Elrond: *runs past crying*

Celeborn:

Galadriel:

Celeborn: So are you going to handle that or am I?

Galadriel: *grabbing a sword* I'm already on it.

more old stuff thumbsupemoji

Part Three of "Earendil Drank the Silmaril" AU- Kidnap Fam edition

M&M do not know that the light of the Silmaril is now part of Earendil, or that his children inherited some of it. Not consciously, anyway. But there is something oddly familiar about the children, when Maglor finds them, alone in the woods.

(The escort Elwing sent them away with hadn't been the most trustworthy, and unfortunately, two frightened children had slowed their progress towards Gil-Galad's camp too much.)

Maglor sees the shining eyes and the light that springs to their fingertips, and assumes that part-Maia children are just like that– he's certainly heard far stranger about Luthien. Maglor was always going to take them in– he'd at least like to think that leaving two defenseless children to die is still beyond him– but there's also something odd. Before he can really think about whether it would be possible to send them to Gil-Galad, he's already dismissed the idea. It slips from his mind like water. He doesn't connect that to the Oath– normally, it's compulsions are violent and impossible to ignore.

(But of course, the Oath knows the truth about Elrond and Elros. M&M always say that it would be impossible to return them to Gil-Galad's camp. They're only right most of the time.)

Still, the story goes on, as it must, and love does grow between Elrond, Elros, and the monsters who care for them. Actually, things do look up for the Feanorians after E&E come to Amon Ereb. The plants grow much more easily, even in the tainted soil. They run into orc patrols less and less. Injuries heal, even when they really shouldn't. Some of the Feanorians speak of divine intervention on behalf of the children, others think that it's the twins' Mairin magic at work. Even the Oath seems to fall silent. M&M put it down to parental love.

(Elrond and Elros are, if not exactly required for the Oath to be fulfilled, then at least close enough to a Silmaril to quiet it for a time.)

None of them ever figure it out. Eventually, Maedhros and Maglor do send their children away, when it's become clear that all that's left for the Feanorians is death and grief.

Maglor watches as they leave, tears in his eyes, and thinks he finally understands what it means to be condemned to eternal darkness, now that his precious little stars are gone.

Elrond be like: I am 4/8 human, 3/8 elf, and 1/8 angel. My mother is a bird and my father is the planet Venus. My twin brother was the first king of Atlantis but somehow I seem to be more famous than him. I am one of three ringbearers, the other two being the female version of Feanor and a guy who loves fireworks. My foster father is a crazy homeless guy who likes music and his whole family is dead. My many-greats grandnephew is in love with my daughter. No one can tell my sons apart. I like waterfalls and am both a glorified innkeeper and a top-notch doctor. I am the voice of reason no one listens to.

Elrond and Celebrían

The second one for six fanarts. Since we have Celebrian here is the birdy husband. Wanted capture something of his resemblance to Luthien here

@stacytea

Theory: Elrond effectively wears headlamps like a Dad(TM)

Proof:

Elrond, at least on semi-formal occasions, wears “a star upon his forehead” (RotK book 6, ch.9)—that is, presumably, a pale glowing gem on some sort of coronet. This comes across as very classically Elvish (light, jewelry, star imagery), and a nigh-explicit reference to his father Eärendil. However…

Elrond’s children don’t see as well as Elves, as cited here. If his children don’t, then Elrond, even less Elvish by blood, certainly doesn’t. Now, I will admit that I forget if “Elves can see in the dark” is canon or very popular, D&D-enabled fanon, but it certainly makes sense considering that Elves flourished for centuries or millennia under just starlight, before daylight even existed…and it’s equally reasonable to assume that half-elven night vision is as relatively “weak” as their cited distance vision.

Elrond is the proud father of three, and exhibits traditional Dadly behaviors such as being a little bit of a nerd (loremaster) but also one of the most reliable guys you know, adopting any child left in his presence for a sufficient amount of time (Aragorn), and telling his daughter’s aspiring bf that he won’t be good enough for her until he has a steady job (also Aragorn).

My dad irl, who I promise is a pretty typical Dad, was positively delighted when he discovered casual-use head-mounted flashlights about a decade ago, and has self-satisfiedly worn them on every camping trip and nighttime dog walk ever since.

CONCLUSION: Elrond regularly wears glowing, star-evocative gems on his brow, especially while traveling or at fancy evening parties, and he looks great and it make people respectfully murmur Eärendilion (whether he likes it or not)… But really, it’s not a fashion statement or implicit political position or whatever; it’s because if he doesn’t have some sort of flashlight, he will trip on torchlit steps or walk into low-hanging tree branches in the dark. And it’s so much easier if it’s hands-free! (Especially when he’s spelunking for lost texts!)

His kids all go through a phase of thinking he’s mortifyingly dorky about this, then begrudgingly come to accept that it is really convenient to have a hands-free light for dark nights, caves, etc, and start wearing one themselves.

elrooooooond

Elrond: Okay, so, Glorfindel can't join the Fellowship because he literally glows in the dark and would alert Sauron to everyone's location. Elves with such awesome power must stay behind. Legolas, you shall go.

Legolas: :)

Legolas: ...

Legolas: Wait >:(

Maedhros: How could you ever be mad at this face. *Gestures at Elrond*

Maglor: When it bites me.

types of holidays celebrated in Rivendell:

Noldor holidays, which initially made the Sindar and Silvan residents cranky until they realized Elrond was part of it

Sindar holidays, which initially made some of the Noldor residents cranky until they realized Elrond was part of it

Silvan holidays, because at this point they're going to take any excuse for a party

Tra-La-La-Lally Day, created when they realized they somehow had a month with zero holidays. The festival focuses on getting drunk, singing, and lightly bullying anyone within earshot

Holidays relevant to any visitors or foster children

Numenorian holidays, because they caught Elrond celebrating alone and crying about Elros one (1) time and refuse to let him do it alone anymore

I feel like we significantly underestimate the amount of weird fucking people who must live in Rivendell. It's a sanctuary, it's run by a really nice cosmic horror, it's a place of healing, it's definitely haunted by now. And it's absolutely the place where all the elves who aren't allowed in civil society end up. There's an old Feanorian diehard living next to one of Thingol's bodyguards and they hate each other and constantly argue about who gets to guard Elrond. (Glorfindel never participates in the argument, but he usually wins it). There is at least one person who's absolutely supposed to be dead hiding there under a fake name. There's a whole flock of half-elves just kind of vibing there. I assume there's at least one reformed orc who like, works in the library.

Just, I'd love to hear about all the strange people who've washed up in Rivendell over the years because I bet there are some stories there. I want to write about my own OC blorbos but I have far too many WIPs as it is.

So I had a thought.

Like we all know Elrond is a great healer, the best in middle earth but what if...

What if when someone said that Elrond is a healer, they meant he is a healer like Fëanor is a smith, like Maglor is a singer, like Earendil is a mainer, like Maedhros is a warlord, like Fingon is valiant, like Fingolfin is a warrior, like Celegrom is a hunter.

So let's then throw Elrond into Valinor and let everyone there discover that fact. Let everyone discover another genius among geniuses that the House of Finwë has spawned on them all.

→ elros & elrond — the first king of númenor and the lord of the last homely house

I was thinking about how, in fanfictions and in the fandom in general, Elrond is often depicted as a pure Noldorin lord, if not a die hard Fëanorian. And while I do enjoy Fëanorian!Elrond, the more I think about it the more I am convinced Elrond is not the fëanorian one of the twins. Elros is. Elros who adopted seven eight pointed stars as the heraldic device of his whole dynasty, a symbol still used 6000 years after his death. Elros who had Quenya be the official language of Númenor. Elros who decided to leave Arda for an unknown fate after his death; not Everlasting Darkness but not the rebirth in the bliss of Valinor either. He choose to go to a place Elves aren’t supposed to go, just like Fëanor and his sons went back to Beleriand. Elros, the mortal man, who decided to forge his own path in the world.

And I am not saying Elrond didn’t, because Eru knows how much strength, patience and stubbornness Elrond must have to become who he is in LotR. But when I first re-read LotR after reading the Silm, he did not strike me as Fëanorian at all (except for the no oath swearing rule that seems to apply in Rvendell). In fact, Elrond, and all three of his children, are defined by being half-Elven. Elrond is so much at the same time they had to creat a whole new category for him. He is described as kind as summer in The Hobbit, but also old and wise, and his friendly banter with Bilbo in FotR show he is also merry and full of humour. Elrond is both Elf and Man despite his immortality, and this is made quite clear in the text.

But. If I had to link him to an Elven clan, I’d say Elrond is more Sinda than Noldor, and even that is up to debate. Rivendell, this enchanting valley hidden from evil thanks to his power, is like a kinder version of Doriath. Yet, the name of Last Homely House and Elrond’s boundless hospitality make me think of Sirion: Rivendell is a place where lost souls can find s home, where multiple cultures live along each other in friendship and peace.

In FotR, Elrond introduces himself as the son of Eärendil and Elwing, claiming both his lineages instead of giving only his father’s name as is tradition amongst the Elves. It may be a political move, or it may be a genuine wish to claim his duality, his otherness, or even both at the same time. But from what is shown of Elrond in LotR, he seems to lean heavily in the symbols and heritage from the Sindar side of his family, rather than the Noldor one. I already gave the comparison with Doriath, but it seems history repeats itself as Arwen, said to be Lúthien reborn, chooses a mortal life. Yet Elrond doesn’t make the same mistake as Thingol by locking his daughter in a tower and sending her suitor to a deathly quest. Yes, he asks Aragorn to first reclaim the throne of Gondor before marrying Arwen, but this isn’t a whim on his part or an impossible challenge. Aragorn becoming king means that Middle-Earth is free from the shadow if Sauron and Arwen will live in peace and happiness. Which sounds like a reasonable wish for a parent to me.

Anyways, I went on a tangent, what strikes me with Elrond is his multiple identity. Elrond certainly has habits or traits coming from his upbringing amongst the Fëanorians, and he loved Maglor despite everything. The fact he is a skilled Minstrel shows he did learn and cultivate skills taught by a Fëanorion, that he is not rejecting them. There is a passage at the end of RotK, in the Grey Havens chapter, where Elrond is described carrying a silver harp. Is this a last relic from Maglor? Possible.

But while Elros choose the path of mortality and showed clear Noldorin influences in the kingdom he built, Elrond is happy in his undefined zone he lives in. He is an Elf, he is a Man, he is Sinda and Noldo and heir to half a dozen lost cultures and two crowns. He is the warrior and the healer, the only one of his kind in Middle-Earth. And that is why I will never tire of this character and I love so much fanworks depicting him as nuanced and multiple yet always recognisable as Elrond.