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]

Good. Nasty ropeses burned our skin, they did. Nice lady knows all about that, by the sound of things.

[save_us_alice]

[Alice makes a face, nodding] More or less. . .Rutledge was not a kind place for a child. The things they did to people in there. . .

[Victor puts a comforting arm around her] You're both well out of the worst now.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Children should be sssafe. *He sounds a bit uncertain, though, since he can barely remember what children are.*

[save_us_alice]

[Alice nods] They should. But life doesn't work like that sometimes. Many times. As I'm sure you know. One little thing goes wrong, and suddenly. . . [she sighs, leaning up against Victor]

[lastest_ringbearer]

Sssuddenly everything is lossst.

[save_us_alice]

[Alice] Exactly. [she looks up at Victor with a smile] But, sometimes, you're also lucky enough to find something new. Something worth going on for.

[Victor nods, smiling back before giving her a quick kiss] There's always something to hope for.

[lastest_ringbearer]

We hope there is something to hope for, at leassst.

[save_us_alice]

[Victor, encouragingly] That's the spirit.

[Alice, looking around their location] And you know ice cream exists now. That definitely puts you ahead.

[lastest_ringbearer]

It does, it does!

[save_us_alice]

[Victor and Alice both chuckle, Victor nodding] I know I felt better about a lot of the things that happened to me when I was first introduced to it.

[Alice] Same here. [tilting her head at Smeagol] So, do you want to have a look at the mall? See about chairs?

[lastest_ringbearer]

That would be rather . . . nice. *Still a new concept, it seems.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor and Alice are only too happy to introduce him to it] All right then. Should be out this way, right Alice? [points left]

[Alice] Well, that's the way I've always walked. . . [cue her leading the way to the mall]

[lastest_ringbearer]

*He is more than happy to follow.*

[deadgirlslikeme]

[The mall looms up before them before long -- it's a large building, with multiple levels for the discerning consumer. Alice lets everyone into the main entrance, revealing a pretty typical -- if big -- mall layout inside: a big rectangular loop lined with storefronts of all kinds]

[Victor, staring up at the high ceiling] I swear this place seems bigger on the inside than it does outside.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*Smeagol has never seen such a large building in his life, save Barad-dûr. Arda isn't usually the kind of place for them.* Big . . .

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor nods] It is. I mean, there's a lot in it, for a lot of different kinds of people.

[Alice, going to consult a mall map] Indeed. What we're looking for is some sort of furniture store. . .

[lastest_ringbearer]

One market trying to be His tower. Not tall, but wide enough.

[deadgirlslikeme]

[Victor blinks] Pretty sure that wasn't the mall's intention. . .

[Alice, trying not to smile] This institution doesn't want dominion over the whole world -- just our wallets. [she taps on the map] All right, so we have Multiversal Mundanities here -- I think it's a department store. Start there?

[Victor shrugs] I'm fine with that.

[lastest_ringbearer]

A what? *This should be confusing.*

[save_us_alice]

[Alice, remembering Smeagol has no experience with this] Oh, it's a store with different things to sell in different places. Like they'll have all chairs and beds and such grouped together, and then things to use in the kitchen, and things to use outside. . .it's probably easier to just show you, really.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Yess, that sounds better. Do I remember bedses? Yes, I think so. Only barely, even if Smeagol is thinking of the right thing. No, I'm pretty sure I know what beds is.

[save_us_alice]

[Alice, taking note of the route to the store] It's just over this way. . .a bed is a big, hopefully soft thing you sleep on, if that helps?

[Victor] Think a chair, but -- flatter. [tries to demonstrate with his hands]

[lastest_ringbearer]

Oh! Yes, we does know beds then. Made them with leaves in our long years under the sssun. Nasty Yellow Face it isss, we slept when it was about.

[save_us_alice]

[Alice nods, leading the way over to the store -- it's on one side of the mall, as a classic "anchor" store] Well, the beds in this store should be even nicer than leaves. If they're not, we should probably find somewhere else to look for furniture.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*He smiles a bit at her tone.* Leaves not good enough for you?