#needless to say I wrote this mostly for the fourth paragraph

[tanoraqui]

If I’m going to keep writing random slivers of scenes, I should probably collect them on AO3?

Lalwendë ushered her siblings into a small parlor near the grand hall of the royal court, shut the door behind herself and turned to look them all over in all their finery. It was a showing of silks and shining splendor entirely befitting the royal House of Finwë at this 300th begetting day feast of their king and patriarch. Fëanáro was draped in jewelry of his own working, of course. The others were all at least partially draped in the same, because one couldn’t deny Fëanáro’s skill, and it was a good show of unity for the occasion.

Arafinwë looked nervous beneath his festival robes, and a bit tired, understandable for an elf with one newborn baby and one rambunctious toddler. Findis looked downright uncomfortable, accustomed as she was to a reclusive Vanyarin scholar’s simple garb, and was hiding it beneath and upturned nose and disdainful gaze. Having been in a room together for more than ten seconds, Fëanáro was glaring hot pokers at Nolofinwë, and Nolo was staring coolly back as though completely unaffected, and not at all deliberately making it worse.

Lalwendë planted her hands on her hips and stood in front of the door so none of them could escape.

“Alright, listen up you little shits,” she snapped. She added quickly, “Not you, Ara, you’re a blessing and we’re thrilled you’re here,” and focused her fury on her older siblings—her older two and a half siblings, as Fëanáro was so keen on reminding everyone.

She met his glare especially, but didn’t stint to share hers around.

“I have spent most of a year planning this party. This is for all the Noldor. This is for all the Eldar. This is for Father. I don’t require that we all act like a happy family, but if any of you ruin this event—if you start a fight, if you respond to provocation to a fight, if so much as imply with a glance that someone’s shoes are in poor taste, much less their latest academic paper—Findis and Fëanáro, that means you—then so help me Relentless Hunter and Deathly Fate, I will make the rest of your lives seem like a vacation in Utumno, until the End of the World itself! Am I clear?”

Fëanáro looked down his perfectly arched nose at her. “I certainly have no intention of interrupting Father’s party.”

“Nor do I,” Nolo said primly.

“Why is Ara not being scolded with the rest of us?” asked Findis, in a tone that might have been detached curiosity rather than whining, if Lalwendë didn’t know her sister, even when said sister had been home about twice in the last five decades.

“Because I’m not worried about him making trouble,” Lalwendë snapped. “And he has the most important job, and he knows it.” She swung to her little brother, making him jump in place. “Which is…?”

“If Father starts to look distressed, I put a grandchild in his arms,” Arafinwë recited dutifully.

“Good,” said Lalwendë, satisfied.

Fëanáro opened his mouth. Lalwendë cut him off: “None of your children are small enough for him to conveniently hold anymore, Fëanáro. Curvo is a small, inexplicably adorable version of you, but you should focus on being charming as your full-grown self—with Nerdanel’s help, as she wills. I’ve already briefed Maitimo on managing the rest of the kids.”

Fëanáro narrowed his eyes, of course, at the entirely correct implication that his eldest son was more responsible than he was. Nolo, at least, refrained from comment. So did Findis (though how could she comment, when she barely saw any of her nephews?). Ara looked at the wall and visibly wished to be elsewhere.

If Lalwendë kept them all in a confined space any longer, someone was going to start a fight and the entire point of the exercise would be defeated. So, with one last quelling glare, she opened the door and stood aside.

#the silmarillion #lalwen #feanor #findis #fingolfin #finarfin #house of finwe #needless to say I wrote this mostly for the fourth paragraph #and also for my increasingly detailed characterization and sibling relationship hesdcanons #my fic #ficlet #interestingly the hardest part of this was never using military metaphors #because why would they think in those!