My Grandfather's Cottage by oshun

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Fanwork Notes

This is my Slashy Valentine story that I wrote for Levade. She inspired it truly. I think I fulfilled, kicking and screaming all the way, every aspect of her prompts. As is usual for me with such things, she almost certainly knew better than I did.

This is a double gift to Pandemonium as well who just had a birthday and graciously loaned me elements of her characterization of Glorfindel from her own story cycle.

Thanks to my two dutiful Betas, Lilithlessfair and Ignoblebard. I cannot thank them properly. I really felt rusty and distracted and they really give me the will to go forward. Lilith also, spotted weaknesses that I sort of noticed and might have left without her proding. Thank you both again so much.

The request:

Ecthelion/Glorfindel: Can be an AU, set anywhere but Gondolin, please. Not your typical jocks/warriors or angsty lovers. Witty banter, snark, comfort, equals in all things. Please include elements: a dragon's sharp tooth and a letter, long-lost.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

2011 Middle-earth Fanfiction Awards - First Place, Elves General, and Smaug's Treasure award.

This is a story of tragic heroes of the First Age, while they were young elves in love in Valinor, inexperienced and foolish. Ecthelion, a half-Telerin nerdy musician who fancies himself to be rather worldly and fashionable, sets himself the task of seducing his best friend Glorfindel, a charming math prodigy. The story provides a glimpse at contrasts between Telerin, Noldorin, and Vanyarin cultures, which turns wildly AU in relation to the inclusion of the festival of the Gates of Summer. It’s but a little romp of a love story about growing up spoiled and privileged in Aman during the Years of the Trees.

Major Characters: Ecthelion of the Fountain, Elrond, Glorfindel, Maglor

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: Romance, Slash/Femslash

Challenges:

Rating: Adult

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 6, 025
Posted on 15 February 2011 Updated on 15 February 2011

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

It is highly unlikely that Glorfindel’s House of the Golden Flower existed in Valinor. Neither is it canon that Ecthelion is half-Telerin, half-Noldor. It is also invented out of the whole cloth that Glorfindel is related to Elenwë, much less her little brother. And, as mentioned in the summary, the Gates of Summer is almost certainly a festival solely belonging to Middle-earth and instituted after the appearance of the Sun. Accept my apologies for AU elements and casual handling of canon, please. It’s all fiction and fantasy.

Also, it has been a running joke among my friends that I have used the lovely Jamie Campbell Bower as the model for my fresh young Glorfindel. Hope he works for all of my readers also.

Comments

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Oh Oshun, this is love, love, love!!   You do such a fantastic job of world-building even in a short fic like this, so that I feel I've lifted a curtain on a real place.  And real people as well.  I feel as if I truly know both your Glorfindel and your Ecthelion.  These are such boys too, the teasing is perfect.  “Do you realize how lucky you are that I have decided to sleep with you?” and
“I love you with all my heart, Laurefindil,” I said. “I don’t mind how homely you are or who knows either.”  

Really enjoyed this exchange for writerly sophistication:

I’m really sorry. I think the problem is at least partially the saddle itself. It feels as hard as wood. My rear end feels bruised. Would you mind terribly looking at it? I might consider trying to find some way to pad it a bit.”

“You’re serious?” I asked him. “You really do want me to look at your arse?”

His face flushed a fiery red and his eyes narrowed. “Actually I meant for you to examine the saddle.

The reason I loved it was that as reader I understood that Glorfindel meant he wanted Ecthelion to look at the saddle, but it's such good characterization about what was uppermost in E's mind that he mistook what Fin meant.  

And I loved this:  “This is perfect. We are perfect,” he whispered. “I knew we would be.”

I'm reminded a bit of scenes in Call Me by Your Name and At Swim, Two Boys, just for the sense of being immersed in that world of youth and first times in a beautiful place by the sea. (Loved the pics.)  I would gladly read a whole novel like this.

And of course, I was happy about the ending.  It's marvelous as always.

 

This is (I think) a little unusual for one of your stories in that you tend to be a world builder and most of your stories are compatible with each other - set in the same universe, I mean. This one isn't compatible with Harmony in Autumn (unless Ecthelion should happen to be a compulsive liar). But I think it beautifully complements that story - it is the boisterous spring to its harmonious autumn, so to speak, and you have chosen to describe young, adolescent love here rather than belated love.

Although actually the description of the setting sounds very summery and warm rather than spring-like - like the best kind of holiday! (Strictly speaking, it can't be summer, I guess, there being no real seasons this close to the Trees, but you actually address that problem in the story, don't you?) 

Only an incorrigible addict like myself would remark on the fact that there is no glimpse of Fingon in this one - I suppose he had to go to Fingolfin's reception and let himself be bored stiff, poor guy!

In case it isn't obvious from the above - I really enjoyed reading the story!

You are lovely to spot that it is incompatible with my world. I don't know which is canon for me at this point--this one or Harmony in Autum. I am always in love with the last story I wrote. I unfortunately got the same request more or less for two fic swaps. I never would have written either of these stories without a prompt. Not that I do not love Glorfindel/Ecthelion; I always have. They are for no reason but personal perference a canon fixture for me. It is true that Fingon does not appear and he almost always does. But I did mention both Maedhros and Fingon--that Ecthelion has legs almost as long as those of Maedhros and that Glofindel's brother is an equestrian on the level of Fingon.

Thanks for reading. I had so much fun writing young love.

I do intend to stick to my practice of writing within my own canon, unless forced by an outside element to do otherwise.

I am honored (not to mention tickled pink) to have this thoroughly charming story dedicated to my birthday!  You have painted such a vivid picture of those halcyon days in Aman.  The details of the North Village and the cottage itself are wonderfully executed so that I could visualize them easily (although the photos helped).  The tidbits of culture are very neat, too.

I love Ecthelion and Glorfindel's characterizations.  Ecthelion's mixed Telerin-Noldorin ancestry is a neat touch and gives you a nifty springboard for cultural observation. The superstition of the villagers ("Don't mention Melkor!) tickled me.

 Each fellow comes across believably as a young man with that certainty about his knowledge of life, but naive and vulnerable at the same time.  I like the way you build up the sexual tension with the two guys dancing around one another, with Laurefindel seemingly oblivious to Ecthelion's interest, when in fact, he is well aware of it.  That's handled very well.   Glorfindel's prowess as a mathematician also thrilled me.  Nice researching there -- that comes across as very authoritative!  The intelligence of each character shines, and that really does it for me, probably more than a very explicit erotic scene.  And speaking of the erotic, I like how you handled it here -- just right.

I have always liked the Ecthelion/Glorfindel pairing, and you've done a fantastic job here.  A round of applause, please...

Thank you! I am so glad those parts worked for you. I did get in a bit of a hurry and, despite the valiant efforts of Lilith and Ignoblebard to rein me in and whip me into shape, it still could use some nitpicking, but I did enjoy taking them on and building a life for them and giving them some personalities.

I had a little trepidation about the dedication because it did feel still a little rough to me. But I was thinking of you and your Glorfindel when I wrote it and it was your birthday after all! I could not resist.