#young Elrond and his trauma

[seanoridraws]

He would definitely make hand puns

And some sketches

[runawaymun]

Heads Up Seven Up

I was tagged by @that-angry-noldo to share the last seven lines I wrote in my WIP! Thank you for the summons!

From To Partake:

He had let his anger get the better of him. He realizes that now, like a cold shock to his spine, here in the dark alone. He had overreacted. That is why he is so angry. He is not angry at Elrond, not really. Ereinion is angry with himself.  He does not know how he will be able to stand facing Elrond tomorrow.

And from Beneath a Boundless Sky

He meant to broach the idea to Istiel, so she could put the question to her people. To our people, Elrond fiercely reminded himself.  My people.  Sometimes he wondered if it had been a mistake to refuse to take on any mantle of formal leadership for the remnants of Doriath. He only had not wished to tempt them to name him king — a title Elrond neither wanted nor felt that he deserved — with his Ñoldorin braids and his Fëanorian accent and his ignorance to his own childhood customs. He knew that it was hardly his fault, but there had been plenty of others who were better qualified than he was to lead the Doriathrim. Istiel had been their second choice, and Elrond’s first. 

I think most people have already played by now, but just in case I am tagging @raointean @thesolarangel and @greyjedijaneite and whomever else has not played yet but would like to!

[verecunda]

No, Charles Edwards Isn't Too Old to Play Celebrimbor, Actually: a sourcebook

Apparently this particular wank is going around again, and people are trying to frame it as an issue of fidelity to the source material (again), so I decided to round up some references to the physical appearance of certain Elves in the books.

Before we even begin, I'm going to point out that there are literally no physical descriptions of Celebrimbor in canon. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. So you could cast literally anyone and it wouldn't ~break canon~. But the age of the actor seems to be a big sticking point for some people.

In the main, yes, Tolkien's elves tend to appear youthful beyond their many, many years, but there are some notable examples. One of the most extreme is Gwindor, who spends many years as a thrall in Angband and eventually returns to his own people "now seeming as one of the aged among mortal Men, because of his torments and his labours". Gwindor is an extreme example, though, the result of exceptional trauma. There are more natural examples, though.

The big one is Círdan the Shipwright, memorably described thus: "his beard was long, and he was grey and old, save that his eyes were keen as stars."

Elrond, meanwhile, at the end of the Third Age appears somewhere in the middle: "The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young." Contrast with Glorfindel, who is considerably older than him - give or take a death/re-embodiment episode - whose face is described as "fair and young" just one paragraph earlier.

Then we have the sons of Elrond, who are probably among the youngest Elves in Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, but who seem to take after their father, being described as "neither young nor old", but at the same time with "elven-fair" faces.

By any human yardstick, it doesn't seem logical that Glorfindel should appear obviously younger than Elrond or his sons. You could argue that their half-elven nature might admit signs of ageing where other Elves wouldn't, but then we have Arwen, daughter of Elrond. She is well over two thousand years old - though barely a hundred years younger than her brothers - but she appears young. When the twenty-year-old Aragorn first beholds her, we're told, "she had seemed of no greater age than he" - at least until he sees the elven-light in her eyes. (Note that when Frodo first sees Arwen, the book says, "Young she was and yet not so" - though, like many Elves, this seems to have more to do with the wisdom and memory apparent in her demeanour, because we're also told that in terms of physical appearance "The braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost; her white arms and clear face were flawless and smooth".

So it's clear we have a lot of variation between Elves' relative ages and the "age" of their appearance. I've seen some attempts to pass off the negativity over Charles Edwards' casting to concerns over sexist double-standards: why is a 50-something actor playing Celebrimbor when Galadriel, who is canonically older, is played by an actress in her thirties? But frankly, I'm calling bullshit on that one, because when the Fellowship meet Galadriel and Celeborn (again, this is at the end of the Third Age), the book tells us: "no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes." This is despite these two being among the oldest Elves still living in Middle-earth. So if Galadriel can appear more youthful than, say, Elrond and his sons, why could she not potentially appear more youthful that Celebrimbor (of whom, again, we have no physical description)? If there is a double-standard in evidence, I'm afraid it's one that must be traced back to Tolkien himself.

Frankly, I think it's fairly obvious that a lot of the wank about Charles Edwards' Celebrimbor stems from people being unable or unwilling to separate fanon from canon. It's not exactly a secret that in the main, fandom tends to portray Celebrimbor as hunky and youthful, and I've seen plenty of mean-spirited posts opining that he's too unattractive to play the character (which on the "fucking the old man" website is hilarious). But like, beauty is subjective.

And even within the books, there are variations in beauty and body types. Remember Nerdanel, a master artisan despite being "not among the fairest of her people"? (Even if you don't personally find the actor attractive, why couldn't Celebrimbor take after his grandmother in this respect?) The Fall of Gondolin also, memorably, gives us the "heavy and squat" Salgant. There are rare exceptions, true, but it's quite apparent that canonically, Elves don't conform to any one standard of beauty or body type.

As for complaints about him being too light-haired to play a grandson of Fëanor? Look, I tend to imagine Celebrimbor as black-haired when I'm reading the books, but the fact is, canon is utterly silent on the subject. For all we know, his mother could be light-haired and he could take after her. Or - idk - he uses the same Laurelin Sheen hair-dye as Uncle Celegorm. (Because somehow fandom seems to have no problem with him being portrayed as Extremely! Blond! despite having even less excuse. As a side note, I'm sure Elven genetics don't work quite the same way as human ones - like, I feel an attempt to draw up an Elven Punnett square would probably result in madness. But whatever.)

In conclusion, then: Tolkien's Elves clearly display variations in their appearance of ageing, which have nothing to do with their actual age. Canon gives us exactly no descriptions of Celebrimbor's physical appearance, therefore the casting of Charles Edwards can't be regarded as in any way uncanonical. Attempts to dress up complaints about his age and looks as anything more worthy are blatantly disingenuous, when they're not being downright immature and mean-spirited.

Personally, I think Edwards is a fine actor, and while he doesn't fit my own image of the character, he does fit lots of the personality beats I associate with him, which can be gleaned from canon, and which frankly matter much more to me. I'm very much looking forward to seeing his performance in series two. Thank you for coming to my rant talk.

[anittmyer]

Glorfidnel vs. Religious Trauma

(This does contain some Valar bashing)

This was a headcanon I wanted to explore with my Golden boy! It's well known knowledge that Glorfindel is half Noldor and half Vanya, and the Vanya tend to be close to the valar and the most as you say "religious" and strict with the rules of the valar.

I personally headcanon Glorifndel as gay and he realized this at a young age while he still lived in Valinor. His mother was Noldor, but his father was a very loyal Vanya, making him quite religious and strict with his children and household. Same sex relationships were viewed as an abomination by the valar and so most Vanya thought so as well. Glorfindel hated himself for liking other Nèrs', he knew he should get over it so he can marry and nìs one day and make his father proud.

Glorindel spent a lot of his time trying to be a devoted follower of the valar and to follow their rules, but one day he kissed another male elf in secret and he was so scared he ran away home and cried. He was found by his mother and he knew his mother wasn't as tied to the Valar as his father was. He told her what had happened and how he felt, he feared she'd be angry and disgusted, like how many Vanya spoke about Prince Nelyofinwè (another character i headcanon as gay).

He truly felt lost and in a dark place once the flight of the Noldo occurred and he decided to cross the Helcaraxè with Fingolfin's host. He felt abandoned by the Valar even though he was devoted and faithful. He feeling lost had found happy company in a Noldor elf named Ecthelion.

In Gondolin, Glorfindel was still tense and no one knew his true nature besides Ecthelion. He had garnered the title of himself as Gondolin's most eligible bachelor in the secret city. Many elleths fawned over the Lord of the Golden Flower, but all Glorfindel could feel was shame once more for not being able to reciprocate and do his duty. Ecthelion was good at comforting him and telling him that how he was isn't shameful or a disgrace, but Glorfidnel couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut and the nervous sweat on his brow.

It wasn't until he was brought back from the Halls of Mandos and was given a second chance at life, that he wanted to let go of his shame. Lord Elrond was the most kind and most understanding being to have existed since his friend Ecthelion. While living in Imladris, Glorfindel met his forever love in Erestor, a beautiful peredhel elf with dark hair, striking green eyes, and olive skin. He was studious and a bit cold, but Glorfindel had broken down those walls and the two were almost always plagued by a scarlet blush. Glorfindel knew he found his forever love, he didn't care what the Valar thought or what his father thought of him being in love with an ellon, of Fenaorion stock no less!

Glorfindel always dreamed of his wedding, he once thought it was never to be, his love would never be allowed by the Valar or even his father. He married Erestor in Imladris, surrounded by those who loved and accepted him. And once he sailed with Erestor, Elladan, and Elrohir, he reunited with Ecthelion who was furious he wasn't able to attend his best friends wedding. However, Glorfindel was most worried about his father... the faithful Nèr who spat hideous words about those loving the same gender as their own. Glorfindel had finally worked up courage to travel to his family home, with Erestor in hand, he wouldn't be hidden like some shameful thing.

They had arrived to his family house, before knocking, the door was swung open, the beautiful visage of his mother stared back at him, tears instantly in her eyes. Glorfindel introduced Erestor as his husband and his mother only smiled and gave Erestor a chaste kiss on his cheek. Her acceptance of his husband gave him confidence. It was finally time to face his father... after so many years...

He met his father in the garden behind his family home, age had found its way to his father's, gray hairs lined his temples and his golden hair line. His father's tired eyes had no judgement in them, only sorrow and longing... Longing for his only son. He embraced his son tightly and then he looked to Erestor who appeared slightly apprehensive. Once more, Erestor was introduced as his beloved spouse, speaking calmly and slowly as to avoid his father blowing up on him. Glorfindel's father did no show thing. He in fact also gave Erestor a hug and thanked him for loving his son.

. . . .

In my head, Glorfindel's father lost his faith in the Valar when they decided to send his son back to Middle-Earth instead of letting him come home to his family.

I also swapped out Nèr/Nìs and Ellon/Elleth depending on if we were in Valinor or Middle-Earth!

I'm a Glorestor truther till my DYING DAYS!

Let me know what you think!!☺️☺️

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

Angsty idea: Elrond hates sleeping alone.

In Sirion, he and Elros were so young that they always slept in the same room as their parents. Then Earendil needed to leave and it was just the twins and Elwing. Then Elwing and everyone else they knew were torn from them in an incredibly traumatic way.

For years, Elrond and Elros just had each other. They were convinced that if they spent a moment apart, they'd lose their last family member. Maedhros and Maglor initially kept them together just out of convenience, but when M&M stopped seeing the twins as hostages and offered them separate rooms, the twins looked terrified and begged them not to "take their brother," so M&M didn't press them. (Also, possibly the first time the Feanorians realized just how much trauma they'd inflicted on the twins.)

In Lindon, the twins shared quarters. After Elros went to Numenor, Elrond adapted to sleeping alone, but he never liked it.

When he and Gil-galad became lovers, Elrond would often sleep in the King's bed.

But when he flees with the refugees of Eregion and forms Imladris, there's a time when he's very alone. Yes, he has friends, but they are all his subordinates. He's the leader of a settlement under seige. Everyone's depending on him. He's inexperienced in this precise type of leading. He knows Gil-galad will come if he can, but he has no way of knowing if Sauron's started some type of trouble elsewhere to aplit the elvish forces.

And Elrond is exhausted by it, but it still takes him forever to fall asleep because he's all alone.

[sotwk]

🌀 and .🌈 for your WIP ask game! Hope you're having a lovely day 😁❤️

🌀Post the fic summary for a fic you haven't written/published yet. It can be hypothetical or something you really plan on releasing...

SAFE HAVEN (young Elrond x Reader). The young lord of the newly established realm of Imladris befriends a woman who is among the mortal refugees seeking sanctuary in the valley. When he learns of the trauma she had suffered, Elrond does all he can to aid her healing--and protect her from her past coming back to hurt her.

This angsty comfort WIP is in response from an Anon Request I received so long ago, the person who asked it might have given up on the request already, and I wouldn't blame them! But I think it still deserves to be written, and hopefully it eventually will be completed.

🌈 Share something soft/fluffy from your WIP.

“Walk with me.” It was an invitation spoken so softly, with subtle imploring rather contrary to her proud nature, that Celeborn chose to heed it over his father’s request for him to join the morning council meeting.

Behold the proof that I have a Celeborn x Galadriel WIP!!! Admittedly, there isn't much written yet, but the intention is there. This one is set in Doriath, when the pair is just beginning to fall in love. Ahhh young love. Young for Elves, anyway. Hehe.

Btw, I LOVE Celeborn. I am convinced that once I truly get started writing for him, he will be up there amongst my fave canon blorbos.

Thank you for the Ask, @erathene! Good luck in your writing as well! <3

[elffromforests]

NEW PHOTOS of "The Rings of Power" ❗

My thoughts:

Maglor cast his Silmaril into the sea. Thereafter, he wandered along the shores of the world singing laments over the loss of the Silmaril, until he faded from memory.

I am completely sure

that Adar is Maglor. He did not die, but disappeared from sight. He, like Adara, has a craving for "fatherhood". I think they will tell us about it.Adar wears the same patterned breastplate as Gil Galad.I have not seen ordinary elf warriors or artisans wear them, only royalty. And mvgdor is a royal person.

In the first episode of season 1, Elrond says that Galadriel found him unconscious and gave him water. So he and Elros escaped from captivity. They found their way to Gil Galad. And the Battle with Adara in season 2, which Elrond will have will make the young elf remember this - a psychological trauma, and Adara will want to take revenge for the betrayal of his "wards"

It seems we were told that Adar would come to Eregion. Hardly to help Celebrimbor. And Hardly, this photo with Galadriel is proof that he will agree to help his nephew (Celebrimbor).I think he will come to Eregion with a noise, to take revenge on Celebrimbor, to kill his nephew for his betrayal of the house of Feanor, because Celebrimbor has essentially entered the house of Fingolfin, to Gil Galad.

[camille-lachenille]

End of the Year Fic Rec

I was tagged by @echo-bleu and @dreamingthroughthenoise and it was very difficult to select only five fics for each category but here's my Must Read fanfics list, mostly Silmarillion but with a few LotR and one Hobbit. Also, I cheated at some point so you have one more fic rec as a treat

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).

We will make this place our home by @leucisticpuffin

Summary: Elrond and Elros are sent to live with their distant cousins in a house that is crumbling slowly to pieces. They aren't especially happy about this. For Maedhros and Maglor, the twins are a rare chance to start living again.

Why you should read it: This is a whimsical, heartwarming yet bittersweet at times story about finding one’s place in a new world and what makes a family, grappling with the ghosts of the past and the pain of being a child left behind. Also the most exquisitely written modern AU (the style is just chef's kiss!) I’ve read so far, 100% recommend it!

Maglor is an Eldritch Horror by @thescrapwitch

Summary: After thousands of years singing to the sea, Maglor has become something strange and terrifying. But he still loves his family, and his family still loves him.

Why you should read it: Sometimes, family is a Half-Elf, his wife, their children, a shy and whimsical bard and the Eldritch kidnap grandfather who haunts the house; or how to write slightly creepy fluff. This series is pure heartwarming material and giving Elrond the happiness he desserves.

The Day the Horse-Lord wed the Lady of the Seas by @colinnoahmayhare (rated M)

Summary: After the War of the Ring, Lothíriel, Princess of Dol Amroth, finds herself at the receiving end of the search for peace and prosperity by being used as a pawn in an alliance made between kings and princes. Married to the King of the Riddermark, Éomer, she has to navigate being a foreigner in a foreign country, being a Queen to a King, and to learn to live and love with a man she hardly knows.

Why you should read it: This story is an intricate, gut wrenching exploration of what happens in Rohan after the War of the Ring, featuring delightful worldbuilding, lots of politics, revenge and honour. Now with Familial TraumaTM and Couple AngstTM for extra flavour!

And the Stars Shine the Same by @runawaymun (rated M)

Summary: After the Éothéod revolt against the Wainriders, the northern tribes seek to form strong alliances with their neighbors. Lord Frumgar tasks his son Fram to lead the delegation to Imladris. With him, he brings gold, fine horses, and two young thralls chosen by his father to be given to Lord Elrond himself. Elrond is conflicted to say the least.

Why you should read it: Do you like pre-canon Third Age history? Do you like worldbuilding about a few names from the Appendixes of LotR? Do you like found family and Good Dad Elrond? Do you like complex characters learning how to live with their traumas? This story is for you! (Just mind the warnings in the tags)

The ghost you dress up as (knows how to haunt) by @deadqueernoldor (rated M)

Summary: Maedhros was not the first Finwëan to be captured and taken to Angband, nor did he remain there the longest. Ranyatinwë, twin of Caranthir, was the first.

Why you should read it: Tinwë is such a complex character, 50% spite and 50% trauma, and this whole story is so, so promising already! (Really, you should read all the Strength of our Bonds series for extra unhinged, spiteful and unrepentant kinslayer Tinwë. I support women’s rights but in Tinwë’s case I firmly support women’s wrongs). This is pure post-Angband angstfest and dysfunctional siblings caring for each other in their weird way. If angst can be a comfort story, I found it.

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

Life in Miniature by @thescrapwitch

Summary: Turgon uses his hobby of building cities to recreate Gondolin, this time on a much smaller scale.

Why you should read it: For re-embodied Finwëan rebuilding their relationships as they work together on a miniature city; a heartwarming and really nice metaphor.

Hearth Fire by @dreamingthroughthenoise

Summary: Findis and Feanor speak before the Flight of the Noldor and share in their grief the best they can.

Why you should read it: Because there are so few stories centered around Findis and her feelings about her family and this one is so interesting and well written. Also, Findis is my Blorbo and everyone should read about her until they're consumed by the Blorbo.

your veins are empty of dust by @echo-bleu

Summary: Anairë finds her late one day in her workshop, surrounded by slabs of stone larger than her. Nerdanel is hammering forcefully at one of them, the barest hints of an elven shape already taking form in the marble. Bitter, stinging tears run down her cheeks and into her collar, and her arms ache with exhaustion.

The body is only barely sketched, but the face is already chiselled, smooth curves and angular cheekbones.

Fëanáro emerges out of the marble, looking like he’s about to take life.

Why you should read it: For a heartbreaking dive into Nerdanel's grief, her friendship with Anairë and how Nerdanel's art becomes her way to cope with loneliness and grief.

see it fall, child of war by @swanmaids

Summary: Elwing's time runs out.

Why you should read it: Because these may be the 740 most impactful words I've read about Elwing since I discovered the Silm fandom.

soldier keep on marching on (waiting on that morning sun) by songofswiftsunrise

Summary: Boromir lives. The world is the smallest bit brighter for it.

Why you should read it: Do I need a more convincing argument than what the summary says? Boromir lives and everyone is happier. I love a good fix-it and this one is very well written indeed.

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

The Carpenter’s Son by Zimra (rated M, warning for rape/non-con)

Summary: An untold story of conquered Dor-lómin, in which an Easterling carpenter has a child by his Hadorian slave.

Why you should read it: This story explores in a very interesting way a par of canon that is almost never mentionned (except in the Narn). The main character is attaching and I really cared for her and her son. The hindsights in the slavers' minds are chilling with their realism and this whole story is just so well written. Also, it ends on a note of hope.

And what I am needs no excuses by aurembiaux

Summary: Sam has always been in love with Frodo. It's only that it takes him forty years to realize that he is.

Why you should read it: Probably the most heartwarming and relatable self-discovery story I’ve ever read; set in England from the WWII to the 80’s, with all the social changes that happened in this time period. Featuring Supportive Dad (and Friend) Sam as the main character and a whole bunch of introspection. One of my all time comfort read!

Mark of a Warrior by starryeyedknight

Summary: After the funeral for Theoden, Merry wakes up to a problem experienced by many a young man after a night of heavy drinking. The ink on his arm doesn't appear to be washing off… 

Why you should read it: This one shot explores the relationships Merry formed with the RIders of Rohan, the grief he has in common with them and how he found his place amongst the riders, all of this with delightful humour and lightness despite the initial situation.

Dancing with my punchlines by LiveOakWithMoss (rated M)

Summary: In which the sons of Fëanor throw house parties, the beer is terrible, 20-something hipster elves act like their drama is as bad as it is in canon, and macking on cousins is fair game.

Why you should read it: If you like a good old modern AU with tons of drama of various sorts, amazing ace representation and general Finwëans shenanigans, this is the story for you.

Old Maggie Took by @deadqueernoldor

Summary: The headcanon about Maglor, second son of Fëanor, lives hidden in the Shire? Yes.

Why you should read it: My ultimate comfort read series; featuring mouth-watering descriptions of food, kidnadopted fam and Maglor being an overgrown hobbit and trolling everyone in ME and Valinor. This is fluffy, this is silly, this is prefect.

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Dreams of Doom (rated M, warning for Major Character Death)

Summary: “She runs in the dark, alone. Where her feet carry her, she knows not, and her heart is heavy with dread. Someone - something - is watching her.”

Niënor from the moment she arrives in Brethil to her death.

Why you should read it: Because this fic is my firsborn child and I am insanely proud of it, especially since I went so out of my comfort zone to write it. It features two of my obscure blorbos and I poured my soul into it.

Ice Age(s)

Summary: Ice skating through the ages, from Idril learning with her grandfather to Elrond perpetuating the familial tradition.

Why you should read it: This is a fluffy fic, mostly, and it's also a gift for the amazing @echo-bleu. I also wrote it in a sort of trance in the middle of the night, passed out the moment I posted it and had no memory whatsoever of what I had written upon waking up in the morning, yet I still love this fic dearly.

I never wanted to walk in your steps

Summary: Tilda was ten, the same age Sigrid was at her birth, and her world was collapsing more than when Smaug had destroyed Laketown.

Why you should read it: Because I privately call this fic Hobbit angstfest. I took a sad, doomed ship and asked myself "how can I make it sadder?"

ar ámen apsenë úcaremmar

Summary: Few know of Findis the Faithful, eldest daughter of Finwë, who never lost hope for her family.

Why you should read it: I took my obscure blorbo and set her in a medieval-ish AU. It's sad and a little hopeful too and there's a lot of Quenya interspaced through the story.

Quiet morning in Gondolin

Summary: Idril and Eärendil spend some time together before the city wakes up.

Why you should read it: I'll put the link to the beautiful art that inspired this ficlet and let it speak for me.

And I tag everyone I tagged in this post who hasn’t already done this fics rec tag

[imakemywings]

SO SO SORRY BEING NEGATIVE IN YOUR ASKbox but It's the fact that Elrond continued the tradition of honoring Thingol by naming his twin sons Elladan and Elrohir, as well as the canonical references of ways Elrond and Elros honored their parents (by wearing their colors, the symbols, and the names!), that makes me so so so salty about the way people never write Elrond being proud of his sindar lineage. It's always noldor this, feanorian star that, that has me reeling so much, its so popular that has me rolling my eyes and thats coming from a die-hard feanorian fan, like it gets exhausting when it keeps getting pushed that Elrond bashes his mom and dad and wears the symbol of his peoples murderers, as well as hate his moms lineage, like the book says he dont, what the hell?

gjkndsgkbjnb Anon you can only imagine the amount of salt I keep off this blog by being privately salty in DMs XD

But yeah I agree...at this point I'm veeeery hesitant to read any Elrond fic by Silm fans that hasn't been vetted and approved by someone I know because I'm so weary of coming across Feanorian Elrond and Elrond-who-literally-calls-Elwing-a-bitch and Elrond who gets angry with people who justifiably do not love the Feanorians, etc.

At the very least, these sorts of takes never seem to address the devastating cultural loss that Elrond and Elros experience. Even if we want to assume the best about Maglor's ability to raise them, he simply lacks the knowledge to make up for that. What does he know of Iathrim traditions? He never even saw Doriath, except when he showed up to kill everyone. What does he know of Edanic customs, or anything of mortal life? What does he know of Gondolin, where the distinction between Sindar and Noldor all but disappeared? Elrond and Elros are isolated from anyone who might be able to help them understand their parents' cultures and their own heritage (Gil-galad, Oropher, Cirdan, etc.) and so they grow up without that knowledge, and that's just always so sad to me. I'm sure it has an impact on Elrond's later interest in collecting knowledge.

All of this is compounded, of course, by the fact that Maglor and Maedhros are quite literally responsible for the virtual extinction of the Iathrim and the total destruction of the unique culture at the Havens of Sirion.

yadda yadda opinions under the cut

These takes also rarely reckon with how disturbing Feanorian Elrond is from an assimilation perspective. Here we have a couple of young children, from a culture whose people have already been attacked, slaughtered, and driven from their homelands by the Feanorians, who experience a second such attack from those same people, who lose their parents, who are taken from any other adult in their lives who might have nurtured them, by two people who know nothing about their culture(s)...and it's supposed to be cute, the idea that Elrond prefers to speak Quenya? It's supposed to show how he ~loved~ Maglor, that he was raised so alienated from his own cultures that he prefers that of his kidnappers, of his family and people's murderers (the very people who so alienated him)? It's actually really, really sad.

And obviously these takes rarely genuinely address the trauma that Maedhros and Maglor caused Elrond and Elros, or the ongoing trauma of being raised by the people with the blood of your mother and your neighbors and your friends all over their hands. Sure, I can buy Elrond pitying them and even forgiving them eventually--but Feanorian Elrond who thinks they did nothing wrong feels like a joke.

I think of course that a large part of this is just because fans love the Feanorians and the Noldor and many of them are not interested in the Sindar (and Thingol is deeply unpopular, primarily for not getting along with the Feanorians), so they are not interested in exploring Elrond's canonical attachment to his Sindar heritage and the line of Thingol. Which is too bad! I love the Sindar and I think it's great that Elrond's biggest attachment to his heritage is to the Umanyar part, not the Amanyar part, and Elros' to the mortal part, not the immortal part. They both chose what some might (wrongly) call the "lesser" part of their heritage, and I love them for that.

In many cases I think Elrond is used as a morality pet for Maedhros and Maglor, in that if Elrond, beloved the world around, adores and champions and defends the Feanorians, then no one can defensibly dislike them. Which circles back into something about discourse surrounding liking ~problematic~ characters...you CAN actually admit the Feanorians committed multiple mass slaughters and stole two children (and killed a minimum of two others) and still like them. I do.

But also, as someone else on tumblr more eloquently pointed out, even if Elrond did feel something like this...he's tactful enough to be aware how much pain and suffering the Feanorians caused the Elves of Middle-earth, and he would never shove the Feanorians in their faces or think it was funny to watch them flinch hearing a Feanorian accent (a h/c I've actually seen) (apart from the fact that I really doubt the Feanorians continued using the thorn past the first few decades in Middle-earth).

To me, Feanorian Elrond just comes across as a clumsy attempt to redeem Maglor and Maedhros and I'm not interested in that, at the end of the day. I'm far more interested in Elrond's complicated relationship with them and his willingness or desire to hold them to account for the reality of what they did to him and his family, while also reckoning with his childhood attachment to the only adults he was permitted to grow attached to.

[elfroot-and-laurels-moved]

never gonna pass up a request to infodump about my lotro blorbo hehe. I feel like you probably already know a bit about Ethedis' backstory, but idk how much lol (I never posted a proper bio for her on tumblr but I keep meaning to do that)

Anyway Ethedis is the daughter of everyone's favorite Elf Who Dies In The First 5 Minutes Of The Game, Talagan Silvertongue!

She was just a baby when he died in the fall of Edhelion, (making her just around 350 years old in present time. baby.) and years after that her mother became too consumed by grief and had to sail while Ethedis was still very young. Elrond took her under his wing after that, and under his guidance she became a loremaster. Her story follows the epic line pretty closely after that point, and she gets embroiled in The War very quickly while trying to avenge her father (idk how much more I should say on that front, I'm trying to avoid too many spoilers for any new players who might see this)

Anyway she's generally very bright and cheerful (canonically being one of the tra-la-la-lally elves from The Hobbit), but the epic line inflicts some Big Trauma™ on her pretty quickly, and it only gets worse from there. Soon enough her sunshine-y demeanor becomes less of a natural expression, and more of a mask she has to maintain to keep herself and her allies from falling into despair. She's told that she has an ability to inspire hope in those around her, which becomes a great burden to bear. She gets it into her head that, because fear and despair are weapons of the Enemy, openly expressing her doubts is something she Absolutely Cannot Do. She's told that she is a light in the darkness, a warmth amidst the cold, and she feels that she's not allowed to be anything else.

She has to eventually learn to open up to her friends about her feelings, learn that she's allowed to be sad around them and that her sorrow isn't some malevolent force that will drag down everyone around her, that she's allowed to need help too, and her friends want to help her. Also she's best friends with my other PC and Traumatized Ranger, Tossdir! (thought about sending in his backstory, but I don't know if you've played Before the Shadow yet and his backstory like, entirely consists of spoilers for that lmao)

And some Miscellaneous Facts about her:

She was friends with Corunir before he went to Angmar and the assumed dead, pestering him with questions about Dunedain history and generally dragging him into her shenanigans whenever he was in Rivendell. it was... not very pleasant for her to hear the other Rangers eventually start referring to him in the past-tense whenever she asked about him.

her in-game surname, Silverspring, comes from both of her parents' names (Silver from "Silvertongue" and spring from her mother's name Ethuilas, "spring leaf")

Will Not Stop Befriending Rangers (even though they keep dying and breaking her heart)

she's not a half-elf or anyone who would otherwise be granted Luthien's Choice™. Despite this, I'm going to find some way for her to get into the human afterlife. She and her best friend Tossdir are a set, you see, I cannot separate them. the Power of Friendship can break the rules, as a treat.

She's also friends with Arwen! There's uh, a lot of internal angst with her about that. Wishing she had the same choice Arwen has, then guilt over that jealously, sorrow at the prospect of losing another friend to a mortal fate, all that fun stuff. (because for most of her story she doesn't believe she can achieve a mortality, and only gets that option after Tossdir and Corunir are dead)

consequently, the knowledge that her friends will eventually die is slowly eating her alive <3 (I promised to give her story a happy ending, never said I'd be nice with how I got there)

Ethedis I care you 🩵

[echo-bleu]

those towers we built

Alright, so the (very AU) concept I've been toying with for a bit is this: the Valar, fundamentally misunderstanding the nature of elves and the concepts of consent and self-determination, after beating Morgoth and getting the Silmarils back, decide to just... erase the war.

Like, Ëonwë doesn't let Maedhros and Maglor go, instead fights them, they drop the Silmarils when they get burned and run (and still kill themselves/end up wandering). Everyone goes back to Aman, Yavanna restores the Trees, and the Valar, who don't understand the nature of trauma, decide that the best way to heal everyone is to just erase their memories of what happened. Námo agrees to release everyone who died (short of Finwë and Fëanor) and everyone's memories of everything from the Darkening forward is removed.

The Valar kind of suggest a version of events (Morgoth killed Finwë, Ungoliant ate the trees, there was a fight, but Morgoth was captured and Fëanor sacrificed the Silmarils and himself to remake the trees) and lets the Song run from there. The Noldor naturally take Maedhros as their king, and he has no reason to abdicate.

Eärendil, who doesn't have a star to sail with, is the only one whose memories weren't removed, and he's tasked with watching the seas, so no one can sail between Middle Earth and Valinor. In Middle Earth, everything is going as programmed, with Maglor and Galadriel among the only Exiles remaining. Their family thinks them dead in the Darkening and not ready to come back.

Of course, the issue with all that is that erasing memory doesn't erase trauma, and none of the re-embodied elves were actually ready to be re-embodied. Everyone's memories are kind of vague, but the suggestive power of the Valar is strong enough that they're not exactly questioning anything. They have the strangest triggers and nightmares. It's especially noticeable with the Exiles who were very young, or those actually born in Middle Earth, like Maeglin, who straight up doesn't remember his former life.

There's a general uneasiness that no-one can quite put a name to, and they ascribe it to Arda Marred. More people are re-embodied with no or confusing memories -- Gil-galad, Celebrimbor.

And then one day in Middle Earth, Elrond, watching his wife start to fade, prays loud enough that his father hears it. And Eärendil, fed up with the charade and deciding that he'll show up for his son the way he couldn't before, sails with his daughter-in-law to Aman.

Celebrían's memories and knowledge of the First Age are veiled on the way, but things have already started to unravel, and the mismatches are becoming glaringly evident. King Nelyafinwë Maitimo is no fool, and neither are his Consort Findekáno or his First Advisor Ingoldo. It might take them another five hundred years, but they'll get to the bottom of this mystery, and find the missing members of their family in the process.

Only the truth may prove to be much harder to bear than the lie they've been fed for six thousand years.

[shipcestuous]

Never really considered Elrond/Arwen as a ship, but that anon's message and your reply to it reminded that I HAD thought of them in hypothetical "this sounds like a love triangle" terms before.

So, here's a couple of details I hope you guys will appreciate!

In the movie, Elrond looks like a stern, mature, authoritative figure in contrast with Arwen's youthful beauty. In the book, however, they're both said to possess an ageless beauty, looking neither young nor old. Book!Elrond has the wise, venerable air of an old king but the vigor of a young hero, as well as a beautiful face and an appreciation for both merriment and pleasant things (good food, good music, comfortable rest, etc.) and quieter, more introspective moments. Book!Arwen, with her lustrous black hair, grey eyes glittering like stars, smooth and soft white skin, and stark resemblance to Luthien (Arwen's ancestor and possibly the fairest Elven maiden in Middle-earth's history, to whom Arwen is said to be so similar, she could pass for her reincarnation) actually looks so much like him that Frodo figures out they must be related in some way at first glance.

Elrond had a wife, Celebrian, who gave him three children: twins Elladan and Elohir, and then Arwen, the only daughter. Tragically, Celebrian was captured and tortured by orcs, and while her sons later rescued her and she recovered from the physical injuries, Elrond never managed to help her mind heal from the trauma. So, eventually, she sailed to the West, hoping to find peace in Valinor. I'm not sure how old Arwen would be by that point, but I could imagine her stepping in to take on her mother's duties as the lady of the house in some capacity, leading to potentially suggestive scenarios. I could also imagine her trying to console both her father and her brothers, telling them that what happened to Celebrian wasn't their fault and helping them face the sad truth that they simply couldn't have done more for her.

From The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen in LOTR's Appendices: "And [Arwen] stood then as still as a white tree, looking into the West, and at last she said: "I will cleave to you, [Aragorn], and turn from the Twilight. Yet there lies the land of my people and the long home of all my kin." She loved her father dearly." 'Nuff said. Beautiful juxtaposition whether you ship them or not.

Aragorn himself is both distantly related to them and was essentially raised (at least in part) by Elrond. For the former, as the last descendant of the kings of Numenor, his bloodline actually started with Elros, Elrond's twin brother who, when faced with the choice between Elves and Men due to his half-elven nature, chose mortality. For the latter, when Aragorn was only two years old, his father Arathorn was killed by orcs, so his mother Gilraen took him and went to Rivendell, where Elrond took care of Aragorn as if he were one of his sons and only revealed his true name and heritage to him when he was twenty. Unfortunately, what could have been a sweet foster/adoptive brosis romance was thwarted by... Arwen spending that whole time on a visit to her grandmother Galadriel (yup, she's Celebrian's mom!) and missing out on Aragorn growing up, only coming back when he was already a young adult. Still, Elrond is less opposed to Aragorn marrying Arwen in the book, worrying about her marrying a man of lower birth than her (Elrond's has a VERY illustrious family!) and a mortal at that but being more accepting of their love (after all, Luthien herself fell for the mortal Beren and never backed down on her decision in spite of a long strings of hardships, dangers, and deaths), so it couldn't be too far off to imagine him being at least somewhat moved by the idea of his "son" making his daughter happy.

So many great details, Anon. Thank you!

The love triangle vibes are so amusing. I love the idea of Arwen stepping in as a substitute mom. And yeah, the movie depicted Elrond in a certain way, but just because he's older than Arwen doesn't mean he's old. He's not even an especially old elf, compared to someone like Galadriel, right?

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Fairytale AU + Hair Brushing/Braiding

Ah, Elrond/Erestor...and a dash of fairytale vibes! Always a winning combo lol

Sorry for dragging all my blorbos into this LOOOOL

Prompts: Fairytale AU + Hair Brushing/Braiding

Pairing: Elrond x Erestor

Requester: @maglor-my-beloved

Words: 1 130

Warnings: Injury, trauma, doom, nudity, bath scene, Fëanorian Erestor

Once upon a time, in a faraway land that was yet free of the strife of this present day, two young souls sat by a peaceful river’s shore, braiding each other’s hair in a gesture of unmarred affection.

“I shall cherish your design forevermore,” Finwë, future patriarch of a fated line, whispered, and Elwë smiled knowingly.

Soon, though, they were torn apart by destiny.

Many cycles of silver and golden light later, Finwë found himself brushing the hair of his firstborn son—his heir, his cherished boy—and, inspired by the love he had lost, he wove an intricate, intimate pattern into that living silk.

Thus, a hallowed tradition was born on either side of the great divide. For generations, fathers would braid parts of their identity and their most unspeakable well-wishes into the hair of their progeny.

Often hidden but never undone, those tresses spoke of legacies and enduring faithfulness—they spanned ages, becoming ever more complex, and retold the story of a people ever on the brink of desolation.

So it was that, with heavy hearts and three skeletal hands, two notorious kinslayers thusly marked the blessed sons they’d stolen from their intended purpose.

It was with surprise and life-altering emotion that a stubborn, golden-haired princess and her dignified spouse discovered that, despite and beyond their differences, they shared this precious custom. Together, they created a new design for their daughter, interweaving strands that had been set apart by time and providence.

It was with tears in his eyes that a taciturn, irascible hermit looked upon the simple plait a ferocious mortal had put in their sleeping son’s hair.

“So he’ll never forget where he comes from,” Haleth whispered, kissing a burning cheek. “So he might find his people when both of us are gone.”

The one she loved so desperately without being able to save him frowned.

“One day,” she promised, “he’ll be able to trace back these strands of hair to the root of all love. The braid shall lead him home!”

Once upon another time, a valiant leader stood alone in the face of overwhelming evil. He was beaten down mercilessly, and—just as he had accepted that he’d never leave the battlefield alive—a warm hand settled on his hip.

“The day is lost,” a scratchy, breathless voice mumbled. “Come away now and live to fight another day.”

Too weak and injured to protest, Elrond Half-Elven let himself be carried away by Erestor who was stronger, faster, and much more cunning than he looked at first glance.

“I shall bathe you,” Erestor declared as soon as they had reached the camp, “and tend to your wounds.”

When Elrond tried to decline, overcome with a sudden sense of shame and panic, a resolute but tender finger was pressed against his lips like the prelude to a kiss the other didn’t yet feel comfortable dispensing.

“Hush! Your secrets are safe with me!”

Mollified and subdued by the severity of his injuries, the fearless lord mellowed into the caring embrace of his saviour who bore him to a small tent where a copper tub was already waiting to be used.

Servants brought in hot water and clean towels, and Elrond melted into a semi-conscious state of bliss, listening to the soft murmuring of the blurry shapes fading in and out of focus.

It had been many long years since he had last allowed another to gently peel muddied, blood-soaked fabric from his clammy skin, and the very recollection of those hands—drenched in crime and regret—made him sit up with a jolt.

“You must not…” he whispered hoarsely, but already, he could feel nimble fingers comb through the tangled strands of his sweat-matted hair. “I—”

Erestor’s affectionate ministrations slowed to a crawl as he found what his friend had so desperately tried to keep from him—in the face of such stark, unequivocal reluctance, he felt strangely shy and unwilling to cast his eyes down to look upon the discreet braid, burning like a string of hot metal against his palm.

Even though his mind shied away from an identity he had always suspected but never dared confirm, the sensitive tips of his long, sinuous digits deciphered unerringly what his heart might always have known.

“I recognise parts of this design,” he murmured pensively. A wave of heartsick longing threatened to drown him from the inside as he remembered his mother, brushing his hair and sharing all she had been able to learn about his father’s family with him.

Erestor also remembered his father—stern, often distant as if afraid that his mere touch could harm his child, and yet so discreetly and steadfastly loving—and he couldn’t help but wonder what had become of him.

“He thought I was too young to know,” he whispered as if to himself.

“Who? What do you mean?” Elrond articulated painstakingly. The soothing warmth of the herb-infused bath had washed away the last vestiges of his stubborn ferocity, and he felt worn out and dizzy.

With a soft, rueful chuckle, Erestor lifted the obscuring curtain of his dense, dark hair to reveal a gorgeously elaborate tress of his own.

“It is far from being as ornate as yours,” he conceded sheepishly. “Alas, I have fewer legacies to represent and keep alive, but…you are not alone.”

If he had thought that every layer of protection—armour, clothing, and the dignity of his station—had already been stripped from him and that he had nothing left to lose, Elrond now discovered that he had been sorely mistaken.

A weight he had not been fully aware of carrying fell from his soul, and—finally unburdened—his very heart seemed to draw breath for the first time in centuries.

“They have claimed you wholly then,” Erestor said, his voice becoming unsteady as he was shaken to the core by this revelation. At last, he allowed himself to look down and read the labyrinthine story of his dear love’s life, woven in glossy strands that felt more akin to a soothing river on a hot day than to the burning sun itself now.

“How do you know?” Elrond asked, too overcome to play coy.

“My father would only share so much, but—needled and encouraged by my mother’s faith—I have spent a lot of time seeking answers and documenting as much as I could about those lost to horrifying history.”

Spell-bound and stunned into startled silence, Elrond could merely stare at him.

“I shall not undo it,” Erestor promised as he took up his cherished task of carefully washing the abused, battered flesh once more. “Once we get you out of here and into a warm bed, I shall tell you about my findings. Welcome home, little star. You’re much loved still.”

@fellowshipofthefics Here's another one!

Lots of love from me!

-> 🌟Masterlist 🌟

[annoyinglandmagazine]

In Which A War Is Safer Than This Family Reunion Chapter 1

Summary: Frodo Baggins came to Valinor to find healing and peace. But he will probably need to find additional healing and peace to recover from the severe trauma of meeting anymore of Elrond’s relatives.

Elrond had been visibly anxious the whole journey. When Bilbo had asked Galadriel if he was quite alright she told them that it was to be expected on this particular journey. She looked slightly apprehensive herself which left the hobbits quite unnerved indeed as these particular two elves had always stuck out as being unflappable and anything that put them ill at ease was cause for concern. They were reminded how little they actually knew about what awaited them on the other side of the sea as they gazed out at the seemingly endless horizon before them.

But when they got there there was no obvious threat. The docks were swarmed with more elves than they’d ever seen before in one place and in a great deal more ceremonial wear. The crowds parted however, to make room for the passengers to disembark and allow passage through to a select number, content enough to watch proceedings eagerly. One silver haired elf maid stood at the front of the crowd and all moved to give her room. Elrond’s gaze had rested on her for what Frodo suspected was before the dock had came into his line of sight and it had not moved since.

The moment they were moored he was walking towards her as if in a trance. They stood still, eyes meeting, an arms length apart, and the whole world seemed to pause for a moment as the maiden reached out and took his hand in her own and leaned in to kiss him softly. Ah well that made sense he supposed, Arwen and the twins must have a mother after all and she seemed like a perfectly lovely young lady. Good for him.

After she’d drawn back, perhaps a little later than was wholly respectable but allowances could be made for such a reunion, she smiled and took his arm as they made it down to the pier to catch a few quiet words of endearment before Galadriel cut in to greet who, now that he saw them side by side, could only be her daughter.

Bilbo noticed that those around them started to bow their heads as a lordly elf emerged before them, melting out of the crowds. So he would finally get to meet an Elven king of Valinor then, most likely one from his poems, how dreadfully exciting.

‘Celebrian, I do so hate to intrude but would you mind terribly if I borrowed your husband for a minute?’

‘Oh you go right ahead, your majesty,’ she replied cheerily with a little knowing look to her mother and fond smile. Bilbo could have sworn he heard her whisper ‘sometimes I wonder which one of us my husband is actually wedded to,’ but then it must just be his hearing, he was very elderly and all that.

Elrond placed his hand over his heart and motioned to a dignified kneel as Galadriel scoffed, why he did not understand, and made no motion to do the same. ‘My king. My loyalty is to you undying and my life as ever lies at your disposal, as it did for the many millennia I have served you-’

‘Oh sweet Elbereth, Elrond lay off would you? Yes, yes I know, you escaped the crown, congratulations, rub it in why don’t you?’ He rolled his eyes in a very unkingly manner and put his hand to his hip with an exasperated tone of one repeating himself.

‘I’d have thought that in the several thousand years since I’d seen you last you’d have finally stopped delighting in my torment so but no you’re just as vexing as ever.’

Elrond placed his hand on his hip and quirked his mouth in a very unfamiliar manner while speaking perfectly earnestly. ‘Well, my dear I should be most hurt to hear otherwise. Vexing you is a well honed skill and the thought of getting out of practice after only three thousand years-’

Without much warning he strode forward and swept the Lord of Imladris off the ground, spinning him in the air. To his surprise Elrond simply twined his arms about the former high king’s neck and laughed.

‘Oh how I missed you my darling, you beautiful terror, do you know how long it’s been since someone insulted me to my face? I’m afraid my ego was in danger of growing quite inflated, and now you and Galadriel are here both at once and I should never worry of such things again!’

‘It’s incredible to see you again, my love! You know no one gets my sense of humour anymore, whenever I try to joke everyone just tells me to stop being so morbid! Galadriel understands it I think but she just gives me her ‘Elrond would you grow up?’ face, entirely unfair considering I’m about seven millennia in this world and as mature as I’ll ever be.’

Elrond’s wife covered a giggle with her hand while Galadriel merely rolled her eyes at the antics, while the two embraced perhaps more indecently than Elrond had with his wife, that had been intimate certainly and made most onlookers deeply guilty to intrude on but this was a great deal more exaggerated and over the top. When Elrond’s feet finally settled in the ground and he released the High King with shared breathless laughter he left one slightly more reserved and earnest kiss to the knuckles and began an animated discussion between him and his wife.

Pushing through to greet them came three golden haired nobles that could be none other than Galadriel’s kin. ‘Sister! You did it! Congratulations I always knew you had it in you!’

Another one chimed in ‘Cheers Artanis, do you know how much coin you won me with this? No one believed me when I said us Arafinweans would outlast them all but now look at us! Victory over those idiotic kinslayers yet again-’

‘Calm down Angrod. But seriously little sister we’ve got to celebrate, we’re all so proud of you!’ This last one pulled her and the other two in for an awkwardly long embrace before he finally seemed to notice they had company.

‘Ah! So these are the hobbits, I really scarcely believed my ears at some of the things I’ve been hearing, but then victory always has a habit of coming from the most unexpected places, I’ve always said.’ A pointed cough to his left, ‘yes, alright fine, I plagiarised that, thank you for your assistance Galadriel.’

‘But regardless, there are a great deal of people who are most fascinated by goings on and would adore to hear the whole story why we haven’t had so many new faces all at once since Mandos- oh.’ His face stilled and he seemed to be trying to come up with some means of backtrack on whatever he’d said wrong. ‘Oh shit.’

‘What Finrod?!’

He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the ground as he mumbled, ‘Why did I have to go open my big mouth? We all agreed, give it a day or so but now they’ve just got into the harbour and I’ve already-’

‘Oh just spit it out, brother! What’s going on with Mandos?!’

‘Well, uhh funny story, long story really, better told over some wine,’ he looked up to meet Galadriel’s glare and winced before changing tack.

‘They’re out.’ At this everyone stilled, seeming to have a clear idea who the elusive ‘they’ referred to and no desire to fill a poor old hobbit in.

Galadriel’s eyes widened and Frodo told him later that even when discussing Sauron and the destruction of Middle Earth, never had she appeared so shocked. ‘When you say they you better not mean what I think you-’

‘All of them. They’re all here.’

Glorfindel blinked slowly with wide eyes before saying slowly ‘I came back to life and survived two wars against Sauron just to get murdered again didn’t I?’

[frodo-with-glasses]

Kindness

"He was as noble and as fair in face as an elf lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves and as kind as summer...."

You know, I've got a lot of respect for Elrond. I haven't read the Silmarillion, as I've mentioned before, but I know enough from conversations with friends and pop culture osmosis to know that he's been through a fair bit of trauma and pain. Losing his family at a young age; being adopted by two people who were deeply troubled even in the best of circumstances; losing his brother; losing his wife; watching his people die off, or leave, or become shells of what they once were...

If it were anyone else, it would break them. It would make them hard, cynical, and cold. They'd shut everyone else out and lock their hearts behind a wall of stone to keep from ever being hurt again. But not Elrond. Elrond experiences all that pain, and then he turns around and decides to give. He builds the Homely House, where all the peoples of Middle Earth feel welcome and safe, and where they can find rest and comfort and healing.

No one in this world is immune to pain. Everyone gets hurt. Some people take that pain and just pass it on to others; "hurt people hurt people", as the saying goes.

But not Elrond.

Elrond was hurt, and he chose to become a Healer.

It brings to mind a few words from a different story that I once saw a long time ago...

"All that pain and misery...and loneliness...and it just made you kind."

WORD ASK GAME!

[runawaymun]

Oh no oh wait your thoughts on Eärendil are similar to mine. Can I dare to ask your thoughts on Elwing too? I’m personally Not A Fan but understand her more favorable interpretations

When looking at Elwing I think it's important to understand just how young she was. I'm not an Elwing stan, nor am I an Elwing hater. She was a single mother and a child queen, with an immense amount of trauma and responsibility and a Silmaril hanging around her neck. I think she did her best and it wasn't enough. I think there was a level of emotional (and perhaps physical) neglect in her raising of E&E but that's not because she is a bad person, that's because she is ill-equipped to parent, overburdened with ruling a city, stressed to the absolute max, and poorly handling her own trauma. Just from a real-life standpoint I think it stands to reason that there would have been emotional neglect at the very least.

We don't really have evidence one way or another as to what kind of mother she is, but I don't think she abandoned Elrond and Elros in favor of the Silmaril. That's not a take that I think makes a lick of sense. Elwing was witness to her entire family being massacered over the Silmaril, and the Oath goes: "whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh, finding keepeth or afar casteth" -- even if Elwing gave the Silmaril back, technically the Oath would still call for her death. And after what happened to Elured and Elurin she also has no reason to believe that the Feanorians would spare the lives of little kids. What she does know is that they are focused on one thing, and basically one thing only: the Silmaril.

I read her leaving E&E in a hiding spot and jumping into the ocean as her last ditch effort to protect them. Like, yelling screaming jumping up and down waving the Silmaril "OVER HERE HI ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THIS!!!!! COME AND GET IT" and that's incredibly brave of her! I don't read it as "this is my birthright and I'm hanging on to it and fuck everyone else", I read it as grabbing the one thing the Feanorians are looking for and getting as far away from Elrond and Elros as she possibly could, in the hopes that they would survive.

And also idk I think there was maybe the smallest hope that Maedhros and Maglor were so far gone in the Oath that they'd jump in the ocean and drown with her.

All that to say I don't think Elrond really registered that this was her reasoning for leaving him and Elros behind until much much later, possibly not until he meets her in Valinor and she has a chance to explain it to him on an adult level. Our feelings about our parents are complicated and we often look at them through the lens of how we felt when we were little, and I'm sure how Elrond felt in that moment was "why am I getting abandoned in the midst of the worst night of my life?! I'm TERRIFIED and I want my MOM" because he was six -- and I think that stuck with him until it was later challenged. Trauma is Trauma.