Tag: fris

I had always wondered… What did Ais and Folgar think when they found out Fris was going to marry Thrain?

Ais was so stunned that she was silent for two whole minutes, it was amazing.

(THESE TWO CAN TALK UNDERWATER, NNKAY)

Then, of course, Ais leapt into action. Ais is a Lady Who Organises (we all know one or two of these, yeah?). She immediately began putting lists together of what was needed, what might be nice, things for Fris and Thrain to look at and decide on – Oh! Perhaps she should go ask her friend Alda about the new fabrics she has in at the moment… 

Fris, of course, is getting herself hugged to death at the time by her sweet tubby chatty white-bearded dad, and is just grinning from ear to ear. Because she knows that this is Ais’ version of gushing. And Fris can see the joyful tears in her mum’s eyes. 

And then, next time Thrain sheepishy shows up at their place, his hand firmly clutched in Fris’, Folgar naturally begins to pontificate wax philosophical  about marriage and about his beautiful daughter and how pleased he is to name such a fine Dwarrow as Thrain a part of his family, and about the happiness they shall share, until Fris is squirming in her seat in pleased embarrassment – oh Maker, oh my heavens, Dad, please stop please augh. 

Meanwhile, Ais is busy asking Thrain if he prefers sapphires or diamonds, because she has already asked one of her friends (”a notable jeweller, you know!!”) to begin work on their gifts, but she wants it to match with Thrain’s other beads, and also does he like fish because she can get a good source for the wedding, and if so, which fish does he like best?

Thrain is a little speechless and stammering in the face of all this, but happy enough. Because Ais and Folgar might be the CHATTIEST TALKIEST PEOPLE IN EXISTENCE (outside the Shire, of course), but behind every sentence beats the unspoken phrase, like a heartbeat, “welcome, you are welcome, you are welcome”.

Having so many feels about Thorin reconnecting with his fam. You’ve already fixed about him and Frerin reconnecting. But also … Thorin and Fris playing together. Thorin and Thrain making things. Thorin going to dinner with his dad’s parents one night and his mum’s the next. Just Thorin slooooowly getting reacquainted with his family and acknowledging that he is cared for, he is loved, no matter how flawed and broken he is. <3

Yeah, I went pretty all-in with Thorin and Frerin rebuilding their relationship in Twelve Months and Fifty Years, I guess! It’s easier to trace that progression, as it is brought into very sharp focus in that fic.

Still, peppered throughout the whole of the Behemoth itself are moments in which Thorin reconnects with Thrain and with Fris. It’s not fast, and it’s not always nice, but it certainly happens! 

You got me thinking about this progression again, Nonnie! I’ve had my thinking cap on all day, ever since I got your message. I can remember baking my brain about this very topic when I first began the story a gigazillion years ago. I quite deliberately set Thorin’s family relationships as a foil to the more dramatic events of the quest and the much more fiery development of the Gigolas (and the eventual Bagginshield) relationships in the fic. Thorin’s relationship with his family isn’t like that. It’s not dramatic: it’s steady. It’s slow, and quiet and everyday and mundane and ever-present. Fris and Thrain’s support (and Hrera’s and Thror’s, for that matter) is there from the start, of course, but the knowledge of each other, and the trust and the depth and the love, is so powerful now. What we see in that first scene in Chapter 1 is the first rush. It just grows and grows and grows.

It’s Fris waking Thorin because she knows it is important to him (tools do not belong in sleeping quarters inudoy, and oh, when did you grow so tall), and it’s Thrain listening to him speak about Bilbo (so that was the one, then?), not judging or commenting, just accepting. It’s Thrain suggesting and then insisting that Thorin bring the rest of their people on board to watch the Fellowship (we’re here, use us!), and it’s Fris braiding Thorin’s hair, while telling to stop blaming himself for things he could not possibly be at fault for (Gandalf was the one to recruit Bilbo Baggins, not you!).

It’s Hrera’s dumpling soup, and her comforting brand of loving bossiness in the middle of the night, telling him stories of her own youth. It’s Thror giving Thorin his own work-room as a meeting-place, giving up his own space for Thorin’s needs. It’s Vili joking with Thorin about which of the boys is a better swimmer, and which is a better climber. It’s all those breakfast scenes in the Halls, all of them existing together and sharing food and time and gentle teasing. 

Where we’ve currently paused, at Chapter 39, Thorin has actually learned to lean on them. A LOT. He relies on his mother enormously, she is basically handling all the information for him. Thorin returns time and again to Thrain’s calm acceptance. There’s a reason why Thorin went to Thrain as well as Thror when he wanted to talk about the dragon-sickness. It’s no mistake that Frerin stays in Thrain’s rooms to decompress and recover, after he reached his melting-point at the battle of the Pelennor Fields. There’s a reason why Thorin trusts Thror to keep an eye on Erebor while he stays with the Fellowship and with Gimli. There’s a reason why Hrera keeps watch over the pool in the Chamber, seated in a chair with a rug over her knees, ready to pass on any messages. 

Thorin has now actually reached the point where he can give it back. He’s SO secure in their love now, and he can comfortably show his own in return. It’s taken him a long time to feel that way: he’s been generally pretty awful to himself, on the whole. But now he can see that he is loved, and that he is worthy of that love, and so he is becoming better at expressing his own care. He gently needles Fris when she is overworking (a trait they have in common) and he is constantly aware and watching for anything that may trigger Thrain, ready to leap into action. 

Like I said, it’s not a dramatic relationship arc. None of the relationships in the Halls are – that’s quite deliberate! Not only are they contending with the enormous inertia of the Halls, but also against Thorin’s own guilt and anger and self-recrimination… not to mention their own painful issues (looking at you, Thror). Dwarves are stubborn as heck, after all. But it’s there. It’s quiet and subtle, but believe me, it’s there!

(and yeah – I’ve spoken before a bit about Fris’ folks, Ais and Folgar, and they’re around! But as they’re not the focus of the Behemoth and Ricky might actually kill me if I extend the character list any more I might have to one day write a little side-fic detailing their exploits in reconnecting with Frerin, and later Thorin!)

Now I’m thinking about Nain and Daeris talking with Vili and Fris, and Dain with Thorin and Fili and Kili -trying to figure out ways to make the reconnect with their parents/son easier and less awkward. It helps a little, both in terms of suggestions and knowing that other people have faced the same problem.

Oh my god, Fris and Thrain would be the PERFECT people to talk to about this. Fris is just so emotionally intelligent and competent, and Thrain has learned (the hard way) not to be impatient. So he knows not to push people, to let things unfold at their own pace and to give people an undemanding space.

I bet Vili went to them as well, for advice… and yeah, Nain and Daeris would probably have a quiet word with them as well.

And yeah, I think Dain and Thorin and the lads would probably have a beer or two together, and Fili would tell them how it felt to realise that he looked like his father and like Frerin. How he was both happy to have Vili back, and angry that he died and left them in the first place. And Kili will tell them how hard it was to begin calling Vili ‘Dad’, and how both of them still look to Thorin for approval instead of their father. How Fili often accompanies Vili on his visits to Erebor each morning. The day Vili showed Kili how to carve runestones.  

And Thorin will take a sip of his drink to hide the emotion in his eyes (it doesn’t work) – and Dain will grumble that it’s just so hard to let them help, he’s not a Dwarfling anymore and he’s been standing on his own feet… uh, foot… for centuries, and it feels.. wrong. And Thorin will latch onto the change of topic gratefully and laugh, and tell Dain that he should be grateful he does not have Queen Hrera for a grandmother. She still treats Thorin like he is all of twenty-two years old.

Do Thorin and Frerin know their maternal grandparents at all? They’re very close to Thror and Hrera so I wondered.

They do! Folgar, a wealthy Guildmaster, and

Aís, a musician, were killed by the Dragon (bloody goddamned Dragon). So the kids were very young when 3 of their 4 grandparents were taken from them in one terrible day.

Folgar is pretty much a Santa-Claus grandpapa. He is white-bearded and chubby and humourous and jolly and forever smoking his pipe, his bright blue eyes twinkling. He is a sharp fellow underneath that, however. Though he does ramble on, and on, and on, and ON – particularly after he has had a cup or two of whiskey. 

Aís was a harpist and singer and lutist. She was quite a power in the Musician’s Guild. There is always that person in any musical or theatrical endeavour, lol! You know the one – they might not necessarily be the one in charge, but they are the one who does everything and drives everything and takes on more tasks than anybody should possibly be able to do? That’s totally Aís. She’s a bit of a social lioness type, too – though she’s never catty or spiteful – she just really, really likes having a good natter. They are a very chatty couple! 

In the Halls, they’re a little sidelined (though

Aís does a LOT of organising reports and things for her poor overworked daughter). They are well-acquainted again with Frerin… but it’s harder to connect with Thorin. 

Yet if you want to find the two Dwarves who are mostly responsible for all the rumours about Thorin’s self-appointed vigilance that float through the Halls? For the near-total admiration for his dedication and determination? 

Well, 

Aís does love to chat with her friends (gossips, every one of them)… and Folgar does have a little group of friends who play darts and drink with him each Friday…

😀

Ficlet – Singing in Bed

Everybody, please go pepper @kailthia with love and kisses and good wishes and fluffy headcanons. K is having a really tough time at the moment.

@kailthia – Some Fris, Thrain and Custard fluff for you. 

Custard woke. She was the only one awake.

This was unacceptable.

She stood up on the end of the bed, where she had slept,
and decided to do something about it. With a flick of a huge bushy tail,
Custard padded over the lumps and hillocks of warm sleeping bodies until she had reached the peaceful, lax faces. Then she sat down on
the Yellow One’s pillow, and began to yowl.

“Mrrraow. Mraw. Mrrrrroaw!”

“Oh, blast it,” came the mumble from the
yellow one.

“Mroawww!” 

Best Dwarf kept sleeping. Best Dwarf, when he
slept, could sleep well.

When he didn’t sleep… well, then Custard had a job to do, didn’t she?

The room had good acoustics. Custard decided to experiment a little. “Mraaaaaaaaaoow! Mrrrr! Mrrrrr-aaaaow! Aoummmmroow!”

“All right, all right!”

The yellow one was awake now, and was
scratching at her ears. Custard congratulated herself on a serenade well sung, and half-slitted her eyes, rolling back
where she lay. 

Under the covers, Best Dwarf was still snoring slightly.

“Good morning,” said Yellow One, and did that odd
teeth-baring thing that Dwarves did when they were happy. “Aren’t you pushy today?”

Custard only purred and hooked a paw around
Yellow One’s hand. Silly Yellow One – Custard wasn’t pushy – Custard was a cat.

It was at that point that Best Dwarf stirred,
groaning a little and rolling over. “Mmm, not getting up,” he mumbled.

“And a good morning to you too, dearest,” said
Yellow One, still doing the teeth-showing thing.

“Fris, why are we up at this hour?” Best One
complained, and his legs moved a little beneath the covers.

Custard’s eyes immediately snapped open. Movement
under the covers was not to be trusted! She
pounced with both her front paws, following the wriggly things. Best Dwarf
swore and chuckled, and the wriggling things ceased their wriggling. His hand
came to land on her cheek, rubbing slightly. “Ferocious little thing, damn it,
your claws can get through two layers of blankets!”

Obviously, Best Dwarf was happy she had done
her duty.

“It wasn’t my idea,” said Yellow One, rubbing at her eyes.
She threw back the covers and stretched. “I’ll go have a wash. Feed your pushy
monster, would you?”

“Yes, yes,” Best Dwarf said, and he sat up. His hair was a
sight to see. Custard wanted to play with it. Perhaps later. “You’re not a
pushy monster, are you, my sweet little darling?” he cooed, and tickled under
her chin.

Yellow One rolled her eyes, and left.

…

quadrupedum:

Another smol art based on this post. *continues to throw art at determamfidd* Thrain and Fris sharing tiny hand smoochies ❤

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

oh my gosh, they are perfect, you have NO idea how excited I am to see this, I absolutely LOVE these two sweeties and alskdhgfalsjhfa AHHH his hair! HER HAIRNET OH WOW, the clothes, the proportions, their absolutely perfect expressions, all the detail – folds and patterns and eeee *combusts* OH SHUU I AM SO GRATEFUL AND AMAZED, I love it so so so much!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!