waywardcastletune

[waywardcastletune]

As a person who eats LOTR/Silm books & movies & fanfictions, I searched "BAMF Elrond" tag on AO3, and what comes out???

Elrond/Galadriel

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the fact that at the council of elrond glorfindel is like “just throw the ring into the ocean” is so funny to me after reading the silmarillion just because it feels like the subtext is him being like “yeah let’s try maglor’s patented and tested method: Just Yeet The Accursed Fucking Thing Into The Water”

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"shut up, Legolas X Gimli isn't canon!!!"

sir/ma'am/captain, the ship literally sailed.

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Shinystarship Has Invited You To Join A Zoom Conference!

by JazTheBard (@jaz-the-bard)

Part 7 of Reunions

Elrond is a few weeks away from sailing to Valinor, and he's had a tough time of it lately. Luckily, his dads are willing to put aside their differences to help him.

Teen, No Archive Warnings

Words: 2,789

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Like, I'm sure Tolkien would make Narsil a sword that belongs to good guys and stuff, but the idea of Narsil being Maedhros sword (maybe even made by Fëanor himself) makes me so rabid.

Like, Elros taking the sword that caused so much pain, that belongs to someone he both loves and hates, and makes it into part of his own kingdom for the purpose of good.

That sword being then broken by Sauron and finally used to defeat him in its brokenness (something, something, the redemption in battle that Mae never gets, something, something, symbolism).

And its shard then reforged into Anduril.

Flame of the West.

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One thing I often hear when talked about kidnap fam, is that while the "and love grew between them"-thing is obviously canon, that people don't think it is as happy and harmonic as often portrayed or even that they actually like the fluffy version more, but logically have to admit that it isn't very realistic.

But I think that's exactly the point. No, the likelihood of E&E having a healthy relationship with Mae&Mags after, well, everything is pretty low, but how likely was Beren and Luthien actually getting that Silmaril?

Tolkien loved Beren and Luthien, and not just because it was kind of the only story in the Silm with a happy ending, but also because of the odds of that happy ending. If I didn't know better, a couple infiltrating the enemy's fortress, beating him, getting away and doing all of that with nothing but the "power of love" or whatever would sound like a fanfiction to me. Maybe a good written one but definitely a fanfiction.

But Tolkien loved this story because somehow it all worked out and that makes it incredibly beautiful.

And wouldn't it be maybe unrealistic but beautiful, if after E&E lost everything and then got KIDNAPPED, they somehow ended up having a happy childhood anyway? If they found love and happiness, by the people who did this to them no less?

Or if those bitter, broken kinslayers, after everything they've done, found some kind of happiness again, however temporary, and, for a short period of time, had the chance to relearn the meaning of mercy, innocence and forgiveness? They certainly didn't deserve it, but didn't E&E deserve a happy childhood?

I think that it makes kidnap fam even better if you think that there's just no way that ten year old children would be able to heal from that trauma and come to love those battle hardened warriors and it almost makes me cry to think about how little Elrond and Elros didn't FORGET what happened, but CHOOS to FORGIVE it, even though kids this age shouldn't have nearly the wisdom necessary to do that.

And it becomes even more tragic if you think about how it all falls apart in the end, about how they all knew from the very beginning that this little family of theirs could never last.

So I think that this version sounds a lot more like Tolkien then an unstable, disfunctional family with 50% love 25% hate and 25% toxic behavior. I'm not saying that E&E didn't sometimes have conflicted feelings towards Mae&Mags or that the brothers weren't struggling with their sanity, but give this people some happiness guys.

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Obsessed with the idea of Maedhros being programmed to react to crying babies.

Like, anyone could hand Maedhros a baby elfling, edain, or anything else humanoid and he’ll just Take The Baby and start cradling it on instinct.

This guy has six (6) younger brothers.

Imagining a scenario where post-angband Maedhros is sleeping (miraculously) but someone’s baby starts crying outside his tent and Maedhros just, shoots straight up immediately like “where is baby. Why is baby crying.” And it’s the most encouraging thing that Mae’s done since Fingon rescued him.

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fully committed to the headcanon of itty bitty elros biting either maglor or maedhros, take your pick, during an escape attempt

elros lives to regret it because maglor/maedhros are so proud of him for it. look at that little peredhel go. look how brave he is. he's definitely going places. and they continue to be proud of him for it his entire life.

if maglor: elros knows maglor is alive because someone keeps sneaking into the numenorean palace to add "bit maglor" to the records as a heroic deed

if maedhros: it's his favourite scar. he's devastated when he's eventually re-embodied without it, especially when he hears elros is gone

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I wonder if those elves that end up visiting Minas Tirith after the War of the Ring have a hard time not laughing every time another Gondorian with a very historical and elvish name pops up.

King Elessar (trying not to chuckle): “Meet my High Council Your Highness, Lord Ecthalion and his brother Lord Beren, Lord Barahir (no relation) and his wife Lady Melian, Lady Finduilas and her daughter, Lady Idril and of course Captains Guilin, Ingold and Voronwë. Over here on the left you already know Prince Faramir and Prince Imrahil, but have you met Lord Angrod of Anfalas and the Ladies Andreth and Earwen of Belfalas?”

Legolas (valiantly not laughing): "A pleasure to met you all."

(a couple hours later laughing with Elladan and Elrohir) “It was the most maddening gaggle of famous elves I have yet had the pleasure of beholding. Barahir married to Melian. You remember that time a dozen centuries that Erestor misjudged his tolerance for Dorwinion? This was almost as jumbled.”

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Pure headcanon

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The Noldor needed to return to Middle Earth.

This is a long one, so I put it under a Read More thing.

I was looking into the Doom of the Noldor, and why the Valar weren't interested in going after Morgoth after he murdered a guy, and I came across the rather reasonable argument that the Valar could only defeat Morgoth after he put a great deal of his influence into Arda, kind of like a giant One Ring, which would weaken him. Which is all fine and good, I guess.

(Not sure why they couldn't just do what they did in the War of the Powers and evacuate everyone out of Beleriand before sending Tulkas in, as that would be far more responsible than what they actually ended up doing, but I digress.)

So that's it then. The Valar plan to just sit around Valinor, chilling, while Morgoth essentially runs around Beleriand with a can of gasoline and a match. And, based off what I've read, it sounds like they were really just kind of doing nothing until Eärendil and Elwing showed up to buy protection. Or it does take three years to sail from southwest Beleriand to the Bay of Eldamar. (It took Eärendil eight total, and four of them were after Elwing showed up, and it is a long journey; there's a reason the Noldor went as far north as they could in Aman before attempting to sail.)

Here's a map for reference. Credit to Karen Wynn Fonstadt. The Helcaraxë is so tiny!

Anyway, I'm going to give those who stayed in Valinor the benefit of the doubt and assume they spent 5 and a half centuries preparing for war.

(Even though the Noldor were plenty ready for it when they left, considering they annihilated Morgoth's army. Yeah, Fëanor died, but who could expect fire demons of nightmares to show up randomly?)

Sorry. I keep getting into tangents. The Valinorians prepare, get a signal from ... something, and sail across Belaegar to destroy Morgoth and save the Men, Elves, and Dwarves. Happy ever after, and the Flight of the Noldor was completely useless and pointless.

Except it wasn't.

Sure, most of that plan would've still worked as intended, except for the "save Men, Elves, and Dwarves" part. Beleriand would have been an utter wasteland by the time they got there without the Noldor's intervention. Morgoth might have conquered even more. Imagine if he got to Cuiviénen, the far south of Harad, even Hildórien.

"That's impossible, dfwbwfbbwfbwf. Even Morgoth couldn't have mustered up the strength to do that."

But is it impossible? Who would have been there to stop him?

Círdan's Falathrim were nearly exterminated, saved only due to Fëanor's intervention. Denethor died because Fëanor was too late. (By how much, it's unclear, but it happened the same Valerian Year, so maybe a few Sun Years. If Olwë had helped, and Uinen not slowed the Noldor, and Ulmo provided a way across, perhaps Denethor would have lived. But I suppose we'll never know.) Melian guarded Doriath with her Girdle, but Þingollo never sent anyone out to engage with Morgoth; he couldn't, because Doriath didn't stand a snowball's chance in Mordor. What Sindar and Nandor were trapped outside the Girdle were certainly no match for Morgoth's forces. I wouldn't be surprised if Morgoth conquered the entire continent (again, save Doriath, but Doriath is about as concerning to him as a mosquito bite) before Iþil rose for the first time. After all, it took him about 19-20 years to take over half the land, and he had about 27 to take the other half.

I don't imagine Morgoth would go after the Khazad, and I don't see the Khazad going after Morgoth. They'd close their doors to all, and Morgoth wouldn't have to worry about them.

Morgoth would still venture east and corrupt the newly awoken Men, and I think some would repent and travel west to become the Edain, but they would either remain in Middle Earth, or be destroyed and/or corrupted upon reaching Beleriand. There would be no Finrod to greet them, no Dorthonion or Brethil or Dor-Lómin for them to settle and thrive in. There would be no Beren, Dior, Elwing. There would be no Hador, Galdor, Huor, Tuor, Eärendil. No Elrond or Elros.

Morgoth would continue south and east. The Nandor and Avari would likely fall - I think the Silvans would be destroyed or subjugated first, as they probably have a smaller population. And with each civilization Morgoth conquers, he has more potential orcs.

I do think Morgoth would still develop his dragons. He's a reptile dad imo.

By the time the Valinorians arrive in this timeline, there's nothing TO save. Even if they manage to defeat Morgoth, it would take longer. More lives lost. More land sunk.

Do I think the Noldor were the only reason this didn't happen? No, but they were a very big one. Their first attack in the Dagor-nuin-Giliath decimated Morgoth's army, something that took him four and a half centuries to build up enough to fight with again. They guarded Beleriand against the northern menace. They made the continent a safe place for Elf, Man, and Dwarf to thrive, something the "King of Beleriand" couldn't accomplish, and the "King of Elves" Ingwë and "King of Arda" Manwë refused to try.

Do I think the original argument of the Valar waging a war of attrition against Morgoth makes sense? Yes. Do I think their plan would have worked? Depends how you define "worked" - they would have defeated Morgoth, but the cost would be too great. This is why Fëanáro was born: to save Beleriand. And even though he was only on the continent for a short time, he did just that. The Valar should have helped him, but they were, at best, foolish, at worst cowards.

Remember to thank a Fëanárion for your existence today.

... No one is going to read this, and if you did, you're insane. But I guess I'm insane for writing it. Have a cookie and milk. 🍪🥛

[waywardcastletune]

🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

Flower hair🌸🌺💮and vines too ⭐🌟✨

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Things that Absolutely Happened while M&M were Raising E&E:

Maglor keeps an ever-growing list of all the weird things they do and tries to figure out whether they're because the twins are part human or part maia. He is frequently wrong.

"Wait, how much do half-elves need to eat?" "I, uh... hmm."

All of the Feanorian followers get really attached to the kids. They regularly argue about who gets to babysit. This is the origin of Elrond's Feanorian Murder-Elf Posse™️.

"Maedhros you cannot give them real swords!" "Why not?" "They're eight!"

The entirety of Amon Ereb freaks out every time the twins get sick. Even if it's just a cold. Yes, they've had human healers tell them it's nothing serious. No, that does not reassure them.

"Just do what I did!" *the twins stare up at him* "Actually no that's terrible advice don't do that."

M&M waking up late at night to see one of the twins, eldritch, glowing, levitating a few inches off the ground and freaking out, only for the kid to be like "dads I threw up :("

E&E shapeshift and all the Feanorians panic because "Oh Eru we lost them!!" Only for them to emerge a few hours later, very confused about why all the adults look so worried

Maedhros makes dad jokes you cannot tell me otherwise

"Well on the other hand... oh wait!"

E&E also hide in Maedhros's cloak all the time

And of course

"NO OATHS!"

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aww the designs for the keychains are so cute!!!!! but also do you have the landscape drawings on their own? cuz i kinda wanna use them as my wallpaper on desktop lol

ohhh i didn't plan to but of course!! I originally only painted these for small scale so forgive me if they are a bit rough on a closer look haha I did a bit of a rearranging so I hope these work well for desktop like this :)

Thank you for the ask I hope you like them :)

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Aragorn is a true son of Elrond. If only he was NOT Edain and thus have no actually pressing responsibility to the continuation of his lineage and race - just like Elrond - he WILL avoid the crown like a plague.

Gimli: What we need is a plan.

Aragorn: Worry not. I’ve been planning for this day for years.

*everyone leans in to hear*

Aragorn: The plan is to run and hide.

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Literally going insane over how

“I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor.”

Is a perfect summary of all the main relationships in lotr.

The hobbits planning out Frodo’s escape before he’s even told them he’s leaving the shire. Following him every step of the way, no matter how treacherous the road becomes.

Boromir traveling across the country in search of an elf king he’s not even certain exists, just because his brother is having visions. To put his brothers mind at ease, and keep their kingdom safe.

The three hunters travel a nearly impossible distance, running days on end with next to no sleep, for two hobbits. For two dear friends.

Arwen gives up immortality to be with Aragorn. For the chance to end up in the mortal afterlife, she leaves all her people behind for her love.

Gimli leaves his home, his family, all of middle earth, to sail to the edge of the world with Legolas. With no idea of what lies in store for him there, he sails anyway.

Sam leaves the shire to sail across the sea to Frodo. Following him to the end, one last time. Unsure what awaits him besides seeing his friend once more- no matter what lies across those shores, being at Frodo’s side once more makes anything worth it.

The idea that love is going to the end, no matter what that may be or how certain it is, but journeying nonetheless. Holding tight to hope, and following those you love through it all. To the very fires of Mordor.

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“Tell me, which would she have you value more?”

For @thomasmxller, who asked me for Legolas returning to Mirkwood for the first time after the Ring War. :) This is one of my fave imagined scenarios for the Mirkboys ‘cause in my humble headcanon Thranduil is a sometimes-emotionally difficult but otherwise pretty good and supportive dad. If Legolas, say, makes a trip to Imladris to run basically a quick errand…………and ends up being MIA for a year while there is a very scary war on…………I think perhaps that’s the exact moment a father might realize he definitely hasn’t told his son that he loves him nearly enough. 

 Anyway - this topic is very dear to me – thank you for your support!! 😊💕