Fic A Day, Day 3 - Resting Up
Aug. 3rd, 2020 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grundyscribblingTitle: Resting Up
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Summary: Buffy gets to know one of her new relatives.
Word Count: 1075
Author's Note: Long days at work this week, so the odds of getting more serious fare are not the best. I was trying to get a bit more into this, but running out of both time and awakeness...
Findis was surprised when Lady Estë indicated her presence at the small cottage assigned to Anariel would not be necessary the next morning.
“The child has been persuaded to rest until afternoon,” was Estë’s explanation.
Before Findis could point out that from what she’d heard, that was unlikely to last, Estë had added the qualifier that the girl would be resting on the island.
Findis had been torn between astonishment and amusement – with Estë herself keeping watch, young Anariel was unlikely to get a chance to do anything else.
In truth, she didn’t mind having some extra time with Elemmírë. Her wife had been good enough to accompany her to Lorien and while she no doubt found plenty to fill her time while Findis looked after her troublesome slip of a greatniece, it was nice to have time away from Tirion and Valimar and nothing in particular to do.
They got so absorbed in what they were doing together that Findis didn’t notice how much time had passed until Mírë remarked that it was getting dark – and promptly had to remind her mate that while Anariel’s Sindarin sensibilities likely wouldn’t be bothered at all if her great-aunt walked around without clothes on, any Noldor in the area would certainly remark on it.
She hurried through the gardens until she reached Anariel’s cottage, concerned what the child would make of being left on her own all day – only to find she needn’t have worried.
Anariel was curled into a chair on the porch. Her hair was damp, and she had a blanket draped over her shoulders. She was clutching a ridiculously large bowl of what appeared to be chocolate. She was eating it at a leisurely pace, contemplating the last colors of the sunset between spoonfuls.
“Anariel Elerondiel, what under the stars is that?” Findis asked.
Chocolate had quickly become a favorite among elves since its introduction almost a yen and a half ago, but Findis had never seen it served this way.
Anariel looked up, and Findis was startled afresh by her eyes.
Elrond and Celebrían both had fairly normal eye colors. Young Tindomiel had inherited Eärendil’s startling summer sky blue. Anariel’s, however were altogether different, a vivid green with a depth to them that evoked the forests and wild places of Endorë. Findis suspected those eyes were going to wreak havoc among the unattached elves of Tirion – and probably also Alqualondë, Neldoreth, and everywhere in between.
Just now, though, they were thoughtful, and maybe the slightest bit puzzled.
“A traditional California remedy for a troubled mind,” Anariel announced. “Want some? I’m sure there’s another spoon around here somewhere.”
Findis snorted. Tindomiel had claimed ‘tradition’ a time or two about some fairly outlandish things. She suspected both girls knew perfectly well that no one else could argue with them about California customs.
“What is is?”
From what Findis could see, there were at least four different forms of chocolate involved.
“It’s called a sundae,” Anariel said. “This particular one is usually known as Death by Chocolate, for obvious reasons.”
Findis eyed the chocolate concoction dubiously. She didn’t think eating anything with ‘death’ in its name was a good idea. But California, from what they’ve been told, was a very odd place…
“How did you get it?” Findis asked.
She’d never seen this served in Lorien before - or anywhere else for that matter. Tindomiel hadn’t ever mentioned it before that she’d heard.
“Asked nicely,” Anariel replied, holding out a clean spoon.
The disarming grin that went with that statement might have been stolen directly from Nolo – or Naro. This one was going to make Artanis and Irissë seem easy to deal with by comparison. Findis was starting to suspect Tindomiel’s repeated assurance that she was the least troublesome of her father’s daughters might actually be understating the case.
“Just a few bites,” Findis said, sitting down in the other chair on the porch and hoping she wasn’t going to regret it.
Anariel smiled.
“A few bites, then a few more bites…” she chirped.
“I wouldn’t want to take too much of your remedy,” Findis pointed out.
“I can always ask for more,” Anariel shrugged unconcernedly. “Estë was happy enough to help me make this one. Cheers.”
That was a California saying, if Findis remembered correctly. Tindomiel had used it before at a family dinner in Tirion.
“Cheerz,” Findis repeated.
That drew another grin from the girl, so she must have gotten the word correct, or close enough.
Findis discovered on the second bite that she’d undercounted the forms of chocolate.
“So,” Anariel said, savoring her latest spoonful. “Tell me about you.”
Findis blinked. This wasn’t really how she’d expected the conversation to go.
“What do you want to know?” she asked.
Anariel shrugged.
“They said you’re my great-aunt. Or was it great-great? Grandfather Arafinwë’s older sister. But that’s all I know. I’m assuming if I wasn’t here, I’d be playing Twenty Questions with a ton of relatives. You’re probably going to ask questions, too. So it seems only fair I get to ask about you.”
“That still does not much narrow the topic,” Findis pointed out.
“Ok, so you’re one of the scholarly ones,” Anariel said thoughtfully. “I wasn’t really trying for scholarly inquiry, though. Doesn’t go well with chocolate. This is more like girl talk. Are you married?”
Findis tried not to smile.
“Yes. My mate is here with me. She’s curious to meet you when you feel up to it.”
“She is? Why didn’t you say so sooner? She can share the chocolatey goodness too.”
Anariel glanced around as though she expected Elemmírë to come striding up the path at once.
“We are staying in a cottage a bit further on,” Findis clarified.
Anariel gave her a pointed look.
“You should ask her to join us,” she said firmly. “Unless there’s a reason she shouldn’t?”
“She may be rather absorbed in her writing,” Findis temporized, although Mírë’s laughter in her head strongly suggested otherwise. “She’s taken the opportunity of the lack of interruptions here to make some progress on her treatise on the Angmar War.”
“A historian?”
To her surprise, those green eyes lit up.
“Excellent. She should definitely join us. And bring a spoon.”
Findis suppressed a sigh. She had a feeling Mírë and Anariel in one place added up to mischief. Then again, she suspected Anariel and just about anyone could add up to mischief.
At least the girl was resting. Mostly.
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Summary: Buffy gets to know one of her new relatives.
Word Count: 1075
Author's Note: Long days at work this week, so the odds of getting more serious fare are not the best. I was trying to get a bit more into this, but running out of both time and awakeness...
Findis was surprised when Lady Estë indicated her presence at the small cottage assigned to Anariel would not be necessary the next morning.
“The child has been persuaded to rest until afternoon,” was Estë’s explanation.
Before Findis could point out that from what she’d heard, that was unlikely to last, Estë had added the qualifier that the girl would be resting on the island.
Findis had been torn between astonishment and amusement – with Estë herself keeping watch, young Anariel was unlikely to get a chance to do anything else.
In truth, she didn’t mind having some extra time with Elemmírë. Her wife had been good enough to accompany her to Lorien and while she no doubt found plenty to fill her time while Findis looked after her troublesome slip of a greatniece, it was nice to have time away from Tirion and Valimar and nothing in particular to do.
They got so absorbed in what they were doing together that Findis didn’t notice how much time had passed until Mírë remarked that it was getting dark – and promptly had to remind her mate that while Anariel’s Sindarin sensibilities likely wouldn’t be bothered at all if her great-aunt walked around without clothes on, any Noldor in the area would certainly remark on it.
She hurried through the gardens until she reached Anariel’s cottage, concerned what the child would make of being left on her own all day – only to find she needn’t have worried.
Anariel was curled into a chair on the porch. Her hair was damp, and she had a blanket draped over her shoulders. She was clutching a ridiculously large bowl of what appeared to be chocolate. She was eating it at a leisurely pace, contemplating the last colors of the sunset between spoonfuls.
“Anariel Elerondiel, what under the stars is that?” Findis asked.
Chocolate had quickly become a favorite among elves since its introduction almost a yen and a half ago, but Findis had never seen it served this way.
Anariel looked up, and Findis was startled afresh by her eyes.
Elrond and Celebrían both had fairly normal eye colors. Young Tindomiel had inherited Eärendil’s startling summer sky blue. Anariel’s, however were altogether different, a vivid green with a depth to them that evoked the forests and wild places of Endorë. Findis suspected those eyes were going to wreak havoc among the unattached elves of Tirion – and probably also Alqualondë, Neldoreth, and everywhere in between.
Just now, though, they were thoughtful, and maybe the slightest bit puzzled.
“A traditional California remedy for a troubled mind,” Anariel announced. “Want some? I’m sure there’s another spoon around here somewhere.”
Findis snorted. Tindomiel had claimed ‘tradition’ a time or two about some fairly outlandish things. She suspected both girls knew perfectly well that no one else could argue with them about California customs.
“What is is?”
From what Findis could see, there were at least four different forms of chocolate involved.
“It’s called a sundae,” Anariel said. “This particular one is usually known as Death by Chocolate, for obvious reasons.”
Findis eyed the chocolate concoction dubiously. She didn’t think eating anything with ‘death’ in its name was a good idea. But California, from what they’ve been told, was a very odd place…
“How did you get it?” Findis asked.
She’d never seen this served in Lorien before - or anywhere else for that matter. Tindomiel hadn’t ever mentioned it before that she’d heard.
“Asked nicely,” Anariel replied, holding out a clean spoon.
The disarming grin that went with that statement might have been stolen directly from Nolo – or Naro. This one was going to make Artanis and Irissë seem easy to deal with by comparison. Findis was starting to suspect Tindomiel’s repeated assurance that she was the least troublesome of her father’s daughters might actually be understating the case.
“Just a few bites,” Findis said, sitting down in the other chair on the porch and hoping she wasn’t going to regret it.
Anariel smiled.
“A few bites, then a few more bites…” she chirped.
“I wouldn’t want to take too much of your remedy,” Findis pointed out.
“I can always ask for more,” Anariel shrugged unconcernedly. “Estë was happy enough to help me make this one. Cheers.”
That was a California saying, if Findis remembered correctly. Tindomiel had used it before at a family dinner in Tirion.
“Cheerz,” Findis repeated.
That drew another grin from the girl, so she must have gotten the word correct, or close enough.
Findis discovered on the second bite that she’d undercounted the forms of chocolate.
“So,” Anariel said, savoring her latest spoonful. “Tell me about you.”
Findis blinked. This wasn’t really how she’d expected the conversation to go.
“What do you want to know?” she asked.
Anariel shrugged.
“They said you’re my great-aunt. Or was it great-great? Grandfather Arafinwë’s older sister. But that’s all I know. I’m assuming if I wasn’t here, I’d be playing Twenty Questions with a ton of relatives. You’re probably going to ask questions, too. So it seems only fair I get to ask about you.”
“That still does not much narrow the topic,” Findis pointed out.
“Ok, so you’re one of the scholarly ones,” Anariel said thoughtfully. “I wasn’t really trying for scholarly inquiry, though. Doesn’t go well with chocolate. This is more like girl talk. Are you married?”
Findis tried not to smile.
“Yes. My mate is here with me. She’s curious to meet you when you feel up to it.”
“She is? Why didn’t you say so sooner? She can share the chocolatey goodness too.”
Anariel glanced around as though she expected Elemmírë to come striding up the path at once.
“We are staying in a cottage a bit further on,” Findis clarified.
Anariel gave her a pointed look.
“You should ask her to join us,” she said firmly. “Unless there’s a reason she shouldn’t?”
“She may be rather absorbed in her writing,” Findis temporized, although Mírë’s laughter in her head strongly suggested otherwise. “She’s taken the opportunity of the lack of interruptions here to make some progress on her treatise on the Angmar War.”
“A historian?”
To her surprise, those green eyes lit up.
“Excellent. She should definitely join us. And bring a spoon.”
Findis suppressed a sigh. She had a feeling Mírë and Anariel in one place added up to mischief. Then again, she suspected Anariel and just about anyone could add up to mischief.
At least the girl was resting. Mostly.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-04 04:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-09-03 12:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-08-04 04:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-09-03 12:05 am (UTC)The chocolate? Or the asking questions and making trouble? None are exactly new to her...
no subject
Date: 2020-09-03 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-08-04 06:24 pm (UTC)Death by Chocolate is definitely an excellent remedy for emotional pain, at least it used to be for me (I can't stand that much sugar these days). I can imagine that is going to become a new thing not only in Lorien, but the rest of Valinor as well, the same way chocolate in general has become popular.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-23 12:47 pm (UTC)Lovely chapter!
On a quaint side note; my currently eldest cat is called Findis (her late brothers were supposed to be called Frodo and Bilbo, but we decided otherwise in the end), and as I got her as a far too young kitten, we bonded rather strongly. Therefore, the name is so strongly linked to her in my mind that I can't help but see a furry image each time I read the name. Since I'm also playing a lot of Skyrim these days, where there's a humanoid, man-sized feline people called Kajit who walk uprigth, wear clothes etc, (are also playable charcters), and now can't stop my crazy mind producing images of feline Elves, with Findis being one of them. *ducks* If this doesn't stop I suppposed I'll be ending up writing crossovers. *g*
no subject
Date: 2020-09-03 12:08 am (UTC)I think this chapter may have been strongly related to what I was eating at the time...
I'm waiting for that crossover! :)
no subject
Date: 2020-09-03 12:07 am (UTC)If they can get over the name, Death by Chocolate might be the next big hit in Aman. :)