WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

[deadgirlslikeme]

A door opens, and suddenly the sound of a baby wailing echoes across the nearby chunk of the Nexus. A bleary-eyed Victor Van Dort steps through, bouncing said wailing baby in his arms. "It's okay, it's okay. . .look, we're -- um." He blinks a few times as he registers where he is. "This isn't. . .oh, dear, how did I manage to choose the wrong door?" He goes to step back through --

Then stops, shakes his head, and proceeds to the nearest safe-looking bit of furniture, still cradling his son. "No. Perhaps someone can help here. At least, Alice and the others will get some decent sleep for a change. . ." He looks up, an exhausted man at the end of his rope. "Is there anyone around who's had at least one child and might know why they sometimes just start crying in the middle of the night and won't stop no matter what you do?"

Comments

[lastest_ringbearer]

We . . . Smeagol forgot treeses, yes. For a long time we forgot. Good at climbing are we, mind. Very good. But that wasss meant for rocks. We learned treeses again later.

[deadgirlslikeme]

I'm good at climbing myself -- though in reverse of you. I'm best at trees, had to learn rocks and such later. Though I did get in some decent practice with the wall outside our village. . . [his expression goes thoughtful] I never tried looking to see if there's any forested places here. I imagine there is, if there's a beach. . .

[lastest_ringbearer]

Elfses live in the foressst of Arda. Oh ssso pretty and ssshining were they, it hurt our eyeses.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Did it? Perhaps I should avoid them then. It wouldn't do to get blinded, especially in the middle of a forest.

Finished rereading the Silmarilion, it has this effect LOL

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Were Smeagol a saner creature of Arda, the thought of fearing elves would be sad. Oh woe, that the world should be thus. But he is broken, and may Nienna never have to pity anyone more than he. So he merely nods agreement.* Nasssty lightses. Glad to be away from them is Smeagol, yesss.

*snork* I know that effect well from other books

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor nods back, completely unaware that it might be sad to fear elves -- though it's less fearing them and not wanting to strain his eyes against their brilliance] Mmmm. . .that's one of the nice things about the Nexus. It's always just as bright as it needs to be. Though some areas are different. I know one spot is in constant twilight.

[lastest_ringbearer]

That soundses nice, we is thinking. Would you ssshow usss?

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor glances down at Chester, to find him looking very heavy-lidded. Hmmm. Seems the trip to the Nexus is working. Maybe if they go somewhere darker. . .he drops his voice a little] I think I can. It's just this way. . . [off he goes, following the general route he and his take when they want to get to the glow-in-the-dark ice cream shop]

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Smeagol is happy enough to follow. As the darkness increases it becomes more obvious that his eyes shine of their own accord--not much, but enough to light his way in the endless night under the mountains.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Chester stirs slightly -- Victor bounces him a couple of times, trying to encourage sleep, before looking over and--] Oh! [he starts, just a little, holding his baby tight to his chest to avoid anything happening] Sorry, wasn't expecting that.

[lastest_ringbearer]

What wasss it--he--you not expecting? *Pronouns are hard.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

Um -- your eyes. I d-didn't realize they g-glowed like that. [excuse the stutter, he's not sure if it's rude or not to point such a thing out] It's fine, just -- s-startled me.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Yesss, we had to see in the dark for many yearses. Cave dark it wasss, with not a bit of light.

[deadgirlslikeme]

[that makes him wince] I see. . .I don't think I could have lived like that. I may not do well with strong sun, but -- I'm absolutely t-terrified of total darkness. My mind's too good at m-making up -- things to live in it.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Things like Smeagol, he's thinking. Oh yesss. Everyone calls Smeagol names, they do. Sayses he's a sssneak. Pah! *Do be careful, Victor. This one really isn't stable.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor winces as he shifts his hold on Chester. Welp, he's caused offense. Such is his life. Maybe he can still smooth things over?] Oh, no, n-nothing like you, I promise. Bigger and nastier -- the s-sort of thing that could swallow both of us up in one gulp. Goodness, if I've seen you, I would have been grateful for the light, no matter how small. [completely sincere there too -- so long as he can see something, he's okay, so glowing eyes would do the trick]

[lastest_ringbearer]

Really? Really and truly? That'sss new, it isss. Very much ssso. Does we trust it? Doesss we? We will have to, Smeagol supposes.

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor offers up an encouraging smile] I'd cross my heart, but -- [again, he hefts the baby, who makes a little noise and just flops against his dad] And, like I said, it has been nice to have someone to talk to outside the house.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Smeagol returns the smile as best he can.* Better than talking to our selveses, yesss.

[deadgirlslikeme]

Mmmm -- when I was younger, I used to talk to my reflection a lot. It and my dog were my only steady playmates. [he holds Chester a little tighter, biting his lip] The other village boys didn't care for me much.

[lastest_ringbearer]

We were outcast too, my love. Why did they not like it? Not like you?

[deadgirlslikeme]

Well, it was mostly my parents' fault, I think. . .they were not very nice people, and everyone assumed I was like them. Plus I was the smallest child in my village for most of my childhood, and liked things like butterflies and flowers. . . [he sighs] J-just an easy target for bullies.

[lastest_ringbearer]

We wasss a sneak, they said. If only they'd known about the Preciousss, if only they'd known about Deagol. Then praps there would have been a reassson worth the name. Asss it was? No, no reason. Probably just jealousss of the Ring. *The fact that he just said they didn't know about it fails to cross his broken mind.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

[And Victor doesn't want to set him off again, especially while carrying a baby, so he'll go for the safest response] I'm sorry. It does sound terribly unfair. People can just -- be cruel, sometimes.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Nothing isss ever fair, not for poor Smeagol. Fair may not be real at all. Only a dream, a nasssty cruel lie. We learned better than to hope.