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"So, Chloe," Said Steph, leaning forward in her seat, "You said you knew a thing or two about Middle-Earth, how much, exactly?" The mention of Middle-Earth made Max stifle a giggle and focus even harder on her tea, although the sound was barely audible in the well-populated cafe. "Like I said in my text, I know some stuff about it. Me and Max, uh...dabbled a little in Lord of the Rings when we were younger," Chloe replied modestly. "Okay, cool," Steph replied, fidgeting with the little spoon that came with her mug of coffee, trying to calculate how much to flex on Chloe so as to tease her a little without alienating her. These little games of one-upsmanship had become commonplace between them in the years after the Storm. "So, like, uh, do you know about the One Ring, or why it was made? Or who made it?" Said Steph. "Well, duh, Sauron made it," Chloe deadpanned. Steph nodded and stirred her coffee some more. "Yeah," She replied, thinking to herself how adorable it was that Chloe appeared to be proud of herself for knowing such an obvious piece of lore. "Tell me what all you know about the history of Middle-Earth. Know anything about Morgoth?" Steph said, innocently glancing around at her tea and expecting Chloe to admit she knew nothing, only to glance back up and see Chloe taking a sip of her coffee and fixing her with an intense gaze. "I know a pretty good bit, I think," Steph nodded, surprised at Chloe's confidence; surely she wasn't expecting to out-lore one of the biggest nerds in the western US. "Tell me some stuff he did, like....What's the most evil thing he did?" 'Got her,' Steph thought to herself. "At what point?" Chloe replied with the same nonchalant attitude. Before Steph could reply, Chloe continued. "We talking about during Ainulindalë, or what? Spring of Arda? Noontide of Valinor? Grudge-matching the fuck out of Fingolfin? Be more specific." Steph's jaw went slack and she dropped her spoon onto the table before snapping back to reality. "Jesus, Chloe, that's some deep-cut shit." Chloe shrugged, taking another sip. Steph's reaction had startled Max, who was now paying much closer attention to the conversation. "But if you want my opinion on what's the most evil thing he did, I dunno, destroying the Two Lamps, killing the Two Trees, capturing and torturing Maedhros and Hurin, he did some fucked-up shit, for sure." Steph again was shocked at the command that Chloe appeared to have of LOTR lore. "I...had no idea you knew so much," Steph said with a chuckle. "Chloe's been hard at work memorizing the names of every elf and their enchanted sword," Max quipped, "I bet she knows more than you do by now." Steph raised an eyebrow. "She does, huh?" Steph eyed Chloe with a faux suspicious glare. "Alright then, miss loremaster, riddle me this: What were the names of the Two Lamps?" Steph asked. Chloe replied with what was becoming characteristic dryness. "Illuin in the north and Ormal in the south. They were destroyed during the Spring of Arda when Melkor attacked them from the first fortress of Utumno, and they felt down and blew up and tore a big gash in the world, and destroyed Almaren, and water flowed in from the Encircling Seas and created the Belegaer. After that the Valar set up shop on the new western landmass and created Valinor." Max and Steph stared. Steph, shocked that Chloe apparently knew the ancient histories of Arda like the back of her hand, and Max, surprised that so many unknown fantasy words glided out of Chloe's mouth like it was no big deal. A big smile formed on Max's face, watching Chloe quick-drawing lore tidbits, like the old days. "That's, uh..." Steph started, struggling with an adequate reaction, "That's one hundred percent correct. You really know your shit," Steph said. Chloe nodded. "Yeah, I know a pretty good bit about it, I think."