Signups for Tolkien Secret Santa 2020 are officially OPEN!
Before signing up, make sure you have thoroughly read our Guide. Once you're all set, head over to the Join page to sign your preferences onto our handy dandy Google Form.
Signups close November 20th - do reblog and spread the word!
Please be aware of the two biggest rule changes this year:
We have a hard deadline of December 26th for all gifts before they are forfeit to pinch-hitters, and a hard deadline of December 30th for all gifts. See the Guide for more details including possible exceptions and other extenuating circumstances.
We will not be accepting email signups. As the exchange has grown in scale, communication - between participants and where necessary mediated through mods - has had to become more streamlined. In the previous exchange, 97% of participants signed up using Tumblr only, so we’re returning to the original scope of this event as happening on a singular platform. It is super easy to set up a blog to participate - contact the mods if you need any help with this!
You'll also spy something new on both pages - because we are extremely excited to share a special addition to this edition of TSS that's designed to make the end of a really difficult year brighter, happier, and more wholesome...
...the Tolkien Secret Santa Advent Calendar!
The idea behind this is to give all of our participants something nice and motivating to wake up to every morning in the lead-up to the Secret Santa reveals on December 24th. Signups will occur concurrently with the usual Secret Santa signups, but will close earlier (November 11th). Check out the special Advent Calendar section (also linked in the Guide) for more information.
An important note: although inspired by a Christmas tradition, the TSS Advent Calendar - like the exchange itself - remains non-denominational and secular. It's just another excuse to bring each other more joy during the festive season :)
We hope you'll join us for the main exchange and consider signing up to contribute to the Advent Calendar as well! It's wonderful to be welcoming so many people back - and if this is your first time joining the TSS, we're here with mugs of hot cocoa, lots of good company, and a chair for you by the fire...
A treat for day 16 of the @officialtolkiensecretsanta 2020 Advent Calendar! This is for the NSFW prompt “Love Letters” - though it’s not very NSFW, just a little dirty talk.
Rating: M | No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Celebrían/Elrond
Characters: Celebrían, Elrond
Word count: 567
~
Dearest Elrond,
Your words to me when we last spoke have warmed my heart ever since. I confess the love you speak of had not then been known to me, and I apologize for my surprise and swift retreat, but please find comfort in knowing I have scarcely thought of anything else since.
It is as if you revealed to me the depths of my spirit, making known what has been lying quietly in my heart since the day I met you. Fear not, for the admiration you expressed to me is returned in full! I yearn to see you again, that I might let such sweet words spill from my tongue—and, perhaps, onto yours.
Is that too forward? Oh, but I cannot hold in this wanting now that it has awoken—I fear I will go mad if you will not grant me a kiss. And yet for you I would wait, dear Elrond, if that is your desire.
I love thee, and my fëa sings with it,
Lady Celebrían Siryanís of Lothlórien
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Tolkien Secret Santa Advent Calendar Day 17: Prompt “Unwrapping Presents”
For day #17 of the @officialtolkiensecretsanta 2020 Advent Calendar, NSFW version! Please enjoy this take on “unwrapping presents,” and know that I - I may have to add more at some point because I want to know more, too
~ ~ ~
Rating: T | No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Glorfindel/Erestor
Characters: Glorfindel, Erestor, with appearances by Celebrían, Elrond, Lindir, and the twins plus baby Arwen!
Word count: 1486
Summary: Glorfindel gives Erestor a present that he dares his lover to open right there in front of everyone. He really should learn better than to challenge Erestor like that. Because Erestor always, always, delivers.
Read it on Ao3 here!
This is my entry for day 12 of the @officialtolkiensecretsanta advent calendar! It was supposed to be voyeurism but that... didn’t exactly happen, unless taken in a very non-literal way, so have some Galadriel pining instead.
Read it on AO3
Title: i’m a bundle of confusion (yet it has a strange appeal)
Pairing: Galadriel/Aredhel
Prompt: Voyeurism
Rating: Teen
Wordcount: 707
Tags: Introspection, Stream of Consciousness, voyeurism (kinda sorta not really at all), a bit of internalized homophobia, Pining, desired cousin incest, Adolescent Sexuality, Unrequited Love, (at least for now), TSS Advent Calendar
Summary: Artanis is entranced by Írissë, watching her whenever she can.
Artanis watched Írissë at every family gathering, every time they met on the way to the market - or the library or the woods or some other place.
Írissë was… how could she describe her cousin? She was gorgeous, quite frankly. Laurelin’s light shone on her face and just… wow. Artanis wished she could describe her more eloquently, but she didn’t have proper words for how Írissë made her feel, even less so when they interacted. That’s why she limited herself to simply watching.
She wondered if Írissë noticed. She kind of hoped she did. Sometimes at night, she would imagine Írissë, or sometimes one of her brothers or one of her friends, noticing and confronting her. Artanis liked the idea that she was obvious with her affection toward her cousin, that it was so strong and uncontrollable it spilled out of her, like a visible thing. She liked to fantasize that she couldn’t hide it if she tried, even though if she was actually discovered, Artanis might hide away forever in shame. Though if she was actually found out by her parents, she didn’t know what she would do.
Sometimes she grew over-bold and spoke to them of Írissë in ways that could be called over-enthusiastic, bordering on infatuation, always praising only her skill with a bow and arrow, and a horse, or how much Artanis admired her. She acknowledged that the excitement with which she spoke of Írissë might be somewhat incriminating (maybe you shouldn’t use that word, she thought. No need to make yourself feel worse — but it was the word she had always used) but it thrilled her all the same. It made her feel so very alive. Sometimes she would do the same about women she saw in plays or passed on the street, speaking of their beauty in ways that could be described as based in admiration or “simply an acknowledgment of a fact.” It thrilled her to openly get so close to what she was trying to say, so long as there was plausible deniability, so long as she knew that her actual feelings would not be imagined.
For the past year or so, she had been feeling something… she supposed it could be called desire. It was this persistent humming in her body, always there, but sometimes dimmer, sometimes louder; it distracted and surprised her in equal measure. It always became stronger when she was with Írissë. And she couldn’t turn it off or take her eyes away. When Írissë was close, Artanis was always at attention, regardless of what she had been trying to do or what she still pretended to be focusing on. She was filled with warmth, then, much like she was when in the heat of Laurelin’s glare sometimes it made her feel languorous, like she just wanted to lie back and float, have no thoughts: be lost in the overwhelming feeling. Other times it made her feel sharp - so sharp she thought she might crack, or else burst out of herself, the opposite of the languorousness, not pulled in but pulled out, in a way that required action and sometimes the filling of her mind with racing thoughts.
Today, Artanis looked out of her window and saw Írissë making a call at her house. She felt instantly giddy and high-strung. Artanis smiled and jumped around, and then chided herself for being ridiculous. Should she let Írissë in? She waited, and let her father do it, but she came down the stairs to stand with him nonetheless, trying to pull her face into a calm and friendly, and polite expression she didn’t feel inside.
“Welcome,” she said to Írissë, somewhat breathlessly. Írissë was explaining to her father why she had come - something about how her parents wanting to bring over a certain type of spice for Artanis’ family to try, and also how they hoped the Arafinwëans would come over sometime for dinner around a fire. Artanis forgot herself as she watched Írissë — the curve of her neck as she spoke, the way her long fingers fidgeted restlessly. She would work up the courage to talk to Írissë more, if nothing else to strike up a closer friendship, even though it scared her. She had to.
Tolkien Secret Santa Advent Gen Calendar Day 23: Family Gathering
For day 23 of @officialtolkiensecretsanta‘s 2020 Gen Advent Calendar!
Title: pebbles & leaves
Pairings: Kili/Tauriel | (Implied Bilbo/Thorin)
Characters: Kili, Tauriel, Bilbo, Thorin, Dis, Original Dwarf/Elf Children.
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 951
Summary/Tags: Kiliel-centric family fluff. Kili & Tauriel are tired parents of twins.
[Read on Ao3]
----
Kili yawned and shifted in his seat. Early morning council was torture at the best of times and now that winter was almost upon them, meetings were earlier and they stretched longer and longer into the day. More preparations, more things for the lords and ladies of Erebor to grumble and moan on and on about.
Kili, at this point, wasn’t even really sure what Lord Dorn was talking about - he’d spaced out for a few minutes and the topic of conversation had morphed into something about trout? Sighing, Kili glanced over at his brother. Fili was on the opposite side of the long, stone table, and Kili was almost certain that Fili was asleep. His eyes were open, but his head was propped up on his hand, and yeah, a nap sounded really good right now.
He leaned back in his seat and thought of all of the things he could be doing right now if he didn’t have to be here - which was, mostly sleeping, he would admit. It was still early, and Mîlil had kept him up late into the night the day before, refusing to settle into sleep.
If he just closed his eyes for a few moments, no one would notice, right? Glancing around the table, it was apparent that no one was watching him too closely, apart from Bilbo, who raised an eyebrow at him from across the table. Kili gave him a smile and mouthed “baby” at him, hoping that would explain. And it seemed to, as Bilbo gave him a look of knowing recognition.
Lord Dorn finished his case and Thorin granted his guild permission to do whatever it was that Dorn wanted to do. Kili’s eyes drooped, the warm mountain air heavy and comforting upon him, even if the chair he was sitting in was not comfortable in the slightest. Just a few seconds, he told himself.
He woke not even moments later to his mother elbowing him in the side. Slowly, Kili looked around to see that most of the table was looking at him, and he wasn’t exactly sure why that was.
“I think Prince Kili is feeling a bit under the weather,” Bilbo said, standing and leaning closer to Thorin to whisper something in the king’s ear. Thorin looked at him and nodded, eyes following Bilbo as he made his way around the table to Kili and offered his hand.
“I’ll walk you down to Óin’s office,” Bilbo said, and Kili took his hand, letting out a long breath as Bilbo shut the doors to the council chambers behind them.
“Long night, then?” Bilbo asked as they made their way down the hallway. Kili scrubbed a hand over his face.
“Mîlil was up until about two hours before the council meeting.” Kili explained, “Tauriel’s been working so hard as of late, I’ve been trying to give her some nights off.”
Bilbo smiled at that and patted his shoulder, turning them down the hallway leading back to the royal wing, rather than Óin’s office.
“As you should, she seems to have her hands full with Vís and Rís,” Bilbo turned on his heel as they came to Kili’s chambers, “Get some rest and I’ll fill you in on anything important later tonight.”
“Thanks,” Kili said, “Come ‘round for dinner then?”
Bilbo chuckled, “How about I make the two of you dinner instead? I don’t have much to do after meeting with the merchants in the early afternoon and both of you seem like you need a break.”
Kili gave Bilbo a small smile and ruffled his hair, “Thanks, Uncle Bilbo.”
The Hobbit let out an exasperated breath, his cheeks tinting pink as he fixed Kili his best death glare, “Get some rest, Kili.”
And with that, Kili slowly made his way into his chambers, carefully closing the door behind him just in case the kids were still asleep. The rooms were silent, save for soft snoring sounds coming from Mîlil’s bedroom down the hall.
Kili laid his outer cloak on the back of one of the dining room chairs and made his way toward his and Tauriel’s bedroom. As he slowly nudged open the door, he could make out Tauriel leaning over the crib they’d recently dragged into their room because the twins were having trouble sleeping at night in their nursery.
He came to stand beside her and rested a hand on her lower back, pulling her into him as they both watched Vís and Rís sleep for a few moments. Kili reached down and carefully brushed a bit of Vís’ hair out of her face and smiled to himself.
“When did they get to sleep?” He asked, stepping away and readying himself to slip back into bed for at least a few more hours. Tauriel sat on the edge of their bed, exhaustion evident in the slight slump of her shoulders as she moved to lay back down.
“Only a few minutes before you arrived.” She said, pulling the covers back on his side of the bed so he could climb in next to her, “I thought the council meeting would last until early afternoon?”
Kili hummed in response and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair as she wrapped her arms around him as well.
“Did you fall asleep at the meeting?” She whispered, her breath warm against his neck. Kili only hummed once more and Tauriel chuckled, clearly amused, “I’ll take that as a yes, then.”
Tauriel pressed a kiss to his cheek and Kili kissed the top of her head, thanking Mahal that all of the kids were finally asleep as he pulled her closer and reveled in the warmth of their bed.
Findekáno and Russandol share a family tradition with their son.
A treat for day 13 of the @officialtolkiensecretsanta 2020 Advent Calendar! This is for the gen prompt “Candlelight” :)
Rating: G | No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Maedhros/Fingon & Gil-galad
Characters: Maedhros, Fingon, Gil-galad
Word count: 804
~
Russandol hadn’t let Gil-galad play outside in the snow very long—for all he himself had to be coaxed and coerced into wearing scarves and gloves even in the dead of Himring’s dreadful winters, he was overly concerned with their tiny son’s exposure to the cold. Findekáno, who preferred to stay inside in weather like this, was grateful for his husband’s care with the baby, but the way Gil pouted as his atya ushered him back to the warmth of the hearth after only ten scant minutes of laughing at snowflakes tugged at Findekáno’s heartstrings.
“Atto,” Gil whined, snuggling into his father’s lap. “Play? Outside?” As an afterthought, he added, “Please?”
Findekáno kissed his nose. “Tomorrow, maybe,” he said. He was yet unfond of anything that reminded him of the Helcaraxë, but for Gil-galad he would endure the cold.
“It’s Long Night,” Russandol said, ruffling Gil’s hair. “Do you think you’re big enough to light the candles this year?”
Tolkien Secret Santa Advent Calendar Day 18: A Peaceful Moment
Elemmakil and Voronwë take a walk in the snow together.
For day 18 of the @officialtolkiensecretsanta 2020 Advent Calendar!
Rating: G | No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: queerplatonic Voronwë + Elemmakil
Characters: Voronwë, Elemmakil
Word count: 431
Read it (with notes!) on AO3 - or continue below :)
~
The mountainside is quiet, even the murmur of their voices muted by softly falling snow. Voronwë slips his hand into Elemmakil’s, twining their fingers together, and earns a smile from his dearest companion.
“Vorno, what’s this?” Elemmakil teases. “You haven’t been this clingy since you got drunk at the last winter solstice.”
Voronwë huffs, only squeezing his friend’s hand tighter. “Your fingers get cold,” he scolds. “How often do I have to pester you into wearing gloves on a frosty morning?”
“I’m wearing gloves now,” Elemmakil laughs.
Voronwë shrugs, his eyes reflecting the starlight above. “Maybe I just like being near you.”
Elemmakil softens. “Alright, Vorno. But don’t get too sappy on me!”
They walk hand in hand for a few minutes more. The air is cold, the snow drifting down like falling feathers, gentle and calm. At last Voronwë halts, gasping.
“El, look!” he cries. “You can see the whole city from here! It’s lit up in the moonlight—I wonder if even Tirion was so beautiful.”
Elemmakil had been only a child at the Darkening, one of the few children who survived the Ice, and his memories of the time before are hazy. But staring down at Ondolindë, gleaming in Isil’s light, he knows that nothing compares to this, his home.
“There was no Moon when I was in Tirion,” he says softly. “Nor was there snow. This, I think, is a sight for us alone.”
Voronwë sighs, leaning into Elemmakil’s embrace. “I almost wish we didn’t have to go back,” he admits. “It’s so peaceful up here.”
“We must return,” Elemmakil chides. “I am a guard—if I abandon my post forever, who shall keep us safe, and this peace perfect?”
“Oh, all the Lords,” Voronwë dismisses, but he knows his friend is right. “Still, perhaps you have a point. The White Lady has brought down a great elk, and there will be a feast tomorrow—I would not want to miss such a celebration!” Nor, he thinks to himself, the warmth of a friend beside a fire.
He turns to descend down the mountain, but Elemmakil tugs him back. Voronwë looks up at him, asking a silent question.
“Just a moment longer?” Elemmakil asks, his voice soft as the snowflake that lands on his nose. “You’re right. As much as I love the city, and all the bustle this time of year, I feel at peace in this moment, with you.”
“Of course,” Voronwë agrees, his fëa warm and bright with love for his companion of many years. “Any moment with you, El, is a good one.”
