wildestlogs | HOME SWEET HOME

HOME SWEET HOME

Elrond let the gang decide when to leave, providing hospitality and medical care until they're ready. When the quest calls to them and they know it'll tug them along soon, he makes sure each is fully supplied and armed with weapons of their choosing, some custom made. They each have a pack, food supplies, and extra clothing. All of them get offered sturdy boots, even those who have stranger body types like Filbo.

He gives the group four copies of a book transcribed with the prophecies that had been brought to Rivendell, to be studied and interpreted on their journey.

Those who mentioned knowledge of the One Ring are briefly pulled aside away from the guests at Elrond's Council. They're implored to keep it secret, for the knowledge of Frodo's task could lead to people trying to steal the Ring when he's on a journey to destroy it.

Crowley is also released from the dungeon, with Elrond apologizing for the Elves' caution. It's at least clear he's been shown some of the same hospitality. He's healed up, well fed, and clothed in replacement clothes just like they all are.

Elrond's final goodbye to the whole group is warm and genuine.

"Namárië. It is a word we use for greetings and goodbyes. It means 'be well.' Whether you seek to help this world or try to find a way home, it is our hope that whatever paths you tread fly beneath your feet, and whatever obstacles you face are quickly overcome."

A pause.

"It would be easy to try to make you feel that the hopes of those in this new world go with you; but such burdens should only be carried by those who choose it. The Green will not admit it, but they have done you a great wrong. If you try to only find your way home, it's justified, and I hope you do find it."

Yes, there are prophecies, but making people do something by force is wrong, and all weary travelers deserve to find their way home. After a brief time of saying any goodbyes, they get to make their way to the other side of the valley. On the other side of the pass is the castle the Green spoke about.

The castle is a Frankenstein monstrosity that seems cobbled together from many buildings and machines. The second the last of the gang piles inside, it starts moving, massive legs clanking along. But where it's going is unknown. At least that means they have time to explore, rest, and get settled.

There are many mystical objects and mysteries within. One half of the castle seems to be a strange frozen realm of faerie, with strange sights to explore. But even the warmer side of the castle has its oddities. Magic waterfalls that show memories, and a scrying pool that shows frozen images of home, locked to the times each member of the squad left theirs. There are magical doors that lead to sights beyond the imagination, strange collections and even entire small realms, some beautiful, some dangerous.

The three magical creatures, Jonald, Ronald, and Rolkien constantly get underfoot trying to get the group settled, but refuse to talk about their former master, seemingly hurt at his leaving the castle.

The castle also seems to like assigning roommates for some of the group, making it so doors only open to their assigned room anytime they try to go to a place to sleep, even teleporting to them to the room if they fall asleep elsewhere.

It's a strange place, sometimes dangerous, sometimes annoying, but at least they have even more time to rest, train, plan, and prepare. They will have a few weeks to adjust to their new normal.

Then...who knows where the road will take them.
OOC DETAILS
❧ Prompts. The mods aren't doing prompts, but players can check out the page on the Moving castle for inspiration. The castle has many mysteries and oddities and absolutely anything can be behind the magical doors.

❧ Food and water. The castle seems to have an internal pressurized water supply and food is plentiful...for now. The food supply will not last forever but some food was left behind by the castle's previous occupants. There there's enough for a long break without hunting. There is some fresh food that's rotten and needs to be thrown away but whoever lived here clearly knew how to keep food prepared. There are cooking oils, flour, and sugar for bread and baked goods. There is jerky of various types of meats, dried fruit, sun-dried tomatoes, stores of nuts, jars of preserved fruit and jams (and empty jars to make more), and hard cheeses that need only a little mold cut off them to still be edible. Some of the jars have confit, meat cooked and preserved in lard, or garlic preserved in oil. A small root cellar has a few barrels of potatoes, parsnips, and onions.

It also has some barrels of beer and bottles of wine.

There are also dried herbs hanging in bundles from the kitchen ceiling, jarred pickled vegetables, and vinegar for pickling more. There are also fresh veggies the group can harvest together. The gardens will not be infinite in supplying the group but luck has it that many vegetables are ripe for harvest right now. The squad can pick juicy tomatoes, green beans, peppers, carrots, radishes, blackberries from a small thicket, squash, and plenty of zucchini. The garden does need tending to stay healthy. Aside from harvesting from it, weeds need to be pulled, beans and tomatoes need to be trellised, spoiled veggies on the ground need to be tossed away.

❧ Bathing. There is no soap other than what the Elves may have given them but there are hot baths. The water has to be heated on a fire down the hall and carried to the tubs.

❧ Weather/Atmosphere: The air outside and inside is on the warmer side. Even though the stone is cool, the cooking fires warm the air to something comfortable. The air outside in the gardens is warm and sunny, with the occasional cool breeze due to the altitude.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah.

[Price looks relieved.]

That's good to know.

[He pauses for a moment, pondering.]

What is...What is heaven like?

[It's not like he's ever going to find that out.]

[ Ooh. Of all the possible questions in all the possible worlds, that very much is one of them. Complicated little matter. ]

I suppose I ought to preface by saying that I'm really only properly familiar with it from the... professional end of things. The office environment.

[ Which is a different matter, the past few thousand years. It used to be--

Well.

There are a lot of things that it used to be.

Spilled milk. ]

What I've seen of the human end of things seems perfectly lovely, though. Very peaceful.

Would you say that all the humans that were there came from the same dimension or universe?

[Not that he believes in Heaven or Hell, but...You know, better safe than sorry. For what concerns him, he's already been in Hell and doesn't want a repeat of that.]

Oh yes, I would say so. If that weren't the case, my Earth and Heaven would have had quite a bit more, um. Non-human sentient life to show for themselves.

[ Other worlds do seem to be quite a bit more fantastical and varied, in that regard. ]

[So that means that Heaven and Hell don't exist in Price's universe. It feels like a victory to him, knowing that he won't face additional punishment after that horrible life he had to endure. Whether there actually is a 'place' where people from his world go, he and the freelancers are together in it, along with the Director, the way they should be...Unless there is another version of Heaven and Hell that Aziraphale is not aware of. Better ask to make sure.]

If another dimension or universe had a Heaven, would you be able to communicate with it, right?

[Please let there not be Heaven or Hell, Price has suffered enough. He's always been in Hell, for what concerns him.]

Ah, and do animals go to Heaven?

[Yes, he asks many questions. It's what scientists do, and also a great way to channel one's inner child, honestly.]

I'm not entirely sure. I would think so. Considering how cut off things became once I arrived here-- well. It may be the case that my universe is very singular. Whether or not that's for the best remains to be seen.

[ He's not sure he'd get on any better with an alternative Heaven. Not one tied to this world, at least. But it does brook a lot of existential questions across the board. ]

I never did ask about animals, though. There are certainly animals in Heaven, so I always sort of. Assumed. Not quite my department.

Well, if I was in Heaven [which wouldn't happen even if there actually was one in his world, especially if there was one in his world, hopefully not] I think I would like the to see animals and interact with them.

[He physically restrains himself from saying 'pet them'.]

But I understand that practicality would require separate departments.

Organizational rifts. I was always more field agent than office staff.

[ Then again, if he'd always been office staff, maybe he'd have liked it better up there. Well, no matter. The universe is infinitely expanding and it still isn't big enough if one starts to fill it with every "what if." ]

I think it would be odd to leave them out of the equation, really. Even if only for humans' sakes. There wouldn't be much to say for paradise if it doesn't include the world you were created to live on.

Mh...

[Price nods pensively.]

Do you know what Hell is like?

Not extensively. A bit of knowledge on the professional end of things again. And a bit of hearsay from Crowley over the years.

[ Idle details here and there. Vague or related to expectations of an Earthly agent, mostly.

He got his firsthand experience pretending to be Crowley, which is a more safely-kept secret if it's only the two of them who have knowledge of it. ]

My understanding is that it's broadly quite in keeping with the rumor mill. Torture, misery, all that.

[Not a reassuring answer, but then again, he should have expected this one.]

If angels are good, do they generally think that there are people who deserve to go to hell? Or is rather a matter of honouring the Almighty's desire of...Using such resource?

[Is it hilarious and baffling that Price is somewhat trying to indirectly tell God 'actually you're wrong, I don't deserve any punishment for my actions'? Yes. Is it surprising? No, to an almost embarrassing extent.]

[ Answers about hell: unsurprising and rarely reassuring. They probably pride themselves on that. ]

More the latter, I suppose. [ There's not a kind way to say that they don't particularly care beyond the conceptual numbers game of it all, and that Gabriel seemed more than a bit cross about the apocalypse not cleaning the Earth-shaped slate, so to speak, so he doesn't say it. ] Every human has so much potential to go either way, really. We can try to sway and shepherd, but an individual's destination ultimately isn't up to us at all.

[Being blamed is nothing new. At all. That's why he responds so terribly to it. Price can't help but sigh.]

Does the Almighty operate through contrast? As in, we would not know what life is without death, what pleasure is without pain, and so on? That is the only explanation that makes sense to me for why would there be the need for Hell, but of course that is my limited perspective.

Ah. Well.

[ Hell was broadly created, he imagines, because those former angels who rebelled needed to be cast out to somewhere, but then one does sort of wonder if there was very very strictly a need for Hell specifically, in the form that it took?

But it is a punishment. But, well. Well! Aziraphale hasn't got much to follow up on the 'well'. ]

I'm sure I couldn't begin to put myself into Her shoes on the matter, or to comprehend Her fullest intent. And I certainly can't attempt to speak for Her. Lovely thing about humanity, your curiosity and philosophy, of course. All the questions.

[ He glances up, reflexively, a shade of short-lived anxiety. No point in that in theory, really. She certainly isn't in this world. It's a question whether She was paying much mind at home anymore, really.

Still, though. ]

But I'm afraid that in this specific avenue, it's quite above my station to speculate.

[The answer is at least a little bit disappointing, and the look does not go unnoticed, but Price decides to smile at Aziraphale anyway.]

That's alright. Thank you for entertaining my questions.

[ Everything went better than expected. Always preferable. ]

Not at all. Your questions have all been well worth entertaining. Hard to go wrong with an in-depth bit of conversation, I should think.

Ah!

[Price doesn't know what to say, he's not used to being complimented. Or at least not insulted, especially when it comes to his curiosity.]

Thank you. I...I like learning about different [...cultures?] people and places.

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