#saurondiel

Tolkien in the flesh, immediately becoming Sauron's Defender:

and despite the show's flaws, I adore the rings of power for showcasing it.

Not just the loneliness that comes from being so extraordinary that you stand out even in a world full of extraordinary creatures, but the reluctance to change the status quo and stop being lonely. To reach out and connect, something that ultimately comes with being vulnerable, which is Sauron's greatest fear.

The centuries of being squid ink spaghetti messed with his head so much he nearly discovered his true self under all those layers of suffering, perfectionism and malice. He nearly reached out - in fact, he did reach out and asked for companionship - but instead of reaching out with good intentions, he let the mask do the talking instead.

it's devastating, if you think about it. That Sauron is always looking for that one - someone - to take Morgoth's place in his life, someone he could serve and elevate with his skill and devotion - to have by his side because ruling alone feels a lot like meaningless hell.

Like trying to feed off of scraps to satisfy your hungry spirit.

A gift I wrote for the lovely @shady-swan-jones and entirely forgot to post here oops !