001 - video

[histori]

[Ori is having a bit of difficulty working his 'smartphone'. There's a bewildered dwarvish face on the screen, face screwed up in confusion as he tries to fix it. A jumble of confused letters appear on the screen and his frown deepens. Finally, the screen clears to just Ori's face, young, pale, his braids messy and his beard unkempt.]

I-I think I'm lost. [His voice is pitched high with nervousness, his stutter more prevalent.] S-something is f-following me, I keep seeing...shapes and f-faces and things in the m-mirror.

[Ori's voice cracks, dropping to a whisper. His eyes are glittering with moisture.] I-I just want t-to go home. I d-don't want to die, I don't want anyone to die!

[The screen suddenly shifts and it becomes apparent that the young dwarf has thrown it across the hall. There's muffled sounds of crying for several minutes before it finally shuts off.]

Comments

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[inafadingcrown]

[Oh, Ori. This would be a lot easier if you hadn't tossed the device across the hall.]

Ori? [Her voice is gentle, but loud enough to be heard from a distance. Or so she hopes.]

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[histori]

[He recognizes the voice and struggles to pull himself together, wiping his face on his sleeve as he crawls across the hall to pick the thing up again. His eyes are red and there's still tears clinging to his eyelashes, but he's managed to stop crying at elast.]

M-Milady.

[video]

[summerlord]

Ori. [He pitches his voice to be heard; a gentle command.] Ori, pick up the device and answer me, please.

video;

[redheaded_rock]

Hey? You okay?

[video]

[histori]

[The crying stops on a soft gasp, and after a moment Ori goes to pick it up.]

L-Lord Elrond. [He mops at his face, leaning against the wall and pulling his knees up to his chest.]

video;

[histori]

[There's a pause before he answers, his eyes red and tears still streaking down his face.]

I-I'm not sure.

[video]

[summerlord]

Ori. [His expression is soft.] What troubles you, Master Dwarf? [As if the answer isn't obvious, but if he can just get Ori to talking.]

video;

[redheaded_rock]

Just take a breath. What happened?

[video]

[histori]

Oh, I c-couldn't burden you w-with my troubles. [He manages a weak smile.]

video;

[histori]

[Ori takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again.]

Th-there's something following me.

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[redheaded_rock]

Okay. [That's weird and worrying and pretty much totally out of her realm but she's game.] You need to get somewhere with some people around, okay? That'd help.

[video]

[summerlord]

'Tis not a burden. Come now.

[video]

[histori]

[He'll focus on the more pressing issues, then. Swallowing, Ori glances around.]

I keep...seeing s-someone. Following me. A-and after what P-Prince Nuada said about a d-demon in the halls... [Ori lets that trail off, his voice trembling.]

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[histori]

[He sniffles, nodding and wiping a hand across his eyes.] A-alright. I-I think I can do that.

[He gets to his feet shakily, licking his lips and swallowing as he starts to walk down the hall.]

voice;

[longestnose]

Ori...where are you.

Do you know the way to the forge?

voice;

[histori]

Um... [Ori sniffles.] I-I don't know.

[He takes a couple of deep breaths.] Wait. Maybe I'm not lost.

[video]

[summerlord]

[Elrond's expression is carefully, deliberately impassive. What Ori is seeing could be anything: a trick of the ship or Nuada's "demon" are both very real possibilities.]

Then keep moving, Master Ori. It will do no good to lose yourself to fear.

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[redheaded_rock]

Do you need to meet me somewhere? Maybe if we start moving toward each other, we can get you back faster. Do you know where you are and where you're headed?

voice;

[longestnose]

No, you aren't. You are a dwarf--we don't need any sky to tell us where we are.

[He is speaking carefully, quietly, trying to work him through this.]

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[woodlander]

[ What?



What? ]

I know your face, Dwarf.

[ She sounds uncertain, though not hostile. Not this time. ]

Do not look into the mirror. Come to the gardens. There is naught that will harm you here.

[briefly]

Ori - that's your name, isn't it? [She may have snooped on other conversations, woops.] My name is Poppy. Would you like me to come find you, make sure you're safe?

[inafadingcrown]

[Poor thing. This place can get to anyone, but it must be especially hard for him, innocent as he seems. She keeps her voice calm and steady.] Where were you, when last you knew?

[northerner]

If you stay where you are, one of us will come to you. You needn't fear your death.

[ not that the ship is safe, but robb's pretty sure pointing that out explicitly is not the way to go. ]

[coy]

You're not going to die, okay? It looks like people are going to come get you. [ aw don't cry little guy.]

[histori]

I-I... [He twists his sleeve between his fingers.] I was tr-trying to get back t-to my room...