Thirty-One Bells: [Action/Written]

[simplestgift]

[It’s been over a month since Archie Kennedy died and had his worst fears realized.

It’s been over a month since his first seizure in almost eight years.

Ever since, he has barely left the house, barely spoken to anyone. But last night, he opened the window before falling asleep. Somehow, it made all the difference.

In the prison at Ferrol, it had been a drink of water, soothing his parched mouth and throat and letting him sleep easier so he woke hungry. Eating strengthened him, and he slept even better after breakfast, waking with the strength to live the rest of the day. Little by little, small things, and most of all Horatio, had coaxed him back into health and the belief that things can be good again.

Today, it’s the sun and a light breeze waking him after a long sleep. Fresh spring air and the promise of warm light make him want to leave the house at last. So after showering, shaving, and trimming his hair, he dresses in something decidedly civilian but still native to his period and steps outside.

Anyone who sees him as he wanders the village, if they knew him before, will notice he has lost a good ten or fifteen pounds in the last month, and is pale as a ghost. Others might see how loosely his clothing fits him. Provided no one intercepts him and makes him eat first, he starts at Seventh Heaven with a hearty breakfast platter, regaining his appetite as he replenishes the nutrients in his body. Feeling much better, he heads to the barracks for some shooting practice, then his own backyard to try to get back in shape with swordplay. The drills Jack taught him are even more exhausting now than they were when he first started, but the exercise feels good for about half an hour.

After another shower and a quick library trip, by which point he has reached a somewhat manic state (he’ll be going back and forth between manic and depressive in the months to come), he walks out of the grocery store with what seems to be enough food to feed Kent (or possibly Rhode Island, if you’re American). He then spends the rest of the afternoon cooking up a Proper British Dinner on board the Britannia the way Jack Aubrey used to do. A simple message alerts his housemates, James Norrington, and, as an afterthought, Richard Sharpe, to dinner in the captain’s cabin right around four o’clock, promising wine, cider, and brandy, steak and turnip pie (but not for you, William), salmagundi, lobster, spinage toasts, a shoulder of beef, asparagus, mushroom catsup (which resembles Worcestershire sauce), a spiced steamed pudding, and peach tarts with heavy cream. The leftovers, he will take to Jack Sparrow at his house.

Boy needed a calling. This may as well be it.

After cleaning up and washing the dishes and an impromptu nap in the grass behind his house with an open book on his chest, he thinks he has finally worked up the courage to visit Jilly at House 7 and Buffy at Good Spirits and write a message to Amelia McFly to meet him somewhere. Time to come clean about some things. Telling Horatio about recent events lifted a huge weight from his chest, so maybe telling everyone else will enable him to fly.

Lastly, he writes a message to Elizabeth Swann to meet him behind house 36 and to wear something comfortable. When she arrives, there will be a campfire in the backyard, and Archie will have a bottle of whisky and makings for s’mores.

Feel free to run into him at any point during the day. Housemates can catch him in the morning and late at night as well as at dinner.]

Comments

[herotypical]

[ the barmaid is having a slow monday night. she's amusing herself with a little game -- a shot glass set up on the far end of the bar while she flicks bent plastic cocktail swords in its direction. hoping for holes in ones. ]

[simplestgift]

[He sits at her elbow, watching. After a moment, he speaks up.]

Is this sport where you're from?

[herotypical]

Olympic. [ she flicks another sword; it lands in the glass. ] And I'm the gold medalist.

[ written ]

[greenjacketed]

[ an invitation. god, but eating amongst others was a difficult thing. it was simply amongst his own men -- for he ate amongst his men, back home -- but it was far less simple with others.

rough formed letters: ] Will there be many in attendance, Lieutenant?

[written]

[simplestgift]

Just a few. I would invite the pirate, but he would never come.

[written]

[greenjacketed]

After our week of hauling bodies, I suspect he misses his...[ queenly one; annie; most beautiful. he'd heard them all around their lonely campfire during the mission's week. sparrow liked to talk about the blonde -- he'd learned that fast enough. ]

His barmaid.

[written]

[abidinglaw]

Four o'clock.

[Well, he would have time enough.]

Should I expect to wear my hat?

[written]

[simplestgift]

Not that sort of dinner, Admiral. Although the loss of Captain Aubrey might make it less a thing of comfort than it was.

[written]

[abidinglaw]

[There follows exactly as much pause as it would take to take off and set aside a hat which had, just that instant, been taken into hand and raised to one's head.]

My regrets.

[Whether he esteemed Aubrey higher than he did the hat, however, would never be known.]

Four o'clock, then.

[Action!]

[selphie_t]

[Well Archie's in for a surprise that morning as it appears to be one Selphie is a cute little Waitresses outfit bringing Archie his breakfast. She places the platter in front of him with her biggest sunny smile.]

Long time no see, stranger.

[simplestgift]

He glances up in surprise, then his face splits in a smile. "Selphie! A pleasure to see you."

[selphie_t]

"Ditto, Archie! Did you want any ketchup for the eggs?"

She's just going under the assumption that he hadn't been well for the past month or so and left it at that. She knew that she'd hear from Archie sooner or later.

action -- Cullen House?

[all7seas]

Jack has not seen Kennedy since the night they got (deservedly) thrown out of Good Spirits by Sayo. He is definitely not expecting a visit to Cullen House by the younger sailor, but that's the nice thing about living at Cullen House: practically all visits are unexpected.

Makes it kind of interesting.

Sure!

[simplestgift]

Archie's carrying a couple of large bags filled with goodies and knocks on the door by kicking it lightly with the toe of his boot.

[all7seas]

Oh! Oh! Already interesting! A toe-knock? Jack opens the door.

"If you're selling those shrunken heads again, Kennedy, we don't want any in this house."

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[If he's out and about the square today, he will likely pass by the cultural fair booths in progress of being built, and Raine is going around to assist where needed. Although when she notices Archie leaving one of the establishments, she offers him a small wave in greeting.]

Hello, there. It's been a while.

[action]

[simplestgift]

[Archie has mostly stayed clear of the work. Right now, a fair for any reason is an awful lot of stimulation he just doesn't want. But he does approach Raine, and as it so happens, he has a handful of daffodils he'd cut for Elizabeth. But he's not seeing her till tonight, so he can always gather more. He passes one to Raine.]

It has. How've you been?

after dinner. take away my awesome subject line. /huff

[wouldntbetonit]

After dinner and conversation and the two guests of the evening taking their leave, Bush sat down in the living room in front of a small fire. Not with a book - reading was something of an effort, for he had to concentrate and Bush preferred to (if he was wasting his time) do something a bit more...active. Something that involved his hands. He currently was shaving away at a smallish piece of wood. Nothing intricate, but he was planning on doing something with it. He just didn't know what yet.

>.>

[simplestgift]

Archie comes inside after a long conversation with Elizabeth, slightly buzzed but not drunk yet. He puts away the precious bottle of his father's whisky and saunters into the parlour, peering at William.

"No rest for the wicked?"

[theoniongirl]

Jilly had abandoned the house for a chance to lay on the lawn.

It wasn't the best position for doing art. Not in the slightest. But it was a beautiful day and she was in the mood for something different, and so she'd brought her pochade box out onto the grass and was currently fingerpainting on the canvas.

The mess was worse than usual. Acrylics stained her fingers bright colors as she smeared shapes onto the small frame, and caught the edges of her sleeves and the tips of her hair when she bent forward.

The subject of her painting was a caterpillar, ever so slowly inching along a blade of grass in front of her. However long she'd been out here doing this, it hadn't been long enough for it to move out of her line of sight.

[simplestgift]

He doesn't want to interrupt, so he settles down beside her on the grass and watches quietly. He always likes seeing art in progress, it being something he loves so much and has so little talent for, and it seems a crime to make her stop.

[action]

[thedicearecast]

[Amelia's emotions are a mixed bag when she sees the note: glad he's out of the house, surprised he's asking after her...afraid of what he might have to say. It doesn't come across however, as she writes a quick reply:]

The Marauding Bridge, 15 minutes?

[Provided he doesn't say no, she'll be there waiting.]

[action]

[simplestgift]

Sounds suitable. I shall see you there.

[It takes him a little longer to get there than it takes her, but he arrives. He has a bit more color in his face than he had this morning, but he's looking just a little wiped from all this running around.]

[action]

[nocorsetsplease]

[Elizabeth meets him, as asked, at the fire, donning something a little bit different for her time, and closer to his. Her hair is pleated loosely over a shoulder, and she approaches the flames with curiosity.]

What have we here, Gentle Lieutenant?

[simplestgift]

He looks up at her from his seat. They're facing out into the back yard, toward Bush's vegetable garden, but beyond that is a fairly wide expanse of grass.

"Whiskey. And a treat from the future I'd like to show you. Jilly and Leonard--when...Leonard was here--" his eyes briefly register pain "--showed me last summer. They're called s'mores."