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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Juliet waking up before Romeo dies? I don't remember that happening — doesn't she wake up just after?

When I saw it, it was before.

.........."Completely forgot to practice," Kennedy? That won't do at all...

[...Damn.]

In my own defense, sir, I was helping a friend to settle in.

[He doesn't sound, or look, very remorseful.]

And when I saw it, it was after. They change a lot of things for Broadway, but I'd think they'd leave Shakespeare intact.

Perhaps it was the choice of the particular group performing it. Your way certainly sounds more tragic.

Oh? [His voice takes on a studied, disinterested tone.] A friend?

Just what I was thinking about yours. Giving Juliet a little false hope and then killing Romeo seems almost cruel. Good drama, though, I'm sure.

Yes, Horatio. I doubt the two of you would get on.

[But he's clearly exploding with the news anyway, so. The fact that he's been nigh-invisible except as an attachment to Horatio this last week is now explained.]

But at least Romeo knows she's not dead, even if he isn't to know she's about to kill herself anyway.

Oh, you doubt this, do you? And Kennedy: if you're wishing you were dead, you're not doin' it right, lad. You should be feeling sensations of actual deadness. Perhaps I should add a few more repetitions...

There's only so far I'll be pushed, Jack. I'm not gonna kill myself with exhaustion to make you happy. Besides, you should agree that it doesn't feel like deadness at all until you're actually dead.

Edited 2011-05-15 22:20 (UTC)

[No currency? Still very strange. But not having to worry about affording his sword? Makes up for the oddity.

As Archie said, if the sword in his hand wasn't his own... It was damn similar.

Horatio grinned at Archie, one hand on the hilt of his sword and the sheath at his side.]

Well then, Mr. Kennedy let's see what [that damned pirate has taught you] you've learned.

He has to see her face when she realizes that he's poisoned himself, though. I don't know if an opportunity to say good-bye would be worth that for me, if I were in his place.

Of course, that means Juliet wakes up next to her husband's corpse, which can't possibly be pleasant.

[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.

I would rather say goodbye.

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.]

On the whole — I think I would, too. But not if it meant dying knowing I'd broken my lover's heart.

...On the whole, I think I'd rather live, though.

Wouldn't we all.

[He's not going to start talking about how it doesn't make a lot of difference whether or not you see their heart broken or not, but then again, Romeo did think Juliet was dead, and he's not going to give himself away to Random Person.]

[Guess who's grabbed his journal and decided to weigh in?]

They'd have been better served by running away together. Or informing their families of the marriage, even after the fact if they wished to prevent interference.

[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.]

Most of us, anyway.

I'm curious to see your version now. It's a pity it isn't available here.

[It makes rather a lot of difference at the time, in Kay's opinion, but that's a point on which they'll simply have to agree to disagree. :D]

Well, sure they would, but teenagers aren't exactly masters of clear thinking.

I didn't like it so much when I first saw it. Nowadays I rather think the tragedy is in two foolish children thinking they understand enough about the world to throw their lives away so.

[Sort of like the children who joined the navy, including him.]

I've always thought the tragedy was in their families' behavior, more than anything. They're stuck so firmly on some Hatfield-and-McCoy nonsense, and their children suffer the ultimate punishment for it.

[Battle of the not-gonna-talk-about-it issues: Archie versus Kay.]

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

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