#sorry ran out of spoons halfway through typing this up I hope it’s coherent

[thelordofgifs]

what thought about part 24 are you rotating in your mind the most?

ooohhh, good question! Part 24 started out as kind of a filler part, to be honest. The only reason it exists is for the russingon scene, which is setting some Stuff up for later, and for structural and pacing reasons couldn’t be squeezed into either parts 23 or 25. But then I started thinking of what else I should put into this part, came up with a unifying theme, and am now very pleased with it! The two most important scenes are still the russingon one and the Lúthien section, and most of the russingon-specific thoughts I have are too spoilery to share, so let’s talk about Lúthien!

I’m actually really pleased with Lúthien’s little plotline in part 24. In canon, of course, Beren and Lúthien fuck off to Ossiriand after coming back to life and do not really participate much more in the narrative. This is an extremely valid choice for them – they have been through so much trauma – and one that fits in quite well with the rather self-centred nature of their romance. Lovely and beautiful, imo! But also very inward-looking. In tfs I wanted them to take a more active role in the narrative, because I like them and don’t want to relegate them to background characters; but I also had to think about why they might make such a diametrically opposite choice to their canonical one. So they go to Dor-lómin for handwavy geopolitical reasons (Ossiriand isn’t safe any more after the fall of Himring, does that make military sense idk JUST GO WITH IT), and then Lúthien channels Finrod and discovers how cute and wonderful mortals are!! My girlie deserves some cute and wonderful mortal friends ok 🥺 and now she’s invested in saving the world for Lalaith’s granddaughters and their granddaughters – which is ironic, because Lalaith herself wouldn’t be alive if Lúthien hadn’t managed to steal two Silmarils from Morgoth. I think this is the best and most normal response to the Mortality Problem anyone can have – Lúthien knows she will be leaving the world soon enough, but loving mortals has inspired her to leave it a better place when she goes. So it’s still ultimately her own selfish love – only what is hers – that is motivating her here! But she’s done great things in the name of love before, and she can do them again.