#and by 'nice things' things i mean galadriel

[lesbiansforboromir]

Iconic elements of Film!Boromir's character that everyone remembers;

Very into Aragorn, has multiple meaningful scenes with him where he is clearly disarmed, awed, unnerved and yet eager for his approval and companionship. His acceptance of Aragorn's right to the kingship is treated as a vital part of his character arc and even his last words before his death are entirely about Aragorn.

Awkward, often stalling or stumbling over his words, says things that leave uncomfortable silences and often makes loud declarations of intent, very earnest in all his mannerisms and always says everything in a guileless way. Very upfront and open about his emotions, to the point of making Aragorn uncomfortable in his attempts to connect with him about his fear for Gondor's safety and his own inner turmoil surrounding his father.

Immediately ring-obsessed. He argues with Elrond about the Ring's usage and clearly is not swayed by further arguments, in fact is sent by his father specifically to get the ring and so is technically a traitorous element in the fellowship from day one. Eagerly ensures he has a place in the fellowship at the Council of Elrond and is blatantly suspicious with his treatment of both Frodo and the Ring from then on. No one in the fellowship trusts him and for good reason.

Kinda a liability! Doesn't really offer anything to the Fellowship other than another sword arm, and one that seems sub-par in comparison to his comrades considering his underestimation of the Hobbits and the multiple times he has to be saved in Moria. Has no real expertise or wisdom to offer, barring obvious declarations like 'this will be the death of the hobbits'. Indeed the one moment of apparent unique wisdom he offers 'one cannot simply walk into mordor' is so widely viewed as foolish advice that it's one of the most enduring memes of the internet to date. Only has one moment of apparent skill in his final stand against the Uruks where he kills about 5 by himself before he is hit by 3 arrows and rendered helpless. Very much characterised as 'the normal guy' and 'the himbo'.

Has a nice, supportive and loving relationship with Faramir, his little brother that looks up to him adoringly and with a sense that he could never measure up to Boromir and that Boromir is his better. Protective of faramir.

Hah that was fun and now, completely unrelated, here are TRUE AND IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BOOK!BOROMIR!!

Has one (1) line of dialogue about Aragorn and his kingship that essentially reads 'Well I don't care about Kings but if mythic heroes from legend could come and help my people we'd be grateful (press x to doubt)' and then he NEVER! VOICES A SINGLE OTHER OPINION ABOUT ARAGORN! FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. This includes his very last words which don't mention Aragorn or the Kingship once.

Clear-spoken! Makes concise speeches full of relevant and important information when in an official capacity. Always has a tone of well-meaning half-humourous sarcasm, making casual and comfortable jokes at his own expense or sometimes lightly teasing his fellows. Otherwise restrains his disagreements to darkly humourous complaints, strained and weary reactions or clear unemotional declarations of his concerns depending upon the recipient. Takes the phrase 'you'll have to pry my feelings from my cold dead hands' entirely literally, NEVER reveals the true extent of his internal struggles until the moment he is literally dying. In fact is entirely silent whilst Aragorn is asked to describe Gondor and waxes so lyrical he doesn't even notice Boromir get up and leave.

Asks one (1) clarifying question at the Council of Elrond about why they aren't using the ring, accepts the answer entirely and never mentions it again UNTIL Galadriel tempts him with it in Lothlorien. Doesn't even WANT to go on the fellowship and is more dragged along by Aragorn with the pretext that 'Gondor is on the way to Mordor so we'll tag along.' Is utterly trustworthy and has no ulterior motive in arriving in Rivendell other than his search for an answer to his prophetic dream. In fact his whole behaviour and personality changes immediately after Galadriel's mental interrogation and he BECOMES awkward, unnerving and unsure in his speech all of a sudden.

Has a WEALTH of knowledge, experience and personal skill that he uses to save the fellowship multiple times. Saves them all from freezing to death on Caradhras through his preparedness, his arguing with Gandalf and his personal durability. Hacks the head off wargs when they are attacked in the night. Remains lucid whilst the fellowship is paralyzed with fear by the Balrog and stalls it's approach using his horn to allow them time to flee. Fights alongside Aragorn at every opportunity, including charging with him at the Balrog as Gandalf is fighting it. And not only that, he regularly is proven right in his advice (that is rarely heeded) and is well informed on both his own peoples history and Rohan's position, even against Gandalf and Aragorn's doubt of their character. Actually saves Merry and Pippin initially from the Northern orcs whom he drives away entirely before he begins taking them back to the others, is only stalled when they are ambushed by Uruk-Hai. Continues to fight on even with far more than three arrows in him and actually yanks a few out before collapsing against the tree. Definitely not a normal guy, nor a himbo, just exceptional in a more mundane way than everyone else in the fellowship (except the Hobbits).

Never mentions his brother a single time, somehow got him to stand and defend the bridge of osgiliath with him whilst knowing that it would likely kill them both so not all that protective. Faramir meanwhile cannot say a single uncomplicatedly complimentary thing about his brother and in fact cannot stop telling Frodo (a man he has imprisoned for half a day), about what a stupid, reckless and prideful man Boromir was and how he's far better in every single way.

WOW HAHA ISN'T THAT INTERESTING! COOL! Book Boromir is my favourite character by the way haha I'm suffering incomprehensible horrors :)

[halbravd]

into darkness // halbrand, sauron.

summary: galadriel knows, and halbrand is running out of time. but he has one last card to play.

content warning: minors do not interact, gender neutral and female bodied reader, unprotected sex, creampie, choking, biting, corruption.

word count: 2k

All you can remember is his hand gripping your arm with a strength that had your entire body shivering, a few words whispered into your ear and his heavy footsteps leading you to the bedroom the elven king gifted him during his stay here in Eregion. You could have told him to stop: that his nails digging in your skin hurts, that he doesn’t have to walk that fast — but you didn’t. Torn between anxiety and excitement, you obediently followed the man you’ve ever had eyes for, not asking a single question.

Door locked, thick silence surrounded you both for a few seconds before he finally let go of your arm, cupping your face with his hands — Ridiculously big for a face as small as yours. They could crush you in a matter of seconds if he wanted to, strong and skilled, rough and crafted by the god — or the evil — himself.

‘You said you’d follow me wherever I go.’ Breaking the silence, he dares to ask, even if there is not a single trace of hesitation in his voice. He shouldn’t be asking questions he knows the answer to, yet, it doesn’t seem like he cares anymore.

‘I will,’ you whisper, blinded by both admiration and love for the man standing right in front of you. It was stupid, wasn’t it? To fall for someone you barely know. Someone you met a few weeks ago — Someone who seemed to care for that elf, anyone, but you. You had to beg to come with them, to let your dignity vanish in the air for a man who would barely look at you, as if you weren’t good enough for him. As if you didn’t exist in his world.

But now, things have changed. His eyes boring into your soul, his hands caressing your cheeks, the corner of his lips gently raised into the softest of smiles. A smile just for you, no one else, just for once. And your heart dropped as soon as his lips crashed on top of yours — a messy and filthy kiss where his teeth sank into your flesh, where his tongue invaded your mouth without warning and where his hand on your nape didn’t allow you to push him away. It’s all lips and teeth, a kiss so vile you can barely follow the rhythm, butterflies swirling around in your stomach and gifting you with a warmth you’ve never felt before.

‘I knew you would be the only one to understand me. I knew you’d be perfect.’ His words, sweet and poisonous, had your heart missing a beat. Your head is spinning, blood creeping up your cheeks as you slightly open your mouth, only for your words to flee, leaving you breathless.

‘Perfect… For what?’ You gather enough courage to ask, voice breaking halfway through your sentence, completely clueless. In the mean time, Halbrand led you to the bed, in the center of the room. With his hands on your shoulders, he only had to apply a slight pressure for you to sit on it, his tall right in front of you.

‘To be my queen.’ It made you feel stupid, how he said those words with such ease… Like it was such an obvious choice for him. His hands were already working on the buttons of your robe, getting rid of them one by one as you stand there, in utter shock. Eyes wide, throat dry, his words echo in your mind over and over again until you can process them.

Oblivious, it was a mistake from your part to see yourself as the queen of the Southlands. But that sounded so nice to ear, so nice to feel it roll on your tongue — Queen of the Southlands. What he has in mind is polar opposite, but why would he shatter your hopes and dreams when you look so pretty in your own disillusion?

In a ridiculously short amount of time, your body is fully exposed to him. And for a moment, Halbrand realizes there is still purity in this world, something he can’t wait to pull into the darkness of his own being. His eyes are everywhere all at once: Your swollen lips from the messy kisses you two shared, your pretty neck that begged to me marked.

You’re too stunned to help him undress himself, but your eyes wouldn’t miss a single second of that show he puts on for you. You didn’t even blink once, muttering a few incoherent words to yourself — Too drunk, too intoxicated to really understand what is going on.

Kneeling on the bed, the mattress sinks ever so slightly because of his weight, his tall figure now right in between your thighs. Seated on his heels, the palm of his hands gently creeps up your legs, stopping on your knees so they could spread you wide open just for him. It feels like your lungs are on fire, unable to keep the air they’re so desperately longing for as his eyes fall on your gorgeous face once again.

The tip of his cock prods at your entrance, pulling the softest gasp out of your parted lips — He wants more. He needs more of it. And it takes all of his damn strength not to ruin you on the spot, not to wreck your body until there’s nothing but blood and bones left.

‘I’ll be gentle, I promise.’ An other lie, enough to soothe your fear. The soft kisses he left on your ankle are delicate, almost too gentle to feel real and sincere. But in the mindset you’re in, the red flags are way too far to be seen. Why the sudden change of allegiance? Why does he suddenly care so much about you? Why you, and not an other? So many rational questions you forgot to ask yourself. So many answers that could have saved your soul.

Slowly, his hips move forward, guiding his cock with his right hand to fill you all nicely. It stings and it hurts, it has your body shaking and your eyes rolling at the back of your skull, fingers tightly gripping the sheets beneath you for leverage. Eyes fluttered shut, you can only sob when he finally bottoms out, the feeling of being so full, overwhelming. Halbrand leans forward, his lips finding your closed eyelids only for them to kiss the thin layer of skin. He hasn’t moved yet, waiting for your body to relax to finally ruin you. He’s patient, and waiting a few more seconds won’t be the death of him, after centuries of standing in the shadow.

‘Look at me.’ He mutters, his hand gripping your hip and keeping you in place when you tried to move underneath him. His hold is strong, so strong it pins you down and you’re unable to move anymore. So you do as you’re told, weakly opening your eyes, met with a blurry vision of the man you’re bonded to.

With a simple nod of your face, he knows. Rocking his hips against yours, his face soon disappears in the crook of your neck, a fight of lips, tongue and teeth biting, sucking and licking hot flesh of yours. His cock drags against your gummy walls, only the tip of it still inside before he thrusts back in, rough and fast. It steals the air off your lungs, moans shamelessly tumbling out of your mouth, a whisper of his name and a few meaningless babbles.

Legs wrapped around his hips and fingers messily gripping a fistful of his hair, you let him murder that innocence you’ve been keeping with you for so long, replaced by a darkness you can’t even see yet.

‘Say you’ll be mine forever. Say it.’ He spits, bitterness in his voice as he gets back on his knees, your bare body on full display for his filthy eyes. His right hand wrapped around your throat like the most glorious collar you’ll ever wear, he’s applying enough pressure for you to gasp out loud, obstructing your windpipes until you can no longer breathe. Your hands hopelessly find his, eyes watering from the pressure as his thrusts become more and more erratic, bringing you closer to your downfall. And you clench around him, so vile it has him grunting from the sudden tightness.

‘I will— I swear I will,’ you cry, strangled sob leaving your lips as his hand finally lets go of your throat, heading south and gripping your breast.

‘You’ll rule middle earth with me, and you’ll never escape from me. If you ever try, I will burn that sweet village of yours down.’ Those eyes of him, darkened by desire and hatred, are nothing but the gates of hell. His scorching touch a mere taste of what is yet to come. But you nod, pathetically, almost way too fast. Fat tears falling down your cheeks, he relishes in the way you’re slowly breaking down, not even bothering to fight anymore.

And when his cock bumps against that particular spot, you’re done for — And you’ve never experienced something as devastating, as beautiful and as ravaging — It feels like a wildfire is spreading through your entire body, like you’re sent to a foreign world and for a moment, you can’t hear, see or feel anymore. A silent cry leaves your throat as your back arches painfully, the grasp he has on your hips so strong and cruel it will leave bruises and scratches for days. All you know is his name, and witnessing your own fall was something he never thought would happen so soon — so easily.

His hips stutter, then come to a full stop when he finally releases his fluid inside you, painting your walls white and soiling your insides in a low grunt. The pleasure he has felt had nothing to do with the one of the flesh — It was the one of corrupting such a pure and angelic soul, turning it into something dark and malevolent. Something fitting his twisted fantasies.

A queen of the darkness, of pain and nightmares. Anything but holy. Leaning forward, his forehead against yours, an evil smirk pulls the corner of his lips up — a grin that sent shivers down your spine, that made you feel so uncomfortable you wish you could have run away from here, as far as possible.

taglist: @idwtet @killsandthrills @missscarlett1802 @sleepingpillsworld @kryss-tethras @atruthuniversallyunacknowledged @bookfrog242

[bad4amficideas]

Fallen in Middle... Sea?

Okay, I just had a dream (that someone would please come and steal and write). Case in point 1. Persona falls into Middle Earth is one of my favorite tropes when people get all technical and discuss differences and such. 2. I just saw the Rings of Power. So, here we go with a bad written prompts of mine (fell free to use it) It's female coded because it's actually all a dream I had.

Reader may or may not be more or less a Tolkien fan, but between one thing and another she knows more or less what Sillmarion, the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are about (a lot of Wikipedia may or may not have helped).

But what does Reader know about the TV series "The Rings of Power"? Which is a series PENDING TO BE RELEASED in a few days. Galadriel comes out, Sauron comes out and a lot of OCs come out. Is written in the 2nd Age, about which hardly a thing is known. And people is already complaining because that and people of color or something like that. Reader gives two shits about it.

Soooooo The curtain opens.

Reader wakes up (not to mention almost drowns) in the open sea, nothing in sight. She is rescued by a bunch of people and all wears medieval clothes and speaks an unknown language. And they itch her clothes. What's so strange about her clothes!!? (they should be grateful that you're wearing long pants!!)

In any case, after a time at sea where only a couple of people try to communicate with her (Not to be ill-considered, but Reader believes that she already knows the word prostitute, whore or equivalent in the language of these people although what she has been taught does not include that word) something hits the ship and smashes it to pieces. Which leads them to wander aimlessly for two days or so. They will all be wet and hungry but the atmosphere is all hot and smoky!

In the wreckage of the ship you rescue someone who introduces herself as Galadriel. Cue your world going crazy because WAIT, this IS Middle Earth? (I mean, you had had clues because of how people blasphemes and blesses, but denial is a powerful weapon) What is Galadriel doing in the middle of the sea, with such a hidden bad character btw? (THAT IS NOT IN ANY BOOK!!!) And well, from here the story begins. Only you Halbrand (appropriately one of the few interested parties who was nice to you) and Galadriel survive the next attack at sea. You are rescued by hotty Elendil, etc.

Thus Reader becomes friends with these two sharing the "culture" of their "country" (world) and their eclectic knowledge. It may or may not be that Reader supports that Halbrand wants to spend the hell out of his "inheritance" (because long live democracy and things should be voluntary for people prepared for it and feeling it, although Reader admits that Halbrand is super smart -suspiciously even for a HUMAN commoner).

Also both (Halbrand and you) of you are considering making a place for yourself in Numenor (well, more him than you, Reader is thinking that if Galadriel is not an option, she doesn't know who to ask about her situation, since you never know where Gandalf is. Some other Istar, maybe?) but in the meantime you learn from their healers and try to adapt to the somewhat misogynistic culture (Why is everyone surprised that she is NOT married with children back her home, goddammit!) and wears long dresses everywhere -also PADS send help!!!- and you may be developing a crush (reciprocate, is he courting you?? Wow, how strange this world is!!) on Halbrand but rather die than hook up with a future king (first is to try to return home, if that is not possible, try to live a peaceful -no obligations- life, perhaps among the hobbits)

[Reader is a fan, but not a hardcore fan, she's not aware of certain things, in fact, she's still wondering when Gandalf and Mordor is going to appear, like, isn't it supposed to be IN the Southlands? Shouldn't she stop Halbrand or more like Galadriel to push Halbrand from going?)]

In my dream Reader calls herself a healer because is the closest thing in Middle-earth to her job (you can think whatever you want) and because of her knowledge she accompanies and helps Halbrand and Galadriel to the Southern Lands and later to the Elf Kingdom (making the trip not have to be so drastic and hasty).

Galadriel also mentions that "the three of us have met for some purpose" Because anyone can see that Reader is almost as out of place in Middle Earth as "The Istar" was upon his arrival (It doesn't help that Reader doesn't take off her sneakers/sport shoes/boots even by begging... I suspect she sudenly cares lot about her bra now). Some people call her behind her back "The Naive Wise One" because she knows and teach so much but at the same time she doesn't know.

[sotwk]

I just read "A stab to the heart", and first of all, I loved it, just... perfect! The way the Thranduil is so worried for her and he can sense when she wakes up is just way too good for me!

Honestly, the last line of the fic: "We saw ada frightened" just hit me so deep that I had to come here. So, I didn't check to see if you have already written about this in the headcannons masterlist (and I'm sorry if you did and I haven't noticed!) but how do you think that Thranduil and their kids reacted when she died? Like, how their feelings and thoughts after this? I've always assumed Thranduil being an extremely good father, so I can't truly imagine him being mean to any of their kids, but how do you think that they (specially Thranduil) took the news that their queen had died?

Eeek! What lovely feedback and an even lovelier fic-related question! (I am so lucky and grateful to get such nice Anons in my inbox; I am spoiled.)

A Stab to the Heart (Fic Link)

Part 2 of this 2-part fic is over 50% written, but has been stalled in the basement of my brain for over six months now (yikes)! Hopefully I can shove it back into motion soon!

In regards to Thranduil being so in-tune with his wife that their minds are practically in a constant state of ósanwë (Elvish mind-link), I would like to point out a few key details about their relationship:

"A Stab to the Heart" takes place in Third Age 1012. By this time, Thranduil and Maereth have already been married for 1,188 years and have been mutually in love for an additional 1,700. And ever since they married, they were hardly ever parted for any significant amount of time (as opposed to most other Elven couples, like Celeborn and Galadriel, who would live apart for years). Needless to say, you would be hard-pressed to find a couple more tightly, lovingly bonded then the Elvenking and Elvenqueen were to each other.

THEIR ROMANTIC HISTORY: (Link to related HCs HERE) It took Thranduil about 50 years of sporadic meetings to realize he was falling in love with Maereth. However, he knew his father would loathe the idea of his son pairing off with a Noldor (much less one descended from Fëanor) and it would have great repercussions on their kingdom, so Thranduil tried to ignore his growing feelings and sought to maintain just a friendship with her.

Maereth nearly died in the Sacking of Eregion, and Thranduil had been there to witness it; he had held her while she was gravely injured and felt the terror of her slipping away from him. Ultimately, she was saved by the healing of Elrond, but this experience left a permanent mark on Thranduil. From that day on, he found the only thing that ever scared him in his life: losing Maereth to the Halls of Mandos.

What do you do when you realize you love someone so much you cannot live without them? You ask them to marry you, of course! And so Thranduil did, but it took another thousand years of determined courtship to get Maereth to say "yes".

The Aftermath of the Elvenqueen's Death

I have yet to fully write the story of this terrible tragedy (I'm intimidated by it, to be honest), but a version of it was written, including the immediate aftermath, in my Thorin-centric fic, "The Broken Shield", where Maereth died during the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. I wrote out more details of her death in this headcanon post.

As for the reactions of the family (those who were left, anyway)?

OH BOY.

(SPOILERS to the SotWK AU, if anyone cares about that sort of thing, under the cut. Also, it gets pretty sad, so I apologize for the emotions this story may cause.)

Thranduil very nearly died from heartbreak. This was the darkest point in Mirkwood's history, the kingdom that had already been fighting off spiders, orcs, dark creatures, and poisons for centuries. All that was nothing compared to the realm's grief over their Elvenqueen's death, and fearing the likelihood their beloved Elvenking would either die from heartbreak, or finally leave them for the Undying Lands.

Note that by the time the Elvenqueen died, Thranduil had already lost three out of five of his sons. Only Gelir and Legolas remained, though he also had his daughter-in-law, Itarildë (Mirion's widow) and two grandchildren, Crown Prince Aranion (heir to the throne) and Princess Anariel.

Upon his return home to Mirkwood to bury the Elvenqueen's body, Thranduil was uncharacteristically cold and seemingly emotionless. He turned into stone (metaphorically) as a way of holding himself together, for the sake of the people who depended on him. He did not have strength left to properly comfort his family, and could only parrot the kingdom's motto, telling them they "will endure".

Gelir, the most impulsive of the Thranduilions (and second to Turhir as the most hot-tempered), lashed out in vengeful rage. Legolas just barely convinced him not to immediately ride out to seek revenge against the Orcs.

However, about three years after the Elvenqueen was laid to rest, Gelir once again tried to convince his father to allow him and Legolas to lead their armies to rejoin the Dwarves (Thrain's people) in their war against the orcs. Thranduil refused, and instead decreed that all travel to other realms was forbidden while the Dwarves fought their war.

Frustrated by this (and still grieving his mother), Gelir finally broke down and rebelled openly against the Elvenking. He attempted to leave Mirkwood on his own, only to be chased down by his father and dragged back to the Halls in chains, where he was thrown in prison.

Does this sound harsh? I take a pause in this dramatic tale to point out that Thranduil was a very, VERY good father to his sons all their lives. The Princes were over 2,000 years old by the time their mother died; not only were they adults, but they were wise enough to know that they were not exempt from their kingdom's laws, and should understand the grief their father carried from all these terrible losses. Not only did Thranduil need to demonstrate the strength of his authority, but he also refused to risk the death of another family member, even if it meant imprisoning his own child.

After the war ended in TA 2799, Gelir was finally released from prison, after being held there for 3 years. But instead of making peace with his father and submitting to the King's decrees, he openly criticized Mirkwood's isolationist policies, which had become even stricter after the Elvenqueen's death.

Legolas, caught between the two dearest people in the world to him, could not get them to reconcile their differences.

After another year of strife between father and son, Thranduil gave Gelir an ultimatum: reaffirm his fealty to the Elvenking and his laws, or be banished from the kingdom. Gelir, believing his home had become a "cage" that he refused to be locked in, chose banishment.

Gelir asked his brother to come with him, forcing Legolas to choose sides by staying with Thranduil. He remembered a prophetic plea his mother once made to him many years before her death: "above all, choose your father". His decision was also influenced by the special closeness he had with Thranduil.

Thus, Gelir left the kingdom in the winter of TA 2800, and cut off all contact with his family. Legolas was the only Thranduilion left.

For a century (TA 2800-2900), Thranduil struggled against his personal demons of anger and grief and longing to be with his beloved wife again. In spite of his depression however, he continued to govern his people effectively, but only with the help and loyalty of Legolas and his devoted daughter-in-law and grandchildren. (Note: SotWK AU does NOT accept the coldness and rift between Legolas and Thranduil as shown in the film adaptation. Legolas ultimately proves to be Thranduil's most steadfast son. The conflict between Tauriel and Thranduil, and her romance with Legolas, do not occur in SotWK either.)

In TA 2850, when Gandalf uncovered Sauron's identity as the Necromancer--something Thranduil had suspected for centuries, but his reports went unheeded--the Elvenking slowly began to return to himself, remembering the hard battle that still needed to be fought to protect his kingdom.

In TA 2911, Thranduil even began to loosen the restrictions against traveling outside of Mirkwood, when he allowed Itarildë and Anariel to join Gandalf in giving aid to the Hobbits of the Shire during the Fell Winter, just as their family had done previously during the Long Winter (TA 2758).

By the time Thorin and his Company arrived at Mirkwood in TA 2941, the remnants of the royal house of Thranduil were back in fighting form, although the Elvenking would always carry a longing for his wife that would not be healed until their reunion in Aman over a century into the Fourth Age.

For more Thranduil/Mirkwood headcanons: SotWK HC Masterlist

Elves HC Tag List: @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @achromaticerebus @aduialel @asianbutnotjapanese @auttumnsayshi @blueberryrock @conversacomsmaug @elan-ho-detto-elan-15 @entishramblings @freshalmondpandadonut @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @glassgulls @heranintomyknife23times @ladyweaslette @laneynoir @lathalea @lemonivall @LiliDurin @quickslvxrr @ratsys @scyllas-revenge @stormchaser819 @talkdifferently6 @tamryniel @tamurilofrivendell

Other useful links:

Introduction to SotWK

Fanfiction Masterlist

Fanfiction Request Guidelines

[beyonddarkness]

Thoughts on Haladriel/Saurondriel

(I might be converted)

Okay, can I be COMPLETELY honest?

I always understood the shipping of Halbrand/Sauron and Galadriel, but for the sake of analyzing, I never let myself believe that there was any element of attraction from either side. Because they have a "cosmic connection," you know?

But something changed today (even though that "cosmic connection" is still very much a thing). I came to the conclusion that, while my pain for Galadriel has now increased manifold, I am so relieved from everything Morfydd said in her recent interview, particularly that the ambiguity behind their relationship was Charlie's idea (how dare he) because now I know that Charlie is Sauron, irl. Let me explain. (Prepare for a long read—bonus content at the end):

Charlie never told a lie in press.

"Were we in a relationship of seduction or power? It's up to the viewer to decide" (Morfydd).

What Morfydd said didn't give anything away. It truly leaves everything up to interpretation even more than before, and yet any way you slice it, everything makes sense. It fits with everything that everyone has said in press (the 'cosmic connection', 'it's not romantic', etc.).

Think of it this way:

------------------------

If everything was purely platonic, and Galadriel was not attracted to Halbrand in the least, then Sauron was tempting Galadriel with power. This makes sense, since we know that Galadriel left Valinor in large part because she desired to rule over a realm of her own. Power is very enticing to her.

That also means that Galadriel would never, ever, EVER think of anyone but Celeborn, which is nice. I mean, once Elves marry, that's it. No backsies. In this case, Sauron would be playing it safe, not fooling himself into thinking that Galadriel would fall for a MAN (of all things), after she has already been married.

------------------------

On the other hand, BOY is Sauron able to seduce.

Now, when we think of seduction, some of us automatically think:

But Galadriel most likely would not be enticed by an extremely forward approach. She would slap that guy so silly.

So here's why Sauron is terrifying: Halbrand is so nice.

His approach would be: Become friends first, to make it difficult to resist joining him in the end. He made himself attractive in a way that, if successful, would make her attached to him for much longer than if he was strictly flirtatious (a few thousand years should do it). He never said anything forward until their friendship developed to a certain point (1x06).

And as long as I've been denying that either side was attracted to the other, the one thing I have never been able to get out of my head is the fact that in episode 7, Galadriel called to Halbrand before anyone else. Later, she mentioned Celeborn to Theo (for the first time in presumably centuries, after she assumed Halbrand had died). Then, when she saw Halbrand again, she called him her friend, and he for some reason had to say:

"Nor will you."

Then he made that STUPID SMIRK, and poor Galadriel looked SO TORN. We just barely learned that her husband was in the picture, so he was fresh on her mind. And then we had this thrown on us, to indicate that something about this friendship was not right.

(Oh, the discomfort and second-hand embarrassment I felt for Halbrand, before I knew that he was Sauron.)

Since Galadriel hasn't seen her husband in centuries (even though she loves him a lot—I mean A LOT), she was very vulnerable to seduction, because... she was alone. Halbrand saved her life, rivaled her intelligence, didn't beg for her attention on account of her beauty, connected with her on a level that probably hasn't happened in a while, became her really good friend, made her feel free fighting at his side, etc. If that doesn't spark someone's interest, I don't know what does. (His looks are a major bonus.)

------------------------

Now, here is what's really unfortunate, and causes me pain beyond measure: Sauron wouldn't have fallen in love. But Galadriel would have, and he knew that.

No one (JD, Patrick, Charlie, and Morfydd) ever lied in any interview. Have you ever noticed that whenever they spoke of the lack of romance, they were always talking specifically about Sauron's perspective? :')

Here are some examples:

Charlie: "I mean, look. I don't see it as a... strictly—I don't know. I haven't run this past you guys [Patrick: 'Run it by!']—as a King and Queen thing. I love the reflection bit. But it's not like... I think ultimately, if she had said yes, he's very much the King, and she's like his sidekick, in terms of ruling." Patrick: "And it's not like a marriage—[Morfydd: 'How...]—proposal...—[...dare you.'] [...] Charlie: "You guys sent me something really early on. It's WH Auden, talking about good and evil in Tolkien, and the difference when it gets to evil. It's affection—I'm paraphrasing here—but affection goes out the window. And you see this relationship, and you see affection, but in the end, it's only for personal gain. [...] The whole season, you see them working together, and they have this sort of—we like to call it a 'cosmic connection'. Not romantic. [laughs] Although, I got in a lot of trouble for saying it wasn't romantic yesterday, because of the 'shipping'; the people shipping. [Interviewer: 'How dare you.'] [laughs] Yeah, exactly. And I think it's very clear on the raft that he's just using her for his own personal gain, rather than any sort of love and affection to her." (Empire Spoiler Special)

Charlie: "I think they have a 'cosmic connection', but I don't think it's necessarily, in his mind, a King and a Queen... like husband and wife kind of situation. I think it's more, 'I can use you to get what I want, and effect my designs faster.' Because ultimately, I think he would have ended up ruling by himself, whether she joined him or not. And when she says no on the raft, it angers him, but it's not the end of the world for him." (Deadline Inside the Ring)

So, if Sauron was trying to effectively seduce Galadriel into falling in love with him, it was always going to be one-sided. He would have never felt any real love towards her, but his goal would be to get Galadriel to feel something like that towards him. For personal gain.

And if Galadriel did feel something, how much more ashamed and violated would she feel in the end, knowing that he did it on purpose?

:'))))

------------------------

Here is the ultimate question:

Did Sauron tempt Galadriel with power, or seduction (or both)?

Here's the thing -> Charlie

Morfydd said in her interview that "Halbrand's hold on Galadriel was less connoted in the storylines," meaning it was more straight forward, and not much was implied. But she did not say which direction the scripts leaned, meaning Charlie said one of two things:

"Let's make it seem less romantic."

"Let's make it seem more romantic."

Either way, he's actually so mean, I can't put it into words.

Here's why both possibilities work perfectly: Every time Charlie or anyone else has talked about the lack of romance in interviews, they're always speaking from Sauron's perspective; Galadriel's feelings are wide open for interpretation. Whether Sauron tempted her with power or seduction, he never loved her. He knows how to seduce, and he does it well, but it doesn't mean he feels it. That's why I'm terrified of him, and I'm also afraid of Charlie.

Ever since that interview with Morfydd, I've realized that Charlie has a lot more to do with the character than he's letting on. He knows enough about Sauron to propose an idea that fits into the lore. The fact that the scripts were "less connoted," and he managed to convince everyone to make the relationship more ambiguous is just... GAH. How dare he!

Is it power or seduction?? Both work so well, it could very well be both at the same time! (Charlie and his ambiguities. *sigh*)

But again, it's a matter of what Sauron is tempting Galadriel with; not what he feels, himself.

------------------------

So, why am I relieved? Because Chapter 6. :)

------------------------

Bonus: Translation of the Haunting Music

It is time.

With all of this in mind, I would like to take a shot in the dark. Remember that ultra creepy/seductive part of the music in The Broken Line? A couple of months ago, I was driven crazy by the fact that right in the middle of a musical phrase, the vocals transitioned from Black Speech to Quenya, when Sauron's doing this:

I wanted to know the translation, so I used Paul Strack's lexicon. I managed to pick out most of the words in the music, but since I'm not fluent in Elvish grammar, I don't dare try to translate it. I will just give you the translation for each word, and let you decide what it means for yourself. It'll be fun. :)

Here's the music:

Here are the words (red is confirmed, purple is what I made out, and the [?] is the last word that I cannot figure out, for the life of me. So if someone could enlighten me, I would greatly appreciate it):

ash gul ishi ghash [ash] gul insangarë antani márië i cilmë [?]

Here are the translations:

Black Speech:

ash: "one" gul: "phantom" ishi: "in" ghash: "fire"

Quenya:

insangarë: "temptation" anta-: "to give, present; to add to" ni: "me, I" márië: "well, happily; goodness, good estate, being well, happiness" i: "the" cilmë: "choice, choosing"

In episode 6, Adar said in Quenya, "What I seek. Give it to me." His sentence ended with "antani". So... if "antani" comes after the subject of a sentence... "insangarë antani"? O_O

Someone please help Galadriel. I can hardly stand it. Where's Celeborn?

[legitimatesatanspawn]

What happened to Shelob's giant mother who bit the Devil so hard that the entire universe heard him scream? (Not that I blame him on that one, as I would also utter the most unholy shriek if a big spider bit me.)

Oh crap I thought I answered this. Geeze, it's been a while, sorry. Also same about being bit by a big spider. The guy is pretty damn big so the spider itself would be terrifyingly huge and that's before the "webs of unlight" and other fun powers. Y'all thought Mirkwood's were big? Nah, they're tiny compared to Ungoliant.

We have no idea where Ungoliant is from although it's assumed it's space but it's implied she's some kind of maia (angel/minorish god) that went off in her own particular rocker. She's basically a Primordial Hell Spider. We don't know where she went or and what became of her. Last we know, she was seen fighting and then just skittered off to parts unknown "southward" and was never seen again.

Knowing Dagor Dagorath, Ungoliant will probably show up at the end to help further that Ragnarok / End of Times setup. I mean after all, the Silmarils will be shattered there and the Sun and Moon will crash to the planet and you know she'd be hungry for that final feast of the Trees and their tofu/seitan imitations.

Although the fact that she dipped South makes me very worried about the people living south-ish past Gondor and Mordor. Like, what kind of unholy spider abominations do they get plagued with that teaming up with the evil "god" Sauron is a good idea, even with any Morgothian indoctrination at play? The Blue Wizards are late to that party but at least they can help shake things up over there.

Okay so to clarify for people who no idea: Shelob is the giant spider living in Sauron's mountain range nearish to the front gates. Ungoliant is her ancestor to an unknown degree (mother? grandmother? ungodly number of greats? who knows how long giant spiders live for in this setting) and is famously known for draining dry the giant magic trees that glowed brighter/dimmer in an about yearly cycle.

The trees, for the record, are the source of the Sun and Moon and also part of the inspiration for Feanor creating the Silmarils (specifically their light reflecting off of his niece Galadriel's hair). Telperion was planted first and then followed by Laurelin. The silver-leafed tree Telperion had flowers that dripped star-like dew, while Laurelin had clusters of golden fruit surrounded by golden glowing leaves. I mentioned before in another post about these trees and how the last flower and fruit were shotpucked into orbit on skyships. The moon's driver is apparently kinda shitty at sailing which is sometimes why the moon is larger. You'd think he'd get better but…

Anyway, the Trees' light stretched all the way from Valinor (basically heaven on earth) all the way to the known lands across Arda (including Middle Earth, which is charitably around the size of Europe compared to the rest of the landmass). Now it wasn't a perfect go and I forget at this moment when exactly the Two Pillars over on the continent Middle Earth is on were built to give that continent its own light source but Morgoth hates it when people have nice things so either he deliberately smashed them or a fight with the Valar got out of hand there and they got smashed in the fight. Because of this, the land got "ruined" by developing rocky mountain ranges, canyons, and so on so instead of being completely perfect it's wonderfully imperfect and varied. Similar way that Morgoth fighting with Ulmo - the Valar god-archangel-master of the Oceans - helped carve the shorelines and ocean-facing cliffs.

Ungoliant joined up with Morgoth with the promise that he'd offer her freely from his hands anything to satisfy her endless hunger. Using her webs as a ladder to breach Valinor's capital during a massive party since everyone would be busy, Morgoth struck down the trees with his giant spear weapon, and then she lapped up all the sap and her hunger and gluttony only got worse and Ungoliant grew larger and possibly more monstrous-seeming if she was able to scare Morgoth shitless.

They fled across the Grinding Ice, a jagged arctic wasteland (which is why the Noldor when led by Feanor went across that rather than any sensible path).

Ungoliant wasn't an idiot even if she was greedy. She knew that Morgoth broke promises when it suited him, so she demanded her goods. I am not sure how he had the time to do this but Morgoth looted Feanor's treasury along with swiping the three Silmarils. So the promise was demanded and she was fed all the gems held in his left hand… but he refused to open his right which contained the Silmarils (somehow, given that nothing evil can hold them).

Understandably pissed off, Ungoliant wrapped him up in her webs of unlight and tried to kill him. This created the echoes of Lammoth - the endless scream that would rattle forever until the area's destruction. This scream is what drew his minions' attention to the area and so Ungoliant exited the scene, pursued by Balrogs.

Yes, Balrogs. Plural. The Balrog of Moria was just the one and possibly a weak one at that.

Each Balrog is a fallen angel that was formerly working for others or could've been one of Melkor's had he stayed true (which was never gonna last given how he changed the Song and went Lucifer on God).

She wandered around, was known to have attempted to breach Doriath but was somehow successfully fended off by Luthien's mother Melian (told you she was a bamf), then had lots of spider babies in the ruins of Angband (Morgoth's Hell on Earth capital).

After that we have no idea where she went or what Ungoliant is up to beyond going "southward". Come the Fellowship's founding, it's been about 6458 years (not counting the exact date she was last seen in the Second Age) but if she was sniffing around for a Silmaril then that'd make the last possible sighting around 466 First Age so…6583 years.

That's a long time to lose track of a giant spider. Hope it doesn't literally bite them in the ass. Hopefully Pallando and Alatar (the "missing" two Wizards of the Istari Order) are handling things over there.

[three--rings]

Someone: Rings of Power is just a generic fantasy show, I don’t get what’s wrong with that.

Me: See.  See.  That hurts my soul. 

(And like this is not a personal attack on anyone watching and enjoying the show, or anyone expressing this opinion.)

But like, imagine your favorite thing.  Like book, TV show, whatever, something really personally important to you that you deeply love.  And then imagine someone took that thing, used the names but changed all the specifics and made the characters OOC and made a semi-mediocre generic version of it. 

Like, no I haven’t watched it, tbf.  But I’ve read reviews and all the positive things people say is like the CGI is pretty and it’s nice generic fantasy.  And like...sorry, that’s not enough.  

Like, this is not even really an ADAPTATION, so much as a bastardization, and I think that’s what people need to understand.  They don’t own enough of the rights from my understanding to make it an adaptation.  They are apparently making all of this up from the LOTR appendices?  IDEK.  They don’t own any of Silm and they’re trying to tell the story of it?  Without infringing copyright, meaning it can’t actually be accurate to what Tolkien wrote?  Someone explain this to me. 

One thing that’s occurred to me from this whole thing is that I might be part of the last generation to read Tolkien before seeing any adaptation of his works.  Like I can’t imagine that for people born after the turn of the millennium that they are likely to read the thousand page, somewhat difficult novel without having watched the films.  And that’s fine.  If I had kids, no doubt I’d make them watch the films first to get them interested.

But when I was 11 a family friend gave me The Hobbit and impressed upon me that it was incredibly important that I read this book.  I finished it and immediately made my mom buy me the whole LOTR set.  It took me I think until I was 12 to make it through the whole thing. 

I absolutely cannot express how much Tolkien became part of my soul.  I’ve been using the name threerings in some form since I was 12 and it’s a LOTR reference. 

Younger people can’t know how controversial the Peter Jackson films were before they came out.  How fans scrutinized every little thing to find fault.  The casting of Elijah Wood, omg, the howls against it. 

I was working my first job out of college when the Fellowship came out.  I took the day off to go see it, along with HALF MY OFFICE.  We had our office holiday party that night and LOTR was the major topic of conversation.  (okay we were geeks, yes.)  The debates over the changes.  Arwen instead of Glorfindel, etc...

But the Jackson films (the first three at least, I have Hobbit Opinions) showed themselves to be faithful adaptations made with love and understanding of the source.  Like not perfect.  But mostly with changes that made sense or which could be overlooked.  Tolkien fans felt their cherished texts had been respected.

But this?  This is like all that anxiety and skepticism and then...the best anyone can say is it’s not too bad for generic fantasy. 

I can’t.  You know?  I don’t want to watch my most beloved characters of Galadriel and Elrond (two of the three holders of the Three Rings, btw) in a bastardized generic fantasy. 

[lordofthescrolls]

I will come back to you

Adar x reader

You believe your fiancé to be dead. After centuries of mourning, you find out something shocking after a battle in the Southlands.

Angst - Fluff

My boots hit the sturdy ground as I made my way to find Galadriel. The battle against the orca ended in our victory though who was to say that this was a true victory when lives were lost.

I have been alive long enough to know that the peace that these humans share is only temporary against a great evil. But not always… Not in Valinor. Not when I had…

“Your poem is quite lovely.” Enel remarked.

“You are just saying that.” I rolled my eyes with amusement.

“Now why would I tell the most beautiful elf in the entire universal a lie?” He asked.

My blush deepened, “Because you are blinded by my beauty that you cannot see what is truly in front of you.” I motioned to the scroll, the ink still slightly wet as the words of life dried on the page.

“On the contrary my melenith, my sight has never been so clear before.” He murmured leaning closer to me.

“And why should I believe you?” I asked as he brushed his lips against mine.

“Because as your future husband, I have nothing to hide from you.” He answered.

“General!” A young voice called out, “Princess!”

I turned my head towards the voice to find it belonged to the led who had been here king before Galadriel’s and my arrival.

I gave him a nod, “Yes?”

“I just wanted to thank you for helping.” He said.

“Of course.” I nodded.

“It’s been a long time since I have seen you. You were helping my group with training.” He explained.

“Ah.” I said in realization, “Arondir.”

That seemed to bring a smile to his face.

“I remember that I said I had high hopes for you.” I looked around before settling my eyes back on him again, “It seems that I was correct.”

“Thank you general or Princess (Y/N).”

“We fought in battle together, (y/n) will do just fine.” I recognized golden strands of silken hair, “It was very nice to catch up but I have some matters to attended to.” I gave him a polite smile.

“Of course my Princess, I mean (y/n).” He nodded before walking away.

“Riel.” I called to my friend who spun on her heel with nervous alarm. I paid little mind chopping it too after battle shock, “My squad and I have rounded up the remaining orcs. I believe that we should try and question the leader Adar before trying to get through to one of the orcs.“

“(Y/n).” She spoke my name gently.

I wasn’t paying attention continuing with my speech, “I hope that you have found this Adar? I’d rather not like to scavenge these woods tonight looking for a face I do not know.”

“(Y/n).” Galadriel spoke my name louder.

“Yes?” I spoke settling down, “Did something happen out there? Are you alright?” My motherly instincts kicked in. I gave her a once over but found that she was not visibly harmed, “Is it the queen? Or Halbrand?” I asked mentioning our new friend.

She shook her head and placed hers hand on my back, she led me somewhere less populated. Close to an old barn.

“Riel, you are scaring me.” I whispered feeling the rise of my heart beat.

“My friend, you have every right to be for what I am about to say is going to startle you from your very core.” She stated.

I gave her a nervous look as I waited for her to continue.

She grabbed my hands and in the calmest voice possible she stated, “Enel is alive. He… He is Adar.”

The world seemed to still at that moment as I took time to process her words fully.

“That cannot be. He was killed by Melkor.” I said seriously, “Melkor took him that night.”

“Melkor took him and turned him into an Ork.” Galadriel said solemnly.

Flashbacks of that dreadful night flooded my mind. It was dark and the only thing that gave us light was those dark and twisted flames as they consumed everything in terrible hunger.

Screams could be heard coming from our camp as a battle raged between Melkor and my fellow elves. My right leg was broken from the surprise ambush by monsters entering our safe haven. I muffled my cries in Enel’s tunic as he carried me towards the river. He set me down behind two boulders by the rushing waves.

“I need you to stay here and keep quiet.” He said, “I’ll be right back.”

“How can I just stay put when you’re going back?” I grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving.

“Your leg is broken melenith. I won’t allow for you to get hurt further.” He placed his hand over mine, his eyes darting every to search for potential threats.

The tears that welled in my eyes only burned from the grey smoke, “I’m not leaving you.”

“You know that I will return to you. I always do my melenith.” He pressed his forehead against mine before he gently kissed me and for a few short moments I forgot where I was.

And I continued to hold onto that even after I was told he was dead. And for years to come I clung to his smile as I mourned.

But, now there was a possibility that he was alive. He was alive and waiting for me in that barn. He was alive and was now Adar.

My breathing quickened as I tried to find the words to speak. But I didn’t want to speak or say another word until I saw for myself what my friend has confessed to me.

“You must understand that he is not the same elf you once knew.” Galadriel tried to explain but it fell upon deaf ears, “He has grown dark and twisted, made into a servant of Sauron.”

I passed Galadriel, heading straight for the barn that was currently being guarded by two soldiers.

“No one is aloud to enter.” The one on the right stated as both of their swords crossed over the door.

They barely had time to comprehend what had happened before I was slipping past them. Both of there swords now imbedded into the soil in front of their feet.

“Let her go.” I heard Galadriel command when they made a move to attempt to grab me.

That was the last thing I heard before the door slammed shut behind me.

Have I perhaps gone deaf? I was not entirely sure as sound seemed to be a distant voice as a familiar pair of eyes stared at me. Maybe I had died in battle and now I was home? But, then why would I imagine him older? He was still remarkable handsome even as he was warn down in chains. Maybe I am hallucinating then? A comma?

“(Y/n)…” He was the first to speak, that melancholy sound bring tears to my eyes as I let out a heart wrenching cry and ran towards him.

I threw myself I too of him as he struggled to catch me with his wrists chained. I didn’t care though. I didn’t care about anything expect the feeling of his skin on mine. Even if he did smell like he hasn’t bathed in weeks.

My sobs only got harder as I felt him wrap his arms around me. I grilled onto the back of his shirt, my arms circling his neck and my face pressed into the crook of his neck.

No other words were spoken for a long while. Only the shared sobs and sniffles as we cling onto each other as if we were a drift at see and trying to stay afloat.

“I have been looking for you since I freed myself.” Enel spoke after a while.

Freed… The thought of him being captured… Tortured… Lost to the strength of the light. It tormented my soul.

I pulled away from him, my face stained with tears, “I’m so sorry.” I said as the guilt poured from my soul, “I should have known. I should have looked harder for you. I shouldn’t have believed that you were dead. Please forgive me.” I pleaded as I knelt in front of him, palms fisted into my thighs.

He gently placed his hands over mine, bring me back into him, “You have no need to apologize melenith. I have never once blamed you for my capture. You were the only thing that kept me from going mad.”

I placed my hands on his cheeks, my thumb gently running over his scars, “What are we to do now my love?” I whispered, “They will not let you go.”

“I know.” He closed his eyes leaning in to my touch. Oh how he yearned for this moment that will soon be a distant memory, “Which is why I need you to let me go.” His gaze stared solemnly into mine.

I shook my head immediately at his absurd response, “No. No, the gods have just bestowed upon me the greatest gift… You.”

“I have done terrible things (Y/N).” His gaze lowered, “I am not the elf you once knew.”

“I know.” I nodded with a heavy heart, “But that doesn’t change my mind.”

“I cannot stay here. My children out there…” He looked to side, “I promised them a world where they could live freely. They need me.”

I let out a sigh and the room fell quiet. It was a while before I spoke again, every word a soft reminder, “Each night I prayed to the heavens to allow me to be with you again and now you are here.” I placed my hand on his cheek once again and gently prompted him to look at me, “The heavens have granted me my wish and nothing, I mean nothing will ever separate us again.”

He pressed his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling, “Then will you come with me?” He asked.

“I will follow you to the end of the world.” I replied in full honesty.

“Then come back here when you feel the ground begin to shake.” He stated.

[yourlocalnetizen]

Celegorm headcanons

He has massive pretty privilege and is completely aware of this and uses it to his advantage unlike his also canonically good looking brother Maedhros.

He's not as much of a workout junkie as people make him out to be. He's athletic yes, he has more of a lithe body type like Maglor's, but with more muscle. I actually see Curufin being the buff one out of the Feanorians given he's in the forges all day where as Celegorm spends more time running and shooting arrows so I think he's actually be sort of skinny like how Amrod & Amras who are also hunters are pictured.

Celegorm had fairly long hair which he tied back into a neat braid when he went hunting. It wasn't exactly ideal so he did have to cut it a couple times but he did like growing it out because he, like all Finwean's was blessed with great hair. Also his whole fam was praised for their hair, Feanor & Finwe had famous raven locks, Nerdanel & Mathan had hair that was a beautiful auburn color, Maedhros's fiery hair was iconic, and Maglor's hair was so long it reached his mid thigh.

Back in Valinor, Celegorm got along pretty well with all his (half) cousins except Turgon & Galadriel.

He never really got confrontational with Galadriel though. They just disliked each other because she somewhat openly hated his dad and thought he was narcissistic while he believed she was stuck up but they mostly ignored each other and gave each other fake smiles when others were around.

He and Turgon on the other hand would give each other dirty looks all the time. And talk smack about each other behind each other’s back. The unwilling victim who would hear most of this was Aredhel who would ditch them until they stopped complaining. The only thing these two will ever agree on is that Eol is garbage.

Celegorm used to give Amrod & Amras rides on Huan all the time when the twins were small. Sometimes he would let Argon ride Huan too, which is why the kid had a initially good impression of him and a part of the reason Turgon had a bad impression of him.

While Curufin was canonically Feanor's favorite son, I do think Feanor had a massive soft spot for Celegorm and let him get away with a ton of shit. Partially cuz Miriel, who's looks and silver hair he inherited but also just because Celegorm was an incredibly loving son, like the kind who give you lots of hugs and say "I love you" every day.

When he was younger, he had a massive desire to be liked by everyone so he would somewhat go out of his way to be nice. Especially in front of adults. It was also a part of the reason Orome was so fond of him, he really was a good kid despite what he later became.

Of course, many elves did like him so as he grew older, he somewhat expected to be liked by everybody he met.

It's not like he just started being mean to everyone though, If you were nice to him and didn't bother him, you were good in his book and he treated you well back. If you weren't, you would see the ugliest side of him.

Being close to most of the Nolofinweans, he spent quite a bit of time with his half aunt Lalwen and thought she was one of the coolest elves ever as a kid.

[lavender-at-heart]

could u do dating bella swan as a werewolf!fem!reader?<33 loved your galadriel headcanons

𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑊𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑜𝑙𝑓:

Pairing: Bella Swan x fem!werewolf!reader

Warnings: a bit angsty

Notes: tysm for the request your so sweet! Sorry this took a little while to get out btw. Requests are open and feedback is welcomed and encouraged!

- Coco ❤️

You were Jacobs cousin but spent most of your time with him and Billy rather than your family.

You had seen/met Bella once or twice but you were very little and don't remember much

But you have met Charlie Swan, he always seemed like a nice man and often invited you and your family over to watch a baseball game.

When news of the infamous Bellas moving to Forks you were relatively unfazed.

But Jacob was chomping at the bit to get to know her.

You met her the same time jacob did and it was hard to watch the two interact, but she seemed sweet(and very pretty).

Unlike your cousin you actually attended Forks high-school, it was closer to home.

You noticed Bella was a bit shy and socially awkward so you invited her into your friend group and hit it off well.

And when she started taking a interest in a certain blood sucking freak you were sure to steer her in the right direction.

And she listened to your advice

For three days.

She had said some bs about how you wouldn't be able to change her mind about seeing him so it's not worth the fight. And you gave up because you rlly wanted things to work between the two of you.

And you didn't really mind, I mean yes it was dangerous but Bella could take care of herself[and the fact that you had a real big crush on her]. You didn't mind that is until she started ditching you.

"Oh sorry y/n I can't tonight... I'm going to the movies with Edward"

Or "I promised Edward I'd study with him, can't jacob help you?"

It hurt you to say the least and Bella was so blinded by her crush for Edward she didnt even notice.

By Bellas birthday your relationship had practically withered away but you still got her a present. A handmade booksleeve in her favorite colour.

And then...the accident happened. The Cullens left Forks abruptly leaving a heartbroken Bella and a confused town.

You didn't really know what happened but according to Billy, nothing good.

And as selfish as it sounds you were glad you got to get back in touch with her.

You helped her get over her stupid breakup, reminding her that Edward didn't deserve her whatsoever.

You comforted her and let her cry in your arms

You made sure she ate well and got enough sleep

And you even made a bonfire with Jacob and your friends to burn all of Bellas photos, clothing and memories of Edward.

Things were going great until you started distancing yourself.

Making up illnesses and just flat our ignoring her seemed better than the truth, I mean you just couldn't tell her.

She thought that you were ignoring her because of how she treated you before. She felt like a jerk.

So of course when she shows up to Jacobs and demands to see you, things don't go swimmingly.

She finds out and she's...honestly not as shocked as she should have been

" look Bella I understand if you don't wanna talk to me anymore, I'm surprised you can even look at me-"

"Y/n I've already been through the whole my friend is a mythical creature thing. Besides who will I complain about the rain to?"

And then she realized she really did eff up pretty badly with you when she was dating Edward and it wasn't ok.

You were studying- or at least trying to study when you were interrupted by bella throwing rocks at your window.

You looked down onto the yard where she was standing and holding up a sign that read "I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS SOONER BUT WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME? p.s im sorry for being a jerk :(" And a bouquet of your favorite flowers to top it off.

You excitedly nodded and quickly got ready for a impromptu date.

You guys went to a drive in movie, sat in the back of her truck and kissed under the stars~

Ok but Bella would be really good with dates

Like hiking to some obscure spot just cuz there's pretty flowers? It's a no brainer for her

You help her cook for her dad and Charlie loves you like a seccond daughter

You read and stargaze together on her roof

You make picture albums with the camera her dad got her for her birthday.

And she constantly finds she keeps "misplacing" her sweaters and flannels

You guys are really the power couple of Forks no matter what the creepy homophobic old guys say🏋‍♂️

Your families already get along great with each other so there's really no fuss when it comes to that.

Jacob is a little miffed that you "stole" Bella from him but she reassures him that he'd never stand a chance.

You get engaged 2 years after high-school, which seems pretty early but you know you'll never ever find someone as great as bells in Forks

The wedding is small but that's the way you both wanted it

It's in her backyard, in the forest and the reception is at her house.

Ok I lokey hate her wedding dress(no shade if you like it tho!) So let's say she wore this one, it's close enough but much better(in my opinion)!

And ofc u wear whatever u want!

Bella lokey loves wolf version of you, I mean the piggyback rides are insane.

And your just so fluffy, great cuddle material.

You guys have a quiet simple life but it's never boring.

If you decide to have children I'm thanking the God's it won't be named Renesme.

You guys love to cook together and try new recipes

She eventually gets used to the rain and gloom of Forks. It seems to be growing on her tbh

Sometimes you'll be sitting on your bed watching a old movie and both of you will just sit and laugh about what life would gave been like if Edward had stayed in Forks.

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: Many Partings

Oh, oh oh oh, the chapter title is a mirror to the Fellowship chapter “Many Meetings”, don’t touch me I am cri

Aragorn: “Hello! Don’t ask; I know you want to go back home.” Frodo: “I do. I want to see Bilbo even more. I was sad to see he didn’t come with the others.” Aragorn: “Well, he’s getting really old, dude.” Frodo: “EXACTLY WHY I NEED TO GO.”

In which Arwen gives Frodo her golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s choco—I mean Valinor

Oh and he also gets another necklace

Eeeeyyy resolution to Eomer and Gimli’s little spat!

Eomer and Gimli are the politest, most gentlemanly simps ever

I love how much effort the book puts into acknowledging how honored Theoden was. Eowyn’s fear was that her family would be disgraced and forgotten, with no more dignity than a peasant living in a dirty thatched hut, but all this pomp and circumstance proves that the line of Eorl is still honored and respected and loved.

GHAN-BURI-GHAN

THE CHAD AND HIS HOMIES RETURN

HELLO I LOVE YOU WE WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE GOODBYE

I got so emotional about the drums, bruh, that’s literally beautiful ;~;

MERRRYYYYY *sobs*

I LOVE YOU MY SON. AAAAHHHH TToTT

“HAIL, EOMER, KING OF THE MARK!”

They’re in good hands.

Trothplighted! Now THAT’S a word!!

Aww, Eowyn and Faramir got engaged in Rohan! That’s cute :-3

Well there go all my goofy headcanons about Eomer being a cranky, overprotective brother and giving Faramir the side-eye. Even he just likes him automatically. Bummer. And here I was hoping for some funny family drama!

Eowyn: “Whaddya think of that, former crush? :-3” Aragorn: “Couldn’t be prouder :-D”

Okay yeah so when I read the last chapter, I wrote this thing at 3 AM like “kinda not digging how the book barely mentions what angst Elrond would be feeling over never seeing his daughter again ever; even the movies take the time to explore that (even if they paint Elrond as the bad guy who gets in the way of love)”, but at least here Tolkien gives us a mention of it. That’s nice. Please don’t just ignore Elrond’s feelings, the man’s been through enough.

OOH! A gift?? A gift for Merry??? I’m very interested—!!

GASP IT’S THE HORN

THAT’S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT ISN’T IT

PRETTY SURE I’M REMEMBERING SOMETHING ABOUT THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE AND THE HORN BEING VERY IMPORTANT

Aaaand they all hug! Awww!! TTuTT I’m gonna have so much fun drawing this LOL

“And they drank the stirrup-cup”. Thanks to this line and Google, I have now learned a thing about the traditions of the Scottish Highlanders.

Legolas, upon visiting a cave: “Welp, you beat me. I like caves now.”

TREEBEEEEEARD!!

QUICKBEEEEEEEAAAMM!!!

MY FAVORITE TREES I LOVE YOU GUYS

In which Treebeard cusses out orcs in Entish

In which Treebeard admits that he bored Saruman nearly to death!!

Oof, that’s not the smartest thing you’ve ever done, King Tree ol’ pal. But I forgive you. I won’t call mercy a weakness.

I love the mental image of Quickbeam bowing “like a tree bending in the wind”. They are not VERY bendable, but they can be a little bit!

There are no Entings :-C

Gimli, begrudgingly: “FINE I’ll visit the forest, I guess.”

Gimli calling them “my hobbits” noooo 😭😖😭😫🤧😭😭

STOP SAYING “I fear we shall never meet again”, IT’S MAKING ME SAD

Bye, Legolas; bye, Gimli! Love ya both, you hilarious nerds.

Merry and Pippin get one last drink with Treebeard! Yaaaay!! 8-D

Bye, King Tree, I love you!

Aragorn threatening to spy on Pippin and call him back in service to Minas Tirith is hilarious and very on-brand

Ooh, red sunset and a green flame…wow.

That’s so evocative and I can’t find the words to express why.

Bye, Aragorn. Love ya, long man.

Well, well, well! Bo and lehold, look what the cat drug in! It’s Saruman!

Me when Saruman chews out Gandalf: LOL

Me when Saruman breathes wrongly in Galadriel’s direction: oh he’s dead 8-.

Y’know, it’s funny. Grima’s fear of leaving Saruman is a lot like the fear people often have of leaving abusive relationships. However, Grima has everything he’d need to actually make a departure, things that other people stuck in abusive relationships might not—a support system, financial freedom, another place to stay, and people who would help and protect him—and yet he chooses none of it, and goes back to his oppressor. Fascinating.

OOP. OKAY SARUMAN TALKING TO THE HOBBITS NOW, EVERYBODY SHUT UP.

Saruman: “You cruel little urchins. Come to mock an old beggar, have you? I’ll bet you wouldn’t even give me a bit of pipe weed.” Frodo: “I would if I had any.”

That is the KINDEST 1000 IQ gigachad own I have EVER seen. Frodo like, “I have gone through untold hell, but you can’t make me cruel to you, no matter how much you try.” LIFE GOAL: BE LIKE FRODO

And Merry like, “Here, I’ve got some pipeweed, you can have it back.” My favorite hobbits, everyone. The chads. The absolute legends.

*mutters to self* “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; and in doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head…”

Merry’s sarcastic “thank you!” to the curse on the Southfarthing tho X’-D

Merry: “Can I have my bag back?” Saruman, a petty wet sock: “NO”

I wonder if the Shire has a thing where you can like. Sue for damages to person or property. ‘Cause that seems to be what Pippin is implying here by “what about our claim for kidnapping us”. In which case, Pippin half-joking about suing a wizard is VERY HECKING FUNNY

Also would like to point out that Sam didn’t say a word until Saruman was gone. I can only imagine he was just sitting in the background glaring at him the whole time.

Aaaand they let him go. Hahaha. Doom.

In which Gandalf, Galadriel, Celeborn, and Elrond speak in telepathy, wooo~

In which Sam still wants to see Elves, even after he’s been riding with Elves this whole time

BILBOOOOOOOOOO

BILBO MY LOVE I’VE MISSED YOU

Just the fact that the hobbits run to find him without taking off their coats or eating or washing up. That’s like charging into a house to see somebody, with your coat and shoes still on, leaving dirt on the carpet but neither of you care. It’s so emotional and full of love and I just aaaaahhhh— 🥹😭🥹🤧😭

Bilbo will never not be competitive, LOL! “I wanna be older than the Old Took!”

“How splendid! How wonderful! But where were we?” Bilbo I love you

“Yeah I was invited to Aragorn’s wedding and all that, but I was busy and I didn’t want to pack.” BILBO I LOVE YOU

“Didn’t go to the wedding because I couldn’t be arsed” is such a HUGE MOOD

Ohh, the melancholy of watching the weather changing and knowing you’ll soon have to leave

Also Frodo and Sam same brain

“Except the Sea.” Stopppp I’m gonna cry—

“To their delight, Gandalf said: ‘I think I shall come too. At least as far as Bree. I want to see Butterbur.’” AND ROAST HIS TOES

Aww Bilbo getting old and forgetful. It hurts, but it’s so sweet ;u;

“May come in useful, if you think of getting married, Sam.” 8-D 8-D 8-D hahaha yesss, tease the boy

Bilbo: “I don’t have gifts for you.” Pippin: “Okay, but consider: what if we sass you?” Bilbo: “Haha, you make me so proud! I lied. Have some pipes.”

Bilbo: “B-T-dubs, where’s my ring?” Frodo: “Er, I kind of threw it into a volcano, Bilbo.” Bilbo: “Oh, yes, that’s right! That’s what the whole thing was about, isn’t it? Silly me.”

Bilbo being just as interested in oliphaunts as Sam ;u;

REPRISE OF “THE ROAD GOES EVER ON!” SHUT UP I CRI

Just the way they let him nap for a while before talking again. It’s such natural comedy, and also very sweet and warm and full of love and just aaaaahhhh

Also Frodo agreeing to finish Bilbo’s work. There’s something so emotional about that. Makes me think of Christopher and all the work he did to preserve his father’s notes…I wonder if he ever made the connection himself. I wonder if he saw himself as his dad’s Frodo.

And we end with some foooooreshadowing….

Friendly reminder to everyone who complains that the RotK movie has like five different endings and that’s too many: The book is worse. The book is so, SO much worse. 🤣

[polutrope]

Ficlets: Nolofinwëans and Arafinwëans

Part 2 of fills for the Silmarillion Phrase Prompts

I have now completed 20 prompt fills from this list and, although I have two more in my Asks that I may yet do, I have decided to unofficially tie off the series at a nice round 20.

Thank you to everyone who sent me prompts, you kept me writing through the summer with these bite-sized inspirations! Here's the collection featuring the houses of Fingolfin and Finarfin. (Pt. 1: Fëanorians, Pt. 3: Sindar and Others).

Further Apart (Tumblr | AO3) for @melestasflight. Finarfin & Lalwen. G, 889 words. At the end of the First Age, Lalwen must part from her brother a second time.

The Son of His Father (Tumblr | AO3) for @theworldisquietheretooquiet. Finrod & Turgon. G, 517 words. Finrod and Turgon on hatred, forgiveness, and the reasons for crossing the Helcaraxë.

He Was Silent (Tumblr | AO3) for @searchingforserendipity25. Finrod & Thingol. G, 300 words. As the truth of the flight of the Noldor is revealed to Thingol, Finrod considers what this means for his bonds of kinship and his hopes for the future of the Eldar in Beleriand.

Things Yet to Be (Tumblr | AO3) for @emyn-arnens. Finrod & Turgon. G, 1.4k. Young Finrod reflects on memory, foresight, and storytelling as he recounts the experience of a vision he had as an infant.

Flight and Freedom (Tumblr | AO3) for @greyjedijaneite. Celeborn/Galadriel. G, 553 words. After leaving Beleriand following the deaths of her brothers, Galadriel considers her purpose.

Out of the Wreckage (Tumblr | AO3) for @elentarial. Idril/Maeglin. G, 855 words. On the escape from Gondolin, Idril tries to unravel her relationship with Maeglin.

[buffyfan145]

Ended up getting 5 "Rings of Power" season 2 spoiler scoops this week from Fellowship of Fans and really excited about them, especially since some are about Halbrand/Sauron!!! :D Also confirmed more about Ameila Kenworthy's character too.

Starting off with the Twitter thread FOF made and the order they posted them. The first spoiler is that Pelargir will be a location in season 2 and that soldiers will arrive by boat to get there possibly from Númenor as this city does play a big part when the downfall of the island happens and the flee to Middle Earth.

Halbrand will be at one of the human villages, possibly Pelargir, as well as a forest in Surrey to recruit humans to his side. They confirmed Charlie was filming at both locations. It makes sense that he keeps the Halbrand form as they already trusted him as the King of the Southlands and a lot of us were thinking he'd keep using this form to get the men and his 9 ring bearers to his side.

Sam Hazeldine/Adar, Ameila Kenwothy, and Zates Yatour were all spotted at the village speech too.

Amelia and Zates' characters are likely not human and there's now speculation that they're playing either dark elves, vampires, werewolves, or for Amelia even the human form of Shelob if they do the same as that video game (which I'm a bit surprised about if it's that) and she will be on the show in spider form or the human form of vampire Thuringwethil.

Amelia also had a chemistry test with both Charlie and Sam. I didn't expect this at all and makes me even more curious who she is playing to have tested with both of them meaning they'll share a lot of scenes together. It also all but confirms she's not Celebrían, not only since most of us are certain she hasn't been born yet, but it's highly unlikely that she would be sharing scenes with Halbrand/Sauron and Adar. This seems more to be she's on their side and either is a dark elf, vampire, or Shelob. Though this also makes me think of when "Buffy" had Spike with Harmony and she realized he was in love with Buffy and didn't feel the same about her and with how much she and Buffy looked alike, as there is a resemblance between Amelia and Morfydd Clark's Galadriel, so I can see this from a Haladriel perspective too. Not sure if this show would get that soap opera like but would be crazy if there was whatever you call a love triangle but with 5 people involved (Halbrand/Sauron, Galadriel, Amelia's character, Adar, and Celeborn LOL). But would also be nice to show that Sauron can have romantic/sexual feelings for others as some of the purists seem to think he's not capable of that. LOL :)

ETA: It would be a love pentagon or pentagram. LOL Didn't even know that was a thing. :D

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Silvans Journal

Exactly what it says on the tin. I hc that one of the silvan customs is for every elf to write down what happens in their lives as a way to remember, and as a momento for those they leave behind should they die.

Now, these journal entries aren’t usually full fledged day by day walkthroughs. More like:

“September 19, 1568 SA

Naneth took me out hunting today! We caught a big buck, and she showed me how to skin it!”

For more intense and larger events the entries are longer, obviously.

When going on trips (or marching to war) they bring a small pocket sized booklet to write their notes down in, which they transcribe into their larger journal when they get back.

Ironically this means that the silvans have the most accurate record of history.

Culture wise this means that giving a silvan an empty journal is a big thing only done by family/the spouse and really really close friends. It is seen as a declaration of love by the giver (either romantic or platonic). Elves can buy their own though, no problem.

Furthermore, an elf’s first journal is actually written by their parents, documenting the begetting untill birth and is filled with everything the parents want to tell their child, should somethings happen to them when the child is young.

Silvans keep their full journals neatly in their personal book cases to be perused by them at their leisure. But outsiders flipping through a silvan’s personal journals without permission is a major faux pass.

The older a silvan is/the more they live through, the larger their journal collection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frodo, noticing that every now and then Legolas writes something down in a little booklet: what are you doing?

Legolas: writing down interesting things that have happened

Frodo: why?

Legolas: to remind myself what I’m living for.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Legolas’s journal

June 18, 2230 TA, Imlardis

Arwen and I nailed the twins with all the rotten vegetables left over in the kitchen. Their faces were priceless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thranduil Journal

February 4, 18 TA, Greenwood

My son and his patrol took down group of orcs today, meanwhile I’m stuck drowning under paperwork and having to play nice with Galadriel. Fuck my life, why did Ada up and die on me!?

[maja0678]

I feel like Galadriel and Maedhros would get along so well:

-both surrounded by idiots

-trying to be calm but siblings

-stupid blonde siblings

-and more but I can't think of more

WHICH IS WHY I AM WRITING DIS: (galadriel's perspective, like 50 years after the last ship came to Valinor. She is visiting the halls of Mandos cuz WHY NOT??)

Yes this is a fanfic but it's short

Fëanor's sons are idiots. But sometimes, Maedhros is nice. Celegorm is a dick, but he's always been a dick. So is Curufin. Caranthir insulted my brother, even though he deserved it. So I don't like Caranthir either. And the twins... Well, I'm neutral about them. And Maglor is lost. I don't know if there is something like a TV in Mandos, that livestreams all business in Middle-Earth.

I sigh as i take more steps. I couldn't take a horse; there aren't many in Aman. Walking is fine, I tell myself. I'm going to tell Fëanor and his sons that Maglor is officially lost. I couldn't find him. I searched for him- in secret- and I failed. Eru, I hate it when I fail to do something.

The door to their cell is sealed. Good thing I'm friends with Olórin, who is close with Nienna, Namo's sister. So I got a key. My fingers slightly wrap around the silver key. It's beautiful. But I shouldn't stand and admire the key, and open the door in stead. The huge door opens as I push it. Maedhros sits there. He looks a little transparant. But I've seen ghosts before, so I'm not scared. He doesn't look surprised to see me.

"I think I can guess why you're here, cousin." A shiver runs up to my ears as he spoke, which is kind of a weird feeling. The voices of ghost's are like wind. It's.. hard to explain. However, I have to say something. "Yes. I couldn't find Maglor. I'm sorry." My words sound cold and unfeeling. That's not how I wanted it to sound.

"I know. We have something like a TV here, but even that thing can't find Maglor," Maedhros speaks.

"Ah." My voice shakes. Only a little, but it still shakes. "I'm sorry. How's the waiting going?" And now, I sound like I'm making fun of him.

"Boring. My father tries to pick a fight with lord Namo.. And I guess we just have to sit here and wait. Accept our defeat." His words repeat in my head. Accept defeat..

"I get it. I.. I should go. I've said what I wanted to say. Good luck on waiting, and escaping." My eyes widen as i realize what I've just said.

"I mean, don't escape. Escaping prison is bad, don't do it." I try to explain, but he smiles. And waves me away. He's dismissing me, as if he called for me to come? I give him my most I'm-alive-and-you're-not-look, and turn around. I smash the door, as if I'm a child.

I'm not a child. I'm older then the moon and the sun. The most powerful elf alive. Alive..

When I'm walking back to my husband, and daughter, his words still echo in my head. A soft breeze toys with my now quite messy hair. Accept our defeat, he said. I turn around, walk in the direction of a now huge tree. I used to play in it as a child, but that was a long time ago. I used to sit there, and read. I find myself going into the exact position the younger me used to love

"Maybe it's time to accept defeat," I whisper.

THE END😍

[shrikeseams]

Thinking about Celegorm avenging Aredhel on Luthien got me thinking about… oh gosh. Somebody had a headcanon about Galadriel interacting with Aredhel. Them writing letters after Aredhel's marriage? Something like that. Sorry, I've forgotten who wrote it and most of the content. But it was interest to me, because...

At least to me, the Aredhel Situation only really works if nobody knows she's there. I mean. She's the daughter of the high king of the Noldor. The abduction/seduction only works in the first place because she vanished into Gondolin, and the people outside Gondolin don't know she's missing. I think this is why I don't think Turgon sent letters to his family on the outside until he shows up for the Union. If he was in touch with his dad, he would tell Fingolfin that Aredhel had gone missing, and approximately where-ish, and Fingolfin and Fingon and Aredhel's cousins would be posting rewards for information and organizing search parties. Fingon went into Angband for a cousin he was angry at, I'm pretty sure he'd spend at least a decade scouring the mountains of terror and surrounding territory for his little sister. I'm not sure they would have found her, but everybody would have raised too much of a ruckus for anyone associated with Eol to claim plausible deniability. (And abduction by an elf wouldn't have been on the list of possibilities! Realistically, the worries are that she's dead or that she's become Maedhros 2.0. And 'death' is only the first concern because Morgoth hasn't tried to ransom her.)

But see, the whole situation is extremely politically volatile and embarrassing, especially to Doriath. This isn't just a marriage scandal. This is, functionally, the same thing Celegorm did to Luthien. And this predates the Luthien Incident, so Doriath can't just throw this back on the Noldor. This is Doriath losing the moral high ground. This is Thingol's Family Wronging Finwe's Family in an extremely intimate way.

So if Eol tells Thingol, or lets Aredhel write to Galadriel... that puts everyone involved in a sticky situation. Now, I do not like Thingol, and I do not think highly of his politics, and I don't think he's altruistic at all. But I also don't think he'd be comfy with letting one of his kinsmen abduct the only daughter of the king of the people who are guarding his borders. The Noldor are his first defense against Morgoth, even if Melian is the more certain defense. At this point in the timeline he is still somewhat playing nice. He has no reason to think the situation will stay secret, and he only looks worse if he doesn't get in front of the issue. (And even if he's willing to do nothing, I feel like Melian would Take An Interest. Either way, that's not a scandal they can afford to go unmanaged if they want to keep the moral high ground.)

And if Galadriel knows.... very sincerely I think the situation becomes even more of a ticking political time bomb. Galadriel likes learning from Melian, and Doriath is safe, and the Iathrim haven't crossed her moral bottom line the way the kinslaying Noldor have. That last item? The moral bottom line? I'm pretty sure that goes violently out the window if a relative of Thingol's (and therefore presumably of Galadriel herself) has trapped her cousin in a questionable marriage and won't let her see or even write to her family. I'm not sure how that would shake out, but if Melian didn't respond to close door talks I can see her going nuclear and sending all the details to at least Finrod, and possibly Fingolfin.

Just. Politically, this is a powder keg, and if the full story was known outside Gondolin, then there are several political actors ( Fingolfin, Maedhros, possibly even Finrod if he's convinced it's for the greater good) who would use it to wring concessions out of Doriath, or as an excuse to cut any political obligations they had to Thingol. "Your cousin abducted and then murdered my daughter right under your nose" is a smaller scale than Alqualonde, but it's made powerful by the intimacy of the connections and by all the players being known in Beleriand.