#sometimes you just don't want to read fanfics anymore

You know, here's a small rant from me: I hate it when Celebrimbor is shown to be a "softie-boy" or a "naïve child" or just... someone condescending and stupid. Like, yeah I'm guilty of it too (who isn't?) but it just makes me wonder why he's presented as that in fics anywhere.

I read this fic on AO3? Celebrimbor is a stupid duck. Or he's just very naïve and easy to prank. I read another fic? Celebrimbor is a whiny baby who can't stand up for himself. I read another one? He's a man-child.

Look, I get why he's presented in that way, but can we not do that? Especially considering the things this boy has gone through which really wouldn't make him a "child-like" person, but more of a mature adult who has experienced things no one should ever experience.

Before and during the First Age, he's experienced so much:

Nerdanel and Feanor falling out -- that basically messed up entire Aman back then, but mainly their kids, so imagine how Curufin would have reacted to that.
The feud between Feanor and Fingolfin and Finarfin
The time when Feanor threatened Fingolfin
The time when the Two Trees were destroyed
The time when Melkor killed his great-grandfather Finwe.
Feanor going Mad™
The uprising of the Noldor
The First Kinslaying
His grandfather going feral and his father and uncles swearing an oath on a literal suicide-mission
One of his youngest uncles getting burned and basically died (or lived, depends on which version you follow)
A time of literal darkness. Like, no light at all. It really messed up the psyche of so many people.
Feanor abandoning his brother on the shores of Valinor -- that would mess up anyone really.
A literal battle. Like, more blood is being shed -- not only of elves, but of other creatures Tyelpe has probably never seen or heard of before.
His grandfather being so consumed by his fire and spontaneously combusting. That too, he either saw or heard of Feanor literally bursting into flames -- that is pretty traumatising.
The crossing of the Helcaraxe -- no seriously, that would mess anyone up knowing that people they love are literally walking on glaciers and over deathly waters with a 50% chance of survival.
Maedhros being crowned King of the Noldor, and an unspoken fact that there is more than one king of the Noldor -- the political implications here...
The abduction of Maedhros. Need this be explained further?
His uncles and father being concerningly close to starting a whole world-war
The rising of the Sun and the moon (like, what are those big spheres in the sky? Are they something from Melkor? Are they a sign of the End™? What is it?)
The arrival of Fingolfin's group, with more dead and furious people.
The mental health of everyone deteriorating. No, I won't explain because this era was filled with bad times.
No one knowing what to do now, since Maglor was naturally crowned the Regent King of the Noldor, and he has his own problems.
After 34 years of wondering what on earth has happened to Maedhros, he returns scarred with no right hand, and presumed torture marks.
Everyone literally holding their breaths for what will happen next.
Maedhros surrendering his crown to Fingolfin. That would hurt bad like a blow.
Literally only a few years of peace filled with tension.
Fingolfin decides to kick Melkor's arse and dies.
The Nirnaeth Arnoediad.
The Second Kinslaying.
The Fall of Gondolin
Making the decision of abandoning his father and uncles, going on his own separate path.
The death of so many of his family members and father and uncles. That is messed up. The amount of psychological trauma he's already been through...
Like, imagine his guilt of not being there with his father, imagine how much he second-guessed his actions...
The Third Kinslaying. The deaths of more elves, his uncle (or uncles), and really, just more death.
The crown of the Noldor being passed on so many times until it reached Gil-Galad. Imagine the humiliation and just the shock of the realisation of the number of people who have been crowned within a span of a few centuries.
The kidnapping of Elrond and Elros. While it probably wouldn't harm Tyelpe's psychological health, it must have been pretty messed up to find out that your two remaining uncles have committed a few more war crimes.
The War of the Wrath. Now, while it was mainly against Men, there is no doubt that some elves have been killed due to the war (given Gil-Galad's camps etc), so imagine him getting into some stray fights with the orcs or those Men who follow Melkor.
The Fourth Kinslaying. No need to further elaborate.
The death of Maedhros, and Maglor becoming a cryptid. Who wouldn't that mess up?
Surviving the First Age. Like, give this Tyelpe the recognition he truly deserves. Give him a few rings and trophies for enduring so long and he still hasn't gone down to insanity. That too, all this happened within the span of like, 600 years.

The Second Age:

Beleriand is under the sea
His "cousins" (Elrond and Elros) going their separate ways
The death of Elros (I think this is pretty self-explanatory, given the numerous HCs on the twins and Celebrimbor)
No one has any idea what has happened to Maglor. Is he alive? Is he dead? Who knows.
Rumours of a sinister evil lurking in the shadows and really, some tensions are visibly arising.
He finds this very powerful and alluring stranger who knows quite a bit about the art of smithing. They collaborate despite warnings from Galadriel, Gil-Galad, Elrond and a few others.
After giving thought to make powerful rings, Annatar watches over as Celebrimbor makes the rings for Men and Dwarves.
Newsflash: Annatar wants the rings, and he tainted them.
Celebrimbor makes the 3 Elven Rings in secret so Annatar can't get to them, but he gets kidnapped and tortured.
Like, really badly tortured. Annatar wants those 3 rings.
Celebrimbor eventually is killed, and is impaled on a spear, then given to Gil-Galad's camp after years of torture.
He went straight to his family. Can't tell if this will add to his trauma, but still.
While he didn't survive the Second Age, this boy went through so much pain, and... really, I feel like he doesn't get much of the appreciation he deserves.

Thank you for coming to my little rant as to why we need more fics that paint Celebrimbor as someone who isn't a stupid and naïve child, but more of a wiser version of Feanor and Curufin. He is not a tantrummy baby, for Ilúvatar's sake!

#also applies to other characters in hindsight #like maedhros #or finrod #the amount of dumbing down in this fandom #is so cringe #sometimes you just don't WANT to read fanfics anymore #venturing from your trusted writers and portrayals #is sometimes a risk in itself #lmfao #salt mine