Comments on A Powerful Illusion

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So many emotions, once again, I can barely process them all.

You know, I've always wanted more stories about Maedhros' relationship with Fingolfin, especially ones that were not just 'Fingolfin dissaproves of Maedhros and Fingon's relationship' stories. The feelings that Fingolfin has toward Maedhros in this story are the feelings I always thought, or maybe wished, he would share explicitly with Maedhros, and yet you kept them internal, part of the strange decorum that seems to permeate all of the stories ever written about when these two interact in Belariand or even Valinor.

I can only remember one story that really fleshed out a full relationship between Maedhros and Fingolfin, and it was written in the short lived canon continuity where Maedhros was born first. I can't even find that story anymore, and I wish I could, because while I love Maehdos/Fingon stories, I'm really starting to think that Maedhros and Fingolfin would have the more interesting relationship simply because Maedhros is, of the line of Feanor, the one who hurt Fingolfin the least before the seige, and therefore probably the one still capable of hurting him the most thereafter.

You know how much I love your writing, so may I just ask, if you're ever inspired to write these two again, for something a bit more involved. They tiptoe around each other so much, and I just wish I could see them really crash into each other for once.

Not to say that this story wasn't fantastic, which it was, it just arouses all of those exploratory desires in me.



I see where you are coming from, certainly! It did occur to me that some readers might think that after Fingolfin's stormy entrance the conflict fizzles out too quickly. But the "strange decorum" you mention is motivated, you know. They have to rely on each other in Beleriand, after all--because clearly Fingolfin is High King over the Feanorians only to the extent and as long as Maedhros upholds that idea.

In my particular case (my story-verse, that is), this comes before "Nowhere you can fall", of course. And that implies that there are things that Fingolfin never had managed to discuss freely with Maedhros at that point--because that is one of the very reasons why things almost get out of hand then.

I don't think that in my 'verse I could write quite what it seems you'd like to see but I do agree it's a fascinating relationship that bears exploration!

I have to say, I'm with Fingolfin with this one. Not about not attacking Morgoth, because we know how well that works, but with Maedhros being such a hard nut to crack. Even here, where his motivations are discernable, he's still ... quite opaque, really. 

Poor Fingolfin. I bet he misses Feanor at these moments the most. Feanor would have yelled back, at least. 

Also, Fingon and hazelnuts. <3



Glad the hazelnuts thing appealed to you!

As for Maedhros, do you mean he's a hard nut to crack in general or in my version, particularly? Mine is working quite hard at being opaque, most of the time, so as not to scare the children. With Fingolfin here he isn't, so much, but that sort of thing becomes ingrained--and yes, Fingolfin would feel quite reassured if he started yelling back.

Only, is Fingolfin really missing Feanor, that is, in that sense? Feanor wouldn't have let him get his foot in the door and would have massively out-yelled him, if he had tried anything like that on him.