Elrond had always been rather skilled with his hands. Thousands could attest to this - patients mostly, and a few lovers over the years.
Most elves had some special skill that was honed and developed largely to be used to craft gifts for loved ones. Something only they could make.
Glorfindel was a cloth weaver. He had taught several of the weavers of Imladris, those who made clothes for others, but Glorfindel's own handiwork was given only to his lovers and close friends. As always, his gifts were practical - the dressing on Elrond's bed, the robes worn by Erestor, some of the twins best cloaks and hunting clothes, and the gossamer curtains of Arwen's bed were all from his hand.
Elrond's lover's gift was carvings. Each set was suited to the person, and he never repeated himself. For Gil-Galad, who he had loved for thousands of years, and who was the type of elf, as High King, to fill a room just by being there. The King always left everyone with an impression that he was far larger than he was. Elrond's gifts to him followed this, often large, heavy wood items. Bedframes, the desk the High King had used to the end of his days. Even his spear was a product in part of Elrond' s hands.
For his wife, the carvings were all animate. A horse that, if set on a slope, seemed to run down it; a windmill; a delicate man with a fishing pole - not strictly animate, this was designed to rest upon a finger and balance exactly. Wind chimes that looked like their three children chasing a butterfly. Delicately carved flowers that would open in a breeze.
For Glorfindel, jewelry boxes, music boxes, boxes of all sorts, even large chests. Though they had ceased to be lovers some millennia ago, they still exchanged gifts - as was common.
For his new love ... Something different. It was something he needed Gimli's help for. Elrond could provide the stone but the dwarf had to mold it properly, in the way only the mountain people could. No amount of skill could duplicate a dwarf's innate ability and Elrond would not try. But what Gimli wrought was only the shell. If the dwarf thought it odd that the elf wanted the dust of the project as well, he said nothing.
Elrond's own fingers skillfully worked the wood, nicking a bit here, shaving off there, adding tiny detail that few would see. Once it was carved, he painted. A dot of blue, almost too small to see. A red burnish here, a line of gold there - real gold. Everything carved in perfect, miniature detail.
The small carved statue stood on a pedestal -- all part of the same bit of wood, even the white dabbed grass at the base. Elrond had promised Gimli first look after the gift was given, but he would assemble it alone, and his beloved would be the first to see it.
The crystal sphere was turned and set on a deep pillow, the open end facing upwards. Into this, Elrond poured the white powder crystal dust, tapping it so it lay neatly at the bottom. To this, he slowly, carefully added a liquid as clear as the crystal itself, thicker than water. Then the liquid was at the proper level, Elrond turned the statue upside down and lowered it into the liquid, deftly sealing the crystal to the wood and letting it dry.
Some hours later, Elrond turned the gift over, watching it for a moment before he set it - pillow and all - into a rather large box, carved by him and given by Glorfindel - his way of approving of this new love of his lords - adding more pillows to keep it safe.
After dinner with his beloved, Elrond took his love into his arms, kissing him sweetly, then drawing him to the bedroom where his gift rested on the table. The box was opened, pillows removed, and the present lifted out. A gasp from his lover's lips, and Elrond stood behind, reaching around to cover his lover's hands with his own, gently turning the crystal globe upside down for a moment before turning it back up, letting the crystal dust fall down lightly, like snow, onto the carved statue of Boromir, looking as he had when Elrond last knew him. "I cannot give you your brother back, my love, but I can give you this."
