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

[simplestgift]

"If they could send me back to your world when I'm done here?"

[herotypical]

"I..."

Buffy ducked her head. Blinked and...drank the last shot. "If they could do that...then I'd be more than happy to have you. Honoured, even. Delighted."

And Dawnie...

[simplestgift]

"I...I'm not sure where I'd go." He peers into an empty shot glass, suddenly wishing it was full again. "If I could."

[herotypical]

"I guess..." Buffy started to clumsily collect the empty shot glasses -- leaving all but one of hers and the one in his hand untouched. "I guess, in the end, I'd really prefer you somewhere...safer."

Her voice hitched on the last word. Thoughts of the threats made by Drusilla were still haunting her. "Safer than my home."

[simplestgift]

"What is safer, Buffy? My home killed me."

[herotypical]

"So I'll mail you off to one of those worlds where platitudes all seem to come true and the heroes always get their happy endings."

[simplestgift]

"There are those, are there?"

[herotypical]

This time, she poured two shots of straight vodka.

"Maybe the one with all the ponies, huh?"

[simplestgift]

"...With all the...?"

Did she say ponies?

[herotypical]

"Y-yeah."

She nudged the vodka shot towards him. "The really...really...ridiculously happy ponies."

[simplestgift]

He's getting images of fields of livestock basking in the sun.

"...Wait. The...the little four-legged creatures trotting round nowadays with paintings on their haunches?"

[herotypical]

"Those're the ones! Their world seems delightfully sickeningly sweet and lacking in any real threat. We can plunk you down there and then I'll know you'll be safe as a snug bug in a rug and..."

Oh, that unravelled fast. Buffy reached for her shot.

[simplestgift]

He can't help it. He snorts, then starts laughing at the ridiculousness, but more so, at her self-consciousness about it.

[herotypical]

"Shhhh! No laughing! It's the thought that counts!"

[simplestgift]

"I'd rather go to Jack's, I think. Or Jilly's. I could grow accustomed to the noise. I'd feel a bit out of place, being the only two-legged creature in the world."

[herotypical]

"Jack's..."

She leaned back against the counter. Smiling. Confessing. "It's not bad, as far as worlds go. A person could be happy there."

[simplestgift]

"I could never be a pirate back home. But...his sort of pirate isn't the sort you find back home, I suppose. I could sail under Captain Jack if I could sail under none other."

Or couldn't sail under one other.

[herotypical]

"...I could sail under Captain Jack."

A beat. "Just don't tell him that. As far as he knows, I'll submit to no one else's command. Being his first mate here doesn't count. Anyway -- you wouldn't fit on his crew. You..." Buffy peered at him. "You have all your teeth, right?"

[simplestgift]

A grin proves he does.

"He suggested the sacrifice of an eye. I doubt it would suit me."

[herotypical]

"Hey. Eyepatches can be sexy. Xander has a sexy eyepatch.





Don't tell him I said that, either."

[simplestgift]

"Is he here?"

[herotypical]

Buffy shook her head. But: "...I keep hoping. Which is probably something I shouldn't be admitting."

[simplestgift]

"He's been here before. I can hardly blame you for hoping. I had a room furnished for Horatio for months before he turned up."

[herotypical]

"Will's here again. It almost seems wrong that Xander's not with us."

[simplestgift]

"Give it time." He swallows, letting the tides of vodka carry him into a disconnect between his thoughts and emotions. "Not that you have a choice."