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[First thing to note: Sam's got a killer hangover.

Second thing to note: he's still in the library, nursing his hangover with coffee and scanning through the network out of sheer desperation for something to find. Anything to pass the time, really. It's hours into his work that he finds something that might be familiar. Give him a few hours, a little irritation, and nothing remotely helpful in the remaining library aaaand -- ]

Alright, so get this.

There's a quote put up on a secondary sub-network, and I think it's from our friend with the red face.

[He scooches in his seat, looking over the words.]

"Such is the appearance of black birds." Now -- I can't put my exact finger on the chapters, but I remember in one of my Mythology courses, there uh -- it was a passage. From an old Greek text I read through during one of our big finals in my last year of undergrad. [A sound of frustration, some moosey grumbling about an Essay From Hell. Then he snaps his fingers, brow furrowed.] Pausanias. He, he wrote a big long piece detailing his firsthand point of view of Greece, way back when; I remember using it as a cited work for a few written works in classic greek literature.

[huff scoff first world college boy problems.]

Or -- it could not mean anything at all. Maybe if doesn't even have to do with the actual passage. Or maybe Mr. Smiles just likes to post from super ancient literature for kicks with no rhyme or reason.

I don't know. Anybody got extended knowledge in old Greek literature? I don't exactly have the actual texts around to figure anything out, anyway. Don't know if any of you do, or if it even means anything at all. I can't find anything else besides this, but maybe someone who's better at surfing through the different places around here can do a better job than me dishing out more stuff hiding out.

But then there's more. Something about Scylla turning back?

[He'll just copy/paste the full message from the page.]

SUCH IS THE APPEARANCE OF THE BLACKBIRDS.
SCYLLA TURNED BACK; SHE DARED NOT TRUST HERSELF FAR OUT AT SEA.

And speaking of... this. Who's had firsthand experience with this Red Smiley, anyway? How'd those go? I know it hasn't been all that fun, but any kind of first-hand experience about the guy, I'd love to hear. If it's not too much trouble for you.

[Man, his head is killing him.

......................................................]

Or maybe something a little easier: anybody have any remedies for space hangovers?

((ooc: the first part totally just an ic shout out to the tumblr pages, but see if you can figure it out! characters can ICly figure it out too, if they can figure out all that technical mumbo jumbo and actually find the correct sub-networks and stuff. EDIT: there's more stuff, oops.))

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[A blank glance at the camera.]

Do I look like anything else?

[No seriously he wonders this.]

Honestly, uh... I couldn't really tell any difference between you and most of the people on the ship. I kind of assumed you were... human?

[He says that cautiously, like he's worried Thranduil will take a lot of offense. Hell if he knows what's polite to say around elves. Did we ever mention Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are big in his world? No? Good, it shall never be mentioned.]

[He raises an eyebrow.] That is a mistake seldom made. But I am given to understand Elves are naught but legends in most worlds. Indeed, I am an Elf, as are two others on board. I am Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm in northern Mirkwood. Might I know your name as well?

[this is so cool okay

i totally helped a mirkwood elf]

You're -- yeah, that's right. Elves aren't really... I mean, as far as I know, they're not in my world. [They could be, though. Sam can't deny he's learned about the existence of plenty of crazy stuff.] I'm Sam. Sam Winchester. Just a guy from the U.S.

Is there any title I should call you in particular?

[#sam "manners" winchester]

[Sam you helped the Mirkwood elf. The one who named Bilbo Baggins Elf-friend.]

Elvenking I am styled, but most here simply call me Thranduil whether I permit it or no. Why should I deny you the liberty others take freely?

[But there's still a small smile at the courtesy. And really, Sam saved his life. He's earned whatever the equivalent is of first name basis in a world where no one has a last name (except hobbits but they're weird).]

Edited 2013-07-05 00:41 (UTC)

[Well gosh, man, elvenking vs. Thranduil. Both seem pretty awesome. But he has a feeling that Dean will tease him endlessly if he ever called another dude 'elvenking', regardless of his greatness or elfiness.

There's a dimpled grin at that.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Thranduil. Great to meet an elf, especially a king; I mean -- as much as I want to help us all get home, it's really interesting, the different universes they bring here.

[does that sound nerdy and star-gazing

maybe dean'll make fun of him anyway whatever]

[Mortals (dwarves generally excepted) usually get googly-eyed over elves, so Thranduil is used to it. Kirk sometimes has to be reminded to shut his mouth lest he catch flies when he meets a new one.]

And it is an honor to meet you, Sam Winchester, Guy from the U.S. [Spoken with utter gravity. Some people have trouble telling when he's teasing. Is Sam one of them?] I had hoped you were not harmed by the events which saw me wounded. Few who are not soldiers would rush back into the fray they so nearly escaped.

[Sam shrugs at that, smiling still, though smaller now.]

Just a few bruises, nothing worse than how you saw me.

My dad was a soldier, so... I've kinda been prepared for situations like that, since I was a kid.

[Let's leave out the whole 'hunter' business. Yes.]

[Does he think an elf is going to be even slightly phased by the hunter thing?]

That your father was a soldier does not surprise me. He raised you well.

[Maybe not, but considering Dean and Sam would have probably made contingency plans on how to kill an elf just in case... (Spoilers, Sammy, elves aren't all that supernaturally charged)... It's just how it goes, and sticking to their usual covers is better than telling a ship full of non-humans they kill things like them for a living.

Yeah no. Not encrypted, wouldn't mention it even if it was.

Sam doesn't often praise his father for much, in-between begrudging him or just not getting along, but:]

Yeah... He teaches the ropes pretty well.

[It was a tag team effort is behind Sam's teeth, because as much as he's relieved John for not completely losing his mind and smothering him in his sleep all those years ago or just punching him into a pulp growing up, Sam's aware that Dean had to pick up plenty of the slack. It hasn't been easy, but it could've been worse: he has to attribute some of that to his brother.

But that's all kind of heavy material to bring into a light conversation. Like usual. Winchesters don't talk about things like that, it's practically an unspoken rule on an invisible board.]

I'm guessing you know soldiers pretty well, huh? Being a king, an' all.

I was a soldier first. [For a short while, anyway. The Battle of the Thousand Caves and the second two Kinslayings scarcely count, since he was mostly swinging a sword and trying to keep people away. He'd been barely more than a child at the time. Not a soldier, but a civilian taking up a sword and fighting for his home and family against invaders. But the Battle of Dagorlad...yes, he was definitely a soldier in the Battle of Dagorlad. But that was also the battle in which he became a king.]

I should say I know them well.

Oh -- a soldier turned king?

Seems like a lot of responsibility, doing what you do.

[He's sympathetic there. Not that he has any clue how it must feel to have so much responsibility on his own hands... but still. He couldn't imagine what it'd be like, to have to lead so many people. Not after being a soldier like dad had taught them.]

... How long have you been king?

Nigh on three thousand years. [Give or take about half a century.]

... Never a dull moment? Sounds like it'd get kinda overwhelming, after a while.

Mm. [He's really not sure what to say to that. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, it's not really something he wants to confirm or deny.] You are not a soldier like your father?

[There's a visible hesitation that he immediately regrets.

Geez, Sam. Discreet. Just because you're not on a job doesn't mean...]

I guess I am. Taught that way, and all.

[Said like there's more to it; there's always more to it. But for a long while, Sam wasn't really allowed to say it. Now that he's older, he's bitched and moaned until the sun goes down about how much he wishes he weren't some lanky kid with a gun in his hand, scoping through graveyards and getting attacked by cutlery and vampires.

Dean clings to the legacy like it's his lifeline, and Sam worries he'll be dragged into that same idea. Worried that, at the end of all this? He'll desperately stay afloat on hunting, because in the end it'll be all he has to cling to. No, he wants the other stuff. He wants his family to want it, too.

Saving people, hunting things, the family business.

He doesn't like that motto. Didn't like it even when it was sing-songed wearily, like maybe as long as they were together, it wouldn't be so overwhelming and toxic and downright scary.]

It was more for safety's sake, though. Not my preferred choice of job... y'know?

Many would say so. Their own safety or that of their people. Few go to war because they enjoy it.

That's true.

... Guess that makes a lot of us soldiers here. Considering the circumstances.

If we choose to be. Some prefer to believe otherwise.

We do have to have a lot of careers across the board that're pretty important for surviving here.

... But I'm hoping everyone's at least learning how to protect themselves. Not that I'm discrediting people who're the soldiers in the equation, but if something goes wrong...

[You get where he's going with this, man. Sam hates the idea of people needing to know how to fight -- reminds him too much of his home life -- but at the same time, this isn't home. This is a deadly spaceship. And there's nothing wrong with a little self-defense.]

Some will learn to fight, others will learn to take precautions. [Mirkwood is at least as dangerous as this ship. It's just got giant spiders instead of manticores.]

Precautions are good, too.

I mean, even if it's hard to figure what this place'll do next, from what I'm reading. There's always good steps to take.

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