simplestgift | One Bell: [Written/Accidental Video] No Gallows Can Touch Me

[Written in a shaky hand]

I don't know if anyone is really out there. I seem to be caught up in a tree. In my defence, the tree looks worse than I do. I think I am winning. However, it is very cold and windy up here, and I can't seem to make it down on my own. I've heard about safe falling, but the only guideline we have about falling in the navy is "don't do it." If anyone can see this, then, I need your help. In the meantime, I'll keep writing, if you don't mind. It's just about the only way to keep moving up here.

I am Lieutenant Kennedy aboard His Majesty's Ship the Renown. If you'll believe it, that used to mean something. You may call me Kennedy (with or without the "mister"), or, since I suppose it makes no difference here, just Archie. I've answered to both. While I am sure you are dying to hear the endlessly dull story of my life and death, my literary skills are limited by my half-frozen fingers and my ability to manipulate this infernal book. Maybe later.

I can only hope this place has a decent glass of whiskey somewhere. I have a headache. Probably a permanent one. Not to mention I'm aching in body parts I actually did not have before. I suppose I should be glad to be alive again. Maybe that will come later.

Damned wings. I've no idea what to do with mys

[Accidental video: a flying shot of, well, mostly a grey-and-white blur as the book falls from the tree. A man's fingertips, nearly blue with cold, pass just in front. There's a dismayed shout and the sound of tearing cloth as the journal thumps to the ground, lying open. Barely visible in one corner is a very cold new feather, barely hanging on to a tree branch far above the ground. His pants seem to be caught and tearing. For a moment, he freezes with his arms around the branch, breathing heavily. Seconds later, he chuckles as if he just got a joke. He can barely be heard when he speaks.]

Looks like I d-didn't escape a hanging after all, H-Horatio.

[After a few more wheezing, half-hysterical chuckles, he goes very quiet.

The rest of the shot is of a location just outside the west side of town, north of the river.]

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I'll see if he's home, and then leave right away. [as much as she said she could carry the ladder, it would be faster with help.] It shouldn't be long.

Thank you. Please hurry.

[Eventually, (with the help of the local wildlife when it came to directions) Kennedy may see two people heading in his direction -- the girl he was just speaking with, and a long haired male right behind her, carrying a ladder. Unlike the girl, he doesn't look pleased, but ... well, he never does in these situations -- not that poor Kennedy would know that, but hey.]

[Don't mind Yuri's face, it's stuck like that. When Estelle gets close enough she calls up at the poor man.]

Mr. Kennedy?

[Oh no. The girl brought an angry brother. Archie peers over his shoulder, his poor arms just about frozen around the tree.]

Yes? I certainly hope I'm the only man stuck in a tree at the moment.

[And he winces just a bit. Not the greatest time to be cheeky, Archie.]

[How right you are, Archie. But yes, Yuri's just going to set the ladder against the tree, near where the poor guy's stuck.

And once it's set in place and isn't likely to jumble around--]

There. You can come down now. [Says the guy with the "I am either mad, suspicious of you, or both" look on his face.]

[Estelle's finally noticed that look now though.] Yuri, be nice, please?

[And the girl is pleading on his behalf. Archie's pretty sure he can take this guy (at first glance, anyway), but he doesn't want screw up his reputation when he's barely arrived. With one hand on the ladder, he wrestles to untangle his pants leg from the branch. Damn waste of cotton. He eventually manages to get it free and scramble quickly down the ladder. It's amazing what you can do when you can't feel your feet.

Once on the ground, he scoops up his journal and huddles into himself, shivering hard against the cold.]

Thank you both. Ah. Would you mind telling me where I could find some...[He looks a little embarrassed, in an unhappy way]...clothes?

[Yuri just looks away for now. He'll let Estelle handle this, until he feels like being less suspicious. ... Whenever that'll be.]

[sigh. Yuri you could do with being more social. But she reaches into the satchel she's been carrying and pulls out a cloak and a pair of old boots. Walking barefoot through snow is not too much fun.] I brought these to get you back to town. Hopefully they fit well enough for that.

[but before they move somewhere else] Are you hurt anywhere?

[Archie quickly pulls on the boots and throws the cloak on.]

My pride.

Well if that's all, then you've come out fairly well.

[she smiles] We can lead you back to town; you'll be able to find proper clothing there. ....And my name is Estelle, by the way. This is Yuri.

[she looks pointedly over at Yuri. Take the hint and be polite. B|]

[Oh he can take a hint all right.

Turning away and shrugging.]

Yeah, nice to meet you. Now, if we're done here, can we go? I doubt I'm the only one who wants to stand around any longer than necessary.

[Archie isn't the most naturally patient person, necessarily. and he did do several things today that try that patience. 1) Die painfully. 2) Get swept into an alternate world. 3) Sit in a cold tree for a long time. 4) Dangle from a cold tree for a long time. So he heaves a bit of a sigh and speaks quietly through his teeth. It can be mistaken for just being cold, though.]

No, you're not. Thank you, Miss Estelle. I owe you a debt of gratitude.

[He says this last with a slight glance at Yuri, and it may sound just a teeny bit like he's deliberately leaving him out of the thank-you. Which he is. Yes, he knows it's not an appropriate way to treat someone who went out of his way to help, but helping doesn't automatically make Yuri trustworthy, and his attitude is getting on Kennedy's already-frayed nerves.]

[Sensing the tension between the men (it's a lot like how Flynn can get when he's a few steps away from snapping and biting Yuri's head off...) Estelle nods and takes a few steps back in the direction of buildings.] Yes, quicker is better. It could snow more today.

[Why Yuri's been totally nice and polite this whole time, he can't even fathom why--

... Okay yeah, so he's being a bit of a jerk. ... Maybe more than just a bit. Not like he really cares all that much, but maybe he'll lighten up a bit. ... But only a bit.

So!]

It could, and it probably will. So let's start moving.

[And with that, he'll be walking over to the ladder, picking that up, and starting to walk off in the direction of the buildings.]

[The tension goes out of Kennedy's shoulders and he follows along, holding the cloak around his bare shoulders. He'll walk behind Yuri and keep an eye on him. He's well aware that he's been wrong about people before, but he's also been very, very right.]

[See what you've done Yuri. This is why you get wanted posters and people like Zagi after you. Estelle keeps a friendly look on her face though, and leads the group by the shortest path towards the plaza.]

You're probably wondering what's happened to land you in a tree... [oh yeah and she's not one to just let a group walk in silence either.] There's no real easy way to explain, but I'm afraid you're no longer in your own world.

[Once again, Yuri decides to be quiet for now, letting Estelle handle the situation. ... It's better that way in this case especially, since Estelle could explain it all a lot better (and nicer) than he could.]

[Archie's read about all this already, but he lets the girl keep talking. It's good--she seems to be able to diffuse some of the tension in the air. Besides, having someone explain it to him could be helpful. He only absorbed about half of what the book said, and he's still not quite convinced he's not in Purgatory, with God playing a great joke on him the way He usually does. Like letting him get shot in the gut right after he was used to life being knit back together. Ha-ha.]

Go on.

One Bell: [Written/Accidental Video] No Gallows Can Touch Me

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