Paper City, by Elleth

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge:
G50: Book Titles: Paper Towns; Colours: Orange
G51: Relationship: Jealousy
Format: Double Drabble
Genre: Character Study
Rating: Gen
Warnings: N/A
Characters: Estelindë (my Fëanorian healer OFC), Fëanor
Pairings: N/A
Summary: Tirion is a paper city, with all the consequences.


"Tirion is a paper city," Ortaquin explains to Estelindë. What her father means is this: The city has been drawn and planned before its raising by the Eldar and the Valar, and when she runs her errands, she'll happily pretend the streets are ink marks on a sheet. Her game reveals a host of ingenuities to marvel at: the marble stairs, the bridges spanning waterfalls, the Mindon rising like a needle in the center. It fails to tire her until she departs for Lórien. The gardens there are wildly grown, not built, a first hint of the greater world outside.

Returning, she is always slightly restless, all too aware of rules and restrictions placed on her, the stifling weight of expectations that she stop her healing and her studies to marry and have children. These rules, too, being set on paper, make the city, the underpinnings, stanchions and supporting beams glossed over or invisible. How she detests these little details, the jealous thou-shalt-nots that her sister's eyes are windows into.

It takes Fëanáro to transform all that; she gladly joins his service. And at last, with torches flaming orange, he proves that papers cities also burn. Speaking figuratively, of course.

Comments

[aliana1.livejournal.com]

I love this; you explore the prompt, and the idea of Tirion, so creatively: she'll happily pretend the streets are ink marks on a sheet...These rules, too, being set on paper, make the city, the underpinnings, stanchions and supporting beams glossed over or invisible. I also like how the uncultivated gardens of Lórien are her first indication of other possibilities. An excellent character study, in which you thoroughly explain why Estelindë would be drawn to Fëanor, who proves that papers cities also burn. And how!

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I'm glad her motivations came across despite the short space this was told in. I love taking things at face value and/or out of context to fit them into fics, so this was a romp I very much enjoyed, and very happy you also did. :)

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

A great tragedy the city must survive, first as the Prince in his pride endangers the peace, leading so many away into captivity and banishment in Formenos; then as he returns as King and draws so many even further away, to the slaughters of Alqualonde and Middle Earth. Do paper cities also bleed and weep as well as burn?

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

That reads almost like poetry - wow, thank you, what a review! I'm sure they bleed and weep as well.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Speaking figuratively, of course. I love this, but you know that I love your healer. It's lovely to see something that features her again.

- Erulisse (one L)
all of our Feanorian OFC's are popping up their heads now. What fun!

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Speaking figuratively so far, she should have said. :) Estelindë is very flattered by your attention (and so am I!), at any rate - and is being rather active, currently. I have a string of bits and bobs of text and outlines for chapter 2 of the Nargothrond fic posted at LC at the beginning of this month and will be working on melding that together soon (hopefully!), so there's definitely going to be more of her. ^^

Is Helyanwë talking to you, too? How wonderful! :D

[engarian.livejournal.com]

She's been quiet quiet this B2ME compared to last year. But she still stuck her head out for one of the prompts.

I haven't been on LC since B2ME started. Just no time. I'll return in April.

- Erulisse (one L)

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

I'm glad she did! :)

As for LC, that has been noticeably quieter this month, I guess most everyone is scribbling their fingers sore. ;) Two more weeks! *cracks knuckles*