[action/accidental voice] and foward bends his head

[abidinglaw]

[It is a lovely day and Admiral Norrington is sat out on the steps to his apartment building as befits such weather, bent forward as though scrutinizing his own knees. Laid out across his lap is his uniform's coat, ripped during the battle dome debacle. Why has he come outside? The daylight will help his eye to guide the needle. His fingers,

Comments

[ action ]

[slaying]

[ lovely days are for walking. and buffy is approaching the building -- after all, there is a vampire who lives on the top floor who she thinks she might visit. except she's waffling and...oh, dammit.

distraction.

thank god. ]

Well don't you look nice and grumpy today, James.

[ action ]

[abidinglaw]

[With his bleeding finger in his mouth he really really didn't expect to be stumbled upon by the macho blonde. Now he feels silly. It makes him even angrier.]

What business is it of yours?

[ action ]

[slaying]

None, I suppose. But last I checked there weren't any laws against talking. Or observing. Or talking about what I've observed. In fact? Last I checked there weren't any laws at all. Just -- people like you and me.

[ lawful people. ]

[ action ]

[abidinglaw]

[Like the sharp pain that preceded it his anger is quick to subside. He sets the needle and thread down on his folded shirt. A droplet of blood falls there, too, a splash of red against so much white. He sighs. Heavily.]

This is utterly preposterous.

[voice]

[lists_to_port]

And what all are we dashing this fine afternoon, Admiral?

[voice]

[abidinglaw]

The day, this accursed needle, and flying blue demons with sharp claws. Damn them all.

[lists_to_port]

Flying blue....you've been at the Screech again, haven't you. Why don't you find a wench to mend it, Norrington? Then you can settle down with her and have lots of dour babies.

[abidinglaw]

It is well within my own power, thank you kindly.

[It was too much to hope that Jack might have been eaten by a dragon.]

[Action]

[thederpyhalf]

[And there is a young girl traveling through the town right now and she'll notice Norrington sitting on the steps and looking rather frustrated there.]

Everything all right?

[Action]

[abidinglaw]

[A long exhalation through the nose tells the story of his frustrations better than his words could have done. The rubbing of his thumb and index fingers together, too, might give some hint as to what has happened.]

I apologize. I did not mean to startle anyone unduly.

[Action]

[thederpyhalf]

[She shakes her head.] No, don't worry about that. I want to know if you're ok.

[goodness, is that a small slotch of blood she sees?] Ah, you hurt yourself trying to sew? [And she looks through her messenger bag she had on her and pulls out a band-aid.]

Which finger was it?

[Action]

[abidinglaw]

[Fingers. Which is to say that he has be at this for some time now and the majority of his fingers have been pierced once, some of them twice. Granted they are not all now bleeding, but his hands are calloused and unused to such treatment. That the needle has broken the rough skin at all is a testament to how frustrated he has become with the whole exercise. He holds up his hands by way of demonstration, only afterward realizing that he means to apply that band-aid to his wounds. Oh gosh, if Jack were here to see this.]

Truly, there is no need...

[action]

[tehoniongirl]

[it's one of the first non-rainy days she's ventured outside since her illness had abated and she's reveling in it. Archie is home, the monsters have disappeared, and she's healthy. She's in a particularly sunny mood after all that.

She's got a stack of books in her arms to return to the library (it's amazing how much you'll read on two weeks of bed rest) so she might not have stopped at all if she hadn't heard that exclamation]

[peering around the stack she's carrying] ...You alright?

[action]

[abidinglaw]

[Norrington begins to shake his head and answer 'no', but the word cuts off somewhere around the beginning of the consonent. He gets up with a start and places the uniform, thread and needle on the bench, and already he is taking the steps one at a time to come and greet this young lady.]

Madam, you are overburdened. Please, allow me.

[action]

[tehoniongirl]

Over-

[cutting off as she glances down at the books in her arms. Oh, those. And did he just call her madam? Knowing how scruffy she must appear, the formality of it makes her smile] No, I'm fine. Really. They aren't that heavy.

[action]

[abidinglaw]

If you should trip and fall then I should be to blame for allowing you to continue on in this matter. Truly, it would be a weight off my conscience.

[He is already reaching for the top three books of the stack, though he will not complete the action without her permission.]

[voice]

[thedicearecast]

Having problems?

[voice]

[abidinglaw]

What? Blast. This accursed book - shall I ever be free to conduct my affairs in peace?

[voice]

[thedicearecast]

Probably not. The way things work around here, it'll probably be worse the more you complain about it.

[voice]

[abidinglaw]

I suppose the same might be said of anywhere. Nevertheless, my resolve to burn the thing grows more resolute every day. Meanwhile the negative consequences seem to diminish in significance.