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Seas Of Erin > Cecilia > If you don't like it, you can't send it back.


Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 06:47 PM
Maulie was lonely.

She'd met nice things along the way. And then they were just disappeared. Just not there any more. Which was sad. Bawka-thing ran away and Gioia went to sleep somewhere. But even though Maulie had lots of nice things to eat, she was running out of new ones.

After the rain of more coins and the angry Barkbark-things (not especially tasty), the city was running low on wonder. And new tastes. She didn't come all the way from the Swamp to eat so much of the same thing. Even pie had different ways to be pie.

The girl wandered down the docks, absently pausing to drop down to her knees and gnaw on a stretch of the dock, the sea-salt giving it a pleasant taste--and a couple that tasted familiar.

Jerking her head up, the girl's face turned to one of acute interest, bright green eyes seeking around before she took a few steps towards a ship, absently dropping her scaly tongue down to taste the dock to get her bearings before going towards one of the massive ships.

She tasted something that was like Gioia--and a feather on the ground that tasted a lot like Bawka-thing's.

Following the trail on all fours, pausing to taste the ground, toward the Red Morning, crawling up the gangplank, green eyes flitting about as she pulled herself onto the deck, small voice piping up for a moment, "Bawka-thing?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 07:21 PM
Alannis watched curiously as the girl crawled up onto the deck. She waked over, squatting close, but not too close, because she was pretty sure that the girl wasn't a normal sort of person, and asked tentatively, "Are you on the ship too? I didn't think there were any other girls..."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 07:25 PM
The voice startled the girl and she jumped back a couple feet, her mouth half open and hands half-raised to make herself look bigger. When her eyes fell upon the other girl, she stood up straight, slowly lowering her hands like a child caught stealing before looking around.

And then she gave her head a small shake, "No... Looking for Bawka-thing. You seen Bawka-thing?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 07:31 PM
Alannis stood too, giving the girl a worried look. "I won't hurt you." She promised, feeling like she might be talking to a very small child.

"Bawka-thing..." She thought for a second before the answer dawned on her. "You mean that evil chicken? It pecked me!" She held up her bitten finger as proof. "I think it's hiding somewhere on board. Is it your pet? If it is, you need to train it better." She informed Maulie accusingly.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 07:35 PM
"Not hurt. Good." The girl nodded as if she'd taken a week to mull over the idea of being hurt and rejected the idea.

She leaned forward to examine the bitten finger, tilting her head a little, sniffing at it before looking away as if thinking about something before pulling back. With a shrug she nods, "Sound like. Evul Chic-kun. Is friend," the girl said before a broad smile--too broad?--broke out on her freckled face. "Is fun. Says bawkabawkabawka. But tongue was hurt when food bit tongue and I go and find pie and then Evul Chic-kun gone."

Maulie sighed, some frowning a little.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 07:41 PM
Alannis suppressed a little squeak when Maulie smiled. After a moment to compose herself she explained, "That sounds like the right one. Someone I know brought it on the ship. I'd help you find it, or him, but I don't know the ship very well so I'm afraid I can't do much good. Was it the evil chicken that bit you?" She added as an afterthought, trying to figure out the connection between the bird and 'food.'

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 07:45 PM
Shaking her head, the girl shrugged a little, "No. That was bad black metal ball. Hurt tongue. Burn." Looking down at her own finger, she smiled a little, "Evul Chic Kun did bite. But it okay. Not bite hard. Then we talk and Evul Chic Kun say bawkabawka and I try and bawkabawka and she tells me how to say right."

Maulie seemed pleased telling the tale.

"Evul Chic Kun is friend. Like--oh! Gioia! You see Gioia?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 07:52 PM
Alannis wondered about the metal ball, and made a mental note to ask Elaine more about the effects of iron when they next met.

"I've never met a Gioia, but I wish I could have done that, talked to the evil chicken, I mean... I like animals too. But it got really mad at me when I threatened to kill it." She mused. "Can you speak chicken, then? Maybe you can try calling it and it'll answer, and then you can find it and take it home!"

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 07:58 PM
"I talk. Not... know. Just say bawkabawkabegokkabawk. Maybe means nothing. Or is 'food over there'." The girl shrugged some, kneeling down and licking the deck with a scaly tongue for a moment.

But they were here, anyway.

"But not take home. Go find new place. More things to try. I can try EVERYTHING." She grinned, suddenly excited, pulling her hands up in front of her and squeezing them together as she smiled broadly, her lips drawn tight together.

And then she leaned over a little and gnawed a little on the railing before looking back up at the girl, still purely excited. "Not go back. Try everything. Not just water and bite-logs."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 08:05 PM
Alannis backed up a few steps, reminding herself that this sort of thing was probably part of the sailor's life... probably. "Please don't gnaw on the ship." She pleaded. "Or on me. Do you eat thread? It's not very thrilling but I've probably got some in one of my pockets and you could give it a try." She suggested. "I've got a needle too, but it might be iron and I don't think you'd like iron."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 08:08 PM
"Iyern." She paused for a moment before shrugging, "Get excited sometimes," the girl said quietly, a little sheepish then, "Wants to eat when excited." She kicked at the ground for a moment before tilting her head a little.

"Thred. May I try thred?" She stepped up close then, giddy with an anticipatory glee, licking her lips a little.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 08:16 PM
"When I get excited I act silly and want to kick things." Alannis replied sympathetically. She almost pulled her wire out of her pocket instead of the thread then stuffed it back in, afraid that the girl would want to eat that.

After a moment of rummaging in her pocket she pulled out a spool of black thread. She unraveled a little bit, showing it to Maulie. "This is thread. It's pretty thin, so it won't fill you up, but you can try eating it if you want." She handed the whole thing to the girl, more curious about watching someone eat a spool of thread than worried about the loss of the whole spool. "the wood bit's called a spool. You might like that too."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 08:24 PM
The girl watched the spuul ov thred come out of the other girl's pocket, taking hold of it with an almost reverent air, bringing it up to her freckle-spattered nose and sniffing a little, curious.

And, carefully, she dragged her scaly tongue over the surface of it before opening her mouth a little and biting down on the spuul and pulling back, taking half the spool and more than a few loops of thred with her. Her eyes went wide with glee when she saw the narrow black strings hanging from her mouth--strings that fell down onto her hand as she finished biting down, tongue flicking out to catch the strings and drag them into her mouth.

She chewed a couple times and then seemed to roll it around her mouth, slowly half-chewing before swallowing and grinning broadly.

And kept grinning and grinning and grinning as her wide mouth grew wider and wider, the corners of her mouth pulling back to her ears, revealing a mouth as big as the lower part of her head, filled with many, many rows of sharp, pointy teeth.

The girl seemed to remember herself and her mouth shrunk itself back down to more normal size, green eyes focused on the spuul once more.

And she popped the last of it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully, a contented look on her face.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 08:31 PM
There was a moment of fear, and then Alannis realized that the girl was definitely not going to eat her. Her eyes opened wide with excitement and she leaned in closer, watching Maulie devour the spool of thread. "That was so amazing! Can you do that all the time?" She asked, reaching in her pocket to pull out the other spool of thread she carried, a white one. "Did you like it, do you want some more?" She asked, eager to see the trick again.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 08:35 PM
"...yes." Maulie nodded slowly, tilting her head to look at the girl for a moment, "Always can eat. I like eating. Especially new things. Try many."

And when the second spuul came up, the girl's face lit up like a noonday sun, "Yes. I like thred. Spuul uv thred is nice." She paused then and reached a couple fingers into her mouth to pull a black thread from between her teeth and sucked it back into her mouth.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 08:41 PM
She tried opening her own mouth as wide as it would go experimentally, and was displeased with the results. "Your mouth goes like that every time you eat? Are you magic?" She asked, passing the other spool to Maulie. "I wish I had something else I could give you, but I think this is all I've got."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 08:45 PM
"Magic?" The girl tilted her head some, taking a small bite from the spuul, wanting to savor it because it was the last one here, "Maulie is one of Grimlock from Swamp." She nodded her head as if that actually clarified anything.

"Is okay. Runs out sometimes. Maybe I find more later."

And then she ran over and hugged the girl tightly, smiling closed-lipped broadly.

"Goodnayber," she said, squeezing the woman tight.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 08:50 PM
Alannis stiffened in surprise, then relaxed and gave the girl a pat on the head. "You're very nice." She said in response, hoping that 'goodnayber' was a the compliment she thought it was. "Can you tell me what a Grimlock is? I've never met one before."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 08:53 PM
The girl shrugged some, "Grimlock... uhm. I am. Live in Swamp. Fight bite-logs. Eat.. uhm... trees. And 'roots' and things that float in. Then go and go to other part of Swamp."

Maulie leaned in quietly, "Ran away. Want to try things not leaf-pads or trees or roots or dead bite-logs. Want... want ap pel. And. And other things."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 08:58 PM
"I ran away too." Alannis replied, using the same quiet voice. "Not because of eating things, but the rest of your story sounds a bit like mine." She paused and thought about it for a moment. "Well, not that much like mine. But I didn't want to spend my whole life trying the same things either." She explained.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 09:03 PM
"New things is best," the girl said solemnly, finishing off the spuul uv thred, looking around the deck for the first time and leaning towards the railing before pulling back, remembering what the other girl told her.

"Want to go all over world and try every thing. Maybe find something better than ap-pel, even." She squirmed with excitement, looking out over the sea, "See maybe what is in big green swamp. Is so... And no bite-logs or leafs. Just... splah... splaaah."

The girl sighed, content.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 09:08 PM
"The ocean, you mean?" Alannis asked. To make sure the word didn't confuse the girl she pointed towards the water. "That's the ocean. It's filled with fish. Did you have fish in the swamp? They're long and slimy and make..." She wiggled her hands in a pantomime of a fish's movement. "Swimmy motions like that. And when you catch them they flop around, it's fun to watch." She was remembering her own childhood, watching her uncles bring in loads of flopping fish.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 09:14 PM
"Ohshin. That was what Cap'n called it." She nodded some, smiling, "Sometimes we saw... fish... in the Swamp. They were good. Thin. Flippy." Maulie grinned a little at that, tilting her head some before looking back down at the sea, "Ohshin Swamp will be very nice. More fish."

The girl smiled at the thought of new kinds of fish. Perhaps she would have a chance. But she had to make sure to look out. Bite-logs were tricky. And a bigger Swamp meant scarier things were in it, probably.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 09:20 PM
"There are all kinds of fish!" Alannis said excitedly. This was something she knew about. "There are little ones, smaller than your hand, and medium ones that we catch and cook up and eat, and ones so big they could eat you up in one mouthful! But I've never seen one of those, just heard about them in stories. I bet you could eat one though, before it could eat you!"

She noticed that the girl had used the word Cap'n and asked, "Are you on a ship? You don't really seem like a sailor."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 09:24 PM
"oooo..." the girl breathed with a quiet excitement.

The idea of something big enough to eat HER all at ONCE.

She wanted a bite of that. Or a few.

"Came on a ship. Cap'n said there was many foods to try at Festival so I jumped off and went to it." She smiled some at that, licking her lips--so small now--as she looked at the water.

"Big enough in one mouth full. Why are they so big?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 09:32 PM
"Well..." This was a tough one. "Maybe they were small to start off with, but no one ever caught them so they grew bigger and bigger, until they were so big that they could just bite through the fishing nets and no one could catch them then." She replied, caught up in her story. "And then they had babies and those were big too, and in the end there were a whole lot of them all swimming around eating fish and people whole!" She finished excitedly.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 09:37 PM
The girl listened with rapt interest, trying to wrap her head around the idea of a fish that big and finding it easier just to imagine another bite-log like the one who had killed the last queen.

She just listened and when the other girl was done, she smiled broadly, "Wow. They sounds amazing!" The girl squeezed her hands tightly, laughing a little.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 09:41 PM
"My uncles told me about them. They told all sorts of stories. About sea monsters too, and those are so big they can eat an entire ship like this one!" The girl said proudly. "Do you miss your family, being so far from the swamp?" She asked.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 09:46 PM
Maulie's eyes went wide at that--something big enough to eat that entire ship?!--and she seemed to stare off into space for a moment, rocking back and forth with the slow rock of the ship.

And at the talk of her family, Maulie could only grimace, "No. Wanted to make me queen. Make me lay eggs and sleep and un-eat and un-eat and un-eat until I am empty and tired.

She shook her headand grimaced, "Not miss. Do miss knowing what is in water before getting in." Because back in the Swamp, she could smell things, feel predatory eyes on her when they were. "Not really miss."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 09:52 PM
"That's exactly how I feel!" Alannis gushed. "They were going to make me marry and have babies and do squishy things that I would hate! That's one of the reasons I just had to leave!"

"Do you like going in the water too?" She asked. "I haven't been allowed to swim for years, but my uncles used to call me a little fish, because I'd always jump off the edge of the boat and they'd have to scoop me up again."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 14 2008, 10:00 PM
"Yus. Like it a lot. Live there a lot. Still have to drink lots. Tastes different. Better."

She smiled a bit, watching the girl, happy for someone who could understand her.

"Maybe you are still good at it," Maulie nodded eagerly, smiling at the woman.


((Gotta run!))

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 14 2008, 10:06 PM
"I never knew water tasted different." Alannis said wonderingly.

"Do you really think I still could?" She asked. "I suppose there's no one to stop me from going and swimming in it now." She mused.

((good timing, my dinner time now))

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 03:09 AM
"Yuh," said the girl, smiling broadly, "the Swamp is kind of... swampy. That water is thinner and..." Maulie floundered for a moment while looking for a word, "sharpier." She paused to consider whether or not that was the right word before leaving it be.

"Not see big fish then. Maybe I was lucky."

"And while ship is not going, you might. Feels good to swim."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 03:15 AM
"Sharpier?" Alannis' brow creased. "Doesn't it hurt to drink if it's sharp?"

"Are you allowed to swim in the swamp even when you're growing up?" She asked, looking envious at the prospect. "It's been so long I'm afraid I've forgotten how and I'd get swallowed up by the water and drowned."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 03:30 AM
"Is. Small... pointy taste." She shrugs, "Not BAD. Pointy." The girl smiled tight-lipped, and nodding.

"And once we crawl out of trough, we go into the Swamp and swim all the time. When we get stronger, we like to go on ground. Glad I am by water. Was away from it for a while. Was... not-good."

She looked around some, "What kind of thing are you?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 03:35 AM
"I'm sorry it was bad when you were away." Alannis replied sympathetically, trying to figure out what she could mean by 'trough.'

"I'm a sailor, and a tailor." She told Maulie proudly. "A human one." She added. After a consideration of the day's events she impulsively opened her mouth to add, 'who doesn't like girls,' but decided that Maulie didn't need to know that and quickly shut it again.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 03:43 AM
"Sayler Anatayler." The girl nodded once, "Like hyumins. Think Gioia is a hyumin." Maulie considered the statement for a little while before shrugging.

Close enough to them, anyway.

"This your ship?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 03:48 AM
"Sailor. And. Tailor." Alannis said slowly. "They're two separate things. Sailors work on ships, tailors make things like your clothes with the thread like you were eating." She explained.

"It's not my ship, I'm just going to sail on it, as a sailor. The Captain is named Judith, I think she's nice, even though she said I'm crazy."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 03:55 AM
"Oooooh." Maulie nodded some, "I wondered what made them." She looked down at her shirt some, pulling at the hem of it and looking down at it as if considering. "Wish I could eat. But ap-pel-man said I need. Get in trouble if not wearing."

She snorted some before shrugging, "Are you crazy?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 04:01 AM
"You definitely need to wear them!" Alannis agreed, turning a bit pink. "People get terribly angry if you don't. Some time I'll give you some old ones and you can eat those. When you're not wearing them." She decided.

She paused for a few moments before abashedly admitting, "I might be a little bit crazy. But only a little bit. You could say that liking to kick things is just like you liking to eat things. And you're not crazy, just different than human people. Maybe I am too." She looked satisfied by this conclusion.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 04:10 AM
"Kicking?" Maulie tilted her head to one side, frowning before looking to the woman, "What is 'kicking'?"

The girl smiled a little and laughed, "Not need to eat them. Know that we need them to cover things. Like things covered. Sometimes makes sense. When white comes down from sky, like."

She frowned some, "Not like sky-white."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 04:16 AM
Alannis smiled broadly and gently kicked the ship's railing. "That's kicking. When you do it to people they stop bothering you!" She explained happy to be teaching her new friend something important. "Do you want to learn how to kick really well? I can teach you, and then if someone bothers you and you don't want to eat them you can just kick them!"

"And next time the, uh, sky-white comes down stick out your tongue and catch some of it, then when you stick your tongue back in it turns into water, and you can try a new kind of water."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 04:24 AM
Maulie walked over to a railing and, looking over at the girl for a moment before tapping her foot on the railing a couple times before looking back at Alannis and, with a shrug, she kicked it a little harder, her smile growing widely.

She blinked then before tilting her head to one side, smiling, "New water?" She grinned broadly at the prospect, "More new, hooray!"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 04:29 AM
Alannis smiled back, feeling like she was making a major accomplishment. "Now, make sure you kick right here, really hard..." She instructed, tapping one shin. "Or if it's a man you can kick him here too..." She pointed to her crotch, "And they'll never bother you again, and you won't have to eat anything that tastes bad, like humans."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 04:36 AM
She was going to argue the point of bad-taste. But she knew that was less than smart.

But, all the same, she nodded, taking in the places it was right to kick and taking a couple more practice shots at the railing. It DID feel good to kick. She could see why that Sailor and Tailor liked doing it.

"Like not being bothered by bad people. They are... bad. And loud."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 04:42 AM
"Exactly!" Alannis was so proud. "And you just have to kick them to make them stop! You're doing very well." She commended, patting Maulie on the head again and then giving the railing a light kick herself, just for the fun of it.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 04:47 AM
Maulie smiled widely and kicked the railing again, laughing with a bubbly, gurgling sound when Alannis patted her on her head.

"Is fun to say. Kick. And to do. It is good."

She was trying all kinds of things now!

"Where ship going?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 04:52 AM
Alannis laughed back. "It is fun!"

"We're going to the Erins. Do you know what they are?" She asked, for a moment turning more serious. She hadn't had the chance to get a real answer from Elaine about the Erins and while she still was sure she didn't care where she was headed, she was incredibly curious.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 04:57 AM
She could only shake her head, "No. Is it far?" Not that she had half an idea about how far anything was from anything else, really.

"Will it take long to get there?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 05:01 AM
"I don't know. I barely even know what it is!" Alannis replied, feeling a bit frustrated at her own lack of knowledge. Then something hit her. "You can't come with me, you know." She said gently, really hoping that she was wrong about why the girl was asking those particular questions.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 05:05 AM
Maulie frowned some, thinking for a little before shrugging, "Not know, either. Maybe it will be nice. It sounds nice. Eeeeeeh-rins." She smiled a bit at that before her smile fell a little.

"Not go? But... but Evul Chic Kun is here. And Gioia! I want to go with Gioia and Evul Chic Kun!"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 05:09 AM
"Evil chicken is not coming on the voyage." Alannis replied quickly, chewing on her lower lip. She felt like she was being mean to her new friend, and she didn't like that. "And I don't think there's a Gioia on the ship at all, so she's probably not coming either. And I don't think the Erins is that nice, Elaine seemed to think I wouldn't want to go there, so you probably wouldn't either."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 05:15 AM
"Buh-but..." the girl tilted her head to one side, her chin quivering a little as she looked at Alannis, "I want to go." She looked around for a little, opening her mouth a little, tongue lolling around, "They taste like they are here. Want to see!"

She sniffed a little, her jaw tightening a little, "Want go new place! Festival over and Evul Chic Kun is nice and Gioia is nice! And... and... I want to go, too!"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 05:21 AM
"There's nothing new to eat on a ship for weeks!" Alannis countered desperately. "And I'm sure we can find the evil chicken and it can come with you on the land, so you don't have to go to sea. I just joined the ship, I might get into terrible trouble if you try to come along and the Captain learns I talked to you about it!" She squeaked, suddenly horrified at the idea of being kicked off the ship for giving strange people(or strange Grimlocks, for that matter) ideas about coming along before she'd even had the chance to sail.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 05:28 AM
"Can... can I talk to Captain? Want to come!" She stomped her foot on the deck and then crossed her arms in front of her, her chin shivering just a little.

"Not need to eat ap-pels. Want to see Eh-rins. Evul Chic Kun is nice and Maulie wants to go on ship and I can smell Gioia and... and..."

The girl sniffed a little and shook her head. "Know how to help! Can swab deck and... and catch rats!" She nodded eagerly, "Lots of rats always on ships. I can find them and they go away! Maulie good!"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 05:36 AM
"I think the Captain's busy right now." Alannis tried helplessly, "You might not be able to talk to her right now, and I'm really not sure this is a good idea at all." She worried her lower lip as she watched the girl become more upset.

"I'm sure there are more new things to eat on land." She coaxed. It had occurred to her that if Maulie talked to the Captain about the chicken she might get into trouble with Starling too... and that might mean Elaine would be mad at her, and Elaine was her only friend on the ship, and... she whimpered softly. "You really have to not talk to the Captain." She tried again.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 05:42 AM
"But... but..."

And with a pout, Maulie wiped at her eyes, chin quivering a little.

"Want to come..."

And, frowning, she looked around the deck and kicked the girl in the shin.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 05:48 AM
Alannis let out a shriek, eyes watering from the pain. "I'm not... trying to not... let you come." She gasped, ignoring the flash of pride at how well she'd taught the other girl. She rubbed her knee, taking a moment to compose herself. "I just don't want to get into trouble with the Captain! I really want this job! I need it!"

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 05:53 AM
"Then... then I find Captain and... and I come on ship and stay with Evul Chic Kun and catch rats again and clean deck and. And."

She flopped down onto the ground, wiping at her eyes, sniffling a little.

"Not want get you trouble."

She sniffled a bit and looked down at the deck.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 05:59 AM
Alannis sunk to the deck beside the other girl, still rubbing her throbbing shin. "I'm sorry Maulie... um, your name is Maulie, isn't it?" She asked, giving the girl a little sad smile. "I was just scared I'd get into trouble. I can help you talk to the Captain, as long as you don't mention the chicken and don't say it was my idea. I'll even help you figure out what to say." She suggested uncertainly, just hoping to make the girl stop her sniffling.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 06:01 AM
Maulie wiped at her nose, nodding some, "Yuh. Maulie is me." She sniffled some and nodded again, "No Evul Chic Kun. Not your idea. I remember."

She offered a watery smile to Alannis and then hugged her tight for a little.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 06:05 AM
Alannis patted the girl's head uncertainly. She wasn't sure how she felt about all this hugging, but if it was making Maulie feel better she wasn't going to complain. "That's right, Maulie, no chicken, not my idea. What else can you tell her?" She prompted. "She's tough, so you need to make her know she needs you on the ship, remember that."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 06:15 AM
"I catch rats. Find them in the deep-down." She nodded, pulling back some, pantomiming catching a rat and then she opened her mouth and mimed dropping it in. "Then food is more. And... and I can eat less. And... and I can bite bad people. And... and..."

She gnawed on her lip a little.

"...just want to come. Maybe can just eat things no one else wants?"

"Not. I not get in way."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 06:21 AM
"Those are great reasons!" Alannis replied, trying to summon up some enthusiasm. "I've heard ships have cats for that, but I haven't seen one around, so maybe this ship needs one... a rat catcher, not a cat. But if there is a cat, you can't eat it." She added, just to be on the safe side.

"And you could help me too, if you have free time. It's always good to have someone help hold the fabric." Alannis herself had done this for her mother when she was very young, before she knew how to sew herself, and it seemed like a job that would sound useful.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 06:25 AM
"Yes! I can fold the fabric. And not eat cat. I am useful." She nodded a couple times, seeming to calm down some, wiping at her face.

"When Captain is ready, I will be happy and... and I will be on ship."

The thought seemed to calm her by a lot.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 06:27 AM
"I can't promise you the Captain will let you on." Alannis said hesitantly, not wanting to upset the girl again. "But you can at least talk to her and tell her all the ways you'll be useful, and I do believe she would want you on the ship."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 06:33 AM
Maulie nodded sullenly at the thought of not going, "I will try very hard."

She smiled and wiped at her nose before clambering onto her feet once more, absently gnashing her teeth a little.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 06:38 AM
Judith was pacing. Her expression was close to neutral, but her motions were tense and jerky. She looked up at her cabin door, let out a long huff, and carried on walking.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 06:46 AM
"I'll see if she can see you now. She might be done by now." Alannis said uncertainly, getting up. "Just stay right here."

She headed towards the cabin, loudly calling, "Captain? There's someone here to see you!"

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 06:47 AM
"Mm." Maulie nodded once and stood in place.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 06:50 AM
Judith wheeled mid-pace, grateful for nothing if not to have a target. "Do I even want to know who it is this time?" She growled, sweeping a hand through her hair. "Fuck it, sorry Spider, I am changin' me name . . . "

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 06:52 AM
"Her name's Maulie, she's an excellent rat catcher." Alannis squeaked, going into a slight panic. "She can tell you more, she's just up on deck."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 06:54 AM
Maulie looked on, suddenly thinking that she might have just hidden somewhere. But they might be madder if they found her later.

Anxiously, she reached into her coinpurse and took one of the small discs from it and popped it into her mouth.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 06:55 AM
Judith blinked, totally knocked out of being angry. "She's . . . wait, what? Who's on deck?" Her eyes narrowed briefly. "Is this a cat? It had better not be a cat."

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 06:57 AM
"She's a person, not a cat! If she was a cat I wouldn't know she wanted to be a rat catcher because I don't talk to cats! And I didn't let her on, she just crawled up the ramp and wanted to sail on the ship!" Alannis replied quickly. "So don't be mad at me cuz she's up there!"

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 07:00 AM
It sounded like they were talking about her.

Maulie bit her lip, wondering if that meant she should go over.

Carefully, she took a step towards the pair.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 07:04 AM
"I'm not mad," Judith said in surprise. "Look, you are new here. If people are creepin' up on deck, yell for Mr. Ceallaigh. Or better yet, Mr. Rafat." She followed the girl rather cautiously, one hand on her dagger.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 07:05 AM
"She wasn't exactly creeping. I think she was smelling her way up." Alannis said, heading back towards Maulie. "She's really nice, not scary or bad at all." She explained.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 07:07 AM
Maulie stepped a bit closer, smiling with her broad mouth as she did so.

"Hello, Captain. I is Maulie." After a moment she looked around and offered a shy wave.

"Want to come sail. Please."

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 07:11 AM
Judith halted a good distance from Maulie, as soon as she made enough visual range to determine what, exactly, the creature was. "Oh dear." She frowned at herself; that wasn't nearly the sort of invective she had intended to say. "Ooh, dear." Damn. Still nothing.

She looked between Maulie and the girl. "You two know each other, then?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 07:14 AM
"I just met her." Alannis explained nervously. "But she's really nice. She can eat all the rats she catches, so she doesn't need to eat so much other things." She gave Maulie an encouraging smile. "Show the Captain what your mouth goes like when you eat things!" She suggested helpfully.

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 07:18 AM
"Yes. No more rats. And. And I can swab decks. And then eat things people not like. Like things when they go grey."

She nodded a couple times and then her mouth opened.

And opened.

And opened.

And opened, her head flipping back, revealing rows and rows and rows of sharp, pointy, bitey teeth, her scaly tongue lolling around for a little before she closed her mouth, which seemed to shrink to a far more normal size.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 07:23 AM
"Ah." Judith held out a hand to stop Maulie, even though she wasn't sure the creature could even see the gesture while her head was flipped open. "Stop. Stop. I'm familiar with it. I know what you can do, don't unhinge your jaw on my account." She raked her fingers across her already unruly hair. "Well," she said brightly, then stopped again. "This is gonner be another one of them days. I can see it already."

She rubbed her chin, looking at the creature. "And you would eat cats, if any should find their way aboard, would you?"

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 07:28 AM
Maulie shrugged a little, scratching at her forearm and smiling at the Captain, "If Captain says I can. Like eating all kinds of things. Probably better than dogs. Dogs bite hard," the girl nodded, grimacing a little at the memory.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 07:30 AM
Alannis was slowly recovering from her amazement. "I didn't know it could go open that far." She said quietly, blinking.

She gave Maulie a bright smile and nodded her encouragement.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 07:39 AM
"Oh-ho, captain says you can." Her head fell forward. Judith, for once, was starting to look a little worn. "Brey, little hint for you here. You been on this crew . . . most of an afternoon now? It is time you learned something of the chain of command. I decide who stays and who goes. But. If anyone comes creepin' or sniffin' or I-know-not-what onto this deck, you grab the first thing handy and get the situation contained, understand? The first thing handy is generally going to be Gwydion Ceallaigh."

Then she shrugged. "In the meantime, this one stays. Get her below. You're lookin' for Madrigan, the cook."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 07:41 AM
The girl clapped her hands quickly and let out a burbling squeal and near lept on the Captain, hugging her tight and grinning broadly--so very, very broadly.

Now she could see Evul Chic Kun! And Gioia!

She released the Captain and hugged Alannis again before clapping her hands again, "Where Madrigin?"

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 07:45 AM
"Yes ma'am!" Alannis said promptly, not bothering to conceal her gleeful grin. Now she had two friends on the ship! She was about to ask about Madrigan herself when Maulie spoke.

Posted by: Judith ni Dowd Apr 15 2008, 07:52 AM
"Down below, in the galley." Minor crisis resolved, she was now back to casting longing looks at her cabin door. "I think he's been layin' out hellesbore for the rats, which may explain why the boil's been tastin' so goddamn foul. Tell 'em what you two are about, then report back up to me."

Posted by: Maulie Apr 15 2008, 07:55 AM
Maulie nodded, not really sure what hellesbore WAS (or boil for that matter), but she knew directions well enough.

Which was good enough for her.

Posted by: Alannis Brey Apr 15 2008, 07:59 AM
"I knew you could do it!" Alannis told the other girl proudly, going along with her towards the galley.

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