A Fictional Party 4: While the Cat's Away

Rumil and Orophin waved their brother off.  "Are you sure you don't want to come to the party?"  Haldir called.  "Quite sure, thank you.  It’s always the same people, same food, same conversations and same rivalry.  Boring!"  Rumil shouted after him and shut the door.  Rumil and Orophin looked at each other and grinned widely.  "I thought he'd never leave.  Now we can have some real fun!"  Rumil grabbed Orophin's arm and dragged him through to the living room.

"If you force it, it'll break."  Orophin grumbled.  "But it’s so tight!"  "Maybe if you wiggle it...?"  "I've tried that.  Maybe if I try it the other way?  It still won't fit.  Perhaps we should give up?"  "Absolutely not - we have to finish it now, otherwise I'll never sleep!"  "Don't be so dramatic, Orophin.  It's only a jigsaw!"  Rumil shook his head.  "I think this piece belongs to another jigsaw.  Look, it quite clearly has a cloud on it.  The one we're doing is kittens."  Orophin sighed.  "It's Saturday night and we're doing a jigsaw, Rumil.  What has happened to us?  We used to have such fun.  C'mon...lets go out."  Rumil grimaced.  "You're right.  We're like a couple of old maids.  Let’s get togged up and hit the town!"

An hour later, two nattily dressed Elves elbowed their way through a crowd to get to the bar.  It was still early, but the post-match drinkers were out in force.  "Get the drinks in then Orophin.  Make mine a Malibu and orange."  Orophin looked askance.  "I will most certainly not order you a Malibu and orange.  They'll think I'm a girl!"  "Okay, lager shandy?"  Orophin tutted and got the barmaid's attention.  "Two pints of Stella end two rum and cokes, please."  He turned to his brother.  "We're out to have fun remember?  Take the rums and find us a table.  I'll bring the pints over."

Several pints, a few more rums and four packets of pork scratchings later, Orophin and Rumil staggered out of the pub.  "What now?"  Rumil shrugged.  "I don't know - this was your idea."  Orophin pointed.  "There!"  Rumil followed his brother's finger.  "The Flirtatious Flamingo?  A nightclub?"  Rumil was worried.  He hadn't set foot in a nightclub for quite a few years.  "I dunno, Orophin.  Aren't we a little old for clubbing?"  "Nonsense - we'll show the young pups something.  Besides, I seem to recall you cut a mean rug."  Orophin ran across the road, Rumil bringing up the rear.  "Two, please."  Orophin handed over the entrance money.  The pair entered the club.  Throbbing music and pulsating lights assailed their senses.  Sweaty bodies were bumping and grinding on the dance floor.  "Is the technical music that the kids like?"  Rumil shouted to Orophin.  "I think it’s called techno, actually.  It's got a good beat."  Given that Elves were supposedly graceful creatures, Orophin danced like someone's drunken Granddad at a wedding reception - arms and legs moving to distinctly different rhythms.  Rumil placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.  "Let's leave the dancing to the young 'uns and find the bar.  Ooh! Cocktails!"  "Fab, I could do with a long comfortable screw."  "I'll bet.  Me, I'm having sex on the beach."  Rumil giggled and ordered the drinks.

"Yeah, my brothers and I share an attic flat but don't let that put you off."  Rumil leered at the long legged redhead.  "Would you like another?"  Rumil gestured to her drink and she nodded.  He looked around.  Orophin was jumping around like an Elf possessed on the dance floor.  Instead of laughing at him as one would think, the crowd had eagerly joined in with him and all around him people bumped into each other and leapt around.  Rumil turned back to the redhead.  "Excuse me," the redhead leaned close to Rumil and whispered, huskily in his ear.  "I must just powder my nose."  Rumil watched the swaying bottom as she walked away.  "Rumil, Rumil, Rumil.  You sly dog."  Rumil recognised the voice beside him.  "I didn't know you had it in you."  Rumil turned to look at Thranduil.  "Good evening, Thranduil.  Wouldn't have expected to see you in a place like this."  "Oh, I come here almost every weekend.  It has a certain charm.  The clientele are delightful!  Wonderful place."  Thranduil sipped his cocktail.  "Your brother is having fun.  Life and soul of the party, as it were.  And I see you've met Mimi.  He's something else, isn't he?"  Thranduil grinned, Rumil paled.  "Did you say 'he'?"  "Yes my boy.  With those legs you didn't think he was female, did you?  Oh!  You did - Rumil, you're too precious!"  Thranduil snorted with laughter as he walked away from the stunned Elf.  Mimi was making her - his - way back to the bar.  Rumil gulped as she - he - sat down.  "Excuse me; I must just talk to my brother."  Rumil shot off in the direction of the dance floor.  He grabbed Orophin's arm and dragged him out of the club.  "Rumil - whatever is amiss?"  "Nothing!  I just want to go home now."  He yelped, flagging down a taxi and bundling his brother inside.

Thranduil sat down beside Mimi.  "All alone my dear?  Mind if I join you?"  "Well," Mimi started, "I was sitting with someone, but he seems to have run off."  Thranduil shrugged.  "Can't imagine why on Earth someone would run off and leave you, my lovely.  I shall keep you entertained in his stead."  Thranduil kissed Mimi's hand.  Mimi giggled and tossed her long hair over her shoulder.  Thranduil tried not to whimper.  Mimi was all woman and he'd had his eye on her for quite some time.  He felt no guilt at the lie he told Rumil.  "All's fair in love and war," he said to himself, kissing up Mimi's arm.

"Rumil, are you okay?"  Orophin was becoming most concerned about his brother.  He had been silent all the way home, and now he lay in his bed, back towards Orophin.  "I'm fine.  I just decided that I don't much like going out.  I prefer jigsaws.  Less complicated.  And if Haldir asks, we watched DVDs."  Orophin shrugged.  He'd had a great night out, but evidently Rumil didn't feel the same.  Oh well, it had been fun while it lasted.  Tomorrow he would take Rumil out to Toys R Us and buy him some new jigsaws.  Perhaps they would get a draughts board too, he mused.  "Goodnight, Rumil."  "Goodnight, Orophin."

The end