BLWASE AMAZON PLEASEEEEEE NLEASEEEE
I for one am holding space for hot Celeborn
I was a hobbit for Halloween with a flower crown and it was very fun :)
To test tumblr’s reading comprehension…
you can do ANYTHING to this post, reblog, add polls, start a fuckin roleplay in the notes, like it, I don’t give a shit.
you can’t add tags
Ngl, sometimes I wonder if he likes the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. It's a banger.
what Jesus's favorite coffee is
Does He like doughnuts or bagels
What His favourite video game is
I can't wait to ask Him this
OH MY GOSH. NEW RINGS OF POWER EPISODE. I AM DYING. I HAVE PERISHED.
So it starts with this lovely scene of Celebrimbor hanging out in his forge, vibin, making some tea and making some rings. Hew put a spoon in the mithril powder and I thought it was cereal for a second, but that thought has been banished now.
But then, he starts to see things. His face in the mirror is covered in blood; the mouse keeps appearing in the same place and has the same movements; the candles never burn. He knows that something is wrong, but he can't place it.
And meanwhile, the city, Ost-in-Edhil, is under siege. Celebrimbor's people are dying, and he has no knowledge of it. The people of Eregion think that their lord has gone mad, just like his grandfather. They think that their lord is so consumed by his creation, that he doesn't care for their safety, and actively makes decisions that will get them killed.
But we, the viewers, know that this isn't true. We know that Celebrimbor has no knowledge of what's going on outside; he thinks that people are singing songs for their lovers and children are playing with kites outside. He doesn't know.
And then, we go to Adar, who is not living up to his name. "Adar" means father in Sindarin; he repeatedly calls the orcs---or the Uruk---his children, what he always wanted, even before the First Age. But then, we see him toss them into battle like he cares nothing for them. He is a hypocrite, and the worst kind; one delusioned by revenge. He wants so badly to kill Sauron for hurting him, and his "children", that he is blind to the Uruks' pleas. The orcs know that they will die in battle. Hell, one of them (I didn't catch his name) basically said, "But... you said that you loved us. Why are we going to battle?"
And Adar basically said, "I do. I love you will that my heart has left."
Which begs the question, how much of a heart does this person have? It looks like he faced the same torment as Maedhros---hung from a cliff, tortured. But Adar was shown mercy by Sauron, likely the same person who orchestrated his torment and pain.
After all of his pain and grief, being taken from Cuivienen, tortured, and likely forced to do horrible things under Morgoth's order, how much of a heart does Adar have left? Is he so blinded by his hatred and lust for revenge that he has grown apathetic to the deaths of his children? He claims that he cares for them, but does he? We see from Sauron that emotional manipulation can work on even the strongest of minds; I'm not saying that orcs were strong of mind, or weak, but if you had been mutilated beyond recognition, tortured and burned and scarred for too many years to count, wouldn't you want somebody to say, "My child, I am here for you. I will care for you."? You would be so desperate for a kind word, that you would believe whatever this person said. You would call him Father, because you couldn't remember yours. You call him father, because in this cruel world that Morgoth and Sauron have wrought, you are made to fight and to die. You call him Father because he says he cares.
But does he? Adar knows that if people like you, or if they care for you, they are more inclined do to as you say. Do children who love their parents not obey their wishes? Adar knows this. He could be manipulating these orcs into doing horrible deeds that will get them killed---just like his forebears.
And meanwhile, Sauron continues to spread hatred of Celebrimbor in Eregion; he says that their lord has gone mad, he cares not for the people, only for the rings. Mirdania believes him.
It's terrible to watch as Mirdania, someone who worked closely with Celebrimbor, was manipulated into believing Sauron. To be one of Celebrimbor's apprentices must have been a great accomplishment; to work with the grandson of Feanor had to be a marvel. To see such a prominent figure in history sweat and tire over the same anvil and the same fire as you. It must have been amazing.
But then Sauron, this conniving little cunt, wasn't done. He was not content with Celebrimbor's mind being his, he wanted another. Sauron wanted a fucking rebound. "Oh, you look so much like Galadriel", "You're such a good smith", "We just need to keep this secret from Lord Celebrimbor". MOTHERFUCKER. GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER.
But by the time the city is under siege, Mirdania has fallen for it. She makes a move, grabs him with kindness and hope.
But then, Celebrimbor finally escapes the forge and his people restrain him. He tells Mirdania about the mouse and the candle, and he sounds mad. He sounds crazy, even to us, who know what has happened.
Mirdania tried to get him back to the forge, pretty much, "Alright, grandpa its time to get you to bed", and Celebrimbor shoves her. Not a lot, not all that aggressive. But Sauron, the slimy cunt that he is, lets Mirdania fall to the battlefield over the wall of the city. She falls in the bloody mud, shocked, and she is killed. Mirdania, who had given Sauron a kind word, was killed by his hand, and didn't even know it. The soldiers around Celebrimbor thought that their lord had killed one of their people in a fit of rage.
Only after does Celebrimbor agree to make Sauron's nine rings., Because he now knows that if he doesn't, he will condemn all of his people to death. He will doom the city that he built for the people of the First Age.
Next, we go to the dwarves. Disa and Durin are still at the mines, preventing the miners and Narvi from getting through. In the end, Narvi agrees with them. He is tired of the king's taxes and insanity. He knew from the beginning that the king had gone cuckoo for coco-puffs. He stands with the prince and princess.
Elrond appears then, asking for Durin's ax. Durin will not abandon his friend. He will march with him to war, come hell or high water; not because of any promise, but because he cares (And because that means his kingdom is next, but still. The power of besties prevails!!!)
And Durin's speech of loyalty to the elves rallied the forces of Khazad-dum and the dwarves, who had been feuding with the elves since Doriath fell, wanted to help their fellows. They wanted to honor their promises with the elves and stand with them against the forces of Sauron.
But then. There's always a but in the Second Age. The King goes mad. He starts killing his own people who oppose him and follow his son. Narvi himself tell Durin.
This is obviously a red flag.
The dwarves obviously value their families and people; they are loyal and hold great love for their kin. And the king just mucked EVERYTHING UP! First, he did the whole taxing thing, and if you know the American school system, you'll know the phrase, "No taxation without representation". I don't think the king had any citizen representatives to tell him that taxing the people was stupid. He only had his son, whom he ignored.
Then, he told the miners to keep digging, even though he knew that there was a monster---the water creature that Disa saw, but not yet the balrog---in the caves. He placed his greed over his people. It seems that the Line of Durin is fraught with Gold Sickness.
So now, Durin has two choices: obey his father, who will kill his people if he doesn't get his way, or go and help his best friend win a battle that he is needed in. But he doesn't go. He can't Durin cannot abandon his people when their king has descended into madness. He cannot let his people be slaughtered.
Then, the elves. They charge through the forest, and Elrond is thrown from his horse. He kills two orcs while still on the ground (Such a slay of him), get right back up, only in time for an orc to kill his horse and lick the freaking sword after.
First off, gross. Second off, DID YOU SEE HIS FACE??? ELROND'S FACE???? He was raised by Maglor Feanorion, Lord of Maglor's Gap; the Gap was an open plain just east of Himring, and was essentially an open plain. Maglor had to have had horses and been close with them. Elrond and Elros had to have been close with Maglor's horses, amazing creatures who still lived in the desolate east of Beleriand. Maglor had likely taught Elrond and Elros that you respect the creatures that help you, that carry you to battle.
(We can also make parallels to Elros's line with this. Isildur and Berek, Aragorn and Brego, so forth and so on. Elros definitely was a horse girl, and gave this trait to his descendants.)
But wait. He kills that orc, but another appears. Elrond is thrown to the ground, and the orc says he's gonna kill him.
And what does Elrond do?
Does he... lick his sword?? What did I just see???? Is the Feanorian batshit insane trait coming through? Because I am all for Elrond going a little crazy. With all the bull-crap he's had to deal with in his life (Sirion, Feanorions, his brother's death, and other assorted things), I think he deserves to go a little crazy. As a treat. One who has gone through so much and is "kind as summer" gets to go a bit batshit on occasion.
But then, he spares a moment to stay with his horse as it dies, in the middle of battle. If that isn't elven, then I don't know what is.
The orcs have laid siege to Eregion and are hounding its walls. We see an amazing, empowering scene of the elven forces riding to aid the people of Eregion, but you know that something is wrong. The orcs aren't charging, and Adar is at the front of the legion. There is a covered cart in front, and something is in there. The elves keep charging, we see Gil-Galad (MY BOY MY BOY MOY BOY MY LITTLE GUY) and Elrond (AAAAAAHHHHHHHH LET THAT BABY GO TO WARRRRR) charging at the front.
But the curtain falls. There is Galadriel caged in the enemy's ranks, a sword to her throat, already leaking blood. Elrond sees this. He keeps charging until the last minute (Rude), and Adar calls forth a meeting.
The first thing I noticed: Adar did not have a lovely feast prepared for Elrond, which was very rude of him. He had one for Galadriel, but not Elrond. I'm guessing his chef had been in the first wave heading for Eregion, so he couldn't get any feast.
And during the entire scene, Elrond is seething. He looks very dashing in his armor, ready for war, prepared for everything, but seething with rage. He is angry. One of his best friends is right behind him, imprisoned, and can only be let free if he does an impossible task: give Adar Nenya, the ring. But he can't. Not only can he betray Galadriel like that, he has to keep the ring safe. He can't let it fall into the Enemy's hands.
He refuses to deal. And Adar gives a NAME DROPPP!!!!!!
He mentions Melian (MY QUEEN, ICON, AMAZING) and her wisdom, Elrond's ancestor. Now, it's likely that Elrond is pretty sensitive about his family; as a person who values the kidnap fam idea, I think that just means that his family is even more complicated. All of these people, mentioning family members that he never knew---or didn't know well---must be painful for him. After so many years of hearing, "Oh, I bet your father is so proud", "You honor your mother", "You look so much like Luthien!", and other ways to compare him to these noble figures of history, don't you think he's tired of it? Don't you think he's tired of being the Herald, the Scion of Kings, the last of Luthien's line? If all anybody said about me was that, "Oh, that's ______ daughter", and I was a pretty important person with my own titles, then I would be angry about it too! He was Gil-Galad's herald, his right hand, and his cousin, no matter who you think Gil's father is (Just about everybody is related here, I tend to ignore it; it only makes things messier). While I am happy for the name drop, I think Elrond is getting tired of being the "scion of kings". In the Second Age, he is related, by blood, to the first three elven kings---Elwe (Thingol) by Luthien, Finwe by Turgon, and then Ingwe through Turgon as well (Indis).
And I bet this mention of Melian only makes him angrier. In the scene, you see that his jaw is clenched, he is on guard. And while he sounds relatively calm, you know that his words hold a bite to them.
After his final refusal of Adar's deal and cementing Galadriel's death, he asks for a moment with her.
Alright, legit, bestie saying a final farewell to a bestie (And probably doing something to help her escape).
Elrond does the hand-to-face-in-a-loving-way many times in the series to many people; he's done it to Galadriel, too. But this time.
THIS TIME HE KISSES HER.
MY BROTHER IN CHRIST.
WHAT THE FUCK.
THAT IS YOUR FUTURE MOTHER-IN-LAW.
However.
This is a distraction.
If you get so distraught about Elrond kissing his best friend and future mother-in-law, you won't notice that he took off the pin from his cloak and slipped it to Galadriel during the unfortunate circumstance that he had to put them through.
As he and his fellow soldier? Friend? Some Dude? I dunno, but as he's leaving, he explains to the guy that the dwarves are coming, and the orcs don't know. This sets the scene for for something ominous; with so much pressure put on the dwarves to fight with the elves, so many people saying they will, it's like they jinxed it.
Back my baby Brimby.
Celebrimbor knows something's up. Never let it be said that the House of Feanor were not wise. They were stupid, but not wise. Celebrimbor sees what has happened to his city, and he weeps.
How many ruined cities has he fled in the First Age? How many people has he had to leave behind in the rubble, still calling for help that he couldn't give? How often did he fight for peace, only to be met with overwhelming violence and darkness?
And this is no difference. The futility of Celebrimbor is heartbreaking. He knows that he cannot do anything to help. He cannot free his city from Sauron's grasp. His people think he is mad. He is lost. Celebrimbor weeps.
And then, he knows that he has been deceived. He knows that his mind has been twisted with a fork like angel hair pasta at Olive Garden for Sauron's Saturday Night Out. He is angry. He is so angry, he throws Feanor's hammer out of the window---probably his last physical connection to his family.
But Sauron has him make the rings, because Celebrimbor has no choice.
Celebrimbor is chained to his desk in his smithy, watched over by Sauron. And Sauron still seeks to manipulate him.
He says that Celebrimbor's tortured is his own fault; Sauron's hand was forced by Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor brought this upon himself. He brought this upon his people. And Celebrimbor. Poor Telperinquar. His mind is already destroyed by guilt and self-loathing, that he looks close to believing Sauron.
But then, he tries to destroy the rings, in one final act of defiance. But he can't. Sauron's blood has been forged into them, and they cannot be destroyed. So he needs to escape.
He is only chained with one hand, and he tries his hardest to get his hand freed, but he can't.
Now let's list the family connections, shall we?
Connection to Feanor: he made three items of power, the items of power related to an evil being, he burned bridges while he made the items of power, those items of power led to his doom, shunned the people who wanted to help him in his madness.
Connection Maedhros: OH MY GOSH THE HAND HOLY FUCK THE HAND!!!!!!
Celebrimbor is chained to the desk by one hand. One thing tying him down. There is a close-up on Celebrimbor's struggles as he tries to free himself, but the shackles are too tight. But this time, instead of a loving cousin coming to free him like his uncle, Celebrimbor has no loving hand to help. He is alone. He has to do this himself.
But what prevented his hand from going through the shackles? He needed to drop something.
Celebrimbor, who had been told by Sauron that he had no power, he had no might, his fight was futile, had taken things into his own hands. He will make his own decisions. He will not be controlled. He cuts off his thumb to escape.
Sauron doesn't think that Celebrimbor would try to escape his clutches; he is so arrogant in his victory that he can't even conceive of the idea. But Celebrimbor knows sacrifice. He left his family in Aman, he left his father in Nargothrond. He might has well leave his craft. Cutting off his thumb is basically dooming him to no longer being able to work in the forge.
But this is his choice.
He decides that he will risk this. He will be a pawn no longer. He will help his people. In these last moments in Eregion, he will do good.
"Whose will is the mightier?"
Who will do good? Who will take power over their abuser? Who will fight to do the right thing?
Sauron had just been ranting about how Morgoth had forced him to do all those things, had tortured him. But still, Sauron chose to follow his master's footsteps. He knew the agony of torture, and the pain of mental abuse. But he still did it. He still inflicted that pain on others.
And I had to wonder why. Celebrimbor wonders why.
But Celebrimbor's will is mightier. It might seem insane, but this scene makes me so happy. Because Celebrimbor is rising from the ashes; he is winning against someone who wants him not to. He is winning with this small thing that seems so insignificant. He is cutting all connection from him and Sauron away from himself.
Galadriel finds him, and Celebrimbor gives her the rings after a very moving speech about darkness and light. Strength will help to win the fight, but you need light to keep the win.
Adar has strength, but he is not motivated by goodness. He is motivated by revenge.
Sauron has strength, but he is motivated by greed.
The elves have strength (Somewhat), and they are motivated by light. They want to help their own. They want to save Middle Earth. That is why, two Ages later, they have won.
But then, Back to Celebrimbor, and Sauron has killed his guards. Celebrimbor is alone.
We go to Elrond, on the battlefield, and he is SLAYYINGGGGGGG!!!!! Iconic!!!!! But that troll arrives, and he and Gil-Galad kill it. Gil-Galad is slaying in his armor, with the lance---"his lance was keen", love the reference.
And then, the light of dawn spills over the bloodied battlefield, and the orcs have retreated. There are only a handful of elves to be seen; Gil-Galad, Elrond, and a few soldiers, probably not even fifty.
On a hill, Elrond sees a rider. The dwarves have come. The soldiers are filled with hope, Elrond knows that his friend has come to his aid.
But the rider is alone. There is no army behind him, no battle-axes, and no fierce loyalty. Durin has not come.
The messenger, shot with an arrow, finds them and tells them that the west gate has been closed. The dwarves will not come to their aid. Elrond holds the elf while he dies, staring into the distance. More orcs are charging; Adar has rallied his forces once more.
"Durin will come," Elrond says. He cannot believe that his friend has abandoned him.
Gil-Galad looks down at him; he knows that no other force will come. He knows that they go to their doom. The Noldor elven kings have all died in gruesome ways, and I bet he has accepted his time has come. He orders his remaining men into ranks, and they charge the orcs.
Arondir falls by the hands of Adar; Arondir, whose beloved had died by orc hands, who wanted a family so badly, who wanted to have peace. Who is going to tell Theo that his semi-father figure has died in battle? Will he think that Arondir simply never thought to go back?
And Elrond. "Durin will come."
How many times had he said this?
"Father will come." Earendil never came back.
"Mother will come." Elwing never went back for her sons; she couldn't, by the will of the Valar.
"They'll come back." Maedhros and Maglor both went their own ways; Maedhros committed suicide and Maglor wandered the shores of Middle Earth forever.
How many times had Elrond said this? How many people had never come back?
Adar found him, in the end, and took the ring. It was for nothing. All of the lives lost, the cities taken, were for nothing.
They had failed.
If you know anything about the Second Age, you know that most of it is for naught. Sauron still comes back, Celebrimbor still dies, Lindon, Eregion, and Khazad-dum still fall. I know that this series will be nothing but heartbreak and sorrow, but boy, do I enjoy seeing it.
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ao3 turns 15 today
reblog if youre older than ao3
(there's a lot of people asking about this, but the legal age to use social media is 13, except in few countries. so yes, there are people here under 15)
reblog if you’re a writer who feels guilt whenever they’re not writing and being productive, so I know I’m not the only one lol
Thoughts on this:
Carpe diem = sieze the day
Carpals/ metacarpals = bones in the hand
"Carpe diem" and "carpals" have a similar root.
"Carpe" is presumably "to sieze" and you use the hand, and consequently the bones in the hand, to grab something.
Grab = sieze
Therefore, the carpals are used to Carpe diem.
NOOOOOOOO NOT THE FAMILY HEIRLOOMS!!!!!!!
SHUT THE FUCK UP EVERYONE HE THREW THE FUCKING HAMMER?
Maedhros
tag your traumatized man comfort character