cleolinda | Mirror, mirror in the bowl

Here's what I was trying to get y'all to remind me to tell you:

I've been trying to prioritize my future doll purchases (we are talking about the long run here. The very, very long run), so I decided to consult Galadriel the other day. I mean, if nothing else, I need to know if there's any way I can help Faramir Two out. If he liked girls, he'd have plenty of opportunities to meet new people (given my collecting habits, anyway), but since male dolls are kind of... scary-looking, generally, I don't tend to buy a lot of them for the hell of it. So if there's someone I can get for him--or start saving up to get for him, rather--I need to know now.

"Well, I'm going to need the Mirror for this, ideally," said Galadriel.

"How's the alethiometer working out?"

"Lyra's the expert there--that child has a gift for reading it, really she does. But I don't really know that we want to involve her in this..."

"Yeah... no, definitely not. I don't know how good she is at keeping secrets, for one."

So she and I trooped downstairs yesterday to consult the Mirror of Galadriel. Except, of course, that I didn't have a silver basin and ewer for her. I did, however, have a wide variety of Sister Girl's sauce dishes from culinary school. Turn over a drinking glass for a plinth or a pedestal or whatever it's supposed to be, and we were pretty good to go.

"It needs to be reflective, though."

"Well, fine. Does it need to be skyfoil, or are you okay with boxfoil?"

"That's fine."

"Good."

"Shiny side up, please."

So I poured the water in for her ("Bottled water? Really?" "Well, it needs to be spring water, obviously") and we both leaned over the Silverfoil Sauce Basin Bowl of Galadriel.

(Note: all pictures taken after the water was in and the Mirror was "on" turned out... weird. Kind of streaky. WoooOOOOoooOOOOooo!)

"So who would he like? He said tall, so NECA Edward Dollen is right out. And And that's not even getting into the whole Bella thing."

Galadriel furrowed her brow and focused for a moment. Then she gave me a name.

"Hm. Really? I mean, not that I'm surprised, but... you think that would work out? I thought he was more into--"

"Well, you didn't ask who would like Faramir; you asked who Faramir would like. But, from my personal acquaintance... I think it would work."

Well, she has Seen the Thoughts of Men (and Non-Men), so I guess she would know.

She waved her hand over the bowl. "I also see a Queen Susan on sale for--half price?"

"Yeah. I don't think I'm going to get her right now, though."

"Really? You can't beat that price with a stick."

"Yeah, well, you find me a money tree in there with your mallorns and we'll talk."

"Hm... I also see that Serafina Pekkala is available to ship?"

"Yeah, she's my top priority at this point."

"Oh good!" she says, clapping her hands. "Lyra will like that. The Mirror says that Tonner is also shipping their Dollens, by the way."

"Well... they'll be after Serafina. Which will be a while, since two dolls is a good bit of money to lay out. Thank God for Froogle, that's all I have to say about that."

"And there will also be... a little Alice?" She looks at me with surprise: "You've been holding out on us."

"Shhh! I wanted it to be a surprise! That's a while from now, though. She's not available yet. But she's just an action figure, so she'll be cheap."

But she's not listening anymore--she leans over the Mirror then, concern creeping like a shadow over her face. "It says--are you really going to--?"

"I've made up my mind, yeah."

"Are you... really, really sure you want to do that?"

"Yup. Pretty sure."

"Because... there are others on The Shelf who are not going to deal well with that."

"Gladdy... I did it thirty-five minutes ago."

" . . . "

"Look, I'm just telling you."

"I really... really do not know that... that was the best idea."

"You were all for it a few months back!"

"Well, yes, but... things have changed since then." She fixes me with a pointed look: "And some things--some people--haven't changed at all."

"Well, we'll just have to deal with Anna when we get there."

Galadriel shakes her head, slowly, and sighs. "Well... it's your funeral, as they say."

And you know... she might be right about that.

(More from the Secret Life of Dolls.)