「001.」voice

[hecalledmebrave]

[Wellard had been told about these journals but he'd been putting off using his own until now; magical books that allowed you to communicate with people just seemed too ridiculous to be true. Still, it wouldn't hurt to test out, right?]

I.. I've been told these journals are the natural way of contacting one another here. I've never spoken to a book

Comments

[Voice]

[onebluebamf]

Hey Henry, welcome to Luceti. [Hum. Maybe Hank would be better.]

You get used to the talking book thing.

[voice]

[hecalledmebrave]

[And Wellard may have dropped the book on the floor when it talked to him, and had to scramble to pick it back up.]

Thank you, sir, but I don't think I should ever get used to this. I'm not familiar with enchantment and witchcraft, nor do I care to be.

[Good Lord he was talking to a book.]

[voice]

[onebluebamf]

[Just wait until he finds out who he's talking to.]

Sir? Dude, just call me Kurt. And I'm not into the enchantment or witchcraft stuff either.

[voice]

[hecalledmebrave]

Very well... Kurt.

[If Wellard sounds suspicious it's because he is. He doesn't trust this strange-talking, casual person who is, as far as he knows, nothing more than a voice.]

Do you know how this place came about so many of these books? Who enchanted them?

[action]

[seventeensir]

[Horatio is sitting not far away. He has to see this for himself.

After all, even prepared for what will happen, nothing can prepare a man for that book.

His expression changes-- almost a flinch-- at the introduction beyond Wellard's name, but he forces himself not to suggest a correction. If the boy considers Sawyer his captain... he considers Sawyer his captain.]

[action] and herpderp present tense

[hecalledmebrave]

[Wellard is almost too engrossed in the oddities of this Devil Book to notice Horatio's slight change in expression, but as luck would have it he happens to glance up just in time to catch it. However, he simply takes it for an "Oh, goodness, this boy doesn't know how to use a talking book. Good grief," sort of flinch.]

Did I misuse it, sir? Is my manner incorrect?

[action]

[seventeensir]

[Horatio shakes his head, managing a bit of a smile. He won't say much about it. The boy's choice, after all, and he especially won't say much while that witchcraft book might pick it up.]

Not at all, Mr. Wellard.

An entirely unrelated thought happened to cross my mind, I assure you.

[action]

[hecalledmebrave]

[Wellard isn't entirely convinced, but he's in no place to press the matter or argue, so he shrugs it off.]

If you insist..

[He looks back down at the devilbook and it seems for a moment that he was going to let the conversation end there, but then he looks back up.]

How long have you been in Luceti?

[ voice ] don't mind my placeholding

[idkmybffroy]

[ Hmmm. Pinged. ]

Pleasure meeting you, Henry! I'm Maes Hughes.

[voice]

[hecalledmebrave]

[Ohgodthebookwastalking. This wasn't normal. Not by any accounts.]

T-the pleasure's mine, Mister Hughes.

.... You can really hear me?

[The obvious answer was "yes," but Wellard still couldn't quite believe that this was real.]

[action]

[noprevaricating]

[At some point around noon, Archie will pull sandwiches he sneaked home from work (hey, it's all free anyway, right?) out of the fridge.]

Mr. Wellard, are you hungry?

[action]

[hecalledmebrave]

[Wellard cheerfully tosses the book onto a shelf, perhaps with a bit too much enthusiasm but he really hates that thing.]

Yes, quite! Any excuse to step away from that book for a bit.

[action]

[noprevaricating]

All right, have a seat. [He's putting the sandwiches on plates.] Ham or beef?

[action]

[hecalledmebrave]

[Wellard does what he's told, and takes a seat at the table.]

Ham, thank you.

[voice]

[hecalledmebrave]

[Wellard takes a few seconds to respond, as he's trying to decipher what this woman just said. UNSC Navy, what? Finally, he just settles on saying what was quite possibly the stupidest thing he could choose to say.]

...A woman in the navy?

[voice]

[hecalledmebrave]

The year is eighteen hundre-- wait. World? What do you mean by that?