#curumo and mairon are brothers

[crackinthecup]

Tagged by the very lovely @cilil and @elevenelvenswords to share a WIP snippet! I know you both tagged me a couple of months back, really sorry for the delay and thank you for the tag <3 <3

My writing inspiration/motivation has kinda gone out the window so I haven't really been writing lately and I'm not sure when I'll pick it up again. This is from a maybe abandoned (?? for now???) draft about Mairon's seduction:

And as he sings, mountains rise, mountains, in rough shape very like what Aulendil and his brethren had made, but if these are mountains then their creations must have been hillocks. They grow huge and they all grow at once, like a line of jagged teeth biting Arda in half from north to south. Up through the clouds they smash, crowning themselves in their grey, gossamer tatters, and then further still, further, into heights that no earthbound eye can see. “There,” Melkor says at last, into a silence so profound it seems that none here—not Aulendil, not Curumo, not any other Maiar nor even Manwë and Aulë themselves—will ever find their voice again. “This is what it means to dream.” “Brother.” Manwë. He seems small at the foot of those monstrous mountains. Little more than a frayed cloud himself. “You walk and power walks with you, none can deny it. Let us set aside this strife, this misuse of our time. Join us, work with us, and together we can bring greatness into this world.” “I am greatness.”

Tagging @sauron-kraut, @foxindarkness, @gardensofthemoon, @lvsifer, @saintstars (if you fancy! no pressure)

[satan-chillin]

Escort

Mairon unknowingly summoned an Incubus after fucking up a Latin phrase. (Modern AU w/ Incubus Melkor & Human Mairon)

For Angbang Week Day 7: Alternative Universe

Also in Ao3

❅ ❅ ❅

“So where did you two meet?”

Mairon was close to rolling his eyes at the nth time this evening that he was asked that question. To be fair, the easiest answers would either be: I just met him two hours ago or I’m pretty sure he’s an escort someone hired for me out of pity. By my brother. Probably. 

“... In my neighborhood,” was what he said instead. It wasn’t even a lie. 

“Oh!” The young woman exclaimed. Mairon did not know her name, but the face looked familiar. Might be from Melian’s obnoxious circle of friends in her senior year. Mairon didn’t particularly care. “A distant relative of a neighbor then? Talk about a cute coincidence.”

Mairon was pretty sure it was creepy. 

Unwittingly, he watched Melkor—was that even his true name or a professional one—across the gym-cum-event hall flocked by what appeared to be a mix of annoyingly familiar faces of former classmates and some who were supposed to be a couple of years ahead of Mairon’s batch back in high school. The reunion clearly said batch ‘94, and yet it appeared to be thoroughly disregarded if he was seeing people who had no right to be there. Talk about a very disorganized event. 

Someone must have asked Melkor about his hair care, which prompted the man to charmingly run his fingers across his loose ponytail. Begrudgingly, Mairon had to admit that it was a very silky-looking hair; not that he’d know how it felt personally. As if sharing a deeply-personal secret, Melkor leaned slightly to the woman who asked, grinning conspiratorially and gesturing vaguely toward Mairon’s direction with a wink. 

Mairon swung a huge gulp of the punch and pretended he didn’t see that. 

He heard his unwanted companion giggle. Mairon had almost forgotten about her, and he wished that he honestly had. The night was starting to wear him thin, and there was no small part of him that kept wanting to know why the hell he was here in this first place when he had been adamant to disregard the email invitations, had muted the group chat he was added in, and had completely ignored the texts asking him to be there. 

But of course, there would be that one from Curumo—and he really should have blocked his number already—asking him to come. 

Dad will be there, you know, and since you keep refusing his invitation for dinner, you might as well give him this. Think of it as a family reunion, if that will make it easier to bear. 

Oh, but it didn’t, and already Mairon’s stomach was churning at the thought of coming across his brother who was fortunately on some thankless duty of keeping the classrooms off limits, and his father who was a former home economics and livelihood instructor in this school and had been one of Mairon’s unbearable teachers for that one year. He knew his father hadn’t arrived yet, but once he did and he saw Mairon—

“Hey, everything okay?”

Mairon did not notice the looming figure approach, and next thing he knew, Melkor was hovering over him, concerned, from the looks of it. At Mairon’s silence, he sighed indulgently, prying the half-empty punch from him and setting it down somewhere before encircling Mairon loosely with his arms, a comforting weight settling atop his head as he was pushed against Melkor’s chest. 

Vaguely, Mairon heard someone clearing her throat and excusing herself with a giggle. 

“She’s gone.”

“Good.”

Melkor, for some reason, still wouldn’t let him go after a beat. 

“... You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Mairon grumbled.

There was a rumble of a chuckle that, no, definitely didn’t make him fond. “Shouldn’t I be asking that? You’re making me believe I’d make an incredibly striking safety blanket.”

“Mm. Very humble too.”

Melkor answered Mairon’s scowl with a shit-eating grin that flashed a sharp incisor that shouldn’t be that attractive. 

The sensible and often winning part of Mairon’s brain was convinced that he shouldn’t be this close with a stranger in a place where he hardly felt healthy for his sanity, not to mention during an anxiety-inducing evening. Except, that logical part was apparently dormant and was planning to sleep away the night at the back of his head.

“I still didn’t know where you came from,” Mairon huffed, mostly to reprimand himself rather than chide Melkor specifically. “I didn’t know escorts do door-to-door.”

The taller man raised an eyebrow. “Have you forgotten already?”

“Forgot what?”

At Melkor’s growing confusion, Mairon racked his head if he had honestly forgotten something. He knew that he hadn’t forgotten if he had made a Craigslist post for a rentable plus one for the school reunion; he wasn’t that low. Yet. 

“Truly?” Melkor asked at the lengthening span of inquisitive silence. “Curious.”

That smirk better not mean that he was some deranged stalker who had banked on Mairon’s desperation. 

“Is this going to end up with me on a slab in pieces?” Mairon asked flatly. 

Melkor scoffed. “In pieces? Where’s the fun in that? Bloodplay can be arranged, and, yes, I wouldn’t mind laying you on some slab, if that’s a specific preference.”

“What?”

“Haven’t you figured it out, dear? I’d rather end this evening with you flat on your back.” He didn’t seem amused at Mairon’s blank stare. “Oh, come on, what’s even the purpose of summoning an Incubus if not to get laid?”

“A what?”

Melkor sighed. “Fine. It’s not fun if it's not consensual.”

“Excuse me, what the fu—”

“Ah, Mairon.”

They both turned to the new voice, and Mairon wished he hadn’t if it would mean not seeing his father’s—Aulë’s perpetual disappointed look whenever he was addressing Mairon. 

Gods, one would think he had gotten desensitized to it after all these years. Mairon fought against the ingrained behavior to keep his posture straight and to keep steady eye contact, the urge to please and present himself in a manner that was expected of him. It had been two decades since he left the house and broke all communication, for fuck’s sake. 

Melkor had beaten him to it, however, standing to his full height though keeping a loose hand around Mairon’s shoulders, something which he appreciated. To Aulë, Melkor inclined his head with a less rakish grin and a more business-like smile as he offered a handshake, outright ignoring the frown that Aulë had as his way of greeting. Aulë hesitantly accepted it, though not without sparing a glance toward Mairon. 

“Mr. Smith,” Melkor said brightly. “Mairon told me so much about you.”

Mairon did not, but, just his luck, Curumo took it as a chance to whisk him away and leave Aulë and Melkor to it. 

“Don’t worry, he won’t eat him,” was what his brother whispered, “He’ll probably just interrogate him. The usual.”

“I don’t even know what the ‘usual’ is,” Mairon replied testily. “Also, I didn’t notice you coming with him.”

“And I thought nothing gets past you,” Curumo shot back. “Don’t tell me it’s because of him. How well do you even know that guy?”

He knew Melkor for less than a day, which meant not at all. In lieu of his brother being up in his business: “I know him well enough.”

“Do you now?” Curumo challenged. “If I don’t know any better, I’d say he’s some shady guy you can hire online, or a random hookup.” He grimaced. “He better not be from that Palantíri dating app. They don’t do background checks on their users.”

Maybe the better question was how the hell his uptight brother even knew that dating site. 

“God forbid—he’s not your sugar dad, is he? He looks right about that age.”

Mairon would rather not deign answer that one. Scathingly, he threw him a dirty look. “Good thing you know better then.”

“Yes, I do.” Wearily, Curumo sighed. They were a little distant from where Melkor and Aulë were, where Mairon should be close enough to mitigate any disaster Melkor might unwittingly cause. He couldn’t be that lucky in a single night. “Which is why I know you’ll be here as well. I don’t blame you for leaving, to be honest. Dad…” He pursed his lips before continuing, “While he could have unreasonable expectations of us at times, you know he isn’t that bad.”

Mairon had heard of worse fathers, true, except, in the first place, it wasn’t supposed to be a competition of who was the worst. He had felt trapped in his childhood home, with unbearable loneliness that had come along with not being understood fully. Aulë had tried, that much he could admit, but speaking to him had been a chore in itself when he had not listened. 

“He’s getting better now, if you can believe it,” Curumo said. “Auntie Yavanna is a positive influence on him, I think.”

Mairon could only guess that this Yavanna was Aulë’s girlfriend, and the fact that Curumo was calling her ‘Auntie’ was a glowing endorsement. 

“You should meet her,” was what he said next, much to Mairon’s surprise (not). “It’s their anniversary next Friday. I’ll text you the details of where and what time.”

Spoken like someone who would not take no for an answer. Mairon was tempted to give a short refusal out of pure spite, but upon daring to glance past Curumo, he thought he saw Aulë’s increasingly disapproving stare toward Melkor the longer he listened to him speak.

Well. 

As if sensing who Mairon was looking at, his brother added, a tad exasperated, “Yes, you can bring him.”

“Fantastic,” Mairon replied with a fake cheer. Still, he couldn’t resist the grin he knew Curumo feared, widening ever slightly at the subtle gulp he received in turn. “We’ll be there.” 

❅ ❅ ❅

“Your brother must be a better conversationalist than your father,” Melkor observed languidly as he loosened his tie and popped the top buttons of his shirt. “Your father, on the other hand, must be fun at parties.”

“You should see my brother at parties too. They make quite a pair.”

“Does that make you the black sheep?” 

Mairon snorted. “Maybe.” 

That god-awful reunion was finally over, though not without the added torture of encountering former classmates and schoolmates. Melian and her himbo boyfriend-turned-husband, Thingol, were not particular favorites, and if Melian hadn’t seen him first, Mairon would have gone the other direction without exchanging painful pleasantries. Melkor, bless him, drove the small talk at least, and by driving he meant giving off a peculiar vibe that seemed to have offended Melian’s sensibilities before politely excusing herself and her husband.

Overall, the chaffing evening was not as bad as he had expected. 

Mairon paused on his way to his car before taking out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

He was willing to offer a free ride at least, but an extra was well-deserved for dealing half an hour with his father. 

“For?”

“For the night.” Mairon hesitated. “This is the first time I rented an escort. I don’t know how this works exactly. Do you have a fixed rate?”

Melkor considered him. “I thought we’ve established that I’m not one. As I said, you summoned an Incubus, and I’m here to serve.”

“Look, I don’t care what you call yourselves in your agency. And no need to sell it to me; it worked, and that’s what matters. So I have to pay you.”

“Did I do a good job at least?” Melkor asked amusedly. 

“Yes,” Mairon bit out. It was a damn good job, but he wasn’t about to tell him that. He waved dismissively. “Send me an email if there’s a feedback form that I need to fill out. And.”

Should he say this soon that he would be needing his services on Aulë’s anniversary? It would be a smaller gathering and much more intimate for the family and close friends. It would be wise to let Melkor know now, but he might come across as desperate. Mairon loathed that hadn’t fostered enough amicable relationships with others to at least call some of them his acquaintances, if only for this kind of purpose. 

Melkor raised an eyebrow expectantly. Patient. 

It wasn’t hard to recognize how anyone easily found him handsome, and Mairon supposed if he was functioning normally, the evening could end up exactly how it had been proposed. But he wasn’t. Normal, that was. Not in the sense that he found anything remotely sexual to be fascinating or interesting in any way. 

It was just… that. 

Melkor hummed. “So that’s how it is.”

“What is?”

“You. Normally, I’d say it’s a challenge, but it is not. Not when it’s not something irrevocable. Besides, it does not make you less interesting to me.” Mairon barely noticed him stepping much closer. “Make a pact with me.”

“Or I can just pay you for your time like two normal people,” Mairon retorted. 

“But there isn’t anything normal in this, wouldn’t you agree?” In a lower voice, he said, “Not that I’d oppose any kind of payment.”

Under the evening sky with a meager light from the peeking moon, Melkor’s eyes seemed to have taken two glowing rings that made him appear unnatural yet with a strange kind of beauty that Mairon couldn’t take his gaze from. 

There was an edge of… something that must be bad if alarm bells were starting to ring in his head. 

“What are you?” Mairon asked against better judgment.

“I told you.”

“A demon. Right. Forgive me if I’m skeptical.”

Melkor huffed, crossing his arms defensively. Mairon thought he saw a flash of sharp black nails. “I’m not the one who fucked up his Latin and summoned me here by mistake.”

Wait.

“You ass—I just joined that class last week! I’m sorry if my Latin is not yet perfect.”

“I figured you’d be more indignant to be called out on your mistake compared to letting you know that you do have an actual demon in your hands,” Melkor said dryly. “Why you even want to learn a dead language is beyond me. I thought your kind had more common sense in this era.”

“Fuck off,” Mairon muttered. “I’m still not convinced.”

“Very well.”

One moment, Mairon was standing in the parking lot, and the next, overwhelming darkness clouded his senses, save for the sensation of a firm hold around his waist and the dizzying whip of wind. 

When Mairon blinked his eyes open, he was at the front door of his apartment. 

“Holy shit.”

Melkor’s face was unbearably smug. “I told you.”

Mairon immediately went to the nearest bin and promptly threw up. After what sounded to be a lifetime of retching his guts out, he stared at Melkor once more who remained unfazed and was in fact holding out a dark napkin that he grudgingly took. 

Then, with the most serious yet that he had seen him tonight, repeated to Mairon: “Make a pact with me.”

“No.”

“Not even for Friday?”

“... What does this pact entail?”

“Nothing,” Melkor replied with the smoothness of a seasoned liar. “Just that it has to be sealed.”

Mairon was gripped with an urge to flee when Melkor once again stepped closer and very much into his personal space this time. Not that Mairon could do anything against a demon if he so wished to eat him alive. 

He instead felt a pair of lips touching his forehead lightly, landing with a peck. 

“There,” Melkor said with a lopsided grin before pulling back. “I’ll come find you on Friday, Mairon.” 

Melkor turned and whistled a tune where the tail on his retreating back swished happily along with the beat before vanishing in a wisp of dark smoke.

Mairon was certain that he just signed his soul away. 

Fuck. 

[lledron]

Sauron Mairon Halbrand y Alicent

I always make the joke that Sauron is Aule's daddy's boy and keep it canon. So I have an idea:

AU Where Sauron in human form ends up in Westeros and sees Yvanna. She is Yvanna, she is the wife of dad / Aule. She is mom. And mom is crying. And yes, I'm adding to the theory that Melkor's giant spider is from Lovecrath's universe, so crossovers are possible!

Sauron can't help. Here he is nobody and he has not recovered his powers. He is sickened by the mess, by the Targaryen traditions of marrying each other. Sauron notices that Mama is biting her nails. Mom should be happy and have trees. And mom should pay attention to it and be happy with those creepy trees with faces.

Alicent does not understand who gives her personalized jewelry with the theme of Mother and Maiden. She knows Sauron. "Hello my lady"

Sauron disguises himself as a cat to attend Alicent and Viserys' meetings. He is against Otto's plan, mom is fifteen years old. Fifteen fucking human years.

This can go two ways:

Sauron kills all the dragons because Alicent made a comment that while Syrax is beautiful she would never ride a dragon. Mom is afraid, now I have to protect her, be the man of the house because mom can't be married to another man who isn't dad.

Daemon boasts that he took Alicent's virginity and is killed by Sauron. Mom is from dad.

Sauron manages to find the equivalent of Aule in this world and cheats on the parents.

Alicent is very sure she is ready to have children after stopping Sauron from conquering Middle-earth.

Sauron takes the form of a child. More shenanigans to come, now he has everything he wants, for now.

Alicent and any poor man who is Aule in this universe, congratulations. Their son is a narcissistic sociopath who loves them with all his heart.

In another line, Alicent marries Viserys, but Mairon has not regained his power, so he cannot prevent his mother from being raped.

Sauron discovers that his siblings are nuisances, but they will give Mom more power. Mom is a goddess, a Valar, but also a 15-year-old girl.

So Sauron takes over Aegon, comforts Mum, tells Aegon he's a little shit worse than Curumo and Aegon's first word is shit.

Helena is born. And here she is different. Sauron hated Curumo for stealing Daddy's attention, but he respected Melian. He now has another sister, who is also a woman in a world of shit. But Heleana has magical potential, so he will teach her well. He will teach her to lie, to deceive, to put on makeup.

All of this happens while Sauron takes the form of a little boy so he can stay with the queen alone. Alicent hugs him and hugs from mom feel good. On one hand, Alicent recognizes that Mairon/Sauron has a connection. She loves him, she is his mother in all the universes. But her son is evil and she knows it. But he hasn't proven to be more evil than the other men.

Aemond is born and Sauron throws a tantrum. He doesn't want another brother and hates him as much as he hates Aegon for hogging Mom's attention. Then Daeron is born and Sauron screams because there is so much evil in the world! Criston Cole is horrible, but he makes mom happy. As long as he isn't platonic, Sauron will keep it. Suddenly, Sauron can shapeshift into a dragon. Since he hates Rhaenyra's bastards he plans to play a little prank at Laena's funeral. Nothing to go wrong. He just needs Aemond's help. Aemond claims a dragon and that dragon leads everyone to see Rhaenyra doing it with his uncle.

And shit breaks loose. Aemond is happy to have a dragon, the Velarions are angry, and Laenor calls for a duel against Daemon for his sister's honor.

Laenor wins and kills Daemon. Rhaenyra will go on trial for being an adulteress and Harwin will be her champion. Then Criston Cole kicks Harwin's ass. Heleana uses her magic to make Rhaenyra admit the truth about her bastards. Alicent rebukes Sauron because now there is a political mess and because his brother thought he had a dragon. "It was just a joke, mom, I didn't know it would go this far," she says with puppy dog eyes.

[drhdmgr]

How one hangover (pretty bad one 😂) christmas morning I got full idea about what might have been in Our souls were made from the stars.

So, I was again thinking Our souls potential plots. And I came with one comprehensive enough which I really liked. I know the author once mentioned a plan to follow canonical events, more or less, so that is how I imagined that too. 95% of what I came with is anyway full exact Tolkien set up.

Still fingers crossed silverwing12 comes back!

I hope I will not offend any authors with posting this my idea how someone elses work could go…. If I did, sorry for that, but I think same as we speculate about 2nd season, we can speculate about fanfics :). 

So here is the miracle 🤪. And absolutely at the end, I have even short idea description for another possible plot idea 😂😂😂☺️.

(i) They repair the greenhouse and get back together somehow (some Estel escalation happens) - a lot sex in Anenfel ideally 😂😂😉 afterwards. Mairon’s desires will win and he will just be a traitorous piece of shit through all this. Aaa, I love his unbeliavable ability for the denial 😉. But he will never lie to her about his feelings for her, that not! I definitely want them to share the l-word ❤️ finally!

(ii) I have no clue how Melkor gets intel how to get Ungoliant to Trees, I do not even know/imagine if it will be Mairon and how he would get this info. Yavanna is not stupid to tell him…So I simply assume this intel somehow happened. Trees are destroyed, Melkor goes crazy for stones and kills Finwe. Mairon is revealed as traitor and flees with Melkor to Endor. They cannot take sea (Ulmo is pissed), so they go through Helcaraxe. 

(iii) Galadriel is hearthbroken but so pissed and angry she buries it inside. I think they might even have some interaction before Mairon escapes. Some yelling and so on. Mairon has shown himself to be quite a coward, so he will leave from this argument simply rather than defend himself. Well, he can hardly defend himself anyways…. He will change to the wolf form and stay like that for all Helcaraxe crossing. It also helps with his denial as like a wolf, he feels a bit differently. Melkor will definitely be amused by that. 

(iv) Now a couple centuries all goes as in the canon. Feanor gets super mad and is quickly killed in Endor. No one is sorry about that. Melkor and spol cross Helcaraxe and Ungoliant gets hungry for stones, they fight her. Mairon directs major battles, but no direct participation - Balrogs and orcs as a first line casualties rather than commanders. Curumo is back in Valinor, this time he is under cover… no one trusts him anyways. Melkor goes even more crazy. Mairon is pissed but trapped in the situation of his own mess and denial. Mairon and Melkor corrupt some human tribes. In the meanwhile, elves crossing Helcaraxe including Galadriel come to Endor. She will be in Doriath. Meets Teleporno bla bla who cares about the guy 😂. All major battles and events happen as in the canon: Galadriel’s two brothers die in fires of Thangorodrim when Mairon breaches the siege of Angband. Mairon takes control of Tor in Gaurgoth. Beren meets Luthien. Thingol will be another crazy elf. Quest for Silmaril happens. Mairon’s wolves by mistake really kill Finrod. (I see this as a speed highway to Valinor for Finrod 😂😂😂.) Mairon will be soooo pissed and desperate that he just lets Luthien and Huan to defeat him. Bcs of course otherwise if he would not be in depression, he would be able to deal with them. Melkor will be so pissed. Mairon hides in the wolf form till end of the 1st age, also renewing his powers doing so. Than again all goes as in the canon. First age will end. Mairon will not go to Valinor when summoned. I ask myself why I like him so much when he is such a coward really 😂😂😂. Galadriel stays too - not married to Teleporno or anyone else! Luthien never tells her details about how Mairon was defeated. Galadriel vowes to revenge her brother. 

(iv) Galadriel hunts for Mairon. He hides not having to fight her. Because as the author already said, he would not be able to hurt her anyways. But he assumes, correctly, that she would not be so reserved. So cute those two really. I love them. 😂 She jumps from the ship and whojoooo. She of course immediatelly sees Mairon as he still has his super sexy form. 

-I have no clue why he is on the raft, sorry for this plothhole. I also do not like TROP idea that Adar would kill him, so I cease this. They just went separate ways, already end 1st age. Mairon had enough of orc shit and orcs were anyway getting out of control as later generations were just savage animals.-

But a worm attacks, so before they start to fight, they need to escape the worm. Than they have really long argument. He finally tells her all his shitty reasons why he joined Melkor, how Melkor went super mad shit, how all went differently than he planned and bla bla bla bla bla bla. A lot of self-pity and denial in it. She tells him he is a moron. He tells her all her brothers were just collateral damage in war. A storm happens. They get to Numenor, they play human Halbrand thingie. She persuades him that to solve his shit in Endor, he should solve Southlands and the orc infestation boiling there. So from the plan to kill Mairon, Galadriel goes to plan to use Mairon. Of course a lot angst and pinning for each other is happening all the time. Galadriel is super conflicted. They go to Mordor, volcano errupts. Here small difference, Mairon is not injured, they just agree to go to elves for help. In Eregion, Galadriel finds Mairon is plotting some dominance magic with Celebrimbor, she banishes him after he tells her he sees no difference between to rule or to save. Rings are made. 

(v) Both are super unhappy for rest of second and third ages. Mairon goes super word dominance mode, and I tend to imagine it is because putting so much will of himself into the ring, he also goes partially mad. Some part of enchantment probably going bad or something. And also he will make a ring feeling rejected by her, so all bad vibes going in. All again goes as in the canon, Galadriel suffers Mairon’s destruction in Numenor as they have a bond of course! But she also feels he is still there. But so she feels the ring and how it corrupts all. Celebrian is born as a daughter of Celebrimbor and some elf - well, Aragorn needs Arwen, what to do…. I just do not have any valid idea how in this mess Galadriel and Mairon could have a kid…, so Celebrian is related only to Galadriel. Galadriel will rise her mostly, as they are very close. She will rise her because her father will be killed by Mairon’s army (tortute to get the ring intel…) and mother will leave in grief for Valinor. The kid will not want to leave yet. Celeborn will be like a father to Celebrian too.

(vi) The cold war between lovers until the end of Third age. Galadriel hates the influence of the ring. Mairon feels Galadriel’s last rejection of the ring and is really really really in the deep self-pity mode. Ring is destroyed. Olorin was wrong, though, as there is one more thing - My big plot idea 🤪🤪🤪- which still can anchor Mairon spirit in some reasonable form, not just as an impotent shadow. What is it??? Necklace which Galadriel never took off! She never leaves for Valinor at the end of the 3rd age. She never fades either. She finally accepts she loves him even through it all. She just waits several ages for Mairon to regenerate enough his strength. And after this happens, they live happily ever after in our word. (Maybe they also have that kid the author was hinting, whatever, would make sense - a lot sex of course 😂😂😂😉.). No word dominance as Galadriel would leave him for Valinor and also as the ring was destroyed and Mairon is whole again, he is not partially crazy anymore. He actually does not talk about all the ring business rather at all, especially the part where two small hobbits take it through his dominion to his volcano, is still a very sensitive topic 🌋 🌋🌋.

Some small follow ups for other characters

-Yavanna knows all and is very happy for them, they even talk sometimes.

-Arien is not driving sun anymore, Valar solved that after the 4th age. She lives with Tilion in Anenfel. 

-Aule is still angry at Mairon, but proud of his life with Galadriel.

-Celeborn and Esten are married. I just had to do this one, sorry for that 😂😂☺️. 

-Curumo is drifting as an impotent spirit, but Olorin drops by sometimes.

-Finrod and spol are of course out of Mandos. Free Finwe :). 

Aaaa, I think I like this as some kind of closure. Just ignore massive illogical thing - why Galadriel would want him after he did all the canon shit up to the ring destruction 😂😂😂. 

I am still a bit conflicted because I think it is also valid to assume the whole Our souls story could end at the end of 1st age and Galadriel and Mairon cleaning the mess after 1st age together as a couple before returning to Valinor and living in Anenfel together. This would not follow Tolkien from end 1st age and that would be totally full story as well! Galadriel could be used by Melkor to manipulate Mairon and he will go full Sauron mode to save her. Melkor could send some of those nice Moriondors to abduct her and than threat Mairon to behave well and do his bidding. Or he could abduct her as a punishment for lost Silmaril. Yeah, that could work too. But I would definitely not have any actual torture done to her. That I think would not go well with the mode of the author of Our souls at all. Mairon would break into Angband when Melkor would be somehoe distracted and make a hell there and get her out. Afterwards, he would join last battles and final destruction of Angband and Melkor. But not on Valar side, he would be on his side :). I think he would be done with both Melkor and Valar at this point 😂😂😂.

[istar-ingolmo]

Silmarillion Primer: The Valar

The Valar (The Powers of Arda) are 14 of the greatest Ainu that descended into Arda to prepare it for the coming of the Children of Illúvatar. Each was the master of a different sphere of influence and power. In much the same way as the gods of the Greeks and Romans.

Before breaking down each of the Valar, I think it best to dwell on what exactly an Ainu is. Ainur, the plural of Ainu, are spiritual beings produced from the thought of Eru Ilúvatar at The Beginning of The Universe. They helped Eru create a vision of Arda through song. Those that wanted a more active role in Arda's creation descended down into it. Some stayed behind with Eru. The greatest were called The Valar. The lesser Ainur that went into Arda became known as The Maiar.

It is also worth noting, linguistically, that all three of these words' plural forms end with -r. So when speaking of a singular one, drop the -r. EX: Vala, Maia, Ainu.

THE VALAR

@Schleylas on Twitter

Manwë

The chief of the Valar. He is the Lord of the Air and is partnered with Varda. The Great Eagles are his servants. His throne sits atop the highest mountain in Arda, Taniquetil. If Varda stands beside him, together nothing can evade his sight. He and Melkor (Morgoth) are brothers in the thought of Ilúvatar. Manwë knows more of Eru's purposes and is made The first of Kings and Lord of Arda.

@Schleyas on Twitter

Varda

The Lady of the Stars. Her power is in light. She kindled the stars, the light of The Two Lamps and with the help of Yavanna, the light of The Two Trees. She is seldom separated from her partner, Manwë. She is able to grant him a piercing sight, and he can give her sharp hearing. Thus together, they can know all that is going on in Arda. Her ability to see allowed her to know Melkor’s heart, even before his attempt at mastery during the making of the Music. She rejected him and he hated her for it. Yet, she is the Vala that he fears above the others, because nothing is hidden from her. Varda is the Vala that the elves love the most, to them she is Elbereth. For when the elves first awoke by the shore of Cuiviénen, their eyes beheld the light of stars. 

Alan Lee

Ulmo

The Lord of Waters. He has no partner and he has no permanent abode, for he is always in motion, moving where he wills. He is the mightiest of the Valar after Manwë. He does not always take a shape in the manner of a body like the other Valar. He prefers to remain a spirit. He also seldom comes to the councils of the Valar, unless it is gravely important. He keeps all of Arda in his care, and of the Valar, was most active during the events of the First Age. For he loves Men and Elves dearly, and not even under the wrath of the Valar did he forsake them.

Aulë and Yanvanna by @zipavika on Twitter

Aulë

The Craftsman of the Valar. His dominion is everything that makes up Arda. He takes great joy in the art of making. It was he who fashioned the land, the mountains and the valleys, the gems and the veins of gold. He and Melkor are similar in the desire to create, but Aulë’s spirit is more attuned with the will of Ilúvatar. He shared much of his knowledge of craftsmanship with the Noldor. His other students were the Maiar Mairon and Curumo or as they would be known in the Third Age, Sauron and Saruman. Aulë is also responsible for the creation of the dwarves, whom Ilúvatar adopted as part of his Children.

Yavanna

The Giver of Fruits, she is the partner of Aulë. If he is shaper of earth, she is the giver of life. Her dominion is all things that grow in Arda. She nurtured the trees, the bushes, and the flowers. She filled Arda with all things green. The elves call her the Queen of the Earth. When she learned that Ilúvatar had allowed Aulë’s dwarves to exist, despite not being a part of the Music, she created the Ents, to be a check on those who would hew her trees without care.

@Schleyas on Twitter

Vairë the Weaver by Jade Perdrillat

Mandos and Vairë

The Doomsayer of the Valar and the Keeper of the Halls of the Dead. His true name is Námo. He is usually called by the name of where he dwells, the Halls of Mandos. He knows everything that shall be, except that which is still left for Ilúvatar to decide. He only speaks of what he knows when Manwë commands him. He is the brother of Loríen and together they are known as the Fëanturi, masters of spirits.

Vairë is his spouse, and the weaver of fate. All things that have ever been are woven by her into a great tapestry that adorns the Halls of Mandos. The tapestry of time grows, so do the Hall of Mandos.

Loríen and Estë

The Master of Visions and Dreams. His true name is Irmo and Loríen* is the place of his dwelling. His gardens are the fairest place in all of Arda. Together with his wife, Estë, the Healer of Hurts and Weariness, all who come to their gardens find refreshment. 

*This is a different place than the woods near the Anduin that would be called Loríen or Lothloríen.

@Schleyas on Twitter

Nienna

The sister of Námo and Irmo. She lives by herself in her halls, which are near to her brother's, Mandos. She is the Lady of Pity and Grief. Her song in The Music was one of sadness, for she cries for all the hurts done to Arda by the hand of Melkor. She often travels to Mandos to help ease the sorrows of those spirits waiting within. Those who harken to her learn pity and endurance in hope. For her sadness is not one of despair. Her pity is what moved the Valar to pardon Melkor from his first imprisonment. Her greatest student, who learned most from her pity, was Olorín, who was known by the people of Middle-Earth as Gandalf.

Tulkas by @steamy on DeviantArt

Tulkas and Nessa

Tulkas is the strongest of the Valar and the last to enter Arda. He came to aid The Valar in their early struggles with Melkor. He delights in all kinds of contests of strength and endurance. He can outrun anything and needs no weapons but his hands. The wife of Tulkas is Nessa, she is the friend of the deer and other woodland creatures. She is fleet-footed and loves to dance. 

@Schleyas on Twitter

Oromë and Vána

The Hunter of the Valar. He rides a mighty white steed named Nahar. He wields a mighty horn called The Valoromá, the sound of which is like the rising of the sun. He looks after all the beasts of the world and trains his dogs in the hunting of the fell beasts of Morgoth. He was last to go West to reside in Valinor, and rode ever eastward in search of the Children of Ilúvatar on his swift horse. His partner is the sister of Yavanna, Vána, who causes the birds to sing and the flowers to open.

[ku-kethil]

Tolkien & Industrialism, how the Smith Aulë's two students - Mairon (Sauron, the Abhorred One) & Curumo (Saruman, the Cunning One) - would fall to Melkor (Morgoth, the Dark Tyrant) reminds me of Mimir, likewise Father of the Dwarfs, would have his student Lóður-Vili (Surtr) rebel during his tutelage & his descendant - Weyland of the Forge, one of the three Sons of Ivaldi - falling out with the Dwarfs & Aesir similarly. Just like the Ñoldor, Gnomish Deep Elves, are Friends of Aulë, the myrkálfar of Myrkheimr are Friends of Mimir who, unlike Surtr's svartálfar of Svartálfheim, accepted defeat. Merkur, from Mercury but personal folk-etymology from myrkr, highlighting being soot-covered as with Surtr, is applied to the aspect of Lóður-Vili as a master of crafts & knowledge - an epithet likewise applied to his brother, Odin, Dark & Mercurial for other reasons.

Kennings per aett.

Vili (Aesir)

Lóður (Vanir)

Dellingr (Dokkalfar)

Mundilfari (Ljosalfar)

Merkur (Myrkalfar)

Surtr (Svartalfar)

[admirableringmaker]

(@the-constrainer)

He rarely was in his corporeal form since they had arrived on Arda, the strife between the Vala and he were best to avoid but on Ainu besides his brother held his attention and it was due to this he came unknown to the maia time and again, reaching into the other and plucking notes of ideas for projects Melkor would only see this one create.

Mairon was sure the other maiar were jealous. He loved the attention, he would freely admit this, but more than that he always felt his projects were better after a visit from Melkor. But of course, the Valar were often busy, and maiar sent off on their tasks. Mairon was not expecting to see his new friend again so soon.

He was in the forges with Curumo, the pair of them arguing over a blueprint, when Melkor entered. Mairon quickly tried to look composed, but he couldn't hide how his fëa brightened even if he didn't smile in front of his brother.

"Lord Melkor! It is an honour, as always."

[atanes-universe]

Sav´s Universe

First page/ <last/ next>

[incorrectdarklords]

Curumo: add bacon and syr—

Mairon: uh. I’m not finished . First you wanna—

Curumo: well, brown the—

Mairon: oh my god can you let me do what I need to do

[yellow-faerie]

For the song prompts can you please do I won't say I'm in love(from Hercules) for Silvergifting? Like maybe with Mairon opening up to a romance with Tyelpe after moving on from Melkor?

Of course! (For anyone curious, I’m still doing prompts from this list or from this post).

“...and then that’s how we’ll set the spell.” Celebrimbor looks up from the desk to grin brightly. Mairon melts, slightly, smiling back.

“Yes,” He agrees. “I believe that that would work.”

You’re in love, a voice sounding remarkably like Thuringwethil says, idly drifting across his mind. You’re in love but you won’t admit it. Stubborn as always - what did I tell you?

Celebrimbor’s eyes light up. “Then we should start planning. What should we make it of: the prototype, that is? I suppose we could try a few metals but maybe we should start with gold. I’ve got a bit lying around.”

He turns around, his long braid swishing as he does so, and Mairon gets the inexplicable urge to undo it, just so he could pull his fingers through it.

Pathetically in love, another voice adds, smooth and smug. Why Tevildo has wound his way into Mairon’s midday hallucinations is a mystery to Mairon but here he is in all his annoying glory. Honestly, it’s almost as bad as Melkor’s pining after you.

Melkor.

Melkor. Mairon clenches and unclenches his jaw while Celebrimbor’s back is turned. He loves Melkor so he can’t love Celebrimbor. He loves Melkor.

He doesn’t even know if Melkor still exists or if he has been eaten away completely by the monster that took his husband’s form.

Or if the void has just swallowed him up and there is nothing left for Mairon to grip to anymore.

“Oh!” Celebrimbor spins around. “I had a thought! What if we...” He trails off, tilting his head in concern. “Are you alright?”

And he loves you too, Gothmog adds.

Mairon smiles. “Of course.”

“No. You’re crying.” Face still creased in worry, Celebrimbor dodges around the workbench to reach up and stroke away tears Mairon hadn’t realised he had shed.

Don’t be obtuse brother-mine. I married an elf too you know.

“It’s fine, really.” But Mairon leans ever so slightly into Celebrimbor’s feather light touch.

Admit it! Curumo insists, joining the chorus of voices in Mairon’s head.

Mairon clenches his fist as they all clamour for him to...for him to...

Let me go, Precious.

“Annatar?” Celebrimbor looks at him curiously.

It’ll be alright, I promise.

“Anna?”

Let go.

Mairon meets Celebrimbor’s eyes, concern and emotion and love all mixing together in an open display of affection and Mairon sobs, leaning forward and burying his face in Celebrimbor’s neck.

Celebrimbor asks no questions, just holds him tight as they both sink to the floor.

Mairon can’t admit it yet but he loves him as surely as he loves Melkor.

But he thinks he might be able to soon.

[ibrithir-was-here]

My Tolkien Ocs/Cut Charater Rewrites

For fun and really no reason but wanting it handy somewhere/wanting to share a little bit of my yet-to-be-seen/lesser seen Tolkien ocs and some story ideas connected with them. So here they are, for your viewing pleasure/bewilderment

My Tolkien OCs

Maiar/Valar

Amillo

Also known as Omar. Originally the cut Valar of Song and brother to Salmar, in my rewrite he’s the younger brother of Melkor and Manwe, brought in near Dagor Dagorath to take Melkor’s empty spot and help defeat his evil brother when he breaks thru the Doors of Night

Danuin/Ranuin/Fanuin

Originally cut Valar of Day,Month,Year. I’d rewrite them as the joint head maiar of the halls of Vaire the Weaver

Fankil

The original Lt. of Melkor, cut and reworked into Sauron. In my rewrite he’d still be the og. Lt., a corrupted maia of Orome, but when Mairon turns he’s demoted and hates him for it ever after. It’s said that he goes on to corrupt some of the dwarves, and I kind of like the idea of him devolving/corrupting into a dragon. Not Smaug himself but maybe an ancestor?

Gilruin

Maia of Aule, one of the youngest, having only come from the Timeless Halls in the Fifth Age. Lover of Alvin. Is very interested in Arda Marred, wanting to actually get to see an experience of the creations she helped sing into being. Eventually does travel there near the coming of Dagor Dagorath, (without permission from the Valar) and becomes an ally of Alvin Lowdham, the reincarnated Herendil, helping him prepare the world of men against the return of Morgoth. (Her Valarian name is Ibrithir which is where my handle comes from)

Langon

Cut character that was the herald of Melkor. Very fond of @atane-is-here ‘s idea of him once being a Maia of Mandos so I’ve basically just headcanoned that. He gets his job as Herald back as well. 

Makar

Cut Valar of Battle, brother of Meassa. For my rewrite I’d make him originally a maiar of Tulkas. But, when I looked them up it said that the brother-sister pair was originally close to Melkor before he fell, so I had this thought to  actually make him the OG identity of Gothmog. To tie in the old idea of  the ogress Fluithulin being the “mother” of Kosomot, maybe she’s the one who lures him to Melkor’s side?

Meassa

Originally cut Valar of Battle, sister of Makar. Similar to her brother I’d make a corrupted maiar of Tulkas, and I think I’d make her become Lungorthin, the white balrog, or maybe have her be Fluithulin herself? I can see a chaotic battle goddess Maia being all over Melkor. What do you guys think is more interesting?

Nelldamma

Unofficial Chief Maia of Aule ( he stopped having official ones after the first two turned to evil). Younger sister of Curumo who came from the Timeless Halls after his fall in the Third Age. 

Nieliqui

Originally conceived as a daughter of Orome and Vana, I’d make her the Chief Maia of Orome, overseer of his Hunt, who eventually becomes Chief Maiar of Vana as well after Melian leaves for Middle Earth.

Nornore

Cut maia whose job was eventually replaced by Eonwe, he’s now Eonwe’s second in command.

Olbain

Maia of Aule, wife of Urundil, said to be the loveliest of all of the maiar of Aule’s halls.

Silmo

Cut Ainu who was charged with watering Telperion, was said to have been beloved by Irmo, so now he’s his Chief Maia.

Urundil

Maia of Aule, husband of Olbain. He doesn’t have really any big distinguishing characteristics except that for some reason I think he’d be the only person to get close to figuring out what the heck Tom Bombadil is, but because it’s obvious to him he never thinks to tell anyone else about it.  

Viresse

Chief Maia of Mandos--(ok this is literally just crack taken semi-seriously, as she’s literally just April from Parks and Rec and she and Mandos have the exact same relationship as her and Ron Swansen)

Elves

Alcaringoldo

Better known by his nickname of Andavare “far-walker”, he is the son of Argon born after his rebirth in Aman, favorite cousin of Tanwen.

Antalitse

Wife of Curufin and mother of Celebrimbor. Originally an apprentice of Feanor. Stayed behind in Aman and helped to raise her niece:

Mirdaneth

Daughter of Maglor, wife of Elladan, mother of Tanwen. Born after Maglor left for Middle Earth without his knowledge of her existence. Raised in Tirion by her mother:

Naeril

Niece of Anairë through one of her sisters, wife of Maglor. Raised her daughter with the help of her sister-in-law Antalitse. Is eventually reunited with Maglor in the Dagor Dagorath, when Tanwen returns with him after traveling  to Middle Earth.

Tanwen

The great-grandaughter of both Feanor and Earendil. Also happens to sort of be Feanor reincarnated due to Feanor figuring out how to kind of break out of Mandos by hitching a ride out into the world just as his newest kin’s fea was coming in. Lover of Urusilla. Eventually takes up the mantle of High King of the Noldor when Dagor Dagorath comes. Is the one to find and break the Silmarils, fulfilling the prophecy of Feanor doing so.

Urusilla

Teleri shipwright who lives on Tol Eressa, lover of Tawen.

Vanwe

Son of Lalwen and Ingwion, who met at the end of the War of Wrath and once Lalwen got over being mad at the Vanyar for taking so long they fell in love.

Humans

Almariel

Daughter of Anarion. Was part of a radical cell of the Faithful who attempted a coup to overthrow Ar-Pharazon and the Zigur and restore Tar-Miriel to the throne. Was captured and sacrificed to Morgoth. Favorite niece/best friend of Herendil, who she was the closest in age to. Eventually reincarnated as Angelica Errol (after the Errol family in Tolkien’s time travel story idea), cousin of Alvin Lowdham, the reincarnated Herendil.

Anheryn

Daughter of Eldarion with his second wife, elder twin sister of Tercenor. Becomes entangled with the schemes of Herumor in the New Shadow storyline.

Arbanath

Second wife of Eldarion, of the line of Halbarad of the Rangers of Eriador. Mother of Anheryn and Tercenor. Her name “High Wife” was given to her due to portents at her birth that foretold an important destiny for her in the annals of Gondor.

Castamir III

Father of Lomiziran, a descendant of Angamaite, one of the Gondorian Lords who fled to Umbar during the Kingstrife. Aragorn killed his grand-father, the Captain of the Haven during his time as Thorongil. Castamir himself was killed in the new forays between Gondor and Umbar over Harondor in the early years of Aragorn’s reign.  

Daurhin

Name I’ve given to The Mouth of Sauron, taken as a child from the Temple of the Eye in Umbar into the service of the Dark Lord of Mordor

Erthoril/Zairphazan/Moriaryon

Eldest son of Eldarion, and only child between him and Lomiziran. Erthoril was his Gondorian name, referencing his role in reuniting the kingdoms of Gondor-Arnor and Umbar peacefully, Zairphazan his Umbarian name, and Moriaryon was a nickname he was called by some (not too kindly) referencing both his looks and referring to certain rumors that his mother may have taught him something of the magic arts. He comes to the kingship during the rising of the Dark Tree cult led by the mystic Herumor.

Firiel

Princess of Dol Amroth, grandaughter of Aragorn. Is the Firiel mentioned in the poem “The Last Ship”.

Gilraen

Eldest daughter of Aragorn and Arwen, eventually marries Elboron, son of Faramir and Eowyn, and becomes the mother of Barahir

Herendil

Deleted son of Elendil from Tolkien’s attempt to write a time-travel story, rewritten by me as his third, youngest son, who was one of the last sacrifices to Morgoth before the fall of Numenor, who’s death is too painful to talk about which is why he wasn’t mentioned in the Annuls. In the Tyelpe in Numenor timeline his is rescued by his Tyelpe and his brothers and helps to raise Valandil in Rivendell. In either timeline he is eventually reincarnated in the Last Age as Alvin Lowdham, (from the Lowdham family in Tolkien’s second take at a Numenor time-Travel Story) who has visions of the fall of Numenor and the coming return of Morgoth. (He uh, he also has a darker thing going on in the background connected to just what Sauron was trying to do with all those sacrifices to Morgoth...)

Lominzil

Wife of Castamir III, mother of Lomiziran. Becomes Queen-Regent after her husband and his brother’s death in battle (Umbar traditionally a duumvirate). Engineers Lomiziran’s marriage to Eldarion after capturing his strike force. She was a descendent of Sangahyando, kinsman of Angamaite, who married a princess of the Haradrim. 

Lomiziran

Witch-Princess of Umbar, wife of Eldarion and eventually Queen of Gondor-Arnor. Mother of Ethoril. Trained in the magic arts by her grandmother, a devotee of the ancient Umbarian version of Varda, who’s worship had gone underground during Sauron’s occupation but was kept alive in secret. 

Nimbrethil

Second daughter and youngest child of Aragorn and Arwen. Marries into the line of Dol Amroth. Her daughter Firiel was offered a place on the last ship sailing to Valinor by her great uncles Elladan and Elrohir but refused. 

Nitirkali

Mother of Lominzil, grandmother of Lomiziran. Dedicated her life to renewing the ancient religions of Umbar in secret after meeting the Blue Wizards as a teenager and becoming convinced of the true evil nature of Sauron. Trained Lomiziran in magic as taught to her by the Blue Wizards.

Tercenor

Second son and youngest child of Eldarion, becomes entangled with the schemes of Herumor in the New Shadow storyline.

Other

Ring Babies

Malya-Personifed One Ring, youngest child of the Ring Babies

Nenya--Personifed Ring of Water, middle child and attendant to Galadriel.

Narya--Personified Ring of Fire . Eldest of the Ring Babies and heir of Eregion.

Vilya--Personifed Ring of Air youngest the Ring Babies, Master of Arms for Gil Galad.

Silm Triplets

Eabariel--Personified Silmaril, the one who's thrown into the sea by Maglor

Narewen --Personified Silamril, the one who's cast into the fire with Maedhros

Tellumian -- Personified Silmaril, the one who ends up sailing the sky with Earendil

Olindefinwe -- Son of Mairon and Maedhros in the Mai Squared AU

[saurons-pr-department]

Mairon when Curumo and later, Aiwendil were born: "I didn't want siblings anyway"

Hehehe, I actually think of Mairon and Curumo’s relationship as a kind of sibling rivalry. We’re told that Mairon was mighty as far as Aule’s Maiar went, and I’d say it’s fair to assume Curumo would have been too, considering that he was chosen as one of the Istarí. I can imagine a sort of competition springing up between the two while they both still lived under the same roof, and I think it definitely lived on until their...sort of teaming up. They were each still trying to get one over on the other and I like to think of it as a left over from when they were younger.

As for Aiwendil... I can’t say I’ve ever really thought of them having much interaction... but now that I think of it, he’s one of Yavanna’s Maiar, isn’t he? So he’d be another ‘brother’. Ooooo, I’m just picturing Mairon finding out about the Istarí and being like “Wow, Mam and Dad really just sent my siblings to drag me back home for a grounding...”

Ooooo, the cogs of my mind are turning now that the three of them are siblings in my head... XD

[lledron]

Aule Yvanna + Mairon, Curumo y Nienna

Quotes Aule and Yvanna have Nienna. Curumo: They replaced us with a prettier and younger one. Mairon, cradling his sister: he would like to be an only child again. If you are a girl, we must get rid of Curumo, who is useless…

Curumo: What are you talking about? Mairon: Bring me the bottle, Curumo. Nienna is hungry. First lesson, Nienna, Curumo is good for nothing. Yvanna: Mairon, apologize to your brother. Mairon: I'm sorry, Curumo! Give my regards to Olorin! Oh, sorry! He left you by letter! Curumo: Well, Galandriel didn't even… Mairon: Yvanna, my lady, take the baby. Yvanna: Enough! Mairon and Curumo: Yes, mom. Yvanna: What?

Aule: And I'm in this course to learn how to deal with my teenage children without being a helicopter parent or wanting to be their friend. Zeus: Have you ever fucked your granddaughter because she's a beauty? Aule: I think this group is not for me.

[witchkings]

The One Engagement Ring

An Angbang Modern AU drabble as prompted by the lovely @darklord <3

Three seconds. Barely any time at all. Negligible in the greater scheme of Mairon’s life, nothing to the ever-advancing flow of the universe, miniscule, dismissible, stupid. Three seconds was all it had taken to ruin Mairon’s picture book life. Melkor would kill him.

These were the facts as Mairon had them:

1.       He’d slipped into the bathroom at the university library for a short piss and to get a minute of quiet in the constant chatter of his study group which was spiralling head-first into a discussion about the meaning of life. Even though they were anthropology graduate students with at least half the group minoring in either philosophy or sociology, this was never a good idea.

2.       When he’d been in the stall, his engagement ring had still gleamed golden on his ring finger, a constant, warm reminder of the grand day to come. Mairon had planned an autumn wedding, complete with matching tuxes, a seven-course feast and was already training Draugluin to carry the wedding rings down the aisle with Thuringwethil as his reluctant guardian. Melkor, of course, would have preferred for them to pop into Vegas and have some drunken fat Elvis proclaim them married, or better yet, simply hand in the necessary paper work on his way to the office, but Mairon was having none of that. If for one day in his life he wanted to feel special, be marvelled at and fawned over, it was going to be this day, his accursed father be damned.

3.       After completing his business, he’d slipped the ring off and into his pocket to wash his hands. He wouldn’t chance it being dulled by hard water or rough soap. Mairon always did it like this, only putting the piece of jewellery back on whenever his hands were dry and spotless, but when he’d made to retrieve it, his pocket had been empty.

4.       There’d been two other people on the bathroom with him and he couldn’t remember whether they’d ever come near him at all, but their childish faces, curly heads, and mischievous giggles could only mean one thing: freshmen.

5.       For three seconds between drying his hands and reaching for the ring, Mairon had leaned over the sink and inspected his own face. The stress of upcoming exams together with his thesis‘ due date drawing ever nearer gave him red spots along his jawline and he’d glared at them to will them away before Melkor picked him up.

Conclusion: As Mairon had been caught up in his own flaws, one or both of those bastards had sidled up to him and stolen the ring out of his pocket without him noticing. This implied many things, for example that the fatigue was getting to Mairon’s mental capacities or that those freshmen were unusually sneaky. Chiefest of all was this though: Melkor had paid half a fortune for that golden band. For Mairon to lose it, well. It would spell disaster.

Mairon glared at himself in the dirt-speckled mirror, bracing himself on the sink. Three seconds, oh he would show those impertinent, stupid, drunkard gnomes what he could do to a person in three seconds. Mairon took a deep breath and marched out of the bathroom, back to the round table his study group occupied. Eönwe and Tilion were at each other’s necks with arguments dissecting Descartes’ meditations while Osse and Uinen had their tongues down each other’s throats with disgusting slobbering noises. No studying to be done here, one of the sodden constants of Mairon’s life. He grabbed his notes and tablet and shoved them into his bagpack with more force than necessary which had Curumo look up from where he had hovered over his mess of tiny handwritten notes. He looked a little like a deer in head-lights, always lost was poor Curumo. Mairon rolled his eyes and tugged at his classmate’s sleeve.

“What?” Curumo whined, reluctant to forgo the last stretch of productivity he illusioned himself with, but he was already packing up.

“Come with me,” Mairon replied. “We’re going to hunt down some freshmen.”

After a quick text to Melkor to explain he needn’t be picked up today, Mairon dragged Curumo out of the library. The dismayed reply came seconds later, and Melkor wasn’t at all happy with the excuse of needing to tutor Curumo on their upcoming French test. Melkor and Curumo had never gotten along and if Mairon was honest with himself, he would have ditched Curumo after the first week of the first semester, but sometimes the guy proved useful. Especially because, in spite of his timid disposition, he somehow knew everyone on campus, ranging from the most introverted freshman all the way to the creepy maintenance guy who smelled like he lived in the sewers.

“What for?” Curumo asked. They crossed the student-littered yard, dodging peer-pong balls and caffeine-crazed grad students to the cafeteria where Mairon figured his best bet would be. Freshmen were always hungry, and he had a vague memory of four curly-haired heads positively camping in there at all times, claiming they needed seven meals a day to function.

“They stole something from me,” Mairon muttered, raking his hands through his hair. He’d neglected to trim it to its usual chest length and it was getting quite out of hand, tangling at the lightest breeze. Still better than what Curumo’s mother had done to him over the last holiday, short and ragged so that he looked like Jack Frost.

“What did they steal?”

“My engagement ring.”

“What?” Curumo spluttered, and almost ran into the door, but Mairon held it open in time. Under the pretence of having lunch – Mairon never had university lunch if he could help it, the stuff was vile and Melkor was a great cook if he wanted to be – they both got into line, eyes darting about for the thieves.

Mairon spotted the usual groups as he scanned the perimeter. The musical theatre kids led by a haughty grad student with a harp who had a gazillion brothers around. The nature-loving hippies who smoked too much weed for their own good and gave themselves funny names and pretended to be trees on weekends. The burly punk rockers who rode Harleys and had a kink for arson, Mairon had met their gang head Gothmog in a colloquium once, he wasn’t too bad. Even the naval engineering students who usually spent all their free time down by the beaches to test their self-crafted boats where in attendance, picking at salads and discussing hydraulics. Not a sign of those nasty burglars though.  

The guy behind the counter handed him a tray, and Mairon took it, paying with his student ID chip card before turning back towards the room, just in time to see a pair of dark, curly heads disappear through the swinging doors of the cafeteria, chips trailing after them like crumbs. Mairon dropped his food and took off after them, spitting curses. Curumo, the good dog that he was, mirrored this. They tore out of the cafeteria and down the hallway together.

“Hey,” Mairon screamed. “Hey, stop!” The two freshmen threw hasty glances over their shoulders, hollering as they ran and dodged around students, but Mairon and Curumo were faster, knew these halls better and soon enough, they had the two cornered against a row of blue lockers.

“Now,” Mairon crooned and made to advance on them, but before he could, someone interrupted him. “Now you will repent.”

“Hey, what do you want with them,” he barked and two people stepped into Mairon’s and Curumo’s way, obscuring the goblins from view. They were both jocks, broad-shouldered and bearded, and towered a head over Curumo and Mairon. He knew the blond one, Eomer, an agriculture major, from a finance class they’d both taken as an elective, but he’d never seen the other man before. He was the one who’d spoken and wore a sports shirt of a team Mairon had never heard of. A white tree was their logo and their motto was written in a strange swirl of letters that looked almost Arabic.

“Just a friendly chat,” Mairon said through gritted teeth. “Not to worry.”

“That didn’t sound so friendly to me,” the guy growled and Eomer put a hand on his shoulder, nodding. His scowl deepened and his eyes burned, staring daggers into Mairon’s.

“Weren’t you that condescending guy at the back of Accounting 101 who called everyone peasants?” he asked and Mairon sighed inwardly. One bad day to haunt him. Or well, a whole semester of bad days, but who was counting anyway? Melkor had been abroad for that time and Mairon had suffered terribly.

“Why do you even care?” Mairon asked, and Curumo put a warning hand to his arm. It wasn’t unlikely that he’d seen these two beat someone up at some frat party before, but Mairon wasn’t intimidated by such mundane things as physical violence.

“Because they’re our friends,” the second jock growled, crossing his arms over his chest. It was hard not to laugh, these fully grown men proclaiming themselves friends of two troublemakers who weren’t even legally adults yet.

“Look, guys,” Curumo said quietly. “Merry and Pippin stole something very valuable from my friend here and he is rather upset about it.”

Eomer bared his teeth, but the other guy whirled around to stare at the two thieves in question who were huddled against the lockers, but silently giggling amongst themselves.

“Is this true?” he asked, and the tone of his voice implied he knew already. Helpless or not, they probably had a reputation for mischief-making.

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” one of them said with a thick accent.

“You said it yourself,” the other added, “he is a condescending ass.”

“Boys.”

“Boromir.”

“Enough,” Mairon hissed and pushed through the two jocks and bore down on the freshmen, holding out his empty palm. “You give me back my ring or I will make your lives here a living nightmare. You can hire as many football players and wannabe wrestlers as you want, I am very good friends with the dean, I have more than enough money to bribe every professor in the state to bully you and my boyfriend will beat every last one of your bodyguards to a pulp. Is that clear?”

Merry and Pippin stared at him, their facial muscles contorting in a series of impossible expressions, torn between laughing and crying. They settled for blankness and, at last, Pippin handed over the ring. It was smudged with grease from his fingers and Mairon pulled out a linen handkerchief to polish it with.

“I’m sorry, they’re still not used to their actions having consequences,” Boromir sighed and Eomer nodded sternly.

“Whatever,” Mairon said with half a shrug and he stalked off the scene, leaving Curumo to deal with the polite formalities or whatever the situation demanded. He had his ring back, he could call Melkor to get him after all, he would get laid tonight while all these losers were busy with their parties and teenager friends and studying until their eyes bled. It was not ten minutes later that Mairon was comfortably tucked into Melkor’s Chevrolet, the heated seat warming his ass-cheeks.

“Have a nice day?” Melkor grumbled, not taking his eyes off the parking lot around them. Mairon leaned over and pressed a kiss to the corner of his beloved’s mouth.

“Nothing special,” he replied and leaned into the backrest. “Nothing special at all.” The ring glinted in the low-afternoon sun and everything was as it should be.

[psychedaleka]

god does not play dice with the universe (but he does play pranks) (vii)

read on ao3!

Hallmark movie Melkor/Mairon/Celebrimbor.

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for @tolkiencrackweek

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Starring:

Mairon Artáno, overworked engineer at Angband Enterprises, originally from the small town of Valinor. Engaged to his boss, Melkor Bauglir.

Melkor Bauglir, CEO of Angband, estranged from his family.

Aulë Artáno, father of Mairon, Manwë Sulimo’s best friend.

Manwë Súlimo, mayor of Valinor, father of Eonwë, Melkor’s fraternal twin.

Eönwë Súlimo, Mairon’s ex boyfriend.

Celebrimbor Finwion, grandson of the deceased genius Feanor, civil engineer to be fixated on restoring Valinor as a lively small town.

So: Mairon is engaged to Melkor, and very much in love with him despite the significant age gap and fact that Melkor’s his boss.

A few days before Christmas, his estranged father Aulë calls him in a panic: Mairon’s teen brother Curumo has gone missing.

Mairon’s never gotten along with his father, but he remembers the younger brother who’s always looked at him with hero worship in his eyes.

So Mairon packs his bags, kisses Melkor goodbye, and returns home to Valinor.

His homecoming isn’t quite as pleasant as he’d hoped: he gets into an argument with Aulë almost immediately after he gets off the train—it’s your responsibility to look after your own son—and Mairon storms off into the night.

He hasn’t been home for years, and it’s changed more than he thought: Valinor had been a vibrant town then, fuelled by traffic from the highway. It had been bustling with activity, people walking through the streets, buildings lit up with signs and goods, a festival or special event seemingly happening every week.

But ever since the new highway was built, fewer and fewer people have been coming—and so many have been moving away. Lúthien’s son, for one, and his fashion company, and all his family and their employees—now gone. Shops and buildings are abandoned, storefronts left decrepit with nothing more than shelves of dust, flickering, poorly maintained lights. New roads were built, then abandoned to potholes and weeds, and old roads went out of use.

Valinor’s not a big place—it never has been—but with the new town layered over that in Mairon’s memories like a palimpsest, is it any surprise he gets lost?

A blizzard starts, and Mairon, still wearing his business formal, is ill prepared—he’d left all his luggage with Aulë, phone included.

He has no choice but to knock on the first door he sees: the house of one Celebrimbor Finwion, civil engineer.

Mairon’s not familiar with the Finwions—they lived a little north, in the community known as Formenos back when there were enough people that Valinor had to be divided into multiple neighbourhoods. He knows Feanor was a genius who had children and died early, and that his son Curufin had followed in his footsteps (except for the dying part).

Fëanor—Aulë’s contemporary—had a grandson a few years younger than Mairon.

Celebrimbor is in his house, still working despite the late hour—much to Mairon’s surprise and approval. Celebrimbor invites Mairon in—he doesn’t have a phone, since it distracts him from what he’s working on—and they begin to talk.

Mairon is, surprisingly, drawn to the young and ambitious engineer, who wants nothing more than to see Valinor as the lively town of his childhood, back when there was still life and light. Mairon, still in shock over how much has changed in the last decade, vows to help him.

They spend the night in pleasant conversation, and the next day comes but the blizzard doesn’t stop. They talk for the entire day, too, and Mairon’s shocked at how much he has to say to the young engineer. Mairon’s not much of a conversationalist—even a few hours of conversation usually exhausts him—but it’s been much longer and he’s still excited to continue.

The next day, they dig themselves out of the metres of snow, and Mairon returns to Aulë’s house. Yavanna and Aulë are worried sick for him, and they have yet another argument.

Mairon demands how they could claim to care and worry about him when they never seemed to do so during his childhood, leaving him to face the bullies at school and the solitude of years alone.

Aulë, incensed, retorts that he was only trying to save the town, working nearly round the clock in order to bring more business and new people—for Mairon, he might add, to have a future. How could you be so ungrateful, Aulë rages, and Mairon opens his mouth to speak but—

“Stop it!” yells sixteen year old Curumo, standing at the front door. “Why do you have to keep arguing like this? Aren’t we family?”

Curumo, it turns out, had wished every Christmas for his big brother to return home, and now that he’s old enough to not believe in Christmas miracles, decided to take matters into his own hands by running away to a friend of his, Olorin’s house.

Aulë and Yavanna vacate the living room, and Mairon and Curumo have a difficult conversation. Their childhoods were different ones, and they’re different people too, and Curumo’s hero, standing right in front of him, doesn’t exactly live up to his expectations.

Curumo cries. Mairon remains impassive.

The doorbell rings.

It’s Manwë, Aulë’s best friend, and his family—his wife Varda, and their two children Eönwë and Ilmarë. They’re here for lunch, as is traditional, and it’s a tense meal. Manwe doesn’t know what happened, but he and his son try their best to diffuse the tension—they fail.

Mairon volunteers to wash the dishes so he doesn’t have to speak to anyone except—Eönwe offers the same.

They’re in close proximity, and maybe Eönwë’s still not over their break up so long ago, but Mairon feels nothing. Their conversation is stilted, which only makes him long for Melkor—or Celebrimbor, surprisingly.

Problem solved—Curumo found—Mairon prepares to leave. Mairon offers to drive him to the train station, and he accepts.

There, he runs into Celebrimbor, who, disappointed, asks him if he’s leaving.

Yes, Mairon says.

Oh, Celebrimbor says. I thought—well. I know we’ve only known each other for such a short time, but you made me feel as I never have, as though I could tackle whatever problem the world gave me. And I thought you would stay, to help me with Valinor.

A train pulls up. Mairon should leave.

You make me feel the same way, Mairon says. I wish I could help you, but I—I can’t stay here, not with my family like this. There’s too many bad memories here.

We could… make new ones? Celebrimbor suggests.

A pause.

I love you, Celebrimbor blurts.

Silence.

Someone hugs Mairon from behind.

Guess who, says Melkor.

Mairon turns his head, and Melkor kisses him.

It’s your favourite fiance, Melkor says.

You’re my only fiance.

Celebrimbor leaves without another word, and Mairon can’t explain the deep sense of loss in his chest.

Come on, Melkor says, pushing Mairon towards the parking lot. I wanna see how much this town has changed.

Mairon barely has time to process that before—

Melkor? Manwë looks pale, as though he’s seen a ghost. What are you doing here?

As it turns out, they’re fraternal twins—which would explain why Mairon’s never made the connection. Melkor left very early, after graduating high school, desperate to get away from an overbearing father.

Mairon wonders how he’s going to explain this to Eönwë: oh, I’m dating your long lost uncle.

The tension skyrockets.

Manwe and Melkor have a shouting match. Aulë and Melkor have a tense conversation. Aulë tries to lecture Mairon on his romantic choices. Explaining to Eönwë is as awkward as he thought.

Celebrimbor is nowhere to be found.

Mairon, hesitantly, mentions Celebrimbor to Melkor.

Huh, he says, I had a crush on Fëanor when we were in school. If you—we—were to date him, I’d feel like I was robbing the cradle.

Christmas Eve is spent in awkward tension.

Christmas Day comes. Outside, everything is covered in snow. Inside, everyone is in surprisingly good spirits.

There’s a bit of Christmas magic in the air, after all.

Mairon talks to his family, and no one gets mad. There’s too many years and burnt bridges and things done—or not done—for them to make up, just like that, but it’s a start.

Manwë and Melkor talk. They’re older now, no longer teenagers, and with the years in between—and Eru dead—they can talk about it, now, their shared childhood, everything that was and no longer is.

All that’s missing is Celebrimbor.

A knock at the door.

I came to say, Celebrimbor says—

Whatever you have to say, no need, Mairon says. I care for you. And I’m hardly strictly monogamous, after all.

Celebrimbor is hesitant, but willing to try to make things work. They, none of them, know what’s going to happen, but it’s worth a shot.

You wouldn’t happen to know where Fëanor hid his jewels, would you? Melkor asks.

Celebrimbor doesn’t. But Maedhros does. And Melkor remembers the caves where they came from, filled with rock structures and glittering stone, like a glistening spray of stars against dark sky, enough to take anyone’s breath away.

This is it, Celebrimbor says. This is how we save Valinor.

And so, maybe they do get their happy ending. It’s not an easy path, no, filled with arguments and negotiations and tears, but it’s better than another world they don’t know, one where Feanor’s jewels nearly destroy Valinor instead of save it.

But in this universe, where Christmas has some power after all, there can be more laughter than tears, and the only rings Mairon creates are wedding rings—three of them.

[eveningalchemist]

Chapter 34 ~ To Replace

It is time! Took me a while but this chapter of Seduction to Destruction grew like elephant toothpaste until I had to chop it up and rearrange it. And then write in so many new scenes they make their own chapter, you know. There are other scenes written I am screaming to release but they must come out in their own time. However, that means I have much written and more updates will come soon... unless the same thing happens with the next chapter heheh... Anyways...

Everyone is missing Mairon, in one way or another.  Those in Almaren deal with the aftermath of Melkor's wrath. Curumo and Aulë try to come to terms with loss. As do Gothmog and Melkor in the midst of their celebration for their returned Maiar.

HERE IT BE ON AO3

Preview:

“Where is Mairon?” Gothmog whispered to Melkor’s back as best as his gravel voice could. It still echoed roughly about the room.

Not looking back at Gothmog, Melkor pressed a finger to his Captain’s big mouth and said in a whisper just as loud, “In the space between things, the shadows between atoms, and strings that hold up the realm of things undead.”

Where once Gothmog was intimidated into silence by such complex words, he forged forward.

“Right, okay I understand part of that shit,” he began around Melkor's finger, but Melkor had turned around and his glower beat down into him. Oddly, it gave Gothmog the courage to refrain from insulting himself further. “And the part I get is that it’s dangerous. All I need to know as a guard Captain, yeah? So tell me, what was that thing?”

The glower dissolved, Gothmog’s instincts correct. Melkor was well-pleased to be talking lore with a confident captain instead of feelings with a nervous Maia, and let them speak.

“That thing is a Queen in her own right, and if you are going to insult her you’ll have to be creative. She’s heard it all before.” Melkor chuckled, but then pondered something. “But don’t insult her grotesqueness too heavily, she’ll take it as flirting.”

Making a face, Gothmog shook his head vigorously to rid his head of crude questions. He continued a bit more carefully.

“Does she have a purpose you wanna use? Like how you chose us for knowing the underground best? And knowing the pain of being forgotten folk…”

Turning contemplative, Melkor took to pacing about the room, looking into the gold pool. The cloth from his waist draped down his thighs to drag and snag on the floor. The humid air left his hair in irregular waves. Minimal, messy, but regal he was. A King of thieves without a Queen, or his lieutenant.

“She did not tell me her purpose in Arda, if she has any,” Melkor began. “Perhaps Manwë knows, as far up Eru’s ass he is.” He laughed as jaunty as jigging knives. “When we were young and careless and competitive, my brother joked that Ungoliant was to be my wife. So I joked I would take his. We were both wrong on that.”

A nostalgic look fell upon Melkor’s normally sullen brow. This was strange to both Gothmog and Melkor, since reminiscing of his brother often left cracks in the walls and fire on the furniture.

“No resentment there?” Gothmog said with undisguised shock.

Hiding his own surprise, Melkor shrugged his shoulders, bunching the strong muscles on his back. “I have something more precious,” he divulged as he realized he no longer desired to steal his brothers wife. Dipping his fingers in the gold pool, he laughed again, but at himself, and flicked the droplets across the wall atop old splatters.

While stealing Mairon was Melkor’s highest revenge, it was perhaps his only vengeance that left him satisfied. He could think of no higher being that could take Mairon’s place, not the most beautiful Varda or the most monstrous Ungoliant.

More questions bounced about in Gothmog’s head, but with painful awareness he knew his words were as blunt as lodestones. He had not the nuance to carve around sensitive subjects, but he hoped he had the endurance to survive the punishment pushing wounds brought.

“But you just… let him go?”

WHOLE THING