Drawing Serious Studies

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

(To my Curvo, @Server Room Gremlin ! This drawing comes with a short story, which is compatible with IC&SF Chapter 4.)

Maitimo had already spoken with Fëanáro about letting Tyelko use a bigger bow, and he had paid off Moryo. Now, it was time to fulfill his end of the bargain to Curvo.

His request to read Maitimo’s last five essays definitely seemed the oddest of the three brothers’ requests, but at the same time, it warmed Maitimo’s heart the most. None of the other brothers, not even Kano, cared enough about his boring schoolwork to ask to read it. And though Curvo was barely old enough to be in school himself, his compliment towards Maitimo’s writing style and research abilities gave him a rarely-felt sense of pride in his own work.

Before heading up to Maitimo’s room, they stopped by the kitchen to take a small plate of snacks and some drinks. Curvo took a small wooden goblet of raspberry cordial, and Maitimo took a generous cup of green tea, as was both their habits.

They sat at Maitimo’s great desk of mahogany wood, and Maitimo placed a hefty stack of parchments in front of Curvo. He thought Curvo would be pleased at having so many to choose from, but instead his eyes widened and his little eyebrows scrunched up. He nearly looked on the verge of tears.

“What’s the matter?” Maitimo asked him, his own brows creasing in confusion.

“There’s… so many to choose from,” Curvo whispered.

“There are indeed,” Maitimo said with a deep sigh. And in fact, this pile was just the peak of Taniquetil; he had just grabbed the pile of essays from the past several months, which he hadn’t had time to file away yet. Years and years of other essays sat boxed up in a great archival closet within their library. “Is that a problem, Curvo?”

“Well…” The little Elfling squirmed in the chair which was much too big for him. “It’s just that I don’t know how I would choose without reading every single one, and that violates the terms of our bargain. Not to mention, it would take three ages. How can I know what the topic is of each, or the flow of the argument, or the quality of the writing? That’s why I simply asked you to give me the five most recent essays you wrote. That way I wouldn’t have to waste time trying to choose, and I’d get a surprise, which is always interesting.”

Now that Curvo was old enough to read and do some of his own schoolwork, he continued to startle and impress Maitimo with his grasp of concepts which even students twice his age didn’t fully understand.

Maitimo nodded, feeling as though Curvo’s point made sense, and he almost felt a little guilty for causing Curvo to feel overwhelmed, even though he had simply tried to give him his own choice in what seemed to Maitimo like a rather boring pursuit.

“I have an idea,” he said. “How about I choose five for you? That way it’s still a surprise for you, but it will be better aligned to your interests than it would be if I just gave you the most recent five.”

Curvo nodded slowly and seriously, as though thinking over the matter. “I suppose that makes sense.”

Maitimo took the stack of papers back, but he found himself at a loss as he leafed through them. It occurred to him that he didn’t entirely know what Curvo would most like to read about. He knew Curvo had already taken a strong interest to watching Fëanáro in the forge, and helping him with small, simple tasks. But what other topics interested him? He was very private about such things, to Maitimo at least.

Though Maitimo didn’t have many essays relating to forge work, he did manage to find one about how different metals reacted to each other, so that was the first one he set aside. And for the remaining four options, Maitimo decided to just pick as wide a variety of topics as he could. So he chose the one he had recently written about the history of the linguistic development of Quenya, one about the economy of Tirion, one about the various agricultural products of the outlying villages, and one about the transportation routes around Valinor.

Curvo accepted these five papers with satisfaction, and he was quiet and contented for a while as he munched on the cheese and nuts and bread and sipped his cordial. In fact, he grew so quiet that, as Maitimo resumed work on his latest assignment, he nearly forgot Curvo was there.

Later on, Curvo sighed, and Maitimo was so startled, he jerked his pen and messed up his calligraphy. Suppressing a sigh of annoyance, he turned to Curvo and smiled. “Are you done?”

Curvo nodded seriously.

“What did you think? Which one was your favorite?”

Maitimo thought he knew what Curvo’s answer would be, but he apparently guessed wrong.

“I liked the one about the transportation routes best.”

Maitimo blinked in surprise. “Really? Not the one about metals?”

“I already know everything you said in that one,” Curvo said with a shrug. “Atar’s the one who taught you all that, and he’s taught it to me already. It was well-written, and you didn’t say anything wrong. But I already knew it all.”

“Oh,” said Maitimo, feeling his heart sink a bit.

“But the one about transportation routes…” Curvo bounced a little in his seat, and his eyes glinted with the light of the candle on the desk, and he smiled slightly. “I can’t wait till I’m old enough to travel all around Valinorë with you and everyone else. I’m determined to figure out myself what’s the best way to get from here to Valimar, or from Valimar to Alqualondë. And your essay explained those things, as well as other routes I hadn’t thought about, and the differences between traveling by horse or on foot…” He stared at nothing for a brief moment, as though lost in his own thoughts, before turning back to Maitimo. “I know this wasn’t part of the bargain, but… can I borrow it for a bit? It might help me with some of the maps I’ve been drawing.”

Maitimo smiled broadly and ruffled Curvo’s baby-soft hair. “You can keep it as long as you’d like.”

Curvo’s eyes lit up, and he leaned over and gave Maitimo a little kiss on the cheek.

He was like a cat, Maitimo noticed: he didn’t like to be smothered, but he gave little gestures of affection on his own terms. Still, it was hard for Maitimo to suppress his own urge to smother the little Elfling!

“And, uh…” Curvo’s voice grew quiet and he awkwardly averted his gaze. “I was thinking, you didn’t really deserve for us to ruin your curls and make you all wet and cold the other night. We didn’t know you were actually trying to hide something, you see.”

“It’s all right,” Maitimo said with a gentle smile. “As long as the secret is safe, that’s all I care about.”

“Well, your secret’s safe with me.” Curvo lowered his voice to a whisper. “I won’t even tell Atar.”

“Well, good!”

Fëanáro was the last person who should be knowing about Maitimo’s visits with Aranya, but he didn’t have the heart to say that. With the close bond between Fëanáro and Curvo, this was the most sincere promise Curvo could offer.

“I was also thinking, I’m going to try to come up with some other games for Tyelko and Moryo and me to play. Something other than Interrogation and Spying.”

Maitimo laughed heartily, and hoisted Curvo up so he was sitting on his shoulders. “That sounds like a good idea.”


(Discussion time! You can use this thread to discuss it.

First things first: Happy Birthday, my friend! Just as Maitimo delights in getting to know Curvo better, I'm so glad to have gotten to know you better over the past couple of years. From your fascinating knowledge of Tolkien and history and technology, to the adorable Finwian Family Fluff you often think up, and your stories that hit me right in the feelz, I'm so glad to know what goes on in Servo's brain! And you've been a great friend to me, being someone I can talk to when I'm having insomnia or a hard time in general.

I thought it was only natural to elaborate a bit on Curvo getting to read Maitimo's essays, since it was your feedback that inspired that moment in IC&SF. Like Maitimo, I was looking at Curvo a bit superficially, thinking he would most like something relating to Fëanor and the forge, but you inspired me to dig deeper into his character. Also, did you see what I did there? There aren't trains in Valinor, but there are roads and horses!

I also felt like the drawing represents us: you're a diligent proofreader of IC&SF, so Curvo poring over Maitimo's essays is like you poring over my writing and helping me get rid of those pesky typos!

Some other details about the picture:

• Maitimo's outfit: do you recognize it?
• Now you know why I was asking you about Curvo's preferred snack!
• This once again has Minecraftey vibes. The bookshelves were kinda inspired by Minecraft bookshelves!
• Curvo's drink is in a little wooden goblet like you specified. Maitimo's green tea is in a mug inspired by my favorite tea mug in real life!
• I'm very pleased by what a little cutie Curvo turned out to be-- and I thought the cowlick suited him!
• From an artistic point of view, I'm pretty proud of the lighting! I'll separately send you the values-only painting with none of the flat colors. It helped me a lot to just work on the Multiply, Soft Light and Add layers so I could really see what the lighting is doing.
• I found it fitting that Maitimo is warmly backlit with Laurelin's light, while Curvo is more in the shadow and only faintly lit by the candle.
• Overall, even though Maitimo's room is not dark by any means, I hope Curvo would still find it cozy and comfortable (not like the blinding light of Valimar).

I hope you enjoy this, and I hope you have a great birthday!)

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

The moment I saw the title 'Serious Studies', I knew it was going to be about lil Curvo taking an interest in what Maitimo does! 😂 🥺

The first things that stood out to me were the small studious Curvo and the lighting and colours. I love his expression: it is completely serious, but at the same time so adorable due to the big eyes and tiny nose. And of course there's his fluffy hair and his tiny rounded hands! This is absolutely the feeling one should get when looking at small Curvo: his analytical seriousness adds to the cuteness.

And the colours are so warm and cosy! The deep red, the reddish brown, the golden light in the candle and the window. Feels like a warm Timo hug. :3 And looks like a comfortable place to be in. Overall, the picture is relaxing to look at.

Maitimo's outfit: do you recognize it?

I do indeed! It's the same style of tunic he's wearing in my drawing where he's holding baby Curvo (Help I).

Now you know why I was asking you about Curvo's preferred snack!

Yes, once I got to that part of the story, I was like... oh that's why! Previously I just assumed it was something to do with IC&SF. And well... it is, but not as part of the main story. 😂

Love the way it looks in the drawing too. The tiny-Curvo-sized piece of bread with the white cheese spread on it is just so adorable! And totally to lil Curvo's taste. 😋 It immediately reminded me of when I used to have the same kind of thing as a kid too! 😄

This once again has Minecraftey vibes. The bookshelves were kinda inspired by Minecraft bookshelves!

The colours add to the cosiness. 😌

Curvo's drink is in a little wooden goblet like you specified. Maitimo's green tea is in a mug inspired by my favorite tea mug in real life!

It definitely suits him! Both child-like (small and made of wood) and mature (shaped like a wine goblet) at the same time. And I just noticed the faint rainbowy colours across the mug! 😮 How pleasant to look at! I'm sure it adds to the overall feeling of softness and warmth more than a plain white mug.

I'm very pleased by what a little cutie Curvo turned out to be-- and I thought the cowlick suited him!

💯

From an artistic point of view, I'm pretty proud of the lighting! I'll separately send you the values-only painting with none of the flat colors. It helped me a lot to just work on the Multiply, Soft Light and Add layers so I could really see what the lighting is doing.

I found it fitting that Maitimo is warmly backlit with Laurelin's light, while Curvo is more in the shadow and only faintly lit by the candle.

Tiny Curvo in the shadows! It does indeed suit him, both here and in the values-only one. 'Shadow' is normally reminiscent of gloominess or grimness, but this is a comfortable shadow, like the quiet peace of the late afternoon where the sun is sinking and the shadows are growing longer, and you've settled into an activity that you started some time ago (which is what Curvo is doing!).

I like the glow around Maitimo too, particularly where the light gleams on his hair!

Overall, even though Maitimo's room is not dark by any means, I hope Curvo would still find it cozy and comfortable (not like the blinding light of Valimar).

💯
As you've seen from my previous comments: Yes. Exactly that. He would. And so do I!

---​

Now for the equally lovely story!

And though Curvo was barely old enough to be in school himself, his compliment towards Maitimo’s writing style and research abilities gave him a rarely-felt sense of pride in his own work.

He points out exactly what he sees! And if what he sees is good, well, you'll know about it. :3
He may be young, but his ability to perceive and appreciate beauty and well-crafted things is already present.

They sat at Maitimo’s great desk of mahogany wood, and Maitimo placed a hefty stack of parchments in front of Curvo. He thought Curvo would be pleased at having so many to choose from, but instead his eyes widened and his little eyebrows scrunched up. He nearly looked on the verge of tears.

“What’s the matter?” Maitimo asked him, his own brows creasing in confusion.

“There’s… so many to choose from,” Curvo whispered.

Nawww. The decision paralysis over having too much choice is very real. As is the confusion and disappointment of not getting exactly what he asked for after he already thought it through! 🥺
I think it also shows the difference between Curvo & Maitimo's personalities and communication styles a bit. In Maitimo's mind, he's being more generous by providing more choice! But in Curvo's mind, it is usually more satisfying to get what he expected: depending on the situation, more is not always better.

“There are indeed,” Maitimo said with a deep sigh. And in fact, this pile was just the peak of Taniquetil; he had just grabbed the pile of essays from the past several months, which he hadn’t had time to file away yet. Years and years of other essays sat boxed up in a great archival closet within their library. “Is that a problem, Curvo?”

Maitimo's feeling the weight of his studies. 💀 As though he's an ancient elf with years upon years on his shoulders. Grandpa Timo 😂

“Well…” The little Elfling squirmed in the chair which was much too big for him.

This was also me while reading. My chair isn't too big though. It was just excess excited energy from reading such a thoughtful story. :>

Not to mention, it would take three ages.

Funnily enough, this reminded me of a line from one of my comic characters, talking about a similar impossible needle-in-a-haystack endeavour! I haven't even drawn that part yet, it's still in my document where I have my plot all planned out. I re-read it not too long ago. Synced brainwaves again!

Now that Curvo was old enough to read and do some of his own schoolwork, he continued to startle and impress Maitimo with his grasp of concepts which even students twice his age didn’t fully understand.

I'm sure a lot of people were surprised in the same way with little Curvo's rapidly developing intelligence. As he got older, there were more complex layers and varying motives under each action and request. Anything from innocent personal interests to sneaky ulterior motives. I'm sure he got away with a lot once he realised he could use his cuteness to his advantage, and before people figured out he wasn't still an 100% innocent little bean. 😂

Maitimo took the stack of papers back, but he found himself at a loss as he leafed through them. It occurred to him that he didn’t entirely know what Curvo would most like to read about. He knew Curvo had already taken a strong interest to watching Fëanáro in the forge, and helping him with small, simple tasks. But what other topics interested him? He was very private about such things, to Maitimo at least.

Like Maitimo, I was looking at Curvo a bit superficially, thinking he would most like something relating to Fëanor and the forge, but you inspired me to dig deeper into his character.

This part was something that stood out to me while reading! It rang true. And really, even with brothers more on Curvo's 'wavelength', like Tyelko and Laurë, it's uncommon for him to have extended conversations about his personal interests. I think he prefers sharing his enthusiasm over completed works, whether physical, or simply an idea he's been spending time thinking over until it's 'fully formed'.

Honestly, it is often the same with me. 😂 If I find something I like, I won't necessarily jump straight to telling everyone about it. Sometimes it's cause I think they probably won't be interested. Or because it's something complicated to explain verbally. But a lot of the time it's because it simply doesn't occur to me, and I'm just enjoying doing or reading about my thing.
I suppose if something simply conjures happy/pleased feelings in me, and I have no analytical thoughts about it, it's more natural for it to stay within than for me to try and express it out loud (extroverted thinking, introverted feeling things!).

Curvo accepted these five papers with satisfaction, and he was quiet and contented for a while as he munched on the cheese and nuts and bread and sipped his cordial. In fact, he grew so quiet that, as Maitimo resumed work on his latest assignment, he nearly forgot Curvo was there.

Later on, Curvo sighed, and Maitimo was so startled, he jerked his pen and messed up his calligraphy.

Unobtrusive little Curvo strikes again! (Like the short scenario I told you about yesterday!) He's so quiet it's easy to forget he's still there. 😂 ...I'm sure this was something else he found advantageous: he can listen in on interesting things he might not otherwise hear. :>

Also Maitimo is just not used to having a study buddy. 😂

He stared at nothing for a brief moment, as though lost in his own thoughts, before turning back to Maitimo. “I know this wasn’t part of the bargain, but… can I borrow it for a bit? It might help me with some of the maps I’ve been drawing.”

Maitimo smiled broadly and ruffled Curvo’s baby-soft hair. “You can keep it as long as you’d like.”

Maitimo still gets his chance to be generous! And he gets to pet the fluffy head.

Also, did you see what I did there? There aren't trains in Valinor, but there are roads and horses!

Still a network of paths! Fascinating to explore. And the drive to discover secrets and see new things comes into it too! To look at a map and wonder what it is like to physically travel that path, and see what there is to see. And perhaps there are secret roads, passages and tunnels: you wonder where exactly they will lead. Perhaps you will get to know and discover things most others don't! Or you can simply imagine that is the case. :>

...Probably one of the additional reasons the Noldor wanted to go to Middle-earth: they'd run out of paths to discover!

Curvo’s eyes lit up, and he leaned over and gave Maitimo a little kiss on the cheek.

He was like a cat, Maitimo noticed: he didn’t like to be smothered, but he gave little gestures of affection on his own terms. Still, it was hard for Maitimo to suppress his own urge to smother the little Elfling!

Lol. Exactly. 👌 The fluffy tummy is exceedingly inviting, but do not touch it! And the little ball of fluff with its big eyes is just so huggable... but do not squish it!

“And, uh…” Curvo’s voice grew quiet and he awkwardly averted his gaze. “I was thinking, you didn’t really deserve for us to ruin your curls and make you all wet and cold the other night. We didn’t know you were actually trying to hide something, you see.”

“It’s all right,” Maitimo said with a gentle smile. “As long as the secret is safe, that’s all I care about.”

“Well, your secret’s safe with me.” Curvo lowered his voice to a whisper. “I won’t even tell Atar.”

“Well, good!”

Fëanáro was the last person who should be knowing about Maitimo’s visits with Aranya, but he didn’t have the heart to say that. With the close bond between Fëanáro and Curvo, this was the most sincere promise Curvo could offer.

“I was also thinking, I’m going to try to come up with some other games for Tyelko and Moryo and me to play. Something other than Interrogation and Spying.”

Maitimo laughed heartily, and hoisted Curvo up so he was sitting on his shoulders. “That sounds like a good idea.”

This final exchange was very sweet. It matched the warm feeling of the drawing.
The scene in IC&SF which precedes this story was one of conflict or tension between brothers, even if the tone was not 100% serious due to the 3 Cs being so young. Here they are shown making up again, in a way. The bond between them is strengthened, and we can more plainly see the underlying care they have for each other, especially on the more reserved Curvo's side.

Yeah, definitely think up some more games, Curvo! I'm sure your growing brain requires additional stimulation through new activities too.

I also think it provides a needed contrast to Curvo's precocious maturity intelligence-wise. He still has moments where he doesn't catch on immediately, and where he makes mistakes or blunders or hurts someone because he didn't fully understand the situation. Because he's still a little kid, and doesn't have much life experience, and his ability to empathise or see things from another's perspective is not fully developed. Perhaps that's something else which might surprise people about him: he still needs the guidance one would provide to any small child, tailored to his capacity to understand.

---​

First things first: Happy Birthday, my friend! Just as Maitimo delights in getting to know Curvo better, I'm so glad to have gotten to know you better over the past couple of years. From your fascinating knowledge of Tolkien and history and technology, to the adorable Finwian Family Fluff you often think up, and your stories that hit me right in the feelz, I'm so glad to know what goes on in Servo's brain! And you've been a great friend to me, being someone I can talk to when I'm having insomnia or a hard time in general.

Thank you! I very much enjoyed this. ☺️ So many little things to observe throughout, and as such so much for me to point out about my own thoughts and reactions!

I'm so glad to know what goes on in Servo's brain!

This is something very nice to hear! 😊

I also felt like the drawing represents us: you're a diligent proofreader of IC&SF, so Curvo poring over Maitimo's essays is like you poring over my writing and helping me get rid of those pesky typos!

Lol, it does. In that light, the expression on lil studious Curvo's face is still very appropriate!

It's difficult to be as effusive or detailed when directly expressing my feelings, but this certainly put a bright and warm feeling into my day too.
🖤❤️
(Curvo & Nelyo hearts)

 

[Tyelkormo the Fair]

I love his serious little face! 🥺

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

The moment I saw the title 'Serious Studies', I knew it was going to be about lil Curvo taking an interest in what Maitimo does! 😂 🥺

Lol, I guess I'm predictable in my titles (Curufin the Compliant last year and now this) or else our brains are just really synced up!

The first things that stood out to me were the small studious Curvo and the lighting and colours. I love his expression: it is completely serious, but at the same time so adorable due to the big eyes and tiny nose. And of course there's his fluffy hair and his tiny rounded hands! This is absolutely the feeling one should get when looking at small Curvo: his analytical seriousness adds to the cuteness.

And the colours are so warm and cosy! The deep red, the reddish brown, the golden light in the candle and the window. Feels like a warm Timo hug. :3 And looks like a comfortable place to be in. Overall, the picture is relaxing to look at.

Good! I'm glad the vibes came out how they ought to!

It definitely suits him! Both child-like (small and made of wood) and mature (shaped like a wine goblet) at the same time. And I just noticed the faint rainbowy colours across the mug! 😮 How pleasant to look at! I'm sure it adds to the overall feeling of softness and warmth more than a plain white mug.

Yes! The mug I based it off of in real life is pearlescent in color like that. I'll have to send you a picture of it if you haven't seen it already.

He points out exactly what he sees! And if what he sees is good, well, you'll know about it. :3
He may be young, but his ability to perceive and appreciate beauty and well-crafted things is already present.

Maitimo appreciates that very much! 🥺

I think it also shows the difference between Curvo & Maitimo's personalities and communication styles a bit. In Maitimo's mind, he's being more generous by providing more choice! But in Curvo's mind, it is usually more satisfying to get what he expected: depending on the situation, more is not always better.

Yeah, absolutely! And it's the overall theme of IC&SF coming into play again. "A certain point of view," right?

Maitimo's feeling the weight of his studies. 💀 As though he's an ancient elf with years upon years on his shoulders. Grandpa Timo 😂

Don't worry, Grandpatimo is happy to give out money and snacks.

Honestly, it is often the same with me. 😂 If I find something I like, I won't necessarily jump straight to telling everyone about it. Sometimes it's cause I think they probably won't be interested. Or because it's something complicated to explain verbally. But a lot of the time it's because it simply doesn't occur to me, and I'm just enjoying doing or reading about my thing.
I suppose if something simply conjures happy/pleased feelings in me, and I have no analytical thoughts about it, it's more natural for it to stay within than for me to try and express it out loud (extroverted thinking, introverted feeling things!).

I'm the opposite. Once I start to feel a hyperfixation coming on, I have to tell people about it, even people who don't understand or care much about it. (ex. I've tried to explain some extremely basic stuff about the Silm to my parents and they just... don't get it or care that much.) At the end of the day, I cannot keep my excitement about things to myself! 😂 Maitimo probably can't either.

I also think it provides a needed contrast to Curvo's precocious maturity intelligence-wise. He still has moments where he doesn't catch on immediately, and where he makes mistakes or blunders or hurts someone because he didn't fully understand the situation. Because he's still a little kid, and doesn't have much life experience, and his ability to empathise or see things from another's perspective is not fully developed. Perhaps that's something else which might surprise people about him: he still needs the guidance one would provide to any small child, tailored to his capacity to understand.

For sure! And I've read that "gifted" and/or neurodivergent kids develop the same skills as neurotypical kids, but in a different order. Like, they're learning advanced stuff about reading and critical thinking and whatever ahead of the other kids, but the other kids are developing social skills. So then in the teen years and early adulthood, the neurotypical kids are learning the more advanced reading and critical thinking skills, while the neurodivergent kids have some catching up to do with learning social skills. I'd imagine this is true for Curvo. (And most of the Feanorians, tbh.)

Thank you! I very much enjoyed this. ☺️ So many little things to observe throughout, and as such so much for me to point out about my own thoughts and reactions!

It's difficult to be as effusive or detailed when directly expressing my feelings, but this certainly put a bright and warm feeling into my day too.

I'm so glad! 🥰

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

I'm the opposite. Once I start to feel a hyperfixation coming on, I have to tell people about it, even people who don't understand or care much about it. (ex. I've tried to explain some extremely basic stuff about the Silm to my parents and they just... don't get it or care that much.) At the end of the day, I cannot keep my excitement about things to myself! 😂 Maitimo probably can't either.

I do relate to that too. But for me it more often tends to come out when it somehow becomes a topic of conversation, or relevant to the current situation. E.g. When I was a young teen, bring up something to do with late medieval England, and you'll get a dose of my encyclopedic knowledge of the Wars of the Roses period. But then I guess I'm talking about facts and details, and not trying to explain my personal feelings or why I like it. But my enthusiasm still comes across due to the fact that I'm suddenly talking a whole lot!

It was the same when I was a little kid (about 4 years old). I was very interested in outer space, and I would lecture my Sunday School teacher on the planets, even telling her things she didn't know. 😂