savetheearth | [Closed] To the Bottle I Go

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[Closed] To the Bottle I Go

Who: Gabriel, Eliot, Teagan and Thorin
When: Evening of the 7th
Where: Gabriel's flat and then a bar crawl
What: The adult Tolkiens go out for drinks
Warnings: Hopefully there won't need to be one for Thorir and Teagan being childish but I'll put a warning for it just in case.

Gabriel's flat is one of the few things that he's sunk his money into for his personal pleasure. It's a penthouse maisonette in a small block in one of the nicer areas of town, full of gardens and green areas. Gabriel chose it for the simple reason that the roof was part of the price, and he's been able to turn it into patio garden. Not that they'll be using it in mid winter. It's open planned and full of glass, light and airy, not unlike the man himself, and unsurprisingly filled with potted plants. There's also the lingering scent of athelas in the air, the plant on his kitchen window sill.

His plans for the evening are very loose. He has wine and glasses set out in the living room to start with, and once they're all assembled and his friends have had a chance to relax from their working days they can head to a bar he knows in town that does particularly good mocktails (and, he's been assured, cocktails. They're also an expert in fine wine, and are supplied by a local microbrewery, so he hopes that will keep everyone happy). From there, they can move on if needsbe, stay, or his friends are always welcome back at his house.

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Relaxing a little, Gabriel offers his friends a smile. He doesn't like the mood that this evening has taken - this is not what he hoped for. "I remember somewhere that I think mine must have called home." He offers, voice softening. Even if the memory's been tainted somewhat by the echo that Thorir caused this morning, there's still overwhelming fondness there. And after all, he's not sure exactly what happened with the most recent echo so he can still hope that it wasn't there.

"It was a house in a valley, well lit, beautifully made. I don't remember much in detail, more the sense of home, but it seemed like a nice place to live. So things can't have been that bad, if they were able to build and maintain a place like that."

"I remember Rivendell. A place in a valley as well, perhaps similar to the place you remember, Gabriel," he said thoughtfully. "It was a peaceful place of beauty, light, and knowledge," Eliot said almost wistfully. It was strange how he could be homesick for a place he knew he had never been to before. Yet at the same time, it was still home.

Thorir will listen to both of them; there are no memories of his that show even remote similarity to this that he has. "How are you sure that it is not the same place that you speak of? Eliot, your description sounds like a place that one would like to call home." Sure, it's a long shot, but the descriptions are similar.

Recognising the name, Gabriel frowns. "That was one of the places that Killian mentioned, wasn't it?" He asks, trying to remember. He could look it up, but it'd be a bit rude to take out his phone now with guests.

"They could be the same. I suppose time will tell! I would like to remember more about it. Where ever it was it seemed like a good place to call home."

"Yes, his mention is what triggered the memory for myself," Eliot said with a nod to Gabriel.

"It might be, it was a place that anyone could call home, a place of peace with many waterfalls and fountains isolated from the rest of the world," he said thoughtfully. "But I agree, I want to know more about Rivendell as well," he said with a smile.

"Yes, along with Bag End, Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins." He can't connect anything with any of those, which is almost a bit sad - if they and Killian are from the same world, he kind of hopes that he is as well, but so far nothing aside form the general fantasy setting points there. And that is just too bland to build on it. "...have you tried to find someone to paint it for you? A visual trigger may add to the name in ways that let you, or others, remember more about it."

A painting is a good idea, and Gabriel considers it, but eventually shakes his head. "My memory is too vague to describe well enough to paint, I think. It was the emotions connected to the place that I felt more strongly than any visuals.

You seem to remember yours better, though, Eliot? I'm not sure how you'd explain something like that to someone off the network, but there are all sorts on it, we could possibly find someone talented enough to make a painting like that on it."

"I think I could describe it, that's a really good idea. Perhaps a visual would help you remember your place if they are similar, Gabriel?" Eliot suggests. "I will have to seek someone out for us to work with then."

"If it was the same place, it is likely that the two of you were related, or at least of the same race." They don't exactly look alike now, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't pulse back similarities at some point.

And thinking of what Gabriel told him in that regard...

Gabriel grins and tosses his hair. "Unless one of us is going to change hair colour I doubt we're related." He points out. But, well. It could be true. He does look at Eliot thoughtfully, not sure what that would mean. It'd be nice, probably. But.

"There's no point thinking about that, though. If it's true we'll find out sooner or later. We should certainly see about getting some paintings done. At any rate, it seems like a nice place to have a painting of, so it won't end badly whether it's the same place or not!"

"Perhaps distantly related? Or even just from the same place?" Eliot said as he tucked a strand of black hair behind one ear. He wouldn't mind being related to Gabriel or Thorir.

"I can find us a suitable artist soon then," Eliot said as he took out his phone to put a note on his calendar so it wouldn't slip his mind later.

"Relatives don't have to look similar, just look at Killian and Fil -" He pauses, and then looks at Gabriel. "I have told you about this, haven't I?" He has told Eliot, that much is for sure, but when Gabriel came over last night there were other things on his mind, and now he cannot retell anymore if he mentioned the boy being his nephew to the blond.

"From the same place maybe. Either way, there doesn't seem much sense speculating. We'll find out." Gabriel says, smiling. If they are, it'll be nice, if not then Eliot is still his friend. Either way he'll be happy.

"What's this about Fil and Killian, though?" He asks, frowning. He's aware that Thorir seems to have taken the boy under his wing, and is glad for it, since he seems like a good lad, but he seems to imply something closer to home.

"In due time, I'm sure," Eliot agreed as he sipped his wine. He only hoped their friendships would endure future Echoes, as they became more of who they once were. But he decided he would cross that bridge when, or if, he got there, until sitting back as the other two talked.

So he hasn't.

"You remember my younger brother Hjalti? You must have met him at least once or twice when he was visiting me in London." He puts the glass down on the couch table, carefully. "He ...vanished roughly two decades ago." He's not sure how exactly Gabriel knows Killian's age, but 'roughly twenty' is probably obvious. "I knew that his fiancée at that time was pregnant, but I wouldn't have thought to ever meet that child." But he did, and found out after employing him, and it's ridiculous. Even more so than this whole network business. "Until Killian showed me a picture of his parents yesterday."

Gabriel has a good memory for faces, but it was a long time ago and he met a lot of people at the time. But he dredges something up from his memory (remembers how many similarities he saw between the brothers and how it amused him more than the other boy - man now - himself).

The tale makes him snort, shaking his head. "Of all the coincidences... so there are three in your family on the network. How did he take it?" There are worse people to be related to (on both sides) he's sure, but poor Killian, finding out he's related to the Thorssons of all people, one of the tallest families around.

"That's so far, who knows if anyone else may show up in the future," Eliot said thoughtfully. So many of his friends were now included, perhaps it would only be a matter of time before more from either family started showing up.

"He needs time, but I think we're good." It's the best description that he can give right now - hell, he needs time himself. He's made up his mind on how to treat the boy, but he's not nearly as sure about how he feels about the whole thing, or how he is even supposed to think about it. The part that needed action is taken care of, but the thinking... "He looks a lot like his mother, but a bit like his father too - the eyes, and something in his jawline." He's not going to comment on the height, but yeah, the only ones in the family shorter than Killian really are Inger's kids right now. And who knows for how long.

He'll throw a short look at Eliot. Things that he hopes won't happen: This. "Two of the kids is two too many. Don't get me wrong, they are wonderful boys and I'd rather have them by my side than somewhere else, but I'd rather know them safe than that." However safe one can be in the city these days. He'd really rather not get more of the kids in his family involved - there are too many in his family, and more to return to the city, to think lightly of that.

"I'm not sure that it's much safer to be off network." Gabriel says, with a small frown. "Not with the way that things seem to be going. At least we have the chance of echoing some way of defending ourselves. Although Killian told me that he thinks that his past self was a dwarf, so I can't imagine that he'll be echoing back... fireballs or anything any time soon. I suppose being able to use a bow is still better than nothing." He pauses, looking at his friends. "My eye sight has been improving lately. More so than I expected from just getting younger. It's not the same, but it seems like it'll be helpful should anything happen."

"It makes me glad, as much as I may miss them, that Anna and Thorkell are away and safe," Eliot agreed. He doesn't want his kids to go through this though but he hopes Anna and Thorkell will be spared living away from the city.

"You do look a great deal younger, I was wondering what was going on," he remarked thoughtfully to Gabriel. "At least you are fortunate, most people lose their eyesight so perhaps it may be useful, just in case," he agreed.

He wants to reply to one of those echo matters - that maybe dwarfs in Killian's world had magical powers, or an remark about the eyesight - but something else catches his attention.

"I hope that this matter will stay confined to the borders of this city, at least." He wants to at least know those children and family of his safe that is away from them.

"It feels unfair to those who call the city home." Gabriel points out with a faint frown. "But there are small mercies." Of course, it had to be Locke of all places, where so many of his friends and their family do call home. And Gabriel does too, to a certain extent. It'll never be the same as London, but he's happy enough here. He can't imagine how it would feel to have London be the centre of all this, though.

"It is, but hopefully there is something we can do to keep things from getting out of hand, as much as possible at least.," Eliot said quietly, it seemed frustrating to only get bits and pieces of the puzzle at a time, it made it difficult to start putting them together properly.

A pause hangs in the air after Eliot's words, and Thorir only breaks it to get up and head towards the kitchenette. "Does anyone else want some water?" He's been here a few times before and knows where to find a glass and water, and he feels that he needs that right now much more than any wine.

He'll pause when he gets to the sink however, looking at the plant in it for a moment with a faint frown before stepping to the cupboard to get glass and water and then return to the other two. "I do hope that the girl who had a dream of yet another earthquake was wrong." He says it grimly - if she was right, it would be disastrous for the city that is only just starting to recover.

Knowing that Thorir knows his way round, Gabriel leaves him to it. His friends are always welcome in his home, he always wants them to feel as comfortable as possible. Besides, with the open plan living space the kitchen is really only on the other side of the room, and while the sofa he's taken means that he has his back to Thorir right now he can always call out should he need help. "The water filter's in the fridge." He does offer - no bottled water, of course. It's too much of an environmental waste.

"I hope so too." He agrees, frowning. "There's still a lot of structural damage - and there could be some unseen that would go with another one. People might be more prepared if there is a second, though."

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