To Smith Or Not To Smith Chapter 13 - Snippet 2

Coming to AO3s near you to shock, delight, and disappoint just about anyone... What the hell are these three getting up to now?

“I think we’re a little past that part, Galadriel.” 

The muted late-afternoon light that filtered through the carved windowpanes hit the soft dust particles suspended in the air, making the forge feel like it was breathing fire and shimmering silver and gold in the same breath. It landed on their skin, too, kissing the figures as softly as they needed to be held. It tangled and danced in Galadriel’s hair, and it was a sight to behold - a braid of silk, a stream of molten mithril threatening to burn if touched. Celebrimbor couldn’t help it, turning to her and glancing over at where the tie held the strands of the braid together. Galadriel rolled her eyes with a knowing smile, slipping the tie off and turning the stream of mithril into a river. It was impractical for what he had in mind, but at that moment, it felt right. 

Celebrimbor turned to his left. Sauron, caressed by the setting sun, looked like he was made from flames, almost inching beyond the human form he’d painstakingly built on a whim centuries ago, the Maia inside nearly clawing through the skin of Halbrand. He was perfectly still, his eyes closed for a prolonged beat as if he relied on the grip of Celebrimbor’s hand to keep him tethered to Middle Earth.

Rewatching that scene again and ---

You really will try to tell me that doofus of a dark lord bounding down the stairs like an overexcited Labrador puppy wiggling his tail - "Galadriel! Galadriel! We are gonna make TWO!! Galadriel!! WE ARE GONNA MAKE TWO!! And they gonna be RINGS!! And guess what?? Those rings will be for me and you!! Come come let me show you!" - was in it just for power and it was all 100% manipulation?

Puuuuuhhhleeeeeeeeze🙄🤣🤣🤣

Now we've gotten a 3rd "Rings of Power" fan account saying they've gotten slightly different takes on the role Calam Lynch is playing that is a mix of what Fellowship of Fans, The One Ring Net, Rings of Power Updates, and the leaks on Reddit said and new information. This also includes possible major spoilers about Celeborn, Halbrand/Sauron, Galadriel, Haladriel/Saurondriel, Celebrimbor, and more as well. They also provided new information about Charlie Vickers, as well as the role Gavi Singh Cherra is really playing. We'll finally be getting official spoilers from the US media, Amazon, and the cast/crew starting next month at the May Upfronts so we'll be able to cross reference all of these and get a clearer picture to what is correct or false as we get closer to season 2 airing this fall. Personally I'm excited but I totally understand why some fans are upset, especially since this sounds like the writers are taking a storyline from the books and giving it to a different character. The link to the article is in the comments but I've summerized it behind the cut.

Firstly the fansite Redanian Intelligence posted these. They're a fansite not just for "ROP" but also "The Witcher", "Games of Thrones", and other shows. They are usually pretty accurate with what they post too. Like FOF, they are saying that Calam Lynch has been cast as Celeborn but they also are saying he's playing two roles as Sauron does indeed shapeshift into Celeborn pretending that he came back from the dead/Valinor.

They're also saying Annatar isn't in the season but Sauron playing as Celeborn is what gets him back into Eregion. He pretends that the Valar gave him warning to come back and help the elves and that they have to create more rings and gets Celebrimbor to help.

However, the Annatar/Celebrimbor thing from the books is now changed to be Celeborn and Galadriel. Sauron pretends to be her husband and that he's helping them, but really it's not. It's not clear yet if the audience knows it's him but some are suggesting we might know it's Sauron/Halbrand possibly suggesting we see Charlie shapeshift into Calam and/or there are scenes were we the audience see it's really Charlie/Halbrand/Sauron instead of Calam/Celeborn.

So this is why the Celebrimbor fans are upset today and I totally understand as that is a major book change. Also since it's likely that Celebrimbor gets killed off at the end of the season too. At the same time being a Haladriel/Saurondriel shipper it'll show that they're one of the show's main relationships.

This site also says that in season 3 Calam will only play the real Celeborn, as Galadriel and everyone finds out the truth in the season finale, while Charlie goes back to being the only Sauron actor for the rest of the series. This I hope is true as I really only want the shapeshifting limited as it really should just be Charlie.

They're also claiming the show filmed multiple endings as a cliffhanger with Galadriel and Celeborn/Sauron. One is that she finds the real Celeborn and he's badly injured and we don't know if he'll live. Another is that Sauron as Celeborn tells her the real Celeborn is dead. A third is that she finds out Celeborn is still alive and being held prisoner but has to work with Sauron if she wants him back. Possible even more endings were filmed and not sure if Charlie was on set too but it's possible as FOF did have someone say Charlie and the other Sauron actor did film scenes at the same time.

They're also saying Galadriel and Celeborn/Sauron do kiss as well. One was saying it was the ending but it's possible since she thinks her husband came back they will have more kissing scenes. Very curious about this as if that's the case we're actually getting Haladriel/Saurondriel kissing scenes which I wanted but never thought would happen. LOL But now also wondering if we'll see the camera show us that it's Sauron/Halbrand kissing her too since again it's really them kissing.

This also would explain the chemistry tests too with Morfydd and Calam as he not only has to do one to be her husband but since he's playing another version of Sauron/Halbrand too so it has to match how it is between Morfydd and Charlie, who had a chemistry test in season 1. So we can say the show is doing a full fledged love triangle with them.

Then about Gavi, this site is saying the new race character he plays is a Stoor, the other Hobbit ancestor besides the Harfoots, and will have scenes with Nori and The Stranger. FOF and others confirmed that he was playing a new Tolkien race we hadn't seen yet.

“They say that Morgoth found the Silmarils so beautiful that after he’d stolen them, for weeks he could do nothing but stare into their depths. It was only after one of his tears fell upon the jewels and he was faced with the evil of his own reflection that the reverie was finally broken. From that moment, he looked upon their light no more. Fëanor's work nearly turned the heart of the Great Foe himself…” — Celebrimbor, RoP E2, “Adrift”

Okay I know other people have mentioned this but like, Morgoth almost had his heart turned by staring at the Silmarils...

Which were inspired by Galadriel...

I sense a parallel here. 👀 Only Sauron does get his heart all a flutter (if not “turned” from evil) by the actual Galadriel, and not just her beauty and light—her darkness, too.

Ilúvatar creating Sauron:

Sauron

Rings of Power Valentines Week Day 3: LGBTQIA+

Silvergifting, TheEeEee Celebrimbor??????? Edition

(they were dangerously close to making out during the entire finale. I kept screaming kiss! kiss! kiss! the entire time. I know we won't actually get this in canon, so this remains in that weird fuzzy sexual tension area to my despair, but in my heart they're "I could fix him" "I could make him worse" boyfriends)

(Remember that weird loony toons forge kaboom in the finale? Yeah. That was them fucking on the anvil. Disastrous Expense and all that)

Annatar x Galadriel from one of my favorite Haladriel fics, In Case of Defeat, Break Glass by Eastwynds ❤️ kind of a spoiler for the fic, but (with permission) sharing my favorite scene as a drawing, and a snippet from Chapter 34 below the cut:

She looks down at her empty hand before she reaches up and slaps him hard in the face, searing his cheek with her open palm.

Sauron takes a stumbling step backwards, colliding with the edge of his desk. And then, Galadriel’s hands are in his hair, roughly dragging his mouth down to hers. She kisses him viciously, biting down on his lip, and a strangled sound of half pleasure and half pain escapes his throat as his eyes snap wide with shock.

“How dare you,” she growls as she breaks the kiss.

“How… how dare I what?” he says breathlessly. “I can think of a number of things that—”

“All of it.” She seals her lips back to his, revelling in the feel of his hot, needy mouth responding instantly to her demand. He can be smug all he wants, but he cannot resist this either.

He’s still leaning on the desk, his hands moving to take hold of her as she climbs him, her weight pushing him back. He leans back further and further until he’s lying on top of all his careful diagrams of rings and resonance. The parchments are scattering off the desk, all his formulas and equations and spells fluttering to the floor. She feels his spike of annoyance when she crumples one under her knee as she crawls over him, and she delights in it, because he can’t tear himself away to tidy them up. No, he’s too caught up in kissing her, his hands too wholly occupied with the curve of her hips and thighs to save his precious drawings. He is hers.

“We need each other,” she whispers against his mouth. “But make no mistake, you are still insufferable – and despicable – and reprehensible – and awful – ” She’s kissing him between words while her hands slip under the hem of his tunic, working it upwards as she caresses the smooth planes of his chest.

“Anything else?” That irreverent smirk is back on his lips, and his voice purrs into her mind: If I’d known it would have this effect, I would have handed you a dagger long ago, my little elf.

Read the fic on AO3❤️

Wow, Fellowship of Fans posted today their final scoops article now that the season 2 "Rings of Power" promotion is finally starting and they'll be switching to posting what comes from the cast/crew and the entertainment media, but it's majorly changes things as they were given false information again. They apologized too as it turns out who they said Calam Lynch was playing is false. I feel bad for those fans as they also confirmed that character never was cast for season 2 but will appear in a later season. I'm going to post a recap of their spoilers, as they got more about Charlie Vickers' Halbrand/Sauron and even Haladriel spoilers, and who Calam really is but the article above as so much more to read.

Again confirmed what the other scoopers were saying that Celeborn has not been cast for the show yet. Calam is playing an elf but FOF is saying it's not Annatar and Annatar is another actor. Calam's role is small too and he actually shares more screentime with Selina Lo, Charles Edwards' Celebrimbor, and the other elves. The chemistry test with him and Morfydd never happened either but was also false spoiler spread by Amazon to catch the leaker among the crew.

I know a lot of the Celeborn fans are going to be upset about this as they have to wait even longer for him to show up and I feel for them.

The actor playing Annatar wasn't revealed to them but he has dark hair unlike the white/blonde hair most fans think. They shared a concept photo of what Annatar looks like too. This actor only filmed a few scenes with Adar and in Eregion, and both him and Charlie filmed flashbacks telling Sauron's backstory. Apparently doesn't affect Charlie's screentime as much as we thought which is a good thing imo.

Charlies Vickers does turn back into his form of Sauron during the Battle of Eregion and will be shown in his full black and gold armor (I was hoping for this LOL).

Charlie and Morfydd's Galadriel share important scenes together in the finale after he transforms back to the Halbrand form.

Galadriel and Sauron form a reluctant alliance when an old foe returns.

Brimby’s boobies appreciation post

As someone who's a Tolkien's enthusiast but have never engaged in the online fandom I'm really happy to see that so many people ship Sauron/Celebrimbor and Legolas/Gimli (my otp)...

Also to my fellow Galadriel/Gandalf shipmates

After the chemistry final, Halbrand reveals his true intentions.

Chapter 8 of The History of Me and You is up.

The Blacksmith

To everyone who has read, liked, and/or reblogged this story... THANK YOU! ❤️

There’s trouble on the horizon...

Pairing: Halbrand/Sauron x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Very light physical violence, but otherwise none.

Links to Chapter One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, and Fourteen!

Chapter Fifteen

It wasn't long after he departed that your curiousity got the better of you, wanting to see what he was helping this Lord Celebrimbor craft. Once you found and entered the forge, a glorious sight was before your eyes. Halbrand was at the centre of the room, no longer dressed in that azure coloured outfit from earlier. He still wore blue, but this fabric had a grey shade mixed in with it, and was lined in silver beading that matched the metal torc wrapped around his neck, resting on his collar bone. He was also covered in a leather apron and gloves to protect him as he worked, sweat and grime staining his skin where it could be seen. He looked incredible, and you knew this was exactly how he felt when he saw you in your crimson dress.

Halbrand beamed as you entered his vision, and he stopped what he was doing. Grabbing the attention of an elf close by him, he urged them to come over to where you stood. It was the same elf that had been present with Elrond during your emotional arrival in Eregion. "Celebrimbor, meet the love of my life." "I thought smithing was your love." Celebrimbor spoke in jest. The three of you shared a knowing laugh. "Well one cannot make smithing their queen. But I can be its king." "What pray tell are you making, Lord Celebrimbor, that requires the assistance of my love?" The elven smith and Halbrand glanced at each other excitedly. "We have been charged with making something that will save the elves of Middle Earth." Celebrimbor answered you. "Save the elves? What do you mean?" "Their light is fading. This is the only hope they have, my love. Otherwise they shall make for the grey havens and sail to Valinor. Never to return." explained Halbrand. "Does that include Galadriel?" Halbrand nodded gravely. "The object we craft will restore the elves to their full power. Then they can remain here and not dwindle into relics." 

"Forgive us, my lady, but we must return to the task at hand." said Celebrimbor, and you gave a slight nod, then Halbrand kissed your forehead, and you retreated into the shadows of the room to watch them work. You found yourself completely transfixed by what was happening before you. Thoughts of your first meeting with Halbrand appeared in your mind, memories of how easy the small tasks you had given him were, and how he still relished the work despite that. Yet that was nothing compared to this. The focus on his face, the deliberate and concise movements he made with the equipment, his interactions with Celebrimbor and the other elves in the forge. You could sense the feeling in the room, the feeling of vital importance that surrounded their quest to bring forth the saviour of the elves in material form. Hours passed by with you simply content watching your man work. Every now and then he'd shoot you a quick glance from across the room. And each time he looked back to what was in front of him, you noticed a smile on his face. He was very pleased you were witnessing this. You wondered if you were a distraction maybe, but given no one had asked you to leave, you assumed you were right to stay.

Then suddenly, an explosion wrecked the building. You used your arms to shield yourself quickly, but thankfully no major debris was flung in your direction. As the dust and smoke cleared, you and Halbrand ran to each other to be certain the other was unharmed. He clasped his hands over your arms and studied your body furiously. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" "I'm fine, I'm fine. But you?" you asked frantically, more concerned for him. "I'm okay, my love. Celebrimbor?" he called out with worry. "Yes. All good here." the elf spoke between coughs. It was then that Galadriel and Elrond entered the room. "What has happened?" she asked, shocked at the fallout before her. "The mithril is proud." answered Celebrimbor. "It refuses every effort to bond it with lesser ores." Elrond spoke up then. "Tapping into the powers of the Seen and Unseen world seemed to soften the boundaries between the two." Celebrimbor sighed in frustration. His predicament was vexing him, but not Halbrand. You could tell by his face his mind was searching for the answer they needed. "Doesn't make any sense. We used enough pressure to fuse the heavens with the earth. It should have held this time!" The elven smith’s anger was clear. "Patience. This is a journey." Elrond offered his counsel. "Not every step we take will be forward. It may take time." "Time? We don't have time!”

“Perhaps that is enough for today.” Galadriel declared, hoping to cool the temper that had risen within Celebrimbor. “Perhaps we've been pushing ourselves too hard?" Her words were stern. It was then that your love interjected, and you watched the cogs tick over behind his eyes, as the solution finally presented itself to him. "'Pushing ourselves too hard.' Supposing that's the trouble. Supposing we've been using too much force?" "Meaning what?" asked Elrond, unsure what Halbrand meant. Celebrimbor was now putting it together himself. "Meaning that the metals shouldn't be forced to join but more... drawn or coaxed together. Now, if that's true we've been... we've been doing it all inside out!" He laughed in his bewilderment, and Halbrand grinned gleefully. "Quickly." Celebrimbor motioned to his new smithing partner. "Dismantle this. We start again."

You looked to your love, hoping to catch his excited expression at this new approach, but you caught something else entirely. For Halbrand's eyes were not on you then, they were on Galadriel. Following his gaze to her, you watched as an elf handed her a large scroll. You noticed Halbrand turn away back to his work, but you decided then to follow Galadriel, and discover exactly what she had been given. If it had piqued the interest of your king, then it was worthy of yours as well. Based on your earlier conversation, you had hoped that within this scroll there lay the answers to what treachery was plaguing Halbrand and yourself. That had to be it.

Catching up with her on the stairs that lead down and out of the forge, you began your interrogation. "What is that, Galadriel?" The elf however said nothing, only kept walking. Once the bottom of the staircase was reached, she grabbed you by the arm and lead you into a nearby room, closing the door. She then unrolled the parchment, studying it intensely. You saw how her demeanour changed from hopeful to sheer anxiety. "Galadriel... what is that?" you repeated your earlier question, praying she would enlighten you. "Galadriel!" you shouted her name, pressing her. It was then a single tear quickly fell from her eyes, and her fair skinned face turned even paler. She could not look at you as she spoke.

"The line... was broken... Halbrand is not the king of the Southlands." "What?!" you practically yelled the word. "What do you mean?" "The royal line was severed... over a millennia ago..." "That can't be right." you said, not believing a word from her. "Let me see that." You approached her, snatching the scroll from her hands. Unfurling it before your eyes, you followed the royal ancestry of the Southlands, one descendant after another until... there were no more. You threw the parchment on the floor in disgust. "This is a lie. A fabrication. Treason!" you spat these words at your elf friend. She let your name pass her lips, her voice quivering. "It is no lie. These records are precise." Galadriel sighed then, almost in defeat, and finally looked you in the eyes. "Halbrand... is not who I have proclaimed him to be. He is no king."

Your eyes widened in shock at her words, refusing to believe her. "How dare you!" you screamed at her, and pushed her back up against the wall. Looking at Galadriel, you knew who she was, what she meant to you, to Halbrand, yet the anger within you now made you wish you had your dagger to her throat. Halbrand wouldn't lie, not about this. You couldn't believe Galadriel would let herself be deceived by such a falsehood. "You have made a grave error, elf." your voice was sharp, and tinged with the darkness you could no longer keep at bay. "Halbrand is the king of the Southlands. And I am to be his queen. I pray you find another scroll that speaks this truth, because this one is faulty. Something has gone awry." The next words you spoke were wrapped in your malevolence, and they were loud. "Don't you dare betray us!" Your rage was blinding you, but somehow, there was still an inkling within you that told you maybe Galadriel was right. And that you were using your words against her, to convince yourself.

"Release me." the she-elf hissed through gritted teeth. You reluctantly did so after a moment, and Galadriel picked up the discarded lineage before composing herself. "It seems the woman I thought my friend is gone. I could not save her in time." It was bizarre to hear her speak of you this way, to you as if you were not in the room. Suddenly a sharp pain rippled out from your chest. "But what could I have saved... when he already had you." Galadriel let another tear fall, then she took her leave of you, and the pain grew until you were sobbing in agony. You wanted to rip your heart from your chest to make it stop. It was then you realised the pain was not physical, it was mental. Your heart was breaking. Galadriel seemed lost to you. The one and only true being that had been by your side since the moment you met her... had abandoned you. Or rather, it appeared, you had forced her away.

Could she have been right? Because a bigger question crossed your mind then: why would Galadriel lie? Was Halbrand a deceiver? You knew him to be capable of concealing truths, maybe even speaking in double meanings, but to actually lie to you... Your stomach dropped as a realisation hit you. Could this revelation about his heritage have been what he was about to tell you? He had been seconds away from finally revealing all he kept hidden within. Was this it? Or was there something else entirely at play? Regardless, your tears consumed you, the grief of losing a friend taking hold. Suddenly you didn't care anymore. You wanted answers, and you wanted them now.

  Storming out of the room, you took the steps up two at a time, making haste. Reaching the forge, you realised instantly that Halbrand was no longer there, uncertain as to why. However, Celebrimbor was nearby, so you strolled up to him, inquiring as to the whereabouts of your love. "Why he went to fetch Lady Galadriel. There has been another thrilling development." "What's that?" "We have come to the conclusion that, in order to achieve the desired outcome, we cannot stop at one object. For there would be too much power held within it, and that is too great a risk. We shall be forging two rings." "Rings?" you repeated, surprised. All this fuss for two tiny circles of metal. "And they will be great rings of power indeed, unlike any this world has seen." Celebrimbor's eyes were glowing, his joy almost palpable. "Two rings... that will save your people?" you asked sceptically. "Of this, I am certain." His conviction was unwavering, and you smiled at him warmly. If you were no longer to be saved, as Galadriel had said, then you were glad something could be. Deciding not to wait for Halbrand's return, and fearful of what Galadriel was going to confront him with, you bid farewell to Celebrimbor, letting him return to his work. Something in you told you to head for the river, as it seemed a place Galadriel found peaceful, or at least it was a place she felt comfortable with confrontation.

On your way to reach the banks of the Glanduin, the object of your desire appeared. Halbrand was without his smock and gloves now, that gorgeous blue grey outfit on display. It might have been your favourite thing you'd seen him wear thus far. However, there was something off in his demeanour. You knew instantly that something had transpired between him and Galadriel. And since she was not present, you didn't know what to think. "Halbrand, whatever she showed you... it is a fiction." He only smiled at the words you said, before taking you in his arms and bestowing upon you one long kiss. You melted into his touch, like you always had, and always would. When he let his lips part from yours, he spoke low and closely into your ear.

  "Galadriel is right, my love. Although... I am a king... just not the king she thought." "Halbrand, you're not making any sense. Is this what you were going to tell me earlier? About what lies underneath?" "Yes, my love." And as he pulled himself back so his face was in your view, you gasped in horror. His eyes were not his eyes. They were the eyes of the Halbrand you had dreamed about. The one consumed by his darkness. Your love let a small smile appear on his face. "I am the one they call... Sauron."

Tagging: @starlady66 @denzit @chimeracuddles @restless-tides @hikarielizabethbloom @anemarie @coraleethroughthelookingglass @mordorgp 

For the ask game, Celebrimbor and 5, 21 and 25?

OoOOOO thank you!!!

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Three - Sleeping at Last

I'm constantly thinking about his relationship as the third Curufinwe, and his decision to take his mother-name, rather than continue Fëanor's legacy. How he's still very much a smith, very much on the edge of hubris, very much seeking perfection -- but in the end he creates three masterworks and gives them away, rather than guarding them for himself. Augh. He's so good.

Anyway this song is very him for me.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I've just loved writing soft!Celebrimbor - Celebrimbor who is so kind and gentle and caring and warm. And of course the little hints of obsession as something that is both a strength and a flaw.

I'm not at all a fan of the fanon silvergifting dynamic. Like I do laugh at the memes sometimes, but idk. I think I feel about it the same way as I feel about kidnap fam where there is a lot of potential there that's very underutilized, but my thoughts on it aren't quite fully formed tbh. Mostly I think I just dislike how ubiquitous it is and I really dislike the twink!Sauron trope lol. It's such a fundamentally uninteresting reading to me, I guess? That's not to say that I haven't seen it done well. I have, and those fics and art pieces I've really enjoyed. But idk the ubiquitous stupid-sexy-twink-sauron x big buff himbo Celebrimbor is not really a dynamic that I enjoy I guess.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

To be honest I really did not care about Celebrimbor at first! Like he was an impactful figure in the Silm for me, obviously, but nothing about the sort of fanonized interpretation of that Silm figure ever really intrigued me. I guess the silvergifting angle didn't help either. I just was super meh on him.

And then, dare I say it, Rings of Power rolled around with Charles Edwards - and Charles brings such an insane warmth and sincerity to the character, along with sort of breaking the twink dark haired elf mold that everybody squashes him into, and behind the warmth and sincerity there's just that teeny bit of Fëanorian madness whenever he gets going on something and idk. It really made the character click for me and I was like oh. OH.

Plus Charles Edwards is a dilf, and I'm not ashamed to say so.

And so now Tyelpe is Best Boy to me. I love him your honor.

Also, ironically, I'm more into silvergifting now but I think that's mostly out of anti h*ladriel spite than anything else, combined with how much sexual tension Charlie and Charlie had. How Sauron immediately gets all touchy-feely with him and TheeEEEeEEE Celebrimbor????? Insane. They were insane for that. I was foaming at the mouth for them to make out on the anvil and it's crazy to me how little Silvergifting rep there is in the ROP fandom. I honestly felt like they had a thousand times more sexual chemistry than whatever is going on with Galadriel.

Character Ask Game