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Naples
Sept 11, 2010 8:18:29 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Sept 11, 2010 8:18:29 GMT -5
This suggestion from Ladorak got a response from Carrow as well. He smiled from ear to ear; they even went so far as to twitch a little and indicate his delight. Ice cream! Brilliant! He hadn't had any in months, and even then, when he had been back home in Welkin, it had been considered something of a luxury... along with quite a number of other things, it had to be admitted, but now that he had the opportunity, the mouse was going to seize it with both paws.
He nudged Caden gently, glad to see his companion smiling again. When Ladorak put his next question to the group of striplings, the wood mouse allowed the pine marten to answer first. After Caden had done so, the Dibbun piped up: "Yes, that sounds good to me. I'll have chocolate as well, please, Ladorak!," he exclaimed, voice rising in excitement, though this was no longer as noticeable as it used to be, as the youngster's voice had since broken fully.
He chuckled a little at the stoat's quip, smiling back at his friend. "Heh, that was a good thing you did for him back in Ferlusan. It was completely worth it, right?," he asked rhetorically. Of course he already knew the answer! The bond between the stoat and marten had strengthened considerably in the meantime, and the mouse was very pleased to see the pair getting along so well. When Caden was in good form, it helped both his friend and his carer, and it was easy to see.
The Dibbun met the marten's gaze as best he could when he was spoken to. "Well, if you want to make it up to me, you can do so if you wish. I don't expect a reward for helping you or anything, Caden; just knowing that you appreciate the support of other creatures is good enough for me. You have Ladorak, Elliot, Selvis and myself to rely on. We're all going to be here for you - just knowing we can support you is reward enough, If you want to do something for me in return, go ahead, but it really isn't necessary. I'm glad to see you're better again more than anything else.
"That's good advice, too. We're all going to make the most of our time here, I'm sure. Personally, I can't wait to see what Naples itself is like!" Carrow eagerly rubbed his paws to show how enthusiastic he was about this whole idea. Then, a familiar cheerful face appeared as though from nowhere, and he stopped a moment to welcome Selvis back into the fold. "Hello again, matey!," he exclaimed, smiling at the sudden reappearance of the longtail. "Where'd you spring from?"
The weasel smiled in response to the inquisitive rodent's query. "Nobeast could track another in a crowd like this. I wanted to catch up with Willard since he and Elliot had gone on ahead, but there was quite a number of beasts who had something to say about that, heheh. So I headed back the way to you pair. We're all going to meet up at the café anyway, so I'll check in with them there. I'm quite lucky I didn't pursue them, actually, or who knows where I might have ended up?" He shrugged, turning to Caden. "Ladorak's awfully kind to offer us this, isn't he?"
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Naples
Sept 11, 2010 23:31:28 GMT -5
Post by bookity101 on Sept 11, 2010 23:31:28 GMT -5
Ellie nodded to Willard's request, hiding a smile at the thought that she would be able to bring any harm to the sea captains mission... who would listen to a simple seajack anyway? She kinda floated through the crowd, following the group, till she heard about the ice cream.
"Oh, may I have chocolate as well captain?" Then she glanced at Willard as he spoke up. Sorry about what? **************
Luxe grinned at Zephyr, while rubbing his arm. The femme could definitely pack a punch when she wanted to.
"Forgive me Jis Zephyr." She looked a little irate, but it seemed to be mostly in jest.
"I actually was looking for you, but must have missed you in the crowd." He swept one paw in front of him thinking;
'I have no intention on giving up on getting to know you.' While saying;
"Well, allow me to fix my mistake. Would you care to join me on an exploration of Calgary, Zephyr." The male assumed they were still operating on the terms they had set last time, no titles while on land.
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Naples
Sept 12, 2010 0:22:18 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Sept 12, 2010 0:22:18 GMT -5
"It was worth it..." Caden said softly, that small smile still on his face. It seemed he was slowly regaining his confidence with the passing minutes. Ladorak moved to get in line, looking back at Willard, and also glancing at Selvis.
"Come on you two! I need some flavors! And no Willard...of course it's not too expensive. Are you kidding? With my salary?" And well...no Molly around. That part was the harshest part of his reality today. No Molly. No Molly to blow his paycheck on. Instead well...he had bundles to spare.
So...three chocolates so far...right.
Caden, for his part, was trying to focus on the city...trying to wrap his mind around recovering from this. It had left him shaken, and the albino knew it. Being hated at around his age was damaging to self confidence, and he needed to pick himself up from that...even more so because of what he'd attempted.
His order was placed, and he began wandering to the water's edge. How could he live this down? How could he move forward knowing he had dared to try this? "Sure is nice of him." Caden said, more softly this time. The marten was by now at the water's edge. His friends wouldn't see him the same way anymore.
He dangled his legs off the road and over the water, sitting down quietly at street's edge. He would have to...he would have to find some way to move past this. He only hoped his friends wouldn't think less of him for this. It terrified him to think that they would be mad at him...or scared of him. Upset with him maybe. Maybe they would grow more distant.
This was one of those times he felt like being alone again...without his friends staring at him (even if they weren't). He felt like they were watching him...judging him. He hated being subjected to an audience, scrutinized as if he were some bacteria under a microscope. He shuddered a moment, but kept his eyes out on the water as he waited for Ladorak to deliver the ice cream. Self-doubt was a killer. Having your confidence shaken meant you started doubting yourself...and if you doubted yourself...what was possibly true in the world? If you couldn't trust your own judgment...what could you trust?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zephyr sighed. "Looking for me? You didn't find me...as you said. I suppose I'll have to forgive this snub for now though..." the jill said, sighing, once again partly feigning her exasperation. "Where do you suggest we head then?"
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Naples
Sept 12, 2010 5:18:21 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Sept 12, 2010 5:18:21 GMT -5
"I'd say it's going to be another chocolate for me, Ladorak," Selvis piped up, smiling as he placed his order. It seemed that it was proving to be a firm favourite with the group. It would be wonderful on a day like this, that was for certain. It was a day that would pass for high summer, even though autumn was fast approaching. The weasel liked this. He'd always preferred warmer climates anyway, being a Ferlusanian creature and more accustomed to it than his four Welkinite companions. Naples was going to be rather a lot of fun for all involved, he just knew it. He turned to address his thoughts to Carrow, but found the mouse glancing over at Caden in a slightly worried fashion.
Selvis's tail brushed against the rodent's fur, and this made the wood mouse giggle slightly. He turned to meet his friend's gaze. "Heh, now that I've got your attention...," Selvis started, then trailed off as he noticed the look on his mouse friend's face. "Anything wrong?," he queried, of course unaware of what had happened. If he'd hung back, the mustelid would have been able to be privy to the discussion between the mouse and marten that had taken place earlier, but his search for Elle and Willard had meant that he had missed out. It was a shame, as he liked to give advice, but was unsure exactly what was going on, so couldn't do anything about it.
Carrow, too, felt as though his paws were tied. He knew what had gone on... Elliot knew, and of course, Ladorak knew as well, but Selvis didn't. He didn't want to be the one to tell him that Caden had attempted anything, more because he felt it would be a betrayal of trust than anything else. He had to keep the longtail in the dark about what had happened, much as it pained him to have to do so. "I'll be back in a bit, okay? Just need to have a word with Caden, in private. I don't like seeing him away from the rest of us like this, see, and I have to go find out what's wrong." Of course, the youngster knew exactly what was wrong. He'd seen it before. He'd even been there himself.
With this said, the Dibbun headed for his pine marten friend. Selvis nodded, realising that Caden and Carrow were very close friends and probably just needed to talk together for a bit. He'd seen how much the mouse valued Caden's friendship. He didn't feel left out at all, just slightly worried about the pine marten. It wasn't like him to be off on his own like this, and this made Selvis sure that something had happened to him. He wasn't going to worry about that though, unusual though it was - knowing that if any creature could help him through it, Carrow could. It seemed that the young mouse had hidden depths, and this thought made the mustelid smile to himself. Somehow, he knew that this would work out.
The mouse padded over to the water's edge, and took a seat beside his best friend, dangling his legs over the blue expanse, swinging them gently back and forth in a relaxed manner. When he spoke, his voice was soft, but laden with as much of a reassuring tone as he could muster. "What are you doing out here on your own?," he asked. "It's not like you. We'd much prefer it if you were with us. We're your friends after all, and now that we have our little group, it doesn't feel complete without you. And I... I feel even less complete without your company. I realised that while you were laid up in the Sick Berth. I know why you mean so much to me, Caden. I liked you for you you were, before, but now..."
He trailed off slightly before picking up where he'd left off. "Now I realise that you can be depended on. You helped me through quite a lot of low times in the months we've known each other. I'm going to be honest now and say this: Ladorak's not the reason I finally made the decision to join up. True, he was the one who coaxed me out of my nervous state - something he did rather well. He's a comfort to me, but nowhere near as much as you are. If you hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't have gone through with it. I wanted to join up, but I needed the friendship even more. You're basically the reason I'm here, Caden... in more ways than one," he murmured. He had to get this off his chest... try and make him feel of some worth again.
"So you're feeling shaken after what happened. No need to say anything, mate; I see the signs. I've been there a number of times too. I've always doubted myself. Even now, as I approach striplinghood, I don't have any confidence in myself. It's no longer something I feel I can do anything about, so I've just accepted it and move on. That's what you need to do as well: deal with it and move forward, and, well, I'm going to be here to help you." The mouse looked up and right into his companion's eyes. "I think no less of you now than I did before. If anything it's the exact opposite, because I've now seen that you DO have the strength to overcome things and move on," he exclaimed softly, smiling at his friend. "I sympathise with you. It's awful that a creature should ever think of ending their own life... but wonderful to think that they pulled through. You pulled through, Caden, and that says more to me than words ever could. You're going to be fine, okay? I may not have confidence in myself but... I have confidence in you."
He was well aware that he'd soon be served some ice cream, and that it would be rather wonderful. Hopefully it would help to take the mouse's mind off other things, but he was more interested in hearing what Caden had to say in response to this. He was prepared to put the wellbeing of other creatures before his own from now on. He wanted to see Selvis, Elliot and Willard in good spirits too, because he knew this would somehow always help him. The young mouse had been to some pretty dark places in his life, but he had just recently realised that his friendships mattered more than that... and that Caden Fugate was worth more to him than quite literally anything else. There was no point in denying that anymore. Not that Carrow ever had, of course; he was only just now coming to terms with it, and it made him feel wonderful. He wanted to see Caden back to his old self like nothing ever before.
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Naples
Sept 12, 2010 5:29:39 GMT -5
Post by spender on Sept 12, 2010 5:29:39 GMT -5
"I'll try chocolate, then, sir," Willard mumbled. He felt awful. Not only had he made a fool of himself in front of the Captain, but he'd wasted the Captain's time, and still was being treated. It wasn't right. He didn't even want ice cream.
... no, he did. He was starving and he'd never had it before, and it might help calm his nerves, and it was rude to decline. Was it ruder to try apologizing for being treated? He didn't know. It was just so hard not to feel like everybeast was being especially nice to him today, for some reason. It was like they all had some ulterior motive for inviting him along, and his pride was getting in the way of their goal to make him feel welcome in their midst.
So many ideas and emotions... none of them he wanted to feel right now. It was more than a simple desire to be back on the ship--it was a need. But he was strong. He had to be strong. So he pushed all that down, and smiled and said "thank you, sir" as Ladorak gave him a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
Willard set the bowl down on a cafe table and prodded it with his spoon. Ignoring everyone else around him, he gingerly pushed the spoon into the ice cream. He really didn't know how best to eat this. It was unlike anything he'd had before. Except maybe potatoes.
He supposed he would eat it like potatoes, then.
Willard's first mistake was the amount he dug out onto his spoon. It was tremendous; very nearly a quarter of the whole bowl. This was, of course, the way he always ate. Big helpings, fast chewing, swallow, rinse, repeat. Food was a wonderful thing, but he didn't hold with beast who sat there gobbing their jaws when there was work to be done--and in a way, he had been conditioned to eat quickly. Suppers back home were a race to see how much soup he could swallow before his sister dumped his bowl over her own head.*
Willard's second mistake was, instead of licking it--as most everyone else was--was to jam the whole thing in his mouth and bite down.
His eyes popped. He whimpered. He very nearly screamed. The roof of his mouth burned. The gap in his gums left by his missing tooth felt like someone had found the tooth, turned it 'round, and stuck it back in his mouth.
But he swallowed after a few panicked chews, and he was okay.
His third mistake was to think that every ice cream experience would be the same. He began swift progress on eating as much of it as he could, just to get it over with. The taste? Wonderful. Everything else? Well...
To put it simply...
After his brain freeze went away, he vowed never to eat ice cream again. Days later, he still wouldn't know how he got it smeared all over his brow, up the side of his muzzle, or plastered all throughout his whiskers. Or behind his ear.
Slipping the spoon into his pocket, Willard shrunk in his chair. I must look like a newborn kit... how embarrassing...
* An over-exaggeration, of course. But the thing about over-exaggerating such incidents is that they happen just enough times for someone to think they always happen.
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Naples
Sept 12, 2010 23:52:46 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Sept 12, 2010 23:52:46 GMT -5
It seemed Caden's efforts to isolate himself were to no avail. But instead of trying to convince him to return to the group, the mouse was relating to him his reasons for joining the Navy in the first place. Caden was surprised to learn that it wasn't Ladorak...but rather him. Really? It was...him?
All this time Caden had figured it was Ladorak giving Carrow reason to enlist. But here it had been in front of him this whole time...and of course he hadn't realized it. "I didn't know...couldn't have known." he said, shaking his head and looking at the sea. "But if I really am the reason you joined up...maybe I should..." he didn't finish.
He suddenly jerked his head to look at Carrow. "You know...I'm just...I'm worried about what Elliot will think. And worse...what Elle will think. Carrow...I think I...like her. And not just...like her but...like her." the marten twisted his snout to enunciate the words, and make sure the mouse understood. "I get so...tense whenever I get a letter from her, and I can't stop thinking about her as I read her words...even though it's just a piece of paper, I keep picturing her talking to me instead of the paper. I mean...that's not supposed to happen so early is it? And don't tell Elliot that. I'm afraid of what he'd say. I mean it Carrow...keep that a secret!" he shot the rodent a very serious look, hoping the mouse wouldn't run and tell Elliot this.
"Hm...a secret eh?" Ladorak lowered two bowls of ice cream down in front of the faces of Caden and Carrow. "So you like Elle McNamee do you Caden?" The stoat Captain sat down on the marten's right, with Carrow on his left.
"Not so loud! Shhhh!" Caden hurriedly shushed Ladorak, and glanced worriedly back at Elliot.
"Hahah! Alright, alright. I'll keep this under wraps. Your secret is safe with me." the stoat's countenance turned slightly more serious however. "Caden...I'm sorry you were in pain...but I need to speak to you about this...why did you feel you needed to go so far? What was wrong?"
Caden stirred his ice cream, and took a few bites of the cold and rather delicious mixture before sighing and leaning into Ladorak, placing his bowl on his lap and hugging the stoat, or more like clutching at him. "I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, very softly. "I'm sorry! But I felt...I'm sorry dad...I'm sorry..." He buried his face in Ladorak's jacket, as if in shame. Ladorak frowned and held his ward firmly, patting his shoulder. The soft pleas melted the stoat's heart as it were, and he could relate to his ward...most assuredly so.
"There, there. It's OK...it's OK. I just want to know why you felt driven to that. That's a pretty permanent solution to a temporary problem."
"Because...because I felt like a freak...I had a mother who didn't even care about me! I'm a freak because I'm white furred and I have red eyes! I don't...have any family...I just...I'm alone." Fear this time, angst flecking the voice.
"You most certainly are not..." Ladorak said gently. "Caden...listen to me. There was plenty wrong with your mother...but there's nothing...and I mean nothing wrong with you. Your mother..." He sighed. This was a real winner. She was a real winner...not. "Your mother is difficult to explain. She...in a way she was selfish. She was trying to protect you by doing crazy things...but in reality wasn't thinking about you because what she was doing was deteriorating both to her mental and physical health. She wasn't thinking about you...even though she thought she was. She...is hard to explain. I'll talk to you about her someday...but as for Spender...you are NOT a freak." he pushed Caden back a bit so he could get a good look at him.
"You are...a very unique individual. And I think Spender realizes that. Most bullies are jealous...and I bet he's raging jealous over your white fur. I mean look at you...you're the envy of the ship I'd say." the stoat smiled, and lifted Caden's chin. "I wouldn't let Spender worry you. He doesn't understand many things about life. He'll end up broken and alone someday...a complete wreck from his failure to adapt. But you...well you are special. You bought me a very expensive model and what for? Because you care about me right? And you wanted to make me happy. You spent a lot of money Caden...not everyone does that. Spender sure wouldn't. I'm not sure even Molly would...and up until recently we've cared a lot about each other. You stand out because you're generous...and loving. More so than you probably realize right now."
He touched Caden's nose briefly. "Even if your dreams start to vanish...it's alright. Because I'll be here...and so will Carrow...won't you?" he asked, looking over at the mouse now as Caden shifted a bit to look at him. The marten felt so much warmer than he had before...as if a glow had been kindled within him. He felt so safe now with Ladorak...and next to his friend. His friend he hoped to never disappoint again.
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Naples
Sept 13, 2010 3:55:51 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Sept 13, 2010 3:55:51 GMT -5
"The only reason I didn't tell you, Caden," Carrow murmured, "was that I didn't quite realise it myself until a short while ago. Or rather... I didn't know that it was to such an extent. I haven't told you up until now because I wasn't entirely sure. But now I know for certain. Ladorak helped, sure, but if you hadn't been there I would have just turned around and walked away. So thanks, Caden. Thanks for simply being here. I appreciate it."
The mouse couldn't help but smile slightly at the pine marten's revelation. "I won't tell a soul. Don't worry about it at all, Caden. To be quite honest, I can see why you would... have affection for her. You fell for her faster than any of us would have suspected, I suppose you could say. It's not like I hadn't seen the signs before now, but I was actually wondering just how long it'd take you to admit it," he quipped, winking at his companion.
The rodent's smile widened when he saw Ladorak standing over him, bowl of ice cream in paw. The kind stoat lowered it down for him, and Carrow accepted gratefully, nodding his thanks and digging in. He needed a bit of a sugar boost anyway. Just to make sure he didn't succumb to one of his frequent spels of exhaustion again. He wasn't worried though; the wood mouse was only what others would call the slightest bit tired, so he didn't notice it at all. He was far too excited about Naples to want to curl up and sleep anywhere.
He fell silent while he listened to the marten and stoat speak, whiskers twitching busily as he steadily ate. This was wonderful. A bowl of ice cream in his paw, the sun shining overhead, his best friend and his mentor (because he had certainly come to see Ladorak as the latter) beside him. He was sure that Caden would almost be floating with sheer elation if he hadn't been going through rough times. It was one of those kinds of days. He paid attention to their conversation, then, when they were done, decided to put in his tuppence worth.
"Of course I will, Caden," he said softly. "Ladorak's right. No matter what else happens, we've got each other, and that means a lot to me. I didn't have anyone like you to help me when I was younger, but now I do, and I'm not going to go forgetting that any time soon. I think the reason this is so important to me, that we should look out for and support each other, is because it was never something I had experienced before I met you. Being perfectly honest, of course."
His brown eyes twinkled gently, and he consumed another spoonful. "Friendship is a wonderful thing, and I appreciate your company even more because I'd never had the pleasure of companionship before now. So yes, I'm certainly going to be here for you. We've had more than our fair share of rough times, I'll admit, but the fact is that we're still here. You're not one to let things completely overwhelm you, from what I can see. I could use a little more of that. I could learn from you, is what I'm trying to say," he admitted, chuckling ruefully. "I'm in a better place now than I ever was, and that's because of you more than anything else."
He fell silent then, lowering his gaze once more. before the youngster did, however, he caught Ladorak's eye (as best he could) and gave him a small smile. His gaze seemed to say: Thanks for the help. He returned to his ice cream, waiting to hear what Caden had to say in response to his admissions. He seemed at this point to be connected to the mustelid in a way he had scarcely thought possible. The mouse shared his companion's triumphs, and also his setbacks. His joy and sorrow. It made him feel elated to see Caden in good spirits, and it worried him to see the pine marten in a state of despair. Everything his friend experienced affected Carrow too - and he wouldn't have exchanged it for the world.
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Naples
Sept 13, 2010 18:53:08 GMT -5
Post by spender on Sept 13, 2010 18:53:08 GMT -5
Spender browsed. None of the toys, to put it nicely... looked very fun. They looked extraordinarily fun. This was, as far as he was concerned, heaven.
"D'you think he'll like this?" Spender held up a tin soldier. Molly took it and turned it around in her paws.
"Dunno... Ocean's a rather older stripling, isn't he? He might want something more... mature."
She put the soldier back on the shelf, and Spender frowned. Mature? That meant growing up, right? And what part of growing up meant you had to stop playing with toys? The Captain had his model ships...
"I could get him a wagon," he mused.
"Hard to store it on a ship, though," Molly said. She kept glancing over at one corner of the store. Spender turned and looked.
Aha, of course. Model ships, just as he suspected. Not as fancy as the ones he'd seen... These ones weren't crafted to be precision replicas. These were just little blocks of wood whittled into rowboats and schooners and things. The painting was shoddy, the dimensions were all over the place, and a few of the ones that had cannons on the main deck had them hilariously oversized. If it had been a real ship, Spender could have made himself an apartment in one of those cannons.
"So I gotta find somethin' he can put through that ring..."
"Well... either that, or something he could store somewhere else. I'm sure, if you bought one of these, the Captain wouldn't mind having it in his cabin. To keep it nice for Ocean."
"Ooh..." Spender peered over the ships. "Just one?"
"Just one."
Spender pointed. "That'n."
Molly smiled. "Let's get it wrapped up, then. What do you say we hit the bookstore next? One toy, one book. Then I'll take you for lunch."
Spender bounced so hard from his excitement, that he ended up spilling a couple dozen soldiers off a shelf onto his head.
"I'm not lost."
"Didn' say y'were, guv."
"You thought it. I could hear you thinking it."
"I wos thinkin' about my tail. I think I got a rash."
"But you were secretly thinking, 'We're lost', right?"
"I... I guess."
"HAH. Some loyal companion you are."
Char wisely decided not to comment on that. If loyalty meant putting up with his friend's new cologne in the hopes that there would be food later on, he was as loyal as they made them.
"The crowds are thinned... It will be hard to find the ones from the ship. Most of them were wearing some sort of uniform. Look for that."
They came out onto the road along the sea. This wasn't a place they were often welcome. As vagrants, none of the beasts running the cafes and seafront shops enjoyed the little hooligans nipping in and mucking about with their strange behavior and utter lack of morals. The moment the pair appeared on the scene, the property value went down to depressing levels.
"See any?"
Char, the rat, looked up and down. "I think over there..."
The other beast--who it shall be let on that he was a common weasel, estimated at about nine years old--adjusted his rusted colander-helmet and straightened out his cape. It was important to make a good first impression.
He hid behind a crate of fruits and watched. First impressions were important, but so was finding out if your target was capable of throwing you over a rooftop with one paw or not.
"Ice cream," he hissed. "The fiends."
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Naples
Sept 13, 2010 23:19:20 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Sept 13, 2010 23:19:20 GMT -5
"Thanks dad...thanks Carrow. I guess I just forgot who I was for a time." he took his ice cream out of his lap, and went back to it. He didn't want it to go to waste after all. Ladorak...he'd been nice enough to buy it for them. And on top of that...Caden couldn't stop thinking of Ladorak as his adoptive father now. Despite what Spender had said...he was going to do his best to erase his Freemont lineage. He would even change his name...and he had for all intents and purposes. He'd registered in the navy as Fugate...not Freemont.
"Oh Ladorak. I wanted to ask you...do you know the lightning god Jinks?"
Ladorak wrinkled his brow, thinking for a moment. "Hmm...he isn't from a familiar pantheon...but yes I think so." the stoat Captain nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"Because..." he stopped himself short. What if Ladorak didn't want his identity revealed in public? And what if he wasn't Jinks? But either way, Caden just KNEW Ladorak was a god. There was no other explanation for him. No mortal was that generous or kind...except for maybe Carrow. "Well...do you think...that gods sometimes walk amongst us in mortal guise? Like they forsook their immortality for the sake of some of us?"
"Huh...well..." Ladorak was pretty much an agnostic when it came to religion. He didn't buy into any of the organized religions out there. "I suppose so. It's within the realm of conjecture. I suppose they could be walking among us." Caden was fit to bursting. He knew Ladorak was keeping his identity hidden. Molly had told him that Ladorak was a god in disguise...and a mortal one at that. She knew him well right? She must have found that out somehow.
The albino simply smiled at Ladorak. He'd let Ladorak tell him...in time. Whenever the stoat was ready to reveal it...he would someday. Unless of course he lost his memories of his immortality when he chose to come to earth. In that case...well it might take a lot longer! Whatever the case...Caden would be patient. "Isn't your Birthday coming up soon?"
"Yep...that's right. The 29th. The big three-five...thirty-five...makes me sound old." he shook his head. "Pretty big age. I'll probably have a party of some kind on the ship. Don't want to be TOO formal about it though. There's a lot of Birthdays that pass on the ship without huge celebrations, so I'll humble myself a bit and just keep it low key. Nothing ostentatious. Hmmm...I suppose we should pay our respects to Sir William Hamilton...the Welkinite ambassador to Naples. He'll introduce us to the King here."
Standing up to stretch, the stoat noticed Willard for the first time. "Oh my...Willard...what happened to you? Did you lose a battle with the ice cream?" the Captain asked, grabbing some napkins from an unused table and pawing them over to the weasel. "Goodness...just about ready to keep moving? Oh and Caden...no Birthday present from you please...or at least not as expensive as the early one you bought me back in Crittenden."
Caden stood up, finishing up his bowl. "Heheh...I'll buy something...but not that expensive. You just about ready Carrow?" he asked, looking down at the mouse and offering him his paw in case he needed it.
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Naples
Sept 14, 2010 4:02:38 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Sept 14, 2010 4:02:38 GMT -5
"You're quite welcome, Caden," Carrow murmured in response, having a little more of his ice-cream after he had spoken. Swallowing and smacking his lips, the rodent sighed happily. "You forgot who you were, did you say? Well, I think of you as a Fugate, first and foremost... a Fugate who is a loyal friend, and a pine marten who is wonderful company anytime at all. That's what I see you as, and I'm glad to see you feeling better too." He smiled over at his mustelid companion, now falling silent and turning his attention to his ice cream.
Ladorak and Caden were discussing gods, and Carrow kept well out of any of that kind of talk. He chose not to believe in the existence of any god, or gods. He'd been through far too much in his life to continue believing that somebeast was up there, because he was sure that no deity would be as sadistic as not to lend a paw to those down on hard times. An indifferent celestial ruler... no, that didn't add up for him. As far as he was concerned, there was no god. If there really was one, they would have raised a paw by now.
The discourse between the stoat and pine marten did get him thinking, however. The idea of gods walking among mortal creatures was certainly intriguing, but the mouse was of the opinion that in all likelihood it was practically impossible. He thought of certain beasts as god-like, sure - in a manner of speaking - and little did Caden know that the Dibbun's thoughts were running along much the same lines as his own. If he had believed in a higher power, he would have surely believed it to be manifested in Ladorak Fugate.
He thought very highly indeed of the stoat. The soft voice, the gentle green eyes, the comforting paw on his shoulder... Back in Whistleminster, though it seemed a lifetime ago, the stoat had sown the seeds of his desire to enlist, and Caden had helped it to grow until his wish had filled him up, replacing the emptiness that had been in his heart. The two made a great team, in a way, and Ladorak was so caring, so kind and understanding that he certainly filled the criteria for Carrow's perception of a so-called 'god'. But then, Caden did too, he thought, unable to suppress a smile now. They were cut from the same cloth.
"Your birthday's the 29th?!," the long-tailed field mouse exclaimed after the tall mustelid had brought it up. "Heheh, mine's only a couple of days after it, on the 2nd of October. Double celebration perhaps?," he suggested playfully, winking at Ladorak now and swishing his tail as he began to polish off his ice cream. The stoat then stood up and went over to Willard. Carrow hadn't yet spotted the ice cream-fuelled agony that the weasel was in, but figured he'd finish here with Caden before going elsewhere.
"You know, I'm actually thinking of buying him something too. That is to say that I would pick up something for him in a heartbeat if I knew what he would like. I don't know him half as well as you do, Caden, so I was wondering if you might be able to lend me a paw with choosing my present," he addressed the marten in a soft voice, making sure his companion was the only creature in earshot. The mouse was not long in scooping up the last of the delicious treat. He swallowed again, smiling as Caden offered him his paw. If there was one thing Cerinus Apodemus most definitely wasn't good at, it was getting back on his paws from a sitting position. He accepted the proffered paw gratefully, hoisting himself up. "Thanks," he said gently, patting Caden's shoulder to express his gratitude. "I probably would have fallen over otherwise," he quipped, knowing well he didn't have good balance. He'd never discovered exactly why this was.
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