Twenty-four bells: [Action]

[simplestgift]

[Luceti. Even the name is beautiful.

It's quiet here, but not silent. No cannonfire, no stomping feet or shouting men. No bars or guards or grey stone walls. Everything is lovely and serene and everyone is pleasant. Well. Nearly everyone, but that's okay.

In Hornblower's company, Kennedy stops by the bakery and selects, for some reason, cheesecake. He's never had it--not that he can remember, at least--and it is absolutely the most beautiful thing he can imagine. Chocolate cheesecake, smooth and rich and flavorful with a drizzle of raspberry syrup. He tastes it and doesn't just eat it.

They visit the tea shop and he is floored. They visit the clothing shop and he finds a new linen shirt, already made. They visit the library and...

And...

O the glory of the library. It's as if this town was created for his rehabilitation.

Hours are spent in the library until he learns he can take books out. Even then, he very nearly doesn't leave.

On the way home, he asks to be alone for a moment. When given the chance, he walks the woods close to the village. At twilight, he sits at the fountain, staring into space with utter blankness because he knows the pleasantness of this day is going to end.

He doesn't realize it when the moon rises and he's still sitting alone in its pale light.

OOC: Kennedy's replies will come from babymid_archie. Meet him absolutely anywhere during the day or at night. Depending on when and where, Horatio will tag in as well, so remember to specify when/where in your tag. Share his rapture or cheer him up. Possible triggers--character is hella post-traumatic.]

Comments

[consultmybooks]

[Rupert is not far behind Kennedy or Hornblower all throughout the bakery. He ducks and dodges around them as he examines the displays, he stands behind them in line, and finally he stops and stares when he later comes across Kennedy blissfully eating his cheesecake.

The child can't help himself.]

What's that you're eating?

[unneeded]

[Little kid. Archie glances down at his piece, then breaks off a section to hand to the child.]

Here! Try it.

[consultmybooks]

Really? [Rupert looks up at Archie before cautiously shaking his head.] N-No, it's all right. If you like it, I mean. Do you like it?

[fountain]

[all7seas]

[It is a quiet night, a good evening for a stumble home from Good Spirits. Jack, as a matter of habit, now, checks his compass for any sign of Archie. He is surprised when he actually gets a heading this time, and follows it with no small amount of anxiety on his brain. Kennedy, back?

When he sees the figure seated by the fountain, Jack gives a shout.]

Oi! Kennedy! You're back, man!

Re: [fountain]

[unneeded]

[Jack might notice a few differences. First of all, a midshipman's uniform. Second of all, about two inches of height, gone. Lastly, Kennedy is slowly rising to his feet and looking at Jack like a bear is lumbering up to him and there's no place to run.]

SUPROSE

[all7seas]

"Kennedy," the pirate repeated. "You're.......short. And you've been demoted."

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[The fountain, especially on a clear night like tonight, was a comforting landmark. The sound of the water, the central location, and the clear view of the night sky helped sooth away the stresses of the day. Today, Jilly was seeking that bit of comfort.

Finding a uniformed officer by the landmark wasn't unusual, and in the darkness it's almost possible to mistake the cut of the coat and the color of the hair. But the discrepancies, recognized even before she can figure out what she's recognizing, will not be ignored.

The hair is much too smooth. Too light. The face is too round. And she knows...

Even before she can see that the eyes are too blue, she's running, almost afraid to trust what she's seeing.] Archie?!

[unneeded]

[Kennedy immediately tenses, seeing someone run towards him, but...

It's a small, slender woman in baggy clothes who knows his name. So he holds still and waits for her to arrive, staring blankly and wondering if he's about to disappoint her horribly.]

at the library

[4000excuses.livejournal.com]

[Being stuck in this place without his military and without a way to get back is disconcerting, but at least the library is large and free and no one is telling him he can't come in here. Japan has a few books on future military strategy as well as a few on his world history tucked under his arm as he passes by, still dressed in his full military regalia. He sees someone familiar and stops, narrowing his eyes as he tries to place the face.]

...Ah. The man from the journal.

[unneeded]

[Japan gets a highly reserved look. He sees the epaulettes, but he does not trust them. If anything, they make him warier. He wants nothing to do with the military right now, and the very sight makes his stomach churn. After a moment, he looks away, at Horatio.]

[picobartender.livejournal.com]

[Is that... is that cheesecake? From a short distance away will be a girl bundled up in a winter jacket, though the dress of a New Feather is visible, and her large canine companion (http://i.imgur.com/Yyjh8.jpg) watching almost hungrily.]

[unneeded]

[Archie peers at the dog first, not sure if it's friendly. Then he looks at the girl, then back at the dog. Then, deciding this is far too overwhelming and he has no idea what to do about this situation, he looks at Horatio.]

[herotypical]

[ and in the woods? well -- an armed slayer comes across him. she's surprised; overjoyed; grinning. ]

[unneeded]

[Archie isn't paying the slightest bit of attention until he's practically in the slayer's arms. At which point, startled, he leaps back, sees the weapon, cries out, and raises an arm to protect his face on instinct, all within the span of half a second.]

[thedicearecast.livejournal.com]

[There's no sign of the weather warming up soon, which means Amelia's usual wardrobe (with exposed chest and stomach) are just not going to cut it in the coming days. Moreover, she needs a distraction from Vash just sleeping peacefully at home, so she heads into the clothing shop to try and find better clothing to keep away the cold.

She hadn't gone expecting to run into anyone she knew, but it had been awhile since Amelia saw Kennedy last. It wouldn't hurt to ask how he'd been doing, so midway between mock turtlenecks and sweaters, she heads over to the man.]

Kennedy?

1/3

[unneeded]

[Archie turns his head. He had every intention of looking at her face, but...]

[unneeded]

Done!

[unneeded]

[LOOK AWAY. LOOK AWAY NOW.]

Fountain

[samurinjathief.livejournal.com]

[The night had deepened - and along the cobblestone paths dappled with moonlight, a samurai walked in thin robes, his sheathed blade bumping lightly against his hip in time with his stride, and his pace leisurely albeit purposeful as if he might have had someplace to be. Despite the chill nipping at his skin, his expression revealed no flicker of discomfort. His face was that of a man in repose or absorbed in calm thought… although, at present, his mind was all but still. It had been essential from a young age to master the art of donning a phlegmatic look in difficult situations, as to maintain the illusion of composure, if nothing else.

He paused, suddenly, in the middle of the street and not far from the fountain, gazing skyward.

The moon.

Lupin had only recently arrived in Luceti. This should have been at the forefront of his mind, and yet, knowing he too was trapped within this invisible dome and inevitably to be subjected to all manners of experiments wasn’t what troubled Goemon. At least at present. Weeks after the fact, he was contemplating the falling moon that had threatened the lives of dozens of people, and was still coming to terms with his own failed attempt at averting the crisis. It was the sort of frustrating failure that threw into question his skill and dedication as a warrior; the sort of frustrating failure that he knew could eat him alive if he let it.

He shut his eyes for a moment, wearily, seeking some semblance of inner peace in vain. When he let out a quiet breath and opened them again, he took notice of the solitary figure by the fountain.]

[unneeded]

[The solitary figure doesn't take notice of him. This boy seems to be completely lost in some other world, oblivious to the one around him.]

The fountain, around twilight or so.

[lostinmyway]

[Grune loves to watch people go about their daily lives, and so, when she finds Archie sitting on the edge of the fountain, she assumes that's what he's doing.

It's always nicer to do things with someone else, especially if that someone turns into a friend afterwards. With that in mind, Grune sits next to him to join him.]

Hello.

1/2

[unneeded]

[When nineteen-year-old Archie zones out, he zones out good. He doesn't blink, and he doesn't in any way notice Grune until she sits so close to him.]

2/2

[unneeded]

[PROXIMITY ALERT!

Kennedy jumps a mile and looks at her with wide eyes, leaning back away from her until he can process that she is not a threat. Even then, it'll take a while for his heart to slow down.]

Huh-hello.

[action] at the fountain

[nocorsetsplease]

[Despite being granted quarters aboard the Britannia, Elizabeth is hardly about to relegate herself simply to its wooden frame. Since being here, she has learned to discover things on her own. Her wanderings this day are not unlike those of the Lieutenant she met previously; having been told of a place where she can don clothes far more suitable for her, she made her way to the shop whilst exploring the town. She mirrored his course in a way that she did not see him about.

Evening befalls quicker than she expects, and by surprise, twilight has taken the skies. Despite the comfort of being aboard a ship, she knows well enough that she is moored to land now. Being amongst people--in a way, so to speak--makes the Britannia feel lonely. As gracious as she was for quarters, a true ship would be teeming with company. A lack of privacy at all, really! She had grown so accustomed to that, a socialite of a new world was a role she easily assumed.

Now, she is often alone and truly wishes for company. The sight of another soul, and one of the only familiar faces of this place, calls to her. She cannot resist stepping toward him, a gentle smile on her lips. Her skirts swish around her, an odd sound she will grow used to in time. It's been so very long since she wore a dress such as this. She toys with the end of the loose braid, hung over one shoulder.]

Might I join you, sir?

[unneeded]

[Archie hears the voice and the accent and looks up. That's when his heart stops. It's not that he hasn't seen beautiful women since yesterday, but they're strange women, and these are familiar manners. He's always been good at the social dance, having coaxed his first kiss out of a girl he didn't know at the age of eleven, but lately, he's found that words stick. His reaction, while intense, is purely emotional, so much so that it takes him a moment to remember to speak. Which is an improvement--the only time he spoke to Kitty Cobham in Spain was when he was starved and raving, and he doesn't even remember it.]

Of course. Yes. Miss.