From: mahtaniel	Date: 10/07/2007 15:40:59

My dear Tyelcormo,

Wait—don't tear this up just yet; it may prove useful to you. I have a feeling you are no closer to trusting my hunches than I am to distrusting them, so I've enclosed real science for you instead. I've also included the address and phone number of a lab whose discretion is assured.

The twins and I are moving to Vinyamar. Perhaps once these small details are illuminated, one way or another, you'll consider a visit? I have no fine way with words, so rather than try to further express my regret for past misdeeds, I'll simply remind you that I miss you, my son, and remain

Your loving mother,
Nerdanel

P.S. I've not forgotten my promise of an unwanted gift, but your dear cousin made a better watercolor this time around. She's in my gallery in Menegroth at present, but I've enclosed the original sketch.

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 15:50:04

*looks at his parents'? DNA samples ruefully* Fat lot of good they'll do me now. *tucks them away in a drawer but thinks he might as well discard them, the way things have been going*

*carefully removes the sketch from its protective envelope and studies it for a few minutes*

*thinks for another long moment before realising that if he's ever going to properly tour Menegroth, doing so while completely unrecognisable is among the best possible options*

*barely takes the time to leave a note for his brothers and secure a hotel reservation before he's on his way there*

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 15:55:10

*is at the gallery when you arrive, having decided to give the job a try after all*

*makes sure everything is perfect for the newest (tiny) temporary exhibit (that she's set up all by herself, OME)*

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 16:25:35

*is more than a little surprised to see that the gallery's still standing with you working here*

*wanders somewhat aimlessly, looking at everything that's changed since he was last here*

*is practically used to the way the few art lovers in the quiet building move away or hide disgusted looks when he enters a room*

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 16:32:40

*sees you inspecting things with an air of a frequent visitor but can't recall having seen you here before* *would definitely remember if she had, you poor, poor thing*

*sets down the canvases she's carrying and walks over to you* Hello. *sounding professional* Is there any work in particular you're looking for?

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 16:39:08

*has by now spotted his mother's latest painting but finds he doesn't particularly feel like viewing it, now that he's here*

*glances at you briefly* No. *pauses* I mean, it's not a very large building, is it? And I've seen variations on these a thousand times. *isn't sure why he's bothering to explain this*

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 16:43:28

*can't tell whether you mean for her to go away or not* *sort of thinks it sounds like you're trying to make conversation?*

*frowns a little* *tentatively* Then you're familiar with the artist? *can't help smiling again, thinking how silly it sounds to describe someone as down-to-earth as Nerdanel as "The Artist"*

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 16:55:09

*nods slowly* I was.

*continues walking, expecting you to make a polite exit* *doesn't quite know what to say when you don't*

*finally points to a tiny pastel entitled Self-portrait in the midst of some similarly-themed drawings in a glass case* *offering* This is one of my favorites.

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 16:59:35

*doubtfully* It doesn't look much like her, does it? And the way it's drawn...it's like she was tired? Or maybe upset about something? *turns slightly pink* I don't know much about art, though.

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 17:04:55

It doesn't look much like her, does it?

*wryly* That's sort of the point, don't you think?

it's like she was tired? Or maybe upset about something?

*raises an eyebrow but says nothing immediately* *runs a finger over the glass, leaving a dirty smudge* *takes out a handkerchief to wipe it away with a sigh*

*more kindly than he intended* Which is your favorite, then?

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 17:18:46

Which is your favorite, then?

*brightly* Oh. That's easy.

*takes your arm and leads you over to the far wall of the same room* *points* What do you think? Is it a good choice?

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 17:48:07

*finds himself staring at a charcoal drawing of his former self astride a galloping horse, bow drawn, his face a picture of calm concentration even amid a blur of motion*

I think the sky was so blue it was easier then a minute later, I was laughing... *glances around the room at the faces of his father and brothers*

*forces a laugh* I think The Artist needs new source material. *looks back at you with something like confusion*

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 17:57:21

*admonishingly (for her, anyway)* She loves her family, that's all. I'm sure anyone could understand that...?

*matter-of-factly* I try to copy her style but I don't think I'd ever be even half as good. *laughs* Maybe in a million years or so.

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 18:06:36

*is still having trouble processing several facts: (a) you're still talking to him; (b) judging by your taste in art, you're not wishing that him a fiery, painful death; (c) he's stopped expecting adoration and is sort of enjoying just having a plain old normal conversation*

I try to copy her style

Let me see. *pauses, amends* ...May I see?

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 18:16:04

Let me see.

*takes a step away from you* *sounding fairly nonplussed herself* I'm not an artist.

May I see?

*bites her thumbnail* But I suppose it couldn't hurt anything. *thinks her teacher would tell her she could learn from the criticism*

*walks decisively through to the offices in the back and returns with her sketchbook* *flips to a newer version of an old drawing and hands it to you* You can tell me if it's awful. I may not cry.

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 18:33:35

*takes one look at your drawing and feels as though he's been punched in the gut*

*has an angry impulse to grab you by the shoulders and shake you and demand to know what right you think you have to depict him so still and vulnerable and...no, not vulnerable. naked.*

*hears himself saying none of this* Your style is...very clean. Simplistic, but clean. Nerdanel's technique there— *gestures to the picture on the wall* —does not lend itself well to stillness, though. It is meant for motion. *looks you squarely in the eye* And it seems to me you glamorize the subject.

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 18:43:07

*shrugs, a little relieved that you didn't just laugh in her face* *musing* Someone named "Strong Finwë" is probably always moving, even when you can't see it. Don't you think? *sighs* Seems that way, at least.

And it seems to me you glamorize the subject.

What does "glamorize" mean? you mean?

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 22:35:28

*sighs* Seems that way, at least.

*out of sheer curiosity to hear the response* You speak as though you know him well.

What do you mean?

*a touch impatiently* Look at Nerdanel's; the difference is quite plain. His eyes are a little too close together. His ears stick out a little too far. Shall I continue? *looking at you again* And in yours, he's...well. *shrugs*

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 22:38:24

*shrugs too* Just a little. *bites her lip* No. I think not at all, really.

And in yours, he's...

*promptly, as if there could be no other answer* Beautiful. *inspects Nerdanel's drawing again, closely* *finally shakes her head* I don't see any of those things, truly.

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 22:44:22

*thinks he can well imagine what you must think of his forthright opinions, given his own decidedly hideous appearance*

*except that you're Idril, of course, so can he, really?*

No. I think not at all, really.

*masks his irritation and pretends instead to have read your tone* You're very kind to someone who has...deceived you? Mistreated you? I'm afraid I don't understand and it's infuriating.

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 22:56:09

*her tone mildly dismissive* I wonder sometimes what makes people so hurtful. It seems to me they must feel a lot of pain themselves. *somberly* When I think about things that way, I'm the lucky one, aren't I? Besides. People have ways of telling you they're sorry even if they can't say it.

*looks around the room for a moment, suddenly remembering where she is and realizing she's been half-discussing personal things with a complete stranger*

*offers you an engaging smile* But are you an artist? Or maybe a critic? You know all of Auntie—erm, all of Nerdanel's works so well.

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 23:14:11

People have ways of telling you they're sorry even if they can't say it.

*knows how strange it would look to question you further but still has to fight the urge to find out whether you could possibly know what he was sure you never would*

*is entirely floored by the notion that you pity him* *tries to muster some amusement for the absurdity of it all* Some are less deserving than others. *smiles faintly* But no, Princess. I am no kindred artist. I lack all the necessary romanticism.

	From: itaril	Date: 10/07/2007 23:34:56

*blinks at you with an unreadable expression for the briefest of moments, the look disappearing as quickly as it came*

*quirks a bemused smile at your cryptic words* Then you are a critic. *with something that might be pity* And you look for beautiful things.

*firmly* Here. You cannot possibly say anything against this one. *leads you back through to the painting of Aredhel* Isn't she lovely?

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/07/2007 23:53:22

*teasingly* Everyone's a critic. I'm only better at it than most. *half to himself* The muses are rare, the visionaries rarer still. The rest of them us vanish or they we object but either seems an ugly lot.

And you look for beautiful things.

*looks, really looks at the painting this time*

*wryly* Would you like my honest opinion?

	From: itaril	Date: 10/08/2007 00:00:51

*doesn't fully understand what you mean and so smiles apologetically* I don't mind listening, when you say it so well. *gets that strange, fleeting look again, as if just failing to grasp a phrase that was just on the tip of her tongue*

Would you like my honest opinion?

*surprised* Of course. *clasps her hands in front of her* Didn't someone famous once say— *frowns, thinking hard to remember that lesson* —"The only gift—

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/08/2007 00:13:40

*turns to look at you* "—is a portion of thyself"? Is that the one you mean?

	From: itaril	Date: 10/08/2007 00:15:37

*laughs* See?

I lack all the necessary romanticism.

...there's hope for you yet.

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/08/2007 00:21:31

*wonders if anything he offered right now could be considered a portion of himself, when he's lost so much of what mattered to him, you don't even know who he is, et cetera, et cetera*

*turns his gaze back to the painting, still undecided on the matter but perfectly sure of what he wants to say* *quietly* Well. I think...

*distracted by a sudden rumbling outside, in the distance* ...did you hear that?

	From: itaril	Date: 10/08/2007 00:28:31

*startled* Yes, what...?

*her eyes widening as the sudden terrible foreknowledge hits her—* There's no time! *—a split second before the building next door explodes, the entire gallery seeming to shudder and groan around her*

	From: tyelcormo	Date: 10/08/2007 00:32:57

*somehow finds the presence of mind to shove you down beneath a table as the air booms with deafening noise and the lights flicker out, plunging all into utter darkness*