action.

[bronwe]

[ Frodo arrives rolling and tumbling across the floor.

There was a great shadow over him then, something with a terrible stench and legs too numerous to count. And now, light. He shields himself from the brightness and scoots back until he bumps against the wall, then scrambles to find shelter behind a couch. It hurts his eyes. The air is suddenly too clear, everything too clean. He fears it is a trick.

He speaks in a hush, afraid to alert the enemies but more afraid of being alone. ]

Sam? Where are you, Sam?

Comments

[bronwe]

Japan? [ Frodo tries to place the name, if it is elvish or dwarvish or if it is a city of men, and fails. This guy looks enough like a man. ]

You can call me Frodo.

[not_mafia]

[He nods.] You'll find that there are a lot of people who come from Earth. But, you might find someone here from your own world as well.

My name's Tsuna. You, ah... might want to sit down for this, Frodo-san. There's quite a bit about Paradisa that you should know.

[bronwe]

Just Frodo. [ He really isn't sure what that's all about. ]

You must forgive me if I have not the time for explanations, only directions that I might return to where I'm from.

[not_mafia]

Ah-- right, sorry, Frodo.

And, well... that's part of the thing, unfortunately. Nobody knows how to get home; people only leave when the castle wants them to.

[bronwe]

[ Frodo frowns. ]

Then tell me what I should know.

[not_mafia]

[Tsuna nods.]

Well, the first thing you should probably know is that the castle is sentient. I know it sounds really weird, but, well, that's what everyone here says.

[bronwe]

[ He nods. That's easier to believe coming from his world... ]

Is it malicious?

[not_mafia]

It's hard to say for sure. Sometimes it can do really nasty things, but it'll do nice things for us, too.

[bronwe]

[ Like the peoples of Middle-earth. ]

It does provide for us.

[not_mafia]

Yeah, that's right. Every one of us gets a room when we come here, and you can wish for just about anything that you want.

[bronwe]

[ He tries a small smile. ]

You seem content here, perhaps I shall be too.

[not_mafia]

[The comment catches him a bit off guard.]

Oh, um... well, yeah, I guess I am.

You seem to be reacting pretty calmly to what I'm telling you. Most people think I'm crazy when I say this sort of stuff...

[bronwe]

[ That's probably because he can't quite believe everything yet. And this place feels much safer than anywhere he's been the past couple of months. ]

I don't doubt you.

[not_mafia]

Ah, well... thank you! [This is probably the first time a newbie actually HASN'T put him down or otherwise dismissed his information.]

Um, let's see. Have you used your journal yet?

[bronwe]

No... [ He tries to recall if he said anything about journals before. ]

I did not bring one with me?

[not_mafia]

You get one when you arrive here. It looks something like...

[He reaches into his pocket and produces his own journal, complete with his name engraved-- Sawada Tsunayoshi-- on the cover.]

Like this!

[bronwe]

No one has given me one yet. [ Because magically appearing journals make no sense... ]

[not_mafia]

The castle gives it to you. If it's not around here, it'll probably show up soon.

[bronwe]

Perhaps I will find it in my room.

[not_mafia]

Mmn, most likely.

[bronwe]

Why does it give us journals?

[not_mafia]

Ah, right. It's used to communicate with everyone else in the castle! They're magically connected so that we can see what everyone writes, and hear each other's voices.

[bronwe]

The castle wishes to chronicle itself?

[not_mafia]

...chronicle? Like a novel?

[bronwe]

Perhaps. To write its own story.