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gffa · 2 years

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My problem with Rings of Power’s opening episode is that it is nowhere near strong enough to overcome its most fundamental obstacle: It doesn’t have the rights to The Silmarillion, HoME, LaCE, Unfinished Tales, etc., so it cannot reference those events but it wants to tell stories based on those events anyway. So what you end up with is this story that can vaguely gesture in the direction of the Kinslaying and the Feanorians, but it can’t actually tell you about those events. It can gesture in the general direction of the political structure of the First Age, but it can’t actually tell the story of the characters’ relationships with each other. So you’re left with vague, unspecific events instead, you’re left with the show trying to give gravitas to Galadriel’s campaign against the Enemy, but you can’t fill in the details, they don’t even say Finrod’s name, they can’t reference anything more than “and then the Elves went to war”, like, that is the flattest version of those events that you could possibly give! It’s not that there’s not sparks of something really lovely in the show, I actually genuinely enjoy Elrond’s character, there’s a warmth and earnestness to him that wasn’t conveyed in the trailers or character descriptions, where yes he’s young but you can see the person he’ll grow into being. But I spent the entire first episode feeling like something was missing and it really slapped me in the face when Gil-galad asks if he knows Celebrimbor and my mind was immediately like, “I mean, Celebrimbor is Curufin’s son, pretty sure Elrond would be aware of him, yes??” but none of that can be in the show, just that Elrond’s aware of him as an artist. That lack of touching on the connection there made me realize that, so far, nothing in the story has shown us that Elrond is anything more than just some random Elf. That’s my problem with the show! You can get away with it by the time of the Third Age, because Elrond is the head of Rivendell, he’s thousands of years old, there are very few Elves left, you can feel his importance to the history of the world. But when he’s younger, you can’t lean on that, the only things we know about his background are that he’s not an Elf-Lord, he’s Gil-galad’s herald, and he’s Galadriel’s friend. There’s nothing about how Elrond is Thingol’s heir. Or what that means. There’s nothing about how he’s descended from Finwe as well and is a prime candidate for king of the Noldor, after Gil-galad. There’s nothing about his connection to the Feanorians. To Elwing and Earendil. Then there’s Galadriel, who the show does all right with, when they shift her inability to go home/the refusal to turn back from when she first crossed over to Middle-earth to her inability to let go of the fight against Sauron, and I can see some potential in that, that they’re working as an adaptation as best they can, since they can’t reference the events that her source material was built on. But when she was speaking with Elrond over the memorials, all I could think about was how these characters felt like a half-finished story. Celebrian doesn’t exist yet, so that connection isn’t there. This Finrod didn’t die to save Beren, so there’s no sense of, “Oh, had Finrod not sacrificed himself, Elrond wouldn’t be here.” And there’s too little that takes the place of it to fill it in with another story, just that Galadriel’s seen things. Worse things than anyone else. Things. Stuff. She’s seen some shit. Maybe, as the show goes on (I could only finish the first episode before I fell asleep), it’ll do its best to reference these things as much as it can, but it can never overcome its fundamental problem: It’s trying to tell a story about events that it cannot reference and it’s not a strong enough show to overcome that with what it can tell us.

#lumi.txt #tolkien stuff #rings of power

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animatorweirdo · 2 years

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Imagine being the first one to wield a ring from Sauron

(Just gonna leave this here, enjoy. I thank my friend for the edits and proof reading, enjoy)

Warnings: Mentions of violence, killing, injuries, slight description of depression, magical manipulation and falling into Sauron’s control.

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-You were traveling in the woods on your horse. Your horse’s hooves clapped against the ground as you navigated through the misty forest. You could not hear much in the air, only the cawing and flapping of the crows and hoots of the owl.

-You didn’t have a clear destination in mind. You rode where the wind took you and hoped you would face something good since there was nothing that would keep you in high spirits anymore.

-Everything just felt empty and cold. You couldn't find any value in the world anymore, so it felt like nothing mattered.

-Your eyes have lost the glimmer of hope, and your hands were rough with callouses after years of wielding a sword. You had been a ranger and helped many people, but none of it mattered.

-You have always been easy to fool and taken for granted whenever you tried to be kind to others.

-You don’t even know what the word even meant anymore. Was it something good or something others could use to control and harm others?

-Does it matter? No.

-Nothing mattered to you anymore.

-A dark, unknown part of you secretly wished something terrible happened to you and someone would finally end your miserable life as you were simply tired of living it.

-You stopped your horse when you heard voices. It sounded like the yelling of men chasing something. The only thing you could think of were bandits. They weren’t uncommon, and at the moment, you would rather not deal with them right now.

-However, fate decided to make your life a living joke as you encountered what the bandits were chasing.

-It was on accident since, the person in the hood unexpectedly dumped you on your horse and fell on the ground. It was like he appeared out of nothing.

-You looked down on him to see if he was hurt as he looked at you. He was beautiful in an ethereal way. His eyes held an odd glow, and you soon realized that he was no human man but an Eldar. Only an elf would possess sharp ears.

-He looked frightened and tried to cover his ears from your eyes. His hands were bruised and bloody, and you noticed a deep gash bleeding through the fabric of his arm. You concluded it must have been the bandits that injured him during the robbery.

-The bandits were not far behind as they caught up to you and demanded that you hand the elf over since you had no dealings with them or him, so you should go and mind your business.

-You would have agreed and continued your way as you didn’t care much about the affairs of others, but something about this elf changed your mind. His eyes looked deep into your soul, full of fear and pleading for help.

-You then heard a voice – begging you to save him, and you obliged.

-You took out your sword and killed the man who tried to touch the elf. The bandits tried to fight you after witnessing the death of their friend, but as you had the advantage of horseback and a longsword, you took them out effortlessly.

-The bandits might have the numbers, but their skills were nothing to you, who had years of experience in sword fights and battles.

-So – the bandits were outmatched by you.

-They ran away in fear – leaving you alone with their former target. They realized they were not able to defeat you, so they finally chose the option to run away.

-When they left your sight, you sheathed your sword and turned your focus on the elf you rescued from the bandits to check on his well-being.

-He thanked you for the help, and when you noticed he had no weapons on him, you handed him one of your blades for protection and told him to take care before continuing your way through the woods.

-It was supposed to be a one-time encounter and moving on with your life, but the stranger decided to follow you instead, asking for your help to reach a safe settlement.

-You almost refused because you would rather not meddle with people, but you also didn’t have anything better to do now, so you agreed and allowed him to travel with you.

-You gave him your name, and he called himself Annatar.

-He was an odd travel company and talkative, asking stuff about you, which felt a bit suspicious that he seemed to want to get to know you, but you answered, not wanting to be rude. You asked things about him back, so it wouldn't all be about you.

-He spoke about his kin and how he got lost from his family, and the one he held dear recently passed away.

-You felt pity because you understood what it was like losing someone dear, so you paid your condolences to him.

-You helped him to recover from the injuries he suffered from bandits since you had a basic knowledge of healing, and he was grateful. He complimented you, but you didn’t take his praise to heart since it was useless. People often used that to catch you off guard and hurt you. They never mean it.

-Annatar seemed to catch on to your behavior and questioned if something was bothering you. You said you just simply didn’t care about things anymore. You lost your ambitions a long time ago, and things didn’t hold any importance to you anymore.

-Everything just feels cold and empty.

-He seemed to emphasize this with you and questioned if there was something you suffered from in the past.

-You do not like talking about your past, so you refused to elaborate further.

- However, after some time traveling together and getting comfortable in each other’s company. Annatar managed to get way into your comfort zone, and you slowly revealed what happened that caused you to feel about the world like you did now.

-People have used you, lied to you, and even betrayed you, and all those you helped out of kindness took you for granted, and you had forgotten times when people you once trusted left you to die alone. The world has been nothing but cruel to you, so you often wandered alone.

-You lost touch with the world. You don’t feel the warmth of the sun or the gentle breeze of the wind. Everything feels cold, and things that once brought you joy caused nothing but emptiness and dread. It was like you had fallen into an endless hole and couldn't find your way back to the light.

-Annatar showed empathy and pity, claiming he knew what it was like being rejected by people and betrayed. You did not want to believe him because all you knew – he could be trying to use you like anyone else.

-Anyone can use false words to earn sympathy and mutual understanding.

-You did not want to open your heart anymore. You couldn't even if you wanted to because why would you?

-Annatar was kind to you, helping you during travel and tending to your wounds when you got injured during violent confrontations — he said it was a repayment for your protection.

-Annatar sometimes hummed songs to help you sleep. It was oddly effective because Annatar’s voice was soft and somewhat hypnotizing. You got lost in it many times and fell asleep with no problem.

-You thought he had something sinister in his mind because there was no way he would do this out of his goodwill. He was just using you like everyone else, but you couldn't help but admit that you were slowly getting used to his company.

-He had been better than most people, making you feel conflicted because you were not sure anymore if you were being slightly paranoid and unfairly misjudging him. He has not done anything to harm you and has been very helpful and kind.

-It got you concerned.

-You thanked the gods for letting you encounter a settlement. It meant you could finally go on your way. You did not want to think Annatar was a problem, but for your own sake, it was only for the best that you separated sooner or later.

-You bid Annatar goodbye and said this would most likely be the last time you would see each other again.

-He showed sadness and then wished to give you a gift before you departed.

-He found work in a forge after you helped him settle in, so he made you a little departing gift, a ring.

-He put it on your finger and thanked you for helping him and giving him companionship.

-It was an odd gesture and a gift to give away.

-“You know, if people were watching – they would think you’re trying to propose to me,” You said as you looked at the ring. It was made from bronze and carved with a lovely design and elvish scriptures. It might not be the most luxurious ring you have ever seen, but it was still quite charming. Annatar said he made it out of scraps, so you felt impressed and slightly touched. You have not received a gift like this one from anyone in your life.

-Annatar chuckled at your remark and said fate might allow you two to meet again because you never know what the future might have planned for you.

-You found it odd because you were not planning to come back or visit. You might have traveled together and become familiar, but it did not mean you were close friends.

-Things never last. They never do.

-You bid him goodbye and continued your way, leaving the settlement and him behind and hoping to find something else.

-After some time traveling alone. You began to feel something strange. You felt lonely when Annatar was not around, but that could have been because you got used to him. It will wear off eventually, and everything will return to normal. You will continue living on your own.

-You often gaze at the bronze band around your finger, moving it around and feeling the cold metal under your fingertips. The memories of Annatar played in your mind, and you sometimes found the reddish steel glow in the light of the fire.

-You heard things and would feel a deep sense of longing, longing to return to his side.

-It felt lonely, and you hated that feeling.

-You would sometimes even hear his soft humming in your dreams like he was there, and the thing he said about fate allowing you to meet again started to bother you.

-You wanted to go back, needed to go back to that place. It was like a ravenous wolf trying to make you go back.

-You tried to resist the urge, telling yourself you had no reason to return.

-Nothing helped, and the more you looked at the ring around your finger, the stronger the sensation. It was like the ring itself with his voice was telling you to go back.

-After a month or two, you found your way back to the village you left Annatar. You did not know why and it frightened you. You took a job and did not realize it led you right back.

-Your elven friend seemed delighted to see you again and welcomed you.

-You stayed for a while, not because you had a job, but so you could figure out what was pulling you to this place, to him.

-Nothing seemed strange. Annatar was himself, and you spent some time — catching up on the latest events and happenings. You began to doubt that you might have just missed the elf because nothing seemed out of unordinary, or were you simply losing your mind.

-It started to dawn on you what was wrong when you heard him sing again.

-You did not know what it was. It was like the more you listened to him – the less you wanted to leave and do more as he said. Just like a doll.

-It was like you had lost sense of time and touch with reality as all you wanted to do was what Annatar wished to make him happy. It felt wrong if you didn’t.

-He was oddly warm, and his voice was addicting.

-It was hard to snap out of it till you noticed you had brutally killed a man that was rude to you and Annatar.

-You do not remember how it happened, but you remember Annatar saying something like the man was an enemy and that he should die, and you obliged like a mindless soldier.

-You finally decided to confront what Annatar was doing with you because it was now clear that he was doing something to you, something sinister and evil.

-When you were alone, you finally confronted him about it.

-He denied it and then said you must have been tired, offering to sing to you to help with the fatigue that often bothered you. You refused the offer — feeling anxious about what would happen if you did, but you didn’t say it out loud.

-He was good with words, so you began to doubt that maybe it was the fatigue that had been getting into you, but you took action to prevent yourself from trusting him so lightly.

-You should have been more careful that night.

-That night at the bonfire, you two talked, then he began to hum a new type of tune. It was sweet and soft. You tried to focus on the fire, poking the ambers with a stick while listening to his voice. You didn’t realize you had forgotten the fear you had earlier, the fear of hearing his song.

-You felt relaxed, but soon your mind began to wander as you stared at the campfire flames, feeling its warmth and embrace from the cold world around you. It felt pleasant.

-You soon forgot the world around you as the warmth kept you away, letting your troubles and internal turmoil vanish from the depth of your mind. All the sadness, pain, and doubt vanished like the embers that flew away from the fire.

-Something was keeping you there, not letting you go, but you didn’t mind. Honestly, you didn’t care to get out. You began to waver and hum along with the song.

-You didn’t feel like you needed to get out. It was warm and safe, unlike the real world.

-You had not realized someone pulled you down. Letting your head rest on their lap and gently stroking your head. You let them because you felt no need to resist the gentle act. It felt nice. No one had been this nice to you before.

-Annatar chuckled as you had now fallen deep into his control. His hands gently graced your hair with a gentle touch as he continued humming the song for you.

-You were now his little puppet, a puppet with a blade.

-Since the day you two first met and you acted upon the plea of his mind, he knew he needed to have you.

-He did not know the first time how he managed to make you fulfill his wish as it was usual for someone to counter the invasion of mind, but you did no such thing. You obliged without a thought.

-He needed that kind of obedience.

-He glanced at the ring wrapped around your finger with a smile. You were so sure something was wrong and did not realize the little parting gift had the most part in your fall into his control. It silently filled your mind with thoughts and soon broke away your defenses, letting him claim your mind to his will. Your mind, soul, and very being now belonged to him.

-The ring was a success, and soon he will craft more of them to bind the people of Middle Earth under his will and control.

-The world had already broken you, left you hollow in heart and without ambitions, so it was relatively easy to claim you. It was a surprise you managed to resist the ring and last months before coming back.

-He was worried the ring might not have worked, but it did – to his delight.

-Annatar looked down at you, his eyes glimmering with gold as he gazed at your peaceful expression. He needed you for the future, but he couldn't help but admit he had become attached to you in a way.

-Maybe he had found companionship with you and did not want to let go of you, not just because you could help him in the future.

-And now you had nowhere to go as you were now his.

- ”My dear (Name), you don’t need to worry about the world or the cold anymore. It shall be embraced by the fire and taken under control. There shall be no more pain, and you and I will do it together — now rest — my little puppet,” Annatar whispered before darkness took you to sleep.

#sauron x reader #mairon x reader #annatar #sauron #mairon #sauron headcanon #angst #mairon headcanon #silmarillion headcanon #lotr headcanon #silmarillion x reader #lotr x reader #middle earth #middle earth x reader #middle earth headcanon #silm fic #tolkien stuff

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