Twenty-Six Bells: [Action] Forward-dated to December 20th

[noprevaricating]

[Archie spends the first half of the day moving new furniture-stool and chairs, mostly-to the Britannia. Something about getting stuck in your own ship and having to burn the furniture for warmth in the galley stove makes one run out of furniture. While he’s in the store, he finds an item that delights him-a wooden box with Horatio’s name engraved

Comments

homework? what homework.

[slaying]

[ and while archie is putting up that wreath, buffy is on her way to stop by. say hi. get a little socializing in now that some paths have been cleared and she is back from her stint on the draft.

she unpocketed a mittened hand when she spots the sailor on his porch. a wave. ]

Hey. Archie.

Screw homework.

[noprevaricating]

Buffy! [Forget the wreath. Buffy's home! He abandons his project and heads straight for her with open arms.]

[slaying]

[ and there's a smile. she collects him into a brief but firm hug; holds him at arm's length to get a decent look at him. ]

How're you?

[noprevaricating]

Quite well, quite well. Spent much of the day replacing the stools et cetera we burnt on Britannia. You heard from Jilly what happened, didn't you?

[slaying]

Y-yep. And I was writing with Jack when things started to get...rescue-y.

[ a subject on which she has FEELINGS but will keep them currently in check. ] But you guys made it out okay. So that's something to celebrate.

[noprevaricating]

All was made well with a hot meal. [He gives her another good look up and down.] Where did you go, besides into the thick of things?

let's pretend i can spell.

[slaying]

[ a voice that does a very remarkable job at remaining very unruffled: ] Underground. Like Snow White's seven dwarfs. Guess which one I was.

/does

[noprevaricating]

...I've no idea, really, but it sounds rather dismal.

[Worse than dismal to him, but considering the fact that she made it through, she probably doesn't have his neurotic tendencies when it comes to tight spaces.]

[slaying]

[ tight spaces hadn't been the issue; nope, it had been the dirt. the smell of it and the feel of it and the reminders. ]

Mmhm. Which made me Grumpy. [ she doesn't bother to explain further. ] Whatcha up to?

[noprevaricating]

Christmas greenery. Would you like to come inside for something warm to drink?

[slaying]

That'd be fab. Lead the way.

[noprevaricating]

[Into the house, then, and Archie indeed leads the way, which avoids the trouble of the mistletoe that caused an Issue with Ginia earlier.]

Tea, coffee, chocolate?

[slaying]

[ she notes its presence, at least, with a silent smile.

mostly silent smile. ]

Trying to catch yourself some holiday action, hmm?

[ she knows the stuff's shifted. she's just being bratty. ]

[noprevaricating]

Beg pardon? [He hasn't even realized it's there, there was just this very weird incident with Ginia earlier that NO ONE WILL KNOW ABOUT.]

[slaying]

The, uhm...[ she pauses just inside the door -- pointing up at the incriminating bough. ]

1/2

[noprevaricating]