Haven't traveled far enough yet... [arrival, ota]

[a_fixed_point]

Jack was tired. He tried so hard to be the hero. The one who saved the world. Worlds too. And he was he'd done it, so very many times. But at what cost?

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[faramir_hurin]

I have seen any number of people newly arrived in the village, many I've even seen arrive, just popping in where there was not a person a moment ago. This one I happen to recognise. I can only hope the startle can be explained by, well, the fact that he wasn't there a moment ago.

"Welcome to Haurvatat." Really, what else can I say?

[a_fixed_point]

He turned to assess the man that came with the voice he heard. Jack liked the hair. But he had bigger concerns than flirting right now. It would have to wait.

"Where?" he started pressing buttons on his wrist strap and no data on this place or where he was were coming up. Maybe it was broken. "Haurvatat... would be where exactly?"

[faramir_hurin]

"It would be, and in fact is, a village in a pocket universe. It sounds very strange and I couldn't begin to explain the science. It's nowhere, I suppose, though people can get to it from many different times and places." At least I know that part won't phase him like it would so many.

"Most people here are from Earth, and around the year 2000 or slightly after." I'm not sure if the thing on his arm is like what John Hart had. "I'm not sure if your device will work here. People have computers, but they can't contact or message outside the village."

[a_fixed_point]

He sighed, "So even in a pocket universe I can't escape Earth in the 21st century."

So much for the plan to get away from the reminders of Torchwood and everything he'd lost. He closed the strap of his vortex manipulator since clearly the man was right and it wasn't working.

Jack nodded, "Captain Jack Harkness by the way."

[faramir_hurin]

"Not entirely, I'm sorry." That much is the same, the want or need to escape or run. "We are not all of that time and place."

I nod in return.

"Captain Faramir of Gondor, though I prefer to be called Faramir." I smile slightly. "Obviously I am not from Earth in the 21st century. Not that you can tell by my clothing today."

Though a knife in my boot is usual for me and not for most of that time and place.

[a_fixed_point]

He looked at the clothing, then smiled, "You're right, I can't. But there is the hair..."

"Where and when is Gondor? I don't think I've ever heard of it."

[faramir_hurin]

"My hair is perfectly normal for a man of Gondor. Short if I were an Elf or from Rohan." What is it about my hair?

"Gondor is a land on a world called Arda, which is Middle-earth in the common tongue. But for that name I do not think it has anything to do with Earth at all, so I cannot say where it is. As to when, it was the year 3014 of the Third Age when I left. My father is here from 3019. There is another here from the end of the Second Age." I manage to smile slightly. "He's an Elf and has nothing to do with me, but that makes it much easier to not accidentally tell him things about the future that he shouldn't know. I know things I ought not and it's caused me problems."

Before he asks...

"My brother dies. It has taken a long time to come to terms with that."

Not that he likely cares.

"That's the biggest problem of being from different times."

[a_fixed_point]

He hadn't been insulting his hair. Jack liked it actually, it seemed to suit the man.

The description of the place he lived didn't sound familiar at all. It could simply be a planet that was pre-space travel. But Faramir appeared human. Then so did other aliens. Like the Time Lords.

Or perhaps it was simply a different reality or dimension.

"I'm sorry." he said in regards to the mans loss. He thought of his own brother, Gray. His brother that he'd failed so entirely. Who was dead now, having been contained in the Torchwood Hub before it got blown up. That fact hadn't really hit him until now, too concerned over his other losses.

"Time travel is hard sometimes. When you know horrible things, but you cannot say if it risks your time line."

[faramir_hurin]

"That's what it will be like when I return home--I can't tell what I've learned nor will a lot of other people here." I cannot play the fool and ask about his traveling through time, since I already know that he has. Perhaps that gives him an extra wisdom about this place.

"It will be awkward enough returning home. I'll miss a lot of the modern things. We do not even have electricity. The village provides a lot of luxuries that I'll miss, though they're normal for most here. For a few, they're backward." The people from the future. "Some people here can travel in the stars."

[a_fixed_point]

It was clear the concept of space travel didn't surprise him.

"Baths. I missed baths. Got sent back to the 1800's and regular bathing... not really a thing." Everyone stank, but since everyone did, most didn't really notice.

"You'll have that. Things are always changing. Doesn't take long for the novel to become dated."

[faramir_hurin]

"We do not bathe so often at home, with water needing to be carried and heated. Showers are no longer novel for me but I will miss them sorely when I go. If I had such supplies of hot water, I'd have to turn away men volunteering to be rangers." No longer novel, but just as appreciated as ever.

"I'm used to some things here, but others take longer." I make a face. "Summer is coming again. Women's clothing and swimwear is not like at home."

[a_fixed_point]

Jack grinned at that, "And thank god for that. Is there a beach here?" He'd definitely had to take a trip there to see this skimpy swimwear. One had to appreciate the little things.

[faramir_hurin]

"There is a beach, and a swimming pool on the roof of the hotel. That is where we stay, if you would like to go there." Or I can tell him. "The village is not large by most people's standards, but our needs are met and it is fairly safe."

I blush slightly.

"Some of the young ladies wear less. At least one of them puts up a sign so that people are warned. Apparently she doesn't like 'tan lines'." I don't really understand the appeal of lying in the sun burning your skin. "I've never seen her, but I've heard."

She lives on my hall.

[a_fixed_point]

"I would like to, yes." he held out an arm indicating that Faramir lead the way.

He liked that blush and smirked when he saw it.

"I don't like tan lines either." he chuckled, "That's good thinking on her part. I'll have to look out for her and tell her so."

[faramir_hurin]

"I imagine that you and she may well get along, then." I begin to walk in the direction of the hotel.

"She's got short red hair. As it happens, she and her roommate live on my floor and are in my unit." That needs explaining. "There are police here and other units. The village is mostly safe but sometimes things happen, so those who fight have formed units to help deal with those situations."

I close my eyes a moment.

"I was 'lucky' enough to get those two ladies and their cat in my unit. Fortunately he likes me--the cat. He's big enough to ride on, several hundred pounds. My cat plays with him sometimes." My smile is somewhat weak. "It's a strange village."

[a_fixed_point]

A unit. That was tempting. But-- no, he didn't want to be a leader of another group. Not so soon after he'd lost most of his Torchwood team. Didn't want to be responsible for the death of anyone else.

He smiled at the description of the cat, "Huh. Sounds like it, yeah. Any other interesting people here? Or cats?"