#the rewatching of lotr continues

[feytouched]

the lack of compassion that a good portion of lotr fans show for frodo ("why can't he fight or do simple tasks" "why is he so weak" "why does he always need help / to be rescued") mirrors the lack of compassion of people for those who bear the burden of invisible disabilities. he's struggling against an immense weight at every step! something that actively tries to destroy him, worsening at every moment! his heroism is in just continuing to walk his path, step by step. his bravery is in just existing as himself under the debilitating weight of the ring. but because the influence of the ring is invisible, it is forgotten, and frodo is written off as a weak, cowardly, and/or useless character, much like disabled people irl. in this household we do not stand for frodo slander!!!

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

yeehaw just wrote over 3k and i can't publish Any of it without miles of fantasy au context

[lokiiied]

y’all ever have to start microdosing yourself with new/different media consumption in between rewatch #90587 of hyperfixation show/movie/episode so you don’t go absolutely insane??

[justacynicalromantic]

I feel like people try too hard to keep Sauron "in character", to the point that they super-impose the 3rd Age LOTR Sauron onto the 2nd Age TROP Sauron. To the point that people attribute everything he does to a manipulation, thinking that the guy does everything as planned, as if he can't do an action because he just feels like it, or make a decision based on emotions. That is just... Not how I saw even LOTR Sauron. Plus, a lot can happen to a guy in several millenia, yk? (And I believe we will even see this road of his in later seasons).

I will give you the scene where he apologises for killing Galadriel's brother, for example.

Rewatching it, you can absolutely tell that Sauron seriously intended to stay in Numenor and do nothing but simple smith work.

He wasn't lying later to Gal when he said he had all but given up at this time frame - he really did. In that moment, he believed himself to be a giant failure, all his plans had fallen through, even the orks mutinied against him and his close servant/friend (because it is obvious he and Adar were close - 1) how else would one disembowel fucking Sauron unless he trusted his back to that person? 2) he would NOT act THAT angry if that betrayal wasn't personal on some level) betrayed him and murdered him - so at this stage he is in the "to hell with it all, I give up, I am a loser, let me just smith cutlery and horse shoes in peace" frame of mind.

But then comes Galadriel asking him to help her take the Southlands, refusing to take "no" for an answer.

As a side note, I find this part of the scene interesting:

Love the actor's work as well here - how his stare becomes vacant as he loses himself in the dark memories.

(And he is turned away from Galadriel here. She doesn't see his face at all. At. All. So, unless he is trying to manipulate coals, the emotions on his face are. All. Real.)

"You don't know what I did. How I survived...

And, as he gazes into the fire, it's not his memories that come (as would be expected out of this cimetographic tactic), but the present scene of the villagers submitting and kneeling to Adar and the orks.

Legitimately, his words here are narrating over the people kneeling to Adar. Right over this moment. I kid you not, go rewatch it, if you do not believe me.

This, here, is a 100% tell that, at least in this story, as TROP authors intended it, the idea is that Sauron's continuous service to Melkor was a matter of survival. You don't make such an obvious parallel unintentionally.

So, while he came to serve him probably out of his young foolishness and ambition, but that, down the road, it became simply impossible to change sides, even if he wanted too, unless he was willing to sacrifice his life for it.

Going back to the point. So, Sauron, as Galadriel asks him to abandon his own plans and help her with her quest, demands that she gives him an honest answer why she pursues her goals.

She turns away from him in tears and:

"The company I led mutinied against me"

Mmmm?🤔

"My closest friend conspired with the King to exile me"

MMMMM?🤔🤔🤔

(what could it be reminding me of I wonder??)

What? What is it, Sauron? Why are you making this sad version of a surprised Pikachu face?? And to her back no less, where she can't even see you doing your obviously manipulative surprised sad faces😆

(Seriously, guys, he even does a small gasp here)

And Galadriel's next words:

"Because they could no longer distinguish me from the evil I was fighting"

...beyond being a hilarious irony (because, yk? said evil is standing right behind you, Gal), are supposed to clarify for those that didn't get it from his shocked face what exactly ran through Sauron's mind at that moment, that surprised him so much:

"We are alike".

Bingo. So there you have it. What made Sauron change his mind and follow Galadriel was not some masterplan where he decided that her quest to the Southlands would be very beneficial for him - but simply he recognised a kindred spirit and he felt he could understand what she was going through and empathised with her, decided to help her.

Bonus - after he just discovered for himself that they have much in common and apologised for killing her brother, she says:

"Your sorrow cannot ease my pain.

And nor will a hammer and tongs ease yours.

There is no peace to be found for you here.

And nor for me.

No lasting peace in any path, but that which lies across the sea.

I have fought for centuries to earn mine.

This is how you earn yours."

(even her words here are perfectly paralleled, casting them as mirrors of each other)

And after saying this she leaves. And he stays looking like this:

- which, again, no one is witnessing, except the empty smithy.

So, in conclusion, Sauron follows Galadriel because: a) he feels a sense of guilt towards her; b) he cannot ignore it because he understands her and he feels they are alike; c) a person he feels they have a lot in common with is sure that "there's no peace to be found for the likes of us here", so yes, it makes him first hesitate and then change his mind about staying in Numenor and living a simple ordinary life; d) while he did plan to just live as a simple smith in Numenor, it was never what he actually wanted for himself. His failures together with his guilt made him give up, but Galadriel gave him hope that he could be something more and do something good. And that was always his dream and his ambition.

I believe it's not before they came to Eregion and he heard about the mirthril and the Elves' plight that it all came to him how he could restart his previous plans that he had abandoned because of continuous failures (and Adar physically banishing him from existence).

PS: and no, it is not Galadriel's fault, because nothing she said here was wrong. Sauron stood on a crossroad and he had a real chance here - where he was wrong-footed and doubted all his previous beliefs - he had a chance to choose the right path. But instead he chose subjurgation of others (and I do not believe it was because of his nature as Dark, but because of his previous experiences, what they shaped him out to be). If anything, the one to blame is Adar with his untimely volcano show, because - who knows? - had they had more time, maybe Sauron could have found the right footing. Instead, before he could unlearn his worse life lessons and learn new better ones, he, sort of, came to the Tree of Knowledge in Eden.

[lord-aldhelm]

About Me

Since somebody (who shall go unnamed) told me I talk too much about Aldhelm, I wanted to make a post about this.

Like, you know that there is more to me than this right? Like this man and TLK is my obsession but there is so much more to me than just this. It has become an important part of my life, a hobby and an obsession, and I feel like my life has become all the richer for it. I have gone WAY out of my comfort zone in so many ways because of this fandom and have done so many things that I never would have even considered because of it. And have met so many amazing and wonderful people and made some (hopefully) lifelong friends from this. Like it has seriously enriched my life way beyond my ordinary day to day hum-drum bullshit and I am eternally thankful for it.

I am 43 years old. I am married and have two cats (they are my kids lol). I was a veterinary technician (or veterinary nurse depending on your language) for over 16 years before it took such a toll on my physical and mental health that I had to quit. I do my art full time now, so I mostly stay at home. A good friend got me into doing pet portraits in 2017 so that has been my focus, although I also do original paintings, mostly of animals, that I sell online as art prints and merch (like stickers, blankets, totes, t-shirt designs, puzzles, etc). It is not a livable income but it is a nice supplement, and I can relax and work at my own pace and not get stressed out.

When I am not doing that we like to take walks in the forests near our house, go out and explore the local area, take little trips, watch TV and movies together, you know all those kinds of things. I love gardening and yard work, and can't wait until the weather warms so I can get more work done in our gardens. I am somewhat handy and can do some repairs around the house, which is a good thing because this house has a lot of issues.

I love to read, and am reading a book called "Hild" right now by Nicola Griffith, which takes place in the 7th century Britain. I have learned a lot about the Anglo-Saxon time period because of TLK and it has intrigued me to learn more about early British history. I also LOVE fantasy, especially Lord of the Rings and Neil Gaiman. I don't have a big collection of books but I get more all the time!

I love fantasy and Ghibli movies, and have a nice little collection of DVD's that we like to rewatch. I would love to do some fanart from LOTR and Princess Mononoke, and now that I feel more comfortable drawing people I may do so.

Maybe I draw Aldhelm a lot, but that is just because I love drawing him so much... I honestly don't have a lot of time to do personal art and when I do I want to do something that I love. And drawing him relaxes me and makes me very happy. And not only that it has taken me outside my comfort zone to do a subject that I typically don't draw, and gets me acquainted with drawing textures that I am unfamiliar with, like cloth, chainmail, human hair, skin, and metal. I have learned a lot in the past year doing these drawing and I will continue for a very long time. I might do other things if I feel up to it, but drawing him has become a cornerstone of my creativity and I will not stop.

I am sorry that I like to talk about TLK and Aldhelm a lot... when I am passionate about something I don't let up. I just don't want anyone to think this is ALL I do and I am one dimensional.

[fallingthruspace]

Started a post regarding my thoughts about the season 2 premiere of Carnival Row, but it was getting way too long. So here’s the cliff notes version

🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨

- I’m really loving the variety in types of Faun that they’re introducing this season. So far my favorite is the man running the street fighting ring who looks like a bull

- That fae disease is fucking BRUTAL and I love the makeup and effects they did to show it. Watching Oona try to fly was heartbreaking

- Vignette and Philo are cute as always but seriously need some sort of relationship counseling. Or at least better communication skills

- Seeing Imogen and Agreus being happy for five whole minutes before shit hit the fan was nice. Also the fact that they apparently need to be touching/kissing 90% of the time is so sweet. Their love language is physical touch and we love to see it

- Nice to see that Dombey continues to be an insufferable piece of shit. I know he’s just there to be the racist asshole that everyone hates and I hope this seasons monster eats his face

- Speaking of insufferable pieces of shit: Ezra Spurnrose. I knew he’d make up some story about Agreus “kidnapping” Imogen to avoid a scandal or some shit. Still pissed me off

- And speaking of Ezra, that nightmare Imogen had about him was freaky as FUCK. Enough that it made me wonder if there was a reason, other than being with Agreus, that Imogen wanted to run away from Ezra specifically. (NOTE: no, I don’t think he touched her or anything like that, but he is a creep and maybe he did say or do something that had Imogen picking up on his creepy vibes)

- Please, for the love of god, let Tourmaline get over Vignette. Vignette is clearly choosing Philo over her again and again, Tourmaline deserves better

- I was wondering if Tourmaline would be the next Haruspex since a few of the trailers showed her eyes glowing blue just like Aoife’s were in The Gloaming. Guess I was kind of right

- i simultaneously love and hate Sophie Longerbane lol

- interested to see how Agreus knows that faun Imogen was talking to in the kitchen (Leonora? I can’t remember how to spell her name)

- I fucking KNEW that the Ravens would burst into the room before Philo could make his big announcement. It’s waaay too early in the season to spill that tea

- I did not expect Dahlia and that other Fae to be killed, seeing their heads nailed to the wall genuinely took me by surprise

- Does anyone know what the critch who look like a tall, upright version of Gollum from LOTR are? I’ve rewatched s1 multiple times and don’t remember them being mentioned.

- New Dawn feels like a thinly veiled Communism metaphor

[acey-lacey]

Continuing this tag game!

Tagged by: @heartintherye (omg you’re like the only person I’ve seen with the same fav color as me)

Tagging my few other mutuals: @sushis-mylifeee @jediwizard @justabackroundcharacter @sofwasbornforthis

Last song: money money money from mamma mia

Favorite color: yellowwww

Currently watching: well I’m gonna rewatch pjo soon and I’m always watching Merlin episodes

Last movie: I thinkkkk Little Women (I rewatch this a lot)

Currently reading: actually I’m reading little women for the first time rn so that’s funny

Sweet/savory/spicy: I am so unhealthy I am addicted to sweet foods, my fav candy is basically any chocolate

Relationship status: well I’m as ace as they come and have crazy social anxiety so nothing interesting to update here

Current interests: I always love Merlin, I’m reentering my Percy Jackson fixation, and I love heartstopper, lotr, marvel, hunger games, and probably lots of other books/shows I can’t think of rn I also like playing the sims and pokémon games

Last google: upcoming movies this year

Last photo: a double rainbow from the other days rain

[skyeet-the-writer]

Lady of Enmond

Chapter One: Ale and Disappearings of Little Folk

here it is. another hyperfixation. see, i would promise ya'll updates for other things, but i promise you all nothing. plus i'm in college and i'm already depressed. BUT lotr always makes me better so i mayyyyy be updating this one as i rewatch the movies. again, no promises. BUT let me know if ya'll want me to continue anything else, and I'll see what i can do!! love you guys! x.

legolas greenleaf x female!reader

summary: y/n is accompanying her friend, aragorn, on some mission given to him by gandalf the grey. she doesn't know what it is and doesn't care as long as she has ale in her hand, but she quickly changes her mind when a little-folk vanishes before her very eyes

word count: ~3.1k

warnings: cursing, weapons drawn but not used, mention of death/killing

next>

Sitting in this dark corner of the Prancing Pony, you try to busy yourself with working on your second pint of mead, ignoring the looks both you and Aragorn are getting. No, it's Strider out here.

"You've been staring at those four Hobbits for almost an hour," you mutter to him, tracing your finger along the rim of your mug. "It's getting a little odd, friend."

Strider just grunts, a pipe in his mouth.

With a roll of your eyes, you drop the subject for the moment. Aragorn has always been a mysterious man, quite broody. It's a surprise you're even friends with him.

Aragorn has been your friend for many years. You first met him in a pub while off venturing away from your secure forest village of Enmond. You had always hated staying in one place and, as heir, you never had much of a chance to leave and explore, always too busy with your duties.

You had accidentally bumped into him while taking back a glass of mead to your table. You apologized profusely and quickly steered out of his way, much too afraid of this tall and cloaked character. But you allowed him without hesitation when he kindly asked to sit at your table. In hindsight, it was quite foolish, though how else are you to meet new people?

As time passed and you both went your separate ways, you kept in touch with ravens, occasionally meeting up for a night of drinks and dances. As time passed, he revealed his past to you and yours to him.

He's one of your only friends now.

Yet you're still not quite sure why you're here with him. He had sent you a raven not a fortnight ago explaining this task given to him by a man in a cloak and a tall hat. Gandalf. You knew the name, everyone did. The wizard had instructed he protect these Hobbits in their coming journey, as one of them was carrying something of great importance.

Of course, you went along. You could never say no to an adventure.

Tapping your foot to the tavern songs, you soon found yourself lulling into the comfort of the Prancing Pony. It was no different than any other inn you'd been to, still just as cozy and lively as any. It was your second favorite place to be, probably.

You're not sure how much time has passed and you soon finish your mug. You ask Aragorn if you should have another, but even you know better, as your words are already slurring together.

Aragorn gives you a smile under the hood and puts your empty mug in front of himself. "I think you've had quite enough, Y/N."

You shrug and sink into your seat. "I guess you're right, as usual. You always seem to be right."

Aragorn just laughs lightly and returns his attention to the small-folk. You follow his gaze and see one with curly hair talk to the barkeep. They both turn to you and you tense up slightly. Over the chatter of the bar, you can just make out what they're saying.

"One of them rangers...What his right name is, I don't know. But 'round these parts he's known as Strider."

The barkeep quickly moves away and the Hobbit repeats the name. Aragorn's pipe puffs and you resist asking for it. With your head gently thumping on the stone, you sigh. You're bored. What are you waiting for? Maybe you should order another ale? You're also hungry, maybe you should order the Thieve's Stew? You've seen a few people with it, and it looks quite delicious.

And so you wave over a barmaid, a quite pretty one at that, and ask, "Excuse me, but could I have a bowl of your Thieve's Stew?"

She smiles and nods. "Yes, my lady, that'll be right up."

You thank her and watch as she walks towards the back.

Aragorn gives you a look and you shrug. "What? I'm hungry. I'll let you have some."

He laughs and shakes his head.

Aragorn keeps his eyes on the Hobbit as the lady brings you your stew, setting it down in front of her. With a smile, you hand her a couple of silver coins, winking. She grins, stows them in a pocket, and walks away.

In your bowl is a delicious meal. It smells very meaty and brothy. It looks like it has noodles and beef, two of your favorite things. With a fork, you quickly dive in, relishing the excellent taste. It's yummy and hearty, something different from your village's high-vegetable diet. Not that your father's cooking isn't fantastic, either.

You quickly devour half of the bowl before you look up at Aragorn. "Want some?"

Aragorn doesn't answer you, and he is instead watching something intensely. Following his gaze, as you spoon another bite of stew into your mouth, you see that the Hobbit that was previously talking to the innkeeper is messing with something small in his hands. He's twirling it, and his eyes close.

That's not normal.

"Baggins? Sure, I know a Baggins."

The Hobbit's head whips towards the bar, and you follow. There's another Hobbit sitting at the bar, a pint in his hand. He seems a little buzzed, his cheeks all flushed and red in the candlelight. He's talking with a group of men and gesturing in the other Hobbit's direction.

"He's over there," he says. "Frodo Baggins." He gives him a small wave before turning back to the men. "He's my second cousin, once removed on his mother's side. And my third cousin, twice removed..."

You don't hear the rest of his speech, watching Frodo, the Hobbit sitting at the table, stand quickly and make his way toward the bar. He seems...panicked? You slowly lift another spoonful into your mouth. Aragorn's hand drifts down, removing the pipe from his mouth.

"What is he...?" you ask slowly, words muffled from the noodles.

Frodo quickly grabs the Hobbit's arm, but stumbles over a foot, falling towards the ground. As he falls, something drops from his hand. A small object glints up in the air before falling back down. Aragorn sits up straighter. The group of men watches Frodo fall, but as the glint reaches the floor, Frodo lifts his pointer finger up. To catch it?

Then he vanishes.

You gasp, lifting a hand to your mouth as men gasp, pointing at the group where Frodo once was.

"What the hell?" you ask, dropping your spoon. Your eyes must have deceived you, there's no way he just vanished. That's not possible.

Aragorn stands quickly, hood pulled even lower over his face. "Help me find him, Y/N."

You gape at him, standing and grabbing your cloak. Is this what you were waiting for? "Help you find him? He just vanished, Strider!"

Aragorn does not seem to hear you, however, scanning the room quickly. Quick, loud conversations break out, and fingers are being pointed towards the bar where people are scrambling around, shouting.

You scan the bar. You see the three other Hobbits make their way towards each other, whispering, looking anxious. Where is the other one? Frodo. Was that his name?

Finally, you spot him beside a table. He's shaking his head, panting, and looking around. He's sweating, too.

"There," you say to Aragorn, but he's a step ahead of you.

Quickly, he grabs the Hobbit by the shoulder and hauls him up and towards the stairs. Taking this as your queue to follow, you walk back towards the table. Shoveling the last two bites of stew into your mouth and throwing several coins on the table, you grab your bow and quiver, and follow.

Walking up the stairs two at a time, you catch up with Aragorn and see him shove Frodo into an empty room. You catch the door and shut it, keeping your hood over your head.

The Hobbit stands as you latch the door. "What do you want?" he asks apprehensively.

"A little more caution from you," Aragorn tells him rather than answering. "That is no small trinket you carry."

"I carry nothing."

"Indeed."

What is going on? Was that glint the item Gandalf told Aragorn the Hobbit would have? What was it, then? Clearly, it was small and metallic. Not a knife nor a dagger, perhaps a piece of jewelry? A ring, perhaps, or a bracelet.

Aragorn makes his way towards the window, extinguishing the candles. "I can avoid being seen if I wish. But to disappear entirely?" He turns back to the Hobbit and removes his hood. "That is a rare gift."

You stand beside the door, somewhat awkwardly, a hand on your dagger hilt. You remove your own hood, shaking your hair out of your face. The Hobbit, Frodo, looks confused, looking between the two of you.

"Who are you?" he asks. You note that he sounds much less frightened than you would have assumed. After all, he was shoved into a room by two Men. If it were you, you would be at least a bit scared. Though, perhaps Hobbits are different. You don't know much about them, in fact, this is your first time having a conversation with one.

"Are you frightened?" you ask and Frodo turns to you.

Slowly, he nods. "Yes."

Maybe you were wrong.

"Not nearly frightened enough," Aragorn says, keeping his voice low. "I know what hunts you." There's something hunting the Hobbit? Over what? You really should have asked more questions before you joined up with Aragorn. He always does this.

Aragorn glances at you and approaches the Hobbit. You take a step forward. Behind you, on the other side of the door, you hear footsteps, several of them, all heavy. Your nerves light on fire and at the same time Aragorn draws his sword, you pull out your dagger and turn on your heel towards the door. You'd rather it be your bow, but you couldn't pull it out in time.

The door bursts open and the other three Hobbits barge in, each holding a different blunt object. One has a chair, another holding just his fists. One has an entire candle stick.

"Let him go!" shouts the one with just his fists. "Or I'll have you both, Longshanks!"

Smiling just slightly, you sheath your dagger, heart still pumping. "You have a stout heart, but your fists will not save you."

Aragorn steps forward. "You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They're coming."

"Who is?" you ask quietly, more to yourself. You need answers.

"Who are you?" asks one of the Hobbits.

"I am Strider," Aragorn says. "This is Khaya. And you four are in much danger."

The three hobbits look to Frodo and he says, "We can trust them. They know of Gandalf."

"He is the one who sent us," you say, looking at Aragorn with furrowed brows. You two have gotten pretty good at communicating without words, with just looks, and he gets your meaning. You want him to explain what's going on and he nods.

"Come," he says, approaching the door. "You must be tired, and we cannot stay here. Follow me."

He catches your arm as he ushers the confused Hobbits from the door and says, "I'll explain, I swear. But, could you make this room look like the Hobbits are sleeping here? Their pursuers will look here and we must throw them off trail."

You normally do the weird requests Aragorn has without question, and now is no exception, as it seems so urgent. "Of course. Where will you go?"

"The inn across the way. Use Underhill to find us."

"Alright."

"And be careful," he says, seeming impatient. "And fast. Tonight, I will explain."

"You better," you poke him in the chest and then push him. "Go. I'll be fast."

And then he's gone with the four Hobbits and you're alone. Make this room look like Hobbits are occupying it? Easy. There are already two beds, you just need to stuff pillows under the sheets to fool whoever it is that's chasing them. Hopefully, they're stupid enough to fall for it.

Quickly, you get to work, shoving pillows under the sheets and punching and fluffing them to make them look more humanoid in shape. Of course, you hope you got the height right, having to estimate. Maybe you need to add another one just to be safe?

Not long later, you're satisfied with your work. Besides, you should probably leave, Aragorn seemed impatient. So, taking one last look at your work, you leave the room, latching it shut.

Making your way back down the stairs to the main bar, you see it's still buzzing with the news of Frodo's vanishing, literally, but people are beginning to stream out. Silently placing a small pouch of coins on the innkeeper's stand, you leave the warm, bright bar, and enter the dark, cold night. It's no longer raining, that you're grateful for.

You spot the other inn Aragorn was talking about and walk across the muddy street, keeping your head down. Now, you're weary of everyone.

This inn is similar to the one across the way, just much quieter and less busy. The innkeeper is an older woman and she hums at you when you enter.

"Good evening," you greet her with a smile. "I'm looking for an Underhill? My companions were a bit ahead of me in our travels."

The lady smiles at you. "Yes, of course. They checked in not too long ago. Up the stairs, last room on the right."

You bow to her. "Thank you. Safe night."

With that, you head up the stairs and knock on the door before entering. The Hobbits are already in the two beds, passed out, absolutely knocked out. They must have had quite a night.

"Oh, wonderful, they're passed out," you say sarcastically, locking the door behind you. Aragorn is sitting beside the fire, his feet kicked up casually, but his hand is resting on the hilt of his sword. You sit beside him and lean back, the fire warming your legs and making them prickly like they always are near a fire.

"How did it go?" asks your friend.

With your eyes shut, you answer. "Fine. Hope I did a convincing job. Whoever is chasing them best be stupid enough to fall for that trick, though. Stuffing pillows under the blankets." You scoff, mostly at yourself.

The room is silent, save for snores and the fire crackling. Aragorn is the first to speak. "I apologize for not informing you enough of why I asked you to join, of our being here. Everything just happened so fast..."

You open your eyes and shrug. "It's fine. We have time now, though. First of all, let me ask; what is that Hobbit carrying?" You've lowered your voice now, not wanting to wake them.

Aragorn sits up and leans toward you. "The wizard told me he carries a ring. A ring of great importance, an old ring."

"A ring?" you ask with a raised brow. "Okay. Sure. Why is this ring important? Is that what made him vanish into thin air?"

Aragorn nods and you know he's not joking.

Your mouth falls open, but you quickly regaining your composure. "Okay, okay. So, then, who's chasing him?"

Your friend takes a deep breath and looks around the room, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Do you recall the old tale of Sauron and the Rings?"

The fire flickers and a chill runs down your spine. "Yes, my mother told it to me and my siblings to scare us before we went to sleep. Sauron gave the races rings. I think it was three for the elves, seven for the dwarves, and nine for the men. But he also had one for himself."

"Yes. What happened to the men who received the rings?"

"They went mad with power, they eventually died. People said, though, that their souls were tied to the rings and to Sauron, so they didn't die. My mother said they turned into these shadow-men called Ringwraiths and they've been searching for Sauron's lost ring ever since."

As you say it, the pieces fall into piece. Now, everything clicks. With a gasp, you stand, staring at Aragorn. "The Hobbit has the one ring and the Ringwraiths are after him?"

Aragorn nods. "Yes."

"Shit," you say, running a hand through your hair, and sinking back in your seat.

Silently, you stare into the fire, the wood crackling and popping. A spark lands on your boot and you watch it fade and smoke. Your mind is whirling. You knew that Sauron was once real, that was a fact, there were record of the battles in the Second Age. But you thought the rest were stories, of the rings and the men and the Ringwraiths. But Aragorn would never lie to you.

Finally, you look at him and ask, "What now? What do we do? We can never lose them. If what my mother said is true, than they don't eat or sleep. All they'll do is look for the ring and kill anyone who gets in their way."

"Galdalf instructed me to take them to Rivendell," Aragorn answers, his thumb brushing over the hilt of his sword. "From there, we'll let Lord Elrond decide what to do. He'll surly know the right course of action."

He's right, you know that. Rivendell. The realm of the elves. The Last Homely House. Of the First, depending on where you were coming from. You've never been there, but you know Aragorn had been. Over the years and your adventures together, he told you a lot about himself, something he never did with others as far as you knew. He was always a secretive one. Of course, you're sure he didn't tell you everything, but he did explain how he was raised in Rivendell by Elrond himself after his parents died. He also mentioned how he fell in love with Lady Arwen, Lord Elrond's daughter, her beauty untold. You've never met her, but now, you might.

With a nod and a deep breath, you fold your arms. "Aright. How far is Rivendell? A few days travel?"

Aragorn nods. "Yes. Now, rest up. I fear the Ringwraiths will be here soon, and we'll need to flee when they get here."

He doesn't have to ask you twice. Between the ale and the food, you've been tired for a long while. Leaning your head in your hand, you doze off, dreaming of your home village nestled deep in the woods far, far from Bree.

[bipirate]

im so upset so to cope i'm gonna make a list of things to do while i'm quarantining during christmas

finish jojo's bizarre adventure steel ball run

finish reading yellowface

continue watching yu yu hakusho (the anime)

maybe play okami again? i never finished my first run even though i very much enjoyed the game

otherwise, play twilight princess, it's my favourite game of all time and i play it every year/2 years and it's been a while

catch up on podcasts

rewatch the lotr trilogy

draw!! not sure what yet. i have a comic of my ocs in the works but i also haven't done any fanart in a while

cook my delicious daal recipe with extra gochujang (yeah i put gochujang in there. i dont want to bother chopping up a chili) to really sweat out all the covid from my body

[uweiy]

Original Content Masterpost

because even I can’t find my own damn content on this damned website.

*All fics mentioned are directly on Tumblr unless specified otherwise

The Untamed

Gifsets: Wwx and rooftops /Wangxian and jc being done part 1, part2, part3 / Yiling laozu /At Nevernight I wasn't by your side / I broke my promise /Bunny lanterns 🐇 / Lwj understanding the golden core thing

Fanart: Wwx flower boy mini comic / The red undergarnment / Song Lan / It snows / Yanqing and books

Memes: Is this... 🫱🦋🐦?/ Stabbing yourself in the heart /Picture u can hear /Y'all deserved better / Alignment chart / Tag urself (the untamed characters as people in my classroom ft. Stickmen) / The Untamed character generator

A lot of Textposts-y memes:

Wwx introducing himself and lwj / wwx translating lwj microexpressions / he'd marry you if you asked brother / wwx chugging a whole jar of ??? / Wwx no / there is no cure / Jiang fengmian loves his sons equally / lqr at wangxian wedding / wangji this is not allowed / I'm cold / get the hoe / I wasn't drunk / wen Ning is precious / shut UP / good morning :D

The juniors shenanigans: Jin Ling adulting / *sneaking out*/da headbands very precious yes / fairy climbs a tree

Fics

Xicheng Trying to hold on to you (1.6k, hurt/comfort), you confused me with a fucking dog (1.6k, College AU), They were roommates (10k, college AU)

Wangxian: Night of shooting stars (1.3k,Star!Lwj), Those who bleed (600 words, angst)

Other: Dangling Accessories (1.9k JC&Jin ling, Wandering Heart (Yanqing, 1.5k) Mianmian's Education course (Jc &wq, 800words) Alive (wwx-centric, drabble), Ouyang Zizhen at yi-city (<1k)

More detailed Cql-fic masterpost (with summaries) INCOMPLETE. Or read them in the AO3 collection (username Namariae).

Talks and other stuff

Yanqing 😍

The Untamed rewatch

2019 top 10 favourite posts / 2019 top 10 most popular posts

Cql OST / Beyond Control (LXC Character song)

Ask game

Cultivator conferences = disaster

Mriad

Posts: Chuyao being gay / Chuyao still being gay / list of things Lu Yao stole from Chusheng / Seriously so gay / go make me coffee

Fics: Empty space(filled with flowers) / All that glitters (ao3)

The Devil Judge

Beyond Evil vs The Devil Judge

Textposts: Get the fuck outta my house / Noo don't check me out ahaha / the Gaon Judas imagery

Gifs: *homoerotically pushes you against wall*I heard you live alone / the Kang Mansion / undresses you to tend to ur wounds

Fic: Rightful Place part 1 (Gahan)/ Rightful Place Masterpost

Love is Science

What the fuck is Love is Science?

Gifs: Ouwen's oh shit moments / Mark panicking bc gay / Shen Ying imitating a Sloth / that kiss in the gym / Ouwen pretty ✨ / Lee Mark's outfits are bisexualcore / love is in the little things

Memes/Other: Savage Ouwen / u're reasonable but ur friends are dumbasses /

Fic: The Mark/Ouwen sickfick no one asked for (domestic)

Recommendation lists

Top 5 BL shows I like

I have nothing to watch (yes u do)

Other:

Pile of Goop Aoki (Kieta Hatsukoi) / Rainless love in a Godless land / To my Star cooking (To my Star) / The 6 stages of Tumblr / Hanahaki disease prompts(?)

>📺(more or less) Current Watchlist

___

Other interests

Lotr

Viggo Mortensen has chaotic neutral energy

Continued list of things Viggo did

I've only had Frodo for a Day and a half

What do we do When we are sad

Aragorn you go king

(Discussion)Why does Gandalf love hobbits so much?

The Clearest diamonds (Bagginshield, AO3)

Stranger Things / The Sandman

over at @grabyourpillow

[feytouched]

man, when i watched scenes like the fields of pelennor as a kid, the terror of the battle never quite set in. those siege weapons... the oliphaunts! every rewatch then i was just waiting for the epic moments with eowyn and legolas. now... there are moments when even the brave and glorious battle music deserts us and we are left with the grim reality of carnage. i am genuinely stressed watching this even though i know the story scene by scene

[buttercupbuck]

you had never seen return of the king before? 😱😱😱

anyways, please continue being unwell about frodo baggins on my dash 💕💕

(also can't believe you would force me to rewatch the lotr movies this weekend, HOW DARE YOU)

no omg this was my first time watching all the movies and i feel like something has changed within me on a molecular level… i spent like a literal hour just sobbing about frodo after the movie ended and i have to keep reminding myself he’s not real and everything’s ok LMAO

BUT YOU’RE WELCOME!!!!! 😇 i’m like already aching to watch all of it from the start again so i’ll probably be right there with you ahhaha

[yellowmonday]

9 ppl to get to know better

tagged by @meatmensch tyy

list 3 ships you like: of course mrs. destiel. and spirk. and also julian bashir and data they banged in the ds9/tng crossover. on my mind

first ship ever: i dont think i shipped characters for a long time. maybe it was destiel at the tender age of 16. maybe deep down it was frodo and sam when i read lotr age 11

last song you heard: free - kara jackson. i love her sound so much also the fact that she is one of the few artists who publicly speaks about covid and uses a mask

favorite childhood book: picture book i really liked the rainbow fish. when i was a little older i liked ghost in the noonday sun it was about pirates.

currently reading: dont ask me that…. Too many books that i havent picked up. I cant read anymore

currently watching: nothing really. rewatching d20 fantasy high and unsleeping city. waiting to get a job til i can drop $6 on a subscription. i started watching rings of power and its bad but maybe i will continue

currently consuming: my own tail 🐍

currently craving: weed ☹️

i will tag some people and it will not be 9

@inesathammar @passivetimber @aestivetic listen i dont remember who my mutuals are

[rings-of-power-realm]

10 star reviews about The Rings of Power 💚

The first season isn't even finished yet and already I have recommended this show to friends and family more than any previous media. Every episode so far (5 released) have surpassed my expectations, which were fairly high going in. As someone who has read all of Tolkien's published works (some more than I'd care to admit), anyone saying that "Tolkien is turning in his grave" has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. It was always going to be walking a thin line between creative choices and already established canon, but I can see, so far anyway, that they have absolutely aced it. If the show continues to be as great as it has thus far, I can see this being one of the all time great masterpieces of TV history, and for many years to come. It's incredibly rare that I won't have criticisms of some kind, especially for something I am passionate about, and the only criticism I have of the Rings of Power is that I can't listen to the sound track 24 hours a day, because I have to sleep at some stage. Bear McCreary has written a masterpiece worthy of being pinned up on the wall with Howard Shore's work from the Lord of the Rings.

                                                         🧝

Don't listen to the negative reviews. Some people have an idea of what something should be in their own mind. I too have read mostly all of Tolkien's books. You form a world in your mind from those words. It's yours it's personal. This show is Magnificent. It's a big bold dive into Middle Earth. Beautifully filmed and acted. The first too episodes are structured in a way to set a scene for the multiple storylines for multiple characters which as the series progresses will merge in to one common fight against the darkness. It's absolutely fantastic and if you don't watch it because of someone's snobby 1/10 then you will be missing out.   

                                                        🧙‍♂️

I can't believe people who are giving this such negative reviews. Who cares if it's not the way you think it should be portrayed because of your version of what you think you read from his original works. It is fantastically entertaining, incredibly well shot and produced, and while the story lines were slow to get rolling, and I don't necessarily think that some of the characters lineup with how they were portrayed in the Lord of the Rings movies later, it really doesn't matter. These are NEW. I can't wait for each episode to come out, I look forward to watching these every week, and I would love to be able to see all of them in the theater. The first two we saw through a free preview, and I wish I could watch every single episode on a huge screen! Enjoy them for what they are.

                                                          🏹

This is the first prequel I have ever seen that was not a disappointment. I love the acting, the faithfulness to Tolkien's vision, the use of reworked ideas/themes/dialogue from the Lord of the Rings, and the compelling worldbuilding. It is important to remember that this is an interpretation, not an adaptation, as this story is based on timelines in the Appendices to LOTR and not on Tolkien stories. Therefore, the showrunners had to invent story arcs and characters to flesh out the story. If they had note done this, then the show would be boring and empty. They did a great job filling in the gaps and told a story that I have already rewatched many times.

                                                         🧝🏿‍♂️

I almost didn't watch because of other reviews but I've learned to not even pay much attention to them. This feels just like Lord of the Rings to me. It could actually be its own movie. The acting is great, the scenery and graphics are amazing. I've been hooked and entertained since the first episode! Can't wait to see more.

                                                         🗡️

I was putting off watching this for a while but one night I couldn't find anything to watch and I put this on and now I'm glad I did. It's the first thing I look forward to after a long day of work. I think the plot is fantastic. I read a review that said they didn't know where the plot was going but how can you not? It's very easy to follow. I'm in love with the series already.

I am blown away by the quality of this production. There is nothing like it. Although it is not an original story written by JRR Tolkien, it is an interesting one; an important backstory.

Although the story unfolds slowly, like in most series, it has a decent amount of action and suspense. Watch it and indulge yourself in Middle Earth. And about all the criticism... This is my take: To me, there are two Middle Earths. (1) The original one that you have imagined when reading the books. (2) The world created by John Howe, Alan Lee, Peter Jackson, make-up artists, actors, etc., etc. This series fits right into the later one and does it justice.

                                                       🍂

Don't believe those fools who are giving bad ratings and negative reviews. I don't know why so much hate for this show. I'm so obsessed with this show right now and have watched all the six episodes non-stop and wanting more soooo badly. I mean the acting, the scenes, the dialogues and above all the VFX are soooo beautiful put together that will make your mind blown by this masterpiece. I've really enjoyed and didn't look away for a second while watching. It really took me to the place where I couldn't have imagine in my dreams. Please guys stop giving the bad ratings and reviews to a show like this one. This show deserve all the love and not the hate. We all should appreciate the work and efforts put in this show.

                                                        🔮

I think this prequel was beautifully done. The visuals are stunning, and story is excellent. There is a very satisfying last episode of season 1. I'm excited to see more. I had no problem adjusting and accepting the younger version of known characters, specifically Galadriel and Elrond. I think the acting and writing felt true to Middle Earth. I'm a fan of the books (Hobbit, LotR and The Silmarillian) which I read before the movies were released. I'm thrilled to have new Tolkien inspired material even if it's from the imagination of someone else, it is brilliant and a wonderful addition to the Middle Earth lore. There seem to be too many of the instant gratification society who were too impatient to wait for the payoff. Looking at the dates of many of the reviews is frustrating seeing that people couldn't reserve judgement until 10/14 after the season could be viewed as a whole. People have become to used to being able to binge a new show in a few days and not have to wait and dwell over what might happen and the new information presented in each episode. It has been exciting to see it unfold week by week. I'm glad for the return to this method of releasing a new series.                                                

Link to the 10 star reviews🍄

[itsame-ariana]

Started rewatching lotr this weekend and actually continued reading two towers after like months so

Yeah buckle in folks

[marimayscarlett]

Hello 👉👈 so I might have found a clip that I'd love you to comment on.... https://youtu.be/2p5zm-9NCh4?feature=shared

1. It is giving off the vibes that it would suit Richard and Christoph perfectly (I headcanon him as Aragorn, im not sorry)

2. Lotr brainrot

3. Unironically I've started low key falling for Elrond because of my initial delusional idea 🤡🤡🤡 also his cloak reminds me of one of Rzks cryptic posts with similar hood on...

3. Long haired Christoph as Aragorn, with his kind eyes im 🥺🥺🥺 bear with me as I come up with even more delusional takes 😊 much love to you, elf anon (I solemnly swear to continue with this AU, as long as you'd want to read it 💌)

Hello elf anon 🧝🏼‍♀️ You're like my personal guidance to explore the depth of the Lord of the Rings brainrot, and I honestly start a new hyperfixation since watching the movies again 👀 (I ordered the books which arrived yesterday and I instantly started with the first one 📖)

Oh dear, I cried real tears during this scene when I rewatched the movie earlier this year. Elrond is so sincere, so calmly-devastated (if this makes sense) and yet is so urgent in his quest to make it clear to Aragorn how important it is to gather more men for the mission. Maybe Richard could have it in him to be just as sincere and earnest about things which affect him this much - and yet he might not be as calm as Elrond here I guess 👀 Aragorn reminded me a bit of Schneider in the Sonne MV, just utterly worried and yet determined:

I found a gif of Elrond which excudes Richard-energy to me, maybe the hand movement, his head movement, how he apparently explains something - don't ask me, I don't even know (and I think this robe would look good on Richard):

So we have Richard as Elrond and Schneider as Aragorn in our little silly LotR brainrot:

@swampgiggles once mentioned Till as Tom Bombadil - an important character in the books, eternally connected to nature and the woods and a person over which the ring has no power. Which is quite fitting I think! Now we need some character ideas for the rest (we already discussed Flake as a hobbit here, but not completely sure on this one...) 👀

Have a nice day and happy brainrotting! 🧝🏼‍♀️💍