Candy Hearts 2024 letter
Jan. 5th, 2024 11:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
verecundaDear Candy Hearts Confectioner,
Hello! Thank you so much for making something for me. :D This letter contains a rundown of my general likes and DNWs, as well as some potential prompts for each of my requested ships. If you find something here to inspire you, that’s great - but at the same time, please don’t feel restricted to what’s here, either. If you have ideas of your own that you’d rather go with, I’d love to see them too!
I can be found on AO3 as![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Verecunda.
If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch via the mod.
Likes
Art likes
Smut likes
DNWs
Beowulf
- Beowulf/Breca
- Beowulf/Unferth
Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
- David Balfour/Alan Breck Stewart
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
- Flavia/Saxon Husband
- Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
- Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
- Lady of the Blue Brooch/Last Prince of Cardolan
The Silmarillion - J. R. R. Tolkien
- Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
- Celebrimbor/Finrod
Likes
• Fic and art of all ratings are great.
• Most genres: humour, angst, fluff, darkfic, hurt/comfort, slice-of-life, character pieces, plotty pieces.
• I love a good happy ending, but the canons/pairings I’ve requested in this round have a definite tendency towards the bittersweet or downright tragic, so if you want to write something sad, I’m ready and willing to have my heartstrings wrenched!
• I’ve got a special fondness for works that fill in characters’ backstories, “missing scenes” from canon, and alternate POVs on canon events. Post-canon settings are always good, of course.
• I love canon compliant fic, but I also love canon divergence AUs. I love exploring the “what ifs” and roads not taken.
• Worldbuilding detail. I always want to know more about whatever world these characters inhabit. Most of my fandoms are in historical/fantasy settings, so if you want to nerd out on the background details and lore, awesome!! But this is definitely not obligatory. First and foremost, I’m here for the characters.
• Intelligent, competent characters being intelligent and competent.
• Characters with tough/stoic/snarky exteriors having to confront and/or show their vulnerabilities.
• Odd couples. I love opposites that attract: characters who seem completely different but complement each other perfectly.
• Banter! I love characters who have a good back-and-forth.
• Characters learning to love again.
• Pining!! I live for good old-fashioned, hopeless pining, especially if it’s mutual and all parties are in silent agonies, equally convinced it can never be. UST and unrequited love also hurt so good.
• The ones in love always being the last to know. Which leads to:
• Outsider POVs are always fun. What do the friends, families, or even enemies think of these two idiots?
• Pairings that cross cultural/class/professional lines, and how they navigate the conflicts that arise.
• Power dynamics in general are great, whether they’re being managed in a healthy way, or just completely fucked up. I’m also entirely weak for the trope where the character who seems to have the most power in the relationship being so totally loopy for the other that they’ll give them anything they want.
• Related to that: loyalty kink, King (or Queen) and Lionheart dynamics.
• First times: first kiss, first confession of love, first time having sex, etc.
• Smut is great, but by no means obligatory. (Smutty likes are below!) Fade-to-black or even just a few sensual details sketched in are equally fine.
• Getting together and established relationship fic are equally good.
• Quiet moments of intimacy: heart-to-heart talks; kisses on cheeks, foreheads, noses, etc.; hand-holding; face-stroking; hair-stroking; cuddles; resting heads on shoulders or chests; forehead-touching, etc.
• When in doubt, there’s always the classic tropes: sex pollen, marriage of convenience that blossoms into something more, fake relationship, only one bed, etc.
• Apart from my requested characters, I'm quite happy with other characters making an appearance in the fic.
Art likes
I know sweet sod all about art, so I find it much harder to come up with prompts on this side. I am sorry about that. Suffice it to say, anything in your own style will be wonderful! But here’s a brief list of some very general art likes:
• Portraits of my requested characters/ships, or an illustration of one of the scenarios I’ve prompted. Illustrations of key scenes from canon would also be very welcome!
• In general, I love images that tell a story.
• Details of costume and material culture.
• I love bold colours as well as black and white, mingling of light and shadow, cell shading.
• If it helps, here are some artists I particularly love: Van Gogh, Matisse, Caravaggio, Ivan Aivazovsky, John Atkinson Grimshaw, Geoff Hunt, Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter, Alan Lee.
• Homages to/spoofs of famous paintings - eg. characters in the pose from Klimt’s Kiss or Burton’s The Meeting on the Turret Stairs.
• Characters drawn in distinctive styles: art nouveau, Disney, etc.
• Effects of different light sources, especially firelight and candlelight; sunsets and sunrises; moonlight and starlight; light on water.
• I also love water effects: rivers and pools, waterfalls, fountains, oceans. I love ripples, currents, spray, etc.
Smutty likes
• Penetrative sex.
• Non-penetrative sex, especially frottage and intercrural.
• Oral.
• Handjobs/fingering/etc.
• Clothed or partially-clothed sex.
• Body worship.
• One character unable to see the other (whether facing away, blindfolded, etc.) and having to rely on their other senses.
• Voyeurism/exhibitionism.
• Mutual masturbation.
• Restraints, bondage.
• Breast/nipple play.
• Orgasm delay/denial.
• Toys.
• Riding, whether the rider is setting the pace or just - ahem - along for the ride.
• Sweet, slow, romantic sex.
• Equally: rough, desperate, oh-god-must-have-you-now fucking.
• Older/more experienced characters guiding their younger/less experienced partners.
• Alternatively, the older/more experienced partner being the cautious one, while the younger/less experienced one is more than raring to go.
• Anything about overcoming shyness and/or inhibitions.
• Power dynamics explored, reflected, or even dismantled through sex. Whether it’s a character in a generally subordinate position who takes charge in the bedroom, or whether one half of the ship holds all the cards, up to and including dub-con/non-con scenarios.
• For dub-con/non-con especially, the “iron fist in a velvet glove” sort of force, subtle - even psychological - force over physical.
• I have no preferences when it comes to who tops or bottoms in my ships, and very often enjoy seeing characters who fandom usually puts on the bottom get to be on top for a change. So if you’d like to depart from the usual orthodoxy, be my guest!
DNW:
• First or second person POV (unless it’s the POV of the original canon).
• Modern/mundane/coffee-shop AUs.
• Soulmate/soulmark/soulbond AUs.
• A/B/O.
• Unrequested non-canon ships. (Appearances by/references to canon pairings are fine.)
• Unrequested gender/sexuality headcanons.
• Watersports.
• Scat.
• Rimming.
• Mpreg.
• Tentacles.
• Most of my fandoms have historical/fantasy settings, with mores very different to ours, so I’m fine with references to characters being married or having sex in their early teens, but would prefer no explicit sexual content involving any characters under 16 (or equivalent, in the case of immortal/supernatural characters). Fade to black is fine, though.
• I don’t mind dub-con/non-con in a kink context, but I don’t want rape/sexual abuse/prostitution as plot devices for tragic character backstory, unless it’s already canon. Even then, I’d prefer not to dwell on it.
Beowulf
Pairing: Beowulf/Breca
From Beowulf’s tale of the swimming/rowing contest, I get the feeling that these two were inseparable, certainly in their youth, and that they probably had all kinds of adventures together. I love brothers-(and more!)-in-arms and battle couples, and they seem admirably suited to those tropes. Having them as young men together also opens the way for all the awkward teenage crushing mixed with competitiveness and bravado, first kisses, first time together, etc. Plus if they’ve known each other since they were young, Breca is probably privy to a side of Beowulf that not many other people get to see: the man behind the myth, the doubts and vulnerabilities that he’s had to overcome while building his reputation.
Even allowing for the fact that he’s speaking angrily, Beowulf’s words about Breca are interesting because while he seems to be someone who is renowned in his own right, with strength to match Beowulf’s own, Beowulf doesn’t credit him as much of a swordfighter. Does this mean that Breca’s renown lies in some other direction? Perhaps in quick wits or diplomacy, or some other way? Alternately, from a certain angle, perhaps Beowulf’s dismissiveness of Breca’s swordsmanship indicates that they’ve fallen out? If so, why — and do they ever make things up again?
Or, if there’s no quarrel, how often do they see each other? What about an AU where Breca travels with Beowulf to Denmark (I’d prefer for him to survive, but given the source material, I’m not going to insist upon it…) Or what about after? By the time of his death, Beowulf is very conspicuously without a son, presumably unmarried, so I’d say there was room for him and Breca to set up together permanently.
Pairing: Beowulf/Unferth
Something about the inherent homoeroticism of challenging each other’s manhood in a crowded mead-hall, then reconciling to the point that you’re willing to give each other your swords. There’s lot of interesting stuff you could do with these two, for sure! Unferth has a lot of fascinating baggage, and it all makes him a very interesting foil for Beowulf. And there’s nothing tastier than narrative foils who also kiss. :D
I wouldn’t complain if you want to focus on the rivalry between them, where they both piss each other off and turn each other in equal measure. Want to explore what other tensions might be simmering during their flyting at the feast? I’m down for that! I’d also really love something exploring the shifting dynamic between them. What is it that makes Unferth come round in the end? Is the moment where he loans Hrunting the first sign of reconciliation between them, or did they get to settle their differences before then? (Where was Beowulf sleeping the night Grendel’s mother attacked?) Beowulf’s POV on their relationship would also be great. Is he at all surprised by Unferth’s hostility? It does really seem to get to him!
I think there’s also some interesting ways in which these two are in a position to really understand each other. Unferth is a kinslayer, and Beowulf’s own father committed an apparently politically-sensitive killing, so he probably has some idea of the stigma Unferth lives with. Likewise, Unferth has a fairly ambiguous position in the court: clearly high-ranking, though living “under a cloud” after killing his brothers, and though Beowulf is now a beloved kinsman of Hygelac and renowned member of the Geatish court, the poem does say that “He had been poorly regarded/for a long time”, so he and Unferth probably can relate to each other on that score. In a nutshell, I’d really like to see what sort of dynamic these two would have in private, minus the public challenges and formal boasting.
Anything else? Something centred around the whole Hrunting thing would be great, because that is clearly a sword of some note. Does Unferth ever get to redeem himself for the killing of his brothers, perhaps with Beowulf’s help?
Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
Pairing: David Balfour/Alan Breck Stewart
This is one of my all-time favourite books, and Davie and Alan are one of my all-time favourite literary double acts. I just love their back-and-forth, and their strong mutual loyalty and respect, despite the vast cultural and political differences between them. Also: “Whereupon he gave me both of his [hands], saying surely I had cast a spell upon him, for he could forgive me anything.” I mean!!!
Any missing scenes would be fab: battling midges, dodging redcoats, and snarking at each other all the way across the Highlands. I’d also love anything set post-canon, because hell, that last chapter is hard on the old heartstrings. Please tell me that they meet again! One post-canon scenario I’d love to see is Alan sneaking back to Scotland to visit David at the House of Shaws, with Davie being like “YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT” while being secretly touched. Maybe Alan meets Mr. Campbell, the minister, and has to grit his teeth and be polite to him for Davie’s sake! Maybe he’s involved in further Jacobite shenanigans, which see him returning to Scotland - and naturally, David gets roped into the madness. Alternatively, Davie mentions studying at Leiden, so maybe he gets to visit Alan in France, or vice versa. Or even an AU where they both have to escape to France after all?
RLS kindly provided us with some wonderfully tropey material to exploit. For all it’s an adventure novel, there are quieter moments which would be great for a relatively, slower-burning coming-together, like those five idyllic days in the Heugh of Corrynakiegh (THERE WAS ONLY ONE COAT!!!). Perhaps some huddling for warmth turns into something else entirely? Or the adrenaline from another successful escape has an unforeseen outlet?
There’s also spades of room for hurt/comfort: I’d love anything about Alan fussing over David while he’s ill, especially in Balquhidder. Their making-up after their quarrel is so hilarious and sweet at the same time, and I’d love to know what sort of heart-to-heart talks they had as soon as Davie was feeling up to it again. Or we could switch the roles about and have Alan be the one in need of some TLC for a change.
The book is entirely from David’s POV, so getting Alan’s perspective could be fun. I’m sure certain things in the story, or about their relationship, would look very different through his eyes! For example, one thing I love is how, in Kidnapped, David says of Alan: “For though he had a great taste for courage in other men, yet he admired it most in Alan Breck,” yet in Catriona, we have Alan saying to Davie, “Man, I wish that I had your courage! […] for auld, cauld, dour, deadly courage, I am not fit to hold a candle to yourself.”
(Speaking of Catriona, I enjoyed it all right, but if you’re not fond, or haven’t read it, feel free to ignore its existence completely.)
There are also a few things that could be interesting to explore, but you may or may not want to deal with them. For example, David in particular is a very religious character, so if you want to delve into historical/religious attitudes towards sexuality, that’s great, but you can also handwave that if it doesn’t appeal to you. (RLS never felt himself especially bound by historical accuracy either!) Another thing is the age difference. Do either of them have any qualms about it?
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
Pairing: Flavia/Saxon Husband
So I’m just after reading this for the second time. Tears were shed. Again. X’D
How did Flavia go from being captive slave to the wife of a Saxon warrior? When Aquila asks her if it’s love or hate between her and her husband, she tells him it’s a bit of both, which makes me wonder so much about what sort of complex and conflicting emotions lie behind those words. I like to think, at least, it means there’s something more going on than just Flavia being utterly forced and unwilling, even if that’s how things started out. And if that’s how it did start, how did things change? Was the birth of Mull a catalyst for something changing between them? How does their relationship progress over the years? Do they have more children? Does Flavia ever tell her husband about how she helped her brother escape his thraldom?
The fact that her husband gives Flavia back the dolphin ring as a bride-gift seems like quite a sweet, respectful gesture, given the circumstances: almost like an acknowledgement or apology for the loss of her family and former life, giving her back something that’s rightfully hers. I’d love to see anything about his point of view - part of me wonders if he was attracted to Flavia after seeing her fighting “like a Fury” during the raid on the farm. We don’t get much information on the husband, so admittedly you’re having to craft a character out of whole cloth. But there are a few things. Flavia describes him as brave, so does that mean she’s had an opportunity to witness his courage in other situations? She also trusts him not to beat her, so has he demonstrated gentleness and kindness to her, perhaps in some unexpected way?
Aquila himself wonders if Flavia’s situation was anything like Ness’, so to be honest, I’d like to imagine that Flavia and her husband were also able to find some common ground and affection. I just want Flavia to find some healing and peace in the end, too. The mingling of peoples and bloodlines is also such an important theme throughout Sutcliff’s work, and I’d love anything exploring the cultural contrasts between Flavia and her husband. How far does Flavia assimilate into Saxon life? What, if anything, of her Roman identity does she hold onto? Does her husband take an interest in her past and family?
Given the circumstances, don’t feel you have to whitewash the brutality or tragedy of the situation. The world of The Lantern Bearers is a harsh one, and I’m fine with portrayals of/references to rape, or at least an attitude of “lie back and think of Roman Britain”, if that’s what the story requires, but I’d prefer there to be something more than that.
Pairing: Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
Firmly in AU territory here, but it’s one of those “Hey, what if…?” ideas that hit me one day. What if Flavia ended up at Dinas Ffaraon and met Ambrosius? It could happen a few ways: either she escapes the raid on the farm by herself, or she does escape from Tanatus with Aquila when he asks. The second version potentially has more drama in it, because it comes with the added complexity of her having lived among the Saxons - especially if she brings Mull with her. What would happen between the British king-in-exile and the runaway wife of a Saxon warrior? It seems to me that there could be so many issues of allegiance and identity to explore by throwing these two together. Does it start with Ambrosius trying to pick her brains about Hengest’s settlement and his military strength, and is she willing to comply? Or does the fact that she does have Saxon ties make her unwilling/conflicted?
There’s also the fact that Flavia was privy to her father’s involvement with Ambrosius’ cause. How does she feel about that now? Up till now, Ambrosius and the royal line might have been more or less an ideal, a symbol of Rome-in-Britain, but now he’s a flesh-and-blood person. Is she a fervent supporter of the cause, or does she feel any resentment over the fact that it was why Vortigern sent the raiders to destroy the farm? How does she feel upon meeting the man behind the symbol?
It’d also be pretty interesting to explore the relationship from Ambrosius’ side, as he is quite a solitary figure, and in Sword at Sunset especially we learn that he has remained unmarried for political reasons. So how very inconvenient (and how narratively delicious!) would it be to see him falling in love, especially with Aquila’s sister, especially if she has a Saxon husband and a half-Saxon son?? As far as the last part goes, there’s also the fact that he’s had the raising of Artos, his brother’s illegitimate son - another child with an uncertain place in Dinas Ffaraon (if not quite so uncertain as Mull’s - his situation might be an interesting side-issue to touch on). Perhaps this is an area where he and Flavia find that they understand each other?
This uncertainty of position might also be something that causes their relationship to develop. How are Flavia and Mull regarded in Dinas Ffaraon? Roman Britons who escaped from Saxon thraldom, or quasi-Saxons to be treated with suspicion? I can’t imagine anyone would dare fuck with the Dolphin’s family, but maybe Aquila asks Ambrosius to take Flavia and her son under his protection whenever he’s away campaigning, and things develop between them from there. (One can only imagine Aquila’s reaction!)
This is the sort of pairing I can imagine developing fairly quietly and organically over the years, almost in tandem with Aquila and Ness’. What sort of relationship do they work out in the end? If you want to take things further, into the Sword at Sunset timeline, how does Ambrosius’ crowning as High King affect things for them? Does it make things easier, or does it simply throw up new challenges for them? If you really feel like breaking my heart, is Flavia still around for Ambrosius’ illness and final hunt…?
(Don’t worry, it’s Sutcliff, so I’m perfectly prepared for a bittersweet, imperfectly happy ending at best, or utter heartbreak at worst!)
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Pairing: Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
The Lord of the Nazgûl and his second-in-command? Now there’s a dynamic rife with possibilities! And hey, they even have matching rings. ;)
Since we know virtually nothing about these two as individuals, you have complete carte blanche to do whatever you like with this idea. And as per my general likes, I love things that fill in characters’ backstories. So tell me all about these two and whatever it is that’s between them. Who were they when they were alive? We know Khamûl was an Easterling, but the Witch-king’s identity is unknown. He may be one of the three Númenórean lords who accepted rings from Sauron, but it’s equally possible he belonged to one of the indigenous kingdoms of Middle-earth. Did he and Khamûl know each other before they joined Sauron - old rivals, perhaps, who were constantly at war with each other? Cue all the Nemesis Mine scenarios, UST-laden sword-fights, etc. Was one of them ever a prisoner of the other 👀? Or maybe they were even unlikely allies, who banded together against some common enemy, and discovered they had even more in common than that? Did Sauron recruit them individually, or did he get them as a package deal? Did he somehow manipulate their relationship to bring them under his thrall? Were they willing servants of the Dark Tower, or were they originally noble figures, whose good qualities were twisted towards evil ends? Did one of them end up in some sort of mortal danger, prompting the other to turn to Sauron to help him save him, only for them both to be caught in his net?
Honestly, I’ll take absolutely any sort of story about these two, any kind of dynamic. Enemies to lovers, enemies with benefits, or even a completely devoted captain and second-in-command? Mordor’s equivalent to the Sacred Band of Thebes??
If you’re into worldbuilding, this pairing has so many opportunities to build on! Cultural differences - and similarities - between the Men of the East and the West. Different perceptions of kingship and lordship, territorial rights, courtship, m/m relationships… the whole lot! I’d love to know more about Easterling history and culture, their POV on the history of Middle-earth.
And how does their bond work as they stop being living men and become wraiths? There’s some sense in canon that although they are totally in thrall to Sauron, they’re not quite mindless drones. The Witch-king in particular seems to have some personality of his own, and the fact that they have different degrees of power suggests there are some traces of individuality still there. Do Angmar and Khamûl retain some sense of their own personalities and their relationship? Do they still have feelings for each other, and if so, how does that gel with the fact that their raison d’être is now wholly to serve Sauron and the Ring? Can wraiths even have personal relationships? Does Sauron get any cruel enjoyment out of manipulating their bond for his own purposes? And what is Khamûl’s reaction when the Witch-king is slain? Is he still able to feel grief?
Pairing: Lady of the Blue Brooch/Last Prince of Cardolan
I’m forever intrigued by the people who inhabited the Barrow-downs before the wights moved in — in particular the lady who owned the blue brooch, and what relationship she may have had with whoever else was buried there. Assuming that it was indeed the final resting place of the last prince of Cardolan, and that the lady of the blue brooch was his wife/betrothed, it sounds like their story has the potential to be a great, heart-rending one.
Was theirs a love story from the beginning, or a political union that grew into more? We can probably assume that the prince was a Dúnadan descended from the Kings (though feel free to explore other options!), but what about the lady? Was she also a Dúnadan, or was she from somewhere else — Rhovanion, Forodwaith, one of the Hillmen of Rhudaur — and if so, was their relationship subject to the same prejudice against intermarriage with Middle Men expressed by the Gondor Númenoreans? (For all we know, she might have been a barmaid from Bree!)
Does the blue brooch have any special significance to their tale? A wedding- or betrothal-gift, perhaps? What are its origins? Or maybe it’s a status symbol of some kind: the way Tom Bombadil specifies that the lady wore it on her shoulder puts me a bit in mind of those jewelled brooches worn at the shoulder in Saxon and Visigothic etc. societies, or the ones you see in late Roman and Byzantine images.
I’d love to know more about them during the war with Angmar. Were they involved in any of the significant events of the war, eg. rescuing the palantír from Amon Sûl? If we assume the prince led his own war-hosts, what role did the lady play? Did she ride with him, or did she remain behind to oversee Cardolan’s strongholds, perhaps organising supplies for the army, shelter for refugees, etc.
If it was the prince’s memories that briefly possessed Merry, that would imply he fell during a surprise night raid. What, then, was the lady’s fate? Was she killed at the same time, or did she last a bit longer? Maybe she killed herself to avoid being taken by the Witch-king’s advancing forces, in classic saga fashion. Or did she lead the remaining Cardolan forces in his place, surviving in one of the refuges among the Downs or in the Old Forest, being buried with him later? Are their names and deeds remembered among the Dúnedain, or are they long forgotten by the time Frodo and the others are imprisoned in their barrow?
Most of my prompts here do tend towards the more tragic side of things, but if you want to do something happier, that’d be great, too. The history of the Downs that Tom Bombadil tells the hobbits makes them sound like quite a nice place before the wights moved in. Is that where they first met? Did they have any favourite trysting spots among the old stones? In the same vein, does Tom’s description of the lady being “fair” imply that he knew her? The prince and the lady meeting Tom and Goldberry could be a nice scenario. Maybe the prince, like Tom, is accustomed to going out and getting the last flowers of summer in for his lady. :)
The Silmarillion - J. R. R. Tolkien
Pairing: Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
I love the relationship between these two so much. Just… the way Beleg’s love for Túrin continually overrides his own better judgement, the constant devotion, the way all of Túrin’s outlaw gang get so jealous of Beleg, the heart-wrenching tragedy of Beleg’s death and Túrin’s complete blue-screen-of-death devastation after it. Just… *screams*
I’d love absolutely anything and everything expanding on what we get in canon. I want to know more about their time fighting together on the borders of Doriath: Beleg training Túrin in Elvish fighting and tracking, battling side by side and back to back against the hordes of Morgoth, rescuing each other and tending to each other’s wounds, their friendship gradually turning into something else as it’s forged in the fire of war. Those lodges used by the Marchwardens also sound like very cosy places when you’re alone out in the wilds together…
I wonder what it would be like for Beleg, falling in love with a Man, especially since it’s been less than twenty years since Lúthien left Doriath for the sake of mortal love. Then there’s the fact that he’s known Túrin since he was a child. The lives of Men must pass in a flash to the Eldar, so I imagine for Beleg there must have been an incredible whiplash moment of realising that Túrin was suddenly an adult — swiftly followed by the disconcerting realisation of “oh no he’s hot”. As for Túrin, I’m tempted to imagine that he always quietly adored Beleg from the time of that first rescue, with that adoration gradually maturing into something more over the years.
Anything set during their time among the outlaws would also be great: Túrin looking after Beleg after he’s been roughed up by the group, renewing their bond, getting to know each other again, fighting together in the Land of Bow and Helm. (Even the entire region ends up being named after the pair of them — I mean!!) Plus if you want to work in Andróg and co. writhing with jealousy in the background, I certainly wouldn’t complain!
For me, the great beauty of this story is very much in its tragedy, so I’m perfectly happy if you want to do something canon-compliant. That said, we fans do tend to be a sappy, soft-hearted lot who just want our faves to be happy, so if you prefer, I certainly wouldn’t say no to an AU where things somehow end happily (or at least, happier). What if Beleg doesn’t die in Taur-nu-Fuin, but accompanies Túrin and Gwindor to Nargothrond (and beyond)? What if Túrin agrees to return to Doriath after all? If you have some idea how the curse might be lifted and they all live happily ever after, go for it!!
Pairing: Celebrimbor/Finrod
These two strike me as having some interesting things in common. They’re both good guys notable for their friendships with other peoples, they both love crafts and jewels and sharing wisdom and expertise. They both also have a certain ambitious streak, and they both come a cropper of Sauron. Plus volume 12 of HOME mentions that Celebrimbor came to love Finrod during his time in Nargothrond, so… :D
The Nargothrond era is probably the obvious time for something to happen between them. Celebrimbor may or may not have known Finrod well before then, but now suddenly he and his father are refugees, and despite former treacheries on the Fëanorian side, Finrod has given them shelter in his kingdom. Maybe Celebrimbor has a serious case of hero-worship to begin with, which grows into something more mature the more he gets to know Finrod. I saw someone post a headcanon once about Celebrimbor serving as Finrod’s cup-bearer in Nargothrond, and a scenario like that would definitely be good for bringing them together. All that close proximity, the growing trust and intimacy…
How would they feel about falling in love? Would it be angsty, perhaps with Celebrimbor feeling torn between his father and his growing feelings for Finrod? Would Finrod be wary about taking advantage of someone under his protection, or constrained by the knowledge of the doom hanging over him? Or do they both quickly figure, well, if it’s genuine on both sides - no harm, no foul?
Would it be a secret relationship, or does word get out? How would their close kin react, especially Curufin and Celegorm? Is Curufin furious and all the more determined to topple Finrod, or does he see an opportunity to turn it to his advantage? Perhaps he’s even the one who puts things in motion, setting up Celebrimbor to seduce Finrod (with or without Celebrimbor realising what’s happening)?
Beren’s arrival on the scene also seems like it might be good fodder for angst and conflicted loyalties. Does he come along and remind Finrod of his oath, just when things are established and going well with Celebrimbor? How does Celebrimbor feel? Does he try to convince Finrod to let him join the Silmaril quest, or is he still, at this point, just not quite able to step out of Curufin’s shadow? Do they have a last emotional farewell before Finrod leaves Nargothrond?
I’ve been concentrating on Nargothrond as the obvious time for something to happen between them, but there are other possibilities. At Himring, maybe, with Finrod visiting Maedhros when Celebrimbor also happens to be there? Maybe they set out together on a diplomatic mission to the Dwarven cities of the Blue Mountains, and discover the things they have in common. Something set post-canon with them both reborn in Valinor would also be lovely. After they’ve both been through torment and death at Sauron’s hands, they’d be in a position to understand each other and help each other heal from the trauma of their old lives. Or what about an AU? Finrod survives Tol-in-Gaurhoth? Or perhaps after being re-embodied, he returns to Middle-earth during the Second Age to help seek and battle Sauron, where he joins Celebrimbor in Eregion. Does he realise Annatar’s true identity, try to extricate Celebrimbor from his evil influence? (I think in this scenario, I’d prefer a happy/hopeful ending, but it’s not an absolute.)
Hello! Thank you so much for making something for me. :D This letter contains a rundown of my general likes and DNWs, as well as some potential prompts for each of my requested ships. If you find something here to inspire you, that’s great - but at the same time, please don’t feel restricted to what’s here, either. If you have ideas of your own that you’d rather go with, I’d love to see them too!
I can be found on AO3 as
If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch via the mod.
Likes
Art likes
Smut likes
DNWs
Beowulf
- Beowulf/Breca
- Beowulf/Unferth
Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
- David Balfour/Alan Breck Stewart
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
- Flavia/Saxon Husband
- Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
- Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
- Lady of the Blue Brooch/Last Prince of Cardolan
The Silmarillion - J. R. R. Tolkien
- Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
- Celebrimbor/Finrod
Likes
• Fic and art of all ratings are great.
• Most genres: humour, angst, fluff, darkfic, hurt/comfort, slice-of-life, character pieces, plotty pieces.
• I love a good happy ending, but the canons/pairings I’ve requested in this round have a definite tendency towards the bittersweet or downright tragic, so if you want to write something sad, I’m ready and willing to have my heartstrings wrenched!
• I’ve got a special fondness for works that fill in characters’ backstories, “missing scenes” from canon, and alternate POVs on canon events. Post-canon settings are always good, of course.
• I love canon compliant fic, but I also love canon divergence AUs. I love exploring the “what ifs” and roads not taken.
• Worldbuilding detail. I always want to know more about whatever world these characters inhabit. Most of my fandoms are in historical/fantasy settings, so if you want to nerd out on the background details and lore, awesome!! But this is definitely not obligatory. First and foremost, I’m here for the characters.
• Intelligent, competent characters being intelligent and competent.
• Characters with tough/stoic/snarky exteriors having to confront and/or show their vulnerabilities.
• Odd couples. I love opposites that attract: characters who seem completely different but complement each other perfectly.
• Banter! I love characters who have a good back-and-forth.
• Characters learning to love again.
• Pining!! I live for good old-fashioned, hopeless pining, especially if it’s mutual and all parties are in silent agonies, equally convinced it can never be. UST and unrequited love also hurt so good.
• The ones in love always being the last to know. Which leads to:
• Outsider POVs are always fun. What do the friends, families, or even enemies think of these two idiots?
• Pairings that cross cultural/class/professional lines, and how they navigate the conflicts that arise.
• Power dynamics in general are great, whether they’re being managed in a healthy way, or just completely fucked up. I’m also entirely weak for the trope where the character who seems to have the most power in the relationship being so totally loopy for the other that they’ll give them anything they want.
• Related to that: loyalty kink, King (or Queen) and Lionheart dynamics.
• First times: first kiss, first confession of love, first time having sex, etc.
• Smut is great, but by no means obligatory. (Smutty likes are below!) Fade-to-black or even just a few sensual details sketched in are equally fine.
• Getting together and established relationship fic are equally good.
• Quiet moments of intimacy: heart-to-heart talks; kisses on cheeks, foreheads, noses, etc.; hand-holding; face-stroking; hair-stroking; cuddles; resting heads on shoulders or chests; forehead-touching, etc.
• When in doubt, there’s always the classic tropes: sex pollen, marriage of convenience that blossoms into something more, fake relationship, only one bed, etc.
• Apart from my requested characters, I'm quite happy with other characters making an appearance in the fic.
Art likes
I know sweet sod all about art, so I find it much harder to come up with prompts on this side. I am sorry about that. Suffice it to say, anything in your own style will be wonderful! But here’s a brief list of some very general art likes:
• Portraits of my requested characters/ships, or an illustration of one of the scenarios I’ve prompted. Illustrations of key scenes from canon would also be very welcome!
• In general, I love images that tell a story.
• Details of costume and material culture.
• I love bold colours as well as black and white, mingling of light and shadow, cell shading.
• If it helps, here are some artists I particularly love: Van Gogh, Matisse, Caravaggio, Ivan Aivazovsky, John Atkinson Grimshaw, Geoff Hunt, Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter, Alan Lee.
• Homages to/spoofs of famous paintings - eg. characters in the pose from Klimt’s Kiss or Burton’s The Meeting on the Turret Stairs.
• Characters drawn in distinctive styles: art nouveau, Disney, etc.
• Effects of different light sources, especially firelight and candlelight; sunsets and sunrises; moonlight and starlight; light on water.
• I also love water effects: rivers and pools, waterfalls, fountains, oceans. I love ripples, currents, spray, etc.
Smutty likes
• Penetrative sex.
• Non-penetrative sex, especially frottage and intercrural.
• Oral.
• Handjobs/fingering/etc.
• Clothed or partially-clothed sex.
• Body worship.
• One character unable to see the other (whether facing away, blindfolded, etc.) and having to rely on their other senses.
• Voyeurism/exhibitionism.
• Mutual masturbation.
• Restraints, bondage.
• Breast/nipple play.
• Orgasm delay/denial.
• Toys.
• Riding, whether the rider is setting the pace or just - ahem - along for the ride.
• Sweet, slow, romantic sex.
• Equally: rough, desperate, oh-god-must-have-you-now fucking.
• Older/more experienced characters guiding their younger/less experienced partners.
• Alternatively, the older/more experienced partner being the cautious one, while the younger/less experienced one is more than raring to go.
• Anything about overcoming shyness and/or inhibitions.
• Power dynamics explored, reflected, or even dismantled through sex. Whether it’s a character in a generally subordinate position who takes charge in the bedroom, or whether one half of the ship holds all the cards, up to and including dub-con/non-con scenarios.
• For dub-con/non-con especially, the “iron fist in a velvet glove” sort of force, subtle - even psychological - force over physical.
• I have no preferences when it comes to who tops or bottoms in my ships, and very often enjoy seeing characters who fandom usually puts on the bottom get to be on top for a change. So if you’d like to depart from the usual orthodoxy, be my guest!
DNW:
• First or second person POV (unless it’s the POV of the original canon).
• Modern/mundane/coffee-shop AUs.
• Soulmate/soulmark/soulbond AUs.
• A/B/O.
• Unrequested non-canon ships. (Appearances by/references to canon pairings are fine.)
• Unrequested gender/sexuality headcanons.
• Watersports.
• Scat.
• Rimming.
• Mpreg.
• Tentacles.
• Most of my fandoms have historical/fantasy settings, with mores very different to ours, so I’m fine with references to characters being married or having sex in their early teens, but would prefer no explicit sexual content involving any characters under 16 (or equivalent, in the case of immortal/supernatural characters). Fade to black is fine, though.
• I don’t mind dub-con/non-con in a kink context, but I don’t want rape/sexual abuse/prostitution as plot devices for tragic character backstory, unless it’s already canon. Even then, I’d prefer not to dwell on it.
Beowulf
Pairing: Beowulf/Breca
From Beowulf’s tale of the swimming/rowing contest, I get the feeling that these two were inseparable, certainly in their youth, and that they probably had all kinds of adventures together. I love brothers-(and more!)-in-arms and battle couples, and they seem admirably suited to those tropes. Having them as young men together also opens the way for all the awkward teenage crushing mixed with competitiveness and bravado, first kisses, first time together, etc. Plus if they’ve known each other since they were young, Breca is probably privy to a side of Beowulf that not many other people get to see: the man behind the myth, the doubts and vulnerabilities that he’s had to overcome while building his reputation.
Even allowing for the fact that he’s speaking angrily, Beowulf’s words about Breca are interesting because while he seems to be someone who is renowned in his own right, with strength to match Beowulf’s own, Beowulf doesn’t credit him as much of a swordfighter. Does this mean that Breca’s renown lies in some other direction? Perhaps in quick wits or diplomacy, or some other way? Alternately, from a certain angle, perhaps Beowulf’s dismissiveness of Breca’s swordsmanship indicates that they’ve fallen out? If so, why — and do they ever make things up again?
Or, if there’s no quarrel, how often do they see each other? What about an AU where Breca travels with Beowulf to Denmark (I’d prefer for him to survive, but given the source material, I’m not going to insist upon it…) Or what about after? By the time of his death, Beowulf is very conspicuously without a son, presumably unmarried, so I’d say there was room for him and Breca to set up together permanently.
Pairing: Beowulf/Unferth
Something about the inherent homoeroticism of challenging each other’s manhood in a crowded mead-hall, then reconciling to the point that you’re willing to give each other your swords. There’s lot of interesting stuff you could do with these two, for sure! Unferth has a lot of fascinating baggage, and it all makes him a very interesting foil for Beowulf. And there’s nothing tastier than narrative foils who also kiss. :D
I wouldn’t complain if you want to focus on the rivalry between them, where they both piss each other off and turn each other in equal measure. Want to explore what other tensions might be simmering during their flyting at the feast? I’m down for that! I’d also really love something exploring the shifting dynamic between them. What is it that makes Unferth come round in the end? Is the moment where he loans Hrunting the first sign of reconciliation between them, or did they get to settle their differences before then? (Where was Beowulf sleeping the night Grendel’s mother attacked?) Beowulf’s POV on their relationship would also be great. Is he at all surprised by Unferth’s hostility? It does really seem to get to him!
I think there’s also some interesting ways in which these two are in a position to really understand each other. Unferth is a kinslayer, and Beowulf’s own father committed an apparently politically-sensitive killing, so he probably has some idea of the stigma Unferth lives with. Likewise, Unferth has a fairly ambiguous position in the court: clearly high-ranking, though living “under a cloud” after killing his brothers, and though Beowulf is now a beloved kinsman of Hygelac and renowned member of the Geatish court, the poem does say that “He had been poorly regarded/for a long time”, so he and Unferth probably can relate to each other on that score. In a nutshell, I’d really like to see what sort of dynamic these two would have in private, minus the public challenges and formal boasting.
Anything else? Something centred around the whole Hrunting thing would be great, because that is clearly a sword of some note. Does Unferth ever get to redeem himself for the killing of his brothers, perhaps with Beowulf’s help?
Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
Pairing: David Balfour/Alan Breck Stewart
This is one of my all-time favourite books, and Davie and Alan are one of my all-time favourite literary double acts. I just love their back-and-forth, and their strong mutual loyalty and respect, despite the vast cultural and political differences between them. Also: “Whereupon he gave me both of his [hands], saying surely I had cast a spell upon him, for he could forgive me anything.” I mean!!!
Any missing scenes would be fab: battling midges, dodging redcoats, and snarking at each other all the way across the Highlands. I’d also love anything set post-canon, because hell, that last chapter is hard on the old heartstrings. Please tell me that they meet again! One post-canon scenario I’d love to see is Alan sneaking back to Scotland to visit David at the House of Shaws, with Davie being like “YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT” while being secretly touched. Maybe Alan meets Mr. Campbell, the minister, and has to grit his teeth and be polite to him for Davie’s sake! Maybe he’s involved in further Jacobite shenanigans, which see him returning to Scotland - and naturally, David gets roped into the madness. Alternatively, Davie mentions studying at Leiden, so maybe he gets to visit Alan in France, or vice versa. Or even an AU where they both have to escape to France after all?
RLS kindly provided us with some wonderfully tropey material to exploit. For all it’s an adventure novel, there are quieter moments which would be great for a relatively, slower-burning coming-together, like those five idyllic days in the Heugh of Corrynakiegh (THERE WAS ONLY ONE COAT!!!). Perhaps some huddling for warmth turns into something else entirely? Or the adrenaline from another successful escape has an unforeseen outlet?
There’s also spades of room for hurt/comfort: I’d love anything about Alan fussing over David while he’s ill, especially in Balquhidder. Their making-up after their quarrel is so hilarious and sweet at the same time, and I’d love to know what sort of heart-to-heart talks they had as soon as Davie was feeling up to it again. Or we could switch the roles about and have Alan be the one in need of some TLC for a change.
The book is entirely from David’s POV, so getting Alan’s perspective could be fun. I’m sure certain things in the story, or about their relationship, would look very different through his eyes! For example, one thing I love is how, in Kidnapped, David says of Alan: “For though he had a great taste for courage in other men, yet he admired it most in Alan Breck,” yet in Catriona, we have Alan saying to Davie, “Man, I wish that I had your courage! […] for auld, cauld, dour, deadly courage, I am not fit to hold a candle to yourself.”
(Speaking of Catriona, I enjoyed it all right, but if you’re not fond, or haven’t read it, feel free to ignore its existence completely.)
There are also a few things that could be interesting to explore, but you may or may not want to deal with them. For example, David in particular is a very religious character, so if you want to delve into historical/religious attitudes towards sexuality, that’s great, but you can also handwave that if it doesn’t appeal to you. (RLS never felt himself especially bound by historical accuracy either!) Another thing is the age difference. Do either of them have any qualms about it?
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
Pairing: Flavia/Saxon Husband
So I’m just after reading this for the second time. Tears were shed. Again. X’D
How did Flavia go from being captive slave to the wife of a Saxon warrior? When Aquila asks her if it’s love or hate between her and her husband, she tells him it’s a bit of both, which makes me wonder so much about what sort of complex and conflicting emotions lie behind those words. I like to think, at least, it means there’s something more going on than just Flavia being utterly forced and unwilling, even if that’s how things started out. And if that’s how it did start, how did things change? Was the birth of Mull a catalyst for something changing between them? How does their relationship progress over the years? Do they have more children? Does Flavia ever tell her husband about how she helped her brother escape his thraldom?
The fact that her husband gives Flavia back the dolphin ring as a bride-gift seems like quite a sweet, respectful gesture, given the circumstances: almost like an acknowledgement or apology for the loss of her family and former life, giving her back something that’s rightfully hers. I’d love to see anything about his point of view - part of me wonders if he was attracted to Flavia after seeing her fighting “like a Fury” during the raid on the farm. We don’t get much information on the husband, so admittedly you’re having to craft a character out of whole cloth. But there are a few things. Flavia describes him as brave, so does that mean she’s had an opportunity to witness his courage in other situations? She also trusts him not to beat her, so has he demonstrated gentleness and kindness to her, perhaps in some unexpected way?
Aquila himself wonders if Flavia’s situation was anything like Ness’, so to be honest, I’d like to imagine that Flavia and her husband were also able to find some common ground and affection. I just want Flavia to find some healing and peace in the end, too. The mingling of peoples and bloodlines is also such an important theme throughout Sutcliff’s work, and I’d love anything exploring the cultural contrasts between Flavia and her husband. How far does Flavia assimilate into Saxon life? What, if anything, of her Roman identity does she hold onto? Does her husband take an interest in her past and family?
Given the circumstances, don’t feel you have to whitewash the brutality or tragedy of the situation. The world of The Lantern Bearers is a harsh one, and I’m fine with portrayals of/references to rape, or at least an attitude of “lie back and think of Roman Britain”, if that’s what the story requires, but I’d prefer there to be something more than that.
Pairing: Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
Firmly in AU territory here, but it’s one of those “Hey, what if…?” ideas that hit me one day. What if Flavia ended up at Dinas Ffaraon and met Ambrosius? It could happen a few ways: either she escapes the raid on the farm by herself, or she does escape from Tanatus with Aquila when he asks. The second version potentially has more drama in it, because it comes with the added complexity of her having lived among the Saxons - especially if she brings Mull with her. What would happen between the British king-in-exile and the runaway wife of a Saxon warrior? It seems to me that there could be so many issues of allegiance and identity to explore by throwing these two together. Does it start with Ambrosius trying to pick her brains about Hengest’s settlement and his military strength, and is she willing to comply? Or does the fact that she does have Saxon ties make her unwilling/conflicted?
There’s also the fact that Flavia was privy to her father’s involvement with Ambrosius’ cause. How does she feel about that now? Up till now, Ambrosius and the royal line might have been more or less an ideal, a symbol of Rome-in-Britain, but now he’s a flesh-and-blood person. Is she a fervent supporter of the cause, or does she feel any resentment over the fact that it was why Vortigern sent the raiders to destroy the farm? How does she feel upon meeting the man behind the symbol?
It’d also be pretty interesting to explore the relationship from Ambrosius’ side, as he is quite a solitary figure, and in Sword at Sunset especially we learn that he has remained unmarried for political reasons. So how very inconvenient (and how narratively delicious!) would it be to see him falling in love, especially with Aquila’s sister, especially if she has a Saxon husband and a half-Saxon son?? As far as the last part goes, there’s also the fact that he’s had the raising of Artos, his brother’s illegitimate son - another child with an uncertain place in Dinas Ffaraon (if not quite so uncertain as Mull’s - his situation might be an interesting side-issue to touch on). Perhaps this is an area where he and Flavia find that they understand each other?
This uncertainty of position might also be something that causes their relationship to develop. How are Flavia and Mull regarded in Dinas Ffaraon? Roman Britons who escaped from Saxon thraldom, or quasi-Saxons to be treated with suspicion? I can’t imagine anyone would dare fuck with the Dolphin’s family, but maybe Aquila asks Ambrosius to take Flavia and her son under his protection whenever he’s away campaigning, and things develop between them from there. (One can only imagine Aquila’s reaction!)
This is the sort of pairing I can imagine developing fairly quietly and organically over the years, almost in tandem with Aquila and Ness’. What sort of relationship do they work out in the end? If you want to take things further, into the Sword at Sunset timeline, how does Ambrosius’ crowning as High King affect things for them? Does it make things easier, or does it simply throw up new challenges for them? If you really feel like breaking my heart, is Flavia still around for Ambrosius’ illness and final hunt…?
(Don’t worry, it’s Sutcliff, so I’m perfectly prepared for a bittersweet, imperfectly happy ending at best, or utter heartbreak at worst!)
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Pairing: Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
The Lord of the Nazgûl and his second-in-command? Now there’s a dynamic rife with possibilities! And hey, they even have matching rings. ;)
Since we know virtually nothing about these two as individuals, you have complete carte blanche to do whatever you like with this idea. And as per my general likes, I love things that fill in characters’ backstories. So tell me all about these two and whatever it is that’s between them. Who were they when they were alive? We know Khamûl was an Easterling, but the Witch-king’s identity is unknown. He may be one of the three Númenórean lords who accepted rings from Sauron, but it’s equally possible he belonged to one of the indigenous kingdoms of Middle-earth. Did he and Khamûl know each other before they joined Sauron - old rivals, perhaps, who were constantly at war with each other? Cue all the Nemesis Mine scenarios, UST-laden sword-fights, etc. Was one of them ever a prisoner of the other 👀? Or maybe they were even unlikely allies, who banded together against some common enemy, and discovered they had even more in common than that? Did Sauron recruit them individually, or did he get them as a package deal? Did he somehow manipulate their relationship to bring them under his thrall? Were they willing servants of the Dark Tower, or were they originally noble figures, whose good qualities were twisted towards evil ends? Did one of them end up in some sort of mortal danger, prompting the other to turn to Sauron to help him save him, only for them both to be caught in his net?
Honestly, I’ll take absolutely any sort of story about these two, any kind of dynamic. Enemies to lovers, enemies with benefits, or even a completely devoted captain and second-in-command? Mordor’s equivalent to the Sacred Band of Thebes??
If you’re into worldbuilding, this pairing has so many opportunities to build on! Cultural differences - and similarities - between the Men of the East and the West. Different perceptions of kingship and lordship, territorial rights, courtship, m/m relationships… the whole lot! I’d love to know more about Easterling history and culture, their POV on the history of Middle-earth.
And how does their bond work as they stop being living men and become wraiths? There’s some sense in canon that although they are totally in thrall to Sauron, they’re not quite mindless drones. The Witch-king in particular seems to have some personality of his own, and the fact that they have different degrees of power suggests there are some traces of individuality still there. Do Angmar and Khamûl retain some sense of their own personalities and their relationship? Do they still have feelings for each other, and if so, how does that gel with the fact that their raison d’être is now wholly to serve Sauron and the Ring? Can wraiths even have personal relationships? Does Sauron get any cruel enjoyment out of manipulating their bond for his own purposes? And what is Khamûl’s reaction when the Witch-king is slain? Is he still able to feel grief?
Pairing: Lady of the Blue Brooch/Last Prince of Cardolan
I’m forever intrigued by the people who inhabited the Barrow-downs before the wights moved in — in particular the lady who owned the blue brooch, and what relationship she may have had with whoever else was buried there. Assuming that it was indeed the final resting place of the last prince of Cardolan, and that the lady of the blue brooch was his wife/betrothed, it sounds like their story has the potential to be a great, heart-rending one.
Was theirs a love story from the beginning, or a political union that grew into more? We can probably assume that the prince was a Dúnadan descended from the Kings (though feel free to explore other options!), but what about the lady? Was she also a Dúnadan, or was she from somewhere else — Rhovanion, Forodwaith, one of the Hillmen of Rhudaur — and if so, was their relationship subject to the same prejudice against intermarriage with Middle Men expressed by the Gondor Númenoreans? (For all we know, she might have been a barmaid from Bree!)
Does the blue brooch have any special significance to their tale? A wedding- or betrothal-gift, perhaps? What are its origins? Or maybe it’s a status symbol of some kind: the way Tom Bombadil specifies that the lady wore it on her shoulder puts me a bit in mind of those jewelled brooches worn at the shoulder in Saxon and Visigothic etc. societies, or the ones you see in late Roman and Byzantine images.
I’d love to know more about them during the war with Angmar. Were they involved in any of the significant events of the war, eg. rescuing the palantír from Amon Sûl? If we assume the prince led his own war-hosts, what role did the lady play? Did she ride with him, or did she remain behind to oversee Cardolan’s strongholds, perhaps organising supplies for the army, shelter for refugees, etc.
If it was the prince’s memories that briefly possessed Merry, that would imply he fell during a surprise night raid. What, then, was the lady’s fate? Was she killed at the same time, or did she last a bit longer? Maybe she killed herself to avoid being taken by the Witch-king’s advancing forces, in classic saga fashion. Or did she lead the remaining Cardolan forces in his place, surviving in one of the refuges among the Downs or in the Old Forest, being buried with him later? Are their names and deeds remembered among the Dúnedain, or are they long forgotten by the time Frodo and the others are imprisoned in their barrow?
Most of my prompts here do tend towards the more tragic side of things, but if you want to do something happier, that’d be great, too. The history of the Downs that Tom Bombadil tells the hobbits makes them sound like quite a nice place before the wights moved in. Is that where they first met? Did they have any favourite trysting spots among the old stones? In the same vein, does Tom’s description of the lady being “fair” imply that he knew her? The prince and the lady meeting Tom and Goldberry could be a nice scenario. Maybe the prince, like Tom, is accustomed to going out and getting the last flowers of summer in for his lady. :)
The Silmarillion - J. R. R. Tolkien
Pairing: Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
I love the relationship between these two so much. Just… the way Beleg’s love for Túrin continually overrides his own better judgement, the constant devotion, the way all of Túrin’s outlaw gang get so jealous of Beleg, the heart-wrenching tragedy of Beleg’s death and Túrin’s complete blue-screen-of-death devastation after it. Just… *screams*
I’d love absolutely anything and everything expanding on what we get in canon. I want to know more about their time fighting together on the borders of Doriath: Beleg training Túrin in Elvish fighting and tracking, battling side by side and back to back against the hordes of Morgoth, rescuing each other and tending to each other’s wounds, their friendship gradually turning into something else as it’s forged in the fire of war. Those lodges used by the Marchwardens also sound like very cosy places when you’re alone out in the wilds together…
I wonder what it would be like for Beleg, falling in love with a Man, especially since it’s been less than twenty years since Lúthien left Doriath for the sake of mortal love. Then there’s the fact that he’s known Túrin since he was a child. The lives of Men must pass in a flash to the Eldar, so I imagine for Beleg there must have been an incredible whiplash moment of realising that Túrin was suddenly an adult — swiftly followed by the disconcerting realisation of “oh no he’s hot”. As for Túrin, I’m tempted to imagine that he always quietly adored Beleg from the time of that first rescue, with that adoration gradually maturing into something more over the years.
Anything set during their time among the outlaws would also be great: Túrin looking after Beleg after he’s been roughed up by the group, renewing their bond, getting to know each other again, fighting together in the Land of Bow and Helm. (Even the entire region ends up being named after the pair of them — I mean!!) Plus if you want to work in Andróg and co. writhing with jealousy in the background, I certainly wouldn’t complain!
For me, the great beauty of this story is very much in its tragedy, so I’m perfectly happy if you want to do something canon-compliant. That said, we fans do tend to be a sappy, soft-hearted lot who just want our faves to be happy, so if you prefer, I certainly wouldn’t say no to an AU where things somehow end happily (or at least, happier). What if Beleg doesn’t die in Taur-nu-Fuin, but accompanies Túrin and Gwindor to Nargothrond (and beyond)? What if Túrin agrees to return to Doriath after all? If you have some idea how the curse might be lifted and they all live happily ever after, go for it!!
Pairing: Celebrimbor/Finrod
These two strike me as having some interesting things in common. They’re both good guys notable for their friendships with other peoples, they both love crafts and jewels and sharing wisdom and expertise. They both also have a certain ambitious streak, and they both come a cropper of Sauron. Plus volume 12 of HOME mentions that Celebrimbor came to love Finrod during his time in Nargothrond, so… :D
The Nargothrond era is probably the obvious time for something to happen between them. Celebrimbor may or may not have known Finrod well before then, but now suddenly he and his father are refugees, and despite former treacheries on the Fëanorian side, Finrod has given them shelter in his kingdom. Maybe Celebrimbor has a serious case of hero-worship to begin with, which grows into something more mature the more he gets to know Finrod. I saw someone post a headcanon once about Celebrimbor serving as Finrod’s cup-bearer in Nargothrond, and a scenario like that would definitely be good for bringing them together. All that close proximity, the growing trust and intimacy…
How would they feel about falling in love? Would it be angsty, perhaps with Celebrimbor feeling torn between his father and his growing feelings for Finrod? Would Finrod be wary about taking advantage of someone under his protection, or constrained by the knowledge of the doom hanging over him? Or do they both quickly figure, well, if it’s genuine on both sides - no harm, no foul?
Would it be a secret relationship, or does word get out? How would their close kin react, especially Curufin and Celegorm? Is Curufin furious and all the more determined to topple Finrod, or does he see an opportunity to turn it to his advantage? Perhaps he’s even the one who puts things in motion, setting up Celebrimbor to seduce Finrod (with or without Celebrimbor realising what’s happening)?
Beren’s arrival on the scene also seems like it might be good fodder for angst and conflicted loyalties. Does he come along and remind Finrod of his oath, just when things are established and going well with Celebrimbor? How does Celebrimbor feel? Does he try to convince Finrod to let him join the Silmaril quest, or is he still, at this point, just not quite able to step out of Curufin’s shadow? Do they have a last emotional farewell before Finrod leaves Nargothrond?
I’ve been concentrating on Nargothrond as the obvious time for something to happen between them, but there are other possibilities. At Himring, maybe, with Finrod visiting Maedhros when Celebrimbor also happens to be there? Maybe they set out together on a diplomatic mission to the Dwarven cities of the Blue Mountains, and discover the things they have in common. Something set post-canon with them both reborn in Valinor would also be lovely. After they’ve both been through torment and death at Sauron’s hands, they’d be in a position to understand each other and help each other heal from the trauma of their old lives. Or what about an AU? Finrod survives Tol-in-Gaurhoth? Or perhaps after being re-embodied, he returns to Middle-earth during the Second Age to help seek and battle Sauron, where he joins Celebrimbor in Eregion. Does he realise Annatar’s true identity, try to extricate Celebrimbor from his evil influence? (I think in this scenario, I’d prefer a happy/hopeful ending, but it’s not an absolute.)
