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Seas Of Erin > Cecilia > Buttons and bobbins and ribbons and pins


Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 07:06 PM
Spider, crouched on the floor in front of Jochy, squinted at her measuring tape and pulled her lamp a little nearer so that she could actually read the mark. Crossly she yanked on the knee of Jochy's trouser. "I told you, I can't see shit in this light. You should've come earlier."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 07:09 PM
"I got wrapped up talking with the spy. She had some interesting ideas. And warding iron's a damn bit harder than I thought, at least if yer doing it subtle and lasting. Hell I have a headache..." Jochy ran a hand through his hair, shifting his weight a bit.

"Hold on, I think I can make it a little brighter without too much effort..." He made a vague gesture with his hand, and the lamp did indeed shine a little bit brighter.

"Reduced to bloody parlor tricks..." he muttered to himself.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 07:12 PM
"I have a headache," she growled back, settling back comfortably on the cups of her knees. "Right. Inseam. Just kinda spraddle your legs a bit, this is gonner get personal . . . "

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 07:13 PM
"Well, I'll try not to blush." Jochy smirked faintly, but did as she instructed.

Really, he had no problem getting felt up by people. Perhaps he should.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 07:15 PM
"Oh, good," Andre said, as he stepped into the room. "Spider, have you got any pins on you? Any chance you can slip a little?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 07:22 PM
"Hang on," Spider said irritably, reaching for her box. Her forehead brushed Jochy's hipbone as she scooted it near enough to find her little paper of pins. Then she stopped, turned around, and looked even more annoyed. "Wait. Was that meant to be a joke?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 07:24 PM
"I hope so. I really hope so." Jochy winced a bit at the thought. "But he's a pommer, he can be excused for not having a sense of humour."

The smile aside, he did look rather pleased with himself.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 07:27 PM
"He's trusting you with his crotch!" Andre pointed out. "It was worth asking."

He gave Spider a hurt look, then settled down comfortably on a chair. "I spoke to Moreau," he told them both. "The man's a contentious ass."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 07:31 PM
"You noticed. Hold this." She pressed the tape against Jochy's hip, led the man's hand onto it, then twisted around to face Andre. "Still no luck, huh? Are we at least gettin' our guns back?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 07:34 PM
Jochy obeyed, holding the tape as he sighed heavily. "Well, the man got you out of jail, I guess he'd want something out of it. People like him always do. Likes having people dance to their pipe." The grimace was a pained one.

"Had a chat with the blind girl earlier, she admitted to being a spy. Apparently Moreau have her by the balls too, so to speak. "

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 07:36 PM
"We're getting our guns back," Andre replied. "And he's going to...I think he's going to take some of the men off the ship."

He looked a bit bewildered. "He said a god number of them actually volunteered to serve under me," he said. "I almost would rather hope he's lying."

He nodded at Jochy. "We knew that already-- but she admitted it?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 07:41 PM
"Right out with it." Spider turned long enough to run a pin through the ribbon just under Jochy's thumb. "Right, go ahead and sit," she told him. She leaned back, with a slight grunt. "I can see why he sent her, too," she went on to Andre. "She's a mechanic. Not a one-wheel-to-the-next one, neither. Like the dwarves. He sent her on as a specialist."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 07:45 PM
"And she ain't completely lost when it comes to weird shit either. She ain't a mage, but she's interested in it." Jochy sat down gratefully, dropping his crutch to the floor. "Not sure if she said it to gain out confidence, or whether she said it so we could feed her some lying tidbits to take back so she would be successful."

But he couldn't help himself shake his head at Andre's bewildered expression. "Yer surprised? Why the hell you figure I wanna work for you? I ain't that unique."

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 07:48 PM
"But she...told you?" Andre repeated. "What-- what is she expecting to gain from doing that?" he asked.

He shook his head. "These are the men you lot mutinied against," he pointed out. "And they want to come...join us?"

He looked a bit flabbergasted. "We killed some of their men. That doesn't really engender loyalty."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 07:53 PM
"He's got more sense than to send a bunch of malcontents on with someone he don't trust from the start, doesn't he?" Spider drew her knee up to her chin. "And I hate to be the one to bring it up . . . but it can't be they plan on turnin' on us. If that's what they wanted, they'd just have us all arrested again. Then we'd all have accidents." Her brows drew together. "You think this is all to do with Kullie?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 07:56 PM
"Well, I ain't ever been in the army... but just 'cause some men work for the same boss, doesn't mean they like each other very much. Could be the money. Could be they have no choice. Could be they saw how yer treated yer prisoners, I ain't sure, I wasn't there."

Jochy was silent for a moment, then added quietly "If yer want something bad enough, yer willing to bend over backwards and take dead stupid risks to get it."

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 08:02 PM
"I wasn't there either!" Andre pointed out. "I was in prison when the whole thing happened."

He looked entirely flabbergasted, shook his head, then looked to Spider. "There's two of them," he said. "I spoke to Judith; she says there's two of them, a mother and a daughter. I asked Moreau which he was after, and he said either. I think this is more a personal vendetta than any demand from Aquitaine proper. Although it's a coward who uses another man to settle a score, if you ask me."

Then back to Jochy. "Do you mean that about me, specifically, or is that a general statement on mankind?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 08:08 PM
"Calm down, sweets." Spider pulled herself up from the floor and rubbed Andre's shoulder in a half-distracted way, her brows still knitted together. "We knew from the start it were personal. Personal against who, still don't know. He can't just be sendin' us out to start trouble and get ourselves killed."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 08:12 PM
"I'm with Spider on this one, it's a damn sight easier just offing us in other ways. Maybe he doesn't want to risk his own ships? Who knows? Ain't the first time someone has another man do their dirty work. It's called being a bloody officer. And that was a statement about humanity in general actually."

he scratched the back of his neck, watching the pair. "I'm all for just getting the damn thing done to get off the hook."

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 08:18 PM
"So am I," Andre agreed, and he tipped his head to one side, moving Spider's hand up to a knot at the base of his neck. "I told him what crew we want to keep, what crew we need to drop. "He'll give us whatever weapons we need; I'm not afraid of that. I just know the man isn't being entirely truthful with me, and it's a little difficult to...run a mission like this when you don't know the whole story. What else did the blind girl say?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 08:21 PM
"That she's pretty much barterin' this for a post at their university, and that she plans on tellin' 'em the whole thing runs on magic so they'll think they can't build another one without mages." She glanced briefly at Jochy. "I don't know that she know how magic-shy Moreau is, but if she does, that might just do for him."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 08:25 PM
"Yeah, and it's also something that's pretty easy to fake. How does it work? Magic. Really, best excuse ever unless yer dealing with other magi."

Jochy smiled a bit at the two of them, they were far too cute together. "She's also interested in learnin' about wards and magic. Only thing I worry about if she's turning out to be subtle like, telling us that she's on our side to gain access, figuring we already know she's a spy. Once we've warmed to her she'll be able to find out what she fancies, and then she can bail and tell the pommers what she's learned and get her post. That's what I would do, sometimes bein' open about shit can be more subtle than hiding. Especially since we all suspected her."

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 08:30 PM
Andre sighed. "I finally convinced the man to go to Judith about his cough," he said with a groan. "Finally. We tell him the ship's run on magic, he'll abandon in completely. But you're right," he said, nodding to Jochy. "She has no reason to be on our side in this. At least, not yet. Is there anything she can do? Something she can help with with the whole Kuleliti mess?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 08:38 PM
Spider kneaded the back of Andre's neck. "Jochy spoke with her before I got there and after I'd gone," she said, and rather hoped that wasn't enough to implicate Jochy in a conspiracy. "And the bit I was there for, I understood a third of it. She's got these things . . . " She turned to Jochy for help. "She uses 'em to see through? So she's not quite as blind as she lets on."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 08:43 PM
"She's been almost blind since birth, but she's using some sort of lenses she's made to look through. And apparently that means she can see a lot more shit than normal people can. So we shouldn't assume she's blind, 'cause that's far from the truth. But I guess as long as she ain't looking through her lenses, it would be alright."

"I'll keep talking to her. She might have a few ideas, she already had with the wards... She's interesting enough, and I..." This made him pause, and he scratched the back of his neck looking almost embarrassed "Do I really sound like I flirt with people just when I talk to them all normal like?"


Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 08:51 PM
"You sound like you're flirting whenever you talk to anyone you find attractive who you don't know well," Andre answered dryly. "You used to do it to me; I'll admit it was a little unsettling. The staring at people's crotches instead of looking them in the eye doesn't usually help," he informed him cheerfully.

He frowned. "But that's interesting. Like spectacles, but...what?" He shook his head.

Then he tipped his head up to look at Spider. "What about the rest of the men?" he asked. "The requisitions went all right, we have everything we need? Have there been any more problems?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 09:00 PM
"Like spectacles and a spyglass. Have you e'er taken the curved bit out of a spyglass and it turns things upside down?" Spider hesitated. "Like that, but . . . not. She let me look at it. It makes things brighter, too, and it did something odd to me voice. Except I don't think I paid as much attention to it as I could've, since I were more afraid I'd drop it or mangle it than anything else. I think . . . it's one of those things she can just add bits to as it suits her, if she thinks of anything else she needs. Meanin' we might need to watch her around the dwarves's toolboxes." She nodded and pulled herself up straighter. "Knocksie told me all the allowances we had to make for the new guns, but it didn't end up changin' things too much; this tub's got tonnage like you wouldn't believe. Last of the big order's comin' in on the morrow."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 09:04 PM
"And believe it or not, I haven't actually got into any more trouble." Jochy mused a bit at that. He looked rather depressed by Andre's comment though. "But it ain't fair really, back then I was actually -trying- to flirt with you, and then I did it 'cause it was fun making you uncomfortable. This woman I didn't mean a thing."

He shrugged, admitting "Not that it's a major issue or anything. I'm almost done with whatever wardings I can fit on the ship easily as well. Not gonna be any major shit, I don't have Orrie to fuel them, but it'll help."

He still needed to talk to knocks. Damn, he had been avoiding the dwarf like mad, but he couldn't do it forever.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 09:07 PM
"I don't believe it," Andre said. "Is this a record, Jochy?"

He nodded at Spider. "And she just let you look at it, just like that?" he asked. "No questions asked. Did...is there a possibility the woman has an ulterior motive of her own, unconnected to Aquitaine?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 09:12 PM
"She just handed it to me. I didn't e'en ask." A small, bitter note crept into her voice. "I think she might've been just a touch pleased with herself. She almost had that tone Judes gets when she's goin' on about something."

Spider cupped her hand protectively--if not outright possessively--around the back of Andre's neck and gave Jochy a flat look. "Flirt with the dwarves, mate."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 09:16 PM
"Oh he's painfully straight Spider, and really... honestly, after the thing with Elaine the thought of that creeps me out to no end. Really." Jochy actually looked bothered there.

"He's all yours. You two are too cute together anyway. And I don't -want- to flirt. That's half the bloody point. It's just a hard habit to wean off, you know?" The sigh was heartfelt.

Better switch the subject.

"She's got an ego, that's for sure. And she lectures. Let her run her mouth long enough and it's possible she'll hang herself if it's reason for it. Not often I meet someone that makes me feel kinda quiet."

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 09:20 PM
"Yes, well, you already know what I think about your relationship with my daughter," Andre pointed out to the younger man, and he reached behind him to pull Spider's hands down in front of him where he could kiss them. "And I'd like to see you flirt with the dwarves, too. Are you sure she wasn't trying to flirt?" Andre asked Jochy.

There was actually a hopeful tone in his voice, as if maybe he could get the man away from his daughter if he played his cards right.

"You think she's worth keeping an eye on, Cherie?" he asked Spider.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 09:24 PM
"I'd keep an eye on her just for her playin' Aquitaine the way she did. If she did. Someone like that, they like havin' the upper hand just because they might need it later." She grinned and rubbed Andre's cheek. "Oh no, please don't seriously suggest that Jochy get in good with the blind girl as a ruse."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 09:29 PM
"Not gonna happen." Jochy was completely serious there. "And Andre, there ain't gonna -be- any relationship with Elaine unless I change, and that means that no way in hell am I gonna try to get sweet with someone, anyone, even as a ruse. Not gonna do it."

For whatever it was worth, he was serious about this.

"I'm not gonna take that risk."

He actually did seem a little offended that people would make jokes about it. Just a little bit.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 09:33 PM
"Oh, for God's sake, but flirting with the dwarves was acceptable?" Andre asked, giving Jochy a pained look. "I didn't tell you to sleep with the girl! ?Is there any way you think we could get her on our side?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 09:38 PM
"Joking, Joch," Spider said in a more soothing tone. She stood up, still leaning a hand against Andre's shoulder. "If the lady's honest in good with Aquitaine, we're back to the former plan: we don't let her near anything she could figger out and report back, which in her case I would thing might be everything. There's a couple things she's gonner figure out on her own no matter what we do. The air-locks, for one, and the pulley-gears on the sails. The rest of it we might be able to put off by sayin' she can't go in without an escort, then make sure the escort ne'er appears. If she's in it for herself, I think we're good. Maybe still keep her from pokin' around too much, make sure her notes go astray if she takes 'em, things like that."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 09:42 PM
"Flirting with the dwarves was too obviously a joke." Jochy shook his head and shrugged off the unease. No need to go around being a prick. "Well, since we can't know either for sure, let's treat her as if she in with them. If she says she's gonna go back and lie anyway, there's no need for her to go snooping around, right? She's just gonna have to curb her curiosity." Jochy sounded rather determined about that, tapping his fingers on his knee.

"So we're stuck waiting until the navy sends us out now, is that it? Anybody heard anything from Judes and her lot by the way?"

Or rather, from Elaine... but he wouldn't say anything about that.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 09:55 PM
"I talked to Judith right after they left port; she said she'd help with Kuleliti when we get word. Not since then, but I was going to tell her I spoke to Moreau. She said her daughter and Elaine are thick as thieves, if you can imagine that," he said cheerfully.

He sighed, then looked up at Spider, tipping his head back. "I don't suppose you've got anything in common with this girl?" he asked, sounding a bit hopeless. "You can't make small talk?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 09:57 PM
"Both of us were born with shite eyes?" Spider said hopefully. "But I'm not sure how long I could carry on that conversation. I could pretend to be all fascinated with her lectures and hang around sayin' things like 'how interesting' and 'go on' for a while. But I think that would play out quick too."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 10:06 PM
"I can talk with her, no problem. Hell, she likes to lecture. Just don't ask me to flirt with her. Though she probably thinks I do that anyway." The smirk had come back now.

"Besides, she's got some interesting ideas. Been a long time since I actually talked shop with someone you know? Orrie tends to started lecturing me on economy every time... the man thinks I waste my life it seems. Should be a proper mage for hire like him." He rolled his eyes, which pretty much said what he thought of that.

"And unfortunately I can imagine Nialla and Elaine as thick as thieves... I am so dead." That was a joke, he was actually glad they got along. Nialla needed friends. And he apparently couldn't talk to her without pissing her off. Maybe once the war had died down.

"So, I'll ingrate myself with the spy. Any other orders?"

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 10:07 PM
Andre looked back and forth from Jochy to Spider. "How's his sewing coming?" he asked the woman.

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 10:08 PM
"He treats canvas like it's linen," Spider replied. "You want him to hem you some handkerchiefs, you're all set."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 10:10 PM
"Oh funny. Just let me work on that, it ain't like I've actually sown sails before yer know? Yer all very lucky yer ain't getting flowers on them. Or something."

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 10:14 PM
Andre looked thoughtful. "You want to let him do the ruffles and the braid on the uniforms?" he asked cheerfully. "Does that sound better? I don't want my sails ending up with little blue pansies on them."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 10:16 PM
"Well, you've already got a bunch of little red pansies runnin' the ship, I figgered that'd make you good all around." Spider grinned wickedly. "I think we'll have enough to do takin' in and tuckin' up when the damn uniforms actually get here."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 10:19 PM
"Yer all very lucky I'm such a good sport about all this. A lesser man might have been annoyed. Alas, it is true." Jochy humbly bowed his head.

"And Spider, yer sleeping with one of the red pansies you know?"

But he had to ask, he really did. "We're really gonna be in uniform? Red uniforms? Or is it just that you don't wanna suffer alone?"

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 10:22 PM
"I have nothing to do with this," Andre assured Jochy, as he reached up to slip an arm around Spider's waist. "And watch who you call a pansy, both of you," he warned. "I could care less about the uniform; I was intending to discard it the minute we were out of town. Apparently it's no longer an option," he said apologetically."

He looked back to Spider. "Remember to measure yourself for one, my little red pansy. Knowing the Cecilians, they'll want you in one with a skirt."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 10:26 PM
"Wouldn't be worth it," Spider said, in a tone that suggested she had already thought this out. "I'd just have to keep lettin' it out and lettin' it out. If it's all the same, I'll keep to me old togs, good neighbour."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 10:30 PM
"And to be fair, eventually she'd end up looking like one great waddling apple... that's not the greatest of fates." Jochy nodded sagely.

He'd be glad not to see her in red actually, she already reminded him too much of Seth.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 10:33 PM
"You call the mother of my child an apple again, and I'll kill you," Andre informed Jochy dryly, before he gave Spider a chastising look. "I expect to be done with this well before you even start to show," he warned, poking her in the belly. "And if you're worried, you can put a drawstring in the waist. You're an officer now; you have to suffer along with the rest of us."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 10:39 PM
Spider stuck her tongue out at Andre, then let out a vast, pained, this-is-how-much-I-love-you sigh. "I'm on it, sir." She glared at Jochy. "You get to help. No fondlin' inseams."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 10:42 PM
"Hey, I said I was not doing that anymore. No fondling. Seriously." Jochy bit back the comment that at least Spider had stopped puking so she wasn't a green apple any more but... it seemed to be a bit in bad taste.

"Probably better with clothes than with sails anyway. Not that I ain't planning to learn. It's just a damn hard habit getting rid of... neat small even stitches." He sighed, then heaved himself to his feet again.


Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 10:46 PM
"But you wouldn't have minded if you'd fondled a few accidentally," Andre pointed out dryly. He gave Spider a pat on the back. "I'll make it up to you," he promised. "I'll put a new pair of boots for you on the order."

The he rolled his eyes at Jochy. "Neat, small stitches? Speaking of pansies...Have we got anything else?"

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 11:04 PM
"It's up to you, sir," Spider replied, with a rather smug look at calling Andre 'sir' under any circumstances. "We get loaded up, I think we're ready to make weigh. If you're ready."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 11:06 PM
"I'm good." Jochy shrugged. "Yer gonna toss of the soldiers you don't fancy then? Good, there'll be a bit more room. Anything more you need me for right now, or do you fancy being alone?"

No innuendo. Right.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 11:11 PM
"You're free to go when Spider's got those pins out of your crotch," Andre reminded Jochy with a grin. "And you," he said, giving Spider's arm a little squeeze. "We'll be ready when I get word from the Grand Commandeur himself," he said with a sigh, then got up. "You two get back to your measurements. I don't want to deprive Jochy of the one and only time I'm letting the love of my life anywhere near his trousers."

Posted by: Spider Ceallaigh May 25 2008, 11:17 PM
Spider laughed and gave Andre a friendly shove. "I'll get down on me knees in front of you later," she said kindly, flipped her hair, and scooted her sewing kit toward her with her foot. "C'mon, Jochy, assume the position."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen May 25 2008, 11:20 PM
Jochy smirked, but not in an unfriendly way. "Yes, ma'm." He obeyed her, trying his damndest to not really think of anything at all regarding sex. it was hard... but growing surprisingly easier.

Posted by: Andre Romain May 25 2008, 11:25 PM
Andre ruffled Spider's hair as he started off. "And don't put any ideas in Jochy's head, either!" he warned as he left the two of them to their own devices.

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