The Sandglass Runs by Dawn Felagund, NelyafinweFeanorion

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Fanwork Notes

This story is set in Aman and so uses Quenya names:

Carnistir = Caranthir
Artaher = Orodreth
Findaráto = Finrod
Arafinwë = Finarfin
Artanis = Galadriel
Angaráto = Angrod
Aikanáro = Aegnor
Tyelkormo = Celegorm
Curufinwë = Curufin
Nelyo = Maedhros
Findekáno = Fingon

NelyafinweFeanorion requested, "Modern AU setting with Caranthir and Orodreth pairing. I do like complex characters and personalities. I like slow burn, friends to lovers, relationship complexities, first times, quiet moments, mutual pining, developing relationships, mild conflict, hurt comfort, situational relationships."

This story is part of my Republic of Tirion series, in which I am reembodying the Noldor into the Fifth Age, where Finarfin has unkinged himself and (against the wishes of the Valar) turned Tirion into a representative democracy. You do not need to be familiar with the rest of the series to understand this story.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

In Fifth Age Tirion, Caranthir has been reembodied into a changed world: his uncle has unkinged himself and turned Tirion into a republic, Elves live in suburbs and seek psychotherapy, and the Noldor born after his exile have invented all kinds of wondrous things. One day, Caranthir receives a letter that he is being entrusted to mentor his newly reembodied cousin Orodreth. They must not only resolve their old enmity but achieve a tenuous friendship--maybe even more?--as both seek the peace and acceptance they never found in their prior lives. Written for TRSB 2019, based on the artwork by NelyafinweFeanorion.

Major Characters: Amarië, Caranthir, Orodreth

Major Relationships: Caranthir/Orodreth, Amarië & Caranthir

Genre: Drama

Challenges:

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Character Death, Expletive Language, Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Moderate)

This fanwork belongs to the series

Republic of Tirion
Chapters: 15 Word Count: 23, 781
Posted on 18 July 2021 Updated on 19 July 2021

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Family Therapy
QUIET CAR
Lichen
Batten Down
Confetti
Plunge
Zurb Zurb Zurb
Schoolboy
No Interest in Fish
Consolation Prize
BFFs
Attack
Things
Artaher
Want Me?

Comments

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OK, so far I've been ploughing through this without pause or comment, but the hideous LORD OF BIRDS shirt made me laugh so hard that I needed to step away to catch my breath, and I'll use the chance to drop a comment while I'm at it. I'm sorry to be laughing at poor Caranthir, but the way he's being pushed into (and through) these situations despite his best efforts to stay out of them is just too funny. From the outside, anyway! As usual, you combine elements of our real modern world with the fantastic so beautifully that the Republic of Tirion feels like a visit to a foreign country where some things are familiar and some things, for all the familiarity, are delightfully different. I also really love how this ties in with Caranthir's first life - addressing his emotional rawness and the inability to block out input that I remember so vividly from Another Man's Cage, for instance, and adding details like his daughters or the way he used to swim in Lake Helevorn (when it wasn't frozen, anyway). I'm looking forward to the chapters ahead. I do hope Amarië will perform street art in the corridor to Mandos at some point. >:D

PS: Don't tell him, but I think Caranthir accidentally did a great job of mentoring Orodreth on the carriage ride, simply by getting Eärwen to stop touching him and by shutting everybody up...

I realised that I never left a finishing comment after I read this to the end. It was a bittersweet delight. I continue to feel that Caranthir did a great job (as Mandos probably knew he would). You've made me feel (even more) sorry for Orodreth, too - against reason I find myself hoping that Caranthir will *not* forget to look back...

Thank you for another awesome visit to the Republic of Tirion!

I left this on AO3 as well, but since you are the grande dame of the SWG this feels like a more appropriate location for it.

I have never given more than half a thought to poor, beleaguered Orodreth and now you have set hooks in my heart! What a terrible, haunting gift to have, oh, ow. I was laughing along at this marvelous, prickly Caranthir, determined to believe himself unlovable and yet clearly well-loved, and was NOT expecting so complex or irresolvable a tangle of dreams and desires and needs. Fingon has a giant cock t-shirt (of course he does, and of course Maedhros tries to get rid of it by passing it to Caranthir as vacation wear)! Celeborn!! Oh, Celeborn. It's all so funny, and yet so poignant. Caranthir’s fences, Orodreth’s yearning. The moment in the carriage where Caranthir can't help himself from feeling -- and helping. That ending!! Oh, this is marvelous. I have to go away and have a little cry.