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sterekbros · 5 months

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Merry Christmas @evanesdust <3

All I Want For Christmas (1501 words) by Winchesterek Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Meet-Cute, Fluff, Christmas Eve, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Getting Together, Holidays, First Meetings, Christmas Tree, Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski Meet Differently, Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Stiles Stilinski is a Nice Thing, Winter

For @sterekfests "All I Want for Christmas", @sterekweekly tradition, and @sterekbingo Christmas square "fairy lights"

Summary: “Can I help you?” came a voice from behind Stiles. The voice made his skin prickle in the best way, a tingle running up the back of his neck. He turned to see a handsome man standing behind him, with dark hair and eyes that could give a kaleidoscope a run for its money. “Uh, yeah. I guess?” Great job, Stiles. “I was looking for a Douglas Fir tree, but I was waiting for my dad to meet me here.”

Stiles looked at his phone and sighed. It was past the time his dad said he’d meet him at the Christmas lot so they could pick out their tree like they did every year. It was a family tradition. One they hadn't broken, even after his mom’s death.

He knew that they’d been short-staffed at the station lately, so he really shouldn't be upset that his dad was late or might not even be able to make it this year. Not to mention there had been more supernatural incidents in the past few months. Stiles wasn't really sure what all that was about, but he probably should look into it.

He checked his phone one more time and then shot a text off to his dad, letting him know that he was going to go ahead and check out the trees until his dad got there. It was the least Stiles could do.

Stiles pulled his coat around himself, the air chilly against his skin as it swirled around him. Snow started to fall, leaving white flakes on Stiles’ dark coat. He brushed his hands against the trees as he surveyed them, smiling at the different textures that teased his fingers. He loved his part and remembered when his mom always talked to him about the different types of trees people used for Christmas trees.

They always bought a fir tree. A Douglas Fir, to be exact.

It was his mother’s favorite tree. The strong fragrance of the tree always tugged at Stiles’ memories of his mother, how they’d sit by the tree and watch the lights twinkle late into the night. Stiles would count presents, but he knew his mom loved to watch the lights, especially the further she got into her illness.

He stopped and rubbed the rough leaves between his fingers, pausing at a Douglas Fir and smiling. It must be one of the display trees because it was decorated with fairy lights. It reminded him of the fairy lights his mother put up around the kitchen every year. Stiles decorated with fairy lights as much as he could, since they were easier to manage than traditional lights and a lot smaller.

“Can I help you?” came a voice from behind Stiles. The voice made his skin prickle in the best way, a tingle running up the back of his neck. He turned to see a handsome man standing behind him, with dark hair and eyes that could give a kaleidoscope a run for its money.

“Uh, yeah. I guess?” Great job, Stiles. “I was looking for a Douglas Fir tree, but I was waiting for my dad to meet me here.”

“Oh. Well, I can show you where we keep them while you’re waiting if you’d like.” The man smiled at him and Stiles almost melted there on the spot like the snowflakes on his coat. When it reached his eyes, he had wrinkles around the edges, which only made him more attractive to Stiles.

“Yeah, sure. That’d be great,” Stiles finally managed. “I’m, uh—Stiles. Stilinski.”

“As in Sheriff Stilinski?” the man asked. “Oh, sorry. I’m Derek.”

“Yeah, the Sheriff is my dad. I’m visiting for the winter break. I’m down at Berekely studying criminal justice.” Why was Stiles telling Derek all this? He knew he was an oversharer but there was no way that someone who looked like Derek would be interested in him.

“I could see that,” Derek replied with a grin, nodding his head toward the right before he started walking. Stiles fell in line next to him as they walked.

“I’m in town helping my family with the lot for the season. Also on winter break,” Derek added. “I’m going back to school to get my PhD in Ancient Studies.”

Stiles’ eyebrows rose, his focus on Derek for a whole other reason now. Not only was Derek hot but he was also smart. This man had really hit the jackpot in life. “Wow. That’s awesome. I’m always fascinated with history. What are you focusing on?”

“Well, I also have a linguistic degree in Latin because I wanted to focus on Ancient Rome. There’s just so much to learn still.” Derek stopped, pushing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket as he turned to face Stiles. “I work as a museum curator. It helps to have access to things like that while I’m working on my dissertation.”

Stiles was shocked silent. This definitely wasn't what he expected to run into on Christmas Eve, especially not on a tree lot. “I—” For once in his life he was a little intimidated, but in the best way. He was also impressed.

Derek chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a lot.” He said it like he was used to this reaction from people when he spoke about his interests. “But here’s the lot for the Douglas Firs. Were you looking for a specific height?”

Stiles’ mind was still spinning as he blinked rapidly and looked at the trees. “Not really. I guess I’ll know when I see it.” He cleared his throat. “Would you—” he paused, second-guessing himself, his brows furrowed as he studied Derek. “Like to go out sometime? Not at the tree lot, but like on a date. A date-date.”

Derek’s grin grew, his eyes almost twinkling as bright as the fairy lights around them. “I’d love to. It’s not every day I meet someone that seems interested in what I’m studying. And you’ve managed to get this far without brushing me off and losing interest. My interest is piqued.”

That pulled a laugh from Stiles. “Ah, well. I mean, you haven't heard me ramble yet when I get excited about something so this will either be a match made in heaven or our worst nightmare.”

“I think we have a good chance.” Derek’s smile was softer as his eyes glanced over Stiles before meeting his gaze again. “I’m assuming you’re busy for Christmas Day, so would you like to go out sometime the next day?”

“I didn't really have anything planned for the 26th, so I’m game if you are.” Stiles pulled his phone out and handed it to Derek. “Add your number and I’ll text you mine. We can figure out all the details later.”

When Derek took Stiles’ phone, their fingers brushed, which sent warmth radiating up Stiles’ fingers and into his arm until it spread throughout his chest. It was a strange feeling, something so familiar and foreign all the same. It was a feeling he wanted to chase as their hands lingered until Derek took Stiles’ phone. Going on a date with Derek was quickly becoming the only thing that Stiles wanted for Christmas this year.

Derek swiped his fingers across the screen, then handed it back to Stiles. “You can text me any time. I’ll just be hanging out with my sisters tomorrow at my parent's house. I’m sure I’ll need a break at some point.”

“Yeah, sure,” Stiles replied as he texted Derek his number, hearing Derek’s phone beep in Derek’s pocket. He was faintly relieved that Derek had put his actual number in his phone and this wasn't some elaborate prank. Not that he thought Derek would do that. His luck just sucked sometimes. “I’ll just be hanging with my dad. My best friend and his mom might come over, but we don't do much.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” Derek reached out and gripped Stiles’ bicep, squeezing it and causing Stiles’ breath to catch just as he heard his dad’s voice break into the moment.

“Hey, son. I’m sorry I’m late,” the Sheriff said as he reached the two of them.

Stiles’ head was spinning, like he had whiplash as Derek’s hand dropped. “Oh, yeah. It’s okay, Dad.” He swallowed the knot in his throat and looked between the two men before him. “This is Derek.”

Derek nodded and reached his hand out to shake the Sheriff’s. “Nice to meet you. If you guys need anything, just let me know. I’m going to check on other customers.”

“Thank you, Derek. We will.”

“Stiles,” Derek said quieter, with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His gaze lingered before he turned and disappeared back into the trees like a wolf in a forest.

“Nice kid,” the Sheriff said, clapping Stiles on the shoulder. “Did you find a tree?”

“Uh, not yet. But I think it’s all going to work out.” He smiled, thinking about his date with Derek the day after Christmas.

Maybe it was Stiles’ little Christmas miracle, but he had a good feeling about what his future held with Derek.

It was bright in his chest like the fairy lights strewn in the trees as he started looking for the perfect tree with his dad.

And it was perfect, even as they hauled it to his Jeep and Derek helped them strap it to the top.

Stiles felt like this was a whole new tradition that he’d be cherishing for years to come.

#sterek #derek hale #stiles stilinski #teen wolf #eternalsterek #sterekfestswinter2023 #sterekfests #sterekbingo #sterekfestswant #sterekweekly #sterekweeklytradition #feels #mine #my fic

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cryptid-called-ash · 1 year

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Witcher thoughts

Sorcerer Jaskier / Yennefer (version one)

Just after the mountain drama

jaskier get blinded by a bruxa on his way down the mountain.

So he decides fuck it he’s had enough with people for the next decade

He dyes his hair and becomes a pseudo- hermit, throwing himself into perfecting his magic

He starts going by Julian again

Yennefer hears about this mysterious sorcerer living in the mountains who helps the local village and goes to investigate

Lo and behold it’s jaskier

She shocked, confused, but not angry. She can’t bring herself to be. Not when he invites her into his cottage for tea

She very quickly becomes angry, but not at jaskier, no her fury is solely on geralt for leaving jask alone

Winter falls and jask asks yenn to stay with him

They start getting close and before they realize it, they’ve fallen in love

They decide to wed for real

Rip geralt he’s got two angry sorcerer newlyweds to deal with now

Witcher jaskier

Do y’all watch the Witcher George on YouTube? You should. Go watch the school of the leshen video! I’ll wait.

School of the leshen Jaskier.

His dad, Alfred, is also a Witcher of the same school, he had jask before undergoing the mutations.

A 22 year old newly minted Witcher Alfred is out on a contract in lettenhove and runs into the woman he had a one night stand with, and surprise, he’s a father.

She gives a rather neglected 5 year old Julian to his father.

Panicking about his new status as a father, he takes his son back to the elder keep and raises Julian as a Witcher.

Julian has a surprising affinity for signs, Axii in particular, which he learned to incorporate into his voice. Earning him the nickname ‘siren in the wood’

{oc time} the Witcher Berek Ebonstone is roughy around Julian’s age and the two become quick friends. Even traveling together when they become full witchers

Jul gets sent to study at oxenfurt and bring new information back the the school, where he takes up his infamous persona of Jaskier the bard

Julian is out on a contract in Posada, having just completed it when he meets geralt.

Now Julian, ever the little shit, decides he wants to see what all the fuss over the white wolf is about.

Things play out as normal, albeit with jaskier always seems to have more coin when geralt comes back from a contract than when he left, there always seems to be one less contact too. He’s sure it’s nothing though.

It’s not until the infamous break up that things really change.

Jaskier seemingly drops off the face of the earth.

Berek and Julian are once again hunting together regularly, occasionally interacting with the other wolves but, blessedly, never running into geralt.

Julian knows his luck won’t hold, and he’ll have to face geralt eventually and tell him the truth. But he going to wait until he has no other choice.

#yennskier #witcher jaskier #witcher au #thoughts and ideas #yennefer of vengerberg #yennefer x jaskier #school of the leshen #let’s make it happen #julian alfred pankratz #non human jaskier #feral jaskier #bamf jaskier #goth bi x prep bi #sorcerer jaskier #geralt of rivia #geraskier #geraskefer #siren in the wood au

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incorrectringsofpower · 10 months

Conversation

[Berek runs off]

Elendil: Hey, where ya going?

[Watching him leave]

Elendil: Ain't that just the way.

#trop #trop crack #the rings of power #elendil #berek #incorrect quotes #incorrectringsofpower #source: over the garden wall

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aadmelioraa · 1 year

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following up on my recent isildur meta(ish) post, here is a selection of quotes i adore from that interview with actual isildur defense squad captain maxim baldry:

on isildur's relationship with valandil:

on isildur, his mother, and grief:

on the burden of expectations in playing isildur:

on isildur's heroic arc:

and a very honorable mention to the part where he addresses the "isildur's heir" of it all mostly by talking about berek but remembering to mention romance in the same answer:

#rings of power #isildur #maxim baldry #interviews #rop cast #isildur defense squad #rop op #isildurposting

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local-fanfic-addict · 2 years

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The Sea is Always Right

Elendil x Fem!Reader

Beauty and the Beast AU

Notes: Romance, No Songs, Themes of Manipulation, Violence, Unwanted Romantic Advances, Depictions of Blood, Loose Plot, and Heavy Canon Divergence (Canon? Who’s she?.) Seriously, there's like… no RoP canon here. It’s almost all freeform. (It’s so I can add in references.)

Thank you all for being so patient with this upload! Next chapter is where the good stuff starts. If you would like to be on this fics tag list, let me know <3

{Chapter Two}

The journey through the open wilds took Celebrimbor a good few hours, the lovely rolling hills soon fading into a landscape with trees of dense foliage, dark and deep, the trees so close together that it made the forest look endless along the beaten road that led through it. The sun was setting fast, casting its radiant glow along the sea that lay below the cliffs that the road traveled along, weaving and winding through trees that clung to the cliff side with an iron grip.

Celebrimbor could see the storm clouds that were gathering overhead, urging Berek forward through the forest. It was strange, but he didn’t recognize this part of the forest at all, maybe they had taken a wrong turn somewhere? It had been quite the long time since Celebrimbor had gone to visit the Dwarves.

Perhaps it was in the way the sky had darkened, or the way that lightning flashed around him, but the road looked even more unfamiliar as it veered away from the coast and headed deeper inland. There wasn’t any way to go off the road easily, so Berek continued down the path, rain beginning to fall around them as the sky roared with thunder. Berek knickered, a nervousness surrounding him.

“It’s alright, it’s alright Berek. It’s just the sky singing.” Celebrimbor gave the horse a pat on the neck and a few calming elven words before urging him onwards under the canopy of branches as he pulled his cloak tighter around himself. It provided some shelter from the rain, for which he was thankful. The glow of the lantern that Celebrimbor held cast eerie shadows across the leaves of the trees, it would have been utterly dark aside from the occasional rays of the moon that broke through the cloud cover.

The wind had whipped into a rage, tossing leaves around them and biting through Celebrimbor's clothing, sending a chill to his bones. He wasn’t likely to get sick from it, but it was by no means a comfortable feeling. The rain had started to turn to snow, the chill even greater than before. There wasn’t a huge chance of there being any decent shelter around, but perhaps he could find something that would suffice enough to settle down in until the storm passed. Maybe even make something himself.

He contemplated his woes; he was probably lost, wondering if you were okay back home. This storm would most definitely delay his travels and he had no way of telling you he would be days late.

“No, I’m sure she will be alright.” The Elf muttered aloud, if only to comfort himself, which it did very little in that regard.

Despite your mostly quiet nature, you knew how to take care of yourself, you had watched the house on your own before and nothing seemed to have gone awry. Though he had never been away for more than a day. The Elf was immediately wrenched from his thoughts by the chilling howl of a wolf which grew in number until the voice of an entire pack could be heard through the wind, growing ever closer to him and Berek.

“Adon, Berek. Adon.” Celebrimbor tried to calm the horse, who was now spooked by the wolves call, his footing unsure. It worked only slightly, just enough that Berek started to sprint forward and away from the pack. The wolves silhouettes coming into view from the shadows, hot on Berek's tail, teeth bared and snarling.

The two weaved through the trees, over fallen branches, kicking up the snow that now lay thick on the ground. With only the loud crack of thunder on top of them as their warning, a bolt of lightning came down on one of the trees in front of the pathway, sending Berek into even more of a frenzy. He bucked and reared, forcefully throwing Celebrimbor from his back before taking off in the opposite direction with the spray of snow behind him, drawing some of the wolves away as they continued to chase their prey.

“Berek no!” Celebrimbor struggled to his feet, looking down the path as Berek disappeared into the frosty haze.

The forest was eerily quiet for a moment before the wind picked up again and his eyes caught the remaining wolves that stayed to hunt him, lurking in the shadows watching him with hungry eyes. His steps were slow and cautious, like any sound he made would set the wolves on him in an instant. There was a stare down between them before he turned and ran, his Elven physique helping him far more than that of a human. His feet carried him to the iron gate of a great castle courtyard, seeming to just appear out of the haze before him. He wasn’t one to scorn salvation, so he all but dove through the gate and kicked it closed behind him, effectively blocking the wolves from tearing into him, their teeth catching on the iron with a loud clang and angry snarls. The Elf sat on the cobblestone ground, catching his wits and breath before he truly observed his surroundings.

Now he found himself at the steps of a great castle, and he had no clue what lay inside. The castle that stood before him was immensely grand, with many high peaks sticking out like knives into the stormy air. He was surrounded by a vast garden, the gravel walkway leading into various sections like a spidery hand reaching out with boney fingers. It felt like a maze, and the exact detailing of both the Castle and its grounds was more than the eye could make out in the darkness and so it added to the mystery of the whole thing, not to mention its placement. How did a castle get all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? Who did it belong to? And why was it trapped in a wintry haze in the middle of the warm seasons?

“I suppose there’s no other choice than to see who lives here… Maybe I can borrow a horse if they have any.” Celebrimbor spoke to himself, staring up at the daunting sight before him. He wasn’t sure if there was anything living here, but the faint glow from inside told him there was at least a light source of some kind.

He made his way to the wide staircase and started to climb through the snowfall until he reached the huge double doors who’s deep engravings seemed to come alive as his firm knock echoed into the halls beyond the door.

Seemingly of its own accord, the door swung open on its hinges with the strained creak of wood and metalwork that reverberated through the seemingly empty halls that spread out before him.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” He peered behind the door. Nothing to be seen. The decorations and architecture within the castle were just as beautiful as the design on the outside, the same pointed peaks evident in the make of the columns that held up the ceiling. Chipped paint covered parts of the ceiling, depictions of legends and stories of ages long passed sprawled across the stone of the arched hall, a bit hard to see through the dim lighting, but visible all the same.

The furniture was a bit sparse, an ornate rug, a few tables and plush seats, a beautiful candelabra and clock that sat collecting dust on a table, illuminated by faintly lit lanterns that must have meant someone was home.

Celebrimbor could hear faint voices, like whispers, carry through the eerie halls. At first he couldn’t make out what they said, but then he heard it-

“Elrond I swear if ya’ say another syllable, I’ll melt yer’ feathery candles down to the wick!” The voice was gruff, and not very good at whispering, but the Elf couldn’t tell where it was coming from.

“Oh come now, Durin, the man is lost, and most likely tired! You saw that storm out there.” Another voice replied, this one much kinder and lighter in tone, a contrast to the previous voice's deep accent.

Celebrimbor immediately had his head on a swivel, trying to find the origins of the voices, yet his eyes didn’t see anyone or anything, no shadows across the walls or the echoes of footsteps. Granted the lighting was terrible, but the voices were so close! They sounded almost right next to him, quite an unnerving experience in his opinion.

“I do apologize if I’m intruding, I’m just trying to escape the storm and return home.” His eyes landed on the shelved candelabra, spiraling designs twisted into its metal, its candles seemed to have been carved to look like plumes of feathers. It was one of the few light sources in the dim entryway, and so the Elf went to pick it up, holding it out in front of him for some more visibility into the dark.

“I will be on my way once the storm passes, but I would very much appreciate a place to stay until then?”

“Of course! I could not deny a weary traveler his rest!” Elrond spoke within the grasp of the Elf, much to the dismay of Durin.

Celebrimbor’s eyes followed the voice, widening at the origins of it. For a second, he almost dropped the candelabra, a shocked gasp leaving his mouth. Surely this object wasn’t the one to speak? He had to have misheard, or he was imagining things, right? He looked more intently at the supposedly inanimate object for any indication that it was not so.

“What are you staring at? Do I have wax on my face?” Elrond returned Celebrimbor's gaze and spoke to him again.

“I… Was unaware that objects like yourself… well… spoke? Are you alive?” The Elf questioned.

“That there is a very complicated question, stranger. One ye’ don’t warrant the answer to.” Durin spoke up, the clock wadling off the table and onto the floor to follow Celebrombor, who looked thoroughly surprised at the appearance of yet another talking object.

“My friend is right, I’m afraid all we can offer you is a warm fire to bask in front of for the time being.” Elrond began to speak, only for Durin to hurry the conversation along, clearly impatient.

“Which, in ma opinion, we shouldn’t even be givin’ ye’ in the first place!” The clock complained.

“Oh hush now, Durin. Would you rather we send him back out into the cold?” Elrond gave his friend a stern look, refusing to be moved on this matter.

“I’ll throw you out into the cold…” Durin grumbled, a huff leaving his mouth before he threw his clock appendages into the air and took the lead towards the sitting room.

“Fine. Go and warm yourself by that there fire, but yer’ owed nothing else. Ye’re lucky I’m in such a good mood, or I'd’a kicked ye’ to the steps before ye’ could say ‘Ale’ regardless of what the candle says.” Durin caved, knowing Elrond would ignore his warning anyways.

“Candelabra, Durin! Do I look like a simple lump of wax to you?”

“At’s all I see in between yer’ ears.” Durin countered, though there was clearly no malice behind his words.

Elrond laughed.

“Just as I see only cogs between yours.”

Celebrimbor listened to the banter that carried on between the two with a raised brow, following Durin down the dim hallway, all the while he gave many wary glances towards the massive double staircase that lay at its end before they entered an adjacent room where a fire roared in the hearth. The Elf wandered into what appeared to be the sitting room of the castle, just as decorated as the rest of the structure, several large bookshelves lined the walls, a great chair placed before the fire, claw footed, and covered in soft blue velvet fit for royalty with scaled detailing along its back. There didn’t appear to be any other seating, so that is where Celebrimbor opted to sit, setting Elrond down and settling in with much grumbling from Durin, who seemed to now regret agreeing with Elrond to give Celebrimbor shelter.

“First the masters chair, an’ then what? His food?” He muttered, going to rejoin Elrond by the fire.

“I must make a request once you leave, traveler.” Elrond spoke up to Celebrimbor, his flame flickering gently.

“What is it?” The Elf asked, finally feeling some of the warmth return to his hands.

“You must forget about this place once you leave, never speak of it to anyone and you must forget us, do you understand?” The candelabra spoke solemnly and waited for the affirmation of Celebrimbor, to which he gave an equally solemn nod, notfeeling the urge to ask questions. Feeling satisfied with the Elf’s answer, both of the servants started to head into a side door that led into the kitchen.

Coincidentally, the very same door was flung open as they readied themselves to exit the sitting room, a tea cart rolling out without any assistance and no one behind it. Upon it there was placed a set of small saucers, a cup, and an ornate teapot among the various kinds of tea that was seemingly being offered as the cart rolled to a stop next to Celebrimbor.

“Goodness, Elrond. You couldn’t have told me sooner that we had a guest? He’s chilled to the bone I see.” The teapot slid her way towards the Elf, who was once again confused. Did everything in the castle talk? Was the crown molding on the ceiling's edges going to come to life at some point?

The teapot's voice was full of concern, tapping the small teacup that seemed to have a slim chip on its edge.

“Up you get, Theo. Gently now.” She ushered her son towards the Elf, hot water steaming from within as a strainer sat to steep.

“We were just coming to tell you, Bronwyn, that is if Durin didn’t kick the poor man out first.” Elrond regained his composure from almost being knocked over with the sudden opening of the door, pulling Durin up as well.

“Look, I just don’t want any o’ us to get in’a any trouble. Much less oor traveling friend.” He added the last part rather quietly, though it was true.

“No matter, the master can say what he wants, but I’ll not turn down a guest out lost in the cold.” Bronwyn said sternly, with a smile that only a teapot could give. Odd, Celebrimbor had never in his wildest dreams thought that he would see inanimate objects smile so.

“That sounds familiar, oh yes, I said the exact same thing to Durin a moment ago!” Elrond quipped, nudging his ticking friend who was having none of it.

“Don’t ye’ start now, or I might put a dent in yer’ fancy gold paint!”

“I’d like to see you try, with those stubby wooden arms-“

“Why I outta carve out yer’ wicks-“

“Not if I scorch off your varnish!”

“Knock it off you two, now's not the time for bickering nor banter!” Bronwyn silenced them and brought the two of them from the brink of more arguing with a sharp tone, hoping to quiet them down before they alerted the master, as these halls echoed, and the master was prone to wandering as he pleased within the great walls of the castle.

Elrond and Durin seemed to catch on suddenly as they heard their voices echo, giving each other a wary and apologetic look.

None of them could imagine what would happen should the master find them with this stranger, but each knew that with the master's temper, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight and that Elrond would most likely blame himself for it.

Unfortunately the damage had already been done, their voices drifted into the empty halls and reached the keen ears of the cursed being that lay trapped to the confines of the castle of his own accord. The pointed fangs upon his lower jaw upturned, and his head reared in the direction of the noises; his padded feet were quiet as they made their way down the stairs, a bunched cloak billowing behind him in tattered state, dark blues and gold embellishments showed it was once a fine piece, now ruined by the lack of care given by its owner.

With a low snarl from his clenched jaws, he made his way into the sitting room, casting a shadow against the fireplace as one of his clawed hands reached for the armrest of his chair to see who dared to occupy it. A guttural growl emerged when he spotted his servants entertaining this trespasser, who’s face seemed to have gone white, and with good reason.

Celebrimbor barely made eye contact with the massive beast before he was snatched up by one massive paw-like hand by the front of his shirt, long claws threatening to pierce flesh and bone. The Elf could barely make out all the horrible details about the beast’s appearance, but he wasn’t given much time to ponder them as a deep voice spoke with pride, though clearly laced with anger.

“What are you doing here, trespasser? Stealing from me, perhaps?” This was clearly a creature who did not intend to hear Celebrimbor out, his grip on the Elf’s tunic only tightened as the Elf spoke fearfully.

“No, no- please, I don’t intend to steal from you-“

“Master, he was just looking for shelter.” Bronwyn's voice spoke up, though she knew it wouldn’t let the Elf go free, it might spare his life.

“Shelter? You harbored him? Here?” The anger in the beast’s voice was growing with every word, claws constricting in the same manner, ever closer to wounding.

“I told the lot o’ them it wasn’t a good idea, but I’m never listened to.” Durin started, only to be silenced by the loud roar of the beast has his anger boiled over, Elrond placing a candled appendage on Durins shoulder to stop him from making things worse.

“It was I who let him in, master, I could not, in good conscience, let the storm claim him.” He spoke up, no regret in his voice, for he knew he had done the right and kind thing to do.

“You?! I should have guessed. Can you not listen to me, any of you?!” His roar caused most of his staff to flinch in one way or another, though none of them would answer him.

“He will pay for your sins then, Elrond. Perhaps that will teach you to listen to me.” The beast lifted Celebrimbor into the air like he was made of nothing more than paper, his eyes boring into the Elf as Celebrimbor pleaded for his release, but to no avail, his cries fading into the halls of the castle as he was taken high into one of the towers, leaving the servants to mourn the fate of the Elven traveler, with some feeling more responsible than others for his predicament.

#the rings of power x reader #rings of power #lotr rop #elendil #elendil x reader #elendil/reader #elendilf #x reader #fanfiction #beauty and the beast au #imagine #bwcfic

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abnerkrill · 1 year

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1, 2, 8, 17, 25 please!!

hii thank you ❤️❤️

1. Favorite character?

oh no don’t make me choose 😭😭😭 I’m gonna have to say Elendil though, I imprinted on him like a baby duck and he’s my father figure now!!!

I also imprinted on Elrond like a duck but in that case he’s the duckling and I wanna protect him 🥺

2. Least favorite character?

hm, possibly Kemen, he has the rancid vibes of a college republican :(

8. What is your nOTP?

Once upon a time I would’ve said Haladriel but @brynnmclean’s fic changed that 💀 I guess I don’t have a notp for this show! I love being a weird multishipper ❤️

17. What are your thoughts on the original characters? Do you like them?

Unequivocally YES I LOVE THEM. Adar is the best thing that could’ve happened to a Tolkien show (you gotta deal with the Uruk problem! Are they an entirely evil race or not! And either way aren’t they the most tragic thing!!!)

Arondir and Bronwyn are so compelling and the actors do a fantastic job—unsure if anyone alive rn is more elf-y than ICC! I like the Harfoot girls a lot and I’m excited to see more Nori in the future :)

Earien, despite having very little to do in the show so far, has so much potential for future drama 👀👀👀 And I’m literally in love with Valandil, hope he gets an arc worthy of Alex Tarrant’s beautiful beautiful face.

25. Any predictions for the next season? Or anything you would like to happen?

Predictions: Unfortunately Adar’s probably gonna die, RIP 💀 And I’m like 85% sure the siege of Eregion (oh no German autocorrect do not change that to Erektion) is happening so ol’ Brimby is a goner too. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of Rhun; I’m gunning for one of the new announced cast members to be playing a future Nazgûl whom they meet in Rhun 👀 Also, Isildur is so Aragorn coded, of course they’re gonna have Berek save himmmmm

Things I’d like to see: @aadmelioraa and I have talked A LOT about Valandil getting an arc where he chooses to stand with Pharazon and the Kings Men and not with the Faithful in the wake of Ontamo’s death and Isildur’s “death”—I personally would like to see him transform due to grief ❤️ I also really wanna meet Anarion, Anarion’s wife, and Isildur’s future wife. And if they’re gonna have Amandil in the show we gotta meet him too. Gimme all the Numenoreans!!!!

Finally, Pelargir: there are several good ways this could go (is it occupied or nearly abandoned? faithful, no longer faithful? will it be one of Pharazon’s new colonial projects in the future?) so I’m just fascinated to see which direction they take it!!

rings of power asks

#moonatoms #trop #ask games

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ninelie00 · 2 years

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-- 𝑲𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑹𝑿 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 -- Kamen Rider Black RX, the final frontier. RX is the end of Rider’s tenure to the Japanese television screens on weekly airings in the Showa period. For Rider would not get its shine once more in television until 2000 with Kamen Rider Kuuga (2000-2001). RX is direct sequel to the previous Kamen Rider Black (1987-1988), following Kotaro Minami in a new battle against the Crisis Empire with his newly gained form “RX” and later the forms of Bio and Robo Rider following suit. The show occasionally brings back cast from the previous season to further add onto a tighter sense of continuity. RX follows in Black’s footsteps by being essentially “Kamen Rider but with Sentai and Metal Heroes underneath”, a show that is so devoid of the typical Kamen Rider format that when it eventually does return to it with the final arc it feels fresh and new. From the well-crafted storyline to some really great scenes of character drama, RX seems to keep the ball rolling with Black’s strengths while putting it into a new setting and tone that still works. A problem Rider faces when doing a sequel series so direct (see Rider to V3), is that the sense of staleness coming from the similar tone and sometimes new takes on old plots. RX succeeds where V3 fails in this regard, where the more of the same types of moments don’t feel like they overstay their welcome and, arguably, show why those types of beats worked so well last season. Another issue they face is implementing the legacy cast into the story, and I think RX has the best approach to handling the return of the previous Riders compared to the many abrupt and rave-y attempts seen before. Instead of feeling like an attempt to garner higher viewership or ratings, they feel like they return for a reason that fits their characters. The show tackles its themes and ideas in ways not dissimilar to how Black did with its own, and even expands on many of the themes of Black. The two shows go hand-in-hand very well, as if they really do want you to also see how the writing team are able to strut their stuff. RX has a few issues with pacing at times, and I feel as if the show can have one too many unnecessary scenes that could have been cut out. I feel like this duo both have a wonky middle section that kinda bring them down but not to the point that it wholly affects the show. RX is worth a shot if you track down a good quality version, my personal recommendation is the Bereke Scrubs RX release. NEXT: Iron King

#kamen rider black rx #kamen rider black #biorider #roborider #kamen rider #toei #shotaro ishinomori #kamen rider ichigo #kamen rider nigo #kamen rider v3 #riderman #x rider #kamen rider x #kamen rider amazon #amazon rider #kamen rider stronger #skyrider #super-1

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hyperdrama · 2 years

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just thinking about episode 7 re: elendil's emotional journey. the grief, the anger, the crisis of faith. that scene where he wants so badly to bring berek home so he could bring home isildur, but setting him free. going to be very interesting to see where this goes forward with elendil and isildur in future seasons. that parallel to aragorn and brego...emotional

#rings of power #rop spoilers #rop #so i had to watch the last 3 episodes back to back thanks to work #and to say i am going through it is an understatement #tolkien

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isilwhore · 1 year

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Ok more thoughts no one asked for:

While I understand he needs to get wifed up sooner or later, I’m a little disappointed that Isildur may get a romantic relationship BEFORE he gets reunited with Anárion.

Because my favorite Tolkien relationships (familial, I need to specify lol) are between bros: Fili and Kili, those crazy Fëanorian boys, I’m finding Elrond and Elros intriguing lately, etc.

So I’ll wait and see but I can’t be the only one out there who loves that dynamic above all others?

More importantly though, WHERE IS BEREK?!??

#it’s lonely being a gen fic writer out there #I want Izzy and Nar-Nar to reunite #but the only good romantic relationship is a doomed one #so let’s make it TRAGIC then 😈#oh and they’re totally going to reduce the number of sons down to ONE #Bye bye Elendur Aratan and Ciryon we hardly knew you #isildur #lol anarion #lotr rings of power #my trop speculation #rings of power #rings of power season 2

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rings-of-power-realm · 2 years

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Hi, i hope you're well!

In case you're not too busy, i have two (small i hope) new gifs requests that popped up in my head, that i want to submit to you before i forgot about them.:)

It's a parallel again [but there aren't many other ways to ship Galadriel and Elendil given their lack of interactions after episode 6 :( ], between Galadriel and Elendil: the scene with Berek an Isildur before the eruption in episode 6 when he confessed to his son that it's his wife/Isildur's mother that teached him how to speak to horses, and Galadriel talking about Celeborn with Theo in episode 7.

And if it's not too much do you think you can make a parallel too of Isildur and Elendil discussing their mother/wife with Galadriel? I mean the scene where Galadriel said that Isildur looks like his father and he answered he was always been told he looks like his mother vs the scene where Galadriel asked Elendil what happened to Isildur's mother and he answered she drowned (cutting the bits about how he used to see the sun rises and his feelings about the darkness coming line).

Those are shipping requests, i must admit, so i hope it's not an anti ship for you and this ask will not bother you for that reason...

Thanks in all cases for reading.

Aww its not too much at all! I love making gifs and it helps me practise photoshop too as I'm a newbie lol! :)

I love Isildur and those scenes so absolutely can do these for you! I really appreciate the requests/ideas and am happy to make them and thank you to you and everyone who is patient when I get requests, I always wanna fulfill them for you guys so thank you for waiting for them :)

I'm open to make any gif from the show (as long as it remains positive) and my blog is ship friendly! but also friendship/canon friendly so hopefully its a safe haven for everyone!

Thank you again for requesting! I'll tag you when they're done!

#the rings of power #ship positive #canon positive #gif request #asks

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land-of-holly · 2 years

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Rings of Power Episode 7 Liveblog

You know, all these white people covered in ash world look a lot more problematic if it wasn't for the red filter

NO NOT THE HORSE

oh gross people burning to death too

OH GOD ONTAMO NO

At least Valandil hasn't earned his namesake yet

Join the army, they said. SEE THE WORLD they said

A good, hands on queen

Oh no I hope Isildur will survive

Poppy's song is delightfully macabre

Oh shit did their orchard get volcanoed too?

Oh now they think the stranger is useful

It's cool how Nori and her family all seem to be wearing basically the same outfit. Clothes are hard when you have to make them all yourself

Elrond is doing a diplomacy!

He is no common elf! Ooh I love how they're leaning into his halfelvenness

Kneeling even!

King Durin is being really stubborn about this. There hasn't really been a lot of variation in this plotline, just Prince Yes, King No

Oh Durin....he just wants to save his friend...

GO OFF QUEEN

Durin is loyal and filial, he's just a great guy

Their marriage is so great

SAY IT. SAY 'HER BEARD' Maybe only the great dwarven matriarchs have proper beards

It's weeks to Lindon, Elrond, you can stay for dinner

'Go towards goodness' ....and I think that's beautiful

So mithril....does cure leaf?

Doesn't mean this wasn't Sauron's plan all along

Chill, Theo

See Galadriel, this is what everyone else sees when they look at you

Everything is not your responsibility! Tho I guess if that is what you came to Middle-earth for the first time.....

Berek!

Miriel does not look good

Mindfullness, Theo.

I love the Galadriel Theo roadtrip. Good friendship

Oh look she regrets killing orcs, or at least considers it an evil. Progress!

She's...giving him her dagger?

These orange filters are really making a statement

Miriel REALLY doesn't look good

Oh shit

Greenwood the great!

Is he sending the Stranger to Dale? Proto Dale?

It's the nicest way he can say "please don't help us anymore"

It's so fun to see the different ways they have of showing the size difference

Oh boy, he asked about her brother

WHAT

Sorry??????????

Excuse me???????????????????

SHE'S ALREADY MARRIED

Little disappointed not to see the romance, but I'll be glad to see him show up eventually!

So like, where has he been all this time? And why did she stop looking for him?

You gotta replace it with something better, Theo

He has a point, Galadriel. Problem of Evil and all that

Adar? We get Adar?

Nope :(

Smells like Elves

I guess the volcano makes it harder to track by scent

Durin can't possibly mine the mithril all by himself

OMG ELROND'S HAIR LOOKS SO GOOD WHEN IT'S ALL MESSED UP! DO THAT MORE OFTEN!

Elrond! You threw the fight??

Elrond's got a little bit of everything in him. Might be some Dwarf in there.

YOU HEAR THAT ELROND? HE WANTS YOU TO BE PART OF HIS FAMILY.

Far side of what?

That's a lot of mithril

Oops, busted

I guess other people do talk to King Durin

Oh no, Elrond got banished :(

You were ill formed when you were born? HARSH

Now we're getting some real good father son talk

Consigning your allies to death is not tempering! Not everything is a test, some things are just important

NO YOU

Shit, did Durin just get disowned? Are we kicking off a coup?

Poppy has such good songs!

He did bring it back to life!

Oh no is it more wolves?

Worse! Big jobs!

Love the cat ears on the cultist, don't love the brunhilde breastplate

Did she just lie to them? Are they bad news?

Hey, don't touch her hair

Um. She just put the torch out with her hand.

EVIL

NOT THE CARTS

Oh it's the Numenorean camp

I love that the dude armor also has boobs

What's that, Berek? Isildur fell down a well?

Listen to the horse!

Oh, Elendil, there's no sense regretting decisions made in good faith

Theo's ear! Half elf Theo....disconfirmed?

Don't just go wandering into tents, Theo

Oh it's the sick tent, guess Bronwyn might be there

Wow, not going light on the injury showcase there

Now now, we've already done "I thought it was them but turns out it wasnt"

Bronwyn! ARONDIR! HUGS!!!!

I guess the blindfold might be helping some.

NOW KISS

Oh shit now it's started. Let's do a war!

She couldn't bear to put her father's real name on this though

Awwww, Elendil

Harfoots don't give up! They rebuild!

I'll point out to all the haters that people may have WORRIED about being left behind, but no one actually WAS. Revealed preferences!

Oh, now she's going on her big walkabout

Marigold?????

And Sadoc too??????

Malva????????

Shit, I guess Isildur's gonna have a time getting back to Numenor

Pelargir exists! Numenoreans have been hear before!

Galadriel had to face the music eventually

Yeah Galadriel, remember? Their king? The guy you manipulated into coming here against his will?

Uh, I thought elves only had artisans? He can't do the 'as long as it's pretty' thing

Guys just get up and walk with open wounds around here

And ride??? What wound does he have that needs special treatment but that he can ride a horse to??????

Awww she gave up the dagger. She is healing, and so is Theo

Disa's getting her Lady Macbeth on. Such a good wife. I love her.

Go away Balrog, it's not your time yet

Ugh, knew they couldn't resist the temptation

Adar!!!!!! :D

MORDOR. Oh I like the thing with the text.

We're almost done!! I can't believe it!!!

#rings of power #rings of power spoilers #rings of power liveblog #rings of power s1e7

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folatefangirl · 1 year

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22, 23, 24, 25

monroesimons asked:

23, 24, 25 for the rings of power asks!

22. Do you create fan-content for the show? Any headcanons?

*points to incorrect quotes blog* very much so! and uhhh maybe fic. At some point. Not promising anything!

Cracky headcanon that has zero basis in reality and shouldn't be taken as meant to conflict with other people's headcanons: Adar is Maglor. Bc it would be angsty and a li'l fucked up.

Other headcanons (shared by many of my friends so I'm not the originator of all of them): Berek is the best of Elendil's sons, Isildur looks a bit like his mom, Valandil has two moms, Isildur is not a twink, Celeborn is stuck in a cave somewhere, Celeborn clearly must have very good seduction powers to have bagged Galadriel as a Sindarin princeling, Kemen and Eärien are doomed AF, etc etc

23. Your chance to show of a piece of fan content that you really like! (A favorite fanfiction and/or fanart)

@inkwingart's Valandur art, of course! It always deserves more love.

24. If you could ask any of the characters a question; what would that question, be?

Me @ Halbrand: WHO ARE THE RAFT PEOPLE WHO IMMEDIATELY DIED. TELL ME THEIR NAMES. WHAT IS THE BACKSTORY WITH THEM??? *ahem*

25. Any predictions for the next season? Or anything you would like to happen?

Wouldn't say I want all of these to happen bc angst haaaaa

The War/Battle of Eregion, almost definitely.

On that note, Celebrimbor may die if it goes where I think it'll go, but I could see them keeping Charles around for like another season or so to make people more attached so the canonical death hurts more.

I'm betting the 2 episodes of cut content intended for episodes 9 and 10 involved Adar and Sauron so assuming some of that is rolled to S2... Adar is gonna bite it. Sorry, people. But he's a side villain who has jack to do with the rings so I don't see him surviving, you know?

The Southlanders are yet again in danger and BY GOD I hope the little Aronwyn found family isn't killed off. Give them their garden, dammit.

Berek rescues Isildur and I thiiiink he'll be dragged off to the new Southlands settlement with the other Numenoreans instead of to Eregion. But yeah more horse girl Isildur adventures!

Anxiety brain is telling me Isildur can't get out of Mordor without running into either Adar or Sauron and I am NOT looking forward to it tbh. Gah. Angst.

Poor Míriel is forced into marriage. For a double whammy, add Kemen and Eärien also getting married with the latter leaving the beliefs of the Faithful :(

Presumably someone has to rescue little Celeborn who fell down a well.

TROP Ask Meme

#monroesimons #thanks for the ask!#cinnia says stuff #trop fandom #trop #the rings of power #long post #<<< for filtering

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attheexactlyrighttimeandplace · 2 years

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Episode 7 review

Before the release of episodes 6 &7, an interview with the director Charlotte Brändström was published, in which she explained that the episodes given to her worked as two parters, almost an extended tv film and were like nothing done on the show before. She said that her role was mostly to deconstruct what was built by the previous directors: J.A. Bayona and Wayne Yip.

But what happened on screen seemed more than a deconstruction, it had the violence and the brutality of a destruction.

The casualties are unknown among civilians but the numbers must be very high considering the gravity of the wounds suffered by the survivors (almost all of them have been severely burned). And if for the main characters, it hasn't been the massacre that it could have been, it's still devastating: Ontamo died (how hard was it to see Isildur crying and trying desperately to reach him, while Valandil was dragging him away forcibly, to get him to focus on the survivors in need of help), Isildur is presumed dead, the queen regent Miriel is blind and Halbrand is seriously wounded (though it's not clear if it's a good or bad news in his case, i'm expecting his betrayal at any minute).

And so many relationships were shattered in the aftermath of the disaster, literally reduce to pieces, that i don't know what survived of them, what can be saved. I'm thinking mostly about all Elendil's relationships: with Isildur, Galadriel, The Queen Regent Miriel. His tragedy is the worst, he payed the highest price in those events which i think will cement forever his hate for Sauron and Mordor.

We're back at the level of sorrow that were the loss of Gandalf during the crossing of Moria and the death of Boromir, which both lead to the end of the Fellowship. The alliance between men and elves is dismantled once again, and everyone is going on separated paths, despite the promises made.

More on the plot:

The structure of this episode doesn't work for me: the writers should have picked only two subplots (and not three) and stick to them in order to give enough screen time to the survivors of the eruption. The story happening in Mordor should have been the plot A, and plot B should have been either Khazad Dûm or the Harfoots and the Stranger, not both.

Forcing three subplots had for effect a lack of screen time for Elendil (and many more survivors like Arondir and Bronwyn but this post is mostly about him). They had to cut many scenes that should have been essential for his characterization after the shock provoked by the announcement of Isildur's death:

the one where he should have returned to the village to check by himself if his son was really dead,

the one where he should have tried to follow his son's horse Berek and understand why he rebelled and refused to leave, instead of thinking he was just sad.

Instead we saw a horse showing more determination to find his master than a father to search his son, taking the words of the queen Miriel and Valandil as definitive truth, as if he's not connected to Isildur by an invisible bond that can overpower even his seemingly undeniable death.

A man like Elendil, that has King and Destiny literally written on his face, a role of leader to assume in Nùmenor soon, should never gave up hope. Especially after he saw Theo coming back with Galadriel, and being reunited with his mother. He should have stayed behind, leading the company that the Nùmenoreans left to search the eventual survivors, with retentless determination until he finds Isildur alive or he finds his body. He should have done that i suppose he hasn't been able to do for his wife, when she drowned. It's what he owes her in all cases: to protect her son, their children.

He also turned his back very abruptly on the two women that meant the most for him in term of values and allegiance. It's a very cruel thing to do to me as his fan, i was invested deeply in those relationships and i don't get what's going on:

Is his sudden surge of hate against Galadriel only something due to the emotional shock provoked by Isildur's death or does he really think he should have never rescued her? Does he blame the loss and destruction he suffered on her only or on the alliance between men and elves too? I'm confused: it's impossible for the writers to change the canon but how are they going to keep him a friend of the elves and the leader of The Faithful (if they intend to do this arc) while he blames an elf for the death of his son? Is Isildur's return going to fix magically everything? Does Galadriel know that Isildur is dead? I get it: she could not bear to face Elendil, while he was showing so much hostility, but she didn't even try to talk to him to tell him she knows what he feels because she lost her brother Finrod and her husband Celeborn, which seems cold and a truly missed opportunity. So what's the point of the scene of the last episode where she met Isildur if she's not going to express any emotion about his supposed death?

He ignored the queen and this left me even more sad, considering how much she lost (her eyesight, her army, the battle, the trust of her people) and how strong and stoic she was trying to be for everyone. I got the impression from the trailer of episode 8 that he doesn't judge her responsible like Galadriel, which means his new attitude towards Galadriel makes even less sense. Both women clearly worked together on equal foots to make an alliance and prepare this battle, and they even renewed their promises in front of him despite his tears and the loss of Miriel's eyesight. So will he still support her when they'll reach Nùmenor? She's a faithful (to the Valar and the elves) just like him but given his reaction to her decision to come back and unleash hell on Sauron, i'm not sure anymore what direction the writers want to take with this relationship.

I enjoy like everyone a good story, full of tragedy, and what makes a a more gripping tale than a father and a son who love each other dearly but are separated? How could i not be compelled by the vision of the queen regent Miriel softly wiping away the tears of Galadriel and renewing her oath to make an alliance with the Elves and take down Sauron and his new realm?

But the sobs of Elendil were impossible to watch because it didn't feel right at this point of the story to hit him like this, especially after the tenderness he showed to his son in the last episode.

I said in another post that i was surprised that the writers gender swapped entirely this trope of having women crying over the victims of the wars lead by men, by making him the one who cried while Galadriel and the queen regent Miriel want to continue the war. But the fact the women are the ones in power in this fight, didn't feel compelling enough to appease my frustration at what the writers are doing to us his fans, by taking away everything that have become relatable, familiar and likeable about him: his allegiances, his family and love interests.

I fear that the trust is broken for good and that he won't let women, any woman now, lead him in war or anything else.

As Eärien's anti elves positions have been growing a lot lately, since basically Galadriel's arrival to the island, i fear that his return to Nùmenor will be even more painful: will he have to face her reproach too? Letting him without any female support? I won't bear it he loses her too and ends with no emotional bond with what's left of his family, Anarion being currently with the Faithful in the West (but the intention to make him join his family starting the next episode or during season 2 is clear). I can only hope that Isildur's “death” will be the turning point for the brother and sister to gather around their father Elendil and reaffirm their loyalty to each other.

I don't know for sure why the writers are butchering "descontructing" Elendil characterization when it comes to his family, but I have a theory that's it's linked to the reasons they have to break his relationship with Galadriel. I think they chose to separate them because they couldn't do anymore or didn't want to do anymore the romance, they started to develop in the subtext since they met in episode 3, and that's why her husband Celeborn has been so unceremoniously included in this episode, in violation of all rules about consistency and continuity. He's taking Elendil's place in the triangle formed with Halbrand.

The writers had until now a very good habit to make transitions and leave signs that foreshadowed the things to come, so i was really mad at them at first for being so careless, for their lack of attention with Elendil and sudden interest for Celeborn (all the more that Galadriel's motivations were all about Finrod until now, and yet he was never mentioned in this episode).

But then i remembered that the scenes of Elendil’s family were cut since their introduction to the show. Isildur and Eärien were supposed to have initially a longer scene on the beach in episode 3. I've read some infos shared by Ema Horvath (Eärien) in a interview in which she explained that Isildur and Eärien were discussing in the deleted scene the death of their mother and what caused it. Episode 5 Partings clearly have some missing scenes too: we never saw Eärien talking to Elendil and Isildur before their departure for war while she chased Pharâzon to convince him to oppose it (!). The director and the writer deleted all form of conflict between them and let only the silent but emotional farewell (full of angst and longing) with Isildur.

It really feels like the writers had an arc but weren't satisfied with it and went back to cut Elendil's scenes and his children's scenes too to rewrite it. Why else would Elendil, the hero of this story, and his family have less screentime than Bronwyn and Arondir or Halbrand? They changed too some dialogues here and there. As said by the actors the drowning of Elendil's wife was supposed to be discussed by their children Isildur and Eärien earlier, not revealed during a scene with Galadriel, without following or context to help us understand if it had a romantic subtext (which i think it had), and what it means for Galadriel and Elendil that he hasn't recovered yet, that he is still grieving his wife.

So now it looks like creating a shock wave (with Isildur’s death) was the writers only way to justify the reorganization of Elendil’s arc. I suppose they will keep him busy with the civil war coming in Nùmenor, that's why had to return with the queen, but they never talked before about his involvement in the conflict between the King's Men (who reject the Valar and the Elves) and The Faithful (who want to reactivate the past alliance) in the way Lloyd Owen talked about it in his interview.

Surprisingly, this Elendil seems like an alternate version so far of the man he supposed to be in the Appendices of LOTR, even though this text is the basis of this adaptation. He defined himself as petty lord, not the High King of the Dùnedain and the descendent of Elros he's supposed to be. He's not even the leader (yet) of The Faithful and it's his wife's political engagement with them that lead him to join them too. There's no sign of his father Amandil while i had hope that the show could answer to the mystery that was his destiny after he left Nùmenor.

At this point, i'm forced to stop: i only have questions for his arc and no answers. So let's let it rest and keep hope that next season will bring some kind of justice for him.

Still on this concept of two subplots only, i would have kept as plot B the Harfoots and the Stranger and ignored Khazad Dûm, mostly because i'm tired of Durin's obsession with Elrond. There's only elf lies on Elrond's side (it was obvious that he let Durin win only to appease his anger and talk him in episode 2), and yet the more Durin discovers the lies, the more he seems determined to ignore them and to keep looking at Elrond with stars in his eyes, like a fanboy. It's not more crazy than Disa's reaction, who become literally hysterical when Durin III rejected Elrond's offer.

I really never would have imagined her insulting her father-in-law and making plans to overthrow him. It was just foolish and scary. It's even less acceptable considering that Durin III had the most reasonable arguments: he really saw the big picture (balancing the risk for his people with what the elves were offering), has a vision for his kingdom, and gave an answer that is the one i would expect from a king protecting his realm. While his son is a ball of misplaced loyalty, ambition and insecurities, fueled by his wife's desire to rule. All resemblance with shakespearian characters intended.

I really don't get how they have gone so fast from the most adorable couple of the year to plotting a coup....

In my view the genuine tears and thus authentic bond in this episode, excluding the sobs that happened in the wake of the eruption, were the tears of The Stranger after he realized that he almost hurt Nori and her little sister. Man, this actor has really mastered the way to play with his eyes and expressions without saying one word! He broke my heart with one glance (he's been doing it since episode 1 but i never got the chance to praise him like he deserves it)!

I gave up completely my theory that he could be Sauron, so the writers better stay on this path that could lead him to be the most badass and mysterious character of the show (as much mysterious as Sauron and as badass as Galadriel or Arondir). Gandalf or not, i want to feel again the level of awe that his entrance inspired in episode 1.

But he's not the only reason that made the arc of the Harfoots in this episode so compelling. The writers clearly have upped their game when they introduced The Mystics (I loved the gothic visuals used for them this time: their scenes had an exciting and superb fairy tale vibe). Connecting the Harfoots to the bigger evil threat without cutting their internal communal conflicts was a winning move.

The crushed confidence of Nori and her legit anxious feelings didn't disappear after episode 5, and have contamined all the community with the incident with the tree. It was quite sad and so evidently unavoidable, I really didn't want them to part away with The Stranger, but i can't deny that he was too strong and too little in control of his powers to stay with them. But it was also presented in a way that kept their separation soft, warm and compelling to watch.

That's why i adore the little conversation that The Stranger had with Sadoc: because of all the regrets and gentleness i could feel on both sides. The scene where Nori offered him an apple to express her feelings of friendship is so lovely and warm, so pure and full of genuine sentiments, it reedemed everyone. So when later despite the terrible encounter they had with The Mystics in which they lost all they had, they decided collectively that it was necessary to warn him and help him, it was the cherry on the top of this sweet cake.

It's not all rainbows and unicorns though. As cute as Nori is, i really don't get why she talked to the Mystics instead of staying hidden? What went through her head? She caused such destruction by talking to the wrong strangers, as if what happened with the first Stranger wasn't a lesson. Her community lost all the food and the carts, they were lucky to still be alive, but nobody ever blamed her for it….

But they won me over with their sense of solidarity and collective decision making. I could more than see the characters development here, i experienced it emotionally: the Harfoots which i didn't want in the show after episode 1 have become more important to me, than the dwarves that seemed so cool and nice at the start of the show.

Next step to make them even more adorable: create the circumstances in which they are the ones who find Berek and save a severely wounded Isildur. I trust the writers to find a way to use the common love for apples between the Harfoots and Isildur and his horse to make them cross each other's paths. After helping Gandalf's doppleganger, they're ready to save Aragorn's great great great etc "grandpa".

More about Galadriel and Celeborn in the next post...

#the rings of power #episode 7: the eye #my trop reviews #elendil #isildur #eärien #anárion #galadriel x elendil #galadriel #queen regent miriel #durin iii #durin iv #princess disa #elrond #the stranger #elanor nori brandyfoot #the harfoots

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andthebubbles · 2 years

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OKAY ROP

so i knew this would be a slow episode after the prev one, AND because we have one more to go after this, and that’s fine...

cannot belieeeeeeeve galadriel didn’t fucking ask where halbrand was to confirm whether he was dead or not, instead she just eventually assumed he was dead sjknfkjgfkgkfgkfj

why do people keep trusting theo with dangerous objects

adar lived! didn’t expect that

not worried about isildur because we know he doesn’t die here

rip ontamo :((((

i’ve never been a fan of miriel though for some reason people like her, but... yeah nah idk. pretty meh towards her

don’t worry elendil your son is still alive!!!!!!! berek’s gonna save him!!!!! then isildur’s gonna have his horse+aragorn moment

soooo i guess these southlanders going to anduin will be like, gondor people eventually? btw i do like that the númenorean armour/helmets look like gondor’s in the movies

ELROND AND DURIN AND DISA SKJFNKJNKGNFKJGNKF i just want them to live together as a big happy family (with durin and disa’s kids ofc)

so, galadriel already met celeborn and then he died... here we goooo haladriel pplssss // ETA: OKAY NO nvm it’s not confirmed that he died, she just never saw him again skjfngkf

halbrand’s going to see the elves! ......... what if he dies there and then changes face into annatar... dude i’m gonna miss charlie vickers/halbrand, fuckkk. but nooo he can’t die! surely?!

okay, who are those white evil people hmm??

not sure if i get the logic of four harfoots going after the stranger... do they just like him now because he gave them a shitload of apples (and saved them from wolves lol)

mmmmkay waiting for next week for the last ep of the season... rippp... and then waiting FOREVER for season 2...

ETA: so i did laugh when halbrand could suddenly ride a horse and whatnot when just a second ago he was laid up in bed, but now i wonder if... dunno maybe if he IS sauron he just made the injury look worse than it is so that he gets himself over to the elves??? idk!!! skjfngkfjng

#rop #rop spoilers #ramble.txt #just a big rambly processing/decompressing mess #//#1x07

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600shekels · 10 months

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2 Chronicles 20: 24-30. "The Clay and the Potter."

24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing[d] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.

26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah[e] to this day.

The Valley of Berakah is the "place of kneeling and blessings." The place that overlooks the desert around it is Mount Sinai, where God Audienced with Moses to discuss the nature of suffering.

And what is the nature of suffering and how can one free of it? To realize its nature as violence ends on the Third Day, and move on to the Fourth, which is the beginning of sentience? The answer is inherent to the name Berachah:

ברך

The verb ברך (barak) mostly means to bless and sometimes to kneel. But the noun ברך (berek) always means knee, and the noun ברכה (beraka) always means blessing. The opposite of to bless is to curse, or ארר ('arar), which literally means to bind or restrict.

That probably means that the act of blessing had to do with the act of giving someone the freedom to do whatever this person had in their heart to do. The freely moving knee, after all, makes it possible to walk and run and go wherever one wants.

We must be free to do what we want so long as sound judgement narrows the field to what is intelligent and appropriate. In a way, the slaves of Egpyt were free to do as they wished, but they were addicted, so they were not free in any way at all.

To plunder, more than can be carried is a reference to Mashiach, universal agreement that all violence and hypocrisy, all rebelliousness towards the Torah on the world shall end:

I see it but not now.

There is also a reference [to Mashiach] in the passage concerning Bilaam, who prophesies about the two anointed [kings]: the first anointed [king],4 David, who saved Israel from her oppressors, and the final anointed [king] who will arise from among his descendants and save Israel [at the End of Days]. The following [quoted] phrases are from that passage:5

“I see it, but not now” — This refers to David; “I perceive it, but not in the near future” — This refers to King Mashiach.

“A star shall go forth from Yaakov” — This refers to David; “and a staff shall arise in Yisrael” — This refers to King Mashiach.

“He shall crush all of Moab’s princes” — This refers to David, (as it is written,6 “He smote Moab and measured them with a line”); “he shall break down all of Seth’s descendants” — This refers to King Mashiach, (about whom it is written,7 “He will rule from sea to sea”).

“Edom will be demolished” — This refers to David, (as it is written,8 “Edom became the servants of David”); “his enemy, Seir, will be destroyed” — This refers to King Mashiach, (as it is written,9 “Saviors will ascend Mount Zion [to judge the mountain of Esau….]”).

So we are on the slopes of the Mountain of Zion, ready to pass judgement on our older brother's way of doing things:

27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.

28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres "scripture" and trumpets "intellection".

29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Verse 29 says what we need to give ourselves rest, to achieve Shabbat- the Enemies of the God of Israel have to die. What they used to own- the future of life on earth must become ours- they must not put their filthy hands on it.

The Gematria for this section, from v. 26, speaks to this:

God Is Speaking To You. Does The Potter Have Power Over The Clay Of The Same Lump Of Clay To Make One Vessel Unto Honour And Another Unto Dishonour.

The value In Gematria Is 9374.

"The power unto honor or dishonor is not of the clay but of the Potter."

9374= Tuz, or "a lock of hair". This life on earth is short, and it must not be cut short nor its value lessened by persons who of unholy ilk who want to shape it in their image instead of in God's as the Torah commands.

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