frodothefair - Tumblr blog

[frodothefair]

the thing is that war should always be reluctant. no one should want to fight. legolas and gimli and aragorn don't want to kill the orcs, they just want to to save merry and pippin. gandalf does not want to fight the balrog, he wants to pass through moria unharmed. aragorn doesn't even want to take power from the stewards of gondor, he just wants the people to have a stable leader. faramir says it best when he hopes that one day they will tell stories, sitting on a wall in the sun, laughing at old grief. we just want better times. we just want to be happy. we don't want to fight, we only fight because we have to. because they are forcing us

[frodothefair]

There are some interesting studies on this. Traumatized dogs, for instance. You’d think being habituated to violence would make them good guard dogs or good at defending their masters, but no! They become more erratic and hard to train.

Also, traumatized people are vulnerable to more trauma.

"yOuR trAuMa mAde yOu sTroNger" no bitch it made me prone to disassociation and afraid of loud noises

[frodothefair]

Elijah Wood could be wearing a ratty hoodie and have a 5 day stubble, and I would still be incoherent and unable to look at anything else in the room if I were in his presence.

Many of you are too young to remember, but back in 2001, when Fellowship of the Ring first came out, they literally had to put out a statement saying "no, we didn't cgi Frodo's eyes, Elijah Wood is just Like That."

[frodothefair]

Another one for the Frodogold playlist. I don't even know how. Maybe because they talk and they always say things that have a profound effect on the other. And their verbal and emotional connection is so intense, that sometimes their physical relationship is actually a relief from the intensity. As well as the "I always knew, it's always you" thing, obvi.

'Cause you talk to me And it comes off the wall You talk to me And it goes over my head So let's go to bed Before you say something real Let's go to bed Before you say how you feel

[frodothefair]

More Mr. Nisilë logic: Also, you have one thermos. Chaos grandpa does not have one thermos. He has 17. And he somehow managed to get every one of them through security, but then he forgot them all on the plane.

Me: I... used to be like that?

Mr. Nisilë: Yes, but you've aged out of that.

Me: Yeah, now you're the chaos grandpa, if we go by your definition.

tag yourself i'm horse girl

[frodothefair]

Mr. Nisilë Logic.

Me: I honestly don't know which I am... Mr. Nisilë, which am I? Chaos grandpa?

Mr. Nisilë: *inspects the images* Either chaos grandpa or horse girl.

Me: Horse girl?! I'm not into horses. I haven't ridden a horse in years. Horses are fun, but they are too much work, and far too expensive!

Mr. Nisilë: That's not the point. It's not about whether you like horses or not. It's about whether you are similar to the people who like horses.

Me: O.... k...? And how am I similar to the people who like horses?

Mr. Nisilë: You have a Look.

Me: What look is that?

Mr. Nisilë: Pink. You leave the house dressed like your tumblr page (of note: this is actually true)

Me: Again, what does this have to do with horses, or horse people for that matter?

Mr. Nisilë: Again, this is not about whether you like horses. Horse people are more likely than the rest of the population to have a Look, but pink is more of a mainstream look, and so is horsemanship. It's not like a black eye liner look. All the things horse people wear can easily blend in: like polo shirts, and riding boots, and close-fitting jackets and pants. But when you look at them closely, you know they're a horse person. Same with you.

@konartiste @emmanuellececchi @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras, however, I think are all horse girls. :)

tag yourself i'm horse girl

[frodothefair]

"I'm going to marry my employer! But, like, not in a bad way!"

--Marigold in Flowers of Mordor, according to one of my anon commenters.

Jokes aside, though, there is a hobbity way to say this, and it is as follows: "I'm going to marry Mr. Frodo, but don't worry, no harm will come of it!"

Just like no harm ever came out of Bilbo teaching Sam his letters, right, Marigold?

(That is a rhetorical question.)

[frodothefair]

[frodothefair]

I have to wonder, just how much do you think hobbits experience/experiment making foods from other cultures - elves and dwarves and men and such? Like on the one hand news travels slow and ideas travel slower in the written post and library era of information traveling, but the thing is that people were very *clingy* with what cultural novelty they could have in similar times, you know? If you were someone who found like a recipe card from another *state*, much less another country or culture, you would put that shit in the most secure place you possibly could! Er, well, at least my family did, lol. This would be why there is a family in northern Kentucky that's been making fresh pasta for the last like 100 years or so with no relation to Italy whatsoever. Long story, lol

💐 ASK ME about my headcanons about hobbits and the Shire! 💐 Want to know if yours has been answered? Check here.

Unfortunately, I don't think hobbits are particularly fond of foreign food, and don't readily incorporate it into their diets. I base this solely on Sam's line "I don't usually hold with foreign food, but this Elvish stuff, it's not bad," as well as my general understanding of hobbits as insular and rather distrustful of all things foreign.

That said, once hobbits do try something, their love for food is likely to eclipse all other considerations, so I suspect that if they tried a foreign food at the encouragement of a friend, they are likely to enjoy it. Does this necessarily translate into asking for the recipe or trying to reproduce it at home? Not necessarily. I think it depends on how much the hobbit likes the food and how "adventurous" they are.

I do have a headcanon, however, that the four hobbits who visited Minas Tirith ended up trying various mediterranean-style dishes, since climate-wise Gondor is similar to Italy or the south of France. As such, the Gondoreans likely cultivate olives and catch fish, and both of these products lend themselves relatively well to being canned and preserved.

...Do you see where I'm going with this?

The hobbits probably tried antipasto dishes of various kinds, including tiny sandwiches of cold cuts, olives, sardines, caviar, vegetables and cheese. I also think that elevenses is traditionally a finger food type of meal in the Shire, though I have no particular basis for thinking so; I just do. Be that as it may, however, since olives, sardines, and caviar can be canned and transported over long distances, the four hobbits might have easily had some brought to the Shire, and incorporated into their appetizer platters, and shared it with all their friends.

[frodothefair]

Unwritten fics game!

@meluiloth tagged me, thank you! In fact, I now have several fic ideas that are probably not going to be written any time soon, because I just outlined FoM, and at the pace I'm going, I'll probably be at it until the fall. And I am not particularly good at juggling multiple WIPs; I never have been.

Rivendell - Currently, it is a published oneshot, but I plan to make it into a longfic. Frodo and Marigold Gamgee get together before the quest, and they flee to Rivendell together when disaster with the Ring strikes. Afterwards, they are forced to part, but Marigold soon finds she is expecting a child. The story will feature their psychic connection during the quest, a healer-elf named Nisilë who is a living ultrasound machine, a reunion in Minas Tirith, and the reckoning with Frodo's illness after the war.

Genderbent!Frodo (in a way, Frodo is also socially trans-masc here, as far as this can be understood in the world of Middle-earth). Another post-quest story, where Sam confesses to Frodo in Minas Tirith, and they become intimate, resulting in Frodo conceiving. Now poor Frodo has a pregnancy to deal with on top of her illness and the events of the Scouring, and she and Sam get married. Frodo then struggles with whether to leave Middle-earth when she is offered that option.

Expats - I wrote the first chapter, and this story can work either as a fanfic about Elijah Wood, or an original story about a character who was a child actor and transitioned to a successful adult Hollywood career. In either case, a fan strikes up an unlikely relationship with her idol, and they get married and settle down. However, the actor's statement during an interview reveals that he knows a bit too much about the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, and he begins getting threats, as well as demands from journalists and other interested parties to reveal more. The couple flee and lay low in Ukraine, where the woman is originally from, and then the actor starts getting local roles and gets involved in the community, which gives him the courage to do a tell-all interview and name the powerful players who have abused others and have gotten away with it for years. (Fun fact: this one was inspired by a dream I had, and the fact that "returning emigrant" roles in certain countries are given to actors who are, in fact, native speakers of English, and it just... hilariously doesn't work, but it's funny anyway. Also, yes, reading between the lines you can probably guess what kind of abuse I am talking about above).

Flowers of Chernobyl - Again, a story that can work either a modern AU of Flowers of Mordor, or an original work. A CIA veteran who was part of a highly specialized and dangerous mission in Chernobyl, Ukraine returns home to LA. His close friend who is also the family gardener overheard something he should not have, and was forced to either join a witness protection program, or be drafted into the CIA as well. This friend ended up going with the main character on the mission, and after it is all over, the friend/gardener's sweet younger sister, who is an aspiring doctor, comes to stay at the luxurious LA mansion for the summer, and she and the tragic CIA veteran get romantically involved.

In general, I am not sure if I want to try to get into the publishing industry. Part of me does want the recognition, but part of me feels like I will invariably have to sacrifice artistic license, and with the two stories that could work either as fanfics or original stories as above, I would have to navigate making sure that there is no whiff of an allusion to Elijah or LOTR, for instance. There is, I have to say, a certain freedom in fanfiction and publishing online. You can write whatever the heck you want, within reason.

Tags: @konartiste, @ceemafanfic if you have not been tagged already, and anyone else who wants to do this.

[frodothefair]

forever in awe of people who pay attention. people who wait for you while you tie your shoes while the others have walked away. when they continue listening intently while the rest of the group stopped listening. noticing your moments of silence when everyone else hasn’t. “this made me think of you” noticing things you never even noticed about yourself. people who say “text me when you get home safe.” people who make you laugh until you cry. childhood friends who keep in touch. people with genuine intentions. people who are soft when the world has given them every opportunity to turn hard. the “let’s get ice cream” at 3am friend. the turn up the music in the car and sing friend. people whose actions match their words. people who make the world feel less chaotic. kindred spirits. the trustworthy and honest. hard workers. good listeners. clear communicators. people who love you for who you are. people who don’t ask you to be anything other than yourself. people who choose you. people who stay.

[frodothefair]

"'Now for it! Now for the last gasp!' said Sam as he struggled to his feet. He bent over Frodo, rousing him gently. Frodo groaned; but with a great effort of will he staggered up; and then he fell upon his knees again. He raised his eyes with difficulty to the dark slopes of Mount Doom towering over him, and then pitifully he began to crawl on his hands.

Sam looked at him and wept in his heart, but no tears came to his dry and stinging eyes. 'I said I'd carry him, if it broke my back,' he muttered, 'and I will!'

'Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where yo go, and he'll go.'"

-Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

[frodothefair]

Yeah, he was definitely a confirmed bachelor by his own choosing, not a lack of interest from others.

EXCUSE ME LOOK AT ALL THOSE LADIES CHECKING FRODO OUT

[frodothefair]

I just outlined the rest of Flowers of Mordor and it looks like there are about... 12 chapters and an epilogue left?! Honestly, this could have been a two-part fic, the first part being everything through Frodo's decision to turn back at the Grey Havens, and the second part comprising the drama leading up to the wedding and the first 1-2 years of their married life. Oh, well. Too late now, I think.

[frodothefair]

I have never liked yogurt, or indeed any fermented milk products.

But recently I discovered that I do like yogurt, in the form of tzatziki sauce.

It's devilishly easy to make, too! You stir some garlic, dill, lemon juice and cucumber into plain yogurt, and voila!

Now, veggies and tzatziki are my favorite snack.

[frodothefair]

Frodo, pre and post quest.

@autisticgenderworm wanted to know my headcanons about pre and post quest Frodo.

💐 ASK ME about my headcanons about hobbits and the Shire! 💐 Want to know if yours has been answered? Check here.

Let's see, where to start... My fic deals a lot with Frodo's post-quest transformation, so I needed some time to organize my thoughts and decide on what was most important. Most of these changes revolve around the fact that post-quest Frodo has PTSD and chronic pain.

APPEARANCE : Before the quest, Frodo was a jolly, round-cheeked hobbit with the large blue eyes and elfin features whom we all know and love. He was taller than average for a hobbit, and somewhat thin for a hobbit as well. Post-quest, he seems to age a couple decades on fast forward, which is in line with him losing the Ring, which slows down the aging process. As a result, his features become more angular, and he loses the youthful baby fat around his face. In fact, he loses weight as a whole because his PTSD puts him in a constant state of fight or flight, and that makes it hard to eat. His eyes are also more serious, sometimes haunted, as well as bloodshot and dark-rimmed at times because he has a hard time sleeping.

CLOTHING : Before the quest, Frodo was a bit of a dandy, just like Bilbo. He did not have rooms and rooms devoted to clothes, but he did have a decent collection of quality, well-fitting clothes and he got new ones on a regular basis. His wardrobe was well-tended -- no spots or buttons out of place here! -- and he liked his brocades, his damasks, and his velvets. After the quest, however, he hardly ever gets new clothes, and his old ones hang off of him like a rail, but he does not seem to care. He is not planning for the future, nor is he conscious of appearances.

HEALTH : On account of having PTSD and chronic pain, he eats poorly and sleeps ever worse. Before the quest, he enjoyed long, beautiful, engaging dreams, and could fall asleep anytime and anywhere, which helped him early in the journey. Post-quest, however, he repeatedly wakes up in a cold sweat, searching for the Ring in the sheets. He also does not walk nearly as far, and feels unsafe going far from home. He is bothered by bright lights and loud noises, including his tea kettle (which he fancies sounds like a Nazgûl), and imagines people spying at the windows. At times, if particularly stressed, he dissociates or has flashbacks and hallucinations.

INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS : On account of his illness, Frodo understandably has a hard time engaging in normal activities, including socializing. Before the quest, although he is somewhat odd and bookish, he is nonetheless sociable enough, and he wanders around the Shire, engaging in conversation with everyone he meets. He is also house-proud, and there is always a kettle on in his kitchen for visitors, and he drinks at the local inn along with the rest of the neighborhood. After the quest, however, he becomes decidedly unsociable, and rarely goes out. He has a hard time with large groups of people unless Sam is with him, and unfortunately, being unsociable does not help his case in gaining sympathy for his illness and appreciation for sacrifice.

[frodothefair]

Shoutout to the girlies who feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread