Tra la la. by hennethgalad

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Chapter 1

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Tra la la

 

Dearest darling Bunny, 

 

How I miss you, Tirion seems deserted without you and the gang, but especially you, my sweet. I have been hearing truly gushing praise of your Tulkas, and I know that you will be breaking the hearts of all those darling sailors. But really, my dear, it is too dull here without you, and the mere thought of going on again in front of a crowd of tiresome provincials; first time at the theatre, oh my... 

 But Begetting Day is Begetting Day and an Elf must do his duty, yawn...

 Though I must say that, in a futile gesture at cheering me up, old Peacock-feathers himself, who is directing, told me of a rather special piece among the new crop. But really, darling, when one has had an Elf like you, who could be interested in an uncouth juvenile from the outskirts of nowhere ? 

 Really though, this ghastly theatre just gets more insufferable every time I play here, we are on in minutes, my robe is still being fussed over by those tedious tailors, and the wretched make-up artist complains of wine spilt in the powder jar. Well darling, I explained that it can get a teensy bit wild in here at times, but there is no pleasing some people, you know what I mean. 

 Oh, Eru, the Peacock just came in to scream at me again, must dash, darling Bunny, more later.

 

 Well ! Gracious Varda, I do not know what to say, Bunny my sweet, for once the Peacock was right ! Oh Bunny, if you had seen him ! Why, even one so jaded as you will be smitten with him ! I saw him in the audience, yes, I know, but you have to see him, Bunny darling, honestly, you must come back at once, what in Arda is the point in staying on in dreary Alqualondë, you have made your point, surely ? Do come home, there's a good boy, and see this lovely creature ! 

 Well, of course he is nobody, a farm boy from nowhere, with no connections of any kind, so there is no point to him, as it were, but my dear, what a gorgeous piece ! There he was, shining like a petal from Laurelin, with the most delicious hair you ever saw. Of course, his name is Glorfindel, but anyone could guess that in an instant. Well, I played the whole piece to him, though I could see he had no idea what I was doing, really Bunny, it was like giving flowers to a dog... 

 Well, the play went down a storm, of course these infants just lap it up when they're fresh down the mountain, but I promise you, I did not get carried away and make a joke of it. Really darling, I am perfectly capable of taking these things as seriously as the next artist, but you know, sometimes I need to let off a bit of steam, have a bit of a lark about, you know me...

 

  Of course you do, that is why you are in Alqualondë and not here with me, where you belong !

Oh Bunny, how many times must I apologise ? You know that I would do anything for you, do please come home ! (if only to see this marvellous boy !) 

 Where was I ? Oh yes, the party ! The Peacock was as good as gold, and brought him straight to my dressing-room, and my dear, you have simply never... I mean never...

 His eyes are bright blue, none of that dull Noldor grey, oh no, and his hair... A river of gold, tumbling over those broad, farmers shoulders, and so tall, and strong... Oh Bunny, I may be in love again ! You may think it absurd of me to beg you to come home at one moment, and to tell you I am in love with another the next, but just you wait until you see him, you will understand me then. 

 Well... I just threw my clothes off and offered myself to him, and my dear, he did not hesitate ! 

I could tell, of course, that it was his first time, but he took to it with a truly hearty appetite, and I actually thought I might faint at one point... You may well laugh, the whole thing is quite absurd, until you see him, and then you just... you just melt in his hands darling, really you do...

 

So, I managed to get the clothes off him, ghastly homespun of the drabbest kind... but underneath... solid gold, darling, solid gold. He must be one of those dreadfully hearty types who sees cold water as a reason to get bare and hurl oneself into the depths. Ugh... But by Oromë, it has made him a thing of beauty... Well, there he was, sprawled naked on my couch, smug smile on his delicious face, and I thought 'Oil of Estë...', and hurried backstage to find my precious jar. 

 But alas, the wretched boy had gone when I returned, it seems that interfering old Maia Olórin had told Erestor to keep an eye on him. You do know Erestor, kin to Fëanor on the mother's side, one of those dreary scholars, though, indeed, a very handsome one. You remember, he wrote that nice piece about your Tata when you did 'The Awakening' that time. Good observation of detail, you said, when you read it. You  remember ! 

 

 Well, I had to find him, I wanted to calm Erestor down and make sure he did not go telling tales to Olórin, (never cross a Maia !) and a few friends helped me to search the Gardens for him.

 Oh Bunny, that boy is going to break so many hearts. He had Erestor, naked in the grass, and was calmly taking him as though he did that sort of thing every day ! I must admit that I got a teensy bit cross, and I may have shouted at him, a little...

 Now do not look like that, Bunny darling, I know that look, when your lips go all white like that... Really, I wish you would just shout at me and get it over with, but you do brood so, and then there is no talking to you. You know I love you, and I always will, but I cannot agree with you on the silent rage thing. You must let it all out, darling, and say what you think, not seethe, and go over and over your lines when you know you will never ever say them aloud.

 The craft IS taken seriously, and one rogue like me can do no damage, not to the views of serious people. Not to the sort of people you want to impress.

 

 Oh Bunny, wait til you see Glorfindel, all these pompous Noldor can go hang, he is the flower of Valinor, the loveliest thing I ever... Really, darling, I am almost sorry that he fell into my lap so quickly, for how we love the chase...

 

 Still, he is not here now, he has taken lodgings with Erestor, though a beauty like him will be snatched away from the dreary Erestor swifter than a diving hawk. Erestor ! It is such an unlikely coupling that I could almost laugh, had I not seen them with my own eyes. Oh Bunny, I know you say 'save it for the stage', but if you had seen me, I was magnificent, I gave him that line about "the warmth of your arms", and it worked fabulously my dear, he had clearly never seen the play and drank it all in, those golden muscles bunching and rippling as he wondered how to react. But I could see that awful Erestor looking as cynical as you like, and I realized that not only did he know the lines, but would be sure to explain to Glorfindel at once. 

 Well, I am sorry Bunny, but that is just who I am, I am an artist, and my temper sometimes...

 Oh very well. I really am sorry Bunny, it was mortifying. I had no idea that we would find him already feasting elsewhere, as it were ! Truly, darling, none of us did, or I would not have dreamed of chasing him through the shrubbery. 

 But darling, he had only met Erestor that day, they were strangers, after all, and Erestor (have you remembered him yet ? Stuffy, pompous, completely uninteresting apart from his marvellous bones) Anyway, none of us had the least idea that we would find them already dining, so in a way, I might be forgiven such a social disaster, since everyone else was really as astonished as I. 

  

 The boy... Nobody knows anything about him. Olórin is saying nothing. The Peacock can find nothing, nobody knows him, nobody has seen him before, it is all very intriguing. There is a rumour that Celegorm may know him, but nobody knows how that could be. Really darling, I am almost rubbing my hands together in sheer glee. For the love of Manwë do come back ! If only to help me find out who in Arda he really is ! Even the Peacock is interested, and you know how rarely he gets excited these days, the old dog ! Dear old Peacock, he will be here soon, we are all going to see Wilwarin to get garnished for the feast of Nessa. 

 Will you at least return for that ? Please, darling Bunny, do not leave me alone at a time like this. You know that I am serious underneath all this tra-la-la frippery, you know that I adore you and cannot endure the deluge without you beside me ! Come home, darling, do, and see this wonderful creature, though of course, if you fall in love with him yourself I shall slay him !

 

 With all my love, precious Bunny, from your own dear Melairë.