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

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Alice nods] I defer to your greater experience -- I didn't hear the story from them, after all. And that's much appreciated, though hopefully we won't have to take you up on that.

[Victor, looking around] Mmmm. . .oh! [points out a sign] I think chairs are this way!

[lastest_ringbearer]

Ssso we hopes, yes. Yesss . . .

Sees them we does!

[save_us_alice]

[Alice, walking down to the furniture section] They've got a lot more than chairs, too. . .

[indeed, there's some displays set up -- a living room set with a chair, couch, and coffee table; a bedroom with a double bed and two nightstands; a dining room with a round table surrounded by four chairs. Basically, Smeagol has his pick of things to sit on over here]

[lastest_ringbearer]

*A bed! There's a bed!

*You may have to pry him off the damn thing.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor watches Smeagol immediately get on the bed] Better than a chair, then?

[Alice pokes him gently] Wouldn't you think so? I know a lot about sleeping on uncomfortable surfaces, but not nearly as much as him, I'm sure.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Smeagol just smiles a bit and curls up tighter.*

[save_us_alice]

[Alice smiles back] Definitely want to keep that one, then. [she tries one of the chairs, since Smeagol's otherwise occupied] It is nice furniture.

[Victor sits down too] Very nice -- maybe we should see about upgrading our own house.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Eventually Smeagol will get around to picking a chair. It's short, but he's thin enough that it dwarfs him anyway. Not that that takes much.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Alice watches as Smeagol finds a chair that suits] You like that one, then?

[Victor nods approvingly] Looks like a good choice to me.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Yes I do. Smeagol likes it very much.

[save_us_alice]

[Alice] Good! Now you just need a place to put it that isn't here.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*That bit is somewhat of a stumper. If there's such a thing as hissing in confusion then that's what he's doing. Or, to quote Bilbo long ago, 'the answer's not a kettle boiling over, as you seem to think from the noise you're making.' But then Bilbo could be a surprisingly sarcastic little hobbit.*

[save_us_alice]

[Alice drums her fingers against the arm of her chair] There must be a place for folks like you. I know I've heard of people living in the Nexus before.

[Victor gets up] Maybe if we went and tried to find an employee? Someone who works here probably would know more.

Tolkien's son died of old age, apparently. His daughter is now keeper of the works

[lastest_ringbearer]

Yesss, let us ask for a home. No longer do we dwell in Arda, time for a new place.

Aww, I see -- well, I hope he lived a good full life

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor nods] New place and new beginnings. [And so the hunt begins for an employee. . .]

((OOC: You want to take on the employee or leave it to me?))

You can have it, you're better at juggling characters

[lastest_ringbearer]

*He likes the sound of new beginnings. It sounds like rest and friendship and peace, which have been rare in his life.* No more wandering. We're home. We're home.

All Righty Then

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor gives him a smile] Yes. . .you are.

[though, of course, there is the matter of finding the actual place to live still. Fortunately, there's an employee in the nearby housewares section, checking over stock. Victor hails him, waving a hand] Hi! Um, this is a strange question, but. . .do you know of any places to live here in the Nexus?

[Alice, nodding at Smeagol] He's new, can't go home and wouldn't be keen on doing so if he could, and he needs a roof over his head. [to Smeagol] Any preferences?

:D

[lastest_ringbearer]

*He tries to think. What was it like before the cave, again? What was his grandmother's house like, that day he went fishing with Deagol?* . . . cozy. Wood and stone. Pond. Tree. Hillssside, yes.

:)

[deadgirlslikeme]

[the employee seems a little surprised, but gamely considers the question and Smeagol's list] I know there's some apartment blocks not too far from here. . .though it doesn't sound like that's quite what you're looking for. But it would be a good place to start. The Nexus being what it is, there's a lot of random architecture down by that way, so there might be something more like what you would want nearby -- and I know there's a lake.

[Victor smiles] Oh good! Yes, that does sound like where we should start looking. Thank you very much!

[lastest_ringbearer]

Lake? I, I think Smeagol would like a lake. If there are houses by a lake we will take one.

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor, nodding] It does sound nice, doesn't it? Where is the lake?

[the employee] A little south of here, going, about -- thataway? [he points in the general direction they need to go] It's hard to tell distances with the Nexus -- stuff kind of just pops up if you walk toward it expecting it to be there.

[Alice, smirking] A phenomenon I know well. At least that guarantees we'll get there.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Can nice Men carry ssso much? I can't, we're small.

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor, blinking] Carry -- ah, yes, we came here for furniture. . .

[the employee, trying to hide a smile] You started looking at furniture before finding a house?

[Alice, turning pink] In our defense, he mentioned the chair first. Don't worry, he had no intentions of trying to live in your store.

[the employee, still amused] Well, we do deliver, if you want to find the house and then finalize your furniture choices.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Very kind he isss. Beach now?

*He may be 600, but the amount of time he spent alone has really degraded his ability to adult properly.*

[save_us_alice]

[Victor nods to him] We can certainly seek out the nearest beach.

[Alice, to the employee] Thanks for your patience. I'm sure we'll be figuring out our order soon enough.

[the employee] It's fine -- you guys aren't nearly the weirdest thing I've seen today. Or in a long time, honestly.

[Alice chuckles] Oh, I'm sure.