InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'm not worried, Harry."

thedunadan (thedunadan) wrote in madisonvalley,
@ 2020-02-19 21:41:00

Entry tags:

!log, !match-up, !open, ~2020 february, ~~aragorn (thedunadan), ~~~john grimm (grimmreaper47)

WHO: Aragorn and John Grimm (Match-up)
WHAT: Exploring Walmart
WHERE: The Electronics department
WHEN: Thursday
WARNINGS: TBD, probably not
STATUS: Closed/Match-up

It would be a lie to say that Aragorn had not had some difficulty adjusting to this place. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. The customs were utterly foreign, the technology even more so. It had helped that Legolas was here and had been here for some time...it would have been far more difficult had he not had someone to translate this world into something he could understand.

But he had faced worse in his life, and knew that he would survive this as well. It ate at his heart that Arwen was not here, and he despaired that he might ever see her again. Would it be cruel to wish her here? Part of him said that it was, while a more selfish part of him yearned for her day and and night.

He could not go home - that was something that everyone told him, and something that he had to accept. So while he was here, he was determined to make the most of it. What else could he do?

This store that they called Walmart was unbelievable to him. The amount of produce, of food, of products that he had no idea what was their use...it was a shop of magic to him, and he went there to look and to learn, although rarely to buy. He was in the electronics department at the moment, going through the bin of discount DVDs. He was reading the backs carefully, trying to understand what sort of people would be entertained by the stories they described.

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-20 11:17 pm UTC (link)

John Grimm's transition into living in this 'modern time' hadn't been as rough, though the Marine did find it a bit challenging to deal with being stuck a few decades in the past. The technology here was a bit outdated from his point of view, and the lack of a proper military presence still took some serious adjustment. Yet despite those minor things Reaper earnestly enjoyed living in Madison Valley, and was surprised to find that he enjoyed being retired as well.

Oh he did his best to keep to a routine similar to his life before being brought here. Daily training and running. The job at the clinic also helped the days fly by a bit faster too. But really it was the handful of relationships he had forged with others that truly made this place feel so very welcoming. Two of those relationships were why he had come to Walmart during his lunch break; first to grab a case of beer for his weekly Saturday morning fishing with the Colonel, but also his desire to surprise the Doctor with another little movie night as well.

Which a case of beer tucked under his arm Grimm headed to the electronic section at last. The goal was simple enough; do a bit of recon on their selection, and hopefully find a movie that she would like. So with a determined look etched across his features John moved over to the bin of DVD's, offering a polite nod to the other man already there, before speaking up at last. "I don't suppose you've spotted anything of interest? Maybe a decent flick that doesn't contain too much action or gun play?"

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thedunadan
2020-02-21 01:56 am UTC (link)

The words the other man spoke were words that Aragorn understood. But in the context they were being used, they only confused him, and he looked down at the box he held in his hand with a frown.

"I...I am afraid that I know very little of these things," he admitted. "They seem to be stories of some sort, but this is not a book. And I am sad to say that almost all of them seem...quite violent. Or well, quite romantic." The romance part did not bother Aragorn, but the lack of clothing evident even on the covers of these stories seemed inappropriate to say the least.

"I am afraid I cannot help more. This section of the store is...quite beyond me."

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-21 02:28 am UTC (link)

The fact that John was from the year 2046 didn't really help when it came to selecting a decent flick, mostly because the former soldier hadn't ever really watched much tv or movies back home. His free time had been spent mostly reading, training, or simply cleaning and maintaining his gear. After his last date night though Reaper found himself wishing to check out the different sort of films out there.

"You and me both, bud. I just recently started watching them with a uh...well with a woman who is keen on them." Honestly he wasn't sure what to call the Doc in terms of their relationship, so he settled on keeping things simple. "They are stories that you watch. Like a play put on for you. As far as finding a decent on though I think the key is locating one that folks here would call a classic." Namely any of the older films sounded okay, but John could admit he was looking for something starring Audrey Hepburn.

After eyeing the other man for a moment the Marine found himself offering a soft smile. "You're new in town? This place can be a bit strange, but the people here are decent folks. Welcoming and worth getting to know."

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thedunadan
2020-02-21 03:59 am UTC (link)

Looking up at him and away from the movie he held in his hand, he suddenly realized that the man in front of him looked familiar. Not in a way that he could recognize immediately - the hair was different, as were his clothes and his speech. But the eyes and face of this man looked almost exactly the same as Éomer. He blinked in surprise, wondering how this could be. They were far in his future - perhaps the man was a descendant? Whatever the answer, it was very strange indeed.

"I am, yes," he said. "I have only been here a few weeks. It has taken...a great deal of getting used to. The technology here is far beyond anything we have and it has been a struggle learning it all."

He did agree that the people here were good, though. They had been helpful and had not been upset at answering his many, many questions.

"You look like someone I know," he said softly. "A brave and a good man. It is strange to see. I know you are not him, but you could be his brother."

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-21 06:25 am UTC (link)

With a nod of his head John found himself feeling a bit more at ease around the other man. In part because Aragorn was a fellow refugee, but also because Grimm had arrived in town only a month and a half ago. So he could empathize with the new arrival. Hearing that the tech was beyond anything the poor guy was used to filled in some of the missing puzzle pieces, and the Marine wondered just how truly bizarre this world must have seemed to the man. "I've only been here for a little while myself, so I know the feeling...to some extent at least. If you don't my asking, what year are you from?"

Anywhere else that question would have been so very strange, yet Madison Valley seemed to have a knack for drawing in folks from all over. Some from the future like Reaper himself, and others from alien worlds or the distant past.

The remark about bearing a resemblance to someone that Aragorn knew had John's brow arching slightly. And while it was a bit weird to hear that he could have a face double out there somewhere, well once again it wasn't entirely impossible. Not when others here had experienced the same sort of thing. "Well I can attest to only having a twin sister, and not other siblings. Beyond that, I suppose looking like someone else might just be par for the course around here."

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thedunadan
2020-02-21 11:37 pm UTC (link)

Aragorn did not know how to answer that question. What year was he from? Certainly, he could tell him that answer as he knew it but it would make little sense to someone used to the dating of this day. But it was all he had to give, so he nodded.

"I am from the year 3019 of the Third Age," he said. "I do not know how that fits in to the years that are passing now. I believe it to be far before now, but I have no way to be certain."

He looked at him closely.

"Perhaps, if we are in the future, then you are somehow Éomer's descendant."

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-23 10:05 am UTC (link)

The answer given wasn't one that Grimm really knew how to process, since neither the year nor the Age made any sense to the Marine. Oh John made a mental note to check with the Doc when he saw her next, to see if the Timelord was familiar with such a period of time. But beyond that he was really unsure of just what to say. "I've heard that people have been drawn in from all manner of different timelines, and even from different worlds too. So it's possible that we aren't from the same place, but I can't be certain of that at all."

At a loss Reaper figured it would be easier to switch topics for the present, and after scratching his head the Marine finally chimed in once more. "Have people at least been offering you a bit of guidance, and catching you up to speed when it comes to this Age's technology and customs?"

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thedunadan
2020-02-23 11:14 pm UTC (link)

"Indeed, yes, they have," he said with a nod. "People have been very helpful. And having my friend Legolas here has helped a great deal, too. He has been here for some time and has had a chance to acclimate himself to the customs and technology. Without him, I would certainly have been lost."

Even more lost than he was now. He found himself yearning for the comfort of home, more now even than when he'd been a ranger, living in the woods and keeping the darkness at bay. At least then, the world had been familiar, if vicious in its own right.

"The peace here...that is a warmth in my heart. But even it is strange to me. I have never lived in a world that knew true peace."

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-23 11:46 pm UTC (link)

John could admit that he had been a bit surprised by the warm welcome he'd received upon entering the town. The friendly people, the offer of a place to stay, all of it really had helped the former soldier begin to settle in.

When he heard that the other man had a friend already in town, a slight but earnest smile touched the corner of Grimm's mouth too. "Well having a friend around is always good. Didn't have anyone from home here to help out, but the locals and the other refugees were kind enough to assist me."

As a stray thought crossed his mind the man found himself chuckling warmly for a second before chiming in again. "Even met an amazing woman here, and she took me to a party through one of those portals, shortly after my arrival. If you ever need a pick me up, attending a hobbit birthday party will do the trick. And those kindhearted little folks do love a good candy bar too."

The talk of true peace soured Reaper's smile a tad as his thoughts turned back to his own world. Back to the hell he had seen first hand on the Mars Base. "Yeah, I was a soldier back in my world. Tried doing what I could to help bring about that peace...but here, this place is a paradise compared to where I'm from."

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thedunadan
2020-02-24 05:15 pm UTC (link)

Aragon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow curiously at that. "Hobbits? I'm very familiar with hobbits. They live in the west of my land and I've spent the past fifty years making sure the darkness from the East does not enter theirs." He smiled a bit. "Kindhearted they are, but also brave and strong. They may look small but they are hearty souls."

All of the ones he'd met were stronger than he could ever have imagined.

"This place is...peaceful. But I can't help but worry about those I left behind. I know that they say that no time will have passed when I return, but..." He shrugged. "But it has for me."

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-25 06:01 am UTC (link)

A look of pleasant surprise flashed across the Marine's face when Aragon spoke of knowing the Hobbits. Just the way the other man described them, and how he had fought to keep them safe for the last fifty years, had a few pieces clicking into place. And a few questions suddenly springing to mind as well. "So you're from that world then. Makes sense why the years don't really line up with any I've heard of. Still...if you...you look good for a man of your age, if you really did spend the last fifty years helping them."

Oh he didn't doubt the man's word at all. If anything it was the age remark that simply drove him to inquire a bit more. When the subject moved to the passage of time, John found himself nodding once again. "It does take a bit of getting used to, but I view it as a chance to enjoy a simpler life. Once free of the burdens I carried back home."

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thedunadan
2020-02-25 07:04 am UTC (link)

"I am far older than I seem," he said with a small smile. "I am eighty-eight years old. My people do not age as quickly as regular Men, although far faster than the Elves or the Dwarves." And unlike the Elves, they were indeed mortal. Death - called the Gift of Men - would eventually conquer Aragorn, and send him out of Arda, to a freedom that the Elves would never know.

"Simple? It does not feel so to me. Everyone moves so quickly and is so impatient. It is a world where people do not know how to relax. It disturbs me to think that Men have forgotten how to simply enjoy the world around them. Especially in a world that is at peace."

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-25 11:32 pm UTC (link)

Grimm had no reason to doubt the man's word at all; especially since this placed seemed to attract all manner of different people, and John himself wasn't even human anymore either. "Well I hope to look half as good as you when I hit my eighties."

Just hearing Aragorn's view on the pace of humanity drew another slight smile and nod from the Marine. Still after considering if for a moment Reaper finally spoke up again. "Well there is no denying that most can get wrapped up in things, and allow the day to pass them by. Still people do favor their relaxation as well, and will spend countless hours watching movies like these, or simply enjoying the company of one another over a drink and meal. Even here, I enjoy a spot of fishing early Saturday mornings with a friend. And you'd be welcome to join us sometime if you so desired. We will have beer." With a chuckle Grimm gestured to the case tucked under his arm.

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thedunadan
2020-02-26 08:24 pm UTC (link)

Fishing and beer - that was something that Aragorn was definitely familiar with, and definitely comfortable with. "I would like that very much," he said with a nod. "Saturday morning it is." He felt almost like he had made a fried here, which was a very good feeling. He had Legolas, but getting to iknow people who were actually from a time closer than his would be very useful, not to mention would make him feel less alone.

"I suppose I should be getting home. I'm fairly certain I don't even have a device that can play these movies, so I suppose I'll just watch what is on the..." he spoke the next word carefully "television."

[OOC: Wrap on yours?]

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grimmreaper47
2020-02-27 07:48 am UTC (link)

Fishing and beer with the Colonel had become a weekend tradition for John; it was his chance to slowly start finding a new normal in his life. Away from the battlefields, and the life of a soldier. Between that, his work at the clinic, and dating the Doc...Grimm found himself earnestly enjoying his retirement. Oh he still tried to keep to a daily routine. Training and exercise every day of the week. Sparring and helping Rey with her hand to hand combat skills. Dinner and date nights with the Time Lord too.

But Saturday morning was a chance relax and focus on nothing at all beyond the beauty of nature, and the occasional bit of small talk with O'Neill. Having Aragorn along gave Reaper a chance to make a new friend, and he hoped it would give the other man a welcome reprieve from dealing with this strange 'modern' world. If only for a few hours. "Well I'll make sure to bring a spare fishing rod along, and rustle up an extra folding chair for you too."

When the older man spoke up once more the Marine nodded his understanding. But before leaving the man to head off, John paused and offered an extended hand. "The name's John, by the way. John Grimm. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[ooc: sure! :) ]

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