Tolkien reader inserts/one shots

The Goth and the Jock (Haldir x modern!goth reader)

(Mentions of bullying)

When you read Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" books, you never imagined that elves would be as big of bullies as the people back at home. You had been reading the book when you fell asleep one night and woke up in Middle Earth. Now, normally, you would have been thrilled to get away from your home. See, people thought you were...different. You always wore dark clothes and listened to music that most people didn't care for. Goth, they called you. You were just expressing yourself in your opinion.

Unfortunately, the elves didn't seem to understand it either. They'd never seen anyone like you before. So, they talked. They were too polite to say anything to your face, but you could hear little snippets of their conversations, especially when they neglected to speak Elvish. "That Y/N is an odd one, even for a human." Those were the words you heard most often and, despite outward appearances, it hurt.

So, you tended to stay away from the others. You debated on leaving Lothlorien, but you weren't sure where to go. You never studied the map at the beginning of the books. You were cursing yourself for it too. Lady Galadriel had been kind enough to offer you a place to stay and you were grateful for the little bit of privacy it offered. You also enjoyed climbing the trees to just sit and think. A place to get away from the whispers. But, you were beginning to feel just as isolated here as you had in your home world.

"Are they talking about you again, Y/N?" a voice asked. You nearly fell from the branch you were sitting on. Once you were balanced again, you looked up to see Haldir standing there. He was the one elf that never talked about you behind your back. He treated you the same as he did almost everyone else when they weren't in training. "Of course they are," you muttered.

"I understand," he said, sitting down next to you and you laughed humorlessly. "No you don't. You aren't the weird one. You're a jock!" Haldir quirked a brow in question and you explained, "You're athletic. Graceful. You're popular and get along with everyone. You can't know how it feels to be picked on for expressing yourself." Haldir nodded in understanding. "But I do. I was not always a 'jock' as you called it. I was a rather awkward elfling."

You stared at him in disbelief. Haldir? Awkward? The two words didn't belong in the same sentence. "I find it hard to believe." Haldir smiled. "It is true. It took me twice as long to learn to use my bow as it did the other elves. For a while, I thought I might be more suited to playing the lyre or harp. So I gave it a try. The others teased me relentlessly."

You felt your lips upturn in a slight smile. "Of course, it did not help that I was horrible at it." This time you really laughed. You knew he was just trying to make you feel better, but it was working. "So, I went back to fighting. I was still awkward and terrible, but I knew that was who I was. I was a warrior deep down, no matter what anyone else said. I never let their comments stop me from being who I was. And neither should you. You have a good soul and a strong heart, Y/N. How you dress and your ,admittedly, odd music takes nothing away from that. It doesn't change who you are on the inside."

A comfortable silence fell over you as you sat up in that tree. You contemplated what he had said. If you'd learned anything about the March Warden, it was that Haldir never said anything he didn't mean. "Thank you, Haldir. I feel better." He gave you a rare smile. "Of course, Mellon." You sat quickly again as the rains began to fall through the canopy of the trees. You didn't mind. You liked the rain and you enjoyed spending time with Haldir. Hewas your one friend in Middle Earth. "He's right you know," another voice said. This time, you would have fallen from the tree if not for Haldir sitting next to you. "He truly was horrible at the lyre."