Hello. I'm sunstarlit. And today I offer you my version of "Modern Girl in Middle Earth". But with what I would have done if I was in Valinor during the Silmarillion.
I'm not from an English speaking country so sorry if there are mistakes. Being proud of my language and culture, I will put words in French and references to the French culture. I will give the translations and explanations at the end of the chapter!
Little help:
italics are for quenya
My updates will be when I've written something so uh... sorry in advance.
Have a good read!
(Of course, everything you recognize belongs to our dear Tolkien!)
"Holy crap, why is Manwë in front of me?"
The man, or rather the Vala, stepped back and looked at me warily, surely thinking I was a servant of Satan. I mean, of our dear Melkor. Morgoth. Melkor. Anyway.
"How do you know my name, stranger? What are you?"
Oh fuck. Just why? I should have listened to Paul and learned Quenya. Also, isn't it a rule in fanfics that Y/N has a great integrated translator or is such a fan of Tolkien that they are fluent in Quenya? God-no Eru dammit! Help me with this!
"Answer."
"You know what, I don't understand anything you're saying okay. I'm going to tell you about my last day on Earth, even if you don't get it. Well, it all 'started' on a beautiful summer evening."
And here we go for a ride! Start the flashback music!
" We eat! It's on the table!"
My brother got up from the couch, grabbing my phone before I could react.
"Luke. Give me my phone back."
"Boo-hoo, I'm scared."
He mimed crying before glancing at my screen and letting out an exaggerated sigh.
"ao3 again? And what are you looking for now?"
"Fanfiction ducon."
He rolled his eyes.
"I'm not dumb sœurette. About who?"
"The twins."
"Which ones? Weasley? Skywalker?"
"Not the Skywalkers! What do you take me for? That's seriously shady with... you know."
"Well, I never know with you... And may I remind you that your name is Leya with a y and not an i? Thanks Maman."
Yes, you heard me right. Or read. My brother, a twin at that, is named Luke. And I'm Leya. Thanks Papa who is more than a Star Wars fan and thought it was funny to convince our mother to name us after the Skywalker twins. But our mother made a mistake when we registered with the Civil Registry. And now we are Luke and Leya Owes.
"Are you done staring into the void? There's no camera and this isn't a 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' type show."
A sharp and brutal return to reality. Thanks frérot. He waved my phone in front of my eyes and snapped his fingers (with his other hand of course).
"What twins? And then we can go downstairs to eat and avoid Maman's wrath."
"Fëanor's twins. Ambarussa. Amrod and Amras. Telufinwë and Pityafinwë."
"Ah okay. I see who it is. Here. Take your phone back."
He tossed me my phone while turning to go open the door to our room. I retrieved my phone on the fly (thanks to my reflexes) and followed him to join our parents.
"What took you so long!"
Our mother was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs, hands on hips.
"Sorry Maman, Leya thought she was in a soap opera and was staring at an invisible camera. I tried to get her to react but she wouldn't stop until she finished telling her story.
As I went to sit down, I kicked him in the shin and smiled at our parents.
"Let's eat, I'm starving."
"Be careful or you'll sink tonight."
As I kicked him in the shin again and handed my plate to my father to serve me.
"Don't say that Luke, I'm sure your sister is going to do great tonight."
Thanks for the support Papa.
"But speaking of which, isn't it better that you don't eat before the race, chérie?"
I nodded as I watched my dad put some peas on my plate.
"Luce said I could eat a little beforehand just to. But nothing too big. Besides, it's in four hours..."
My mother nodded to support my words and everyone resumed eating. Three hours later, I was in the 'lodges' near the lake where I was going to do my first night race of the year. Despite the fact that the race was an hour away, I was already dressed in my wetsuit and my hair was already tucked under my swimming cap.
The stress was starting to build. Still. Two kilometers in the dark is always extremely long. My coach, Luce, had her hands on my knees to stop them from shaking and was gently answering my questions.
"What if I miss my roll? Or get a false start!"
"You keep going. You're fighting for the gold, Leya."
"Even with a cramp? Can we really not go test the water? Imagine it's freezing and I'm getting hypothermia!"
"That's what your suit is for. And then we are in summer, the water can't be like in winter. And you can't test the water. That's the point of this race, to get into unknown water. Every year, a new lake."
"What about the cramp?"
"Leya... How many times have you participated?"
"Fifth. So yes. I know what to do if you get a cramp. The thing Benoit explains every year. The tab on the side and boom light. Sorry I'm stressed."
"I saw that! But Leya. You've already brought us three silver medals and one bronze. That's already great. But this year is the last."
"I know. After that I'll be too old. Well, in a manner of speaking. 17 is still young."
"Leya. This year you're going for the gold. More than ever okay? Gold."
"Yeah. Gold. Got it."
"I'll give you your last hour with your family and friends. Then you jump in the water and bring back?"
"The gold medal. Thank you, Luce.
"Thank you instead."
She winked at me before walking out of the tent and my family and best friend walked in. My brother was the first to break the silence.
"Ready for the gold, Princesse?"
"I think so. This year is my year. I can feel it."
Paul, my best friend since kindergarten came over to pat me on the shoulder.
"You shouldn't have put on your swimming cap right away. You're keeping me from ruffling your hair Tomate."
Tomate is my nickname because when I was little and even now, when I get angry I turn as scarlet as a tomato. And therefore lose all my credibility according to Paul.
"Let's make a bet Leya."
Him and his bets. How much is he going to talk me into learning Quenya?
"The conditions are? Because if I accept without knowing, I'm pretty sure I'll get screwed."
He looked at me with a fake outraged look before dramatically putting a hand on his chest.
"I am outraged by this attitude, jeune fille. And to answer your question, if you win the gold, I'll stop talking to you about learning Quenya. But if you win something else... You will take quenya lessons with me."
"To please you I will accept. But be prepared for me to win!"
Afterwards, the atmosphere was lighter and we talked until Luce arrived.
"It's time."
I stood up and gave a small smile to my family and Paul before leaving the tent. A small breeze caressed my skin and made me shiver. We walked until we reached the edge of the lake, where the race would begin.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
"You're going to make it kid, and don't forget..."
"We're taking the gold home."
"That's good."
She left, probably to join the other coaches. Almost all the participants had arrived. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner, fourty two losers. I eat losers for breakfeast. Speed. Faster than fast. Quicker than quick. Wait. Am I doing the beginning of Cars 1?
The first shout of the referee sounds and without having understood what he said, I automatically put on my glasses and get in position to jump. I can do it. The start is launched and I jump to make a great dive. Great start. Ready to feel the water wrap around me and start swimming. But. This is the ground I encounter. Grass. Grass? Bruh. Where's the water?
"What the hell is this?"
I took off my glasses and my head spun from the bright light my retina perceived. After a few seconds, I could see the beautiful plain that had replaced the lake and the forest.
"Where the fuck am I?"
I stood up before I heard someone speaking to me in an unknown language.
"Is everything okay?"
I turned around to face a guy. Tall. Handsome. With long white hair. His clothes were strange, but so were mine. Being in a wetsuit in the middle of a plain is suspicious. But what shocked me the most was behind him. Two gigantic trees. And they were shining. One gold, the other silver. Telperion and Silpion. I believe. So that means... the guy. That's Manwë.
"Holy crap, why is Manwë in front of me?"
And there it is. You know everything.
French traduction:
ducon = dick
sœurette = sis
Maman = Mom
Papa = Dad
frérot = bro
chérie = sweetheart
princesse = princess
tomate = tomato
jeune fille = young lady
And this is my first chapter. It was supposed to be a kind of prologue but all in all it was quite long. So here is my first chapter!
There's a reference to Eddie Munson from Stranger Things and Cars 1, so those parts don't belong to me!
Have a good day and see you next time!