-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-
-Disclaimer:-
Elrond: Crimson Starlight does not own anything.
Artemia: But you're mine! CS said so! *eyes Elrond evilly*
Elrond: Uh-hm. As I recall, she's off partying with Erestor over finding a fanfiction about him - when exactly did she say I was yours?
Artemia: Before she left. She said something about wanting pictures of the results...
Elrond: And you realize she technically has no legal authority to give me to you?
Artemia: Well, she said it was more along the lines of 'lending without permission', but she had just seen 'Pirates of the Carribean', so I figured it was her attempt at a joke...
Elrond: ...I have a sudden dislike for all Authors.
Artemia: And you didn't have one before?
Elrond: Well, normally they left me pretty much alone...except for giving me extra relatives. Which isn't necisarily a bad thing, but...
Artemia: You talk too much. That's one of the things we will have to fix. Now come! *heads off*
Elrond: *stands there*
Artemia: *looks back, shrugs* Fine then, we can deal with your eyebrows here.
Elrond: AH! Not the eyebrows! *runs*
Artemia: *runs after, grinning evilly*
(Glorfindel: Well, you do have to give Elrond credit - at least he got the disclaimer in before he ran off. Everybody else seems to forget it...
Rachel: Yeah, 'EVERYBODY ELSE'. *pokes Glorfindel*
Glorfindel: *grumbles* I get no respect...)
-49: Reconciliation-
Glorfindel and I got some rather strange looks as we walked through Caras Galadhon, but Glorfindel just kept a blank face, and I alternately looked innocent or made faces at elves who stared.
"Galadriel will have heard of this by the time I reach her, no doubt." Glorfindel commented as we reached our flets.
"She probably heard about it the instant we stepped into Caras Galadhon." I said, rolling my eyes. Then I went up on tip-toe - damn shortness - and gave Glorfindel a peck on the cheek. "See ya later!" Glorfindel smiled and nodded, then caught my hand and gave it a quick kiss before we separated and went to our individual flets. I changed quickly, and tied my still-damp hair back in one simple braid, before searching around my room in hopes of finding a book to read.
It seemed it was a Bring-Your-Own-Book room, though, so I headed out intending to search for a library. I paused, however, on the platform that not only led to my flet, but Glorfindel's. I glanced up at Glorfindel's flet, the off in the direction I knew Galadriel and Celeborn's tree to be in. I grinned and scampered up the walkway to Glorfindel's flet. I poked my head in, looking around to be sure he had gone to see Galadriel by now. He had, so I entered and started poking around, looking for a book.
I actually DID find one - and it wasn't a journal, I made sure of that. In fact, it was history book - most specifically for the years that Glorfindel had been dead. In fact...it looked as if it was a specific compilation of history for the years that Glorfindel had been dead. I frowned, and then looked at the title page, finding therein the answer to the conundrum -
'A History of What Happened When You Were Dead
by Lord Elrond Peredhil
for Lord Glorfindel'
I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. Apparently Elrond DID have a sense of humour, after all. I'd have to apologize to Glorfindel later for doubting him. In the mean time, however, I could always brush up on my Middle-Earth history...And so Glorfindel came back into his flet an hour or so later to find my curled up on one end of his couch, thoroughly absorbed in the history book. Elrond knew how to write history, I'll give him that.
"What are you doing here, Rachel?" Glorfindel asked in momentary confusion. I glanced up.
"Reading." I replied, and then turned my attention back to the book.
"I can see that." Glorfindel said with a sigh. "But why in MY flet?"
"Because...the book was here. And I was too lazy to move?" I answered, distracted by my reading. Glorfindel shook his head, then came over and peered at the book upside down.
"Which book?" he asked.
"'A History of What Happened When You Were Dead'." I replied. "Elrond knows how to write history."
"It is a talent he has somehow developed." Glorfindel said, sitting down on the couch next to me. I absently stretched my legs out over his lap as I continued reading about the early Second Age, oblivious to the fact that I was wearing a dress, and my shiftings while reading and then subsequent stretching of my legs over Glorfindel's lap had caused it to hike up to around my knees.
"How'd the talk with Galadriel and messenger go?" I asked after a moment, still reading.
"Aside from the pointed comments Galadriel made about the state I arrived in in Caras Galadhon earlier this afternoon? Fine." Glorfindel replied with a shrug.
"You know, if you'd just let me kill her -" Glorfindel whacked my leg. "Ow, that wasn't necessary!" I complained.
"You know very well that Galadriel is needed, so stop making longing comments about wanting to kill her - or Elrond or Haldir." Glorfindel said with a sigh.
"At least making longing comments about doing it is better than actually attempting it." I replied. "And Elrond's no longer on my list."
"Oh?" Glorfindel asked. "And why is that?" I held up the book by way of explanation, and Glorfindel chuckled. Further conversation, unfortunately, was cut short at a knock on Glorfindel's door. Finding that I was rather disinclined to move my legs, Glorfindel just called out for whoever it was to come in.
"Lord Glorfindel, I -" Kari stopped short upon seeing me in the room.
"Don't mind me." I commented, glancing up at her, and then turned back to the book. There was a moment's hesitation, and then Kari did as suggested and ignored my presence, engaging Glorfindel in a conversation about something or another. I caught the word 'feast', and that was about it. I did, however, pay attention when I felt Glorfindel and Kari both looking at me.
"Sorry, reading, what?" I asked.
"Elenlómë, may I speak with you for a moment alone? Perhaps at your own flet?" Kari replied.
"The name's Rachel or Asira, and only if you promise not to kill me." I answered.
"I have no reason to, Rachel." Kari said, rolling her eyes.
"Righty-o then!" I said cheerily, and hopped up off the couch. I plunked the book in Glorfindel's lap, gave him a quick kiss, and then headed out. Kari let me take the lead, though I knew she knew where my flet was, and looked extremely amused as we simply walked one flet over.
"I get lost easily." I said in my defense as we entered my flet.
"Some things have not changed, then." Kari said as I sat in one of the chairs.
"A lot of things haven't changed. But other things have." I replied, motioning for Kari to take a chair, but she shook her head and remained standing.
"Like your belief in Mary-Sues." Kari stated.
"Hmm, well, I realized a few things recently, thanks to a stubborn, super-wise maia and a sexy elf-lord." I said with a shrug.
"Mithrandir finally got a hold of you, did he?" Kari asked, her lips twitching in a smile.
"Yeah, literally." I made a face, recalling Gandalf's stunt with Asfaloth stopping. "Wizards are evil. I think they shall replace Elrond on my list of Evil Beings To Be Killed." Kari arched an eyebrow.
"Yes, in some ways, you have not changed a bit." she said, somewhat to herself.
"Nor grown up much, either, I know." I said with a rueful smile, catching the un-said comment. "It comes from living among humans and looking permanently like a twenty-year-old. And not really WANTING to grow up."
"I was going to add that if you did not." Kari said with a smirk.
"Which was why I added it." I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Now, what did you wish to talk to me about? Or did we just cover it?"
"Mostly." Kari said cautiously, looking down at the floor and frowning for a moment. When she looked up, she looked straight into my eyes with an intensity that scarily reminded me of Elrond. "Why?" There was no need to explain what she was asking about.
"I thought it would be best for me to leave. I knew I could never convince you of the same, and I knew that you would never stop following me if you thought I was alive." I replied after only a moment's hesitation. "It was the only way I could think of that would get me out of Rivendell without anyone following me, and quite honestly, I am STILL incredibly surprised that it worked. And anyways, if you think about it, it was probably the best course of action. I mean, it took me 800 years to get over this whole Mary-Sue thing, and if I'd stayed in Rivendell during that time, I probably would have been causing a helluva lot of trouble for you and Elrohir." Kari nodded, sighing. "Doesn't mean you have to like it." I added with a grin. "Hell, I don't anymore." Kari chuckled.
"What made you stop believing in Mary-Sues, anyways?" she asked curiously.
"I told you, Gandalf and Glorfindel." I replied.
"Yes, but how did you run into them? Gandalf's been running all over the countryside, and Glorfindel's been in Rivendell the majority of the time. And the rumor around Lothlórien is that you come from Gondor." Kari said, her confusion evident.
"Ah. Well, I am, in my current incarnation, from Gondor. I am known there as Lady Asira, tutor to the Lord Stewards sons. Though I can't recall ever teaching them anything their father would call USEFUL." I said with an impish smile. "Anyways, that position allowed me to have the extreme pleasure of being the first person Boromir and Faramir told about their funky little dream. I then encouraged them to talk to Denethor, Denethor wanted to send plain old messengers, I told him to stop being stupid, and so he sent me along with Boromir - actually it was more of the other way around - to Rivendell. Where Gandalf and Glorfindel found me and whacked some sense into me. Elladan and Elrohir helped, too. Though I suppose I still had some belief in Mary-Sues until I realized on the way here that I was busy being afraid of an obsessed teenager's badly-grammared creation." Kari nodded.
"It all makes sense now." she said, sounding wise. Then a confused look flitted across her face. "I think."
"Simply, I got sent to Rivendell with Boromir, where I got sense knocked into me." I said with a grin, and Kari chuckled.
"Makes sense." she said agreeably. "Now, I believe supper is to be soon. Would you like to join me and some friends for it?"
"If I can bring Glorfindel." I said, getting up from the chair and bouncing on the balls of my feet. Kari shrugged.
"He is not who I would pick for an interesting dinner partner, let alone a romantic one, but if you insist." she said.
"Are you calling Glorfindel boring?" I asked, my eyes glinting dangerously. Kari eyed me for a moment.
"Of course not." she said, and then seemed to shake herself. "Shall we go see if he wishes to come, then?" I nodded happily, and we set off back to Glorfindel's flet.
"Glory, supper with Kari and friends, coming?" I asked, poking my head into his flet. He looked up from where he was reading his history book from Elrond, in the exact same place I'd left him.
"Of course." he said, then stood, stretched slightly, and came out. With a smile, I latched onto him, and Kari arched an eyebrow and shook her head before heading off to wherever we were planning to have dinner. It was apparently some semi-private dining room, or someplace Kari belonged, because she entered without even knocking, though voices could be heard inside.
"Ah, Alkarisil -" the voice stopped when it saw who was behind Kari.
"Hello, Dad." I said, smiling evilly at Haldir. I heard a low groan from Glorfindel.
"This is going to be a looooong meal." he muttered, and Lady Valinlot, seated beside Haldir at a table in the room we had entered, sighed in what seemed like agreement - apparently she'd heard about me. Kari looked between the two curiously, and then Haldir and I started in on our usual form of conversation. It didn't take long before Kari let out an exasperated groan, as well.
----To be continued...with a moving body of water!----
(And Galadriel avoidance!)
-Authors Note:-
O.o Holy monkey in a bottle...I uploaded that last chapter, didn't check FF.N for the rest of the day, and when I looked again - *41* new reviews. I feel...loved. And slightly frightened...Thank you to each and every one of you who reviewed, whether you actually commented on the chapter or just said happy birthday. I give you all cyber-birthday-cake...
Anyways. As a general note about the story, this is the chapter where my plot effectively gets put on hold for awhile. Oh yes, there's still going to be lots of fun with Rachel and Glorfindel in Lothlorien, but my plot as I know it won't pick up again for awhile. Not to say this story is going to become boring or pointless. Well, maybe pointless, but'll be fun. Just don't expect any large plot developments for awhile - the next few chapter are going to be like the first few fun ones that resulted in Elrohir and Kari being dyed purple. *nod* Only better...because they have Glorfindel.
And another revision notice! Chapter 7-10 have had anywhere from a few words to entire conversations changed in them. Chapter 10 is the most. Why these changes? Well, remember how I said I'd decided to stick to Tolkien canon? That means: Elves sleeping together = bonding = marriage. Therefore, I had to rewrite some parts of those chapters, since I'd originally written Elladan as somewhat of a ladies-elf. It's all good now, though!
As a side note as to Tolkien canon, I've decided that the detail about Elves who return from the dead literally being reborn, going through childhood again, and then regaining their memories of their former life when they reach majority or so? For the sake of my amusement, I'm not following it. You'll see why later. (Those who are scarily clever and intelligent might be able to match this fact up with a comment in an earlier Author's Note to find out what sort of amusement I'm talking about...but I doubt anyone will get it. I doubt I could if I didn't know it was there...)
And, um...yeah. I think that's it now. Whew, I either write really long Author's Notes, or really short ones...Ah well. See y'all on Monday!
~Crimson Starlight
-Disclaimer:-
Elrond: Crimson Starlight does not own anything.
Artemia: But you're mine! CS said so! *eyes Elrond evilly*
Elrond: Uh-hm. As I recall, she's off partying with Erestor over finding a fanfiction about him - when exactly did she say I was yours?
Artemia: Before she left. She said something about wanting pictures of the results...
Elrond: And you realize she technically has no legal authority to give me to you?
Artemia: Well, she said it was more along the lines of 'lending without permission', but she had just seen 'Pirates of the Carribean', so I figured it was her attempt at a joke...
Elrond: ...I have a sudden dislike for all Authors.
Artemia: And you didn't have one before?
Elrond: Well, normally they left me pretty much alone...except for giving me extra relatives. Which isn't necisarily a bad thing, but...
Artemia: You talk too much. That's one of the things we will have to fix. Now come! *heads off*
Elrond: *stands there*
Artemia: *looks back, shrugs* Fine then, we can deal with your eyebrows here.
Elrond: AH! Not the eyebrows! *runs*
Artemia: *runs after, grinning evilly*
(Glorfindel: Well, you do have to give Elrond credit - at least he got the disclaimer in before he ran off. Everybody else seems to forget it...
Rachel: Yeah, 'EVERYBODY ELSE'. *pokes Glorfindel*
Glorfindel: *grumbles* I get no respect...)
-49: Reconciliation-
Glorfindel and I got some rather strange looks as we walked through Caras Galadhon, but Glorfindel just kept a blank face, and I alternately looked innocent or made faces at elves who stared.
"Galadriel will have heard of this by the time I reach her, no doubt." Glorfindel commented as we reached our flets.
"She probably heard about it the instant we stepped into Caras Galadhon." I said, rolling my eyes. Then I went up on tip-toe - damn shortness - and gave Glorfindel a peck on the cheek. "See ya later!" Glorfindel smiled and nodded, then caught my hand and gave it a quick kiss before we separated and went to our individual flets. I changed quickly, and tied my still-damp hair back in one simple braid, before searching around my room in hopes of finding a book to read.
It seemed it was a Bring-Your-Own-Book room, though, so I headed out intending to search for a library. I paused, however, on the platform that not only led to my flet, but Glorfindel's. I glanced up at Glorfindel's flet, the off in the direction I knew Galadriel and Celeborn's tree to be in. I grinned and scampered up the walkway to Glorfindel's flet. I poked my head in, looking around to be sure he had gone to see Galadriel by now. He had, so I entered and started poking around, looking for a book.
I actually DID find one - and it wasn't a journal, I made sure of that. In fact, it was history book - most specifically for the years that Glorfindel had been dead. In fact...it looked as if it was a specific compilation of history for the years that Glorfindel had been dead. I frowned, and then looked at the title page, finding therein the answer to the conundrum -
'A History of What Happened When You Were Dead
by Lord Elrond Peredhil
for Lord Glorfindel'
I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. Apparently Elrond DID have a sense of humour, after all. I'd have to apologize to Glorfindel later for doubting him. In the mean time, however, I could always brush up on my Middle-Earth history...And so Glorfindel came back into his flet an hour or so later to find my curled up on one end of his couch, thoroughly absorbed in the history book. Elrond knew how to write history, I'll give him that.
"What are you doing here, Rachel?" Glorfindel asked in momentary confusion. I glanced up.
"Reading." I replied, and then turned my attention back to the book.
"I can see that." Glorfindel said with a sigh. "But why in MY flet?"
"Because...the book was here. And I was too lazy to move?" I answered, distracted by my reading. Glorfindel shook his head, then came over and peered at the book upside down.
"Which book?" he asked.
"'A History of What Happened When You Were Dead'." I replied. "Elrond knows how to write history."
"It is a talent he has somehow developed." Glorfindel said, sitting down on the couch next to me. I absently stretched my legs out over his lap as I continued reading about the early Second Age, oblivious to the fact that I was wearing a dress, and my shiftings while reading and then subsequent stretching of my legs over Glorfindel's lap had caused it to hike up to around my knees.
"How'd the talk with Galadriel and messenger go?" I asked after a moment, still reading.
"Aside from the pointed comments Galadriel made about the state I arrived in in Caras Galadhon earlier this afternoon? Fine." Glorfindel replied with a shrug.
"You know, if you'd just let me kill her -" Glorfindel whacked my leg. "Ow, that wasn't necessary!" I complained.
"You know very well that Galadriel is needed, so stop making longing comments about wanting to kill her - or Elrond or Haldir." Glorfindel said with a sigh.
"At least making longing comments about doing it is better than actually attempting it." I replied. "And Elrond's no longer on my list."
"Oh?" Glorfindel asked. "And why is that?" I held up the book by way of explanation, and Glorfindel chuckled. Further conversation, unfortunately, was cut short at a knock on Glorfindel's door. Finding that I was rather disinclined to move my legs, Glorfindel just called out for whoever it was to come in.
"Lord Glorfindel, I -" Kari stopped short upon seeing me in the room.
"Don't mind me." I commented, glancing up at her, and then turned back to the book. There was a moment's hesitation, and then Kari did as suggested and ignored my presence, engaging Glorfindel in a conversation about something or another. I caught the word 'feast', and that was about it. I did, however, pay attention when I felt Glorfindel and Kari both looking at me.
"Sorry, reading, what?" I asked.
"Elenlómë, may I speak with you for a moment alone? Perhaps at your own flet?" Kari replied.
"The name's Rachel or Asira, and only if you promise not to kill me." I answered.
"I have no reason to, Rachel." Kari said, rolling her eyes.
"Righty-o then!" I said cheerily, and hopped up off the couch. I plunked the book in Glorfindel's lap, gave him a quick kiss, and then headed out. Kari let me take the lead, though I knew she knew where my flet was, and looked extremely amused as we simply walked one flet over.
"I get lost easily." I said in my defense as we entered my flet.
"Some things have not changed, then." Kari said as I sat in one of the chairs.
"A lot of things haven't changed. But other things have." I replied, motioning for Kari to take a chair, but she shook her head and remained standing.
"Like your belief in Mary-Sues." Kari stated.
"Hmm, well, I realized a few things recently, thanks to a stubborn, super-wise maia and a sexy elf-lord." I said with a shrug.
"Mithrandir finally got a hold of you, did he?" Kari asked, her lips twitching in a smile.
"Yeah, literally." I made a face, recalling Gandalf's stunt with Asfaloth stopping. "Wizards are evil. I think they shall replace Elrond on my list of Evil Beings To Be Killed." Kari arched an eyebrow.
"Yes, in some ways, you have not changed a bit." she said, somewhat to herself.
"Nor grown up much, either, I know." I said with a rueful smile, catching the un-said comment. "It comes from living among humans and looking permanently like a twenty-year-old. And not really WANTING to grow up."
"I was going to add that if you did not." Kari said with a smirk.
"Which was why I added it." I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Now, what did you wish to talk to me about? Or did we just cover it?"
"Mostly." Kari said cautiously, looking down at the floor and frowning for a moment. When she looked up, she looked straight into my eyes with an intensity that scarily reminded me of Elrond. "Why?" There was no need to explain what she was asking about.
"I thought it would be best for me to leave. I knew I could never convince you of the same, and I knew that you would never stop following me if you thought I was alive." I replied after only a moment's hesitation. "It was the only way I could think of that would get me out of Rivendell without anyone following me, and quite honestly, I am STILL incredibly surprised that it worked. And anyways, if you think about it, it was probably the best course of action. I mean, it took me 800 years to get over this whole Mary-Sue thing, and if I'd stayed in Rivendell during that time, I probably would have been causing a helluva lot of trouble for you and Elrohir." Kari nodded, sighing. "Doesn't mean you have to like it." I added with a grin. "Hell, I don't anymore." Kari chuckled.
"What made you stop believing in Mary-Sues, anyways?" she asked curiously.
"I told you, Gandalf and Glorfindel." I replied.
"Yes, but how did you run into them? Gandalf's been running all over the countryside, and Glorfindel's been in Rivendell the majority of the time. And the rumor around Lothlórien is that you come from Gondor." Kari said, her confusion evident.
"Ah. Well, I am, in my current incarnation, from Gondor. I am known there as Lady Asira, tutor to the Lord Stewards sons. Though I can't recall ever teaching them anything their father would call USEFUL." I said with an impish smile. "Anyways, that position allowed me to have the extreme pleasure of being the first person Boromir and Faramir told about their funky little dream. I then encouraged them to talk to Denethor, Denethor wanted to send plain old messengers, I told him to stop being stupid, and so he sent me along with Boromir - actually it was more of the other way around - to Rivendell. Where Gandalf and Glorfindel found me and whacked some sense into me. Elladan and Elrohir helped, too. Though I suppose I still had some belief in Mary-Sues until I realized on the way here that I was busy being afraid of an obsessed teenager's badly-grammared creation." Kari nodded.
"It all makes sense now." she said, sounding wise. Then a confused look flitted across her face. "I think."
"Simply, I got sent to Rivendell with Boromir, where I got sense knocked into me." I said with a grin, and Kari chuckled.
"Makes sense." she said agreeably. "Now, I believe supper is to be soon. Would you like to join me and some friends for it?"
"If I can bring Glorfindel." I said, getting up from the chair and bouncing on the balls of my feet. Kari shrugged.
"He is not who I would pick for an interesting dinner partner, let alone a romantic one, but if you insist." she said.
"Are you calling Glorfindel boring?" I asked, my eyes glinting dangerously. Kari eyed me for a moment.
"Of course not." she said, and then seemed to shake herself. "Shall we go see if he wishes to come, then?" I nodded happily, and we set off back to Glorfindel's flet.
"Glory, supper with Kari and friends, coming?" I asked, poking my head into his flet. He looked up from where he was reading his history book from Elrond, in the exact same place I'd left him.
"Of course." he said, then stood, stretched slightly, and came out. With a smile, I latched onto him, and Kari arched an eyebrow and shook her head before heading off to wherever we were planning to have dinner. It was apparently some semi-private dining room, or someplace Kari belonged, because she entered without even knocking, though voices could be heard inside.
"Ah, Alkarisil -" the voice stopped when it saw who was behind Kari.
"Hello, Dad." I said, smiling evilly at Haldir. I heard a low groan from Glorfindel.
"This is going to be a looooong meal." he muttered, and Lady Valinlot, seated beside Haldir at a table in the room we had entered, sighed in what seemed like agreement - apparently she'd heard about me. Kari looked between the two curiously, and then Haldir and I started in on our usual form of conversation. It didn't take long before Kari let out an exasperated groan, as well.
----To be continued...with a moving body of water!----
(And Galadriel avoidance!)
-Authors Note:-
O.o Holy monkey in a bottle...I uploaded that last chapter, didn't check FF.N for the rest of the day, and when I looked again - *41* new reviews. I feel...loved. And slightly frightened...Thank you to each and every one of you who reviewed, whether you actually commented on the chapter or just said happy birthday. I give you all cyber-birthday-cake...
Anyways. As a general note about the story, this is the chapter where my plot effectively gets put on hold for awhile. Oh yes, there's still going to be lots of fun with Rachel and Glorfindel in Lothlorien, but my plot as I know it won't pick up again for awhile. Not to say this story is going to become boring or pointless. Well, maybe pointless, but'll be fun. Just don't expect any large plot developments for awhile - the next few chapter are going to be like the first few fun ones that resulted in Elrohir and Kari being dyed purple. *nod* Only better...because they have Glorfindel.
And another revision notice! Chapter 7-10 have had anywhere from a few words to entire conversations changed in them. Chapter 10 is the most. Why these changes? Well, remember how I said I'd decided to stick to Tolkien canon? That means: Elves sleeping together = bonding = marriage. Therefore, I had to rewrite some parts of those chapters, since I'd originally written Elladan as somewhat of a ladies-elf. It's all good now, though!
As a side note as to Tolkien canon, I've decided that the detail about Elves who return from the dead literally being reborn, going through childhood again, and then regaining their memories of their former life when they reach majority or so? For the sake of my amusement, I'm not following it. You'll see why later. (Those who are scarily clever and intelligent might be able to match this fact up with a comment in an earlier Author's Note to find out what sort of amusement I'm talking about...but I doubt anyone will get it. I doubt I could if I didn't know it was there...)
And, um...yeah. I think that's it now. Whew, I either write really long Author's Notes, or really short ones...Ah well. See y'all on Monday!
~Crimson Starlight