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Post by spender on Mar 31, 2010 2:25:27 GMT -5
Sensing the inevitable grouping of weaker creatures, Spender paid no more attention to Cerinus or Caden's retorts. He stomped off a good deal away from the rest of the group, and slowed his stride to allow them into dinner first. In the back of his mind he was hoping they'd get food and he could somehow trip one up on their way to eat... But just as soon as it came, the fire died inside of him. He no more wanted to beat up Cerinus than he wanted to wish for a unicorn for his birthday. It wasn't the mouse's fault he'd been dragged out of bed and beaten awake...
Years, Spender thought, staring disconsolately straight ahead. Years at sea...
He stomped up the stairs into the lodge and got his bearings as soon as his eyes adjusted to the lower light levels. He saw creatures taking trays and putting food on them, and joined the line. Two pork chops, two lamb chops; he scoffed at the fruit offering, not seeing any raisins. He thought of asking if there was any cheese and biscuits, but he then caught sight of his three peers clustered at a table. One of them glanced his way, and Spender spun around, nearly knocking a tray out of a weasel's paws.
Blushing furiously under his fur, he took his food past the tables and went outside to sit in a patch of grass. Alone.
His cap by now was growing quite uncomfortable, so he took it off and stared in surprise at the fox doll still inside it. He'd almost forgotten! Casting furtive glances around him, Spender slipped the doll down his tunic, where it came to a rest against his stomach; his belt keeping it from dropping further. He put his cap back on and began to eat.
Disregarding his cutlery, he grabbed a chop with his good paw and tore into it with his teeth. He scooched over a bit so he could face the sea as he ate. He was half a chop through by the time it hit him:
Years.
Not days. Not weeks. Not months. Years.
Tears sprang to the ferret's eyes. He already missed his father's cooking; this lamb chop was barely half as good as it was back home. He missed his mother, as much as she scolded him. He hadn't been tucked into bed for over a week. He even missed his sisters, in a weird, slightly embarrassing way. He missed home, and he'd only been away a week.
Years.
Still clutching the lamb chop in his paw, Spender's shoulders began to shake. His nose dribbled, and his mouth swelled with spit. He screwed up his eyes, which stung from the tears and hurt even worse from the bruising, and cried onto his tray of chops without making a single noise.
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Post by Ladorak on Mar 31, 2010 9:56:58 GMT -5
Caden was observant, and had taken note of Spender actually leaving the hut. The marten had been specifically watching for the ferret's reaction, whether to try and sit down with them or go somewhere else but....outside? What was that about?
Ladorak had noticed Spender and had tried to say something but either the ferret ignored him or it hadn't been loud enough. He watched Spender head off over by himself and plop down in the grass and take out a...doll?
As the molting stoat watched, Caden got up from his seat with his tray. "I'm going to go and talk with him." he stated simply, and began heading for the door, food in paw. He took a bite into the apple, and walked by a still astonished Ladorak. The stoat could only watch the albino move, and a smile creased his features. Well good for you Caden.....you're acting like an adult already.
Juice flowed down his white fur under his chin, dribbling a bit before he wiped it off with his sleeve. Well....none of that once he was an officer. The Midshipjacks all wore buttons galore to prevent any wiping of food on sleeves. Eight buttons alone on the cuff.
He could see that maybe this wasn't such a good idea, as he took note that Spender was....crying? "Oh! Sorry!" he said from behind him. "I didn't realize you were....you know." he turned around, taking a few steps back to the lodge, then stopped. Mmmm......should he really be doing this? Spender was a jerk....and probably would lash out and tell him to leave.
Aware that this was the likely outcome, Caden set his tray down and sighed, knowing he'd probably regret this. He sat a few paces away from Spender and looked at the fitting out Agamemnon. "Looks like a good enough ship. So uh....what's wrong mate?" he asked, trying to sound as consoling as he could manage as he took another bite of his apple and indirectly looked at Spender from the corner of his pink eyes. Caden hadn't seen the doll....Ladorak had, but he was still at the door with Luxe.
"We grew up together, you 'n me....sort of. I don't really remember you too well" well hardly at all in fact, though the albino didn't admit to that. Spender? The only things he knew about him were what Ladorak had relayed. He was about two or three at the time, and couldn't remember much of his own mother, let alone Spender. He reached into his pocket and ran his claws over the charm Elle had given him a few weeks ago. He didn't pull it out, just felt its smooth surface before resuming with eating. "But still...I guess aside from maybe Ladorak I'm the only familiar face from ten years ago. If there's one thing I've got it's big ears." he tapped one of his floppy auditory appendages and gave just a very small smile. "Means I can at least listen."
Caden figured Spender would tell him to get lost, and that none of this was his business. Probably true....but still. He wanted to at least try something new. Normally he'd laugh and just walk off but Ladorak had been showing him over the past year that that wasn't the way. He wanted to just try this....see how it worked. If it didn't well...at least Caden was expecting it to go sour and if it did well....he'd have to just think of what to say to whatever it was Spender told him.
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Post by spender on Mar 31, 2010 10:37:33 GMT -5
Spender stopped crying, but just barely. He'd given himself hiccups.
He paid no attention to Caden, apart from acknowledging the marten's presence with an attempt to clean his face with the back of his paw. Snot and spittle trailed down his arm, but he didn't try to wipe it off in the grass.
Still snuffling a bit, the ferret bit into his chop as Caden spoke. Stupid beast, what was he trying to do? They weren't friends, they hardly knew each-other, even if Caden had been at the same birthday party where Spender had gotten his believed fox doll. Caden's mother had been a bat-guano insane murderer, as Spender's dad told it. They'd left the Imperium to get away from beasts like that. He had nothing to say to Caden, no shared memories - he didn't want any. He just wanted to go home.
This just made his tears leak out faster.
Turning so that his back was more to the marten, Spender picked up his second lamb chop and bit into it.
"Juft go 'way," he muttered, his mouth full. "Ftupid whitey fweak. Lemme 'lone."
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Post by Carrow on Mar 31, 2010 11:00:50 GMT -5
Cerinus, too, had spotted Spender upping and leaving. Ah, so he was going to eat on his own just as he'd predicted. Oh well, that can't be helped. He's not going to want to mess with us I think, which means I should probably start thinking of alternatives... but I hardly know any of the other trainees, asides from the obvious. What to do? What to do? Time to get the old thinking cap on, matey, he told himself.
Then, the wood mouse thought back to what he'd said to the ferret just before he'd stormed off. Wait, what he had been saying... about the.. amount of time they'd be spending at sea! Yes, of course! It was a pretty immediate reaction to what I told him, so perhaps it's begun to sink in, he thought as he continued eating. The mustelid had been sorely in need of a reality check, and Carrow had gone and spelt it out for him.
"Hang on a moment, though, Cerinus..." He found himself murmuring these words. Maybe now that it's hit him, he's taken it a little harder than expected, and is getting emotional over it? Well, he couldn't exactly be blamed for that, could he? The mouse had only recently fully come to terms with it himself, though to be honest he'd been thinking about it for so long that now it was something he'd accepted. Spender, though... he seemed to be sleepwalking through this.
Perhaps I should go have a word... no, actually. He was just about to rise and go to speak to the ferret bully, but he stayed put in the end. I would guess that Caden's right ahead of me in that respect, and I'd be as good as useless trying to speak to Spender if my friend's already tried his best. Spender can't stand me, and it's clear to see. I want to go over there and have a word, but I'd be of no use, he thought. With a sigh, he returned to the business of eating.
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Post by Ladorak on Mar 31, 2010 11:45:59 GMT -5
It sounded like Spender was hiccuping now, and the marten concealed a thin smile. But then he used that word around him, and Caden's ears twitched, and his eyes narrowed. Fortunately for him he hadn't hit puberty yet, but if he had....he might have reacted far more violently to it.
If there was one thing Caden hated being called it was "freak." "Hey!" he said, his voice rising a bit, though once again because he hadn't hit puberty his voice didn't crack. "I'm not a freak OK? I was born this way! I can't help that!" he was furiously fiddling with the tags around his neck, his claws digging themselves over the one that had his mother's name on it. Nuori Freemont....mom.....what were you really like? Did you curse me so? Why was I born like this? No....stop thinking like that Caden! You're a Fugate now! You're not a Freemont....not anymore! Who cares what your mom was like? If she was a drunk or a killer or something far worse.....you aren't part of that legacy. You're a Fugate now! A Fugate!
His claws created a slight impression in the gold, and he could feel a small metal flake come off under his claw. "Your wrist doesn't look any less better for bein' purple! Might just stay that way ye know?" he was trying to hold himself back, trying to keep his paw from flying out and impacting with the back of Spender's skull. That jerk....calling me a freak for something I can't help..... What would Ladorak do? He glanced over at the stoat, who was partly watching him and partly listening to what Luxe had to say.
He wouldn't hit him....he wasn't like that. Caden was...but Ladorak wasn't. Balling his paw up, the marten trembled a bit, struggling to contain himself. "I was trying to be nice Spender. I just...I saw you eating alone and wanted to know if you wanted to join our mess. You gotta pick one, or else you'll be stuck with some random guys. What do you have against me anyway? I didn't do anything to you." At least not that he could remember. He only hoped he hadn't done anything in his past that he couldn't account for. And even so...he'd been what? Two? Why would this ferret hold a grudge against him for something like that?
He didn't know how Spender viewed his mom of course, and didn't suspect that was part of the issue. "I was jes tryin' t'be nice." he reiterated. "I thought maybe I could help." he stated crossly, biting roughly into his lamb and yanking on it bitterly when it refused to come apart at first. Finally succeeding, he chewed on it and stared at Spender's back with a mixture of wrath and sympathy....fairly odd combination.
What was this jerk's problem? He was crying...that meant something awful in Caden's book. He only cried in extreme circumstances, and mostly when it dealt with his trying to sort out his past. Chewing away, he watched Spender semi-darkly, that slight crease in his brow keeping it from being full anger and indicating a showing of compassion, even if it was small.
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Post by spender on Mar 31, 2010 19:57:34 GMT -5
"It'd help if you'd shut up!" Spender barked, furiously grabbing at a pork chop. "ShutupShutupSHUTUP! I don't wanna join yer stupid group! I wanna go home!"
The ferret was standing now, and paused in embarrassment as he realised what he'd just said aloud. Growling in frustration, he spun around and threw his pork chop at Caden - it spun through the air like a discus, smacking into the pine marten's nose with random precision.
Half out of fear of reprisal, half out of fear of Caden coming at him when he had a bad wrist and not being able to win such a scuffle, and half from just not thinking clearly,* Spender took off. The stripling aimed for the beach, footpaws kicking up dirt, and then sand.
Only halfway to the water's edge did he remember what they'd said about running away. And where would he go, anyway? There was the ship, full of creatures swarming to get it prepared. The lodge behind him, and who knows what else - he'd missed most of the scenery with his face stuck in one of the press gang's armpits. He had to hide so they wouldn't ever find him. Which meant he would have to find a temporary place now, and then a more fitting hideout once night fell.
Spender dove behind a pair of boulders on the shore, wriggling himself into the clef between them, facing the sea. His footpaws kicked up sand, digging him a small hole to sit in. He leaned his head against one of the rocks, and resumed crying, now with blubbering banshee moans.
* Which was one half too many.
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Post by Ladorak on Mar 31, 2010 22:27:58 GMT -5
Caden was more in shock at Spender throwing the lamb at him than outright angry. He wouldn't have attacked Spender over something like that. He was more angry with his family....his biological family. His traitor father, his drunk/whacko mother and his coward uncle, who hadn't even wanted to stick around and have fun with a nephew he'd never known.
Watching Spender run off with a confused look, Caden took his tray up off the grass and headed back inside. He hated being a Freemont now.....nothing good seemed to come out of that name. If only he was Ladorak's real son. Not some....freak white pine marten from a family of cadavers. Why couldn't he have just been a stoat?
He passed Ladorak on the way in, who was saying to Luxe "Keep watch on the lodge. I'm heading down to the beach. I have no idea where he thinks he's going." he stepped off the stoop, easily tracing Spender with his bespectacled eyes. He really thought he could escape? They lived on an island nation...where would he go? There was literally no place he could hide. Welkin was bigger than the VI but not by much.
Caden set his tray down heavily back at the table with his messmates. "I guess we only have three for now. They'll fill us in with someone else when we get to sea. Forget Spender....I don't know what his deal is. He just called me a freak again and said he wanted to go home." He dug his claws into the table, furrowing his brow and staring intently at his food. "I say we're better off without him for now. Doesn't know what it means to be here." He went back to his food, thinking about his family and his uncle who had recently visited him. Why had he just left? Why did it seem like his family didn't care about him and either died off without thinking of the consequences or departed.....
He looked up, moving his gaze from Elliot to Carrow.
Ladorak knelt down in front of the crevice that Spender had wormed himself into. "Spender.....I've already told you this." He had heard the wails and moans of the ferret and knew that Spender was emotionally distressed. "But leaving means death....and I can't protect you from that. You were enlisted by someone who was considered your parent, and by law you have to serve in the Navy. Under normal circumstances I'd kick you out, tell them you were somehow unfit for duty, though there's no evidence of that. However I figure your father must have enlisted you for a good reason, and I'd be doing wrong by him if I sent you back. I hate forcing anyone to do anything....but you're not a legal adult and you can't make your own decisions."
He gave the ferret a serious look. "You can't simply run away from this. Your father sent you here for a reason. I'm not going to ask him why, it's none of my business, but he legally did this, and I'm not sure you understand how serious it is if you just try and run or hide. Real life has real consequences. You aren't going to be this age forever. Like it or not you have to grow up sometime....and I say better now than later. Look...you probably don't remember this but I'm you're....father's brother.....well no, I'm your uncle, as weird as that sounds." His father had married Seige's mother....because they were both insane.
"I'm trying to look out for you, but I won't be able to do that if you run away. If you run away the police and militia will be looking for you....and if you're seen just once in public, you'll be reported. I don't want that to happen to you." he spoke in a tremulous tone. "I don't want to see you killed because of this. So why don't you tell me what the problem is?" the jack rested his arms on his knees. "I can't help you unless I know what's troubling you. Why don't you let me try and help you? It's better than never being able to show your face in public again. Look...don't be scared by any of this." He shook his head. "Nothing will happen so long as you let me help you. I'm willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt at least once. But I need you to trust me OK? I'm your uncle....in law or something. Trust me with this....it'll be far better than what you're doing now." he said sincerely, creasing his features and giving a sad look at the ferret.
Come on kid....don't play this stupid. You're only making it worse if you try and leave....far worse. If I can just find out what's wrong then I can work on addressing that...but only if he opens up.
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Post by Carrow on Apr 1, 2010 4:42:18 GMT -5
Carrow watched all this goings-on from afar, and it must be admitted that the mouse didn't like what he saw in the slightest. While it was rather like watching a dumb-show (even his large ears struggled to pick much of anything of the conversation up), what he saw troubled him greatly... for lots of different reasons.
He'd seen how Caden had reacted, probably to some name-calling from Spender (his first defence, I've noticed, he thought), and then the pine marten getting worked up even further. He didn't know exactly what had transpired, just there, but he could guess. Caden's weak spot was quite literally plain to see.
The rodent had to stop himself, and remind himself that though he thought of the albino as his best friend, there were two things: one, he wasn't sure Caden felt the same way about him (though he could of course be forgiven for being a clingy creature at times...); and two, he had no clue about the pine marten's history; when push came to shove, he hardly knew him. Had his past been as dark and as unsettled (not to mention unsettling) as Carrow's had been?
Now the wood mouse saw Spender get up and run off. He was heading for the beach. "What in the name of Hellgates are you doing...?," he murmured. He was very, very worried about the ferret now, even though he was a bully and stubborn as a mule. He seemed to be taking this far too badly to be okay. A chilling thought struck the youngster then. He'd seen this before. He'd even been through this before. Spender looked to be headed for a breakdown...
I can't just stand idly by and say I never tried to help, he thought decisively. His stomach tied in knots from fear of what might happen, and his food forgotten, the mouse stood up. He was going to do his absolute best to try reach out to Spender, because clearly, something had to give. He was terrified that the mustelid would soon be overcome by his emotions and try something reckless. Something like making a run for it, for instance. That was another thing he seemed about to do, and, scant as his knowledge of the workings on board a ship was, Cerinus knew that an escape attempt could lead to only one thing: certain death.
Maybe, just maybe, Caden and I should try to... get to know each other better. I haven't opened up to him, he hasn't to me. He hasn't had the chance yet. Spender will likely refuse to open up to either of us. I don't like the creature all that much, but I have to go over there and do my bit.
Then, however, he saw Caden returning, and sat back down, head in his paws, and sighing deeply, his worst fears having been confirmed: the pine marten had been stonewalled. The youngster hated to see any creature like this, even the aggressive, unlikeable ferret. "No dice, I suppose," he commented in an off-paw manner. "Yes, I suppose it'll just be us three for the moment. I'm still concerned about Spender, against my better judgement, but as far as us three are concerned, he's a lost cause. We can do little more for him..."
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Post by spender on Apr 1, 2010 7:39:43 GMT -5
Spender had taken his fox doll out and clutched it tight in his paws, unheeding now of the pain from his wrist. Last Number made everything a bit better. Not good enough to make things right, but... better.
He raised a watery eye to Ladorak's face. Part of him wanted to grab a pawful of sand and fling it into the stoat's eyes. Part of him wanted to hug the stoat, simply because he was an adult creature who wasn't trying to pawn him off or beat him up or tell him to stop stomping around upstairs the other inn patrons are trying to sleep doncha know.
"I don't wanna die," he moaned. "I jus' wanna go 'ome."
Ladorak seemed to be waiting for a bit more before replying, and Spender, in his unfit emotional state, began to let his defenses down as his tongue whirred to life.
"I don't like it 'ere an' I don't like anybeast an' nobeast else likes me, not even my da, he keeps tryin' to send me away t'schools an' things an' they send me back an' he gets mad. My eye and my paw 'urts an' I don't wanna go ter sea for years! I wanna go 'ome. I miss my mummy..." Spender paused to sniff back a wet booger that threatened to slip out onto his doll's head. He averted his gaze from Ladorak, fiddling with the doll's arms.
"I don't wanna go back there. They're gonna make fun'f me 'cos 'm not smart like them."
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Post by Ladorak on Apr 1, 2010 17:57:07 GMT -5
Ladorak listened over the wind, positioning an ear in Spender's direction so he could hear the stripling talk. Aha! Now it was becoming a bit more clear as to why Seige had enlisted his son. It seemed Spender might be a bit too much to pawdle in the schools, and kept getting thrown out. Well....the Navy broke everybeast that was insubordinate. True, some harbored festering bitterness the rest of their lives, but discipline was at a premium on one of His Majesty's ships.
But at that too Ladorak hated being abusive, and wasn't as bad as some Captains like William Bligh for example. That unfortunate stoat had suffered a mutiny when he was Lieutenant in a now infamous incident aboard the HMS Bounty four years ago. Bligh's career hadn't suffered, but it was a grim reminder about what could occur if a Captain was too harsh to his crew.
"Come here Spender...come here." Ladorak said gently, and reached into the rocks to pull the ferret out. He didn't seem to offer much resistance as he was sniffling too much, and the stoat hugged him closely against his chest, only hoping Spender didn't make too much of a mess of his uniform. He could wash it of course, but he still had some training to get through.
"It's OK my lad....it's OK." He patted the ferret on his back, hoping to comfort him a bit. "Remember when I used to hold you like this?" he asked, pretty sure Spender wouldn't, but venturing a try all the same. "You were a little tyke back then.....three years old or so. I looked after you sometimes when your dad asked. I'm still looking out for you Spender...." he kept a reassuring hold with his arms about the ferret's form, and spoke into his ear.
"You know....being at sea can be a lot of fun too. There's plenty of adventure waiting, and you can make a lot of friends and comrades that might last your entire lifetime. That can be pretty rewarding you know. I think you'd get along very well with my ward, Caden. I know you seemed to be fighting with him earlier, but he's a lot like you." Ladorak moved his head from over Spender's shoulder so that he could look him in the eyes now. "I don't think they'll make fun of you." he gave the ferret an affectionate squeeze, and smiled.
"I mean everyone's got their strengths and weaknesses." I only wish I knew your strengths son. "I think joining Caden, Elliot and Carrow in their mess would be good. I know them" at least two of them. Sorry Elliot, haven't met you before. "They don't tend to make fun of other creatures. Caden knows some basic things about being at sea but only because he read some books before joining. He still has a lot to learn, just like you. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to teach you if you wanted to learn though. He's a good kit Spender....I think you'd benefit from joining their mess. But that too is entirely up to you. Are you ready to go back up there now? I wish I could just send you home, but then we'd both get in trouble and I don't want to see you get hurt because of it."
He gave the ferret a few more pats now, and kept his arms about him. "It's going to be OK Spender. I think you could end up having a really good time. If you're ready I'll walk you back." He gave the youngster another smile, and everything about his face just said that things would be OK.
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"Heh....well for a moment I thought you were gonna go after him." Caden said, looking over at Carrow. "I'm feeling a lot less a Freemont these days. I....registered myself as Fugate because I'm trying to distance myself from my real family. Most of 'em are dead anyhow, but my uncle didn't even stick around when he met me! It's like every single Freemont but me is a loner, crazy, or a traitor. I don't understand that. My uncle could've taken care of me, but instead he just plain up and leaves in the middle of the night! He said he'd come with me too...."
He was staring blankly at his tray, now devoid of food. He started fiddling with the memory band around his neck, looking at each name in turn. "Gorden Freemont....never even knew you dad. Heard you betrayed your country and was killed for it. Nuori Freemont....mom." he sniffed a bit here, but frowned. "Hmph. I barely remember you. Heard you lost your mind and went around dressed up in a mask and cape and killed beasts. And that you were a drunk. And you went and got killed instead of looking out for me. Then there's my name, 'cept it's missing cause I gave it to your sister, Elliot." he looked at the beech marten "male" and offered the barest of smiles.
"And finally Ladorak. Ladorak Fugate." he started mumbling really low now. "The jack I wished was my father." but he hoped neither of them had heard that. He still wasn't ready to admit it outright to Ladorak yet. "Then my uncle, who ain't on here. Pfft...wanderer and wouldn't even bother to look after his own nephew. Coward."
He then raised his head from the golden tags and let out a laugh. "Ha! Wonderful family the Freemonts eh? Least I got a real home now." he said more softly. "I only hope I can fit in out there....and make Ladorak proud. I want to go all the way to Captain someday....when I'm a lot older. I want Ladorak to be proud of me cause I know my own family sure can't do that." He closed his pink eyes, and reached around his neck to remove the leather collar. Laying it on the table with a clinking of the golden tags, he sighed, and reopened his eyes, taking in a deep breath of air.
"I renounce my family cause they renounced me. 'm not a Freemont anymore....'m a Fugate....least I'm going to try and be. I registered as a Fugate and I intend to live up to it. I wanna make dad.....um....Ladorak proud." He said, smiling sheepishly. "Don't tell him I said that. 'm still....working on telling him OK? I want be the one to say it, but only when I'm ready." he explained to them. "Promise you guys won't tell?"
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