#Tulkas week

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

Just as Oromë was a mentor and friend to Celegorm, Tulkas was a mentor and friend to Maedhros, taking the young elf under his wing after seeing his potential as a great warrior.

Some say he mourned his favorite student's passing, and that he had wished he had done something to stop Maedhros from following his father.

Tags: @asianbutnotjapanese @cilil @edensrose

[aotearoa20]

Ainur and the Children

The three adversaries slain by Gothmog, one of whom slew him. @ainurweek

[cilil]

✧˖° Day 7: Dance | Tulkas x Nessa ✧˖° Synopsis: Nessa attempts to teach Tulkas some new dance moves. Tulkas is distracted. ✧˖° Warnings: / ✧˖° Drabble

"And then you move like this... hey, are you even paying attention?!" 

Tulkas snapped out of his trance with a sheepish expression. He wasn't sure at what point he had lost track of Nessa's explanation, hypnotised by the speed and poise with which her tiny naked feet tiptoed across the dancefloor while she talked. 

"Um –"

"I'll just show you then," she huffed and held out her hands. Tulkas took them obediently, but had no idea what to do. 

"If you want me to lead I don't –" 

Nessa laughed. "You? Lead? Not a chance. I'll lead until you get it right." 

If you enjoyed, please consider liking and reblogging!♡

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[neldeathstar]

Into the void...

Melkor's fall after the War of Wrath, shortly before he gets drawn into the void. (with Manwë, Aulë, Tulkas, Mairon) Ain't Mairon a faithful Maia? All he ever wanted was to be the best Maia for his Vala and to save him and their family (hc). He tries his best to be the best Maia to Melkor until his bitter end.

In this scene he tries to defend Melkor until the last second. He's not willing to let him go!! He will desperately try to fight them all if he must!!! Manwë is sad about all this pain ..about the pain Melkor put this world through, but also about the pain his brother felt in all these aeons, but someone had to end this, they had to stop Melkor. While Aulë just feels satisfaction about that victory over Melkor, Manwë feels pity cause he knows that he now has to seperate his fallen brother from his beloved Maia Mairon. All of the Ainur know about how much Melkor and Mairon love each other, but that love is fatal for the world that the Valar created. Melkor and Mairons love destroys Arda, so they must be seperated. While Tulkas gets ready to enchain Melkor, Aulë watches with malicious joy …he will never forget how Melkor stole his Maia.

//Angbang Week day 4/The Void

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Das Runde muss in das Eckige

This will be a sweet one for Week 2

Thanks to @cilil who keeps challenging, inspiring, motivating, and enabling me, I will give you a slice of Fëanturi trying to relax.

Have fun!

Words: 944

Characters: Námo, Vairë, Irmo, Estë, Nienna, Tulkas, Oromë, Manwë

Prompt: Shade

Warnings: In the name of honesty, I will specify that Tulkas is entirely naked in this ficlet.

Vairë arrived at the gathering a little late, on account of her having momentarily misplaced her favourite knitting needles.

As she had promised to craft a scarf for Eönwë, the foolish bird, to wear during his expeditions far beyond the spaces deemed safe, she had little choice but to locate the Eru-forsaken things before joining her family.

Sucking her teeth at Tulkas, who had purloined a spherical object from one of the Children and was bouncing it off his bare pectorals in a perplexing display of questionable skill, she made her way towards a spot of shade underneath a dense canopy of dark trees.

Vairë knew that she'd find her husband and his blessed siblings there just as surely as she knew that she'd choose a sparrow pattern for Eönwë's scarf.

"Beloved," she greeted before she even caught sight of the darker speck of shadow in which Námo was hiding.

"Wife," he grunted back affectionately. "Could I trouble you for a bit of string?"

"Whatever for, dearest?" Vairë asked, sitting down gracefully and arraying her various supplies neatly in the cool grass.

"To tie up Irmo," Námo grunted. "He's going to get himself squashed by that infernal ball Tulkas has stolen from the Eldar."

"Leave him be," Estë admonished softly, ever faithful to her husband and his ambitions, "he's having fun."

"He's not more fragile than you are, brother," Nienna agreed with one of her rare smiles—sometimes, it seemed that they were solely reserved for those brothers she was so devoted to.

This, as a matter of fact, was an erroneous belief for she shared the understated, cerebral humour of her brothers and merely hid her sharpest and most devastating remarks under a thin veil of doleful seriousness.

"He's..." Námo sputtered, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at his sister and his sister-in-law as they bathed him in the light of their benevolent, indulgent, and slightly patronising smiles.

"I know!" The cool, soothing hand of his sister alighting on his tense arm considerably assuaged Námo's nervous tension. “The world is old and so is he, dear. Have you not come hither to unwind? Try to do so now.”

"Let's not tether our brothers," Vairë laughed, only flinching a little bit at the uncomfortable memory of Manwë's brother who was still languishing in the endless, formless Void.

Leaning against the solid, reliable silhouette of the being she shared her existence and most of her love with, Vairë sighed happily.

It was rare for her husband to accept the invitations of his peers, but they had all needed some time away from their work.

"That one was out of bounds," Námo thundered as he witnessed Oromë trying to dupe Tulkas.

"Ever the judge," Nienna stated with indulgent mockery as she poured out the refreshing concoction Estë had brought to their little get-together.

"Incorrigible," Vairë giggled and extended her hand to the small, iridescent moth circling around her handiwork with evident interest.

"Irmo, my sweet," she greeted, "how fare you on this beautiful day? Do you like the scarf I am making for Eönwë?"

The moth settled on one of the formerly vanished needles and started vigorously cleaning itself.

"Won't you join us? Your brother is much dismayed on your behalf."

Changing back into the diaphanous, enchanting form he usually favoured when in company, Irmo gave her a cryptical smile.

"My brother," he purred, "likes worrying. It's all he does—he was made for it."

"Leave your brother alone," Estë and Nienna chided in unison.

Shrugging, Irmo let his shapely head settle on Námo's free shoulder.

"Won't you come over? We need a referee—I might have inspired too many dreams of success and greatness in our cherished fellow Valar to curb their ambition and enthusiasm now!"

Giving his younger brother an exasperated look, Námo turned his head and pressed a loving kiss onto his wife's head, bent over her steadily clicking needles.

"You shall weave," he declared, "and I shall judge. Thus are our destinies."

Looking up briefly to accept another, more intimate and passionate token of his love, Vairë grinned. "There's none more just and impartial as you, my beloved. Have fun!"

With measured, dignified steps, Námo moved towards the players as if to proclaim some terrible doom.

"Oh, no," Nienna cried out as she watched her brother go. "They're going to rope in the Maiar."

Tears of empathy and foreboding collected on her delicate lashes.

"I've got it," Estë assured her and reached for the grotesquely huge bag she brought everywhere, containing the most basic ingredients for healing poultices and soothing drafts.

"Our skills mix badly with their ambition," Irmo confessed sheepishly as his wife kept staring at him through narrowed eyes.

As the glaring did not subside, he lifted the hands of both his wife and his sister to his lips.

"It is your curse and burden to undo whatever mischief we cause, isn't it?" he chirped apologetically.

"So it seems," Estë commented good-humouredly—she was convinced that a bout of earnest, pure fun was worth the odd, temporary ailment.

On the playing field, Manwë had unexpectedly appeared and promptly disrupted the game by blocking a vital pass with his mighty body.

Instantly, Irmo reverted to his winged form to investigate how this would influence the thoughts and desires of the players who were all in considerable uproar at that interruption.

"I am keeping track," Vairë called without looking up from her work. "Tulkas' team was in possession of the thing."

Sharing a private smile of commiseration and deep love with the other ladies, she gave her husband—standing immovable beside the churned-up grass—another appreciative look and bent to her task once more.

@fellowshipofthefics Here's a sweet one for my last day of work :D

Lots of love from me!

[navyinks]

“Chaining of Melkor.” Tulkas, with the help of Orome and Yavanna, binds and imprisons Melkor.

Close ups & artist notes below cut

The chaining of Melkor is a theme I’ve been working on and off for about a year now, here are two of the attempts I can find on my twitter Dx I never went through with them though, I could never seem to find the right way to express the idea.

The visual inspiration for this one comes from Sebastiano Ricci’s “The Punishment of Cupid.” idk i just think it’s neat lol

whatever this style is called... it doesn’t allow for much characterization. I received critique (that I willingly asked for) that my characters lack expression. I tried to salvage that a little by giving each Valar their own little accessories... oh well I’m not sure it worked. But here are the close-ups

Tulkas: tried to give him as much muscle definition as possible, I think it’s not great to draw out each individual fibre of the deltoids. But to really push his muscular form, I think it worked. The pose is inspired by wrestling.

Melkor: I think he should have a lyre somewhere... Blue cloth to separate him from the “good” Valar.

Orome: self-explanatory I think... can’t get any more oromey than the bow/arrows and the disney princess birds lmao. iirc those are finches; nothing special, just very expressive.

At this point the piece was starting to reek of testosterone so i wanted to bring in a lady somewhere. I asked you guys a couple weeks ago which lady valar is the strongest. While I agree Nessa is likely to be physically the strongest, Yavanna was the best candidate for this piece since she was very vocal about her opposition to Melkor, and her association with plants makes her easier to identify in a painting.

Anyway this painting has been really difficult to finish, I’m genuinely surprised that I got to finish it before my birthday, it’s been a difficult past few weeks painting this on top of school >.< I gotta thank the artists of arda discord for helping me on composition (which blew up in my face regardless hah;;;) 

It’s funny because when I looked back at the sketch now, I realise that Tulkas was meant to be holding a sword and they were all meant to have wings. The wings I scrapped because the composition was getting overwhelming, maybe some other day I’ll go through with them??

[tamilhobbit]

Glorfindel Week Day 6 - Reawakening | Relationship with the Ainur | Return to Middle-Earth

Nienna, Olórin and Glorfindel.

Because of Glorfindel's purity of spirit (he took no part in the First Kinslaying for which the rest of the Noldor were banished, and he had sacrificed his life to protect his people - including Tuor and Idril, who were instrumental to the Valar's plans) he was re-embodied after only a brief time in the Halls of Waiting, the Elven afterlife. He then lived in Valinor for many years with the Ainur, ie the Valar and Maiar. In his new life he was imbued with powers that made him their equal.

During that time he became a follower and friend of Olórin, the Maia we now know as Gandalf. Olórin himself was a student of grey-hooded Nienna, one of the most powerful Valar; essentially the goddess of grief and mourning. Her followers learn wisdom, empathy and endurance in grief. I think it's particularly poignant and significant that our beloved Gandalf is said to follow *her*, not Varda or a warrior like Tulkas. And subsequently, despite being depicted as a warrior and basically a paladin, Glorfindel chooses to follow Olórin and potentially Nienna. I think it speaks volumes about what Tolkien valued.

To quote a much more modern piece of work that I also love - 'Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.'

So here is my attempt at Glorfindel and Olórin learning from Nienna. Again, I'm leaving it at the pencil sketch because I just know I'll lose the details if I ink it. 😜 @glorfindelweek

[dalliansss]

Turgon, tipsy, turns to Finrod. His vision is now in triples, and even though himself and his cousin are doing nothing but sitting with Glorfindel and Ecthelion (all of them in varying levels of drunkenness, really, not just tipsiness), still, Turgon's vision shows him three Finrod's, and he cannot help but think that right there is a disaster waiting to happen. Three. Finrods. Eru's withered balls. Not even Valinor can handle such a trainwreck waiting to happen. They started the drinking an hour after the Mingling. Just their usual. It is in the middle of a work week, and they can't really afford to be plastered, but Turgon knows Finrod will plaster himself anyway, and Ecthelion will have to fish his cousin from the nearest ditch, or rescue the nearest plant pot from Finrod's grasp.

"Wait," Turgon slurred. "Why do you know a lot about frogs?" He asks this as if this is the greatest mystery in Arda, and not the cryptic line in the Ainulindalë: all Music comes from Eru. "'S like....you've been...talking lot about frogs....why do you know all these things about frogs?"

The triple Finrods in his vision sway left to right.

"'Cause of Egg," Finrod says. "Cause my hanno asks all the things 'bout frogs....so I have to know lot about frogs. Frogs, you know. Ribbit ribbit." Then Finrod tips his head back and laughs uproariously.

Glorfindel laughs somewhere by Turgon's left. "Frogs are great," the second blond in the group supplies.

"You could eat them, you know," says Ecthelion. "Wonder if they taste good with potatoes."

"S like Finno," Turgon's words stumble one over the other. "Knows a lot about frogs. Maybe even more than Yavanna. And-- Ingoldo--know? Said exactly same thing. Because of Egg. He had to learn all this...trivia about frogs. What is it with frogs and Aikanár? Tell 'im-- tell 'im go be interested in penguins some time. Frogs. Tulkas's flea ridden beard. Frogs."

"We penguin waddle!" Finrod excitedly declares. In Turgon's vision, his cousin splits into four. Four! What was going on?!

"Wha's penguin waddle?" Ecthelion asks.

Finrod tries to stand. Tries. But his balance fails, and he topples sideways. Glorfindel squawks awkwardly and catches him. Both blonds giggle like no tomorrow, and Turgon finally goes cross-eyed, and he shuts his eyes. Ugh....now he's the one who needs a bucket....

[doodle-pops]

Can I please ask for the Ainur' reaction following their S/O to sleep? I just read the one about the House of Fingolfin and SQUEALS THATS SO CUTE *heart eyes*

a/n: I'm glad you enjoyed that one. Hope you like this one as well 😁

The Ainur ━ Finding their s/o sleeping in their bed

Manwë

Being the Elder King of all Arda meant spending hours even days away from you, so it wasn't a surprise when he enters his chambers to find you curled up against his pillow. His face would soften immediately and all the stress would drift away. Manwe would be quick to find himself pressed against your side and curling his arms around you.

Eönwë

When he returns from the War of Wrath and sees you clutching his feather tightly with a crunched face, he would feel saddened by the separation and guilty. Flying himself to your side, his wings immediately stretches you to cover you both before he pulled you in and kisses your head.

Tilion

Returning from his nightly shift of guiding moon across the night's sky, he stumbles into his cabin to witness you sprawled eagle style across his bed. The brilliant smile that spreads across his face as he crosses the room and sits at the edge increases his glow when you roll after sensing his presence.

Irmo

He knew you were an early riser, but was surprised when he found you still curled up in his bed, swaddled by all his feathery blankets. Light snores escaped your lips while your hands were silently roaming his side for his warmth. Irmo couldn't help but return to his side before you rolled off the bed in search of him.

Námo

After months of dealing with a fresh bath of fëar arriving at Mandos, he finally had time to take a short break and catch some rest. What he didn't expect was to fall asleep and meet you curled into his side with your arm and leg across him. Despite needing to return to his duties, Namo decided to spend a few extra hours cuddling with you.

Mairon

The last thing he expected to see in his bed, let alone napping, were you sprawled across his red velvet and gold beddings. Shaking his head at the sight of you, he found it unfair that you had taken up all the space and left no room for him which meant dealing with a grumpy you if he shifted you around. But, it didn't prevent him from rolling into bed while lifting your body to rest halfway atop him.

Melkor

While the Dark Lord rested, he never expected to feel a small slap across his face followed by incoherent mumblings. Flying up and turning to his side, there he observed you wiggling about in his bed, sleep fighting. Sighing with a shake of his head, he knew better than to nap close to you as he was a victim of your unorthodox bodily movements.

Tulkas

After wrestling, sparring and competing in numerous sporting events alongside the mighty Vala, he expected you to feel weary, but not sleeping in his bed. Sympathising with your tired state and chuckling at how you were lying due to the aches in your bones, he found himself sitting beside you while stroking your head with a smile on his face.

Oromë

The hunter knew that due to your mortal status, staying up for lengthy periods was not compatible with your anatomy, so it was no surprise when you called it a night during the hunt. When he returned weeks later, he was greeted by you nestled under his quilts directly in the moonlight. Oromë couldn't help but stand in the doorway and stare at how majestic you appeared.

Ulmo

You knew how busy your Lord was since he was tasked with assisting the Edain and Eldar in Middle Earth. When you saw him flop on his bed and drown in sleep, you decided that it would be sweet to cuddle him and provide that extra comfort. You can imagine Ulmo's surprise when he turns in his slumber and felt your arms encircling his body.

Ossë

Making his usual trip to your beach house every week, he waded through your house silently while carrying some of your favourite seashells to surprise you. But to his surprise, he stumbled upon you clutching your pillow and mumbling his name in a saddened voice. Ossë couldn't help but flop to your side and cradle your smaller frame, basking you in affection.

[aureentuluva70]

It's Ainur week, so I thought I'd talk about the lesser acknowledged Valar, the first being Este.

Despite being one of the Valar, Este seems to play a pretty minor role in the Silmarillion. She is mentioned only a handful of times, with the most info we get on her being from the Valaquenta:

"...Este the Gentle, healer of hurts and weariness, is his [Lorien's] spouse. Grey is her raiment; and rest is her gift. She walks not by day, but sleeps upon an island in the tree-shadowed lake of Lórellin. From the founds of Irmo and Estë all those who dwell in Valinor draw refreshment; and often the Valar come themselves to Lórien and there find repose and easing of the burden of Arda."

And...that's about it. We get very little else about her, which I must admit I find curious considering just how important the theme of healing and rest often is in many of Tolkien's works.

Many of Tolkien's heroes are often healers or receive healing in some way or another. One particularly well known one is Aragorn. "The hands of a king are the hands of a healer, and thus shall the rightful king be known." It is precisely Aragorn's ability to heal others that defines him as the rightful king of Gondor.

But there are many, many other healers in Tolkien's works aside from just Aragorn. There's Elrond, Luthien, Beleg, Glorfindel, Melian...

Speaking of Melian, I find it interesting that Melian, who is a powerful maia not to mention an incredibly important character in her own right, was said to have served Este and Vana in Valinor, both of whom are often seen as unimportant or out of place amongst the Valar.

As Dawn Felagund points out in her biography of Este, "Melian's own potency and agency within the story suggests Este did more than sleep and dabble about in Lorellin. Instead, we see in her relationship with Melian her role as a teacher of other women in her arts and power. Este's role in mentoring so powerful a character as Melian implies a similar--or greater--power within Este herself, even if this implication never bears out in the text of The Silmarillion."

This seems to suggest that it's not that Este's role is insignificant, but rather that her power simply often goes about unseen. It's not something that is as dramatic and obvious as Ulmo appearing to Tuor or Tulkas taking down Melkor. It's something that is much more subtle, but no less profound and powerful. Her power and influence can rather be seen in those she teaches, who in turn teach others what Este taught them.

I doubt it is a coincidence that the powers of Este appear the most clearly in the happiest and most hopeful of the tales of the Elder Days: The Tale of Beren and Luthien. Through magic revolving around sleep and peace, Luthien-daughter of Melian-is able to accomplish deeds no other person could have done. Her skill in healing is what saves Beren multiple times throughout the story. Her magical cloak, "enmeshed with woven spells of sleep" allows her to overcome not just Sauron but allows her to lull Morgoth himself to sleep. Only by the seemingly insignificant things were these great deeds accomplished.

"Many are the strange chances of the world, and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the wise falter."

[ainurweek]

Hey all! Work is kicking my butt, but Ainur Week (September 1 – 9) is still going strong! 😃

Today we’re celebrating Tulkas, Nessa, and the Balrogs, and works about war, dance, and darkness! ⚔️ 💃 🖤

A reminder that you can still post works for previous days. Y’all are super creative, and I love seeing what you’ve come up with!

– Your mod, @glorf1ndel 🌻

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

Tulkas would invite elves with exceptional fighting skills to come and live with him in his halls in Valmar. He personally sees to their training, helps them choose weapons and armor that suit them best, and often joins them for the first meal of the day.

@cilil @asianbutnotjapanese @edensrose

[warrioreowynofrohan]

I’ve been working on a series of short ficlets/drabbles for @tolkiengenweek on characters’ Returns from the Halls of Mandos; some silly, some serious. Most of them I haven’t finished yet, but here’s the first of them.

Fingolfin (Wonder)

“Such hurt at the least will I do to the Foe of the Valar that even the mighty in the Ring of Doom shall wonder to hear it…” ~ Fëanor

Fingolfin did not have a tranquil return to life.

He had only just opened his eyes and scrambled to his feet, blinking against the unaccustomed light - has just begun to register the sensation of air on his skin and the scents of the garden around him - when he was bowled off his feet by a sudden, vast blow.

“DUDE,” said a loud, boisterous voice far above him. “DUDE. That was AWESOME!”

Tulkas picked him up bodily and placed him on his feet again as Fingolfin struggled to catch his breath.

“That was AWESOME!” he repeated. “You kicked his ASS!”

“I did lose,” Fingolfin observed, a broad smile breaking across his face in spite of it. He’d recognized that his return to life meant the Valar had pardoned him, but he hadn’t expected them to be this…enthusiastic.

(Though to be fair, he’d only had a few Vala to draw conclusions from, and Námo had never been enthusiastic about anything in his life.)

And he had never regarded his death in exactly this light before, rather than as rash despair that had left the Noldor unmoored.

“You’re an elf! You should never have been able to scratch him! You wouldn’t have been able to if he hadn’t fucked himself up so badly, that’s why we thought you were all mad when you went away. But you hurt him! Badly! You scared him, the damn coward! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

That was an extremely enjoyable thought. A lifetime’s experience of attempting to avoid at least outward displays of ego, however strong inner pride grew, made him make one more attempt. “Lúthien won.”

“Lúthien! That was stupendous! Nessa adores her, she was crowing about it for weeks! ‘She beat him with dance, dance, dance!’ We’ve spent many years since bickering about which of you was more impressive. But Lúthien was nice about it. She didn’t stab him. I still like you best!”

Fingolfin could not stop himself from laughing, and for the first time in a long while, he didn’t even want to.

“You beat him,” he said, “and I am very grateful for it! You clearly followed my fight closely enough! - would you care to give me a play-by-play of yours?”

“Oh, that,” said Tulkas. “He was terribly boring by the end. Very little to tell. Now, the rest of the war” - brightening again - “that was marvellous! I wish you’d been there! Your little brother, he’s a surprisingly talented commander, but he doesn’t know how to enjoy these things properly!”

He regaled Fingolfin with tales of the War of Wrath all the way back to Tirion.

[cilil]

Headcanons: The Day of Love

I felt spontaneously inspired to write down my headcanons (yes, I've thought of this before a few times) for Valentine's Day in Valinor, or, as it's known there, the Day of Love, featuring both Ainur and Elves. Enjoy!

♡ The establishment of a dedicated holiday to celebrate couples and other forms of love and companionship was, as certain people (*cough* Melkor) would snidely remark in later ages, most likely inevitable due to Manwë being a hopeless romantic and Irmo's penchant for playing matchmaker (and subsequently winning bets he made with his wife and siblings).

♡ After Tulkas and Nessa were wed - within the circles of Arda, unlike the other Valar who espoused their partners earlier - Manwë was inspired to take action and create this holiday, as everyone had greatly enjoyed the festivities and many wished to have the opportunity to express their affection for their loved ones in a similar manner, without the pomp of a wedding.

♡ It was decided that the Day of Love would be in spring, as per Vána's suggestion. To this day, there's still some debate among the inhabitants of Valinor whether she simply thought the season was appropriate or whether she was making a thinly veiled mating season joke; the Ever-young, however, has declined to comment on this. It takes place in the month of Súlimë (March), much to the delight of Manwë, usually within the third week since this is (roughly) the beginning of the season, as determined by Yavanna and Vána.

♡ Over the ages, various traditions evolved. Among the first and most notable to this day is Manwë's poetry soirée, where everyone is invited to share their romantic poems and other writings - a special iteration of his regular writing group get-togethers that strives to be as inclusive and affirming as possible. Ever since the first Day of Love was celebrated, Manwë has written a new poem for his beloved queen every single year, and Varda shows her appreciation with breath-taking meteor showers. The event has naturally become important to the Vanyar in particular, especially those who are regulars among Manwë's fellow poetry enjoyers.

♡ Irmo and Estë take great pleasure in hosting a "casual tea time feast" (as described by the Lord of Lórien himself) that welcomes not only couples or friend groups, but also explicitly those who feel lonely on such a day and would like some easy company. While Estë and her Maiar serve herbal teas for health and good spirits and bake lots of delicious cakes and other treats, Irmo prepares his (in)famous punch which so far has never failed to get a party going and distributes special "love candy" that has also come under scrutiny a few times, but is still consumed with great delight by those who dare.

♡ Aside from (more or less) innocent tea party shenanigans, Irmo is wide awake on the Day of Love for different reasons as well, mutating into the kind of entity we know as Cupid. The use of arrows has been forbidden, but that does little to stop the Lord of Dreams and Desire from making his OTPs come true by providing a little bit of "assistance". He gleefully plants courage and inspiration into the hearts and minds of Ainur and Elves alike, so that they may finally confess those feelings they have been carrying around for too long. It has been alleged that he has attempted to play bingo with his brother in regards to these things coming to pass, yet nothing could be proven and Námo, as usual, was silent.

♡ Oromë, being in good spirits as hunting season is drawing near, likes to host a special hunting events where couples (and throuples and so on, naturally) can either compete against each other or team up to hunt and see if their love is strong enough to catch even the greatest prey. While it's all in good fun and the competitive side isn't taken seriously, Oromë and his people do hold the belief that the ability to work together and cooperate, as well as engaging in friendly, playful competitions without hostility or ill will, are important parts of a relationship of any kind and thus can be a good test for couples looking to get married in particular. It is also worth noting that the hunting duels of Aredhel and Celegorm have become particularly infamous and are to this day lauded as a great example.

♡ Tulkas, as always, is looking for a fun little fight and a good laugh, and those sharing his passion are welcome in his mansion for a special kind of celebration. Many Elves and Ainur alike seek to prove themselves in battle against their peers to win the affection and admiration of whoever they wish to court, as well as engage in friendly duels with their friends and loved ones. Making sure that everything is as fair as it can be, Tulkas presides over these fights with glowing pride and invites all participants to attend a great feast after.

♡ Said feast is usually coupled with a special performance by Nessa and her Maiar, as well as others who wish to join them, and afterwards everyone is invited to dance with their partners. It is not unusual for non-martially-inclined couples to spend their day elsewhere but attend Nessa's dance party in the evening, and oftentimes the lord and lady can also be seen on the dance floor together.

♡ For Yavanna and Vána, the Day of Love is yet another instance of their boundless generosity. The two Valier share their gifts and boons freely, providing flowers, fruits and materials for the crafting of presents; sometimes even advice to those who seek it. Year after year, their husbands show their gratitude - as well as vicariously for the rest of Valinor - by crafting and hunting special gifts for them, and it is said that the trees and flowers bloom even more beautifully on that day to celebrate their ladies' joy.

♡ Among the Elves, traditions are varied as well. Particularly famous is the pearl-diving of the Teleri, a test of both courage and skill where young and old lovers alike venture out into the sea and seek to find the most beautiful pearls to bring home to their partners. Ulmo gives his blessings freely to all who attempt such a feat and, together with his Maiar, makes sure that everyone returns home safely; over the years, many a daring Elf had to be fished out of more perilous waters. These pearls - and other treasures that were found - are particularly precious to the Teleri and objects crafted from or with them may even become family heirlooms.

♡ The Noldor, together with Aulë, Vairë and their Maiar, spend a lot of time before the Day of Love crafting wonderful gifts for their loved ones. These creations are a matter of great pride and may hold a lot of different, intricate meanings, often being a key component in courtship. Aside from all sorts of trinkets, couples are often seen exchanging promise jewelry. A particularly noteworthy occurrence over the years was the unveiling of a great Fëanor statue, made by none other than Nerdanel during their courtship, and to this day spectators claim that they have never seen Fëanor this speechless before or after.

♡ The Vanyar, aside from attending the festivities in Ilmarin, are also fond of music and love to sing or otherwise perform for their loved ones. Such performances are often done with special costumes and instruments, and the gifting of instruments is regarded as something especially intimate and meaningful. Those among the Maiar of Manwë and Varda who are not too fond of poetry like to join the Vanyar instead, offering their own songs and arts as entertainment. Eönwë and other avian Ainur are regularly asked for their feathers and even grow special plumage to accommodate these requests.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to take inspiration from these (though as always a little shout-out is appreciated if you create your own stuff based on this post ♡).

[wifeglor]

10, 14, 17 please!

Thank you!! 💕💕

10. Do you have music/playlists that have inspired your writing? Share some smutty song recs.

Maybe less "inspired my writing," but I do listen to music while I write smut! I usually get really into like the groove of writing to a few specific songs per story, so I don't have a consistent smut writing playlist or anything. They have to have some kind of beat that will magically hypnotize my brain into writing and usually they tend to be some pop song. SOME HIGHLIGHTS from smut week writing listening:

Miley Cyrus - Island

Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana

Florence and the Machine - Landscape

Alice Cooper - Poison

Kanika Kapoor - Lovely from the Bollywood heist movie "Happy New Year"

Yang Yuying - 桃花运 which I found from a reposted douyin. I've listened to this SO many times

In terms of "smutty song recs" though I feel like the sexiest songs currently coming to mind are Lady Gaga - G.U.Y., Jill Scott - He Loves Me, Melissa Ferrick - Drive (funny version; serious version)... and a million others you know how it is

14. What are your favorite smut tropes?

Answered here!

17. Who are your favorite canon couples to write smut for?

Canon couples have been rather neglected by me but I know they're safe in others' hands! I think I will say Nessa/Tulkas (I'm ride or die for the Hot Nessa Agenda). I've thought multiple times about writing Fëanor/Nerdanel messy angsty hookup and even started at points, but haven't gotten that far. Also, Melian/Thingol are one of the sexiest canon couples in my brain and I'd be interested in perhaps writing them sometime (in a more focused way, that is; I kind of have but Melian is more of a background voyeur in the Daeron/Thingol smut fic I posted!)

[aules-percious-maia]

@cilil @wandererindreams @edensrose you guys gave me a headcanon of Mairon. Thanks alot.

One of Mairons favorite pastimes is watching people work out. It started when Aulë and Tulkas joined for a workout schedule for their maiar to do daily workouts for strength training and muscle building. Maironwas hestatent but obeyed and gained a few pounds from his muscles developing within a few weeks. As he continued to do his workouts he would scan the area, seeing how other maiar would train incorrectly and harm themselves in the end. He would also check out more muscular maiar and watch them in a fascination like no other, Curumo caught on easily. Months went by and on Mairons off days he would go to the training ground, unnoticed as he sat on a bench with a snack in hand while his eyes feasted upon the maiar who worked out. "It's like sex, but without the penetration. They are reaching their maximum potential, they are pushing themselves and sweating, they groan by the end, and they are satisfied with their outcome in the end."