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]

[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]

[simplestgift]

Exulted Captain:

That is good to hear. I am having some difficulty, but should be back shortly. I must have hit it upon one of the bars.

One Lowly Lieutenant Kennedy

[written]

[all7seas]

Bars? They caged you up, son?

[written]

[simplestgift]

[Thinking about that possibility makes him go a little shaky. No. He's okay. He doesn't remember.]

I don't remember. They were taking me to a cage and someone put a needle in my arm and I don't remember anything else.

[Besides panicking so violently that they'd had to sedate him for his stay in their little resort. Not thinking about that. No. The bell is a far graver situation.]

[voice]

[all7seas]

Ugh. Needles. Can't abide 'em. Why are you writing, lieutenant?

[voice/written]

[simplestgift]

[Archie reflexively switches to audio, then quickly back once he realizes what he's done. In the meantime, a silvery tinkling can be heard.]

I prefer it. I always have.

[voice]

[all7seas]

........Did they send you back with a tiny, adorable kitten?

[written]

[simplestgift]

[There is a pause as he considers this.]

How did you guess?

[voice]

[all7seas]

Well it's either that or they've tied a fairy bell round your neck! Ha! Ha ha ha hahahah ahahaha!

[Ah, the old joke he'd made that Horatio hadn't understood at all. Good times.]

[voice]

[simplestgift]

[It takes a long, long time for the response to come. Then, he switches to voice.]

Captain Sparrow, if this was your doing, I'll cut off your legs.

[A completely empty threat, but this totally isn't funny.]

[voice] 1/2

[all7seas]

......If WHAT was my.....

2/2

[all7seas]

[Captain Jack Sparrow will be back JUST AS SOON AS THE BREATHTAKING LAUGHING EPISODE IS OVER. PLEASE STAND BY. REMAIN INDOORS.]

[simplestgift]

[Oh, he is going to kill you, Jack.]

[all7seas]

"OI, where's Kennedy, Hornblower? Where's Kennedy, Sparrow? Where's Archie gone, Jack?" Just wander about and listen---listen for his little wee bell, and you'll be onto him soon enough! Oh! Oh ho ho hahahaa!

[simplestgift]

[Seriously, Jack, just build up the bad karma. He will ensure you suffer for this. But for now, he'll wait until Jack calms down.]

[all7seas]

[There are a few stray hiccups and a giggle, but Jack is mostly calm now.]

Hee. Hah haha hee.

[Okay. Now he's done.]

Ahem. [Hiccup.] What's to be done about it? Did they include a leash as well?

[simplestgift]

...No. Just the bell. Which I can't silence or remove, by the by. My fingers pass right through it, and there's no clasp on the chain.

[A pause to wait out potential further laughter.]

[all7seas]

[But Jack finds THAT part disturbing.] A ghost bell?

[Then he gets over the disturbing part.] Is your name engraved upon it? "If Lost, Please Return Immediately To H. Hornblower"?

HA! Ha!

[simplestgift]

[There's a pause. Then, a tiny smile appears, though Jack cannot see it, and the most muffled of chuckles bubbles up from his throat.

notfunnynotfunnynotfunny...]

[all7seas]

I will say, mate, that this is far worse than the time you were turned into a tiny wee man what cleaned my house and made curtains.

If only because I'm getting nothing at all OUT of it. Have you tried asking Miss Rockbell to pry it off with one of her many tools at the Smithy?

[simplestgift]

[So his face is burning a little, but the humor in the situation has finally struck him.] It's a good half an hour's walk at least to the village, Jack, so no. Buffy said she'd try to get it off.

[all7seas]

Buffy will try, eh? But will she succeed---that is the question. And SHOULD she, would be the OTHER question. Would be highly handy to keep you belled.

[simplestgift]

As it would've been handy for you to speak French.