#abusive melian

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Do ya have any more headcannons about the whole Thingol and Melian you sometimes write about over here? I really like the concept of Thingol being Melian's thrall basically

Yes yes yes! It’s pretty much canon in my mind

So Thingol isn’t being mind controlled by Melian 24/7, it’s mostly during important events /decisions.

When it’s just an average day, Melian loosens her control over him (bc she’s a sadist) so that she can say she doesn’t control him all the time. Unfortunatly for him, when he isn’t being mind controlled, Melian is verbally and occasionally physically abusing him, so it’s a toss up on which he prefers: mind control, where he doesn’t have to think to much and isn’t constantly being hurt, or no mind controll, but he is constantly being hurt and gaslit.

By the time the noldo came to the eastern shores, Thingol has pretty much given up, which is why his personality switches between mind control and no mind control aren’t noticeable.

Furthermore, Melian likes to make herself out as the good guy, so she has Thingol act and decide things that actually she wants, but she herself will play as the disapproving, compassionate wife. This means that most elves, espescially the noldo who haven’t been around to witness the breaking down of thingol’s will, believe that Melian is the one to talk to in order to get Thingol to work with them, and it gives the impression that, if anything, Thingol is the abusive one in the relationship, essentially trapping Thingol, and preventing him from escaping due to social pressure.

Luthien knows exactly what’s going on, but other elves either 1. Don’t believe her (like her Noldorin cousins) or are not in a position to help her and Thingol completely. They might be able to keep melian down momentarily, but they can’t put a permanent stop to it unless they are willing to risk the eradication of all the sindar.

As mentioned in previous posts, this really leads to a “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” mentality in the sindar, and even all the way to the third age the concept is pushed that Melian was merciful and Thingol was not.

Luthien, whenever she needs to get away from Melian’s abuse (with her it’s more verbal/gaslighting and watching her father get hurt), runs to Oropher, the head of house Edireth, bc he’s one of the only elves who has enough power to stop Melian in her tracks unless she’s willing to risk it all. She has a permanent room in his household, where she keeps all her diaries listing the abuse Melian has put her and Thingol through, bc she knows that if she keeps those diaries where Melian can access them, they’ll end up destroyed. This is her way of documenting proof of melian’s abuse bc she knows no one will believe her if she accusses he mother without proof.

Luthien is also pen palls with Lasgen, her cousin, god mother (Thingol was able to gain controll for enough time to make Lasgen Luthien’s god mother, bc he didn’t trust melian for one bit) and Oropher’s grand daughter, who lives (at this time) in the Arctic Empire (an Avari nation), and Lasgen has hundreds of letters where Luthien is venting about exactly what is happening in her home.

Also as mentioned in previous posts, Luthien didn’t only choose to marry, live and die with Beren bc she loved him, she also did it to escape her mother’s grasp.

However, Luthien’s departure from his life ultimately broke Thingol, and she’ll forever regret that.

Now, the ainur aren’t really good in this au, especially the valar, so when Thingol comes out of the halls, Melian gets control of him once again and the valar do nothing about it, and no one really helps him, bc everyone has been so gaslit into believing that Thingol is the bad guy and melian is the good guy, that no one even knows smth is going on.

Except Olwe, Ingwe, and Finwe that is.

And as much as they want to tear him away from Melian, they have to play the long game and little by little break Elwe away from that bitch.

It isn’t untill into the 5th age that they, with the help of other Avari and cuivienen elves (bc they are some of the only ones not blinded by the ainur’s powers), manage to fully destroy the marraige and chase Melian away from Elwe. Of course, this causes further chaos amongst the elves as a whole bc if Melian could succesfully make most of the elven population believe that she is the good guy, even though she’s just as bad as Sauron, what else are the ainur doing? Especially considering they didn’t intervene now that they were in valinor.

[eri-pl]

Elu Thingol, because he deserves something too.

I didn't realize @sindarweek is a thing but I've learned it while the post was sitting in the queue, so…

[gravidwithlore]

Here's the whole dang polycule! I wanted a sort of official reference for myself to keep track of everybody's design (at least at the start of their story and pre-pregnancy for Brone) and decided to put them together in a handy height chart. Backstories, etc down below

Brone

He/Him, mtf, bi/demisexual

Age: 42

Class: Rogue

(Accidentally forgot his og 5 o'clock shadow oops)

Orphaned at 8 by raiders destroying his village, Brone has had a hard life. Forgotten by the other refugees of his village, abused by the orphanages, starving and homeless on the streets. Around 16-17 he decided to join a mercenary company, already with a few scars of his own battles on the streets, he quickly earning a reputation as gruff and stand-offish. Due to the fact that he's been binding since he was young and he lives in a fantasy world where magic T potions are cheap and widely available, nobody (alive, at least) knew he was trans until he went into labor, and gave birth to his son, Wulf, while ferrying Melian, Jiyan, and Rhiannon through the dangerous Wandering Woods. Deeply anxious and Depressed™️, he doesn't do the best job of taking care of himself, it doesn't help that he's still in the scarcity mindset he had to live by in his teenage years. Technically human, but descended from giants (specifially storm giants, its part of where the Anxiety comes from), he is not aware of this until later on.

Brendan

He/Him, cis, pansexual

Age: 38

Class: Barbarian/Artificer

(Accidentally forgot to add freckles)

Brendan also lost his parents, who had been blacksmiths and taught him the trade, but while he was in his 20's. His little sister, with a desire to become an adventurer, convinced him to go on a journey to avenge their parents/get info about their death. He reluctantly agreed, and for the next few years absolutely hated it. He had gotten separated from his sister, kept prisoner, and forced into labor once his captors found out about his smithing talents. While his sister got a little sidetracked, living out a true adventurers fantasy (getting distracted by sidequests and forming her own adventuring party), Brendan was in his own personal hell, his passion for smithing turned against him, as he tried to calculate and plan his escape. Eventually, he escaped and helped free the other prisoners, and reunited with his sister. Afterwards they stop to rest in the village, where the rest will eventually arrive a few years later, and Brendan tells her he's had enough and settles down to be the villages blacksmith, and reclaims his passion on his own terms. Also mostly human, he may be a tall boy, but he is descended from dwarves (he got that dwarven swagger and metalworking autism).

Rhiannon

She/Her, mtf, bisexual

Age: 32

Class: Wizard (Bladesinger)/Fighter

Rhiannon comes from a long line of warriors, specifically monster hunters. Somewhere down the line, the family reached some sort of truce with most of monster kind, but the warrior/hunter spirit never really left. They were totally cool when she came out as trans, and a little confused when she was interested in academics just as much as she was in combat. But her family ultimately disapproves of her choice to take over the abandoned farm left to the family by a distant relative. No matter how much she explains how tired she is of adventuring, of traveling all the time, of constantly being on alert for any sign of a fight; her family refuses to get it. She's been traveling/in a relationship with Melian and Jiyan for several years, and has grown closer to them than she ever was with her own family. Surprisingly, the only one in the polycule who's 100% human.

Jiyan

He/Him, cis, pansexual

Age: 34

Class: Bard

Jiyan is your typical flirty twink himbo bard, and also, so much more. Part of a semi-secret order of bards, whose entire mission is to find and neutralize cursed and evil musical instruments. Well they focus on all cursed objects, but specialize mostly in musical instruments. Met Rhiannon and Melian on one of his missions to find and secure one such instrument, and has been with them (adventuring, but also in an open relationship) ever since. Most of their adventures in the past few years have actually been in service to his mission and his order, since neither of them really had their own agenda while adventuring. Some of his stupidity/flirting/general bard-ness is overplayed, serving the dual purpose of letting people underestimate him until it's too late and helping him resist the psychic damage many cursed instruments give off. Doesn't entirely understand Rhiannons desire to quit adventuring and live the farm life, but he supports her all the way. He'll of course still be called out on missions, but it might be nice to have a base to come back to that isn't just full of other bards. Half-elf.

Melian

They/Them, nonbinary, asexual

Age: ??? (they're an elf idk)

Class: Cleric/Druid

Melian was mostly raised in the forest by an order of druidic healers who rever the circle of Life and Death. Melian was much more drawn to the Life aspect of things, and was taught how to assist Life in all the ways it might need their assistance, from midwifery to gardening to fighting as a last resort. They always felt that though they themselves are a part of Life, they were more of an outside observer who sometimes lends a helping hand. Because of this, their social skills are a little lacking, at least when they leave the forest they call home and mingle with the rest of the world. Rhiannon is the first person, outside of their forest, that they felt like they can be themselves around without undue judgement. It takes them a little but longer to open up to Jiyan when the pair meet him, but eventually they grow to be comfortable around him as well. Is excited to help with Rhiannons farm, in fact they immediately told her they would be in charge of seeds, planting, landscaping, etc. May be planning a few plant experiments as well. 100% elf (but not the insufferable kind).

[allthatglittersisnotgoldrush]

The Road So Far: A Brief Summary of the Gold Rush AU (Part I, by TolkienGirl)

Recently a reader brought to our attention the need for a succinct narrative summary of the events of the AU. In addition to compiling that (please see Part I, covering the "pre-series" timeline through Maedhros' capture), we refer you to our Wordpress, which includes a timeline and an organization of our first four "Series"... that is, the order of chapter fics and one-shots, vignettes and flashbacks etc., into plot arcs that could roughly provide the basis for "All That Glitters," the prestige TV show.

EVENTS OCCURING PRE-1851

 [Stories detailing these events are sprinkled throughout the chronological timeline]

The pre-canon timeline begins in the late 1700s/early 1800s when Finwe, a talented metalworker, emigrates from Ireland, settles in Philadelphia to work in the steel-business, and marries Miriel (whose mental and physical health are precarious). Feanor is born in 1807, when Miriel dies in childbirth. Finwe, a Catholic, marries Indis, an Anglican woman (whose family disapproves of the match) in 1808. Thereafter, Fingolfin (1809) and Finarfin (1810) are born.

When Feanor is going on eighteen, Finwe relocates to New York, where Manwe Sulimo is a rising politician. Finwe is interested in locally representing Irish interests. Feanor is apprenticed in Boston to Aule, a blacksmith, and meets Nerdanel (b. 1809), then a lonely girl in finishing school.

They are married in 1827, despite the disapproval of Nerdanel’s Scottish father (Mahtan), settle in the Hudson Valley on Formenos farm, and have seven sons: Maedhros (b. 1828), Maglor (b. 1829), Celegorm (b. 1832), Caranthir (b. 1835), Curufin (b. 1836), and twins Amrod and Amras (b. 1837).

Meanwhile, Finarfin elopes with Earwen in Ulmo’s Bridge (Missouri) in 1828, temporarily earning Finwe’s disapproval. Finrod is born in 1829, Angrod in 1833, Aegnor in 1834, and Galadriel in 1836.

Fingolfin marries Anaire (of French descent) in NYC in 1830. Fingon is born in 1831, Turgon in 1833, Aredhel in 1834, and Argon in 1837.

In 1832, Manwe’s older brother Melkor Bauglir (who inherited the family plantation in the antebellum South) visits New York, taking an interest in influencing politics. At a dinner hosted by Manwe, Finwe and Feanor encounter Melkor, and Feanor (being an abolitionist, naturally) helps Melkor’s slave Rumil, an accomplished mapmaker, escape.

Following his encounter with Melkor, Feanor’s paranoia increases, which leads him to be stricter with his children (especially Maedhros) and to secretly abuse Maedhros as a way of trying to teach him to endure pain. When Nerdanel discovers this, she puts a stop to it, but Maedhros develops an early understanding that he is to serve as a protector of his family, including his father, if need be.

In 1835, Finwe is elected to City Council in New York. In 1837, Feanor buys an additional home in the City to keep tabs on his half-family. In 1841, Rumil, who has relocated to California, has met a land-holder and cattle-rancher, Elu Thingol (a Spaniard, married to a Chinese woman, Melian). Rumil and Thingol have negotiated for Rumil to take over a property called Mithrim, which contains a diamond mine that Rumil thinks Feanor would be best able to help access and harvest. Feanor conducts a secret mission to California, reconnecting with Rumil, building the Mithrim bridge, and finding a large diamond. Suspicious of Feanor’s activity, Melkor visits Formenos in April (shortly after Feanor’s departure) and takes an interest in 13-year-old Maedhros. Without Feanor to manage the farm or provide for the family, Nerdanel and the boys endure a hard winter. Maedhros begins to develop a tendency towards disturbing premonitions.

Feanor returns in 1842, gifting the diamond to Finwe. Melkor, intrigued by the happenings out west, visits Doriath but is turned away after showing lecherous attentions to 13-year-old Luthien. He begins to explore the continental U.S. more broadly, and, in doing business with a former nautical mapmaker, takes an interest in his 18-year-old daughter Estrela (Arien). After Estrela refuses his proposal of marriage, Melkor has his protégé Mairon capture and torture her. Renamed “Belle,” she is then enslaved as part of a workforce that Melkor uses to advance his westward projects, supervised by a former plantation overseer of his, Cosomoco Gothmog.

In 1843, Morgoth’s steel manufacturing enterprise (one of his eastern ventures) is found to be corrupt and rife with worker abuse. He is recalled from his western travels and sanctioned. He is confined to house arrest rather than being imprisoned. Meanwhile, Feanor sends Maedhros and Maglor to be educated in the city, though he chooses not to send any of the younger boys, which negatively contributes to Celegorm’s self-perception. For the next several years, Maedhros struggles against the temptations of high society while Maglor begins a promising musical education/career. There is increasing unrest between Feanor and his half-family, but Fingon and Maedhros form a very strong mutual friendship.

In 1847, Finwe retires from City Council (with a ceili/party at Formenos). Maedhros meets Finrod’s friend Esther Landau, a young Jewish woman. Feanor and Finwe intend to have Maedhros fill Finwe’s seat on City Council, while Maedhros is more interested in proposing to Esther. In the end, neither event comes to pass: at the end of 1848, Maedhros rejects his grandfather and father’s plans, quarrels with Feanor, and privately breaks off his relationship with Esther without ever introducing her to his family. Just before this, Finrod departs on a solo western adventure.

Meanwhile, Melkor has been quietly released from his imprisonment. In addition to his frontier developments, which he has been remotely managing, he now advises Manwe and other council members. Feanor is aware enough of this to wish for Maedhros to help him investigate Melkor’s doings.  By 1849, Maedhros has sunk into a debauched lifestyle, which Fingon (studying to be a doctor under Olorin the physician) is largely unaware of but which Fingolfin notices and is dismayed by. Increasingly paranoid, Feanor threatens Fingolfin’s life after a tense spring and growing conflicts. This creates a rift between Fingon and Maedhros for a time.

In 1850, Melkor has Finwe murdered on the front steps of his home and steals the diamond. Feanor is convinced that Melkor had a hand in the murder, but is unable to completely convince Fingolfin. Maedhros and Fingon reconcile to an increased degree, although both still feel uncertain.

EVENTS OCCURRING 1851 – mid-1852 (“SERIES ONE”)

The timeline for the story officially begins in 1851, in New York. Finrod has recently returned from his western exploration, during which he befriended Beren, whose (now-extinct) tribe is indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, and who, some years before, met and fell in love with Luthien in Doriath. Still unable to seek justice for Finwe’s death, Feanor now wishes to move out west and join Rumil at Fort Mithrim. Feanor and Maedhros gain information from Finrod about the gold prospects in California.

Manwe selects Melkor as the spearhead of the western railroad expansion. Disgusted by this assignment of power, Fingolfin agrees to join Feanor in relocating. Finrod intends to go as well. Finarfin and the rest of his family stays behind, but Galadriel (Artanis) secretly stows away with Fingolfin’s train. Feanor, who is leaving first, has been entrusted with the money to procure wagons at Ulmo’s Bridge in Missouri, where Finarfin’s father-in-law Olwe lives. Nerdanel initially opposes the plan to go west, but is persuaded by the inevitable.

On the road, Feanor and his family encounter Gothmog, who taunts them with Melkor’s rising power and the diamond taken from Finwe’s body. Gothmog injures Nerdanel, which increases Feanor’s resolve to move quickly and trust nobody. In early July 1851, Feanor double-crosses Fingolfin and the townspeople at Ulmo’s Bridge, stealing enough wagons for himself and destroying the res, then killing a number of the town’s militia. He then escapes by burning the titular bridge behind them, knocking Maedhros unconscious when he (Maedhros) refuses to cooperate. Nerdanel, having refused to join in this plan, remains behind.

Now wanted, Feanor, Maedhros, and the other boys continue west, collecting new allies along the way, largely through Maedhros’ recruiting efforts. Celegorm engages in a skirmish that ends with a man being killed and a new manhunt being launched. Maedhros also barters sex for information with a string of barmaids and prostitutes along the way, including Melkor’s spy Thuringwethil, who assaults and scars him by way of claiming a “trophy” for Bauglir.

Rumil tries and fails to communicate to Feanor that increased hostility in the vicinity of Mithrim means it is no longer a safe place for them to join forces. Mairon has insinuated himself as a spy within Mithrim, for a time, and then massacred several of Rumil’s best men. An increased number of militia-men of unknown allegiance are also patrolling the countryside and harassing Mithrim’s inhabitants (who include natives tribespeople and former slaves).

Meanwhile, Fingolfin and his family arrive at Ulmo’s Bridge to find themselves betrayed. After seeing Nerdanel, who intends to return east to Indis, Fingolfin chooses to advance his course with a northward river-crossing. Turgon’s wife Elenwe gives birth to their daughter Idril on the trail, which causes the family as a whole to stop for a time (as autumn closes in). After leaving Elenwe and Idril with a settler family, Fingolfin’s company continues onward. They encounter a posse seeking to revenge Celegorm’s kill, which results in Argon’s death. Fingolfin’s company flees farther north and is caught in a Nebraska blizzard which takes Anaire’s life. While the rest starve, snowbound, they are rescued by Haleth (a native leader who works cooperatively with Thingol, and, unbeknownst to Thingol, with Beren) and her company, which includes Beren and Wachiwi, another native woman who forms a close relationship with Fingon.

Shortly before arriving in Mithrim (between Christmas and New Year’s 1852), Feanor and company encounter Mairon spying on them. After being taunted and questioned by Maedhros, he escapes.

At Mithrim, Rumil is somewhat reluctant to assimilate Feanor’s company. It is revealed that Feanor’s interventions in Mithrim’s development a decade past led to a falling out with Thingol of Doriath, specifically with respect to the diamond mine and the diamond that Feanor gave Finwe. Feanor returns to mining, and also begins to launch attacks on the railroad. Maedhros and Celegorm, on an exploratory mission, discover that the nearby Mount Diablo is being excavated.

Amid growing tensions within Mithrim in the late spring of 1852, Amrod decides to write to Nerdanel. Rumil attempts to mail the letter for him, but returns seriously injured/poisoned. Amrod then rides out himself. Urged by Maedhros and Amras, Feanor and his sons go to find him, but end up embroiled in a standoff with Gothmog at the Utumno headquarters of the railroad project. Feanor is mortally wounded by Gothmog. Maedhros leads the return to Mithrim, but after Feanor dies, rides out without his brothers to attempt to track Amrod down. Mairon and then Gothmog surround and capture Maedhros. Gothmog reveals that Amrod’s horse slipped down a riverbank, and he is presumed dead.

Maedhros is delivered to Melkor in “Angband,” the fortress built within “Thangorodrim” (Mount Diablo).

[hirazuki]

Give me all the hot takes

🔥🔥🔥

OMG I feel like I have nothing but hot takes, if I listed them all we'd be here for years 🤣 I will give as many as the number of flames you sent!

Under a cut, because (unsurprisingly) it got long XD

There is ✧･ﾟ:* nothing *:･ﾟ✧ in the published text of The Silmarillion to indicate that Eol was chronically abusive/violent towards Aredhel or Maeglin during all their years together. One single snippet of dialogue of one single exchange of heated words does not constitute an abusive environment, as neither do arguments/disagreements or the experiencing of anger. If anything, instead of being present and violent, it seems as though distance grew between them and he made himself scarce more often than not. His relationships with both his wife and his son are clearly shown to be cases of mutual deterioration over time -- people who are fundamentally at cross purposes with each other, as far as wants and beliefs and desires go, and the text quite solidly implies that Aredhel had her share of the blame, given as she was to recklessness, impulse, changeable mood and mind, etc. -- and this decline was almost exclusively exacerbated by the effect of outside forces on their lives (Sindar vs. Noldor, the ban on quenya, Feanor's sons and Aredhel's connection with them specifically, etc.), rather than any more domestic issues between them. Was it unhealthy? Sure, but certainly nowhere near the picture general fandom paints "canon" out to be, and I wish more people would engage in the wonderful nuance the text provides us with. Also, as far as published Silm goes, Eol wove enchantments to draw Aredhel to his dwelling, but it doesn't say he forced or coerced or enchanted her to enter; she entered and stayed willingly. And it drives me crazy to see people flay Eol as a rapist in one breath, while going 'YAS QUEEN' for Melian with another*, when it's the same scenario in, incredibly, the same place -- it smacks of double-standards, and a couple of other words that I will refrain from using, as some people on this website think I'm nice and I'd hate to shatter that illusion XD *I have absolutely no issue with Melian; I really enjoy her as a character. It's the hypocrisy that I can't stand :)

I've ranted about this before in the tags of some post somewhere, but: Celebrimbor. It's been my experience that, fairly frequently, there's a tendency to portray him in a manner that tends to make him very... bland. Wonderbread™, if you will. Idk if it's to contrast Annatar or to contrast Feanor and Curufin, but it ends up making Celebrimbor far too soft and pliable and people-pleasing, distastefully so, taking away all of the interesting hard surfaces and edges. Yes, he distances himself from his family and rejects them; yes, he can want to build a new reputation of his own, untainted by the First Age; yes, Ost-in-Edhil can be a place of open doors and second chances; yes, he can be hyper-aware of his legacy as Feanor's grandson and seek to present an opposite image through his words and actions -- all of this is beautiful. But it's even more beautiful if he's allowed to have traits that are callbacks to his father and grandfather; let him be angry (in private or in public, in short isolated spurts that come out of nowhere or as a simmering undercurrent), let him be shrewd and sharp and opinionated (let Annatar cut himself on him a little). This doesn't mean he can't also be kind and earnest and honest and trying his best. Most of all, let him be greedy -- not only for knowledge or power in and of themselves, not necessarily, but for what those things can afford him: the ability to make that which he loves (i.e. Middle Earth) a better, grander place. We're all greedy for the things we want, and I would argue most of those things aren't negative -- stability, acceptance, a better tomorrow, etc. Greed isn't limited to physical things or luxuries and it isn't inherently a bad thing! [/troy baker voice]. There's just so much there to play with, even completely aside from his dynamic with Annatar, and it just makes me equal parts sad and upset to see a character with such ambition and potential and fire frequently so babied and made naive, that he is reduced to the written equivalent of a soggy waffle.

Okay, now for something that is a bit more lighthearted and personal, but no less hot -- and perhaps? may contradict your own Mairon interpretation (in which case, I'm always happy to agree to disagree ^^) -- I can totally see why fandom makes Sauron into this super sexy/sexual creature but... it's a hard nope from me. He's certainly alluring and attractive to others, and knows how to use it to great effect, but I just can't see him genuinely vibing with it, relishing in it for himself ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I know I keep harping on the Luthien incident, but it's just such a stark contrast to literally everyone else who comes across her -- including Melkor -- that it's really difficult to interpret his utter non-reaction to her as anything but a personal disinterest in matters of the flesh, at least in and of themselves without some kind of connection/relationship there. Everyone likes to joke about him being the whore/slut of the Silm, and sure it can be funny at times, but that concept is just so alien to how he reads to me.

[myfavouritelunatic]

Made the Pieces Part of Me - Chapter Fifteen

On the couch, back to him, was Galadriel. Her long blonde locks in a mess down her back, but still beautiful. Melian gazed at him from over her shoulder with a sorrow in her eyes he hadn’t seen from her in years. She was crying. At the sound of Halbrand’s entrance, Galadriel slowly turned around. Halbrand gasped at what he saw before him. The woman’s pain was not only marked by her tears on her cheeks, but the bruises on her face. Blends of purple and blue and black and yellow framed her right eye and partly swollen lips. Colours of violence. “Galadriel?” Part of him was confused, part of him was shocked, but most of all, he was angry. He stormed over to her and grasped her face with his large hands, hiding what bruises he could as if they weren’t there. Like he could take them away from her, just as she had tried to do that night with their last kiss…

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: Okay here begins the path to the supreme fucked upness. Physical abuse (not by Halbrand), implied sexual abuse (not by Halbrand). All the hurt comfort feels. And smut featuring Melian who is just one crazy woman.

Thank you to the wonderful @klynnvakarian for her art as always!

Tagging: @pursuitseternal @theriverwild @thrillofhope @scriberated @klynnvakarian @coraleethroughthelookingglass @hikarielizabethbloom @princessfantaghiro @marimosalad @jurassiclexie @mamanmae @90shaladriel @jhalya @eowyn7023 @demonscantgothere

[polutrope]

Thoughts on Melian/Galadriel?

Most canon-adjacent F/F ship imo, chiefly because of this quote. I know it could be done quite darkly (power imbalance, Melian's kinda dodgy approach to romance) but I think it's actually quite sweet. I can see Galadriel being a little obsessed with Melian, but I don't think Melian would abuse that.

Also, was discussing with someone the other day: where are the Celeborn/Galadriel/Melian/Thingol fics at because I need that OT4 yesterday.

[outofangband]

WIP game: dark, sword, Silmaril, blood, chain

Send a word and if it appears in any WIPs I will share the surrounding sentence! Still accepting them!!

Dark:

Aerin never comes before dark. When Morwen sees the low sun glinting on the hill as she approaches, a shadow covers the hour and she knows that still more has gone ill

…

There is but one small window and once night falls they are left in near darkness. The torches flicker for hours before dying and none come to replace them. Sador’s head droops and his eyes close.

WIP: contention arc (it’s my “Morwen and Sador are arrested’ for witchcraft and aiding and abetting witchcraft respectively” arc for a longer Morwen and Aerin fic)

Word: Silmarils

The impossible had been accomplished, it was said. A Silmaril was cut from the crown of the Enemy and taken, the thieves have lived to tell their tale. Beren, son of Barahir, and Lúthien daughter of the Maia Melian and the King Thingol of Doriath. So far from home, past the dread mountains that lined the Southern border of Dorthonion, somehow, Beren had joined with the Half Maia and ventured so far back up North, to the pits of Hell, and back. That was of course the aspect there was so much glee for.

WIP: well it’s titled “Morwen thinks Beren is an idiot”

Putting the last two words (blood and chains) under a cut for gore and Angband medical abuse and general Angband creepiness)

Feel free to skip over

Word: blood

The cuts were neat and clean, blood siphoned away in a process that had taken centuries to perfect and still lost them dozens of subjects. The skin over the abdomen was lifted off, the circle complete. One of the legs kicked out. It was gesture amusing in its futility, if it was done intentionally at all. The surface above the table was a mirrored one. This was ostensibly to give the performer of each procedure more angles to see from but it was no secret that the distress of the subject had no bearing on the procedure itself

Note: I did some research! ‘Siphon’ is not Anachronistic

Word: chains

He reached out a long fingered hand to grip the chin of the elf kneeling beside Him, as an idle gesture of dominance and to ensure that Maitimo was indeed still watching as he had been so firmly instructed to.

[lost-wandering-historian]

Hi! This is kind of random but I saw the post about your What Is Evil class and was wondering if you have any recorded lectures or the reading list? I just think it would be an interesting thing to read about and I'm nerdy like that lol 😅 no worries if not!

You know, you are the second person to ask me for this list. And I am always happy to help out a fellow nerd. Sadly, there are no recording I know of for this course but I do have the readings.

Our main book was Being Evil: A Philosophical Perspective by Luke Russell which I found to be a really good starting place for the discussion of what is Evil. I will add the rest of the readings under a read more split cause the list is long. Here it goes:

-Brothers Grimm: Hansel and Gretel; How Some Children Played at Slaughtering; The Little Red Cap; Little Snow White; Bluebeard; The Crows

-Richard Bernstein, The Abuse of Evil, pp. 53-67

-Malcom Gladwell, “Sacred and Profane,” The New Yorker: March 24, 2014

-Daniel K. Williams, Defenders of the Unborn, pp. 1-9

-Livy on the Bacchanalian conspiracy

-Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, 1986

-Genesis, 1-3

-“An Irenaean Theodicy,” in In: Badham P. (ed) A John Hick Reader. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 1990

-Stephen de Wijze, “Insights from the Problem of ‘Dirty Hands’,” The Monist 85.2 (2002) 210-38

-Thucydides, "Melian dialogue" and "Civil strife on Corcyra"

-Euripides, Trojan Women

-Seneca, Thyestes, tr. Emily Wilson in Seneca: Six Tragedies, Oxford: 2010

-Euripides, Medea, tr. C.A.E. Luschnig

-Erich Fromm, “The Present Human Condition,” The American Scholar 25, no. 1 (1955): 29-35.

-Sophocles, Philoctetes, tr. David Grene, Complete Greek Tragedies, Chicago: 1957

-Selections from Hannah Arendt, “Eichmann in Jerusalem” The New Yorker, February 9, 1963

-Hannah Pitkin, “Relativism, a lecture,” Journal of Social Philosophy, 1994, 25:176-87

-Paul Elie, “What do the Church’s Victims Deserve?” The New Yorker, April 8, 2019

Those are the all readings on our syllabus (minus the ones that were selections that he put together and gave to us that I can't find). You can find copies of most of these as PDFs on various site or copies of the books at your local library. Most the these are Classics-based (aka Ancient Greek and Roman) since it was a course in our Classics and World Religions department. Please let me know if you have any more questions about the readings or any other such topics. Especially the classics based ones, it's what I have my degree in and I'm always happy to talk about them and their contexts. Sharing knowledge is my favorite thing to do. I hope you enjoy your evil reading!

[niennawept]

MAEGLIN AND AREDHEL IN DORIATH PLEASE

Okay - this one is a little wild so forgive me. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it, lest I snap and start writing it. [Not Written Yet Fics]

So this came to me when I was thinking about how Eol is a kinsman of Thingol and how Thingol does seem to have a soft spot for children in need.

I will warn you before going on that this does feature more nuanced headcanons about Eol than are widely popular in the fandom. If you would rather not read that - I don't blame you. My reading is based on the idea that the Silm narrative was written by Pengolodh and he's ... not unbiased given the Fall of Gondolin.

The only abuse here is restricting people's freedom to leave Nan Elmoth. Aredhel and Eol married each other without any form of coercion on his part (but they are in a freaky magic forest that likes to play matchmaker). It was way too hasty - they had a kid to try to save the marriage and we all know that doesn't end well. It was just a bad match. They wanted different things out of life and over time, Eol subtly got worse and worse about his terror of the outside world. His insistence that they do not leave because it is not safe. People are out to get them et cetera.

I feel like that needed saying before I go on - or the rest might not make sense.

So Aredhel and Maeglin go to Doriath because at some point in their marriage Aredhel told Eol enough about Gondolin that he figured out its location.

She worries that if they fled that way, he'd find them and bring them back.

Maeglin is still not fully grown. He doesn't have great fondness for sunlight either.

He's a little scrawny and pale and he's never played with other children - but after a rocky patch, he does find a niche with the rest of the Doriathrim.

He is a bit disappointed that he doesn't get to see the famed city of Gondolin (or at least, as famous as it is in his little mind) and "Uncle" Thingol does not seem as cool as the Uncle Turgon he was promised, but he does dote on the boy.

He still makes friends with the dwarves. His father taught him to respect them and although he doesn't completely understand everything his father did - that doesn't seem like a bad thing

Aredhel has a more difficult adjustment. She's a Noldo and she's on thin ice for her family's role in the kinslaying. It's fair to say she's tolerated rather than embraced.

Kinship rites among the Sindar dictate that she be treated like the King's "niece" - but it's very strained.

Meanwhile in Gondolin, Eol is captured trying to enter the valley and put to stern questioning. When they learn of the way he kept Aredhel from leaving, he's thrown into a prison cell.

(he receives a court order for mandatory counseling, since he doesn't seem to get what he did wrong)

A short while later, Galadriel returns and her presence eases some of that tension. Her close relationship with Melian sheds some light on the whole Nan Elmoth situation.

Aredhel learns of the ancient magic there that draws people together - often in ways that even Melian does not understand.

Maeglin grows up. Aredhel dons hunting leathers for the first time in many years and walks in the forest with Beleg and Mablung and Nellas. For a time, they are all content

Then disaster child Turin turns up and Maeglin feels a strange kind of kinship with the boy. He aids him how he can, even giving him a weapon he forged. (when has that ever gone wrong?)

Maeglin gets a front row seat to a "there but for the grace of the Valar go I" situation when everything with Turin goes south.

We check in on Eol - he's ... better. Taking him out of Nan Elmoth seems to have cleared his mind a bit. He still doesn't like the Noldor, doubly so since they're holding him in Gondolin, but he's earned his way out of prison. (He's still closely watched - out on parole)

Then the -uh-Nauglamír situation happens and Maeglin leaves without fighting anyone - dwarf or elf. That won't right the situation with the Silmaril and it won't bring Thingol back.

Aredhel is loathe to leave the marchwardens to deal with this - but Maeglin is still her kid, so she chooses to go with him - but it's a difficult decision.

That's about as far as I've gotten. I do think there's some kind of reunion (Maeglin and Aredhel with Eol) but I don't see them being a big happy family so much as people who have ties to each other and who are trying to sort through what went wrong years ago.

I think it ends on a hopeful note. Not everything is forgiven. Nothing is forgotten, but maybe they can coexist.

Like I said, it's messy (partially because it's a little autobiographical in places, there's a reason I feel so badly for Maeglin) - but I think about it from time to time.

[sanisse]

I wonder if elves can just jump-scare each other with sexual desire via osanwé. Like I’m brewing on what Eol did to Aredhel [NOT assault version]. Did he just overwhelm her with desire while she was weak with gratitude? I refuse to believe she was spineless and submissive about it. I think in all likelihood he actually treated her well, at first. He arranged for her needs to be met, even if a little reclusive himself. Maybe Tolkien was really gifted with foresight because he predicted how abusive marriages actually work IRL: often it only escalates after you can’t escape, and starts out great. They lose their shit when you’re actually free (“I will set my chains about him!”). It was bold of JRRT to write themes like that into his work and into elvendom no less. Not all of them were honorable men, clearly. I headcanon that Aredhel is the second elf ever to get divorced, Eol is stuck in the halls, and she’s happier now.

Sorry for this ask, I know it’s not the lightest topic.

Yeah I think a lot about how this went down tbh. I tend to lean toward the noncon side of things on the end of enchantment and the manipulation of Music, arguably what Morgoth did to Elves to create orcs. Tolkien's pretty clear that orcs hate their master, but Morgoth somehow inextricably bound them to him -- really not unlike what the Ring does to, say, Gollum (and Frodo and Bilbo), and (arguably) what the Oath did to Feanor and his sons -- AND arguably what Melian did to Thingol (I'm not saying that was a noncon situation but their relationship can be read as questionable tbh).

Basically in essence Tolkien does a lot of interesting things with enchantment and ensnarement and I love exploring those possibilities and connections between the different tales that use enchantment as a theme. I don't think it's a coincidence that it all essentially works the same way. I think the straight up boldest JRRT has been was the whole Luthien and Celegorm situation because it was pretty clear that Celegorm wanted to hurt Luthien. And that's a big ol' yikes D:

Seconded on Aredhel getting a divorce! I like to think that Eol is permenantly stuck in the halls in horny jail bc fuck Eol (Aredhel don't fuck him sweetie).

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Guys, hear me out, hear me out:

What if ELWE. Was the one. That gave birth. To Luthien?

The Ainur can’t give birth to elves/mortal/etc, they can only sire children. Something to do with an ainur having to keep 1 solid constant shape for months on end to carry a child to term, which they can’t really do as it’s against their nature, and that usually when they have to appear “elf-like” it’s more a disguise and not them actually altering their body to be more mortal(?) ig?

As a result Elwe was the one to get knocked up, and after Luthien he said “no more”.

And Luthien, as a result, calls Elwe mama, and Melian papa, but because most elves don’t know that Elwe was the mother, they always confused the two.

Luthien: Naneth(Elwe) is so kind and patient with me.

Elf: ah, Melian must be a gentle maia.

Luthien: Ada can be pretty cold at times.

Elf: Elwe should be kinder to his daughter.

It has created the biggest misunderstanding of all time, and only Elmo, Oropher, and a hand full of other elves knows that Elwe is the mother Luthien is always talking about.

[kitcat22]

In my dark melian au Olwe and the teleri probably have to deal with a lot more guilt. In the canon verse Olwe at some point finds out his brother didnt die thousands of years ago and instead went on to live a long and relatively happy life if you forget about the dead daughter thing and the whole got murdered because of his own actions. In this au Olwe has to deal with the knowledge that he left his (older? Probably older) brother in a kind of forced marriage to a women he had a love/hate/resent/rely upon relationship which could probably be considered emotionally psychologically/abusive due to the whole kidnapping, not allowed to leave or see family thing . The reunion would be emotional to say the least…

[caliawen]

Luinheneb

_Names_

Quenya

Ataressë = Luinëhen [Luinë : blue + Hen : eye] >Blue eye

Amilissë = Lindelwen [Lind(a) : beautiful (of sound), sweet, melodious, soft, gentle, light, kind, fair + elwen : heart] >Sweet/soft/gentle heart

Epessë = Lissalassë [Liss(ë) : sweet + Alassë : happiness] >Sweet happiness

Cilmessë = Lindelwen

(Those are translations from his Sindarin names, as he is Sindarin and was not named in Quenya)

***

Sindarin

Ataressë = Luinheneb [Luin : blue + Heneb : eyed] >Blue eyed

Amilissë = Faelhûn [Fael : fair minded, just, generous + Hûn : heart] >Just/generous heart

Epessë = Laichanadh [Laich : sweet + (m)anadh : fortune] >Sweet fortune

Cilmessë = Luinheneb

***

Nicknames = Luin, Luinë

_Family, birth & age_

Family

He is the only son of Urraheren (his father) and Mellan (his mother)

Urraheren means Bad Fortune and Mellan means Dear/Beloved Gift

Birth

He is born on Arda, Doriath, 386 of the First Age

Age

He looks to be 22-23, being ~6700 years of age

_Appearence_

Hair = ginger, extremely long (stops at his calves)

Eyes = deep blue

Height = 6’5 (195,6 cm)

Race/Ethnicity = Sindar

Mouth = Flamingo (FDA4BA)

Skin = Ivory, with freckles on his nose, cheeks and shoulders

Clothes (in Doriath) = colourful tunics, sometimes dresses, opened shirts that show off his shoulders and back

Clothes (in Greenwood) = healer’s tunics, healer clothes, dress every few millenia

Special features/accessories = multiple earrings and rings, nipple piercings and a small tattoo on his shoulder*

* The tattoo is his mother’s favourite flower; Niphredil

_Love Life_

Used to have a crush on = Thranduil

Is in love with/loyal to = Khondōyāl

Children = no biological children. However, he helped raise Legolas and treats him as his son

_Likes, dislikes, fears_

Likes

His mother, his lover, relaxing, wine, complaining, being a healer (his job), having his hair braided, goofing around

Dislikes

Feeling useless, racist remarks, disorder, having a panic attack/being stressed

_Hobbies/Passions_

Reading = in his free time, Luin loves to read, whether it be aloud to someone else or silently to himself. He also likes to read outside when he can, letting the sun caress his skin and listening to the relaxing sounds of birds, trees’ leaves rustling in the wind and distant voices of people talking. He also really likes to read to Khondōyāl from his lap while his lover braids his hair.

Healing = his love for loving came from seeing Melian save people’s lives and he knew at that moment he wanted to do the same thing. This love only grew with time, as it made Luin feel independent and important to society. It also became easier, for he was given Estë’s Mána [Estë’s Blessing] from Mairafinwë; a necklace with healing powers if used correctly

_Fun Fact_

Luin is an extremely good fighter but hates to fight. He is excellent with a sword and is gracious when using one. However, after his first love, who showed him how to use a sword, turned out to be abusive, he let go of his desire to fight. To spite that ellon, Luin only ever used a sword if absolutely necessary after breaking up with his ex. He slowly started to use it again when Khondōyāl assured him that just because it was someone who Luin resented who showed him how to use a sword, it didn’t mean he couldn’t use that knowledge for greater good.

@theladyvanya

[ao3feed-silvergifting]

Of Rings and Other Things

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/X0TzQIY

by Kingsword

He’d left. Mairon, dutiful, loyal Mairon had left.

Or: Mairon discovers nuclear fission and flees Angband, terrified of what could happen should anyone at all (especially Melkor) get a hold on his discovery.

Words: 139, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Sauron | Mairon, Celebrimbor | Telperinquar, Galadriel | Artanis, Melian (Tolkien), Narvi (Tolkien), Morgoth Bauglir | Melkor, Maglor | Makalaurë, Nerdanel (Tolkien), Celebrían (Tolkien), Elrond Peredhel

Relationships: Celebrimbor | Telperinquar/Sauron | Mairon, Celebrimbor | Telperinquar & Narvi, Galadriel | Artanis & Melian, Melian & Sauron | Mairon, Celebrían/Elrond Peredhel

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Nuclear Weapons, Minor Morgoth Bauglir | Melkor/Sauron | Mairon, Past Abuse, Moria | Khazad-dûm, BAMF Dwarves, The Ainur - Freeform, Sauron Being an Asshole, Awesome Galadriel, Melian is absolutely done with these idiots, Celebrimbor Makes Bad Life Choices, Melkor’s are worse tho, Women Being Awesome, Mental Instability, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Knives, Rings of Power, not the show, can’t take bezos’ racist ass mkay, Cats, The Valar, Weddings, Queerplatonic Relationships, main character is in a shit place for most of this ngl, it’s okay tho he’ll commit murder and feel better, Slow Burn, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/X0TzQIY

[ao3feed-angbang]

The Many Loves of Sauron the Great

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/TpQGPBb

by Kingsword

Mairon thinks about the people he’s loved, or who lusted after him. It’s a long list.

Words: 1240, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of a very large and complex au im working on

Fandoms: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Sauron | Mairon, Morgoth Bauglir | Melkor, Melian (Tolkien), Celebrimbor | Telperinquar, Ar-Pharazôn, Nazgûl, Original Characters

Relationships: Morgoth Bauglir | Melkor/Sauron | Mairon, Celebrimbor | Telperinquar/Sauron | Mairon, Nazgûl/Sauron | Mairon, Ar-Pharazôn/Sauron | Mairon, Sauron | Mairon/Original Character(s), Melian & Sauron | Mairon

Additional Tags: Character Study, feel free to ignore this this is like notes for a MUCH larger project, Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Nonbinary Character, fem4fem angbang rights, Gender Identity, to some extent?, not al or of discussion but it is relevant, middle-earth humans!! yayyyy, if u don’t know who talion is that’s okay I basically just stole the name and some of the premise :), POV Character of Color, LGBTQ Character of Color, actually basically all of them are?, again not plot relevant but relevant to me

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/TpQGPBb