Eleven Bells: [Action/Written] Oddly Introverted Today

[simplestgift]

[Tonight, Archie is out in the woods, walking along the river instead of the path toward the southern lake. Something about being away from the village, in the solitude of the woods, with the sky going on for miles above him, is closer than anything else to the openness of the sea. The strange thing is that Archie was never too poetic about the sea itself--it was the ships he loved, not the water they sailed on. But now that the sea is far away and there is no ship to sail upon it, he finds himself very homesick for that endless expanse. So he walks by moonlight, gathering his thoughts and finding as much tranquility as he can in the woods.

When he returns home through the village, it will be past midnight. He'll stare at the furnished, unlived-in bedroom in his apartment, set up for someone who never comes. In the morning, he'll wake up on the couch, beneath the mural of the Indefatigable. Eventually, he'll write an unsigned message on the journal network.]

When the wind embraces all the world between the sky and sea,
It speaks in my ear of the left-behind, dear friend, it speaks of thee.
I wish you a journey far and long and spirits high and free,
And hope that the wind still speaks to you, dear friend, and speaks of me.

[A few minutes later, he'll scribble the whole thing out.

In the morning, anyone will be able to find him about, grocery shopping mostly, but also just browsing the shelves idly.  He'll hit Good Spirits a little earlier than usual and drink a little more than normal.]

Comments

[ written ]

[herotypical]

Exactly. I could be a total wash-out loser. You just don't know.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

You seem too wise to be any such thing.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

Oh. God. Wise? Me? Nuh-uh. Sorry, wrong number.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

[In response, he goes back through their conversation and starts underlining wise little tidbits she's said.]

You're no simpleton.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

Okay. So maybe one step above simpleton. But not wise. I'll leave that to the people who wear tweed and have funny accents.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

A requisite for wisdom of any sort, I agree.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

Usually? I'm the brawn. Not the brains.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Is that so? And you a woman?

[ written ]

[herotypical]

My me is a she, yes.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

That's unusual, don't you think?

[Poke.]

[ written ]

[herotypical]

It's not exactly Betty-Louise Normal but -- I don't know, maybe not.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Maybe not what?

[ written ]

[herotypical]

I just mean -- there's lots of strongish ladies in these parts. Not just me.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Not unusual in your world, then.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

Not -- [ a hesitant scribble. ] Not anymore.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Good.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

Not so where you're from? Guessing that has to do with the whole non-magic thing.

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Powerless men always need to feel more powerful than someone, so they designate whoever they'd like. That women fall into that category is taken for granted.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

Believe me, being strong doesn't change that.

[ slayers were often under the thumb of the watchers' council. ]

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Nothing will. At least you have the confidence to use your strength against such men.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

I make a point not to use it too often against your garden variety human, actually.

[ she tries. ]

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Simply by not being reliant on them, you are fighting against them.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

...It took me a while to realize who actually had the power.

[ it had taken her nearly five years to actually quit the council; although she had worked very independently before that. ]

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Sometimes it happens that way. The worst ones never realize.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

A bunch of old, cranky Brits playing boss to a super-powered girl? Kind of silly, when you think about it.