Eighteen Bells: [ACTION/WRITTEN]

[simplestgift]

[Kennedy comes to himself lying on his side in the grass, his wings splayed haphazardly, a slight breeze causing the feathers to flutter. He lies still for a moment, watching without thought the grass as it ripples softly before his eyes. Then he remembers that he was taken.

That explains this.

It begins to come back to him. He'd glimpsed the cages and panicked. They'd jabbed a needle into him then, and everything had gone soft, then black. He remembers nothing between then and now, and nothing is what he'll search his memories for. The blackout is a blessing, even if it is unsettling. It would be worse to remember.

He's in his own clothes--shirtsleeves, waistcoat, and trousers--and his journal is lying nearby, because clearly the Malnosso are paragons of courtesy. He rolls onto his stomach to reach for it when he hears a clear tinkling sound.  He reaches for his throat. There is...something, very much like a collar. No, it is a collar of steel links with no clasp, and hanging from it is a bell.

A bell he cannot touch. It rings when he moves, but his fingers pass through it. No matter what he does, he cannot keep it from sounding.

Apparently someone at the Malnosso facility is a wise guy who eavesdrops on certain conversations and thinks he's pretty damn funny.

Okay. So no audio. He grabs the journal and writes instead.]

I'm here. How long have I been gone?

-A. Kennedy

P.S. Horatio, do tell me one of you fed the cat.

Comments

[ written ]

[herotypical]

That depends on when you left.

-B. Summers

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

Last I knew, it was [there's a pause as he tries to remember] Saturday.

[ written ]

[herotypical]

A week, then. Not too bad -- all things considered.

Or [ a pause. how to phrase this without sounding too too over concerned? ] maybe not too bad. Is it bad? Are you bad? How are you?

[ fail. ]

[written]

[all7seas]

Kennedy:

Report in as to your present and or current condition, state of injury, annoying whelpness, etc.

Your Servant,

Sparrow

[written]

[simplestgift]

Sparrow:

I am on the path to the southern lake. I've banged my knee up a bit but am otherwise whole and annoying as ever. Do you still have a boat to your name?

Your Most Humbled Subject,

Kennedy

[written]

[all7seas]

Humbled Subject:

Aye, Smoker's not got hold of her, nor will he ever. Glad to hear you are hale and hearty. Are you limping home as we speak?


Your Most Exulted Captain

Sparrow

[ written ] phone tag of placeholder joy

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

A week. Or at least, a week minus any space time you were taking.

...Are you okay?

[ written ]

[simplestgift]

[It takes a few minutes for him to respond.]

Nothing that cannot be mended.

[If he can get the bell off before he gets back to town.]

[ written ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Which means? [ worry, okay. MUCH WORRY. ]

[voice/written]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Archie.

[she responds to the name before she even has a chance to register more than relief. Then she takes in that he's merely writing. That could be nothing...they'd done the same with their letters. Or it could for less pleasant reasons.

Still...even a silent message was a message, and she's lightheaded with relief despite the warning in the back of her head that he might not be entirely alright.]

[she switches to writing as more of a courtesy than a necessity]

Thank god. We were worried. Are you alright?

[voice | filtered 44%]

[simplestgift]

Jilly!

[He responds with a filtered voice message, sounding a tad wary.]

I have a bell. [Which gives silvery little peals every time he makes the slightest movement.] I can't get it off.

[voice | filtered 44%]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[the wariness would be worrying...if the message itself didn't throw her so much]

You have a....bell?

[written]

[memoryboxes]

[Oh, thank goodness, she'd been worried for you! Archie really should stop causing her grief, with how often he gets into troubl--

actually--]

You really should stop trying to gray my hair, getting into trouble so often, Archie-san.

— Sayo

[written]

[simplestgift]

Sayo! I'm glad to know you're all right. I've heard about the Shift. Do you have someone to protect you?

Re: [written]

[memoryboxes]

Don't worry about me, I'm quite good at taking care of myself! I'm more occupied making sure you're alright. Are you okay? Have you returned to the village? It's far too dangerous to stay out in the forest, with these shifts happening.

[Written]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles' handwriting is remarkably hasty and messier than it normally is.]

Only heard from Jilly that you'd gone at all. That was three days ago. Droids were very quiet about it.

-Giles

[Written]

[simplestgift]

They took me on my way home from the library. I would be surprised to learn they tore apart the house anyway.

Re: [Written]

[consultmybooks]

Horatio thought you'd gone camping, so I doubt it.

[written]

[captainhornblower]

Archie!

Where are you? What happened? Are you hurt?

God in Heaven, I was [No, no, best to salvage things while what he wrote could still appear calm.]

[voice]

[simplestgift]

[For you, Horatio, he switches to voice. You can hear the bell ringing as he limps down the path.]

I'm all right, Horatio. Just a banged-up knee, and I remember as much as if I had slept through it.

[voice]

[captainhornblower]

Thank God. [Contained as it is? Relief slips through in that reply.]

Thank God.

[...But that sound...]

Where are you?

[Action]

[biteoffherhead]

[Bells are not a common sound for a wolf to hear. Particularly tiny, chime-like ones. So the high pitched ringing ends up, ultimately, attracting the attention of Moro, whose white form isn't exactly invisible even through the thicker parts of the brush as she slowly wanders closer.]

[Action]

[simplestgift]

[When Archie hears something moving, he stops limping down the road and turns his head, listening.]

[action]

[captainhornblower]

[Which will join with Archie soon.

Best to pick up Miss Jilly first, Horatio decided as he closed the house door behind him. Probably at her house, so that was his intended destination.

Then toward the lake to find Archie and get him home safe.]

[action]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[he wouldn't make it all the way to House 7 before Jilly would appear, already on her way to the sailors' house in return. Excited...anxious...she wanted to find Horatio and, if possible, convince him to let her come along. It never occurred to her he would already be looking out for her, and her eyes widen a bit in surprise when she realizes who is walking towards her on the path]

Horatio!