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Post by Carrow on Jun 6, 2010 11:25:31 GMT -5
Carrow was in conversation with Elliot at this point, so he didn't notice Spender's entry into the mess hall. The mouse was nibbling away at his food every now and then. He seemed a good deal more chipper now. Due to the pace the Agamemon had set, he figured it couldn't be too long before they docked, wherever they were bound - again, relatively speaking - and this prospect cheered him up quite a bit.
To look at him, you'd hardly believe that the same mouse had broken down in tears not an hour previously. He was coming along quite well. Sure, I have to, he thought, for Caden, for Ladorak - and for myself. This is just another setback to get over. Even if there are worse ones on the way - and I've come to expect that there's no such thing as 'the worst' - I have to stay strong.
He was becoming a little introspective now, but at least he wasn't distraught like earlier. In fact, the wood mouse could be quite a deep thinker at times. He was a quiet creature, more introverted. While his small talk skills were improving as time went on, he was much more comfortable with discussing the bigger issues. This was both a blessing and a curse, but he didn't mind it all that much.
He was snapped out of his reverie by some action over by the serving area. Things had quietened down to a dull roar from earlier, so his sensitive ears were barely able to make out that some creature was arguing with a steward. He couldn't identify either of the two creatures, but, with sinking heart, he realised that one of them must be Spender. He raised his head and looked around - and a quick glance was enough to confirm his fears.
He had long since decided that he was going to give the ferret the silent treatment for a while. It couldn't be argued that he didn't deserve it, after all. Maybe this might cause him to start becoming more friendly - or less irritating in his case. Probably not though, he thought sadly. Now the ferret was on his way over to himself and Elliot. The rodent lowered his gaze again, returning to the business of eating.
When Spender finally did take a seat beside Elliot, he raised his head. He wasn't going to completely shut the mustelid out (he could never bring himself to do that no matter how much he wanted to), so acknowledged his presence with a nod of his head. When he spoke, however, he addressed Elliot. "Looking forward to docking, then? It'll be nice to have my paws on land again, even though I'd probably say I prefer being here aboard ship. How about you?"
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Post by bookity101 on Jun 6, 2010 14:05:18 GMT -5
El smiled as Carrow hurried up to get his food. He seemed to be over whatever had been bugging him earlier. Good, hopefully he would stay that way, he was more fun to be around when he didn't need cheering up.
"Thanks Car, don't mind if I do." Her smile covered her whole face as she snagged a small piece of cheese from his tray. Soon she nearly fell off the bench from being broadsided by the scared Spender.
"Hey, whats the hurry Spender!?" She asked as she scooted over to give him some elbow room.
"The Master-at-Arms still after you or something?" Lips turned down she looked at Carrow as he asked her about docking. Funny, almost seemed to be ignoring Spender... though she couldn't say that she blamed him.
"Docking? We just got on board, you already want to go back?" El shook 'his' head comically at his friend. "I'd prefer to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing as an apprentice than loosing my sea legs already."
Truthfully, Elle was worried about what might happen if she was recognized on land. She really liked it on the ship... and this was the most fun she'd had in a long time...
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Post by Carrow on Jun 6, 2010 14:36:54 GMT -5
Carrow was getting stuck in to his meat at this stage. He swallowed a slice, then smiled at Elliot's comical head-shaking. "Well, thing is, it's not that I'm desperate to get back onto land or anything, but it seems to me that the Agamemnon's been making good progress today. Time and tide wait for no creature, see. We're going to dock whenever we do."
The mouse shrugged, indicating he didn't really care either way. "You're right though, I really wouldn't mind a little time in apprenticeship before we arrive. We have that to look forward to at any rate. I'm just glad to be here at this rate. Let come what comes, I say!," he exclaimed, helping himself to a little more meat. With each moment that passed, the mouse was perking up just a little more.
Already, those parts of his upbringing in Muggidrear he wanted to forget were becoming a part of the distant past. He'd bounced back from so many things that they only really had short-to-medium-term effects on him anymore. It was a testament to his desire to keep his word that he was progressing this rapidly. He knew all too well that the Cerinus of a few months ago would have given himself over to despondency for weeks on end.
He reasoned that there was no point dwelling all that much on old memories like those when there were new ones being formed all the time - ones just as unforgettable as those that had gone before, only these ones were quite a great deal more positive. Then he glanced at Spender again. The ferret was practically buried in his food, making his best efforts not to make eye contact with the wood mouse.
The rodent was getting into quite a quandary over the ferret. It wasn't in his nature to ignore others (for better or worse), even creatures as infuriating as the ferret. Besides, he hadn't really seen much of the mustelid's malicious side - that is if he even had one. He was more mischievous than anything. But on the other paw, if the long-tailed field mouse expressed any kind of goodwill towards Spender, he knew that the bully was most unlikely to reciprocate - and possibly make things worse for him in the process. Hadn't he just seen him go to pieces? Beasts like him would take advantage of such weak spots, given the chance, and he couldn't risk that.
He nodded slightly, having come to another decision. I'm fed up of trying to make the first move. If he still wants to bother with me, it'll come off him. Right, that's settled. "I don't even know where we're headed, though. I suppose it'll be another place to explore!" The youngster rubbed his paws gleefully, his eyes all a-twinkle again. He smiled once more at Elliot - and even offered Spender a brief smile. He was being crafty now and only not speaking to him.
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Post by bookity101 on Jun 7, 2010 21:50:18 GMT -5
El smiled at the now upbeat Carrow. He seemed to be over what ever had been tearing him down earlier. And 'he' caught the crafty gleam in the mouses eye as he almost ignored the hiding bully. El smiled in return, wondering how long it would take Spender to break down and talk to them.
"I hope I don't hurt myself too much while working with the needles... Ellie spent her time sowing.. I was too busy rounding up run away cousins." Elle bit the inside of her bottom lip. Figuring if she was going to make this work, she would have to start treating "Ellie" and "Elliot" as two separate beasts.
"Explore?" She rolled her eye's, might as well make them even more different... "Ellie always was leading me around, I get lost really easy." She shrugged, going for sheepish, not sure if it worked or not. "Soo, maybe if you or Caden, or even you Spendy" She threw to the silent bully "Know how to explore, without getting lost, I'll tag along."
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Post by Carrow on Jun 8, 2010 5:34:41 GMT -5
"Oh, you did, did you?," Cerinus asked her, smiling a little now as he imagined the beech marten running here and there, chasing after those cousins of hers. He wondered if they were particularly prone to running off. From what the marten had told them of home life, between Elle and 'Elliot' being with them, the mouse was amazed they'd pawdled it as well as they had. More power to you both, he thought.
"Well, I don't recall ever meeting relatives. I'm sure I had some, of course, but they never came down to Muggidrear." ...and it would have been more trouble than my life was worth for me to go up to meet them, he finished the sentence his head. "I was an only child, too... lived a very isolated life back home, I'll admit that, but I shouldn't get too hung up about it. I'm really trying not to."
He sighed. It's not like that was even the worst part of life in Muggidrear anyway... okay, come on, Carrow, he told himself, time to get away from all that and onto more cheerful things, matey! He straightened up, coughing nervously. "Well, I can't say I've had much experience in that, either. In fact, I wouldn't know how to sew if my life depended on it. Archie does it once every so often, though, and I've watched her just as regularly.
"Seems to me that it's all in the paws. If you have steady paws, Elliot, you should be alright with it. See, there's another reason where I'd never be able to do anything like that. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm rather prone to bouts of nervous anxiety," he commented ironically, winking at the beech marten. "Such a thing as that wouldn't suit me at all, basically. Hope you do well with it."
The wood mouse polished off his meat and had some more of his peas. His appetite was holding steady, which was of course a good thing. Things were looking up, it really did seem that way this time. He swallowed, taking a drink and smacking his lips. "You get lost easily?," he repeated, playing Elliot at his own game and shaking his head in mock disappointment at the mustelid. "We can't have that, now can we?
"Well, obviously Ferlusan will be as new to me as it will to the rest of you, but, well, I do like exploring new areas regardless. We're just going to have to see where our adventure takes us, you know? I'm absolutely fine with that. That, for me, is the best part of exploring any place - just going with the flow and going where your heart leads you." He smiled, a fuzzy, warm feeling beginning to build inside him. It was unfamiliar. Was it happiness? He couldn't tell, but he liked it.
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Post by spender on Jun 8, 2010 11:21:51 GMT -5
Spender fidgeted. His plate was rapidly becoming clean again, such was the ferocity with which he attacked his meal. But it wasn't the thought of food that had him on edge.
The talk of cousins and sisters, and of exploring once off the ship—he could vaguely recall somebeast saying it would be weeks before they got to Furloogie Land. Weeks. The training had been bad enough. He missed his sisters already. The feeling would only be amplified over time, along with the feeling of missing his parents, his home, the valley he'd frolicked in. Why did he have to give all that up to go exploring with some creatures he didn't even like, in a foreign country, without his toy wagon to pull about behind him and make life a little more interesting?
Stupid beasts, why did they have to keep reminding him of all that he was missing? Stop being so excited about the future! Urgh. Brainless dolts, the lot of them.
"...just going with the flow and going where your heart leads you."
Spender stuck his tongue out, depositing a mouthful of chewed peas back onto his plate. He snorted disdainfully; what a load of rubbish this mouse was talking! It'd be all flowers and rainbows next. He was going to throw up if such talk kept on.
Flicking the clump of chewed peas onto the floor, he turned onto his meat. Like Carrow, he prefered to save the best for last. That way, the flavour lingered on his tongue long after the meal was over.
Still not looking up at the other two, he reached out for his water. His paw found a mug—but it was Elliot's. Not noticing his mistake, he dragged it back towards himself, the mug knocking against his own in the process, and causing a small wave of water to spill out onto the table. Still the ferret did not look up as he shoveled food into his mouth with his other paw, barely stopping to chew.
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Post by Carrow on Jun 11, 2010 2:56:30 GMT -5
(quick post from me Cerinus watched all this with a slight look of disgust evident on his features. Spender seemed to have absolutely no table manners whatsoever. Not to mention, of course, that the mug he was drinking out of wasn't even his. The mouse obviously didn't want to get involved though. Besides, he reasoned that the ferret was far more likely to listen to Elliot - what with there being a considerably smaller amount of tension between the two mustelids, than there was between Spender and him. The wood mouse sighed softly and took care of his peas. He took his slice of cheese in one paw and resumed his nibbling away at it. He was almost done. He'd enjoyed this gathering for numerous reasons - not the least of which was that he had been able to speak to Elliot at relative length for the first time since they'd met. To his eyes, it appeared that the beech marten had more than one thing in common with the rodent. There was that fondness for adventure that they both shared. He also seemed a little shy, and he certainly didn't waste time when it came to conversation. Carrow could of course be quite direct when speaking to another creature, so he could relate to that well enough. He glanced over at the marten's plates. They were clean by now, and the young long-tailed field mouse was also finished. So now he was just waiting on Spender to finish up. "I think that, in Caden's absence, I'll offer to tidy up here when we're finished. Is that alright with you two?," he asked his other messmates. Spender probably wouldn't have an opinion on the subject - the youngster was quite sure that he didn't care anyway so long as he didn't have to do it. Elliot, though, he seemed like a creature fond of helping others out - in fact that was another characteristic he and Carrow shared. Smiling a little, he waited for their response.
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Post by spender on Jun 11, 2010 4:10:55 GMT -5
"No!" Spender said, almost shouting. He chewed a few more times and swallowed. He seemed to shrink to half his size when Carrow and Elliot looked at him, as well as a few nearby beasts from other tables.
"I'll... I'll do it," he said. "I want to do it."
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Post by Carrow on Jun 11, 2010 4:28:53 GMT -5
Oh, but of course!, Carrow thought, he would rather steal my thunder, as it were. As if there would be much pride involved in clearing up after other creatures. I genuinely want to help, see, he thought, while Spender's just being contrary. I suppose he's offering, though, so I may as well go along with it, ulterior motive or not.
The mouse brought his large brown eyes to rest on the mustelid. It's necessary to address him now, the rodent thought, sighing inwardly now. Oh well, we'll soon see if his intentions are genuine. Here goes nothing...
"You'd like to do it, Spender?," he queried with a slight smile that seemed to say 'well, this is a rather unexpected change of heart!' He glanced at Elliot out of the corner of his eye. She was surprised too, although the wood mouse couldn't help wondering if her thoughts were running along the same lines as his.
It was obvious, of course. He had a good feeling that Spender was just out to take credit for another creature's generosity - he'd said nothing until the mouse had offered to do the deed after all. He wondered how different the ferret's reaction might have been had he just simply mentioned that it needed to be done.
"Well, that's perfectly fine. Don't let me stand in your way," the Dibbun mouse told him kindly. "You can clear up our table whenever you're finished - which should be soon, for the record, because I can tell we don't really have all that much time left at supper. It's up to you, of course."
With this said, the long-tailed field mouse sat back, drumming his paws softly on the table in a cheerful manner. He was wondering what Spender would think of his response: it would lead to either a rapid back-pedalling on his offer, or genuine intent, and Carrow wasn't entirely sure which of the two he'd like to see happen more.
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Post by bookity101 on Jun 11, 2010 19:58:52 GMT -5
El barely even glanced at Spender when he stole her mug. It was something she was used to after all. Her cousins would constantly take hers when they thought she was done... and she would simple steal theirs back.. though she didn't think it would fly over so well with Spender. Things like this would be easily handled, once she got to know the guy better.... For know, it was enough that she was firmly ensconced in life at sea... and she knew she was going to love it.
El's mouth was hanging open when she saw Spender jump to his feet in an effort to be the one to clean up.
"Thanks Spender." El passed 'his' plates to Spender, wondering what had brought about this change... not realizing it would be something as simple as some chocolate cake, and a bit of misplaced logic.
"Hey, Carrow, Did you know that it was Caden's birthday today?
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