...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

[castintoflames]

Time is meaningless to him in the Halls. It passes beyond, but never within. He has become accustomed to being a particularly bright shade.

But now he is in the full light of the Sun again. His senses haven't adjusted and he doubts they ever will.

"I am. I was." yet he feels he has lost the right to that nickname, "Are you real?"

[bythewaves]

He can't hear, so Maglor stumbles forwards, reaching out. He needs to touch, he needs to know.

"Are you?"

[castintoflames]

Instinctively, he hurries forward, catching him mid-stride. Once his mind catches up with his actions, it's too late. He can't revoke what was given.

"More or less." he swallows with difficulty, "Where are we?"

[bythewaves]

Touch and Maglor crushes his brother too him, never mind the voice at the back of his head scolding that Maedhros doesn't always do well with touch, drags him as close as he can, buries his face in his shoulder.

"Real. Oh Eru, you're real, you're here!"

[castintoflames]

And just like that - he can't breathe. His lungs begin to ache, his chest to clench, his muscles to scream and all of those reactions have nothing to do with what is going on inside of his head.

Smoke and shadow... Chains binding him... Too weak to move... Is that his blood or someone else's? It's no use. He will have to resort to using his teeth if they come for him again.

His vision clouds with the past until a small breeze blows some dark strands of hair into his face. In one motion, he relaxes and takes a deep, shaky breath.

"...y-yes. I am."

[bythewaves]

Maglor notes the tenseness, but only when Maedhros answers him can he manage to unclench his own hands and release his brother it turn, looking up.

"You died"

You left me

[castintoflames]

Maglor might let go, but Maedhros suddenly finds himself unwilling to follow suit. His hands - for he has two of them - touch his brother's face, his hair, his shoulders...

"I jumped. There was fire, pain and then a cool shadow. I only understood what I had done then."

After his body had burned away.

[bythewaves]

Maglor leans into those hands looking up and marvelling at a face he has known for so long with scars now free of them.

"You left me alone."

He accuses softly, sadly and then sobs and reaches for him again.

"I missed you so much. You're really here? I didn't make a dream appear by wishing?"

He can't hear him, it hurts, he should be able to tell.

[castintoflames]

He is free of the physical marks of what had befallen him over his long previous years, but his soul is not so lucky. His guilt is so heavy that he expects it will crush him.

But not if Maglor needs him. He cannot hurt him again.

"I'm sorry." he gathers him into a tight embrace, shaking, "No. Your dreams are not within my scope to fulfill. I am real, Kano." his brow furrows, "Can you not hear me?"

[bythewaves]

"No." He whimpers, clinging to the safety of his brother's arms, admitting weakness he cannot to the children here.

"They took my music."

[castintoflames]

Hot rage rises up to fill the void in his chest and he cradles the back of Maglor's head as if he is...precious. Absolutely precious. How dare they!

"Show me to them."

[bythewaves]

"Dead." Maglor says with ferocious pleasure.

"Tore out her throat."

With his teeth, but he's not telling Maedhros that, unless he's directly confronted.

[castintoflames]

He breathes out and turns, kissing the side of Maglor's head.

"...tore?"

That isn't the descriptor he would expect.

"You did well." in more ways than he can name, "Should they resurrect, I shall do the tearing."

[bythewaves]

Maglor hums with a vicious pleasure most would find odd in the normally gentle bard.

"She hurt us all, here. There are children, Nelyo."

[castintoflames]

"She is deserving! I do not blame you. But tearing? I am curious." he peers at his brother, searching, wondering, "Are the children well?"

[bythewaves]

"........" Maglor looks away.

"The children are as well as can be expected."

Which is an evasion, but hopefully one his brother will accept.

[castintoflames]

Once, he had the right to push for answers. That is no longer the case. Maedhros touches Maglor's cheek with light fingertips.

"What of my brother?"

[bythewaves]

"...................I manage."

He has to, after all.

"They... changed us."

[castintoflames]

"Tell me?" he nudged his nose against Maglor's temple, gazing fixedly at him, "It weighs on you; I can see that."

[bythewaves]

He can't refuse his brother. He never has been able to.

"Don't run?"

He begs quietly.

"Please."

Pulling back and skin shivers into fur, the massive grey werewolf flattening himself, ears down and tail between his legs to whine softly at his brother.

[castintoflames]

Just as he could never turn away from his brother. Not again. Not ever. His forehead furrows and he readies himself insomuch as he can...

Only to see the Dark creature his brother has become. No, he doesn't run; it doesn't occur to him, but he is incredibly sad.

"Don't cower." Maedhros rubs a hand over his brother's now furry neck, working his way up to his ear, "I can see the use of this skin, but the implications?"

Is Maglor himself?

[bythewaves]

The wolf leans into the gentle hand and then shivers back into Maglor, clinging tight to his brother's hand.

"Once a day." He whispers. "They call me the 'hunter'. They put something inside me. Inside all of us - something different. They wanted... they wanted us to kill each other."

[castintoflames]

He curses in ancient Quenya under his breath, his form taking on a mad, angry light.

"They are gone? Extinguished painfully?" Maedhros has some talent for torture - long and drawn out - if not. The clinging breaks his heart and he pulls Maglor close again.

"I'm here now. They won't do it again."

[bythewaves]

"I tried to protect them. I couldn't... poor Yusuke! He was so brave. An accident, but they made us condemn him to death. He went so bravely. An artists heart, but they gave him the ability to inflict madness."

Maglor doesn't flinch - that flame is familiar, comforting.

"Yes. They gave me the wolf. They should have known better." He had turned those teeth and claws against them, in the end.

[castintoflames]

"We have more than enough of madness without someone inflicting it upon us." he inspects Maglor's features, grasping and looking over his hands as well, "I am glad they were fools."

Maedhros only has enough energy to care for his little brother right now. While he will remember the name Yusuke, he does not look concerned over his fate.