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Post by Carrow on Oct 31, 2011 19:27:47 GMT -5
Carrow, too, had noticed Spender, and had been wondering where he'd sprung from. The ferret usually seemed to keep to himself these days, but then again, with everything else he had going on, the rodent wasn't able to make time for him. Granted, spending time with the ferret wouldn't have been too high on his list of priorities as it stood, given the pair's history, but despite this, he was moved to shake his head sympathetically when he noticed the mustelid playing a game of chess by himself.
He nodded as Ladorak confirmed his suspicions about the cathedral. He'd briefly spotted that on his way inside, after all. For the moment, he was content to concentrate on the chess game, which, while it held no attraction as an activity for the rodent (as he had never been able to get the hang of it), was becoming more intense now as it reached its denouement. He smiled as Ladorak emerged victorious. It was an interesting pastime; perhaps he could get Caden to teach him about it.
The pine marten pressed Ladorak on the mouse's offer of a trip to Kostritz, and the field mouse nodded again as the stoat addressed some practical concerns he had. He was their Captain first, after all. "Yes, I understand perfectly. Trips like that are hardly a formality, especially not when we could very well be needed at sea at pretty much any moment - well, maybe not in this weather," he stressed, "but you can see where I'm coming from.
"We'd need the opportunity and a while without other commitments, I know that," he told the pair, "but if we can ever make it work, and something opens up, then I say we should go for it." Carrow was about to say more, but then he heard Caden excuse himself and make a beeline for Spender. It wasn't that the mouse didn't want to talk to him, but he didn't want to crowd the ferret, so one creature being over with him suited him just fine.
Besides, he was greatly enjoying Ladorak's company. It would have been rude to leave him on his own anyway, so the rodent saw his current situation as a 'win-win' one. He smiled as the stoat ordered lunch for him, and his smile widened considerably as the mustelid's proposal was put to him. "I'm not looking for promises - any kind of opportunity will be welcome, believe me, Ladorak," he responded softly. "Thanks for even offering to take us there. I'd certainly chip in towards the journey if I could at all," he returned with his own offer.
"Speaking of travelling though... what have you enjoyed the most about your time in Florence so far?," the field mouse enquired curiously, licking his lips a little at the thought of his lasagne. "As I said earlier, you have this habit of always taking us to see the nicest places, and I can't quite say which excursion I've enjoyed the most, as that's a rather difficult choice, but is it any easier for you?"
--
Selvis's ears twitched appreciatively as he listened to Heinrich tell him about his father, his eyebrows rising as he heard of how he was now a Major in the Hanoverian army after rising from being a simple farmer. No wonder he wanted a career out of it, he thought, especially when it sounds like he enjoys what he does now quite a lot. He nodded enthusiastically when the zorilla mentioned Redfur. The longtail didn't know too much about Welkin's royal family, but he had heard Redfur's name before, and it seemed to fit.
He was content to simply listen, only interjecting when he felt the need to. "You've every right to be proud of your father, Scharnhorst!," he exclaimed enthusiastically. "He sounds like a very distinguished creature who's done rather well for himself. In fact, I would think of him as the kind of zorilla I might like to meet someday, however unlikely it is that our paths will cross. Little wonder he's so sought-after on the continent," he remarked, smiling a little.
Selvis merely smiled as the zorilla blushed. "It's quite alright. I wasn't expecting you to know about it. Neither am I familiar with many other Welkinite ships, besides the one I currently serve on, so it's perfectly understandable. As regards your comment about the Ferlusanian Navy, by all accounts the standard of sailor that enlists there isn't particularly high, so you made a good decision in declining to join them. I know I wouldn't have - being with Welkin suits me far better," he said with a slight dismissive tone in his voice. Regardless of being his native Navy, he was thankful he hadn't thrown his lot in with Ferlusan.
He nodded as Heinrich revealed his intentions to travel. "I can understand that, too. The idea of travelling and seeing the world has appealed to me for a good number of years now, so that was one of the main reasons for me joining the Navy... though not the main one," he told the zorilla, his eyes sparkling slightly. "It's a good life, though I'll say no more about it for now, except that we would be delighted to have you with us should you decide to join up."
The discussion soon turned to Selvis's father. As it turned out, Heinrich wanted to know more about the longtail's experiences as part of the Welkin Navy as well, but the weasel was content with dealing with one topic at a time. "Well... he wasn't able to reach us back home whilst being part of the Merchant Marine, and I missed him so terribly at times, but his six years came to an end last December, and he's home now. He says he's fond of the time he spent there - he got to travel a lot and has been filling me in on his experiences through letters over the course of the past year.
"As for me, I've been serving with Welkin since June of last year. We've been to all sorts of places. We were in Naples last year, Tunis too, and we did in fact spend Christmas in Florence last year as well. We loved the place so much that it was just as well we were able to come back this year. I've been in two sieges, some blockades, and as said earlier, a fleet battle. It's been a great experience for me, and on the whole I would say that it's just what I needed. I'm proud of myself for the decision I made in enlisting," he told his fellow mustelid as they moved on and began walking around the museum.
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Post by spender on Nov 1, 2011 7:05:49 GMT -5
"Hey Spender... what are you doing?"
"Playin'... chess." Spender hiccuped between words; it had been a while since he'd spoke.
He shifted in his seat, nervously eying the bowl in Caden's paws. What was he going to do, hit him over the head with it?
"Would you maybe want to... play with me instead?"
"Uh."
Spender looked at the empty chair across from him—or, rather, slightly above it, where someone's head would be if it were occupied. He squeaked with his mouth closed. He shook his head. Then he looked back at Caden. He leaned forward in his seat, straining to see over the bowl to see what was in it. His stomach rumbled a little.
"I guess y'can finish. Y'can be white..."
Ignoring the obvious joke to be had there, Spender pushed the board a little more to the middle of the table.
It was white's turn now, so while he waited, he poured himself another glass. It was a good thing Caden had shown up, he decided. He'd been planning on a cut and run when he was done the bottle, and that was still very much the plan, but now he had a distraction to keep the cafe police off his tail. If he got in trouble for it later, he could just claim he forgot, and pay Caden back then... assuming he had money whenever that was.
It wasn't his fault the stupid beast didn't know "cup" from "entire fresh bottle".
Molly raised her head, blinking. Startled as she was by the new voice, she realised she had almost fallen asleep. Tally certainly had; the mouse was curled up beside her on the pew.
She was not used to large spaces like this, and it took her a moment to figure out where the voice was coming from: right in front of her practically, although a little to the left. Was that... Ocean? She tilted her head. It was. Apart from Spender and herself, for some reason he'd seemed to her the least likely creature to show up in such a place. She had always pinned him as being a little mercenary, never quite showing his true colours... maybe this was why.
She lowered her head. It was none of her business.
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Post by Ladorak on Nov 1, 2011 11:17:31 GMT -5
"It's not just weather though, Carrow." Ladorak replied, shaking his head as he finished off his sandwich, and poured himself another glass of wine. Waiting was lonely work after all. "While you are correct in your assumption that not many fleets sail from November on, I was referring more to the fact that Admiral Hotham seems intent on withdrawing the entire fleet from the blockade of Toulon. If he does that... the harbor will be unguarded, and the Rosferians would be fools to not take advantage of such an opening." he swirled the wine in his glass a bit before taking a sip.
"Putting to sea in the winter is risky, yes, especially as it looks like we'll be having a cold one this year, hence more storms, but an unguarded harbor is still an unguarded harbor... and when Hotham withdraws... I'd wager it'd only be a matter of time before we received word that Admiral Martin has put to sea." he commented. "That's my main concern. If Hotham had every intent of keeping his station, then by all means, we'd head for Kostritz. But since he isn't going to do that, we'll be needed at a moment's notice if word reaches us of the Rosferian fleet's sailing." he explained.
"Don't worry about chipping in, I'll cover the traveling expenses." he said, waving his paw. "What do I enjoy most about Florence? Heheh... well... several things." he said, smiling slyly here. "First off, I love the hospitality of our Kostritz allies. What better place to spend down time than at the royal court of a poweful Empire like Kostritz?" he asked, smile growing. "Of course... Calgary has convenient port facilities that we can use, and is far more exciting than Gibraltar, as there we're pretty much bottled up in just... Gibraltar." he said, sticking his tongue out a bit. "If we wander any further inland we'll be in Ferlusan, and rather close to one of their naval bases at Algeciras at that."
"The food is good, the weather is usually good, unlike Naples which tends to be hotter year round, and well... the jills are rather good looking as well." he said, letting his eyes rove for just a moment to some of the serving jills, a tight smile still on his face as he looked back at the mouse.
"Heheh, shouldn't be saying such things of course, as I'll HOPEFULLY be getting married soon. I tell you though... if Molly marries me... I'll be the truest jack she's ever known, mark my words on that. I crave a steady relationship after all... more than even winning a glorious battle at the moment. I just... want stability." he said, his smile fading to a more somber expression. "I've been after it for so long... but have always had the damnedest luck." he growled. "My relationships have always fallen apart... though there were highlights to each as well."
"Ahem... yes anyway... you were asking me how I choose places. Well it was rather natural, you see. Livorno was our port of call, which I'd been ordered to, and though Tuscany has many nice towns in it, Florence is the capital, and only a short carriage ride away, so I figured why not? It's the capital, meaning our lodgings will be quite sumptuous, and our allies would be more than happy to host us. The fact that the Grand Duke is the brother of the Emperor of Kostritz also helps." he said, smile returning to his features now. "So you see... there was really no reason to NOT choose Florence. It's a capital, it's close to our port of call, the brother of the Kostritz Emperor rules here, and it's better than some of the backwaters that Florence defeated a few centuries ago."
He chuckled here, and sipped some more wine. "So how about yourself? If you could choose anywhere in the world you'd want to travel, where would it be, and why?" he asked, still leaning back in his seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Um..." Caden looked at the board, noticing that he was in check. "I think I'd rather just start a new game with you." he said, setting his bowl down and tipping the King. "There, your opponent surrendered. I'm playing you now." he moved the chair back, and sat himself down, beginning to go to work once more on his macaroni.
Spender was still being Spender, from what he could see... even if he wasn't being Spender at the same time. Be that as it may, Caden, while he felt like helping the ferret, also didn't feel like indulging him either, and thus Caden wasn't going to start a game where he was already in check.
He started off with an unconvential opening. a4. It seemed a rookie mistake, but Caden had actually won a game recently over Ladorak where he'd used such an opening, despite it being a very close-fought match. Of course... Caden had been playing as black at the time, and had never actually tried it with white.
"You've been uh... quiet a lot. Did you have fun at the gallery at least?" he asked, attacking his bowl again with a vengeance, as he was hungry and wanted to finish off these noodles and bacon bits.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ocean rose after having said his prayer, and looked up once more at the fresco. It was wondrous... and part of it depicted the Last Judgment, as usual. A time when God would deal with those who had continuously sinned against Him, despite his many warnings.
Lowering his eyes, they rested upon Molly Serra, the fiancee of his Captain. Something about her this year... yes, it had been on the beaches of Personza... he had accidentally seen her a little less than decent... and he quickly crossed himself again, and asked God for one more thing for forgiveness before he turned to face her.
"Jis Serra? I didn't figure you for the religious type." he said, approaching her now. "But then again... you probably didn't figure me for it either. I would prefer it... if the Captain... didn't know, just yet. Well... actually... I guess it's alright if he knows I'm a Catholic." the ermine quickly corrected himself. It was about his order that he was most secretive, after all. But Ladorak was a sharp stoat, and he might equate the red he was wearing with this order if he knew his religious background, but it was too late now.
"You're meeting him today, aren't you?" he asked. "He indicated to me that you'd be marrying him soon. Is this... happening?" he slid into the pew beside her, resting his forearms on the pew in front of him and looking out at the great expanse all around them. Tally was resting with her, but he wasn't too surprised by that. Only the fact that he found her in here in the first place. "He's at a cafe in the Piazza... though I guess you probably know where you're meeting him." he added, quickly realizing he was probably just stating the obvious.
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"He is. He is." the zorilla replied modestly as they began to walk across one of the bridges in between the two wings of the gallery. It was completely enclosed, and windows looked out onto the very narrow courtyard below.
He didn't go much into his experiences in the Welkin Navy, to which Scharnhorst wondered about, but didn't press the issue just yet. He listened about Selvis's father, nodding here and there. Sounded lonely but profitable as well, and not just financially. Traveling was something the zorilla quite enjoyed doing. He was pleased to hear his last name being called as well, something he preferred.
"Vow!" he exclaimed, brows going up in surprise. "Two sieges... and a fleet battle. My vater vas in a siege himself, earlier zis year. Quite a lot of traveling and fighting you have been doing. It seems it may be a very good choice if I decide to join ze Velkin Navy. Tell me zo... you did not go into much detail about it, aside from ze exploits. Vhy... vould you not vish to say much more?" he inquired, curious now.
He paused to look out one of the windows into the courtyard. "Vow... quite a sight, eh?" he asked, looking down at all the bustling beasts below them. Some were entering the gallery, others simply walking under the enclosed bridge. "It is good zat your vater is back vith you. Six years can be a long time to be away from a... a family." he finished, nodding. "As I am still trying to make up my own mind about it, vhat else can you tell me? You said it vasn't your primary reason for joining ze Velkin Navy... as you said traveling and seeing ze vorld vas not. Vhat is?" he asked, looking over at him now.
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Post by spender on Nov 1, 2011 12:53:15 GMT -5
Surrendered. Spender bristled. Warwick did not surrender. Warwick had never surrendered. That was wrong. Caden shouldn't have done that.
He let the marten snarf his macaroni and re-calibrate the board. By then he was almost done another whole glass of the wine. His stomach rumbled gently, and he licked his lips. He could smell the bacon from here.
Caden moved, and Spender stared at the board, as if thinking—yet clearly not. He blinked twice. Each time, the blankness returned a little stronger than before. At last he reached out and moved his king's pawn two squares ahead, and answered:
"Wos boring."
He put his elbow on the table and rested his cheek in his paw, and stared at the tops of some buildings. This movement of his head caused his beret to slide off and land upside-down on the ground. Apart from a few chunks of fur plastered to the inside, it was empty. Not a single cheese ball, oatmeal ball, gooey taffy glob, chocolate smear, or amber cricket.
He didn't move to pick it up.
"I'm not," Molly said, just a little startled by him. "And I don't really care to go around gossiping these days. Don't worry your little snowy head."
She joined him in looking around, although she'd done quite a lot of that already. It was impressive, but not in a way that touched her. Like Spender, she'd found the gallery a little dull after a while. One picture was more or less like the next: colours on canvas, a single, still image of some stranger's choosing. She preferred sunsets and storms, romps through snow and bedsheets, and most of all, great bloody battles. Things you could feel.
The younger stoat's questions lingered in the air like a fine vinegar mist, stinging microscopic wounds. She only closed up at their touch.
"It's very nice, isn't it. This whole... thing." She waved a paw all around. "It feels simple, but it isn't. I don't understand it. We had nothing like it in the Imperium... suddenly I come out here and find half the world believes in the same thing. Believes enough to fight the other half over it for centuries. Believes enough to die for it. And that just doesn't make sense to me. How can something that makes beasts do that come from a place so... peaceful?"
Molly turned her head to stare at the exit.
"I don't want to leave. It's too loud out there. I can't hear myself think half the time. And in here I can hear everything so clearly, all the nothing, all the silence. But then the old noise is inside me, too. In a way... it feels like the only peace I can get is somewhere they cancel each other out. Deafness from all the ideas. Then I realised: that's the Imperium. Deaf beasts screaming at the world. Trying to be heard, but none of them can, so they cut each other up to make 'em shut up. Do I really want that?" She sighed. "I don't know. What's it all about, Ocean? How did some mother and her kit change it all? Where does this silence come from? Or is it never really silent at all? How can anybeast make a decision in all this confusion?"
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Post by Ladorak on Nov 1, 2011 23:48:18 GMT -5
Well... this conversation was going to be scintillating. Caden moved his King pawn forward two as well. It was like he was looking at a creature whose brain had died, leaving only a shell barely able to respond to questions. Stimulation was nothing for this ferret, as the moment his beret fell off his head... nothing. There was nothing there. But why? What happened to him in the months since his illness?
"Uh... well I guess so." he said, even though he completely disagreed. Either he didn't have much in common with this ferret (the more likely of the two options, as he hadn't had much in common to begin with when it came to Spender), or something was wrong (impossible to ignore due to his dead pan expression and emotions).
"So uh... something wrong, Spender?" he asked, dipping his fork into the bowl and stirring the macaroni a bit before whittling it down now to the last vestiges of its former self. He had made progress, and was nearly done with it now. He knew he was taking a chance by even talking to Spender, and he questioned now why he was sitting down. But something caused him to want to stay. "You dropped your beret." the marten pointed out, as a sort of test to see if the ferret had even noticed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ahhh yes... but you know, that's not all there is to it." Ocean said softly. "Heh... it's more like a holy war. Those that reject, kill, and enslave, particularly the latter two, are treated like enemies. The first one is more of just a viable convert or someone to be pitied. Enemies of the faith... killing those that follow it and persecuting them... they do dark work, and deserve to be hunted in order to protect the truly devoted. True, it might not sound any different to you than any other war, BUT... think of the Thirty Years' War... a big portion of that was simply 'vermin' and 'woodlander' divide, but that's why we have the Treaty of Westphalia. Civilians will no longer be targeted mercilessly in wars. As for the the other 'half' as you put it..."
Ocean shifted in his seat now, and frowned a little, regarding the quiet church. "That's perfectly understandable. The Barbary Pirates for instance, of the North African coast. We visited them partly in Tunis. They enslave or kill others, regardless of what religion they follow. They also captured the Holy Land... and hence the ongoing war against them. It's a sacred mission that won't truly end until they've been driven out. Though I'm not really sure why the Imperium was brought up. My home was not only godless... it was barbaric. Heh... there are... dark things back there I try not to think about. It never showed me any love, but I can't help but to pity those wretches. They'll never live in grace. They just cheat and steal and kill. That's counterproductive to life, you know. A society like that can not long stand... and sure enough, it's on the verge of collapsing. Or at least... it seems likely to be giving birth very soon to a new sort of nation in its wake."
He paused again here, scanning the silent room. "Is it because you're torn between Ladorak's world and your own? If that's the case... you have several choices. You can go back to your world... but I think you'd sever your ties with him forever by doing that... and if you really love him... that would be hard for both of you. He loves you... that much I do know. Ahem." he cleared his throat, and sat back in the pew now.
"If you choose his world, you're afraid of missing your old one too much, is that it? That... can be a problem, especially if you're too embedded there. It's hard to fight inner nature, after all. You could ask him for more time, by telling him to put it off for now. I'm sure he'd understand. You could still stay engaged at the very least. If not... hmmm... well it's up to you to decide. He's asked you a question, and you did say yes... but it seems it was more complicated than that."
He twiddled his claws now, looking down at the floor. "I'm not sure any of this is really helping. If it's not... I should probably head back out to the Piazza. If that's what you wish... should I tell him I saw you in here, or not?" he turned his head, rotating it over to look at her now, but not full on.
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Post by Carrow on Nov 2, 2011 7:56:25 GMT -5
"Indeed, I can certainly see where you're coming from with that, sir, and I realise that we would probably be needed at a moment's notice if such a thing were to occur, as you say," he admitted, "I'm not going to get ahead of myself here; after all, our commitment is to serving Welkin, and as long as this war continues, it'll remain thus. I understand perfectly. We might be on a holiday here, but we can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for too long.
"Having said that, even with things like that in the back of my mind, I must admit I've really been in need of a little downtime." The mouse smiled when Ladorak offered to cover any potential travelling expenses - generous as ever! He listened to the stoat talk awhile about what he liked about Florence, and found that he agreed with plenty of what was being said. "Yes, I admire the Kostritzers for their hospitality. It's always nice to feel welcome anywhere!
"I appreciate the opportunities being given to us to explore as well. Tuscany is quite an exciting place, and knowing that we still have the whole of Florence at our disposal makes things even better." Ladorak's comment about the kills only made Carrow think of Tally, however; he'd been able to see less and less of her as the days had gone by. Unknown to him, she was asleep in the cathedral. He was hoping to catch up with her sometime... and sometime soon at that, as he missed her terribly.
The stoat's words about his relationship with Molly elicited a sympathetic response from the field mouse, who gave the mustelid a reassuring look. "If it doesn't work out with Molly, I'm quite certain there will be another stoat jill out there looking for someone as kind and caring as you to be their mate. No need to lose hope just yet," he said kindly. "I'm sure there have been highlights to this one as well, right?"
The topic was thankfully changed to something more cheerful, and the sight of Ladorak brightening up when he reeled off his reasons for choosing Florence over other places to the keenly interested rodent, had the knock-on effect of making Carrow feel better as well. He nodded as he listened to the stoat speak, taking in his words and digesting them without needing to respond; these were perfectly valid points, after all.
Ladorak then asked the field mouse where he would most like to travel in the world, and the reasons for his choice. He chuckled also, sheepishly smiling at the mustelid as he furrowed his brow. "Oh wow, that's a tough question! Aside from the obvious answer being Stratospheros, due to all the culture there... well, maybe in a different time I would have liked to visit Cosnair; it wouldn't be safe there these days for obvious reasons, but it's one of the continental capitals so it would be in with a good shout otherwise.
"Getting away from there, though, perhaps Egypt or someplace else in Africa, just for the experience of something radically different. I know we were in Tunis last year, but I don't have the fondest of memories of that place due to certain events." He coughed nervously; aside from meeting up with his cousins, Artivis and Setiva Sylvaticus there, that was one place he very much wanted to forget about. "A trip to the New World would be fascinating as well - going across the Ceres and seeing how Mossflower's getting on," he told the stoat Captain, the smile returning to his features.
--
"Well, if travelling and fighting sounds like the kind of thing you might be interested in, then there's absolutely no doubt in my mind when I say you'd be very interested in what the Welkinite Navy has to offer you," he said enthusiastically, before his voice softened a little. He rubbed the back of his neck slightly, realising he didn't want to overload his possible new friend with information too soon. They'd only just met after all.
"It's not that I don't want to go into more detail, Scharnhorst; it's more like me not wanting to drown you in details by letting them pour out all at once. I'm letting you take everything in in bits and pieces, as I feel more comfortable relating my experiences to you in that manner. That was me telling you the particularly notable things that I've been up to this year, but believe me, that's only a taste of what I've been doing since I joined last year."
The longtail nodded at the zorilla's comment, smiling broadly as he looked out into the courtyard, noting that it was indeed an eye-catching sight. "Quite so, yes; it would seem that viewing the art that's housed here isn't the only way to see spectacular sights!," he commented, his broad smile remaining as he shook his head in wonderment. "Ah yes, but you were asking me about the Navy, right? Well, I'll start with some small things. I'm an Able Seajack at the moment, though I'm aiming for the position of Ship's Corporal. I think that would suit me fine as I would be overseeing matters of discipline.
"I've told you about the more exciting things we get up to, but in all honesty, the day-to-day life isn't half bad either. I work better when I have routine in my life, and some of the things we regularly do aboard the Agamemnon are... let's see... well, there's gun training, for starters. My position on the gun crew is that of pawspiker. I help to lever the gun when it's being readied for firing, and I'm also the one that has to check its progress when it starts to roll back after firing, which is a risky job - the amount of times I've come close to damaging my paw doesn't even bear thinking about - but somebeast has to do it, and I enjoy the thrill."
He paused a moment, nodding as Heinrich remarked upon the length of his father's absence. "Yes, it is, but it makes it all the sweeter that he's back now." His eyes lit up as Scharnhorst asked about his main reason for joining up on that particular ship. "Well, the travelling and exploration factors into it as well, but I'd just couldn't turn down all the opportunities I'd get to meet new faces - if I was still in Crittenden I'd never have met you, right?"
He chuckled a little, before continuing. "The real reason I joined up was because of the friends I made in Crittenden last year. They stopped by for a few weeks and helped me to make up my mind about pledging my services to Welkin. I'm going to let them introduce themselves later on, but for now I'll tell you this: one is an albino pine marten, one is an ermine, like the Poynt family - a stoat who doesn't change his coat throughout the year; one's a beech marten - though I'm not sure if he'll be around to meet you as he tends to be quiet; and one is a field mouse. I reckon you'll like the lot of them. Oh and of course, our Captain's one of the friendliest creatures you'll ever meet in your life, so I hope you DO get to do so.
"Getting back to life aboard a ship such as the Agamemnon," he said, making sure to keep his voice gentle even though he was almost overcome with curiosity, "I have a question to ask you. Are you familiar with positions available on ships such as her? If so, could you tell me what sort of one you might want to aim for?," he enquired, abuzz with questions now as he got to know the zorilla. He hoped the striped polecat would join up, as he was quite a find.
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Post by Ladorak on Nov 3, 2011 0:29:48 GMT -5
Ladorak stared off emptily for a moment at the mention of bright spots in this relationship. "Oh yes." He said. "So many bright spots. Brighter than the other two." he said, inhaling slowly as he thought it over. "Oh yes... so much brighter." he concluded.
Bringing the chair's legs down to the ground, he was no longer balancing as he listened to the mouse's choices. "Ahhh... Cosnair." the stoat grinned now. "Heheh... I've wanted to visit myself. Well... it's chaotic now... but once this war ends... whoever the victors may be... I'll make it a point to travel there with you." he said. "I'll take all of us. Heh... it'll be interesting to see how this... 'democracy' works after all, seeing as how there's now two nations that practice it, though it did exist in ancient Greece and Rome." he commented. "I'd hardly call Milton Dragonis's dominance of the country democracy though. But... I suppose now they're sort of back to that... with the Convention and all." he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin fur.
"So when this war ends... I'll take you. Egypt, you say?" he asked, raising a brow. "There's... not much difference between Egypt and Tunis, you know." He said, smiling a little now. "The only real difference is that Egypt is ruled by the Mameluks and a governor of the Eastern Hordes' Ottoman Empire. Tunis is ruled by a Bey, another governor for the Ottomans. However... unlike Tunis... Egypt DOES have historical artifacts... like the Pyramids." he commented. "It had a very long, cultured society. Pharaohs and all that. It's... not exactly welcoming to our kind, and I wouldn't personally leave the port cities, but... if we do get the chance... I must admit they'd be fascinating to see." he confessed. "If only those barbarians weren't around... then the country would be a bit safer to walk around in." he commented, raising his brows a bit now.
"Heh... the Ceres... yes. I've been over there several times in my life. Defeated by the New World, after all. Used to cruise the Western Mandates as part of my station. I've been to Mossflower as well... was treated in Redwall Abbey after I left... well was taken from Sampetra, I guess you could say." he informed the mouse. "It's... different. Quiet, more woodsy, and not as populated. There are cities of course, but not bustling and immensely busy like Muggidrear or Cosnair. They'll probably get there someday... but considering they've only had slightly over a hundred years of settlement... well... settlement from the continent that its, there's still a lot of catching up to do."
"That is a possibility for us, though I think I prefer the Mediterranean right now as is. Channel Fleet and Med Squadron for me, thank you very much." he picked up his wine glass again, raising a bit, before taking a hearty swig.
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"Ah vell no danger of zat." the zorilla said. "I have... a very good memory. I can process many sings at vonce." he said, smiling widely. "Don't vorry... go ahead." Scharnhorst listened patiently, clasping his paws behind his back now.
He nodded occasionally, taking it all in. Positions, day to day routine (though he suspected there was far more of course), and life aboard a ship of the line in general. His smile grew as Selvis commented it was more about friendships. While Scharnhorst believed in cultivating friendships, he never would have guessed it being the main reason this weasel had enlisted. Camaraderie was a powerful thing, and could see a jack through a particularly harsh war. He'd heard of such things, and had wanted to observe first paw how it came into effect on the battlefield.
"Ahhh quite... fascinating!" he added at the end of it all. "It is something I am very carefully considering, I vill not lie on zis subject." he admitted. "It is sounding more appealing to me as time goes on zo. Now... as to vhat sort of job I vould hold... I am good vith artillery... so... ze Gunner perhaps... at some point. Or voodvorking vas my trade before ze academy... so perhaps Carpenter... at one point again, as I said. All in ze future, I'm sure."
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Post by Carrow on Nov 4, 2011 19:24:16 GMT -5
Carrow watched Ladorak's response to his comments about his time with Molly, and smiled to himself when the stoat concluded that his time with her had been 'so much brighter' than his other attempts at sustaining a relationship. This, at least, was a good sign: if the stoats couldn't make it work, they'd always have the memories, which would shine all the brighter if things didn't work out. The rodent remained hopeful, as he reckoned that they made a rather nice couple.
He thought the same of himself and Tally in fact - she was perfect for him, even if he hadn't really gotten the chance to show her just how much she meant to him yet. Maybe he'd get a chance to do it before the year was out - he wasn't entirely sure. He was ready and willing to take the plunge in regards to his feelings for her - which had developed even more since they'd spoken in the Sick Tent on Calvi - he just needed to see her.
The field mouse's eyes lit up as Ladorak suggested he might take them on another trip, this time to Cosnair. "Yes, 'interesting' would be the word I'd use to describe how I feel about that. It's a relatively new concept, at least in modern times, so it would be interesting to see if it worked - that is, providing the city is still under a democratic system if and when we get there. I look forward to possibly seeing it someday, though.
"You're being very generous, offering to take us to all these different places. You must have a real love of travelling," he said softly, finding somewhat of a kindred spirit in the stoat Captain. Carrow had never realised how much he enjoyed travelling until he'd had a chance to properly do it, and now he couldn't get enough of new locations and experiences. There was always exploration to be done as well - one of the activities that the rodent cherished.
He smiled a little as Ladorak told him about Egypt, his smile widening considerably when the stoat mentioned the Pyramids. "Ah, yes, well there's the main reason I'd love to go to a place like Egypt. Unlike Tunis, I already know that it has quite the history. Historical artefacts... yes, that's exactly why I'd love to visit there someday. I know there'd be risks involved - there are always going to be occurrences like that, especially if there is unrest of the sort which you describe - but on the other paw... well, Egypt!," he exclaimed, still smiling. "I'd go just to say I'd been, if you get me. It'd be an experience no matter what."
The mouse's eyes rose visibly as Ladorak mentioned having been to that famous Abbey. "You... you've been to Redwall?," he asked, a slight note of disbelief evident in his voice. "I've heard stories about it, but never known anybeast who's actually BEEN there... they say it's a wonderful place, you know," he added in a reverent tone of voice. "What was it like for you?," he enquired now, hoping to hear more from the stoat. He merely nodded in satisfaction when the mustelid said he was content with where he was currently. The field mouse was in total agreement on that subject.
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Selvis smiled from ear to ear when his new zorilla friend described his relation of some of the aspects of day-to-day ship life as 'fascinating'. He hadn't been expecting such an enthusiastic response; he was only doing his best after all. "Why, thanks very much," he said softly in response. "I'm still learning myself, but I do what I can to explain things. It sounds like it's helping too." The longtail approved of this; the last thing he wanted was to have to leave a creature like Heinrich behind when they set sail again.
His eyes sparkled as his fellow mustelid mentioned that he was good with artillery, and he chuckled when Scharnhorst mentioned that he would perhaps like to become a Gunner someday. "Ah, I see! You'd do well to top the Gunner we have currently, let me tell you that! He's an otter named Horace Dorien, and if you fancy 'gunning' for his job - if you'll pardon the pun - you'll need to do very well indeed. Glad to see you're interested in that, and the idea of you occupying that position appeals to me as well.
"As for being the Ship's Carpenter... I don't know whose job you'd be going for if you chose to shoot for that rank, but as you have previous experience in woodworking, like you said, that'd be another excellent choice!," he exclaimed, smiling. His brow quirked when Scharnhorst mentioned the academy again. "You said you joined the academy after you'd done some woodworking, yes? Would you be so kind as to tell me what things were like for you whilst there?," he asked curiously, continuing to walk around the gallery with his new-found companion.
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Post by spender on Nov 6, 2011 5:54:23 GMT -5
The chess board might as well have been ten miles long for the amount of time it took Spender to register Caden's question and come up with a reply.
"Nuffin'," he said, meaning 'Everything'.
"You dropped your beret."
Spender slowly raised a paw to his head.
"Oh."
He glanced down. Not there. He shifted to the other side, his chin moving as fast as a glacier carving through mountains. Oh, there it was. He also saw Caden had moved. He pushed his king two squares forward and slid sideways to dangle a paw at his beret.
The picture slipped out of his pocket just as he'd hooked a claw in. He waggled his limb at it to no avail. With a groan, he slunk out of his chair to pick it up properly, and sat back down with a thunk.
He put his beret on his head and, unable to help himself now that it was out, unfolded the paper and stared at it.
There might have been a spark of something in his eyes for a moment. But then again there might not.
Molly began to tune Ocean out before she realised she was doing it. She wasn't interested in history lessons, nor psychological examinations. He was making her livid, delving past her concerns to prod at something private.
"I think you should," she said coldly, and not bothering to say if she meant he should leave or tell Ladorak. If she meant both, even she didn't know for sure.
As Ocean stood and took his leave, she rested her chin on the pew in front of her.
Why was this so hard again?
She had promised herself. It was the hardest promise she'd ever made, but she'd held to it ever since. Though her mind and desires wandered to other jacks, her body stayed true. She'd thought that was proof enough. But it didn't seem like he believed it. It was as if to have perfect faith in her, he needed to see she would never stray in the future; and so she would be doomed to a life of guilty until proven innocent by the final stroke of death. That wasn't faith at all. She could not live with that judgment over her.
And a promise to herself was just as good as a promise to him, for she had promised him, too, and still he gossiped. She knew he would have to be, or why else would Ocean be acting as some sort of courier, trying to divine a decision she'd made almost a year ago now? If it was as set in stone as she'd thought it was, why would anyone observing from the outside have reason to doubt? Why was it the love she'd been showing wasn't visible to anyone?
Booking the church required one of them be Catholic. She could easily lie, but there had to be something else to it. A wedding was just another promise, made not to just one another, but to a several third parties: God, the priest, and the witnesses. Did Ladorak require that third party promise before he could trust her? If that was so, why hadn't her promise to Caden been enough? It wasn't like Ladorak needed anyone else to know.
She'd promised to be Caden's mother...
Or was it just that? That Caden didn't trust her, and that had transferred to Ladorak? If that was the case, there was nothing she could do. She didn't know how to be a mother—Tally was basically just an experiment. She couldn't make Caden love her and want her guiding his life. If he didn't want her, then she wasn't the one.
She pulled off the engagement ring and stared hard into it.
It had once meant a firm "yes", and the only questions left had been "when?" and "where?", but now it felt like it was back to the first one. And now she didn't know if she could trust herself to hold that promise any more. Logic—if it was logic at all—insisted that the numbers were correct. If she was the only one who had faith in her promises, then having that faith was a flaw, a mistake. She would be wrong.
She did not want to be wrong.
Molly looked down at the gently slumbering ball of Tally. She needed someone else to have faith in her... someone who wasn't programmed to.
She stood up. Her legs trembled. Blood flow returning, she mused, or nerves? She gripped the backs of the pews as she made her way across the church to the confessionals. She stopped, paw on the door, as if waiting for someone to stop her. No one did.
She went in and cussed because she'd closed the door on her tail. It was not a very good start to the conversation.
"I need someone to have faith in me," she said, after apologies were had. "And, I suppose... I would like to have faith in someone who is not me. Please, explain as you would to a kit..."
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Post by Ladorak on Nov 6, 2011 14:25:40 GMT -5
Ladorak paused to consider this a moment, furrowing his brow, and frowning a little. "Hmmm... it was... pleasant... very isolated and peaceful. Cut off from the world, you might say. I was... recuperating there after my ordeal in the Battle of Sampetra. Since I couldn't leave the island of my own free will, I asked Martin II to take me instead." the stoat explained.
"He did so, and gradually... I was brought back to life from the dead shell I had been. I wandered the grounds, and determined that if I should ever find myself in a position to build a place of my own, I would make it very much like the Abbey. Even if it is my personal residence, and would reflect that, I'd like it quiet and away from things as much as I could manage. Just peaceful... a place I can live with my family, if I have one, and a place where I can also go to reflect and be alone when needs be. I hope... provided my career ever goes anywhere, to live this life someday, once I have done my duty to my country."
His words were soft, as if he had traveled somewhere far from Florence now, and was wandering about this very quiet place as they spoke. It was then that Ocean was beside them, saluting the Captain as he stood by their table. "Sir... I saw your fiancee. She's in the cathedral."
"Hmm?" Ladorak asked, looking over at the ermine now. "She is? Is she... ready then? What did she say?"
Ocean shook his head. "I'm not terribly sure, sir. If anything... she sounded... confused." He said, wrinkling his features now to display his own uncertainly.
"Confused? But what does she possibly have to be confused about? Is... is something wrong?" he asked, rising out of his chair.
"I couldn't say sir, but she didn't seem very happy with things." Ocean said again.
"I see... I'm sorry." he seemed to remember Carrow now. "I think I'm going to go in there and look for her. I know you just got out of there, but would you want to go back in?" he asked, looking down at the mouse. "Ah but your food..." the stoat Captain said, frowning again and placing a paw under his chin.
"I did in fact see Tally with her." Ocean said, wondering if it would impact the mouse's decision any. The stoat once more looked over at Carrow now, knowing that these restaurants usually could take awhile with food, but even so, it was entirely Carrow's choice. Ladorak would ensure the restaurant didn't become too incensed after all if he did indeed leave. Of course, he could always ask Ocean to stay here while he himself went into the cathedral as well if Carrow needed his food.
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Caden raised a brow at the illegal move made by Spender. What was more baffling was that the ferret no longer seemed to be working as he should. "Uhh... the King can't move more than a square." Caden pointed out, unsure how to really take that.
He watched as the ferret seemed to battle with the simple action of placing his beret on his head, but not only that, retrieving it from the ground seemed a real chore as well. That folded paper... there seemed to be something to it... but what?
Leaning over to try and see, the marten gave up and sat back in his chair as he studied that almost brilliance that seemed to shine for the briefest of moments within Spender's eyes. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the paper. "Something good?" He of course couldn't interpret the ferret very well, and so simply figured he'd wait and ask him simple questions to hopefully get simple answers. Finishing his macaroni, the albino set the bowl down and looked at the board, unable to really move.
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The two mustelids were wandering into the second wing of the gallery now. "Hmm, ze Gunner is good?" asked Scharnhorst. "I see... vell I am not expecting to take anyvone's job just yet... zat vould take time. I am not so... so... presuming to figure I could do something so quickly." he said, shaking his head.
"Ahhh ze academy... yes." he said, flashing back to those times now. "It vas interesting, ja. Zere vas a lot of talented beasts zere, all very ambitious... all looking to serve zere country. It vas in a fortress in ze middle of Lake Steinhude." he explained, smiling now. "Sort of unique... I know, but zat's vhere it vas. Ve all vore uniforms and trained for things like ze artillery and ze infantry. I chose ze artillery myself, zo all positions were full vhen I graduated, hence, my desire to travel, instead. I'd like to serve Hanover someday, but as my vater is already considering employment elsevhere, perhaps I could apply myself elsevhere too." he commented.
"It formed a sense of discipline and military order vithin you zat you didn't quickly forget. Got you used to military life and routine as vell. I did enjoy my time zere, but I also need to find employment too. I have been veighing my options, and trying to come to a decision." he concluded, nodding at the weasel as he laid this all out for him.
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