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Jun 5, 2012 10:20:13 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 5, 2012 10:20:13 GMT -5
Boneparte wasn't sure either side was fully capable of pawdling things at this rate. The moderates did not care about the poor, and were completely inept at dealing with Rosferia's economic woes, which were only getting worse as the days went on, hence the need for imposing harsh peace terms on Mordenz. The Jacobins on the other paw were ruthless, and while they looked out for the poor and oppressed the rich, they were far too extreme to have stayed in power for very long. Balance was clearly needed here... a balance that had not yet been reached. A "White Terror" was currently in existence, in which Jacobins were being rounded up and guillotined in retribution for the Reign of Terror. It was now the turn of the reactionaries to strike back, though for little real benefit to Rosferia as a whole.
"Heheh." Boneparte couldn't suppress a chuckle at Sciurus's anger toward Carnot. "Welcome to my world. He builds himself up as the 'organizer of victory', when in reality, he almost COST General Jourdan the Battle of Wattignies with his interference, yet since he reached Cosnair first, his view of events prevailed. He's NOT that adept a military mustelid as he'd like to paint himself as. And of COURSE he's worried about only his money. Everyone else, even heroes, can starve, for all he cares. Carnot has only ever been about Carnot... though fortunately, he has no dictator tendencies. He IS at least an ardent republican... he just believes a republic means you have the opportunity to build your own fortune while screwing your neighbor, as it's everyone for himself in his mind." he shook his head at this now, shoulders slumping a little.
But he brightened upon being asked what the south of Rosferia was like. "Sunny and beautiful, for the most part, with grape vineyards everywhere and much coastline. Now that we're adding what USED to be Savoy to our territory, we have quite the peaceful countryside down there. The revolts have all been crushed, and it's been a peaceful if not slightly boring bucolic existence." he said, laughing a little. "I say boring only because Carnot has been restraining the Army of Calgary, and preventing us from moving into the heart of Calgary itself... though I hope that changes, IF we can make peace with Ferlusan." he commented. "You really DO need to visit... see our fleet in the south, and the ground where I fought for much of the latter half of 1793 around Toulon."
"Ah not last year!" Boneparte quickly corrected Sciurus. "1793 was the year the Siege of Toulon took place. Lasted from August to December. By 1794, I was recuperating from my wound... ah yes, forgot to mention that. Was cut on my leg by a Welkinite sergeant with a spontoon." he said, smiling. "Couldn't walk for several days, but it's gradually healed, and I only bear a scar there now. Proud to say I DID cut him down for that." he placed his paws on his hips and puffed himself out a little, though it was mostly for show, and all in good fun. "So yes... 1794 wasn't a very active year for me. Only saw two engagements, though both of them were successes." he added.
Boneparte smiled at Sciurus's eagerness to meet his friends. "My brother and MY friends... not his friends." he corrected again with a smile as he held his paws to his chest to indicate himself. "My brother hasn't served nearly as long as I have with them, after all. Junot was with me ever since the Siege of Toulon, and Marmont I've known since my academy days." he informed the squirrel as he began making for the hotel.
"But yes, let's get over there so I can get checked in and we can meet them." it was evident he was putting on jovial airs, as he wanted to forget about his troubles for now as best he could, though he did in fact want to hear about Sciurus's woes at some point... provided he himself didn't lapse too deeply into his own melancholy.
The hotel was a nice one along the Seine, just to the east of the Louvre and Tuileries Palaces, and right next to the old Chatelet Prison, ironically enough. It was also opposite the Conciergerie Prison, where Queen Marie Antoinette had been held before her execution. The Conciergerie was on an island out in the Seine, and the hotel stood opposite that island.
Boneparte was fortunate in that the Chatelet was losing much of its former function, as the Provost of Cosnair was a defunct job. The Provost had had his headquarters here back under the King's rule, and had acted as the King's Chief of Police and bailiff, but since the overthrow of Augustine in 1792, that post had been vacant, and less and less prisoners were getting sent to the Chatelet. The prison itself was being considered for demolition, much as the Bastille had been. If it were up to Boneparte, he'd tear the place down, as it was becoming an eyesore.
"While you may question the view, I DO appreciate the old Conciergerie Palace. Even if it's a prison now, there is at least a beauty to the actual facade of the building." Boneparte admitted as he gestured across the river to the island where the former palace sat. It had not of course been a palace since 1391, after the kings had moved into the Louvre, but all the same, it was a nice medieval building to look at.
Walking into the lobby of the hotel, Boneparte was greeted by his brother, who was sitting near the entrance waiting for him. Marmont and Junot were close by as well, standing about and talking amongst themselves. "Brother!" Louis exclaimed. "We were wondering what was taking you. Did you have a good walk?" the younger meerkat asked.
"Ah yes, I did in fact." Boneparte responded. "I have run into an old acquaintance of mine... Sciurus Whirlpaw, this is Louis Lantzer, my younger brother. The handsome otter fellow you see over there with the black fur is Auguste Marmont, my friend from the academy, and the dingo is Jean Andoche Junot, though he prefers Junot to Jean." Boneparte said, smiling as he introduced them. "This in turn is my friend from my previous stay in Cosnair, Sciurus Whirlpaw. Now... if you'll excuse me, I'll be right back. Going to get our rooms set up with a monthly rate, if I can." he nodded, and crossed the foyer to the reception desk.
"Whirlpaw, eh?" Marmont asked, offering his paw first. "And just how do you know our Boneparte? What's the surname derived from?" he asked, curious as to both of these things.
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Returns
Jun 7, 2012 13:55:40 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 7, 2012 13:55:40 GMT -5
He shook his head as Boneparte told him more about Carnot. "Sounds to me like he's a perfectly despicable creature. I'm going to drop the subject now, as talking about him's not making me feel good, that's for sure." He was better off focusing on things other than how unfair life was being for his friend. Talking about the south of Rosferia seemed much more worthwhile for him. "A peaceful, bucolic existence... hmm, sounds like it's right up my street. I could certainly use a little downtime somewhere else, and of course, this would give me the opportunity to see the fleet, as you say. Sounds good!," he said, nodding decisively.
"Not last year...? Oh, RIGHT!," Sciurus responded, smacking his forehead with a paw. "How could I have forgotten when THAT happened?! Great seasons, my memory would seem to be all over the place... but yes, I remember now. It certainly sounds like you saw some action there, at least, going by what you're telling me know. It still strikes me as odd that I hadn't seen you in almost two years... looks like we have more to discuss than I thought, heh. I would rather like to hear about your adventures at some point!," he exclaimed.
Towards the end of that year, his relationship with Sara had escalated significantly. He'd worked up the courage to propose to her, but had needed more time to save the money to buy her a ring. By the time he'd done so and made all the other preparations... she was dead. Best not to start thinking about that now, the rodent told himself, instead focusing on Boneparte telling him about HIS friends.
"Oh right, yes, your friends, not your brother's friends! Of course!," the squirrel responded with a sheepish smile. "My brain seems to be a few steps ahead of my mouth right now; I think it's just the rush from the conversation we're been having! I haven't talked like this to anybeast in quite a while," he admitted. "But yes, that's an important distinction to make," he said with a small chuckle. "You and Marmont go that far back? Have to say I'm quite impressed by that!"
As they started to walk towards the hotel, Sciurus thought briefly about the friends he had left behind in Mossflower. Had he not been filled with such a desire to travel, he easily could have settled down at Redwall. Being a pacifist, that sort of lifestyle would no doubt have suited him down to the ground. Maybe one day he would make his return.. assuming he survived the war, of course, as he'd already had a couple of close scrapes already, and one of them had been too close for comfort.
"A hotel next to a prison? Well, that's new!," Sciurus exclaimed, chuckling as he realised the irony of the place's position. "The view is certainly interesting, yes, but, well, I agree, I certainly like the look of that building's facade. I can't say I've ever really had much of a chance to appreciate Cosnair like this, what with everything that's gone on in the last few years, but this is a rather striking view, I must say!," he told his meerkat friend with a grin.
He smiled broadly as he was introduced to Boneparte's brother and friends. He was particularly pleased to be introduced to Marmont, who was an otter. Considering the squirrel's best friend had been an otter, it was no surprise that he was rather attached to those mustelids, but the fact that he had black fur was curious to the rodent; it made him stand out, even more than the fact that, in relative terms, he towered over the squirrel. Sciurus had to angle his head back a bit to meet the otter's eyes, but he did that, smiling as Marmont offered him his paw.
Sciurus accepted it warmly, shaking it as he smiled at the otter's curiosity about his name, and how he came to know Boneparte. "Pleased to meet you, Monsieur Marmont," he said politely. "Boneparte and I met when he came to Cosnair a few years back. We seemed to get along right from the off, bit we hadn't seen each other since, before today, that is. He's been away for quite a while, whilst I have stayed here, doing various things. I used to serve on the Convention, but needed to take a break for... personal reasons. My current occupation is that of a hypnotherapist, but I'm not working for the rest of the day, so I decided to go for a walk to clear my head, and that's when I ran into him, almost literally," he said with a chuckle.
He offered his paw first to Louis, and then to Junot. "May I say that it's a pleasure to meet the two of you, as well!," he said enthusiastically, before returning to Marmont's question. "My surname, well... it's more like a nickname which stuck," he said softly, spreading the pad of his right paw wide so that the others could see. "See that spiral of white fur? That's my birthmark. Ever since I can remember, I've had that 'Whirlpaw' tag, so these days I just go by it," he explained.
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Jun 8, 2012 11:37:37 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 8, 2012 11:37:37 GMT -5
"Quite the coincidence then!" Marmont said, smiling with a knowing nod. "That you should run into your old acquaintance here. Well it doesn't surprise me that Boneparte didn't stay the last time he was here... it wasn't exactly his home back then, and still technically isn't. He's gone from Personza to Marseilles, though his having hailed from the south still hasn't changed. I do recall he was here oh... three years ago or so to sort out an issue similar to this one." the otter stroked his chin. "That time he walked away with a promotion to captain. Now though... I'm not sure his prospects are better this time around, as Carnot is definitely not his friend."
"A hypnotherapist, eh?" Marmont asked now, the others nodding as they listened. "I must say that's certainly a curious profession, and one I imagine would pay either very well or not much at all, depending on how chaotic or indulgent the streets of Cosnair become. They tend to change like the very tides themselves, these days." the otter pointed out. From what he knew, it was now an odd mix of chaos and decadence at present. The middle class were living it up and indulging while the poor were running rampant and protesting their lack of food. The National Guard had put down their latest revolt, and things were gradually returning back to "normal" around these parts.
"Nice to meet you as well." Louis said, the young meerkat heartily and eagerly shaking the squirrel's paw. Junot meanwhile possessed a firm and brief grip.
"Good to meet you." the straight-faced dingo said. He had the calm and reserved look of a contemplative creature about him. Very poised and collected, this Jean Andoche Junot. They all studied the spiral band of white fur upon Sciurus's paw now, Boneparte taking note as he wandered back over.
"Got the rooms set up!" he exclaimed. "Ah yes... I remember that bit of fur being your birthmark." he commented, nodding as the others scrutinized it.
"Aha! Makes perfect sense!" Marmont said, looking up to nod at the squirrel in understanding. "Aptly named."
"Well if that is not your real surname and is but a nickname, what may I ask IS your actual surname?" Louis inquired now, seemingly the most inquisitive of the lot.
Boneparte had to admit, he did not know the answer to this. He'd always known Sciurus as Sciurus Whirlpaw. But that had been ages ago. Three years now seemed like almost a lifetime to him given all he'd witnessed and participated in since then. Well... maybe it was time to start learning about Mr. Sciurus Whirlpaw. You never knew who you could truly count on when things came down to it in Cosnair, but right now, Boneparte figured it would be beneficial to reopen old friendships in the Rosferian capital.
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Post by Carrow on Jun 9, 2012 9:04:00 GMT -5
"Yes, that's it! I recall my first meeting with him being three years ago," Sciurus said with a smile. "It was relatively brief, as he didn't stay for that long. I did however manage to coax him into my parlour for a short session," the rodent informed them with a small chuckle. "As I'm sure you can imagine, that time seemed to have been rather stressful for him; at least, that was how I saw it, and I should know that even being temporarily relieved from stress is a good thing.
"In fact, this almost makes me wonder if I should treat him to my services again," he mused. It was now the squirrel's turn to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "Carnot really seems like he has it in for him, from what I've been told, and I can't imagine the kind of weight that must be on his mind. He faces an anxious wait for the next three weeks, and if he can't find a solution before then, well... I must admit that prospect doesn't look good," he said, frowning slightly. "I do wish I could help him somehow..."
He brightened up when the topic changed to his profession. The only kind of talking he got to do about that, most of the time, was explaining it to curious clients, but THIS sort of conversation had not come up before, and it was rather refreshing. "Curious indeed! There aren't many creatures who do what I do in Cosnair; there are a few other competitors that I know of, and I used to run my parlour with an otter, much like yourself, Monsieur Marmont. He was great to work with." He didn't wish to mention the mustelid by name... that was still too painful for him.
"Much like Cosnair itself, the pay situation for my occupation seems to be rather unpredictable and volatile these days. Some weeks I make enough money to treat myself to something at the weekend, and others, I barely make enough to be able to afford the necessities. I love the work I do, though, so that makes up for those weeks where there has been a little shortfall," he told the otter, smiling as Louis eagerly returned his pawshake. Junot's grip was a powerful one, but it was brief. Sciurus smiled at him too, marking him out as a powerful creature.
The others then studied the spiral on his paw, and the squirrel smiled in a rather bashful manner as they commented on it. "It certainly comes in useful every now and then, what with me being a hypnotherapist and all," he said with a chuckle, smiling at Boneparte as he returned to them. "Oh, good, you have the rooms sorted, then! I'm glad to hear that. Must say, this hotel DOES look rather nice. You would seem to have done well for yourselves," he commented, the smile still on his face.
He was, in fact, still smiling as Louis asked his what his actual surname was. "As I said, I've been using Whirlpaw for so long that it's even on official documents now, heheh," he told the meerkat, chuckling. "Since you ask, though, it's Veltirris. My full name is Sciurus Rufus Veltirris, but you're just about the only creatures I know who are aware of that," he revealed to them, his white-tipped tail swaying slightly behind him as he spoke.
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Jun 9, 2012 15:15:47 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 9, 2012 15:15:47 GMT -5
"This Revolution can be fickle, and there's nothing really any of us can do for him at the moment." Marmont managed to get in before Boneparte returned. "We'll just have to hope for the best."
"Will certainly effect me." Junot mumbled, as Boneparte paid him for being his secretary.
Boneparte made a mental note to remember Veltirris. Would be useful to look up if he needed another place of residence, given that this hotel would have to be removed from the equation if he was forced onto half pay. "Yes... we certainly have done well for ourselves... and I intend to enjoy it as I may be forced into less... glamorous accommodations before long." the meerkat said, mumbling as well and shaking his head.
"Well, let's get our bags up to the rooms and start settling in. We'll be here at least three weeks, though I paid for an additional week as well, just in case." the meerkat informed them, and the others nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Whirlpaw." Louis said, reaching down for his bag. Junot nodded, and Marmont said that it was likewise a pleasure to have made the acquaintance of the squirrel.
"Well... I'm going to go check out my room now and set my things up, as Louis and I will be sharing accommodations. Would you perhaps like to dine with us tonight somewhere?" Boneparte asked Sciurus as he reached down for his traveling trunk. "It will be good to trade stories and for you to learn about my friends as well. After having nothing but free inn food for the past three weeks, I'm looking forward to actually dining in Cosnair on real meals for a change. If you know of any good places, we'll take them into consideration, though I have a few in mind myself. I think I'm going to compose a letter to Eugénie to let her know I've arrived safely, and then get ready for dinner. We could eat someplace along the Seine, if you wanted." the meerkat suggested.
"How does that sound, then?" he asked, hoping the squirrel would take him up on this offer and join them. Best to enjoy the good times while they lasted after all, as Boneparte was NOT holding his breath about his future prospects, and he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to keep this up.
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Jun 10, 2012 16:19:15 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 10, 2012 16:19:15 GMT -5
Sciurus was good at hoping for the best. He'd done that almost ceaselessly for the last four months, since he'd started coming out of his gloom, which had itself been relentless. He'd been banking on his fortunes turning around as well, but it was only really now that he had met Boneparte that the rodent believed that something like that could possibly happen. There were still holes in his life that were proving very difficult, if not impossible, to fill, but things were getting better, and even if he wasn't constantly optimistic like he had been before, he was more or less back on an even keel.
The bushy-tailed rodent smiled slightly as Boneparte declared his intentions to enjoy the good times while they lasted. "If you want my advice, mate, it's better to make the most of the here and now than to constantly worry about the future. Believe me, I should know - I don't think I did that when I had the chance, and then, suddenly, everything changed," he said in a softer tone of voice. "I'm not going to make that mistake again, and I won't have that said of you, either."
Sciurus blushed modestly when Louis and Marmont said it was nice to have met him. He was learning about making friends and acquaintances once again, and finally starting to properly come out of his shell, but he could still be rather bashful at times. "I'm very glad to have met the three of you, and look forward to seeing you all again, hopefully sooner rather than later, too," he quipped, grinning. The grin remained on his face when Boneparte provided the opportunity for them to see each other again rather soon - that evening at dinner!
The squirrel was glad that the meerkat was making an effort. He knew that these weren't the best of times for him, but he was trying to fight off his frustration and anxiety over what was to come. This was heartening for the squirrel to see, as he was unsure that he'd be able to get through to his friend much, if at all, if things went the other way - speaking from his own experiences, of course. He hadn't had anybeast to really talk to when he was going through his own rough times, but he wondered if he would have bothered if he'd had the chance.
In any case, he didn't like seeing friends upset, so anything positive helped him, in turn, and the idea of having dinner with Boneparte and company greatly appealed to him. "I'm going to go ahead and let you choose, mate," the squirrel responded kindly. "You probably have a better knowledge of such places than I, so I choose to leave it up to you. The idea of dining out with your brother and friends is rather appealing," he said brightly, offering smiles to Louis, Junot and Marmont. "Someplace along the Seine would suit just fine," he told the group, prepared to let Boneparte take the lead for now.
"Now you mention it, actually, I don't think I've ever really gone into what my life was like before I arrived in Cosnair - I certainly don't remember talking about it with you, at least. You wouldn't have been around long enough for me to start getting into that, so yes," he said with a chuckle, "in the same way as I will hopefully be learning about your friends, who seem like fascinating creatures from what I've already been told, you'll get to know about me. Should be a rather interesting dinner, then!"
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Jun 11, 2012 10:59:37 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 11, 2012 10:59:37 GMT -5
"I have a feeling it will be, yes!" Boneparte nodded, beginning to head for the stairs leading to the second floor now, as that's where his room was located. "Let's meet here in the lobby at 6:00 then!" he suggested, it being now about 3:45. That would give him time to settle in, write, and mail his letter before the post office closed at 5.
Taking the stairs rapidly, the meerkat was soon joining his brother in his room, getting set up and prepared for dinner, which, as it turned out, did prove to be rather good. As Boneparte was still on full pay, he was able to enjoy himself in some waterfront evening dining. Marmont and Junot told their stories, about how the former hailed from Chatillon-sur-Seine and was the son of an ex-army officer. Following his father's profession, Marmont had entered the artillery after going through academy at Dijon, where he'd met Boneparte, who'd been studying there at the time. They'd remained friends ever since, Marmont being five years younger than his meerkat friend. They'd both embraced the Revolution, and had seen each other off and on (including the Siege of Toulon) as both worked in the Army of Calgary.
Junot was from a small village in the Cote-d'Or region of Rosferia, a little south of Marmont's hometown. He had wished to become a lawyer, and had been studying law in Cosnair when the Revolution broke out. Enlisting immediately in a volunteer battalion, Junot had been wounded twice before being made a sergeant and meeting Boneparte at the Siege of Toulon. Two years Boneparte's junior in age, the two had become fast friends, with Boneparte making Junot his secretary. They'd been together ever since, Junot remaining attached to Boneparte's retinue in the Army of Calgary.
In turn, they learned about Sciurus's background as well, he having come from across the sea from the Mossflower region, and having worked as a smith before taking up his hypnotist profession in Cosnair. They'd left out most unpleasant chatter, reserving that for another time. They were primarily focusing on the positives tonight, such as Junot's story in which both he and Boneparte had been under fire at the Siege of Toulon and a shell had landed nearby, kicking up dirt and spattering Junot's dispatch. Junot had remained stoic, commenting that he no longer needed sand to blot the ink. That had raised a good laugh from those around the table.
The next three weeks seemed to fly by as well for Boneparte. While occasionally time seemed to slow, it was moving much too fast by and large for his tastes, and before he knew it, his leave of absence was up, and he once more found himself back in the Pavillon de Flore, facing the Ministry of War.
The stuffy badger sniffed the paper in front of him, as if testing it for something. "Well, General Lantzer. Here we are. Your leave is up, and we still have not cleared this little impasse. General Hoche grows impatient with you. If you refuse to serve under his command, we shall give the job to someone more willing to do so."
Boneparte was facing the Ministry in its entirety, seated along a rectangular table as he stood in the center of the room. "Sir... I've presented evidence to show that many brigadier generals are currently NOT serving on the front lines... yet their pay is not being slashed. I am asking why it is that I'm being threatened with a transfer when any of these senior generals could take up the cause and assign themselves to the Army of the West. Therefore sir, I feel I'm more valuable to the Army of Calgary than I am to the West. I know the territory, as I've been serving there the past two years, and so far, I have not served in a battle in which my force has suffered defeat. My protest against this transfer still stands. I'm going to have to ask that I be allowed to remain in my current post."
"Your refusal is most unfortunate, General Lantzer. We've already made it clear what would happen if you continued this line of action. In the interests of the republic and of the military, I am afraid I have no choice." Carnot fixed his icy stare upon the meerkat. "You are hereby relieved of your command, and you will be placed on the list of retired generals, ready for call if we should ever require your services again. You will be placed on half-pay, and I consider this hearing closed."
Boneparte felt his stomach churn, and his heart race. His adrenaline was up now... fight or flight. But what could he do? What COULD he do? It had been so easy three years ago... and now it wasn't. His support had long evaporated in the wake of Carnot's ascendancy and Dragonis's downfall. He swallowed. "Sirs I have to..."
"Thank you, that will be all." Carnot cut him off.
"Sirs!" Boneparte persisted.
"THANK YOU." Carnot raised his voice now, still staring the meerkat down. "But that WILL be all, general. You are dismissed."
Shaking, the meerkat nodded, and turned on his heel, feeling unsteady on his paws as he exited the Ministry and joined his friends (including Sciurus) and his brother out in the lobby. All seemed to be eagerly awaiting the results. The meerkat shook his head. "I think... I need to start considering transferring to the Ottoman Empire or something. I mean... they didn't buy it. I'm uh... I'm on half-pay now." he said, his voice wavering as he didn't look at any one of them too closely. "Louis..." he turned to his brother now.
"I think we need to get you enrolled at the artillery academy at Chalon."
"Brother we already talked about this... I don't want to leave your..."
"Louis... it's free room and board, all right? We Lantzers are lucky in that we've been grandfathered into getting free admission to the military academies. I CAN'T pay for you anymore... I'm sorry, OK? Believe me... I don't want you to leave either. Just don't argue with me. You're still young. Until I can think of an alternative... or..." Here he cracked a smile. "Until you can join me in Constantinople, I think this is for the best."
"Junot... I should still be able to keep your salary... barely. Marmont, I know you have enough money saved that you'll be good for awhile now. This is... yeah this is it." He said, looking at Sciurus now. "I think I'm gonna put in my request for transfer to the Ottomans, and see how that goes. Other than that..." he trailed off, sighing. "Other than that I got nothing." he shook his head again, looking out into the lobby, a distant look upon his features as he seemed to be studying something far off and imperceptible to the rest of them.
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Jun 11, 2012 19:33:57 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 11, 2012 19:33:57 GMT -5
Sciurus had dressed to impress for that evening, as he reckoned that the dinner was perhaps of greater importance to him than he realised. He was turning a corner in his life now, and even if he still had to figure some important things out, he was happy to put them aside for an evening and get to know his friends, both old and new, as well as fill them in a little more on what life had used to be like for him back home. There were some things that weren't up for discussion, however.
He was fascinated by the stories of his companions, and plenty of good-humoured banter was had, as well as good food and fine wine; if the rodent had to pick one thing about Cosnair that he liked the most, it was the food and drink, every time. He was quite surprised he'd managed to maintain his figure up until now, in fact; then again, he hadn't eaten as well as he did that night, in a long time. The dinner passed in a cheerful, friendly atmosphere, both Boneparte and Sciurus finding ways to forget their uncertain futures.
--
The squirrel had been waiting anxiously to hear what the outcome of Boneparte's meeting would be. Three weeks had come and gone, and he himself was no closer to deciding what he would do next. His confidence in his ability to perform in the tense atmosphere of the National Convention had been almost irreparably damaged, and while he still had faith in the country, he just wasn't sure if he could deal with those responsibilities anymore. What had happened to him had changed him in ways he still hadn't properly opened up about.
He looked like he was going to burst into tears when Boneparte delivered his news. Oh, the injustice of it all! Here was a creature with military prowess, being treated like excrement for no other reason than because he had refused to stoop to the level of those creatures who were the lowest of the low, mindlessly, pointlessly killing each other in Rosferia's western region. The meerkat was much better than that, and yet here he was being punished for it. It made the rodent feel sick.
He was having visible trouble holding his emotions in check, but he heard his friend out, unshed tears gathering in the corners of his eyes before he wiped them away, embarrassed by the mere thought of crying in front of his friends. He had become rather emotionally volatile in the last year or so, now quite prone to wearing his emotions on his sleeve, but he tried his hardest to maintain his composure as he heard Boneparte tell his brother and friends what they should do next.
He turned to the red squirrel last of all, but he didn't have any suggestions for him; this was both a blessing and a curse. Boneparte had given him some guidance in what his future could possibly entail over the last three weeks, but he remained completely undecided, and the meerkat's declaration that 'this was it' weighed on his spirits. This was one of those times that even he struggled to put a positive spin on things, but perhaps... there was a glimmer of hope somewhere.
"You're moving on, then? Well, it's not the way any of us had hoped things would turn out, but regardless, it's the paw you've been dealt, and you need to make the best of it," Sciurus said matter-of-factly, patting the meerkat's back in a manner he hoped was even slightly comforting. "Now I think about it, actually... maybe this could be something of a fresh start for you?," he suggested. "You have another chance to make something of yourself, after all. You should ask for a transfer to the Ottomans, and you never know, that might be for the best.
"This does make me wonder, though... if you go, what will I do? You're the only remnant of my past. Every other creature I felt close to back then is dead, you see. Either that or they got out while they still had the chance." He fell silent, pondering this for a moment before picking back up where he'd left off. "If you leave, not even the fact that I have a steady job here will be enough to keep me here." He sighed, whiskers drooping, about to admit something painful.
"I'm going to tell the four of you something I've never admitted to any other creature: for the past three years I've felt like an outsider. I've never once felt like I truly fit in here. Hell, I don't even sound Rosferian," he said, chuckling despite the gravity of the situation. This was true: he'd been based in Rosferia for a while, but still hadn't lost his Mossflower accent, even if it had softened over the years. "What I'm saying is, while I know you will need to leave for a shot at the advancement that you seek, It'll be almost too hard for me to lose you again after all this time..."
The squirrel trailed off momentarily, trying to find the right words. "If you get the opportunity to transfer, maybe it'll be best for me if I come with you. Unless things change for me here, I don't think I'll be left with any other choice, but maybe a fresh start would do us both good," he suggested, offering his companion a game smile as well as another pat on the back, wondering what Boneparte had to say in response to this. Sciurus hadn't fully thought things through yet, but for now, all he needed was some sort of idea to latch on to.
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Returns
Jun 12, 2012 11:58:52 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 12, 2012 11:58:52 GMT -5
"Well I've ALWAYS been an outsider myself." Boneparte pointed out. "You can probably hear my Calgarian accent after all, and my Rosferian is tainted that way." he commented. He despised his Calgarian heritage, as he saw Calgarians as nothing but dirty backstabbers and vindictive individuals. They took their aggressions far too seriously for his liking, as he was more of a magnanimous meerkat by personality.
"However, I've thrown myself into being Rosferian simply because my Calgarian mentors continuously betrayed me, so I've lost all faith in them." He muttered dismissively. "Nor would I conside serving for their decrepit military either." he uttered with disgust. Calgary hadn't fought a war since the 1740s, and they had found themselves hopelessly outdated in this one, with their soldiers more mercenaries now than serving the crown.
"However, if you want to come with me to Turkey, you are more than welcome to do so." He said, nodding. "Be advised, I don't think I can pay for your transportation or moving there, so you'd be on your own for that, as I'm going to be broke enough as is, but hey, like you said... it would be a fresh start, and Constantinople has always been a fantastic city, to my knowledge. It's always been a dream of mine to perhaps offer my services to the Sultan."
He paused here, considering what was to be done. "Their transfer offices are right down the hallway. I think I'm going to put in my request regardless, Sciurus. As much as I DON'T want to leave Rosferia... I may have no choice at this point if they aren't going to provide me with work in my field. My true talents lie with the military after all, and if they won't recognize that, then I'll go to someone who hopefully will."
True, he'd probably have to convert to Islam, but he had no qualms about that either. He already had a very Mohammedan view of marriage, at any rate. "I don't want the best years of my life to be wasted doing nothing, after all. So if you want to accompany me, I'm going to head down the hall and put in my transfer request right away, I think." he told the squirrel.
"Constantinople doesn't bother me." Junot said with a shrug. "Would certainly be an adventure, that's for sure." The meerkat nodded in response to his dingo friend.
"Yes... it would. Now they COULD refuse it but... I don't see why they would. I'm retired according to them, so why not just get me off their paws and stop paying me altogether? The Sultan would hopefully accept the help of a 'western' general, after all, as he does like to keep abreast of such things. Sciurus..." Boneparte focused on the squirrel once again.
"I can't very well tell you what to do, and I suggest you follow your instincts in this matter. If you wish to follow me, I might even be able to employ you as an aide-de-camp or something, if you want, provided I DO get appointed to the Sultan's military. You just have to be a good writer, and literate, which I'm sure you are." he said, nodding. He could tell Sciurus was not taking this news of his demotion well, and to be honest, Boneparte wasn't either.
There were flashes inside his mind... flashes of just simply throwing himself into the River Seine, and letting the current claim his body. It would be so much more easier than dealing with... this. Poverty, a dead-end career, and reduced future prospects. He would NOT live as a starving peasant in the streets! No... he was resolved that he would never let that happen to him. He'd end it all first. He wouldn't live life as a penniless nobody.
"Right, well... you think about that... I'm going to go put in my request." the meerkat stated, nodding. He turned and started off down the hall of the War Ministry, heading for the office of military transfers. His bootsteps echoed all around him as he moved on the polished marble floors. This used to be part of the King's residence, after all, so the quarters were naturally lavish.
The office itself was small, and opened up into a bigger central room full of clerks who were processing hundreds upon hundreds of papers each and every day. They were understaffed, and Boneparte could see mountains of papers piled high on the desks behind the main secretary's, threatening to devour the poor clerks within their cavernous "maws", as that's what they certainly looked like, the way they were stacked to either side of each clerk.
"Um... ahem." he cleared his throat. The secretary, a polecat, look up from his writing.
"Oh... yes? Can I help you?"
"I'd like to file a transfer request." Boneparte told the fellow.
"All right. Domestic or international?"
"International. I'd like to transfer to the Sultan's court at Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire."
"Ottomans... Ottomans..." the polecat opened several drawers, clearly lost amid the maze of bureaucracy required by his job. "Ottomans... aha! Here you!" he said, pulling out a piece of paper triumphantly and sliding it across the desk to the meerkat. "Just fill that out and turn it back to me." He provided the meerkat with a quill as well.
Already there was a press of beasts entering the room, as transferring was a regular thing these days. A soldier wanted to be closer to his sweetheart. A disgruntled corporal wanted to be in another unit away from an abusve sergeant or lieutenant. A general wanted to be reassigned to a more active front... the list was endless.
Moving aside to allow a line to start forming, Boneparte began filling out all the relevant information, such as his biographical statistics, his current unit history, his citations, the combats hed served in, his demotions (N/A in his case), and why he wanted to serve in the Ottoman army. When he was done, Boneparte pawed the paper over to the harried secretary, who fumbled with it amidst the mess on his desk. "Thank you, sir. This will be processed and you'll be notified by mail at whatever address you're currently staying at if you've been approved or not."
Fortunately for Bonepate, Carnot did NOT handle international transfers. That was left to one of his staff. There was no good reason why the staff member would refuse, as he held no grudge against Boneparte like Carnot did, and probably processed hundreds of these a month. There was no way to keep track of who was who anymore. Unfortunately for Boneparte however (or perhaps fortunately), fate had a different card to deal him. The secretary, in his current flustered state, blundered. In his haste to get the pile of papers off his desk, he began sorting them rapidly into "outgoing" and "ingoing" cubby holes behind him, to be picked up by the rest of the clerks when they made their rounds. "Ingoing" slots were for the clerks to pick up and bring back to their desks for processing where they would be mailed to the proper department upon completion. "Outgoing" slots were for orders that had been processed and were waiting to be mailed to the proper department.
As fate would have it, the polecat didn't look closely enough at Boneparte's form, and accidentally placed it into an "outgoing" slot, thus ensuring that it would wind up either lost within the system (until it circulated back to its point of origin) or remain sitting there for days... perhaps even months, as it did not have a proper address on it. As it turned out, the latter would be the case. The usual mail carrier for the War Ministry would arrive, see that this particular piece of paper was not addressed to anyone, and simply leave it there, assuming SOMEONE would get to it eventually. As they didn't pay this particular fellow very much for his work, it wouldn't occur to this mail carrier until about a month from now that perhaps he should open his mouth and ask someone in the office about that slip of paper that had remained unaddressed for the past four weeks. By that point, things would once again change for Boneparte, making his transfer request irrelevant by the time it finally WAS processed.
Of course, the meerkat general had no way of knowing this, and assumed everything was taken care of and ready to go. It was out of his paws now after all, and up to the clerks at the War Ministry. While he WOULD become suspicious after about a month of not hearing any word back from them, their answer to him would always be the same: "I'm very sorry sir, but we're currently swamped with requests right now. I'm sure it's being taken care of, so just give it some more time."
That would be in a month however. Right now, Boneparte was theading his way out of the now very cramped office and making his way back to his companions. "Well it's done!" he said. "I should hear from them hopefully by the end of the month." He said. Three weeks was about the amount of turnover time it NORMALLY took, but as has already been explained, nobody would actually notice that it HADN'T been processed until mid-July.
"Have you made up your mind then, Sciurus?" Boneparte asked his comrade, curious as to the squirrel's line of thinking and intentions.
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Returns
Jun 14, 2012 10:28:16 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 14, 2012 10:28:16 GMT -5
"I can indeed," Sciurus replied with a small sigh. "Like it or not, we both seem to stick out here. Even though I've been given plenty of changes to integrate and try to settle here, it just hasn't worked out for me, and if I were to stay here it would only be because something had happened to make me want to stay. As said, I have no real ties to this place anymore." The squirrel noted Boneparte's dismissive reaction to his Calgarian heritage. If he'd left Mosfflower on bad terms, the rodent most likely would have been feeling the same now.
Things hadn't happened that way, and he'd left simply because he wanted a different life, one to which he had struggled to adjust. The irony was not lost on the rodent even for a second, and he shook his head ruefully as he thought about things. He'd been able to adapt to plenty of changes both back home and on his travels around Rosferia, so why not here? Maybe it just didn't suit him; of that he wasn't entirely sure. It was just as possible that this could be a case of 'third time lucky'.
He nodded also as Boneparte went on. "If I'm honest, to have you offer to do that would have been more than I deserved, but I'm glad you considered it, anyway. I know you're not in a good financial situation, and truth be told I'm not doing too well with that myself, but if I save up enough from my work and get a good schedule going, I should be able to pay my own way by the time your request is processed. I charge prices for my work that are rather reasonable, considering what I do, so I just need to continue as I've been doing and hope I can take on some more cases."
He snorted disdainfully as Boneparte mentioned his services no longer being needed in Rosferia. "The way I see it, Carnot hasn't got his head screwed on right. If he doesn't recognise your talents for what they are, then I say to Hellgates with him! Find others who DO recognise those true talents of yours and help to encourage them, rather than halting your progress any chance you get. You can make another opportunity work, because I very much doubt your possible future employer will be as insufferable as Carnot is."
The rodent wasn't taking this news well, and if he needed to vent a bit, then he was going to do so. "You go ahead and put in your request. I'll be here when you return. I have a number of different things on my mind right now, and I need to think about this idea of mine a little more before I make even a tentative decision. Having said that, it would be worth it just to see Constantinople, and as Junot says, it would b an adventure too. It certainly sounds tempting. I shall see you in a bit, then," he said, offering the meerkat a smile.
As his friend moved away, Sciurus's mood became contemplative once more. Did he really have anything here that was worth keeping? As far as he was concerned, his old life had been mortally wounded when Otto and Camille had been guillotined, and then finished off when Sara had been thoughtlessly gunned down in the street. All he had left from it was his current job, and the creature who was currently his only friend. He hoped to make headway with Marmot and co., but, well, he could bring everything else with him. He didn't necessarily have to leave those things behind, after all.
All he really wanted right now was to be there for his companion as best he could. He could make plans for the future (of which he was almost certain Boneparte would be a fixture - whatever happened, he didn't want to lose him again), but to do that he had to live the in the present. This move was hardly going to pay for itself, even if business was still rather good. As regarded the Constantinople question, he was sure that he had nothing to lose and quite a lot to gain.
Boneparte soon returned, and the red squirrel could hear the curiosity in his voice. The squirrel's sharp ears were good at 'reading' voices - in his profession, they had to be - but the meerkat was clearly intrigued about what would be the rodent's next move. He nodded decisively before speaking. "I've decided that I'll come with you. I need to stick with you no matter what. You four -" he broke off to point first at Boneparte, and then, in turn, at Louis, Junot and Marmont -"you're all I have left, and it would do me good to be able to hold onto friendships again.
He returned his attention to Boneparte, smiling. "I know you can't tell me what to do, but in all honestyI appreciate all the help I can get in this situation. I haven't been able to figure out my next move for quite some time, but the more I think about moving away and starting over, the more appealing it sounds. I just need something else; maybe not something better, but at least something different. Things aren't working in Cosnair for me all that much anymore, and there are certain... memories of this place I'd like to leave behind. So yes, I'm in," he told Boneparte, his smile widening.
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