What Happens at Camp Eglarest, Stays at Camp Eglarest by polutropos

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Celegorm

This chapter contains recreational cannabis use

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Even the back of Beren’s head irritated Celegorm. That brown mass of hair blowing haphazardly in the breeze. The way he shifted it slightly to the side, scanning the beach. Then his neck tipped backwards onto the log he was leaning against and he sighed ever-so-contentedly and Celegorm could not help but scoff loudly at the over-the-top display of satisfaction. Beren craned his neck back and opened his mouth into a lazy approximation of a smile.

“Oh, hey, Celegorm,” he said. “Didn’t know you were there. Come join me?”

Absolutely not , Celegorm thought, and, Damn Maglor and Huan for ditching me with this idiot . Surely all four of them didn’t need to drive to the store for ice? It was supposed to be time for Lúthien and her useless little brother to catch up – why Maglor had decided at the last minute that he needed to go with them was inexplicable. And inexcusable. Then Huan had barked and barked when Lúthien closed the car door on him, refusing to be left behind by his new best friend, and so Celegorm had been abandoned by both his dog and his brother. 

“No,” Celegorm replied to Beren, and reluctantly, “thanks.”

“You sure?” Beren held up a tall can of Seven Rivers IPA. 

“Wait, you know Ossiriand Brewing?” Celegorm said, and he'd engaged the self-assured little vegan whether he liked it or not. Well, at least Beren had good taste.

“Yeah, of course,” Beren said. “They’re the best.”

Celegorm sniffed. “Yeah, sure, they’re okay. I prefer their kolsch. The IPA is overrated.”

“Oh, well, great!” Beren said. “I’ve got some of the kolsch, too. Help yourself, in the cooler.”

Celegorm didn’t actually prefer the kolsch, but he was committed to it now. He pulled one out of Beren and Lúthien’s cooler, savouring the satisfying fizz when he cracked it open, then walked down to stand noncommittally beside where Beren was sitting. It was fine, he’d just finish the beer with him, then Maglor and the others would come back with more to drink and he’d be acquitted of his social obligation to talk to Beren. 

“So,” Beren started in immediately, “your dog sure seems to like my girlfriend, huh?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Celegorm snapped.

“Oh–” Beren looked at him with wide-eyed surprise, “nothing, just thought it was sweet. Nice dog.”

“Yeah, he’s a nice dog,” Celegorm said.

“Hey, man,” Beren pivoted the conversation, “you like weed?”

That got Celegorm’s head to turn. He’d been curious about the widespread Belerian habit since moving there last year but none of his family seemed interested. “I’ve, uh, I’ve actually never tried it. It wasn’t really a thing in Valin.”

“Oohh, shit! No way!” Beren exclaimed. “You’ve got to try it! We’ve got the best stuff. You’ll love it. Take a seat.” He waved his head to the left, inviting Celegorm to sit, and pulled a tube of dried leaves and rolling papers out of his back pocket. 

Celegorm was careful not to show too much enthusiasm as he crossed in front of Beren and sat down a good distance away. He watched Beren out the corner of his eyes as he ceremoniously prepared a joint with practised precision, though Celegorm could not help but notice that he didn’t seem to be able to bend two of the fingers on his right hand.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” he asked, registering only after he said it how rude it was.

“Oh,” Beren said, holding it out for him to see. “Nerve damage. I got bit pretty bad by a dog when I was a kid.”

“I see,” was all Celegorm could think to say.

“Don’t worry, I’m not scared of dogs. Daeron is, though.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Celegorm paused. “My oldest brother has that in his wrist. Rock climbing injury.”

“Oh yeah? That sucks,” Beren said, then held up the completed joint for Celegorm to admire and pulled out a lighter. “That should do us!” 

Celegorm studied how Beren took the first drag: deep inhale, hold, exhale. It seemed easy enough. He took it from him: deep inhale, hold… then tears welled in his eyes and he was choking. And crying, and coughing, and doubled over, and Beren was laughing and laughing. 

“Wow!” Beren said with two emphatic claps of his hands. “You really went for it!”

When he was finally recovered, Celegorm stared at Beren, blinking through the water in his eyes. “What the hell! Why didn’t you warn me!”

“Don’t worry about it. That’s the best way to do it, really.”

Celegorm leaned back against the log and stared out at the ocean, humiliated and still in a considerable amount of pain. Beren continued to take several more drags and Celegorm could not understand how he was remaining so composed. He took a few sips of his beer to ease the burning in his throat. 

Then he stared at the sand. He could not stop staring at the sand. 

“Beren,” he was saying, though he hadn’t planned to, “have you ever thought how amazing it is that every grain of sand is just a tiny rock?”

“Ha ha!” Beren laughed. Celegorm thought the sound he made was very funny, so he laughed.  He could not stop laughing. Beren could not stop laughing.

“Yeah, man,” Beren wheezed, “I have thought of that.” 

Abruptly, they stopped laughing. Beren passed him the joint and Celegorm took another drag, this time much less painfully.

“You’re an okay guy,” Celegorm was saying to Beren as he handed it back.

“Yeah?” Beren said. “You seem okay, too.”

“Those mushrooms you foraged, is this a good place for that?”

“Oh, definitely!” Beren said, snuffing out the joint and carefully placing the remainder back in the plastic tube. “One of the best. You should definitely come with me next time.”

“Hey,” Celegorm said, “I’m hungry. Let’s cook some of them up.”

They went about preparing the most delicious wild mushroom sauté Celegorm had ever tasted in his life and were bent over the picnic table shovelling spoonfuls of it into their mouths directly from the pot when the others returned with the ice and various provisions.

“Did you get bread?” Celegorm shouted the minute Maglor stepped out of the backseat, Huan charging out behind him and eagerly licking at Celegorm’s face. He gave the dog a spoonful of the mushrooms. “Please tell me you got bread.”

Maglor just stared at him with furrowed eyebrows and Celegorm laughed at how funny his face looked like that.

“You’re eating already?” Lúthien exclaimed as she and Daeron emerged from the car. “Gee, thanks for waiting!”

“We were hungry!” Beren shouted around a mouthful. “Where’s the bread?”

“We already have bread!” Lúthien returned. “In the tote.”

“ What .” Beren looked stunned. “Are you serious? We’ve had bread this whole time?”

Maglor was still staring at Celegorm. “What is going on with you?”

“They’re high,” Daeron said, rummaging through the tote and throwing the bread on the table, none too impressed. 

Beren ripped it open and Celegorm plunged his hand in and urgently shoved half a slice into his mouth. 

“You’re high?” Maglor stammered. “On what?”

“Weed!” Celegorm shouted. “You should have some.”

“No!” Maglor looked absolutely astonished. “I will not be smoking anything. Do you know how bad that is for your voice?”

Beren went into hysterics. “You and Daeron both! Hey, we should get some edibles for you two!”

“Good idea,” Lúthien said, taking a seat at the table. “I’d like to see that.” She winked at her brother and Maglor, who were now standing side by side with an identical scowl on their faces, and she started piling some of the sautéed mushrooms on a slice of bread. “Mm!” she exclaimed, taking a bite. “You two better get some of this before these boys devour it all!”