Seventh Dispatch - [voice]/[action]

[captainhornblower]

[Horatio Hornblower's voice is very calm, very quiet. It sounds... not even curious. He is almost stating a fact, rather than asking a question.]

Lieutenant Bush's things are gone.

Why? What is the meaning of this?

[His housemates... will find him in his own room now, seated at his desk, the journal lying open in front of him-- if they dare disturb.]

Comments

[action]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[she doesn't try to comfort or cheer them up. Horatio had already been carrying too much weight on his shoulders before this and Archie...

Losing any of the people from his world would be like losing family. The true kind. And there wasn't a quick and easy comfort for that.

Instead, she just drops something off at their door. It's a small canvas, a 12x12 square from her pochade box. The product of two weeks of being bed ridden, she'd meant it as a small apology for the delay in finishing the mural...but it could serve a different purpose now. When they went out, they'd find a 64 gun ship riding the waves of a stormy sea.

A sticky note on the back just says "If you need to talk, you know where to find me."

It's not addressed to anyone in particular.]

[written]

[captainhornblower]

[A short time later, a note appears in the journals.]

Miss Jilly--

Thank you.

H

[written]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Horatio,

I should be thanking you, really. I'd have gone a bit crazy without something to work on those weeks.

Jilly

[written]

[captainhornblower]

Miss Jilly--

The thought is still greatly appreciated. The painting is beautiful.

H

[written -> voice, poorly filtered]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[there a pause before she speaks]

How're you doing? And Archie.

[voice, poorly filtered]

[captainhornblower]

[The reply takes some time, the confession not easy.]

He's taking it much better than I am.

[voice, poorly filtered]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[gently] You were close.

[voice, poorly filtered]

[captainhornblower]

Y-- Ha-h'm.

Thank you, again. For thinking of us.

[voice, poorly filtered]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Of course.

...How dire is your need for distractions right now?

[voice, poorly filtered]

[captainhornblower]

Not too dire, I would say. [He does not take to distraction easily. And to make the poor girl suffer through his moods...

He wouldn't wish that on anyone.]

[voice, poorly filtered]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Would you rather not have one? Or are you just being polite? [there's an edge of teasing to soften the edges of her questions. She's offering for his sake, not hers, and if his grief is helped more by being alone she's not going to badger him into company.]

[voice, poorly filtered]

[captainhornblower]

[It takes a few moments before he responds.]

Not today, Miss Jilly. Thank you, though. I appreciate your consideration.

[voice, poorly filtered]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

That's what friends are for, right?

[voice, poorly filtered]

[captainhornblower]

...It is indeed.

[There's a hesitation before he speaks, but the words have just a hint of warmth to them.]

[voice, poorly filtered]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Tell Archie hi for me, alright?

[she doesn't need to mention that the note was for both of them. She knows Archie will find her if he needs to talk]

[voice, poorly filtered]

[captainhornblower]

I certainly will, Miss Jilly.

Thank you, again. For thinking of us.

[voice, poorly filtered]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[she almost brushes off the thanks again. It's second nature to her. But she stops herself before she can, ending more simply] You're welcome.