reality_crossroads | WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

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?"

Current Mood: drained

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

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.

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Victor bites his lip -- well, now he definitely feels bad for poor Smeagol. If only he knew better how to comfort him. . .] Maybe we shouldn't hope for fair. Just for -- something good to happen. One day.

From:

lastest_ringbearer

We would like that. Being out of Mordor isss a good ssstart . . .

But we, I think that better thingses will be a long time coming--if they comes at all. Me and our birthday presssent . . . it hurtses me. It's mine. No one can take it now. *He's getting a little better at pronouns, at least?*

From:

deadgirlslikeme

Yes, it certainly sounds like it.

[Victor raises an eyebrow as Smeagol continues] Er -- well, I certainly don't want it, so. . . I'm sorry it still hurts you, though.

From:

lastest_ringbearer

Didn't have to get out the long way, either. The long way's bad, I don't recommend it. *He stumbles a bit over the word 'recommend.' There are a fair number of words he's not used to anymore.*

Power is sssomething folkses want. Precious gave usss dreamses. Swore he wouldn't get it back, I did--he who made it. And oathses are traps.

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Victor won't give him any grief over the stumble -- as Smeagol no doubt heard earlier, he stutters when he's nervous. And frankly, he's just kind of impressed Smeagol can manage 'recommend' at all. Doesn't seem like the kind of word he says often] I wouldn't want to take the long way out of such a horrible place either. Though, really, I hope never to go there at all.

[he nods -- this is something he kind of understands] Power and influence. . . And I see. You swore you'd keep it from him, and now it's holding you to that.

From:

lastest_ringbearer

Good Man. Don't want to play guide ever again does Smeagol.

It wants to be with him, but we were held to my oath by fate. *Now the pronouns are even confusing Smeagol a bit. He goes through the sentence in his head a few times and then shrugs.* Think that's right. Clossse enough.

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Victor smiles playfully, bouncing Chester] You know, one could argue that I just played guide to you, showing you here. How does it feel to be on the other side?

Ah -- yes, I think I understand. [he thinks] At least it won't ever get back to him now?

From:

lastest_ringbearer

Better. But then we's not in Mordor, is we? Still, though, better.

No Sauron eating the world, no. Smeagol is glad, yesss.

From:

deadgirlslikeme

No, and we're all the better for it. But good, I'm glad.

[he nods] So that's something. [he looks off a little ways, where he can see the building that houses the glow-in-the-dark ice cream shop] And there's plenty to explore and enjoy here.

From:

lastest_ringbearer

*Smeagol looks at the shop.* What does the sssign say, my love? *After all, the translation of everything he said so far has had to include even his name. Trying to translate the written version of 'ice cream' into tengwar Westron or whatever is probably too much to ask, since ice cream hasn't been invented on Arda and Smeagol hasn't read anything in over 500 years even if it goes with a literal translation.*

From:

deadgirlslikeme

Oh -- it says. . . [oh, uh -- he's going to have to explain this, isn't he?] Well, it says "Glowcones Ice Cream." But, uh, I a-assume you have no idea what that is. . .

From:

lastest_ringbearer

No, no Smeagol does not. Not at all.

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Victor bounces Chester in thought, searching for the right words] All right, it's -- sort of frozen milk? With sugar and other flavorings? It's sweet and cold and -- I'm not sure how best to describe it. . .I could get you some, if you want to try it?

From:

lastest_ringbearer

I never say no to food. We've been hungry too often for that. Far too hungry for that, yesss!

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Victor smiles] All right then! I think you'll like this -- I certainly do. [off to Glowcones!]

From:

lastest_ringbearer

*Smeagol smiles back and scrambles to the doors of the shop.*

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Victor carefully opens the door, not wanting to disturb his now-mostly-asleep baby, then leads Smeagol up to where the ice cream is displayed -- bucket upon bucketful of softly-glowing colors] There's a lot of different flavors. . .have you ever had chocolate before? Does it ring any bells?

From:

lastest_ringbearer

Bells? No, no bells. *Hard to say whether he fully understood that, but there's certainly no recognition there.*

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Victor will take that as 'no chocolate where he came from' and asks the counterperson for a taster spoon of the plain chocolate flavor, which he passes down] Here -- you can try it. Just be careful, it is very cold. [doesn't want poor Smeagol to get brain freeze]

From:

lastest_ringbearer

*He seems a bit confused by the whole thing still.* . . . is sssweet. Very sweet. Not had that in long and long has Smeagol, no.

Yes, more sounds good.

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Not confused enough not to like it! Victor grins] All right then! [he'll get Smeagol a bowl of the stuff]

From:

lastest_ringbearer

*A whole bowl for himself is enough to make him gape a little before setting to rather clumsily. Spoons are a thing, but not one he properly remembers.* Nice man gives us tasssty things. I like that.

From:

deadgirlslikeme

[Hence the reason for the bowl -- Victor figured he might make even more of a mess trying to figure out a cone!] Well, it would be a shame if you went through all that and never learned how nice ice cream is.

From:

lastest_ringbearer

Kind Man he is, yesss. Kind like master Frodo. Thief and kin of thief! But cared, he did, when he didn't need to. Was going to dessstroy Precious. Which Smeagol did myself! Didn't mean to. But did. *He sulks for just a moment, but then remembers the food and starts eating.* Cold like water under stone it is.