the journey

The Pink Flamingo - Erestor/Glorfindel - chapter 25

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 23:03:30 GMT

Title: The Pink Flamingo, Chapter 25
Featuring: Erestor/Glorfindel, Elrond, many OCs
Summary: Erestor runs a brothel, Glorfindel enforces the law = arson, murder, general shenanigans in second age Imladris.

A/note: fic did what I specifically told it not to!

Chapter 25 on Ao3

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Thu, 17 Feb 2022 20:28:01 GMT

For:
elfscribe5
pandemonium_213
ysilme
spiced_wine

Also anyone else reading this who has a birthday this month. The wheel turns and once again it is our Big Birthday Month. A little early for some, a little late for others - mainly late, but it's been that month. Wishing everything of the best to all - may there be friendship and love and healing where needed, may there be future hopes and present joys.

Happy birthday, February people! We rock!

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second call for MSV_2022

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 23:04:42 GMT

From the Years of the Trees to the Fourth Age, from sultry tales of the Silmarillion to romances in the Ring Wars ... sound familiar? That's right, Slashy Swaps are back with another chance to make your Tolkien fanfic dreams come true.

My Slashy Valentine is a hand matched slash fiction exchange focused on the people of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. There's still a whole week left to sign up and we would love for you to come and join us. The minimum word count is only 1,200 (there is no maximum, you just do you) and it's a lovely, fandomy way to go into the new year.

Sign-up Period: December 8th to December 22nd
Assignments distributed: by December 29th
Deadline for first time participants: January 31st, 2022
Deadline for veteran participants: February 7th, 2022
Archive opens: February 14th, 2022

For the rules and faqs, go HERE on Tumblr or HERE on AO3.

Click the link for our SIGN UP PAGE

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fic: the pink flamingo - erestor/glorfindel - chapter 23

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 01:34:49 GMT

Title: The Pink Flamingo
Chapter: 23/25
Featuring: Erestor/Glorfindel, Elrond, many OCs
Summary: Erestor runs a brothel, Glorfindel enforces the law, there’s arson, murder, general shenanigans in second age Imladris..

A/note: not trying to jinx it but the end may be in sight!

Chapter 23 on Ao3

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My Slashy Valentine 2021

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 22:41:07 GMT

It's Valentine's Day 2021 and finally a good thing comes out of this year... the MSV_21 swap is open and we have a veritable treasury of fifty-three (53!) fics this round. Go HERE for the full list with links and HERE for the AO3 collection.

Thanks to all the wonderful writers, and the equally wonderful readers, for keeping My Slashy Valentine as varied and exciting as ever. Go, read, enjoy!

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fic: the pink flamingo - erestor/glorfindel - chapter 22

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 00:11:39 GMT

Title: The Pink Flamingo

Chapter: 22/?

Featuring: Erestor/Glorfindel, Elrond, many OCs

Summary: Erestor runs a brothel, Glorfindel enforces the law, there’s arson, murder, general shenanigans in second age Imladris..

A/note: Two challenge fics, a birthday fic, Christmas, life in the time of the plague - and Flamingo is back. And we just passed the 100k mark, which is not bad for a fic that was meant to be about 20k.

Chapter 22 on Ao3

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Snowflake 2021: Day 5

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 23:22:59 GMT

In your own space, promote a canon/talk about a part of canon that you love. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

On a time of night Eärendil at the helm of his ship saw her come towards him, as a white cloud exceeding swift beneath the moon, as a star over the sea moving in strange courses, a pale flame on wings of storm. And it is sung that she fell from the air upon the timbers of Vingilot, in a swoon, nigh unto death for the urgency of her speed, and Eärendil took her to his bosom; but in the morning with marveling eyes he beheld his wife in her own form beside him with her hair upon his face, and she slept.

[Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath]

Something in that last line makes me shiver every time: this is true magic, the big, visible kind, but then she was Lúthien's granddaughter.

Somehow with all the blood and horror going on back at Sirion, the power of this thread of the story almost gets lost. Eärendil gets lambasted for never being home, Elwing is cursed for neglecting her children (Do we know she neglected them? Do we know she didn't try and hide them or send them to safety with a trusted servant? No, we just assume the worst). And yet they were the true heroes of the First Age.

Eärendil was at sea so often because he was seeking a passage west with the idea of reaching the Undying Lands and begging for help. No one else was doing this and some one had to. He was also keeping an eye out for his (in the case of his father, elderly) parents, who had gone off on a similar fool's errand. When Elwing reached him, flying against the wind, dropping finally to the deck almost dead from her efforts (and she probably had the form of an albatross, not a seagull, seagulls just don't go that far that fast), they had two choices: they could go back to Sirion, which Elwing had left in flames, their children's fate out of their hands, or they could go on. And they had the one bargaining chip the Valar might be impressed by, fastened around Elwing's neck. They went on.

They went on through storms, through mysterious mists and illusions, the light from the Silmaril cutting through the unnatural gloom. And finally, they breached all the magical barriers set up against them and reached Elvenhome. They did not, at that point, know they would never be allowed to leave and that their eternity was set to be very, very strange. It was a huge price - their youth (they were both very young), their children, everything and everyone they had ever known was gone. But that paid for the Army of the West and Morgoth's eventual downfall. To me it makes them as brave as, or braver, than any of the sword-wielding warriors who came before them. Also, they won.

(and they would see one of their sons again, after the ages of the world had turned and turned again, and grandsons, and before that they would meet the woman their son had married, and Idril and Tuor were there and I don't care what canon does or doesn't say about that bit).

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Snowflake 2021: Day 4

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 01:55:42 GMT

In your own space, create some goals. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I don't know that I'll have faith in short to medium term goals after the mess that was last year, but here's a few:

Complete the Goodreads Reading Challenge. Which should be absolutely attainable as I kept it embarrassingly low key this time.

Serial killer thing.

Tidy and post the Elwing fic, the Maglor fic, and tighten up Windows.

Use lockdown productively, not all mindless games and online colouring in and chatting on the phone.

Get my hair cut next time there's a dip and it feels safe again. I kept putting it off and now it's at the ugly almost-shoulder length stage again and I have no more patience with it.

Looks less ambitious than the last attempt so that's a plus!

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happy birthday, Narya

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 21:44:48 GMT

Just made it in time my side - Happy birthday, Narya, may this year bring you more peace and pleasure than the last. Wishing you good memories and cooperative muses.

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Snowflake 2021: Day 3

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 22:07:15 GMT

In your own space, tell us who, from one of your fandoms, would you most want to have dinner with (or tea, or a random afternoon visit), And why? This could be a creator, an actor, a costumer, a set designer, a director, a character, a composer, anybody! What would you talk about? What are you dying to know?

Creator - tea with Tolkien, ask him why Gil-galad dead (!!), why no clear resolution on Tuor and Idril (they made it, I just want it confirmed), what happened to Elrond's sons, how did half a continent get drowned (nuclear weapons?), who was Gildor's father really. And why no more Glorfindel?

Also creator: a random encounter with Chris Carter. X-Files season 9, especially The Truth, and the whole of season 10. WHY? (season 11 was as good as the actors could make it, but the above were unforgiveable).

Character: I wouldn't mind a nice long lunch with Idril, I really like her. Or (several) drinks with Gil-galad. Or a walk on the beach with Glorfindel and dinner after. Or a coffee morning (plus shopping) with Erestor. Can I have them all?

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Snowflake 2021: Day 2

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 21:06:57 GMT

IIn your own space (or their own space) interact with someone new.

I often skip this one because I'm not sure about making an effort to say hello purely to fit a challenge prompt, but hey, this time I did it and enjoyed doing it!

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Snowflake 2021: Day 1

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 16:47:38 GMT

In your own space, introduce yourself! Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

That would be my sticky post, top of my journal. I finally upgraded it from a picture and a link into an actual 'who I am and why I'm here'.

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moving on

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:21:26 GMT

The candles were our President's suggestion in place of fireworks seeing as we're locked down without even family visits allowed (watch people do their own thing, as ever). I lit one for the health care workers and one for all those we've lost. Please may this ghastly year be well and truly gone now.

Blessed New Year to all, and may it be kinder than the past 12 (56?) months and not be, as my second born so cynically suggested, 2020-lite. May you and yours stay safe.

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Snowflake 2021

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 03:13:08 GMT

It's back! Snowflake is back! (well almost, back on the 1st). The happy, love letter to fandom time is returning for another round. I don't know how much I'll participate but it's lovely to go check people's posts and see the various corners of fandom come together for those few weeks.

Click the banner and scroll down for more information.

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Last Call - MSV 2021

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 14:23:13 GMT

Hope everyone's having a good weekend. If you're still on the challenge fence, here's a quick reminder...

Sign ups for 2021's My Slashy Valentine close tonight (no one's checking time stamps though, we accept whatever's in the inbox on Monday morning). The minimum word count is only 1,200 with no upper limit -- the only rule is that the story must be complete. All potential slash pairings from the Silm, LotR and The Hobbit are welcome as are all ratings from G to however high your scale goes.

Reminder:
Assignments to be distributed by December 20th
Deadline for first time participants: January 31st (6 weeks)
Deadline for veteran participants: February 7th (7 weeks)
Archive opens: February 14th, 2021

Rules, FAQs and link to sign up page: AO3 community profile

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my slashy valentine 2021

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 01:02:27 GMT

Just a little reminder that there's a week left before sign ups close!

I know it's been a bitch of a year for all of us but the best start I can think of for 2021 (please be kind, 2021) is to enjoy some personal time writing a special gift for someone... we all need a little spoiling right now. Please come and join us - we're friendly, we're versatile, and hey, there's a 1200 word minimum. You can do that!

Sign-up Period: November 29th to December 13th (Sunday)
Assignments to be distributed by December 20th

Deadline for first time participants: January 31st
Deadline for veteran participants: February 7th

Archive opens: February 14th, 2021

Rules and FAQs: Dreamwidth
Rules and FAQs: AO3 community profile

Sign up HERE

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fic: the pink flamingo - erestor/glorfindel - chapter 21

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 00:40:18 GMT

Title: The Pink Flamingo

Chapter: 21/?

Featuring: Erestor/Glorfindel, Elrond, many OCs

Chapter summary: In which Glorfindel sleeps through the night, gets laid, and even has breakfast. And there's some house demolition amongst other things

Chapter 21 on Ao3

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happy birthday, Red Lasbelin

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 21:29:17 GMT

Wishing you a wonderful year of new beginnings and opportunities, that the curse of 2020 be lifted and life be rich with love and warmth. May you know success and creativity and find a surfeit of new recipes, strong plants, good books. And cooperative muses. Love you, dear.

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fic: the pink flamingo - erestor/glorfindel - chapter 20

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 00:25:07 GMT

Title: The Pink Flamingo

Chapter: 20/?

Featuring: Erestor/Glorfindel, Elrond, many OCs

Beta: as ever, Red Lasbelin (aka The Recipient)

Summary: Glorfindel's posting to Imladris should have been straightforward, a way for him to integrate into life in the Second Age while giving Elrond some much-needed assistance. None of that took into account the proprietor of the local house of ill repute, or the presence of a suspected arsonist.

A/note: Covid swallowed the words for so long I thought they wouldn't come back, but -- here they are! My thanks to everyone who reassured me that they would.

The Pink Flamingo: Chapter 20 on AO3

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Sun, 07 Jun 2020 20:17:07 GMT

No reference to covid_19 this time. Too scary.

The laptop - Crowley, his name is Crowley - had to go in to the shop because of a nasty habit of going to sleep uninvited. I am finally back on the 10 year old and no, they don't make them like they used to. In some ways this is good. In other ways, not so good. Still, better than trying to keep up with the world via phone.

Oh, the 10 year old doesn't have an H key, just.a little plastic nub. Makes for interesting typing. Certain other keys seem to be in odd places. And there is no room to download the latest Word so I'm using the 2007 version - also interesting.

But Flamingo chapter 20 has resumed and is off to visit the beta tonight. For a while I thought I may never write again so even a string of 'not there yet' comments are welcome. ~~Maybe post next week~~ ... nonono, not tempting the muses and their evil sense of humour.

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Truth

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 12:59:23 GMT

“When people are voiceless, they will have temper tantrums like a child who has not been paid attention to. And riots are massive temper tantrums from a neglected and voiceless people.”

Martin Luther King Jr

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week 48 or something

Thu, 14 May 2020 03:00:07 GMT

Okay, let's try a repost. DW and I are not friends tonight and my patience is thin with it.

Been quiet because I haven't really had much to say. Not like life has been busy/interesting/marginally different to how it looked last week, though at least this one was a bit different so it's as good a time as any to try and get back into posting. I apologise for last time, I went into a Depression and didn't reply to comments and anyone who knows me knows that isn't my usual style.

And wow, the post is long enough to go under a cut.
( please )
Also - DW crossposting = broken and DW cut = also broken. They have had long enough to get that site to work properly, for pete's sake.

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one of those updates

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 01:21:40 GMT

How can it almost be the weekend again?

I meant to post regularly but I ran out of things to say. I haven't been dealing well the last few days plus my friend the major UTI has returned --- perhaps that's why. Phoned the doctor finally and he's emailed me a script. Maybe my mood will be better once the meds kick in. Right now it feels like this low grade anxiety will be life forever ... we're due to peak only in August which seems forever away.

Cyril is moving us from level 5 lockdown up to level 4 (or is it down? I can't decide). Level 4 resembles most other people's full lockdown. (We always have to get extreme over here). From May 1 - Workers Day, yet - we will be allowed to exercise in the wide world beyond our own yards. And buy cigarettes (I have a friend this is very important to). Still no alcohol - home brewing and black market continues. A few industries can go back to work with reduced workforce but we only get the details tomorrow. One day (in the faaaar distant future) I will be able to have my laptop repaired. It's usable but there is an annoying Thing that has to be seen to.

I don't know how much life will ease here in the Cape, we're the country's epicentre and our premier has already said if figures keep going up he has the authority to return us to level 5 --- which is unfair of course, the reason our numbers are higher is because of ramped up testing and we're way more efficient at following up contacts due to our TB program.

...and then I wrote more and it got whiny and boring so I deleted it. Ray has 'underlying health issues' so I need to stop fighting it and accept the confinement will last longer for us. Heck, we have food, a small but cosy flat and I have a nice sunshine yellow mask. Compared to millions of other South Africans, we are truly blessed. But I miss my family and I miss knowing I can walk on the beach.

( grandbabies again )
And also Manny's Fish & Chips!

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Oshun

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 00:14:54 GMT

Wishing you moments of joy amongst the current tension, safety for those you love, good food to cook, satisfying books to read, time for creativity, better health, a year with more kindness at its end than the beginning has wrought. Happy birthday, Oshun.

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my lockdown update

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:20:32 GMT

Day 4,268 (or thereabouts) of our captivity. Confined to home, allowed out only for grocery or pharmacy runs or to seek medical help. The BBC commended us for having one of the most (on paper) stringent lockdowns in the world. They're not kidding.

Apparently it's very important to have routine and goals but my focus is not what it should be. I thought it would be a good time to be Creative, but find it's incredibly hard to try and write (two wips waiting, me staring blankly at Word). I remember that period between my cancer diagnosis and surgery, how I'd planned to fill the waiting time with drawing and writing and could not manage a single line of either --- I do not create well under stress. That really annoys me about myself. I am however becoming very good at online colour by numbers and Wordsdom.

Officially we have 9 days left though I have no idea how Cyril can lift the lockdown next week - maybe relax some of the really strict rules, let the addicts have their cigarettes at least! (thank god I no longer smoke, that must be agony). More has to be done about getting food to people who now have no income - in particular the ones who had informal jobs that have now vanished, because they are probably not getting any kind of a grant. I heard a woman talking about how she collects junk for recycling and now the recycling sites are closed and her family has no food, could hear the fear in her voice. Government is doing what it can, and there are food parcels being rolled out on a provincial level, but we were in a recession even before covid came to visit, there is no way they can give everyone who is suddenly without an income money to carry them through.

On the bright side, as of tonight 1,749 confirmed cases, only 13 deaths ('only' is relative, it is not 'only' to family and friends). This is set to rise sharply now they've started wider testing, though those results are only just starting to come through and won't be a factor for a couple more days.

Okay, I did not realise I was quite this flat till I started writing. It's what happens when the days all start running together (see banner). Tomorrow will be a better mood, I will try for Routine and Goals. And a List. And a sense of humour. And maybe go for an illegal walk around the complex.

Be safe ❤

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