What's Quenya For Thanksgiving?
Jan. 7th, 2019 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grundyscribblingsulien, who is not having a very good day. Hope you feel better soon!Story behind the cut. Set in 4th Age Aman, in which Elrond, Celebrian, and their youngest daughter have just arrived in Tirion. (A few hours after this one.)
Tindomiel sprawled on the grass.
All this family reunion was exhausting – and that had been before the food.
Eärwen and Anairë had quickly given up any thoughts they might have had about talking sense into their thoroughly overexcited husbands – and sons, because Grandfather Turukano and Great-Uncle Finderato were nearly as bad as their fathers. Tuor seemed to be the only one of her grandfathers or uncles who was anything like relaxed about the whole thing, possibly in self-defense since he’d been stuck hanging out with the overexcited crowd since their ship reached Alqualondë…
Dinner had been a family-only affair, thankfully, but that just meant Musical Chairs, Round II – Second Verse Same As the First (Not Much Louder But A Whole Lot Worse.) Unfortunately, there was no kids’ table to save her from the madness – and her brothers would laugh their behinds off if they knew she was wishing for one!
Instead, Tindomiel had acted in self-defense, forming a block with Anairon, Tas, Cali, and Uncle Finderato’s children. She’d been willing to tolerate Artalissë if it meant not being in the middle of a tug of war between all her grandparents! Besides, it also had the benefit of giving her a chance to get to know Gildor’s younger brothers Gilrod and Arador better.
Age-wise, Gilrod fell into the long gap between Tindomiel’s older sisters, but Arador was only a couple years older than Anariel, close enough in elvish terms to be practically the same age. He’d been doing a fairly good job of concealing his disappointment that she hadn’t sailed with her parents – Tindomiel suspected Anairon hadn’t been the only one looking forward to a like-aged cousin. (Arador, Anariel, and Eärsuro’s older brother were so going to be buds. Nevermind her and Anairon, that threesome had the potential for more trouble than Aman’s seen since the Years of the Trees what with Anariel and her bad ideas, Arador’s excellent innocent act, and Eärsuro’s brother sharing his easy-going, up for anything attitude.)
Their end of the table had been able to enjoy the food and conversation and occasionally dissolve into giggles at the sight of Grandfather Arafinwë being entirely too pleased at having maneuvered his daughter into a chair to his right and his granddaughter to his left, or Nolofinwë and Turukano being equally ridiculous about Elrond.
Her dad was looking a little shellshocked – sure, some of their Noldorin relatives had showed up to Alqualondë, but despite Idril and Anairë’s presence, that had been a mainly Lindarin party focused on Galadriel, Celebrian, and Tindomiel. Here in Tirion, Elrond was just as popular, if not more so, cause Nolofinwë and Turukano have not gotten calmer for having to wait those extra few weeks.
Erestor was looking nearly as overwhelmed, given how many family members were unexpectedly taking an interest in him. He’d tried to excuse himself early on, to see to the luggage, but Aunt Findis and Aunt Irimë had been having none of it and told him he was expected at dinner same as everyone else. Fortunately, Gildor had more or less rescued him, and steered him to a place between him and Aunt Amarië. (Amarië was as impossibly sweet and nice as everyone in Middle Earth had always imagined Uncle Finrod’s fiancée, Tindomiel was happy to discover. Wherever Artalissë’s attitude came from, it wasn’t her mother.)
And that was before they saw the Noldorin royal family’s idea of ‘a small family dinner’. Ok, yes, it hadn’t been formal. But there had been a lot of food. Multiple courses – and Tindomiel had been hopelessly stuffed well before the meal had been declared mercifully at an end. She didn’t even care that there hadn’t been dessert.
Cali and Tas had looked just as full, and the three of them plus Anairon had managed to escape into the gardens before any elders could intercept them.
The gardens were pretty nifty – and well lit, thanks to the devices everyone seemed to be dancing around calling Fëanorian lamps. Tindomiel couldn’t think why, it wasn’t like anyone of the House of Elrond would be bothered by the reminder that Uncle Butthead was kind of a genius. She didn’t know about her father, but she’s disappointed that there had been no sign of Grandmother Nerdanel or haru Makalaurë’s wife.
“Ugh, I’m not moving for weeks,” Califiriel said, draping herself over the nearest bench.
Her sister was more inclined to copy Tindomiel, and threw herself gratefully down onto the soft grass. Anairon shook his head at them, and sat down, no doubt checking for dirt first.
“Brother, I found them, they’re out here! You’re not going to sleep, are you?”
Arador’s eyes were twinkling with mirth as he took in the state of his youngest cousins, all of whom were lounging around in various degrees of what would have been described as ‘food coma’ in California.
Artalissë had stayed inside, hanging onto Gildor – having her ‘biggest’ brother finally in Tirion hadn’t gotten old yet – but Finrod’s middle children had come out into the gardens to keep an eye on the youngest Finwions. Or maybe just to hang out. It was hard to tell.
“I don’t know about her, but I definitely am,” Tasariel declared firmly. “Sleeping it off sounds like a plan after a dinner like that.”
“Shame, you’ll miss dessert,” Gilrod said with mock regret, leaning on his younger brother.
“Dessert? There’s more?” Tindomiel asked in disbelief.
“Of course there’s dessert! What kind of dinner would it be without dessert,” Arador laughed. “Gildor never mentioned that elves in Endorë regarded dessert as something only for special occasions!”
“Even if that were the case, this would qualify,” Gilrod said thoughtfully. “It’s not every day we have kin arrive from the Hither Shores. The cooks have been eager to show off, particularly the chocolate dishes.”
“He mentioned food,” Califiriel groaned. “I don’t think I’m going to be ready to eat again for a week.”
“If I take a little nap, I can have chocolate,” Tasariel said hopefully. “Just have to give my digestive system a chance to work first, make some room…”
“That sounds much more reasonable,” Arador grinned. “Take your nap. We’ll wake you in time. You won’t want to miss dessert. I’ve never seen the kitchen do so many forms of chocolate at once.”
Tindomiel privately thought that if anyone had told her in the past eighty years that there would be a day when she wouldn’t jump at the chance for chocolate, she’d have insisted her father do a sanity check on them. The idea would have been even more ludicrous than Anariel’s ‘maybe Celegorm wasn’t that bad’ theory. But right now, even chocolate is officially Too Much.
“Nor I,” Gilrod agreed. “I think they were worried they might miss something. There’s chocolate cake, chocolate drops, chocolate cookies, melted chocolate for dipping fruit, chocolate ice cream…”
“Nope, turning green just thinking about it,” Califiriel whimpered.
Tindomiel turned her head to see what Anairon thought of all this.
“The kitchen did maybe get a little more enthusiastic than normal,” he shrugged. “But you’d better get used to it. There’s bound to be a formal reception and dinner at some point soon, and that will be just as much food, but with public manners to go with it.”
Tindomiel found that far more groan-worthy than thinking about chocolate.
Especially chocolate ice cream…
“I think I’m going for the ‘nap before dessert’ plan,” she announced. “Somebody wake me up for the chocolate.”
Although just in case…
I can trust those two not to prank me while I’m asleep, right? she asked Anairon silently.
He nodded, and she was about to ask why he hadn’t just answered when Arador beat him to it.
That’s not quite polite, you know.
She might have thought he was bothered had he not sounded like he was about to laugh.
But no, we won’t prank you. If Ammë didn’t have our behinds for picking on the littlest ones when you’ve only just arrived, Atto would.
Tindomiel snickered. Honestly, she’s pretty sure Uncle Finrod would just sit back and watch the ensuing prank war, but if it means she’s ok to nap until dessert, she’s not going to argue.
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Date: 2019-01-08 03:39 pm (UTC)Speaking of pranking and there being such marvelous chocolate goodies for dessert, it would be great for CelebrÃan to tell Glorfindel how marvelous and unexpected Sichuan peppercorns are when paired with chocolate. Biting into a fresh one feels like zapping your tongue with an electrical charge, but the flavor is perfect with chocolate. A surprising but pleasant prank and the sort of thing I could see Glorfindel using to get back at Tinu for the Habanero incident.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-08 04:42 pm (UTC)I don't think CelebrÃan will be suggesting anytime soon that Glorfindel should start a prank war with Tindomiel, who now has a lot of time on her hands, a perfect 'straight man' in Anairon, a small horde of indulgent older relatives who would take her part, and far greater knowledge of how to be devious with 'California' foods...