#lol lotr IS BRILLIANT

[bellamyblakru]

For the ask reblog: One of my fave merthur content creators!!!! and your url always makes me fondly remember my bellarke obsession

YOURE SO CUTE😭😭thank you so much lovely. your ask made me smile sm im glad we can look fondly at the 100 now together🥺🩷

reblog game if i wanted a LONG (or short) anonymous message saying what they think of you.

[anghraine]

I don't know if it's become more common lately or just grates more after years in academia, but I genuinely dislike the whole "this wildly popular and enormously influential work is fun and it's fine to enjoy it, but there's no need to fool yourself into thinking it's genuinely good and actual Art."

Thanks for the permission, perfect stranger, but I don't get all that invested in things I don't think are good, no matter how conscious I am of their flaws.

I really do think Lord of the Rings is, by and large, a beautifully-written and well-constructed novel. The idea of respecting its trailblazing qualities but insisting that Tolkien is objectively a poor novelist or weak prose stylist is not actually my perspective on it at all. I have criticisms, some more serious than others, but do I still think it's a great work of art? Yes. I think Tolkien is actually incredibly skilled stylistically and shifts between registers and styles in a way that I find really impressive. The obvious point of contrast for me is the Narnia books, which famously he disliked, but which I enjoyed well enough as a kid—Aravis was one of my favorite characters growing up (and she still rules!). But the shifts between registers of style in the Narnia books feel so forced and artificial to me next to Tolkien's far more elegant and controlled handling of shifting registers in The Hobbit and esp LOTR.

I actually feel pretty similarly about the Star Wars original trilogy (blasphemy to some, lol). I think The Empire Strikes Back is, despite occasional misfires, really truly brilliant artistic cinema. I recently watched Flash Gordon, which has similarities of genre and inspiration and came out the exact same year as ESB, and as enjoyable as it is in, uh, realizing its own artistic vision, there's no comparison to ESB. I've seen reviews that can't resist the urge to get in digs at Star Wars even while calling for re-evaluations of Flash Gordon and other 80s schlock (even Starcrash!) and it just seems an absurd degree of snobbery to me, all the more in the context of cheesy movies that owed their existence to Star Wars taking tropes and genres seen as fun but essentially unserious and making beautiful films out of them.

I've even experienced this "it's enjoyable and influential but not great art" snobbery with works that are generally well-regarded. In grad school, other students were genuinely taken aback that I thought Pride and Prejudice is truly one of the greatest novels written in the eighteenth century and one of Austen's best novels. I'd encountered and been annoyed by the whole "oh, a truly discerning, sophisticated taste will prefer Persuasion or Emma" thing, but it didn't even occur to me that it would be at all controversial for me to think P&P is a spectacularly brilliant novel, all the more in the context of its time. But I've encountered quite a bit of discomfort with the idea that P&P is actually great art and not just enjoyable wish-fulfillment in an accessible style. And meanwhile, I'm like ... no, I really do think it is superior in characterization, structure, pacing, style, and cohesion than most English-language novels of its era, including several by Austen herself.

[specialagentartemis]

speaking of Rowland, what changed your mind on grimdark stories? You used to post about how much you hated them lol

Hopepunk started to annoy me more lol.

It's been several things. Partially, it's just been years; I've gotten older, read more books, found authors I really really loved writing really bleak really sad really upsetting and really fascinating books.

Partially it's that I don't really believe in the definitions people use about grimdark anymore; the more I read, the more I feel it's a strawman stereotype that barely exists moreso than it's an actual social force in literature.

Partially I do stand by my irritation with a lot of dark and gritty remakes/reboots of mostly A/V media; Star Trek does not need to be a dark and gritty war story, LOTR doesn't need to be sexy, etc. They feel lazy and trend-chasing more than they feel like a genuine creative endeavor. Too often, they can feel like they're jettisoning the aspects that made me like them in an attempt to be more Mature by adding Violence and Swearing and Sex. I stand by that Star Trek Discovery wasn't good, and the fact that it felt like it was embarrassed that it had to be Star Trek when it really wanted to be Game of Thrones in Space was a big part of why.

But honestly that seems to primarily be happening in TV/movies, and it's stopped being nearly the inescapable social force it was 6-10 years ago. The zeitgeist moves on and new trends annoy me. In sci-fi/fantasy books, the movement seems to be in the other direction: hopepunk and cozy. And they have just. been bad books. So many of them have been bad in new and frustrating ways. In the same time period that hopepunk and cozy were on the rise in the sff zeitgeist, I also read books like The Fortunate Fall by Cameron Reed, Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, and The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez... heavy and sad and serious and unhappy and with brilliant artistry that feels like it actually has something to say and isn't ignoring how humans actually act by saying "well it wouldn't be a problem if everyone was just nice :)" I read the bleakest, most upsetting, most depressing sci-fi book I've ever encountered, Harmony by Project Itoh, which he wrote while he was in and out of hospitals dying of cancer and it shows. It's unsettling and unnerving and upsetting and different, and you can tell it comes from the heart. Is it grimdark? Maybe, yeah. And it has value as literature, and I got a lot more out of it than I did from a lot of things touting how important they are for being Hopeful and Cozy and Conflict-Free.

Honestly, part of it is my natural plain contrarianism. When making fun, hopeful, funny, campy, or adventure-y things Dark and Gritty and Violent was held up as better and more inherently mature writing, it annoyed me and made me dislike it; now that violence and selfishness and cruelty and pain in stories seems to be considered immature and unnecessary, and rather hope, softness, gentleness, happiness, cheerfulness, conflict-aversion, and harmony are the Morally Correct and Mature ways to write stories, I resent that too. It ends up feeling trend-chasing and reductive, and when bland nothing books are held up as The Most Ethically Correct And Best Writing Because They Are Hopeful, it makes me just as annoyed as when dark and gritty TV is held up as The Most Mature And Serious Prestige Television.

Also, honestly, the world kept getting worse and sometimes I want media that acknowledges that I feel afraid and hurt and angry, and that things aren't all sweet and good and nice actually. It often makes me feel better, more seen, more understood, than media that goes actually everyone is nice and and problems are easy to solve and the world is basically just and people can be trusted to all be mature and good and reasonable. (And if you're ever impatient, or selfish, or snappish, or mean, or insufficiently hopeful... then you don't belong in our utopia. As someone who *gestures above* can be impatient, snappish, and mean... that doesn't make me feel all that hopeful.)

[ailendolin]

Tampon trilogy reaction:

I am a woman. – The way they say it so confidently as two men.

Periods slash – Everyone laughing because Sam is being a little shit is glorious.

40 years of tampons are stored in my shed – Please don’t do that.

It’s attracting bees – Well, in that case, I guess …

Jane is my name, blood is no one’s game – Poetic.

Today embarks on change – Even my ears are bleeding and I’m not a native speaker. Sam wtf? Poor Tom has to put up with so much.

_________

I think the doctor actually prescribed it to me, Mum - Lol

Mum? Okay - Haha, I love it when someone else defines their character and they have to adapt.

Your cough will be cured through ancient methods - Doesn't sound foreboding at all.

I've got a shed of all my used tampons - Lol of course you have. Nice callback there, Sam. Also Luke slowly dying trying not to laugh is hilarious to watch.

We're gonna make a blood ritual - Yep, foreboding as fuck. Together with the voice, I feel like this is Lady Margaery from a different, darker universe where she ended up adopting Titch and makes blood rituals instead of meth.

Today embarks a blood ritual - Oh, how brilliant. I love it so much when they make fun of each other and bring mistakes back.

Demonic tamponic noises - I can't with the subtitles XD

_________

Never mind - I love how disturbed Sam was by the noises Tom made.

I'm not trying to rob you, Bilbo. I'm trying to help you. - Oh Sam, I love you for turning this into LotR. His Gandalf voice is really good. Luke's Bilbo voice ... not so much lol.

Have you heard of my tampon - Sam is so done and AJ is so happy with himself.

Tom singing - I love how AJ just walks away because he knows the Dirty Dancing lift can only end in bruised egos and broken bones

Well, you're gonna have to wait some time cause this is a boat - this one really made me laugh. I didn't expect 'boat' at all

I think I'm being followed by a spectre - I understood that reference.

If you happy and you know it clap your hands - What was that? I have literal tears of laughter in my eyes right now.

We have servants who carry our hearts for us - You are right, Tom, that is an interesting sci-fi concept.

Unchained Melody - Luke has a gorgeous voice.

Just put the tampon down - And there is Tom, ruining a beautiful moment with a the perfect callback.

Doing a compilation video around the callbacks was a great idea! Hopefully, we'll see more of that in the future!

[fangirleaconmigo]

So I’ve been a bit absent. Putting a ‘read more’ because shit in my life has gotten very real very quickly.

One of my younger sisters went to urgent care with stomach discomfort last Tuesday. It turned out that she had a huge mass in her pelvis, (18x25 cm) and our lives were plunged into a black hole of fear.

In the past week/weekend, she’s gotten blood tests and referrals for more scans. Every test result is more ominous and terrifying than the last. It is definitely ovarian cancer and she will need a major surgery and we don’t know what else.

In one day, I moved her completely into my house. She gave notice on hers. We are trying to find foster care for her cats while she is in treatment because she can’t care for them during, and neither can I.

We still haven’t had a proper prognosis and treatment plan. That will be today, I hope. I am about to drive her to her first actual appointment with a real oncologist.

It’s early and I’m lying awake in my bed. I haven’t slept much in the past weeks. I go to sleep googling ovarian cancer, and I wake up and google ovarian cancer, and I feel like an entire house is crushing me. I can barely breathe. I have to go fetal position for a few minutes sometimes during the day to get through it.

We need some hope today. We need some good news. We need, at the very minimum, a plan for her care. Something to focus on.

Please keep us in your thoughts and send us some love and good will. She is either in shock or being very brave but she could get hopeful, or devastating news today (or more terrifying limbo) and I don’t know where that will leave us.

I won’t try to tell you how much my sister means to me. But I will say that we grew up together in an isolated family with shitty, monstrous, abusive parents and it fused us together in profound ways. I raised her to the extent that a child can raise another child. (It’s like that John Mulaney joke where he said his babysitter was so young, it was like a horse caring for a dog lol)

We are both super sci-fi fantasy nerds. I watch tv with her probably three to four nights a week, and we can talk for LITERAL HOURS about the intricacies of the writing and the characters on the various franchises. We usually agree, but we probably woke the neighbors with our argument about who the best Doctor Who companion was.

We work at the same hospital and share an office one day a week, and the people in the hall probably hear our elaborate Star Wars or MCU theories.

I know better than to get her started about certain things, but no matter what I do, every Thanksgiving she gives an entire speech about how the LOTR movie adaptations failed Gimli, son of Gloin.

We’ve been to Supernatural cons (we’ve both written SPN fic), and SDCC together many times. Actually, we went to ECCC together this year, so @spacecores and @roguepyrola met her and can attest to the fact that she is a mouthy, down to earth, absolutely brilliant, funny, foul mouthed, nerdy ass bitch.

I NEED HER, ok, I FUCKIN NEED HER.

So if you meditate, pray, send intentions, I don’t care what it is, I need it today. Her appointment is in about three hours and we need some hope.

Thanks for reading, friends. ♥️ I know this isn’t fandom related but we’re all real life human beings here with real lives, and that’s what is happening in mine.

[cutebottledspider]

GET TO KNOW YOUR MUTUALS 💋

Tagged by my beloved @violaobanion ❤️‍🔥 Thank you my boubou.

What's the origin of your blog title?

I’m a Richard III (the Shakespeare psycho boy) girlie. I love antagonists and anti-heroes as a general rule and well, he’s my boy, my blorbo, as the youth say. Richard is referred to as a bottled spider and my favorite interpretation of Dick (so far) was by Arthur Hughes *shocked gasp* and he’s very cute, so... Here we are, cutebottledspider. 🕷️

OTP(s) + shipname:

I don’t often ship characters but when I do, I do it hard. The hardest is Shardlake/Barak, from the Shardlake book series and cruelly cancelled TV show. Also, Richard with anyone.

Favorite color:

Black 🖤🕷️🐈‍⬛ ⚫️ (it is a color, I will die on that hill.)

Song stuck in your head:

I don’t have one rn but if I had it would probably be something by the Chemical Brothers or some Vladimir Cauchemar flute filled track. Also love me some Charli XCX and a ton of other stuff.

Weirdest habit/trait:

Not suuuuure. I guess wearing sun glasses inside sometimes when I’m alone and no one’s here to call me a weirdo lol. Also, I vomit quite often.

Hobbies:

Rather recently started making gifs and it’s addictive. Otherwise, reading, keeping a common place book, messing about on my computer (I love notion, obsidian and keeping up to date with front end dev in general). I used to love writing but I’m having a hard time doing it recently.

If you work, what's your profession?

Graphic designer and occasional front end dev (self employed).

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

Beach bum. I’m just glad I get to work in my pyjamas.

Something you're good at:

I don’t know. I’m not brilliant at anything imo but maybe I’m wrong.

Something you collect:

Nothing. I don’t like to have a lot of anything.

Something you forget:

Lol, everything, all the time, especially words.

What's your love language:

Feeling like people know you and knowing people in return, as in noticing and remembering little things and trying to understand even when it isn’t easy. When someone says « I know you » and I feel like it’s true, I feel all fuzzy. Paying attention and seeing the little things. It matters to me. Also I'll stuff you with waffles until you puke. I’m toxic like that.

Favorite movie/show:

There are way too many but I guess the most timeless things for me are Succession, It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia, Curb your enthusiasm, Back to the Future, Fight Club, Twin Peaks, LoTR trilogy, All about Lily Chou Chou, and I love anything with fucking Leslie Nielsen. There’s probably some stuff I’m forgetting because it also depends on my mood.

As for more recent stuff, I loved the Substance, quite enjoyed Nosferatu, looooved Ripley (Andrey Scott my beloved) and well, I thought Shardlake was an okay adaptation and deserved more that one season. It was an extra special treat to have an actor I adore play two of my favorite characters ever. And Antony Boyle (phroar) was a perfect Barak. The casting was the best thing about this show.

Favorite food:

Favorite animal:

Cats and Dogs. Also rabbits.

What were you like as a child:

Quiet and shy.

Favorite subject at school:

None, hated school. Being done with school was like being born a second time.

Least favorite subject:

Above all, I hated P.E.

What's your best character trait?

I’m rather generous I think. Maybe. I tend to be a glass half full person most of the time (don’t count PMS lol)

What's your worst character trait?

When I hate, I hate hard. Also I might be quick to judge sometimes. Also it’s only bad for me bu I eat my feelings andI get easily addicted to various things.

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

I’d want to be skinnier and more athletic. In better physical condition as a general rule. Also can someone pay for permanent hair removal for me? It’s okay, you can PayPal me.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

Shakespeare I guess. Also I’d want to see what my parents were like when they were young. I feel like my wee mom would have been adorable.

No pressure tag: @attaboylew @yourfriendlyneighbourhoodsimp @peachessndreamss @beforeviolets

[verecunda]

Following on from The Hobbit, I've started listening to LOTR as my doing-the-dishes-and-laundry accompaniment - only about a chapter or so a day, so I'll probably be here for a couple of months. :P

Anyway, I just love how every reread throws up something new. Like last night, it was the whole Prancing Pony episode, and for the first time I found myself really seriously appreciating Barliman Butterbur. He's just, man, he's such a good dude. Okay, yes, he fucked up majorly by forgetting about Gandalf's letter, but the minute he knows there's real trouble at hand, he's like, "Sure, I'll help you. I have no idea what's going on, but I'll do whatever I can to help, no questions asked." When Strider tells him that the Black Riders are from Mordor, there's no doubt or questioning, no "lol wtf are you on?" He understands what that means, he takes it seriously - even if he doesn't really trust Strider, he takes the warning to heart. He even seems to have a decent idea that he's up against something way beyond his own powers. "'But spooks or no spooks, they'll not get into The Pony so easy.'" Mordor does have human subjects, we know this, but Butterbur seems to twig that the Riders are definitely not human. And he's just a regular guy who runs an inn in the back of beyond, but he still does everything he can to help.

What a Good Dude. It was definitely kind of the book to assure us that he comes out of the situation okay. <3

Also, this is by no means a new thought, but I just love how well Tolkien writes the terror of these chapters. Honestly, he does horror better than many ghost stories. The menace of the Riders, the way the danger of the night outside seems to loom in on Frodo & co., the sense of what a lonely and fragile refuge the Pony seems... brilliant stuff.

[meteors-lotr]

4 16 18 and 33 for the ask game?

Oh god many at once okay

4. Which movie from the Lord of the rings is your favorite and why?

I have always found it very difficult to actually rank the lotr movies, cause not only all they all very similar in quality but they’re all also so connected to each other, so it’s difficult to think of them as separate from each other.

With that being said, I must say that The Fellowship of the ring is my favorite. It’s the movie where the main characters are actually all together for the majority of it, which like I know why they all had to be separated but it’s fun to see them all actually interact, which if you know me you know that I love seeing characters actually talking to each other. I mean I run an incorrect quotes blog for fucks sake.

16. Do you have a favorite orc?

My dad and I have always loved this dude lol

His name is Guritz

18. Favorite soundtrack of the series?

Listen I will always love the original lord of the rings soundtrack, it is nothing but iconic

Buuuuuut, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack is just, very good. Like, very good

There’s of course the actual like, sung songs, like Misty Mountains and Blunt the Knives, but there’s also the classic Concering Hobbits music, the tragic My Dear Frodo, the foreboding Axe or Sword?, the whimsical The World is Ahead, the elegant but extreme Roast Mutton, the lighthearted A Very Respectable Hobbit, and the ever epic Out of the Frying-Pan

The music sets up the journey ahead so well, with it mostly being fun and exciting, but with an underlying dark tone throughout it, also the fact that the instrument of Misty Mountain became sorta the main theme is really brilliant and I get actual goosebumps every time it plays. Howard Shore knew what he was doing with the soundtrack, and he did it well. If you’re ever bored then check out the wiki page for the hobbit soundtrack, Shore goes into why he composed the songs the way he did and it’s all very fascinating to read.

33. What’s your favorite fight scene between all of them (Movies)?

This may be controversial, because yes I know that the battle of helms deep is incredible, as is the Moria Battle and Thorin’s duel with Azog

But I wish to draw all of your attention to the battle with the trolls, in the first Hobbit movie

It’s not a long battle, or particularly epic, but it shows of the strength of The Hobbit movies, with it being the dwarves and their relationships with each other. Because while all of the fellowship battles are great, it’s mostly just one character as an individual fighting against the enemy.

The dwarves all fight as one unit, taking advantage of each others strengths and covering each others weaknesses. You can see them boosting each other, doing combo moves, throw each other weapons, it’s all very cute and it’s very fitting for them, because they were all trained like this. In the scene where they do the dishes at Bilbo’s house, they are seen doing the same thing, and it makes sense for them.

I think it’s the most apparent in the trolls fight scene, because it’s simple, and a not very long fight, which I don’t like needlessly long fight scenes so that works for me. The music is also amazing, the Misty Mountains theme returning once more. I think the scene with the trolls is just brilliant as a whole, it’s one of my favorites of the series

[jamietarttsnorthernattitude]

Answer the questions and tag five fanfiction authors you know!

Tagged by the talented @kvetchinglyneurotic

1. How many fandoms have you written in?

One! Two if you count the truly bad LOTR fic I wrote in high school.

2. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

I wrote a story or two in high school and then nothing for a long time. I started really writing almost a year ago (just looked published my first fic on 5/21)

3. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

Writing because I basically only read Ted Lasso fan fiction recently and it’s just slowed its output.

4. What is one way you've improved as a writer?

I’ve learned to outline a bit more than just winging it like I did for so long. I’m not sure if there’s a specific thing I’ve improved on, just generally I think (I hope).

5. What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

How to make chloroform lol but mostly just injury related things, spleen removal, stuff like that. Total normal whump writer things.

6. What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

I truly love any and all comments, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I loved the long, detailed type with quotes, etc but I also love the ones that are just a sentence of reaction like one I got that just said “good fucking fic” and I LOVED that.

7. What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

My online circle contains a lot of whump-enthusiasts but probably whump although gen stories sometimes feel very fringe.

8. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

All of them? I can’t do anything short, which is why whumptober was so hard to get though, I want the whump but then I want the comfort and I just don’t know how to write something concise that is satisfying to me.

9. What is the easiest type?

I don’t know if I find anything about writing easy. Different parts of the story are easier than others but I haven’t found a type that is easy.

10. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Wherever I can, but usually from my couch. I use google docs but have wanted to look into other platforms but none seem to have exactly what I want. Whenever my brain tells me to write.

11. What is something you've been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Hockey AU for sure, along with an idea I have for a post-series fic where Michelle and Henry move to London and Ted stays.

12. What made you choose your username?

I was looking for a new one that I could use here and on ao3. When I mentioned this to the brilliant @jamiesfootball they suggested something to incorporate my love of Noah Kahan (many many of my titles are from his songs) so jamietarttsnorthernattitude was born. I’d like to think Jamie and I share a Northern Attitude.

Trying to tag who hasn’t been tagged but these things spread quickly and I might have missed people so trying @fanficfanattic @jamiepoptart @nativestarwrites @lunar-years @providing-leverage and anyone else who would like to play

[sophiesbookishthings]

January Reads

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

My non fiction read for the year! I listened to the audio book for this one which I definitely recommend. Jennette McCurdy deserves only good things for the rest of her life.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

Wayward Children #5! Such an underrated series. Jack and Jill and the moors are my favorite. Also it's gay.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Queer cozy fantasy! I loved how chill and kind this book was.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I think about this book daily. The way everything tied together in this book was brilliant. I loved the concept of the reveurs in particular.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Ah the faerie books. I finally gave in and read this. It was fine. It was very basic fantasy romance. It wasn't bad, it was just unfortunately overhyped. Don't love the mc though she's kinda annoying.

3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Return of the King by JRR Tolkien

Lord of the rings my beloved! I could scream about any lotr book forever so I'm just gonna say Samwise Gamgee is the character ever and I love faramir and he deserves only good things forever. Also the ending of this series takes my heart out and stomps on it.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Tj Klune is a master of found family and I will read everything he writes forever. This book also had an autistic ace mc, an anxious roomba, and a sadistic nurse droid and I adored every single one of them.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

I feel like I should like this book more than I did. The mc just felt too perfect and like a societal ideal of masculinity that I really didn't care about that much. And I think to some extent it may have been the point but it still felt off to me. Started this in print and switched to audio cause the writing was not my favorite. Idk if I'll continue this series or not.

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I went into this thinking it was about a satyr because of the cover. I was disappointed a few chapters in when I realized it was not. I did however really enjoy this book anyway. Very interesting how it resolves.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Definitely better than acotar. Feyre's somewhat less annoying. Still think this series is overhyped but I do get it now. Also I don't get why everyone acts like this is straight porn. It's so tame lol but I read fanfic so 🤷. I do appreciate that this book went more into the politics of the world. Definitely made it more interesting.

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

[storiesofsvu]

From the fandom/fanfic ask!

4, 13, 22?

4. pairing that makes no sense to you:

oh god.. okay, there are a lot of pairings that i do not like at all (bensler, hotchniss...) but they still *make sense* ya know, like, i GET why people ship them and why they're so popular.

OH!

I've got it. I've seen SUCH an increase in this recently, and i truly don't get it.

Benovak. (Olivia Benson x Casey Novak)

Like... were we watching the same show?! Those two HATED each other and it's not just an enemies to lovers or hate sex kinda thing...they strictly do not like each other, ever. (how much of that is due to irl actor drama we're not sure lol). The moment casey shows up liv is at her throat and hates her cause she's not alex (meanwhile liv KNOWS alex is alive... like come on). the entire time Casey is on the show she's much closer with elliot and has more to bond over with him than Liv. Hell even when Casey returns, s12, liv's not there, s13, her and liv are fighting so bad the entire time Amaro of all people has to leave the room...

so yeah.. i really don't get that ship lol. sorry not sorry for the essay.

13. fandom you've been apart of for the longest?

Actively/actively reading/writing for? SVU

The one I first wrote for? either lotr, hp, or pirates of the caribbean.

22. Least fave fic trope?

more general: age gaps.

specific: whenever there's someone who's a super genius, graduated at 16, did college at 18, so smart and bright and pretty and cute and brainy and brilliant and YOUNG who the (usually grumpy) MUCH older, mid 40's plus character ends up with. like.. just no.. all around no.

thanks for asking!! <3

fanfic/fandom questions.

[niennawept]

Tag Game - Fandom Edition

Tagged by @somebirdortheother, thanks so much, lovely! This was fun!

Your Name: On here, Nienna or Ni, if you please. I have 4-5 names that people regularly call me outside of that (IRL nicknames) but I prefer to keep that private.

Your First Fandom: Tolkien. Before I even knew what fandom was, I was composing fanfiction in my head about being Bilbo Baggin's niece (yes, before I read LotR, I somehow knew that he would have an adopted child because he definitely wasn't marrying a woman - A+, baby Nienna). At the time, I had no concept of what fanfiction was or what a self-insert was, but here I was, doing the thing at age 8. I think it counts, lol.

Your Current Fandom: Rings of Power specifically, wider Tolkien Legendarium also. And the thing you must know about me is I have two fandoms which are special interests of mine. 1) Tolkien and 2) Star Trek. Normally, when one is dormant, the other wakes up. So we'll count Star Trek too, even though that interest is currently sleeping (shhh, she needs her rest).

How did you first get into fandom?: Um, doomed by the narrative? My dad read The Hobbit aloud to me when I was little and then proceeded to read me LotR out loud a year later. I couldn't NOT form my whole personality around that (and Trek, which he introduced when I was 10).

How long have you been engaging in fandom spaces?: I discovered fanfiction online when I was 14. I used to write a long time ago, but college and grad school got in the way. I lurked for years (reading a couple longfics a week) but I didn't have the energy to create much myself. Adar and Rings of Power brought me out of that shell. So I guess the answer is: it's complicated.

How often do you read fanfic?: I'm almost always reading at least one longfic, although I have slowed down significantly now that I'm writing a longfic. These days I squeeze in reading one-shots because I set too ambitious of an update schedule and I'm trying not to get burnt out.

Top three characters from your current fandom?: Adar (my love), Tar-Miriel (who I am so worried about going into the next season), and probably Galadriel. I really admire how they let her be nasty enough to be credibly accused of being Morgoth's successor, by someone who would know. That's brilliant and gives her character a lot of room to grow into the Galadriel we know in the Third Age.

Have you ever written a fic for a fandom and if so, shout it out!: I do not think any of my very old fic still exists (thank the stars). But I'll link a few Rings of Power fics here (use caution, all three works are 18+):

Scars of Silver and Gold: A Second Age romance/adventure (Adar/OC) that will eventually answer the question "what is the best case scenario for Adar and his uruks that still fits within the constraints of Tolkien's legendarium?"

Until the Stars Burn Out: Set in Cuiviénen, under the light of the stars. Eren, the one who will one day be known as Adar, shares a moment of tenderness with the partner he was made for, Erenyë. (Adar/OC). Based off of "Awake, Arise or Be For Ever Fall’n"  by @dwarveslikeshinythings

Mistletoe Mischief: Christmas-themed smutty Adar/Reader fic. Modern AU.

Have you ever drawn fan art for a fandom?: I have, but I am not willing to share anything yet, because I'm just not where I want to be skill-wise.

Share a personal headcanon that you feel strongly about: Mmmm. I have many headcanons. It is hard to pick one. I'll say this: the elves that went to Valinor from the Waters of Awakening knew that some of them where kidnapped and taken but they did not see any orcs/uruks until the Noldor made it back to Middle-earth. It makes the Battle-under-Stars that much more existentially terrifying. Thinking about writing a horror one-shot about this - imagine recognizing your old friend, twisted by centuries of torture among the dead. *shivers*

You’re trying to convince a friend to get into your current fandom(s) with you. what episode, clip, or scene are you showing them?: Mmmmm. I don't think there's a clip of ROP that I can pick that doesn't have spoilers. All the parts I'm most attached to are in pretty deep.

And finally, what does fandom mean to you?: Community. Enjoying the thing you enjoy on your own is marvelous but enjoying it with other people is even better! People have such wonderful different ideas about things and that's very cool.

Tagging (no pressure, just love): @dwarveslikeshinythings, @lazymeriadoc, @bananaphanta, and anyone else to whom this looks like fun!

[gifsbysimplysonia]

Bucky and Peg sharing cat pics? Brilliant.

Steve being the one with only 4 unread emails? Tracks. 100%. Him being on Discord AND with 7 unread messages?? Intriguing. As is him being a Twitter AND Tumblr user...are you lurking, Cap? 👀 I also like that he has Audible and is still reading. His Camera app being close also makes me smile. Maybe he's the one taking all the good pics of Alpine. THIS VIDEO comes to mind 😄

Nat monitoring OR trolling on Reddit? LOVE!

Sam naming him "Buckaroo," having a Playlist for when he's flying and being ON GRINDR??? Haha, awe, and Sam nooooooo lol

Peggy's unread emails number has me breaking out in hives but that fits for her. Her sparring with Sam is so interesting to me. Never would have thought of it.

I also need to know who is marathoning LotR with Bucky and if he needs volunteers, there are so many of us out here.

These are so fun, thoughtful and creative! Thank you for creating and sharing @bethany-antonias 🙏🏼

MCU Capfam + phones (inspo)

[communistkenobi]

Nick I am SO glad you liked lotr so much, I watched these movies when they first came out as a child and I’m not exaggerating that it altered my brain chemistries forever. Something I always loved about them is the dialogue—I think they really figured out the balance between more flowery, “fantasy-speak” and more laymen dialogue, with both ends of the spectrum being really well-written and utilized to max impact when appropriate. A lot of that is ofc due to Tolkien paying so much attention to language craft, but also a brilliant job of adaptation by the writers (so much so that some of the most iconic lines from the films are film-original!) and speaking to the vast cultural impact of the films, I think many post-LOTR fantasy films have all sought to replicate that high-fantasy speak (most recently Rings of Power….) but I’ve always felt too many of them go for style over substance without realizing that LOTR dialogue was stylIzed without ever losing substance. Idk if this makes sense but to sum it up it’s a movie series where people will quote all of Theoden’s speeches from heart AND also instantly lose their shit over simple lines like “I can carry you” and I think that’s indicative of good dialogue writing lol

Also unrelated but one of my fave shots in the whole trilogy is the visual parallel of Frodo pulling Sam out the water in fellowship and Sam pulling Frodo out the lava pit in Mt Doom in return of the king like 😭😭😭

ITS SO GOOD!!!! I’m almost mad how much I’m enjoying them lol. I also knew that lotr was foundational to the fantasy genre but was unaware that it was like responsible for THAT much of the fantasy genre. As we were watching the films I kept turning to my brother and going WAIT THATS WHERE THIS FANTASY SHIT COMES FROM??

The movies have definitely renewed my enjoyment of fantasy as a whole. For the most part I’ve disliked fantasy and most of my experiences with it have left a bad taste in my mouth. and like lotr obviously has problems worth bringing up, but I enjoyed the films much more than I thought I would.

Also!!! In addition to the good dialogue. It’s been so long since I watched something that wasn’t extremely mean and cynical. I don’t seek out mean and cynical media on purpose, but it feels inescapable sometimes. Very self ironic, averse to vulnerability, always winking at the camera - shit that is so deeply unfun to watch. So like watching lotr and seeing dudes hugging each other and crying and being like love is going to save the world!!!! and being completely sincere about all of it is really refreshing and wonderful

[nymeriaaa]

tag game: get to know me!

thank you so much for the tag @svintsandghosts ! ♥

~~~~

1. Birthday? 22nd oct

2. Favorite color? green or purple, depends on the shade

3. How tall are you? about 5’3

4. How many pairs of shoes do you own? id say about 12 but i only wear like 3 pairs lol

5. Favorite song? currently it's regular by nct 127 buuuut don't ask me my all time fave coz like... i couldn't choose. it would probably be an mcr or green day song lol (or treasure by ateez)

6. Favorite movie? um well i love edward scissorhands and the lotr trilogy. oh and the harry potter movies too! school of rock... horror would probably be the descent part 1 only... ahh don't make me choose seriously i could list so many 😩

7. Who would be your ideal partner? idk... just someone who loves me for me and is kind, loyal... accepts the fact that i have many kpop boyfriends who will always own my heart 🙄

8. Do you want children? not really but i'd definitely compromise if i met the right guy and he wanted one

9. Have you gotten in trouble with the law? nope

10. What color socks are you wearing? none

11. Favorite type of music? pop punk/post hardcore/"emo", and kpop lol

12. How many pillows do you sleep with? ok so 2 for my head, 2 on the other side of the bed, my boomerang pillow and a big square/european one as well... so 6 lol

13. What position do you sleep in? i fall asleep on my side but when im just chilling in bed i can lay on back too for a bit

14. What don’t you like when you’re sleeping not having the fan on, i don't care what temperature it is. my fan stays on. (im keeping this answer cause same 100%)

15. Have you tried archery? nope

16. Favorite fruit? watermelon, blueberries and mango

17. Are you a good liar? no unless it's at work and i have to come up with an excuse to get out of going to another store or to not send one of my staff to another store... then im a brilliant liar. oh im also really good at lying about why i can't hang out or go somewhere if im not feeling up to it (which is most of the time lol)

18. What’s your personality type? istp. im very shy and the biggest introvert unless im comfortable around you, and awkward as fuck lol

19. Innie or outie? innie

20. Left or right handed? left

21. Favorite food? sushi. japanese good in general is just 🤌 delish

22. Favorite foreign food? oh well i just answered that in the question above? japanese. chinese, thai, korean and vetnamese are amazing too!

23. Are you clean or messy? both but trying to fix bad habits and keep my room clean and organised but it's hard when your mental health sucks sometimes

24. Most used phrase?

probably what the fuck and the word cunt in general. oh if you ask sandra my 2ic it would also be i don't care 😅

25. How long does it take you to get ready depends but if its for work about 30/40ish mins

26. Do you talk to yourself? of course

27. Do you sing to yourself? yes lol

28. Are you a good singer? hell no

29. Biggest fear? this is stupid and lame but spiders/insects/bugs/creepy crawlies... just all of that 😬

30. Are you a gossip? not really, maybe a little at work but it's more just complaining and bitching about our shitty area managers lol

31. Long or short hair? for me? long hair. but i like both on other people

32. Favorite school subject? um... none? lol like i didn't have any one subject i was really good at compared to others i was just kinda average in everything but really really bad at maths and science

33. Extrovert or introvert? introvert

34. What makes you nervous? yeah people, public speaking... there's more but ill leave it at that

35. Who was your first crush? his name was matthew it was in year 3. i found out he passed away a few years ago and he had a wife and kid so that was sad

36. How many piercings do you have? just my ears (which have kinda closed up lol) i used to have my lip done too many years ago

37. How many tattoos do you have? one but wanting more!

38. How fast can you run? no ❤️ (lol same)

39. What color is your hair? purple atm but it's faded so i need to redo it

40. What color are your eyes? hazel

41. What makes you angry? so many fucking things. work makes me angry (not my team in store but mostly everyone else) i could rant about my workplace for a whole fucking month i swear. when i see people talking shit about people/artists i love. people who play games and toy with other people's emotions and use them... im gonna stop but i could list a lot

42. Do you like your name? yeah

43. Do you want a boy or girl as a child? none but if i were to have one... i guess a boy... idk

44. What are your strengths? um im friendly and welcoming, kind. i think overall im a good person and that's a good thing... lol

45. What are your weaknesses? shy, ignore red flags and forgive people too easily. scared of confrontation due to being shy so i don't speak up as much as i should especially when it comes to my beliefs and i guess in that sense i can be a bit of a pushover... but only in certain scenarios. i definitely need more confidence

46. What’s the color of your bedspread? black and white atm

47. What’s the color of your room? black, grey and white wall paper on one wall then just a neutral, off white colour the rest

~~~~

Tagging but no obligation; @alphadisaster @septicrebel @jin-neck-shaft @hyuckilstan @saynofakke

[armenelols]

Hi! I just started following you recently but I love your LOTR/Silmarillion takes. :) Who are some of your favorite characters in Tolkien's books and why? Also sorry I'm anonymous,I'm just shy

Thank you so much! ❤️ And no worries, I don't mind anonym - and I am always willing to talk :)

So. Favourite characters. Kind of complicated since I love pretty much everyone, BUT I'll try to tone it down. Also, I am talking about book characters here - so not the movies.

... I also have a tendency to fixate on minor and not-talked-about characters.

Elrond - absolute favourite out of all. He is the type of character I've always been drawn to - the old, wise, kind mentor-like figure. I like how he is always there in the background, but never the protagonist of the story - yet appears in all of them. He is what connects the stories of Middle Earth more than any other character, I think. I also have a tendency to think of his relationships with literally everyone, which... Yeah, may show a bit in my posts, tho I try to tone it down lol

Eärendil - the themes of his story are way too cool for me to ignore them. The idea of the ultimate sacrifice of one's happiness in hope that others will have a better life because if it; the star of Hopes when, really, every time Eärendil's feelings are described, it is about how tired he is.

Elwing - I love her. She is so young when her main story happens and went through way too much. The 'fuck you' she gives to fëanorians when she jumps? Iconic. Terribly sad, but iconic. Again, I love her story and themes overall. She deserves way more love.

Vardamir - I looked at this guy who has one paragraph in the Unfinished Tales, took the little info we have and based his whole headcanoned personality on it. I am not sorry and I love him.

Half-elves in general - because this is going to be way too long even without me naming every one of them. They never really belong anywhere - or so to say, belong to too many places and people at once. Yeah, in the end, they get their choice, but it doesn't erase the other part of their heritage - and the theme of constant sadness, loss; separation, loneliness, longing, yet prevailing hope... Yeah, I love it. Dior, all pairs of E twins, Arwen, everyone. I love them.

Isildur - my love for him started with annoyance about 'cast it into the fire' memes and never ended. I love him. He represents the best traits of his people - courage, hope, willingness to admit he is wrong. He is proud - he says so himself; he makes mistakes - everyone does. But he tries his best to be good, and he is. And honestly, his death scene? The way it is worded gives me chills - how he feels a terrible loss when the Ring leaves him, but then a great relief, and dies a free man.

Rangers of the North - I would be the first to admit I don't really post about them, but I love them with all my heart. These guys wandered the wilds for thousand years - unacknowledged for their deeds, looked upon as vagabonds, but still doing their duty and protecting the folk who didn't know of the evil lurking right outside of their door. Halbarad and Aragorn fall into this category, so I am not going to make a separate point for them, but I love them.

Merry Brandybuck - I felt the need to include at least one of the hobbits (I love them all) and Merry is my favourite out of the lot (not by a lot, they are all brilliant). I fell in love with him during the fifth chapter when he was like 'yeah Frodo, I've known about the Ring for years. Bilbo used it to hide from Lobelia. Also, there is a huge conspiracy against you and we are going with you whether you like it or not. Deal with it bro.' Iconic. I never stopped loving him since then. And he is a nerd - he wrote a book! About pipeweed! He is also cleverer than people give him credit for.

Gil-galad - I first heard of him when Sam sang the song in LotR and as a lover of history and epics, a legendary dead elven king was all info I needed to love him. As I've learned more about him, I loved him even more.

Denethor - about whom I also don't post. I find him interesting - he is a flawed and proud man, but also clever and noble and strong. He has some of the most complicated family relationships we see in LotR, his banter with Gandalf is brilliant, his mind battles with Sauron for decades, his interactions with Pippin. And I love how he and Théoden contrast each other - Théoden who fell into darkness and rose out of it stronger than ever, never losing hope, riding into battle alike to Oromë when the world was young; and Denethor, who only had the amdír kind of hope, and once he lost it, fell into despair and died.

Honorary mentions because explaining everyone who is among my favourites would take way too long *inhales*

Celebrían, Celeborn, Éomer, Éowyn, Faramir, Boromir, Finarfin, Gilraen, Glorfindel, Théoden, Bilbo, Frodo, Pippin, Sam, Imrahil, Beregond, Tar-Míriel, Húrin, Gwindor, Orodreth, Rog, Turgon, Idril, Celebrimbor, Tuor, Thingol, Maglor, this is a mess and I should stop before I name literally everyone.

*exhales*

Extra honorary mentions

Queen Berúthiel and Tevildo. Icons.