[Open Post] And she smiles at the future.

[lifeinhallways]

An announcement was pinned in the common room the day after the birth.  It was a simple one, announcing the birth of Michelle's daughter, Tamara Faraday, (7lbs even) and assurances that mother and child are both doing well

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[arid_white_lady]

Aredhel probably knew through the grapevine that Michelle was coming, before the notice was posted (she might even have been tasked by her cousin with said posting, typist permitting).

And so she'll poke her head in early, chuckling at the set up.

"It seems you are holding court," she tells Michelle. "Must I curtsy now?"

Her daughters may be in tow, but for now, they're not visible.

[lifeinhallways]

As Aredhel was the one to post the notice, Michelle's hardly surprised to see her. Is it at all probably Aredhel might've been to the treehouse and have met young Tamara previously?

"It's not my court." Michelle smiles, but she looks tired -- happy, but tired. "Little miss here is the centre of attention, but she'll never expect such a thing from anyone."

Little miss isn't sleeping, but she's not fully awake either.

[arid_white_lady]

It is indeed quite possible - the girls love their uncle Moryo and would have been happy to come up to the treehouse.

"You seem to know your babe quite well, and she's not even spoken a word yet," she replies, chuckling. The truth is Aredhel is always bemused by how slow human babies are to become autonomous.

She'll come and sit near, though. "I reckon your friends will be about soon - are you nervous?"

[lifeinhallways]

Hopefully, the girls approve of the new wee one.

"I can only say what I wish for her," which is everything ever, "She'll be her own person." And it's a gift she'll get to be there for it.

And there is only one answer to that question. "She's the most terrifying person I've ever met." Anything happening to Tamara is her second thought of every day. Her first is much happier.

[arid_white_lady]

The girls, as they informed Neville elsewhere, think human babies are very weird. Like old people growing backwards, or something. They do like human children, though, and will likely come to dote on Tamara as she grows up and becomes more, for lack of a better word, interactive.

"Such terror," Aredhel replies with a little chuckle, "in such a harmless being. Ah, the wonders of life."

[lifeinhallways]

Well, Michelle thinks elven girls are beautiful, so everything will hopefully work out.

"I've been around children all my life, but I've never been so afraid of one." She might as well ask. "Was it like that for you?"

[arid_white_lady]

Elves are a little bit speciesist, so it's bound to come up, but the girls get on well enough with human children, so that will pass, as does everything else.

"Not with my daughters, no," Aredhel replies. A beat. "But with my first born... of course."

This made worse by the fact that her husband Eol was, well, for lack of a better word, insane.

[lifeinhallways]

The little elves (elflets? elfins? elfies?) could always help Tamara be more independent as she grows.

"You have more children?" There's a little envy there, very little. She's sure Tamara will be her only child. "I'm sorry," a very standard statement for her, "I didn't know."

"But I'm relieved to know I haven't gone entirely mad." Okay, she's gone a little overboard, falling asleep watching the child sleep.

[arid_white_lady]

"I gave birth to my Lomion a long time ago, and he would be a man, were he here with us."

She looks away, and if Michelle is paying attention, she might notice her eyes are wet a little - Maeglin Lomion Eolion, son of Aredhel and Eol the Dark Elf, betrayer of Gondolin, died almost a year ago to date.

"But let us speak of other things," she replies sweetly. "Have you found that Tamara has all she needs?"

[lifeinhallways]

Michelle is paying attention, "I wish he could be here with us. I would have loved to meet him." It's all she can offer. There are so many here who have lost, and yet she's spent so long away from her brother.

She's gained, not lost, and she needs to remember that.

But on to more pleasant thoughts, "We've been lucky. So many young children here, and your daughters' clothes have been a godsend, and we have what we need for now." Tamara's hardly got the same wardrobe Michelle did as a child, but Michelle's not going to make her play pretty princess.

[arid_white_lady]

You probably would not have, Michelle, loved to meet Maeglin - the poor boy was like Melou on steroids.

The elven baby robes and dresses are exquisite, that's for sure, and any Stark hand-me-down would probably also be quite elegant, if cruder in make, we reckon, so there is really nothing to complain about, we're sure.

"Good," Aredhel replies, smiling. "I will save the girl's dresses as they grow out of them," she says, "though they will be slower to mature, now that they have found their souls."

Because baby elves work so very differently, haha.

[lifeinhallways]

"Tamara thanks you. May she do them the same justice as your girls."

Excuse the silly human, "That's a beautiful way to put it, find their souls." She's taken it as a turn of phrase.

[arid_white_lady]

Aredhel smiles, and nods. "As it is with our children," she says. "I'm given to understand young Atani are slower to speak, but then again, your gifts are so different from ours..."

[lifeinhallways]

"I don't know when she'll start to talk. My mother used to say we both talked early, but," but Rose told stories, and the ones to the press the most false. "I don't know." Michelle can't think about her mother now, other than, when it comes to parenting, what not to do when Tamara's grown.

"I most look forward to hearing her laugh. That'll be gift enough. When do Elves learn to speak?"

[arid_white_lady]

"Children speak, walk and dance two years after their conception," Aredhel replies, smiling. "They will remain so a long time, though - and your daughter alas will never see my girls reach their maturity."

Indeed, Tamara has the time to live, and die, before the twins finish their puberty.

[lifeinhallways]

"Within two years? How old are your daughters?" Now sheer curiosity has taken hold. "They look like Tamara may when she's 7 or 8."