Twenty-two bells: [WRITTEN/ACTION]

[simplestgift]

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

[The handwriting is disguised and the picture is obscured.]

For the benefit of the new feathers: if you feel unsafe somehow in your own home, you may go to the Welcome Center and be placed in a safe house until you can get back on your feet. There does not have to be a reason. Even if you have returned from a kidnapping and do not wish to be alone, this is available to you.

[/Filter]

[Later, another written message, without the picture obscured.]

To anyone who volunteered to help build the ship:

We will begin work on Monday, at eight o'clock in the morning.  We will meet at the fountain and walk from there.  It'll mostly be cutting and transporting lumber at first, I'm afraid, and that includes building a cart to transport the lumber in.

Thank you,

Lt. Kennedy

[Then, written more hastily a little while later:]

If anyone has stories about Dr. McCoy, I should like to hear them.

[Today, Kennedy is stopping at the grocery store and the smithy, hoping someone with experience at the forge will be up to the challenge he has in mind.

Tonight, he is back to work at Cloud Nine, mostly waiting tables and looking fairly miserable. It's his first night of work since Dr. McCoy left, and since he dislikes the job anyway, he's not doing great at it tonight.

Before he goes home, he will stop by house 7. He will be home late.]

Comments

[simplestgift]

But you don't have one yet.

[herotypical]

[ quickly and with enthusiasm: ] N-no. Exactly. Not yet -- no! Not even yet. Not ever.

[simplestgift]

...Buffy, if you don't want a child, I don't see any reason why you should have one. Just don't tell yourself it's because you'd be a bad mother.

[herotypical]

And -- like I said? A couple hundred teenage girls is totally enough of a handful.

[ a forced smile and she moved to change the subject. ] Your...your sister, Archie. How many years are there between the two of you, again?

[simplestgift]

Not quite one.

[herotypical]

Huh. Was that nice? Being so close -- age-wise?

[simplestgift]

It was. I was always closer with her than my brothers.

[herotypical]

...Did kid-Archie and co ever get up to mischief? Sneaking out? Stealing candy from the cupboards after bedtime?

[simplestgift]

When we were visiting family in London my parents made the mistake of taking me to see a play. I was always running away from them to escape into the theatre after that, every time we visited. That's probably the worst of it. Vanishing into thin air without a thought for my poor mother's nerves.

[herotypical]

...She must've freaked.

[simplestgift]

Every time. But before long, every face on Drury Lane knew who I was. Most, I could charm into letting me into the theatre. Some knew better and took me back to my uncle's house straight away.

[herotypical]

Look at you, Archie Kennedy. A mini-scoundrel for the ages. How long were you in London for?

[simplestgift]

I don't remember. We visited two or three times before I joined the navy. I learnt Drury Lane like my own home. [A wistful look settles onto his face.] I'd like to go back there.

[herotypical]

You know...it might be in the Dome's repertoire.

[simplestgift]

[He studies her for a bit, considering.]

I've no idea how to program a thing in there, Buffy.

[herotypical]

...I managed to bring up Sunnydale, last time. [ of course -- it then went a bit...wrong. ] I'm no whiz with the tech but I could give it a try? I-if you were interested.

[simplestgift]

...But then if you know it already, how will I give you the tour?

[herotypical]

[ a smile. ]

You could ask Giles. He's done his time in London. Though his handle on technology really shouldn't be trusted. Y'know, it might be possible to program it in without too much knowledge of the place. Places from home just seem to...be there, accessible. I might be able to run the sim and then walk totally blind into a tour with you.

[ and then buffy summers found herself actually looking forward to such an outing with archie kennedy.

weird. ]

[simplestgift]

Giles says the theatre is still there in your time, but I doubt everything would look the same. If the...sim, if it's there, then I should very much like to show you about. I've not been there in some time, but I daresay I still know every nook.

[herotypical]

...And I think I'd love to be shown about.

[simplestgift]

Drury Lane of the seventeen hundreds it shall be, my dear friend. I doubt you would need to dress properly. The theatre-goers in the Dome shouldn't mind.

[herotypical]

I'll at least do my very best not to wear my daisy dukes and a halter. For their non-existent sakes.

[ she fibs. buffy isn't really a daisy dukes kinda gal. she would sooner wear a skirt -- but she does like throwing the sailors for anachronistic loops. ]

[simplestgift]

[A chuckle.] What about you, then? Anywhere from your home you'd like to show off to an antiquated sailor?

[herotypical]

[ maybe a risk. ] I...showed Jack around Sunnydale. I'm sure -- you know, if she was still here. She would want to show you. [ dawn. ] But I could show you.

[ and then in a rush: ] Or we could just go see Vegas and blind you with all the lights.

[simplestgift]

[Archie's smile wanes but does not completely disappear.] I...think it might be better to begin with Sunnydale.