gondolindrim | In which I meet Theodred and a horrible cat

So! Today's my day off so I decided I deserved some not made by me food and went to the cafe near my apartment that actually serves non-whatever the heck that meat that the elves keep carting in that comes in the shape of huge deer things with branched out horns, among other animals.

And then I saw a goblin! Well, not a goblin. I think. Just a really ugly cat. But it looked all mangy and hungry and I thought, who'd feed a cat like that? And I don't eat fish, but I bet he does...

Theo: *looking over the menu, one eye on the matted black ball of fur behind a post* ...and I'd like some of *gives up on pronouncing the name of the dish* fish, please.

Waiter: *nods and goes back into the cafe, returning shortly with the food*

Theo: *puts some of the fish on the ground and uses the tip of his sword to scoot it further as subtly as he can towards the cat*

Dagnir: *pokes his head out, eyeing Theo but darts forward to steal the bit of fish and then settles himself at Theo's feet to demand more loudly*

Theo: oh, this was a bad plan

Dred: *poking around town, looking totally confused here, then spots a cafe.* Okay. That works. I can at least figure out what the hell's going on.

Theo: *doing battle with Dagnir, who keeps pawing at his leg for more* I have none! None! All I have is salad. Do you want salad?

Dagnir: mrwoooooOOWwwll

Theo: liar

Dred: *Okay, whaat the...Watches for a second*

Dred: *bets on the cat to win this*

Theo: *shows Dagnir a piece of spinach* Look. LOOK. This is what you're demanding

Dagnir: *sniffs, then sits down and starts licking himself*

Theo: *turns his head so Dred can see his face properly and mutters something about cats*

Dred: *okay. Don't freak. There's lots of good reeasons for someone to have that close a physical resemblance to his father. Really* Always want what people have, huh?

Theo: And to think I felt sorry for the little bully. *smiles at Dred, because guards are FRIENDLY and put on a good SHOW and also because of normal friendliness*

Dred: Well, he IS kind of cute. Kind of.

Dagnir: *looks up at Dred, one fang sticking out, matted fur everywhere and his evil orange eyes* moooowwwww

Dred: Hey, cat. Oh wow, your face uh... okay., Cute's maybe not a good word.

Theo: I've only seen cats like him in Gondor. *pokes Dagnir with his foot* Was there a Gondor for you?

Dagnir: *starts attacking Theo's boot, but not viciously*

Dred: Oh thank Eru.

Dred: I'm not insane and didn't wander here out of madness.

Theo: *alert!* You just got here?

Dred: I uh...yeah.

Dred: So this is a thing?

Theo: yes! Oh. Um. I'm sorry, I didn't even realize, one second *tries to get up quickly and avoid stepping on the cat at the same time and basically ends up heading straight for the ground* waugh!

Dred: Oh geez. *steps in there to help*

Theo: *holds onto Dred's arm and pulls himself out* Argh. Sorry. Sorry. Um. Hi, I'm Theoden and I'm here to uh, help.

Dred: You're uh...Here to help! that's great. Cause I could definitely use that.

Theo: *straightens up and re-arranges his chainmail* Okay. Follow me, I'll take you to the red building. You want to go there. *puts money on the table and heads off, expecting Dred to follow*

Dred: On my way. *okay. So dad's younger than me. that's...yeah. ...The hell do I tell him about all of this? Act natural. Totally act natural* Soo...you've been here a while or?"

Theo: about six months now. If you're looking for a job, the guard's nice and they like Rohirrim. I mean, I assume you're one. Urdars look a little like us, so you might be one of those and I'm sorry if I've gotten confused. Um. *twists his braid as he thinks* Anyway, it's cause we tell the truth a lot. *brief flash of a guilty look* But it pays well. This place is called Gondolin, by the way. A long time before the dragons ate it

Dred: Yeah, yeah I definitely am from Rohan actually. Dred, by the way. Are any of us good liars at all? Cause I don't think anybody's ever believed me when I tried.

Theo: Terrible liars. Elves like that.

Dred: I can see that. So. we've been eaten by the dragons and gone to the city in their gut or what?

Theo: oh no. No dragons yet, and hopefully no dragons ever. Um. You fell out of time.

Dagnir: *following behind them, tail swaying*

Dred: Fell out of time. That's...is this even real?

Theo: I can pinch you, if you wanna be sure. I'm from the third age. This is the first age.

Dred: That's where I'm from,. third age but I think a bit further off

Theo: third age is pretty big

Dred: Oh yeah it IS. Massive. So uh...what age is this again? The elf stuff? I never really paid attention.

Theo: first age. Three hundred years in. The actual humans in this time still live in tribes. I don't greet people that often, so give me a moment here... Okay. You're going to be given housing and time to get a job or education to help. Are you royalty? *curious* I mean, your clothes are nice.

Theo: Ruling royalty has an express invitation to work with the king to help govern the humans

Dred: Yeah from a while down the line. Not that it's a thing or anything. I mean... *shakes head* I don't know if I wnat to be.
maidrostall: want it*

Theo: oh. You are royalty? *blinks*

Dred: Yeah, minor though.

Theo: how minor?

Dred: you know, related to people noble kind of thing

Theo: oh, so not like, a ruler? *looking a little paranoid*

Dred: *decides to go with this* More like a occasionally get asked advice about decisions yeah *since that IS true*

Theo: oh, okay. No, you've gotta be higher than that. *was worried he was talking to someone who might know who he was* We're still going to the red building. They have apartments for people in small groups or alone. They're nice. They're full of stuff the elves have been getting from the future, and stuff that I've only seen in Dol Amroth, like indoor plumbing

Dred: Okay awesome. I'm not good with people anyway so that would have been a clusterfuck. Future?

Theo: Yeah. There's a timeline they're going to give you at the red building, to help figure out exactly where you are to help you adjust

Dred: Ooh useful. So I can just kind of pick and choose

Theo: hm? *climbs the steps to a large red building*

Dred: Oh along the timeline I mean

Dred: Wait. does this mean I'll know the future if Isee the timeline? Cause...weird.

Theo: yeah. It's... kinda scary. All I know about mine was there was a huge war, I haven't checked the historical details for it. I didn't want to know. But I like the really far off stuff. Sometimes we get books and other stuff that the scribes translate and make more of and it has things like big metal boats that go up to space.

Theo: it turns out it's a lot different up there than I thought

Dred: That'd...yeah. We were in the middle of one. Space? as in...*wavs hand in front of him and around*

Theo: yeah. It turns out the Valar put a lot of work into things

Dred: Go figure.

Theo: I think it's cool. *pushes at the door before realizing it's pull, caught up in talking to Dred*

Theo: argh. Come on. Come in. *sets him up with a clerk*

Dred: *heads in and starts sort of squinting at documents the clerk has*

Theo: you can read, right?

Dred: Oh yeah. Yeah, just not... *pushes himself in a little closer and actually picks up the stuff to look at* Okay. THAT'S better.

Dred: *kinda absently while checking dates* Yeah that had just... I think somewhere about there. *points at a spot on a timeline* Whatever that is. Sorry. It's small.

Clerk: Ahh. *picks out the correct adjusting pamphlets and hands them over and gets a welcome kit* You will take him to his new home, yes?

Theo: Yes, ma'am

Clerk: very good

Dred: Oh thanks. *eying stuff* wow this is detailed

Theo: pay attention to the food stuff. Trust me on that one

Theo: if you have trouble reading any of it, they'd assign someone to help you through it

Dred: Oh I should be okay. *firm nod. Will MAKE himself be okay* Just don't do MUCH of it at home so might be a little slower.

Theo: yeah. If you hadn't said you were noble, I would have asked at the start for an assistant. We Rohirrim aren't big on the written word *frown*

Dred: I should be okay though. *firm nod* But I'll keep the rest in mind. *isn't sure if he should risk looking stupid by being slow, or should just pretend to BE stupid to get someone or...decides he doesn't want people thinking that*

Theo: *checks the address* oh! This is the same building as me. I hope you don't turn out to be a serial killer now

Dred: Me too. That would be all kinds of unfortunate. I mean just thinking about how awkward the parties might get

Theo: It's bad enough I think that cat is going to eat me now.

Dred: Well, hopefully you find more bribes for him before then.

Theo: yeah. *looks back*

Dagnir: *mrowls and hurries up to walk beside them*

Theo: it's a nice building. There's a courtyard with trees that flower in the spring

Dred: That's a good thing. Courtyards can be nice...

Theo: Yeah, it'll probably work out for you here.