"Well no, but mine also doesn't sun fade. It's less about the color and more about the unnaturalness of it."
Despite talking about her heritage, even in such innocuous ways, she's not unsettled. She's been having these conversations a lot. Just with the ones everyone here refuse to call gods.
"If I only we could all get so lucky. She'd charm everyone in an instant. Maybe I could paint her, so you could really see the details of her."
That's not how she heard it. She heard that Varda made actual stars. Also science is terrifying.
She lifts a shoulder, brushing some hair behind an ear, awkward.
"I've been trained as a bard, but I don't really hold a candle to Maglor. My only other real talent is with weapons, and it's rather an unnecessary skill here."
Well yes, but that's mostly maths and science, and they're just playing with the building blocks Eru gave them!
"Very few can." Says Maglor's mother with a fondly tolerant smile. "But that doesn't mean you're bad! And I'm sure you have plenty of songs we don't know! As for weapons, well - there are still the Warrior's Meets, and the Tourney once a year?"
She will never believe you can math a star into existence.
"You think I'd be welcome to participate?" She's genuinely surprised by the suggestion. But then again, thinking on it, no one understands why she might not get invited to such things normally. No one knows enough about her to get nervous.
"Hmm... maybe if they give me just blunt weapons, and everyone else stays nicely armored, it could be fine."
Well it's true you need a good deal of power too, but mostly it's about calculating the right gravity to get all the bits to fall together....
"Of course!" Nerdanel smiles at her encouragingly. "All talent is to be encouraged and nurtured, until you ready to move on to something else."
She giggles. "My dear, most of the warriors who are still active are survivors of the Third Age or the Reborn of the First. They're used to fighting dragons and balrogs. They won't mind a few cuts and bruises, and I think you'll be surprised how many can keep up with you."
Considering the people who still frequent said Meets include Glorfindel, Gil-Galad, Fingon, and Fingolfin.
"I didn't mean to imply they couldn't." And again her face feels hot. She didn't want to sound like she thought little of the skills of their living heroes. She didn't. She just...knows what lies, restless, in her own veins.
"My lady...how much, exactly do you know about me? I know we haven't talked much-" hence the whole bringing tea, and having a visit "-but what all has Maglor said if me?"
It's not the conversation she'd intended to have, but perhaps it ought to be. Half the reason she keeps being surprised by her warm welcome, is because she forgets that most don't already know everything about her.
"You're my mother in law. You have a right to know who married your son."
Not that she's not incredibly impressed by that. Talk about a great mother; trusting her son's judgement, and just happy that he's happy. Nerdanel is saintly. Do they give mother of the year awards here?
"It's common knowledge that I am not of Arda. Eru had no hand in my existence. Whether he knows about the multiverse or not, we can't say, but it's very safe to assume he's given me permission to be here, in his part of it. Though I can't, for the life of me, quite understand that. You'd think my presence would raise a great many questions. But I digress.
I'm from a world that has many God's. Not all of them very good. Often they don't get along. Ao is their overgod, what Eru is to Arda. At least, as far as we know. And one day he grew tired of the pettiness of the lesser deities and cast then down to the mortal plane, to walk among the mortals.
It royally messed everything up, to say the least. And in my opinion, was worse than anything the lesser gods had gotten up to prior. But no one listens to me. Not that it matters, I was still practically a toddler at the time.
But one of these gods foresaw this, and know that when he would be made mortal, he would be slain. So before it came to pass, he walked among mortals, and sired a score of children. In them he placed his essence, pieces of his divine spirit, so that when they died, his power and life would be returned to him, and he would revive.
His name was Bhaal. His portfolio was unnatural death, his favorite being murder. It earned him the title Lord of Murder. Charming, right? And I'm one of his children."
There's so much more, but that's already a lot of information. She ought to let Nerdanel take it in.
Nerdanel, you are far too good. Syeira takes her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"No. He needed us to out live him. We were all mortal, so all he need do was wait. But others would see things turn out differently. One of my brothers wanted to become the Lord of Murder himself, and sought to kill his siblings and insight war, to strengthen the power in him, so he might ascend. I put a stop to it."
Said simply, like it hadn't been a year long trial. Like she hadn't been beset nearly constantly with assassins. Like she hadn't had her entire self image completely destroyed, her world as she'd known it reduced to ashes around her. Her innocence shattered upon the blade of kin.
"But what my brother wanted, I have partly gained, through no intentional effort on my part. My inheritance is death, and I am very adept at it. To the constant surprise of most everyone, since you'd never know to look at me. Being here, on Arda, with Maglor, has helped, but certainly not cured me of it."
Nerdanel's face continues to look more and more distressed.
"Oh Syeira. You poor child. I'm so glad you and Maglor found each other and came here. To go against kin, even if one who I assume was not even that known to you! And for such a reason as that. Oh Syeira!"
It's a wonder to see how this woman coins hard to empathy and understanding. Such people are so rare, jewels in any world.
"Maglor's just like you, you know," she says softly. "He has your heart. I imagine your husband was as helpless in falling in love with you, as I was with Maglor."
She smiles a little at that. "People used to say that, that he was the one most like me. It's very comforting to know that he still is, in some ways. Feanaro and I... well. He was a flame that I could not resist, back then. It was... hard, when they left."
"Life can often be unkind, and leads us down there wrong path. They made mistakes, out of grief and love. I can't imagine how hard it was for you. And I know he was changed by his experiences, but his heart is gentle still. He reacted to my tale much like you did; as if he'd never heard something so tragic."
She smiles, shaking her head, affectionate and amused, even though he wasn't there at the moment.
"You're both extraordinarily generous and kind. I hope it helps in some way to know I don't think he ever lost those qualities."
Nerdanel looks away for a moment, and shadow crosses her face. Across the room, scattered throughout the whole house, are sculptures. Boys, young and carefree, young men, pretending to be older. Feanor, in anger, and in joy. So alive that in poorer light one might almost expect them to breathe.
But they're only statues. Cold stone. The reminders of the price Feanor's wife has paid.
Some of them are broken. Especially the ones of her husband.
"It can be."
She rallies to smile at Syeira again. "It does. Thank you for bringing me my son."
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 04:49 pm (UTC)"Well no, but mine also doesn't sun fade. It's less about the color and more about the unnaturalness of it."
Despite talking about her heritage, even in such innocuous ways, she's not unsettled. She's been having these conversations a lot. Just with the ones everyone here refuse to call gods.
"If I only we could all get so lucky. She'd charm everyone in an instant. Maybe I could paint her, so you could really see the details of her."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-18 07:53 am (UTC)Because the Valar get all horrified and immediately correct them if anyone does!
"A collaborative project!" She hums eagerly. "Ooh but yes I would love a picture of her, if you don't mind?"
no subject
Date: 2018-08-18 12:24 pm (UTC)"I wouldn't. It'll be nice to have something to do."
Not having a job, or chores, to do is remarkably boring. How ironic a change from her youth, where she would steal idleness to daydream.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-19 03:06 pm (UTC)"I'll look forwards to it!" Nerdanel smiles at her. "You know, you should look into picking up and Art of your own. Just as a hobby, even."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-19 04:19 pm (UTC)She lifts a shoulder, brushing some hair behind an ear, awkward.
"I've been trained as a bard, but I don't really hold a candle to Maglor. My only other real talent is with weapons, and it's rather an unnecessary skill here."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 04:09 am (UTC)"Very few can." Says Maglor's mother with a fondly tolerant smile. "But that doesn't mean you're bad! And I'm sure you have plenty of songs we don't know! As for weapons, well - there are still the Warrior's Meets, and the Tourney once a year?"
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 04:18 am (UTC)"You think I'd be welcome to participate?" She's genuinely surprised by the suggestion. But then again, thinking on it, no one understands why she might not get invited to such things normally. No one knows enough about her to get nervous.
"Hmm... maybe if they give me just blunt weapons, and everyone else stays nicely armored, it could be fine."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 04:50 am (UTC)"Of course!" Nerdanel smiles at her encouragingly. "All talent is to be encouraged and nurtured, until you ready to move on to something else."
She giggles. "My dear, most of the warriors who are still active are survivors of the Third Age or the Reborn of the First. They're used to fighting dragons and balrogs. They won't mind a few cuts and bruises, and I think you'll be surprised how many can keep up with you."
Considering the people who still frequent said Meets include Glorfindel, Gil-Galad, Fingon, and Fingolfin.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 05:04 am (UTC)"My lady...how much, exactly do you know about me? I know we haven't talked much-" hence the whole bringing tea, and having a visit "-but what all has Maglor said if me?"
It's not the conversation she'd intended to have, but perhaps it ought to be. Half the reason she keeps being surprised by her warm welcome, is because she forgets that most don't already know everything about her.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 05:51 am (UTC)"Not much." She admits. "But I didn't wish to bother you with too many questions. Makalaure loves you. That's enough for me."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 06:14 am (UTC)Not that she's not incredibly impressed by that. Talk about a great mother; trusting her son's judgement, and just happy that he's happy. Nerdanel is saintly. Do they give mother of the year awards here?
"It's common knowledge that I am not of Arda. Eru had no hand in my existence. Whether he knows about the multiverse or not, we can't say, but it's very safe to assume he's given me permission to be here, in his part of it. Though I can't, for the life of me, quite understand that. You'd think my presence would raise a great many questions. But I digress.
I'm from a world that has many God's. Not all of them very good. Often they don't get along. Ao is their overgod, what Eru is to Arda. At least, as far as we know. And one day he grew tired of the pettiness of the lesser deities and cast then down to the mortal plane, to walk among the mortals.
It royally messed everything up, to say the least. And in my opinion, was worse than anything the lesser gods had gotten up to prior. But no one listens to me. Not that it matters, I was still practically a toddler at the time.
But one of these gods foresaw this, and know that when he would be made mortal, he would be slain. So before it came to pass, he walked among mortals, and sired a score of children. In them he placed his essence, pieces of his divine spirit, so that when they died, his power and life would be returned to him, and he would revive.
His name was Bhaal. His portfolio was unnatural death, his favorite being murder. It earned him the title Lord of Murder. Charming, right? And I'm one of his children."
There's so much more, but that's already a lot of information. She ought to let Nerdanel take it in.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 07:13 am (UTC)"Oh you poor child! What a terrible being, to have such a vile creature for a father! Did he try and kill you too?"
no subject
Date: 2018-08-20 03:00 pm (UTC)"No. He needed us to out live him. We were all mortal, so all he need do was wait. But others would see things turn out differently. One of my brothers wanted to become the Lord of Murder himself, and sought to kill his siblings and insight war, to strengthen the power in him, so he might ascend. I put a stop to it."
Said simply, like it hadn't been a year long trial. Like she hadn't been beset nearly constantly with assassins. Like she hadn't had her entire self image completely destroyed, her world as she'd known it reduced to ashes around her. Her innocence shattered upon the blade of kin.
"But what my brother wanted, I have partly gained, through no intentional effort on my part. My inheritance is death, and I am very adept at it. To the constant surprise of most everyone, since you'd never know to look at me. Being here, on Arda, with Maglor, has helped, but certainly not cured me of it."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-21 02:58 am (UTC)"Oh Syeira. You poor child. I'm so glad you and Maglor found each other and came here. To go against kin, even if one who I assume was not even that known to you! And for such a reason as that. Oh Syeira!"
no subject
Date: 2018-08-21 04:06 am (UTC)"Maglor's just like you, you know," she says softly. "He has your heart. I imagine your husband was as helpless in falling in love with you, as I was with Maglor."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-21 06:36 am (UTC)She smiles a little at that. "People used to say that, that he was the one most like me. It's very comforting to know that he still is, in some ways. Feanaro and I... well. He was a flame that I could not resist, back then. It was... hard, when they left."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-21 02:52 pm (UTC)She smiles, shaking her head, affectionate and amused, even though he wasn't there at the moment.
"You're both extraordinarily generous and kind. I hope it helps in some way to know I don't think he ever lost those qualities."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-21 04:02 pm (UTC)But they're only statues. Cold stone. The reminders of the price Feanor's wife has paid.
Some of them are broken. Especially the ones of her husband.
"It can be."
She rallies to smile at Syeira again. "It does. Thank you for bringing me my son."