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

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Meet me this evening? I'll come by your flat to walk you to dinner. I've a surprise for you.
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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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[He's not ending the conversation, but he does change the subject.]

What do you do, Kay?

[Kay, having assumed the conversation was over, was about to go off and find something to do. It's a surprise when Archie replies, but not an unpleasant one.]

I'm a writer. Short stories, mainly, some novels. I'm no Shakespeare, of course, but we do all right for ourselves, back home.

I'd like to see you use the journals as a way to publish your stories, then. I doubt we've a press round here.

I might have to — I'd keep writing even if no one was reading, but it's much nicer to have readers.

Might be a while before I have anything ready, though. It takes longer to write when only one person's doing it.

You write with someone else?

My husband, normally; he writes a bit, then I write a bit, then him again, and so forth. Julius is at home, though, so it's back to writing on my own.

You must miss him.

[There's a long pause before she scrawls out her reply.]

I do. This place would be damn near perfect if he was around.

I beg your pardon. ~~I didn't mean to~~

It's —

[Another pause.]

Nothing to beg pardon for. I'll see him again sooner or later, no doubt.

You will.

I hope so, anyway. We had a story on the back burner that's only about half-finished, and it'd drive me crazy not to know how it all ends.

You'll read it, and help him finish the other half. It's inevitable.

I do beg your pardon, but I must also beg your leave. I have someone to meet.

Somehow, I'm not convinced Fate works quite the same here as home — but we'll see.

Of course — go on then. No doubt we'll cross paths again sometime, Archie.

I am certain we will, Kay.

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

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