From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/22/2007 22:29:31

*is in the area after signing a short-term lease on a new apartment*

*decides to stop by to see if you want any company*

*follows the directions she's given and finds you engrossed in your drawing*

*looks over your shoulder, unnoticed, for a minute* *cheerfully* Wow. He almost looks human, sleeping like that.

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 22:33:32

*snaps her head up and closes the cover on the pad in a hurry*

Oh! Finduilas. *smiles* Hi. *uncertainly* Is there...something you needed?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/22/2007 22:37:19

*takes a seat next to you*

No, no, I just thought you might want to go out to lunch or something? I'll be staying in the city awhile so it'd be nice to have a guide. That is, if you're not too busy?

*glances up at the sign on your door which reads Itarillë, Director* *frowns as she notices that someone has pencilled in the word "titular" before "director"*

Are you very busy?

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 22:40:59

*shrugs* Not really. *pauses* I have lots of ideas but I guess the staff has already thought of everything?

*brightening* But you're staying in Gondolin? That's wonderful! I'll show you the market district, and the theater district, and all the best shops and everything. You and Curufinwë are just going to love it here, I promise.

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/22/2007 22:48:12

*makes a mental note to bitch out your staff before you have a chance to look up the word "titular"*

*enthusiastically* I can't wait to see it all. If I don't end up staying permanently, it won't be your doing, that's for sure. You've been such a great hostess.

You and Curufinwë

Ah...right. About that? *someone down the hallway catching her eye* Hey, isn't that Nerdanel?

	From: mahtaniel	Date: 09/22/2007 22:51:14

*approaches, looking pleased when she notices you*

Hello, girls. I'm not interrupting any juicy gossip, I hope?

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 22:53:45

*stands to give you a kiss*

Of course not, Auntie. Fin and I were just about to go out for lunch. Will you join us?

	From: mahtaniel	Date: 09/22/2007 23:04:37

*actually had precisely the same idea in coming that Finduilas did* *quickly* How lovely of you to ask, dear, but I really ought to finish some errands. And anyway, I don't want to horn in on your good influence on Finduilas plans. *laughs* A boring old woman like me will be poor company for two such lively young things.

*thinks fast as she realises she's got to have some other reason for coming here in the first place* *smoothly* I was told I'd find you here, Fin. I wanted to give you this. Atarincë left it for you. *takes an envelope from her handbag and hands it to Finduilas before promptly deflecting the conversation*

*nods toward your drawing pad* That's my favorite sketch paper. Do you draw?

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 23:08:02

*looks genuinely disappointed that you have other things to attend to* *tends to have the same sort of company most days, after all*

*covers the sketchpad with both hands* Oh, no, just some doodling, I don't—

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/22/2007 23:11:30

*interrupting* Sure you do. *smiles coaxingly* Show her the one you were just working on? The one of—

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 23:15:28

*interrupts you, eyes widening, hands clutching the pad with a death grip*

No really Mama thinks it's important for me to have lessons in drawing and singing and poise and speech and embroidery and music and dancing but I'm really not any good at the drawing you said so yourself Finduilas I'm a very little bit better at singing and dancing though I'd be very pleased to sing something for you sometime? If you'd like to hear it?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/22/2007 23:19:28

you said so yourself

*tries to remember what she said when she came in*

*confusedly* No, no, that's not what I meant at all, I'm sorry I made you think—I thought it was very nice! Honestly! *folds the envelope in half and tucks it into her purse without thinking about it*

	From: mahtaniel	Date: 09/22/2007 23:23:51

*is equally confused* Of course that's not what you meant, Fin.

*lays a hand on Idril's shoulder* *kindly* And of course you don't have to show me if you don't want to, darling. An artist's work is her own unless she chooses otherwise. *thinking* But you do like art, clearly?

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 23:30:43

*sort of likes everything*

*obviously relieved* Oh, yes, I adore it. I don't know much about it, but I saw your gallery in Delving and it was the most elegant thing and you're so very talented and it was the most...

*clams up when she senses she's starting to babble*

	From: mahtaniel	Date: 09/22/2007 23:38:23

*tickled* Thank you, dear. I'm so glad you liked it.

*offhandedly* You know, it's a shame you're needed here because I won't be living in Delving any longer and I really must find someone to help manage my gallery. *choosing your obvious strengths to focus on* I wish I had someone with your enthusiasm. And all those exhibition openings and events, ai. You're such a marvelous hostess.

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 23:43:04

You're such a marvelous hostess.

*can't help but imagine there must be something to that if she's heard it from two people in the course of the same conversation*

*matter-of-factly* I could never leave Daddy. *blushes a little* And I wouldn't have the first idea how to...curate or anything.

	From: mahtaniel	Date: 09/22/2007 23:49:39

*pensively* It is a fairly small gallery. I daresay you'd be splitting your time between here and there, at the most. I certainly would be happy to help you learn a bit of self-confidence the ropes, and I'd only ever be a phone call away, no?

*sighs* Ah, but I'm being silly, talking about taking you away from your duties here. *briskly* Enough of that. I'll see you for dinner tonight, girls?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/22/2007 23:53:52

See you tonight, Nerdanel.

*waits until you've gone before turning back to Idril, glancing at that damned sign again*

What sorts of ideas do you have? For your job here, I mean?

	From: itaril	Date: 09/22/2007 23:59:41

*takes a second to readjust* For my...oh. Well...we have all these pamphlets and advertisements and things? And I draw up these little designs and whatchamacallit—logos and all that I think might make people want to visit? *turns her sketchbook over and opens to the back pages to show you*

And whenever people come to Ondolindë, they like to talk to me and ask me questions. Mama and Daddy are always awfully busy. And when they mention things they really like or things they wish were different, I write them all down, see? *leafs through several more pages of much-amended, painstaking lists*

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/23/2007 00:03:35

*looks over your work, masking her surprise at how much time you've clearly put into it* This one is really something, Idril. *points* And I like that one a lot, too.

*seriously* You should think about taking that job. Nerdanel would help you learn the things you don't know in a way that wouldn't guarantee your failure.

	From: itaril	Date: 09/23/2007 00:06:30

*shrugs* *doesn't speak again for a long time*

*frowns suddenly* *apropos of nothing* If Curufin's gone, why didn't you go with him?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/23/2007 00:08:48

*wonders why it feels so strange to actually speak the words for, it dawns on her, the first time*

We're...not together anymore, Idril.

	From: itaril	Date: 09/23/2007 00:12:58

*startled* Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't...

*after another long pause* I ate a lot of ice cream. I gained four pounds and I watched movies Mama says are common sappy. Maybe ice cream would help?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/23/2007 00:15:14

*smiles faintly* I'm thinking shopping, for me. Like right now. *gets to her feet and waits for you to join her*

*heads out to the street with you*

*curiously* How did that work out? The ice cream?

	From: itaril	Date: 09/23/2007 00:20:27

Well, I was sad and still sad and— *giggles* —Glorfindel said I wasn't meeting my smile quota...and then sometime last week I decided I'd better lose four pounds before Mama noticed except she maybe noticed anyway?. *smiles too* But I feel better.

*walks awhile with you before pointing out a shop she frequents* This one's nice...

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/23/2007 00:24:52

*decisively* You know what? You and I need to get back on the market. For real. They're not all bad, you know.

*guides you into the shop next door (the one that appears as though it actually caters to women under the age of seventy)*

*flips through the racks until she finds an absolutely killer dress in about your size* *hands it to you and assumes a tone that says she will brook no argument* Try this on.

	From: itaril	Date: 09/23/2007 00:27:15

*sweetly* Nobody's all bad.

*covers her mouth with her hand and squeaks when she sees what you've found for her* Oh no no no. I can see right through it!

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/23/2007 00:31:10

*shakes her head* Oh you poor thing.

*laughs* It'll look amazing on you. Trust me. It looks racy but it's mostly an illusion. Maybe.

Tell you what. *picks out another dress in a nice cut but which doesn't show any cleavage whatsoever and is therefore useless* You take that and I'll try this one on. Deal?

	From: itaril	Date: 09/23/2007 00:33:57

*takes a deep breath and nods* Okay. *laughing* But Mama will never let me go anywhere with you again if she finds out I did this!

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 09/23/2007 00:37:16

And I was perfectly happy 'til now without a conscience, so I think we're even. Shopping, then ice cream and don't even try to talk me out of it.