For Daddy and Uncle

[ringsmith]

It's midmorning, and wandering somewhere between the forge and the cliffs is a lone, meandering figure. Celebrimbor doesn't seem entirely steady on his feet, his eyes are vauge and at times he starts and stares at things that aren't there. Sometimes he loses track of what he's doing and stares into space for a minutes before shaking himself out

Comments

[mostcraftiest]

Curufin has been in an unmoderated, unchanging bad mood, and he has to do something. Walk it is, searching around this place, seeking - something, though he knows even less than his son what it is. And he's supposed to be more sane. However, he stops dead upon seeing someone wandering by the cliffs, narrowing his eyes and loosening his sword in its scabbard. "Who goes there?"

Projecting his voice, of course, and it's probably wholly familiar to poor Celebrimbor.

[ringsmith]

Celebrimbor starts and whirls to stare toward the voice, though it's debatable whether he actually knows what he's seeing at first. He looks caught somewhere between startled rabbit and cornered wolf.

He doesn't speak.

[mostcraftiest]

Curufin relaxes, though, to some degree. The bare minimum; as much as he ever does, though. More than most anyone else ever sees. His smile is, of course, chilly, talking a few steps in Cele's direction. Does it have any other setting? "Ah. My ...prodigal son."

[ringsmith]

Cele skitters back a few steps when Curufin starts toward him, the typist wouldn't be surprised if his father had somehow featured in the illusions he was subjected to by Morgoth. He still doesn't speak.

[mostcraftiest]

Oh, we are sure. It wouldn't take much twisting. Curufin raises his eyebrows, slightly, though he can start to feel his skin prickling. Something isn't right here. "Please, Tyelperinquar. Don't be theatrical." A slight touch of exasperation, just the smallest bit of impatience. Just to nudge him along.

[ringsmith]

There's a little voice in the back of Cele's mind going 'thisisbadthisisbadthisisBAD' and he skitters back another step. He never takes his eyes off Curufin, if you keep your eyes on them they can't move without you knowing and you'll know where they are. unless you blink and they move and then you don't. It's bad if you don't know where they are because then they can be anywhere...

[mostcraftiest]

"...if I didn't know better I would think your were running away." Almost scornfully. "Answer me, boy. I demand your acknowledgment at least, if not your deference as yet." The tone is probably familiar, biting and slightly sharp, the tone he uses for fairly light discipline. Behave.

It likely doesn't help.

[ringsmith]

It is, and it doesn't. He flinches at the tone and stops retreating, but he's tense and shrinking in on himself. He still doesn't really believe that this is actually his father, he still thinks it's an illusion...but at the moment he probably would flinch even if he did.

[mostcraftiest]

People you do not want giving you therapy: Curufin. Just putting that out there. But yes, he frowns and closes the distance between them, if he can, looking down at his...cringing son.

What on earth. "Stand up straight and look at me." Briskly. But perhaps he is appropriately ashamed, now? This might be a good sign.

[ringsmith]

He takes a step or two back but if Curufin is persistant he can. He flinches back again in fear, his face very pale, and between that and the proximity the bruises and scratches are probably even more evident. He looks like he wants to bolt but is afraid to.

[mostcraftiest]

Curufin is always persistent. It is his primary character trait, other than asshattery. So yes, he reaches him, and finally realizes that there is something off here. The bruises probably tip him off, though the annoyance doesn't vanish.

It just deepens into a frown of a different color. He can see the fear as well, and his lips thin slightly. "What happened to you?"

[ringsmith]

Don't you know/ If you're an evil illusion of the Dark Lord you should know! His eyes are very very wide and he actually takes half a step back, intimidated and frightened by the illusion's proximity.

[mostcraftiest]

What is wrong with his son? A prickle of worry nudges at the back of his mind, and he doesn't follow Cele this time, though his head turns to eye him more sharply. Suspiciously, perhaps. "---speak, boy," he says, sharply. "I have little patience for this."

There's a very slight suspicion, but he refuses to consider it.

[ringsmith]

He shrinks back from the gaze, unsettled further by the sharpness and suspicion of it. "...No," he says to himself, very quiet, barely more than breath. "No. Not real..."

[mostcraftiest]

Curufin continues to stubbornly deny it. Because there is just. No way. He would know. And that just doesn't happen. Someone would have said something...

The irritation increases, though there's an agitated note to it now. "Don't talk madness, Tyelperinquar. Of course I am real much as you appear to wish otherwise."

[ringsmith]

"No," he says again, not really in denial, more trying to sort out his thoughts. "No...it was...wasn't..." Trying to make sense out of a crazy person muttering to himself is probably futile.