◎third journey | video;

[ringbearer]

[ he's sitting in the oxygen gardens, a wooden pipe in his mouth and large white smoke-rings curling from the end of the pipe. there's an open book in his lap and there's a lingering weariness in his posture, despite how relaxed he seems.

still, when frodo speaks up, his voice is fond, light, moving his pipe away from his lips. ]

Where I come from, smoking pipeweed is considered an art. Making good smoke-rings like this--there's nothing quite like it.

[ frodo pauses; glances at his book then. ]

My dearest friend told me that he wondered if anything we've done would ever be put into 'great stories.'
"The stories that really mattered, that stayed with you."  As a lad I spent most of my life reading about stories, learning them and I'd always had my favorites with my Uncle. He went on a many great adventures.

[ he smiles quietly ]
Sometimes stories can be..quite different than we imagine them to be when we begin them. The same could be said of adventures.

Do you have a story like that? One that's stayed with you. Perhaps something you knew as a child, or one you found in a book. Perhaps it isn't a story but a moment that you've shared and relived with others over and over again. I'd be glad to hear them.

Comments

voice;

[redhotsummers]

Only book that ever really mattered to me was Catcher in the Rye.

Reminds me that most of the things, the people we meet are faking it as best they can to survive...

...and that being a loner is sometimes the only way to survive.

[So he has moved past it a bit, since he was younger; but it helped him through his worst sections of his life.]

voice;

[ringbearer]

Catcher in the Rye?
[ he repeated the title, listening attentively with a steadily creasing frown. despite all he began to know of the road, sam had reminded him that there were good things. good people. ]

Perhaps not even to survive.
[ to be a ringbearer is to be alone. ]
I believe the meaning of being alone was of a different need than surviving, on my part. It seems this book taught you hard lessons.

How did it end?

video

[forlifeloveandcheese]

Every little boy and girl in Ferelden grows up with stories about the legendary Grey Wardens.

They say that during a Blight -- that's when the darkspawn rise up to take over the surface led by the Archdemon, a tainted Old God -- the Grey Wardens would swoop down the heavens riding magnificent griffons and win the war.

They were lovely stories to grow up with: When all seems bleak, never give up hope, because good will always prevail.

When I was a kid, I used to dream of riding griffons and fighting darkspawn. [ He laughs. ] I got my wish. I never got that griffon, though.

video

[ringbearer]

You were a Grey Warden, King Alistair? I heard of them from one who claimed the same. It sems some adventures can become quite real after all.
[ there's a curious tilt of the head ]
What is a griffon?

permavid & text.

[culver]

What are you reading?

permavid;

[ringbearer]

Some stories by someone called 'Charles Dickens'. I've never heard of him before now.
[ he glances over at her from the top of his book, studying her face. ]

text

[mutelunatic]

"Prometheus was punished by the gods for giving the gift of knowledge to man. He was cast into the bowels of the earth and pecked by birds."

[it's the only 'story' she's heard and remembers.]

have had moments i've relived.

wish i hadn't.

text

[ringbearer]

there is no crime in passing knowledge, if it is good to give. is there more to it?



some things..stay with us whether we'd wish them to or not. they don't seem to ever mean to let go.

Video

[justdumbluck]

My best friend had one he liked when we were kids: Peter Pan, about some kid who never grew up. We used to argue all the time about whether we'd wanna be like that or not.

[The story came back to haunt Firo in the whole 1930 incident and its aftermath, but there's no way he's bringing that up to a total stranger.]

Video

[ringbearer]

A boy who never grew up!
[ he chuckles a little at that ]
I imagine many lads and lasses feel the same. Do you agree with him? Never wanting to grow up.

video

[thatidiotivan]

Oh yeah, Barrayaran history's full of 'em. They make holodramas about the big ones every few years now. Mostly they're great lessons on how not to stick your neck out.

video

[ringbearer]

..What is a holodrama?

anonymous text

[theguidinghand]

[He really shouldn't show himself too much on the public network, but it's still rather rude to not give a story in return for being given a story. Besides, he likes stories almost as much as he likes games. Which is why, with the help of a bit of clever coding, he'll post this anonymously.]

"Once before we slept, there was a Queen called Death, and She was glorious in Her name." Such is how I have heard many a tale begin.

text;

[ringbearer]

[ frodo hasn't met many anonymous folk on the network, save for 'mrs.nesbit'. still, he answers in turn, interest already caught by the beginning of the story. ]

Before you slept? I would assume it is not so much a Queen as it was Death itself, or am I mistaken? Your story sounds quite a bit like a riddle.

video

[walksonrooftops]

When I was a child, I liked to hear stories about flower fields. [And while that's not exciting in the least to most, Asato can't imagine anything better now.]

I learned a lot of legends too. But those were just legends. The flower fields were real, so those stories were better.

video

[ringbearer]

[ frodo smiles at that, his eyes a bit distant. it might not be exciting but it's just enough to remember beautiful green country, a land loved and full of them. the shire. ]

That sounds lovely. Have you never seen a flower field?

video;

[sharp]

[ Even for Amy, she's surprised how much this is hitting home for her. (What are emotions, really??) She smiles slightly. ]

I've been told my name sounds like something out of a fairytale, if that counts. [ chuckles. ] But I did have one story I believed more than anything growing up. It's funny that you mention adventures, because that's exactly what it turned into. It wasn't just a story.

video;

[ringbearer]

What is your name, Miss?
[ it must be a lovely name if it would sound like one from a tale. perhaps sam was right. perhaps they might be in the great stories at this moment, not turning back--going ahead. even if it was so hard, so terribly hard that frodo wasn't certain he was qualified to carry the burden.

his expression is thoughtful ]

I believe I can agree with you in that. As my friend told me, he felt our adventures might be like the great stories. Though he'd said it more eloquently than I did, though he'd hardly admit as much.

Was it a good adventure?

[text]

[jurisimpudent]

What book is it that you are reading?

[text]

[ringbearer]

i was reading a man called charles dickens earlier. if i remember correctly, some of these names are quite uncommon, let alone unheard of where i come from.

now i'm reading 'the adventures of huckleberry finn'. i suppose i was lured by the word adventure.

voice;

[learnedtosmile]

[Welp, that sure is Frodo Baggins. But Blake is way too polite to just say that, so.]

My favorite stories as a kid were about this guy called Robin Hood. He robbed from the corrupt and wealthy in order to help the poor. A brave man who stood up to people who abused their power.

voice;

[ringbearer]

[ Blake has manners!!

The hobbit listens attentively, thinking not only how it might appeal to his cousins but the idea isn't so unlike something he imagines Aragorn or Gandalf doing. Both of them were leaders in their own right. He smiles a little amusedly. ]

He certainly sounds brave. Did he ever get caught?

audio;

[dirtyword]

I got a lotta stories. Maltese Falcon's my favourite.

audio;

[ringbearer]

Maltese Falcon? I don't think I've ever quite heard a title like that before. What is it about?

[meddler]

Once, there was a boy who dreamt of something more than just observing. But as he grew up, that boy forgot his dreams, and tried to do the proper thing.

Until one day, he stole a magic box and ran away.

[ pause ]

That one was always my favourite.

[ringbearer]

And what was the proper thing?
[ a respectable baggins didn't go off into the blue for adventures. a respectable baggins lived a peaceful, ordinary life. bilbo and himself had never really fulfilled that role. still, frodo smiles. ]

A magic box? Why was it a magic box? Did he know what was inside it?

[bruxisms]

You would have us all tell tales?

[ it seems a queer thing, to him. ]

[ringbearer]

If you'd like. It's certainly not forced upon you, King Stannis.
[ he smokes a bit from his pipe then, turning the page. ]

Hobbits are quite fond of tales, you see.

[video]

[yardbird]

Hn, don't think I've really mastered the art of makin' smoke rings yet.

[Pipeweed, huh? Guess he doesn't have to worry so much about people cracking on his case over being high over the network. Though he does feel a little embarrassed for not being nearly as pensive as this guy is.]

As for stories, though... Sure, I've read a few. And... maybe one, but... I dunno. I dunno if it'd be somethin' anybody would wanna hear. [Old habits die hard. In which Murphy is just too used to the prospect of people not giving a shit about stories -- or what he has to say.]

[video]

[ringbearer]

Do you have a pipe with you? Perhaps I could teach you.
[ he means it in all seriousness. it was an art, truly, as was the making of pipeweed itself. between old toby, longbottom leaf--there were a few that were truly exceptional. ]

All stories I believe have something you could take from them, if you listened. If you wish to share it I certainly won't stop you.

[ it helped sometimes. to distract himself from his own troubles, to listen to another's tale, or a moment they cared to share with him. simply focusing on another in itself was a far better time to spend instead of alone, listening to the whispers of a ring that would not let him go. ]

[Video//Private//Unhackable]

[the_infiltrator]

I died once. It was very different than I thought it would be.

[Video//Private//Unhackable]

[ringbearer]

You..died?

[willpunchfaces]

[he wants to say stories are stupid, because they don't do anything, but instead he just waits a minute, thinking]

My dad used to tell me stories about his old teammates. About monsters and fighting aliens and how cool my mom was.

[ringbearer]

That sounds like quite a story indeed. Would you care to share one?

voice;

[paracosmic]

You're talking about the stories of people's lives too, right?

voice;

[ringbearer]

I am, Miss. If they wish to share.

permatext; private. he's sorry frodo :(

[logicals]

I was always a fan of books as a child, so yes.
SH

permatext permaprivate; it's okay shurlawk

[ringbearer]

[ there's a wary pause, before he replies.]

What sorts of books?

audio;

[upheld]

I... I always loved stories. My father used to tell great ones.

audio;

[ringbearer]

So you know some of the great stories, then, Miss Brienne. I'd be glad to know what kinds you were told.