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Post by Ladorak on May 26, 2012 23:58:54 GMT -5
"I would think you are doing your best to manage." Caden said, suspecting he knew what those others "things" were on Selvis's mind, but not commenting on it right now. Best not to dwell, after all, and Caden was already coming up with ideas to keep things moving and have a bit of fun.
He smiled as he nodded and folded up the letter. "Oh yes... well I intend to ask him about his family some more, though he probably finds such things dull, as he DID say he distanced himself from them whenever he could. Heheh." he chuckled at Selvis's mock conspiratorial tone.
He was glad to have received the letter, as he'd be able to write his reply later this evening, during their second bit of downtime. But now was the time to act upon his idea, or so he thought. "Hey guys... what would either of you say to a swim? We could have Ladorak lower a sail over the side to create a pool for us, and we could all go swimming!"
Ocean brightened up on hearing this. He'd been dealing with having to abandon his brother on Personza, and it hadn't been sitting too well with him. He knew it was the only real option at this point however, as the ferret was completely unfit for duty. He nodded now. "Yes! That'd be rather nice!" He exclaimed.
Of course, the pool they rigged up wouldn't be very big, as it was only inside a sail, but it was better than nothing, and protected against sharks, though those were not very common in these parts. "What do you say, Selvis? Up for a swim? We'll go and make the request of Ladorak, and can locate Carrow and see if he'd like to join us as well." the albino suggested.
"Well I'd rather fight with the ship's hull between me and enemy fire rather than build up my courage, heheh. I've been around the world TWICE now Mr. Apodemus... just keep that in mind. Isn't much more I can see in this world that would dash MY confidence, heheh. Been stuck in the doldrums for weeks on end, and was lashed by the fiercest storms around the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. My confidence don't need any further building." the goanna chuckled.
"I'd say there aren't many ins-and-outs to discover about what he did. Just kept us behind the enemy ship and away from their broadside, heheh." the goanna explained about Ladorak's tactics. "Simple enough... but I would've never thought of that." He said, shaking his head. "So it's still pretty impressive."
"Aye, yes. Like the warmer weather. it certainly helps in all honesty. Regulates my body temperature and keeps me from getting too cold. How's your family doing back home, then?" the goanna asked now. "I know they aren't fully family, but still... all you got... so yeah, your guardian I suppose." He pursed his lips, then chuckled. "She certainly seemed to make an egg of things with certain others at Christmas... though I can't say for certain WHAT happened, as I only showed up at the end of it all. I DO however remember her. Didn't really introduce myself at the time, but then again... had no idea who she was until you told me a few days after." the lizard pointed out.
"That a letter you had gotten from her? When we were setting up the game, I noticed you were reading something before. How's the domestic life then?" he inquired.
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Post by Carrow on May 27, 2012 17:54:02 GMT -5
Selvis nodded in response to that, smiling a little and letting Caden have the last word on the matter of his current predicament before dropping the subject. It didn't hurt to talk about it as much as it used to, but if it came up too often then the weasel would start to feel bogged down by it, and in all honesty he didn't want today to be one of those days, not when there was such glorious weather to be enjoyed. He wanted to make the most of it in whatever way he could.
"Well, be that as it may, he certainly won't be able to fault you for being curious," the longtail quipped, winking at his albino marten friend. "I know I wouldn't be able to help myself if I were in your situation, so just go with it and see where it leads is my advice! Besides all that, there's plenty of other things he's mentioned you'll be able to discuss with him," he assured Caden. "You should definitely tell him about where we've ended up, though; to me, this place is like paradise," he said, his smile widening. It was a shame he had all those other things on his mind, because he knew he would otherwise be able to appreciate their current location fully.
Selvis was quite interested in going for a swim, and it showed in his reaction, as he rubbed his paws in an eager fashion when presented with the idea. He allowed Ocean to speak up first, though, and the ermine's reaction was quite encouraging. Here was another creature who'd had to deal with unpleasant things in the last while. Selvis couldn't deny that he was glad to have Spender gone, but his reasons for that were slightly different to how they had been before the ferret's accident.
Caden then put the question directly to him, and the mustelid nodded enthusiastically in response. "Oh, yes, absolutely. I'd be very interested in doing something like that, especially under the circumstances! That's a rather inspired idea you've come up with there, mate!," he exclaimed, smiling. "Carrow's not too far away," he informed his friend. "When I was on my way up here, I passed him; he was on the upper gun deck, seemingly half-asleep. I'm sure he won't mind being stirred for something like this, if he's still like that," he said with a small chuckle. "We should clear it with Ladorak first, though, before anything else happens. Ready when you are," he told Caden eagerly.
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"It's nice that you can feel so confident about yourself," Carrow replied to the goanna with a smile. "You've been through rather a lot, yes, and I suppose there are two ways you can turn out after going through all that. You can either end up being able to carry yourself quite well, as you clearly do - something which is going to stand to you, may I add - or you can still feel rather fragile despite the fact that you survived, which I guess... is more my situation," he admitted, eyes downcast for a moment. He stroked his chin thoughtfully as Alleline explained Ladorak's tactics to him. "Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't seem like there was much to it... but then I suppose that's the point. It was a simple idea, yet a very effective one all the same; typical of Ladorak, really!," he commented, grinning.
Alleline then enquired about his family, and Carrow was quick to respond. "Well, there's my guardian, and then there are my cousins, who live further up north," the mouse pointed out, smiling. "I haven't told you about the latter yet, and I haven't heard from them in a while either, but I feel like I should write them, as it wasn't under the best of circumstances that we met, a year and a half ago. Some upsetting things happened whilst we were in Tunis, and I don't think I was entirely compos mentis at the time," he said, frowning slightly. "I should touch base with them again, yes," he said decisively, wondering how Setiva and Artivis were getting on.
Archie's appearance at the Pitti Palace was brought up then, and the field mouse couldn't help but blush slightly. "Yeah, Archie felt like she... let herself down pretty badly in front of everybeast, and was rather cut up about it at the time. She had plans, and they didn't work out anything like how she'd hoped. I suppose it would be rather difficult to forget her after making a first impression such as that..." He trailed off, looking thoughtful for a moment before he responded to Alleline's question.
"Yes, that was a letter I got from her... the first since I saw her in Florence last Christmas," the rodent responded. "It was good to hear from her again, though she's still a little upset, and rather remorseful, about what she did. In any case, she's doing better now that she's back home. She did a spot of travelling towards the end of last year, which culminated in her stay in Florence. It's a shame things had to end like that, but she enjoyed her travels quite a lot. Domestic life is going smoothly enough; she's back at work, and it helps that she rather enjoys her job. It can get a little lonely at times, though she does have her assistant for company," he explained, smiling a little. He was going to write his response later, and maybe try to lift her spirits if he could, because as much as she was trying to cover it up, it was clear that all was not well with her.
A thought struck him then, and his eyes met Alleline's for a moment. "Do you know where Tally is? I know I'm only getting around to asking now, but I haven't seen her in even longer than usual - I've been too busy with my current duties, you see - and even though she's the sort of creature who's usually rather quiet and keeps to herself, her absence strikes me as unusual. I need to see her because I'm not sure how she's dealing with Molly having to return to Welkin...," he said in a slightly worried tone of voice, wondering if the monitor lizard knew what, if anything, had happened to her.
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Post by Ladorak on May 28, 2012 22:45:46 GMT -5
Caden nodded eagerly. "Yes! I will DEFINITELY be mentioning that we're at the Balearic Islands! He'll probably be jealous of THAT... though I have to say, I'll be slightly jealous of him when he returns to the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. I say slightly because, once we get a three decker, I can be jealous of no one." he said, breaking into a grin and winking.
"Right! Well then..." He stretched again. "I'll try to get it set up on the shady side of the ship... what with my eyes and all." he said, pointing at them behind the shades. "Gotta try and keep them out of the sun as much as possible, since they've gotten so... well sensitive." he said, shaking his head. "Never used to be this way either." he started down now across the ship's waist, heading for Ladorak's cabin. "But I guess because I hit puberty and all... things change." He said. "I better hope that's ALL that happens." He said, referring to his mother and her numerous problems, including her alcoholism and mental illness, though Selvis might not be fully aware of that.
"Hey Ocean." Caden thought of this now as they reached the mainmast. "Can you go and invite Carrow for us?"
"Would be happy to, sir!" Ocean said, nodding enthusiastically as he detached himself from the group. Something positive to focus on that wasn't Spender was good for him.
Caden led Selvis to the Captain's Cabin, the marines coming to attention as they recognized Caden's uniform. "Is the Captain available?" Caden asked.
"Yes sir, he is. You may enter." the marines moved aside, and Caden took Selvis into a place he rarely if ever saw. They were in the Captain's dining room, which was a smaller room with bulkhead partitions around it. It contained a small round table for dining with two cutlasses hung in an X shape on one wall. A portrait of the Agamemnon hung over the table.
Moving through this room, the two entered Ladorak's main cabin. While not as breathtaking as an admiral's cabin on a three decker, it wasn't half bad either. Ladorak had taken great care to furnish it just as he wanted. Red curtains hung from the stern gallery windows, framing them nicely, though they were not currently drawn. A red carpet welcomed their paws as they stepped into the room. It led to Ladorak's desk, which was made of a rich mahogany. A plush, blue velvet armchair rose behind the desk, the stoat liking to sit in comfort while he processed his never ending piles of paperwork.
Caden smiled as he noticed an easel near the Captain's desk, upon which rested a portrait of the stoat with Caden. It was in darker tones, but it worked well. It was from their chests up, and had been painted in Naples back in 1793 when they'd stayed there in September. Ladorak had wanted a picture of Caden right as he'd turned 13, as he wouldn't be that short much longer. They were next to each other, both smiling at the artist, and the two certainly looked serene. It was nice to know that Ladorak displayed that in plain sight, as it was a reminder for him of the family he had that WAS consistent.
To protect the wooden planking of the cabin, a black and white checkerboard patterned cover had been laid out across the entire floor, as was standard in all officers' cabins on third rates and above. A small wooden washbasin stood off to the side as well, for whenever Ladorak felt like freshening up. Opposite the washbasin on the other side of the cabin (larboard side) was a table with a decanter and glasses for whatever stiff drink Ladorak fancied. In this instance it was brandy, though Caden didn't know that.
He was always impressed with Ladorak's tastes, but figured it'd look even bigger in an admiral's cabin on a three decker. Ladorak was not currently present, but he appeared after a moment from the door to his sleeping quarters, where he'd been stowing the box with his hook swords. "Caden! Selvis!" Ladorak said, brightening up on seeing them. Being a captain was a lonely, thankless job at times, and he loved having visitors, even if it was fairly uncommon for him.
"Hello, Ladorak." Caden said politely, smiling back as he removed his glasses.
"What brings you to my quarters?" the stoat asked the two of them, walking over to his desk.
"Well, we were thinking of going swimming, and wanted to get your permission to create a pool with a sail over the side." the sail would be hung like an upside down umbrella to create the pool in the ocean.
"Of course!" Ladorak said, grinning. "Sounds like a good idea. I'll go order the boatswain to make it happen. How has your down time been going?" he asked them now.
"Good, sir." Caden said, nodding.
Ladorak rested against his desk, folding his arms over his chest. Caden could see he had his monocle on... the monocle he'd gotten him. It had taken a bit for him to adjust to it, but the stoat had done so, preferring them over his spectacles now, which had been part of his life ever since he'd been a stripling. "I got a letter from Grand Duke Constantine, which I read." Caden continued. "He's doing well, but doesn't like his prearranged marriage. He's in Coburg right now, and highly jealous of our first battle. He's a bit upset that Delorn hasn't entered the war yet, but is remaining hopeful. He's returning to St. Petersburg soon, but I'm sure my next letter will reach him before he gets there, as I think he's staying in Coburg until summer."
For Caden to be writing to nobility was unusual, but Constantine wasn't your typical noble. Nodding, the stoat listened with interest before shifting his attention to Selvis now. "And how about you, Jal Frenata? How have things been going on your end? How are your folks?" he asked the weasel, always taking a keen interest in all of his crew, as if they were all family, which in a way, they were.
Alleline briefly wondered why Carrow was so hard on himself AND in the navy at the same time. The two didn't seem to mesh. "You know... Master Apodemus... what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger... I know that's true for me. Having to head around the Cape of Good Hope the first time, and then Cape Horn the second. But I made it both times. why NOT see yourself as better each time you survive something?" he asked. "I mean seeing yourself as fragile... you obviously haven't broken yet, right?" he asked. "I don't think you will if you haven't up to this point."
"You met your cousins in Tunis?" Alleline asked incredulously. They must've been off their rockers to have been traveling through the Barbary States! Alleline would NEVER head there under the best of circumstances, unless he had a military backing him up, as the crew of the Agamemnon did. But for civilians to wander there... they were literally taking their freedom in their own paws. The Barbary States still raided the continent, and took slaves whenever they fancied. The Ferlusanians in particular were engaged in frequent wars with them in order to keep them down and cowed, and many Ferlusanian naval officers had served against the Barbary Pirates at one point or another, including their current Mediterranean Fleet commander, Francisco Javier Morales de los Rios.
"Heheheh." he chuckled at the mouse's description of Archie now. "Well yes... she was rather unforgettable. I won't hold it all against her though, as I wasn't there, and don't know what fully happened." the lizard commented. "Hmmm... good to know she's doing well at least, though I guess still kicking herself a bit over it. Your white furred friend Caden did seem a bit upset over something, but I don't think we need to go into that." he said, shaking his head.
"Tally?" he asked. "I don't think I've ever even met Tally." he stated. "We never made proper introductions, and I only knew her as your... well whatever you like to call it. Haven't seen her at all, now that I think about it. Did Molly take her back to Welkin, then I wonder?" he speculated aloud. "She's not around either. Captain's gone back to being alone. Heard he's rather luckless when it comes to love anyway." he grumbled.
It was then that Ocean approached them. "Oh, there you are!" he said, moving up to them. "Hey Carrow, we're going swimming soon, and we were wondering if you'd like to join us in that rather shallow pool thing we rig up sometimes. Caden is asking Ladorak now about it. Well, asking Captain Fugate that is." he corrected himself. "As we still have a few hours left on break, I'm sure it'll be permissible." the ermine stated, nodding.
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Post by Carrow on May 29, 2012 17:28:50 GMT -5
"Well in that case, I think things will balance out for a while," Selvis said, unable to resist chuckling at Caden's mention of being on a three-decker. He was rather looking forward to that himself... and if push came to shove and he was cut off from his homeland, then he would rather it be a Ferlusanian-made vessel. Caden wasn't a huge fan of their ship-building skills for no reason, after all. "We both have different sets of perks to our current occupations, I suppose, but yes, I think that being able to call a three-decker home, as it were, would be great!"
The longtail stretched as well, nodding as Caden mentioned his photosensitivity. "It makes sense that things should change as far as that is concerned, now that you've reached puberty, as you've said. Time changes things, of course." A curious look crossed the mustelid's features when he heard Caden say that he hoped that was 'all' that happened. Selvis was aware of what kind of creature the albino's mother had been, but only to an extent, and had heard little about her various issues. Maybe right now wasn't the best time to enquire about this, however. He didn't want to broach the issue, mostly because they hopefully had a rather fun time ahead of them.
He smiled as Caden asked Ocean to invite Carrow along. It'd be good to have the mouse around, especially because the mouse didn't see all that much of either of them these days. He briefly wondered what the rodent had been up to in his leisure time. Selvis had gotten a letter, and so had Caden, so had Carrow been equally as fortunate? He then realised he would be seeing the Captain's Cabin for the first time in his life. This was very exciting for him, and he couldn't stop himself from rubbing his paws in anticipation as the Marines granted the two of them access to the area.
Of course, his anticipation was warranted, because his eyes widened to saucer-like proportions when he set them on the rather grand-looking room. He noticed the portrait of Caden and Ladorak, and that made him smile, but the sight was tempered with some sadness as he was reminded of that portrait of his home he had received as his first Christmas gift from Caden - the home he sometimes worried that he'd never see again. Those thoughts lingered for a moment, and then were gone as he took in the rest of the room's splendour. Then, the very stoat they had come to see appeared, and Selvis's face lit up. "Hello, Ladorak, sir!," he said enthusiastically, beaming at the stoat. He was delighted to see him.
He let Caden field the questions put to him by the stoat Captain, listening to their conversation with a smile on his face, glad that the two of them were able to catch up like this. Then Ladorak enquired about the welfare of Selvis's parents, and the mustelid responded quickly, still smiling. "I'm not entirely sure, sir. I haven't had a chance to properly go through the letter I received today, yet, but I scanned it earlier, and it sounds like they're doing well. I'm going to go through it when Caden sits down to write his response to Constantine later, because I want to see that as well," he told the stoat, chuckling. "Nothing too out of the ordinary, I suppose, but they've been keeping an eye on the situation with Rosferia, for obvious reasons." Selvis, in scanning the letter, had in fact missed something important.
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"Hmm... y'know, I've never really seen it that way before, for reasons best known to myself. I would be better off thinking of it like that, though, you're right. I mean, most of my friends have been through stuff as well, but Caden and Selvis carry themselves quite well, for instance, and you're practically overflowing with confidence, so something must have happened there," Carrow said with a chuckle. "I think I need to point out that I did break, once... but that was six years ago, even if it took me a while to be put back together again. For some creatures, things like that go away or become less significant, but it hasn't worked like that for me. I'm not sure why," he admitted.
"I did indeed," the field mouse responded with another, smaller, chuckle. When he thought about it now, even though it hadn't seemed like it at the time, Tunis had been an odd place for something like that to occur. "I don't think they fully realised what they were in for, and well, it was certainly an eventful time there. I think they were glad to be a part of it. Caden was kidnapped, and Selvis wasn't really able to help the situation very much, which got to him a lot, so I'm thankful we had some extra pairs of paws to assist us. Hmm, I wonder what they've been up to since then," he mused aloud.
He nodded when Alleline said that they didn't need to go into what had occured in Florence the previous Christmas. "We don't. It's all in the past now, I think, but for what it's worth, at least from what I've heard, things didn't go to plan, and for different reasons, a few creatures were upset. I think Caden had every right to feel how he did, to be honest with you, but that's only going on what I've been told by him and Archie. Most of that had been sorted out, to an extent, by the time I actually got down there and joined the rest. She took a risk, it backfired, she took the blame and she still feels upset about it. I guess that's all I can say," he said softly.
The mouse looked visibly upset upon hearing Alleline's response to his query, and had to take a moment to compose himself before replying. "I know Molly's gone back, but... I don't know if she's taken Tally with her. I suppose it makes sense, though. I know she can take care of her quite well, and I wouldn't be able to do that... because of all my other duties, I mean." There were practical reasons too. "I guess, as much as it pains me to say it, it's probably for the best..." He trailed off, sighing heavily and trying hard to keep his emotions in check. There had been something between them, but Alleline hadn't sounded sure what that had been, and now he thought about it, neither did he. He'd loved her, certainly, but he'd never been able to tell whether that had been reciprocated.
There was no time to get bogged down by such things, however, as Ocean was approaching them, so he the rodent perked up when he saw him, and nodded enthusiastically in response to his suggestion. It would most likely help after he'd heard the news about Tally. There was no point dwelling on that right now, especially not when such a fun idea had just been put to him. "I'd love to do that! I'm really not that strong of a swimmer, I must admit, but I'll do whatever I can, and besides, it's more about enjoying it than anything else, so count me in!," he exclaimed, brown eyes gleaming. He looked to Alleline, giving him a small smile. "How about you, Master Alleline?," he asked the monitor lizard, smile growing, figuring that he should return the favour if the goanna was going to address him formally.
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Post by Ladorak on May 30, 2012 10:22:22 GMT -5
Ladorak nodded in understanding, still smiling. "Well perhaps it'll be good for your country to finally have some peace. I'm sad to lose their support but... we just had very different goals for this war going in. They were committed to restoring the King. We were hoping to get a bit more out of it... and it's understandable that they didn't share our plans. We of course are aiming to weaken Rosferia considerably as a world power... they're out to preserve the balance of power. We just have different goals for each other." Ladorak touched upon the sensitive subject easily enough, as he didn't wish to offend Selvis in any way. The weasel could feel perfectly justified in sharing his country's view after all.
"I realize that what we're doing could seriously offset the balance of power on the continent... but when we fight a war, we fight to win." the stoat said, nodding firmly. "As said, you never can call peace a bad thing, especially not the type of peace your country will more likely than not be walking away with. I don't believe they'll lose any major territory, so that should help things. Tis an honorable settlement they seem to be working out for themselves." he stated.
"You probably feel at least somewhat more at ease now that the war is ending on mostly a positive note for your nation. Nothing like peace to reinstate stability and hope, after all. But let's head out to the weather deck, shall we? Get that sail set up." He pushed off from his desk now and unfolded his arms. Caden nodded, and eagerly followed the stoat Captain out of his cabin and back out into the sunlight, donning his sunglasses as he did so.
The stoat approached the boatswain and began talking to him about the idea, to which the marten (who was Portuguese), nodded, and began ordering the crew working out here to set things up. Returning to the two of them, Ladorak smiled once more at Selvis. "Jal Frenata, did you know that Jal King, our boatswain, is from Portugal?" he asked, his smile becoming a grin. "If you haven't conversed with him yet, you might want to try it. I realize you speak two different languages, but both of you can speak in Common. You aren't the only creature from your region who's decided to join the Welkinite Navy." Ladorak winked here. "He's been my boatswain twice now. Once before on the Boreas, and currently on the Agamemnon. He's the best damn boatswain I've ever worked with, and I hope he continues to serve me wherever we go."
Caden too broke out into a smile. "Well this is something!" he said, turning to Selvis. "Who knew that Jal King was actually Portuguese?" he asked, eyes widening a bit.
"Real name is not Joseph at all, but Joaquin." Ladorak went on. "But... he prefers Joseph around his well... Common speaking companions." the stoat chuckled here.
"Joaquin... Joe King." Caden said, sounding the two names out slowly, and wondering if there was perhaps more to Jal King choosing his Common name than the albino had first realized.
"If you get the chance, say hi to him. You might have some things in common, after all." Ladorak urged, giving the weasel a nod.
"Probably because you view it as some big mystery and let it control you, rather than the other way around." Alleline stated with a shrug. "You just see it as some unfathomable thing that you have no control or comprehension over then damn right it'll get the better of you." he said. "Gotta see it as something you CAN influence. That's our 'big secret' I guess you could say. We take it, and use it to become stronger. I'm sure the other two would say the same thing if you asked." the goanna pointed out.
"Well they'd best steer clear of that place if they value their freedom." he said, referring now to Carrow's cousins. "There's damn good REASONS that countries like Ferlusan and Welkin fight wars with them, after all, and it ain't over no borders or deposed monarchs either." he mumbled.
Alleline nodded back at the mouse when he explained the situation about Archie. Yes... not much further to really say on that. Caden had his views, as did Archie. Caden was still young after all... and Alleline knew how headstrong striplings could be. He'd delve into this if he ever felt the need, which for now he seriously doubted he ever would.
Alleline also chose to remain silent on the Tally matter, both because Ocean approached before he could respond, and because he had no real inkling as to how deep the two mice had been. Whether it was a strong relationship, or simply platonic he couldn't say. Either way, he felt females needed to be kept off the warships for just this very reason! Never did anyone any good, except perhaps the captains, who led lonely lives from the start. You got your head too wrapped up in a female, it distracted you from your work, or at least that's how Alleline saw it.
"Grand!" Ocean responded to Carrow now. "And I wouldn't really worry about being a bad swimmer... the pool is so shallow that it usually comes up to our waists." he said, motioning with his paw. For Carrow it'd be a bit deeper, because he didn't have the height advantage the mustelids had, but all the same, there was very little chance of him drowning. "You'd probably still be able to keep your head above water if you just felt like standing." the ermine commented, smiling.
Alleline chuckled at Carrow's offer. "Heheheh, no, young master, I don't think I shall be." He said. "You go and have fun." Alleline had refused primarily because one usually stripped down for swimming, as one didn't typically wish to dry their clothing out after doing so. Since those swimming were all striplings, Alleline didn't feel it was his place to join them, being at least ten years or more their senior. Maybe not in Ocean's case, but definitely with Carrow. That kind of thing could lead to trouble, and he wanted to avoid that at all costs. Besides, he was only into females his age after all, and even then felt they shouldn't be anywhere near him while he was working.
Ocean nodded. "Yeah... I think it'll be just us, Carrow." Ocean said, still smiling. "Let's head up top and see if we can spot Caden and the others. I'm sure they're talking to the captain, but it's possible they're on deck waiting for us now. You may lead the way, if you so desire, sir." the ermine moved to allow Carrow to do just that if he wished.
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Post by Carrow on May 31, 2012 13:33:32 GMT -5
"For what it's worth, sir, even though my country has different goals to yours, I do not share theirs. From what I've heard of the situation in Cosnair, both as regards recent events and how things stood before war was declared, I would much rather that the Rosferian monarchy not be restored. Their democracy has already faced a number of different challenges, but obstacles were always going to come up; in any case, I think it's better than the alternative.
My countrybeasts and I were always fighting for different reasons. I'm not sure why I didn't make this clear before," he said, before continuing. "There are both positives and negatives to what both our countries are doing, when you look at it from both sides, as I have found myself unable to avoid doing as of recent, but yes... generally, when one fights a war, one is determined to secure victory, and I am glad that you sound quite resolute as regards that," the mustelid told Ladorak, smiling slightly, before falling silent as the stoat went on.
"Yes, well, I think stability will certainly do Ferlusan some good, even if morale has taken a bit of a hit since we were knocked out of the war. I assume my parents have mixed emotions about our current position. Peace is a good thing, but when you look at it another way, war can be a good thing at times too, for entirely different reasons, of course," he said philosophically, looking pensive for a moment before listening in as Ladorak moved on to other things.
The weasel was extremely surprised by Ladorak's revelation that Joe King's name was in fact Joaquin, and that he was actually from Portugal. The longtail had to admit that he'd never heard so much as a trace of a Portuguese accent from the pine marten boatswain, but then he had been serving with Welkin for quite a while, going by what Ladorak was telling him, so he supposed he'd lost his accent somewhere along the way; either that or it wasn't as pronounced anymore.
"Well, blow me down with a feather!," he exclaimed, and for the second time in minutes, his blue eyes widened to saucer-like proportions. Today was seeming to be full of surprises: first Caden's idea, then the sight of Ladorak's cabin, and now this. "Can't say I did, sir. I have a good ear for accents, but if I went by that, I'd have to assume he's originally from Welkin!" He chuckled here, smiling widely. "I haven't really done so before, so that's a good idea for me to talk to him, sir. I could do that after we have our dip," he said, eyes sparkling as he returned the stoat Captain's nod.
--
Carrow was finding out that Alleline didn't mince his words. To the question of his emotional baggage, he received a surprisingly forceful response. He wasn't quite sure how he could reply to that, mainly because he usually didn't know how to articulate himself properly when talking about things like that, usually stammering or tripping over his tongue. The goanna's words had the desired effect, though, and the mouse found himself smiling and nodding. That was helpful advice; now he'd just have to figure out how to put it into practice.
"Oh, I know that," he said in response to what had gone on in Tunis. "I'm quite sure they did too, but... well, maybe they were just looking for some adventure. I get your point, though: if I ever actually do meet them again, I should probably arrange to do so in someplace more civilised," he said with another nod. It had been absolute chaos there, and the other events that had occurred in Morocco hadn't helped Carrow's perception of the place one bit. He'd been hoping for some adventure too, but had gotten rather a lot more than he'd bargained for.
"I'm more than just a bit shorter than you mustelids, of course, but if you say it's going to be shallow enough, I shouldn't have a problem," he replied to Ocean's assurances, smiling himself. The field mouse didn't feel as though he had much power in his legs, even now, so paddling would be about all he'd be able to manage. He rather liked the feel of the water, all the same, and was looking forward to the experience regardless of what happened. He needed a lift, anyway, and was sure that being able to play with his companions for a while would do the trick.
The rodent smiled as his monitor lizard friend politely declined his offer. "That's all right, then. I'll see you later," he told the goanna, before turning to Ocean and hearing his suggestions. "I think I shall do that, then. Follow me, please," he said, heading for the stairs that would take them up to the weather deck. "Hmm, I wonder what the Captain's cabin is like? I suppose I should ask Selvis what he thought of it, when I see him, as he won't have been in there before," he commented, chuckling.
"How have you been getting on, friend?," he asked the ermine. "What have you been up to on your leisure time?," he wondered, before smiling again. "I've been keeping myself occupied, but if things had gone another way, I'd most likely still be asleep. It's a rather calming atmosphere we find ourselves in, I think, and things like that always seem to have an effect on me, one way or the other," he quipped, hoping his other companions were OK, and in particular that Selvis was more like his usual self. The weasel was under a lot of stress these days, and had snapped at the rodent the other day, something he had since apologised for. In any case, Selvis didn't normally snap at his friends, so the mouse hoped he was feeling better.
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Post by Ladorak on Jun 1, 2012 10:24:42 GMT -5
Ladorak continued engaging Selvis in conversation, as he found these types of topics to be particularly invigorating both for the mind and the intellect. "Yes well... it's funny. We certainly have a far more liberal monarchy than they did, but now that they're a republic, they're STILL our enemy, even when it looked likely they might actually not be. Different regime change, but they DID declare war on us. They've had so many different regimes now that it's hard to make peace with them, as who's to say that the regime we negotiate peace with will be the one that's in power next year, or six months from now?" he chuckled.
"Ah yes, but keep in mind, your country did not declare war, it had war declared on it. It DID strike first before Rosferia was even ready, true, but like the Allies to the north, got bogged down besieging Rosferia's numerous border fortresses. They held their own until Dugommier got appointed to the post, and no one really disputes his military prowess before he died invading your country. Since Ferlusan didn't start the war, things could be far worse for them now than they currently are." the stoat commented, smiling.
"Only reason your nation was even fighting on the same side as mine was because Rosferia declared war on both our countries." Ladorak continued. "At any rate, I DO understand the blow to morale. You probably did want your country to see this war through to the end but... I wonder if Ferlusan itself even wanted to do that?" he asked now. "They probably didn't see much profit in continuing, and I don't blame them for cutting their losses while the cutting was good. So long as we continue to subsidize Kostritz, we can still fight this war. How it will end, I know not. I just know Rosferia has certainly gotten a lot better at waging war over the last year or so, if not on the sea then definitely on land."
"Whenever you have the time, Jal Frenata." Ladorak nodded back at his comment on speaking to the boatswain. "I'm sure he'll be delighted to converse with you. From what I know, not much ill will exists between Portugal and Ferlusan anymore, though you really couldn't say the same about two hundred or so years ago." He chortled. "Ha! At any rate, I'm sure he'd be delighed to speak to you."
Caden was meanwhile listening to the conversation between the weasel and stoat, and glad that Selvis seemed to be getting on so well with Ladorak at present. Of course, they were still superior/junior, but Ladorak did take some time every so often to speak with his crew in the manner he was doing now. Caden knew how lonely a job ship's Captain truly was after all.
"I think there's a clear line between adventure and insanity, Master Apodemus." the goanna chuckled now. "Adventure I'd consider MAYBE sailing off to the East, either to the Mandates or Australia, though I think India would be a far better destination. Or hell, even joining the navy! Tunis though... I'd never go there if I could help it. You certainly do risk your freedom by traveling along the North African coast, and your cousins certainly got some crazy heads on their shoulders if you ask me." He said, grinning and laughing a little in a hissing manner. "Remind me NEVER to travel with them, heheh, as their sense of adventure is rather different from mine."
"At any rate, do enjoy yourself." the goanna told the mouse. "I shall catch up with you later." he gave the departing rodent a nod now, and continued walking aft on the gun deck.
"Have you yourself been inside Ladorak's cabin?" Ocean asked, curious as they mounted the stairs. "I'd say it's rather sumptuous, if I know Ladorak." he couldn't stifle a chuckle, as he could only picture how Ladorak would have decorated his living spaces.
"Ohhhh I've been doing all right." Ocean replied to Carrow's question. "Yes.. our current post is rather relaxing. We're not on direct blockade, and it's as if we're watching both Ferlusan and Rosferia at the same time." he pointed out. "I've spent a chunk of it in prayer, both for my brother and for myself. And of course the usual keep us safe on our voyages type of thing. Things have been... different, without Spender..." Ocean said, trailing off as they arrived outside on the weather deck. "I think I shared your fate at one point there. Pretty sure I dozed off before heading down to the purser's store to pick up the mail." he smiled.
Caden immediately saw them, and waved them over. Yes... different indeed without Spender, but while Ocean was saddened by his brother's condition, Caden was actually experiencing a bit of inward satisfaction at seeing the ferret become such a miserable failure. Justice was often late in arriving, and what goes around comes around, in Caden's mind. True, he had NOT been able to get into the brawl he'd always wanted to get into with Spender, but if he never saw him again, then perhaps it was for the best. He could rot on that wretched island of Personza, for all he cared.
"Hey there, you two!" Caden exclaimed as the pair drew up to him. Ocean threw a salute the marten's way.
"Hello there, sir."
"Good to see the both of you!" he said, particularly glad at seeing Carrow. "Are you ready for a swim?" he asked excitedly, watching as a spare sail was being lowered over the side now. Their timing was fortuitous, as the fleet was beginning to lie to for the time being, the large Welkannia sending the signal throughout the fleet to take a bit of a break.
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Post by Carrow on Jun 2, 2012 19:33:30 GMT -5
"Yes, no matter what else has happened in Rosferia over the last few years, one cannot easily forgot that they declared war on us. Hostile acts like that can't easily be ignored, after all. They seem to be making progress, of a sort, but yes, I get what you mean. It's quite difficult to say what the atmosphere in that country will be like in six WEEKS from now, never mind six MONTHS, going by the pace of change that they seem to be setting for themselves," he commented,
"Yes, Ferlusan certainly did seem to make the most of its opportunity, but then... yes, as you said, it got caught up in besieging those border fortresses, and didn't make much headway from there. It was by the time that Dugommier got in on the action that the tide really started to turn in Rosferia's favour, if I recall correctly," he said, thinking back on how the events of the last year or so had gone. Things hadn't worked out for Ferlusan in the end. It was unfortunate, but then their opponents had really sharpened up their tactics.
"I did want them to continue, yes, but... maybe I didn't realise this at the time - or didn't want to admit it to myself, at least - once things started to turn against them, it looked like it would only be a matter of time before they had to bow out. In hindsight, I should have known that much sooner. Ferlusanian sailors aren't up to much, so my country could only really hold its own on land for a while. Rosferia's been getting better, as you say, but... yes, I will admit that Ferlusan needed to get out while they could." He looked thoughtful for a moment, before the subject returned to the matter of the Portugese pine marten boatswain.
"I'm sure I'll be able to make time for him," Selvis responded cheerfully. "We haven't really conversed at any great length before, so I'm sure he'll be nice to talk to, especially now that I know we have something in common," he said, winking at the stoat Captain, unable to resist smiling at his comment. "Things have certainly changed in the last two centuries or so. We've had our differences, but yes, you're right, Portugal and Ferlusan are on better terms now than they had been in a while."
The weasel was also rather glad he was getting on so well with Ladorak. It usually helped him when he talked to others whilst in one of his low moods, and the discussion with the stoat was doing the trick quite well. He'd been rather high-strung as of late, and the fact that he was so easily able to discuss his country's standing in the war was a good sign that was beginning to return to his normal self. He needed to touch base with a certain rodent next.
--
Carrow grinned as the monitor lizard commented on his cousins's more unusual travel destinations. They'd taken quite a risk coming there when they did, but he knew that their side of the family had also been his mother's; they were Sylvaticuses after all, and not Apodemuses. Maybe the former had a different sense of adventure, or maybe just a reckless streak; either way, they had been quite brave, in ways he usually was not. Perhaps he could learn from them.
He nodded as Alleline told him to enjoy himself. Oh, he would certainly be doing that! He set off upstairs with Ocean, shaking his head as the ermine asked him if he'd ever been inside the Captain's cabin. "I haven't just yet, but yes, I can certainly see your point! Ladorak's a stoat with a good sense of style, from what I've seen of it, and I'm sure that his cabin would reflect that. Maybe someday... and for positive rather than negative reasons, of course," he quipped, winking.
The mouse nodded again to show his agreement with Ocean's assessment of their current post. "Hmm, yes, the view's quite spectacular here," he responded. "In a way, I don't think we could have been sent to a better place for our downtime, now that I've gotten accustomed to things." He chuckled as Ocean told him he had almost dropped off earlier himself. "Heh, well yes, like I said, it's very easy to do that under circumstances such as these!"
The mouse chose not to talk about Spender; in any case, even though he thought that they were better off without Spender, he had to admit that he would have gotten more satisfaction out of seeing the ferret discharged for misdemeanours, rather than because of his addled state which had left him unable to perform even the simplest of tasks. Willard, on the other paw... his being discharged was exactly what the mouse had hoped would happen.
When he spotted Caden, the field mouse's face lit up. He was pleased to see Selvis too, but he had been unable to avoid being slightly worried about the longtail's condition. His general demeanour seemed much better this time around, though. He beamed at his two companions, throwing Caden his best salute. "Hi there, sir. It's great to see you, too," he replied, smiling warmly at his pine marten friend. "Yes, I'm certainly ready for a swim. Let's see how it goes, eh?," he said, chuckling again before turning to Selvis. "You feeling better now, mate?," he asked, unable to keep the concern out of his voice.
Selvis nodded, smiling at his rodent companion. "I felt quite tense earlier, but I've been in good company for a while now, and that's helped me a lot. I've been dealing with things the best I can, but if you don't mind, I'll choose not to focus on them now, and focus instead on making a splash in this makeshift pool of ours, as it were!," he exclaimed, laughing. "This'll certainly be an interesting experience, right guys?," he asked, eager to proceed.
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Post by Ladorak on Jun 3, 2012 11:32:22 GMT -5
Selvis was right about that. Dugommier was a superior caliber when it came to commanding. He'd helped retake Toulon following Boneparte's plan in 1793, and he'd also been responsible for driving Ferlusan's forces back across the border and defeating their army in his invasion at the Battle of the Black Mountain, where he'd fallen in combat from Ferlusanian shells. His successor Perignon enjoyed equal success, finishing the Ferlusanians off at the Black Mountain and taking the fortresses of Figueres and Roses.
Ladorak nodded as Selvis concluded his thoughts. "I would rather say so, yes. Their navy hasn't been active since we took Toulon, and I hate to admit it, but they really sabotaged our attempt to burn the Rosferian fleet. I understand them wanting to preserve the balance of power and all, but it certainly kept us going here in the Mediterranean I suppose, since we still have a Rosferian fleet to contend with." he said, folding his arms over his chest. He paused here, as Selvis went on about Ferlusanian and Portuguese relations. Selvis all but confirmed his suspicions, that Portugal and Ferlusan at least shared decent relationships with each other now. From what he knew, that was true. They were still commercial and colonial rivals, but they weren't in open war with each other over it.
But ah... here were Carrow and Ocean, fresh from the upper gun deck it seemed. He stopped his conversation now, as he was certain Selvis would want to catch up with those two.
Caden listened as the mouse and weasel exchanged words, and then eagerly nodded. They were setting the sail up on the Minorca side of the ship... so they'd have a great view of the island in the distance as they swam.
Caden headed over to the gunwale and entry port, and began to strip down, putting his hat on the deck and removing everything else so that he could get into the water. Wet clothes often made one sick after all, so there was no point in letting that happen, and wet clothes took some time to dry as well, so he was just going to swim without them, to make it easiest. He made sure his letter from Constantine was safely tucked away in his pocket, and proceeded to the ladder now.
He made his way down said ladder on the side of the ship, and dropped into the "pool" with a splash. "Making a splash! Just that, eh?" the marten asked, laughing as he turned onto his belly and began to stroke around for a bit. There wasn't much room to really "swim" in here, but he could pull off a few strokes before turning and standing up in the shallow part. Ocean was already working on getting himself ready as well, though his fear of the water was staring him right in the face. He gulped as he looked down into the sea. Yes... water... all around him. But the pool itself was safe... it wasn't like he could drown in that. All the same... he stood aside to let the others go first, as he needed to work on his courage a little at present.
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Post by Carrow on Jun 4, 2012 14:12:32 GMT -5
"Indeed, they certainly didn't help our cause there, which makes me think that they were only really with us up to a point," Selvis admitted. "We would have gotten full commitment from them had we both been fighting for the exact same reasons, but yes... they did indeed get in the way of our efforts to strike a decisive blow against the Rosferian fleet, though as it turns out, they aren't the only ones who diminished our chances. We have a certain capybara Admiral to thank for still being kept busy in the Mediterranean, after all," he said bitterly.
He left Ladorak's side to speak to Carrow and Ocean, but turned to face the stoat Captain once he had finished conversing with the mouse, having caught Caden's enthusiastic response. It seemed that his feelings were being shared by at least two others in their group. "We can continue this discussion later on, if you wish!," he called to the rust-coated mustelid. "I must say that I rather enjoyed talking to you! We should do this more often, sir!," he said, winking at Ladorak, before jogging to catch up with his friends.
Carrow was quite looking forward to going for a swim. The last time they had been able to do this, he had turned down the offer, as he had then been feeling a little under the weather and unable to muster up the right amounts of enthusiasm for such a fun activity. This time around, though, he was fine - doing as well as could be expected, at least, what with the recent news about Tally. He'd confront that properly when the time arrived, but something good like this would help him forget for now.
He was right behind Caden as the marten went over to the gunwale, with Ocean behind him, and Selvis bringing up the rear. The mouse started stripping as his marten friend did the same, but it seemed that Selvis couldn't wait to get his clothes off and get into the pool. He appeared to be rather excited about the prospect of taking a dip. Caden was first in, and the longtail laughed uproariously as he saw Caden enter the pool. "Of course! Just like that, mate! Good work, heheh." He removed his shirt and pendant before taking off his pants (which contained the still-unread letter from his parents) and underwear, and it wasn't long before he had joined his pine marten friend in the pool, quite appreciative of the fact that he could see Minorca from this side of the ship. There wasn't much room to move, but the weasel swam about as best he could, taking delight in it all.
Carrow's progress was a little slower; he was keeping an eye on Ocean as he stripped down, wondering how the ermine was dealing with the prospect of confronting his fear of water. It wasn't all that much to be concerned about, in his opinion, but he knew that he himself could be rather irrationally fearful of some things at times, so he wasn't about to say anything on that matter. The locket that Caden had given him the previous Christmas joined his letter from Archie and his pocket watch (the silver one, another present from the pine marten), in his pocket, before he left his flat cap and shirt on the deck, going over to Ocean and giving him a pat on the back. "Just do whatever you think suits you best," he advised the ermine, before removing his underwear and starting to slowly make his descent down the ladder.
He dropped into the makeshift pool, a smile spreading across his face as he began to swim around. He wasn't entirely sure why he had passed on the invitation last time; it had probably been thanks to one of his low moods. This was rather fun, and relaxing too. "Heh, well, this certainly isn't what I expected we'd be doing today!," he remarked to his companions, moving towards the shallower end the pool. The water's temperature was quite agreeable, and it was helping him to settle in quite quickly.
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