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Post by Ladorak on May 13, 2011 11:22:54 GMT -5
((So this is part two. We'll pick up part one at Book's pace mostly, and probably conclude it in a few more posts or so))
The siege had taken much longer than anticipated. Since their initial landing on April 4th, the prediction that the city would fall in a week seemed to be grossly exaggerated at best. Not one week, not two... not even three.
It was now May 12th, well inside the sixth week of the siege. The guns rumbled back and forth day in and day out. Ladorak had expended close to 4,000 rounds on the city, flattening most of the northern half of it, yet the citadel always shot back, their own guns booming out with white puffs of smoke. Their fire was of course not as great as the Welkinite guns, and it was clear that the range was at absolute maximum, and that minimal damage was being done to the fortress itselff.
The Agamemnon's sailors had to haul up ammunition almost daily to the front lines, work that proved back breaking and tiresome. There was apparently a much larger garrison in the city than originally anticipated, and Ladorak soon found that, much to his chagrin, without Army support, they lacked the numbers for a direct assault. The garrison was cut off, but who knew how many supplies they had, and how much longer it would last?
Casualties had been kept to a minimum, as the great range between the two sides insured that accuracy was not at all very high, but a few sailors and soldiers had nevertheless gone down here and there. The Army so far had lost seven killed, and twenty-one wounded, including two Captains. Six Privates had simply vanished to parts unknown, most likely deserters, or worse, had been unfortunate enough to be caught by unfriendly denizens of the island.
The loss to the Navy was one Lieutenant from the Victory, Gary Tupper, and six seajacks killed, and one Lieutenant from Agamemnon, George Andrews, and twelve seajacks wounded. To a force of around 1,500 beasts, these losses seemed slight, though all the sailors of Agamemnon felt their losses, in their own little way. Enemy casualties were not yet known.
As for the weather, it wasn't terrible yet, and had been fair the past few weeks, with occasional rain. It wasn't yet that time of year where the sun would become incessantly hot, as Summer was not here.
Today marked a bit of a different day in the monotony of the siege however. Today was the day that Caden Freemont Fugate turned 14. He was another year older today, and as the albino stirred in his bedding, rubbing his eyes and listening to the jingle of the golden name tags around his neck, he could sense the anticipation all around him.
Even as he'd awoken to the sound of the guns beginning to rumble forth, the marten hardly minded the noise. He wasn't concerned. Their camp was far enough back that it was out of range of the citadel's fire, and he'd gotten rather used to it these past six weeks after all.
Stretching his arms out, he gave a yawn, and glanced out through the slit in the tent flap, noting the daylight that was streaming in. Ladorak had instructed him specifically to take the day off today, and not mind his duties.
He crawled over to the flap, and pushed it back, letting some light stream in as his pink eyes adjusted, taking a bit of time and forcing him to squint. Being an albino sometimes had its disadvantages with bright lights after all.
As his eyes finally started to slide into focus, turning the blurry into more tangible objects, he could hear a voice speaking very close by. "Happy Birthday, and good morning sleepyhead."
The young stripling recognized it almost immediately as Ladorak, and indeed, he glimpsed the stoat Captain sitting upon the log that was used as a "bench" near Caden's tent. "What time is it?" Caden asked, rubbing his eyes again.
"It's about 8:30 or so. I told you to sleep in." he playfully chided.
"Sorry... I guess the guns woke me up." he said, noting that this was at least past his usual rising time.
"Fourteen years old today. Moving into the next year of striplinghood. Well... I've got a present for you... but I'd rather wait for your friends to get here. I'm sure they're bound to show up sooner rather than later." the stoat commented. Caden could see that Ladorak's Summer coat was well on its way to being almost fully in. He was quite brown, with that white splotch still on his brow, and of course the creamy white underbelly fur, just visible on his neck before it was swallowed by his jacket. "I was thinking of walking forward... looking for a better position to place the guns. We've got to close the range obviously... but we'll worry about that later... after the celebrations are over with." the bespectacled stoat cracked a smile now.
Caden pushed himself up off his knees, and smiled as well, glancing around him at the rows of tents, and wondering who else would be showing up.
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Post by Carrow on May 13, 2011 16:29:02 GMT -5
The work was indeed back-breaking. Indeed, it was also tiresome. So tiresome in fact that a certain mouse stripling was finding it more than just a little difficult to keep up. Cerinus Apodemus had never had much in the way of stamina or physical strength, so to say that the work he'd been doing was wearing him out would have been to use gross understatement. The young rodent had slipped back into his old habit of being constantly tired, only this time he could shrug it off and not let it drag him down.
Even though Carrow ended each day exhausted, and started the next one the same way despite the fact that he had gotten a full eight hours' sleep every night for the previous six weeks, he found that when it came down to it he didn't mind at all because he was doing his best. Sure, there had been days when he would have liked to get a little more rest, but the thing that gave him enough strength to get up in the morning these days was the fact that he'd have his friends nearby to support him.
The thought of them was quite literally keeping him going at this stage. Otherwise, he would have completely collapsed from exhaustion and probably had to have been confined to his tent. He'd heard Selvis's father had needed to experience similar treatment on his return home, but Carrow wasn't dead tired yet. He wasn't letting his body give in, even though there had been times when it had certainly felt like it would. On the one paw, he was being pushed hard, but on the other, he was exerting himself to prove a point: that he could do his best no matter what.
Times were tough for him but he wasn't going to slack off now. Some days had felt twice as long as they actually had been, but he was finding as things wore on that he didn't mind anywhere near as much. When he'd realised how much work he'd need to put in, he'd panicked, and there had even been an awful moment during that week when his confidence had momentarily crashed - a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that had completely knocked the wind out of his sails - but he was overcoming it as best he could.
As soon as he'd woken that morning, roused by the guns, and shaken off his sleep, a thunderbolt seemed to strike him out of the blue. TODAY WAS MAY 12TH! He'd been eagerly anticipating this day for quite some time now, and the realisation that it was finally here set his spirits soaring. Having collected his thoughts, and changed out of his night outfit back into the usual shirt and slacks, he'd come out into the open. Caden's tent was of course quite close to his own, so the first thing he saw when he looked around was Caden and Ladorak in discussion.
The mouse made straight for the 'father and son' pair, beaming at them. "Good morning, Caden! Good morning, Captain Fugate!," he greeted the pair, his tail high in the air and whipping about in an excited manner as he saluted the stoat Captain. He reached Caden and put his arms around him, smiling as he hugged him. "Happy birthday, mate. I'm so glad the day's finally here! I've been counting down to it, you know."
He released him, brown eyes shining. "Take it from me, you're going to absolutely love our present. Last time we spoke about this I hadn't quite made up my mind, but since then, Selvis and I have come up with something between us that I think you'll like very much. I'll go fetch it once he gets here, and I'll wait for Elliot too. Even though if not sure it'd be his thing, I reckon you won't be the only one impressed by it!," he exclaimed with a knowing chuckle.
As Carrow had been speaking, his weasel companion's tent had opened, to reveal the aforementioned mustelid as he stepped out into a bright summer morning. In direct contrast to Carrow, whose tiredness could be clearly seen in the reappearance of the bags beneath his eyes (though it didn't show in his demeanour at all), if Selvis Frenata was feeling the strain, he was making a concerted effort not to show it. He strode over to the trio, throwing Ladorak a smart salute.
"Good morning, Captain, sir!" He smiled at the stoat, patting Carrow's shoulder gently, unable to help but frown a bit at the sight of the exhausted rodent. "Morning, Carrow," he said softly, smiling at him as well. His biggest smile was reserved for Caden however. As he had done for Carrow and Elle, and as he knew his friends would do for him when his own arrived, he was planning on making Caden feel like the centre of attention as much as he could on his special day.
"Happy birthday, mate!" Like Carrow before him, the longtail briefly hugged his companion in an affectionate gesture before releasing him. "We're going to make this one special for you, Carrow and I, and I'm sure Elliot will too, though I'll let him tell you as such himself... though if I remember right you get the day off, so that's a start!" His smile widened a bit. "I'm sure you've already heard about the arrangement between myself and mousey here," he quipped, winking at Carrow. "I'm quite sure he hasn't been able to contain himself! With good reason too I might add." This time it was Selvis's turn to chuckle knowingly. He thought he was entirely on top of things, but what he DIDN'T realise was that his pine marten companion wouldn't be the only creature getting a present today.
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Post by spender on May 13, 2011 23:25:41 GMT -5
"Aha... he's up! Let's go."
"Mmmrffn."
Peskers had Spender by the ear, and led him along from their tent to Caden's. This was the day they had been dragged from the Agamemnon for, more or less--that, and a shopping spree in San Fiorenzo with Molly. That had been a good day. Spender had gotten sick on sweets again. It had been totally worth it.
Spender hadn't initially liked being put to work hauling ammunition around the countryside, but the vast freedoms more than made up for it. Fresh air, moist grass, trees... They'd have to take him screaming and kicking back onto the ship. Well, they generally had to take him screaming and kicking anywhere, even to the chocolate shop. Today, though, he quietly allowed Peskers to tug his scalp around.
"Now remember, don't take it out of the bag until it's the proper time."
"Nnnffgn," Spender acknowledged. He was still half asleep.
"Hello," Peskers said, waving at Caden and company, and saluting Ladorak with an additional "Sir." She let go of Spender's ear and took him by the shoulders, driving him forward. "Spender has something to tell you. Say it," she hissed.
"H'py firbday," the male ferret muttered, yawning hugely and licking his whiskers. He tumbled backwards and sat on the ground. Peskers sighed and dropped the bag in his lap, then stepped forward to give a little hug to Caden.
"Happy birthday, Piney!"
Spender, meanwhile, nosed into the bag. He whiskers splayed in confusion. There was a book, "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" which Peskers for some reason thought suiting, (she had even tried to read a passage to Spender in the store, but he had found a book that had pictures in and wouldn't listen.) There was Spender's gift: a box of assorted candied insects, some chocolate-covered, some in marzipan, others encased in clear, hardened honey. He had no idea what Caden might like, and so had simply chosen something that everyone liked. You couldn't be a fuzzy critter and not enjoy munching insects, in his opinion.
And then there was something else... something at the bottom... it made no sense whatsoever. He blinked at it and withdrew his head, frowning at Peskers. She cuffed his ear and whispered.
"Wait until later..."
"Just pick one," Molly said. "Any one. It doesn't matter. You can pick more than one if you want. You can pick them all."
Tally stared at the dandelions.
"Go on," Molly urged. "Like this... see? It doesn't hurt them. They're just plants. They're not broken. It's. O. Kay. Now you try."
Tally crouched down and tenderly poked a dandelion with her paw. It yielded under the weight. Her eyes widened.
"Pick. The. Flower.'
Tally cupped her paws around it and pulled, but this only resulted in the pedals popping off the top.
"Oh, for... Here." Molly snatched a dandelion at the base and tucked it into Tally's paws. Then she hoisted the mousemaid into her arms and trekked back to the camp.
At the gathering, she let Tally down, and the mousemaid staggered off to finish her mission.
Holding the dandelion out in front of her like a torch, she swerved around a log bench and headed for Caden... and then paused, catching sight of Carrow. She stared at him, (never making eye contact, of course) and began to move towards him before remembering. She held out the dandelion to Caden.
"'s for you," she said quietly.
And when this was taken from her, she did her best to pluck a blade of grass and offer it to Carrow, whom she felt was at least as deserving of a tiny plant as Caden was. She still couldn't quite grasp the concept of birthdays, or presents; she was simply following Molly's extremely odd orders.
Molly, meanwhile, stood behind, but very near Ladorak, and smiled as sweetly as she could manage at the striplings. It was Caden's birthday! And the best present she could think of was to be what she was going to be a few months in advance: his mother.
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Post by Ladorak on May 15, 2011 11:55:56 GMT -5
((Daw, this is a cuuuuute post!))
"Hello seajacks." Ladorak said, returning their salute, though not getting off the log. He was feeling a bit more informal today, and he simply gave them a nod, coupled with a smile. "It's a nice day today. Not too hot, and not very humid either. I dread to think of this island in the Summer." he said, shaking his head. "I find upper sixties to be pleasant indeed." He stated, referring to the Fahrenheit scale, as it was currently more popular in Common tongue speaking countries than Centigrade, the one it was in competition with. Selvis would be more familiar with Centigrade, though Carrow would know perfectly well what Ladorak was talking about. Much later, in the far future (around 1960 in fact), Centigrade, by then known as Celsius, would replace Fahrenheit in much of their corner of the world, but that was more than a hundred years from now.
Caden greeted his two friends warmly, and was caught a little by surprise by Carrow's hug. He was starting to get used to physical contact with his friends now, but hugs were something he was still adjusting to. He raised his arms as best he could though (as Carrow had mostly pinned them to his sides), and gave the mouse a few pats with his two paws on his backside. "Thanks Carrow! It feels good I guess, being another year older and all." He said, chuckling a little. His voice had deepened since last year, though he was still quite very dibbunish in his tones, and would suffer the occasional cracks where it would swing from high to low.
"I guess I still think of myself as a kit, but I'm another year into striplinghood, and growing up a lot faster than I thought I would be." he said, smiling at the mouse as Carrow released him. "Yes." He said, with a nod. "I am aware that you and Selvis worked out something together... and here he is now it seems."
Ladorak was watching the proceedings, taking note that Molly, Tally, Spender and Peskers were all approaching as well. Seeing Molly approaching curiously filled him with some conflicting interests. He wanted to see her of course, and couldn't ever stop admiring her, even from a distance, but somewhere inside of him, something churned, like water that had too much sodium bicarbonate added to it.
He was secretly dreading the day of his wedding, which he had not yet set down. He was terrified of the so called "Fugate Curse", but had been unable to speak to her about it, keeping it a closely guarded covert fact. The "Fugate Curse" was his inability to stay married for any amount of time over a year. It was something he felt his father had perhaps placed upon him, or some other such thing. While he had of course been in many relationships, none were lasting, and yet it was something he wanted more than anything in this world, yet could never seem to obtain.
"Alright." Caden was saying, ready for Selvis's hug this time as the weasel too embraced him, though not as heavily as Carrow had done. "Alright matey. I guess it's a hug Caden day, huh?" he asked, chuckling as he nodded at his long tailed friend. "Yes, you two are collaborating on my gift. So why don't you go and bring it out already then?" he asked playfully, eyes gleaming. "I'm pretty already dying of anticipation." he said, looking at the approaching group of beasts now.
It seemed Peskers was mostly responsible for Spender wishing him a happy Birthday, as it didn't take Caden a wild guess to figure that one out. He folded his arms, regarding the two. "Thank you Spender." he said in response, and accepted Peskers's hug as well, his nostrils catching a very familiar scent as she moved right up to him. But wait... did that mean that... Peskers was? He stared at her, wide eyed, as she backed away, before finally remembering his manners, and quickly smiling. "Thanks. So let's see what you got." he said, reaching down into the bag and poking his snout down as well, just as Spender had done. That scent... it was... female... wasn't it? Caden was becoming better and differentiating the scent glands on mustelids, and though he wasn't positive, he felt almost certain he had whiffed it just now on Peskers.
He soon forgot about that however, as his paws closed around the first gift in the bag.
"A book." he said, withdrawing it. "I don't believe I've heard of this one." he commented, tapping the cover, and opening it up to flip through a few of the pages after wetting his claw. "1749 publication date... well it IS from my favorite time period... so I'll have to read it now." he stated with a smile. "Published just after the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle... which means it was written during the War of the Kostritz Succession. Fabulous! Now I KNOW I have to read it! I'll be sure to let you know what I think." he declared, smiling and giving her a nod. "Unless of course... this is Spender's gift?" he asked, looking at the ferret.
He withdrew a box next, and opened it up to reveal a rather delicious looking array of candied insects. The albino was curious in the fact that he usually liked getting candy, but never really considered it a "present" before his Birthday, yet if he got some, he found he quickly forgot that mindset, and eagerly delved into the sweets.
"Aha, never mind! THIS is from Spender!" he exclaimed, knowing it was true right off. "Alright then mate, I guess you know a weakness of mine. Fine, and I've got you something as well, as per our little agreement." He didn't of course add that everyone had pretty much forgotten Spender's Birthday back in January, and this was his way of making up for it in part.
"Thank you Tally." he said, giving the flower a confused look. He certainly couldn't bring this back to the ship with him, as it'd die, so he thought of the best thing he could possibly say under the circumstance. "I'll uh... keep it alive so long as we're on the island." he said, hoping it didn't sound too bizarre.
"Ahem... before we open any more presents." Ladorak announced, finally standing up off the log. "I'd like to present mine next." Caden's paw was hovering over the bag, as he'd seen there was one more item in there, but had not been able to grasp it before Ladorak spoke up.
"I think it's important that you get this present now Caden, as you're only four years away from becoming a legal adult, and with that will come greater and greater responsibility, each year you progress. Now, I wouldn't be giving you this present if I thought you weren't ready, however, watching you grow and progress this past year, I think you're more than ready, and in fact, I will explain more in detail after I present it to you."
The stoat Captain moved over to the other side of the log, and bent over to retrieve something that had been concealed behind it. "Ah... here it is." As he straightened back up, Caden and the others could see that it was a blue overcoat, gold buttons emblazoned on the front in a very fastidious row, with a white waistcoat and brown pants. A top hat and dirk, sheathed in a leather scabbard, rested upon the top of the outfit. Caden's heart suddenly started racing in his chest as he recognized (or thought he recognized) the uniform.
"Is that...?" he asked, gulping a little and pointing with a claw.
"I paid for the uniform myself, so that you won't have to do it. A Midshipjack must pay for his own uniform after all... but in this case, my present is twofold. First off, a free uniform. Second of all... congratulations Volunteer Class I Caden Fugate... or should I say, Midshipjack Fugate? From this point forward, I am promoting you to the rank of Midshipjack, with all the rights, privileges and immunities that that rank entails." Caden looked as if he were on the verge of fainting as Ladorak advanced on him.
"I'm a... a... a..." was all he could stammer, his vision blurring a little as his head spun.
"You are." Ladorak confirmed with a nod, and held the uniform out for him to take, which the albino did with some hesitation, as if he couldn't fully believe if he were dreaming or not. "You now hold the rank of Midshipjack, and will be quartering in the cockpit from henceforward once you return to the ship. You'll also be taking your meals down in the cockpit as well, and will be expected to carry out your duties in terms of becoming an understudy of the Lieutenants. You have the right to be addressed as sir whenever you're on duty, and will be responsible for a part of the crew, called your 'subdivision'. Each Lieutenant as you know has a company on the ship, of about seventy-five beasts that he is responsible for. The Lieutenant is assisted with his company by Midshipjacks, who take what we call subdivisions. Your subdivision will be assigned to you at a later date, but for now... I was thinking..." the bespectacled stoat glanced over at Carrow and Selvis. "Perhaps Seajacks Carrow and Selvis would like to become part of your subdivision? You'll be responsible for them and their duties, as well as their discipline and cleanliness, and since you're the oldest out of the quartet, heheh, that you tend to form with them, you'll be their 'big brother' in a way. Congratulations... son. I'm very proud of you, and while this is a daunting promotion, I know you're more than capable of rising to the challenge. As a matter of fact." here the stoat paused, letting all of that sink in so far for the young albino.
The white furred marten looked over at Carrow and Selvis, incredulity written all about his features, followed slowly by an almost drunken smile that seemed to break out on his muzzle. He was somewhere else now, standing on a cloud perhaps, but he most certainly didn't feel like he was on a rocky, desolate island anymore.
"As part of your very first assignment, you will be responsible for looking out for the Seajacks who will be going with you over to the HMS Orion this Summer, and it will be your duty to keep an eye on them as you all serve your country on another vessel, away from your Captain and normal crew. Can you do that?"
Caden sniffled, looking down at the uniform, his pink eyes glistening with tears as he quickly wiped a paw over his eyes, trying to hide his emotion from his friends. He ran a claw over the brass button on the jacket's lapel, feeling the anchor that was in raised relief on the circular plate, and also letting his paw feel the rope that twisted and coiled about the anchor like a serpent. The fouled anchor. A mark of a Midshipjack. He nodded shakily, trembling all over.
"Oh... I... I..." he stuttered, placing the uniform down on the log before he stumbled over to Carrow, wrapping his arms about the mouse and giving out a soft sob as he finally broke down. He squeezed the mouse, and then moved over to Selvis, doing the same to him. In fact, he went around to Peskers and Spender, squeezing them too, before even giving Molly and Tally a hug before he finished with Ladorak.
"Happy fourteenth son." Ladorak said, patting him on the back. "Why don't you go and get changed into it? Oh and... keep in mind, you need to wash it and keep it trim at least once a week. Unlike the slops, which you can get as dirty as you want, you MUST keep this uniform in proper condition... as you're an officer now. So I expect to see it spick and span every time I call an inspection."
"Ha!" Caden breathed, expelling air as the stoat released him. "Of course! Of course sir! Spick and span! Not a spot on it! Hey guys!" he said, turning around to his companions, in particular Selvis and Carrow. "Why don't you go and grab your present, and I'll get changed into his uniform so you can see how I look? How does that sound?" he asked, wiping some tears from his eyes again as he could barely contain himself. "Oh and there's something else in the bag, isn't there Spender? Oh! I'm sorry! I need to go and get your present! Why don't I get changed, get your present while they're getting mine, and you can give me what's left in the bag, OK?" he asked, his words a flurry, a blizzard in fact, as he hardly kept himself together, the emotion and gravity of it all falling down on him, though he did his best to keep himself upright and level so that his knees wouldn't give out.
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Post by Carrow on May 16, 2011 5:40:04 GMT -5
"You're welcome, mate," Carrow responded gently, still smiling at his pine marten friend. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure your day is as enjoyable as possible," he promised, tail swaying behind him in a rather cheerful manner. "You're not the only one who feels that way, trust me: I might be fourteen myself, but sometimes I feel quite a bit younger than that," he admitted, chuckling. The mouse, of course, was not fourteen, but as he could see Spender, Peskers, Molly and Tally (and the rodent's heart soared upon seeing the orange-furred mouse) making their way over to the group, he decided to stick to his story, not sure whether any of them actually knew his true age or not.
When his turn came, Selvis, being much stronger than his mouse friend, did not embrace Caden too heavily, being careful with his considerable strength and not wanting to cause his companion any accidental discomfort. "It's one of those days," he responded, eyes twinkling a little as well as he grinned at his friend. "We did indeed collaborate - this thing we picked up was harder to come by than we thought it would be, but we can finally present it to you... after everybeast else has given you their gifts." He winked at his friend, knowing this would only serve to heighten his anticipation. Caden's gift had also been incredibly expensive. They'd decided to split the cost, and as a result, Selvis was now completely broke, and Carrow (who'd had a little more money than his companion) had been left in a similar position after buying their friend's gift. The pair didn't care at all, though, knowing their gift would result in one very happy pine marten indeed.
Mouse and weasel stood watching the others give Caden their gifts. Selvis looked very pleased as Caden revealed what Peskers had given him, knowing he'd probably want to read about the War of the Kostritz Succession himself at some stage. Carrow smiled a little as Spender's present was revealed, knowing it was something rather typical of him. He was smiling still as Tally presented him with a blade of grass. She didn't realise how much she meant to him at this stage, and just to be around the mousemaid set Carrow's heart fairly racing at times. He took it from her, placing it in his pocket and ruffling her ears in an affectionate gesture. "Thanks, Tally," he said softly. It might not have been much, but in this case, the fact that Tally had given him something filled him with happiness.
Selvis had been almost certain that Ladorak had gotten something to give to Caden (which was why he had played it safe and told the pine marten that he would wait until all other presents had been distributed before revealing his and Carrow's gift), but when the stoat finally did show them what he was planning to give his charge, the longtail gasped, completely stunned. Carrow, meanwhle, didn't even do that, as the breath had been stolen from his chest. He was speechless, brown eyes wide as saucers as he listened to Ladorak speak, the incredulous Caden interjecting at times, scarcely able to take it all in. His ears twitched appreciatively as the Captain suggested that he and Selvis form part of Caden's subdivision. He couldn't think of anything he wanted more in the world at that point.
He saw Caden wipe a paw across his eyes, and the field mouse began sniffling himself, unable to keep him emotions in check. This was wonderful in just about every way he could think of. Eventually, his defences fell, and he began crying too, tears of pure happiness matting his fur and a broad smile on his face... which widened considerably when Caden hugged him. He hadn't been expecting the marten to initiate the embrace, but he acted on instinct, returning it as best he could, speaking gently to him. "Congratulations, mate... and I would be honoured to join your subdivision," he added, patting the marten's shoulder gently. "I can't think of anybeast who deserves this more than you do. I'm proud of you." As he was released, tears could be seen shining in the corners of his eyes.
Between Selvis and Carrow, both knew which of the pair was more prone to displays of emotion like that. Carrow was so happy he had been moved to tears. Selvis was similarly ecstatic with this development, but as it was, even he had trouble keeping his emotions in check. He didn't cry openly as his rodent companion had done, but was unable to keep his eyes from filling with unshed tears as the news hit home. He wiped a paw across his blue eyes, just in time for Caden to hug him. He patted the marten's crown in a comforting manner, before wrapping his arms around him and returning the hug; again, in a gentle fashion. "Congrats, Caden. Well done. You're well-suited to this promotion and I'm sure you'll do us all proud." He was smiling too as Caden let go of him. Carrow and Selvis looked at each other, in a way that seemed to say, no rush with the present. He needs to come down from this first and let it all sink in.
Then, after Ladorak had hugged him, Caden made the request that his two companions go and get his present. Carrow nodded, and rather enthusiastically at that, now sure Caden would be able to pawdle all this excitement. He too was eagrly anticipating revealing the gift he and Selvis had chosen for the pine marten. "Of course! Don't want to keep you waiting too much longer after all," he quipped, evidently in a rather playful mood this morning, even despite his tiredness. That was one thing that had changed about the rodent: he didn't let his physical condition get in the way of how he was feeling anymore... well, at least not too much. He nodded at Selvis, and the two companions went off to fetch the mysterious gift. He looked over at him, titlting his head slightly in a quizzical manner. "Which one of us has it again? I haven't been keeping track too well recently, sorry," he said in a rather apologetic tone of voice.
Selvis shrugged. "It's fine. It was there with me when I woke up this morning." For the last two weeks, since coming back from town. the two companions had been passing the gift back and forth between their tents, going through more effort to keep it hidden than would have been considered necessary by most creatures. Carrow had it one day, and Selvis the next. The longtail was the one currently in possession of it, so they went to his tent. The mustelid entered it, retrieving a sizeable gift-wrapped box. (To have it wrapped had unfortunately cost the two a little bit extra.)
Carrow smiled once more, shaking a little in anticipation. "Alright, there it is, and here we are. Now let's go give Caden his gift!" The two friends began heading back the way they had come. Selvis, who was holding the box, now had it hidden behind his back, oblivious to the the fact that while he had been retrieving their gift, Carrow had nipped over to his own tent and come out with a much smaller box in his pocket. Thankfully, it didn't stick out or anything, so was entirely inconspicuous. They returned to where the group had been gathered, eagerly anticipating the return of their friend, whom they both thought the uniform would suit quite well.
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Post by Ladorak on May 16, 2011 10:39:59 GMT -5
While Caden waited for their return, he hurried back to his tent (though for obvious reasons, he had no plans to change in there, as Elle still might be sleeping within), intending to grab Spender's present, and then get changed close to where they had gathered. He was briefly considering asking to change in Ladorak's tent, but knew that would most likely arouse Ladorak's suspicions about Elle, Caden of course not knowing that Ladorak already knew.
He settled for simply standing behind his tent, and even though it wasn't exactly the most private of spots, seeing his fellow crew and soldiers in their undergarments from time to time was simply a part of the job for him, and on the rare occasion they got to go swimming, sailors would mostly do that nude, so Caden wasn't too worried about changing in plain sight of a row of tents.
He wanted to make sure he was looking his best, as this would be his first time even wearing a uniform remotely like this. First came the tan pants. They were the easiest to slide on, and simply required doing up a few buttons on the front. Second came the waistcoat, which blended incredibly well with his white fur. It was almost invisible on him in fact, though the ivory buttons on the front gave it away. The blue overcoat came next, and was to be left open, as usually only Lieutenants and above buttoned up their overcoats.
Caden did his best to straighten it out, wanting it to look absolutely perfect for when he reemerged. There were quite a few brass buttons on the cuffs, but that was rumored to be so the Midshipjacks couldn't wipe their noses on their sleeves. They get a rather nasty grate from the sharp buttons, learning rather quickly that wiping snot on your jacket was simply not acceptable. Of course, those were only rumors, though Caden had to admit that the array of buttons was rather conspicuous.
He turned the collar upward, showing off the brass buttons there that were stamped with the symbol of the fouled anchor, a Midshipjack's mark.
He briefly wondered how he would fit this hat on his head, as his ears were rather large after all. Ladorak was fortunate in being a Captain, that he could turn the bicorn front and back, rather than side to side, giving his ears plenty of room. Midshipjacks had a top hat however, which was quite a different walk in the park altogether. Fortunately for him, he soon found that a marten's ears were tailor made for this type of hat, as they were very far forward on his head, and the hat could rest easily upon his crown whilst barely touching the backs of his ears.
Making sure it was snugly placed, the last thing that he suited himself up with was the dirk. He wrapped the belt about his waist, and clasped the two ends together. Sliding it right and left a little until he felt certain it was centered, Caden simply couldn't wait to see how he looked in this, and worked his way around his tent to the flap, upon which he entered to get a good look in the mirror.
He had taken one from Ladorak's house, being of the small paw held variety. Gazing at himself, he was rather shocked to see how dashing he looked. He smiled, admiring himself in the polished reflective glass. His green leather neck band was still about him, from which hung the gold name tags and his "star". It really helped to complete the look, as the gold and blue accessories were plainly visible in the open neck are of the waistcoat, and he gave himself a nod before he reached down for Spender's present.
And thus, by the time Carrow and Selvis had returned, Caden shortly after strode out of his tent, a gift wrapped box under his right arm, and his dirk hanging off his left side (he being a right pawed beast). He immediately did a turn around, showing off every aspect of his new uniform to his friends and familiy. His long white tail followed him as he turned, curling a bit as it stuck out from the coattails.
Having completed a full rotation, Caden set the present down and spread his arms. "Well, how do I look?" he asked, eagerly looking around him to see the reactions.
Ladorak placed a paw on his chin, and nodded as the albino spun slowly on his hind paws. "Very official and officer like Midshipjack Fugate. Impressive, to say the very least." he gave the marten some plaudits, clapping his paws together as Caden performed a little bow, pushing his right leg out forward and turning the paw to the right, causing Ladorak to chuckle at this rather upper class act of "putting your best paw forward". Caden had also doffed his hat, before finally straightening back up.
"Very well met." Laorak continued. "Because we're currently down a Lieutenant, Jal Andrews, as I'm sure you know thanks to his wounding last week, the senior Midshipjack on the ship is preparing to take his Lieutenant's exam, and if he passes, we'll be needing a junior Midshipjack to step in and fill the vacancy... and that will be you, Midshipjack Fugate."
Caden nodded, and came up to a very smart salute, snapping his paw down at its conclusion. "Aye sir. I understand. And what's everyone else think?" he asked, turning his head to look around at the assembly of faces, a rather large smile resting upon his own.
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Post by Carrow on May 16, 2011 16:29:32 GMT -5
Carrow was about a whisker away from rubbing his paws into his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, because when Caden stepped out of the tent, the mouse saw him as a marten completely transformed. He studied him closely, checking to see if there was anything he felt was out of place or didn't suit his companion, but he was hard pressed to find a single fault. He really did feel as though Caden was as well suited to his uniform as he was to his new role. He nodded appreciatively, applauding his companion, completely thrilled that he had taken such a large step up.
Selvis was similarly impressed. The weasel had often been told that he was somewhat of a snappy dresser himself, back home, but he could see quite clearly that his friend looked completely comfortable in his new uniform. In the longtail's opinion, it suited him down to the ground, and he was compelled to say as such. "Impressive," he said gently, whilst Carrow mischievously doffed his cap at the albino Midshipjack, smiling broadly. He certainly approved, unable to help noticing how the colours of the outfit brought out his friend's eyes even more than usual.
For obvious reasons, Carrow was very good at spotting piercing gazes. At the same time, he couldn't help but think about how odd the situation was: that his best friend was now also his superior officer. "It seems to me like you were born to fill this role, Caden - and to wear that uniform, might I add!," the field mouse exclaimed with a gentle chuckle. His playful mood had remained from earlier, and he couldn't help but smile as he continued speaking: "We'll have to call you 'sir' while we're on duty from now on, won't we? That'll take a little getting used to, I must admit!"
The rodent winked broadly at his marten companion. Selvis, meanwhile, had been watching Spender out of the corner of his eye. Of all the other creatures present, the ferret was the one most likely to say something derogatory about the marten or mock his appearance, knowing well that the antagonistic mustelid sometimes liked to give Caden a hard time about his physical appearance. He was desperately hoping Spender wouldn't say anything inflammatory - because then he wouldn't have to play his trump card and come back with an insult of his own.
He knew that Spender wasn't exactly going places on the ship after all, and wouldn't hesitate even for a second to use that against him. He didn't take seeing other creatures mocked lightly, much less when it was one of his best friends being subjected to ridicule. Gentle teasing was of course an entirely different matter. He was fond of some of that every now and then, and at this point he was in a rather mischievous mood, much like his rodent companion, and was unable to resist his opportunity to indulge in some of that.
He shook the box he was holding behind his back, playfully calling to him, "Oooh... I wonder what this might be?" He held the box out for Caden to come and retrieve at his leisure. He winked at Ladorak. "Captain, I dare say this will be the icing on the metaphorical cake! Oh." He smiled. "Talking of that... is there going to be any actual cake served at some stage today?" His eyes gleamed at the thought.
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Post by spender on May 16, 2011 16:55:22 GMT -5
Spender wondered why his whiskers tasted like cherries. His eyes were still gummied from sleep, and his brain was taking longer than usual to rouse. He kept licking his face, wobbling back and forth in his sitting position on the ground.
"Pessy," he drawled, tugging the female's sleeve, as she stood beside him patiently waiting for Caden. "Why'd y'get him a fozzker?"
"Don't be dumb," Peskers said, wagging her arm to detach him. "Just wait."
She snatched up the bag from where Caden had left it, then glanced up at Ladorak and Molly.
"Oh... Spender said Caden was going to share his birthday, because his was forgotten. This is for..." She tilted her head at the moping, sleepy ferret who was now sniffing a pawful of grass that had a worm in it.
"I see," Molly said.
At that point, Selvis and Carrow returned, soon followed by Caden in his new uniform.
Molly joined in clapping with Ladorak, and Tally stared at the ground in simple confusion.
"Very nice," Molly crooned. "A proper young gentlebeast!"
Spender snorted, then chuckled, then flopped backwards laughing.
"Is it Costumenach already? Hawhaw, are you a chimney sweep? Heehee, you look like a snooty jack from th'ship! OW!"
Peskers had stomped on his tail.
"Weren't you listening? He is a snooty-- he is a Midshipjack now. Idiot." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "I think it looks very handsome on you, Caden. Er, 'sir'."
Spender sat back up, clinging to his tail between his legs, sucking on the tip defensively. His eyes roved once more over the pine marten, then he spat his fur out.
"Sorry. I like th'hat," he said softly. He perked up at the mention of cake, and looked up at Ladorak hopefully.
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Post by Carrow on May 17, 2011 3:20:44 GMT -5
Selvis bristled visibly when he heard, and then saw, Spender's reaction, and then his surging irritation turned to quiet delight when he heard the ferret cry out. Out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen Peskers stamp on the ferret's tail. All of a sudden, the long-tailed weasel's desire to give Spender a real piece of his mind left him, and he merely shrugged, focussing his full attention on his albino pine marten friend. He was doing all he could to hold his tongue, but his mind was aflame with racing thoughts and stinging insults. Ah, but of course. I hope for you to break from your oh-so-predictable routine even once, but you stick to it. Regular as clockwork. Only an absolutely pathetic creature would do something like this after all... and you are the most pathetic creature I have ever met.
The mustelid was finding that he didn't want to begin a war of words with Spender. Not because he knew he could not win - he knew that he most definitely could, and would have support too - but because he simply wasn't in the mood. One of his very good friends was planning to celebrate their special day after all, and the last thing he wanted to do was engage in petty things like that. He didn't give voice to his thoughts because he disliked being hurtful to anybeast and only did so when he thought it was truly worth it. In this case, it wasn't worth it - and on the whole, neither was Spender. The weasel had better things to do, like have a good day with his friends, but his irritated thoughts continued to run through his head, even as he ignored the ferret.
Do you know why Caden's wearing that uniform? Well wait, you probably can't get it through your thick skull! He's gotten promoted, something that will most likely never happen to you. I've heard the rumours, you know. Is it true you're a year-and-a-half behind the rest of us? I don't doubt that, because when have you ever worked? When have you ever done something for the good of the ship, or even for any of your fellow creatures? From what I can tell, never, and you seem perfectly fine with it. You're a third wheel, Spender: as useless as a chocolate teapot... and I know what the best part of all this is.
If I wanted to tell you this, you'd be sobbing on the ground in front of me right now because you don't like it when the shoe's on the other footpaw. You can give it but you can't take it. You're lucky I don't revel in making others feel embarrassed or upset, like you do... like you always have. And you never want to change, do you? I dragged myself out of my depression with the help of my friends - things I bet you have very few, if any, of. Carrow has completely turned his life around, and is better for it. Caden's nothing like he used to be, and Elle changed, in my eyes, when she told me her secret. I now think of her completely differently than I used to. She's taking a huge risk, and she's a very brave beech marten for doing it.
You, on the other paw, seem content to go through life stubbornly, refusing to change, refusing to deal with the world that will someday crush you if you do not adapt to it. I'm tired of you. You bore me. Would you like it if I told you that? No, you wouldn't, because that's your greatest fear, to be seen as boring by anybeast... you cowardly, worthless excuse for a ferret. Selvis sighed a little, both in frustration at Spender's antics and in anticipation of the revelation of the gift he and Carrow had bought. Then he thought of what lay ahead today, and thoughts of Spender left him. He could so easily, so blatantly have picked up on Spender's humiliating climbdown and seen how he liked being mocked, but he didn't, purely because the antagonistic creature was no longer worth his time. Well, that and the fact that (much more importantly) there was a great day in store for him and his friends.
Carrow was also pleased by the fact that Spender's mocking of Caden had backfired. He gave Caden a reassuring look, one that seemed to say, don't let him get to you, he's not worth it. The mouse wanted to quickly get off the subject, so he piped up, "Selvis makes a good point. I wonder what sort of celebrations we're going to have? Did the two of you have anything planned?," he asked Ladorak and his albino companion, smiling broadly, quite visibly excited about things now. Selvis was smiling too. As far as he and Carrow were concerned, the fun had only just begun. Carrow had extra reason to be anticipating the day's events, because he still had a thing or two up his sleeve... or rather, in his pocket.
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Post by bookity101 on May 17, 2011 8:33:15 GMT -5
By the time Caden entered the tent to grab Spender's present, Elle was just stirring. They had been allowed to sleep in a little today, and she had had trouble sleeping without the gentle rocking of the boat to and more than surprised at the Midshipjack who had entered the tent. Soon enough though, her sleep fogged brain put two and two together and realized that it was Caden. Slowly stretching she completed her wake up process, which was much faster than a certain ferret. Quickly dressing, she snagged the gift she had for Caden and poked her head out just in time to hear Spender's remark and roll her eye's and Ferry's pawdling of the loud nuisance, at the very least she was training him to a point...
She exited the tent, avoiding the pine marten as he was standing fairly close to the tent flap. Ending up a little back and to Caden's right, she didn't think he saw or heard her exit the tent. Throwing a quick salute to the Captain, waving to Tally Jis Serra and Ferry by that she was standing nearer the adults than the other striplings. Waiting a beat to let Selvis and Carrow finish she threw in her two cents about the outfit,
"I think it looks great Sir, if a little surprising when one isn't expecting an officer in one's tent this early in the morning." She smiled and accompanied her tease with a wink before giving him a quick hug.
"Happy Birthday Caden."
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Miri was trying to find Molly and failing miserably. She had risen with the sun, as he quiet out of the way place also happened to be facing eastwards to the rising sun. But, six weeks later, she was more than used to it by now and had enjoyed the quiet on the beaches where she could jog or walk at her leisure before the sailors began hauling their payloads up, swearing up a storm and breaking the peace of the beach as they did so.
She had just returned to the camp from one such escape and remembered Molly's invitation, or command, as of yesterday that she was to help keep an eye on all striplings Molly had decided to invite.
Catching half a memory, she recalled that Molly had said something about Caden's birthday being today, so she made her way over towards the striplings tents, ans sure enough, there was Molly...
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