Kindling by Anérea  

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Fanwork Notes

Inspired by two (and a half) interactive Scavenger Hunt prompts:

  • from Himring: someone is looking forward to something and making preparations;
    optional additional prompt to include the colour blue
  • from Independence1776: this photo of a mountain lake with a rocky trail leading down to the shore; green plants and trees line the trail

and a historical prompt:

  • from the Taboo challenge: "All cultures have behaviors that are forbidden. And frankly, our beloved Silmarillion characters get up to quite a lot of them."
Fanwork Information

Summary:

Aerin is miserable and bitter under the domination of Brodda and his people.
A horrible ficlet.

Major Characters: Aerin

Major Relationships:

Genre: Drama, Ficlet, Horror

Challenges: Scavenger Hunt

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Character Death, Check Notes for Warnings, Domestic and Partner Violence, In-Universe Sexism/Misogyny, Rape/Nonconsensual Sex, Suicide
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 365
Posted on Updated on

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Table of Contents

Kindling

I've tagged the warnings but it's really mostly implied (rape, abuse, suicidal ideation and suicide).

Comments on Kindling

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Yeah, she just appeared to be in a slightly better position compared to most of the other thralls*, and she did her best to help them, but relatively better than absolutely awful doesn't make it easy.

* except Morwen; in some ways I think she had it easier than Aerin and others because even though she had also lost loved ones, struggled for food, etc., Brodda and co. feared her so she was left alone, whereas Aerin was frequently beaten for aiding people.

But I think also people's emotional ability to survive in hardship is drawn from witnessing the resilience of others, so when someone who's perceived to be much stronger is seen to crumple, it can maybe feel like a threat to their own ability to cope ("If it's too much for thec strong person, how could I possibly manage?') and so they opt for denial.

Thanks for reading and commenting. ♡

Once, she had ventured to divulge how weary she was, how hopeless she felt, how much she longed to let go; had dared ask to receive a little of the same comfort in turn.

This hit so deep, the way people who give and give and give aren't seen as needing anything back, and god forbid they show the slightest weakness when others demand they be strong!  God forbid they let the scream out!

Never again would she have the freedom of her own body

I weep

This was painfully beautiful

{{{ hugs }}}

As I said in my reply to Azh, I think the reasons people deny and invalidate the struggles of those who normally display strength are complex, although certainly self-interested. But I do find it rather illogical, iif sadly common, the way people assume that those who keep giving will be able to keep on giving simply because that's what they've done in the past. Sheesh. Humans are absurd.

"Never again would she have the freedom of her own body."

The thought of Brodda forcing himself on her for 24 years because he wanted an heir and yet there's no mention of children, made me wonder, well, lots of things, none of them good, the least worst being that he was impotent or she unable to conceive. I just can't imagine her willingly carrying a child to term in those conditions, although with the beatings (many possibly in anger about not giving him an heir) on top of the general hardship, I would think it very difficult not to miscarry.

Sorry to make you weep. (The Silm made me do it!) 

Thank you for reading and commenting. ♡