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I am quite sure that I have commented on this story at some point, but it does not show up on the SWG posting. I have been raving about this particular creation of yours for over a decade!

Whenever I come back to re-read it I am always shocked at how short it is--The Little Engine that Could!--the small story that packs a hefty punch. 

You warn all over the place (gah! fandom! one had to choose between warnings and spoilers at the point in fandom history when this was first posted!). It arguably would be more powerful without the warning, but I also do understand individual emotional fragility better today than I did ten years or more ago. 

You tell us that it is a story of "Of hatred and passion between two cousins," and "not for the faint of heart."

Most of us have experienced a lot of pent-up stress or anger after a breakup--the more significant the relationship the harder the breakup is to handle. In some ways, the more one has loved someone and the more intense the relationship the harder and less elegant and mature one behaves during the ending. I think I responded so strongly to this ficlet because I had initially fallen so head over heels with Fingon/Maedhros when I first encountered them in The Silmarillion. (And have had my share of bad endings of epic life partnerships! Not once, but twice!)

Be still my beating heart…

"in the bliss of Valinor, before Melkor was unchained, or lies came between them, Fingon had been close in friendship with Maedhros; and though he knew not yet that Maedhros had not forgotten him at the burning of the ships, the thought of their ancient friendship stung his heart."

SPOILERS BELOW:

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So how does charming, beautiful, kind and brave Fingon respond to dealing with his resentment of encountering his ex- at a party? He punches him in the face! I love this still as much as the first time I read it! I cannot believe he did that! The scene is so perfect! Ai, Fingon! Not your finest hour and that is what makes it perfect!

This fits two of today's B2MeM earth challenges perfectly! 

Card 38. - Comment on a fanwork -- Day 1 prompt G48: "a fic you reread."

Card 163. The Russingon Card -- Day 1 prompt G48: "blood"

This little ficlet is right up there with my best-loved epic Silmarillion novels in terms of lasting impact. (I also wrote one of my own favorite stories, "I Hate You," inspired by this one.)

 

I will take this as the highest of praise--thank you! I know ficlets are not generally your favorite form, so I must have been successful with this one!

I agree about the warning! One of the things I am looking forward to on my own website (nearly ready to be unveiled, although nowhere near complete) is being able to make my own rules around warnings. And yes, this was written in a different era now. I doubt I would put any warning on it now. (I prefer to say, "My work is written for adults and intended to be consumed by such." Libraries and bookstores manage to peddle fiction without warnings ...) My sympathy is also thin on this particular one since I am myself a blood-injury phobic. (A student was showing me a video of a veterinarian extracting a straw out of a turtle's nose the other day and it took one tiny trickle of blood before I went full-send, all-caps I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS!!! on him, so it is not a quiet swooning but all-out irrational.)

Having married my high school sweetheart, I have only had one of those epic endings to a relationship, when Bobby and I took a hiatus in college. But yes! I still remember the turmoil of emotion ... and it was nowhere near a life partnership. Just very intense and brief. I would have punched him in the mouth, gladly, at the time. (Now I look back and pity him. And am glad of the experience to use it in my writing! XD)

Anyway. Thank you, thank you for your ongoing support of my work and kind words. <3