From: tuivana	Date: 05/13/2007 16:10:23

*wanders throughout town looking for volunteers (quote-unquote)*

*stops for a moment to compute your identity*

*stares unsettlingly as she does so*

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 16:15:07

*pencil-scratches his third tic-tac-toe board in the margin of the Classifieds*

*notices you out of his peripheral vision*

...Can I help you?

	From: tuivana	Date: 05/13/2007 16:17:55

*smiles brightly* You certainly may. You'd be perfect!

*comes over and sits right down next to you* *decidedly* Someone as technomystically gifted as you must have given at least some thought to superhuman enhancements.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 16:24:48

*didn't actually mean that as an invite, uh, um...*

*retreats one inch further to the other side*

superhuman enhancements

o.o

Enhancements? No, I go pretty low-tech these days. *holds up his HB-lead-pencil*

	From: tuivana	Date: 05/13/2007 16:28:52

*takes the sort-of-proferred pencil and looks at it for a moment*

*shakes it and holds it up to her ear*

More's the pity. That unfortunate incident with Aulendil was a bit off, I'll give you that. But it's best to get right back on the superconductive magnetic infindibulator, I always say. *smoothly* I'm Vána, by the way.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 16:36:00

*hopes you'll give that back* *the eraser was worn down just the right softness* :s

unfortunate incident with Aulendil was a bit off

*feels his insides knot* *thinks you've got an interesting definition of smalltalk*

*wonders if he's on candid camera somewhere* Uh, thanks?

*in semi-awed confusion* Nice to meet you.

	From: tuivana	Date: 05/13/2007 16:44:29

*does indeed hand the pencil back to you, seemingly disappointed in its performance*

*amiably* You're welcome. *rapid-fire* Have you just now arrived in Menegroth? It's very impressive, even if the flowers tend to suffer some. I've made some striking advancements in robotics lately. Oh, but you're used to caves, of course. I believe you'll find a few familiar faces here. Would you like to meet the Chipses sometime? I'd stay away from Larry's if I could help it. They're my androids. The Chipses, not Larry's.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 16:52:36

*takes all that in as best he can*

*nods, blinking*

Yes? Just got a train in. Just seeing if there's any work, I work on cars these days. *hesitantly* But I don't think I'll stay long. The city's really... not for me.

familiar faces

*doesn't stop to ask you who those might be* X( ... *half-wonders if Celeborn's around though, he'd be safe for a coffee*

They're my androids

*eyebrows lift* Oh. *conscientiously, given who he's speaking to* They must be very advanced.

	From: tuivana	Date: 05/13/2007 17:01:02

I don't think I'll stay long

No? Well, do look up Oromë and me if you're so inclined. And out in the woods, obviously. He'd be tickled to have some children to play with. *pauses, thinking* Don't mind the guns.

Here. I'll write down the coordinates for you. *plucks the pencil from your hand again and scribbles something on your paper* *fondly* I know you Kids have trouble with memory accesses sometimes.

They must be very advanced.

*without a shred of false modesty* Oh, yes, I like to think so. Just trying to bring a little convenience to the world. You know how it is if you're responsible for those lovely automobiles.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 17:10:04

*watches your movements as you do so*

*is a little flattered, despite the discomfort* Thanks. That's really nice of you to offer. *files away that note about the guns* o.o

those lovely automobiles

*suddenly feels like a kid talking about his homework* Yeah. It's satisfying? When it all works?

	From: tuivana	Date: 05/13/2007 17:14:24

*handwaves* It's nothing, really.

*sympathetically* And when it doesn't work?

*following a passerby with her eyes* Some people were born to have infrared vision. I really believe that.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 17:26:20

And when it doesn't work?

*shrugs and thinks* Just keep trying, I guess. *is still talking about machines here, not the rest of his life*

Some people were born to have infrared vision

*thinks that's a heck of a nonsequiter*
*only half-seriously* Yeah, well, maybe the next generation. ;)

	From: tuivana	Date: 05/13/2007 17:29:13

*in hushed tones* No, no, really. Like that woman there. *points*

*hurries away toward her*

*...*

*turns on her heel and walks back to you* *hands over your pencil again with an apologetic smile* See you soon!

*rushes off again*

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 17:34:27

*takes it back*

Sure. Bye.

*watches you rush off* :?

*tears off the corner you wrote on and sticks it in his shirt pocket*

*looks down the street and back*

*finds he really does wonder what you meant by "familiar faces"*

*goes for a walk with the rest of his coffee, still sticking to the side-streets*

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 17:33:37

*walks right by you on her way home from her favorite out-of-the-trodden-path lingerie boutique, laden with bags*

*sort of shuffles one step when she wonders if she's just seen who she thinks she's seen*

*slows down a little and tries to see any sort of reflection in the surrounding store windows without actually whipping her head around to look at you*

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 17:38:34

*keeps his head down as he half-bumps into you*

*only really catches the back of your head*

*calls as he keeps going* Sorry, sorry about that...

*goes only as far as the next garbage can to toss his coffee cup away*

*stops and holds the newspaper up against a store wall, circling something he wants to remember* *"trouble with memory accesses", hah*

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 17:43:01

*finally does turn partway around as her curiosity gets the best of her*

*gives a tiny involuntary gasp and claps her hand over her mouth*

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 17:47:51

*chews on his thumbnail and tries to figure out where these places are*

*looks around and sees (the back of) you still looking into the store across the way*

Excuse me? Do you know which way is L-street? L and... *checks the paper* ...32nd?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 17:53:53

*swallows* *faces you and takes exactly one step closer to you*

*tries to smile and pretty much fails* *stiffly* Yes, sure. L is three blocks that way— *raises her hand to point and drops it again quickly* —and if you follow it east you'll...you'll just...oh eru.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 18:02:16

*nods, half-looking at the ad* Uh-huh, so if I just go--

*looks up to see where you're pointing*

*doesn't really notice your exact features at first from a few paces away*

---East.

*suddenly finds himself devoid of the power of speech*

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 18:06:51

*gives the smile another go and comes up with something passable* 'Brimbor. Hi. *shifts her weight to her other foot and hugs herself*





How are you?

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 18:13:48

*wonders if it's at all possible at this point to keep up that whole "aunt/friend-of-the-family" pretense he used to be fed*

*dry swallows*

'M fine. Just got here. Looking for work. Uh, yeah.

*backs up a step, instinctively, and sort of half-stumbles over the garbage can*

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 18:23:28

*thinks she'd be pretty happy with whatever you felt like going with at this point, really*

Oh? Oh. Um? I'm sure there's plenty to be had around here. For somebody like you. *wonders if that could have possibly sounded any more inane*

half-stumbles

*reaches out to you reflexively* Oh! Youokaythere? *wHeEzE*

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 18:29:27

*very hastily rights himself again, seeing you reach out*

Yeah, yeahfine.

*starts to roll his newspaper up into a scroll, fidgeting*

Yeah there's a couple places looking for someone, I mean, there's more here than in the suburbs, must be the market or something...

*looks everywhere but directly at you* You, um. You been here long? And is my father anywhere near you?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 20:25:57

*doesn't try overly hard to meet your eyes, either* Ah. Well, it's a big city, all right. Although the suburbs aren't bad, either, really. Not that you should move to the suburbs or anything. Or that you shouldn't. Or...yeah. So.

*rubs the back of her neck* Yes, I've been here a few years now. It's not Nargothrond, but the people are clean nice enough and pay well. *pauses, wondering if she should mention running into Curufin again*

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 20:38:50

*isn't going to ask about his fath-- Curufin*

*isn't, isn't*

*clears his throat* No, no, I mean, they're quieter out there. Quiet's good. Less gossip.

*mumbles* Lookslikeyou'redoingwell.

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 20:43:04

they're quieter out there

*smiles a little despite herself* True enough.

*her smile fading quickly* I've had some ups and downs lately, same as anyone. Mostly downs. *laughs nervously* What is it they say? I have my health?

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 20:54:15

*grasps at conversation* Yeah, but here there's like, Valar, too? And they come up and talk to you? Does that happen a lot.

*tucks the paper away and stuffs his hands in his pockets*

had some ups and downs lately

Oh. *frowns a little* *feels some concern and is very confused by it* *nods and looks at the ground* Yeah, you should, um, take care of yourself and all. So they say. Health.

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 21:09:11

*looks faintly amused* I guess? I suppose it depends on the Vala. Some of them have changed a lot since Arda. Some are entirely new. *sighs sadly*

*hates that she's clearly making you so uncomfortable* *hates that she hates that, too*

*softly* Look, let me...give you my number, okay? *digs around in her handbag for paper and pen* That way if you need, well, anything...? Or you can just throw it away later if you want to.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 21:13:25

*hesitates just slightly* Okay, yeah, that's cool. I mean I don't have a cell or anything, but, um, you know I'm sure eventually when I'm nowhere near town settled and stuff...

*does his best to be patient while you scribble something down*

*has to blurt it out, can't really help it*

I didn't come here for him. If that's what you're thinking. I don't even want-- want to see him. Just looking for work. That's all.

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 21:20:52

*very quickly* I'd like that. I mean, I'd like to know whenever...

*pauses writing mid-number and looks straight at you for the first time* No, no, I wasn't thinking...I'm not sure what I was thinking. *finishes writing her number and offers the paper to you tentatively, her hand shaking just the tiniest bit* He's not here. *rambling a little* He was here, about a week ago? I saw him. And I guess he was thinking of coming back at some point. But he doesn't live here or anything. I think he's in Himlad with Celegorm.

*before she can stop herself* I-was-under-a-lot-of-pressure-to— *clams up, horrified to hear the words coming out of her mouth* Sorry. I'm sorry. That's...it doesn't make any difference in the end.

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 21:28:31

*takes the paper quickly*

*shifts his weight from foot to foot*

in Himlad

Yeah figures. *is kind of relieved, can cross that off the "to hide from"-list* *is also pretty glad he doesn't have a phone, so no one can find him*

I-was-under-a-lot-of-pressure-to

*tenses up, equally horrified* *awkwardly hushed* No, it's fine, it's... whatever. Not gonna change it now, right?

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 21:36:18

*steps back a little abruptly and picks up her bags from where she set them down on the sidewalk*

*figures there's probably no point in prolonging any of this, that it's best to leave the ball in your court*

*realizes she's terrified that she may have to face you again and equally terrified that she might not*

*her voice sounding oddly hollow to her ears* Right. Too late and all.

*forcing the words out* You take care of yourself, all right? *turns and starts to walk away before you can say anything else* *bites her lip until it bleeds*

	From: handofsilver	Date: 05/13/2007 21:42:56

*watches you start to rush off*

*feels like he should say something* *wants to say something but can't get any words out*

You take care of yourself, all right?

*confused earnestness* Yeah. Yeah, okay.

*leans his head on his arm on the store wall, thoughts swimming*

*really doesn't care where L street is anymore*

	From: ivrinsun	Date: 05/13/2007 21:46:20

*makes it around the corner before wilting completely*

*sits down heavily on a bench and scolds herself for...she's not entirely sure what*

*thinks she's never felt so alone in her life*