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Post by Carrow on Jul 9, 2010 4:50:37 GMT -5
Carrow and Selvis tagged along with Caden, the weasel returning to his usual poisition as lookout for the group of friends. Indeed, it was an absolute life-saver that the three Welkinites had the long-tail him. This was not to doubt their sense of direction, of course, but it was a widely accepted belief that no matter who you were, what you did or where you went, if you were in a place unfamiliar to you, then there was no doubt that you would get lost whilst there, to varying degrees, from wait-I've-just-taken-a-wrong-turn to oh-seasons-help-me-I'm-hopelessly-lost, and everything in between.
The nervous mouse was still quite on edge, as could be seen by their guide. His own long tail swished back and forth in quite the agitated manner, as he hurried alongside his friend, giving the impression that he wanted nothing more than to be clear of the place, and as far away from Spender as his location would allow. He kept murmuring to himself in a pensive manner, too. Thinking about possibly being bullied to within an inch of his life by Spender had of course triggered it, but luckily enough from him (not to mention his companions around him), he had avoided any painful recollections.
The Ferlusanian mustelid, for his part, was doing his best not to take too much of an interest in the rodent's distracted state. He was becoming increasingly worried about the wood mouse, though, who seemed to be going from cheerfulness to pensiveness to a kind of entranced, half-awake state, far too quickly and often not to be a concern. He had no idea what had set the long-tailed field mouse off - nor did he have a clue about Carrow's past, and this was a good thing. Even though all three Welkinite friends had had rough times of it, growing up, the martens had learned to hide it. Carrow seemed incapable of doing this, no matter how much he wanted to.
Selvis had one other, far more immediate, thing to worry about at that moment anyway. As they reached another one of the shopping streets, the wind died down a little, bringing the heat into sharp focus. Now, Selvis was of course a creature who had lived with such sweltering conditions all his life, but they were now even beginning to get to him. Caden did of course have a fluffier coat than he, however; Selvis knew that this was only exacerbating the problem for the poor pine marten.
He glanced at Carrow again, though this time he was looking out for any signs of the rodent's discomfort. He seemed unperturbed, making his way through the streets, making no sudden, irritated moves, or voicing his discontent. On the contrary, the mouse was becoming rather fond of the heat. He still wasn't used to it, sure, but for him it made a welcome change from the famously changeable climes he had grown up with.
Their pace slowed, and so did their hearts, which had been going ten to the dozen due to their speed. The distance they had covered over those few short moments would have left a hare feeling jealous. Carrow was actually rather proud of his condition after what he was jokingly thinking of as a 'lively sprint'. He wasn't even out of breath, which bode well for all the activities that were to come at sea. Neither was Selvis, for that matter, but then again the weasel did pride himself on being in peak physical condition most of the time.
He caught his albino marten friend's query, and he hesitated in quite a pointed manner. He didn't want to admit to Selvis that he was still rather scared, but he knew that Caden could see it clearly. There were times, like this, when the mouse was an open book; there were others when he felt like he was an enigma, understood not even by himself. The idea came to him in a flash of inspiration. He didn't want to send any distress signals to the weasel, so made as though to dismiss his friend's question, waving a paw and nodding. "Yes, I'm alright, I suppose." However, he caught Caden's gaze as he raised his head, and his wide, fearful brown eyes met the albino's sparkling pink ones. They seemed to say: No, mate; I'm not exactly alright, but just play along, okay?
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Post by Ladorak on Jul 9, 2010 23:19:03 GMT -5
"So you see Captain Fugate, being at sea sixty days is really the limit. After that, the crew tends to fall ill. Upkeep just isn't what it used to be, wouldn't you agree?" Ladorak Fugate stayed silent, not wanting to offend his Ferlusanian host. He was walking with Molly down the same avenue that Caden and the others were now on.
"Uh...right." the stoat said, giving the Ferlusanian weasel a fake smile. The least weasel walking next to him was a frigate captain, like Saumarez, but apparently had no real idea about how to keep a real crew. He had been explaining that Ferlusanian crews ended up sick after sixty days at sea, probably due to failure to properly supply the fleet.
So Ladorak played along. It was now he was coming to realize that though the Ferlusanians made fine ships...their sailors were a little less than fine, and would not certainly rank up there with the best. It was such a shame too. Such fantastic vessels being serviced by such...mediocre beasts! It was a knife turning its way slowly into his gut.
They were being taken through town by the frigate captain, who was intent on showing them some of the finest the Ferlusanian Navy had to offer. But the stoat suddenly paused. Was that...why yes! Yes it was! "Excuse me a moment Captain." the stoat walked forward, stepping in front of the group of kits. "Well hello there Seajacks! How are things?"
Caden stopped in his tracks, surprised to find Ladorak in their way. "Oh! Lad...Captain Fugate sir!" Caden said, coming to attention. Ladorak saluted quickly but waved it off.
"It's perfectly alright. We're all off duty. No need for formalities here Caden. Carrow, good to see you spending your free time in the company of my ward. And Elliot McNamee rounds out the trio. And who is this here?" he asked, looking down at the young long tailed stripling.
"This is Captain Ladorak Fugate...our commanding officer Selvis." Caden explained to the weasel, but stopped speaking to allow Selvis to do the honors of introducing himself to the marten's guardian.
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Post by spender on Jul 10, 2010 10:22:23 GMT -5
Molly clutched her package happily. It was a long, lightweight box. She had no clue what was in it. A surprise! Was it a mace? Two maces? A flail? A broadsword, a cutlass, a claymore? Bladed—that was the requirement, she had explained. Bladed or many-spiked. She didn't like spears, javelins, poleaxes, or tridents. She liked her action up close.
Back in her pirating days, Molly had invented a signature for herself. The few boarding parties she'd been on, she would wear down her opponent, disarm him or catch him off guard, and then lean in... and give them one last little surprise with her lips, before gutting them. She had experienced no thrill like it since. But maybe now she was back at sea, in a proper Navy, with a real weapon...
The stoat jill excused herself from the Ferlusan Captain not long after Ladorak went to talk to Caden and the others. She tapped him briefly on the shoulder.
"Laddy, dear, this is getting a little heavy; I'm just going to drop it off at the ship and I'll be right back, okay? Don't worry! Right back, I promise!"
Without waiting for a reply, she was skipping off—the way only a grown stoat jill could skip while holding a mysterious boxed weapon—down the street.
~ ~ ~
Spender's footpaws scrabbled, pushing, pushing. Peskers was clawing at his back, pounding him with fists, but Spender kept pushing back. Squish the stupid beast into the wall! Flip him over the edge into the ocean! This was his goal, simple and direct.
And then it was happening. Peskers was going over!
And then Spender felt the cobbles beneath his own paws vanish, and wind whistled past his ears. Pesker's claws were hooked in his shirt!
And then his nose felt the impact of water. It rushed past his cheeks and filled his ears and mouth and pulled him under—no, wait, that was Peskers still.
The two ferrets whirled and flailed as they sunk momentarily, before bobbing back to the surface. Peskers was still flailing at Spender's face, shouting things like "You idiot!" and "I can't swim!"; Spender ignored this and focused on trying to gouge out Peskers' eyes. His rage was beyond words now.
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Post by Ladorak on Jul 10, 2010 23:17:37 GMT -5
Pesker wasn't the best of swimmers. Couldn't really do it, like most in her profession. That's because most in her profession were landsbeasts who generally didn't go near the water. So here she was, risking drowning all because of her stupid crush! Maybe this wasn't worth it after all...
Then again, Spender had attacked her, not the other way around. As it was, he was trying to rip her eyes out it seemed...at least he was until strong arms started pulling them both out of that water, shaking them like leaves and knocking them about as they were deposited roughly on the pier. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" a voice roared from behind them. The Master-at-Arms had had some of the crew reach down and haul them up onto the dock, and he was standing over both of them now, the two having been thrown on their bellies.
"You're lucky neither of you are on duty! There will be absolutely NO fighting while on board, or you'll both be placed under arrest and I'm sure assigned to some duty where you would either have to work together or finish the day tied to the shrouds! Either way this is going to be reported to the Captain. I don't care who started this, I don't care how it got started, but I'm finishing it." the two ferrets looked half drowned at this rate, both sopping and dripping small rivulets onto the wood.
"Go your separate ways, stay away from each other if you have to, but this will not be repeated." the hedgehog glared irately at the two. Peskers didn't look up, only down at the water pooling around her, and coughed a few times, spluttering. The hedgehog walked past them and away, heading for the town. One of the sailors kicked Peskers in the side, and she let out a sharp groan and fell onto her flank.
"Stupid brat." she heard the fellow say as he walked off, but was in too much pain to retaliate. She held her ribcage, unable to even get a good look at the guy's species as he walked off. She lay there, looking at Spender as the other sailors gathered around them shook them heads. Some were disappointed the fight had been broken up and money hadn't been put down. Others were ashamed to see such things in the service. Still others were upset that they hadn't gotten to get into the fight and beat some troublemakers up. Either way, the only thing Peskers could do right now was lay on her side looking at Spender with big round eyes.
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Post by Carrow on Jul 11, 2010 6:28:30 GMT -5
Cerinus thought he saw a familiar tall stoat coming towards them from far off. The figure was six feet tall, and the mouse didn't know of many other stoats who shared *that* particular characteristic. His heart soared, his nerves temporarily forgotten: it was always good to see this particular mustelid, oh yes it was! His eyes lit up, and he stopped alongside Caden as Ladorak came over and addressed them.
"Oh, they're alright, thank'ee, sir," the rodent responded, swishing his tail in an unusually chipper manner for a creature who had been on the verge of collapsing from sheer fright moments earlier. "In a roundabout way, things have been quite eventful. I have to admit, if it weren't for the prospect of returning to the Eggs and Bacon, I'd prob'ly stay here, you know!," he quipped playfully, winking at the stoat.
"We've done a little exploring, too - and of course we picked up this scruffy weasel along the way!" He nudged his new friend, tipping him another wink. "Seemed to be just fine following us around. That is, after he made sure the three of us didn't get completely lost," he added with a chuckle, falling silent so Caden could speak. He wondered what Selvis would think of Ladorak. Little did the wood mouse know that everything was coming up roses for the longtail at that moment.
Selvis smiled slightly when he was told who this newcomer was - though admittedly he had to keep himself from grinning and turning a cartwheel (which he could do very well indeed). This was their CAPTAIN?! Oh, what a glorious stroke of luck, he told himself. The weasel brought his gaze upward, stepping forward to meet the tall stoat's, offering his paw and addressing him in a polite manner, just as Carrow had even though he'd known such things weren't strictly necessary in these circumstances.
"Pleased to meet you, Captain Fugate, sir," he said gently. "My name's Selvis Frenata, and, like Carrow said, I'm guiding these good creatures around Crittenden. Lucky for them that they're in the company of a beast who has a decent knowledge of the place." He lowered his eyes for a moment, smiling modestly at his friends, before returning his gaze to its former position, looking into the sparkling green eyes of his fellow mustelid.
Carrow had to suppress a slight giggle at his companion's modesty. He was far too humble for his own good - that was another thing the two had in common of course. He'd never been one to blow his own horn about anything, particularly in regard to his skills... the few he had, that is, he thought with an inward sigh. He had never been able to distinguish himself much from other creatures - there was that whole hypnotism thing, of course, and he enjoyed it, but he still got nervous when talking about it.
Speaking of trying to reveal secrets, Selvis had decided that the time had come to open up as regards his future plans. No more running away from this, he thought; it's only their Captain standing in front of you after all! If you pass this opportunity up, you will hate yourself for it, and you know it. So get over those nerves, mate, and just say it. After this bit of inner monologue, the longtail coughed nervously, before speaking again. This would stun all four of them...
"E-er... while you're here, sir," he murmured, "there's something I would like to tell you. Something I've actually been meaning to tell Carrow, Caden and Elliot before now, 's just that I could never pluck up enough courage to go through with it. I've thought long and hard about it, so don't think for a moment this is a snap decision - but all this talk I've heard from you three has helped to make up my mind. It's like this: I want to join your crew, Ladorak, sir. I want to serve aboard the HMS Agamemnon."
Cue a distinctly audible gasp from his wood mouse companion. The fur stood up on the back of Carrow's neck. Wait... what was he doing? Ferlusan had the best ships anywhere, everybeast here knew that! Was that not enough for him? Did he have... other reasons for wanting to do this? It couldn't have been more unexpected, and he was unsure what to think for a moment. Eventually though, two emotions in the maelstrom that had engulfed him came to the fore: happiness and excitement.
"Y-y-you d-do?," the rodent stammered incredulously. "Why would you want to join up with us when you know full well that Ferlusan has one of the best Navies in the world?" He stopped, unable to speak at length as his brain was still processing everything andd taking it all it. What answers did the weasel have to all these questions? It would certainly be most interesting to hear how he pawdled them.
"That's as may be," Selvis replied confidently. "It's not enough for me, though. No matter how colourful a history of shipbuilding we have, the one earea in which we've always fallen short has been our strength in numbers. As I'm sure you know, Ladorak, Ferlusan has always needed to combine its fleet with those of... other nations," he said quietly, after the slightest bit of hesitation. He didn't want to mention the R word in front of the stoat, or his friends - it was a widely-known thing that they were at war, and he didn't want to risk going into any sensitive areas.
"Anyway, Welkin has the largest Navy of all, and that really is a major draw for me, I must say. While I can't deny that I think Ferlusan's ships surpass those of any other country - no offence intended, of course - I also can't deny that I think the Agamemnon is a fine vessel indeed. So there are two factors for you, mates: the advantage that Welkin has in combat, even though it is marginal, means that we have the edge, at least in theory. And the second is that I could not pass up the opportunity I have to spend time aboard your fine craft."
He paused, before breaking out into a smile. "There is another reason, though, and it should be fairly obvious to you three," he murmured, addressing the mouse and martens now as he turned to face them. "There would be absolutely no point in not following through with this, because I know for certain that I would probably never see any of you again after you left here. I like you a lot, I have to admit that, and it would be a shame if we were to lose what we have, right? There are practical reasons, then, but also sentimental ones. So, Ladorak, I've presented my case, and now I leave it up to you."
He fell silent with another nervous cough. He had done a lot of talking in the last few minutes, and knew that his silent companions were digesting all that he had said. Carrow couldn't have spoken even if he'd wanted to, though. The mouse was feeling a little choked up at that moment, and had to fight hard to stop himself from crying. He... he wanted to join up so he could be with them? All three of them, and not just Caden and Elliot? Him, too? This was something he'd never really experienced like this before. Somehow, the mouse felt as though he was needed. His presence was... valued... by a near-complete stranger...
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Post by Ladorak on Jul 12, 2010 10:02:44 GMT -5
Ladorak went silent, listening as the long tail explained his intentions. He was surprised, but he didn't show it. His features remained unreadable for the moment, though Caden shifted visibly next to Selvis. Ladorak was going to bring something up with the weasel after he had finished, but Carrow cut in.
The stoat inwardly sighed. Carrow, you might mean well, but this is my job. he thought to himself. The youngster would need to hold his tongue in official situations like this, though for now it was alright, as they weren't on board.
"Well, I must admit this is a bit surprising. It's not often that foreigners join the Welkin Navy, though it's not unheard of either. I myself am not originally a native Welkinite, so I don't necessarily see a problem with it. But I want to clear a few things with you first son." he said, looking down at the weasel. Nowhere near up to the height of Ladorak yet, the stoat figured that the long tail would shoot up soon enough.
"As Carrow already said, your Navy is known for being in the top three largest navies in the world, and yes, I agree with you that they have the finest ships in existence" though their crews are very lacking at this point in time, he didn't add. "So you're drawn to the fact that we have a slightly larger navy and are at this point more actively employed than your own navy. That's fine, and I can understand that. However, there are some things I need to make certain of young one before you can enlist. First and foremost, as you alluded to before, Ferlusan often joins with Rosferia against Welkin. In fact, Welkin has only been allied with Ferlusan once in the last century, and that was at the very beginning of the hundred year time period known in the conflict known as the Nine Years' War. Well before our time of course, but just think, ever since then we've fought several wars with Ferlusan and have not shared common ground since the League of Augsburg."
The stoat paused here for that to sink in. Starting with the War of the Ferlusanian Succession, Welkin had fought no less than five wars with Ferlusan with varying degrees of success and failure. For one hundred years the two nations had battled each other off and on, usually with Rosferia helping Ferlusan due to their deep seated rivalry with Welkin. "This war is a tad different, as for once, Ferlusan and Welkin are actually allies...but I can't say how long that will last. Both of our nations are taking steps to ensure it does through a certain marriage I've been granted foreknowledge of, but still...I don't fully trust political efforts to keep us allies. A marriage is one thing...but sharing ideals and war goals is another. Ferlusan and Welkin don't really do that. The only nation that Welkin has more problems with than Ferlusan is of course...Rosferia...and I'm afraid I can't go into too much detail about our war plans...but let's just say they don't carefully follow Ferlusan's."
He stopped now, giving the lad a stern look, flecked with some hints of concern. "My job is to look out for the well being of my crew. I need to know two things before I can let you on. Well three things actually. The first is knowing that Ferlusan has a large navy, are you certain you wish to help a sometimes enemy and not your own country first? This would be a long step for you, as minimum requirement in our navy is six years. You wouldn't be able to leave until 1799 if you joined up now without it being considered a desertion. After 1799 is reached you may do what you like, but not until then."
"The second" he continued "is knowing that you may at some point in those six years end up fighting your very own nation. I can't guarantee that we'll be at peace with Ferlusan that entire time. I'm not saying it's likely but...just in case...would you really be prepared to fight your own country beasts if worse comes to worst?" he posed the question, rarely blinking to convey the gravity of the situation. "They might consider you a traitor after all, and not allow you to come back if that did occur. There is a chance they would permit you if this so far imaginary conflict ends, but even then your country beasts may look upon you with scorn or resentment in their eyes, depending on who the victor of this hypothetical conflict was."
"And thirdly, you must realize that ANY communication with your homeland during times of war is considered treasonous. You would not be permitted to write your family, friends or anything else for that matter if Welkin and Ferlusan do go to war. A remote possibility at this rate as I said, but it is a law that can't be broken on the off chance that does happen. Same goes for visiting your homeland if you get shore leave. You would not be permitted to do so if we are at war. In times like this, with an alliance, it is perfectly fine and permissible to both write and visit. So that automatically means my second and third concerns aren't major ones at the moment, but do be aware that if times change in those six years of your service, you may have to face what I described."
"So!" he said, in conclusion, rubbing his paws a bit and giving the lad a smile now. "Can you accept those three conditions fully? It is a commitment you intend to walk into, and I would need your assurances that you have no doubts on any of them. Keep in mind it is a six year commitment. Do you agree to my terms?" he asked, still smiling, but slightly more seriously now, though that kind look was still in his eyes.
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Post by Carrow on Jul 12, 2010 13:24:53 GMT -5
Carrow was interested in seeing how the stoat and pine marten pair reacted to this. He glanced over at Selvis again. The poor weasel was blushing furiously as Ladorak explained his concerns. It was out there now, and both mouse and weasel knew there was no going back. Selvis wouldn't - couldn't - do that to himself, of that his long-tailed field mouse companion was certain.
It was ironic that a creature like him, who was used to being the entertainer, was more than just a little uncomfortable with being the centre of attention. Caden was not the only one shifting about in a nervous manner, that much could be said. The long-tailed mustelid wasn't about to back out on his proposal. He had been planning this for quite some time, and had considered all the possibilities. Carrow didn't doubt for a second that his friend had thought this through, but he was worried it wasn't going to go down too well.
Right: what concerns did the stoat have? That whole 'Ferlusan changing its allengiances from its usual pairing with Rosferia' thing? Of course he had considered that. There would be absolutely no point in doing this in the first place if their allegiance hadn't shifted. He appreciated Ladorak filling him in on some of the less well-known details of the chequered relationship between the two nations. He had long been aware of the general gist, but knew only certain specifics.
He digested this all in silence, knowing well that this political alliance would be strained at best. It was difficult to break from tradition after all. They weren't known as allies, so it was obvious they'd have different goals, to whatever degree. I don't mind about this at all, he thought, before stopping everything again to catch the tall Captain's next words.
Was he certain he wanted to help Welkin? He was absolutely certain. He figured that since he admired the nation so, it was best for him to make the most of the alliance and try to turn things to his advantage. He smiled slightly as Ladorak addressed that point, his actions indicating to the mustelid that he wanted to go through with this, no matter certain other options that still lay open to him.
That's taken care of, he thought, his expression resolute. The second, he was prepared for as well. The prospect of fighting his own countrybeasts was remote at this point, just as the stoat was saying. He didn't mind in the slightest. At least, not right now. Things were better between Ferlusan and Welkin than they had been in years, and while that wasn't saying much, the longtail was sure he wanted to make the best of how things now stood.
He kept his thoughts on the stoat's last point to himself, his whiskers twitching a little as he listened to the Captain speak. After he had finished doing so, the weasel brought his gaze to Ladorak's, his eyes shining as he cleared his throat, preparing to speak. He knew he was running a great risk by doing this, but this was far outweighed by the benefits - the major one for him being that he could maintain his new friendships. That was the deal-breaker as far as he was concerned.
"Yes, sir: I, Selvis Frenata, hereby pledge myself to the services of the Welkin Navy for a minimum six-year term, with no doubt in my mind as regards my intentions." He nodded, flashing a quick smile at his companions. He was approaching this with the utmost seriousness, but a playful twinkle lurked within his eyes. He was going to take things as they happened. Even if the worst did indeed come to pass, and the prospect of a Welkin-Ferlusan war became a reality, he wouldn't mind at all.
"I know that relations between our two nations are on shaky ground, sir. That's the way it has been for quite a long while, and I realise that. I'm also aware of the most unusual circumstances in which we find ourselves. We have different aims, sure, but we're on the same side nonetheless. Despite our ideological differences, the fact is that, for now, we are allies, and I intend to capitalise on this situation. Besides, I can't possibly back out now. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I turned tail and just let it go, especially after coming out with that. I'm sure you understand, sir.
"Furthermore, that condition I would find myself bound to if our two nations did indeed go to war, that does not trouble me at all. As I'm sure you can imagine, there have been discussions about all aspects of my ambitions at home. Not a one ended up being a bone of contention between myself and my parents - mainly my mother, as my dad was far too busy to touch base at home. He still is... I don't see much at all of him..."
He realised that he was getting away from his point, and coughed nervously before picking up where he'd left off. "So you see, sir, I've thought long and hard about this; I've weighed up the pros and cons of such a venture; and the balance is most definitely tipped in favour of me following through with this. So, Ladorak," he said softly, looking the stoat squarely in the eyes. "If you want me... you've got me."
Carrow smiled. That sort of determination reminded him of the circumstances under which he had met Ladorak and Caden (and Elle too) at Whistleminster back in January, and it buoyed him to see such a show of confidence from his new friend. He tensed up slightly at the mention of Selvis' parents - the weasel didn't catch it - an automatic reaction to talk of that sort. The longtail wasn't to know that the wood mouse had been orphaned. He quickly snapped out of it, however, his thoughts turning to far nicer things. The mustelid had finished speaking, and the rodent couldn't help but beam at him. This was met with a wink from the weasel. He was even more chipper than usual now it seemed. Almost there... almost there...
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Post by spender on Jul 13, 2010 2:29:05 GMT -5
Spender turned his head away. Stupid Ralph, staring at him like some dead fish.
A mustelid is not the best-smelling creature at the best of times. They tend to only smell tolerable towards other mustelids. But a wet mustelid, now, that is something else. The water cleans all the old musk away and saturates the pores. Scents get rubbed around, some lost, while the skin produces more oils to keep the fur lustrous.*
Spender didn't know what it was, but something smelled... well... nice. It was all over in his fur. Was it seawater? And how come he didn't have Peskers' scent all over him from that scuffle? Come to think, what was Peskers' scent? Something about the other ferret just riled him up so much his glands worked overtime to assert his dominance, and he just ended up smelling 110% More Spender afterward.
He rolled over and sat up, dripping. He avoided the leers and jeers of the sailors around the dock, and clung to the wood with all four paws, then shook himself. It would have been tolerable if not for these stupid slops!
Hold on... didn't the Master-at-Arms say he wasn't on duty? Well, why in 'Gates was he still wearing this awful outfit? It was tight and uncomfortable at the best of times. With wet fur and wet cloth constricting things further, it was downright torturous.
He rolled over and kicked the trousers off. There! Freedom! Such sweet freedom... He slung them over his shoulder and began heading back to the ship--back to his civilian clothes!
He was still very sour about the entire affair. He'd lost his chocolate, lost Ixtapa, and now he was soaking wet and--hold on, hold on, where was it...
He shook his trousers. No jingle. He checked his shirt. No jingle.
"AwwwwwwWWWWAAAHHHH!" he cried, throwing his trousers in such a rage they floated into the ocean. He immediately scrambled for them and hauled them back. Angry as he was, he wasn't going to get in trouble for losing them again!**
"My money!" he roared, stomping back down the dock towards Peskers. "Y'stupid--"
A rough paw grabbed his shoulder. "Ey, now, remember? Stay away."
"Fine!" Spender twisted out of the sailor's grip. "I'm just goin' t'get my money back... pound it outta..."
The sailor's eyes narrowed. Spender sniveled. His eyes welled up. "Dwuaaah, boohoo, I lost it all!" He hiccuped. "It's in the water, it must be..."
Tying his trousers around his neck, he fell to all fours again and peered into the depths where he and Peskers had fought, searching for any glimmer of coin.
"I'll dive in if I have to!"
* Maybe. I mean, I didn't really do research on this. I'm making it up!
** He still claims he didn't know how they got inside the canon, but holds fast to the belief that it wasn't his fault.
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Post by Ladorak on Jul 13, 2010 12:03:10 GMT -5
"Then...Selvis Frenata was it? You are hereby enlisted in the Welkinite Royal Navy. This service will last for six years, after which point you are free to take your own path. Continue your service or leave, that choice will be yours. We'll get you set up with a Lieutenant once you get aboard. Now I recommend at some point today getting yourself down to the Agamemnon and getting your slops and hammock. It'll come out of your first pay, which is actually today, so you'll have to wait a month before next pay, but you won't have to worry about food or living expenses for a month at least."
The stoat explained all of this smoothly, making sure the lad understood it all. "Congratulations on your decision, and welcome aboard." the stoat said, taking his paw and shaking it. "Happy to have you Seajack Selvis. Seajacks Caden, Carrow and Elliot here I'm sure would be more than happy to stick with you. I'll try and get you on the same gun crew as well. As a matter of fact..." he inspected the biceps and triceps of the stripling, sizing him up. "I'd saw a pawspiker might be just the job for you on the gun crew. I'll put in the recommendation to the Gunner as soon as I get back!" he exclaimed, knowing he would have to head back soon to see how Molly was fairing with her new "present."
"Any last questions you have before we temporarily go our separate ways lad?" he asked, giving him a smile now.
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Peskers lay there, watching as Spender got up and...and...oh cat on a hot tin roof! A REALLY hot tin roof! He took off his pants right in front of her! Now this wasn't completely illegal in most countries. In fact you found some who still did it...it was just uncommon, in case certain...things happened. It was walking around whilst feeling a bit "giddy" that was illegal, so hence most beasts simply wore pants to avoid that just in case.
But...ho...my...gawd! Peskers had to prevent herself from giving him a whistle...or maybe an outright shout of glee, a holler of joy, a howl of contentment. She smiled as she got an absolutely perfect view of his rump, and propped her head up with her paw to enjoy the show of this cute ferret strutting first one way then the next...pantless. Picture perfect...and her day was just getting a whole lot better.
She watched him walk by her, this time his front side showing, and she was considerably lost to the world with a dreamy look about her face. She was going to turn to watch him some more, but pain in her flank reminded her she should probably try and stand back up. Ow...if only Spender would do this more often...it might take her mind off of the growing bruise she found spreading on her side like spilled milk.
Her face creased in pain as she pushed herself onto her knees and then...owwww! She'd be feeling this for a few days, she thought glumly as she morbidly got to a sort of crouched/standing position. She winced. And then...the noise, noise...NOISE! Spender was whining...and it cut her right to her core. Gnashing her teeth, a storm cloud look crossing over her face, the ferret stood up, glaring at him as he strutted back with his trousers around his neck.
His money? Hadn't he spent it all in the shop? She had seen him dish out almost his entire earnings if not the whole kaboodle when he'd purchased that chocolate...chocolate that Ixtapa had made off with. "Shut up!" she cried, plugging her ears. "That noise is SO annoying and ridiculous! You didn't lose your money you idiot! You spent it all!" she had been just about to reach into her pockets and toss him HER earnings to get him to clam up when she had remembered it wasn't in fact lost. "You bought chocolate, remember you idiot? Chocolate which Ixtapa later took away from you because she was no GOOD. Just like I TOLD you BEFORE this. You shouldn't have hung around her! She stole from you and now she's gone!" the ferret huffed, pointing angrily back to the city but keeping her distance as the sailors were still around, not moving much due to the commotion.
"Don't dive in there because you won't find any of your money! It's in the chocolate shop where you spent it because you chose to hang around that stupid zorilla trash! I told you not to do that!" gawd he was so frustrating! Could she ever really have a relationship with this idiot? Even if he did...(she quickly glanced down at his lowerside before back up again) look rather good. "So don't whine about something you did stupid! Here!" she reached into her pocket, and several sailors made towards her.
"I'm JUST...getting some shillings out." she said sharply, and they immediately stopped. Taking the last of her shillings, ten of them, out of her pocket, she set them down on the dock, throwing in her ninepence as well as she started to back away. "There...see? That's half a pound right there from MY earnings. I still have a pound left...but I am NOT helping you anymore after this. You have to...have to be less stupid!" was the best she could come up with as she spat the words out.
"Now take it and go! Loser" she muttered under her breath, but felt as if she would retch as she turned away from him. She started walking towards the end of the dock, back towards town, her eyes misting up again, partly due to the jabbing pain in her side and partly due to the fact that she hated herself for yelling at him like that. But she couldn't...she couldn't reveal anything in front of those sailors.
Her paws clomping on the wood, she barreled ahead, running faster and faster until it felt as if her neck would snap. But she didn't stop...not until she reached the end at least. Shooting around the corner of the seawall, she sank down to the street, her back sliding against the smooth stone and her snout buried in her arms. Her body was wracked with shudders as she began sobbing. Stupid furo...now he'd gone and made her cry.
She would be fine...she just needed to give herself a few minutes...alone. Without seeing Spender and his no pants.
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Post by Carrow on Jul 13, 2010 16:14:59 GMT -5
Upon hearing the good stoat's announcement, Selvis felt a great wave of joy swell within him. He could have leaped. He could have somersaulted. He even could have broken the taboo on the practice and done the weasel war dance! He was absolutely ecstatic, as could be seeing by his trembling form. He stood beaming at his three companions, lightning bolts of energy shooting up his spine as he wore a smile that would have put a Cheshire cat to shame.
It had all happened so fast, and the longtail was struggling to come to terms with the swiftness of this turn of events, but he didn't mind at all. They still had a while before he stepped aboard, and it could sink in over time. At that moment he was just glad he could continue being with Elliot, Caden and Carrow. They made for an unusual team: three mustelids and a rodent. Whoever saw such an unlikely circle of friends, he thought, eyes shining.
He brought his gaze to Ladorak's again, stammering ever so slightly, feeling a little taken aback himself. "C-coming in loud and clear, sir!" He couldn't help but be polite, despite the informal nature of the unlikely meeting with Ladorak. "I'm glad to be of service. I'm quite the adventurous creature at times, and I know that the time aboard your ship will be thrilling for me - even though I know there's lots of day-to-day activities involved too.
"I don't mind that at all. In fact, I know full well that it'll be the little things that hold everything together, and I'll be willing and able to lend a paw when I can. Thanks again, sir, and I look forward to at least six years in the company of all you good creatures. I just hope I don't, well, ruffle any coats on board with my decision. I realise that some of the crew may not view me in the most favourable light. I know there's a lot of history between our two nations, but I'm certainly willing to look past that."
He smiled at the stoat. "And that's all I have to say...," he murmured, his face flushed again as he fell silent, turning back to his new friends, slight tears of joy visible in his eyes. It was then he remembered that it was best to let the stoat have the final word in their conversation. "Thank you for the recommendation on the position, too. You look like you've got places to go, sir - I'm not surprised either, but before you do, d'you want to say anything else?," he queried, standing with his friends, facing the rusty-furred Captain.
Carrow held his tongue. He had a lot he wanted to discuss with Selvis, but he figured it could wait until later. He saw from the pleased but pensive expression - much like the one he himself had worn at times - that there was a lot on the mustelid's mind at that moment. He didn't blame him. He'd just bide his time and wait at least until after Ladorak had departed before speaking up. He wondered how Caden was pawdling this development. He'd said nothing for a few minutes by this time, and his face was giving absolutely nothing away.
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