voidtreckerexpress | she and Fëanor were companions in many journeys

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she and Fëanor were companions in many journeys

Who: Nerdanel, Nie Huaisang, anyone who wants to talk to mama elf or look at sculptures
Where: Garden carriage
When: At varying points during this month
What: Noldor, as it turns out, mourn by crafting
Warnings: Grieving for a lost spouse

She tries hard not to allow her grief to swamp her, knowing well how if the waves drag her down, it might be too hard to come back to the surface again. Knowing that she cannot hurt those here, no matter how much she might want to leave.

She's done this before.

She can do it again.

But when even Wangji's quiet, or Ple Two's soft concern, when even Curufin's and Glorfindel's fear pressed close against her are too much, she retreats to the garden.

There she sits amongst the stones and pebbles, and buries herself in her Art, drawing shape and figures out of stone so alive that they might almost breathe and speak, no matter that they are all miniature.

Maedhros already looks up out of stone, and Maglor sits beside him, bent over his harp, almost finished, but she turns now to another, and Feanor's flashing eyes look up out of the piece in her hands.

She will not speak to any unless spoken to first, but ever and anon, a low hum might be heard, just out of the range of hearing, steadiness and grief, fire and earth. A memory, perhaps, of long ago.

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Although her master isn't around, Nova is enjoying the peace of the garden when she notices the elf looking sad. As a good bird does when her own master is sad, the hawk glides down and perches very closely with a soft trill for attention. Distractions work, right? Don't be sad miss elf.

Nerdanel blinks at the flutter of feathers, and smiles at the hawk as she looks up from her work, setting it down carefully.

"Well then. Hello lovely one. Are you here to keep me company?"

She offers a hand, letting Nova decide how close she might want to come.

Nova's head tilts slightly, eying the hand before deciding that Nerdanel is no threat and seems similar to the other elf she's met. Safe.

She hops closer and bows her head, indicating that pets are okay.

Nerdanel's smile softens, and she moves slowly, allowing Nova to follow her movements, until she can scratch gentle fingers through feathers, looking for any itchy or particularly favoured spots.

"Ah, but you're lovely. I wonder if you belong to anyone."

Willow had walked by not too long after Nova had settled down by Nerdanel, but she kept her distance from the hawk and smiled as the bird was given loving scritches. And by the looks of it, all her favourite places were being hit with the pleased trills let out.

"She does, but I wouldn't say she belongs to me, more that we have a bond of friendship. Even if she calls me her master, but that is more of affection than properness. It can just be easier to explain that she's mine to others."

A warm smile is on Willow's face as she approaches in a friendly manner, sitting down nearby, admiring the creations being made.

She looks up and smiles at Nova.

"You can speak to her? How lovely. Is it only her in particular or all beasts?"

"Birds of all kinds, Birdsong is a language my people speak! It's like breathing for us, we hear the song and call of all birds."

She tucks a lock of red hair behind her ear, revealing the pointed tips that often get her mistaken for an elf.

"Oh!" She smiles. "Are your folk akin to the birds in some way?"

"Yes, you could say that I suppose!" Oh how close Nerdanel is to the truth on this, how very close she is.

"There is one on this train who knows what my people are, I believe he's an elf like you appear to be?" Little does Willow know she's speaking to Curufin's mother.

"There are only four of us left now." She falters, briefly, sorrow clouding her eyes.

"Myself, Lord Glorfindel, my son Curufinwe, and my nephew Findekano."

She tilts her head curiously. Glorfindel she's met, and he seems very bright for a person. Literally. But the name Curufinwe gives her pause. Could it be?

"Ah, forgive me but, is Curufinwe by chance the same person I've met called Curufin?" If so, then she could possibly entrust her own secret to Nerdanel as well if that's the same person Willow shares a bond with.

"Oh, you've met!" She nods. "Mm, Curufin is what he prefers these days, but I am more used to the Quenya, so I still prefer to call him Atarinke."

She gave him that name, after all. He generally will not accept it from anyone else, but from her, he will.

"We have, it was on the island with the erm.. memories being shown to others. He is a very kind man."

She had already decided to give her trust to the elves on the train about her kind, so it wasn't a difficult choice to reveal what she is, although her voice becomes more hushed.

"Ah, then for that matter, I can tell you what my people are. We are Phoenixes, but my kind are hunted so I would like this secret kept as such. It is how we understand birds, for we are birds ourselves."

"He has grown up very well." His mother says fondly.

"I am glad." She tips her head curiously. "I see - then you do not normally look like this?"

"You have raised quite the son, I am honoured to have met him."

She shakes her head sadly. "Ah, no. We take a form similar to elves in my world out of convenience. Unfortunately I cannot show you here, I would be much too large, but I can tell you that we shine like the sun and radiate the flames of life itself." Her voice is soft, speaking fondly of her people. Then, an idea strikes her. She moves back a little and cups her hands together, breathing into them as a fire in the shape of a magnificent bird with a long flickering tail appears and flutters around.

"Very similar to this, but we aren't always aflame."

Nerdanel beams.

"Thank you for saying so." He is also much more sane than he was by all accounts when alive, but that's neither here nor there.

"Oh!" She leans forwards to look. "How lovely! You must have magnificent plumage."

"You are most welcome." It's now her turn to start beaming, a bright smile of delight splits across her face. The first genuine one to happen since she arrived mid Grasshopper.

"Oh yes, it certainly is. I'm not saying this from bias, but many who are not of my kind have said such things about us when we fly."

"Well I can see why!" She nods. "Such lovely colors, and you are aflame, as well! I would love to sculpt you, I think!"

Alongside the smile, her golden eyes light up and dance with a fire of their own in joy. "I would be honoured to have you do such a thing!"

Nerdanel smiles back.

"Then we will have to make time, yes? Perhaps we can steal one of the carriages for a moment."

"Certainly! Your craft is breathtaking, they look so lifelike. As if they could spring to life with a simple request."

She had seen some in her world create lifelike statues, but none so real as Nerdanel's.

"Thank you." She smiles, pleased. "I am glad that other folk like my work - I have always striven to capture as true a likeness as possible."

Nerdanel will not find herself alone in her craftswork; in addition to quiet conversation or intent-filled silences, Webmind has let himself make some more artistic strides.

"Five minutes, Nerdanel," he intones softly, looking up from his own canvas.

"You did agree to a water break..."

"Hm?"

She murmurs distractedly, frowning down at a particularly troublesome portion. Only her husband, really, could be so annoying as to actually cause her trouble with his smile.

"Five minutes to the break we agreed on," Webmind repeats, making another two reparative strokes before setting his equipment down.

"Though this latest piece is coming along quite well, I must say."

"Ah." She pauses long enough to nod at him, "That's a good idea. This part is being stubborn. I will probably need to request more materials to work with, I suspect. I need something temporary to work with..."

"I'd suggest paper, but I feel that would do your husband's image... a disservice."

Though at least it'd be simple to order.

"But if you need anything, I would be happy to help place the order."

She snorts, amused.

"I have scribbled plenty of less annoying subjects than my husband. No, no... I think I will have to ask for moulding clay. Clay is much easier to work, and so long as it does not become too dry, eminently reusable."

She smiles at him in thanks.

"Thank you for the offer my friend - but I have plenty of points of my own! I feel I should start using them, really..."

Webmind now seems amused in turn; there's a faint puff of laughter pushed through the robot's voice box.

"Well, if you've been putting off using them, far be it from me to keep you!"

It's not quite time for break yet, so he's not intending to interrupt again just yet...

Her face falls.

"I had not ... needed to, before." She says sadly. "Feanaro would... get me anything I asked."

Glad he's already put down his canvas, Webmind walks the rest of the way over to gently hold Nerdanel's hand.

He lets the silence remain for a moment, two, before saying, "And I am glad for that; it was another way he showed how he felt about you. But, in a way, we are doing this for him in turn, yes?"

She reaches back and clings, and after gathering herself, she nods.

"You have the right of it." She murmurs. "I will try not to dwell."

"Every emotion has its place," Webmind assures.

"The trick is not losing ourselves in them. Now, I do believe it is time for that water break?"

"I believe you are right, again." She smiles at him.

"Lets."

[S'reee's hearing is rather above humans'. She's not normally a resident of the garden car, but she does pass through occasionally. The sound... or pressure, she's not sure and it's not that much different anyway... draws her. She sends out a note of her own, more to get a better sense of the stone being worked, but she can't help but try to harmonize.]

[ The stone is nothing special, really. Some of the stronger bits of pebbles that have been scattered around as decorative. She will have to request some soon, she thinks ]

Hm?

[ She looks up, questioning, at the unfamiliar voice ]

Pardon. I just wanted a closer look at what you were making.

Oh!

[ She smiles a little and beckons S'ree over ]

Of course. Here. I'm a sculptor, you see - I'm just working on some small figures of my family.

[S'reee did approach, but it might become apparent to Nerdanel that she's sensing more with sound than light.]

They're very lifelike. I mean, I don't know your family, but they 'feel' lifelike.

[Which... wizards have a tendency to think of everything as having something akin to life, but the stone is normally much simpler.].

"Feel"?

[ She tips her head curiously ]

And thank you - that has always been one of my goals.

My eyesight isn't as good as most people on this train, and there isn't a word that translates well for sonar echoes for people who don't have that sense.

[There are words in the Speech, because it covers everything. And S'reee can of course explain it to other whales. But unless this person is also a musician or other person who thinks more about sound than most, she probably doesn't think about how the sound reflects from a work.].

"Sonar"?

[ She asks curiously ]

How does it work?

I sing, and the sound echos back. It's not really meant for details, but I know wizardry or two that help slow the arrival enough for me to pick out details.

But human artists don't always design for that sense; their architects consider it more.

Oh! Very clever. [ She smiles ]

Tis too bad my Makalaure is no longer here... he would likely be able to discuss such things further with you - but my knowledge of the Song is rather specifically limited to my Art.

The sculpting or something else?

[S'reee might be a whale, but she also knew a capital letter when she heard one.]

The sculpting. [ She nods ]

My Art is a making one, but stone has always spoken clearest.

I sing and create wizardries myself. I'm not sure I can separate those personally, which is why I asked about you.

Ah! [ She smiles ]

You would definitely have gotten along well with my Makalaure. Many of my folk work with Song - although I suppose it's not exactly the same as what you do!

I'm used to anything you land-dwellers doing being 'not exactly the same'. Which is why I like learning about it.

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she and Fëanor were companions in many journeys

Have a good bird for comfort <3

such a good bird

A very good bird, smart AND pretty

dawwwww

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Some time closer to platform...

dawwww webmind is good caretaker

He tries. ;)

he succeeds!

:D

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Keep it short and sweet?

ya

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