simplestgift | Twelve Bells: [WRITTEN/ACCIDENTAL VIDEO/ACTION] The winter of our discontent.

[Filtered to Dawn Summers 40%]
Meet me this evening? I'll come by your flat to walk you to dinner. I've a surprise for you.
[/Filtered]

It has come to my attention that every copy the library has of Richard III is missing bits of his famous speech. I've noticed it in other places as well. Romeo and Juliet is lacking the lines when she wakes up and they reunite before he remembers he took poison. All for Love is also just a bit different from what I remember. Far as I can tell, The London Merchant is whole, but quite a lot of older tragedies are missing bits and pieces. Can anyone explain this?

There's something about the fight between Tybalt and Mer

[The writing stops. A second later, the journal hits the floor, showing a lovely view of the carpet in one of the many apartments in the village. In the background, Archie's voice begins, sounding a little flustered.]

Horatio, I'll be back in a few hours. Damn, damn.

Archie? [The immediate confusion is quickly replaced with a concern that he tries to make sound less pressing than he felt it.] What is it? Where are you going?

[Archie's voice comes back, less frantic but still speaking quickly as some jangling is heard from picking up his sword.] Nothing. In trying to get you settled this week, I completely forgot to practice. I'll be out back, behind the building, wishing I was dead.

Ah, of course. The pirate. [A beat.] Shall I wait here, then?

[A pause.] I suppose two could practice.

If he'd prefer to deal with only one, I would be content to just watch. [Not that he's trying to put off the inevitable-- that sooner or later, he has to let Archie out of his sight for more than a few minutes. ...To distract from that idea, he chuckles.] Besides-- would be hard for two to practice when only one is armed. Perhaps once I have a sword again, you can teach me what he's taught you.

I don't have a lesson today, Horatio. We could stop by the weapons' shop and find you something more than suitable. [He sounds slightly wistful.]

[The thought of not yet having to deal with the pirate whose boat he borrowed? Perks him up.] I'd like that.

Very well, Mister Hornblower. I challenge you to a duel!

And, as a gentleman, I cannot refuse. I am afraid, Mr. Kennedy, that in a matter as serious as this-- [the smile on his face is betrayed by his tone] --there can, naturally, be no quarter given.

[What follows behind CH1 is two navy boys gleefully trying to chop each other up. It's more akin to horseplay than practice, but it appears that "the twins" are having fun, at least. Onlookers feel free to look on.

Later, Archie will do a little honest practice on his own in the same place.

OOC: Anyone whose character knows stuff about lit history can point out that a lot of older plays in the 18th century were rewritten just a little to update them for a "modern" audience.]

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[Archie draws his sword and holds it with an awareness Horatio wouldn't have seen in him until now.] Aye-aye, Mr. Hornblower, let's see how many seconds it takes for me to disarm you.

Quite sure of yourself, aren't you? [Horatio draws his own sword, watching Archie. There may well be a bit of pride in his gaze as he watches the hold.

...Perhaps he may have to reconsider his thoughts about this pirate. Perhaps.]

[This is just playing, so Archie isn't about to go to that place Jack always likes to provoke him into when they fight. Instead, he makes a quick move to disarm his friend.]

[There's no finesse to Horatio's movements, and the drive that usually powers him is lacking. After all, there's no threat here. A bit of practice... and mostly just fun.

And there's no lack of surprise on Horatio's face when he has no choice but to release his sword. His grin doesn't diminish in the slightest.]

Bravo.

[Archie actually looks a little disappointed, or at least disapproving.]

Why, Horatio, you didn't even try.

You've improved. A lot. [Plus there is a definite difference between even a play-duel and the adrenaline rush of a chaotic battle.]

Teaches me to underestimate my opponent.

[Which makes him smirk as he goes for his sword.]

Won't be so easy next time.

[Archie circles his opponent.] I did mention I beat Jack last time I fought him, didn't I?

[This is no small feat, H. For serious. You'll learn one day, inevitably.]

I won't make that mistake twice, then.

[He seemed a bit more focused, but his smile didn't falter.

Without a word, he lunged.]

[Archie quickly misdirected Horatio's sword with his own and stepped to the side.]

[Horatio moved with the redirect, ducking slightly to aim a low slash.]

[He simply continued to step back, then suddenly forward to use Horatio's forward momentum against him, aiming his sword across his friend's throat.]

You're thinking too much, as usual.

[Horatio gave a bit of a laugh, looking up the blade.]

Why I took Pellew's advice to not duel.

[If he's going to lose this badly, at least it's against Archie.]

Damn good, Archie.

[...No, we're not plotting anything. Not at all.]

[It's not that he couldn't see it coming if he was looking for it, but his guard is always down so completely around Horatio that he's not pondering potential treachery. Instead, a proud smile blossoms on his face.]

Do you think so?

I do. [He's completely sincere. He hasn't met many men with real skill at swordplay, and he can certainly respect it.

He keeps smiling, setting his sword down and holding his hands up in defeat.

As he rises, still down from the sword at his throat when he attempted to go low... He aims a kick for just under Archie's knee. Not hard enough to attempt damage, not in this situation.

But a bit of fun with a friend cancels out "fair play."]

[It's enough to foul up Archie's feet, and he stumbles a bit backward as the blow connects, dropping his sword. He regains his footing and rushes Horatio, flinging a wing in the man's face to distract him while he tries to grapple him to the ground. No dignity is necessary, right?]

[The look of smug triumph on his face is short-lived before Horatio finds himself rushed. And falling.

Any sense of pride is forgotten as he latches on. He goes down? He's making sure Archie goes down with him.]

OOF!

[Archie lands hard, catching himself on his right hand. A jolt of pain shoots through his right wrist, patched up well but still somewhat delicate even after three weeks or so of moderate rest.]

Ow. Damn you.

You started it.

[...Actually, no, Horatio. You did that.

But he did sound sincere with his next question. He'd rather be foolish and ask than ignore it.]

Are you hurt?

[Archie rolls over, sitting on the grass, and stretches his wrist a few times.] Not hurt at all. My sword wrist broke a few weeks back, and Dr. McCoy told me to be careful with it.

Teach you to challenge a man before you're healed. [Despite it, he's watching Archie carefully, just to make sure he hasn't done any real harm to the injury.]

[Nah. He flexes his fingers a few times before deciding he must have been imagining things.] I am healed, Horatio. Dr. McCoy comes from so far in the future they can mend a broken bone in a few minutes.

A few minutes? [He smiled.] Damn. Could have used him on the Indy.

You didn't think our method of chopping a man's arm off was sufficient?

Edited 2011-05-16 03:53 (UTC)

Would've been nice to be able to avoid that, certainly.

You and I did, at least. That's something.

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