#polutropos

[melestasflight]

Maglor and Daeron play music together in Himring.

An original illustration of a scene from A Secret Chord created by the amazing @navyinks

Commissioned for @polutrope - one of the most thoughtful Slim-writers. Fic snippet below the cut.

I close my eyes and listen for my heartbeat. It is strong but steady. I listen for his breathing and when I hear it like a ripple over water my heart skips. I exhale steadily into the pipe and as my fingers move over the holes I imagine they are his fingers on my arms, trailing down my trunk, my hips, my legs. When I open my eyes to look at him I know he is imagining it, too.

He rests the lyre against his knee and joins its notes to mine. Though we sit apart I can feel the vibration of the strings as heat spreading through me. He raises his voice in song, a hymn of praise, and I can feel the breath of his singing, the movement of his lips all around me. My melody quickens, and his harmony keeps time, becomes richer, more complex, even as my playing turns frenzied, erratic, but he ties my notes together, he makes it into music. A long, piercing vibrato, the rush of a vibrant glissando, and we are falling apart in each other's Song. Sound becomes the touch of calloused fingers around my wrists, the colour of his flush, the sweet taste of his seed, the scent of my desire.

from A Secret Chord

[thelordofgifs]

18, 25, 28?

(fic writer asks)

18. If you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic.

Here's a little bit of a deleted plotline from Inflection, in which Elrond and Elros took advantage of Maglor's injury to run away from Amon Ereb:

“Eluréd! Elurín!” came the shout in the distance. “Does he know those aren’t our names?” Elros asked. Elrond just shrugged. It was colder than they had expected when they had slipped away, and he was shivering as they perched on a branch halfway up a tree. “Elrond!” Maedhros called again. “Elros!” “Elros,” Elrond said quietly, his teeth chattering, “maybe we should go back.” “Are you mad?” Elros hissed. “This is our chance! Maglor’s dying, and Maedhros doesn’t care what happens to us—” “Then why is he out here looking for us?” Elrond pointed out reasonably. Elros did not want Elrond to be reasonable. “Maybe he wants to kill us,” he suggested — casually, but as soon as he said it he realised how unnervingly plausible it was.

25. Besides writing, what are your other hobbies?

Reading! I have been a bookworm since I was tiny. Now that I am an Adult with Adult Responsibilities I read less than I used to, but I still try to squeeze in some reading time every night before bed. I like to bake, too, and have also discovered I’m surprisingly good at extremely intricate nail art.

28. Your least favourite part of the writing process

Getting the first draft onto the page, I think. It can be pretty disheartening when the image in your head doesn’t come out the same way in words! But that’s what editing’s for.

[meadowlarkx]

Hello, I am playing this game. An opportunity to praise my favourite writers without having to think too hard!

🥵 your smut scenes make me die of thirst 🎀 you describe tender, soft intimacy wonderfully 🍄 love how crazy some of the scenes you write are 💣 you can build tension in your stories incredibly well

I love how adventurous you are with your stories, but always reliably top-notch: thoughtful, clever, beautifully worded. I trust you with any subject matter.

Thank you so so much 😭😭 It means a lot!!!

Of these lovely words my favorite compliment is the crazy and unhinged. I hope to continue to live up to this high praise. I really have so much fun writing some of these ideas and I'm so touched you enjoy them too ❤️❤️❤️

[wayfind-er]

Hermes' Epithets & Myths

This list does not include every title of Hermes but provides a couple of his most commonly referred epithets and a summary of the myth behind them. 

Argeiphontes (Greek: Αργειφοντης), Slayer of Argos. (ref)

Zeus was having an affair with the beautiful nymph, Io. Hera, wife of Zeus and Goddess of Marriage and the Stars, was about to catch Zeus in the act when he transformed Io into a beautiful cow.

Hera, unimpressed and angry, demanded to receive the cow as a gift, which Zeus reluctantly agreed. She then appointed Argos Panoptes, the All-seeing Argos, to constantly watch over the transformed Io. Zeus sent Hermes to rescue his trapped lover, which Hermes did by lulling Argos Panoptes to sleep and slaying the giant. From this, Hermes was given the title Argeiphontes, and Hera memorialized Argos by placing his hundred eyes on the tail of her sacred bird, the peacock.

Psychopompos (Greek: ψυχοπομπός), Guide of Souls.

Hermes was often depicted as the only God besides Hades and Persephone who could freely enter and leave the Underworld. This is likely due to his status as God of Boundaries. In one story, Eurystheus tasked Heracles with descending into the Underworld to find Hades’ hound, Cerberus, up to Earth. Hermes acts as his guide and leads Heracles to the Underworld (ref).

Polutropos/Polytropos (Greek: πολῠ́τροπος ), Of Many Shifts

This is a less common epithet of Hermes; however, it describes him well. In the Hymn to Hermes, πολῠ́τροπος is translated as “of many shifts,” implying that Hermes is a God of many facets due to his resourcefulness, making him well-versed, well-traveled, and extremely multi-faceted. Hermes is introduced as:

“For then she bare a son, of many shifts, blandly cunning, a robber, a cattle driver, a bringer of dreams, a watcher by night, a thief at the gates, one who was soon to show forth wonderful deeds among the deathless gods.” (ref)

divider by @/firefly-graphics

[elronds-library]

The Seven Trials of Fingon the Valiant

by Melesta (@melestasflight), polutropos (@polutrope)

Findekáno returns to Tirion after ten years in Manwë’s service in Valmar. He is much changed, to the delight of his Fëanárian cousins. And the sons of Fëanáro are always determined to get what they want. ... aka the Fëanorians fall head-over-heels for Fingon!

Teen, No Archive Warnings

Words: 10,424

[imakemywings]

I THOUGHT YOU WERE JOKING ABOUT THE 'ELROND CALLING ELWING A CUNT' thing. But here I am, a newbie just going through fics one after the other of Elwing being called so many names and being humiliated, while the kidnap fam is uplifted. WHAT IS GOING ON. I could smell misogynistic from a mile away holy moly. But I have read your fics (I FUCKING LOVE IT) and I want more. May I also ask for some ELWING FIC RECS.

Oh no, that was a very literal example. My heart goes out to you in this difficult time of unfortunate realizations, anon.

But I am delighted to share some quality Elwing fic! ╰(*°▽°*)╯ (And thank you, I'm glad you liked mine!)

And by their blazing signify that a great princess falls, but doth not die by TheLionInMyBed is an absolutely phenomenal look at Elwing's last moments in Sirion.

The One with All the Birds by clothono and yes I know this one comes up every time I'm asked for Elwing recs, but it really is so delightful, and all the other characters who appear in it are so well-characterized and engaging. The bizarre connection that Elwing and Nerdanel share, both waiting for their children to return, is so interesting!

Elwing's Strategy by lifeisyetfair is another examination of why Elwing chose as she did in Sirion. Both Elwing and Maedhros are characterized so well, it's delicious.

The Carriage Held but Just Ourselves by StarSpray is an exploration of the line of Melian and Thingol's relationship with death. The whole fic is fantastic, but chapter 3 specifically deals with Elwing.

Elvenkings by am_fae is such a beautiful and sad look at the Doriathrim after the fall of the kingdom. It focuses on several characters, but Elwing is one of them and it handles her so well!

A Fish Hook, an Open Eye by simaetha is a tasty, dark Elwing/f!Maglor where things don't go quite according to plan when Maglor comes to negotiate with Elwing in Sirion.

Après Moi, le Déluge by HerenorThereNearnorFar is such a heartbreaking and tender look at Elwing's relationship with her children.

The Longed For That Cometh Beyond Hope by am_fae does an excellent job capturing the energy of the moments just after Earendil and Elwing secure the Valar's aid against Morgoth.

Was Dancing There by StarSpray is a quick, sweet look at Elrond's childhood with Elwing in Sirion and what remains of the heritage of the Doriathrim.

A Fiend in Feline Shape by Aipilosse deals with the house of Dior and Nimloth generally; Elwing is not the focus, but she is in it, and it's a delightful fic.

Less Flesh than Stone by crackinthecup is the confrontation in Aman that Elwing deserves with Maedhros.

Ebb and Flow by swanmaiden. Elwing is feeling the strain of her pregnancy and Earendil is so gallant as to help her out how he can. I really love how this fic shows the support these two had from their community in Sirion.

Joy is a Bird, a Fragile Thing by estuarie is a deeply touching reunion between Elwing and Elrond in Valinor TT_TT

Friendship and Stern Demand by polutropos is a fantastic look at the correspondence between Elwing and Maedhros prior to the Third Kinslaying.

From the Ones Who Came Before by Kirta is a great look at Elwing and Earendil's life growing up in the Havens. I am always a fan of childhood friends-to-lovers Starwing.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful by swanmaids is a great series of scenes of Earendil and Elwing and their life in Sirion, and dealing with the trauma of their childhood.

A Light Burns in the Forest by tinnurin is about how Elwing escaped Menegroth during the Second Kinslaying with Oropher and Thranduil. Really captures how terrifying and chaotic the assault on Doriath would have been.

We Build Castles with Our Fears and Sleep in Them Like Kings and Queens by TheLionInMyBed is more about Idril, but it does also take a look at Idril's relationship with Elwing.

So Summer Comes by potatoesanddreams does a beautiful job of exploring how Elwing's trauma and grief sometimes make it hard for her to be present for her kids while remaining sympathetic.

A Loss of Something I Ever Felt by Arriviste is a fic about Finarfin, but section 4 has his meeting Elwing and Earendil, and it is overall such a beautiful and well-written fic.

At the Water's Edge by crackinthecup takes a look at Elwing's relationship with Idril and what they share in terms of traumatic experiences.

Coastin' by swanmaiden. Heather handles these characters with such love and it really shows! Earendil is always looking to please his wife ;D

Beacon by polutropos has that yummy Starwing reunion smut after Earendil returns to port. A really fun married couple dynamic here!

For Elwing positivity in general I have to @swanmaids because she is the #1 Elwing stan that I know of, so if you want a blog to follow which is 100% pro-Elwing, there she is!

[searchingforserendipity25]

silm smut fic rec

@silmsmutweek is winding down, and in the spirit of challenge participation and appreciation of the many great smut fics in this fandom, i've jotted down a list of some non-event related smut fics that absolutely shaped the way i read and write smut.

these are just a few - the true list of favourite smut fic is enormous, and growing every day, in good part due to the mods and everyone who also participated in this event!

Flying Like A Bird To You Now by Harp_of_Gold. @foxindarkness

"He’d betrayed his lover in more ways than he could count; no joyful reunion with the Lord of Trees could be expected. He owed apologies and more to an awful lot of people, but first and foremost to Oromë. That’s where he’d start, and when his beloved had crushed those futile hopes, perhaps he’d be able to move on." Celegorm is re-embodied in Valinor.

A welcome distraction, by firstamazon. @ettelene

Nerdanel is trying to work, but Fëanor has other ideas.

in the afterglow by lonelyvisitor for starlightwalking @i-am-a-lonely-visitor

For how long it’s been, darling, since we had one of our long talks, you must see this novelty of Curvo’s, but really any excuse for your company, come at once, or anyway as soon as I’ve finished with the chorus practice, it will be about the sixth hour. And informal attire, Turno, I must beg, you know I get itchy even looking at you sometimes…

prick a finger, cut your hand by welcoming_disaster. @welcomingdisaster

Míriel finds her rooms just as the sun sets over the horizon. She comes, as ever, with her hood drawn up over her face, wearing the simple white-and-silver robes of the unwed maidens that come and study poetry under Indis. The white symbolizes purity, the silver steadfastness. Sacrilege, Indis thinks, watching Míriel slip off her cloak and hang it delicately on the back of a dining chair, it is sacrilege.

Bow and Helm and Hand by jouissants. @jouissants

“It’s been far too long since you’ve journeyed with us, Mablung,” Túrin says. Mablung gives a rueful smile. “I go where I am ordered, and King Thingol orders me elsewhere. You have made yourselves too great a name together to be parted, and in that you are fortunate."

a most faithful vassal by starlightwalking. @arofili

Lord Fingon summons his favorite servant to keep him company on a lonely night.

Like a lover's voice fires the mountainside by BloodwingBlackbird. @bloodwingblackbird

For the prompt Maglor/Halbarad, public sex.

Of Changing and Shifing Shape, by polutropos. @polutrope

Daeron is the beneficiary of Lúthien's Maia shapeshifting prowess. They have a nice time in a treehouse that isn't a prison.

pulls you back, by orphaned account.

Maglor wanders the shore.

[silmarillionwritersguild]

"Maglor," @polutrope begins in this month's character biography, "is a character of contradictions, conflicts, and mystery. It is no wonder that this second son of Fëanor has captured the imagination of so many readers of The Silmarillion."

This is, if anything, an understatement. With 736 fanworks about him, Maglor is the second most written-about character on the SWG, exceeded only by Maedhros (with 804 fanworks). What accounts for this popularity? He's not the only musician (Daeron) or warrior (Fingolfin). He's certainly not the only tragic figure (Túrin fills an actual book).

In this month's biography, polutropos peels away the many layers that make Maglor such an intriguing character. As she notes, he is full of contradictions: one of the Noldor's consummate poets and most fearsome warriors, joining a kinslaying to only moments later take pity upon its orphans. But it's not just Maglor's character arc that makes him so intriguing to Silmarillion fans. As polutropos also illustrates, he contributes to some of the most important themes in the early legendarium: music, exile, and oaths. He is also the rare character where we receive glimpses of his inner life, showing the emotional impact of his rollercoaster life.

Beneath all of this is a textual history at least as complicated as Maglor himself. Undaunted, polutropos unfolds the evolution of Maglor's character across decades, from his first mention (and immediate demise) in the Lost Tales to his tangled history alongside Maedhros, where they frequently traded roles as the merciful and repentant.

You can read polutropos' biography of Maglor here.

[canvas-madness-txc]

Thoughts on The Song of Achilles

Spoilers

"Achilles did not slur my name as people often did, as if in a hurry to be rid of it. Instead, he rang each syllable Pat-ro-clus." This is one of the many, many lines that broke me. It says a lot about Patroclus and Achilles in only two sentences

"What has Hector ever done to me?" Well, call me, Julius Caesar, because this line has stabbed me repeatedly. I read The Iliad first, so I had expectations, but man, does it still hurt

"Some people might have mistaken this for simplicity. But is it not a sort of genuis to always cut to the heart?" I like this line a lot . It shows how close the two of them became. Also, there is some genuis in saying what you mean, regardless of simplicity.

The fact that Patroclus realizes that his father's disappointment after he is to be exiled isn't for the crime but for not being cunning enough to cover it was cruel.

Odysseus, being the smug guy he is, just in general

Achilles has the most boyish, standard teen response after Thetis tells him she wants him to be a God. It really shows the divide of human and God in him. Also the contrast is kinda funny

"There is no law that gods must be fair, Achilles." That is both the truth and probably a warning

"Name one hero who was happy. You can't."

"I can't."

"I know. They never let you be famous and happy. ... I'll tell you a secret."

"Tell me."

"I'm going to be the first. ... Because you're the reason. Swear it." Laughter morphs into uncontrollable sobbing. Oh the dramatic irony.

Patroclus saying he could identify Achilles by touch alone is just WOW

"Useless information is my curse, I'm afraid." Me too, Odysseus, me too

Odysseus talking about Penelope 🥺

Polutropos- man of many turnings is now something I'm gonna utilize more often

I have now officially scarred both myself and my friend for life with the tales of "Mighty Tydeus, King of Argos, Eater of Brains," and Tantalus' eternal torment

The banter between Odysseus and Diomedes

THE SACRIFICE OF IPHIGENIA 😭

"The goddess is appeased" CLEARLY NOT MORON

The fact that Agamemnon could anger both Apollo and Artemis is pretty impressive underneath its massive layer of stupidity (a thought that returned to me from before when I read The Iliad)

Odysseus calling Achilles "a weapon, a killer" because "you can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature" really drives home my conflicted feeling that are true for most of the Greek heroes, but specifically Achilles this time

"I hope Hector kills you."

"Do you think I do not hope the same?" THE GRIEF MY HEART

Backtracking here, but I like how Briseis and Patroclus had a close bond with each other

"I am glad that he is dead." THAT IS CRUEL WOW. AND THE FACT THAT ITS THE LAST THING SHE SAYS BEFORE HE DIES IS WOW

Pyrrhus: *exists* Me: go back to pre-algebra you're 12

I find it ironic that Pyrrhus was killed by Agamemnon's son Orestes, considering their fathers loathed each other. The dishonoring continues among generations, but reversed this time and ending with murder

THETIS LETTING PATROCLUS AND ACHILLES BE BURIED TOGETHER, HAVING BOTH THEIR NAMES ON THE TOMB AND THE BOTH OF THEM GETTING PEACE IN THE UNDERWORLD 😭

[finelythreadedsky]

I saw you reblogged a post about Penelope / Odysseus and it reminded me that I wanted to ask if you know any others works about those? They're like my favourite couple and I'd love to read more about them if there's such thing? I don't mind academic works either as long as they're not overly academic since this isn't my topic of expertise. Ta!

as far as reception goes i highly recommend the lost books of the odyssey by zachary mason and the penelopiad by margaret atwood (it has its faults but it is really good). i also really like this song by manik choksi.

and in terms of scholarship: i think my favorite piece of penelope scholarship i've read might genuinely be the article penelope's thick hand (roller and roller, 1994). i'm also a big fan of melissa mueller's 2007 article penelope and the poetics of remembering, and i found the first few chapters of pietro pucci's book odysseus polutropos really useful and interesting for thinking about odysseus. i'm not sure if any of those really make for 'casual' reading though.

[melestasflight]

The Seven Trials of Fingon the Valiant

The High King welcomes his Fëanorian lieges and quickly learns that, despite everything, some things never change.

Epilogue: Seven Raised Swords for the High King

~

Join @polutrope and me for the final chapter of the @feanorianweek drama.

We'd love to encourage everyone to check out the other wonderful writing in the Fëanorian Week 2023 collection.

[magistralucis]

Hello! I hope I'm not being too awkward in dropping out of nowhere to say this, but I'm the author of TDK and I was really impressed by your essay on Djoseras after someone pointed me to it - I found your analysis genuinely insightful, and I wrote the bastard. Encountering that sort of response is a rare pleasure for any writer, especially one writing about metal skeletons with catastrophic mental health issues, so I wanted to say thank you :)

First of all, Nate, thank you for your necron literature. Ever since I read The Twice-Dead King, it's been sing me, O Goddess, of the anger of Oltyx in my head everyday - tell me about the Nobody-of-Many-Ways (outis polutropos), that poor many-minded boy whose first and foremost sin was being bad at living in bad faith. He speaks to a lot of us, or what I think a lot of us would admit to being if life wasn't frightening. Said metal skeletons with catastrophic mental health issues are some of the most existentially fascinating characters I've read in a while, and I'm grateful for the pleasure of reading them.

And that's Oltyx. For Djoseras - I find him so compelling because bad faith is his total, only faith, to the extent he'd rather die than see it removed and freely admits this is the case. Seeing him unveiled page by page alongside Oltyx, not as an arrogant rival-tyrant but a man killed by glory long since dead and rotted, whose nobility is never compromised for the ugly truth, that was an experience. I like him very much. I was sad about the choices Djoseras never had, frustrated by the choices he had but refused to take, and I pitied him for his loneliness and his inability to go on. He's a wonderful character. Thank you, truly.

[1sileno]

I greci si divertivano un sacco a fare i giochi di parole. un paio di esempi: polutropos che troviamo nel proemio dell'Odissea significa sia dalle molte sfaccettature sia dalle molte vie. questo perché Odisseo é sia un uomo dalle molteplici capacità sia ha scelto di vagare per 10 anni e non tornare subito a casa. Per molto tempo non si é avuta certezza di tradurlo in un modo più che in un altro (dai dibattiti per scolii, le annotazioni a margine che prendevano i filologi alessandrini per ricordarsi come mai avevano scelto quella traduzione invece di un'altra) e ciò era non solo voluto, ma anche perfettamente programmato in un proemio molto vago: il nome di Odisseo non viene fatto mai, alla musa viene detto di narrare in maniera non ben precisata.

Altra cosa molto simpatica é il gioco che si può trovare nell'incipit de le opere e i giorni di Esiodo. Al secondo verso troviamo la parola Di' (mi scoccio di cambiare la tastiera con i caratteri in greco) che sta per il genitivo di Zeus, cosa che si evince dal contesto, dato che é molto simile alla preposizione "dia", che significa attraverso. questo naturalmente perché Zeus é lo strumento attraverso il quale si compie giustizia. circa lo stesso gioco lo riprende Platone nel demiurgo ( demurgos/dia emon, demiurgo/attraverso-me). O ancora, Odisseo giunto a casa, Itaca, una volta riconosciuto dalla sua nutrice, ella gli rivolge un discorso che spiega l'origine del nome Odisseo, scelto dal nonno. Odisseo deriva da odussomai, verbo che significa molto odiato. non a caso da lí a poco commetterà una strage.

[ladysternchen]

End of Year Fic Recs

Thanks @polutrope for tagging me 😁!

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023)

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

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

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read. (oooohhhh damn. I'm gonna SO fail at this, because I actually read so little myself- I tend to re-read the same stories over and over and over again, but I'll see what I can do)

Multi-Chapter

'Tis the Season (To Be Tea-la-la-lally) by polutropos (Teen And Up, WIP, AU) I'm not one for modern AUs normally, not at all, and I honestly didn't want to read it at the start, but then I did (here on Tumblr) and got sucked in LOL. It's just great, and I love the Holiday Spirit! (I won't tag you here again, as you're tagged in the entire post anyway 😄 brilliant story)

Rising as if Weightless by StarSpray (Gen) The story of Elwing suddenly becoming the big sister/foster mom of her older brothers. This is so tender and beautiful and has so much character growth and so many bitter-sweet reunions, and above all so much depth.

A Pair of Stars by Magicfeather205 (Teen And Up) Pre-historic Elves, and the birth of future kings. That was honestly the most interesting story I read this year, with wonderful and very accurate world-building and a beautiful story (and thank you, author, I now can't get the 'Elwë and Olwë were indeed the first set of twin-boys in that family' out of my head where it fights a raging battle with my own headcanon) Also, I want this fic to be read by every single midwife (and, more importantly, other obstetrician). THAT is how you treat a birthing mom. That's how you handle unforeseen events. I loved this so so so much. It would have felt perfectly natural to have Trixie and Nurse Crane walk in there- sorry about that fandom-mixup)

As Flowers From the Sky by Beleriand Death Trip (E) Fingolfin/Elu Thingol... this is honestly a ship I would never ever have thought of myself, or seen a way in which this could work, but this story DOES work within canon, and beautifully so. It has it all, from very interesting world-building ideas to mild- (and VERY funny) horror-elements, and from foreshadowing and tensions to being wonderfully wholesome. You'll feel better after reading this, I promise!

The Unforsaken by @ceescedasticity (M, WIP) Last but definitely not least. I'll again link the first part of the series in the before-2023-part, and probably say more about it there. But yeah, absolutely a must-read! Go! Go, destroy the Orc-bank! (But don't blow yourselves up!)

One-Shots

Bloodied by ohboromir (Gen) Just a little First-Battle-story. I love to see Elu and Beleg and Mablung together so so so much (who would have thought, ey?).

Unstoppable Winds by LadyBrooke (Teen And Up) The destruction of Númenor as viewed by a few of their ancestors. I really loved this because I have never actually seen a story about the Fall of Númenor written from that POV and it did (or rather does) inspire me quite a lot in my own WIP. (I have to apologise here for not having more, I read so many great one-shots here on Tumblr that I just failed to save in some way. I may add to this list if I find the time to scroll through my timeline and see which of those I reblogged)

Before 2023

elves, once (M) by @ceescedasticity The part one of the series The Unforsaken belongs to as well. And for me the most recommendable story there is (though I would guess most who see this post will know the story already). The name says it all, really, as it is the story of all those canon-characters who ended up as Orcs. This is the sort of fic I really enjoy because it actually gives an answer to a question canon rises. The Orc-bank has since so much passed into my own headcanon that I sometimes forget that it is not actually canon (which leads to very awkward situations sometimes at our monthly discussing-Tolkien-gatherings, I tell you that)

across so wide a sea (Gen, WIP) by Adwen Unfinished, but one of the most hilarious stories I've ever read. I hope so much that author continues writing it one day, but even if they don't, it's a great laugh to read what is written, and ah, the possibilities!

The Carriage held but just Ourselves (Teen and Up) by StarSpray The story of how Melian and her descendants deal with death when they finally come to face it. I don't know when I last cried so much when reading a fic. It's not just that it's so so so sad (because yeah, go kill us all even in the one chapter that should be somewhat 'happy' 😭), but also incredibly beautiful and written perfectly in-character. It's looking into those women's minds. One of my bed-time-stories. (hmpf. All the others are multi-chapters form this year. ah well...)

My own

Yet Were Its Making Good, For This (not rated, but mature:ish; WIP) Ah, my problematic WIP. I wanted that story so so so so so badly written that I forced it, and it cost me MANY nerves. Mablung of Doriath/Elu Thingol. (How is it that nobody ever wrote that ship before?????????????) Works within canon if one squints one's eyes a bit. I'm currently working on the Epilogue ind Valinor, which might, MIGHT, for once give one of my stories a truly happy ending.

Into Oblivion (M) The smut-part of Yet Were Its Making Good, For This. Elwë/Mablung/Beleg. (Well, what do you all think they got up to during the journey?) Doesn't interfere with later canon.

Why, It Asks (Gen) It's a very short read, but one that is super dear to me for some reason. Elmo's thoughts as he stands by and watches his brother's grave being dug.

Moving On-series (Gen) Is this cheating, now? As it's really three one-shots? If it is, pick the last one to read. I'm just so fond of what my imagination spat out there world-building-wise LOL. It's the story of the time Elwë was missing to his and Melian's coronation, as mostly told from Elmo's POV.

Eyes In The Dark (Gen) I just had to put it here, as it's quite sweet to read, but given the hardly-mentioned-in-canon-characters it's hardly read by anyone. Give it a try, though. I bet you like it. Little Denethor is frightened by eyes in the dark, and runs for Lenwë for help. And Lenwë is being just about the best Dad ever.

And now we come to the bit I always dread. I suck at tagging people, because I always forget who enjoys such things and who doesn't, and because everyone's probably been already tagged. So let's do this differently, then- all writers who read this and want to share their recs, please do! (Cheating again, I know)

[elronds-library]

A Salve

by polutropos (@polutrope)

After a pause, Celegorm asked, “Why shoot at her? What good would it have done to kill her?” Battered and humiliated after the encounter with Beren and Lúthien, Curufin must reestablish the bond that holds him and his brother together.

Teen, No Archive Warnings

Words: 860

[cycas]

Belated rec for this great piece by @polutrope