one thing i love about the hobbit is the idea that we have three distinct kingdoms, of three different races, all within a few miles of each other - Mirkwood, Erebor, and Dale - and if Thorin didn't die, he, Thranduil and Bard would all be ruling at the same time!!! hence why i need a fic of those three trying and failing to work together and create peace between their kingdoms.
i imagine they'd do "political picnics" where they sit in a bougie, decked out tent in a neutral area and discuss political matters over a hearty dinner and glasses of wine.
thranduil would show up with all his assistants, scribes, servers, bodyguards, all regal and prepared. thorin would pull up with his most trusted homies, fili (king to be), balin (scribe) and dwalin (bodyguard), and would also be very regal and prepared.
...and then you have bard, who has no idea what he's doing ever, has no experience being a king and shows up with just him and sigrid (who insisted she come along to see fili). he's completely out of his element, sigrid is getting second hand embarrassment, fili is giggling, thranduil is utterly baffled, and thorin is trying desperately not to laugh. but it ends being for the best because it lightens up the atmosphere, and the three kings end up exchanging funny stories and going off-topic so often that the elven scribe has since given up trying to take notes.
