I'm a bit behind on my drabble project, having spent the week writing a thoroughly addictive short story for Bobby. As I watch the football game (go Ravens!), I've been jotting down a few drabble-series. I still have several more that I'd like to write, so I'll try to post them next week.

A while back, when I posted the last chapter of my novella “By the Light of Roses,” vana_tuivana asked me, “Won't you write a novel (or a short story at least) about Telvo and Nandolin and what happens to them?” One day, Vana, I will! But in the meanwhile, I hope that a quibble about how they met might make you happy.

“The Seedling” is a slash story. It is not graphic in any way, but anyone who has read “By the Light of Roses” knows that Telvo and Nandolin are definitely slashy. Please keep that in mind when choosing whether to read it.

( The Seedling )

tarion_anarore's professed weakness is for Caranthir, preferably angsty Caranthir—as though there can really be any other! In this series of four drabbles, I consider the symbolic journey of Caranthir to the moment where he decides to take the Oath.

( What Becomes )

Well, I'm home, so here are all of my drabble series that I owe to date. *whew* Well, except two: a naughty one for Alina that I will post separately out of regard for my underage flisters and an original series for Juno that will be posted under a friend-lock. But the rest are all here!

First is "The Wanderer," a ficlet about Finrod. pulsarkat is fond of Finrod, and I’d once promised her a story about him during a somewhat ordinary moment in his life. The story doesn’t exist yet, but I used this idea to inspire this 600-word ficlet about where Finrod might have found his wanderlust and his friendship with his two eldest cousins.

( The Wanderer )

isil_elensar is a hopeless romantic and also a hopeless Amrod fangurl, and so I give to her a hopelessly romantic series of three drabbles about a rather hopeless Amrod. (And no, it is not called “Hopeless.”)

( Gladly )

For phyncke is a series of three double-drabbles about Fingolfin and how one finds his way through grief, exile, and darkness. The idea came to me while listening to the Blind Guardian song “The Eldar” and considering the line about how many of the Elves witnessed the first sunrise. The symbolic implications of this event at such a dark time in their history was impossible to resist, and I was bitten!

( Blinded )

frenchpony once wrote a story about Fëanor that began with him stretching to reach something he thought to be unattainable. “Fire Ascending” is one of my favorite Silmfics, and through it, I discovered not only a fantastic author but a friend who unfailingly challenges and helps me as a writer.

“How to Paint a Star” is a quibble (five hundred words) reflecting the idea of a young Fëanor reaching for something that is unattainable—for the moment—and my recent fascination with the Mindon Eldaliéva.

( How to Paint a Star )

Because I have more people I want to write for than there are days in December, some days will necessarily have multiple pieces. Today is such a day. Today is Caranthir Romance Day. Because I sometimes honestly believe that I am friends with Caranthir’s most passionate core of fangurls, I usually end up giving stories about him the most as gifts. And romances are popular—particularly when that unreferenced “she” could be anyone!

So today, I have written two Caranthir romances, each five hundred words (though slightly different formats) and each a different pairing. The first is dedicated to Kasiopea, who is always such a help and inspiration to my work. A while back, she asked for a short story about Caranthir’s betrothal to his wife, and the story is in progress and forever unfinished. One day (soon, I hope), I will finally finish putting all of the words in my mind onto paper.

“Falling/Forever” is about Caranthir during the days of his father’s exile in Formenos when—according to my Felakverse—he first fell in love with his eventual wife Taryindë.

( Falling/Forever )

For atanwende is a quibble about Caranthir and Haleth. Heroine has written such beautiful stories about this pairing that it is sometimes hard to force my mind back to my own verse and remember that Haleth/Caranthir is not really canon. This piece is set before their romance escalates, when Caranthir is still having naughty thoughts about his companion under the pretense of teaching her how to properly defend herself with a sword.

This quibble does contain mild sexuality but should be suitable for teenaged and adult audiences.

( The Lesson )

Because I've been so busy, I haven't been able to post my gift drabbles on time, even though in some cases their written and waiting. There just aren't enough hours in the day. But here are the past two days' worth as well as today's.

oloriel asked for Feanorians and also admitted to a recent fascination with Maedhros’s captivity in Angband. For me, this is an ongoing fascination, so I took this idea and ran with it. Though it might seem a bit odd of an addition to a collection of stories to be given as gifts for the holidays, I have written about the captivity of Maedhros from the strange perspective of Caranthir.

In my storyverse, Caranthir is able to sense the spirits and thoughts of others. I use this idea in “The Space between Hearts.”

The idea of using a black bar to represent a word was originally done (to the best of my knowledge) in a short story by Joyce Carol Oates.

This story is dark and disturbing and contains violent images. Sensitive and squeamish readers should tread with care.

( The Space between Hearts )

For allie_meril is a quadrabble—exactly four hundred words—about Nerdanel. In this quadrabble, she gives her father the surprising news that she has gone away and married a high prince without first seeking his permission.

( Eru's Blessing )

A long while ago, appoggiato won the Spot the Bad Pun contest that I’d had for a chapter in AMC. Her prize was a story of her choice, and she asked for a story about Maglor during the happier times of the Fëanorian family. I’ve still yet to write the story, but I offer four drabbles in the meantime about Maglor during one of the happier times of his childhood. (And I will one day actually finish the full story!)

( From the Doors of Night )

As many of you know, my holiday story project for 2006 is to write thirty-one (at least) series of fixed-length ficlets based on the requests and preferences of friends. Because I have been away since December 1st, I am a bit behind on posting, so I am going to post the first five days all at once.

Additionally, this series will be posted at HASA (members' side) and the Pit of Voles.

This first drabble series “Curiosity” was written for Angaloth, who I know fancies Fëanor and Nerdanel above all others. It is a series of three hundred-word drabbles about what might have first inspired their love…and led to their demise.

This series contains some very mild sexuality but should be suitable for teenaged and adult audiences.

( Curiosity )

This series is for ladyelleth, who asked about how Nerdanel and Fëanor perceived their strange fourth-born son Caranthir. In the Felakverse that I use in the majority of my stories, Caranthir has the special gift of osanwë—or mind-speak—and perceives people interestingly as a result. While he remains dark and strange, his special gift also gives him extraordinary insight into the hearts and minds of those closest to him. This series of four double-drabbles explores this idea.

( Strange )

“Effortless” was written for angelica_ramses. Earlier this year, we had a conversation about my character of Maedhros (Nelyo) in my stories Another Man’s Cage and “Essecarmë” and his quiet strength that I have tried to capture in these stories. While Maedhros has done his share of noble deeds, equally important—and probably more difficult—was the task of reuniting the Noldor and playing damage control for his little brothers.

Yet the conundrum always arises that what is most skillfully done seems to be most easily done. This series of four drabbles explores this idea, from the point of view of Maglor.

For readers unfamiliar with my other stories, Vingarië is Maglor’s wife.

( Effortless )

This series of three double-drabbles was written for Ellfine, who is a fellow Finarfinatic and believes—as I do—that he was not the wimpy, soft-hearted king of fanon lore. “Sense of Swords” follows Finarfin through his decision to travel to Middle-earth at the end of the First Age to join his people in fighting Morgoth. The line about this in The Silmarillion is rather ambiguous about whether he joined the other Noldor in this battle, but I like to think that he did.

( Sense of Swords )

My dear friend rhapsody11 adores Celegorm and Maglor, so gifts for her always involve trying to fit them together into a story. In “Of Love, Mischief, and Flowery Prose,” young Celegorm realizes the gravity of the pranks that he plays on his older brother Maglor and seeks atonement for his misdeeds.

The relationship that might have existed between these two contrary brothers is a source of endless speculation for me “Of Love, Mischief, and Flowery Prose” is set during the same year as my novel Another Man’s Cage, so Celegorm is equivalent to a seven-year-old and Maglor is a young adolescent. The ficlet is a quibble, so it is exactly five hundred words.

Happy Sinterklaas, Rhapsody, and thank you for all that you do!

( Of Love, Mischief, and Flowery Prose )