@undomaelā liked for a starter
Never had he laid eyes upon a lady so fair in his life. Truly there were no words in the world in any language that could even come close to describing her beauty, and, as a learned hobbit, he knew a great many. Of course, as a rule, elves were distinctly ethereal and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but Elrondās daughter is said to rival the beauty of Luthien Tinuviel herself. She reminded him of the moon - distant, and isolated.
Itās almost a week before Bilbo learns that Elrondās daughter, the Evenstar, is called āArwenā. Ā How lonely it must be, to be placed upon a pedestal by her own kin, marked different from the rest, set apart and treated with equal parts reverence and wariness. Ā It seemed the alienation and isolation of the other, no matter the motive, was not exclusive to hobbits as he once thought. He can empathize (more on the wariness bit than reverence, of course) - heād spent much of his life as a pariah, due to his heritage as Belladonna Tookās child, his assertion of gender, and then his unhobbitish behaviour following his Adventure. He knew, to a lesser degree, what it was like to be defined and recognized not for oneself but for the expectations of others around, judged for what was wanted instead of what was really there.
Bilbo decided then that he would try to make a friend. It couldnāt hurt, could it?
He gets his chance when their paths cross in the gardens of Rivendell one fair evening. āItās, er, a lovely day weāre having, isnāt it?ā Bilbo greeted merrily, and then winced. Every day was lovely in Rivendell. That was the point. āThat is to say, ah- I donāt think weāve been introduced? My name is Bilbo Baggins.ā
