#of melilot

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Sunflowers. // Great friendship is there between the hobbit-folk and the wandering rangers, and when a hobbit-lass is rescued by two of their number, a reward is due for their tall deed.

“Another lass appeared before them. Older she was and learned she seemed and her gaze held thirteen autumns. She stood quiet, and in her eyes there was an echo, a call to the times when her kin had lived east of the Hithaeglir. For she held a love for books and scholarly pursuits, and often would she walk the fields of Oatbarton, scouting for any piece of history that she may touch and see.

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What do the other Hobbits make of Melilot's curiousity and friendliness with outsiders?

I would imagine the hobbits from Oatbarton have no problem with it, when they themselves must partake in tons of conversation with all the passing outsiders. It’s not just Melilot though, Adamanta in her authority as a bounder at the border interacts with outsiders all the time be they humans, elves or dwarves. I can’t remember the specific passage but I swear I remember reading about dwarven caravans passing on a road north of the Shire at the border with Evendim. Elves use the same road as well as the one in the southern part of the Shire. And humans go around at all borders all the time I would imagine. 

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what do the other hobbits make of Melilot's scholary pursuits?

Same as they did with Bilbo's most likely. Thought it a bit strange, but mostly left her to her own devices. The only big exception to this are the curators of the Mathom House in Michel Delving. They were extraordinarily pleased that a Northfarthing hobbit took such excellent interest in the history and mathoms stored within. And endeavored to travel all the way down to the Eastfarthing. Of course, Melilot was delighted to find out more about the region and about the artefacts. She started out being interested in the recent history of the Farthings, but gradually made her way to heavier and hard to document topics such as the Fall of Fornost, and especially the Great Migration.

Even with all her documentation, most of the other hobbits weren't that interested in her findings, and I'm not saying that in a bad way. It's just... why bother thinking about a dark and bloody past, when the green pastures and the quiet are here, now?

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Does Lothrin and Melilot ever interact? I'm thinking since they're both scholars with ties the Dúnedain, they may have a lot to talk about? :)

You know, your ask actually inspired me to finish a one-shot I had in my drafts for-ever! It's called Sunflowers. and it details Lothrin and Melilot's first meeting.

What happens next after the story in that ficlet is that both Melilot and Adamanta grow and just as promised, one day Sidhen and Lothrin come back. You've read their bios, I guess you already know our hobbit girls earn their right to secret knowledge.

Lothrin was a bit distant to both Melilot and Adamanta at first, as she was just afraid that like their ancestors at Fornost, the enemy would claim their lives if they strayed too far from the Shire. It would just be easier to not get attached. But sweet Adamanta and wise Melilot earned her heart in the end. She gifted Adamanta one of the only surviving hobbit bows of Fornost, wielded long ago by one of her long-gone kin, and Melilot, to Melilot she gifted a a priceless artefact.

The hobbits first awoke in the valleys of the Anduin, some distance north of Lórien, we know that. We also know that they traded with the ancestors of the Rohirrim. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to invent some similar dealings with elven merchants from Lórien. Well, guess who is an elven merchant from Lórien - Lothrin's father. He was one of the rare merchants to trade with the early hobbits, and thus he has quite the interesting keepsakes from that time. He gave some to his daughter, and his daughter in turn had the sparkling idea to gift them forward. It was a small wooden spoon carved out of Eryn Galen wood that she gave Melilot, made by hobbit hands and given countless years later back to hobbit hands.

Unlike Sidhen whose position as a messenger meant she travelled all the time through the Shire, and visited Oatbarton often, thus earning a deep friendship with the Hornblower sisters. Lothrin often held council with the highest of the dúnedain, and generally occupied her time with scholarly and administrative duties, thus having less time to wander care-free the greenfields of the Shire and forge deep friendships with the hobbits there. But she cared for the hobbit sisters in her own way and delighted in sharing with them whatever they wanted to know: be it their history, or geography or elvish lessons.

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Does Sidhen keep in touch with the Hornblower-sisters after the Scourging of the Shire?

Of course! A friendship forged in both peace and fire like theirs doesn't die so easily. I'd like to imagine Sidhen still visited them in Oatbarton and the Hornblower sisters went by her house in northern Buckland from time to time. They certainly loved meeting Mara! And Sidhen was delighted to make the acquaintance of both Mirabella and Isumbert.

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What is the relationship like between the Hornblower-sisters? Are they close? Or is there some sibling rivalry there?

Just to copy/paste off this answer

Melilot often worries about Adamanta and her bounder job, but her sister always tries to put her mind at ease. They have their sibling squabbles, that’s true, but then what siblings do not? But they love each-other through and through. Adamanta wouldn’t let Melilot leave the Shire on her little scholarly trips without her protecting her sister. Their bond was strengthened by the Scouring of the Shire.

I imagine their relationship a bit like movie Pippin/Merry like they playfight all the time, but when things are serious they step up to protect the other.

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what are your ocs' relationships like with their siblings? are they close? prone to rivalry? or something else entirely?

Well, let's take it one by one, shall we?

Lothrin had two siblings. In her younger years they were inseparable, often doing their tasks as border guards together. Lainor, her older brother, died in the War of the Last Alliance and after the war ended in her grief Lothrin left Lorien and headed north. Aliar, her younger brother, never quite forgave her for "abandoning" their family in a time of mourning and ever since their relationship has been quite strained.

Astoeth is more often than not quite busy with her own pursuits, but she will always find time to spend with her older sister, Beleth who is a very accomplished blacksmith. Since I don't think the concept of "moving out of your parents house" exists in Middle-earth, they still live with their parents in their home in Celondim. They have their own shenanigans and sibling jokes. One thing they always do together is come home by dinner time in order to supper with their parents. Beleth also loves rowing a boat and will often ferry Astoeth on the river Lhun so that she may gather herbs on the more inaccessible banks of the river.

Melilot often worries about Adamanta and her bounder job, but her sister always tries to put her mind at ease. They have their sibling squabbles, that's true, but then what siblings do not? But they love each-other through and through. Adamanta wouldn't let Melilot leave the Shire on her little scholarly trips without her protecting her sister. Their bond was strengthened by the Scouring of the Shire.

Dōmēyondō (Dûion) loves Berékānis, but with him being away for such long periods of time, and being a messenger and all that, the two don't spend that much time together. Some siblings would rather not fight, but Berékānis loves riling Dōmēyondō up, and she always knows how since she's his sister. Some people really do love having friendly squabbles.

Sidhen used to spend a lot more time with her sister during their childhood. The two always got along quite well, but with Sidhen becoming a ranger and her sister marrying a scholar, settling down and having children, the two didn't keep in touch that much afterwards. Not that anything happened, it's just life you know?

Bron was brought up at a distance from her brother, since Hav was bound to be the next Brenin of their clan ever since his birth. It's quite hard developing deep bonds, when your sibling will one day be the one to rule an entire region and whose word carries the most weight around. And who will tell you what to do and what not to do. That's why Bron preferred the solitude of the wilds to the bustling atmosphere of the village. Bron hates being told what to do, and Hav in his sibling teasing wouldn't waste a chance annoying her.

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If they were all in the same room as the One Ring, which of your OCs would have had the hardest time resisting its allure and which would have been most able to resist it (if any)?

You know, I swear I’ve answered a similar question before. But for the life of me I can’t find it. 

The ones most capable of resisting would definitely be Melilot and Adamanta. The ring seems to have its weakest effect on hobbits and combined with the fact that both Hornblower sisters do not have any overwhelming ambitions makes it incredibly hard for the precious to lure them. Like what’s it gonna do? Help Melilot gather dusty mathoms? Make Adamanta do her bounder duty faster? You have to admire the resilience of hobbits. Bilbo after having it for 60 years just dropped it after his big birthday party and merrily whistled his way to Rivendell. 

Next on the list would be Sidhen and Toram. Aragorn has successfully resisted the claim of the ring at Amon Hen, so I feel his kind would follow in his footsteps. They would be able to say no and walk away, although the ring would linger in their thoughts. 

I feel Calnedon would succumb to its will fast. There is a glint of Númenor and its deeds in the blood of any Gondorian, a call to Ar-Pharazon and his doomed pursuit and the ring would take advantage of that. The ring is Sauron and it knows of its master’s history with Gondor and Númenor. 

Unsurprisingly, the ring would try its hardest to snare Lothrin or Astoeth by playing with their deepest desires. It would show Astoeth that it can help her become the most skilled healer of all ages. It would show Lothrin that with its power she can fight against the doom of Angmar, use it to restore what was once lost in the north and in her homeland. Elves are the hardest to ensnare, but once their will breaks the result can be catastrophic. Astoeth would have an easier time resisting it, what can the ring give her that she does not already have? But the temptation for Lothrin would be great and every time she would say no, the thought of it would burrow itself in her mind even more.

The most surprised in the face of the ring would be Lileyn. The ring would call to her strongly, saying that with its power she can protect her homeland and make peace with their neighbors. The ring would last in her mind and call to her more and more until she would succumb to it.

Naeriel would just take it and try to melt it and make it a sword ornament. Her homeland has had enough of cursed jewelry.