Fifth Dispatch - [written]

[captainhornblower]

Tuesday, 21st June

One possession of mine that I am quite eager to have back has yet to appear in the shops here. At least, I have not yet seen it.

If someone would be so kind as to suggest where I might look (if one thinks one shop might be more likely than another) or where I might find a replacement, I should be grateful. The pistol itself has no particular sentimental value, but I do prefer one at hand, should I need it.

[Horatio waits a second, studying what he's written.

Honest enough. He would like a pistol. But, he hopes, noticeable enough to catch the attention of someone. He knows nothing about the filters still, so he cannot hope to privately write to Grell Sutcliffe, and if he writes her name... The others will involve themselves.

Perhaps he can draw her into some communication with this.

Satisfied, he signs.]

Hornblower

Comments

[ written; filtered 70% ]

[herotypical]

Guns never help.

[ a simple message. she doesn't even sign her name -- she didn't even really want to write anything at all, given how hard she has been taking giles' death. but she can read between horatio's lines and she is concerned. ]

[ written; filtered 70% ]

[captainhornblower]

I'm used to having my sword at my side and at least one pistol in my belt. I'd simply prefer the familiarity.

[ written; filtered 70% ]

[herotypical]

Swords? Great. But bullets are kinda useless against your big bads who are a little more than human. And there are a lot of those, here.

[Voice] (placeholder, will be back tomorrow!)

[kingofwaste]

[The moment he saw that signature, he had to respond again. He just couldn't fight the urge.]

Hahaaah! Hornblower. It never gets old.

[Voice]

[captainhornblower]

[...Hear that sigh? He tried to restrain it, but it did still come out.]

[Voice]

[kingofwaste]

Heh, so, how ya been? Aside from needin' a gun, I mean.

[action]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[she doesn't write or speak a response to this. She'd like to take it at face value, and there's no point in starting a public argument if there's actually weight to the nagging worry that this request sparks. But that doesn't mean she'll actually ignore it entirely.

She's been going home at night, but she's still been visiting Archie every day. Today, she waits before going in, sitting in the lobby with her sketchbook as she keeps an eye out for the captain. He has to show up eventually. She knows he wouldn't have gone home]

[action]

[captainhornblower]

[And, sure enough, Horatio appears not ten minutes after the piece is written.

His purpose? A cup of coffee.

Another long night and day with little sleep, but he's remembered to eat more often than he's forgotten. Likely because now Archie can remind him. He's even slept more than he did last week.

It's progress for him, at least.

At present, intent on pouring his coffee (and praying that it's still fairly fresh), he doesn't yet see Jilly.]

[action]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[she lets him walk past her as she tucks her pencil behind her ear, shutting her journal and setting it aside. And she watches him come back with his coffee.

She doesn't speak. On the off chance he doesn't notice her and is jumpy, she doesn't want to startle him into spilling (she knows how much caffeine he's been surviving on). But she does raise one hand to wave at him...barely more than a waggle of fingers]

[Written]

[markofthewise]

Actually, it might already be here at the smithy. We just tend to, sort of, make the guns a little less available.

[Occupational precaution.]

[Written]

[captainhornblower]

Might it? I would be much obliged if you would check.

It's a well-made flint-lock pistol.

[Written]

[markofthewise]

I'll go check. Give me a minute.

((ooc: your call - is it there or not?))

[ written | Filtered private ]

[erythrophilia.livejournal.com]

[Grell again covers the camera and disguises her writing, the same as she used before to speak with him.]

Finding yourself a weapon, are you? Smart man.

[ written | Filtered private ]

[captainhornblower]

[Success.]

I intend to arm myself as an officer should.

If we are to finish this, we should be able to identify each other. You know me. I should be able to say the same.

[He has his guess-- almost a certainty, after speaking with Jilly, Jack, and Archie...

But he needs to know.]

I want to settle this.

[ written | Filtered private ]

[erythrophilia.livejournal.com]

Tsk tsk, Horatio Hornblower. Where is your adventurer's spirit? If you want to know who I am, you'll have to chase me down.

It's so much more fun that way.

[action]

[simplestgift]

[Archie had a stint outdoors yesterday, so he's doing much better today. He's even hungry for more than toast, and is finishing off a (bad) stew with a white roll. Aside from the occasional nightmare, many of which do not involve Grell and none of which he has brought to Horatio's attention, he's keeping up the high spirits with some effort.

But next time he sees Horatio, he'll bring up this thing from the journals.]

You don't have a specific purpose in mind for this pistol, do you, Horatio?

[action]

[captainhornblower]

[Horatio has not been told about the nightmares, but he's aware of some. That's what comes from dozing off in his chair by Archie's bed, waking, but having the presence of mind to stay still enough. No reason to let Archie worry that he's disturbed him. No reason to call attention to any of it.

But, having polished off the coffee that led to his conversation with Jilly, he was hoping for a quiet watch beside Archie's bed.

...No such luck, obviously.]

I'd just prefer to have one.

[True enough. He's not sure he trusts himself to use it, if all's said and done. He's failed there before. But he won't, in the larger scheme, fail this time.

He cannot.

But he does not have a specific purpose in mind for a pistol. That is true. True enough.]

[ written ]

[hippocraticly.livejournal.com]

[ that... can't be good. ]

I was hoping you'd keep an eye on Archie.

[ written ]

[captainhornblower]

I will, Doctor.

[For now.]

written

[survivethesiren]

What's a pistol?

written

[captainhornblower]

It's a weapon.

[After a pause in the writing, a drawing appears. It's simplified, but it's a basic diagram of a pistol.

After all, the way this place seems to work, it's less surprising than it would have been a month ago that someone does not know what a pistol is.]

A somewhat effective ranged weapon.

Written

[boomchucka.livejournal.com]

[Selphie remembers what Archie told her about Horatio so she'll give it a shot.]

Have you checked the Smithy, Mr. Hornblower?

Written

[captainhornblower]

I've just recently spoken with someone there, and they do, in fact, have one.

Thank you for the suggestion.

voice

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

A pistol? What's that?

voice/written

[captainhornblower]

A weapon.

[He's still a bit dismayed that someone wouldn't know what a pistol is, and it shows in his tone.

But he starts sketching in the journal again, recreating the diagram.]

It looks something like this.