fiiiic because you guys get all my ricockulous stuff
“Pika,” it said, or something like that, and he bared his teeth. If it wasn’t good for anything he didn’t really want to kill it - some kind of rodent, or something - and more so, he was leery of touching it with anything, lest there be a repeat of that strange pain. There seemed to be sparks coming from the spots on its cheeks, periodically, and if he hadn’t known better he could have sworn it was watching him with annoyance.
Stupid creature. He would get it off his heels. There were dogs back in the hall that he could set on it and if it wouldn’t run then it would die, and good riddance.
Unfortunately, he discovered that the dogs would not go near it. “Pika,” it said again, with evident satisfaction, and he stayed in the courtyard and indulged in a staring match with the peculiar yellow beast.
“What is that?” Just what he needed. Caranthir, when he was having trouble getting rid of a stubborn, stupid, brightly colored rodent. “Some new dog of yours? I don’t think it worked out too well.” His brother smirked.
“I don’t know what it is,” Celegorm said sourly. “It followed me home. I’m trying to get rid of it. Don’t try kicking it, I did that and my leg still hurts.”
“That solid?” Caranthir seemed amused, damn him. Celegorm shrugged.
“Well, you can try it if you want.” Caranthir went. Caranthir swore very loudly and backed off quickly. “What the hell is that?”
“Now you want to know. I just want to get rid of it. The dogs won’t go near it and I’m not touching it.” Caranthir nudged him.
“It’s looking at you.”
“Don’t look at me,” Celegorm snapped at the yellow thing, which was indeed looking at him, expectantly. “I don’t like you.” Caranthir snickered.
“You tell it, brother.”
The yellow animal stared at him a little longer, then hunched into itself, closed its fists, said “Piiiiika” or something like it, and started crackling with lightning. Staring open mouthed, both of them were caught in the charged bolts. Caranthir caught Celegorm, if barely and nearly falling himself, yelping loudly. The Pika beast watched them with what was almost, it seemed, a smug expression.
Shaking his arms, Caranthir backed further away. “What does it want? What do rodents usually want? Food. Give it some food, Turco, maybe then it’ll go away. And keep it away from me.”
“I am not going to feed it,” Celegorm snarled. “It can stay outside and we will pretend we never saw it. It can’t be here forever.” He turned his back defiantly and started inside. Caranthir, after a moment’s hesitation, followed him, though there was a slight, plaintive “pika?” from behind them that made both of them glance back ever so slightly.
**
Of course, it didn’t work. “Look what I found,” said Aredhel, grinning, and dropped the yellow bundle in his arms just before dinner. “He was just sitting outside. Isn’t he the cutest little thing?” Celegorm opened his mouth to protest that of course it hadn’t done anything to her when the Pika Beast opened its eyes, scrunched up its face, and sent another painful shock wave rippling through his body. He dropped it, this time, and caught himself on a chair.
“Eru! Did you have to bring it inside?”
“It’s hungry, Tyelko. We need to feed him. Look at how skinny he is!” It looked rather plump, to Celegorm, but he wisely said nothing, rather following his bouncing cousin to the kitchen. At least it - he - seemed to like Aredhel. Maybe he wouldn’t have to be involved at all.
“First an it, now a he? How do you know it’s male?”
“I just know,” said Aredhel cheerfully, already looking through the cupboards. “Let’s see, let’s see - what about some cheese, maybe?” She held it out, but the Pika Beast turned up its nose, and then, to Celegorm’s horror, twitched its tail, squirmed upright, and hopped to Celegorm’s shoulder. He stiffened at once, expecting another shock that would perhaps drop him properly this time. Aredhel frowned.
“Maybe he wants you to feed him, Tyelko. Here…”She put the cheese in his hand, and lifted the hand toward his shoulder and the thing’s mouth. It was going to bite him, and it probably had some kind of poison that would make his hand swell up and fall off. His right hand no less. He tried very hard not to make a protesting sound.
Nothing, until Aredhel pulled her hand away. Then the cheese was snatched from his hand by what felt like little fingers, and was gone. Aredhel beamed.
“There! See? He just wants you to feed him, that’s all. Here-“ She handed him some more cheese, and he held that up too, and it was taken just as quickly. “Awww,” said Aredhel, grinning. “Look. He’s smiling.”
“Pikachu,” said the yellow beast with a distinct air of smug satisfaction, and Celegorm scowled as viciously as he could. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. If you could train it it might not be too different from a dog.
“Are you going to keep it?” Aredhel had to ask, and that was more or less that.