simplestgift | Sixteen Bells: [WRITTEN/VOICE/ACTION]

[Filtered against known villains and Grell, 100% unhackable]

[The handwriting is disguised, and the picture obscured. The message is as anonymous as possible.]

If there is anyone returned from a kidnapping or being threatened who does not feel safe in his or her home, speak to anyone at the Welcome Center and they will direct you to a safe place to stay until things are better.

If you wish to volunteer to house someone, you will need a reference from a trusted member of the community.

[/Filter]

[A few minutes later, he uncovers the camera and starts a new message, spoken this time.]

Alexis Rodgers has been sent home. At least I assume as much--no one has seen her and her flat is empty. It's good. She was very homesick, and...

[A pause. There's nothing really to say after that. He doesn't sound greatly distressed, but there's definitely a certain melancholy.

He'll be at the library this afternoon, and Good Spirits tonight. Missing Dawn, mostly. He'll occasionally walk through the item shop, killing time looking for little gifts to pick up for her. At some point, he'll go see Ingrid in the clinic. In the evening, he'll pay a visit to Jack Sparrow's house on the beach. He's there to see Horatio, of course.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Archie is actually holding his breath.]

They never asked any questions of me.

Torture?

[Just...silence. Then:] I've had worse, I suppose. Beckett and all.

...And you remember it all?

A man doesn't soon forget that sort of thing, even if this time there were no permanent reminders, Kennedy.

She's strong. Dawn. She's a strong girl.

...She is strong.

[I'm not. It may as well be him in that cage.]

Edited 2011-06-27 19:36 (UTC)

[A strong girl whom Jack had taught how to shoot.]

Buffy will be in tatters.

[It was a smooth answer to Archie's unspoken thought. A reminder.]

Buffy is also strong. She was at Dawn's flat, when I arrived.

[On the surface, maybe, she puts on an excellent show.]

Aye--even had she been there during the kidnapping, there would be nothing she could do. No one can resist the metal men.

I know. But she wasn't the one taken.

Are you suggesting you might have stopped them? Because that's not what "Actualizing Your Authentic Self" would call "constructive thinking," mate.

The one taken was Dawn, Jack. And no matter what Buffy feels, or what I feel, neither of us is as hurt or frightened as she is.

...Constructive thinking?

Another one of those modern-type terms that it might be better not to try to explain, really. [Because, God, how he had failed with Ayumu.]

And that's just the thing: I cannot help her. I can endeavor to...make things not so bad for you, or for Annie.

[A pause. Jack, for once, is being selfless. How fair would it be to slap that away?]

I'll be coming to your house tonight, to speak with Horatio. Perhaps...

[Booze is good.]

[There is a gutteral, sort of choking but quickly cut-off laugh at that.]

Your Horatio's likely going to need a new pair of boots, mate, because he's worn his through with the pacing. I think he's bored.

Don't open his door.

Yes, the pacing. He did that at Ferrol, every day, nearly drove everyone mad.

And I'm already mad, so you can see the conundrum. We clearly do not want him to escape, but someone's got to empty his chamber pot and give him the things he needs and so on and so forth.

[Hint: that someone is YOU, Kennedy.]

You just said I wasn't to open the door.

Don't open the door unless we can be certain he won't try to leave. It might require an extra set of eyes and hands, boyo.

Unless you think we should manacle him to the wall, because at this point I'd be far less bothered by that, what with all the ruddy pacing noises.

I'll ask him to stop.

And you think this will actually work? It's like havin' a haunted attic, this!

[Something seems to snap.]

What would you have me do, Jack? I was almost stabbed to death while everyone was dropping like Irishmen all about and Dawn is missing and now Horatio of all men wants to go gallivanting off to settle a score he wanted to settle almost a decade ago with someone who'll kill him. God forbid I prevent one thing from happening out of everything. I'll switch houses with you, whatever you like, but she is not going to kill him.

...No. Switching? Not necessary. I'll look after 'im. [Note to self: Archie has breaking points.] We won't allow it, eh? No more killings for Grell. She's had her share of blood.

My blood. Your blood. It isn't right, everyone else being brought into it. Everyone knowing.

[voice]

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