captainhornblower | First Dispatch

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First Dispatch - [written]

[The penmanship is formal, letters close together but not connected. Each letter is made of strokes, an almost calligraphy style-- which translates into broken letters with a modern pen.]

Thursday, 10th January, 1805

[A hastily scrawled question mark appears above the date a moment later.]

My precise location is unknown. [A long pause before more words are written.] My general location is unknown. My ship and men are missing. ~~God help me, what has happened?~~

[Notes appear in the margins, wind direction and estimations of its speed. The word 'drift?' and the beginnings of a mathematical formula are etched into a margin.]

I do not know how I came to be where I am. [Another margin note: 'wings???'] I cannot expect this to even be found, but I will record my observations. It is all I can do, and I must do something.

Currently on board vessel. [Another note in the margins:
'unoccupied
single mast
no flags
enemy?
ally?
neutral party?
abandoned?']

~~May the Lord have mercy on me.~~

[The signature is larger, even more carefully penned.]

Hornblower

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...Do I want to ask? Or is this one of those "it's much better if you don't actually know the whole story" cases?

You'll meet him, Horatio, and curse the day you did. I guarantee it. It was his boat you accidentally commandeered, actually. Damned impossible man and a lunatic to boot, but since he's less than a century separated from us and a sailor to boot, it's been an almost necessary companionship. Not a bad soul, though, not at all.

[A smile creeps back onto his face.]

You'll meet Dawn first.

[Oh, well. This just sounds wonderful.

A pirate to deal with. Hopefully the man need never know Horatio had to borrow his boat. Not that a pirate has any right to complain about having his boat used by another man.

Damned pi--

Wait.]

[Wait.

What was that name?

...No, Horatio Hornblower does not at all look concerned.]

Dawn?

[Archie catches it.] Did you speak with her already?

Edited 2011-05-07 00:07 (UTC)

Briefly.

I take it she didn't tell you. She and I are sweethearts.

Archie! [He throws an arm around Archie's shoulders again, and... yeah. Hand moves to ruffle his hair. ...He'll worry about having gotten short with her later.] Pretty girl, then, I take it. Must be smart, to have gotten you.

[He has to say it. He's sorry... except not.] Actress?

Better. She loves theatre and literature and can talk about it with the best, without any of the tempestuous moods of an actress--our mutual friend excepted, of course. [He wonders if Horatio has seen Kitty Cobham recently. He'll ask later.] She's brighter than I am, certainly. And as for looks, you'll not see a lovelier woman in all the world--and this world has many, many beautiful women. [The last is said with a knowing chuckle, like he's already sifting through a few choice matches for Horatio.]

[Horatio has to laugh.

Being able to speak with Archie was a blessing enough, but to hear of all this? He can only tighten his one-armed hug around Archie a bit before loosening it but never releasing Archie's shoulder.

Archie's smile means that all is right in the world, no matter what else may come.]

She sounds remarkable, Archie. [A bit mischievous of a smile.] Quite possibly good enough for you, though I do reserve full judgement until I meet her. [As if he'd ever say anything against a girl Archie was so obviously fond of, but he can tease.]

The question is whether I'm good enough for her, I'm afraid. My dear Horatio, she's beautiful and intelligent and can even hold her own in a fight. She'll be glad to know you're here--her sister can bend iron bars with her hands, and Dawn has been feeling the threats on my life if I should ever hurt her are becoming a bit one-sided.

[Archie, quit trying to break your best friend's brain!]

[...Congratulations, Archie.

Horatio is now staring at you, speechless, stunned. He doesn't know how much to take as kidding. Most? All? He also does not know how to respond to this kidding.

"Beautiful" and "intelligent," easy. "Hold her own in a fight"? Odd, but Horatio has heard of women disguising themselves as men in the Army and Navy, so he can potentially buy some combat ability. Slightly. Barely.

...But the rest?

He'll just stare.]

Don't worry about any of that, for now. Let's get you home and settled in and fed properly.

[Someday he'll be able to process all this.

Right now, he's focusing on something he can process.]

...Food sounds wonderful.

Excellent. You're hungry. I made a big pot of stew last night I can heat up for us.

[And they're off again, headed for the bridge.]

Stew. Oh God, stew sounds wonderful.

[He smiled, walking with Archie.]

...Simple, right? Nothing... spiced and fancy and... so on?

...Horatio, I died and reappeared in another world. I haven't turned into someone's steward. I'm still a bachelor living alone, and though I have been learning to cook, I'm certainly not ready for fancy.

Good.

That sounds perfect.

[They clamber across the bridge by house 35.] Be careful coming across here alone--Captain Jack is likely to waylay you over whatever you happen to have that he fancies. In my case, it was a muffin I'd picked up from the bakery. He's as petty a man as they make, but he won't hurt you.

That would be the pirate, I assume?

A marauding captain, Horatio. However did you guess?

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