I'm Cait, 29, currently a student in mediaeval art and manuscript studies, queer, and fanfiction author. Writing mostly for Lord of the Rings and Baldur's Gate 3. Simps for Faramir, Ăowyn, Ăomer, Gale Dekarios, Halsin Silverbough and Astarion AncunĂn. Fanart is art and will be tagged as such!
Link to my Ao3
Fanfiction masterlist
kylobith update || ask games || tag games || art || other people's writings
America killed 3 million Vietnamese people, we put half of South Vietnam in Concentration Camps, we dropped more bombs on North Vietnam than were dropped by both sides in WW2, We permeantly poisoned the land with Agent Orange, the American war on Vietnam was the most inhuman and despicable action in this nations history, the Vietnamese had every right to do whatever they wanted to the occupation
hello! as you can probably tell, I've loved your writing of Aerin and FĂriel and I was wondering if you have any headcanons about either or both of them that you would like to share!
Hiiiii! Yes, indeed, hahaha, I still need to answer your comments on ao3, I promise I'll get to it!!!
So, I thought I didn't really think it through but I sat down during my break at work and their whole backstories just came to me and I frantically typed everything on my phone, so here goes!
Aerin
Since she was the firstborn but also a daughter, she was parentified at a very young age. First with children of relatives, then with Denethor and FĂriel once they were born. Because of that, she hardly had her own needs met, particularly on the emotional side.
Even though she's not one to hold grudges, she's always resented Denethor a little bit for having permanently put her in this position, especially because he's stubborn and doesn't always show the same level of discipline as hers. And he can be shallow, which she can't stand.
That same parentification and Denethor having a completely different personality are what drives her to be so involved in the education of Boromir and Faramir whenever she visits them. Somewhere deep inside her, she's afraid they'll turn out like their father, though she'll never say it out loud.
She's wondered many times whether she actually loves Denethor. Their fights end up making her feel apathetic towards him and that scares her! She wants to love him, but sometimes she finds him difficult to love.
Once she got married, she moved away from Minas Tirith because she didn't want Ecthelion and Denethor to parentify her further once Boromir was born and especially once Finduilas was expecting Faramir. She's been patronised and diminished so often by her father as well that she seized the first opportunity to leave.
She settled in a small town in the countryside by the mountains because of the nature and the quiet lifestyle there.
Although she was childless in the first one-shot she appeared in, she eventually gave birth to three children: one son, two daughters. The eldest fought at Pelennor and the Black Gate and survived both battles, but he sustained injuries that required the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Aerin took him back in to care for him and commissioned custom-made mobility aids from a local woodworker.
She named her first daughter after Finduilas.
Her younger daughter was first proposed as a potential bride to Ăomer, but Aerin wasn't too keen on it because of the age difference.
She loves tending to plants and her favourite way to relieve stress is to aggressively pluck weeds.
She's much more sensitive than she lets on! She's just never really had anybody to confide in.
She's stubborn and would NEVER admit she's wrong... except with her nieces and nephews. Until FĂriel had children, Aerin would only ever apologise to Boromir and Faramir, mostly because she felt deep compassion for them after Finduilas died.
Finduilas and Aerin met before Denethor was even engaged to her and they hit it off right away. Aerin loved Finduilas' wit and how gentle she could be towards her despite her rough edges, something she was missing her whole life. When Finduilas falls ill and her mental health declines, Aerin can't bring herself to visit her at first. Eventually, her love for her 'extra sister' drives her to become a caretaker whenever she's in town and she often keeps her company.
She outlives her husband and never remarries.
In her last years, she decides to stop living for others and to do everything she never allowed herself (or just wasn't allowed) to do. She travels, dances, learns a new sport, hikes, and sings. She even designs her own grandiose garden with her favourite plants and flowers.
She dies of old age at her home the night after she completes the garden.
FĂriel
Born last, she was coddled by Ecthelion, who loved her docile and kind nature. Her siblings were often blamed for mistakes she made, but whenever she confessed, her father wouldn't believe her.
Growing up, she was really close to Aerin, but she loves Denethor too and tends to forgive every wrong he does. Except his treatment of Faramir.
During their childhood, Denethor was rough towards her and insulted her often for being 'too soft'. Mostly, he was desperate for a brother but became insufferable when he found out it would be a sister. FĂriel endured but forgave him.
As much as she adores Boromir, Faramir is (not-so-)secretly her favourite. She's a lover of the arts, particularly poetry and song, so she was delighted when he expressed his interest in them. They often visit the archives and library together.
Whenever Gandalf visits Minas Tirith, FĂriel encourages Faramir to seek him and usually covers for him by either distracting Denethor or devoting herself to Boromir (though she loves doing the latter!)
She remains in the White City even after her wedding, but eventually leaves when she becomes pregnant with her first child, out of fear that her fragile state would be worsened by the sight of the dark clouds, like it happened to Finduilas.
She has four daughters and a son, but the boy died as a toddler during a particularly harsh winter from a fever.
FĂriel suffers excruciating pregnancies. Smells and food make her horribly sick throughout the nine months and even weeks after the babies are born. However, despite the difficult pregnancies, the deliveries were always quick and easy.
Her second daughter is named after Aerin, and her son was named after Thorongil after he helped her during one of the pregnancies. Denethor is bitter about that.
She's always felt guilty about Aerin's parentification and about being the youngest, as she wishes that she could've helped her carry that weight. To atone for it, she never parentifies her own children and ensures that her husband is as involved as her, and that a nanny helps whenever they need it.
In her free time, she loves painting. She produced a whole series of paintings on the history of Gondor. Faramir hangs a few of them in his home in Ithilien once he becomes prince.
All her life, she fiercely advocates for better education for girls and women throughout Gondor, and campaigns against inequalities between regions.
She allows her oldest daughter to remain unmarried despite her husband's protests.
She outlives her husband.
She attends the wedding of Faramir and Ăowyn in Edoras and there, she meets a local woman she immediately gets along with. They bond over their passion for art and architecture. FĂriel eventually realises that she is falling in love with her and is quite distraught because she didn't even know she had these feelings or that women could love one another.
FĂriel comes out to Aerin, who doesn't oppose the relationship. Her older sister vividly encourages her to move to Rohan to be with the woman after accidentally finding a love letter sent by the Rohir. FĂriel does move to Edoras.
Her daughters accompany her to Edoras to ensure that she arrives safely. Her third daughter struggles to accept her mother's new relationship, but she never expresses it.
She eventually dies of old age in Edoras with her partner holding her hand. LothĂriel is present as well when it happens, mostly because FĂriel asked to have 'a part of Gondor' present when she passes.
I have some more ideas, but I might actually save them for future shorts! I might make a compilation on ao3 for the sisters' shenanigans, who knows. In any case, thank you so much for the question and for being so enthusiastic about my recent works!!! <3
Reading my own fanfiction is basically just a rollercoaster of emotional whiplash.
20% of the time:Â âHold on. I wrote this? This is fire. This is emotionally devastating in the best way. This scene is dripping with tension. Iâm a literary perfectionist. Someone give me a book deal.â
80% of the time: âStraight to jail. Immediate prison. Why is everyoneâs breath hitching?. I used the word âgazeâ three times in one paragraph like I was possessed. Did I think 'his eyes darkened' was profound? Why is everyone clenching their jaws? Why is someone whispering 'their name like a prayer' again?? No one talks like this. What is this dialogue. Why are there so many weird metaphors and em-dashesâŠâ
