Seventeen Bells: [WRITTEN/ACTION]

[simplestgift]

On July the 4th, 1776, one Horatio Hornblower was born in Kent.  If you see him, bid him many happy returns.  He will most likely grump about it all day and act ungrateful, but don't allow it to discourage you.  He does appreciate it, he simply does not know it.

[For most of the day, Archie will be running around trying to furnish a bedroom in the house for a new housemate. He'll end up in the library, Good Spirits, the grocery store, then finally the Battle Dome, mostly staring in bewilderment at the controls before deciding this is too scary and leaving. At some point, he'll also take a walk in the woods, rain or no rain, in shirtsleeves and waistcoat but no coat. After a while, he'll get back on the journals.]

[Filtered away from Grell, 44%]

If you wanted to surprise someone dear to you, to cheer her up when she returned from being kidnapped, what would you do for her?

Comments

[simplestgift]

...Why does he hate him? Has Angel been here before?

[action.]

[simplestgift]

[Oh, come on. You die with a man once, you're on first-name basis, right?]

Good. [He pushes the door open to the general store.] Welcome to a land where everything makes sense.

[herotypical]

Mmhm. He was here when I first arrived, but he doesn't remember...and as for the hate? I can just tell. Slayer's intuition. [ and a strangely over-protectively possessive streak a couple of miles wide in the vampire. ]

[simplestgift]

No reason he hates him?

[herotypical]

Oh, I mean -- will hate. That will be one messy meeting, Archie.

[action.]

[yrobtsvt.livejournal.com]

[William, who is very used to balancing formality and comfort, had not considered that he wouldn't need to. It's an odd place to land.] Entirely. [He surveys the scene for a nice desk and dresser, frowning slightly at all the other things, here, very few of which he can guess at a proper name for.]

[simplestgift]

Do I need to drug him?

[herotypical]

...Let's opt out of the potential felonies, this time. I'll -- it'll smooth over. It's gotta. He just needs to realize that I've made my choice.

[ buffy be less vague with pronouns. ]

[simplestgift]

Jack does, or this Angel fellow?

[herotypical]

Both. [ a beat. ] I mean -- Angel. It won't be tough. He's moved on. We both have. But that doesn't mean he's gonna approve of the who that the moving on's been done with.

[simplestgift]

Then hit him in the teeth. He has no right, anymore.

[herotypical]

[ laughter. ] You're right. He doesn't. But -- hitting a vamp like Angel in the teeth? Fun. Lots of fun. But ultimately not much of a deterrent. Me and him've been pretty evenly matched.

[voice]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

So long as he's actually taking it.

[ voice ]

[hippocraticly.livejournal.com]

Well, be sure to pass along my happy returns. You can pick up his present whenever you want.

[ he never forgets, Archie. ]

[action]

[captainhornblower]

I couldn't ask for anything more. [Except a ship. But he'll content himself with small miracles for now. Like having Archie and William.

Both his lieutenants.

...How things should be.

Then, though, Archie offers the package. Horatio has to smile.] Archie, there was hardly need to-- Thank you.

[He takes a seat to open the package, and his smile grows.]

Thank you.

[simplestgift]

And he would fight a woman? You can't even use that to your advantage anymore?

[Tone still light.]

[herotypical]

Hah. Remember when we were talking about patronizing and me looking after myself? Angel's more than well aware of what I'm capable of. More aware than most. Which might actually be the part that's actually to my advantage.

[ she matches that lightness. ]

[action.]

[simplestgift]

[Archie beckons him to an aisle with bedsheets galore.] Most of them are cotton. I learnt something--the higher this number, the softer the sheets.

[Bachelors.]

[action.]

[yrobtsvt.livejournal.com]

Clever, clever. [Since it's free, William grabs some that seem to have a high number-- and feel precious fine to him-- and slings them over his shoulder. They're fairly plain, off-white and perhaps a little too big for his bed, but William will never complain of having too much of anything.]

This'll do me fine, Kennedy. You know, I've heard this place is awful-- don't like this Third Party business one bit. But... [William strokes the fabric at his shoulder. He's never owned anything this nice in his life.] I can't complain about the goods.

[voice]

[simplestgift]

They're not the sort you can crush up in his drink.

[ voice ]

[simplestgift]

Er. Right. I'll be over directly, shall I?

[action]

[simplestgift]

I thought you should like to write private things on private paper. And since your last gift was of use to me, I thought I should give you something practical as well.

[simplestgift]

I see. Vampire slayer.

[herotypical]

Mmhm. The very definition of star-crossed.

[action]

[captainhornblower]

I certainly appreciate it, Archie. [And his smile is a good indication of how much.

His expression takes on a teasing lilt as he examines the journal.] No witchcraft about this one, then?