk they're both just so??? soft???

And I have this dumbass idea for a modern AU romance fic for the two of them. And that name is just a stupid WIP name I slapped on there that a friend gave to me as a joke but now it's sticking oh no---

so ok, here's the concept blurb. This is gonna be long so bear with me. 

Lindir plays sugarbaby to wealthy old-money businessman Thranduil Greenwood, CEO of Greenwood Breweries. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement: Lindir has time to focus on his music and sticks to a part-time job at a coffee shop to make a little extra money for himself. Thranduil has a sweet young thing to hang off his arm and make puppy eyes at him at parties and meetings.

Things get uncomfortable when Lindir starts to develop a crush on Thranduil’s business partner, Elrond Peredhel. He’s mysterious, tall, handsome in a DILF sort of way, and Lindir is hopelessly smitten...which makes it hard to focus on making Thranduil look good.

Oh, and Elrond owns the coffee shop chain where Lindir works. Lindir absolutely hates himself for falling in love with someone so rich, well connected, powerful, and so very out of his league. Lindir is pretty sure that Elrond Peredhel doesn’t even care that he exists.

He couldn’t be more wrong.

More headcannons and also a snippet or two under the cut! This one’s writing itself so I have much more on it than some others. 

Elrond and Thranduil have a love/hate relationship. Elrond despises Thranduil’s arrogance and thinks he’s a little too debauched. Thranduil doesn’t think Elrond is debauched enough. 

Thranduil lives on a giant forested estate near his breweries and wineries. 

Elrond has one of those gorge-overlook type of houses, but maybe he has a suite in town for work. Definitely has semi-adult kids. Maybe Elladan and Elrohir are in college and Arwen is like still in school - maybe abroad? Foster-caring feral bby Aragorn who’s the son of a recently deceased friend. But yeah Elrond’s living in a giant house by himself. (Aragorn is still totally the heir to the throne of Gondor and his parents were assassinated). 

Lindir is pretty grayce and panromantic. Like he doesn’t really care about sex but he does pine a lot (but is also wayyyyy too shy to be in a real relationship). He’s dated a few people but kind of just gives up once they want sex. Thranduil’s an awesome arrangement because Thranduil isn’t at all in to him. Lindir’s more of like, an attractive handbag or tie. The sugar baby arrangement is just for looks. 

Which is a little frustrating because Lindir now can’t date anyone even if he wanted to, just in case their little “doting boyfriend” facade is ousted. 

Elrond totally believes they’re dating though and Thranduil doesn’t have the heart to contradict him. 

Elrond is fairly recently a widower/divorcee. He used to be a doctor but Celebrian developed a terminal illness and he couldn’t save her. And she ended up asking him to let her go and he quit medicine. Elrond is Sad(™). :( I hate to do this to Cel but I mean...it’s kind of canon. 

Thranduil insists Elrond needs to get out more and is throwing people at him left, right, and center in a misguided attempt to be helpful. Lindir is over here being like OH MY GOD STOP TOUCHING HIM and being like “aaaaa i’m so jealous”. And meanwhile Elrond is also really jealous of Thranduil and Lindir but he’s telling himself that he’s just annoyed with Thranduil’s PDA and that it has absolutely nothing to do with how much he likes Lindir no not at all. 

Elrond is really suave and together on the outside, but he’s actually just a really awkward touch-starved self-deprecating mess and he cannot understand why someone as young and pretty as Lindir is into him.

I have even more little headcannons but lmao I’ll stop. Here’s a few snippets of bits that I have written already: 

Lindir stopped to check his makeup in the visor mirror and touched up his lip tint. As they got out, he asked: “Do you want me to talk?” 

It was always a toss-up whether he was here as a distracting social buffer, or the elf equivalent of a handbag. 

“Absolutely not. Denethor is simply such a depressing wretch. I’ll need something pretty to look at so I don’t start fantasizing about throwing myself into traffic.”  

Right. Elf equivalent of a handbag.

Lindir preferred it that way. He was so unbearably awkward and he never knew what to say, but being a handbag didn’t require him to think. He just had to sit there, make puppy eyes at Thranduil, and laugh at his jokes. Easiest. Money. Ever.

The restaurant was stunning. Lindir would never dream of even setting foot inside something like this. Let alone affording to eat anything. Modern drop chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, smooth jazz echoed through the cavernous dining room, and every single person from the guests to the servers looked so sleek. Stepping into it felt like stepping into another dimension. It was busy tonight, but everyone talked politely over their food so that the hubbub was more of a pleasant murmur than anything else. 

The host at the front desk recognized Thranduil the second he stepped through the front door and led them to their table. Lindir tagged dutifully along. 

“Thranduil Greenwood! A vision as always.” 

The voice belonged to an older man in a black suit seated at their table next to an objectively good-looking pack of muscles. Muscles had a scruffy ginger beard and an easy smile. Just Thranduil’s type. The other one who’d called out to them looked enough like Muscles to be his father, but was considerably less attractive. 

Thranduil donned a demure smile and slipped his arm around Lindir’s waist. “Denethor. It has been far too long.” By Thranduil’s tone, it had been nowhere near long enough. “Have you met my sweet Lindir? I hope you have no qualms about him joining us. He’ll be good.”

Denethor’s expression soured. He quickly schooled it into something that was a distant bastard cousin of a smile, but he didn’t say hello. Muscles offered his hand.

“Boromir. A pleasure.”

Lindir shook it. “Like--likewise.” The stutter hadn’t been intentional. He’d just been so surprised that Boromir had paid him any attention at all. As the two of them sat, Thranduil threw his arm over the back of Lindir’s chair. Lindir leaned back into it. Their host came by and Thranduil ordered a bottle of wine. Both Denethor and Boromir already had twin glasses of some kind of amber alcohol with a red layer pooled on the bottom. Lindir didn’t know his drinks well enough to venture a guess as to what kind of cocktail it might be. Something expensive, to be sure.

Thranduil glanced at the one conspicuously empty chair and then back at the two men. “Where is Elrond?” 

“Late,” Denethor croaked, as if it was the worst sin imaginable.

Thranduil’s smile thinned. It was the kind of smile Lindir knew meant he was thoroughly annoyed, but unwilling to relinquish a centimeter of composure.

-

Lindir had been staring at his wine glass. He looked up to see an elf in an immaculate burgundy suit gliding into the empty chair opposite Thranduil. 

“I apologize for my tardiness. My flight was delayed and I had a serious matter to attend to at the district office.” 

The elf, Elrond, Lindir presumed, was so tall it was unreasonable. He rivaled Thranduil, but he seemed a little more athletic. His voice was deep and warm, his expression kind-- if a little exhausted-- and he held himself like a king. And that hair! Receding ever so slightly, but it was so dark and long and neat, with tiny braids that framed his delicately pointed ears and-- he looked so familiar… why did he look so familiar? 

Lindir was blushing. He was actually blushing. Oh, Valar. What’s wrong with me? It only got worse when those gray eyes landed on him. His stomach felt weird.

“Would you care to introduce me?”

Thranduil reclined back into his chair with a cheshire smile. “Lindir. Isn’t he a darling thing?”

Elrond glanced between the two of them. Lindir tried to sit up and relax his shoulders and act as if his blush was simply a product of the compliment. He shot Thranduil another one of his luminous saucer-eyed looks, and Thranduil leaned in to kiss him as if he really was the most irresistible thing in all of Arda.

Denethor cleared his throat. Boromir passed Elrond a menu. Elrond jumped at it, glad for something to look at that wasn’t the two of them. 

“I believe this is a meeting, Thran, not one of your parties,” Elrond said in a tone that was almost scathing. “Do try to behave.” 

Thranduil idly traced the shell of Lindir’s ear with the tip of his finger. “You wound me, mellon nin. I always behave.” 

-

“Do excuse me for a moment. I have to take this. I shan’t be long.”

Thranduil strode off to the patio and Lindir sat there feeling utterly naked without him nearby. He’d been accompanying Thranduil to various engagements for almost six months now, but Thranduil had never left him alone. And of course it had to be today of all days.

Elrond reclined in his chair and took out his phone, coffee poised in one hand. Lindir cradled his own, stealing nervous looks toward the patio where Thranduil was beginning to pace and looked very cross. Lindir shrank in his chair and tried not to fidget.

The restaurant was fading into the closing hour. Most of the diners had filtered out. One of the hosts flitted around straightening chairs and wiping down tables. Another led a late-coming group to the bar.

Minutes dragged by. Five. Ten. Fifteen. Thranduil hadn’t come back. The silence was suffocating.

“I really like your suit,” Lindir blurted, and instantly wished for death.

Elrond looked up from his phone in surprise. 

Lindir, for some Eru-forsaken reason, decided to add: “It’s-- it’s--it’s um-- a really nice...color. The red. Burgundy! I mean--” 

A tiny smile spread across Elrond’s features. It would’ve been a great time for the floor to open up and swallow Lindir whole.

“Thank you,” Elrond said. He looked out at Thranduil, still pacing on the patio, then turned his attention back to Lindir. “You don’t seem like Thran’s type.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Lindir agreed, which was a mistake. His ears burned and he floundered for some way to recover. “He’s, um-- he’s way out of my league.” He flavored it with a laugh he hoped sounded more shy than anxious. 

Elrond didn’t say anything. He just sat there, studying him with his phone balanced in his hand. It buzzed. 

Linder blundered into: “Sorry,” because he didn’t know what else to say. Elrond’s phone buzzed again. “Should you--um-- that’s probably important. Sorry. Don’t mind me.”

Elrond set his phone face down on the table and took a sip of his coffee. “At the risk of sounding trite, what do you do? You said nothing during dinner.” 

Lindir’s head emptied. A few moths might have flown out of it. He felt sure a tumbleweed blew through. Don’t say barista. Don’t say barista. Don’t you dare say you’re a barista.

“Music.”

No. That’s worse. Oh Elbereth, that’s so much worse! Why would you say that?

Elrond looked surprised again. “Music?” He echoed.

“Not really,” Lindir amended. “Kind of. Sort of. It isn’t really a thing. A thing-thing. I mean--” 

“--Not really, kind of music?”

Valar, why wasn’t the floor swallowing him yet? Could he just disappear? A wild fantasy about a meteor falling from the sky to squash him into Lindir-soup suddenly struck him. That would be nice.

“It isn’t a career. I’m not anybody. I just write things-- and um, and play. What--what about you? I mean. That’s a stupid question. Obviously you’re a CEO…”

Elrond rescued before he could embarrass himself further. “I enjoy music as well. I must confess I’m not much good at making it. And I am a great lover of books.”

Despite himself, Lindir lit up. “What kind of books?”

-

“My apologies. That took far longer than I had expected.” Thranduil grazed his hand along the curve of Lindir’s neck. Lindir, habitually, leaned into it.

Elrond picked his phone back up and checked on that text. “No harm done. Lindir kept me company.”

Thranduil looked shocked.

“Did he?”

Elrond simply hummed and stood. He bent to write the check for dinner before Thranduil could beat him to it. “It is very late, mellon nin. But perhaps we can continue this conversation at a later date. I will have Glorfindel call you to arrange it.” He rebuttoned his burgundy suit jacket and, on his way out, said: “He’s very charming, Thranduil. Keep that one.”

Once Elrond was gone, Thranduil turned to Lindir with a withering glare.

“I just said his suit looked nice,” Lindir mumbled. 

“His suit is burgundy,” Thranduil exclaimed with abject horror. “I have been trying to rid him of that dreadful thing for an Age.”

“Sorry.”

Yeah that’s part of the really garbled first chapter. I have most of an outline & planned a lot of scenes. It’s mostly just really gay self-indulgent fluffy garbage lmao. I’ll get around to actually posting the thing one of these days, but I really want to finish And the Stars Shine the Same first!