First Flower | Video

[thebalrogslayer]

[Although Gabriel’s been aware of the network since november and posting on it since the new year, he's been weary of showing his face to those that he doesn't know off it up to now. Sometimes a little bit of anonymity is needed, but unfortunately it seems he no longer has a choice.

Some people might recognise him as the c list celebrity always shoving his charities in people’s faces, others might recognise him from the university, and a few might recognise from the peak of his modelling days. Those who do will notice that he doesn’t look as old as he did (or for those who recognise him from when he was younger that he looks much younger than he should). Assuming that most people won’t know it, though, he opens his post by explaining his problem with a wry smile.]

I appear to be growing young again and it’s a problem. [He’s aware that most people would be pretty happy with the cards he’s been dealt but when there’s recent photographic evidence of how old you looked last month and you’re trying to stay under cover it’s a pain in the arse.] I think this has gone beyond the point where I can claim I’ve had surgery now, especially with these. [He tucks his hair behind his ears, revealing that like his friends', his are now also elongated into elegant points.] As long as I stop before I become a teenager again! Dealing with that once was bad enough. [He laughs. It’s a serious problem, but that doesn’t mean that he has to deal with it seriously.]

I had been hoping to stay in work a while longer, but it’s not going to be possible to work and stay under cover like this. I have the choice of revealing myself and doing what I can to direct the media to paint us with a more positive light or retiring. And I'm not sure that I'm ready to retire! But talking about this openly - or as openly as is safe - affects more than just me, which is why I wanted to ask if anyone had any objections.

I was also wondering, for those of you who also have echoes that mean that you can’t be out and about, what do you do to keep yourself busy and amused?

[Private to the known Tolkiens and Julien]

[He's come prepared! Once he has all of their numbers put in and a private line set up, he holds up a piece of paper with twelve crests on, each named underneath. One of them is recognisable as the crest on Thorir's sword, labeled as 'Fountain'.]

I remembered these. Does anyone else recognise them?

Comments

[Video | Tolkien Filter]

[youngestone]

....hold it closer?

Video | Tolkien Filter

[thebalrogslayer]

[Gabriel holds the paper closer for him.] I'm not much of an artist I'm afraid. I know one's on the hilt of Thorir's sword, but apparently Puck knew the man - elf? - the person who wielded it before his past self.

Video | Tolkien Filter

[youngestone]

Yeah, I was gonna say. Who's Puck?

Video | Tolkien Filter

[thebalrogslayer]

Oh, sorry! It's the name that Thorir came up for the person who's memories I have. For some reason he thought it appropriate and it kind of stuck.

Video; filter

[lordofimladris]

I have some plain elastic headbands which work to hide the ears if you need some.

[Eliot is quiet as he peers at each one, frowning thoughtfully.] One of the crests, it seems familiar.

Video; filter

[thebalrogslayer]

One is the one from Thorir's sword. Ecthelion's. The house of the fountain. [He points it out, but then puts the paper down.]

You too? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Unfortunately I can't hide them if I'm being made up for a photo shoot. I think my hair does it well enough out and about.

Video; filter

[lordofimladris]

There is one from the House of the King as well.

[Pulls off his own headband, revealing the pointy ears.] It's still awkward but easier to answer questions about my strange new sense of fashion than pointy ears.

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[thebalrogslayer]

Yes, the one with the moon. King of what, though?

Maybe you need a hat instead. [Cheekily.] One of those awful knitted ones you can stuff your hair into.

Video; Tolkien filter

[moreweaponsthanyou]

[This is Fil, squinting for a long time a the drawings before shaking his head.]

Sorry, got nothing.

Video; Tolkien filter

[thebalrogslayer]

I think it must be from the place that Puck - my past self - was born. And judging by the language he spoke it was somewhere different to everyone else so far. I just thought I'd ask. Besides, the more we share about that place the more we learn!

Video; Tolkien filter

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Another language? That world sounds more and more complicated each time I think about it.

Video; Tolkien filter

[thebalrogslayer]

Think of how many languages our world has! There are more than three languages on the British Isles, let alone the rest of the world.

What's more impressive is that everyone seems to have been at least bilingual.

[Voice]

[gobybessie]

Considering we're already out there, it might be best if we keep making ourselves seen, on our own terms as much as we can.

Video

[thebalrogslayer]

That's one of the things that I'd considered. I wouldn't say that I can completely control the press - I don't think anyone can aside from the press themselves - but I certainly have practice in doing what I can to guide them.

Video

[gobybessie]

We should probably make a project out of it.

Video

[thebalrogslayer]

That would be a task and a half!

What we really need is someone in the numbers club who was already a journalist. Or involved in TV, I suppose, but I know more about the print press than anything to do with the telly.

[Voice]

[espigeonage]

You already know what I have to say! But um...

...I want to play with those.

[Private]

Huh. I don't think Aaron showed me any of those... Do you know - oh, hang on, I should see if I can draw it. He had this white tree-and-stars sign. Not like that tree.

[A sigh that he can't quite suppress.]

Video | private

[thebalrogslayer]

[Gabriel laughs.] Let me groom your wings and we have a deal. I'm not sure it's a very even one, though, there's not a lot you can do with these. [Indicating his ears.]

If you would try and draw it I'd appreciate it. I'm starting to think that Puck was born somewhere different to everyone else, aside from Eliot's past self, perhaps, so he might not have known.

[espigeonage]

Clearly I've got a more powerful imagination than you do. As expected!

[He can't actually think of much. But he does want to poke at them and bend, just a little.]

Puck... that's cute.

He - Aaron never said what it was, but it was important to Aragorn. We had plans about a simpler version... I went and had a patch made and stuck it to one of my jackets. [He did. This pic has it partly visible.]

[Video]

[sylvanguard]

Those, are real?

Video

[thebalrogslayer]

Afraid so. On the scale of transformations, they're not too bad, I suppose, but I'm still getting used to them.

Re: Video

[sylvanguard]

No, I guess they're not. Someone could end up like poor Julien a half bird man. But still, that certainly is interesting.

video | filter

[unelven]

They seem familiar, but I can't recall anything about them.

...Is this really your first time officially on the network?

video | filter

[thebalrogslayer]

First time making a post. I never felt the need to say anything before now; it seemed that everyone else had things covered.

I was weary about showing my face at first as well.

video | filter

[unelven]

Understandable. I almost wish I had done the same.