Innumerable Stars Letter 2019

[narya_flame]

 Dear Creator,

 

Hi! Thank you for making a gift for me; I'm really excited to see what you come up with.

 

There's no real theme to my selections, other than “characters I love/find interesting/want to see more of.” I'd be equally delighted to receive something about any of them, and I enjoy fanwork content of all genres and ratings – portraits, comics, mood boards, fluff, gen, angst, smut, vignettes, darkfic, horror, it's all good. Honestly, if you stay out of my DNWs, you can't go wrong.

 

I've included a list of likes and prompts below as I know a lot of people prefer to have them, but if these don't appeal then feel free to junk the whole set and follow your muse. I don't want this to be stressful and this letter is in no way intended as a shopping list. (Also please feel free to take fic prompts and turn them into art, combine prompts, swap things around and blur the boundaries wherever you like.)

 

 

 General Likes

 

 Fic

 

- Complex character dynamics

- Conflicting motivations

- Found families/families of choice

- Canon divergence and “fix it” AUs

- Grief and tragedy

- Hope, redemption and reconciliation

- In-world myths and legends

- Unusual perspectives, minor characters, original characters and textual ghosts

- Unreliable narrators and quirky narrative structures – for example, epistolary, fragmented narratives, stories told through found documents, framing devices, stories told out of chronological order

- In-world meta – scholarship, catalogues, bestiaries and spellbooks, marginalia, letters, working papers and project notes

- Philosophical musings

- Anything to do with languages, linguistics and alphabets

- Twist endings/a sting in the tail (sting in the tale...?)

 

Art

 

- Maps! Maps are amazing! (Tricky for this exchange since it is character focused, but if you can make it work, brilliant.)

- Clothing, jewellery and hair

- Close ups of tiny details like stitching, beading, engraving, etc.

- Depictions of the natural world

- Facial expressions conveying more than one emotion at once

- Unusual perspectives – through a window, over a gate, down a tunnel, from a distance...

- Anything that plays with colour, light, shadow, space and movement

 

Either

 

- Worldbuilding details

- Dragons! (I have a thing about dragons...)

- Objects and places with special significance – a “sense of history”

- Food, drink and celebration

- Battle scenes and/or aftermath

- Storytelling, riddles and poetry

- Candlelight

- Libraries, archives and other knowledge repositories

- Myth, folklore and fairy-tale

- The supernatural and uncanny – ghosts, magic, telepathy...

- Fusions of science and magic

 

Middle-earth Specific Likes

 

Middle-earth is canonically our world, so I'll eat up any of the following with a spoon:

 

- Unusual takes on the creation myth and the origin stories for the various races

- A more scientifically accurate interpretation of the history of Middle-earth, including the round world version of the mythology

- Middle-earth characters in the modern world, or throughout known history – obviously Maglor is the classic one here, but there are plenty of others it could work for, especially if you're willing to bend/break the canon a little

- Middle-earth characters having visions of events from the future (i.e. our known past) and not fully understanding them

- Any explanation of how Tolkien knew the mythology (bonus points for cameos from CS Lewis and other Inklings)

- Modern characters or characters from known history discovering stories or artefacts from Middle-earth

 

Relationship Likes

 

Many of these could equally apply to friendships or romantic relationships, so I haven't specifically labelled them all.

 

I realise that a lot of my prompts relate to individual characters, so it's probably worth saying here that you're welcome to include whoever else you like in your story or art. My feelings on basically all the canon characters sit somewhere on a scale from “you're fascinating” to “I love you,” I'm easily sold on new ships, and I am a big advocate of original characters.

 

- Developing friendships and budding romances

- Banter and teasiing

- Pre-ship feeling navigation

- Bedsharing – platonic or otherwise

- “The little things” - light brushes with fingertips, smiles across a room...

- Forehead kisses

- Fierce loyalty and devotion

- Deep platonic friendship (especially male-female)

- Hurt/comfort (feel free to go heavy on the hurt, e.g. slow recovery from a serious illness or injury)

- Situational relationships – enemies having to work together, or people who wouldn't normally be drawn to each other forming a bond through circumstance

- Occasional hookups/“friends and a bit more”

- Emotional reunions after long separations

- Friendship developing into romance

- Friends or lovers working together in battle

- Enemies/rivals to lovers

- Navigating bumps (or major mountains) in the road

- Tempestuous, complex or unhealthy relationships (see section on darker stuff); passionate encounters between individuals who would be terrible together long term, but can't resist each other in the here and now

- First times

- Quiet moments

- Depictions of happy, long term relationships/growing old together/very old friends looking back on their shared history

 

Smut Likes

 

No obligation at all here – write or draw whatever you're comfortable with.

 

- Breath play

- Blood play

- Knifeplay

- Biting and scratching

- Helplessness

- Bathing

- Swimming

- Sex in or near water

- Hair brushing/washing/braiding

- Sex exploring power dynamics and/or deeply informed by characters' history together

- Comfort sex

- Sleepy sex

- Neck kissing

- Foreplay

- “Thank god you're alive” sex

- Sex after serious injury

- Gags

- Blindfolds

- Light bondage

- Aftercare

- Feathers

- Ice

- Piercings

- Differing experience levels

- Enthusiastic consent

- Reading erotic literature together

- Orgasm delay/denial

 

Darker Stuff

 

If your muse takes you down a more disturbing path, I'm fine with that. I do appreciate stories and artwork that deal with more difficult themes, although as with the smutty stuff, there's no expectation to go here if you don't want to.

 

- Whump/hurt without comfort, including terminal illness or fatal injury

- Mental illness, including depression and suicidal thoughts

- Substance abuse

- Death and grief

- Torture

- Psychological manipulation and abuse

- Unhealthy relationships/relationships with troubling dynamics, including obsession, jealousy and co-dependency

- Possession

- Dark magic and curses

- Corruption and decay

- Sentient nature

- Resurrection and necromancy

- Being trapped in a small dark space, possibly with something terrifying lurking nearby

- Ghost and horror stories

 

DNWs

 

- Character bashing 

- Crack fic

- Explicitly described rape

- Focus on scat, vomit or bodily fluids (blood from injuries is OK)

- Childbirth or pregnancy, except a passing mention

- A/B/O

- Heavy/lifestyle BDSM

 

(This should go without saying, but for the record, it's not that I don't think these things should exist. I do in fact enjoy fic about some of these things, but I'm choosy about the how and the wherefore, so it's easier for exchanges if I just opt out of them.)

 

Requests

 

The Silmarillion

 

Amras/Vána. I don't know how I got this into my head as A Thing, but it's there now and it's staying put. I don't have any specific prompts for this; anything you'd like to explore or depict is fine by me, although I headcanon Amras as a talented healer, if that's a road you'd like to travel.

 

Anairë/Eärwen. I love these two together, and would be thrilled with whatever you would like to create about them – a romance before their respective marriages, comforting each other after the Darkening, or a quiet moment by the shores of the sea. Or, if you love Finarfin and can't bear to leave him out...

 

Anairë/Eärwen/Finarfin. An OT3 to follow an OTP. I could easily see this happening after Fingolfin leaves for Middle-earth, and Finarfin turns back. Not straight away, perhaps; I think they would all need time to heal and forgive and accept, but I like the idea of the three of them comforting one another and eventually forming a triad. (Up to you what the Valar and other remaining Elves make of it, or just don't have it come up if that isn't something you're interested in exploring.)

 

Celegorm. My favourite walking disaster. I'm especially interested in his relationships with his cousins, his adventures with Huan, and his time as a ruler and commander in Middle-earth. If you want to explore his darker deeds, I'm fine with that too, but please don't depict him as an irredeemable villain. (If you want to do shipping, I like him with Aredhel, Finrod or Oromë.)

 

Elemmakil/Voronwë. A bit of a rare pair, but one I'm very fond of. That scene at the Outer Gate gives me chills every time I read it. Were they lovers before Gondolin? What was going through Elemmakil's head when Voronwë returned with Tuor? What happened to Elemmakil when Gondolin fell? If you're making art, I would love to see a depiction of Gondolin in its full glory...

 

Erendis/Uinen. I fell madly in love with this ship last year, so please feed my obsession! I see this one as fraught with complications and jealousy, but I am definitely on board with a happy ending for Erendis, if that tickles your fancy.

 

Finduilas Faelivrin. Finduilas is a quiet favourite of mine. I get the impression that she is a calm, thoughtful, measured person (Túrin begs her for counsel even after her death, although admittedly he’s deep in grief at the time) and I love the epessë Gwindor gives her - Faelivrin, “Gleam of the Sun on the Pools of Ivrin.” This has had a lot of influence on how I imagine her - sunny, gentle, still, contemplative, beautiful in a refreshing, natural way, with hidden depths and a tough, hard streak that only becomes visible in certain circumstances. If you're a Celebrimbor fan, I headcanon them as good friends, or how about something with her and Gwindor? Sad or happy, your choice!

 

Hiril. A somewhat neglected member of Haleth's house! We know almost nothing about her, so go crazy. Was she a warrior? What did she think of her legendary great-great-aunt?  What was her fate? I'm really interested in the culture and customs of the Haladin too, so feel free to get into some worldbuilding details if you'd like to.

 

Houseless Elf. Hallowe'en won't be far away by the time reveals roll around, so feel free to frighten me under the covers with a scary story or spooky artwork. Dark and disturbing is fine here; perhaps a character is haunted by a vengeful spirit from their past, and eventually meets a grisly fate. A cosier take on the supernatural is fine too if that's what you'd prefer – maybe Nargothrond or Himring has a friendly ghost? Or perhaps a character from a later Age, or even our times, has a mysterious encounter they can't quite explain... (I've also requested this tag under The Lord of the Rings, so if you want to put it in a Third Age setting, feel free.)

 

Ingwion. I love Ingwion an unreasonable amount, considering he has barely any canon “screen time,” and I'll be happy with whatever you'd like to explore here. Culture and customs of the Vanyar? Battle plans during the War of Wrath? (I have ideas about him being close friends with Finarfin, if that's something that appeals to you.)

 

Maedhros & Original Character. Maedhros/Fingon is canon to me, and I always enjoy seeing him being the protective older brother and cousin, but for this exchange I'm interested in the friendships he forged outside his family. There must have been some, either in Aman, or later in Middle-earth – a tutor who taught him some unexpected life lessons? A healer from Fingolfin's camp by Lake Mithrim, who really, really does NOT want to like the traitorous Fëanorion in their care? A Dwarvish craftswoman? A little girl of the House of Marach, who wants to be a soldier like her father?

 

Maglor. Maglor in history is my catnip! Any period you're interested in is good by me, although if you need inspiration, I'd love to know what he got up to during World War Two, or the Renaissance, or the days of the Roman Empire. For something more light-hearted, maybe his thoughts on modern or contemporary music? Who are his favourite band? Or, if you'd prefer to stick to a First Age setting, I'm always up for Finwion family fun or angst.

 

Original Animal Character. We know about the Eagles, and Huan, and Rochallor, and of course the fearsome dragons, but what about animal helpers and companions whose tales were never told? A pack of wolves who shelter an injured character? A transient whale who makes friends with the residents of Sirion, or Alqualondë, or the Havens? A messenger bird who crosses half of Beleriand bearing tidings of war? (I've also requested this tag under The Lord of the Rings, so if you want to put it in a Third Age setting, feel free.)

 

Original Awakened Elf. I'd love to know more about Cuiviénen, and fanworks which play with the origins of the Elves are fascinating to me. (I'm completely open to unconventional takes here.) Some in-world meta could be brilliant, or even the thoughts of an Awakened Elf who made it to a later Age. How would they feel fighting in the Last Alliance, or battling against the long defeat in the Third Age?

 

Original Character/Original Character. Consider this your invitation to write romance or smut featuring characters of any race or gender you please! A comedy of manners among the nobility of Númenor? A starry-eyed Vanya falling hopelessly for their Ainu mentor? A tragic romance during the War of Wrath? It's entirely up to you!

 

Original Character from the Guild of Venturers. Avast! (Ahem.) I'd love some high-seas shenanigans featuring one of my favourite groups of Second Age characters. A swashbuckling adventure? Being stalked by a menace from the deeps? Battling a storm? A quieter moment on board? Seeing Middle-earth for the first time? I'm here for whatever you decide to create. Feel free to have Gil-Galad and Aldarion appear too, but I'd prefer the focus to stay on the OCs.

 

Original Character from the Gwaith-i-Mírdain. Second Age Eregion? Yes, please! I'd love to see more about what Celebrimbor and his brotherhood got up to, and I'm fine with Annatar appearing. Again, in-world meta could be amazing here – project notes and sketches, scholarship, letters – or just slice-of-life. (Please don't have Celebrimbor hating Fëanor and/or Curufin, or being ashamed of his heritage, though – complex feelings and reservations are fine, but I'd prefer him not to be completely negative about them.)

 

Pengolodh. I'd love something exploring how Pengolodh's experiences and biases influenced how he depicted the events of the Silmarillion. Where did he get his information? How was he able to record, verbatim, conversations that he couldn't possibly have heard? What was it like for him to meet survivors of other societies at Sirion after the isolation of Gondolin? Or, if you're making art, an example of his illuminations or his sketches of the “gesture-systems” referenced in HoME XI could be amazing.

 

Quennar i Onótimo. If anyone has ever had the urge to get geeky about historiography and the reckoning of time in Tolkien's work, this is the prompt for you! I don't mind whether you want to explore his scholarship, or his personal life, or a mixture, but I love shadowy figures who hide in the margins of the texts; I can't help wondering about their untold stories. What secrets might Quennar's story hold?

 

Varda/Ungoliant. Love, love, love this pairing – deities of Light and Dark, lusting and hating, from before the beginning until after the end. I have seen vore prompts for this ship before and would definitely be down with that; it's not stretching canon much to imagine Ungoliant wanting to devour Varda. Exploration of the evolution of myths and folk tales about these two would be fascinating too, or, for something completely different, an imagining of what they might have become as the Ages passed. Would Varda fade and diminish as people cease to believe in her? Are there fragments of Ungoliant lurking dormant in in some of our modern arachnids, waiting...?

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

Battles of the War of Wrath
Calendars in Middle-earth and Valinor
Cosmology
Cultures and Customs among the Vanyar
Diplomacy in Beleriand
Doors of Middle-earth
First Age Infrastructure and Trade
Gondolin Society
Hauntings of Middle-earth
Healing/Medicine
Historical Bias
Making Cheese
Policies and Beliefs of the King's Men
The Projects and Achievements of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain
Romantic friendship/queerplatonic relationships/ambiguity
The Shadow-Shapes in the Hills above Cuiviénen
Sirion
Song Power
Songs for the Dead
Survival at Sea

 

The Lord of the Rings

 

Amrothos & Erchirion. What did Imrahil's younger sons get up to after the War of the Ring? Maybe they went as emissaries to the East or the South, or perhaps served in the house of the new King, or with the Prince of Ithilien. I'd be up for anything here, from political intrigue to brotherly bonding and adventuring.

 

Arwen. I'd love to see Arwen the scholar, or Arwen the warrior, or Arwen the political tactician. I'm also interested in which part of her heritage comes through most strongly – does she have a fierce Noldor streak? Or maybe she's more in touch with her Maia side? Something about her crafting abilities could be fascinating too – I was intrigued by the headcanons in this post about the banner she wove for Aragorn, and meant to explore them further, but I haven't quite got round to it yet.

 

Éothain (Rider of Rohan) - The horselords were my first fandom love, and I have a disproportionate amount of ideas and feelings about Éothain, the member of Éomer's éored who scoffed at the existence of hobbits. I'd be up for anything about him – his relationship with Éomer, his family, his childhood, why and how he became a soldier – and about Rohan more broadly – social structures, cultures and customs, games and celebrations, food and drink. I also love seeing canon events from different viewpoints, so how about showing one of the battles through his eyes?

 

Gilmith - There's no canon basis for it, but I can't help wondering whether Gilmith was offered the choice of the Peredhil, and which kindred she would choose to align with. Perhaps she went looking for her mother, which is why we don't hear any more of her in the canon texts? Maybe they're still around, a mother-daughter team continuing to explore the world and its wonders...

 

Houseless Elf; Original Animal Character – see Silm prompts above.

 

Lalia Clayhanger & Pearl Took. Cosy Shire murder mystery, anyone? Did Pearl stand to gain anything from Lalia's death? Or did someone set things up to make her look guilty...?

 

Original Character & Original Character. Legolas and Gimli can't have been the only weird buddy couple wandering around during and after the War of the Ring. Perhaps an adventurous young Hobbit befriends an Entwife, or a lingering Elf. Maybe two soldiers of Gondor and Rohan form a bond on the battlefield. Or what about the friendships forged by women, left behind while their sons and brothers and husbands go off to fight? Alternatively, feel free to take things further back and explore the early Third Age; I'm fascinated by this period.

 

Original Characters from Cardolan, Arthedain and Rhudaur; Original Character(s) from Rohan; Original Éothéod Character(s); Original Fallohide Character(s); Original Lossoth Character(s). See above re my love of original characters. I would be thrilled to see any of these depicted in fic or art, so please go wild.

 

Vidumavi - The Northmen of Rhovanion fascinate me. What was Vidumavi's role in the royal household? What was she like before her marriage – a hunter? A healer? A dreamer? How did her relationship with Valacar begin, and flourish? I'd also be really interested in something exploring the tension between her culture and her husband's, and the shadow that her shorter lifespan undoubtedly cast over their relationship.

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

 
The Alliance Between Gondor and the Northmen of Rhovanion
Calendars
Children of Elrond with skills inherited from Lúthien, and Galadriel's foresight
The Choice of the Peredhil
Elven Realms After the Defeat of Sauron
Female Warriors
Fourth Age Politics
Gender Roles in the Shire
Hauntings of Middle-earth
Hobbitish Politics: A Benevolent Anarchy?
Laws of Succession in Rhovanion
Libraries and Archives
Rangers and Hobbits
Rohan After the War of the Ring
Rohirric Customs
Trade and Diplomacy in the Early Fourth Age
Unwritten Social Rules of Hobbit Society
Wars of Rhovanion
We're In Need of a Healer

 

The Hobbit (book)

 

Original Beorning Character. There's so little to go on here in canon, so go mad! How did they get their shapeshifting abilities and at what age does this power kick in? Do Beorning playtimes consist of naughty bear cubs tearing around and getting in their families' way? What does it look/feel like when they change? We know they speak Westron, but do they have their own language and alphabet too? I imagine them to have an oral storytelling culture, so maybe something with them all sitting out under the stars on a summer night, sharing tales.

 

Original Man of Dale. This character doesn't necessarily have to be male – but I'd be thrilled to get something about Dale in its glory days, either art or fic. Slice-of-life would be great here, or in-world meta – how about sketches of toy designs, or notes kept by a travelling trader?

 

The Ravens of Erebor. The ravens of the Lonely Mountain are so interesting. I'd love to know what their culture was like, and the nature of their alliance with the Dwarves. How did it start? Was there a formal bond/agreement to help one another in times of need?

 

Smaug. When I first read The Hobbit as a kid, Smaug was my favourite character, and this hasn't changed. The combination of malice, vanity and charisma were thrilling, and only grew more so as I got older and read the Saxon and Norse literature that inspired Tolkien. I would love anything depicting this slippery old wyrm, whether it's an idea for his origins, interactions with other characters, or simply him brooding and guarding his treasure.

 

The Stone Giants. They only make a fleeting appearance, but it's enough to make me curious. Are they sentient creatures? Do they awaken with the storm, or create it? An origins story would be fascinating here, or art depicting their creation/birth, or perhaps a piece of in-world lore or history about them.

 

Took Fairy Ancestor. Who was the mysterious fairy who married into the Took line? I'm inclined to think they weren't an Elf, although one of the Avari might fit; I tend to think some kind of nature spirit, perhaps similar to Goldberry. I'd be interested in any take on this mysterious figure, from a traditional fairy-tale to something eldritch and weird.

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

Dragon Magic
The Foundations of Erebor
History and Culture of the Beornings
How to Talk to Dragons
Languages of Birds
Maps & Map-making
The Merry Bells of Dale
Powers and Properties of Dragon Fire
Relations Between Erebor and Laketown/Dale
Relations Between the Ravens and the Dwarves of Erebor
Smaug Comes To Erebor
The Toy Markets of Dale
Trade and Trade Routes

 

The Hobbit (Jackson movies)

 

Thranduil & Arathorn. “His father Arathorn was a good man. His son might grow to be a great one.” Yes, I know, it's a shameless cheesy wink to LOTR fans, but that line at the end of BotFA intrigues me. How did Thranduil know Arathorn – and his son, come to that? Maybe Arathorn crossed the Misty Mountains and went adventuring in Mirkwood in his youth?

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

 
The Magic of the Elves of Mirkwood
Powers and Properties of Dragon-Fire

 

The Fall of Arthur

 

Guinever. “Fair as fay-woman and fell-minded”? Tolkien's interpretation of Arthur's queen is...a little on the dark side. She is brave, proud, ruthless, clever, manipulative and fascinating – and the continued use of “fay” in the text (and her own musings on turning men's fates to her own ends) suggests she has some kind of otherworldly power. I don't have any specific prompts beyond the worldbuilding tags, but I'd love art of her, or a glimpse inside her head.

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

 
Guinever's Fay Magic
Mirkwood under Mountain-shadow
Roman Ruins
The Runes of Power on Gawain's Sword

 

The Father Christmas Letters

 

Grandfather Yule; the Great Bear; the Green Brother. These are all shadowy figures in the book, meriting only a passing mention, but I'd be thrilled with anything that explores their nature and domains further. I can't help wondering if the Green Brother is an “older” version of Father Christmas – the version we see dressed in green robes and crowned with holly, before Clement Clarke Moore clad him in red? Or maybe he's some kind of summer spirit, or Green Man. Does Grandfather Yule represent a darker, more dangerous side of the midwinter festival? And what or who is the mysterious Great Bear?

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

 
The History of Christmas
Making the Northern Lights
The Nature of the Green Brother

 

The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun

 

Aotrou; Aotrou/Itroun; Corrigan; Children of Aotrou and Itroun; Itroun/Corrigan; Original Attendant of Itroun. I read this poem for the first time this year, and I'm in love. (If you haven't read it I thoroughly recommend it; it doesn't take long.) The Breton setting! The creepy Corrigan! Curses! Bargains! Magic! There's so much you could do with this, and I'd be thrilled to get something really dark here – non-con is more than OK, and I'd love to see blood magic explored through the lens of sex.

 

Alternatively, how about a bit of post-canon exploration? I can't help thinking that Aotrou and Itroun's twin children might one day go looking for revenge on the wicked fairy whose tricks and wiles caused their parents' deaths. Flipped POV is always fascinating, too. Perhaps the Corrigan isn't so wicked as all that. Maybe she has a story of her own to tell...

 

(NB this fandom is an exception to my pregnancy and rape DNWs.)

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

 
Blood Bonds and Blood Magic
Daily Life in Aotrou and Itroun's Halls
Dark Rituals
Rules Lawyering: Curses and Bargains
Source and Nature of the Corrigan's Magic

 

Roverandom

 

The Great White Dragon; the Sea Serpent; Uin. Please note this is an art request only. I adore the worldbuilding in this story, and I'd love to see illustrations of some of the great mythical beasts that Roverandom encounters on his adventures.

 

Tolkien (2019 movie)

 

Please note this is a fic request only.

 

Mabel Tolkien. Not so long ago, I went to the Tolkien exhibit at the Morgan in NYC, and one thing I hadn't appreciated was how much influence Mabel Tolkien had on her son. I knew that she passed her faith onto him and its impact on his work is well-documented, but I hadn't realised, for example, how much she loved linguistics and fairytales, that she gave Ronald his love of plants, or that her handwriting was so incredibly beautiful - they had a couple of her letters from South Africa on display, and the script is ornate and precise and really tiny. The building blocks for so much of Tolkien's work came from her, and yet I don't really see her discussed much; I even did a Tolkien module at university, and my tutor didn't bring her up once.

 

Maybe the recent Tolkien biopic has sparked more interest in his background and family. If that sounds like you, and you're up for it, I would love to see Mabel's life and interests explored.

 

J.R.R. Tolkien & Prof. Joseph Wright. "Years before I had rejected as disgusting cynicism by an old vulgarian the words of warning given me by old Joseph Wright. ‘What do you take Oxford for, lad?’ ‘A university, a place of learning.’ ‘Nay, lad, it‘s a factory! And what’s it making? I'll tell you. It‘s making fees. Get that in your head, and you‘ll begin to understand what goes on.‘ Alas! by 1935 I now knew that it was perfectly true. At any rate as a key to dons' behaviour." - Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.

 

I don't have any specific prompts (beyond this quote, which I love, because it's so Yorkshire), but I'd be delighted to see something with Tolkien and his linguistic mentor.

 

Optional Worldbuilding Tags for This Fandom

 
A Better World
The Importance of Linguistics and Philology
Listening to Fairy Tales
Pre-WW1 Oxford
Tolkien's Childhood in South Africa
WW1 Poetry

 

Crossovers

 

Carnán & Nielíqui. Carnán is my favourite thing about the Shadow of Mordor video games.  She feels like she belongs in canon!  I'm intrigued by how she might get on with a child of Oromë and  Vána – or might they even be one and the same...?

 

Celegorm & Paksu & Valkotukka. This is my self-indulgent fluff request. I don't know how they'd meet (portals between worlds, maybe?) but I'd be so happy to see it happen. Perhaps one of the cubs is injured, and Celegorm has to take care of them. Feel free to set this after the First Age and explore some of Celegorm's darker deeds, but I'd like this to be happy overall, or at least hopeful.

 

Goldberry & Lalaith. I'm in love with the idea of Goldberry encountering the ghost of little Lalaith. I don't mind whether you want to depict Goldberry as a comforting mother and friend figure, or whether her interactions with Lalaith's spirit take a darker turn. Does Tom get to meet Lalaith too? Or maybe Lalaith likes to hang out by the Withywindle, leading unwary travellers to the water with her laughter...