1,000 years later...

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

Characters: Legolas (bow_of_the_galadhrim), OPEN
Setting: All over, any time of the week
Format: action brackets
Summary: The Tower is Forever event and Legolas thinks it’s been a thousand years
Warnings: None yet

FDorm floor
[That short pause that none truly notice went equally unnoticed by the elf, as he comes out of the showers freshly cleaned, but the change is great. The short hair he‘d been sporting for a couple weeks was gone, replaced by long hair just past his waist with braids through it. One ear, his left one, is pierced with a gold leaf shaped earring with silver veins through it and there‘s a gold band wrapped around one of his fingers. His eyes seem darker and more tired, clothes aren‘t as nice as they once were, exchanged for something comfortable but still styled after the clothes his people wear. He‘s not armed but he disappears into his room for just a moment and comes out heavily armed. The elf does not want to be unnarmed long.]

Graveyard
[For more than a thousand years, Legolas has come to this floor twice a week to pay his respects to those he knew who have disappeared. Gimli, Aragorn, Faramir, Boromir and his twins graves are all kept tidy and his quietly speaks a prayer for them in elvish. He no longer sheds a tear at the sight of these markers. They serve to remind him that they are not suffering this hell with him, that they managed to escape even if Aragorn had been returned.]

Forest, evening
[Swords in hand, the elf is going through what might seem like normal training exercises. Until one of the monsters comes out and then a streak of ruthlessness, one that is definitely not normal for the elf, comes out and he attacks. He manages to avoid becoming as bloody as his foe but when he‘s done, it‘s obvious that the monster never stood a chance.

And Legolas isn‘t even out of breath. Instead, he seeks out another monster and the pattern continues as he trains.]

Library
[He‘s in a far corner, far away from anyone else, with a book in his lap and a cloak covering his face. It‘s clear that Legolas is making an effort to avoid contact with other people. A small journal is beside him with a pen. Occasionally he stops reading and makes a note before going back to the book. Everything is written in elvish and it‘s mostly just a journal of things he wants to remember. He has quite a few more stashed in his trunk, enough journals to cover his many years.]

Anywhere else
[Perhaps Legolas is passing through another flood and you‘re there too. Feel free to stop him.]

Comments

[redlikecrimson]

The same can be said for me.

[Why hide it, after all? It's pointless to keep things like this hidden in a place like this. There are always ways that people will find out.]

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

[It is pointless. Legolas never found a point in hiding his immortality anyway. He was proud of his heritage, to be of the Children of Iluvatar.]

Have you come to a time when you consider it a curse?

[redlikecrimson]

I...don't know what I think of it anymore. I know that I used to think of it as a curse.

[After all, he was forced into it rather than born this way.]

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

[He's not sure what to say to that. He'd had a point in his life where he wondered whether or not it was a curse or a blessing but it had long passed when he reminded himself that his weariness for being immortal could not be remedied here.]

[redlikecrimson]

Immortality is likely a burden not meant for all. You can live forever and watch the wonders of the world as they change and grow. You can witness countless things others would otherwise miss.

Yet, you are also the one to witness the fall of the people around you. [He smiles sadly.] I still don't think I'm strong enough for this but I live because that is what people I love would want. Somehow it makes things easier if I live for them.

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

You understand better than most mortals I have known. And I have known many over the years. So many wish for it and would covet it, would praise it. Until they watch those around them enter into the eternal sleep.

My people were given a gift for when we grew weary of the world. We could sail to Valinor where eternal peace and happiness was promised to us.

[redlikecrimson]

You are lucky then. We have nothing like that where I am from.

[He closes his eyes while he remembers a time...long ago.] I was mortal once though and I feared death. It wasn't until this was thrust upon me that I realized perhaps death wasn't the thing I should have been fearing.

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

In truth, I am not. My world is gone, the Valar and their land and presumably Iluvatar. I will never see the white shores.

[That sounded like a fate worse than death.] You have my sympathy. Never have I heard of anyone attaining immortality when they had been born mortal. I could not imagine it.

[redlikecrimson]

[Ah. The letter. He remembers it well. The knowledge that everything he's known is gone. He frowns because there are days when he believes that to be true.

Then there are others...]

In my world there are beings known as vampires. If you drink their blood you become one of them.

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

[Brows furrowed, he shakes his head.] I've heard of them, there have been a couple here that have disappeared over the centuries, but there's no creature like that in Middle Earth.