coquaigne | [IC] [voice post]

[Whereas Archie is mostly just squinting at the screen. And trying to figure out what that arrow does. He's reasoned out the "record" thing fairly well, at least.]

I should say so--but what of you, Bush? I've only just arrived; you cannot have met your end so soon.

[Is he trying not to sound worried? Maaaaaaaybe.]

[Meanwhile, flashing red letters inform Bush that he is 'Voice Chatting', whatever that means; this is not idle stuff.]

I have not, which I daresay is the source of my confusion. [Though as this all dawns upon him, Bush's voice becomes rather almost light, with happiness.] Be this Purgatory or whatever else can be dealt with later; where are you, man?

[Archie's voice takes on a similarly easier tone, at least momentarily. Horatio "thinking on my death" Hornblower, he is not, especially now that he's not choked with pain.]

I had imagined it was Heaven; the Old Scratch wouldn't pile his tables with roast goose. [A pause, as he gives his surroundings a good once-over.] I am in the dining room of an empty inn, so far as I can tell. Where are you?

[Another pause, and then, a slightly hesitant question.] Horatio is not with you, is he?

Some large brightly-colored Hell, but for your sake, I shall imagine it otherwise. I'll inquire as to the- [There is a fizzing noise, and the computer has finally died its slow death; Bush would have learned that beating them with swords isn't a wise idea, if he'd noticed at all, already wandering off in search of an Archie.]

[And, if Archie is in the same place a half-hour of yelling for some service and getting none later, Bush strides in the door, hat in hand. He is quite evidently pleased, once finding Archie.]

Bush? Mr Bush--? [But no go. Archie is quite saddened at the loss of his friend's voice--but if it turns out that Heaven is actually an inn, he may as well have a bite to eat.]

[It's on his second plateful, this one of mutton and potatoes, that he hears Bush's voice once more. It's not tinny and small as it had been previously, either, but the full-on shout he uses at sea. Swallowing hard his mouthful of ale, he calls back in the same tone.] Over here, Mr Bush! Come have some supper with me!

[Proceed getting up and following the sound of Bush's scary monster shouts.]

[And so Bush does eventually find the right room, poking his head around the door. He seems an equal mix of shocked and pleased, his eyes resting on Archie, but he's willing to just sort of run with this one. He's seen enough men die to know that, given the chance to see them again, one should take it. Especially when one such a man died as Kennedy did.]

[Speaking of which, hey, have a vigorous handshake. Yes, that is a smile.] I think I shall, Mr Kennedy! What does the Lord keep in his kitchens?

[Vigorous handshake accepted and returned! Also, smiles. Because even if Bush's presence is, uh, questionable at best here in the Great Beyond, Archie is glad not to be alone. Like, really glad.]

Everything you could possibly imagine, with the very great exception of ship's biscuit. [And Archie leads Bush back to the tables of foooooood.] I feel like I could eat an entire cow if I tried, and I suspect that I could find the majority of the animal heaped up here somewhere.

[And then, he's quiet again, because he has to ask, it's not really a choice.] And Horatio's not with you, is he.

[Probably this should be answered first, 'cause it's kind of important. He bows his head, avoiding Archie's eyes,] No, if the captain is present here at all, he has not made himself known to me.

[After that, he doesn't quite know what to say. It seems untoward to ramble on about venison when a more pressing matter has been brought up, and then let down.]

...The captain.

[Archie smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Time has continued on without him, his dearest friend is a captain, and for him, it's been only moments since he died. This is a strange and melancholy feeling.]

When was he--? [A vague hand movement over his plate; he suddenly finds himself less interested in sampling all of God's wares.]

[Bush proceeds to provide Archie a pained look, and shuffles over to get the both of them seated comfortably. For his part, he is hardly famished, having had broken his fast at dawn with the others aboard the Hotspur, and can wait before grabbing food off God's tables.]

Not very long after- That is to say, in the year two. [Cough cough cough. Smooth, Mr Bush.] He was demoted when we made peace with France, though as that lasted for about as long as you'd imagine, he was made captain again soon after.

[Practice and force of will keeps Bush's voice steady through all of this. Archie deserves to know.] He is married, with a child on the way, he tells me.

[Archie nods, tries his hand at smiling again, and possibly it works better this time.] I...am glad to hear it. I hope he is happy?

[Aaaaaand. Well, this is awkward as hell, Archie, excellent work. And when he realizes this, he tries to bring the conversation around a bit.] And--have you also fared well, Mr Bush?

As happy as he ever is. You know better than I. [Though Bush's smile, weak, but present, betrays him.]

[At the subject of himself, he gives a curt nod.] I am his first lieutenant aboard the Hotspur... His only lieutenant. It is a sloop.

[And that gets a proper smile from Archie, because, uh. Lol, Horatio. Lol.] Good.

That is cause for congratulations if I ever heard one. A toast to your success, sir. [And he lifts up his mug of ale. Yaaaaaaaaaaaay, Bush.]

[Glasses clink, and Bush drinks down some ale.] I thank you, sir. And am sorry to be the bringer of... [Well, it isn't exactly bad news.] Such poor favors. [Right.]

[Finally, something does occur to him. Querulously, he looks to Archie's abdomen.] But, are you not in pain?

[It was all just a bit sudden, this "you woke up dead! your bff has a new bff and a wife and a child!" business. As it sinks in, it's not nearly so hard to sound pleasant.] You need not be sorry. I am glad to hear that you and Horatio have had good fortune. [Aside from that whole still-a-lieutenant thing, of course, Bush, but it'd be rude to point that out to you.]

[He follows Bush's gaze down to the place where his wound once was, then shakes his head.] Entirely healed, actually. I should not have come to meet you if it was not.

He has. And he owes it all to you. [That was comforting, right? This game is hard :|]

[Here, he lets through a smile, attempting to raise the mood, a feat he has about as much experience with as swimming.] That is entirely the best news I've heard all day, Mr Kennedy. [However forced and awkward the delivery, he means it completely. Archie should not be pained, after his death.]

[It was about as comforting as "you didn't die in vain" gets, Bush, and Archie looks reasonably satisfied even if he's still a bit saaaaad. Good work.]

Thank you. It was the best I could hope to wake up to as well; getting shot is not terribly comfortable. [Weak joke is pretty weak, but he's trying. Turns out Heaven is kind of awkward.]

[Heaven is only awkward if you're alive, is what Bush is pretty sure of. There is no training for meeting up with dead comrades again.]

I should imagine it is rather worse than being stabbed, yes. [Twice. Oooh.] But enough of this dark talk, you have eaten? [He looks to the blinking computer machine wherever Archie left it.] And figured out those contraptions far better than me; I had to beat it into submission.

[Brute force: a staple of His Majesty's Royal Navy.]

[Yes, it really is the living-presence aspect that's making it weird. It'd just be a bit solemn and isolated otherwise. But yes, do let's move on from morbid thoughts; we do not even have the Morbid Thoughts Guy here to justify them.]

Two servings so far, though I think I could manage two more if I tried; the food is excellent. [He glances over at it, and then at the laptop, which has gone into screensaver mode.] And I can't have figured it out entirely, look--it's gone black.

...Did you really beat yours?

[And if you're Thinking On Death, you may as well have the resident expert about, should you not?]

After ship's rations since I went to sea, I doubt I'd be able to tell if it were prison food. [Bush does that almost-smile-twinkly-eye-thing that Real Men do when they're in the Navy, and wanders over to the buffet after releasing himself of his coat, sword and pistol on a chair. There shouldn't be any Frenchmen in Heaven, right?]

[He looks back, shrugging, while piling some roast pork onto his plate.] Of course I did, it was making the most horrible screeching noise.

[Archie didn't arrive with a coat and thinks a bit ruefully of it as he watches Bush remove his. He's lucky he showed up in the rest of his clothing, though, given that he was only wearing bandages last time he knew anything. Perhaps Heaven has a tailor.]

Oh, it's far better. Try the goose; you'd think it was Christmas, to taste it. [For his own part, he gets himself a helping of beef and boiled carrots.]

[As he regains his seat, he gives the thing a sidelong glance.] It appears to be unarmed; bludgeoning it seems a bit excessive.

[Bush doesn't answer, biting into the food, his answer is obvious in how quickly be begins to eat. After finishing off a drumstick, he nods his head, giving a grunt of concession.] Haven't eaten like this since I made Lieutenant.

[After recovering from the bout of gorging himself, Bush throws a dismissive look towards Archie's computer.] At the time, it seemed the perfectly right course of action, Mr Kennedy.

[Cough cough cough cough serious face is serious.]

[Om nom nom, food. Archie takes the opportunity to tear into his own helping.]

[He glances over at the computer as well, and makes no effort to hide a smile.] Perfectly natural, seeing how threatening an apparatus it is.

[Archie may or may not start slightly when he hits the "N" key on it and its screen suddenly lights up once more, though.]

[Bush just frowns at Archie, giving his best eyeroll without actually rolling his eyes (because that would be undignified). It's all in the slant of the eyebrows.]

[Though he starts a bit, once Archie makes the screen suddenly and predictably change!] What did you do? [Yes, he is glaring at the computer, what of it?]

I only touched it! I don't know what it did.

[He peers at it some more, frowning.] What is a 'google,' do you think?

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