Unconscious Arithmetic by grey_gazania

First, let me get this out of my system:  SQUEEEEEEEE!

There now.  Hopefully, that is a strong indicator of how much I enjoyed this ficlet.  Young Carnistir's voice is excellent.  He really carries the "sound" of a young man, and also ties into the characteristics of the canon character as we know him.  Nifty nods to Another Man's Cage, too (I swear, that has become canon for a number of us) with Carnistir's prescience.  You've nicely captured a strong, tight inner narrative for the character and how he feels upon meeting the young apprentice archivist.  Their initial conversation in the copy shop feels very natural with the typical hesitancy of those first words.  Then the scene at the fountain and the joke!  Nice, very nice!

Do I need to tell you how much I love the notion of Carnistir being mathematically skilled and...an accountant?  Excellent, excellent.  Loved the mystery of the swift copying, too.

Finally, Maryacúnë.  Is this the very same as Maryë in "A Gift of Words"?   Pleaseohpleaseohplease say yes!   

<i>So the zoologist says, 'They must have reproduced.'  The engineer says, 'Our initial count must have been incorrect.' And the mathematician says, 'Now, if one person walks back in, the house will be completely empty!'"</i>

You killed me. It fits the Caranthir in my head perfectly--the whole scene. I like it very much.

Marye again! Is she the shy girl Caranthir is about to marry in the first of the "Five Times Caranthir" pieces as well? Unlike Celegorm, I would highly approve.

Also, a nicely-described chunk of aspects of life in Tirion that have been under-reported.

I love that bit about Feanor and Telerin determiners. Is "Formatar's formerly-unsolvable theorem" an allusion to Fermat? Not that I know anything about Fermat...

Indo-European Carnistir (did I really say that?) or not, this story is a treat in every way. There's spot-on and consistent characterization with the little added extra of Caranthir displaying telepathic ability with a strong empathic streak, worked elegantly into the narrative in a way that feels completely natural. Grey Gazania has a talent for this kind of understated storytelling anyway - her version of Tolkien's world is richly realized and full of details in a way that implies a great deal of familiarity with the source material and, together with her own subcreation, forms a beautifully (and occasionally very funny!) consistent picture in the story.

Maryacúnë (as well as Aicórë, the other OFC in this story) is a wonderful character. If I didn't know that she was an original character, I wouldn't quite believe it. Her warmth radiates right off the page, and although I've reread the story several times now, her appearance makes me smile every single time. It speaks for GG as a writer, as well as the two main characters, that even though she's considered via a very male gaze, there is nothing disparaging in the fic, which is a definite added bonus.

I think the enthusiasm of other reviewers – all of them excellent authors – will speak as much (if not more) for the fic as I can. It's a definite must-read if you enjoy Fëanorians, budding romance, and definitely not least original characters who also happen to be strong and female.

I really like this - Caranthir as a trainee accountant made me smile.