Flights of Fancy by Ithilwen

Fanwork Information

Summary:

"And thence at times the Firstborn still would come sailing to Númenor in oarless boats… And they brought to Númenor many gifts: birds of song, and fragrant flowers, and herbs of great virtue." (Akallabêth). Ever wonder what the Elves of Tol Eressëa might have brought back from those sightseeing trips? AU for some deliberately added anachronisms.

Major Characters: Finrod Felagund, Original Character(s)

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: Alternate Universe, General, Humor

Challenges:

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 2 Word Count: 2, 359
Posted on 22 May 2009 Updated on 22 May 2009

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Chapter 2 - Author's Comments

Comments

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What an original take of the difference between Elves and Man, and so intriguing too! Finrod's explanation makes sense, and I remembered of your poem about Eruhini that the Elves envy Men their wings.It's funny too how the elves are puzzled about fictional works. and the funniest thing is... I imagine if they happen to read our fanfics about them. Why, I believe they will be very very mad indeed. It's good that they cannot return to Middle Earth, eh? 

But if they are incapable of creating fictional work, for they cannot imagine what isn't,  then how about telling lies? Isnt lies at their core is fictional stories? 

Anyway, on to the 2nd chapter. 

That's for the review, Naltariel!  I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

Yes, lies are a type of fiction - but a pretty minor one.  My Elves in this story have some imagination - they can tell lies, and visualize things like "What if Feanor had had red hair?" - but their ability to really stretch their imaginations beyond the most obvious 'alternate realities' is extremely limited. Creating the United Federation of Planets or Spider-Man is a stretch too far for them - those things are just too 'unreal' for them to imagine on their own.  Every meet someone who wants to be a writer very badly but just doesn't seem to have any interesting ideas to write about?  That's my Finrod at the end.  And Melenbrethil (who is a more typical Elf than Finrod) has his parallel in the sort of person who sees no point in fiction and only reads nonfiction books 'because they're true'. 

Sure do!  I look at that endless sea of bad Mary-Sue stories with a lot more respect now. ;-)

Seriously, one thing I did want to do in this story was to give our kind a 'strange gift' that is actually worth having.  The ones we actually see in Tolkien (a body that falls apart in all sorts of nasty ways, and death) - well, if those are gifts, i want to know where the Returns Department is.  True creativity, on the other hand, and the ability to take great pleasure in the making and viewing of imaginary realities - to me, at least, that's a true and meaningful gift, not a booby prize.

What a wonderful idea! But Clark Kent  at those times?

Okay, in fact, you may have different views of the world, if you are supposed to join it, really, forever, and there is no place to where you can fly from it.

You would not only try to change it, make it better, while you are young, but all the time, and probably fail the same way, but could not leave it this way.

Yes, I often deny elves from ever being young, do not suffer of deseases or old age problems, but if I want to face everlasting battle against entropie, I do not know...

Yes, you recognize, I spent lots of thinking about, I did, indeed!

Oh my God I found it again! A casual comment on tumblr made me remember your story from when I read it ages ago, and absolutely loved it (I was to shy to comment back then). Your take on the differences between men and elves makes just so much sense to me, and has since been firmly lodged in my personal headcanon. Kudos to you, and thank you for sharing this story!