(Video)

[handofsilver]

(Housework is rather boring, but it needs to be done. Celebrimbor is setting the rather chaotic mostly-Fëanorian house to rights, frowning faintly at the odd bits and ends he comes across. There really is no explaining his father and uncles, but he loves them dearly.)

Man cerig?

(Of course the shoe in the bathroom has no answer for him. Tutting, he picks it up and tries to determine which of his family members it belongs to. And, more importantly, why there is only one of them.

Quite the mystery! What? Not every day can be filled with sorrow and wonder and madness! Though Celebrimbor's day is about to become a little more complicated based on the playful chitter that follows.)

Elbereth above! What are you? (No, he has never seen a raccoon and this one is rather...large. And animated! But who can blame her - definitely a her - when Celebrimbor spies two little faces peeking out of a cabinet.)

...ah... I think I might need assistance.

Comments

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin loves it when his son teases him. ] We are guilty! And we'd all be a few cards short of a full deck if we didn't eventually realize we were short of a shoe!

[ His gaze follows Cel's, back to the raccoon. ] Yes, our cabinet must have seemed like a dream come true, to her. No tunnel creatures would dare to follow her into this house. And I wouldn't think her babies are much more than a few days old. Maybe less. Maybe she's been sneaking into the kitchen at night to get food for them? Or perhaps they've just been hiding in here. They must be hungry, in that case.

[handofsilver]

I do worry about you sometimes. (His lips twitch helplessly and he visibly relaxes.) Your poor foot!

(All teasing comes to an end at the possibilities. Celebrimbor leans down slightly so he can look at the mother raccoon closer.)

She is skinny. Her fur hides it, but she has been missing meals. (He tuts and shakes his head.) Food first and water. She needs it to produce milk for her pups.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin gives one of his deep, humorous chuckles. It has that faint rasp in it that indicates profound amusement. ] I know, my dear son! I'm a trial to my relatives. Always shedding shoes in untoward places. It's a wonder I don't wear holes in my feet, from going around one-shoed.

[ He reaches over and gives Celebrimbor's hair a light ruffle. His eyes shine with love. ]

[ And when Cel takes a closer look at the raccoon mother and pronounces his opinion, Curufin nods to that idea about the poor creature being hungry. ] She certainly does! What have we got in the fridge? I think her kind will eat just about anything.

[handofsilver]

(Celebrimbor loves that sound and he grins, delighted to be the cause of it.) Do you switch which foot goes unshod so that they wear evenly? Otherwise you will be limping like me!

(He ducks his head, laughing softly under the ruffle. His love for Curufin is too much for him to express at times. He just wants to hear him laugh.

With gentle persistence, he coaxes the raccoon closer, gently petting over her fluffy ears.)

Bread... Fruit... Vegetables... Anything fortifying. I would like to check the pups too. If they are thin and weak, we may need to supplement their milk.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ He laughs again. He loves Cel's smile, and an outright grin is even better. ] Oh, no, I hadn't thought of that. I'll take your advice forthwith.

[ He gives his son's hair a last rumple and then watches him enchanting the raccoon. Cel has a way with animals, and it often reminds Curufin of his absent brother Celegorm. ]

I'll go and get whatever we have. . . while you stay here and talk to her and the pups. Poor little things! Maybe I can find some milk in the shops. And a baby bottle.

[ He goes into the kitchen and brings back some bread and apples. ] This should do for the moment. He hands the food to Cel, wanting to watch how he coaxes and nurtures the mother. He wonders if she'll let Cel examine the pups, but he bets that she will. After all, who could resist his compassionate son?

[handofsilver]

Please do! You are much too active to be hampered. (It would be like clipping a wild bird's wings! Unforgivable. His grin softens with tender love and he leans slightly into the rumpling. So what if his hair is messy?)

Thank you. (His attention shifts to the mother raccoon, hoping to convey to her that they mean only good for her and her little ones. She is a bright creature and soon she is grabbing onto his fingers with her front paws. He beams when Curufin returns with the food, crooning to her.)

You will like these. (Since they are in the bathroom, he plugs the sink and fills it with water. Then he gently hands her some bread. She sniffs the offering before taking it animately and "cleaning" it in the water. Celebrimbor laughs.) Enjoy.

(He glances at Curufin and opens the cabinet a little wider so they can examine the two pups.)

I feel like stepping in and mothering them for her, but I know she can raise them best.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Wild birds, both of them. Cel's limp is like that of a seagull that has been savaged by a cat, but has lived to tell the tale -- and to regain his ability to soar as high as the moon! ]

[ When he returns, he is just in time to witness the raccoon shaking hands with his son. Magic sight! And then he watches Cel offering the food and the mother meticulously washing it before eating it. Curufin takes out his pocket knife and cuts up the apples, so that the raccoon can eat them piece by piece. ]

[ The little pups look out of the cabinet with their bright eyes, wondering at the two Elves. ] I think she is a good mother. She must have searched carefully for a safe place to bring her children into the world, and now she asks us for help, sensing we will not harm her and will definitely help her. She has good judgement. Especially about you, my son! [ Another smile of fondness. ]

[handofsilver]

(Cats can be so charming; friendly one minute, vicious the next. He is a seagull that has learned his lesson and he would like nothing more than to instruct others on Arda to avoid his downfalls.

For now, he must settle with distracting a precious mother from her worries and troubles. Her tiny paws are sweet - her claws not biting into his skin (though he does not doubt they could!) - and he is only happy to offer her food.)

I shudder to imagine carrying a child in darkness. Much less two! If she asks for help, she deserves it for she has earned it in full.

(He flushes and shakes his head.) Not especially about me, Atar. Our family is a good choice. We understand strife and starving.

(He grabs a soft towel and gently lifts out the twin pups. They wiggle half-heartedly, but quickly nestle in the warmth.)

[so_dark_a_road]

[ And if ever they return to Arda, instructing others as to avoiding the pitfalls would be a major goal. The other, of course, would be defeating the cat. But that would depend on the circumstances of their return. ]

Ah, poor little mother! But at least, she has strength and cunning, and has brought her children successfully out of the darkness. [ A thread of sorrow for his own mother, Cel's grandmother, runs through his thoughts. She bore and reared them with love, but in the end, she was not able to bring her children out of darkness. ]

[ Cel won't take credit, or at least not all the credit. That is so like him! But he is a good community-thinker, far better than his father ever was. ] That we do, yondo. We understand those things only too well. But in the end, that makes us able to sympathize with the hungry and the embattled.

[ And he smiles again, to see how adept his son is at handling the little babies. ] They trust you.

[handofsilver]

(His time is done in that regard. He knows Sauron will kill him eventually and thus the cat outlives him. But...

He has planted a few seeds to his destruction and it seems like they take hold.)

She has given her children a fine chance at life. I think we should help her and them for as long as they allow.

(The mothers in their family do not live wholly happy lives, do they? Celebrimbor moves to rest his head against Curufin's.)

Let us see our new charges, hm? (He lifts the twins out of the cabinet, smiling delightedly at their energy.) Healthy, I see.

(The mother is understandably nervous and Celebrimbor lowers the towel wrapped babes so she can sniff them and be assured.)

See now? We will help you raise these precious ones.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin cannot think of any crueler fate for his son than returning to Arda, to the point in time from which he was taken. He will do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen. But who knows, if the Hadriel residents can get control of the Door, maybe they will be able to choose the point of return -- in which case, look out, Sauron! Celebrimbor's father is coming with him, and they will raise an army. Maybe bring others from Hadriel with them! Those seeds Cel planted will not only flower to the destruction of Morgoth's servant, but they will be watered and nurtured in a way not predicted by history. ]

I agree. We must help this little raccoon family.

[ Curufin drapes an affectionate arm around Cel's shoulder as the son leans his head against his father's. Yes, it is too bad that the Noldorin mothers were so burdened with fates they could not control, and had to carry the weight of their children's fates as well. ]

[ And then he watches as Cel cradles the two little ones in his arms, wrapped in the towel. ] They do seem healthy. [ He murmurs softly to the cubs. ] Your mother has certainly worked hard to keep you safe and fed! [ And to the mother. . . ] As my son says, we will help you now. You will not have to fend for yourself and your children alone.

Cel? When we have cared for this mother and her offspring, fed them and found a place for them to be comfortable, I have some gifts for you. As I promised when you gave me the ring. [ He holds up his hand. He is wearing that very ring. He often does, even though he does not normally wear much jewelry. This beautiful work he is proud to wear, and when anyone admires it, he eagerly tells them that his son crafted it. ]

[handofsilver]

(He tries not to think of what awaits him. To do so would be a waste of what he has been given in Hadriel. Being in the presence of family he has long missed will give him the strength, he hopes, to meet a quiet death no matter what Sauron does to him. However if - if - Curufin can return with him, he knows he will live. His father will assure it and Celebrimbor will not leave him behind again no matter how deep and extensive his scars.)

We shall! (He smiles softly under the weight of the strong, warm arm. Maybe the Noldorin mothers could be helped too if they returned together. Celebrimbor would be eager in that task too.

The raccoon pups squeak and settle into the comfort offered. He has some experience with cradling little ones - his daughter had been a small babe once - and Celebrimbor's hands are skilled and steady.)

She did well by them. (He watches as the mother shifts the towel to lick over the tiny face of one of her cubs.) Once they are big enough, we can encourage them into a small house of their own. But if they wish to stay, why should we turn them away?

Mm? (He hums and blushes, blinking at the ring in wonder. Curufin will be given a fleeting, yet sweet smile.) You give me a gift everyday. What more do I need?

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin would second those thoughts! ]

[ He continues to observe how tender his son is with the little ones. It is a dreadful thing that Cel never got to see his child grow up. But in a way, she is with him still -- in the tenderness of his heart, in the gentleness of his hands, and in the sacred spaces of his memory. ]

[ And the raccoon mother! How gentle and careful she is with her cubs. No wonder Celebrimbor is fascinated by such creatures. ] We will do as you say. They can have a little house of their own -- but if you want them to stay with us, and they want to stay, we won't turn them away. [ A few more residents in this crowded, interesting house? -- couldn't hurt! It will just make it all the more interesting. ]

It is you who give me a gift every day, my son. And I want to show my appreciation in many ways. So I made some jewelry for you, since I know how much you like silver.

[ His satchel is still dangling from his shoulder by its strap. He reaches into it and pulls out a hinged box made of polished wood. There is no rush, the raccoons are important. But when Cel has a hand free, he can open it. Inside, he'll find three necklaces and three bracelets. They are all formed from silver links with silver charms dangling from them. The charms are very small, but delicately crafted in the form of birds and animals. Two of them are all birds, of different kinds, with their wings open in the act of soaring, their feet trailing behind them or reaching for a twig or branch. Of these two necklaces, one necklace is songbirds, the other is seabirds. They are so lifelike that one wonders not to hear them chirping or crying in their lovely, yearning, musical voices. The third one is all animals, of the kinds that ranged the woods of Himlad where father and son had lived together long ago. Deer, elk, rabbits, marmots, beaver, mice, squirrels, and many more creatures. They too are expressive and lifelike, as though they might at any moment meet your eyes with their bright dark animal gaze. The bracelets are similarly formed to match the necklaces. And of course, all of these pieces can be mixed. The necklaces are fine enough to be worn in multiples if desired, and likewise the bracelets. ]