Salvage

[aquatic_light]

There's an utter mess scattered over Washed Up Beach today, and a few people who seem to be trying to clean it up. Since the weather in the Nexus is always warm enough to go swimming (except when it isn't) there's also one family already who arrived with a picnic basket and found the beach just isn't suitable for that today. Care to have a look?

(This continues just after this scene. Feel free to talk to anyone there if you want, or just walk up and start poking around. I just ask that no one successfully walk off with any critical parts as there are plans to put that back together. XD )

Comments

Some time later

[lastest_ringbearer]

The fact that the Nexus has a beach is a revelation to poor Smeagol. He plays in it with the most joy that such a broken thing can manage, singing the latest bit of doggerel his mind has tossed up.

“The cold hard lands
Can’t bite these hands
Since its defeat.

And this great pool
Is sweetly cool
With fish to eat.”

Re: Some time later

[dee_lorean81]

Dee's still on the beach, doing a little bit of final searching for anything that might still be lurking under the sand. . .at least, until she's distracted by the sound of someone singing. She follows it to see -- um -- well, she's not entirely sure who it is, but he definitely seems to be a fan of the water and sand. "Hello?" she calls, cautiously but curiously.

[lastest_ringbearer]

*It's the same small creature that needed (will need? Time here can be strange even without a time machine involved) help before, playing happily in the water.* Hello! Smeagol isss looking for fisssh.

[dee_lorean81]

[It can indeed -- part of the reason why Dee doesn't visit as often as her human family. She's pretty sensitive to it -- and recognizing Smeagol as someone she helped earlier while also realizing she helped him after becoming aware of KARR's predicament. . .well, she's a time machine and it gives even her a headache.

She soldiers on, though, smiling at him] Oh, I see! I'm Dee. I'm looking for -- uh -- metal stuff. [She doubts he'll understand "possible leftover car parts/circuit boards"]

[lastest_ringbearer]

What isss metal doing on the beach? This isss no Dead Marsheses, no, there be no old swordses or armor here.

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee shakes her head] Not swords or armor -- a big metal carriage got exploded, and we're making sure there's no bits still left lying around for people to get hurt on.

[lastest_ringbearer]

I haven't ssseen anything, but then I've not been looking for metal bitses. Smeagol just looksss for fish!

Smeagol isss happy to never think about ssshiny thingses ever again, yes he is.

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee nods] That's okay -- we think we've got everything, just being extra-careful. [she tilts her head] Oh? Why?

[lastest_ringbearer]

We had--no, the Precious had Smeagol for many a long long year. *He holds out a gilded hand.* Nasssty magic, all grasssping and lying.

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee's eyes widen when she looks at his hand] Oooooh. That's -- not what I was expecting. [she tilts her head this way and that] I'm sorry you had to go through that. I've been in somebody else's power once -- not nearly as long, but it's awful. [thanks for stealing her once, Biff.]

[lastest_ringbearer]

We wasss alone for centuries--I was alone but for the One. Sometimes poor Smeagol talked to himself, or to the Preciousss, or both. It was almossst the same thing by the end, gollum. *The last is a sob more than anything else. He rubs his hands as if they pain him still and looks away.* Nothing to eat but little cave fish and maybe a goblin if we were very good at hunting. Nothing tasssty.

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee bites her lip] I'm sorry. I -- I don't even know what I'd do if I were alone for centuries, with nobody to talk to. It sounds miserable. [and makes her glad she wasn't sentient for her 70-year wait in that abandoned mine]

[after a moment, she adds] Do -- do you want me to help you find some fish? [she'd offer him something else to eat, but she's not sure where the nearest restaurant is -- nor what he might even like]

[lastest_ringbearer]

Fish would be nice, yesss. You have sssome?

[dee_lorean81]

Not on me, but I can help you look. [said as she starts rolling up her pants above her knees]

[lastest_ringbearer]

You'll jussst ssstartle them if you're not knowing how! And then poor Smeagol goes hungry, yesss. Hungry and cold, sss, yesss.

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee frowns] Hmmmm. . .well then, there must be someplace to eat around here. Don't beaches usually have food stands? [then again, this is a pretty atypical beach. . .still, it should be worth a look] We could try and go find one. Be something other than fish.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Sssomthing new?

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee nods] Yeah! Like -- well, I dunno what's in a hot dog, but there's something called a "burger" that's ground up cow meat between two pieces of bread. Sometimes they put lettuce and onions and cheese on it.

[lastest_ringbearer]

Bread? We thinks we forgot the tassste of bread long ago now. Praps we'll try it anew, yesss.

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee grins] Okay then! I didn't see anything back that way -- [she points back to where she came from] -- so let's try and see if there's anything this way. [points ahead]

[lastest_ringbearer]

We likes that plan.

[dee_lorean81]

[And so Dee will lead the way down the beach, walking with purpose as she looks around for anything resembling a food stand. . .

And after a couple of minutes, spots a rather ramshackle-looking building looming up before them] Oooh -- hopefully that's not just showers. . .

[lastest_ringbearer]

*He scrambles up to it, curious.*

[dee_lorean81]

[It is some outdoor showers, with a door into the building leading to more private toilets. But after that is indeed a food stand, manned by a rather bored-looking teenager that Dee is pretty certain is of the human persuasion] Uh -- hi?

[lastest_ringbearer]

Food. We wants it. *Smeagol can be kind of . . . blunt sometimes.*