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#my lotr fics
alkalinefrog · 1 year
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The Lights of Avalon
The Legend of King Arthur is Jackson Overland’s favourite fairytale to tell the children in his village—and he wishes it had stayed just that. But Jack’s world is changed forever when he is deemed worthy of the Legendary Sword Excalibur, should he choose to accept it. Darkness threatens the land, and its people will need a hero. And although Excalibur’s powers are great, so too is the cost of wielding it—so much so that Jack would rather become a traveling bard who spends his days running as far away as possible. Little does he know, on the road to avoiding his destiny, Jack will only meet it—or rather, him.
WOOOO hi everyone, long time no see! I’m super stoked to say that I’ve been writing a Hijack Arthuriana AU and the first two chapters are up now! This is the prologue comic!
Special thanks to @jjackfrost for beta-ing and @twiafom for clowning! This wouldn't have been possible without you guys cheering me on the whole way!
The link’s in the title or you can click over here!
I hope you guys have as much fun reading it as I am writing it! More to come!
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galadrielspeaks · 2 years
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you guys seemed to enjoy my cringe-fail legolas sexy gimli post so here’s some more of my thoughts ab that dynamic:
-when legolas goes home and announces his engagement to gimli thranduil is shocked but every other elf is like “yeah checks out. that kid’s always been a little weird.”
-gimli goes home to announce his engagement to legolas and every dwarf promptly loses their SHIT at the fact that THE gimli, son of gloin, is betrothed. only to further lose their shit at the fact that it’s to that weird elf prince that they have never heard speak unless to send some sort of diplomatical message for his father but some dwarflings once saw him sobbing in front of a tree in the middle of a rainstorm while gripping a fallen branch.
-thranduil only gives his blessing to the proposal once he realises just how angry all of erebor is that their most eligible bachelor, gimli, the silver-tongued battle ready diplomant and descendant of kings, has been stolen away by thranduils weird tree-hugging naked star gazing hippie son.
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overthinkinglotr · 7 months
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People always say “Thorin could never retire in the Shire because he has to be King” — and I think the funniest way to handle that plotline would be for Bilbo to convince Thorin to eliminate the monarchy.
Bilbo has lived all his life in the Shire, where they elect their main leaders in a democratic system. Thorin is the first king he ever meets. Bilbo would initially think monarchy was very storybook-like and fantastical, like the things he’s read about in tales from distant lands…..but he would quickly find the reality of monarchy underwhelming, baffling, and annoying. Thorin/ Thranduil/Bard would make Bilbo decide that all monarchies are terrible. Being a king makes you self-important, haughty, greedy, and warlike. Kings are too powerful and use that power to fight over utter nonsense. They’ve got no one to keep their stubbornness in check. He would come to decide that the Shire really did have it right by holding elections.
I’m imagining a scene where Thorin dramatically confesses “I suffer under the burden of my duties; heavy is the head that bears a crown” and Bilbo flatly responds “don’t be king, then. >:/Elect someone else. If your people don’t want you then they won’t choose you! Im very tired of this whole affair and I wish I were back in the Shire, where folk are more reasonable >:(“
Thorin is enchanted by the strange foreign Hobbit custom of “elected leaders.” He has never considered this as a possibility. Overwhelmed by the Hobbit’s wisdom after the Battle of the Five Armies, Thorin converts his kingdom into a democratic republic and retires from public life.
This causes a domino effect. Other kingdoms across Middle Earth are inspired by Erebor’s example, and band together to reject their monarchical systems. Revolutions ensue.
Thorin’s consort “Bilbo Baggins,” known only as “the dwarf-king’s advisor who first set off this wave of revolutions,” becomes one of the most controversial and reviled people in all of Middle Earth. Bilbo becomes a figure of mythic proportions, loved by the democratic republicans and despised by the royalists, each of which invents their own wild legends.
To the democratic republicans “The Great Baggins” is glorified as a great warrior sent from Valinor to restore the long-forgotten wisdom borne out of The West— he snaps his fingers and with a poof of smoke he washes away all the old corrupt systems of the world, just as the Valar washed away Numenor.
But to the royalists, “The Mad Baggins” is a scheming shadowy monster who crawled up from the deep places of the world to burn the very foundations of Middle Earth to the ground; he’s a monster more powerful and terrible than a dragon or a balrog, who threatened Thorin into submission and brought the world into chaos. he snaps his fingers and monarchies collapse in a puff of smoke.
Meanwhile elderly Bilbo grumpily putters around the Shire with Thorin, mostly oblivious to all of this.
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galehautstomb · 9 months
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that cold-sweat wrung out feeling of finishing a fanfic at 5 am the sun peeking through your curtains onto your tear-stains, because god fucking damn it, what have you just read, why does it ACHE, you’re going to have an aneurism, people write things like this, just to leave you dry mouthed, the fundamental neurons of your brain forever changed, what is canon if not the way this writer plucks your heart out and eats it and licks their fingers afterward and—
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jeanne-de-valois · 1 year
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Local gentleman not prepared for his romantic comedy adventure to suddenly take a turn for the tragic, news at 11
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starks-hero · 1 year
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Avert Your Eyes from Your Demise, Though Lovely It May Be
Pairing: Thorin Oakenshield x human!Reader
Summary: In which giant spiders aren't the only threat Mirkwood has to offer.
Word Count: 4.0k
Warnings: they're high on Mirkwood mist the whole time. Do with that what you will.
Translations: Siúlóirí portaigh - bog walkers (Irish) , amrâlimê - my love (Khuzdul) , lansel - love of all loves (Khuzdul)
a/n: I know movie Thorin is described as 5'2ish but I write him as 4'8 - 4'10 because it's more book accurate and because we should embrace this short king. Anyway, I call this 'the intimacy of going insane with your crush.'
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You couldn't shake the unease. Even now, as you sat at the edge of a clearance, bark biting harshly into your back, you could almost feel the forest closing in on you. Shadows scurried above you and the air itself was stale.
Your company of fifteen had quickly fallen to a number of just two, with only yourself and Thorin making it through the mist-clouded trails together. Neither of you were certain what had become of the others and given the eeriness of your surroundings, you didn't want to give it too much thought.
A sudden gust of wind rushed through the clearing and the limbs of the trees creaked inward. It was as if the forest was breathing.
“We have to find the others,” you said. Your voice sounded foreign and far off.
Thorin was pacing in front of you, twisting the hilt of his sword in his hand. “They would know well enough not to linger in these woods. We keep heading East.”
“Which way is East?”
“We follow the river.” You didn't miss the beat of uncertainty before Thorin's answer.
You shook your head. “We don't know where it leads.”
“It will lead us away from here which is good enough.”
Almost to emphasize Thorin's point, the surrounding trees creaked and groaned and another shadow scurried overhead. Caution steered your hand to the hilt of your sword and following Thorin's order, you moved on swiftly.
The forest felt too small and too large all at once. Branches knabbed and tore at your clothes and skin, the twisted limbs of rotting trees giving you no option but to duck or crawl beneath their roots. A glance skyward reminded you that this place, in all its foulness, was unending, the tree canopy stretching miles above your head and blackening out the sun's light.
That was if the sun was still up. You'd lost track of the time what seemed like hours ago.
You came to a sudden, harsh stop as your front rather unceremoniously met Thorin's back. With a quiet grunt, you found the reason for stopping was a tangled thicket of twisted branches that now stood before you. The tree, in all its obscure glory, seemed to consume the path entirely, its limbs too thick to cut and trunk too tall to climb. Too tired to think of a solution, you found yourself uncharacteristically willing to give up. Until Thorin shrugged off his furs.
You watched as the grey fabric rolled off his broadened shoulders and revealed his shirt, knotted pattern running up the arms.
“I'll go first,” he took the liberty of explaining as he bunched the furs together and placed them in his pack. “It will be easier for me to get out should I need to.”
You would have liked to argue but Thorin, a regularly stubborn fool, was surprisingly right. He was shorter, his limbs less likely to snag. His dwarven frame would move through the thicket much easier than your own.
He disappeared into the grove, swallowed by bark and darkness and you already found yourself questioning why you let him go alone.
You kicked at the dirt beneath your feet as you waited. Eyes set on the trees, you felt increasingly uneasy. You picked at the leather of your sword sheath. Thorin was a capable warrior and you didn't doubt his ability to defend himself. But something wasn't right, you could feel it, crawling on your skin and putting your hairs on end.
Giving in to impulsiveness, you followed after Thorin.
The branches clawed at your skin and snagged your clothes. You pushed aside what you could, rotting wood giving way easily beneath your palm, but as the many limbs began to swell into trunks, it became increasingly difficult to move. Your chest was pressed uncomfortably against the rough bark. You were never one to fear tight spaces but the sudden inability to take a deep breath came as an unwelcome shock. Just as panic had you reaching for your sword, relief found you in the form of the dwarrow prince.
With renewed determination, you mustered a final push and freed yourself from where you were wedged.
Thorin stood with his back to you, stance stiff. You called his name and he hushed you quickly.
His eyes were set on the tree line ahead of you. His gaze was hard, analytic and you didn't fail to notice how his fingers grazed the hilt of his weapon. He turned to you.
“Do you not hear it?”
“Hear what?”
As if the bugle of battle had been sounded, Thorin's stance shifted and in one swift, fluid movement, he drew his sword. His free hand guided you further behind him. Then, he shot forward, swinging his sword at an invisible target. His expression was one of determination as well as unmistakable fear. Another aimless swing and he turned to you.
“Can you not see it?!” He barked, frustrated at your unwillingness to help.
You raised your head and all but willed yourself to see anything but the winding trails of the forest. But despite how hard you employed your imagination, you saw nothing. Somewhere in the treeline, a bird took flight.
An uncomfortable recollection settled in the forefront of your mind. A shiver ran up your back.
"Thorin," Your hand cautiously fell against his shoulder. He turned to you with fire in his eyes but your expression made him pause. “Gandalf said a dark magic lay over this forest.”
At your words, his defensive stance melted away and defeat took its place. The elvish blade fell from where it was held at his side as he looked around and the fear in his eyes slowly shifted to confusion, then realisation.
“It's toying with our minds?”
You swallowed. The thought made your skin crawl; the idea of the forest as its own conscious entity was a horrifying one. That its magic could sink its claws into your mind and deprive you of your senses, keeping you walking in circles till your feet gave in. The entirety of Mirkwood was one giant spider's web and you hated to think what that made you and Thorin.
“We just need to keep our wits about us and our feet moving forward,” you managed eventually, casting weary glances towards the trees. "Now that we know what's happening we have the upper hand, we stay together, stay vigilant and keep our minds clear."
Thorin felt the sudden need to commend you for your calm demeanor and sudden leadership. But he'd also just attempted to fight a non-existent enemy so he decided saying anything at all was against his better judgment and settled for a curt nod instead.
Your plan fell apart comedically fast. You tried to remain optimistic but as you passed the same tree stump for what must have been the fourth time, you felt as though the forest was laughing at you. Your feet ached as though they'd been walking for days. You could hear each of your breaths echo as they came and the thud of your boots against the earth shook your bones.
The child-like laughter had started not short of an hour ago. Thorin couldn't seem to hear it.
When the rough terrain of rock and dirt softened into the cold, squelching mud of a bog, you both silently agreed that a break was needed. You sat at the end of the wetland, where the moss and reeds sprouted up between damp rocks. The water was gloomy, tinged grey and dark green with a sinister mist resting upon its surface.
The dreariness of the place seemed to seep into your bones.
Thorin sat an arm's length from you, hands braced against his knees as he looked out over the bog with a sullen stare.
“What do you see?” You asked.
“Fire." He said no more and you didn't pry.
In an attempt to ease the aches that had set deep in each of your muscles, you pulled your water canteen from where it hung against your pack. A cool drink of fresh water would be a small but welcome relief that you wouldn't take for granted.
But the liquid was thick and warm as it touched your lips and when you pulled it away it was coloured red. You tossed the canteen away with a grunt of disgust. It unceremoniously met the surface of the water before sinking into the mud.
“We need to leave this place,” you said, hands threading through your hair and pulling at the roots. Thorin didn't argue.
You walked until you felt the leather of your boots threatening to give way. You thought one of the trees you had passed seemed familiar, distinctive enough from the rest of the foliage that it stood out.
“We've been here before,” you said. “We're going round in circles.” You turned to on your heel and found no sign of the dwarf.
“Thorin?”
The eerie silence of the forest echoed back to you.
“Thorin?!”
The feeling of unease returned tenfolds. Shadows crawled above you and the wind quivered through the trees. The mist had worsened, hiding your feet beneath its thickening grey clouds.
But then, like a lifeline being tossed to a drowned sailor at sea, you heard your name. Far off and faint, but your name all the same. Spoken in a voice that flooded you with relief. Calling after him, you followed the resonating sound of his calls until they led you to the point where the water met the soil.
Logic quickly took a back seat as your desperation to find Thorin had you stepping off the path. You sunk immediately, the bog swallowing you up to your knees. You pushed through the thick, sluggish mud, ignoring the burn it caused in the back of your legs. The voice became clearer until his form finally appeared, carved out from the mist.
"Thorin," you greeted him with a smile. But Thorin's expression did not mirror your own. His brows were drawn together and every ounce of air vanished from your lungs when an unsteady hand reached out to cup your cheek.
“I was so worried." Your name fell brokenly from his lips. "I feared I'd lost you.” His hands, shaking and trembling, ran down your arms then back to the swell of your shoulders. His breathing was labored and you could only imagine what Thorin must have witnessed to put the usually stoic king in such a state.
“You're alright? You're not harmed?"
You shook your head and gently grasped Thorin's wrists and he smiled, softer and more sincere than you had ever seen him. The sight made you feel at ease for the first time since stepping foot in the forsaken forest.
"I am glad, Amrâlimê.”
You were not well versed in the culture of dwarves but you were no fool either. You had heard the word spoken among the dwarrow people you'd crossed paths with in the Blue Mountains, noticed the tenderness and sincerity that always encompassed the word, how it was never said with any amount of offhandedness. The word was a confession itself, a confession of the highest kind.
And Thorin had just spoken it to you. As if it were the simplest thing on Earth.
Your confusion must have been evident as Thorin smiled again, the corners of his eyes creasing in amusement.
“You must not look so surprised, my love,” his thumb grazed your jaw. “That I should wish to call you by such a name.”
“What–” You managed in a clumsy attempt to make it known to the dwarf in front of you that you had no idea what was going on. “Thorin.”
The king didn't answer. Rather he kept his eyes fixed on you, coarse fingers working their way from your jaw up to your temple, then brushing just beneath your eye. He touched you as if you were made of something more precious than all the metals held in the great halls of Erebor. And despite the nagging feeling in the back of your mind, in that moment you would have been content to stay there.
In the bogs of a cursed forest with your friends lost and your mind bewitched, all so that the king would keep looking at you as he was now.
But your better judgment, (or more likely, the uncomfortable feeling of mud and bog water dampening your clothes,) brought you back to reality. You moved to speak again but Thorin stopped you.
“It's alright, we're safe here, you and I,” he promised. “You needn't think of anything else.”
You tried to ignore how believable his words sounded as you took a step back. Hurt flashed in the dwarf's eyes.
“No, no we need to find the others. The company–”
“–will find their own way,” he calmed you, hand reaching out again to touch your shoulder. It sent a jolt of warmth through you. “You carry so much, endlessly worrying for the well-being of others. But you needn't burden yourself any longer, lansel. You know what it is you desire, what you deserve. So take it.”
You closed your eyes at his words. His hand found the back of your neck and you allowed him to draw you in closer.
“Let it be just us. Stay with me, Amrâlimê. That's all I ask.”
You had never felt such temptation in all your years. Would it truly be so wrong of you? To allow yourself to have this after all you'd persevered. You had long given up trying to convince yourself that you felt something for the dwarven king. That his bravery, stoicism, and unbridled loyalty to his people didn't fascinate you. You had wanted Thorin since not long after the journey's beginning. And now he wanted you too. There was no reason to keep this from yourself, no reason you shouldn't have it.
But somewhere in the back of your mind, was the persistent reminder that something was wrong. A reminder that resurfaced in the form of Bombur's cooking and Bofur's songs and Balin's stories and Bilbo's immeasurable trust in you. Your friends were still lost and that proved enough to bring you back to rationality.
“Thorin,” you started sternly.
“Forget them,” he said, as if he already knew what you were going to say. “Forget everything else. It is just us now. All is as it should be.”
You felt a tinge of discomfort at his words and you took another step back. Thorin would never forsake his kin, not if he was in his right mind. He traced your cheek again and this time you grasped his arm in a strong enough hold to pull it away.
You caught sight of his hand out of the corner of your eye and what you saw made you feel ill. The skin was rotting, bones threatening to tear through their paper-thin bonds. The fabric of Thorin's clothes had vanished and your nails had sunk into the rotting flesh which had begun to fall way in your grip.
You yanked your hand back in disgust, tripping and falling backward into the water at the sight of the creature. A gaping hole sat in the center of its face where you imagined its nose should be and a rigid crack served as its mouth. Green threads of damp mossy hair sprouted from its head and hung in front of the hollow cavities of its eyes.
An Siúlóir Portaigh. A creature you hadn't crossed paths with since you'd last traveled East of Gondor.
A bony hand reached out for you and you shot yourself backward, scrambling to your feet. Thorin's deep voice had been replaced with a low rasping gurgle, the sound growing louder as the creature lunged for you.
You turned and ran.
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Thorin's voice had grown hoarse from calling your name.
He had turned away for one moment and you were gone and now as he searched, he feared to think what may have become of you.
His feet sunk into the ground beneath him, water reaching his ankles and soaking through his boots. Reeds sprouted up from the water, the smallest brushing his knees and the tallest towering a foot above his head. With a grunt, he pushed on.
The wind howled as it passed through the hollow chamber of the reeds and Thorin felt the hair on his neck stand up. Then, a shadow passed in front of him. He instinctively reached for his blade. It pushed through the long grass as it approached him but the glint of familiar armor has him dropping his sword.
“Thorin!” You beamed as you reached him. “You're alright. I lost sight of you in the fog.” You grabbed hold of his arms and Thorin was taken back by your sudden brashness. “I'm so glad I found you.”
He watched you for a moment, his joy at finding you unharmed outweighing the odd tinge of suspicion he felt. He cleared his throat and tilted his head forward in a curt nod.
“We must get back to the others.”
He turned to walk on but your arms held him in place.
“You needn't worry, they'll be alright,” you said casually. “As will we.”
Thorin offered a baffled look that doubled as a warning. He was uncertain what had caused your uncharacteristic forwardness and in all honesty, wasn't quite sure what to do about it.
You raised your head skyward and smiled again. With no shortage of confusion, Thorin followed your gaze
The sun had come back up and its light was seeping through the leaves above his head. The forest's canopy turned golden, as if set alight by dragon fire. Thorin's expression softened.
“Beautiful, isn't it?” Your hand found his own. “We could stay here, Thorin. You and I. Imagine it.”
Thorin blinked. He could stay here, with you. He could tell you everything he'd been longing to say since the escape from the goblin tunnels and the orc ambush on the cliffside. After all, why shouldn't he? Did he not deserve this after so many hardships? You could truly be together, you could offer him a new start, a new home– Thorin blinked again.
“And what of Erebor?”
You seemed amused by his question. You brushed his braid away from where it hung against his jaw and Thorin surprisingly let it happen.
“Erebor lies half a world away, a buried kingdom of dust and despair in the clutches of a dragon. Is it truly worth so much? Worth so many lives lost,” you asked. “We have everything we need here.”
And Thorin could only think about how right you were; your hands in his, the feel of your fingers brushing his hair, the rising sun and golden leaves– he could want for nothing else.
“Do you not want for this?”
“I–” he tried.
“You have done honorably by your people, Thorin, but you have been selfless for far too long.” He closed his eyes as you spoke. “Choose not what is right by them but by you. No more pain, no more fear.” He could feel your breath against his cheek. “Just us. Stay with me, my love.”
And Thorin decided in that moment that he would.
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Your legs ached and your lungs burned.
The bog was becoming harder and harder to navigate but you were yet to find Thorin and you did not plan on stopping till you were certain he was safe.
The water grew shallower and you took it as a blessing. With your lower half free of the mud, you drew your sword. You rounded the trunk of a decaying tree and were met with a horrific sight.
Thorin, with decaying hands grasped round his neck and a deformed maw nearing his face. Thorin stood in a trance, eyes glossed over and body stiff. The siúlóir's mouth widened, rotting skin tearing as it did. Its nails dug into the side of Thorin's neck, harsh enough to draw blood. Still, he didn't move.
You acted on impulse. With a quick lunge forward, you drove your sword through the creatures back, twisting it twice before pushing it deeper.
Its screech was inhumane. It grasped at its wounds, its guttural yowls putting your hairs on end. You ran it through again. The siúlóir went quiet and Thorin screamed out.
“No!” His voice was distraught, his hands grasping at the creature as it slumped to the ground. “No–!”
“Thorin!” You grabbed his shoulder and roughly yanked him back. He raised his head and looked at you as though he'd seen a ghost. “It's alright– it's alright, it's me.”
His gaze fell back to the creature at your feet and given the twist of horror and disgust in his expression you figured he was now seeing it in its true form.
“Siúlóirí portaigh,” you muttered under your breath. “Bog walkers.”
Thorin blinked before taking in his surroundings with frantic eyes. He regarded you with a cautionary look. He said your name and when you nodded, you saw his stance relax slightly. His fear turned to confusion. “What–”
“They were going to drown us,” you answered plainly. You nudged the creature's shoulder with your heel and watched it sink a few inches into the water. “We need to go, this place will be crawling with them.”
Thorin wanted to question how you knew so much about such monsters but given how desperately you wanted to leave their hunting ground, he prioritized.
He offered one last glance at the creature, body now mostly submerged in the sullen water. He shuddered at how well the creature had worn your face, how much its voice had mimicked your own. How easily fooled he'd been.
He silently followed after you.
You walked until the mud on your clothes had hardened and the silk webs coating the trees had all but vanished. The leaf canopy above you had thinned out and the surrounding forest was now warm with the sun's light. The moment you heard a nearby bird song, you knew the dangers of Mirkwood had passed.
Thorin rested against the trunk of a sapling. His gaze was focused on something over your shoulder but given the blankness of his stare, you knew he wasn't looking at anything at all. You took a seat at his side and began to tend to his wound.
A nasty gash ran from the back of his neck to just below his throat. You worked silently. Thorin didn't even seem to notice until you applied a fraction too much pressure and with a sharp intake of breath, he turned to you.
“Sorry.”
There was a beat of silence. Then Thorin spoke.
“What did you see?” he asked you. “That creature, it toyed with my mind, showed me things I longed for that I hadn't even admitted to myself. So what did it show you?”
“Nothing.” The lie came easy. “Nothing of worth. I've dealt with siúlóirí before, they feed you lies, draw you in and then drown you before you even realise you're in danger. Whatever you seen, I wouldn't linger on it.”
Thorin seemed almost saddened by your answer. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, he gently brushed your hand away and got to his feet.
“We keep heading East.” The usual stoicism had returned to his voice. “Dwalin would know to do the same. If we do not regroup with the company in a day's time we head back the way we came and search.”
You nodded and got to your feet like a soldier following orders.
And as you fell into step beside the dwarf you thought maybe it would be best to take your own advice. To pass what you'd seen off as baseless lies not worth thinking about. But the feel of Thorin's shoulders brushing your arm reminded you that would be no easy task.
You entered Mirkwood wondering if what you felt for the dwarven king was more than just fondness. Now you were certain.
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quick authors note: I invented the siúlóirí an portaigh for this fic and the name translates to ‘bog walkers/walkers of the bog’ in Irish. It was pretty fun combining two of my interests, writing and folklore, to create my own mythological creature :)
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echo-bleu · 4 months
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Noldor Hair Headcanons (4/4)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | On AO3
There isn’t anyone left who knows how to do Maglor’s Mourning Braids, but they are described in a lament for Fingon that’s still doing the rounds, so Elrond and Elros make their best try. That style is henceforth known as Elrond’s Mourning Braids (because Elros gets forgotten by the elves a lot after he dies, let’s not lie to ourselves).
A decade of nothing but Mourning Braids really hammers in that Elrond and Elros weren’t just hostages.
It doesn’t do a lot for their reputation, but they don’t particularly care.
Bit by bit, Elros adopts mannish customs after making his Choice, and even goes so far as to cut his hair above the shoulder. Elrond is pre-grieving his brother too much to be properly shocked about this.
(It’s still long enough to braid. It’s fine. It’s not like his brother is leaving him on purpose. Or rejecting him. Elrond knows that.)
Everyone thinks Elrond should wear his hair in the Sindarin custom but he refuses to give up his Noldor braids. Elros braids his brother’s hair until he leaves for Númenor.
Elrond and Gil-galad do each other’s hair through the Second Age. Because they’re the last of their family and the only ones to keep to the old traditions. Not at all because they’re close. Of course not. Wouldn’t be proper. (They spend two hours at it every morning alone in Gil-galad’s chambers.)
Elrond revives his Mourning Braids on his 500th birthday.
Celebrimbor learns about dwarven hair culture. It’s Very Different but kind of similar, in that fancy hairstyles are a status thing. (Or really, long hair/beard is a status thing and then you have to do something with it because otherwise it catches everywhere.)
Narvi isn’t in fact the first dwarf to touch elven hair, but that’s only because Finrod had a very extended concept of family.
Annatar magically braids his own hair, when he even bothers (his hair doesn’t even singe in the forge if it falls into the fire). This hurts Celebrimbor’s sensitivities, but he adapts to Annatar’s ways, and adapts again, and adapts, until he really can’t.
Sauron cuts off Celebrimbor’s beautiful dark braids full of dwarven beads and ties them to the spears of his personal guard. Elrond never quite manages to get that image out of his head.
At war again, Gil-Galad invents locs. Well, re-invents them really, because Silvan elves have worn them forever, but he’s the first Noldor to do it. (He has Fingon’s hair texture. Does that mean he’s Fingon’s son? Who knows. He’s not telling.)
It’s only after Gil-galad’s death that Elrond teaches himself how to braid his own hair.
He hates it.
But he won’t wear his hair loose.
(The first style he masters is Maglor’s Mourning Braids.) (It really shouldn’t be because it’s Intricate but Elrond is nothing if not stubborn.)
Imladris has a full salon, like the Noldor palaces of old.
It doesn’t get that much use, to be honest.
Erestor learns to braid really tiny braids into Glorfindel’s hair, so that he never wears his hair fully loose but it still looks like it’s loose. Everyone else thinks it’s ridiculous. Glorfindel thinks it’s the best thing. Elrond watches them with a knowing smile.
Celebrían wears her hair half-loose in the Sindar style until she marries Elrond. It takes him several years to find the strength to ask her to do his hair, but she lets him do hers and he sneaks in more and more braids until they settle on a mixed-style. When he finally allows her to do his hair, Celebrían makes her mother grumpily teach her proper Noldor braids.
Elladan and Elrohir only wear practical Sindarin braids for the day to day, but they delight in doing each other’s hair in complicated styles for feasts and ceremonies. Elrond cries the first time they accidentally replicate Maglor’s favourite hairstyle.
Arwen is a little gremlin who squirms out of her parents’ lap when they try to braid her hair. She’s also inherited even more of Melian’s hair than Elrond, so even when they manage to do a braid, it’s gone in a few hours.
It takes years after Celebrían sails, because they’re all grieving, but eventually Elrohir offers to do his father’s hair, and Elrond lets him. They don’t do it every day, but it’s a large step in their recovery process.
By the way, Thranduil’s thing for flower/leaf crowns isn’t a Sindar or Silvan practice, it’s just that he wanted to be Fancy but Not In a Noldor Way, thank you very much. He’s also very vain. His servants do his hair.
Little Estel is very cute, has very silky hair for a man, even of his line, and makes a great doll for the twins to play with. He likes his hair touched A Lot.
Arwen learns about that early on. She’s a very good silver smith. Aragorn now owns a lot of hair jewellery. He can’t make a braid to save his life, but that’s fine, because Arwen can’t wear them anyway.
In the North, he wears his hair like Elros, cut above his shoulders. Once he becomes King, he lets it grow to his waist. He’s the first Man since Tuor to casually wear his hair in elaborate Noldor braids. He accidentally sets a fashion.
Arwen also does Éowyn’s and Faramir’s hair regularly. The first time is for their wedding. Éowyn isn’t a fan of the unpractical Fëanorian styles, but the Nolofinwëan battle braids look incredibly good on her.
Wandering on the coast for two ages, Maglor no longer does anything with his hair. It doesn’t enjoy the salt at all.
When Elrond finally finds him, he almost has to cut it all off. Instead, he spends weeks carefully untangling and moisturising Maglor’s hair until he can finally braid it in the old style for him. Maglor cries.
Elrond cries too. He cries even more when Maglor sits them down on the floor and braids his hair like he used to.
They sail together with the other Ring bearers, and there’s a lot more crying when they find Celebrían, Gil-galad and Maedhros waiting for them together.
Celebrían is wearing her hair in one of the Fëanorian styles that can be done one-handed.
Galadriel isn’t entirely happy about that, but she sees Finrod and forgets about it.
There’s some more crying.
Fingon is also there (the amount of gold in his hair is a bit blinding, not that Elrond will ever tell him) and also wearing a one-handed braided style.
There are some fights over who gets to do Elrond’s hair in the next few weeks.
Celebrían wins most of them, because she’s inherited Galadriel’s viciousness, but she lets everyone have a turn.
Elrond would like to know why he doesn’t have a say in it.
(He does. They would never touch him if he didn’t want to. They’re just very happy to see him.)
He does go to visit Elwing and Eärendil in their tower, and he goes with his hair down, because he’s a peace-maker at heart.
But in Tirion, he always sports the most complex hairstyles, just barely coming short of overshadowing the High King’s (mostly because his hair is still too silky for it to hold well), because his family all want to outdo each other.
He earns the reputation of being the most beloved of all the Noldor.
It’s not wrong.
Some visuals & more in my art tag
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twicearoundthebend · 5 months
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A line from the fic I’m writing, for your enjoyment-
“Aye, Lady Galadriel is truly the fairest face my dwarven eyes have had the blessing to look upon. But her fairness is like that of the sun, a reverence for that you can barely stand to look at. Legolas, you have the fairness of the moon. I could look at you till the end of the age and my gaze would never want to wander.”
I love them
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fistfuloflightning · 6 months
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meeting a legend
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emyn-arnens · 5 months
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For Charity
Minas Tirith hosts its first-ever Charity Auction for Widows and Orphans of the War. Some of the participants are less enthusiastic than others. Feat. Boromir, Faramir, Éomer, Aragorn, Éowyn, Lothíriel, and Imrahil, with a side of Eothiriel. 2k. Also on AO3. I was inspired by @emilybeemartin's art of Boromir in a wet shirt and @hobbitwrangler's tags on the post, and this happened.
Boromir picked up the shirt laid out upon his bed. It was a flimsy white thing, hardly worthy of being called a shirt. And it was, according to Faramir, explicitly required. With a long-suffering sigh, Boromir pulled the shirt over his head. For charity, he reminded himself.
He looked down at himself. Every inch of his skin showed through the shirt. He might as well not be wearing a shirt.
As he left his room, Boromir refused to look in the looking glass that hung upon the wall.
Catching sight of Faramir turning down the corridor, Boromir raced to catch up. “You must do everything you can to ensure that Éomer wins,” Boromir said, falling into stride with his brother.
Faramir turned and laid his hand on Boromir's shoulder, smiling broadly. “Dear brother, the outcome is in the hands of the crowd. Do not expect to get special privileges from me merely because I am your brother. I have only a small role in the event as it is.” 
Boromir groaned.
With a chuckle, Faramir clapped Boromir on the shoulder and started off down the hallway again. “But fear not!” Faramir said over his shoulder. “Éowyn and I have plans set in place.”
“What sort of plans?” Boromir called after him.
“You will see,” Faramir said evasively. Boromir could hear the laughter in his voice.
Not for the first time, Boromir wondered if it might have been better to have fallen in battle than to deal with Faramir and Éowyn’s machinations.
The sky above the Pelennor was grey and sunless. A fine mist of rain fell over the field, where brightly colored tents and canopies dotted the ground around the outer wall of the city in anticipation of Minas Tirith’s inaugural charity auction for the widows and orphans of the war. Many of the onlookers gathered underneath the tents, little deterred by the weather. From the conversations Boromir caught as he walked by, it sounded as if they were already placing their bets.
Éomer beckoned Boromir to join him near the stage. He had rolled up the sleeves of his own flimsy shirt, revealing his forearms. Beads of water clung to his hair, and his shirt, stuck to his skin from the misty rain, left little to the imagination.
A glance at his own shirt told Boromir that he looked much the same. Blast this auction.
“Why are we doing this again, Éomer?” Boromir grumbled.
“It’s for charity,” Éomer said without looking at him. His gaze was fixed to the right, where Éowyn and Lothíriel sat beneath a canopy, reclining upon cushions and eating from a bowl they shared between them. “It’s for widows and orphans.” Éomer turned with unnecessary force, sending his hair fanning about his shoulders—Boromir suspected for Lothíriel’s benefit, for she and Éowyn watched them with great interest—as he turned to face Boromir.
The distance was not so great and the drizzle of rain not so thick that Boromir could not see the way that Lothíriel’s gaze followed Éomer appreciatively. She and Éowyn bent their heads together and whispered furtively.
“I am not certain the widows are here solely for the charitable donations they are about to receive,'' Boromir said, for indeed many of the widows, gathered next to the stage so that donors might see those they were assisting, looked upon Éomer, Boromir, and the other men of Rohan and Gondor assembled near the stage with open admiration and many a wandering glance.
“All the better for them.” Éomer grinned.
Boromir picked at his shirt. The fabric only clung to his skin even more. “Must these be so thin?”
Footsteps sounded behind them. “You have stayed in fine form, my friend,” said the king’s voice, tinged with laughter. Aragorn stepped into view and thumped Boromir on the back. “I am certain the widows are appreciative.” He clasped Boromir’s shoulders firmly and looked him up and down. His lips twitched with barely contained laughter. “Very appreciative, indeed.”
Boromir crossed his arms and bit his tongue.
“You should stand that way on the stage,” Éomer put in. “It’s very flattering.”
Boromir quickly uncrossed his arms.
Aragorn laughed. “Good luck, my friends.” He bade them farewell and went to join Arwen.
Imrahil’s voice rang out over the fields, bidding the onlookers welcome and laying out the rules of the auction. The crowd was to bid upon who they thought was the most handsome of the men of the Mark and of Gondor, and all proceeds would go to the widows and orphans. “And the prize of this auction,” Imrahil said, pausing for effect, “is a kiss from the man who has received the highest bid. He shall bestow it upon the willing recipient of his choosing.”
Boromir heard more than one sigh from the direction of the audience.
Boromir had already decided that if he were to win, he would bestow the honor upon Beregond’s young daughter, Míriel, who was starstruck by her Uncle Boromir and Uncle Faramir. (Beregond and his wife, Idhres, had chastised her many times for calling the princes thus, but Boromir did not mind.) The rules, after all, did not state the nature of the promised kiss. A kiss upon the forehead or hand was still a kiss.
Faramir stood behind the stage, directing the men into a single line. He had declined to participate on the grounds of being a married man.
Would that Boromir had such an excuse. Bachelorhood had its disadvantages.
Imrahil introduced the first man, one of Éomer’s former Éored, if Boromir was not mistaken, though ahead of him Éomer seemed not to notice. Members of the audience shouted bids, and Imrahil recorded the highest in his ledger.
The bidding continued on in a drone of voices. Boromir paid no mind to it.
Éomer stomped impatiently and tugged at the low neck of his shirt. He turned to Boromir. “How do I look?” If Boromir did not know Éomer so well, he might have said that his friend seemed nervous. But Éomer had never been one to fear.
“Wet. Nearly shirtless.” The mist had turned to a light rain by now, and their shirts had become entirely translucent. Boromir pushed his dripping hair from his face.
“Do you think—” Éomer was cut off by Faramir gesturing for him to ascend the steps to the stage.
Boromir waved Éomer away. “Go. Take all of the bids for me.”
Éomer climbed the stairs, and Imrahil announced him. “And now, the King of the Mark! Who will bid upon this paragon of Rohirric—”
“Virility!” The shout came from the direction of Éomer’s guardsmen, who nudged each other and laughed, saluting their king with their steins of ale.
“Virtue,” Imrahil finished drily, though Boromir knew the man well enough to recognize the slight twitch in his lips that belied his humor.
The men of Rohan booed good-naturedly.
“Do I have a bid for Éomer King?” Imrahil called.
“We will bid!” several voices shouted. 
Boromir squinted through the rain. Three men were standing up in the middle of the crowd—his cousins. That meant trouble.
“What is your bid?” asked Imrahil, sounding suddenly weary.
“Two hundred castars,” Amrothos said. Only a prince’s purse—or several, as it were—could bear to part with such a sum. And it was, to Boromir’s dim recollection of the morning’s bidding, the highest bid that had been named yet.
“Does anyone have a higher bid?”
Silence fell over the onlookers.
Imrahil sighed. “Very well. Bring your money to the collection table to be counted.” He noted the sum in his ledger.
Faramir gestured for Boromir to climb the stairs to the stage. Clearly biting back laughter, he patted Boromir’s shoulder. “Good luck.”
“I have no desire for good fortune,” Boromir groused.
“Then I wish you luck in losing.”
Boromir climbed the stairs to applause from the crowd.
Imrahil smiled warmly at him, then turned to the crowd. “Who will bid upon Gondor’s very own captain?”
Various voices shouted bids, but none reached the sum named by Imrahil’s sons. Boromir breathed a sigh of relief and descended the stairs on the opposite side of the stage, picking out Éomer in the crowd and moving toward him.
Éomer clapped him on the shoulder. “You need not have feared.”
Boromir shook his head, laughing. “My cousins seem intent on your winning. Knowing them, they have contrived some plot.”
Éomer stilled.
Boromir studied him, recalling Faramir’s words that morning. Perhaps his and Éowyn’s plan was connected to whatever Imrahil’s sons had concocted. It would be very unlike his brother, who had never had close friendship with their Dol Amroth cousins, but it was possible.
Éomer’s affection for Lothíriel, and hers for him, were readily apparent to all. Imrahil’s protectiveness of his only daughter was equally apparent and had appeared to be a sticking point in anything coming of their feelings for each other.
Hiding a smile and leaving Éomer to his worries, Boromir turned to watch the rest of the auction. He had had no need to fear, indeed.
The last bid was called, and Imrahil tallied the bids in his ledger. Éomer had grown steadily paler during the rest of the auction, and he now was visibly fidgeting.
“The bids have been tallied!” Imrahil’s voice rang out over the field. “Éomer King received the highest bid. Please come to the stage and make your selection.”
Éomer walked to the stage with all the enthusiasm of a man headed to the gallows. Sudden movement at the front of the audience caught Boromir’s eye. Amrothos and Erchirion had moved to stand in front of something—or someone. 
Boromir glanced at the tent where Éowyn and Lothíriel had been sitting. Lothíriel was gone, and only Éowyn and Faramir stood beneath the tent, whispering to each other.
“Who do you choose, Éomer?” Imrahil said.
Éomer stood before the stage looking far less confident than he had earlier that morning.
“Perhaps our sister?” came a shout from the crowd. Amrothos and Erchirion pushed Lothíriel in front of them.
Éomer froze. Imrahil crossed his arms, visibly displeased.
Boromir bit back a laugh.
“She is very beautiful, do you not think?” Amrothos pushed Lothíriel closer to the stage until she stood an arm’s length away from Éomer.
Éomer appeared to be having difficulty speaking.
Whispers ran through the crowd.
Éomer finally stirred and reached out to take Lothíriel’s hand in his. He bent and quickly kissed her hand, then stepped back.
But Lothíriel did not pull away. Rather, she tugged on Éomer’s hand and drew him closer, then kissed him sweetly upon the lips. Her brothers erupted in hoots and hollers, and the crowd broke out in cheers.
Imrahil’s frown deepened.
Lothíriel stepped away from Éomer, looking only slightly abashed, and mouthed an apology to her father.
Éomer stood like a man knocked over the head.
“That concludes the Charity Auction for Widows and Orphans of the War,” Imrahil said at last, just barely audible over the excitement of the crowd.
Smiling and shaking his head, Boromir stepped away and made his way to Faramir and Éowyn’s tent, where they stood clapping.
Boromir joined them. “Could you not have told me of your plans beforehand?”
“And risk spoiling our plans? Look how happy they are,” Éowyn said. Indeed, Éomer seemed more at ease surrounded by Lothíriel’s eager brothers and bolstered by the cheering of the crowd, and Lothíriel was smiling widely.
“They only needed a little nudge,” Faramir agreed.
“I am surprised you took part in this conspiracy,” Boromir said to his brother.
Faramir wrapped his arm around Éowyn’s waist. “I wish for everyone to have the happiness that I have found. And it was Éowyn and Lothíriel’s plan.” That was less surprising. Éowyn and Lothíriel were fast friends.
Faramir patted Boromir's shoulder. “Did you really believe that I would let you suffer so?”
“Yes,” Boromir said.
Faramir and Éowyn laughed gaily. “It will be your turn next time,” Faramir said with a grin.
Boromir cuffed him.
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southfarthing · 1 year
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Eowyn tells Faramir it isn't necessary to write all of Rohan's songs and legends in a book lest they be forgotten. The Rohirrim do not read and write: they are oral storytellers, and they have great respect for their minstrels and their history. They will not forget anything.
She says it to reassure him and save him the trouble, but it does not seem to soothe his mind.
He smiles quickly at her before turning to the window. He looks out at the hills of Emyn Arnen as though watching for a storm on the horizon, and then Eowyn understands.
She grasps his hand.
At his touch, an image rushes through her mind: a grey, mutinous sea; and among the froth and the fury – sodden books, orphaned heirlooms, and a tapestry that will never again be seen or re-made, with both story and skill lost to the devouring waters.
The water washes over them both before slowly receding, leaving only a mist that she blinks away, and the distant glint of the Anduin to the west as it flows down to the Sea.
'Have I ever told you of Eorl the Young?' she says. Her voice is rough; she clears her throat.
'We know much about Eorl in Gondor,' Faramir says softly. 'His friendship with Cirion and his aid in our time of need was great.'
'And what about after?' she asks. 'What does Gondor know about that?'
Faramir turns to her with a wry smile. 'Very little.'
'Would that you had someone to teach you a little history.'
The mirth in Faramir's eyes mirrors her own.
'Would that I did.'
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tippenfunkaport · 8 months
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For the @glimbowweek Enemies / Rivals prompt, here's Glimmer and Bow as Gimli and Legalos, a thing I've joked about multiple times and had to make reality.
(Did you know that you can just draw anything you want and no one can stop you?)
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captainkirkk · 7 months
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✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩
All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading
DC
Do You Still Believe In Love I Wonder? by PrinceJakeFireCake
Tim Drake has always known he would die young. The how and why were vague, but it would be young. He’s prepared for that.
He’s a bit less prepared for how worried his family and friends are.
all these stars are silent by distracted_dragon
If there is one singular truth in the universe, it is this: Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne will never allow any harm to be inflicted on Conner Kent ever again.
Lord of the Rings
Endearment by smilebackwards
Legolas and Gimli refer to each other by elvish and dwarvish terms of endearment. They do not, however, translate these words for each other.
How to Train Your Dragon
Empirical by GalaxyThreads
Five times the riders realized they didn't know Hiccup as well as they thought, and the one time they knew him better than the rest of Berk. (Riders!Fam)(Gen, no smut) Whump! (One-shot)
Clone Wars
Foelu by MerlynBane
Foelu [fo.e.lu] v. Dai Bendu 1. To change.
As the only one of his kind in the Order and perhaps only the third in its history, almost all of what they know about Obi-Wan's people is limited what they've been able to observe as he's grown up. When his implant expires and wartime shortages make it impossible to get their hands on a replacement, Obi-Wan learns about something else his body can do--for better or worse.
SVSSS
flowers for my beloved by texturralize
Time travel, from the perspective of the man living in the past.
After seeing the other world's happy, good Shen Qingqiu, Bingge comes up with a plan: go back in time himself to when his Shen Qingqiu was younger and seduce him. And seducing him, it seems, is all too easy.
The Peak Lords of Cang Qiong are nonplussed, to say the least, when a mysterious man begins appearing around the sect, hounding Shen Qingqiu's steps. Flattering him, making him laugh, bringing out a side of him they've never seen before. And very blatantly trying to steal their Qing Jing Lord and make off with him.
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essenceofarda · 1 month
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The Three Eowyns from my 1920s Middle Earth au, "A Dance at the Palantiri"!! The White Lady of Rohan, Dernhelm, and a flapper dancer!
aka the three personas of Eowyn that Faramir falls in love with simultaneously without realizing that they are all, in fact, the same person LOL
Fic Summary: It's the 1920s in Middle Earth, and Éowyn just wants to get away. Just for a week, to be able to truly be herself, not just an esteemed Princess of the Riddermark. When she escapes under the disguise of a man named Dernhelm to Osgiliath, by fate she crosses paths with Lord Faramir, an infamous playboy and partygoer, who manages to rope her into becoming a bartender at his equally, if not more, infamous club and bar, The Palantiri. The Palantiri is more than meets the eye, same as its owner, however. Éowyn quickly realizes that the club is not just for people to lose themselves, but to lose their secrets too. There's more than meets the eye of Faramir, too, she finds. Suddenly, Éowyn finds herself neck deep in a years old secret operation in the war effort, and must do so while keeping up the guise of a man.
Trying out and having fun with a different to my usual style "very stylized" style :D
Also should I update this fic?
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https://michelle-620.mjcyd.asia/l/Ii4BlRE
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tanoraqui · 10 months
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the ideal and frankly only acceptable screen adaptation of The Silmarillion would be a Fantasia-style film with no dialogue, just art and music. Not only would it effectively communicate the sense of a world created from music, and animation could express the epic scale and magic in a way live action would fail at, but it also would capture the characterization-light mythological feel of the whole story. The Silmarillion is SUPPOSED to be a flexible canon! I don’t WANT details of characters and events standardized by some popular tv show or movie! But the amount communicated in, say, a 10-minute animated sequence set to orchestra music, with eloquent character expressions but no dialogue, depicting, say, the entire story of the Fall of Gondolin? And the same for all the other major stories Ainulindalë through Elwing&Eärendil? PLEASE.
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