Aww, thank you so much for your kind words!

I think I speak for most authors when I say that there is no greater compliment than to be told that readers not only love the characters we create, but also are able to connect to them, are invested in their journey, and want to know all there is to know about them.

So often, the difference between a piece of media being successful and failing is whether or not the viewers/readers can relate to the characters and become invested in them. If the audience is unable to engage with the story and the characters, they're not going to stick with it.

Storytelling is an art that takes years to develop and hone, so when writers receive messages like yours, they can feel more confident that all of the time and effort they put into their creations is time well spent.

Thank you for the ask!

I'll share a scene that I wrote last night from the 3rd chapter of my LOTR/Sabrina AU fic Reaching for the Moon

Context: Ivriniel is a canon character, Reader (Hanna), Cilintír "Cilin" and Tírad are OCs. In this modern AU, Ivriniel owns a modeling agency in Dol Amroth where Reader (Hanna) is doing a photography internship. Cilin is the lead makeup artist and Tírad is the lead photographer (they're married).

CW: vomiting

“How was the conference?” Cilin asked Ivriniel when she arrived on Monday morning.

“Oh, it was fabulous! We had mimosas every morning at breakfast and our suites were decorated with rose petals and had wine and chocolate…” she said in a wistful voice.

“Really?” you asked.

You didn’t know what the conference was for or where it had been held, but maybe you could persuade her to take you with her next year. You wouldn’t mind having daily mimosas and chocolate in your hotel room; or at least you assumed you wouldn’t, since you’d never had a mimosa in your life. Her dreamy look vanished instantly and she snorted.

“No. It was as dull as the previous six years.” So much for that. “But! While I was subjected to five days of boring presentations by people who have no business doing public speaking, I did come up with something you can do for a project.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” Why did you suddenly have a bad feeling?

“I’m going to have you design a photoshoot. Sets, venue or location, theme, outfits, props, script, everything.”

Fuck.

“I don’t mean to argue with you, but are you sure this is a good idea? I’ve only been here two weeks and only just learned the basics of photo editing.”

“How did that go, by the way?”

“Uh…” Did she just deflect so that you wouldn’t be able to talk her out of this crazy idea of hers? Oh, she most definitely did. You happened to glance over at Tírad just as he rolled his eyes, which only served to confirm your suspicion. “It went fine. I learned a lot and Tírad is a great teacher. But back to this project. I can barely get my clothes to match, so I don’t think I should be designing photoshoots. Maybe after I’ve gotten some more experience.”

“I have full confidence in you, Hanna,” Ivriniel said and clapped a hand on your shoulder, and the force of it nearly made your knees buckle.

“That’s not as reassuring as you think it is.” Laugh lines appeared around her eyes as her smile widened.

“Submit a list of possible themes by end of day Wednesday.”

“Wednesday?”

“What’s the matter? You have three whole days to get it done.”

She released her grip on you and you swayed slightly. You stumbled over to a wall and laid a hand on it while your other arm went around your stomach. You felt Tírad’s presence before you heard him.

“Hanna? You okay?”

“I’m going to throw up.”

“Shit—uh…”

He vanished for a second before reappearing with a small waste basket. You didn’t put up any resistance when he wrapped an arm around you and led you out of Ivriniel’s office. Once you were safely in the break room with the door closed, you hunched over in one of the chairs and heaved into the waste basket. At some point, Cilin also joined the two of you. You heard the faucet turn on and off, and then a wet paper towel appeared in your peripheral vision. You took it and wiped around your mouth.

“Thanks,” you croaked.

“You good, now?” Tírad asked.

“I’m not sure.” You slowly turned your head when Tírad held out a tin of breath mints. You took two and popped them into your mouth. “You guys always think of everything.”

“I always have them because Cilin hates my breath after I smoke.” Tírad stuck the tin back in his pocket and then sat in one of the chairs. Cilin claimed the seat next to him. “I know you’re not going to believe me, but you have nothing to worry about. Sure, it’s probably a bit too early, but we all have to start somewhere, and all she wants is a few theme ideas. You don’t need to have the entire design finished this week. The worst thing that’ll happen is Ivriniel will say that we’ve already done the themes you submitted or she will reject them for one reason or another and have you come up with some more.”

“I’m going to bankrupt the company. Anything I come up with will be terrible and make us lose money and plunge us into debt and—”

“Hanna, the company’s not going to go under. And you’re not going to get fired, either. You have more talent than you think you do, and Ivriniel sees that. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had you take this on.”

“Tírad’s right,” Cilin chimed in. “One of the first photoshoots I worked on, one of the models had an allergic reaction to the makeup products I was using. I’ve also stabbed people in the eye with a mascara wand once or twice. And I’m still here.”

“Remember how I said Ivriniel wanted to see my portfolio a few days after graduating? Well, she hated everything that I sent her. But she still hired me because she had seen the photos I’d taken for personal side projects. She may not like everything you produce, but she’ll also give you the time and tools you need to hone your craft and figure out where your skills are better suited.” You lowered your gaze to your lap. The chair creaked as Tírad shifted. “If you want, I can send you some of the shoots we did the last few years so you can get an idea of what we’ve already done, as well as the individual elements of the designs.”

“Okay.”

“Everything is going to be fine,” Cilin said and laid a hand on your arm. “And you can always ask us if you get stuck.”

And that's where I had to end it because it was almost 1am. Thank you again for the ask!

Tagging: @annabawritersdream @dilettantefeminist @emmanuellececchi (hopefully I'll have the chapter done tonight!)

Thank you for the ask!

I have to go with Saturday. It's the only day I can sleep in past 8am and really the only day I can get a good amount of writing done. There are a couple farmer's markets I like to go to, as well.

Thanks for the ask!

I am currently working on chapter 3 of Reaching for the Moon, but I don't have any scenes that are good enough to share at the moment. So instead, I will say that I am also doing research on the names of True Crime dramas so I can try to come up with titles that are similar but won't violate copyrights. I don't watch those kinds of things myself (two of my coworkers do and they talk about them all the time but I never have any idea what's going on), but I decided that Hanna watches them because... reasons.

Uh, let's just say that Hanna will be spending an evening watching True Crime documentaries with someone in a future chapter. A nice feel-good show.

Uh... is it bad that out of my 3 current WIPs I don't have the word "happy" or "happiness"?

Thank you for the ask!

I am just glad that the work week is over and I can relax and work on the next chapter of my Sabrina AU

Thank you for the ask!

I had to think quite a bit about what I was going to say, because I really hadn't developed Khalarîn very much until now. My answer will be about both Khalarîn and Savadir, since they basically grew up together.

Her father and Savadir's father were old friends, and her father often brought Khalarîn to the palace when he visited, though being children she and Savadir paid little mind to one another (at least no more than necessary). Her mother died after being bitten by a venomous snake that had somehow gotten into Khalarîn's room (not located on the ground floor), and there were rumors that someone had planted the snake, but there was never any proof.

Khalarîn's father was killed during the assault on Osgiliath in the summer of 3018 TA, and she was brought to live at the palace, now an orphan; she was around 5 years old at the time. Savadir, now 8 years old, was halfway to being a man, and his education and training became more rigorous, especially with word that war was coming. He still wasn't all that interested in being around her, but on the rare occasions they did meet, he never once saw her cry, which he thought rather strange because girls were always crying about something (his words, not mine).

When news came that Savadir's father had died, they saw even less of each other, and it wasn't until several months later that Savadir realized where Khalarîn had been all this time. She had been comforting his younger brothers, Ehşran (4) and Mahtar (2) and caring for them when no time could be spared for them. It was actually because of Khalarîn that Ehşran learned how to be respectful to women (though he could still use a few more lessons on how to respect his Abi 😂).

There were a couple of attempts on Savadir's life, one of them being close to succeeding, and when the suspect was caught, Savadir had to condemn him to execution and watch as the punishment was carried out. He had never seen a man die before and the realization that he had ordered someone's death (though it was deserved) left him shaken for quite some time. Savadir's uncle Séradan (aka Papa Ambassador) was able to carry out many duties on Savadir's behalf, but the 11-year-old had difficulty sleeping and became ill from paranoia that the soul of the man who was executed was following him.

None of the physicians, healers, philosophers, astrologers, or advisers had any answers or cures that seemed to help; the medicines they tried only made his nightmares more vivid, and his condition worsened to the point that he began to sleepwalk. The guards that stood posted inside and outside his chambers were told not to wake him but to follow him whenever it happened. One night, Savadir wandered to Mahtar's room, having been drawn there by someone singing. He entered his little brother's room and was broken from his trance as he came upon Khalarîn sitting at his brother's bedside and holding his hand while singing Kamer Ana (Lunar Mother), a well-known lullaby in Karaltın (Harad) that tells how the Moon is always watching over her children and protecting them with her light, even when their earthly parents are no longer there to care for them.

"What about when the Moon is dark? Is no one protecting us then?" he blurted out. Khalarîn was startled, having not noticed he was there, but then she answered without hesitation.

"Mothers need their rest, too." Then she added, "And when the Moon is red in the sky, it means that she has been driven to wrath and seeks vengeance against those who harmed her children while she slumbered."

"Will she seek vengeance upon me for ordering a man's death?"

"Perhaps if he was innocent, but he tried to kill you first."

"Then why do I feel like I am the one who is guilty? Why can I not sleep without seeing his face every time I close my eyes?"

"My father saw faces, too. He said that good people will mourn their enemies while evil people will feel no remorse for doing harm to others. You feel regret for the person who tried to kill you because you are good."

"No, I am not. I can't do anything right, and I'll never live up to my father's legacy. I can't even watch a man die without being sick, so how will I ever be able to kill a man with my own hands? I can't even take care of my little brothers. You are better than I am."

"I am only a girl, but you are a lion and a king. Kings have worries that are different from those of little girls. And not all kings are good. Some of them are like the man who tried to murder a boy. But they are not lions. They are like vultures who feed on dead things."

Savadir wondered how such bitter words could come from a girl so young, but he did not ask, and she left soon after because Mahtar had fallen asleep and she was tired, herself. They did not speak for a while after that, though Savadir found himself thinking about her more often than he had before. When there were nights that Savadir was awakened by dreams, he would go to his brother's room and listen to Khalarîn sing to him, or he would sit outside her door until he became too tired to keep his eyes open.

One afternoon, Khalarîn was in the palace gardens with Savadir's aunt Hâlidrin and her daughter while attendants were combing and braiding Khalarîn and Melihda's hair. Savadir was passing by and was distracted by Khalarîn, and he soon ended up falling into one of the ponds. When he resurfaced, she was crouched over him and wiped some of the water from his face with her sleeve, and then she began to laugh, probably at his dumbfounded expression, and it was the first time he had ever seen her smile. Needless to say, he was a goner, but she began to smile more after that and he secretly told himself that he was part of the reason why.

Plans for Savadir and Khalarîn to wed had been in the works for years, and it came as no surprise to either of them when an official announcement was made. However, the wedding was delayed because of the 4-year conflict with Gondor and Rohan, and Khalarîn was 19 when she married Savadir, which was considered "old" for a new bride. Their son Imrad was born 3 years later, and a few months after that Savadir traveled to Minas Tirith to meet with King Elessar.

Khalarîn has been somewhat of a caregiver/mother-figure since childhood, perhaps as a way to keep the few memories that she had of her own mother alive. She also has a fierceness and can be somewhat ruthless whenever anyone threatens people she cares about (needless to say she had a few things to say to Elessar, but she had to wait to say any of them until several years later*), and she very much resembles the image of a lioness. There was a little bit of jealously/resentment when Savadir married his second wife, Marya, but she knew that neither of them had much choice, and it was a marriage that brought resources and soldiers from Marya's homeland.

*Khalarîn and Savadir's son, Imrad, marries one of Aragorn/Arwen's daughters (Nimriel), and it's not until almost 2 decades after the conflict ended that she finally gets her chance to give the King of Gondor a piece of her mind. Aragorn takes it all in stride.

I'm not really sure if they'll have anymore kids, and I haven't quite figured out Savadir/Marya's kid situation yet.

But yeah, that's about it for now. 😅

Thanks for the ask! I think Khuzdul would be fun to learn, since it is so unknown and a well-kept secret. And I can't pass up the chance to confuse some Elves 😂

Thanks for the asks!

🍞 I haven't been on a road trip in a very long time, but a couple of my favorite snacks that I like to eat at work are kettle chips (especially bbq or jalapeno flavor) and tempura seaweed snacks (they're ADDICTING)

🌾 I try to garden, but so far I've only been able to grow cucumbers and tomatoes (from vines, not from seed). I've attempted to grow herbs (also from a plant nursery and not from seed), but they always die (although the chives keep coming back). It's not necessarily my favorite plant, but my favorite flower is iris, because they remind me of my grandma. She had a lot of things that were iris-themed. I have some growing in my front yard and so far they've been white, yellow, and two different shades of purple.

☔ A fic I had planned to do but am no longer going to write is a High School AU that was supposed to be the sequel of my Flower Shop AU, but it was about Aragorn/Arwen, Farawyn, and Boromir/Anael's kids in high school. I haven't even started the Flower Shop AU yet, and I already know it's going to be super long, and I already have so many fics I haven't started that there's just not enough room for it (and not nearly enough hours in the day).

Yep, I wanted to wait until after Tolkien OC Week was over before I opened it again.

So, when Aerdis turns 15, she tells Boromir that he doesn't need to worry about trying to find a husband for her, because she already knows who she is going to marry. He plays along and asks her how she knows this, and she says, "A horse told me in a dream."

Naturally, Boromir's like ??????????????????????????????????

Then she says, "Not just any horse, but my future husband's horse. He told me that the man I will marry will be like you in authority, but his seat is far from here." Naturally, Boromir doesn't like the sound of that, but he doesn't say anything. Then she says, "The horse said that when we meet again he will introduce us."

Again, Boromir's like ???????????????????????????????? But he thinks that what she's saying is similar to something Anael might say, so maybe it was just a dream and maybe there was more to it. So, he kind of remains neutral about it, not wanting to agree and not wanting to discourage her, either, and he eventually forgets all about it.

She tells Salmar the same thing 2 years later, but since he knows more about Elvish dreams/premonitions than Boromir does, he's more understanding and believes her. (She's 17 when they meet so it's not as weird, but she still turns him down fast.)

Fast-forward 6 years to 31 FoA (Aerdis is 21), and she and Boromir travel to Arnor with Aragorn when he gifts the lands of the Westmarch to The Shire (canon). Anael and Fin stay in Gondor, and this will either be Aerdis' first time in Arnor or it will be her second (her first time being when she was 5). They arrive at Annúminas where they are met by some of the Rangers of Arnor, including *drumroll*

This guy ☝️ Galvorn, Steward of Arnor, descendant of Arathorn I

To his surprise, his horse suddenly walks right up to Aerdis, and he says, "This is unlike him. He never approaches strangers." And she says, "We are not strangers. We've met before." Boromir's watching all of this go down and then he remembers what she told him when she was 15 and he's like "Oh f**k she wasn't kidding." Similarly to what happens with Bergil, Galvorn is kind of intimidated by Boromir (though Boromir still insists that he's not intimidating).

Needless to say, Merry and Pippin happily offer their matchmaking services, much to Boromir's displeasure and Galvorn's embarrassment.

At some point during the trip, Aerdis asks Boromir if they can visit Rivendell, and Aragorn says that they should have Galvorn escort them there (not only because Galvorn is originally from the region formerly known as Rhudaur and knows the area well, but more than likely due to the advice of his counsellors, Merry and Pippin). It's awkward, but Boromir does accept that his daughter's prediction might come true, and so far he's had no reason to think that Galvorn would be dishonorable.

Aerdis and Galvorn write to each other, and the following year Galvorn comes to Gondor to ask for her father's blessing, which he grants. They follow the Elvish custom of a year-long engagement, and then they get married in Arnor in 33 FoA, and Anael and Fin (along with Bergil and Cirion) attend the wedding. Salmar is there, too, and he plays music for them on his shell flute (Galvorn is confused/starstruck by the fact that there's a Maia at their wedding), and then he probably returns to Valinor afterwards. In 34 FoA their son Vorondil is born, named after Vorondil the Hunter who made the Horn of Gondor. Aerdis frequently plays her violin for Vorondil when she is pregnant with him, and Merry and Pippin teach her a few Hobbit jigs, as well (because they can).

And that's about it! Thanks for the ask!

Thank you!!!!

Thank you so much for the ask!

I really had to think hard about who I was going to talk about, since I have so many characters to choose from. Then I decided that I should pick someone whose backstory might not be fully described in the actual story, and I thought of someone!

And that person is...

Sairina, the main villain from my Eothiriel Swan Lake AU fic The Horse-Lord and the Swan Maiden (which I will actually start writing... at some point... not sure when... but eventually)!

***TW for mentions of death, murder, kidnapping, and miscarriage***

Sairina's name is Quenya and translates as "magic." Though it is technically the adjective form of the word (magic carpet, magic beanstalk, magic ring, etc.), it sounds like a stereotypical fantasy villainess name and it suits her (the grammar police can suck it).

I should point out before I go any further that one way the "canon" of THL&TSM will differ from Garo/Garthad Estel and the book canon is in the severely underdeveloped/ignored/forgotten/neglected character Gilmith, the sister of Galador (First Prince of Dol Amroth) and the daughter of Imrazôr and Mithrellas. Sairina is a descendant of Gilmith, and in this AU, Gilmith's descendants are all women and they are "witches" (will be explained more a bit later). There will be a descendant in Garthad Estel (faceclaim is Asli Tandogan), but she and her ancestors will not possess any magic, and Gilmith will not be as disrespected, hence the reason why her daughters hate the House of Dol Amroth in the Swan Lake AU.

According to Tolkien Gateway, Gilmith's exact birth year is unknown (this is my shocked face). However, she is referenced as being born either in 2004 TA (the same year as Galador, thus making her his twin sister) or c. 2000 TA (making her older and the first child of Imrazôr and Mithrellas). Either way, she does not receive as much recognition as her brother because she is a woman (as is common with Tolkien), and in this AU, Gilmith inherits all of her mother's Elven magic, whereas Galador only has prolonged life from both parents, is tall, and has more stamina and physical strength than typical Númenóreans. Shortly after her children were born, Mithrellas snuck away during the night and left her family behind. Gilmith and Galador were raised by their father, and given that Mithrellas fled, it is safe to assume that she was not fully willing (which is a theory within the fandom), and that Imrazôr was kind of a piece of crap. Imrazôr gave Gilmith the Faramir treatment because she was more powerful than her brother, and Galador, despite gaining a princedom and everything that belonged to his father, was also jealous of his sister and turned a blind eye to their father's cruelty towards her.

Over time, Gilmith grew to resent her father and brother (rightfully so), and was also angry for being deprived of an inheritance, despite being the oldest child (if she was born in 2000 TA) or her brother's twin (if she was born in 2004 TA). And one day, just like her mother, she disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Well, not exactly... she actually settled on the island of Tolfalas/Tol Falas and turned it into a sort of Amazonian society made of Peredhil rather than warriors (although some of them were probably warriors). She would travel along the coast of Belfalas and south toward Umbar, basically having one-night-stands with men there and then giving birth to their daughters on her island. Her children continued this practice, and the women were forbidden from marrying (because in Gilmith's view marriage is overrated and her parents weren't exactly the glowing example of a happy marriage). And because having children out of wedlock is a big no-no in Gondor, she's essentially giving them the middle finger.

Gilmith placed an enchantment on the island, making it appear to sailors that the island was uninhabited, and anyone who tried to step foot onto the island with ill intentions would be pulled out to sea by the tides. Eventually, some genius thought that it would be a good idea to send young girls to the island who were accused of witchcraft (or the Middle-earth equivalent of a witch hunt). Parents also cast their children who were born with disabilities into the sea because Gondorians hate imperfection, and so some of the inhabitants of the island were the outcasts of society (hence why I said "witches" earlier). Gilmith's children would care for boys who were abandoned by their parents because they were disabled/sickly and would use their magic to heal them or make them strong enough to be sent to live in Umbar (because no boys allowed on the island). In my headcanon the Haradrim are more loving towards children with disabilities than the Gondorians. As a sort of partnership with Umbar, many of Gilmith's descendants allied with the Corsairs in attacking Dol Amroth, either creating storms that put Dol Amroth at a disadvantage or joining the Corsairs in land attacks. After all, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

But I'm kind of rambling now. Let's get back to Sairina.

Sairina was born in 2966 TA. In 2986 TA, at the age of 20, Sairina traveled to the mainland and met a man named Imrahil, who was then 31. She fell in love (as one does) almost instantly. She did not know his true identity, and though he seemed to return her feelings, her love for him blinded her to the truth of who he was. Sairina's love for Imrahil was so great that she not only broke her people's law that prohibited her from visiting a man more than once, but she was willing to violate the law against marriage and leave her sisters and her home forever to be with him. One day, she spoke to him of her feelings and asked if he would make her his wife. I think everyone can safely assume that things didn't go well.

Imrahil admitted that he was already engaged (to the woman who would be his wife and the mother of his children), but as it was a political marriage, he felt nothing for his bride-to-be. He also said that the best he could do for her was make her his mistress because he needs sons. Two questions entered Sairina's mind: Why did Imrahil need only sons? And how did he know that she could not give him any?

And so, she questioned him, and he told her who he was: the future Prince of Dol Amroth. He also said that he learned about her identity and her ability to only give birth to daughters from his sister, Ivriniel. At that moment, Sairina realized that Mithrellas' power was not only passed down through the daughters of Gilmith's line but also through Galador's. Fun fact (okay not so fun fact), the only women in the line of Dol Amroth are Ivriniel, Finduilas, and Lothíriel. I don't know exactly what power Finduilas would have had, but it was not compatible with Sauron's, and it was considerably weaker, and so as Sauron's power grew, Finduilas slowly diminished, until she passed away the following year. Ivriniel (at least this version of her; she'll be way different in Garo/Garthad Estel) is shrewd, no-nonsense, straightforward, so I think the gift of clairvoyance would be fitting for her. Either just from listening to what Imrahil said of her or having seen them together, Ivriniel was able to figure out who Sairina was and where she came from.

Well, needless to say, Ivriniel doesn't last long and soon dies in a "tragic accident." Imrahil marries his bride, and their first son, Elphir, is born the following year.

Heartbroken, Sairina returns to Tolfalas and is brought before the matriarch (aka the oldest living descendant of Gilmith at the time) and is banished from the island for breaking three of their laws, the first being the law about marriage, the second being the law about visiting a man more than once, and the third being harming/killing another woman for any reason except if she poses an imminent threat to the one who harmed/killed her, to herself, or to others (I'm kind of making up these laws as I go so just bear with me). If Sairina had violated only one of the laws, she would have received a lesser sentence (house arrest for a month). If she had violated two of the laws, she would have been imprisoned in a very unpleasant cell that provided little shelter from the elements. But because she violated three, she was banished. Sairina could argue that Ivriniel did pose a threat in that she could reveal to others who she was, but that was not seen by the elders as reason enough to kill her.

After she leaves the island for the last time, Sairina wanders the mainland between Umbar and Belfalas. She sleeps with men and becomes pregnant a few times, but because she no longer has the support of her sisters and is in poor health, she loses all of them, which only adds to her grief and anger. She listens to the gossip of the region and learns that Imrahil and his wife have had two more sons over the years and that the Princess of Dol Amroth is with child again, and she wonders if Imrahil lied to her about having no fondness for his wife (of course, it could have started out that way and they could have grown to love each other but Sairina's not exactly in a good headspace). So, she puts a curse on the Princess: that she will give birth to a daughter and that bringing her into the world will claim her life. In 2999 TA, Lothíriel is born and her mother dies (but don't worry, Ivriniel and Imrahil's wife are alive and well in Garo/Garthad Estel).

Twenty years later, the War of the Ring ends, with Sauron and his Ring destroyed, the Haradrim and their allies defeated, and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth and his Swan Knights and soldiers lauded for their valor. His daughter, Lothíriel, turns 20 and comes of age, and she is regarded as being the fairest maiden in Gondor, second only to the new Queen of the Reunited Kingdom. Sairina wants to see for herself if the rumors are true, and not only does she learn that the princess is indeed as beautiful as the rumors say, but also that she possesses great power -- far greater than the gifts her aunts possessed, and greater even than some of Gilmith's living descendants. Sairina wants it for herself, and so she seeks the help of an old acquaintance of hers in Umbar. She plots to kidnap the princess, and using her ability to change/alter her appearance, she can easily trick the princess into leaving with her. However, she will need a distraction, so she enlists the help of the Corsairs, who are more than happy to seek revenge against their old enemies.

And I won't say anymore because that's where the fic will actually start.

As far as the Swan Lake aspect, Sairina is the role of both Von Rothbart and Odile (using her shapeshifting powers). My faceclaim for Sairina is Eva Green. She has been in several medieval/historical roles, but mostly I imagine Sairina as Milady de Winter (The Three Musketeers: D'artagnan) when she's wearing her hood, Sybilla (Kingdom of Heaven) during her visits to Umbar, and Morgana Pendragon (Camelot) the rest of the time. Which is funny because my faceclaim for Lothíriel is Katie McGrath in her role as Morgana Pendragon. It's the battle of the Morganas!!!!

So, anyway that's it. It ended up being way longer than I expected, which is a good thing! You don't realize how much you've developed an idea until you write it out. So, thank you again for asking this! It really helps me get my ideas organized and more developed, especially because I'm so forgetful!

I had trouble pasting them too and I'm not sure why...

4. say something nice about a ship you don’t ship (it can be another ship in your fandom, a mutual’s OTP, etc)

Sam x Frodo

In addition to cooking for Rosie and their children, I imagine that Sam makes Frodo's favorite just for him and brings him flowers from the garden.

I imagine that Frodo tells really good bedtime stories to the kids and he and Sam take evening walks together.

(Idk I tried)

8. you hope more people will come to appreciate ____ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc)

The former enemies of Gondor/Rohan (the Haradrim, Easterlings, Variags, Dunlendings). They all have a complicated history and were manipulated by evil powers (Sauron and Saruman) who seized upon their resentment for the mistreatment they received from the Numenoreans. And not all of them were inherently evil, as the books/films portrayed them; there were some who wanted to hurt the Men of the West, but I think that most of them were genuinely good people who were dragged into the conflicts. I wish that Tolkien had expanded more on their cultures and actually created languages for them (now I have to do it myself).

Thank you for the ask!