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Post by Ladorak on Oct 27, 2011 13:56:56 GMT -5
((Slight auto here Spendy, hope you don't mind))
The white Bishop glided effortlessly over the wooden board, and two claws wrapped about the black Knight, picking it up and removing it as the white Bishop took its place on the now vacant square.
A white furred paw rapidly moved a black Knight forward, and soon the white Bishop was no more. Both mustelids stared at the board thoughtfully now, the older one rubbing his chin with his claw.
Ladorak Fugate sat across from his ward, Caden, both of them deep in thought. The massive and ostentatious green, pink, and white marbeled Cathedral of St. Mary of the Rose towered behind Caden, as the two mustelids were sitting down at a cafe table in the Piazza del Duomo in the heart of Florence.
Ladorak had taken Caden and his friends to the Uffizi Gallery earlier in the day, one of the world's first public museums. It had been fabulous, with scores upon scores of artwork from such names as da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. It had formerly been the offices of the city magistrates, but upon the collapse of the Medicis and the establishment of foreign rule in Tuscany, the Uffizi Palace had become the Uffizi Gallery in 1765, becoming one of the world's first museums open to anyone off the street.
Ladorak had graciously paid for their admittance, and the group had spent the day wandering about inside, gawking at all the famous paintings and pieces of art that were on display. As usual, they had secured lodgings at the Pitti Palace, the Kostritzer Grand Duke of Tuscany more than happy to host his favorite allies for the winter.
A short walk from the gallery lay the Duomo, and Ladorak had decided to grab some lunch there and enjoy a game of chess with his ward. It was chilly in Florence, being in the low 50s in terms of Fahrenheit (as the Common tongue speaking world did not yet use Celsius). Ladorak and Caden were both dressed in civilian clothing, Ladorak bundling up with a jacket, while Caden did the same. Ladorak was heavily molting, as it was now late November, and winter was only a month away. He had shed quite a bit of his brown fur (which the Stewards had been kept busy sweeping up almost every day on the trip to Livorno), and there was just a dull, mottled pattern of very light brown on his back now, and the white was far more predominant.
"So... are you getting married soon?" Caden asked, as Ladorak moved his Queen.
"I hope so." the stoat responded, waiting now for Caden's move. "I'm just waiting on Molly." Molly had gone with them to the gallery, but the two had separated briefly, indicating that they'd meet back in the Piazza in the afternoon. "We need to give each other our 'yeses', and then it should be official." it was clear to the marten that the stoat was tense, but only because Molly's possible yes had him wound tighter than a spring. If she said no... well Ladorak would have to cope with it, as he'd always done. All he needed to do was send word to Archbishop Antonio Martini, the Archbishop of the city, and the wedding would proceed. If the answer was no, the Archbishop was ready to cancel the arrangements.
Of course... Ladorak also needed to confirm that at least one of them was Catholic. He thought that perhaps Molly had some in her lineage, though he couldn't be sure. He'd find out later, and just say at least one of them was if necessary. If worse to worst, they could always petition the city to marry them in a civil ceremony.
"Ah, signore e signore um... your food." the waiter said in rough Common as two plates were set down beside their chessboard. Caden looked around to see if his friends were about. Of course, Ladorak was picking up the tab, so dinner was on him for whatever they wanted.
"Aha... grazie." the stoat said, nodding as he picked up his sandwich, which consisted of salami and turkey with melted cheese on toasted bread. Caden had ordered a bowl of macaroni with chopped bacon bits in it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ocean stood in front of the Duomo, gazing up at its facade, lost in thought as he did so. His paws were shoved into his pockets, and he had almost a blank look on his face as he stared at all the ornate marble and statues.
He had gone with the others to the Uffizi Gallery, and was about a hundred paces away from the cafe now. He hadn't been hungry, and had simply had some soup before wandering over to the cathedral. He was impressed with it, but he had seen it before as well. He was more thinking on things than outright admiring the beauty of the Duomo.
He was dressed well enough, wearing one of his Knights Hospitaller uniforms, as he figured he'd be well received here in a Catholic province, though he did well to conceal the crosses, as he still didn't want Ladorak to know about what he was. It was bright red, and though the stoat had found it odd, he still hadn't figured it out just yet.
The ermine's eyes swept back and forth, as if looking for something, though he wasn't.
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Post by Carrow on Oct 27, 2011 19:21:14 GMT -5
Cerinus Apodemus had skipped lunch, meanwhile. Well... perhaps 'skipped' would have been the wrong word to use; more accurately he had deferred it. He hadn't felt like grabbing a bite to eat, instead overcome by curiosity about the places they were visiting today. He'd deal with that later. Right now he was just finishing up his tour of the Duomo, having taken in as much as he could without tiring himself out. He didn't want to be overloaded after all, not when he already had other things on his mind.
He'd written back to Archie and had posted the letter literally as soon as he'd been able to. He was worried about her, feeling as though the bond between the pair had been left exposed by the heinous crime that had relieved him of his birthday gift from her. Of course, he was not to know that only Pastreus would receive that letter; Archie was in fact halfway between her home and Carrow's current location at this point.
The weasel could very well have told Carrow where she was going, but instead had decided against it as she knew that this would only raise his hopes of a reunion with her... and that he would be heartnroken if their paths did not actually end up crossing. She decided it was a case of 'better safe than sorry', and instead declined to let him know where she was. She could have reached him in time from where she was now, and indeed, she desperately wanted to fill him in as she missed him terribly... but it just wasn't worth it.
The rodent wasn't worried, just slightly put out by what had happened. The theft of his gift made him fear for Archie and Pastreus; if there was a thief going around Muggidrear, who could say whom exactly they would target? He tried not to worry about that - the fact that he was more than a thousand miles away and could do nothing about it was both a blessing and a curse. He'd simply try to enjoy his time in Tuscany to the full, knowing things would most likely work out - they always seemed to when Archie was involved.
Exiting the Duomo, the field mouse spotted Ocean. He was in an outfit of some kind. The rodent had not seen that particular getup on him before; Selvis had, on the other hand, but he was very good at keeping secrets. Steadily approaching him, as he wasn't good with steps and decided to take the descent at his own pace, the mouse eventually reached the ermine, offering him a smile as he drew up beside him. He hadn't been expecting to see him around - he came and went as he wished, it seemed.
"Hello there, Ocean," he said gently, tail swaying behind him in a contented manner - any time he could get with the ermine was greatly appreciated, and he was glad to see him. "This is a pleasant surprise - wasn't expecting to run into you like this, y'see," he explained. "I'm going to grab lunch with Caden and Ladorak in a bit, but since you're here, I thought I'd stop by and ask, how are you?," he enquired.
"I've just had a look around the Duomo - quite an impressive place isn't it? Didn't quite get the time to have a look at it last year, and if I'm honest I'm glad I waited because it makes it all the better. What do you reckon, matey?," he asked cheerfully.
--
Selvis Frenata's spirit had been captured by the Uffizi Gallery. A creature who loved to entertain, he was just as content with being entertained, and he had found plenty to keep him occupied in the gallery, marvelling at all the fabulous works that it housed. Carrow had politely put off the idea of lunch due to his lack of appetite, but the weasel was happy to dine out on the gallery for a little while longer, as places like this were a feast for the senses.
As Caden and Ladorak had left, he'd told them that he'd be along presently. How had he missed this place when they'd been here last year? It was perfect for him, and he valued the opportunity to escape into something bigger than he was for a while. He'd always had a secret fondness for art and all its delights - despite the fact that he wouldn't be able to draw if his life depended on it, much less paint - and a place like this suited him down to the ground.
His melancholy state from a few months previous had all but disappeared, and to look at him now it was almost like the last year had never happened. Caden's kitnapping and his near-meltdown in the Pitti Palace seemed like distant memories to him at this stage, and he was just going to enjoy himself here - forget about all the baggage he could have brought to this place with him and just let go and be himself. Two sieges and a fleet battle had come and gone since he had last been here - he'd been through a lot this year and deserved some downtime. He was just taking things as they came for now - and lunch wasn't far off. The mustelid was famished. He continued his explorations, perfectly content with things as they stood.
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Post by Ladorak on Oct 28, 2011 0:04:56 GMT -5
"Are you ready for marriage?" Caden asked, his mouth full of macaroni as he captured a pawn, which Ladorak quickly retaliated against by taking Caden's pawn.
"I think so. I've been in two before."
"Well that's what I mean... none of them lasted. So you sure you can... do this? You're not opening yourself up to another heart break?" the albino asked, to which the stoat smiled.
"Oh Caden..." here Ladorak shook his head. "Always looking out for me, I see. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just focus on your game. We'll figure that part out later." the stoat moved again, and Caden responded in kind, both mustelids munching away on their meals as they continued their game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ocean looked over at the mouse, as he was broken from his reverie. "Oh... hello Carrow." he said, smiling now, but only slightly. "Oh yes... it is impressive... on the outside at least. I haven't had a chance to go in yet. What's it like inside?" he asked. "As impressive as it looks on the outside, I wonder?" he asked with a small chuckle.
He shoved his paws into his pockets, and inhaled. "Maybe I'll head inside in a few moments." He wanted to pray at the altar, if at all possible. That would probably be worthwhile. "I'm doing... OK, I guess. Could be better. Just been lost in thought recently. How about yourself? Enjoying your time off, so far?" he inquired, raising a brow as he looked down at the mouse. "I've just been having a rough time of it, as of late. I'm managing though, for what it's worth."
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As Selvis wandered about the Uffizi Gallery, he came upon a very famous portrait. "The Birth of Venus" it was entitled, by Sandro Botticelli. It portrayed a common weasel jill rising out of the waters on a seashell, nude, except for her paws which partially concealed her. Maidens on either side rushed to clothe her and welcome her to dry land. It was a rather large piece, and hung on a wall before a corner was turned to another part of the museum.
"Ahhh... ze Birth of Venus. A rather fine verk you're admiring, zere." the voice was heavily Germanic, from either Gradvar or Kostritz, though the latter was more likely, given this to be a Kostritz province, though oddly enough, would not be correct. It was deep, but not overly so. The Common tongue the speaker was utilizing was very well pronounced, and indicated perhaps a formal education in Common, if not something else.
A rather dapper looking zorilla strode up beside Selvis, paws clasped behind his back. He was around Selvis's age, give or take a few years, as it was hard to tell. He was dressed in a black cloak which was wrapped tightly around his body to keep out the cold, his impressive tail jutting out from behind him and making its appearance through a hole in the cloak. He had formidable looking red trim on the lapels and cuffs. He had a somewhat long face, though that was simply how he looked, and not because he was sad.
On the contrary, his features were upturned in a smile, though it seemed as if the effort of lifting his mouth was cumbersome, once more because of the way his face was shaped. "I'm sorry... are you... Calgarian?" the striped polecat asked in rough Common. "I cannot speak Calgarian very vell unfortunately... only very basic hello and some such vords. My Common is good, but my Deutsch is best." he said, smiling again. "Sei... Calgariano?" he asked, hoping it was right.
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Post by Carrow on Oct 28, 2011 12:33:09 GMT -5
Ocean looked slightly pensive; Carrow recognised that look very well indeed as it was one had worn before himself, many times. He figured the ermine would appreciate the company in his current state. He was unable to keep his curious brown eyes from studying the ermine's uniform, though. There'd be time to address that later, as the rodent's interest had been piqued considerably. First things first...
"Well, I've never seen anything quite like it. I've never been ones for places like this, but I must say it is rather something special. You know that feeling you get when a place takes hold of you and you feel as though you simply don't want to leave? That happened to me in there, and I spent a good half-hour going around and looking at as many things as possible before deciding there were other things I'd need to do."
As if on cue, the field mouse's stomach rumbled gently, and he patted it as though trying to silence it, chuckling at the comic timing. "One of those was, of course, grab a bite to eat! I'd highly recommend having a look inside, though." He'd noticed an altar in there, and figured religious types like the ermine would be drawn to it, but declined to comment on that as he didn't like discussing religion at the best of times.
"I'm glad to hear you're managing - just battling through it I suppose you could say, right? That's the right attitude to have, much better than just letting things overwhelm you. I'd be glad to help you in any way possible if you required assistance. I've been there quite a few times before myself, so I can understand how you're feeling, at least to a certain extent," he said sympathetically, patting the ermine's paw, as was his way. Ocean had had quite a rough year, but it was a testament to what the mouse saw as his resilient nature that he was still standing.
"I'm enjoying my time here, yes indeed!," he responded enthusiastically when the question was put to him. "I've always had a thing for exploring, and I'm glad I'm able to see a little more of the place this year - even if I've been almost constantly reminded of how blasted cold it gets here in the winter." Carrow was in his civvies, wearing a padded jacket over his normal white shirt, the regular blue slacks, and mittens, his usual flat cap exchanged for a brown woolly hat. His ears were left exposed, as he found earmuffs uncomfortable and avoided them unless absolutely necessary.
"Forgive me if I sound overly curious, mate, but I've kept noticing that uniform of yours every time I've seen you, and now I feel like I should ask about it. My first guess would be that it has something to do with what we discussed earlier in the year about the Order you're involved with. Would I be correct?," he asked, lowering his voice slightly just in case.
--
'The Birth of Venus' was a work Selvis had heard about before but had never actually seen, and the longtail studied it closely as he took in its every detail. He was studying it so intently that when the heavily-accented voice spoke, the mustelid originally thought he was hearing things, and then when the penny finally dropped, he froze slightly, having been taken completely by surprise.
His blue eyes widened considerably when he turned slightly to see a creature standing beside him, and he immediately broke into a smile. This stranger was either a skunk or zorilla, but as he looked at him, he remembered that he had in fact seen a zorilla before - the nervous-looking creature he had worked with on the guns aboard the Orion back in June. A zorilla he was, then: there was no doubt about it. "Indeed, it is rather fine," he said softly.
The zorilla's tail was certainly impressive, and it was striking too. Selvis had to admire his fellow mustelid's dress sense - there was no question about the way he carried himself. He liked to stand out (even more so than most zorillas did, it seemed) and was doing quite a good job of it. Selvis couldn't exactly tell what age he was; all he could rule out was the possibility of the creature being any younger than thirteen years of age; his voice had surely broken.
He shook his head when the question of his nationality was raised, and when the query was once again put to him in Calgarian, the mischievous weasel decided to take the zorilla on at his own game and answer in a foreign tongue - his own native language. "No. No tienes razón; estoy de Ferlusan y nací en Crittenden." A smile playing about his features, he translated: "No, you're wrong. I'm from Ferlusan and was born in Crittenden."
His eyes sparkled as he offered the zorilla his paw, his long tail swaying behind him. He liked the look o this creature already. "As for me, my spoken Common is decent - better than my written - but I'm fluent in Ferlusanian. It's my native tongue. I don't speak a word of Calgarian. Ah, but, leaving languages aside for a moment, please allow me to introduce myself.
"My name's Selvis Frenata. I'm fourteen, and, as you may have already realised, a long-tailed weasel. I haven't seen too many zorillas before - I served with one a few months ago - so I may have originally mistaken you for a skunk. My apologies, sir," he said gently. "I'm quite pleased to meet you - it's always good to meet new faces after all."
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Post by Ladorak on Oct 29, 2011 11:59:14 GMT -5
Ocean paused a moment to consider this. He had heard it was rather plain inside, though the sheer scale of it would probably still leave him feeling impressed. By contrast, he had also been told that the duomo of Siena was impressive both on the outside and the inside, having been Florence's rival after all.
"Huh... fascinating. A place that grips you. I'm sure I'd very much enjoy going inside and taking a look around in that case!" he said, nodding happily. "It sounds like a place worthy of my exploration. Thanks for letting me know."
He was going to hold off on announcing things just yet, as there may in fact have been good news on the horizon, but he wasn't going to go into that just yet. It was still uncertain, and up in the air as it were. "Aye." he said, nodding. "I am indeed battling through it, as it were. I am praying for strength in the times ahead, and hoping that things may work out for the better for me." He looked at the two chess playing mustelids off in the distance out of the corner of his eye, before looking back at Carrow.
"I appreciate your offer of assistance... and I may in fact take you up on that in a few days' time. I need to confirm a few things first, however. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your time here. I myself am as well, though yes, it can get a little cold here this time of year. Naples may have been preferable to Florence... but oh well. Can't win them all." he said with a shrug.
"Oh this uniform? Why yes!" he exclaimed, nodding. "I am in fact wearing the uniform of the Knights Hospitaller." he said, nodding in a pleased manner. "Good of you to notice. Though once again, I ask that you please keep that under wraps from Captain Fugate. I'm still not ready to reveal it just yet. I've kept the crosses off for now, for various reasons, though I have two versions of this uniform, so that's why it might not be quite as obvious." he said with a wink.
"Ahem yes... well I'm probably going to head inside... offer a prayer at the altar or so... you heading over to eat, then?" he asked.
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Ladorak moved again, after Caden had done so, and took another bite out of his sandwich. "You see Caden... now that I think about it... I... guess I'm used to this kind of disappointment. If she should... back down... and not seek marriage with me... then I'm ready to accept that." he said, sighing a little as Caden moved.
"Well... what do you think your chances are?"
"I don't know." He replied shaking his head. "She fluctuates so much it's hard to get a good reading on her. I'd like to remain hopeful and say yes... but if that doesn't occur... I'll have to pawdle it as I always do." the stoat stated firmly. "I always seem to be attracted to the flighty ones, I'll say that." he said with a roll of his eyes.
"Well... if it makes any difference to you... I'm sure she's out there... somewhere. If not Molly, then someone else. You're a good jack... you just need to give it time, I'm sure."
"Heh... thanks... Caden. I don't know how true that is, but we'll see. Your words are kind at least, and I appreciate them. It's yet to be seen what will occur. I must stay my course, either way, and hope for the best."
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The zorilla smiled widely as he recognized the Ferlusanian coming out of the weasel's mouth. Interesting, to say the least. Calgarian and Ferlusanian were pretty close to each other, and he could barely understand the one without learning the other as was, but he caught enough to know that this jack was Ferlusanian.
"Aha! I see... so you are Ferlusanian! Yes, very good. I just naturally assumed you vere Calgarian given our current um... locale?" he asked, searching for the word. "I am Hanoverian myself." he said, taking the weasel's paw as he offered it. "Heinrich Wilhelm Scharnhorst." he introduced himself as, pumping his fellow mustelid's paw. The name would probably not mean anything to Selvis, as his father was more famous on the land than on the sea, having helped defend Menin when the Rosferians besieged it earlier in the year, and cutting his way out with the rest of the garrison when it became clear that rescue would not be forthcoming.
As it was though, Hanoverians were quite close to Welkinites, given that Hanover was the home country of the current Welkinite royal house, though of course, since the Poynts were third generation now, they could no longer speak German, and Poynt III only spoke Common. Hanover had always enjoyed close ties to Welkin ever since Poynt I, and the two were allies in the current war, as Hanover provided troops to Welkin's war effort and enjoyed Welkin's military protection.
"Are you here... on holiday? You mentioned served with a zorilla... so are you... in ze Merchant Marine of Ferlusan?" he asked, inquiring as to this.
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Post by Carrow on Oct 29, 2011 18:39:35 GMT -5
"You're welcome." Carrow responded, returning the ermine's smile. "I must admit the place looked slightly daunting at first, but I got used to it within moments - if not for the fact I'm not used to being around impressive buildings like this I would have accustomed to it a lot more quickly. It's rather gripping though, as I said, and I look forward to discovering what you think of it," he said cheerfully. "We can meet up later so I can hear what you have to say about it, if you would like," he suggested, nodding himself as Ocean said he was doing the best he could in his diffficult circumstances.
"I hope thinks work out for you as well, and if you can draw strength from your prayers, that's even better. It didn't work for me, as I've said previously, and that was one of the things that made me lose faith, and rather rapidly too it has to be said, but I know that, when times get tough, anything we can draw strength from, anything that helps us to keep going - and this will be different from one creature to the next, I know that - we should cherish it."
Carrow was a confirmed atheist, yes, but he wasn't confrontational, and was open-minded when it came to religion. He looked upon it in a negative light, but at the same time was able to see numerous points of view. His real issue was with blind faith and fundamentalism, but Ocean exhibited neither of those things; and even if he did, he would still remain in the field mouse's good books, because, their differing views on religion aside, the ermine was still a great friend to him.
"I'll keep that in mind, then, and if you ever want to arrange something, you can just name the time and place; I'll be sure to fit you in. Once again, you have aroused my curiosity over the nature of these things you need to confirm," he admitted with another small chuckle, "but as you haven't managed to do so with them yet, I will refrain from enquiring further. For the moment, we can just enjoy ourselves here. As for our current location, it's much of a muchness with me; I've enjoyed our previous visits to both Naples and Florence.
"The weather is also something I tend not to overly concern myself with, as I don't tend to deal well with any kind of chill in the air, hence my need to wear all this," he quipped with a glint in his eye, smiling when Ocean affirmed his guess. "Heh, thought as much. And yes, I will stay silent on the matter until such a time as you can reveal it to him. I try to keep my word no matter what happens," he said honestly. "That'll stay between us for now."
He nodded again when Ocean told him he'd head inside to pray. "OK then. I hope it helps you in whatever way possible," he said softly. "As for me, I am indeed going to grab a bite to eat now, as there's not much sense in me putting it off any longer. I'll see you later then, mate," the mouse told his companion before departing for the table at which he could see Caden and Ladorak sitting down. As he drew closer, he could see they were indeed having lunch, as well as being engaged in a game of chess. "Hello, Caden! Hello, Ladorak, sir!," he greeted them enthusiastically. "Would either of you mind if I pulled up a chair? I fancy something to eat, and it's great to spend time with you, so how about it?," he enquired, smiling warmly at the pair of mustelids.
--
"Yes, of course," Selvis responded with a nod. "That was the logical conclusion to make. The word 'locale' suits as well. I admire the fact that you're making such an effort with your Common. Tell me, where did you pick it up? You speak it very well, so I'm curious to hear where you got that from. And, Heinrich Wilhelm Scharnhorst, is it?," he said, making an effort himself with the harsh sounds of the Germanic language, something he wasn't used to. "I'll just call you Heinrich I think; I'm not one to stand on ceremony at times like this, you see."
He appreciated the strong pawshake as well; this was a powerful creature he was dealing with, there was no doubt in his mind about that whatsoever. He smiled from ear to ear as the zorilla asked him if he was holidaying in Tuscany, shaking his head at the query, though he was nonetheless pleased by the mention of the Merchant Marine, and thankful to the newcomer for bringing it up.
"Technically speaking, yes I am here on holiday; it's the start of a few months ashore for me and my friends. We're all part of the Welkin Navy - it's quite ironic that I should be serving with Welkin, yes, I'm well aware of that," he said with a smile. "The other zorilla I served with was part of the Orion, upon which we served together in a fleet battle in June of this year," he revealed. He'd enjoyed the battle for what it was worth, but probably not as much as he could have due to certain other occurrences.
"And of course, given what I've just told you, I do not serve in the Ferlusanian Merchant Marine, though my father does... well, did, I mean," he corrected himself. "I'm not sure whether he plans to go back yet, but he's been home for almost a year after spending six years at sea, and by all accounts he seemed to enjoy it a lot. How about you, friend Heinrich?," he asked eagerly. "Why are you down here in Tuscany?"
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Post by Ladorak on Oct 30, 2011 0:03:33 GMT -5
((And yes, I am rather accurately describing what it was like in Spain around the turn of the 19th Century. Quite bad. Just read a book on it recently, and that's where I drew the numbers from. ) Ocean of course listened, nearly rolling his eyes at Carrow's mention of not being the religious type. Yes... he'd said that already, though the mouse apparently thought it a good point to make on numerous occasions. He always liked reiterating why he lost his faith early on and so forth. Ocean was somewhat sick of hearing it, though he politely heard the mouse out for what it was worth. Nodding, he appreciated once more the fact that Carrow would keep his secret under wraps, and he gave a grateful nod. "Alright... well I shall see you later then. Have a good lunch." the ermine said, and waved before turning to head into the church. His breath caught in his throat as he glimpsed the interior. "Oh wow..." He whispered. It wasn't as ornate as Siena's cathedral, but it was just so gargantuan that the sheer scale of it caught him completely by surprise. Arches and buttresses rose above him, towering up to the heavens as he stepped onto the marble floor. His shoes clacked on the smooth marble as he walked about. He tried taking it all in, turning left and right, and then straight ahead. He knew for a fact that the dome would probably be very impressive, with rows upon rows of paintings upon it. He saw what he was looking for on either side of him though, and made his way over to one of the wooden confessional booths off in a niche. Entering the silent alcove, the ermine sat down and crossed himself, looking briefly at the grille and to the priest who sat on the other side as he paused, holding his claw on his right shoulder before finally letting it drop. "Forgive me, father, for I have sinned." he said, and took in a deep breath. "That's perfectly fine, son. We all sin." the priest responded. "It's also been awhile since my last confession, father. I am a member of a holy order, and my work takes me on long voyages... but I have decided to come in... and get some absolving." "That's fine, son." the priest said again, his Common being very good. "Why don't you start from the beginning, and we'll go from there?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ah, hello there Carrow." Ladorak said in greeting, smiling widely as he did so. "Yes, by all means, pull up a chair!" the stoat said enthusiastically. "What would you like to order? I'll place it right away." Caden was still chewing his macaroni as he made a move on the board. "And how did you find Santa Maria del Fiore?" the stoat asked now, knowing that Carrow had excused himself to take a look at the cathedral. "Quite a lot of history there, you know." he said, his mouth partly full as he took another bite. "In fact, that was the largest dome in the world at the time, as they'd never tried building one so massive." he explained. "Heheh, I've been in there before... it's quite impressive." Caden said. "I really liked the Uffizi Gallery today, though. Who would have thought that the Kostritzers would have allowed us to look at such fine examples of artwork!" he exclaimed, nodding. "Well... Kostritz itself is very cultured. Stratospheros is like that, at least on the surface. They're... very artful, with art and music abounding. Mozart after all, who passed away two years ago, worked primarily in Stratospheros." the stoat informed them as he made his move. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ahhh vell I picked it up from my vater... uh... my... father." he said, slowly enunciating the word roughly. "He is in ze Hanoverian army... so he needed to know Common because Hanoverians often verk for ze Velkinites." he explained. "So hence... has to know Common. Heinrich may be my given name but... Scharnhorst verks just as vell if you please." he said, smiling now. The striped polecat's eyebrows went up at the mention of the Welkin Navy. "You... serve Velkin?" he asked, surprised at this. "That's like us... ze Hanoverians. Ve do as vell. Der King... Velkin's King... is also ruler of Hanover." he outlined. "It is good to know ve are on ze same side." he said, cracking another smile. "He may not be able to speak German anymore... but he is still our Elector. Ze Elector of Hanover... his name vas Poynt I... he vas nominated as Velkin's King after all vhen Queen Anne died vithout a... a... heir." he said, finally finding the word. "So vhile he is King of Velkin... he is also still Elector of Hanover. His uh... uh... enkel... his... son... of his son." he tried, meaning Poynt III. He found it curious but not so curious that Selvis was serving Welkin. Ferlusan was the most conservative of all nations on the continent, even more so than Kostritz. You were either extremely rich, or extremely poor, and there was no in between, and no way for the poor to break into the aristocracy either. Measures prevented it, because without being born into a noble family or marrying into one (and nobles only married other nobles there), you were stuck, unlike in Rosferia (formerly) and Welkin, where one could become enfeoffed by his King. The youth of Ferlusan were adopting a very hopeless attitude, as they couldn't go up on the social ladder, and were stuck being dirt poor peasants for their entire lives. Hence, there was little to no incentive to get involved with things like their navy, as you'd never receive merit for it anyway, and even fewer incentive to stay in your country, as job opportunities for the poor were limited. About a quarter of the beasts living in Welkin who were under the age of 35 were simply not marrying, as they saw no point to it. Their children would be born into the very same world they themselves had been born into, so why have children at all? It was a crushing apathy and ennui that had settled over Ferlusan's youth, and Selvis had been lucky to escape that. Aside from the merchant marine, which his father was in, a stripling Selvis's age was almost guaranteed to be toiling away the rest of his life for very little prestige or pay... unless of course he joined the navy, but once again, aside from the pay, there was no chance of recognition or of EVER becoming an officer if you had no noble title to your name, no matter how talented or good you were. The nobility ensured that only their kind could ever become officers. It was the same with the army as well. So the zorilla could more than understand Selvis's choice in joining one of the greatest navies if not the greatest on the planet. It was an escape for him from an otherwise dismal and closed existence. "Aha... a good choice you have made." the zorilla commented. "Ironic you should ask though. My vater... er... father." he sounded out the word again. "He is currently fighting in um... ze Eastern Mordenz, ze one under Kostritz rule... or he vas... ze allies vere driven out earlier zis year. He is thinking of looking elsevhwere for employment with one of ze powers on ze continent... but anyway, he vanted me to make something of myself... so I have been traveling and trying out ideas. It is... um... witzig... uh... funny you say?" he asked now. "It is... funny you ask me... because I vas thinking of joining ze Velkin Navy and serving my Elector zat vay. Vhat uh... vessel... are you on?" he asked, inquiring as to that now.
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Post by Carrow on Oct 30, 2011 19:43:26 GMT -5
Carrow smiled right back at the stoat, taking an unused chair from nearby and placing it at the mustelids' table. He sat down, glad to be off his paws for a short while. He'd spent the last couple of hours exploring after all, so was happy to take a breather and check in with Caden and Ladorak. "Thanks, sir," he told the stoat in a soft voice, before placing a paw under his chin and stroking it thoughtfully as he pondered the older mustelid's query.
Calgarian food, in the mouse's mind, was the best in the world. He would have been happy with absolutely anything, though there was a particular dish he hadn't yet tried; he'd preferred spaghetti dishes up until now, but he was feeling adventurous, and as today, with all the exploration that had been going on, was that kind of day, he decided to simply run with it. "I'd like some lasagne, please, sir. I've never had it before, and I'm in the mood for trying new things today, so that suits me just fine."
His eyes gleamed as the stoat asked him what he thought of the cathedral. "I don't know much about its history, but being in there even for a while I could feel the weight of history that seems to surround the place. It's imposing, almost, and upon seeing it for the first time, I was almost completely lost for words. At the time? It was opened in the fifteenth century, right? I can't imagine a cathedral larger than that. I simply cannot fathom it," he admitted, smiling helplessly.
As Caden brought up the topic of the Uffizi Gallery, the field mouse's smile widened. "I say, they certainly were!," he exclaimed with an extremely satisfied swish of his tail. "I'm sure Selvis would agree - you saw him, right?! He seemed extremely taken with some of the things he saw. I'm sure he's getting on just fine in there; didn't realise he had such a fondness for art," he commented, still wearing a large smile. You always pick the best places to go to, Ladorak," he complimented the stoat.
"Speaking of Stratospheros: I haven't forgotten, Caden, about the promise I made to you. Those two tickets you gave me last Christmas, remember? If we ever have the opportunity, I'd rather like for you to come with me to that parlour. Maybe Archie might be able to come as well, it really depends on what she's doing around then. I'm not going to rule it out, but if you fancy, you're coming with, if we ever get there," he told his pine marten companion, reaffirming his promise from last year.
--
"Ah, it's something you picked up from your father, then? He's in the Hanoverian army, I see. Might you like to tell me a little more about him?," he enquired, blue eyes sparkling a bit. "We can swap stories if you like - I can tell you things about my father's experiences in our Merchant Marine, since you mentioned it earlier and must clearly be interested in it," he said gently, smiling. "I like doing this with new creatures that I meet; getting to know them is fun as we may have some interests in common, you see."
He couldn't help but chuckle at the zorilla's reaction to his revelation that he served Welkin, realising that the irony was probably clear to him given the troubled relationship between the two countries in the past. "I do indeed - and I'm not surprised at your reaction. I realise the strangeness of what I'm saying, though I did have my reasons of course, chief among them being the fact that I needed to get out while I still could, and Welkin's Navy was my first choice.
"The crewbeasts in the Merchant Marine are really a better class of sailor than those in Ferlusan's Navy, so I have been told by various different people, but I didn't want to follow in my father's pawsteps, as really, the idea of being a Navy jack appealed a lot more to me. It wasn't a very hard choice to make, being perfectly honest with you. Once the idea came into my head, it took a hold of me, and from then on I knew exactly what I wanted to do."
He listened to the zorilla speak, but wanted to address one other point before he revealed the name of his vessels. "Ideas? More than one? Now that's rather interesting!," he exclaimed. "Tell me, what else have you been wondering about doing, other than joining the Welkin Navy? I'd advise you to ask our Captain about this the first chance you get, of course," he told him with a wink. "I'm currently serving aboard the HMS Agamemnon."
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Post by spender on Oct 31, 2011 6:52:17 GMT -5
There was only so much entertainment to be had from ogling half-naked pictures and statues, and only so many times one has to be told not to touch, before one gets a little bored of the whole thing and wanders off to lounge outside and give the stink-eye to passerby whose only sin was to wonder why half his whiskers were glued to his face with dried gelato.
Spender just didn't Get High Art. Or even most Low Art for that matter. He did get a little Medium Art, which was why the paper in his pocket was so rumply. A lot of the art he'd seen today had been very nice indeed, and the artists had been very good at it. But none of it had been a picture of her, and that made Elliot the best artist of all.
He sat at the cafe, a few tables away and largely out of sight of Ladorak and Caden, playing his own chess game, alone. He'd followed them at a distance, unnoticed, and set up behind Ladorak, hoping the stoat's large size would keep him from view. So far, so good.
He moved another piece, sniffed, then turned the board around to see from the other side. He studied the mess of a game and once again found himself patting the picture in his vest pocket. He made another move, turned the board again.
It was strange. He hadn't actually liked her very much, until she was gone. And then suddenly, she was all he thought about. Which meant he was also thinking about them, which meant his thoughts and actions for the last few months were very confused, but also very sober. Surprisingly sober. Worryingly sober. It was as if he had hit the powders again, but this time there was nothing slow and uncertain about him... at least, no more than usual. Apart from the usual exhaustion that came along with a slow recovery, he wasn't in any way physically inconvenienced. This didn't mean he was a better worker, of course. There was no studiousness or sudden ability to focus. He was the same ferret he'd always been, simply without any drive to play or fool around.
In fact, Spender had not laughed since Warwick had gone.
The fever had nearly killed him, but he'd laughed through that. He'd lost a lot of weight (and had not yet gained any back) but even so, he'd been able to crack jokes about his bleeding. He'd been able to share a snigger with Jal Pyne over a particularly witty (although rather unkind) comment Kasal had made, and even had a good look at the footpaw before it was done away with. When Carrow had read him Polly's letter about the kits, in between the panic attacks and wondering what his mother would have to say to him about it all, he'd even been able to smile at her vulgar comments (included not solely for his own sake) about the habits of newborns.
But then Warwick had gone, and that was that. No more boiled sweets. No more getting picked for cricket. No more fun.
Spender squeaked and moved Warwick's king for him—an illegal move, right into the path of a black bishop. Then he drank the rest of his wine, which he didn't enjoy at all. It didn't sit well in his empty stomach.
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Post by Ladorak on Oct 31, 2011 10:07:26 GMT -5
Ladorak captured another piece, and Caden was now clearly at a disadvantage. "Errm... I uh... well..." he said, studying the board intensely and trying to come up with an answer to Ladorak's attack. Unfortunately... Ladorak was doing something extremely clever. He was sacrificing his Queen for a checkmate. Even if Caden didn't take the bait, his King was trapped where it was, and he couldn't move it out of the way in time before Ladorak mated him in at most two moves.
The stoat was smiling, but in a kind way. "Yes, Carrow. I believe it was begun in the 13th Century, and completed sometime in the early 15th." Ladorak commented, while Caden bit his lower lip.
Looking up at his guardian, Caden shook his head. Not good. He was about to tip his King to the side when he saw Spender behind Ladorak. Was he... playing a game of chess by himself? He'd almost missed the ferret, being off on his own as he usually was these days, but something had been different about him too. Warwick had left under unclear circumstances. Transferred or deserted or something like that. Perhaps even discharged, though it wasn't clear. Spender had been facing a slow recovery, and had been sent first to a hospital in Genoa, and then recovered the rest of the way on the ship after they sailed.
But he'd seemed drained as of late, and as much as the albino didn't want to, he knew he should probably approach him. "Ah... good game, dad. You win." he said, and tipped his King, the wooden piece clattering to the board with finality.
"Good game." Ladorak stated, offering his paw.
"Yeah... good game." Caden said again, shaking it.
"Mi scusi!" Ladorak shouted, getting the waiter's attention. "Ack... My Ferlusanian is better than my Calgarian. Hope I get this right. Lasagna it shall be, for you!" he exclaimed, waiting for the waiter to approach their table.
"Ahhh yes... our trip to Kostritz. Well... if we're going to be here for the winter... maybe we can plan something for it then?" Caden asked, looking over at Ladorak.
The stoat nodded solemnly, but reminded them of things as well. "Yes, I would have no problem with that... BUT... if the Rosferian fleet sailed, we'd need to be ready immediately to intercept them." he stated. "We can't be caught flat pawed, and if you're a few hundred miles away, in Kostritz's capital... well... just keep in mind, you are sailors first, tourists second." he said, to which Caden nodded.
"Of course... maybe when this war is over with?" Caden asked, looking over at Carrow. "As much as I'd love to go, he's got a point. We will be needed if the Rosferian fleet sails. So uh... maybe we could go if we have heavy downtime... or of course if we destroy our opponents." he said, trying to hide a smile. "I'd say that'd free us up quite a bit. Now uh... if you'll excuse me." he said, and moved past the table, heading in Spender's direction, and carrying his bowl of macaroni.
Ladorak watched him go, wondering what that was about, until he saw Spender sitting off by himself at a nearby table. Shrugging, the stoat turned back to his sandwich. "Ah... Lasagna por... por..." he had no idea what "him" was in Calgarian, so he just pointed at the mouse and said "him". The waiter nodded, and departed, going off to prepare the meal.
"Heheh... he's thinking like me. I'm out to destroy my opponents... not just defeat them. Destruction of the enemy fleet means no more fighting, and hence, no more war." he said, smiling at his statement. Now... where was Molly? He only hoped she still wanted to meet, and wasn't going to back out. Draping an arm over the back of his chair, Ladorak leaned back a little, balancing the chair on two legs.
His stomach churned as he thought about the possible rejection, but focused his attention on Carrow. "I rather did enjoy the gallery myself. It was my first time in there. How about this? Seeing as traveling by stage can be... sort of expensive depending on how you go, I'll try and take you all to Stratospheros when I can. I'm not absolutely positive when this will be, but hopefully we'll get out there in good time. Possibly this winter, though I make no promises." he offered.
Caden approached Spender's table now, carrying his bowl in his paws. "Hey Spender... what are you doing?" He asked, standing a few feet off. "Would you maybe want to... play with me instead?" He put forth the question hesitantly, as he wasn't sure as to the mood of the ferret. He'd been with them at the gallery, and had seemed OK, but every so often he just withdrew into himself like this, and it was freaking the marten out. No laughing in at least a month... that was unusual as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ah... vell, my vater is a uh... a farmer... but he also served in ze Hanoverian forces. My vater vanted a career of it zo, so he vent to ze academy at ze fortress of Wilhelmstein. He vrote some books... mostly field guides to ze military, and zey still provide him a very steady income." Scharnhorst explained. "Zey are read by many nations... zo he still had to support himself, as ze farm doesn't bring in much... and he has a family after all. So he joined ze war effort last year... fighting under ze Duke of York... uh... Velkin's Prince... Redfur, I believe?" he asked, unsure of this bit, but feeling it was probably correct.
"He vas a... a... lieutnant" he said, mispronouncing the word, but it was clear he wasn't fully familiar with the term. "But because he did so vell at ze Siege of Menin... he is now a Major... according to his last letter." the mustelid said, beaming a little in a proud fashion now. "He is still vith zem, but many nations are now asking for his uh... uh... zey vant to hire him." he said, electing to use more familiar terms. "He is still trying to make up his mind... but until ze current campaign concludes, he told me he'll be with Hanover until zen." it was clear he took pride in how sought after his father was becoming on the continent. He'd received many offers, the most notable being Delorn, Kostritz, and Gradvar. Scharnhorst's father had married a Gradvarian, whose brother was director of Serline University, so Gradvar might in fact win out over the other two.
"Ah... ze... Agamemnon." he said very slowly, letting it roll off his tongue. "I do not know zat ship." he said, blushing and smiling sheepishly. "But zen... I don't know many Velkinite ships..." he confessed. "I am familiar vith ze Ferlusanian Navy, ja." he said, nodding now. "But uh... zey vere not in my choices." he admitted, shuffling his paws. "I vas thinking of exploring a little... traveling to other countries and seeing about joining other militaries. I have been to Gradvar... in particular to Serline, and zen moved south to Prague and Kostritz... and now here I am... still in Kostritz." he explained, as Tuscany was a Kostritz province. "I vant to make something of myself... but am still making up my mind... admittedly." he said, looking over at Selvis now.
"So... you said about your vater... vell... you vould speak of him." he said. "And you must tell me about ze Velkin Navy. I am interested in hearing about your service in it." he explained, beginning to walk past the "Birth of Venus" now, as it was clear others wanted to get a look at it.
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Ocean stood below the dome, his confession over and done with, and turned slowly, so that all the paintings twirled above him. It was dizzying, and he almost toppled onto his rump, but he stood upright, and simply gawked at all that was going on above him. Vasari and Zuccaro's fresco was immense, covering the entire interior of the dome in a fabulous cascade of images; a veritable waterfall of pictures. "My God... what beauty do you bestow in jacks." he whispered, and approached the altar now, still looking up and nearly tripping on a stair as he ascended to the railing.
Crossing himself, the ermine knelt down, bringing out his ivory cross and running his claws over it as he began to chant out a prayer, clasping his paws together with the cross in their midst, and closing his eyes.
Ocean understood now. He understood it all. The bareness of the interior... the lack of ostentation. Church life was austere, and not supposed to be grandiose and pompous. He loved this place now... in his heart, he loved it. It was how a church should be. While it was fabulous on the outside, inside, it was plain, void, and empty. Awe-inspiring yes, but bare all the same. Aside from the 44 stained glass windows and the fresco, there was little else denoting the grandness of this church in here. It moved him almost to tears, and he trembled now as he prayed, feeling uplifted and mighty, overwhelmed and humble.
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