From: tuivana	Date: 12/03/2007 15:39:06

*trundles over to take up a position between you and the area of the yard where the children are playing*

GREETINGS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND BUSINESS.

	From: melante	Date: 12/03/2007 15:41:12

*is a little taken aback*

*assumes you must be one of the... Chipses? Oromë mentioned*

Oh, yes, hello. My name is Vendórë. I was wondering... whose children are these?

	From: tuivana	Date: 12/03/2007 15:48:36

PROCESSING... *whirs* *beeps*

LORD CELEBORN AND LADY GALADRIEL ARE THE ADOPTIVE OFFSPRING OF MY LADY VÁNA AND MY LORD OROMË. *beeps some more* SUBSTITUTING A MORE AGILE PARTICIPANT FOR MY UNIT IN THE CURRENT GAME OF 'TAG' WOULD BE PERMISSABLE, IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, LADY VENDÓRË. THE CHILDREN'S MOOD OUTPUT SUGGESTS DISSATISFACTION WITH MY ACCELERATIVE CAPABILITIES.

	From: melante	Date: 12/03/2007 16:02:18

*vaguely recalls 'tag' from her observations of families in the park and thinks she would be able to do it maybe*

*assumes from your offer that it is okay to approach the children*

Yes, I think that would be wise. I'm sure my... accelerative capabilities would be more... suitable.

*steps past you and goes to crouch down near the children*

Is that guy your friend. *gestures over her shoulder at the Chip*

	From: keleborn	Date: 12/03/2007 16:37:55

*stops tearing around after Galadriel long enough to observe this*

*wow...pretty, pretty lady*

*oh so suavely* Kinda? He talks funny but he does almos' evvyfing you say 'n' dat's da best.

	From: melante	Date: 12/03/2007 16:47:06

Indeed? It must be very nice to have someone take care of you so well.

*smiles ever so sweetly* My name is Vendórë. Are you Celeborn?

	From: keleborn	Date: 12/03/2007 16:53:03

Uh-huh. But Chip ain't da boss of us. Dat's Vána an' she's makin' more cookies or maybe my hoverboard or Gladdy's machine gun.

Are you Celeborn?

*nods and plops himself down in the grass* Gosh you're purty.

	From: melante	Date: 12/03/2007 16:58:19

Gladdy's machine gun

*assumes you must either be joking or talking about a toy, so manages to not become overly terrified*

*blushes and takes a seat next to you* That's very sweet of you to say, Celeborn. You're a very nice boy which is amazing since you live with Oromë and he is a dear and he tries hard but I think you might still be smarter and nicer than he. Have you and your sister been living here long?

	From: keleborn	Date: 12/03/2007 17:09:39

*bursts out laughing* 's not my sister! *knowledgably* Her grampa is mine unclolwë and my grampa is...Grampa. We been here free seventeen eleventy days.

*hesitantly* Vána is nice but Ormy is LOUD an' I miss my grampa. *fidgets with a dead leaf*

	From: melante	Date: 12/03/2007 17:16:41

*very gently* Yes, it does hurt quite a bit to lose someone we care about, doesn't it. I think you never really stop missing them.

*wonders if your grandfather and Galadriel's parents were killed in the attacks on Delving* *feels terribly bad for you*

Yes, Vána is very nice, isn't she? Oromë takes some getting used to. How is it that you came to be living with them? Chip tells me you were adopted. Was your Grampa your only family, then?

	From: keleborn	Date: 12/03/2007 17:27:08

*stops what he's doing to stare at you curiously* *because you may be beautiful but you're obviously very, very confused*

Din't lose him. He had t' go to the hopsital but he would never ever ever ever get lost anywhere inna whole world. Me'n him go evvyplace.

*frowns as he grows impatient* *also, the ground is cold and his butt's starting to hurt* *perfectly seriously* We was walkin' in da city an' Ormy came an' Ormy said we could have a new mommy and daddy an' I ain't never had any an' it sounded fun so we said okay an' dere's lots o' trees here an' dat's good but dere's no candy stores an' it makes Gladdy make her scrunchy face.

	From: melante	Date: 12/03/2007 17:43:52

*suddenly becomes very afraid that despite the terrible grammar she's understanding you perfectly*

Celeborn.... Do you mean to say that your grandpa and Galadriel's parents are not lost and are living in Menegroth? Oromë just came up to you in the street and took you away? Without telling them?

*is getting a very, very bad feeling*

	From: keleborn	Date: 12/03/2007 18:17:49

*has by now seen similar facial expressions on quite a wide variety of adults*

*but they always mean the same thing*

*in a very small voice* Are we in trouble?

	From: melante	Date: 12/04/2007 17:24:46

*laughs softly* No, Celeborn, no, you're not in trouble. Oromë is.

*places a gentle hand on your back* I just think perhaps your grandfather might be worried about you. I'm sure you and Galadriel have had a lovely visit with Vána and Oromë, but this is not your home. Maybe it's time to go home?

	From: keleborn	Date: 12/04/2007 17:27:33

*thinks it's bound to be rather selfish of him to flout the giver of endless cookies and pepperoni pizza*

*but does miss his grandfather an awful, awful lot*

*nods wordlessly*

	From: tuivana	Date: 12/04/2007 17:29:35

*steps outside, her hands covered in flour and residual solder*

*starts to call to the children* Galadriel— *notices you and smiles* Ah, Vendórë. I see you've met my children?

	From: melante	Date: 12/04/2007 17:33:00

*gives Celeborn one last encouraging pat on the back before standing up and smiling in return*

*nods* Yes, I have. They are lovely children. Celeborn was just telling me about his grandfather. *pauses* Did you know he has a grandfather, Vána? And that Galadriel has a mother and a father?

	From: tuivana	Date: 12/04/2007 17:41:30

*her smile faltering* I'm sure that's not true. And I doubt Celeborn would know, in any case. *helpfully* Small children have very small memories which are quite prone to failure and corruption.

*does call this time* Galadriel, dear, would you like some cocoa? *holds out her hand expectantly*

*turns back to you, her expression clouding* Oromë was quite sure these children had no parents. *frowns as she thinks of the billion or so times Oromë was "quite sure" about various subjects*

	From: nerwende	Date: 12/04/2007 17:52:09

*runs over at the sound of cocoa and slips her hand in yours, panting from exertion*

*frowns when she sees the look on Celeborn's face*

*gently thumps him on the back*

Woss wrong?

	From: keleborn	Date: 12/04/2007 17:58:17

*wHeEze*

*shrugs and mumbles almost inaudibly (because you're still far more frightening than even Oromë, whose guns may or may not be permanently fused to his body)* Fink I wanna go home now. ?

	From: nerwende	Date: 12/04/2007 18:08:51

*stares at you thoughtfully for a few moments before nodding*

I miss home. *looks up at Vána* When's Mommy and Daddies coming? I want to show Grampa Fin'káno how to brain a rabbit like 'romë showed me. Can we still come visit you when we want cookies? Why's it so cold out? Who's that lady? Can we still have cocoa afore Mommy and Daddies and Uncle Elwë come? Chip don't run too good.

	From: tuivana	Date: 12/04/2007 18:16:14

This is Vendórë, dear, destroyer of happy homes everywhere. She's a friend of mine.

*sweetly, like she's not at all filling with slowly-simmering rage at the moment* And you've had a mommy and daddy all this time, sweetheart? Living ones and everything?

	From: nerwende	Date: 12/04/2007 18:20:45

*nods* I gots a Mommy and a Daddy and another Daddy sort of who used to be my Daddy but isn't s'pposed to be anymore but still is cause he's gonna marry Mommy and then I also got a scary grampa and a fun grampa and Uncle Elwë and Aunt Melly and Uncle Elmo that's Cel'born's grampa and some uncles too but they're scary AND I got a big sister.

Do you got a big sister?

	From: tuivana	Date: 12/04/2007 18:30:47

*finally starts registering some of these names*

*looking mournful* I do have a big sister, actually. Her name's Yavanna and she's in charge of all the trees and plants and animals in the whole world. And she half-cheated with my husband and ARRGH, it's Oromë and I really should have known better.

*holds out her other hand to Celeborn* *sighs* We should probably get you home to your families now. *more to herself than to you* There's been a slight miscalculation.