...THE BEGINNING

[strangerpeople]

...THE BEGINNING

[Fifteen strangers were brought into the Depths to end the world, and they survived, with extra strangers along for the ride. Though the old world ended, creation itself has been preserved, and a new world has been born, shaped by the survivors. Portals to new worlds have been opened, and memories are slowly, but surely, returning.

And what better way is there to celebrate the beginning of a world, but with a spaghetti dinner?

Well, there was plenty of spaghetti, but some people thought that maybe there should be more than spaghetti. The Dragonborn did their best to make non-spaghetti food based on their memories of Tamrielic cuisine - being a cook themselves and cooking their own meals, even as an Emperor.

Spiced coffee with moon sugar and sweetmeat pasties in the shape of the moons, from Elweyr.

Imperial-style spiced sausage, braised in wine, and a tomato-flavored rye bread.

From Iliac Bay, a paprika-spiced rice dish with chicken and roasted peppers and a spiced banana mash in the style of Hammerfell.

From the Alik'r Deserts of Hammerfell, scorpion braised with venom sauce - which Alexis seems to like. It doesn't seem to be poisoned.

From Daggerfall, beet hummus, and stuffed dormice wrapped in bread like sandwiches.

From High Rock, Potage le Magnifique, with Alexis' special, not-lethal secret ingredient, and rock trout, along with fruit dumplings.

Lamb's bone broth with potato dumplings and vegetables, just like in the strongholds of the Orcs - with a dash of rice - and a dessert of carmelized beetroot.

Saltrice flatbreads and Telvanni-style mushroom medley with frost salts, from Morrowind.

Black Marsh King Yellow slug, served raw with some seasoning and wrapped in nut leaf. They are delicious, really.

Of course there is Skyrim's honey mead and blue cheese with honeyed oatcakes, along with horker and ash yam stew from Solstheim.

For now, it's time to relax, and celebrate the end - and beginning. Work can be done tomorrow. Questions can be answered later, if any are left. For now, eat, and enjoy. Bring your friends from home. Be happy, and remember.

There were 15 strangers.

But they are not strangers anymore.]

((OOC: Congratulations on ending Round 1 with the Golden End! For this feast, characters may bring people from their own canons to mingle with other players! Assume that portals have been opened for everyone by this time to go back and forth from their home worlds.

While you're here, please feel free to hit up the HMD, and we'll see you all when Round 2 happens!))

Comments

[intercessing]

[Alexis, still cloaked, is with Serana, holding her close. There is a peace in their pinprick eyes which they didn't have before. They are quiet as they share some of the flatbread and sweet wine together.]

[carries_war]

[After so long of nothing but salted rations or whatever could be cooked in a pot, Jr. had almost forgotten what real food was like. Now, with a feast of delicious food in front of him, he's doing his best to eat enough food for an army. And his best is...pretty impressive. Even putting off restoring his powers, it's been a long day, after a longer week, after an even longer month.

Of course, just because he's stuffing his face doesn't mean he's ignoring everyone else. He's actually quite curious to meet his friends' friends, and so can be found walking up to greet anyone he doesn't recognize. Sometimes he'll even remember to swallow whatever he was eating first.]

[pechesagittaire]

[O HAI JR... That totally is a Realian tackling you in a big hug right now.]

JUNIOR!

[And she's stupidly happy to see you.]

Where have you been??!!

[carries_war]

MOMO-!

[He doesn't even have his enhanced strength right now to offset MOMO's momentum, so he stumbles back a few steps. Then he wraps his arms tightly around her, as if worried she'll go away if he lets go.]

It's...a long story. I'm sorry I left without warning, but the bitch who caused it wasn't the kind of person to let us write home.

[lightnen]

[ Once his memories had returned, it was no surprise to anyone that he really wanted to go back home. It didn't matter how long it was going to take to get to that portal home, but he was determined to find it and after telling the others he'd be back? Killua headed off at full speed in the direction he'd 'felt' that portal appear and once he got close enough, Kukuroo Mountain came into view and he actually almost felt happy about opening the gates of testing again, stepping inside and not stopping until he got close to his 'home' where he spotted the portal.

Naturally he'd hesitated.

It'd been a month since he left. Gon would be wondering where he went, let alone thinking about the results of Greed Island without him there by his friend's side. Exhaling a sigh, he stared at the portal before heading in. It hadn't taken long to find Gon - and consequently tackled to the ground - whom he snapped at to stop being so embarrassing until he'd at least cleaned up and then would explain what was going on. Everything'd been fine up until Bisky showed up and punched him hard enough to send him flying, lecturing him on leaving them at such a critical point and.. well.. he'd let it happen without argument because he'd kinda missed them both. Mostly Gon but still.

When he proposed going back to this 'other world' for a short bit, she'd nearly said no but relented. Insisting that they both had to be back soon if they wanted to complete Greed Island properly before too much more time passed. So with that in mind, Killua had no qualms in quickly bringing Gon back with him and being VERY quick to start explaining things regarding his time at this place while they headed up back to the spot where he was sure the others were.

At least until Gon beat him to the suggestion of racing the last bit there. So that meant that everyone around the area of the feast will be treated to the sight of not only Killua running toward it but also Gon who was neck in neck with him. Not stopping until they'd gotten within a few feet. ]

...Hah! Looks like I beat you... again.

[ Sure looks confident, even if it was hard to tell who actually won. The most notable thing about him is that he looks happy. ]

[gonwild]

[It had been hard, continuing on towards the finish line that would mean he'd completed Greed Island. Training with Bisky had been good but it only barely helped him scrape by in the dodgeball match against Razor and then again in the fight with the Bomber. Having Killua at his side - having his best and most trusted friend with him would have made things easier but in the end, Gon had come out as the victor in both situations anyway. Killua's absence had been felt every step of the way and he hadn't been able to even celebrate the victories together after either.

Still, he'd come out stronger for it in both instances because he'd had to. The Bomber had killed a lot of people and Gon wouldn't have been able to stand by and let it go unpunished. And Gon had had to enlist Hisoka, of all people, to help him out. Which hadn't turned out too badly but he hadn't exactly liked the idea. Over the past month, Gon's frequently thought about where his best friend could have gone but there'd been no time to investigate.

So when Killua had shown up out of nowhere, Gon hadn't held back one tiny bit. He'd been happy - all smiles and laughter and touching without the slightest hesitation as to how dirty the other boy might be. (It wasn't as if he cared about being dirty in the first place after all the training Bisky had put them through.) Even as their mentor gave Killua the lecture of a lifetime, Gon couldn't stop beaming over at his returned friend.

Gon would have immediately agreed to go along to see this 'other world' with Killua if Bisky hadn't jumped in first. Honestly, he would have gone with or without her permission - though not without promising her to be back as soon as possible. Which he still does anyway when she does agree. Gon listens quietly and intently as Killua explains, though some of the explanation goes right over his head (as per usual).

Then comes the race - because spending a month apart could mean a whole lot when it came to training and who would win. He'd missed Killua so much that being with him again means that his bright smile doesn't dim a single bit even as the other boy claims victory.]

Eh! I'll beat you next time!

[Shooting back just as much confidence, accepting this defeat even if Gon doesn't know who really won either.]

Guess I've gotta do a thousand push-ups now. [Because it was a competition - so OBVIOUSLY the loser has to pay a price.]

[carries_war]

I dunno, it looked pretty close to me.

[Jr.'s grinning as he walks up, hands behind his head. His casual demeanor seems almost at odds with the guns and long hunting knife he's wearing, but somehow it manages to suit him anyway.]

Sure you don't wanna demand a redo and photo finish?

[bythewaves]

This is your friend then?

[ The voice is low and amused and fond, Maglor drifting over quietly to watch ]

[bythewaves]

A: New Imladris

He never went to Imladris, in reality - he never dared, not beyond skirting the borders and creeping through the woods. But this isn't Arda, and there is no one he can hurt, here.

(Probably. He hopes)

So he wanders the woods, voice softly singing (golden woods, golden leaves, things that pass) wandering ever closer and closer to the house.

B: Feast

They are not strangers, anymore. It is amazing what forcing folk to work together will do. Maglor nibbles and watches the crowd fondly, more than eating himself - he never really has had much of an appetite, and can be coaxed into telling songs or tales, if one asks.

[ofthewild]

Imladris wasn't a place Celegorm had ever had the chance to visit, but as soon as he was brought through that strange portal, the trees called to him, so there he went. He heard a familiar voice and followed the song, a grin growing. Soon he was running, steps wolf-light and swift and eventually he'd barrel into Maglor with a sudden boom of laughter and arms reaching to clutch at his older brother.

"Is this where you have been hiding, brother?"

[bythewaves]

He's easy to surprise, now - he can't hear, the way he used to. But he's still on a trigger finger, as it were, and his instinctive reaction to sudden arms are to try and break free, only to still with abrupt suddeness, eyes wide and breath short.

"T-tyelko?" His voice shakes. Damn. He hasn't lost control like that in years.

"I... Celegorm?"

Because I can. <3

[castintoflames]

The sight of pale hair awakens memories. Old memories. Maedhros follows at a distance, craving to see more. His face...

Let me see your face!

His eyes burn and well with tears when he sees Celegorm's features at long last. But he dares not approach. He has not earned that.

All the same, he will keep him safe.

[castintoflames]

The voice draws him like an impressive lure. He knows it, understands its highs and lows, but to hear it again is surely a miracle! Or a hallucination. Maedhros doesn't even see his surroundings as he follows his ears.

And then he is there. He feels his lungs expand with new breath; his first breath in this new land.

"Kano..."

[bythewaves]

Maglor freezes, spinning at a voice he hasn't heard outside of imagination and nightmare in millenia, staring wildly at a ghost.

"....Nelyo?"

[utulien_aure]

If there's ever a good time to be kindnapped, Fingon muses as he wanders through this lovely valley, ten minutes before an extended meeting on the Barad Eithel yearly budget might qualify.

An hour before might have been even better- it turns out heavy court robes aren't the best garb for exploring outside, who would've thought-but really, as nothing terrible seems to have happened he'll take the strange relocation as an unexpected blessing. For some time he just wanders, idly listening to the music of the nearby woods.

Music, music...wait, he knows that music. Quite well, in fact- but what is his cousin doing wherever this place is?

"Maglor? Is that you?"

[bythewaves]

Maglor wanders the woods without really expecting any company - he created Rivendell from distant memories, but he was not actually expecting company.

Particularly not this company.

He freezes at a voice that he hasn't heard in millenia, turning to scan the woods.

"Who... who's there?"

It can't be him. Surely

[lordofimladris]

Side by side walk two identical elves, dark of hair and fair of face. One is looking around in excitement, with the other maintaining a sterner demeanor (though still looking around with some amusement, he's just more subtle about it than the other!)

"It has the feel of Imladris, Elrond, but don't you think the Hall is a bit small?"

Elros gets a brow raise from Elrond. "I should think you would be more concerned by the lack of the stables beyond a few fanciful imaginings!"

The younger laughs, leaning companionably against the other. "I wondered when you would bring that up!"

Acting as if neither of them can hear the song drifting closer.

[bythewaves]

Maglor can't hear them, he doesn't know they're there. But he's drawn down to the house anyway, wanting to see.

He doesn't spot them until he crosses the bridge and comes into the main courtyard, at which time he freezes, looks as if he's going to run.

ZTD Spoilers in the first paragraph.

[poorlovefool]

[It's taken Eric an incredibly long time to get over the shock of everything that happened up until now, to the point where he could barely move or dare to hope. But eventually, without creating anything, he opened up a simple portal to his world to decide once and for all what he would do with himself after this. He was stunned to find himself in Mira's cell - she was just as surprised, what with the swirling vortex he stepped out of - and before he knew it he was holding her and sobbing grossly until she finally got fed up and demanded an explanation for his sudden disappearance "And what's with that entrance?" Prison was even more boring with the increased security, and their understandable refusal to let Sean anywhere near the place again. Eric explained as best he could (showing her his light powers, enduring her weird stares, just seeing any face she made was so lovely he could cry all over again) - he tried his best to sound suave when he said he would take her away. The feedback was mixed, to say the least... but in the end, they departed for the new world, and he promised Mira he would take Sean here too so the team could be together. There was free travel between worlds, so they could even work on finding the terrorist this way. He tries not to think about the fact that the 15 of them went on a killing spree and destroyed a universe, thus making them possibly worse than that guy.... accidents happen....

So now he's at the table with them, feeding Gab sausages (Gab's existence could not be undone, he refused) and chatting. Sparkles float softly around his head. This is the happiest Eric's ever looked... ever felt, probably. Even though he did some horrible things, and his time here was a hell from start to finish... the ability to give his loved ones paradise, that makes it worth it to him. He's made it clear that he'll use the Tower to create whatever they want.

But now that everything is peaceful, he could finally be made to talk about certain things, like... the fact that he tried to get everyone killed on multiple occasions for a motive that turned out to be a complete hoax...!! So feel free to yell at him or punch him, or just say hello to his charming family.]

[bythewaves]

Is this your lady wife?

[ Maglor moves as silent as ever, but there is no condemnation in his eyes, only curiosity ]

[lookbetter]

I don't look like a gentleman wife to you, do I?

[The woman lightly flips her hair with her left hand, which happens to show the silver band on her ring finger, as she gets up. Once she steps forward, her clothing combined with a distinctive gait leaves little ambiguity about her feminine figure. She extends her right hand for Maglor to shake.]

Yes, Eric's my husband. You can call me Mira. Charmed to meet you.

[toerr]

[It's quite clear, quite obviously, that the most charming of the bunch of the little boy with the large, circular helmet in place of where a head should be. Okay, so he looks pretty unsettling, but just look at how happy his body language is! He's practically bouncing in his seat, beside himself as he watches Eric and pets Gab.]

Wow, Eric...you look so cool!

[Everything really worked out for the best, somehow, didn't it?]

[lookbetter]

For once.

[She's just telling it like it is. Sitting in close proximity to both her two teammates seems to have a pretty calming effect on Mira. It's been way too long since they could all talk like this. Which of course means she has to make fun of the not so cool moments that occurred back then.]

[defriendestration]

[Well, there is one person who looks happy. Spaghetti get!

...]

SO, THIS IS WHAT SPAGHETTI TASTES LIKE....

[poorlovefool]

[Eric's been wondering for a while... he knew Papyrus didn't actually eat spaghetti, but he imagined the spaghetti, so does this magic spaghetti even taste right? He is afraid to try. He will just ask for now.]

I can't believe you made a mountain of the stuff when you didn't even know... Is it good?