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Post by Ladorak on Sept 25, 2011 13:27:39 GMT -5
"Ahhh well... I'm still getting used to it. It's a LOT of authority after all... though strangely enough, I found out that the Master's mates actually make more than I do... probably because becoming a Master is a bit of a dead end, simply because you can't go any higher once you reach that rank." the albino explained. "Heh... kinda makes me wish I earned their pay BUT... I'll be higher ranked once I reach Lieutenant, so I guess it balances out." he said, shrugging.
"Truth be told though... I've gotta learn to exert my authority. It's a little tough getting used to it. As you can imagine... and as you're right, I do only have to answer to the Lieutenants and the Captain, now. Heheh... so yes. It's... a lot to take in." he said, smiling.
"Ah... the cockpit? Well.... funny you should ask." He said, waiting for Selvis to approach them. "It's very roomy. It's large and there are NO guns, which means we can stretch out a lot. However, it's darker too, because it's below the waterline, and since it's right above the hold... it can get to smelling from the bilge." the albino elaborated. "Which is kind of nasty during meal times, because we have to eat in there, BUT... it's a lot more private than being out on the gun deck... so if one is looking for privacy, one can definitely find it down there."
He paused now, as Selvis was approaching them. Caden knew he should put his paw down, and tell the weasel he really shouldn't be lounging around on duty, but he also had a softer spot for his friends, and decided to find a balance. "Well... don't worry. Less than an hour and we'll be off duty." he said, giving the weasel a smile.
He stiffened up a little as the weasel went to whisper in his ear. THAT... wasn't protocol... or was it? Caden felt a little uneasy, as he knew the others were watching him, and he would have preferred if Selvis had approached him off duty, but as it was, this was where things stood. "Uhhh... sure, mate." he said, nodding, and giving him a serious look. "Just come up to me once the 2nd Dog Watch starts, and we'll talk then." he said, clapping the weasel on the back.
"Heh... no real preparation needed... we just have to get the weapons out, and start cleaning and scouring them" He began heading aft now, and stopped when he saw the Third Lieutenant. "Oh! Sir!' he said, saluting him. "I uh... wanted to ask if you had any plans for my subdivision during the First Watch. If not, I could always ask the Captain when it starts."
"Ahh yes... right." the Lieutenant said, scratching his jaw. He was a tayra, and thus resembled Caden in a way, though he was an omnivore, unlike the marten. "Actually, the shots will need to be cleaned and greased. Why don't you make yourselves busy down in the shot locker tonight?" he asked. The albino nodded, and saluted again.
"Yes, sir! Will do! Alright everyone, let's go!" he waved them on, and stopped as they came to the marine sentries outside the canvas partition. "Midshipjack Caden Fugate, passing through with subdivision to clean and scour the small arms." The marines came to attention, and allowed them passage as they continued heading aft.
Past the rows of cabins, and toward the stern of the ship they walked. The weapons chests were gathered all around the tiller, which was currently idle as the ship was not moving. Bending down to begin unlocking the boxes, the marten went from first one to the other, popping them open with clicks, and opening up a chest that contained vinegar bottles (for scouring off the rust) and cloths.
"Alright, take an armful of swords, poleaxes, pikes, tomahawks, paw grenades, or bayonets, and start wiping them down with the rags." This would serve to keep the salty air off of them, and keep them dry. "If you see any rust, grab a bottle of vinegar, and start scouring." he ordered. They had all done this task before, but this time, the albino would be supervising them. A Corporal had wandered in as well, as he was needed to keep charge of security, the Master at Arms having instructed him to do so.
Caden stood back a bit, clasping his paws behind his back, and watched as his subdivision hopped to work.
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The Gunner nodded at Warwick's effort, but flinched a little when his first try failed completely. "Alright... then you yell out HOME to indicate the Sponger has done his job." he instructed. "Don't tell me, tell your crew. They're the ones waiting to hear if they did their job correctly or not." he pointed over at them. "Remember, I'm going to be down in the filling room during combat... I won't be here, so you'll be supervising." he reminded the stoat.
"Now then... SHOT AND WAD YOUR GUN!" he shouted, and the Loader took a shot, rolled it down the barrel, kept his paw over the mouth of it while he retrieved a wad from his Assistant Loader, and stuffed that on top of the shot. The Sponger then rammed both of them down, giving it two or three good pushes before he stepped back and pawed his rammer off to his Assistant Sponger.
"PRIME!" the Gunner called, and looked over at Warwick, pawing him the powder horn. "Alright... you know what to do next, or do you need instructions?" he asked, shifting his weight a little so that more of it was on his left leg now. This was the part where the gun was made "live" so to speak, and ready for firing. The Gun Captains would all be picking up their powder horns when clear for action was sounded, but for training, the Gunner distributed them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ((we don't have to play out the amputation if you don't want, Spender. Can just end it here if you want.))
Kasal sniffed and then grimaced as he saw the state the foot was in. "Ugh... you have gangrene... I'll have to remove your paw." the marten said, scrunching his face up. "We'll be doing that here... and you should've come to me sooner. You're going to have to be discharged now... meaning you'll be useless to everyone." he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Here... move over to the table, and we'll get that off." he said, opening up a drawer, and going right for the knife and bone saw...
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Post by Carrow on Sept 25, 2011 17:52:32 GMT -5
Carrow nodded as he listened to Caden tell him about life as a Midshipjack. He noticed the marten was talking like it was a question of 'when' and not 'if' he'd reach Lieutenant. He wished he could say he was as confident about even making Quartermaster's Mate. "Swings'n'roundabouts, I suppose you could say," he replied softly. "You seem to be pawdling your new duties well enough in any case, so well done on that. It must come with quite the amount of responsibility!"
The mouse's eyes shone slightly as his pine marten companion admitted that he needed to start exerting his authority. "I'm sure you'll get fully adjusted to things sooner rather than later. Ladorak promoted you in the first place because he thought you were ready, and he's an extremely good judge of his own crewbeasts, so I have no doubt you'll do just fine."
He listened to his friend as he was told about the cockpit, another area of the ship that he hadn't yet seen. There was another example of 'swings and roundabouts', as far as he was concerned. The extra space was offset slightly by the smell and the fact that the cockpit was darker than the most other places on the ship. He nodded again, realising Caden probably valued his privacy as much as the next creature.
Selvis blushed a little as Caden responded to him. He was slightly embarrassed to admit that even simple tasks like being the Mess Cook for his table were taking it out of him, but since he had been losing roughly half of his usual sleep for the last week or so, the lost hours could definitely add up, and while he was in a lot better shape these days, he was still being held back somewhat by his sleeping issues. He was closer to 100% than he had been in a while, but not there yet.
In much the same way, the weasel would rather not have had to ask Caden for a private word in this manner, as it were, but he'd needed to get that out of the way before anything else could happen, because he felt much better now he knew he'd be able to get those things off his chest. He'd kept silent about them until now only because he hadn't been able to find a way to bring them out into the open, but he'd been offered a chance and was going to take it as soon as possible.
He appreciated the marten's kindness and the friendly pat on the back, nodding as he told him when they could talk together. He didn't like the situation he was in but knew he just needed a push in the right direction. This didn't change the fact that he was still tired, but he was going to put everything he could into the upcoming task. Caden was right, after all; there wasn't too much longer to go until they had some leisure time... and he could visit the Purser. He'd need to do that before anything else.
The longtail nodded when told what needed to be done, and so too did Carrow, but the mouse, who was remembering what was required, coughed a little, almost out of habit, They'd need to be working with vinegar, and the rodent's sensitive nose didn't pawdle the stuff too well. Selvis was more accustomed to it than his companion, and it seemed the weasel was actually looking forward to the job. He liked being of use after all. They headed to the gun room, Carrow smiling a little to himself as they walked. there was something about this section of the ship that he really liked, though wasn't sure what it was.
Watching as his marten Midshipjack friend opened first the weapons chests, and then the one that contained the cleaning utensils, both mouse and weasel waited until they were given orders and then got straight to work. Carrow went to the swords first, then sighed a little as he took out an armful of the weapons only to discover that the majority of them were rusty. He'd need to use a lot of vinegar for this, but would just have to deal with it as best he could.
He opened the bottle he'd taken and coughed again, before dipping the rag into it and starting to scour the swords. "I've never been too good with vinegar, sir," he told Caden, "but well, one must do what's required of them." He decided to change the subject to keep his mind off his aversion to the sharp smell of the liquid. "While we're here, what would you say you liked the most about Genoa? I'm having trouble choosing, myself - it was altogether a very successful time there, I think."
Selvis hadn't come off as badly as Carrow in his choices. He'd gone for some bayonets to start with, but before he took some out, he stretched a little, wanting to make sure he wouldn't have to pawdle any discomfort during the task. Selvis's back had largely ceased to trouble him, but he took precautions all the same. He began wiping down the weapons with the rags, noting, with a smile, that all they needed was a going-over and not a scouring.
He couldn't immediately answer Carrow's question, as that had been an awkward time for him. There had been some very good things about it, of course, but he'd been concentrating more on learning to walk properly again than other things. It hadn't been purely about fun and exploration for him - he'd tripped and stumbled quite a number of times before he'd found his feet again, but hadn't let it get him down. If anything, he'd actively fought against becoming upset, because he knew his friends hated to see him that way and he could just focus on the positives instead. He listened out for Caden's response while giving more thought to his own reply.
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Post by Ladorak on Sept 26, 2011 16:55:46 GMT -5
Ladorak turned to his First Lieutenant, nodding at the ship's wheel. "You have command for the moment, Jal Quilliam. I'm just going to be browsing the charts for a moment or two." he ordered.
Turning, the Captain strode past the marine sentries and into the Master's work cabin, which was on his right, on the larboard side of the ship. The Master's cabin was down below, on the upper gun deck, across from the First Lieutenant's cabin, but his working cabin was here, on the quarterdeck.
The cabin was empty, as the Master was off duty, and probably below in his sleeping cabin. His pawsteps echoed in the confined space as he moved around to the other side of the table, scanning the wall shelves for the right chart. Finding what he was looking for, the stoat first pulled out one, and then another, rolling the first out onto the table.
His paw batted the rolled parchment, getting it to stretch out to its full length before he placed a sextant down on one corner of it to keep it from snapping back the way it had come. He left the other chart where it was, rolled up on its end for now. He was looking down at a map of the Continent, which also included the Mediterranean and the Near East, or what was mostly the Ottoman Empire. He took a compass from the table's drawer, and set it out to measure a certain distance, and began plotting routes. Making the compass "walk", he moved it from Muggidrear, circling that with a pencil, over to a location in Rosferia, which he also circled. He then continued "walking" the compass out into the Mediterranean, and circled their rough location off Toulon.
"OK..." He murmured. "Now then... time to see just where we might find this..." a look of hard concentration broke out on his features now as he began studying the Ottoman Empire. "They own most of the Arabian Peninsula... except Oman." He tapped the country with his claw. "They're independent. The Empty Quarter is... here." he circled an expanse of land on the southern portion of the peninsula, and bit his lip.
"Now then..." he next unrolled the second map, being almost strictly made up of the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula. "Mostly the desert out there... but..." he traced his claw over the region, randomly moving about, and trying to lock down a spot. "Hmmm... what I wouldn't give for some free time at the moment." he muttered. His adventuring spirit was taking hold of him again, and he was feeling restless. He wanted to do things, and get things accomplished. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he sighed. How best to approach this? Where to start?
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Caden heard Carrow's complaint about the vinegar. "Well that can be solved easily enough." he said, nodding over at Selvis. "Switch places with Selvis. Selvis will pawdle all the scouring, and you'll be in charge of wiping them down." he ordered. It was an easy enough fix, and he wanted to cut Carrow a bit of a break, as the mouse's Birthday was right around this time, and he could probably do with some scaling back.
"Oh yes... forgot this little fact. I suppose the reason that the Master's mates get a higher rate of pay is because they're technically ranked higher than us Midshipjacks." Caden explained, sticking his tongue out a little. "I'm still trying to figure that one out... but seeing as how a typical ship only has about three of them, and they generally have way more experience than a Midshipjack does, what from usually being from a merchant ship beforepaw, I guess that makes sense. They can also test to be Lieutenants too, and they're generally directly assisting the officer of the watch." he had forgotten that little fact, and so he still technically had to salute and answer to the Master's mates, and probably technically the Master as well, seeing as how he was the chief warrant officer on the ship.
"Hmmm... what did I like best about Genoa?" he asked, scratching his side. "Well... I guess I like how each Calgarian city seems to be different. They have a lot of different cultures there, and the republic is no exception. Lot of history too, especially in their competition with Venice. We were only there a few days if I recall, a week at the most. It was interesting enough to see it, and now I can say I've been there as well. What did you like best about it?" he asked, deciding to walk over and sit on the tiller. As the wheel was most likely tied down, the tiller wouldn't be moving anytime soon. His tail dangled down behind him as he sat on the narrow "bench" that comprised the tiller.
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Post by Carrow on Sept 27, 2011 10:09:36 GMT -5
Carrow coughed several more times before responding to Caden's suggestion, smiling at his pine marten friend. "Thank you, sir," he said softly once he felt he was able to do so. "I'd much rather not be coughing every five seconds if it's all the same to you. Besides, I need to concentrate on the work."This was not in fact that much of an issue at the present time, but the last time the mouse had scoured the small arms, he'd ended up in quite a state.
Vinegar and sensitive rodent noses didn't mix. This was one thing Carrow didn't like about having an excellent sense of smell - if any scent was too intense for him he was usually left unable to pawdle it. Selvis was much better equipped to deal with the vinegar's pungency, and smiled also as his mouse companion passed him the vinegar bottle. He knew Carrow was still trying to do his best, but it just wouldn't do for him to be constantly distracted in that manner.
As Selvis began his new task of scouring the swords, he listened to as Caden told them about what he had forgotten. "That makes perfect sense. Experience gives some creatures the edge over others, after all. Last I heard, though, a Midshipjack's pay isn't all that bad." He chuckled, winking at his superior officer, knowing full well Caden wasn't complaining, just pointing something out. Something about the mention of merchant ships sparked something in the longtail's mind.
"Merchant ships, sir? Have you heard much about what it's like to be aboard one of those?," he asked curiously, in between scouring the swords. He put a lot of effort into the work and almost looked like he was attacking the objects with his wipe. "I know my Dad worked with one for a number of years, but he didn't write home very much, and didn't say a lot about life at sea in the last letter he sent to me a few months ago. I know they couldn't possible compare to a vessel like this, but I'd like it if you could tell me something about them."
He busied himself with his work, keeping an ear out for Caden's response to Carrow's question, his tail swishing happily behind him. He liked this. Working amongst friends at something he could do and do well, not to mention being able to converse with them at the same time - these were both things he enjoyed. Small things, yes, but the longtail had found out that the small things could often end up meaning the most, even if one had never really attached much importance to them before.
Carrow, meanwhile, was wiping down the bayonets and already thinking of what Livorno would be like. "A lot of places in Calgary seem to have a rich history, yes - it's quite surprising what one can find without so much as going and looking for it, even in a place like Genoa. I liked learning about its competition with Venice, and some of the sights were absolutely breathtaking as well. I really enjoyed visiting the St. Lawrence Cathedral - I don't have very many things to say about churches at the best of times, but that was quite a sight!," he exclaimed, chuckling, placing a few cleaned bayonets aside.
"We went down the S... Strada Nuova - or at least I think that's how you pronounce it," he quipped, smiling as he continued with his work. "I would have liked to see the inside of a few more of those palaces, but even from the outside they looked rather impressive. Also, did you notice just how many parks there were? I enjoyed seeing all that green space in a city; it wasn't really like anything I'd seen before. Oh, and this is well worth a mention too - I enjoyed tasting some of that Calgarian ice-cream, of course!"
Selvis, who was almost done with the swords, grinned. Carrow was developing quite a sweet tooth, it seemed. "Ah, I was wondering when you'd get to that, mate, heheh. I rather enjoyed that as well, but then again, I would - I've always had a weakness for ice-cream, I'll hold my paws up and admit that! Genoa was great - I knew it would be as soon as we stepped off the ship and I saw the VIEW! It's the kind of place that looks nice even before you begin to explore it. Makes me wonder what other places in Calgary are like... though Livorno and Florence set the bar pretty high," he added, still smiling.
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Post by Ladorak on Sept 27, 2011 16:39:50 GMT -5
Ladorak was squinting at the map as he studied the vast expanse of desert and mountains on the peninsula. It could be anywhere in there... and possibly off the coast, as well! But that was a long voyage... around the Cape of Good Hope, which was treacherous at the best of times.
Still biting his lip, he decided it was useless to try and figure this out right now. He needed more time to gather more clues, and collect his thoughts. He'd hope to sail into the Indian Ocean someday, but for now, he was content with the Mediterranean.
Pushing the chair out from behind him, he prepared to replace the charts and then head below, as he wanted to see what his crew was up to.
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"Oh I know that." He said, waving his paw with a smile at the mention of his pay. Yes... it was considerably higher than he'd made as a Seajack, though Master's mates still made more than he did. "Heh... aboard a merchant ship?" the albino asked the weasel, shaking his head. "No... I wouldn't, though... I've heard plenty on that. It's a more comfortable existence, as it's less rigid, but to be frank, I'm perfectly fine with my hammock. I think crewing a three decker would be stupendous, as you'd have a lot of room, but I'm fine with what I've got. The pay is good on them, though the real lure of the Navy is the prize money whenever you take an enemy ship. Speaking of which... we should be getting ours in another month or two." he said, his eyes shining a bit at the thought.
"But it's an easier existence I suppose... and profitable. Does your father still work the Merchant Marine?" he asked. Caden knew it to be a fact that the skilled sailors in Ferlusan were all in the Merchant Marine, and that was primarily why their Navy was crewed by sub-par seajacks, as they were mostly all landsbeasts with no experience. Ferlusan relied on imports for a good part of its economy, from spices in the Caribbean to gold and silver from the New World, and thus needed a competent Merchant Marine.
"Ah, right! Had almost forgotten about the cathedral!" he exclaimed, eyes lighting up at the mouse's mention of it. "I've been making it a point to see the famous Calgarian cathedrals in the towns we visit. I personally thought that the Duomo in Florence was just... incredible. A building can be THAT big... and the architecture... but yes, Genoa's was nice too, and not nearly as... bombastic." the marten commented, unsure how to describe the Duomo other than that.
"Ahhh yes... all those palaces on one street." he said, with another nod. "Quite the sight... and an amazing Piazza too. The Ferrari I believe it was called. I enjoy the "town squares" of medieval towns... reminds me of home." he said, trailing off a little, as he was referring to the Imperium, and not actually Muggidrear. Though of course, his home was also brutal as well, and he was glad he was no longer in that dark place. Muggidrear would suit his needs as it was, and so too would the ship.
"Did any of you get out to La Lanterna? The lighthouse..." he trailed off again as a figure approached them now, and he hopped off the tiller immediately, coming to attention. "Captain Fugate, sir!"
"At ease." the Captain said, waving it off to prevent the others from rising. "I'm just making my rounds, and figured I'd check in with some of my striplings." He stood over them with his paws behind his back, looking around at the seated assemblage.
"Ah, we're doing alright, sir. Just busy scouring and cleaning away!" the albino told him enthusiastically.
"Heheh... of course you are, and... how about the rest of you?" he asked. He made it a point to check in with the crew members he felt might be going through a rough time every so often, and it was no secret that the long tailed weasel in this bunch had flagged Ladorak's attention. He scanned the gathered crew, only one of his eyes seeing them, though you couldn't tell it from how well his right eye looked.
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Post by Carrow on Sept 28, 2011 12:26:19 GMT -5
Selvis smiled as he heard his companion refer to life aboard a merchant ship as 'a less rigid existence'. He dismissed this notion with a wave of his paw. "Heh, I wasn't aware life aboard the Agamemnon was rigid, sir," he responded mischievously. "I'm perfectly comfortable with what I have - I'm certainly accustomed to this way of life at this stage, and I wouldn't swap it for anything else.
"The prize money is a great incentive, though, like you said. And really?!," he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling also as Caden mentioned that they should be getting theirs soon. "I had been wondering about when we were going to receive that, actually. A month or two, did you say? So that's relatively close to Christmas time. Perfect timing, if you ask me," he commented, chuckling. "It'll mean we all have more to spend on presents this year, and while I can't think of what I might like to get for my friends just yet, I'm quite certain I'll have a better idea by December, there or thereabouts."
The longtail was still smiling as Caden asked him if his father was involved with the Merchant Marine. "He was, at least, and he might go back. In all honesty I'm not sure whether he plans to go back out to sea or not, but he spent six years working with them - if he lasted that long then he must be a far better sailor than those who make up our Navy," he remarked. "I'm going to have to ask him how it was, actually - it's always good to get some first-paw accounts!"
Carrow couldn't help but smirk as he heard how Caden described the Florentine cathedral. It had absolutely staggered the mouse and he'd struggled to take it all in, so the St. Lawrence Cathedral had been a welcome change. "It was certainly a lot easier to pawdle for me - the Duomo in Florence... I'd never seen anything like it before, and it was almost completely overwhelming. If you asked me to choose which one I enjoyed seeing more, I'd say Genoa's, for the simple fact that I didn't have as much difficulty taking everything in."
The mouse realised that Caden was in fact making reference to the Imperium when he talked of 'home'. His dark past, much like the mouse's, could be dealt with, and indeed, both companions had done so, but it couldn't be forgotten. He smiled as the pine marten mention La Lanterna, about to ell him how he had in fact made it out there, but as Caden trailed off again, he looked up from what he was doing to see Ladorak Fugate approaching them. He made as if to rise and salute.
The mouse couldn't help but notice that Selvis was a little slower to respond. The weasel was making the most of the time he could use to sit down and rest a little, as he was engaged in passive work, and looked to be relaxed at this stage. As it happened, though, they were waved off, so the tired weasel could remain seated, and so too could Carrow. The longtail's mind was firing on all cylinders, however, and he realised that when Ladorak asked him how he was feeling, the stoat most likely didn't just mean how he was feeling now.
Coughing slightly as the vinegar caught in his throat, he cleared it, deciding to be honest with his Captain - not much escaped his notice in any case even without his right eye. "I'm doing a lot better than I used to, sir - I've had difficulties recently enough but I've managed to overcome them, thank you. At the moment I feel a little tired, but that's because I haven't been sleeping too well over the last week or so, and it's starting to catch up to me. Don't worry though, sir - I'll be alright soon."
He gave the tall mustelid a smile, wondering if he should in fact enlist Carrow's help too - maybe a small induction later tonight to give him peace for a while. He had been induced by the mouse before, and it was better to try and nip the problem in the bud than give it a chance to really take hold. Unlike what he was planning with Caden, however, he was going to play it safe and be selective in what he told his rodent companion.
Carrow met the stoat Captain's gaze, flashing him a smile. "I'm quite good, thank'ee, sir; looking forward to our leisure time in a short while, of course! For a number of reasons, in fact. Selvis and I were just discussing things with Midshipjack Fugate here. All three of us really enjoyed Genoa, and I have no doubt we're all looking forward to getting back to Livorno. How are you this evening, sir?," he asked politely.
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Post by Ladorak on Sept 29, 2011 11:01:17 GMT -5
The marten had of course chuckled when Selvis mentioned they'd all have a little more to spend this Christmas. He decided now to address that, because the Captain was being a little less formal with things. "A little... why Seajack Frenata... I think you don't give yourself enough credit!" he exclaimed. "Just think of it this way! If the Agamemnon cost 28,576 pounds to build, we'd have to assume the Northumberland cost about the same, and probably a bit more, being a 74, whereas we're only a 64. So just using OUR figures... that's about 57 pounds per crewbeast... more like 60 probably if you look at the Rosferian vessel's larger size."
57-60 pounds per crewbeast... now THAT would go a long way. By today's standards, that was roughly 4,500-4,700 extra pounds in the pockets of the crew. A nice little "bonus" to their usual pay, one might say. Of course, Caden would get a slightly larger share, being an officer, and Ladorak normally would get the largest share of all, but since he'd been in disguise and rated as an "ordinary" seajack, he'd not be getting a pence more than anyone else. It was questionable if he'd even get anything in fact, once the Admiralty realized his little switching act.
"That's right." the Captain said, nodding, and giving his crew a smile. "Prize money will ALWAYS put a pretty penny in your pocket... and then some." he said, winking with this "bad" eye.
"I think I heard you talking about the Duomo in Florence, were you?" he asked now, looking at Carrow. "Well... truth be told, I'm hoping to wed Molly there when we return, hopefully around the holidays."
"REALLY? You're getting married at the Duomo?" Caden asked, eyes going wide. "Is it... really gonna happen then?" he asked, shuffling his paws a little, as he knew Ladorak had walked this road before.
"Hopefully... if things play out right. I can really only hope, anyway. Molly is... the love of my life." the stoat said, pausing as he tried to think of how best to describe her. "I've never met a jill who I admired more than she. And I am hoping that things will work out between us... if I have to put it off another half a year or so... then I have to put it off." he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I just do what I can."
The stoat shifted his eyes from the weasel to the mouse. The other crew chimed in as well, and most were doing fine by the standards. "Well... I'm doing fine. Happy to be at sea, even if we are hove to." the stoat responded to Carrow, rolling his eyes. "It's better at least to be on the ship. I'm trying to enjoy what time we have before we'll be forced into port with the winter weather."
He turned his attention back to Selvis now, his eyes meeting those of the long tailed weasel. "You should get some sleep at the start of the 2nd Dog Watch if you're tired. You'll be needed for the First Watch after all, and getting two hours of sleep before work would be recommended. Only getting four tonight as is. You can't sling your hammock till 8 PM, but that shouldn't stop you from curling up in between the guns." he pointed out to the seajack.
"I was thinking of doing the same." the marten added. "Heh... might finally ask Carrow to test out his talent on me... provided of course he promises to wake me for the start of the First Watch." the albino commented, cracking a smile.
"Hm... yes. Might be a good way to drift off." the stoat commented, not letting on to more than that. "I think we're all looking forward to Livorno... and Florence." the stoat added, nodding.
"Oh, sir, the Third Lieutenant suggested we clean the shots tonight for the First Watch... that acceptable to you?" Caden asked, remembering his instructions.
"That's more than fine." the Captain confirmed, nodding. "It'll be a good activity, and keep you busy."
"I'll try to make it fun." the albino said, smiling at his subdivision. "And speaking of fun... what's everyone's plans for the upcoming leisure?"
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Ocean was finished sewing up the sail, and the Sailmaker was going around, nodding in thought as he looked over the mending work. "OK... good. Now let's get this up on the deck so that it airs out." The sail locker was not entirely waterproof after all, and it could get damp down below decks, especially in the hold. Sails needed to be aired every few days if they weren't in use.
"Aye, sir." Ocean said, saluting and starting to fold it up with the rest of his subdivision. End over end the sail was folded, becoming neat and pressed, and the Sailmaker led the way, heading for the aft companionway.
Ocean hefted it up with the rest of his crewmates, and they began following in the wake of the Sailmaker. Ocean hoped he could head down to the lower gun deck and find something to do for the remainder of the watch, as he wanted to retrieve his clothes and start his laundry as soon as the 2nd Dog Watch started.
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Post by Carrow on Sept 29, 2011 18:11:23 GMT -5
Selvis was left completely speechless by Caden's revelations about the prize money. He hadn't been expecting even half that much, and he found himself trembling a little as he tried to take in the news. He was having difficulty wrapping his tail around that particular piece of information, and it showed in his voice. He rubbed the back of his neck in a sheepish manner, carefully weighing up his words before responding to the marten Midshipjack.
"60 pounds?," he repeated, sticking a paw into his ear and waggling it about a little. "Did I hear that right, sir? That's... more money than I could possibly know what to do with. Wow..." The longtail was completely awestruck. Such a sum of money was not to be sniffed at. He could afford to spend more of that money on his companions come Christmas time as well, something he was quite pleased about. They all deserved nice presents of course, and if this meant he could go the extra mile in choosing them, well, so be it.
Carrow's hearing was definitely not playing tricks on him, however. The mouse's large ears had no difficulty picking up Caden's voice, though he had to take a moment to digest the information, as it was almost like a dream come true to him. "Cor. I'm in the same boat as Selvis, sir - can't possibly imagine what I could do with money like that! Of course I'll be able to afford pretty much whatever Christmas gifts come to mind... but maybe I should also think of home as well. Archie would appreciate a helping paw, after all."
What the rodent did not know was that Archie had decided to take a holiday and leave Pastreus Lepora in charge of her parlour. In fact, as Carrow thought of his guardian, the weasel was making final preparations for her trip. She was due to leave for the continent in a few weeks' time, and her itinerary was extensive. She'd saved up all year - she'd gotten by on next to no money for most of her life, so not much had changed even despite the cutbacks she'd needed to make and the fact that she split her pay with the rabbit hypnotist - and would soon be off.
The field mouse nodded when asked if he'd been talking about the Dumo. His eyes widened slightly when he heard Ladorak announce his plans to wed Molly in Florence come the end of the year. "We're all right behind you in hoping it works out, sir," he said gently, smiling at the stoat again. "Just do your best - yes, that's what I'd say as well." He wondered about marrying Tally someday. He hoped their relationship would last that long; it had been love at first sight, but would that be enough?
Carrow nodded again when Ladorak told him he was happy to just be on the ship. "Oh, I know how that feels, sir. Some mornings I wake up and think, 'I'm just happy to be here, with the creatures I'm here with,'" he admitted, smiling at the assemblage. "I've grown rather fond of being at sea, and I prefer it to being on land, most days at least. So yes, that's quite a good idea, I think: I'm going to try and make the most of the time we have left on the ship."
Selvis smiled at the stoat Captain. "Thank you for the advice, sir. I prefer sleeping in my hammock, but well, beggars can't be choosers, and I think I'm going to take the chance to rest in any case. I don't want to be falling asleep during the First Watch after all," he added with a chuckle. Yes... two hours of rest could make quite a difference, especially as the longtail's sleeping problems weren't chronic like Carrow's had been. He wanted to continue doing his best, and couldn't do so while running on empty.
Carrow's brown eyes lit up as he heard Caden say that he might allow himself to be induced. His tail immediately rose into the air, indicating that he was pleased about the idea. "I could certainly do that, sir, and I would of course be sure to wake you up in time as well," he replied with a smile. "I'd be glad to help you get some rest if you wanted me to. I'm certainly up for the idea, but then again, you know me, I'll always jump at the chance to put somebeast else under!" Every now and then, the mouse would practice on himself, though this had ceased to be a necessity.
He was looking forward to returning to Livorno and Florence. So too was Selvis. Even though the weasel had reason to dread going back there, he found that he was still looking forward to seeing those places again. They'd had quite a fun time there after all, and when it had been good, it had been very good, but Selvis hadn't really been able to stop his negative experiences from colouring his memories of the trip; it wouldn't have been quite so bad if he hadn't been completely hit for six by the combination of events. Regardless of this, he was sure this Christmas would be better than the last.
The weasel was first to respond when asked about his plans for the upcoming leisure time. "The first thing I need to do is head down to the Purser and see if anything has arrived for me from home -it's become almost like a ritual for me over the last while." Carrow looked up at him, and the longtail smiled at the mouse. "Don't worry, Carrow! I know you're still waiting on something from Archie as well! I'll ask for both of us - there's no need for the two of us to head down there.
"When I get back... well, I think I should maybe break out the magic kit I have!," he told the group with a chuckle. "I haven't practiced anything like that in a while, after all." A certain mouse companion's birthday needed to be celebrated in some form as well.
Carrow was fond of magicians, of course, and he nodded eagerly before turning to address Caden. "I'm not entirely sure what I have planned just yet. I plan to make the most of my leisure time, though, so I won't be stuck for ideas." The mouse was hoping to spend some time with his pine marten friend - it all depended on what Caden could manage. "How about you, sir? Anything in particular you'd like to do when we're finished working here? I might like to spend a while with you, if you'd like."
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Post by Ladorak on Oct 1, 2011 16:21:47 GMT -5
"Hmmm yes. I do enjoy being at sea. Waking up every morning on the ship makes me feel a bit more alive, I think." Ladorak said happily, giving out a content sigh.
"My plans for leisure? Huh... well probably sleep." Caden admitted, but looked over at Carrow. "BUT... if you wanted to do something with me, as you're suggesting, I'd be happy with that too." his tail moved a little to indicate his acceptance of this idea, and his eyes lit up at the mention of magic. "Magic! Oooh! Er... ahem." he said, quickly clearing his throat as he saw his subdivision turn to look at him. "That would be rather entertaining to watch." he concluded. Blast it all! He wasn't a kit anymore! He was an officer... he needed to start acting like one. He had almost let his excitement get the better of him, after all.
"Speaking of leisure time..." the stoat Captain's ears stood on end, and he was able to discern four bells ringing out above their heads. "That's four bells! First Dog Watch is now over!" he crowed, almost as if he were a regular crewbeast himself. "Time to start the Second Dog Watch... and for you fellows to take two hours of break." he stated.
It was 6 PM, the start of the 2nd Dog Watch. The gun training would continue for Warwick of course, as being a petty officer, he rotated his watch system a little differently from the others. The sun was already sinking by now, as it was getting darker earlier on these days with the approach of winter.
Ladorak stood up to stretch a little, and looked above him at the ceiling. "Well... I'd better get back to the wheel... but I'll see you striplings around... as usual." He said, and began walking off toward the gun room's exit.
"Alright then, lads, let's clean up, stow the weapons, and get on our downtime." Caden ordered, the crew responding with alacrity to his commands, though of course that was no surprise. "I'll lock up once all weapons are stored, and uh... Carrow... maybe we could watch Selvis perform a bit of a magic, unless of course he wants to get some sleep." the Midshipjack said, looking over at Selvis. "Would you want to enjoy our time off on the upper gun deck, or does here on the lower gun deck suffice?" the marten inquired. He knew Selvis was going to go below to the Purser's storeroom, which was on the orlop deck, where Caden himself lived and slept. He wanted to be on one of the gun decks though, in order to feel that chilly autumn air. He LOVED this time of year, and loved the nip in the air that accompanied it. It was a reminder that winter was on its way.
He also knew his friend celebrated his Birthday, and he'd need to give the mouse a little something for that.
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Ocean helped lay the sail out along the hammock rail, and rejoiced at hearing four bells being struck. "Alright... time to get some laundry done." he said, and headed for the aft companionway, intending to pick up his cloths from the gun room, change into something more leisurely, and then bring everything, including his slops, up for a wash on the forecastle.
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Post by Carrow on Oct 2, 2011 18:09:58 GMT -5
Carrow smiled at Ladorak's response, but felt that he didn't really need to say anything in response to it. The stoat Captain had spoken for both of them, even if he didn't realise it. The mouse nodded at his pine marten companion as well. "As said, I don't really have anything planned, but I'm sure we could find something to do together," he replied, still smiling, unable to resist saying more. "Besides, if you can stay awake for a while, it'll feel even better when I help you to rest later, right?"
The rodent was in high spirits it seemed, and quite looking forward to their downtime. He chuckled as he witnessed Caden's reaction to the mention of magic. It reminded him just how fond the albino marten was of those things; he had in all honesty forgotten the extent of his friend's interest in them. Selvis was reminded also, and it made him feel warm inside. Even though he had a few ideas in his mind already, the longtail hadn't practised them in more than two years, close to three at this stage in fact, and knowing he could delight his friend through his abilities made him smile.
"Some things never change, eh, sir?," he called playfully, eyes sparkling. He'd make it all but impossible for Caden to resist being his volunteer for one of the card tricks he was planning to show his friends. It was one he remembered quite well from the days when he'd thrown everything he could into being a street entertainer - before his mind had been captured by other things. He'd tried to make some sort of living out of it before, then he'd thought of it more as a hobby, bringing juggling into his act, which his friends had seen some of when they'd met him in Crittenden.
The weasel noted Ladorak's enthusiastic reaction to the end of the First Dog Watch. It was a response that was shared by both Selvis and his mouse friend, though they didn't need to state it. It showed on their faces - though there was a little bit of relief on Selvis's countenance which the mustelid didn't feel like he needed to hide. He'd be able to take things at a more relaxed pace for the next two hours, no matter what else he did, and he was perfectly fine with that.
They both finished their work as Ladorak departed, both having worked steadily during the various conversations that had been held. "Sure! We'll see you soon, sir. Have a good evening," Carrow called to the departing stoat, smiling to himself. His long tail swayed behind him in pleasure. He wasn't sure what the next two hours would bring, but they would surely be enjoyable. He nodded at Caden's orders, starting to put away the bayonets. "That sounds good, Midshipjack Fugate! I'd be all for that, but yes, as you said, we'll need to see what Selvis feels like first." The mouse knew the value of a good sleep better than anybeast after all.
Selvis shook his head when it was suggested he might need to get some rest. "Thank you for your concern, both of you," he said, looking over at them and smiling bashfully before returning his attention to the swords (as he needed to be extra careful not to cut himself on one after all). "However, I think sleeping can wait, at least until I've shown you a little of what I can do. I haven't actually performed any of these card tricks for a few years at this stage, but they were always my specialty. I'm certainly not going to pass up this opportunity, especially not with a keenly interested audience," he quipped, winking at the pine marten.
"As for your question, the lower gun deck will do just fine, thanks. This is probably my favourite part of the ship, now that I think about it, so I'd quite like to spend some more time down here," he responded, his smile widening a little. "You get a nice breeze down here sometimes anyway, and I must admit that that's rather refreshing. Autumn's probably my favourite time of year, because I know winter's going to be on its way soon. I've always liked winter, you see."
Carrow had mixed feelings towards this particular time of year, for obvious reasons. October was both the best of times and worst of times for him; at the start of the month he had his birthday, and the good feelings he experienced from that could last for days, but then as November approached, the memory of that fateful day, October 29th 1784, came back to haunt him afresh. The ghosts of his past, which all stemmed from that day, had largely been laid to rest since this time last year, but even if the memories were no longer unbearably painful, that didn't mean they'd ceased to hurt him.
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