Outside the Dorms, 6:15PM FST

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie doesn't feel like walking down to the park today, but he does want to play with his toy boats. He's spent most of the day sitting out in the grass in front of the dorms with a spade and a bucket, carefully digging himself a little pond.

Pond digging, as he's come to discover, is hard work, and only after four hours of very concentrated work has he managed to get the pond to be about four inches deep and three feet around. But an empty pond isn't any good, so he's been toddling back and forth with his bucket, trying to fill it. The faucet took some work to figure out, and the bucket is rather large for him, so half the water has ended up all over his clothes.

There is one not-so-minor problem as well. No matter how much water Archie pours into his little boat pond, it just keeps draining out into the soil. And now he's tired, wet, and slightly muddy, not to mention becoming quite cranky as well. The remote-control sailboat and little wooden yacht are lying right here on the grass, and he just wants to play with them, but he can't!

He plunks down by the edge of the would-be pond and puts his chin in his hands, deep in thought as to how to solve this little dilemma.

[OOC: For certain events that will be taking place, but feel free to come by and ask what he's doing.]

Comments

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Whatcha doin'?" Rory asked, wandering outside for a little stroll.

As you do, when you're three years old.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"I want to sail my boats," Archie said, pouting most fiercely. "Me and Veronica sailed them in the park yesterday, but 's too far to walk. And my water won't stay!"

He glared accusingly at the pond, because it had betrayed him. The nerve.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Boats?" Rory asked curiously, toddling closer.

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica spotted Archie on her way back to the dorms after the movies.

"Hi, Archie!" she said, waving frantically. "You're playing with your boats again? Can I play, too?"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"Boats!" Archie exclaimed, pointing toward said toy vessels, lying in the grass. Then, for no reason he could discern, he added, "Giraffes?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Giraffes!" Rory declared, sidling towards the boats. They were so shiny.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie stopped pouting quite so much when Veronica waved at him. "Of course you can play! If I can make the water stay in the pond, that is."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Did you make the pond all by yourself?" Veronica asked, wide-eyed.

[absolutesnark]

"What you doing?" Piper asked Archie curiously on her way back to the dorms.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie nodded vigorously. "It took me all day to dig! But the water keeps going away."

His lower lip might have been trembling.

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica might have forgotten that young ladies don't get dirty.

"I can help!" she offered. She didn't want Archie to be sad.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie wasn't sure what giraffes had to do with boats, but 'giraffe' was a funny word, so he giggled.

Then Veronica came by (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhighdorms/553671.html?thread=28790727#t28790727), and he promptly got distracted.

How convenient for Rory.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"Wanna sail my boats," Archie explained. "But I think my pond is broken."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory stared at the boats.

And quietly selected the tiny wooden yacht, and toddled off with it in her arms.

[absolutesnark]

Piper peered at the pond. "I could blow it up, but that would probably break it more."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"I'd like that!" exclaimed Archie, looking around eagerly for where he'd put his spade . . .

Just in time to see Rory making off with his yacht (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhighdorms/553671.html?thread=28795847#t28795847).

That, on top of all the day's frustration, was the last straw, and he promptly began to cry.

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Why are you crying?" Veronica asked. "I said I'd help!"

She looked distraught.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"My boat's gone!" Archie sniffled, pointing to where the remote-control sailboat was now lying all alone. "There were two but one's gone now!"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie's eyes went wide. "Blow it up?" he echoed. "Like with cannons and gunpowder?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Oh no!" Veronica said, her eyes and mouth both open very wide.

She leaned over and gave Archie a hug.

"It's okay," she promised. "I'll 'vestigate and find your boat!"

[absolutesnark]

"No, with magic!"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie's lower lip was still trembling, but he wiped his eyes and gave Veronica a hopeful look. "You're a good 'vestigator," he said happily. "People who steal boats aren't very nice, but you are."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica smiled. "I'll find out who stole your boat and I'll go beat them up til they give it back," she declared. "And if they're bigger than me, I'll get Weevil to beat them up."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"Beating people up isn't very nice either," Archie said doubtfully. "I just want my boat. I bet it was a pirate. Only pirates steal boats."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"Magic?" Archie scratched his head with slightly muddy fingers. "Are you a witch?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"I dunno," Veronica pondered that. "'bossa just wanted cookies last night, not boats."

[absolutesnark]

"Yes!" Piper said proudly.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"He's a nice pirate, though. He gave me rum!" Archie nodded. "Maybe it wasn't a pirate, then. But who?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica tilted her head. "Who else was 'round?" she asked.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie considered this very, very thoroughly for all of ten seconds, perhaps compelled to such heights of effort by the headtilt. "Just Rory, and she left," he declared, nodding.

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Huh," Veronica said thoughtfully. "That doesn't give me lotsa suspests. Maybe Lindsey sneaked by and did it. He's mean."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie scowled. "Maybe Samuel did it. He dun' like me. He's mean too."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"Oh! Can you blow up the person who stole my boat?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Nah, he's too big to be sneaky," Veronica pointed out. "It hadta be someone little, like us. Maybe Bel. He was kicking my seat at the movies and he can shimmer (wheee!)."

[absolutesnark]

"I'm not 'sposed to blow people up," Piper said.