His face gave no signs of his thoughts or feelings. His fins were still, his eyes focused and yet eerily empty as he stared through Sauron.
“Heh.” He closed his eyes and dipped his head, fins beginning to gently flutter with imagined currents. “Ha! Oh, that is–!” The chitter that escaped him was shriller and more piercing than his usual playful laughter.
“That is– liberating? A relief. I am pleased that we were given this opportunity to speak so frankly, Cousin.” He lifted his head, and for as miserable and angry as Sauron looked, he was pleased and relaxed. “I had suspected, I think, but I suppose I am as naive as you claim. I held to a belief that perhaps we might have some strange, hopeless alliance, two outcasts who understood one another, who might not agree with one another but could at least respect one another. But of course we do not have that!” He laughed again, but there was a bitter note of humiliation and regret in his song.
“You are not wrong that I would not hesitate to cripple you if you were a direct threat to my loved ones, but you are wrong that I would use our ‘friendship’ to do it. Or perhaps, knowing now that there is truly no such thing, you are completely right.”
He stretched his lips into a smile, and he forced it to his eyes. “You say do not ask questions I do not want answers to; perhaps what you meant was I should not ask questions which you do not want to answer.”
Do not… ask me questions… you do not want the answers to.
…I manipulate my enemies. And you are… you have been, my enemy. You are easy to manipulate. You are naive and susceptible to flattery. But you show no weakness when it matters; I have never had the upper hand for long when our wills cross in earnest. Ulmo and his waters are at odds with my people, and always have been, even in my service to Aulë. But you and I are not hidebound in our allegiances– we agree as often as we do not.This friction is only a game between us, a pleasant diversion with a long-held, attractive competitor, a fair-weather friend. My end goal…
My end goal is to achieve my designs by any means necessary. I have always been ready to accept that one day you and I may have to fight until one of us vanquished completely. And if that day comes, I will use whatever knowledge of your weaknesses I possess in order to secure victory. Even things you have told me in confidence, things I would not betray otherwise.
I count you as a friend in times of peace, a potential ally in disputes that do not directly conflict with your duties. But you are and will always be a potential threat, and I would not hesitate to neutralize that threat if you stood in my way. I would eradicate you if it came to that.
–But look me in the eye and tell me you feel differently about me, Cousin. You’d do anything in your power to wipe me from the face of the earth if I was poised between you and your duties, you and the ones you love.
SAY IT. You’d use our friendship against me if you had to. Tell me I’m wrong.
His face gave no signs of his thoughts or feelings. His fins were still, his eyes focused and yet eerily empty as he stared through Sauron.
“Heh.” He closed his eyes and dipped his head, fins beginning to gently flutter with imagined currents. “Ha! Oh, that is–!” The chitter that escaped him was shriller and more piercing than his usual playful laughter.
“That is– liberating? A relief. I am pleased that we were given this opportunity to speak so frankly, Cousin.” He lifted his head, and for as miserable and angry as Sauron looked, he was pleased and relaxed. “I had suspected, I think, but I suppose I am as naive as you claim. I held to a belief that perhaps we might have some strange, hopeless alliance, two outcasts who understood one another, who might not agree with one another but could at least respect one another. But of course we do not have that!” He laughed again, but there was a bitter note of humiliation and regret in his song.
“You are not wrong that I would not hesitate to cripple you if you were a direct threat to my loved ones, but you are wrong that I would use our ‘friendship’ to do it. Or perhaps, knowing now that there is truly no such thing, you are completely right.”
He stretched his lips into a smile, and he forced it to his eyes. “You say do not ask questions I do not want answers to; perhaps what you meant was I should not ask questions which you do not want to answer.”
“I do respect you, you idiot fish!” he snarled. “But we are at war! And you wear your bleeding heart on your sleeve, for all to see! What am I to do? Forget that you have poured out your insecurities and sorrows on my shoulder in a time of open hostility?”
Sauron whipped round and paced in fury. “–An advantage is an advantage, and you have plied yours against me whenever you had the chance! IF you have not learned my weaknesses by now, it is because you were not paying attention! -I- am not to blame that you cannot compete with me in games of cunning! You would drown me if you had to– you would rub salt in my wounds, use my own heart against me– you are no better than I! Don’t deny it–!”
His lips drew back over bared teeth, but as the sorcery worked against him, he fought to keep them closed, jaw clenched as words forced their way past his defense. The compulsion towards truth was too strong.
“…I am sorry, Ossë. At one time, it could have been different between us. But the world is changed, and I find myself capable of more and more disgraceful things in order to survive as one Masterless…
We are strange and hopeless, and our games are dear to me. I would relish a chance to set aside our differences and work towards one goal. But I cannot be the friend you wish me to be; I have none in this age I would not betray if pressed. You are one of the few remaining, and the oldest of those, but you would be a fool to trust me.”
MisbehavingMaiar: Tumblr Archive 