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Post by spender on Jun 30, 2010 9:43:48 GMT -5
Steep dabbed at her lips with a small towel. Her paws shook incessantly. The smell was doing her no good, either. But then again, what was doing her any good?
Her throat burned, and she wished dearly for a drink. The wine had been working, but going out in the sun on that long, pointless walk all around the city had taken its toll. It was all she could do not to throw up before she got inside. The pain had only been this bad one other day this year—why today, did it have to peak?
She'd gotten a bit of throw-up on her uniform, and frantically rubbed at it, sobbing under her breath. There was a smear on the wall above her—snot and blood from where she'd tried to heatbutt a hole to the other side, before she'd slid down, arm draped over the bidet, and did the disgusting deed of ridding her system of its alcohol overdose. Wretched cigars! She made sure to drown the rest of the ones she'd taken from Saumarez. They were rubbish.
It was cliche to say her head felt like it was caught in a vice, but it did. Several vices, in fact. And then smothered in ten pounds of thick black blankets, so sound, smell and taste felt hot and heavy. Only her eyes worked, and she focused them on a point ten feet in front of her, never moving her eyes side-to-side, never noticing anything around her. It was like this that she left the washroom and made her way back up to her room, taking slow, unsteady steps.
She pushed her bedroom door open, nearly running into her father. He stepped out of her way just in time, then hurried to her side to catch her as she fell towards the bed.
"Priscilla! What are you doing back so soon? Oh, you're bleeding..."
"...can't breathe..."
She tore at her uniform buttons, loosening the jacket from around her neck and chest. Roland helped undo the bottom half, and slid it out from behind her, so that she was just wearing her white turtlenecked undershirt. He blinked. No wonder, if she was suffering from a heat stroke! He thought she would only put on the jacket and wear something, well, more fitting for the weather underneath. This shirt was practically designed for winter campaigns...
He gave her room, fanning her face, then licked the blood off her snout. He knew better than to ask if she was okay.
"I can't do it," she growled, after a few minutes. "I can't bloody do it, pa. I wanted this..."
"I know..."
"...wanted it more than anything, the uniform... the rank... it's my whole life..."
Roland closed his eyes. He understood. The royal life had never suited his daughter well. The dance lessons, the private tutoring, the constant drilling of etiquette—it had sapped her kithood of joy. The only time he'd seen her smile was when her mother had come home with that... that stupid duck. And then, one morning, she had simply disappeared. It didn't matter how many servants had to be sacked, jailed and tortured for information, or how many soldiers were sent to scour the city and countryside. Priscilla Steep had vanished.
And then, ten years ago, reports had flooded in. She was in the army. She had been at the Siege of Gibraltar. She was being considered for officership. A female! In the army! His army! And he'd never known about it...
She'd made Lieutenant surprisingly quickly, after that. No one had dared hold her back, after her secret was out. She came with glowing recommendations, too. Good with the troops, smart with the strategies, ruthless in her weasel cunning, and a fine duelist. And then, as if out of the blue—only not. It was a slow development, three years of it. By the end, she was a shadow of her original potential. She snapped at beasts, ignored orders, was constantly fatigued, squabbled with civilians, came up drunk to briefings. For two years, she was not promoted. Only her status kept her from being demoted. She was put on probation. At first, just to keep her from harming herself and others; she was given pointless duties and tasks that she could not screw up. And then, when she somehow managed to do that anyway, she was removed from duty altogether.
And thus, removed from the world.
Priscilla Steep was no more. This shell of a weasel in his arms was not his daughter. Not with the words she was saying.
"Take it away, pa... take the uniform back. I don't want it. I can't do it."
He could take it no more. He let go of her and stood up, pacing the room before whirling towards her, paws clasped behind his back.
"Shut up, Lieutenant. I will not hear that kind of talk from my soldiers, and I will not hear it from you. Put your uniform back on and stand to attention!"
"But—"
"'But'? Is that how you talk to a senior officer, Lieutenant? What are you going to do? You're going to bloody well follow my orders!"
Steep's eyes welled up with tears. No—no, she couldn't...
"Or are you going to disobey me?"
She growled. "I'd never..."
"Are you going to betray your country, because you're feeling a bit unwell?"
She hissed. "I am not a traitor!"
"Then stop acting like one! Why they would let a beast like you in the army, I will never know, Lieutenant Steep. You are a disgrace. You are a disservice to your king."
That did it.
The strength she had shown in the city, the facade she'd put up for Saumarez, began to take hold of her again. She stood up. She did not wobble, although her paws still shook.
"I... am not... a traitor."
General Roland Steep wanted to smile, but he held it back.
"Then go downstairs and resume the duty you were assigned to this day, Lieutenant, and I will see you at dinner tonight. Dismissed."
She saluted fiercely, and whirled about to leave.
She paused.
"Pa, what are you doing with my room?"
Roland coughed into his paw. "Well, er... just cleaning it for you."
He sighed in relief as she accepted the answer and closed the door. Cleaning indeed! It had been almost months the last time she'd been out of the house long enough for anyone to come in and clear out the bottles and cigar stubs. There was enough debris to fill the bathtub thrice over.
~ ~ ~
Steep found Saumarez sitting comfortably, and settled herself into the armchair opposite him. Her image had changed drastically. While her skirt was still dirty, her jacket managed to evade the throw-up stain, and her fur had dried. Without the straw hat or parasol, her head managed to adopt a certain sleekness. There was no cigar to twist her lips into a snarl, and the fur on her face was smoothed down so the edges of her scab were covered. In the dimmer light, one could almost imagine it was a pink jewel, such as the princesses of the eastern countries wore on their snouts.
"So," she said. "Enjoying Crittenden?"
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Post by Ladorak on Jun 30, 2010 22:31:36 GMT -5
Saumarez's mind was wandering thanks to his solitude. He was thinking about Steep at first, but those thoughts were burned away as he began thinking of all things about the attack on Downel. That annoying fortress made out of palmetto logs was it? Spongy material that absorbed that cannon fire.
He was in the tropics again, standing on the deck of the Bristol as she attempted to pass the bar. The sea was a gleaming blue, turquoise almost. Downel was the preeminent fortified island in the Imperium, and Welkin had every intent on crushing the upstarts and the Guard stationed there. It was home of the Black Five, or at least their military headquarters.
The puffs of gun smoke were silent...noise carried slower of course, and then boom...boom...BOOOM as they got closer. That was a dreadful time...General Sir Henry Clinton had badly underestimated the strength and tenacity of the Guard, and they had squarely trounced the Welkin squadron. But Clinton was a tenacious son of a...stoat, and after working in the north for a bit, returned to lay siege to Downel with 14,000. By that point the Guard was reduced to only 5,000 and in one of their most humiliating episodes in their normally proud and checkered history, they had ended up surrendering to Clinton after only two months.
Of course...Welkin herself had been humiliated a few years later when General Cornwallis ended up surrendering to the Imperium forces and ending the war once and for all. Snorting, Saumarez stared down into his drink, his claws digging into the glass. The Imperium was still a joke in his eyes. Backwards and vile and just...lawless. Bunch of ruffians that had gotten lucky once. He was willing to wager that if they ever went to war again, they'd be smashed by Welkin.
Wretched upstarts...and Ferlusan had helped them! Along with Rosferia! Which meant Priscilla Steep was the blasted enemy! Uggh...it sickened him to think of their support of a nation so pathetic. It was BECAUSE of their support that Welkin had lost...not because of Imperium prowess...or lack thereof. Pfft...he should chew the Princess out for that one. If she was military and around his age then she MUST have fought...it was inevitable.
Hearing her approaching footsteps, his irascible wrath boiling within, the weasel looked up from his drink, getting ready to launch his little verbal assault...but then his throat closed up and he could no longer breathe.
There must have been some invisible weasel in the room who had wrapped his paws about his throat and was slowly choking him. Who...WAS this jill walking into the room now? Was it really...Steep? He looked at her with rapt attention as she sat down across from him. There was something...incredibly sleek that had worked its way in to her features now, almost like...and here's where his knees really shook...a feral jill. A lustrous huntress stalking her prey out in the fields. But not only that...her arrowhead shaped snout and countenance was angled right at him, and she was giving him a look of supreme confidence.
The look shattered whatever ice had been encircling his heart, and he had completely forgotten what he had even been reminiscing darkly about. He gave her a smile, swallowing thickly as he opened his mouth to speak. "It's been awhile since I've been in a place as hot as this, but yes, so far it's exceeded my expectations." he said, somewhat distantly as his eyes wandered down to what appeared to be the floor.
No ankles this time...but speaking of hot...they suddenly reentered his mind, searing a hole in his brain and causing his eyes to widen as he realized what he was doing. Slowly closing his lids and reopening them so that they were back on her face, he gave her again a small smile. A gentlemammal does NOT do that sort of thing in public James...but was this really public?
Studying his claws, he wiggled them in front of his face now. "I thank you for inviting me in. It's my first time in such lavish quarters in Ferlusan. I'm used to my small little estate on the isle of Guernsey. Not quite as large as this place. It's very well met Lieutenant. Your family does well for itself." Even that scab had vanished! She was looking more and more ravishing as the day went on. Talent, or had he simply missed it before?
Idiot! Where are these flights of fancy going to get you?! But...then again he was only a guest so...he could at least relax a little bit right? Who cared if his eyes wanted to enjoy themselves just a tad? it wasn't like he was going to see her again at this rate after all. She was obviously making herself look good in front of him and he simply wasn't able to come off of that rakish look she managed to attach to her face. Like the bow of a frigate cutting the water...she was a knife and master of her own home.
"Have you traveled much Lieutenant? Seen any of the world? I must admit I've spent some time in the Cobalt, so close to here, but never actually here. Of course I've been to the west..." But he left it at that. No use bringing in past wars. Chances are we fought on opposite sides, so let's not dredge that up shall we?
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Post by bookity101 on Jul 1, 2010 9:46:52 GMT -5
Miri gave her boss a long look. ‘The only down side that comes from working with this type of guy, is he always wants to know everything…’ She sighed and reached over a paw to play with the band, thinking back to when she got it. A ghost of her earlier smile graced her face when she answered;
“You really like knowing things don’t you Boss.” He words were gentle, a simple statement of fact; Not an accusation. Looking up her smile changed into a bit of her customary smirk as she noticed where they were.
“Maybe over lunch boss… for now we have a jill to track down.” Miri pointed at the Customs House that now rose in front of them. She took a step back from him to let him take the lead. “After you Boss.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luxe smiled inwardly as he watched a change in attitude come over Zephyr. Maybe it was because the Lieutenant was gone, or she was just feeling more comfortable on land that at sea. Either way it was a pleasant change in his eyes.
“No Jis Zephyr, nothing is wrong.” Luxe’s mouth quirked a little in a sheepish smile. “I was just thinking about what my sisters would be saying to me if they saw me right now.” He smiled a little at her. His sisters were constantly berating him because of his tendencies to try to be an “overly gentlemammel” in their words. His smile was growing slightly as he stepped up beside Zephyr because of the crowds.
His smiles always changed his face. His golden brown fur was desirable enough to most jills, but when he smiled, he had been told in the past that it was “disorienting”. Of course that was his full smile, not the small one he wore now. Also, this bit of information was not even crossing his mind as he increased his pace.
“So where are we heading Zephyr?” He blanched a little as he dropped his typical form of address. Maybe she wouldn't notice?
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Post by Ladorak on Jul 1, 2010 21:07:04 GMT -5
"Right..." he said with a heavy sigh. "Perhaps over lunch." He entered the Customs House, shouldering his way through. It wasn't too crowded in here. Mostly merchants hoping to check some goods in or off loading their cargoes. They had to pay a duty on it of course, so came here to do so.
"Jis Talian, wait near the entrance, I shan't be a minute." he instructed her. He did this for two reasons. One was to have his back watched, just in case, and two was to make sure nobody followed them in through the entrance in the first place.
He started towards one of the many desks upon which bars were placed to separate customer from customs officer. No sooner had he stepped away then a smooth voice played right in Miri's ear. "Well, well, I didn't expect to see you here so soon. I don't believe I caught your name. Last time we met you were pretending to be a blind jill...weren't you? Or is your name Miri Talian? Don't look surprised, and don't be too shocked. I'm not sure I can say it's good to see you again but...it's good to see you again all the same." The voice of course belonged to Montegu Sylver's cousin, Spindrick Sylver. If Miri had looked to her left before he spoke, she might have mistaken this weasel with the lightning scar down his face as Monty.
He gave her an oily smile. "You whapped me pretty good last time if I recall. Don't worry...I don't hold grudges. I suppose though that once again we're after the same thing. Or...are we?" he asked, pondering this now as he stroked his chin fur. He pretended to look pensive, though didn't seem threatening right now.
Monty had reached a desk, and was inquiring as to the whereabouts of a certain Countess Sveltlana Bogginski. It was with some surprise that he was told that she was in fact still in port! Waiting on a consignment of...goods? What was this here? He pressed the clerk further, and for the moment his back was to Miri, so he was unaware of his cousin's presence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A brow raised, but that was about it. So he missed the Jis part. Oh well...she preferred plain Zephyr anyway. Who needed a title? She almost laughed at what he said, stifling it so it came out as a hiss from her nose. Sisters? He had sisters? And they would be what? Chiding him? Laughing at him? For what? Being with a jill? Or was she missing something here?
"You have sisters? You an only jack?" she asked, that thought somehow amusing to her. He seemed so strong and well groomed and yet...was he an only jack? "I'm taking us right here." she said, suddenly pulling back a chair at a small seaside cafe. "This here's for us. I hope you like squid...and if you don't like squid I guess we'll find something else to eat." She plopped herself down, stretching her tired footpaws out underneath the table.
Here was a nice view of the harbor, and looked out over a rather stunning vista. The three decker Lightning was close by as well, ancient though she was. Only one of her kind in her class. She hadn't seen service in quite some time, and it was unlikely she would unless dire need came up.
Zephyr was banking on eating some calamari today, and only hoped her boss liked cephalopods. They could split a dish, as generally the chopped pieces were enough to fill three beasts, let alone two.
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Post by bookity101 on Jul 1, 2010 22:37:30 GMT -5
Miri had to concentrate on not jumping when she heard Spindricks voice in her ear. It sounded a lot like Monty’s, except this guys voice was so slick it made her feel a little sick to her stomach. Turning to face him, she got her facial features under control by the time she addressed him.
“Well yes of course I am Miri Talian.” She smirked at him in return for his small joke. She rolled her eye’s slightly at the words ‘..don’t be to shocked..”
“And Jal Sylver; I’ve given up being shocked around you’re cousin.” She shifted her weight back so she put some distance between them.
“Thus I hardly believe that I should be surprised by any of his relations.” Her smirked changed into a cocky grin at his admission of being knocked down during their last encounter.
“Though I will admit I think I will enjoy your company more when you are on the ground gasping for breath…” Pretending to get something from her eye, she cast a glance at Monty, who had his back to them. So she would have to deal with Spindrik on her own for now. She looked at him warily… either he was fishing for information, or he was baiting her to get her off guard. Either way she would play it safe, which reminded her of something that Monty had warned her about. She blinked slowly to make sure she removed any trace of fogginess from her mind, just in case he would try anything with his gaze.
“And I have no earthly idea what we are searching for exactly….” She blinked again, this time not as slowly, but she decided to do so every few seconds. And she could get away with this because the wind was blowing directly into her eyes;
“I sir…” Her smiled turned just slightly devilish as she reached down and withdrew her brass knuckles, leaving off the knives for now. “… Am simply the hired muscle…” She pulled on the heavy brass piece onto her left paw, toying with right one for a moment before she pulled it on.
"Surely you recall that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Luxe watched Zephyr hide her amusement at the fact he had sisters. He joined her at the table; she had sat down to fast for him to even offer to help her into her chair.
“You can order what ever you like J-…. Zephyr.” He had noticed the almost approval in her eyes when he had dropped the title so maybe he would return the favor he asked of her. On land, there would be no titles;
“I’ve never had squid, so this might be interesting.” He smiled a little as he remembered her reaction to his earlier words about his sisters.
“And yes Zephyr, I have sisters, three of them.” He leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other as he got comfortable. “Is there something amusing about that?”
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Post by spender on Jul 3, 2010 4:47:27 GMT -5
Steep did her best not to snort derisively as Saumarez went on about her home. It wasn't that great... surely.
"Have you traveled much Lieutenant? Seen any of the world? I must admit I've spent some time in the Cobalt, so close to here, but never actually here. Of course I've been to the west..."
"Oh, I've... been around." She waved a paw dismissively.
For half a moment, her head had started to feel better; and then she'd had to listen to this weasel blathering on. It had been so long since she'd last had to translate spoken words. All the extra activity was heating her brain up. Common tongue to Ferlusan, Ferlusan to Common, sort out the grammar, figure out how to pronounce it...
Silence fell. Saumarez sipped his drink. Steep itched to rip it out of his paws and guzzle it herself.
She stared, bored, at the carpet. Whispy tendrils of darkness began to form through it, the carpet divided by a gigantic crack. There was no floor beneath; just blackness as shreds of cloth fell away. If she could just cast herself into that pit...
She blinked and it was gone, and yet... still there. A divide between the two weasels. She had nothing to say to him, nothing to ask him, nothing to tell him. Here she was, ready to be polite, ready to be social, and still, she couldn't do it. It was like being asked to subdue a ghost town. It would be possible to go to each house and kick in the doors, but with no soldiers to kill, no civilians to deal with, but what as the point?
Politics? Would that be worth discussing? No; she didn't know anything these days, except what her father outright told her, or what... she read from her letters, which wasn't much, or very recent. Work? She didn't care for sailing, and her own career was not something she wanted to think about. And he was Welkin—there went half her amusing stories about battles...
She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them. Her eyes narrowed as she caught the flicker of Saumarez's gaze. Jacks!
"Well, toss this," she said suddenly. "What d'you want for lunch?"
"Enough talk about Blinky eh? The poor jack's dead. Doesn't do any good talking about the deceased. Might bring bad luck."
"Right," Molly said, quietly. Inside, she fumed. It was her own fault for bringing him up, but... Fates! Some part of her just wanted to reach out and throttle Ladorak's neck. And not in the Number Four Special way. She should be able to talk about Blinky if she wanted to. Bad luck my fishnet! Is he... jealous?
She had to glance away to hide the smoulder in her eyes.
He's right, though. Blaine's dead, and Ladorak is alive, and even if I don't know how to compare my love for them... I shouldn't take it out on either. He doesn't know why I had to leave him, all those years ago. He doesn't need to. And I need to concentrate on what my life is, not what it was. The Imperium shouldn't define me any longer. I'm a new jill...
But I won't forget. It's good to forgive; not to forget. I just wish there was something to forgive. It'd make things a lot easier if I knew someone was in the wrong, even someone who's not even around anymore...
All at once, she perked up.
"What d'you say we find Mr. Midlight Hammer a sister?" She grabbed Ladorak's sleeve and tugged him on, turning their walk into a jog.
Featherston was right, I think. I didn't care for his assessment of me, but... This isn't a job anymore. This is my life. This is the jack I want. I know how to get him. But I can't, not until I can control my emotions. I'll try to slip away and make a stop at the apothecary once we get back to town. There must be something.
For now... I'll just try to enjoy this. Ooh, I hope they have flails.
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Post by Ladorak on Jul 3, 2010 11:10:00 GMT -5
Monty/Spindrick
Spindrick chuckled a bit noticing her slipping on her brass knuckles. He was making occasional eye contact with her, but was sure she wouldn't be caught. His cousin had warned her about him after all...made attempting to catch her off guard useless.
"Now hold on. What are you going to do? Beat me in a government building? I don't think the Ferlusanians would like that much...and besides, what have I done to you yet? I'm allowed to speak with you right? After all, we haven't seen each other in almost a year. Is this any way to greet an old acquaintance?" he asked, holding his paws up to show her he had nothing within them.
"Are we really going to start off like this? On the wrong paw and already distrusting each other?" he feigned being hurt, and gave her a sorry frown. He wasn't completely lying either. He had no interest in fighting either Miri or his cousin at this juncture.
Monty meanwhile was getting close enough to hear Sveltlana whispering to him from right around the corner! Yes! She was still here! Yes! He had found the dock she was using! Yes he had found the name of the ship! Right! Almost done then! He'd catch up to her in no time! Just needed to find out the cargo...but this the Customs jack wasn't so willing to part with. That was private business after all...what right did this weasel have to go poking his snout into another's shipment?
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zephyr
"Great! Order of calamari here!" she called over to a waiter, who wasn't exactly waiting on them but shuffled off to fulfill their order all the same, as it was extra cash for him. She had a lack of manners sometimes it seemed, or at least a rougher exterior about her.
"Amusing?" she asked now, her attention being brought back to her boss. "Oh...three sisters you say?" she giggled a bit, but once more tried to suppress it so that it came out as a snorting sound. She quickly composed herself, inwardly scolding her conscience for letting her do that. "Because you're this big, strong, tough looking jack. I couldn't imagine you with three sisters. An'...sorry. For laughing. Didn't mean to" The thoughts it conjured up...just too funny though! But she did quickly add in her apology as she didn't want to appear rude in front of her boss.
She could picture him surrounded by his sisters, who were dancing ring around the rosy and showering him with flower petals and...ha! She shook her head to clear that thought, a smile having crept out on her face despite her best efforts. "Who would've guessed huh? Either of your parents still alive?" she asked on a more serious note now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saumarez
They were silent after her dismissive little response. OK...so she'd traveled. And? But that was it. She'd traveled. Not where to. Not how long ago. Just she'd traveled. Alright...it seemed she was not good at making conversation with strangers.
But what was this? She was staring at the floor now...focusing rather intently on it as the minutes ticked by. What was she looking at? Her face was more intense than he could ever honestly remembering seeing a jill's face looking. She was...struggling? Struggling with something?
It almost looked as if her true battle lay within...but with what? Was she in pain? Physical pain? It almost looked as if she expected the carpet to leap up and wrap itself about her head to swallow her whole. "Jis? Lieutenant?" he called softly, not wanting to interrupt her dark reverie. But something was wrong.
She caught his gaze, and seemed to snap back to reality, looking for just a minute as if she wanted to smack him before she...offered him lunch. Lunch? "Hmm...I could go for some roast beef if you have it. A sandwich I think, and oooh! A dash of mustard if you can manage. Not too much." Blast it! He was making himself seem demanding! He just knew it!
He paused, looking across at her obliquely. "Um...Lieutenant Steep. Forgive me for asking but...are you alright? You seemed...lost for a moment there...almost like you" here was a big pause. "were hurting somewhere." he finished. "Is everything alright? Forgive my curiosity, I don't mean to stick my snout in where it doesn't belong. I just...wanted to make sure you were alright was all." he said, giving her a genuinely concerned look. His brows were knitted, and there was a half frown on his lips as well.
What had that been all about? "Oh also do you mind if we take our lunch outside? That is...if you have tables and chairs outdoors on your fine estate." he put that last bit in to alleviate any resentment she might have felt for him prying into her business. It really wasn't his concern after all...but he simply couldn't help himself when it came to a jill in distress. It was part of that inner defense mechanism of his working again. Help them and see if they're alright...in order to deflect them off of your pain...your suffering....
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Post by bookity101 on Jul 5, 2010 1:06:49 GMT -5
Miri smiled at his statement, trying to figure out what his objective was if it didn’t have anything to do with his cousin.
“Beat you? Maybe someday..” She shrugged as she settled the knuckles more comfortably on her paw, taking in his empty paws with a dismissive flick of her eyes “But I have no intention of harming you… for now Jal Sylver.” Miri glanced around, noticing Monty seemed to be happy about something… must’ve found that the Countess’ whereabouts.
“As to the old acquaintance and distrust part;” She locked her steely blue eyes on his own for just a moment before glancing back at Monty. “It wasn’t I who met you. One of my aliases met you, though I must admit that I enjoyed watching you bend over backwards to avoid offending her.” Her gaze once again turned to steel. “I distrust anyone who reminds me of my teacher… and you just seem to smell of his worst trait.”
Luxe smiled at her reasoning, it might seem odd that he, a blacksmith and weapons expert, grew up with three sisters, but it was true, and in retrospect, very amusing.
“I don’t mind if you laugh actually.” He shook a head and smiled as he remembered when they managed to convince him to play with them. “Before I got my apprenticeship, I had to watch all of my siblings, and I would barely avoid being dressed up in flower chains as “King of the Garden,” His shook his head a little. “I was older and expected to put up with whatever they did… but I drew the line at the pansy and daffodil crown.”
He resettled in his chair as she called out their order. He didn’t really mind that she had a lack of manners, or even that she was laughing at him. Rather he enjoyed her laughter, and her smile. His own smile faded slightly as she mentioned parents.
“My father left just before my 13th birthday.” Luxe glanced away from Zephyr at the memory. It was his last one of his father, and it wasn’t a very pleasant one. Actaully his father was normally a very nice beast. Except when he got into any type alcohol, which was most of the time.
“But my mother is still at home with my youngest sister, her husband and their kits.” He brightened again at the mention of the family that he truly did enjoy being related to. Taking a sip of water from him glass, he asked;
“What about you Zephyr, are your parents still around?”
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Post by Ladorak on Jul 5, 2010 21:46:44 GMT -5
Monty was on his way back now, and easily spied his cousin, making conversation with Miri it seemed. Oh great...so he was here too? It seemed they weren't trying to kill each other at the moment however, and he knew his cousin. Couldn't harm a fly...at least not directly. That was an inherent "weakness" of the Sylver family as his cousin would say.
"Your teacher? And why do I remind you of your...teacher?" Spindrick asked, unsure of this part. He resembled somebody else? That was unusual, considering how he tried to act.
"Cousin Spindrick...didn't expect to see you here."
"Cousin Montegu." Spindrick said to the weasel hissing in his ear. "So nice to see you again. We keep bumping into each other every so often."
"And I wish we wouldn't. But Jis Talian! I've located the Countess! She's actually going to be dining on the Conception tonight, the Ferlusanian flagship, of which I believe Captain Fugate, Jis Serra, Captain Saumarez and Jis Steep will also be in attendance. We can catch her then! That is...if you don't mind a bit of a social gathering." Monty didn't care if he let slip this information, as it wasn't like Spindrick had an invite to this dinner anyway.
His cousin seemed to listen in silence, not stepping back and waiting to see if Miri would answer his question.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This time Zephyr did laugh, giving a great guffaw at Luxe's revalation of almost becoming Flower King of the Garden. Now THAT was similar to what she had pictured! She leaned back in her chair and gave off a few shuddering laughs before she composed herself again.
"Err...yes ahem. Right." she said, as he got to the topic of his family. So father dead...mother still alive with siblings. And then of course he HAD to ask about her parents. She had been hoping he wouldn't. She looked down at the table, then glanced sideways at the ground. "No...neither of my parents are alive." she said, but shot him a quick "don't say anything" look.
"Don't be sorry about it. Never knew either of 'em. They died when I was not even a year old. Consumption took 'em both. A Scarlet Fever epidemic was raging in the all kits back then too, so I was told I was lucky to have been taken from my home and placed under foster care. Well...not really foster care. Orphanage really. I was there for well...a good deal of my life. Never had a real kithood like you did I'm sure, but at least I escaped the Fever. I ran away at ten to join the Navy. Couldn't make the cut at first, and joined the Merchant Marine. Got my experience there...and studying smithing every chance I got on shore."
She frowned, staring more at the table than at Luxe. "And then...I finally joined the Navy as Assistant Armorer about...six years ago. Though...my first voyage didn't exactly go so well..." she trailed off here, not providing any details on this first voyage. Breadfruit...it had all started with that cursed plant. And yet...she was devoted to that ideal...lot of good it had done her. She was through with all that now. It had been a bust, and she had just recently gotten back from her latest voyage around the world. Literally. To hell and back, as she liked to call it. Twice she'd traveled that route, and twice she had survived it. The first had been far worse...
Sighing, she looked up. "That answer your question...boss?" she asked, studying him with a guarded look now. She knew he'd probably be wondering about her first voyage, but she wasn't sure she wanted to open up about that yet. Ah well...might as well see what he'd say.
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Post by spender on Jul 10, 2010 11:36:10 GMT -5
Wainscott was waiting in the corner of the room. He bowed to Saumarez and repeated the order: "Roast beef sandwich, dash of mustard. Not too much. Yourself, Jis Steep?"
Steep stared at the backs of her paws. "Rabbit," she said. "Rare." Roast beef they had plenty of, salted and in storage. Rabbit would have to be butchered here and now, and she did not want to keep her own meal waiting long.
It helped, of course, that she loved rare meat.
She trusted Wainscott to take care of the specifics of her meal, and stood to lead Saumarez out of the room.
She ignored his question regarding her state of being. She didn't want to lie to him, and the answer would only lead to more questions. She hummed a little under her breath, pretending not to be listening, though she felt dirty for it. Like the floozies at the docks, lost in their own little world! Ugh, they were disgusting.
Thankfully, he asked about dining arrangements, giving her good reason to ignore his previous questions. As her father taught her, if you wanted an answer, you asked one question at a time.
"Outdoors..." Of course it had to be outdoors. In the heat. In the bright, painful sunlight. What was wrong with indoors? A nice comfortable chair, a sturdy table, no flies. If it was wind he wanted, surely they had a pawmaiden for that sort of thing. Steep knew there were servants flitting around somewhere--someone washed her sheets, after all, and Wainscott had other duties--but she seldom interacted with them.
"I think so. In the gardens." She led him through the hallway, under arches that opened up into the backside of the mansion. "I haven't... been out here for a while." The last time had been with her mother, helping prune the bushes. When had that been? Twenty years... "It shouldn't have changed much. Yes, there--tables and chairs under the gazebo."
She quickened her pace when they left the eaves of the house. Flower gardens, a snaking stream full of large goldish, and a small fountain flitted by. There was a hedgemaze on one side, and on the other in the far corner, Wainscott could be seen dragging a young rabbit out of a cage, axe in paw.
Steep thundered up the steps of the gazebo and threw herself into the nearest chair as if flung by an explosion. She rubbed her face with her paws, then straightened up. There was a bit of wind. Maybe this would be pleasant after all.
~ ~ ~
Roland stared out the window. Good heavens... Was that...?
He ran down to the kitchens and waited for Wainscott.
"Is that jack... Saumarez?"
"Yes, lord."
"What is he doing here!?"
"Dining with m'lady, lord."
Roland stared at his butler.
"Why?"
"I presume to get to know one-another better, lord?" Wainscott suggested tentatively.
"Oh." Roland scratched his head. "Oh! So... Damn. I suppose they must have told her. She didn't mention it to me." Suppose she hated him now? Was that why she was in such a huff earlier? But she'd stiffened her lip and gone back down, and now they were dining.
He winced as Wainscott's axe chopped behind him.
"She seemed rather despondent in the sitting room, lord."
"More than usual?"
Wainscott paused to think. "No, lord. Maybe less."
"Oh my word. Hah... Hah! This is good. This is very good. They're talking. She hasn't thrown anything out a window for over an hour. She hasn't tried to drown herself in the fountain again! She was practically skipping!"
"Can't say I noticed that in particular, lord. But she hasn't been out in the garden yet, either, lord."
"My gods, that's right. Not since she left. Good heavens. It's like I don't even know her. This... this is fantastic!"
"Lord?"
"Yes, Wainscott?"
"You wouldn't mind helping make a roast beef sandwich, would you, lord?"
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