#plot twist that is thranduil

[thranduilswifesblog]

Elrond : *pulls out a knife*

Everyone on the room : *gasp* OH NO..

Elrond : *uses the knife to open a box*

Everyone : oh Ok...

Elrond : *pulls a freaking sword out of the box*

Everyone : *terrifying in quenya* OH FUCK-

[thorin]

thinking of elrond saying "a strain of madness runs deep in that family. his grandfather lost his mind. his father succumbed to the same sickness. can you swear thorin will not also fall?"

i have a movie headcanon now (bc i suspect the book lore behind the dragon sickness is different than the movie lore)......

plot twist: dragon sickness isn't a hereditary mental condition, since thorin's grandfather was simply full of greed, & his father went mad because he was being tortured by the necromancer in gundabad.

& the reason why thorin succumbs to it is actually bc he had so little faith in himself after being doubted by both his allies (gandalf & elrond) & his "enemies" (thranduil & bard)

[hallucinateonpaperspines]

what would Ashley do if she was in the hobbit or lord of the rings verse ?

...

(Cue binge-watching the extended edition LOTR/The Hobbit while rifling through the Silmarillion like I'm possessed)

Me dragging Ashlyn into this world like:

Okay, so let's say Ashlyn is just minding her own business. Just walking through her house one morning, and then what do you know, when she turns a corner in the hallway, all of a sudden she's in a dark forest that looks nothing like the one outside her window.

She stands there for a moment. Just taking it in.

The tree roots twisting out of the earth, thicker than her in some places, the eerie silence but for branches cracking under the stress of the wind, and dry leaves shuffling about. And the smell; something sharp and pungent. Like compost and yeast mixed together.

This is not the woods of her home. This is a forest tinged with something other.

In fact, it's Mirkwood.

But she doesn't figure that out until a little later. Not until she trips on an ever-so-thin gossamer thread and alerts the predators hiding above of a new meal. And as she runs, having flashbacks to a robotic drider as this new monster hisses and gnashes its fangs, Ashlyn doesn't have time to take in any information about this new world. Not of the spider's growingly descriptive screeches. Not of how dying brown leaves are turning a fresh green, and most certainly not the wiz of arrows flying overhead as she ducks and slides between tree roots. It doesn't even hit as Ashlyn accidentally tackles one of her would-be saviors and is met with the pointed-eared edition of Orlando Bloom.

It really only hits once she's been dragged before Thranduil's throne and a very annoyed Elf-King wants to know how a human wandered into the heart of the forest without being seen.

Ashlyn, still working through her minor shock of the situation remains silent and unblinking. She. Just. Stares. Of course, Thranduil being a drama queen at heart, is naturally offended at being ignored.

"Do you still have your tongue, child? Or are rendered mute by your own stupidity?" "Well, clearly being incapable of speech wouldn't have much bearing on intelligence if you're concerned about me undermining your security... unless you had low expectations for your own systems, which would be understandable considering you have spider demons nesting at the heart of your lands."

Tauriel choking back a laugh does not help the situation. Unluckily, the sass is unappreciated and a trip to the dungeons is promptly arranged.

"WAIT! What about a trial? I HAVE RIGHTS!"

Fortunately, the continued sass seems to solidify Ashlyn's growing reputation as a fool regardless of her questionable origins. This is useful. Fun Fact: Not even elves think to look up, and a dungeon carved into rock and spotted with plant growth has so many handholds.

Ashlyn books it immediately, taking a page out of Bilbo's book and dropping out via the underground river.

Following said river, she eventually makes it to Lake Town. The sight of a shivering woman, thankfully, plucks at the honorable Bard's heartstrings, and he agrees to offer shelter for a night.

Ashlyn meanwhile is plotting. The world of Middle-Earth is so complex, so detailed, that there is no possible way so could ever hope to manipulate it. Not without a degree (in spirit or otherwise) in Tolkin. She can't even speak Elvish! It's a small mercy that the Common language appears to be English in the first place!

And so, eating a fishy stew, lamenting the absence of seasonings other than salt, Ashlyn's mind starts to turn. She doesn't know why or how she's here, let alone if there is a way to go back. What she does know is that Lake Town hasn't been burnt down, the Wood Elf King hasn't fixed the barrel-riding weak spot in his security, and that, yes, elf hair is gorgeous and she needs to find out what magical shampoo they're using.

Also, Gandalf should exist around here somewhere.

Gandalf.

The wizard might be able to help her, at the very least he would be a helpful ally, but Ashlyn doesn't know how she would be able to find him. She doesn't know much beyond the basics of Middle-Earth to begin with.

...

But what if she could change that?

And as such, Ashlyn's quest begins. Roaming through the lands of Middle-Earth seeking knowledge of all kinds as well as a weird old grey man who's particularly talented at smoking. Preferably finding said old man before evil incarnate wakes up.

Cue the travel montage and shenanigans as this woman tries to find her way to the Shire, the one place she's sure the wizard will show up at eventually, only to end up virtually everywhere else.

A short detour to the Iron Hills and she learns that Gimli wasn't lying when he preached about dwarven hospitality. Dáin Iornfoot was an absolute hoot, and the food was delicious. One can never go wrong with meat on the menu. That and she managed to nab a few knives and forks before leaving. Very productive stay even if no grey-hatted man appeared.

Mordor? Why yes Boromir, one can walk into it quite easily when one doesn't use the gates and doesn't even know where they're walking in the first place. She managed to learn some orcish curses out of that excursion.

Beorn's farm was a nice surprise, the bear-man was a surprisingly good cook and was kind enough to offer directions.

Avoiding Gondor, Ashlyn did find herself roaming Rohan for a bit. Mucking out some stalls earned her some coin, as well as selling off some of the supplies Beorn gave her. The bear had a nose for quality honey. Fortunately, there is no Grima to tempt her ire, turns out the creep hasn't been born yet, so Ashlyn gets by relatively well. The riders find her ineptitude with horse riding to be simultaneously hilarious and pitiful. Its Rohan. The land of the Horse Lords Girls. They are teaching her how to ride a freaking horse. She takes the free lessons. Both in horse welfare and Rohirric.

 She also takes a horse, but that's another bit of business entirely.

Carrying on, Ashlyn wanders her way through Bree. One night she thinks she might see a bearded child roaming through the wilderness wailing, but the rangers she comes across laugh her concerns off.

She's repeatedly disappointed that none of them go by Strider.

As months go by, she gets a little bit more unhinged. Her hair is a bird nest that would make Radegast the Brown green in envy. Her concept of the timelines becomes more distorted, and a few travelers who come across her ranting to the stars spread rumors of an insane witch wandering the wilderness.

Her Gollum-like attitude towards books does not help this conception.

Gandalf is enjoying himself immensely at this turn of events. It's not every day one has a little fan so determinedly following him. Or one with quiet so interesting luck. He can see why Thranduil has reportedly banned a foul-mouthed and audacious woman-child from Greenwood.

Barely been here for a year and she's already making heads spin. It has been some time since a blessed of the Valar has walked, or skulked, through these lands. The presence of Estë and Lórien is strong with her. Healing and Visions. He can't help but wonder what in potential those two in particular see.

The wizard can't help but smile as he smokes on his pipe and listens to Saruman quake on about a book-stealing wraith that's been disrupting his usual merchant's business.

Perhaps he should introduce himself to the little shadow soon.

[starsuncounted]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for tagging me @bywayofmemory!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 82.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 128,198.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently, LOTR, Silmarillion, Narnia, and Timeless. I'd like to get back to writing Turn fics, though. I have a couple ideas for oneshots that have been rattling around in my brain.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

winter-touched, frost-bitten (Spinning Silver, T, Miryem/the Staryk Lord, 1.1k): A missing scene in which Miryem strikes a new bargain with the Staryk Lord.

As the Hare Flees Before the Wolf (Silmarillion, T, Eöl & Celegorm, 1.8k): Curufin is not the only son of Fëanor Eöl meets upon the plains of Himlad. Or, Eöl meets Celegorm while pursuing Aredhel and Maeglin, and things go very badly for him.

Here at Journey's End (LOTR, G, Frodo & Legolas, 1.6k): They stay for those they love.

West, West Away (LOTR, G, Sam & Thranduil, 3.6k): Sam meets an unlikely kindred spirit on the journey West.

and I will love with urgency, but not with haste (Silmarillion, T, Andreth/Aegnor, 3.1k): A summer evening spent in a glade near the shores of the Aeluin.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yep! It may take me a while, but I always do. The only exceptions are for cryptic comments that I don't understand and have no idea what to reply with.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Lol. Lmao, even. At least half of my fics are nothing but angst. So...*spins wheel* Let's go with darkness lies on the foaming waves between us (LOTR, G, Arwen & Celebrían & Elwing, 1k), in which Arwen shares the news of her choice with her mother.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I do actually have a couple fics that would qualify for this (shocking, I know), but I have a special place in my heart for And There Make a Garden (LOTR, G, Éowyn, <1k). Éowyn finally being happy and content is everything to me.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not since I returned to fandom in 2020 and started posting on AO3 (unless some of those aforementioned cryptic comments are badly worded hate). But I did get the occasional hateful comment back when I posted on FFN.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Occasionally and it's very vanilla.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Never written one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I hope not!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? I must be loyal to my thirteen-year-old self and say Faramir/Éowyn, my forever OTP.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I really would like to finish And Every Winter Turn to Spring (Turn, Anna/Hewlett), but I don't think I can rekindle the same enthusiasm I had for it during the height of my Turn fixation in 2020/2021. That, and I'm sure that if I were to pick it up again, I'd want to tear it apart and fix it up because it was one of the first fics I started writing after a years-long break from fic writing, and I'm certain I'd be embarrassed by parts of it now. And doing heavy editing like that feels overwhelming right now.

16. What are your writing strengths? Usually characterization and description, but I've been having trouble with my descriptions lately, and in a very strange twist, dialogue has—for the first time ever—been easier for me.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Plots. You will be getting no 100k+ longfics from me. Sorry. Oneshots or bust.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I only use other languages when writing Tolkien fic and do so sparingly and always with translations in the author notes. All phrases are yoinked from RealElvish.net because I can't be assed to put Elvish sentences together myself. Sorry JRRT.

19. First fandom you wrote for? LOTR. A couple of ancient fics that have never and will never see the light of day.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? It changes by the day, but I am very fond of On These Hither Shores (LOTR, G, Frodo & Boromir, 3.2k). It took a while to come together, but I'm so happy with how it turned out and that I finally achieved my goal of writing Frodo and Boromir getting to know each other before everything went to hell in a handbasket.

Tagging @tortoisesshells @boltlightning @aloveforjaneausten @dreamingthroughthenoise if you'd like to do this!

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Ask game!

🤩🤷🏻‍♀️🔮🛌

Hello my not-at-all naughty friend!

🤩 What's the most meaningful comment you've ever received?

I couldn't tell, to be honest. There are very many comments I cherish a lot. People telling me that my writing of a minority they belong to cheered them up. People who gave me insight into my own bias/suppressed opinion/style by their visceral reactions to a piece of writing. People just yelling incoherently...

I am bad at replying to comments in a timely manner; I admit that, but I doooooo love every single one!

🤷‍♀️What's a fic you didn't expect to be popular, but really took off?

Besides a few fics I've posted on anon and which I cannot reveal here?

My one-shots for Thranduil and Legolas. They're very old now, but they still get notes :)

🔮What's your favorite plot twist you've ever written?

Ah, I'm not a plot twisty kind of person (I think?). But this fic which is a continuation of this drabble might qualify! (It's a kind of "noir" crime story)

🛌 What's a trope you haven't written, but want to?

Oh, I've written SO MANY tropes. I'd like to write a longer Cyrano de Bergerac-style story where someone falls in love with someone else without knowing that it's them.

Maybe some proper haunting (I've only done snippets of that).

Animals! Be that spectral soul-companions or a literal animal shelter/Veterinary AU.

And, of course, I am still more than willing to ruin Disney movies with kinky subplots :D

OOOH! Thanks so much for these asks! They were so fun to ponder! <3

Tell me whether you want some yourself! <3

-> Ask Game here

[scary-grace]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @nocompromise-noregrets and @the-red-butterfly, and since I have some time this evening I figured I would get into them!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 67!

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 2,230,943. I don't know if that's actually a lot but it feels like a lot.

3. What fandoms do you write for? I write for the Tolkienverse (almost exclusively The Hobbit) and for My Hero Academia.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

i ain't changed, but i know i ain't the same (828)

Kairos (759)

seeking a friend for the end of the world (702)

Show Me My Silver Lining (532)

more than words can wield the matter (429)

The weirdest part about the answer to this question for me is that 'more than words can wield the matter' is a one-shot. Love Like Ghosts is only three kudos behind it and has been up for a significantly shorter time, but it was still strange to see.

5. Do you respond to comments? I don't usually respond! I always thank people who commented in the author's note of the next chapter, though. The times I'm most likely to respond are if somebody points out a mistake that needs correction (like the fact that I double-pasted the last chapter of Enough to Go By) or if they've asked for a fun fact I can't resist sharing.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? There are a few candidates, although the fics that qualify for this the most are still at the WIP stage. The best candidates at the moment are probably i'll follow you into the dark (in which Bard and Thranduil face the beginning of an alien invasion together) and Gravity (in which the theory of relativity puts a real damper on their relationship). Apparently space = tragedy to me.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Like @nocompromise-noregrets who tagged me, I write a lot of fics with happy endings. The no-holds-barred happiest endings are probably in Show Me My Silver Lining and Yamada Hizashi's Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Hanukah. Something about when the found family hits just right...

8. Do you get hate on fics? I've gotten some semi-antagonistic comments and some rude bookmarks, but otherwise, all the fic hate I've gotten was back on fanfic.net, when I was writing canon character x oc fics and giving everybody superpowers.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I indeed write smut. I used to have to be intoxicated to do it, but that's changed, and now I can write a full scene while chilling out on my break at work. As for the kind of smut, it used to be pretty solidly non-explicit, but I've recently branched out into more explicit stuff.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I write tons of AUs, but I don't think I've ever written a direct crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I don't think so. If anyone is considering it, I hope you don't. For your sake. :)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I have not!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! My co-writers include @dogblessyoutascha and @corndog-patrol, both of whom are awe-inspiringly talented writers and artists.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Barduil, no contest. Almost 1.5 million of my 2 million plus words on Ao3 are devoted to them, and although bagginshield started it all and erasermic got me into BNHA, Barduil's my number one.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I've vowed to finish all my WIPs at some point, so I feel like answering this one will jinx me one way or the other. But the one that's probably furthest down in my list is Insight, aka the genderbent bagginshield/barduil The Village AU.

16. What are your writing strengths? Plot, I think -- I really get a lot out of setting up foreshadowing and twists! I also think I can write a mean action sequence when I really sit down and focus on it. And on several stories the commenters have informed me that I went pretty hard on the horror.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? PACING. I can't write a short fic to save my life.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? If I spoke another language, maybe, but I don't. Usually I convey that other languages are being used with italics in quotes.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Ooh, I'm going to out myself here -- it was for Thor (2011), a canon character x oc. The fic is still out there, since I don't believe in taking stuff down, but being reminded of its existence pains me.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? I don't know that I can choose. My favorites tend to be the ones I'm working on at the moment. My greatest hits are in my pinned post, but I don't think I can narrow them down more than that.

I'm going to tag my collection of writer mutuals: @dogblessyoutascha, @corndog-patrol, @phantombstone, @palmviolet, @piyo-13, and @candycandy00! No pressure or obligation, just if you think it might be fun!

[scyllas-revenge]

Hi there! I was reading your Burn Like Cold Iron fic and so far it’s AMAZING!!!! 😁✨ I was wondering if you could tell me, if you’re able, how you were able to figure out your story with the language difference with Beatrice and her only speaking English and being in Middle Earth where they speak literally like, everything else? (I’ve only gotten up to chapter 4 so far.)

I know you were able to use Saruman’s mind using his translation method thingy XD Which was so seamless and cool! I’m wondering what was your process for figuring it out? Did you look into lore or anything? Rn, I’m writing smth with a similar plot of someone modern being thrown into Middle Earth (miraculously, I ran into your fic, which has helped me a ton!) but they’re thrown into Mirkwood instead. I’m stumped on how can I believably have my character communicate with elves? Any ideas, suggestions or somewhere you could point me?

I’d appreciate it a ton and sorry if this question is convoluted!

- Mithril Anon

Oh my gosh thank you so much! I'm so glad you like the fic so far and I'm flattered you reached out to me about yours.

I definitely took the easy way out with the language gap! I wasn't personally very interested in writing extensive translation/language learning scenes, so if I hadn't run into the convenient wizard-needs-her-to-speak-Westron-asap loophole, I probably wouldn't have distinguished them at all.

(Slight spoilers but not really) I did consider later on in my fic that maybe once Saruman loses his powers and Gandalf takes his staff, maybe Bee would lose her innate ability to understand Westron- but again, I didn't really want to go there in my fic, I'm lazy, so that plot twist never came to be.

I can try to offer some advice for how to go about it in your fic- and I know there are people who follow me who read modern-OC-in-middle-earth fics, so if any of y'all read through this enormous answer and have anything to add, please do!

The main ways I've seen authors go about it are

You can have some magical explanation hand-wave it away (what I did). For instance, I've seen authors have the Valar grant the OC language skills to translate between their native language and Westron as they hop over to Middle Earth. Maybe they have a magical amulet or something. Go crazy XD

You can have your character learn Westron from scratch- it's an entirely new Tolkien-approved language and your poor OC knows none of it. Of course that's super time consuming and can slow down a lot of other aspects of your plot (your OC can't rush off to go adventuring or fall in love when they can't communicate with anyone!). But if it's done right, you can develop characters, worldbuilding, and relationships in those scenes. I vaguely remember the fic Home with the Fairies doing this really well.

You can just ignore that Tolkien wrote Westron/Common to be different from English, and just have them be interchangeable. Frankly I like this just fine, I know a lot of other readers who do too- and what Tolkien doesn't know won't hurt him ;) I doubt you'd get any complaints about it from readers (and if you do, you can tell them ol' scylla wants to speak to em)

Since your OC will be interacting with elves, that adds a whole second language into the mix, which is a LOT to deal with. So I'd lean toward option 3, so your OC can at least speak to any of the elves who know Westron (Thranduil and Legolas definitely do, and I'm guessing a lot of other well-educated elves or anyone who has to travel, trade, or go near their borders do too).

So at that point you could have your OC learn elvish at a more comfortable pace, and the plot doesn't have to be on hold while they learn.

If not a lot of the Mirkwood elves your OC meets know Westron or speak it very well, maybe there are resources in Thranduil's library that could help them (you just know he's got a fancy library in those caves). Or maybe an elf your OC befriended could take them to speak to other characters who do know more Westron, like prisoners in the dungeons, border guards, tradesmen in Dale, etc. You could get some good plot development out of that, depending on where you want your fic to go and who you want your OC to interact with.

And of course the way they teach your OC elvish can also help drive the plot forward- I've read tons of fics that have the love interest confess their love knowing that the OC won't understand, or translate a romantic song or tragic poem and oh there's so many parallels between us and the song, isn't it sad?? Maybe the language gap could be used to keep or learn secrets, or give your OC a leg up in Mirkwood society since they'll be able to communicate better with the men of Dale than a lot of the elves can.

Sorry this answer is so long and rambly, but I hope it helps a bit! You'll have to tag me when you start posting your fic so I can read it!!

Omg I just remembered as I was about to hit send that canonically, the spiders in Mirkwood do in fact speak Westron, so if all else fails, your OC can talk with them XD (I'd read the hell out of that fic)

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

Of Princes and Witches (Rewrite) Epilogue- Legolas Greenleaf x OC

Legolas Greenleaf x Alphine Barrowes

Description: N/A

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: I'm surprised I was able to write like three or four more chapters for this rewrite, but I'm happy nonetheless. Also, for those who didn't like ROP I don't apologize for the Halbrand/Galadriel-esque plot twist in chapter 20 because I liked it for this fic, but hopefully you'll get over it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this because I loved writing it!!

It had been just after noon when word finally gotten out: Prince Legolas Greenleaf of the Woodland realm was finally marrying his fiance Alphine Barrowes! Their courtship hadn’t really been a known thing amongst people as they courted while traveling around Middle Earth for a few years. Nevertheless, it was a huge event, everyone was talking about it even before the actual day was upon them. 

Naturally, being the son of a King, many people were invited, but the people that Legolas and Alphine made absolute sure of that would attend would be their friends from the Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf, Gimli, Sam, Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Aragorn as well as the allies they made (such as Haldir, Eomer, Eowyn, Faramir etc) were all invited to the joyous occasion. Every single one of them showed up, not wishing to miss the happiest day of their friend’s lives.

The wedding was held in the palace chapel of Mirkwood’s palace (unsurprisingly). The chapel was absolutely packed with beings of all races. Elves, Dwarves, mortal Men, Hobbits and Fairies all sat mingled amongst each other as they awaited the bride’s glorious entrance. King Thranduil and Legolas all stood at an altar at the front of the room waiting patiently, smiles on all of their faces. The Hobbits (plus Gimli), being so short, were given permission to sit up front so they could see.

Finally, the anticipated moment arrived. Music began playing from somewhere that the Hobbits’ couldn’t really pinpoint, and everyone stood up respectfully. Every guest in the room couldn’t help but gasp as the bride appeared. Alphine looked radiant, like some sort of angel sent to grace the peoples of Middle Earth. She looked so elegant as she began walking down the aisle that for a moment several guests thought that she was floating. Gandalf, being her oldest friend, was the one guiding her since her parents weren’t exactly in the picture. 

All eyes were on Alphine, but she only had eyes for Legolas. She couldn’t help but smile when she realized that the Prince had begun crying. It seemed that the sight of his bride alone had brought up enough motions that ultimately made tears form in his eyes. He turned away to rid his face of the tears silently slipping down his face, and once he turned back around there was an undeniably wide smile on his face and love in his eyes. It was a sweet moment that made several people coo at him, including Alphine internally. 

By the time she reached the altar Legolas was standing at the bottom of the steps waiting to lead her up. Alphine pressed a kiss to Gandalf’s cheek before taking Legolas’ hand, allowing him to lead her to the top of the altar, where Thranduil stood with a proud smile. 

The wedding procession went beautifully. Legolas and Alphine were standing at the altar hand in hand. They faced each other with the widest smile anyone had ever seen on either of their faces. It didn’t even seem like they were fully listening as Thranduil recited a speech over the two of them. 

“Legolas, do ci take Alphine, selyë o Cirrus Barrowes, nacca bestannen indis noin Iluvatar (Legolas, do you take Alphine, daughter of Cirrus Barrowes to be your wedded wife under the Iluvatar)?” Thranduil inquired, facing his son with a proud smile. The Prince couldn’t even begin to force down his smile as he nodded. 

“Inyё (I do),” he responded, not looking away from Alphine. 

“Alphine, do ci take Legolas, anon o Thranduil Opherion, nacca bestannen indis noin Iluvatar (Legolas, do you take Alphine, daughter of Cirrus Barrowes to be your wedded wife under the Iluvatar)?” The girl looked as if she was on the verge of tears. 

“Inyё (I do),” she answered with a nod. With their vows out of the way, all that was left was everyone eagerly anticipating and waiting for Legolas and Alphine’s first kiss as husband and wife. 

“Eithel, by I melehtё invested mi nin, nu I iluvatar, Im sin pronounce ci venno ar indis (Well, by the power invested within me, under the Iluvatar, I now pronounce you husband and wife),” he announced with a proud, bright smile before looking at Legolas. “Legolas, lye calainis miquëcca acairis (Legolas, you may kiss your bride).” 

The Prince wasted no time in pulling Alphine close to him and pressing a delicate kiss on her lips. Almost immediately, deafening cheers filled the chapel along with applause. Once they pulled away they just stared into each other’s eyes, even wider smiles on their faces before they finally looked at the guests.

When the official ceremony had ended, it was time for the guests to move to the ballroom for the reception. It had been gorgeously decorated, but yet again it wasn’t really a surprise considering this was an Elven Kingdom. After everyone found and sat in their designated seats, the feast began. Chatter and laughter was plentiful between eating and drinking only the best wine for the Prince’s wedding. 

The night went beautifully. It began with a speech from Legolas. He thanked everyone for attending such a joyous day before directing his attention to his new wife. He explained how before he met the Witch, his life seemed so unfulfilling, almost to the point of boring, which surprised several people (including the King). Then, he told the story of how they met, and how ever since he just couldn’t take his mind off of her. The thought made several people coo like they had during the bridal march.

Next came cake. Now, cake was not unusual in an Elf’s diet. In fact they were probably one of the most common ones, especially one of high status. What wasn’t as common in their culture were wedding cakes. It was a tradition that mortal Men had made up for special occasions (such as a wedding), one that Alphine had found quite endearing. Sure normal cakes were lovely, but just imagine a cake made specifically for a special occasion! The thought was absolutely delightful and intriguing to her, and so one of her (admittedly few) requests for the wedding was that they would have a special cake made for them. It wasn’t a difficult demand so it was done. 

The cake itself was absolutely gorgeous. Four layers of sweet and delicious vanilla cake topped with pure white icing that was mouth watering just to look at. Though it had been an odd tradition to Elves, there wasn’t a single person not applauding as the bride and groom cut into the cake together. Cake was passed out by the Mirkwood servants, but no one ate a bite until Legolas and Alphine fed each other a bite, as was apparently a key part of the tradition.

After dinner and dessert had been served, it was time to dance. The second demand Alphine had was another mortal tradition: a husband and bride’s first dance. The orchestra had been playing music in the background the entire time, but once King Thranduil announced that it was time for the dance, they paused and prepared to play the correct song. 

Everyone watched as Legolas stood, then helped Alphine up and led her to the center of the room. All eyes were on them, truly captivated as they began to dance to the music. It was a song Legolas requested be written specifically for the wedding, which made it even more special. The composers had not disappointed either. The song sounded almost ethereal, filled with gorgeous harp strums and melodic flutes with soft vocals to accompany them. 

The couple danced like they were always supposed to dance together, two separate partners meant to come together as one. Their eyes never strayed from each other, and the lovestruck looks never left their faces. The amount of love in their expressions made several people tear up. Everyone could tell just how in love they were with each other. They watched the couple, utterly entranced. Several guests even found themselves swaying along to the music, a smile on their faces. She just couldn’t help it though. It was hard not to watch the couple be so happy with each other. 

The reception felt like it lasted an eternity. The only way Alphine knew that it wasn’t was because the rest of the Fellowship was still there. It had been a very happy and successful day for both her and Legolas. They did get married, after all.

Now, the party had ended and everyone was either given a room for the night or they went home. Alphine followed Legolas to his room once they wished everyone a good night. Well, technically it was their room now, but it still felt a bit odd to say. Once the door closed behind them, they prepared to head to bed. Elves usually didn’t need to sleep, but today (and the days leading up to it) had been rather tiring. Besides, Legolas wanted to be with his wife on their wedding night, so he began changing into more comfortable clothes. 

After that was done he faced Alphine. She was still attempting to get all the clips and ribbons out of her hair, though it didn’t look like she’d gotten very far. A small, amused smile played at the Prince’s lips as he walked over to her. 

“Sit, meleth nin (my love),” he instructed gently, carefully moving her to sit at her new vanity. Once she was settled in he began untying the intricately braided ribbons out, being careful not to pull at her hair. A content sigh left her lips as he did so. She loved when he played with her hair. 

It unfortunately ended all too soon and before she realized it, Legolas had begun unlacing her wedding dress. She stood to make it easier for him, then stepped out of the elegant gown when it fell around her ankles. While Legolas picked it up and laid it over the vanity chair to be hung up tomorrow Alphine slipped on her nightgown. 

They climbed into bed in unison and immediately moved towards each other. Legolas’ arms went around Alphine as her head laid against his chest. She hadn’t realized just how tired she was until she was in bed. She was on the verge of falling asleep when she heard him speak. 

“Amin mela lle (I love you),” he whispered, eyes also falling closed. His words brought a smile to her face, and she cuddled in closer to him. 

“Amin mela lle.”

[ao3feed-tolkien]

Out Of Place

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/78LNlzx

by NimTheWitch

We've all seen the "Real Girl In Middle Earth" type stories right? Well, this is my take on that tale with a few twists. Come on a journey of confusion, trials, intrigue and adventure as we fell a little out of place. Kiva is a writer for an online nature magazine. She lives out of the way with the forest as her backyard. She's fallen asleep in her favorite grove more times than she can count, but she's never woken up quite like this before. Where did her summer sun go? Why are all the trees different? What the hell is with all the webs everywhere? The obvious answer can't possibly be the correct one, can it? Read on to find out ;)

This is a reposting of my old fic by the same name. I've deleted the old version and have been working to revise and rework it to match my current writing standards. I'll be posting a chapter or two a day while I work to get the whole thing finished. If you've read it before, I would highly recommend reading it again as I post it because I've changed a great deal, including plot relevant story points. I think you'll be pleased!

Words: 18342, Chapters: 6/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M

Characters: Thranduil (Tolkien), Legolas Greenleaf, Tauriel (Hobbit Movies), Gandalf | Mithrandir, Radagast | Aiwendil, Saruman | Curunír, Original Female Character(s)

Relationships: Thranduil/Reader, Thranduil (Tolkien)/Reader, Thranduil/Orginal Female Character, Thranduil (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s), Thranduil/You, Thranduil (Tolkien)/You

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Difficult Love, Modern Girl in Middle Earth, Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Violence, Aftermath of Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Multiple Personalities, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Non-Canon Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Mirkwood, Giant Spiders, Soul transfer, held captive, Held Prisoner, Graphic Description, Graphic description of torture, graphic description of violence, Mental Torture, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Enthusiastic Consent, thigh riding, Heavy Petting, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Sex, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Elf Sex, Elf Culture & Customs, Asshole Thranduil, Caring Thranduil, Protective Thranduil, Dark Thranduil, BAMF Thranduil, BAMF Reader, understanding reader, Forgiving Reader, Named OFC, Named Original Character - Freeform, no y/n

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/78LNlzx

[ao3feed-thehobbit]

Out Of Place

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/gODpcFG

by NimTheWitch

We've all seen the "Real Girl In Middle Earth" type stories right? Well, this is my take on that tale with a few twists. Come on a journey of confusion, trials, intrigue and adventure as we fell a little out of place. Kiva is a writer for an online nature magazine. She lives out of the way with the forest as her backyard. She's fallen asleep in her favorite grove more times than she can count, but she's never woken up quite like this before. Where did her summer sun go? Why are all the trees different? What the hell is with all the webs everywhere? The obvious answer can't possibly be the correct one, can it? Read on to find out ;)

This is a reposting of my old fic by the same name. I've deleted the old version and have been working to revise and rework it to match my current writing standards. I'll be posting a chapter or two a day while I work to get the whole thing finished. If you've read it before, I would highly recommend reading it again as I post it because I've changed a great deal, including plot relevant story points. I think you'll be pleased!

Words: 10788, Chapters: 3/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M

Characters: Thranduil (Tolkien), Legolas Greenleaf, Tauriel (Hobbit Movies), Gandalf | Mithrandir, Radagast | Aiwendil, Saruman | Curunír, Original Female Character(s)

Relationships: Thranduil/Reader, Thranduil (Tolkien)/Reader, Thranduil/Orginal Female Character, Thranduil (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s), Thranduil/You, Thranduil (Tolkien)/You

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Difficult Love, Modern Girl in Middle Earth, Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Violence, Aftermath of Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Multiple Personalities, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Non-Canon Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Mirkwood, Giant Spiders, Soul transfer, held captive, Held Prisoner, Graphic Description, Graphic description of torture, graphic description of violence, Mental Torture, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Enthusiastic Consent, thigh riding, Heavy Petting, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Sex, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Elf Sex, Elf Culture & Customs, Asshole Thranduil, Caring Thranduil, Protective Thranduil, Dark Thranduil, BAMF Thranduil, BAMF Reader, understanding reader, Forgiving Reader, Named OFC, Named Original Character - Freeform, no y/n

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/gODpcFG

[damsel-in-mistress]

Plot twists and revelations in Chapter Five of Switchblades & Motorbikes by @thranduil-aran-edhil!

And because I just don't know how to stop: Switchblades & Motorbikes collages for all four chapters in a more cinematic style. Read @thranduil-aran-edhil's masterpiece of greaser goodness here on ao3!

[queenstarlight]

Imagine when you are living in Mirkwood you receive love letters from Yandere Thranduil part 2

You grab another letter, from under your door. Which like usual is from Thranduil, “oh, how I love you so Thranduil” you say quietly under your breath like if you said it louder he would hear you, although the thought is tempting of telling him your love. Thranduil and you were never meant to be together, you a lowly Silvan elf could never marry or love a king, as graceful, as beautiful as Thranduil. It would not be right. The fact he sends you love letters is a miracle in itself, he says I am the jewel of his eye, yet. He will find a jewel far prettier than me and I shall lay a diamond in the rough, scratched and chipped. So I shall reject his love, “HIS LOVE DOES NOT BELONG TO ME”. you say out loud as your thoughts grow so intense you speak. “To love Thranduil would be loving a lumberjack and I a tree. He would only lead me down a dark and dreary path,” you say with tears beginning to form. “No, I can stay no longer! To stay here will only cause me to fade. I shall go to Imladris where I can start a new life. Where forbidden love shall not bind me!.” you cry out. You quickly get up and throw Thranduil's letter in the Hareth setting it ablaze. You start to pack your bags and grab your clothes putting them on. You grab a necklace Thranduil gave you and shove it into your bag. And you leave your room as quietly as you can, as you make your way out of the palace and into the stables and grab your precious horse and jump on. “ We ride till sunrise Deni” you whisper to your horse as you ride out of the gates of Mirkwood where the guards lay asleep. you chuckle as you ride. Not knowing what types of monsters you have released

[gothhobbithoe]

The Fellowship on a road trip (this time it’s not to Mordor)

Gandalf:

Driver

Only one who knows where they are going

Will tell everyone where they are sat (plot twist Pippin is sat nowhere near him)

Has booked everything in advance

Will survive the drive on coffee alone

Thanks the Satnav whenever it gives him directions

“why oh why did I decide to drive the whole week?”

Aragorn:

Shotgun (messaged Gandalf as soon as the trip was planned because he hates being in the back seats)

Will end up sleeping in the car

But will wake up for the 80′s karaoke session

Facetimes Arwen during the trip to tell her what they have been doing

Wants to stop at nature reserves and other tourist spots

He took his sword (just in case)

Boromir:

Has to call Dad every night to let him know he’s still alive

Sat with Gimli and Legolas

Asks Gandalf for rest stops on the hobbit’s behalf (they get tired easily)

Offers everyone mints, gum, throat sweets etc

He loves ABBA and begs Aragorn to put their songs on next

Legolas:

Travel sickness, what’s that?

Does word searches, sudoku and crossword puzzles during the trip (also online chess against Tauriel)

Joined in Merry and Pippin’s truth or dare game without realizing what he had got himself into

Begs Gandalf to go into Starbucks so that he can get his fancy drinks

Also has to call Dad every night to ensure that he is still alive

Gimli:

Took his axe (just in case)

Not a fan of the Satnav and is very wary of it

Is watching Game of Thrones on his phone with Boromir

Loves the rest stops/services/food breaks

Favourite place to eat is MacDonalds, begs with the hobbits for Gandalf to pull over

Out of tune but very passionate when singing “I wanna dance with somebody” by Whitney Houston

Frodo:

Listening to a podcast/audio book

Sat with Sam (of course)

Loves the karaoke session and begs Boromir to do his Britney Spears impression

Sends so many pictures of the trip to Bilbo

Whispers suggestions of truth or dare to Legolas to embarrass Pippin/Merry

Ends up falling asleep on Sam 

Sam:

Brought food to share with the group

Ensures that everyone stays hydrated

Is in most the of pictures that Frodo sends to Bilbo

Is texting Rosie the whole time and calls her every night to tell her how much he loves her and what he’s done that day

Gets travel sick but doesn’t want to bother anyone or stop the trip too much

Merry:

Sat with Pippin, what a surprise!

Brought food for him to eat, Pippin keeps stealing it

Changed the Satnav voice to Yoda and Gandalf can’t change it back

Got banned from playing Truth and Dare after daring Pippin to call Thranduil pretending to be Legolas without Legolas knowing

Watches Brooklyn 99 with Pippin after the “Thranduil Incident”

Pippin:

Forgot that there was a road trip and delayed the group by two hours

Kicks the seat in front of him, Legolas isn’t too pleased

Keeps wanting rest breaks every hour, want’s food every half and hour

Does an amazing Legolas impression

King of Karaoke

Spilt soda on his seat 10 minutes into the journey

Sends Faramir pictures of Boromir sleeping in weird positions during the trip

[certifiedskywalker]

Held in the Night - Thranduil

Thranduil catches you stealing something that belongs to him.

With the ring held tight in your grasp, you crept away from the bedside table. Yet, as you retreated, you could not help but sneak one last glance at the sleeping form. Resting his head on the plush pillow, a mere arms length from where you stood, was Thranduil. His eternally young face looked softer somehow as he dreamed. For a moment, you dared to admire his features: the gentle curve of his pink lips, the thickness of his brows, and how his eyelashes fanned out against his pale skin. How strangely beautiful Thranduil was.

So rarely did he sleep, being an Elf and the King of the Woodland Realm. His lack of rest made sneaking about Mirkwood quite difficult for you. In the halls, you saw him around seemingly every corner; in the shops, you saw his advisors. When you had finally managed to sneak without being seen, especially now with the ring in hand, you were eager to savor the little victory. Though, it would be short lived if you risked lingering any longer.

Quickly, you looked around the room. Thranduil’s room was elegant, walls and floors made of polished, white wood. Large, arched windows let in natural light during the day and during clear nights, like this one, moonlight. Even a few steps away from the windows, you could see how the stars shone through the glass like far off snowflakes against the dark sky.

Night, with it’s reaching shadows, would mask you well enough. Carefully, you crept on the tips of your toes towards the windows. Between the shining glass panes, the doorway to the balcony was open. The curtains, wispy and white, billowed slightly in the breeze like fabric tendrils coaxing towards a daring escape. As you moved stealthily across the royal bed chambers, you heard the rustling of sheets.

Checking over your shoulder you saw that the noise came from Thranduil, who had shifted in his slumber. One of his arms was outstretched towards the empty side of the bed. Slender fingers brushed against the sheets as if he were searching for someone to hold. Your chest warmed at the sight, but your forced it down. There was no time to linger and fawn over the king; you were set on your own little mission.

Without a sound, you made your way out to the balcony. A peek over the edge set your sense of balance on the edge of a sword. You gripped the railing, a large, curved tree branch, to steady yourself. The forest floor outside the royal keep seemed to rush up at you. To mitigate the tilting feeling that overwhelmed you, you closed your eyes. 

Fast and strong, your heart beat roared in your chest until you could hear it, the blood rushing, in your ears. After a moment, you opened your eyes; but you did not dare to look over the railing again. With the height unnerving you so, you squeezed the hidden ring a bit tighter as if it ensured you would not drop it. Cool metal dug into the meat of your palm and you winced. 

Once you felt relatively sure footed, you uncurled your fingers to reveal the silver band. Intricate carvings decorated the metal. Curved leaves, varying in shape and species of tree, were casted to the band. Oak, birch, and even a bunch of pine needles; every tree in Mirkwood was reflected on the ring with a mastery that rivaled the Dwarven forges. 

You traced your fingertip along the edge of each leaf, wondering what tool could shape such small details. Stems that would connect to branches seemed to reach for long lost, unforged metal trees. Fibrous veins stood out in the otherwise smooth, metal leaves like lightning strikes engraved. It was made for a king, the king, to match him in his beauty. Though, with Thranduil, that would be impossible.

No amount of shining rings or gleaming gems could meet the Elf king’s grace. You had seen him, dressed in the simplest tunics, wandering about his kingdom looking like glittering gold. How effortless he was, how he moved. That sort of beauty could not be replicated or adorned. Thranduil’s beauty came from something else entirely and it gave him power the likes of which you had never seen before arriving in Mirkwood. The old lords of Men often created fear to rule so completely. With Thranduil, ruling came naturally, his power innate.

Studying the ring closer, a nervousness twisted your gut. What would the King of the Woodland Realm do with a scrappy piece of jewelry? Perhaps you picked the wrong one. Maybe there was a more luxurious article of finery you had missed. One that would drive a harder bargain, yes, but one that would be more-

“Plotting an escape?” His voice, low with the trailing of sleep, made you jump. On instinct, your fingers curled around the ring, holding it tight and obscuring it from view.

Slowly, sheepishly, you turned on the pads of your feet. There, standing in the doorway connecting the royal chambers to the balcony, was Thranduil. Blond-white hair was messier than usual due to his trance-sleep but the alertness in his piercing blue eyes told you there would be no evading him. He raised a dark brow at you as he waited for your reply. 

“No, simply enjoying the night air.” You nodded your head towards the sky. “The stars are beautiful tonight.”

“Hmm, yes,” as he hummed, Thranduil stepped out on the balcony to join you. There was enough of a breeze to stir the white silk robes he wore, even exposing some of the pale skin of his chest to the starlight. You felt your breath catch at the sight and tore your eyes away.

Fearing he might somehow catch a glimpse of the ring, you turned so you faced the outside world. You could see the tops of Mirkwood trees in the moonlight and hear the chirping of some nocturnal bird. To calm yourself, you focused on the sound and made your heartbeat ease by falling into the rhythm of your forced, long breaths. This attempt to soothe yourself proved to be in vain the moment Thranduil wrapped his arms around your waist.

“Not quite as beautiful as you,” he whispered. 

As he spoke, his lips brushed against your ear and his breath tickled the sensitive skin of your neck. You couldn’t help but lean back against him. In Thranduil’s arms, held to his chest, you felt the safest in all of Middle Earth. You could feel the strong planes of muscle that made up the king’s torso. How you longed to turn in his arms, run your hands over his chest and shoulders. Yet, you were frozen, thundering of your heart acting as a reminder of your hidden trinket.

“You flatter me.”

“You make it easy,” he replied smoothly. He pressed his face into your hair and held you impossibly close. “Though, if I did not know better, I would call you a thief.”

“A thief?” You stiffened before you turned in his arms at the accusation. How could he know already?

Thranduil smiled down at you with strands of fine blond falling in front of his face. Unable to help yourself, you brushed your fingers through his soft hair and tucked the loose strands behind his pointed ears. Ever so slightly, your fingertips brushed against the shell of his sensitive ears. The feeling made him shudder against you, even closing his eyes for a moment.

You smiled when he opened his bright blue eyes. In them, you saw a gentleness Thranduil reserved only for you. It was the same look he would send your way at galas, when he was bored with the tales told by travelers in his kingdom. That look made you feel like the most important person in any room. Simply because you knew Thranduil as no one else did. You knew his nature, his wants, his loves, and his possessive streak.

So, you were not surprised to feel his hands resting against your hips, fingers pressing into your clothes, lightly into your flesh. With one tug, you knew he could pull you back to him if he so pleased. 

“I am no thief,” you stressed, fingers tightening around the ring. True, the price of the jewelry was a steal but you had not stolen it. Perhaps Thranduil meant something else by his teasing allegation. But what?

“I know guilt and worry when I see it. You would make a shoddy crook.” You opened your mouth for a silent gasp. Offended, you softly slapped a hand against Thranduil’s chest. Your other hand remained at your side, clasped firmly shut, still holding the ring.

“A crook,” you couldn’t help the smile that spread on your lips, a mixture of nerves and joy. “What am I guilty of then?”

Thranduil’s little grin suddenly faded. His feature grew sharp and serious as he leaned down towards you. As he grew closer you couldn’t help but steal glances at his lips. The looks did not go unnoticed by the Elf king. He teased you with his proximity, brushing the tip of his nose against yours before he finally spoke.

“Of stealing my heart away.”

You met Thranduil’s gaze one last time and, before your eyes closed, you saw only heart aching sincerity. He pulled you flush against him, as close as he could get you, for a searing kiss. Slotted perfectly together, you wished for the rest of the world to melt away. Leave only you and Thranduil behind, together like this forever. That alone would be enough.

Both of your hands moved to rest on his chest. The one still holding the ring was still curled into a tight fist; the other was an open palm. Thranduil’s lips moved from yours to your jaw, barely brushing the top of your neck. The feeling birthed a jungle in your belly. A jungle full of butterflies that tickled your insides with excitement. Only Thranduil could make you feel such want, such glee. When he pulled away from your neck, you were left near breathless.

“I do not want it back,” he continued, leaning down to capture your lips with his for a precious few seconds. “Keep it for when I feel I cannot love.”

“You always love, Thranduil, despite how hard you try not to.” At your words, the Elf king pulled back. His hands went yours that still rested against his chest. His fingers slid around your wrists, stroking the skin of your forearms as lightly as a breeze. One curious touch and he would find the ring. Though, Thranduil had turned your attention away from your ‘stolen’ surprise.

“Tis you that loves in every moment, every minute, every day. And I love you for it. What could I, what...what is this?” One of his finger taps your closed fist and you feel your face warm. “Perhaps you are guilty after all, meleth nîn?”

“I fear I may be,” you reply as you pull your hand free from his. Shyly, you uncurl your fist to reveal the silver band of metal leaves. “I had this crafted for you. In honor of our union, tomorrow.”

Thranduil, smiling, covered your hand and the ring with his own hand. “Today.”

“What do you mean?” 

Thranduil turned you in his arms so that your back was pressed against his chest once more. From the edge of the balcony, vertigo forgotten now, you saw the first hints of a sunrise. Many years ago today, Thranduil became yours and you, his. His hand moved and he slid the ring over one of his fingers. The silver metal shone in stark contrast to his pale skin. He made the ring look beautiful, worthy of his wearing. 

“I love this gift,” he whispered, his voice low and warm in your ears. You feel Thranduil press a kiss to your hairline as you watch the sunrise. “I love you more.”

“I love you, Thranduil.” After a moment, you feel his fingers skirt along your jaw and your chin. He tilts your head so that you have to look up into his face. His blue eyes are merry, bright, as he stares loving down at you. A few moments of just watching each other pass before Thranduil closes the gap with another, long kiss. 

So, you were a crook, not in the traditional sense. But you would happily steal kisses from your king any day.

AN: “meleth nîn” - “my love”

[shantismurf]

So, forgive me if I've posted this wip before. I love it dearly but it's still really only about 8k of scaffolding built around some really great smut scenes. �� I have a feeling most people write things the other way round? Oops hehe I want it to be so much more, so I've been contemplating taking it all apart and really developing more plot in general, possibly even a mystery, but I'm terrible at keeping a secret, so maybe not? Plus I really do need to finish something before I start posting yet another wip 🤦🏼‍♀️

Posting in two parts because Tumblr hates words evidently.

Faegolain, Cuilgolain, Melgolain (Soul Bond, Life Bond, Love Bond) <- this may change as my Sindarin is atrocious lol

Bilbo stands woodenly at Thorin's bedside, worried eyes roaming over his waxen features. His bloody bandaged chest barely moves with shallow, stilted breaths. Oin had been here when Bilbo left, but he knew that Fili was also in dire condition, so the healer must have been pulled away. He could be back any moment and likely wouldn't be amenable to allowing this elf near his patient. Can't imagine Thorin would be too keen either, come to think of it. Well, he'd just have to stuff it. Because he'll be able to stuff it, because he'll be alive. The Elfking flows into the tent, the graceful bend of his neck looking smooth and natural rather than a concession to the lower ceiling. He radiates calm detachment and Bilbo finds he wants to kick him in the shins just to see how he'd react, but thankfully finds restraint. Thranduil tilts his head like a strange bird, his head still but his pale gaze shifting from Thorin to Bilbo and back. "Your existing melgolain can be used to sustain him while his body heals, but it must be made…'' he shakes his head, "there is no adequate translation, angwedh gal-tovon," he murmurs with a graceful twist of his hand. "Deep growing chain?" Bilbo's brow wrinkles as he sifts through his Sindarin vocabulary. "Yes, if you must massacre my language." His lips are drawn as if he smelled something foul. "It's already keeping him alive, but only just." "My…" Bilbo lowers his voice to a whisper, even though there's no one else in the tent. "My, erm, love, um link? Connection, you say? Needs to be made into a deeper, um chain? I'm terribly sorry, I'm not exactly at my mental peak at the moment, you see." "I can't imagine it makes a great deal of difference." Bilbo chooses to ignore the arsehole being an arsehole. "Yes, the connection must be made deeper. There will be…residual impacts." "As long as he's Thorin and he's alive, I can work with residual impacts." Bilbo sniffs.

"Very well. Know this, halfling: being bound in such a way is only done in the most dire of situations for a very good reason. With time, no distance will lessen your bond. You will carry an awareness of him with you always, and when either of you pass from this world, the other will follow and your bond will carry on even unto the beyond. This cannot be undone." Bilbo nods once. "Sounds grand. Do it." He looks like he wants to say more, perhaps keep trying to convince Bilbo to back out, but he seems to finally see that Bilbo is more than willing to pay any price if it means Thorin lives. Thranduil pulls a thin, blood-red cord from within his voluminous sleeve. His fingers are icy as he gingerly plucks Bilbo's left hand up and places it palm down in alignment over the back of Thorin's larger left hand, which rests limply on the blanket. He proceeds to loosely wind the cord around their wrists.

Happy Fanfic Writers Appreciation Day! 🥳

What's your favorite twist you've ever written for a fic? And if there isn't one, what's your favorite scene you've ever written?

Okay it took me far too long to realize that Tumblr seems to have a character limit on responses to asks, so I'm going to post this and reblog it with my snippet (which is evidently far too long lol)

It's less of a twist than it is a turn of phrase at the end of the scene that I'm probably far more enamored of than is really warranted 😅

Edit - holy crap it lost my draft for the fourth time. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[elerondo]

Headcanon | Timeline: S.A. 1600 to 1701

Why the choice bearers of the Elven Rings of Power

Safer for the Woodland Realm if they are without a ring

Elrond was never all too happy about the elves of the fief of Harlindon moving further away from the Throne. Hundreds of years of peace and prosperity was going to see a lot of changes and adjustments. Elrond had fought Gil-galad on the leave, near incited a military arrest to keep the power and knowledge in Lindon, but he was not successful. Elrond always attributed Tyelperinquar’s departure to the seduction of Galadriel, and so very bitter he was! But for the sake of both realms, Elrond maintained diplomacy and the alliance between Eregion and Lindon. Had it not been for the Siege of Eregion, this slowly rising relationship he build between Eregion’s trio could have lasted more than a thousand years.

However, if not for Fate dealing out its cruel hand as per usual, the Last Homely House East of The Sea would not have seen its light.

Vilya and Narya to Gil-galad Elrond never once doubted Tyelperinquar’s loyalty. They were of similar blood, he reasoned with himself. The one he did not trust was Galadriel. In Eregion, Elrond often connected more with Tyelperinquar after all the political niceties were said and done. Elrond was often a tourist of Tyelpe’s forge.

Therefore it was only right that Vilya and Narya went to Gil-galad, the High King of the Noldor, the wisest King whose prosperity and peace endured long after the War of Wrath, and whose realm was still two together: Forlindon and the Grey Havens. Tyelperinquar knew he had failed and fallen into Sauron’s plot, and sending two of three Elven rings to Gil-galad was not only his way of apology, but also to guarantee the survival of Eriador.

Nenya to Galadriel Distance actually did dispel some of the animosity between Elrond and Galadriel. Meetings were professional, pleasant, efficiently to the point. Things were getting better. And then it got worse again when Elrond received word that lady Galadriel had been ousted from Eregion. It was at once such a bizarre news, and a Doom he had seen coming yet was in no position to advise. Sauron’s influence had twisted Tyelprinquar’s love to spite, it seemed, that he would cast out Galadriel when he left with the lady and Celeborn in the first place.

Perhaps, it is for this betrayal of love and friendship that Tyelperinquar sent Nenya to Galadriel, in order to make amends and safeguard the realms with his last act of defense.

The Three Rings Cannot be together, neither can they go to Greenwood Now, this part is going to get more technical than sentimental. It is wiser for the Rings to be spread out as far as Lindon, and over the mountains. However, I do not think Tyelperinquar had that much resources on him to send an Elven ring to Oropher and Thranduil over the Anduin. At the time, Oropher ruled from his capital at Amon Lanc, and Sauron was coming from the Fords of Isen. Two Rings near each other and near Sauron? That would have been a foolish plan.

We also never hear of Oropher or Thranduil sending aid over the mountains to assist with the war. Rightfully so, because the Woodland Realm was 1) not a fief or vassal of Gil-galad and 2) the Siege was one of the Wars of the Noldor. They are different countries.

Giving Oropher a Ring would have turned Sauron’s forces to Greenwood. That is unwise both diplomatically and on the battlefield, because Elrond ( and then Gil-galad ) had a long way to come from the East. They would never have reached Oropher in time if the Woodland Realm became embroiled in the war, too.

The First White Council It was a decidedly ungraceful event that consisted mostly of Elrond crying about how everyone should have listened to him. When faced with the gruesome torture and death of his cousin Tyelperinquar, Elrond was unbridled in his anger and agony. There was to be a reckoning for all that had happened for the Valley to stand.

Elrond also reprimanded Gil galad: They should have prepared much earlier. Elrond should not have been sent out with such a small force. Why did you hold back? Was there overconfidence? And though he spoke all very logical things that’d work on paper, his words are laced with the flames of sentimentality and kin lost

All of them learned very many harsh lessons that day.