#undercat

[abittybones]

[cautiousdetective]

Frans Cats @shorukarts DTIY's!

Forgive me, its not the same format 😭😭

Cats :DD theyre so cute I had to add some effort so this took me a bit of time to finish ajsbbdksuendoja

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[charlies-world-yay]

silly little undercat comic <3 the father and child, i love them sm chat

undercat belongs to me and my friend @_sploogezz on insta :)

NO FRANS.

[welcomingdisaster]

🗺️ Pick a kingdom/faction in Beleriand to visit. (No matter what happens, you cannot be injured and you cannot die - yay, plot armor!)

Oh, man, first thought Nargothrond. Combo of incredible interior decor from the Gem Guy and incredible dwarven/Sindar cave dwelling design... take me.

But Doriath is equally tempting and perhaps more magical... Nargothrond if it ALSO had had maia magic... hm maybe I'm doing Doriath.

[gwaedhannen]

✨ - Worldbuilding or background story elements. (dealer's choice of topic!)

(Unusual headcanon ask game)

Rivendell has always had a decent sized human population, ever since the valley's first days as a hidden shelter, when Eleryn's scouts started returning with survivors of the villages near Eregion that Sauron's armies were pillaging out of boredom.

The population grows over the Second Age. More survivors, residents of Minhiriath and Enedwaith displaced by Númenórean logging and settlements, residents of future-Gondor displaced by Númenórean settlements, escaped slaves from Númenórean colonies (sensing a pattern here?). Valandil's wife (descendant of a noble Númenórean house that lost favor with the King and was exiled to Middle-earth centuries prior) was from that people.

Refugees from the collapses of Rhudaur and Cardolan, as well as those fleeing the various invasions and wars in Rhovanion and Gondor join the population in the Third Age. Though most of the surviving Dúnedain of Arthedain settled in the Angle, some go to Rivendell where their chieftains are raised. Elrond makes sure that his foster-sons play nice with everyone, Dúnedain or not.

Over the main gate of Rivendell, Elrond himself carved a great relief of the coming of Doriath's refugees to the Mouths of Sirion, toddling Elwing at their head, welcomed by the escapees of Dor-lómin and Brethil. He has sought to repay that welcome ever since.

"Wait what about Lindir's line about it being hard to tell the difference between a Man and a Hobbit because all mortals are the same to elves" he's just racist.

[edennill-archived]

I am delighted to learn Sauron having deserted is somewhat canon.

So does Tolkien ever actually explain why Sauron is so strange? Lots of Maiar decided to follow Melkor, but Mairon is the only one to go and do things on his own after Morgoth’s fall and become a Dark Lord himself. Is it because any other more independently minded ones were kinda killed/ taken prisoner during the War of Wrath (WW)? The only thing I could find about Sauron and the WW is that at some point he turned and fled the fighting (the Lost Road p.333). So he technically betrayed 2 Valar, not just Aule. Whereas the Balrogs that survived/escaped still wait in hiding for their master. Why is Sauron so unmaiar-like?

Hey anon, I am so sorry for the delay in this! There were life events and then catching up on work after life events and angst events and this is super rambly and I’m not sure answers your questions well.

Also, I had no idea about S and the War of Wrath in BoLT! Thank you!!! (My BoLT knowledge is worse than terrible.)

Tolkien writes a surprising among on Sauron and spends some time discussing Sauron's motives in the Notes on Motives in the Silmarillion essay (which I love dearly, it's great). But before I get into S in particular, I do want to note that I think that most of the named Maiar we see on page are unusual, in that they enter Elven history and interact with incarnates; most Maiar don't (Annals of Aman even mentions that the number of Maiar is unknown and that few have names). Even Gandalf, in his Olorin days, would sometimes hang out among Elves without a fana, going among them invisibly (creeper). The Maiar we see tend either to be the most powerful ones and/or the ones who actively live among and interact with incarnates. Sauron is both.

(I think the power thing does make a difference in Sauron's career goals, in that he's able to pursue them. He doesn't just desire to make himself a Dark Lord but has the ability to. Pre-Morgoth, he was "chief of Aule's people" and then the chief of Morgoth's, his steward when Morgoth was imprisoned, S ruling on his own if not in his own right. Sauron is also able to concentrate his power into the Ring. (On Motives begins with Sauron was 'greater', effectively, in the Second Age than Morgoth at the end of the First.) So S had the ability as well as the will.)

As for the Maiar more generally, I don't think they have an ontological need or desire or drive to serve. A few are associated with many Valar (Melian's at various points with Vana, Este, and Yavanna; Gandalf interns with everyone; Osse, Ulmo's supposed vassal, is said by Ulmo in UT to "obey the will of Mandos, being a servant of the Doom", which imo is just fascinating and also gives us an Osse who has connections to four Valar - including Aule in this, since it was he who sent Uinen to bring Osse back from Morgoth). We also see a lot of the named ones go off and do their own thing, either actively going against the wishes of the Valar or forgetting about them (Saruman and Radagast, respectively) or just chilling on their own (Melian, who's into her husband "the tall" 😏). The Maiar are "of the same order as the Great [=Valar] but of less might and majesty," being "spirits of the same kind [...] but having less might and authority." It's a difference in degree - and the difference in power is a very great difference - but Valar and Maiar aren't fundamentally different on a metaphysical level; they’re the same species, if we can use species to describe their kind. The order of authority (Valar > Maiar > Elves > etc) is decreed, cultural, an order but one that individuals are able to go against. I don't think Sauron's going against his nature in wanting to be a Dark Lord in his own right, he himself the King of the Earth, he himself the object of cults. (Tolkien addresses the Cult of Melkor that Sauron sets up in Numenor in On Motives too, basically coming to the conclusion that it was the most expedient method for S. I'm sure our boy appreciated the drama of it too; he likes his terrible fun.)

I do think that Maiar differ in level of... individuality? personhood? personality? In that some are closer than others in their way of thinking and viewing the world to incarnates than others are, and that Sauron is at the far end of that scale. He's a character with a personality, if that makes sense? We also know that there are incarnates whose psychology he understands very well and thus can tempt them, often successfully. Gandalf says he doesn’t understand minds who don’t work like his, but Sauron clearly understands plenty of incarnate minds, and his own must work in a similar way. Sauron also has his individual quirks, such as his sense of humor, which he maintains even at the end (finding Ungoliant amusing). He’s a creator too, and a master one, even sharing Tolkien's own hobby of conlanging.

As for why S wants to rule the world: it's an outcrop of his original desire to make the world a better place by putting it in order and reforming it. Tolkien puts it better than I do in On Motives, when he's describing Sauron at the end of the Third Age:

Sauron had never reached this stage of nihilistic madness [that Morgoth did]. He did not object to the existence of the world, so long as he could do what he liked with it. He still had the relics of positive purposes, that descended from the good of the nature in which he began: it had been his virtue (and therefore also the cause of his fall, and of his relapse) that he loved order and co-ordination, and disliked all confusion and wasteful friction. (It was the apparent will and power of Melkor to effect his designs quickly and masterfully that had first attracted Sauron to him.) Sauron had, in fact, been very like Saruman, and so still understood him quickly and could guess what he would be likely to think and do, even without the aid of palantiri or of spies; whereas Gandalf eluded and puzzled him. But like all minds of this cast, Sauron's love (originally) or (later) mere understanding of other individual intelligences was correspondingly weaker; and though the only real good in, or rational motive for, all this ordering and planning and organization was the good of all inhabitants of Arda (even admitting Sauron's right to be their supreme lord), his 'plans', the idea coming from his own isolated mind, became the sole object of his will, and an end, the End, in itself.*

*[footnote to the text] But his capability of corrupting other minds, and even engaging their service, was a residue from the fact that his original desire for 'order' had really envisaged the good estate (especially physical well-being) of his 'subjects'.)

(Though I will note that Sauron absolutely lets his various foibles such as his nasty sense of humor or his aesthetic (only the black horses, pls) or cowardice or cackling villain drama occasionally override that need for order and efficiency.)

Thank you again for the ask, and I hope it explained some of my thoughts on Sauron’s peculiarities <33

[1rabong]

From @undercat-overdog ‘s silvergifting fic Shall these Bones Live

[outofangband]

Part of a series on the domains of the Valar and beginnings of more Valinor world building! I’m planning on rewriting this soon!

I’m also going to redo my posts on the physical domains so please feel free to send requests or prompts about that!

Also I must recommend undercat-overdog ‘s post on the domains! It’s one of my absolute favorite posts on the Ainur and categorizes them in such a philosophical and interesting way that literally makes me happy stim

I think a lot about the group of the Valar that is Oromë, Nessa, Tulkas and Vána and among other things I think Melkor is by absolutely terrified of them

Tulkas is obvious. He’s struck Melkor and he’s laughed at him and he’s not scared of him, just angry. Melkor only appreciates righteous anger if it can be twisted for his own use or at least amusement (like with poor Húrin)

His domain is less obvious. He doesn’t have an elemental domain or one regarding processes and cycles of life, death, consciousness or rejuvenation.

I think Tulkas is like Melkor in one fundamental way, his domain is pulled from the domains of others but in such a way that strengthens both rather than corrupts or degrades one. Primarily he takes justice and compassion from Manwë and Varda and revelry, freedom and balance from Oromë and Nessa.

It’s interesting to note that in earlier versions of the Legendarium, Tulkas was a sun god before Tolkien decided he wanted the sun to take a female form and decided upon Arien.

I do talk about this earlier version here a bit

Oromë, Nessa and Vána are deities of balance and cycles. They maintain ecosystems and nurture the violent and wild aspects of nature alongside the gentle ones.

Oromë and Nessa are masters of the hunt and the chase, of predator and prey and everything in between. They represent a lot of the instinct to fight, flee or hide but also to play, tussle and protect.

It is again fairly obvious why Melkor is frightened of them.

For all he loves chaos, he loves it when it suits him. The domains of Nessa and Oromë are already wild places.

Oromë and Nessa can turn the very forests against you.

Vána’s cycles are of life and death, rebirth and decay.

Vána loves songbirds in their bright livelihood but she also represents the end when they inevitably fall to predators or age and return to nurture the earth and its creatures.

She is a mercurial being, one of change and growth and the fear and joy it brings.

She could do tremendous evil on the side of Melkor.

I talk about the potential for decay in Valinor here!

As always please feel free to ask more!

[swanmaids]

cw domestic abuse. thank @undercat-overdog for the term "great year".

What Aredhel thought she missed the most, in dark Nan Elmoth, was the Sun. 

Perhaps it was a strange thing to think. The Sun was young – it had existed for just over three Great Years when she rode past the gates of her brother’s kingdom. The Eldar had scarcely known it. Aredhel remembered the divine maiden who was now the Sun as she had been in Aman, tending to Laurelin with a lover’s devotion. What was the Sun, to one who had seen the Trees? 

Besides, Aredhel had other things to miss. The brothers and friends that she supposed she would never see again;  though Eöl said that they needed nobody else, so long as they had one another. The feeling of shaping her tongue into the language of her faraway mother; though Eöl said that it grated on his ears to hear, and that if she truly loved him then she would not wish to cause him pain. 

Where was she? Oh yes. Her thoughts had drifted off track, as they were wont to do these days. Perhaps it was strange to miss the Sun more than anything else, when it was only a fruit of the Trees of her youth, and there were other parts of her former life that she missed, which others might have accounted more important. But Aredhel was a strange woman – all her life she had been told as such, and now Eöl said much the same. 

At first he had said it with great compliments. There was nobody else like her in the world. Now, more and more, it was in anger – why could she not simply behave as a proper wife ought? He would not become so wroth with her, if she would just act right. 

But she had become distracted again. She had been trying to think of the Sun. What was it that she missed about it? Oh, everything. The gentle warmth of the rays against her naked skin that told her when spring had finally come. The splintered light filtering through the trees and alighting the forest on a morning’s ride. Each day in Vinyamar and Gondolin, she had taken a walk in the early hours to witness the break of dawn — and each time the sight reminded her, just as the first ever sunrise in Beleriand had, that there was still beauty to be found even in this forsaken world. 

It was an unkind thing to think of one’s husband, but sometimes she could not help but find Eöl’s determination to keep her in darkness to be unspeakably cruel. 

Sometimes too she wondered: what would happen to her, if she were to walk out of Nan Elmoth, beneath the sunlight again? Perhaps she would become like one of the creeping things that made their homes in the corners of Eöl’s house, wincing and skittering away from the brightness, dull eyes streaming. But it was an unnecessary thought. She was not going to leave; she would never find out. 

[stereax]

why do people hate vegas so much?

Do you want the Stereanalysis version or the short one?

The short answer is basically this: The Vegas Golden Knights entered the league and were expected to be hot garbage. Despite this, they had what many assumed was a "miracle" run in the 2018 playoffs, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, and have since established themselves as a consistent contender. Many haters of the Knights claim that Vegas was "gifted" a championship team from the onset (revisionist history at best), that Vegas didn't "go through years of pain" like most expansion teams (which, it's not their fault they're good?), and that the refs and Bettman want Vegas to win (which is said about 32 out of 32 teams in this league). Additionally, it's believed that a lot of Vegas fans are "fair-weather" and that they'll abandon the team when it doesn't do well, which ties into the theory that the NHL is "rigging" it for Vegas. Winning the Cup last year, over the undercat Florida Panthers to boot, angered many, especially due to Vegas's owner's bold prediction of "Cup in six [years]" made before their first season.

Additionally, Vegas's front office has a history of big deals. From trading fan favorite Fleury with no prior warning, leaving him to find out online; to the story of Haula, who literally showed up to practice and his keycard didn't work and that's how he learned he got traded three days before his wedding (but we don't talk about that one because Fleury is Fleury); to every single Vegas trade and trade deadline where they seem to acquire every big free agent and give up fairly little in return (Hertl, Hanifin, Quick, Barbashev, Eichel, Stone, Pacioretty, the list goes on). Many people can't divorce the front office from the team itself and get very upset when Vegas "poaches" the players they want.

On top of this, you have the "cap circumvention" narrative, claiming that players such as Stone are "faking" injuries so Vegas can do cap magic and add more players than they should be "allowed" to. First of all, the idea that players like Stone are faking injury is bullshit, especially in a league where players like Stutzle and J Hughes have outright stated that they played injured for long stretches of the season. Fun fact, the NHL does have doctors that run checks on LTIRed players and verify that they're truly injured. (The Leafs got into some hot water last offseason when they were LTIRing Murray and then later with Klingberg as well, as the NHL was suspicious that they had moved Murray's surgery date and recovery time to allow themselves to "bury" Murray's contract on LTIR for the season.) If anything, Stone was probably still hurt in the playoffs. The man is seemingly incapable of playing an 82-game season and yet people are screaming that he's faking injuries when he does get hurt. (Also, on cap circumvention: Nobody remembers Kucherov anymore but that was so much more blatant. Additionally, the league has considered closing LTIR "loopholes" several times now and several times has decided against it. Your team doesn't do it? Okay. It doesn't give you a moral high ground, though, as it is patently legal in the NHL rules to do so.)

Plus, there's definitely some disdain for the glitz and glamor of Vegas. Sparkly gold uniforms, City of Sin, pink flamingos, shiny golden helmets, elaborate pre-game shows where knights slay dragons, slot machines, glitter, all of that. I'm not going to bring up my personal theories here, but I'd advance the question to Vegas haters why they dislike the spectacle of Vegas, and whether that dislike also may apply to other areas where men may be associated with glitter, pink, sin, sparkles, and all that, such as, y'know, drag queens, or gay men more generally.

But hey, that's just a theory... a stereax theory.

[myslashyvalentine]

❤ MSV 2024 Collection is Open!❤

Happy Valentine’s day!

Congratulations to our new writers who completed their first swap! Thanks as well to all our veteran writers who continue to participate and make this swap a vibrant part of the Tolkien community. 

My Slashy Valentine 2024: The Master List!

AdmirableMonster wrote A Light Beneath Frozen Water for JazTheBard

Aglarien wrote Rosemary for Remembrance for Tethys_resort

Aipilosse wrote Star-kissed for undercat

Ally/steadfastalysanne2022 wrote Always Waiting For You Just to Cut to the Bone for AdmirableMonster

Argleena wrote Coming Back to You for Aglarien

Bird/ingenious_spark wrote Knit Together for raiyana

BloodwingBlackbird wrote Winter glowed on her leaves for HewerOfCaves

bluehair wrote Tell Me No for Aipilosse

Branka/LadywithaQuill wrote New Beginnings for senalishia

ChrissyStriped wrote Sharing Everything for Jade/Elladansgirl

cílil wrote Herald, Hero, Muse for Maironite

Cirilla/FakeCirilla9 wrote Falling star for Ally/steadfastalysanne2022

Cissy/Lost_inMiddleearth wrote If I Could Make Days Last Forever for phyncke

Elentarial/BaccaratBlack wrote The Forlorn for bluehair

elfscribe wrote And With Him Was Elrond for tabru

Elio/eliogardens wrote Uprooting for Kay/seregons

Ettelenë/firstamazon wrote Under Unclouded Stars for mangacrack

Fey/ThatFeanorian write With Song Meant Only For You and I for Torpi

forelevenses wrote to be alone with you for Luciann/Lucigoo89

Frances/Melusine6619 wrote Anniversary Celebration for RaisingCaiin

Gilithlin wrote Crescendo for elfscribe

Heather/indestructibleplum wrote Phantom Pains for Nuredhel

Heather/ohboromir wrote Hope for yletylyf

Helholden wrote Under the Stars, Above the Sun for Katrina/lemurious

HewerOfCaves wrote White Daffodil for IDNMT/I_did_not_mean_to

IDNMT/I_did_not_mean_to wrote Mix & Match for Zhie

IgnobleBard wrote Friendship Like The Holly Tree for Marchwriter

Jade/Elladansgirl wrote One Night With A King for Branka/LadywithaQuill

JazTheBard wrote Five Meetings for Ruinel

Katrina/lemurious wrote Fair They Wrought Us for Helholden

Kay/seregons wrote I Pledge My Heart to Thy Doom for sallysavestheday

Kefi/EclecticKefi wrote Our Gentle Sin for Kit/kitkatkaylie

Kit/kitkatkaylie wrote Youthful regrets for Lilithsea

Kristen/Harp_of_Gold wrote day will come for Chrissystriped

likethenight wrote the distraction or the force for Argleena

Lillithsea wrote The King of the Greenwood for Elentarial/BaccaratBlackLithgaeril wrote What to Make of This for Kefi/EclecticKefi

Luciann/Lucigoo89 wrote Two Lives Will Be Spared This Day for octopus_fool

lynndyre wrote There and Back Again for Ignoblebard

maglor-my-beloved wrote Of Farewells for Ettelenë/firstamazon

Maironite wrote Ready To Fall for Cilil

mangacrack wrote the home where I belong the most for reindeer_pizza

Marchwriter wrote All That Is Gold for likethenight

Mawgy wrote To the Victor Goes the Spoils for Gilithlin

NiennaWept wrote peaches we devour, dusty skin and all for thurinngwethil

Nuredhel wrote The flower and the flute for Whimsy/a_world_of_whimsy

octopus_fool wrote Thrush and Stag for lynndyre

phyncke wrote The King's Cabin for Frances/Melusine6619

RaisingCaiin wrote to warm my bed for Mawgy

reindeer_pizza wrote The King's Treasure for Skaelds

Ruiniel wrote Ára for Verecunda

sallysavestheday wrote Let Not My Love Be Called Idolatry for skywardstruck/tomefaired

❤sallysavestheday wrote Op. 1: Serenade for Bow and Axe for red_lasbelin

Senalishia wrote Cut Straight to the Heart for starlightwalking

Skaelds wrote you better not kill the groove for Elio/eliogardens

skywardstruck/tomefaired wrote show me the limits of your deceit for Tathrin

starlightwalking wrote Lazy Day for forelevenses

Tabru wrote Elrond and the King for visitor/lonelyvisitor

❤Talullah Red wrote Snowflight for BloodwingBlackbird

Tathrin wrote A Testing of Wills for Kristen/Harp_of_Gold

Tethys_resort wrote Two in Shadows for NiennaWept

thuringwethil wrote between my fingers, she leaves, then she lingers for  Cissy/Lost_inMiddleearth

Torpi wrote Ripe Fruit for Fey/ThatFeanorian

undercat wrote Comfort from a Heavy Hand for Heather/ohboromir

Verecunda wrote All the Luck in the World for Heather/Indestructibleplum

visitor/lonelyvistor wrote one whole with my other for Lithgaeril

Whimsy/a_world_of_whimsy wrote In the beginning for Cirilla/FakeCirilla9

yletylyf wrote Another Way for Bird/ingenious_spark

Zhie wrote Minuet for Basalt_Serpent

❤Zhie wrote His Father's Son for maglor_beloved

❤ Zhie wrote Very Welcome Visitor for Indestructibleplum

—————

❤ denotes a pinch hit or a treat. Thank you to our pinch hitters, Talullah Red and Zhie; they made sure everyone got a Valentine's Day story (or two). Sallysavestheday also wrote a treat for me!!!

If you need a link to the entire collection, it is right here: 2024 My Slashy Valentine

[elennalore]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤

Thanks for the ask! ❤️

Only now I got time to think of my answer. It's difficult to choose only five, but I'll reply with five of my finished fics that are close to my heart - mostly because of the fandom interaction involved.

Walk Through the Darkest Valley - Celebrimbor/Mairon, M

I wanted to try to write Silvergifting because I didn't know what to think of the pairing but it intrigued me, and by the time I finished writing this I had become a Silvergifting shipper.

Dance Macabre - Celebrimbor & Sauron, M

My first TRSB claim was a wonderful art by sakasakiii where Sauron dances with Celebrimbor's corpse. Of course I needed to write a story for it, when it was still available after the first claims - and so I joined the TRSB for the first time as a pinch-hitter.

No Grievance Between Us - Fingolfin/Maedhros, E

My fandom friend @chrissystriped writes awesome fics about this rare pairing, and I wanted to try what to make of them as well. I like the end result a lot.

Your Gravity Is Pulling me Closer - Melkor/Mairon, E

I just like this fic a lot. I haven't written a lot of Angbang, but writing this fic was surprisingly easy and I had lots of fun writing it. It was written for MySlashyValentine exchange.

Monster - Celebrimbor/Sauron, E

This fic was inspired by another fic by undercat (linked in the fic) where Sauron shapeshifts into a monster. It was one of those fics that were very entertaining to write, and I'm happy that I could make "the Sauron reveal" both smutty and canon-compliant.

[meadowlarkx]

Some March fic recs!

For Tolkien Fanfic Reading Month! Limiting myself to stories I read in March (but posted anytime). (header by Anna Zakharova on Unsplash)

picnic by @swanmaids - A bored and reckless Aredhel goes to Vána's orchards seeking adventure and has an experience. This lush and sexy fic feels like a warm summer afternoon. I love how seductive and eerie Vána is here!

Kiss and Marry by @thecoolblackwaves - Have you ever looked at Celegorm and Curufin and thought, "They should be the stars of a romcom"? No? This fic is here to reveal that wonder to you.

弄假成真 by Divano_Messiah - Maglor has been telling people at school that he has a boyfriend. Maedhros is jealous until he learns who it is. (I admit I read this via google translate, you can too...)

Envy by @polutrope - In Tirion, Maglor and Elemmírë struggle to handle each other's reputations with equanimity. The people around them try to respond. This fic is so funny and sweet--I love this take on Elemmírë and Fëanor's guest appearance is hilariously him.

Youthful Regrets by kitkatkaylie - Turgon and Maglor fall in love in Valinor before Turgon's engagement to Elenwë. I really like the personality contrasts of this ship, with Turgon opening up to Maglor, and how this story sketches out their relationship through the whole arc of Silm to its bitter separation.

I risk my life to make my name by @maironsbigboobs - The brave knight Galadriel goes on a journey to meet the Green Woman Melian and her fate, ft. adventures along the way. I love how Tolkien is blended with Arthurian conventions here--it works so well and brings out the myth vibes of Silm that I love so much!

Strange Currencies chapter 12 by @jouissants - This is such a beautifully-crafted tale in every regard, but I want to especially mention this flashback chapter I read in March, covering Maedhros' and Maglor's voyage on the swan ships up to just before Fëanor's death. The horror of the Fëanorian Noldor arriving in the dark with their distrust, inflated ego, and total lack of knowledge of Middle-earth comes through here so, so vividly--this part can be read by itself, go check it out!!

Oubliette by Stramonium - Horrifying and so vividly written scene of Maedhros in Angband, isolation, and monstrosity. Poetic and awful, I can't do it justice in summarizing it.

arrangement for flute and harp by @jouissants - Maedhros is determined to work late, so Maglor and Fingon decide to entertain each other. The Himring atmosphere and incredible character dynamics make this also really sexy smut such a wonderful story.

whatever you would crave by @eight-pointed-star - Sooo sexy ficlet in which Fingon and Maedhros attend to Maglor's Needs. Short but immensely powerful.

scherzo for ink and parchment by @dovewifes - Charming and comedic missives exchanged between Maedhros and Maglor during the Long Peace, ft. romantic endearments and the invention of emojis. Maedhros' so-apparent love for Maglor is something I especially cherish about this fun fic.

Star-kissed by @aipilosse - Celeborn of Doriath rescues recently-of-Gondolin (and silver-haired!) Celebrimbor from a predicament in Nan Dungortheb. Incredibly clever, funny, and hot!

Purification by @zealouswerewolfcollector - Thingol is curious about Maedhros: throne sex ensues. A favorite ship of mine in a flavor I'd never considered. Incredibly intense and super well-written.

Comfort from a Heavy Hand by @undercat-overdog - After the Bragollach, Mablung tends to an injured Beleg, and they seek comfort together. The wreckage and destruction of the battle feels so vivid in this one, and the dynamic of Beleg/Mablung as past teacher and student (and current battle companions) is wonderful.

Thou knowest to-night, and wilt know to-morrow by @welcomingdisaster - A brilliant installment in an ongoing Children of Húrin AU series that has the most beautiful, unsettling, and dreamlike atmosphere. In this fic Maedhros teaches "Cáno" about pleasure in preparation for their marriage bed. Catnip to me personally!!

Proxy by @aipilosse - Celebrimbor comes to reproach Celegorm in Nargothrond after Finrod's departure. They fuck. Gender, tension, messy and complicated emotional dynamics all around. The dirty talk is so so good.

Star of the Nevrast Shore by joanofarcstan - Silmarillion filk of one of my favorite folk songs! What more is there to say!! A sweet tale of Gondolin told from Voronwë's point of view, recounting the love between him, Tuor (the star of the Nevrast shore), Idril, and Maeglin.

A Light Burns in the Forest by fictional_hr_department - Thranduil and Oropher escape Menegroth with child Elwing. The title and art by @lycheesodas give me chills and the atmosphere of the fic as they make their disorienting journey to Sirion really brings to life the terrible aftermath of the second kinslaying.

By Your Side by HiyoriTomioka - fem!Eärendil and Elwing support each other in this ficlet... such a good vision of this ship, and the way Eärendil thinks about Tuor and Idril here with longing uncertainty makes me think of a trans!Eärendil even though that is not explicit.

Something Sleepless in Mirkwood by @imakemywings - Thranduil sickens as the Greenwood does. Elrond tries to heal him, but can't understand at first what's happening. Brilliant and canon-compliant (To Me) wry, proud, and eerie woodland king Thranduil--go give this a read!

A boat, my boat, out upon the River by Tethys_resort - Sméagol is trying to craft his own boat to take fishing. His family keeps getting in the way. This sweet fic paints such an idyllic picture of proto-Hobbit life and made me really feel the tragedy of Gollum.

The Fortress by TheLegendCreator - Brief and haunting fic in which a Dwarf visits the ruins of Himring and they have a conversation. I love the view this offers of Maedhros and the fierce loyalty Himring and its folk had for him.

one whole with my other by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor - Indis' marriage to Finwë is transferred to bind her instead to reembodied Míriel. This turns out to be a good thing. An incredibly touching, beautifully wrought and worldbuilt story. I just love it so much.

The Number One Exercise for Relieving Work-Related Stress (Click to Find Out!) by @imakemywings - Date night in Mirkwood. Maglor (Noldorin princess, ex-kinslayer) adorns herself for the benefit of Thranduil (the Elvenqueen)--or that's her plan, anyway. This story is so sexy, so funny, and honestly so touching. I just adore this ship as a happy ending for Maglor and their relationship is gorgeously fleshed out here.

Cousin, Sister, Lover, Queen by broken_pencils - Lesbian Éowyn discovers desire... through Éomer's betrothed Lothíriel. Lothíriel is a stealth fav for me from the Éomer fics I used to read as a kid and I really enjoyed her here, and the lush atmosphere of this story.

His Return by @danmeiljie - Beautiful, tender scene of Maedhros and Maglor reuniting as per @tari-cua's art. Such lovely descriptions in this one and so cozy.

[elronds-library]

Shall these Bones Live [WIP]

by undercat (@undercat-overdog)

Part 1 of we who are disassembled

After the destruction of the Ring, Sauron makes one last, desperate attempt at survival and Celebrimbor comes across something familiar in the land of Avathar. What was broken might be remade.

Mature, No Archive Warnings

Words: 105,769

[itstimewehavesomesoliddick]

A recent incident has completely upset the house's balance of power when, after being chased by Rouna in the courtyard (as she has been since she's been here), Tao (pictured) chased Rouna back for the first time ever, leaving Rouna confused and dumbstruck at what had happened

Between her and Toffee yelling and even preemptively charging at Sasha now, looks like this is the year of the underdog (undercat?) uprising

[charlies-world-yay]

FIRST POST ON HERE OH EM GEE

i made this funny little au called undercat! there are no comics just yet but i definitely plan to make some and it’d be cool if you made some asks so i could have characters respond to them!!

here’s a little background on the au: Humans are dogs, monsters are cats! it’s pretty much the same concept with the story, theres nothing that’s really changed with that part, but in this au, there was only one reset, and there hasn’t been any genocide runs. why? well the main protagonist (frisk!) is actually around six years old and unlike in the game, IS capable of making their own decisions (kinda boring i know :p) frisk is very energetic and very caring, they’re sweet torwards anyone they meet and wouldn’t hurt a fly, after they left ruins they met sans and papyrus, they did a few of the puzzles but had trouble with them, getting frustrated with them they got a bit upset, sans noticed and decided to help them, then after a bit of help with the puzzles and going into snowdin town they met monster kid, like immediately walked up to them and became friends in an instant, they’re best friends with monster kid and wouldn’t change that, having no where to stay (and not wanting to leave snowdin yet) they stayed with the skelebros, long story short they ended up getting adopted by sans and are now officially considered their family! papyrus in this au while being somewhat bad at cooking, is really good at baking and likes to make frisk cookies and sweets, when they want real food, sans makes them the food instead of deciding to just do nothing, though occasionally if he’s to tired he takes them to grillbys

overtime frisk becomes close with pretty much the entire underground and does help them escape, chara, is very well known and honored, they have a place dedicated to them on the surface decorated in flowers and things they like, and their locket was left there as a remembrance thing

frisk now lives with sans and papyrus on the surface, monsters and humans live peacefully and all that stuff, frisk does infact go to school but they don’t do a whole bunch there, but they do hang out with monster kid a lot!

there will be a full story eventually just please be patient :) if you like this au tho you should totally follow, or don’t, both is ok! :D i just hope you love this au as much as i do :3

i made this au, and share it with my friend @_sploogezz on insta who you should totally check out, they’re so cool!! :D

i kindly ask that NO ONE ships frans in this, even if you do age frisk up it is still weird as they grew up around sans CANONICALLY IN GAME, and canonically in this au are adopted by him. frans is not welcome here and never will be.

there is no fontcest don’t worry and no really weird ships :) but if you wanna ship people, go ahead! just don’t be weird :/ (again, NO frans is welcome here and most definitely no fontcest.)

i hope you like this silly little au as much as i do :3