Day 18

[laurefindil]

[Greenhouse]

Glorfindel has been spending a lot of time in the garden, what those on the train called the greenhouse. His flowers were already starting to push up through the dirt, which he was encouraging with his light. He was also singing some songs from his old home, back when Ecthelion kept making up songs for every occasion and then getting them stuck in everyone's heads.

If anyone else is growing something in the greenhouse, it is thriving by association.

He is singing softly to his flowers as he waters them, the room is suspiciously bright.


[Cabin](For roommates to walk in on him if you want to!)
Glorfindel frowned at his bed. It was...functional, but lacked interest. If he was going to spend time here, he wanted to personalize his space more. He knew there was fabric available somewhere on the train. He wondered where he could get his hands on some, and if they had any greens and yellows, if there were sewing kits available, and what his roommates would think of custom curtains.


[Hallway]

Glorfindel stepped out into the hall, glancing out the windows at the colorful display outside. He was on a mission to find a sewing kit. He wondered where to start looking.

Comments

Greenhouse

[iamnotgod]

Webmind imagines he can only be of so much use here. While he knows all there is to know (well, presumably) about gardening on Earth, not all of the plants here are from Earth.

But the place is still of interest - more to the point, he's going to be getting familiar with every car in this train eventually.

And then there's that singing. Much like the void, there's no precedent in his world for magic either - but it is intriguing and, he imagines, what 'enchanting' is supposed to mean.

"Plants are known to respond well when they're conversed with," he pipes up, having found an out-of-the-way spot to observe. "But I would propose your singing is a step above even that."

Re: Greenhouse

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel looked over to where the voice came from. He'd noticed when the mechanical person had entered the room, of course, but until the other spoke, he didn't know if they were there for peace and solitude, or conversation. Conversation it was!

"You flatter me," he said. "My singing is passable, but doesn't hold a candle to the flame that is Echthelion, Lindir, or Maglor." He paused a moment, lifting the watering can. "They were well-known for their singing and playing on my world," he explained. "Ecthelion was a friend back in Gondolin, before it fell, and it is his songs I am forcing these poor plants to listen to." He smiled as he spoke.

The light in the room did dim a bit, now that he was no longer alone.

Re: Greenhouse

[iamnotgod]

It helped Webmind's decision that he already knew who Glorfindel was - and that they'd spoken over the Network.

"Considering no one out of those three is currently on the train, I suspect the plants won't mind, much as they can be expected to have an opinion on the subject- can you tell if they do have an opinion?"

Trust Webmind to leave no stone unturned when it came to exploring other people's abilities. He sounded genuinely curious, not skeptical.

Re: Greenhouse

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel laughed and the light brightened again, just a hair. "You are right, they don't know what they are missing, so I suppose I am a good substitute." He thought about the mechanical's question for a moment, tilting his head to the side as though listening for the plants to say something. "They seem happy, but don't really have what I would consider an opinion? Unlike animals, who most definitely do."

Re: Greenhouse

[iamnotgod]

Glorfindel has quite the powerful voice, if it can command the light itself! Webmind tried not to scramble for his next response.

"But they certainly seem to know what they like versus what they don't. Though even bacterium know to swim towards light."

He chuckled, then.

"The world is endlessly complex, it turns out. So much so it can be hard to see how all the variables interrelate."

Re: Greenhouse

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel grinned again, the light brightening as he did so. "Of course they do. They like light, they like water, good earth, nutrients, and positive stimulation, as do we all, don't we?" He tilted his head again, as he considered the mechanical person. "Or do you, perhaps, have different things that bring you satisfaction and joy?"

"When you start with the fine details, it can be harder. But if you start with the broad strokes, and then drill down, correlations are easier to determine," Glorfindel pointed out.

Greenhouse

[stealsyourheart]

"Dude. Are those flowers ... growing as you sing to them??" Guess who never saw what Maglor can do.

Re: Greenhouse

[iamnotgod]

The projected expression shifts toward something wry, but still happy.

"Not entirely different. I desire to learn new things, and to further the happiness of others."

A bit more broad than seeking 'the net happiness of humanity', but it was founded on the same principle.

"Always coloring those correlations with our own lenses, as it were. But yes, the analogy suits."

Webmind had the robot do a sweeping glance about the car.

"What sort of broad image would our worlds have in common through this void, then?"

Re: Greenhouse

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel looked up at the human who had walked in. He wasn't sure what 'dude' meant, but surmised it must be some sort of greeting or title.

"No, no, of course not," Glorfindel said with a laugh. "I mean, I'm not half bad, but my skills are nothing compared to Lindir, or Echthelion, or Maglor. No, they enjoy the singing well enough, but actually, it's the light they respond to." The last was very matter of fact.

Re: Greenhouse

[laurefindil]

"That right there," Glorfindel said, pulling back from the flowers to sit and converse more easily. "The desire to learn, and to help. Well, that is how I further the happiness of others, anyway, by helping them. From something as finding a small girl's missing ribbon to...well, serving as rear guard to protect people escaping a city under attack." That was a wide range, perhaps this mechanical person fell within it as well. He looked forward to learning...which made him smile again, the light brightening as he did so.

He was going to have to get back in practice at controlling that.

[stealsyourheart]

".........." He squints. "You are kinda glow-y. More'n them that's for sure. Is that like a special power or something?"

Re: Greenhouse

[iamnotgod]

Webmind nodded.

"Inasmuch as their happiness does not entail doing harm to others, for as much as I can help that."

Freeing a country from oppressive government certainly made a difference in that respect, though!

"... Does the light react that way around you all of the time? I imagine it can get inconvenient if you are trying not to attract attention."

[laurefindil]

"As far as I am aware, I am the only one of the Eldar with this gift, so I suppose it is," Glorfindel said, thinking about it for a moment. He concentrated and the light dimmed further. "I am Glorfindel, formerly of Imladris, now of Sleeper Six, Cabin A. Who might you be?"

Re: Greenhouse

[laurefindil]

"I agree, those who gain pleasure from hurting others are not people I wish to help. Indeed, they are usually the ones I am helping against," Glorfindel agreed.

He laughed, and the light brightened again. "I am rarely not trying to attract attention, however. I was given this gift because I drew the attention of a Balrog...a large creature that was determined to destroy my city and all those within it. My people were escaping through a tunnel, and he was trying to kill them. I drew his attention and slew him. Unfortunately, he caught me by the hair as he fell into a deep ravine and dragged me with him." Glorfindel shook his head, ruefully. "A most ill-fated day for me, but at least the others escaped."

[stealsyourheart]

"Coooooooool"

He grins and bows politely.

"I'm Kaito! Kaito Kuroba, from Japan, Earth. I'm in Cabin 2B." Or not 2B, and he will forever cackle about that joke. "Nice to meetcha Glorfindel-san." He stumbles a bit over the name, but he's slowly getting used to the elven names. At least this one is better than Maedhros, which he just. Could not.

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel narrowed his eyes for a moment. 'Cool'? What a strange thing to say. Though it was said in a positive fashion, so he decided not to question it too hard.

"Kite-o," Glorfindel said, trying the name out. "It is nice to meet you, Kaito." He bowed back, gracefully as always. "May I ask about the suffix you used with my name? I am unfamiliar with it." Unlike the others, that one had more of a 'had to be there' air. "As I am with your world. What is Japan like?"

[stealsyourheart]

"Kai-to" He corrects cheerfully. "Yeah, -san is... mmmm. It's like. Mr, or Mrs? I guess? It's a polite way of saying someone's name in Japan. We don't really use people's names unless you're like. Really Good Friends, or being rude."

There's LEVELS to this, but Kaito is quite lax in his practice of the proper etiquette, most of the time.

"-san is quite formal, and for someone older than you! Or like. Someone you don't know well, or respect a lot. -chan and -kun are for people your age or younger, or that you're good friends with. There's loads more, but those are the ones I use."

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel nodded. "That makes sense. Kaito-san," he said, this time correctly.

"Yes, I am most likely quite a bit older than you are, unless humans are very much different on Japan than they are on my world of Arda," Glorfindel conceded with a friendly smile.

[stealsyourheart]

"I figured you must have been an elf." He grins. "Although you're the only blonde one I've seen! And since you're older, you'd probably call me Kaito-kun, instead." He offers. "I don't mind though - you can leave them off if you want. I don't expect other people to rigidly follow my customs!"

[laurefindil]

"Yes, I imagine you thought most elves were red-heads, by the example you've seen so far. Very few Noldor are blondes, except those crossed with Vanyan lines," Glorfindel said. "Admittedly, most Noldor are actually dark haired, not red-heads. Yet again the Feanorians are skewing the average," he added with a laugh.

"Kaito-kun, then. I try to call people by their preferred names, so if that is your custom, it seems quite simple to do it." Glorfindel shook his head. "I will not ask you to call me by what my people would call me, though. I prefer to be known as simply Glorfindel. Or Glorfindel-san," he added with another smile.

[stealsyourheart]

He listens interestedly - he's not actually asked any of the others, as it seemed they were a family.

"So like... Noldor and Vanyar... you're like... different races of elves? What do your people call you?" He asks curiously.

Re: Greenhouse

[iamnotgod]

"A gift through sacrifice," Webmind concluded - voice achieving a 'softness' he hadn't before.

"But the sort of sacrifice worth making - not many would have done the same thing, in that situation."

Not that many people imagined making that exact sacrifice; people tended to write 'fix-it' scenarios of such things, which was not a direct indicator of what they could actually do.

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel shook his head. "On Arda, Races are Eldar, Hobbit, Man, Dwarf, etc. We are just different branches of elves. When F...those who slayed the Teleri for their boats, they were referred to as Kinslayers forevermore."

He laughed and tipped his head for a moment before standing straight, then sweeping a deep graceful curtsey, introduced himself. "Glorfindel, Captain of Gondolin, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, Slayer of the Balrog, Reborn, most lately of Imladris, at your service. Depending on when and where someone knew me, they used any one or several of those."

Re: Greenhouse

[laurefindil]

"Apparently Manwe felt the same way," Glorfindel said. "He is the chief of the Valar, many races on Arda consider them gods. He came to me in the Halls and asked me if I was ready to return, to fight again, as he and the others had found my valour and willingness to sacrifice everything to save the lives of others admirable. At the time, I remember arguing briefly that surely others had done the same, that they were worthy of such a gift as well." He laughed slightly, almost a snort. "But I was assured that what I had done was special, and they wished to reward me, by giving me a perhaps harder job. Honestly, how could I turn down an offer like that?" Now his laugh was freer and lit up his eyes.

[stealsyourheart]

He tips his head, listening curiously.

"Why did they kill them?"

He whistles.

"Those sound really impressive. Do people really use all of them at once? And what's a Balrog?"