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]

He'll be a grumpy old man with a twinkle in his eye, you'll see.

[herotypical]

Scaring all the kids off 'cause they think he's too official.

[simplestgift]

That'll be him. He'll be a fine father.

[herotypical]

...Does he want to be?

[simplestgift]

[Aaaaand then Archie realizes he has said too much. Sometimes he takes for granted the little things Horatio confides in him, especially since these things are hard to keep secret under normal circumstances. He tries to think of an answer.]

Erm. Well.

[herotypical]

Because lots of people don't and wouldn't want to be. And that's okay. That's all I'm saying.

[ her interjection is fast and defensive. ]

[simplestgift]

[He'd love to be able to defend himself, here, but Maria's pregnancy is really Horatio's thing to tell. So! Subject change, eh?]

I take it you're one of them.

[herotypical]

I'm a twenty-four year old den mother to a couple hundred teenage girls. Either I'm already too much of a parent or I've learned enough to know that I'd be god-awful at it.

[ besides -- there's dawn to consider. did she do well there, after joyce died? buffy still isn't sure. ]

[simplestgift]

You did well enough with Winry. And if you want to tell me that wasn't real, even though I saw you, then what about Dawn?

[herotypical]

I got to Dawn and Win pretty late in the game, didn't I? I mean -- Win was already the way she was. That Shift just made me think I hand a hand in it. But Dawnie? [ well, technically? dawnie was already the way she was too -- thanks to the monks. but: ] She had mom and dad until she was ten. And mom until she was fifteen.

But what are you supposed to do with actually tiny people? You know? When you try to teach them to talk and to walk and to not eat crayons?

[simplestgift]

Buffy, many stupid people who should never be permitted to have children have a good many and they often turn out well enough in spite of it. You're an intelligent, kind, responsible woman. You would be a spectacular mother.

[herotypical]

Until the baby gets into the weapons chest and gives herself a haircut. Or some elective surgery.

[ herself. ever since jack had named joyce, any theoretical child has been a girl. ]

[simplestgift]

Put a lock on the chest.

/years later, notices a type

[herotypical]

There you go. See how that didn't even occur to me? You've got the parental brains. Not me.

[simplestgift]

You would've thought of it by the time you had a little one, Buffy. You fret too much.

[herotypical]

...Seems to me that little ones are exactly the kind of thing you should fret too much about. [ even imagined, impossible little ones. ]

[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.