Sansûkh bydetermamfidd(WIP but close to finished and worth it, 533k, T) – So I’m assuming you HAVE read this because you like gigolas so of course you’ve read this but on the off chance that you haven’t, drop this list like a tonne of bricks and go read it now. I don’t care if you think it’s too long, I don’t care if you don’t read WIP’s, I don’t care what your problem is with this fic. If you enjoy LOTR and The Hobbit, if you like gigolas, go read this now. This is my favourite fic of all time and I would recommend anyone reading this list, regardless of your opinion on lotr to read this fic.
It starts off immediately after The Hobbit and spans through to the war of the ring and a little bit beyond and is completely canon compliant. Also Thorin Oakenshield is the main character. “How?” I hear you ask, “Thorin died in The Hobbit and if it’s completely canon compliant…?” Well the premise of the story is that when Thorin died, he went to the halls of waiting, the Dwarven afterlife. There he met his Maker and got so annoyed that he agreed to give Thorin the ability to somewhat reach the land of the living by talking to people’s subconscious. He does this by talking to living people that he observes in this star pool thing that allows dead dwarfs to hang out invisibly amongst the living.
Now the problem with his method of communication is that people hear him to different degrees. Some can’t hear him at all, some hear him and think it’s a subconscious thought. The person who hears him the BEST happens to be his little cousin, Gimli son of Gloin.
It’s honestly the best and I could gush forever, the world building is phenomenal, the writing is superb. Sometimes I am honestly sad that determamfidd isn’t paid for it because it is that good.
Nothing Gold Can Stay byTAFKAB (WIP, 149k, E) – So I’m not actually up to date on this one. However TAFKAB is HONESTLY a brilliant writer and the premise of the story is so interesting! Basically Thorin is alive but never got over his gold sickness so he’s a royal prick. The dwarves got into trouble their first winter and because Thranduil is a royal prick he demanded a slave for 60 years in exchange for help. He did this because giving yourself willingly into slavery in this fic is an ENORMOUS dwarf taboo that makes you basically dead to your society.
Cue Gimli, SUPER YOUNG, agreeing to be Thranduil’s slave and ostracise himself from his society FOR his society. Thraduil doesn’t really want a slave, so he foists him off to Legolas. The two clash culturally but Legolas isn’t really interested in any slave stuff either so he’s treated relatively fairly. Shit happens, the war of the ring starts early because of thorin’s aforementioned royal prickishness, and Legolas and Gimli fall in love on a fun adventure 🙂
Comes Around Again by scarletjedi(Complete, 205k, T) – OK so this story is one of the quite a few character-dies-and-goes-back-in-time fics in the LOTR/Hobbit fandom. Now there are two of these that are very similar in premise so I’m hoping I’m getting the right one. Basically Gimli dies an old dwarf with Legolas, his husband, by his side and both Gimli and Legolas are sent back to their bodies just before the events of The Hobbit. Gimli joins The Party of Thorin Oakenshield and shenanigans ensue. It’s a marvellous story, great to sink one’s teeth into.
“I never thought to find wisdom in a Dwarf,” Legolas said softly, wiping down Gimli’s cheek. His long, pale fingers hovered over Gimli’s thick wild hair. “No, nor beauty either.”
Aragorn looked up, startled. “Legolas?”
The Elf paused, and when he spoke again his voice was barely audible. “De melin, Aragorn.”
There was silence, and then Aragorn shook his head roughly. “Man ebennig?” he demanded.
“Westron!” Thorin growled.
“De melin,” Legolas said, and closed his eyes. “Melin Gimli.”
Ahhhhhh! So I started reading Sansukh earlier this semester and I really had to illustrate one of my favorite parts! It’s taken so long bc about mid semester I became so busy that I barely had time to do any fanart and I really wanted this to be good to maybe even partially reflect how good of a fic Sansukh is!
So yeah I guess this is sort of a thank you to @determamfidd for the great fic, I haven’t finished it yet but I love it so far!
hyperventilates bc this amazing artist whose gigolas work I aDMIRE LIKE WHOA has drawn a pic from SANSUKH excuse me while I FLIP TF OUT
jsahegfkaj holy heck this is AMAZING and thank you so so much! Ahhh the expression on Legolas’ face – arrrgh so tender, it’s so tender I need to punch a wall or something – and I am in awe of that background and all the detail on Gimli’s brigandine (also hot damn his hair and beard just. okay I have a yum) and the proportions?? are incredible?? like, you can see the incredible heaviness of Dwarf bone in Gimli’s head and arms here, compared to Elven and and and AND you are AMAZING, thank you thank you forever~!
Dwarflet is developing just as they should, apparently! There was some extra attention paid to the scans/blood tests etc earlier on in the pregnancy, because I am 35+ years old. This puts the bub and I at a higher risk of certain complications and conditions – but no worries, as far as we know, we are both chugging along A-OK.
(Being 35+ years old, apparently this technically makes me an ‘elderly multigravida’… ELDERLY. Harrumph. ಠ_ಠ )
Anyway. Dwarflet is fine and feisty, measuring a little bigger than their gestational age. No risk of low birth weight for THIS kiddo, lmao. Considering that I am a short skinny lil muppet of a human, I am beginning to resemble a watermelon on stilts.
No, I am absolutely not getting enough rest, but that’s not uncommon for an Aussie summer pregnancy. It’s very hot and humid here rn!
Hey Nonnie, I’m all right physically, but emotionally I’ve been better.
Sorry for the long dramatic silence, everyone. I am now finished with work for the year, which is great. I can work on a bit of self-care at last, then on the upcoming holidays, and then begin preparing for the new bubba.
I’m at 27 weeks now. Struggling with the heat, some pretty nasty pre-partum depression, exhaustion, etc. This Dwarfling is bigger than my first, and MUCH stronger, and looooves to kick me awake at night. I am just. very tired, all the time. Dealing with family stuff and my energetic, curious, amazing lil toddler is honestly about all my body is allowing me to accomplish.
I don’t want to sound self-pitying or like a big drama-queen whiner – I’m managing, and I’m lucky: I have no major pregnancy complications, my baby is healthy and growing well, I have a house and food and stuff. I’m just very, very tired.
Thanks for thinking of me, Nonnie. *hugs* you’re a kind soul.
Wait….there’s PRE-partum depression?!?!?
Yep and it stinks. Also known as prenatal or antenatal depression. It’s important to be upfront about your mental health history when you’re pregnant, and to let your caregivers know when/if you’re low. They’re all aware I have depression, that my PND last time around was p extreme, and that I undergo panicky episodes that have increased in severity with my pregnancy (I HATE DRIVING SO MUCH RIGHT NOW, I stg – my heartrate scares me when people honk the horn at each other…!).
I’m getting support through my shared care arrangements: both from my lovely GP and from the midwives at the hospital. It’s covered by medicare and my taxes, so hooray for that at least, that’s one less stress to consider.
I’m getting through without my meds, thanks to the help of a diverse team of awesome ladies, all working together. But I had to let them know, and I have to keep letting them know. That’s my job.
here’s a funny story: my GP told me to count kicks/movements at my last appointment. She even pointed me at a baby movement app. “About twenty movements or so per day is normal at this stage,” she said.
I am told that my glare was something to behold. Because this kid can manage twenty movements in under two minutes. Usually at 2am.
Aw Yiss 