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

[herotypical]

[ buffy is sitting in the living room at seven. loose, comfy clothes. she's usually more put together than this; although, she doesn't look messy. just...tired.

she is on the floor, cross-legged. her palms are on her knees and there is a small table set up a few feet away with four rosy coloured crystals arranged into a miniature structure.

buffy summers is attempting some meditation. ]

[simplestgift]

[Archie enters with a couple of take-home boxes in a plastic bag. He's about to call out, but stops when he sees Buffy looking so...concentrated.]

[herotypical]

[ her eyes are shut. her shoulders are squared. the slayer breaths slowly and regularly. searching for peace...

but one of the crystals is awfully close to slipping and causing the whole structure to tumble to the ground. ]

[simplestgift]

[Archie has absolutely no idea what that structure is, and is a little worried that it has something to do with witchcraft. Yes,yes, he knows not all witchcraft comes from devils, but it's still a bit nerve-wracking to watch.

So very helpful, he.]

[herotypical]

[ well? it's about three steps removed from witchcraft. mystical? certainly. but not the dark arts. however -- something is clearly afoot with that crystal finally takes its fall and drags the others with it.

her regular breath seems to catch. a gasp. her palms hit the floor and become planted and her eyes snap open. ]

H-huh? [ she looks around; archie. ] O-oh. Hi.

[simplestgift]

[Whatever he just witnessed, she doesn't seem to be hurt, but he takes a few quick steps toward her anyway and kneels beside her.] Are you all right?

[herotypical]

Hmm? Yeah. Fine. As fine as can be expected.

[ she crawls forward on her knees and gathers up the pretty little crystals. ] I can't seem to get them to stay still.

[simplestgift]

[He sets the take-home boxes on the floor and studies the crystals.] What are they?

[herotypical]

They're...meditation crystals. Giles gave them to me. Months ago. We used to use them in training, back home.

[simplestgift]

What do they do?

[herotypical]

They're supposed to help you focus. Like listening to a CD of waves crashing or drinking hot milk before bed. Calming stuff.

[simplestgift]

Looks to me like they're doing a spectacular job. [That was sarcasm. He gestures to the boxes.] I brought sandwiches.

[herotypical]

...I was never any good at setting them up on my own. Giles knows this stuff better than I do.

[ she arranged the crystals back into their box and stood. ] What kinds?

[simplestgift]

A few different ones. Beef. Turkey. Ham. And one with something called hummus and avocados.

[herotypical]

Hmm. Archie?

[ she stretches -- grabbing one elbow and pressing her hand against the back of her neck. ] I'll have half of one beef sandwich and half of a hummus one.

[simplestgift]

[He pops open both boxes. These are restaurant sandwiches, so they're already cut in half, with toothpicks stuck through. He arranges the boxes so one is holding both requested halves, then hands it to Buffy.]

[herotypical]

[ buffy reaches for each half and then falls to her knees again -- this time by the coffee table. she swaps one side of the beef sandwich for one side of the hummus and avocado. in effect, this creates a beef-and-hummus-and-avocado sandwich.

she takes an experimental bite. ]

[simplestgift]

[She's eating. That's the important thing.]

What is hummus and avocado?

[herotypical]

Deliciousness. That's all you need to know. [ she might have just spoken with a full mouth of food. but she gestures at the remaining half of the meatless sandwich. ] Try it. Then you can try a bite of this one.

[simplestgift]

[Unsure, Archie picks up the half-sandwich and takes a bite.

It's not quite what he expected. It's very mushy, but it's actually...really tasty. Nothing like what he expected. It doesn't feel like a whole meal without meat, but it's surprisingly satisfying nonetheless.]

Hm.

[herotypical]

Now? This.

[ she holds out her frankenstein's monster of a sandwich. ]

[simplestgift]

[He takes the unwieldy thing, passes it between both hands once or twice to get a decent grip on it, and finally bites into it. As he chews, he makes a sound of great satisfaction. That was what it was missing.]

[herotypical]

[ an almost smile. no wonder dawn fell for him, she thinks. any man capable of stomaching a summers-concocted hodgepodge of things that shouldn't really be had together is a man worth falling for. ]

A Slayer can't function just on rabbit food alone.

[simplestgift]

[He hands the sandwich back to her.] It tastes much better than it looks.

[herotypical]

[ she takes it back with a slight nod. ]

Hummus? Yeah. It looks like it should taste like porridge. Thankfully, it doesn't.