simplestgift | Three Bells: [WRITTEN] - New Horizons in Lit Appreciation

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Three Bells: [WRITTEN] - New Horizons in Lit Appreciation

They have everything Shakespeare ever wrote in the library. Everything! It's a fountain of gold. I could spend days here. I'd sleep here if they'd let me. I don't think I've ever been happier. And there's no theatre group here? None? Do people here not realize what they have? What kind of a world is this?

In case anyone asks, I'll be in the library for the rest of my life.

[Or really just the rest of the day. At some point he'll have to come up for air and grab something to eat at the 7th Heaven, where he'll be buried in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It'll be dark before he goes home, carrying only a single book.]

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I might be doing a dance. A Dance Of Pride.

I'm also trying to decide if it's mean or awesome to tell you to look up bikinis.

[A few minutes later.]

Yes, well, now I'm also trying to decide that. No mystery, eh?

Not a whole lot, no. We have fridges but also, way less clothes.

At the risk of sounding rude or backwards, I think I prefer a woman with self-respect. They actually let themselves have pictures taken like this? Do they know what goes on in a man's head?

[Yes, there's a double-meaning there, and he's aware of it. Someone has also clearly explained photography to him. That, or he spent way too much time in the encyclopedia after "pipe cleaners."]

Sometimes, that's kind of the purpose? [ but oh GOD she is not explaining porn to archie, not even a little. ] Most of us just wear them to the beach, not for magazines.

[Oh, there was lots of porn in his time. It just wasn't photographic, and it was a heckuva lot more sexist than it is today, which he's partly reacting to. See, if these pictures are pornographic, it's pretty softcore, even to him. If they're not, then are women of Dawn's day simply walking visual prostitutes? Buffy's not. Buffy is decidedly self-assured. And covered.]

I suppose I'm still trying to work out the differences between your time and mine.

[ dawn is a child of the internet age, rule thirty four and all. and considering historical porn is not actually something she's done much of, admittedly. ]

It's an adjustment. Which means an adjustment period. You're not freaking, so that's step on [ dawn stops writing mid-word with a slight scribble, then jots hastily ] One sec, hang on.

[ the space between the last comment and this one is enough for dawn to have gotten back to the village. ]

So. Library? We left kind of unexpectedly.

I'm still here, whenever you're ready. I've migrated to the Mystery section, but I'll meet you at the door.

[ well, that was just an uncomfortable end to an actually fun weekend. dawn stops by spike's apartment to grab a change of clothes before heading to the library, but it doesn't take her long.

...she's just outside when she realizes she has no idea what archie even looks like. well, hopefully he's either still in period clothes or there aren't many people hanging out in the front of the library, today. ]

[When he said he'd meet her at the door, he should have specified inside. He's sitting just inside, indeed in period clothes, but it's warm enough that he's in his shirtsleeves with his uniform jacket draped over the back of his chair. He glances occasionally at the door to see if someone who looks like they could be Buffy's sister comes in. Unfortunately, there are lots of pretty girls here and many of them who don't have green hair could be Buffy's sister. After a bit, he puts down his book, stands up, and pulls a door open to see if she's outside, not bothering with his jacket.]

[ it's cold enough that dawn is about to head inside and hope he meant that when the door opens, and someone in what looks like the right kind of clothes pops his head outside. ]

Archie?

[He meets the eyes of a leggy brunette with a slightly startled expression, then...]

[Oh damn.]

[Why did she have to get him to look up bikinis?]

Hello, Dawn!

[ dawn is having a little moment herself; the bbc rules of cuteness mean that archie's uniform makes him automatically six point seven times hotter than he would be alone.

and admittedly, alone he's pretty darn cute, too. ]

I got it right! Which, okay, not like there's a lot of people in the British Navy to pick from, but still. [ this is a tiny, awkward wave because it's easier to be calm, cool and collected over the journals. ] Hi.

[And his face, upon seeing how adorable and blustery she is, blooms into this smile. He returns the wave, suddenly feeling just a little uncharacteristically shy.]

H-Hello.

[Oh, he already said that.]

[ even his smile is cute. seriously, it was easier to tease without that smile, right there being all... cute.

all right, summers, buck up. what would buffy do? beyond maybe kill something in the near vicinity. that might be less of a good option. ]

I believe I was promised Shakespeare-ing. You still want to?

[Blink.]

Right. Shakespearing it is.

[He pushes the door open fully and holds it for her. SNAP OUT OF IT!]

[ door holding. archie, be less of a romantic ideal as imagined by every romance novel featuring an honorable military man of the napoleonic era, will you? ]

So, what did you end up doing other than checking out bikinis, pipe cleaners and Shakespeare? [ her voice goes muffled for a minute as they enter the library and she tucks her chin to her chest to better see the zipper and tugs off her jacket. ] Because I can just say random words and make you find the context if we get bored.

[It's not his fault he had the door partway open anyway. Archie tries desperately to restore his higher brain functions, being every bit as intimidated by pretty girls as the next guy.]

Yes, yes. Erm. I mean, mostly history. I'm taking home a book by Jules Verne.

[ if dawn could read his mind, her insecurity (and buffy) issues would probably make her wonder if he just hasn't met very many girls. she's the dorky little sister, buffy's the guy-flustering one.

...it's probably good she can't read minds. ]

Oooh, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea? Good choice. You should get some poetry while you're here, too. There's Whitman... O Captain is about sailors, if you're going with themes.

[If she could read minds, she'd know he's met quite a lot of girls. On shore leave. Who weren't always reputable. He starts to relax at the now-familiar pattern of her geeking out.] Someone recommended Tennyson. [He gathers up his jacket and coat and proceeds with her deeper into the library.] He's a bit fanciful, but I like him. I should probably stick with the one book, though. I don't think I ever gave Horatio back his copy of Don Quixote de la Mancha.

[ there is that. although the insecurity issues would crop up anyway, because who needs facts when you can just worry instead? but dawn relaxes too, as the conversation shifts. this is what she knows, where she's comfortable. it's easier to forget archie is cute when she's talking about books. ] Tennyson's good, but not my favorite. I should grab some stuff too, now that I can eat up all my reading time with anything I want instead of dusty books in languages pretty much no one else speaks.

[ she nudges archie's shoulder with her own, shaking her head. ] Good thing about libraries? You can keep going until your arms are full. Get.... four. At least.

Three Bells: [WRITTEN] - New Horizons in Lit Appreciation

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