OOM: Pearl Repairs

[politestpirate]

The sky is cool, grey, and occasionally misting, but that just means when you are working hard you can keep warm enough.

And there is certainly plenty of work to be done. The deck of the Black Pearl has been cleared off, with debris and pieces that are large enough to reuse stacked carefully. All over is the gleam of cut and exposed wood, the splintered edges cut and smoothed in preparation for patching sections. One mast has been cleared of charred and torn sails and rigging, the canvas and rope set in one area to work on before it can be sent back up.

One of the current priorities, however, is fixing the stern section of the ship, the back wall of the captain's cabin, that took some of the worse damage from the kraken-

Scottish autumn nights can start to get chilly, afterall.

Party thread style, slowtimes more than welcome.

Comments

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Apparently he met Roberts here, at Milliways. And he's helping repair the ship as well."

Wellard eyes the planks on the deck.

"His name is Inigo Montoya."

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

"Really now?"

There's a small pause, and a faint frown.

"A Spaniard then, I've not met him."

And if his tone has grown a bit more clipped, it's not entirely his fault.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Not Archie's fault, and Wellard quite understands the tone.

He sighs.

"... He's from quite before our times, I do believe. Not his fault at all, sir."

It is addressed to the both of them, really.

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Mildly:

"I've not yet met a Spaniard that did not want to either kill or torture me."

He sighs softly.

"Still, there's a rule about no business in the bar. I suppose this would fall under that category."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"'Least he's a pirate as well?" Wellard offers, then shakes his head.

"He apologised, but even so, he didn't really know what he was apologizing for." He frowns, though it is more due to himself loosing his temper and making any vague apology even needed.

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

"An apology's no good unless one knows what one is apologizing for."

He tilts his head a little.

"Though if he was willing to apologize, perhaps we should be willing to put aside our own irrationality?"

Which is to say: Archie would probably have reacted very smilarly.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't quite about to tell him about how his future countrymen took over the Renown." Wellard mutters.

Took over the Renown and ended up killing them both.

A deep breath, and Wellard nods.

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

"I didn't say you had to. Easy enough to be vague about such things."

He heaves a small sigh and looks out across the misty lake.

"I'm not about to go spouting that I was kept in a damned hole of a Spanish prison for over a year while they flogged me nearly to death and later threw me in a little hole for a month. Especially wen it's not implausible that that garrrison could have been run by his... grandson or something. Still, it isn't quite fair to hate him for things that he didn't do, and hadn't even happened yet..."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

There are some things that actually do not get spread about on ship. The various histories of senior officers is one of those things, usually. At least on such subjects as this.

So, this is the first Wellard has heard about Spanish prisons and Archie Kennedy.

".... sir?"

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Archie blinks at him for a startled moment before resuming his glaring at the horizon. He'd honestly thought the lad would have heard something like that.

"Ah. Well... now you know. it'a hardly the worst that's happened to me."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

A wince, and Wellard looks back down. "... my sympathies, Mr Kennedy."

He takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly, looking out to the lake as well.

"Seems more and more that it wasn't the actual war that was the most dangerous thing with being in the Navy. At least the battles were... straight forwards. Almost simple."

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

He snorts softly.

"There's a lot of truth in that, lad. In battle, at least you could identify your enemy, had the meand to kill him. The rest of the time... it wasn't so easy."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Specially when they're supposed to be..."

He sighs, and rubs at his eyes.

"At least things are quite better here, even with all that tends to happen. Only memories now, which doesn't change them, but... hopefully fades them."

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

He smiles sympathetically at the lad.

"Some memories never quite fade, but... time does make them easier to deal with. And yes, this is a better place, though still not without it's dangers. You have to watch out, or something awful might happen. You might fall in love."

His smile turns a bit ironic, meeting Svava was the best thing that's happened to him.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard facepalms, blushing.

"Should I mention your thoughts on that matter to Mrs Kennedy?" He mutters.

Best defence, and all of that.

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

"Women are wily creaures, Mr Wellard, make no doubt about that. If you wish to avoid them entirely, the best thing would be for you to take yourself back to the Navy. Otherwise..."

He shrugs

"I suppose you could try making yourself as unappealing as possible."

He doesn't sound convinced that even that would work on a determined woman. Or a crazy one.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard snorts. Milliways far has the Navy beaten with the presense of the fairer sex- even if they were blasted hard to figure out at times.

He eyes Archie (cheeks still quite red). "Well, there's quite no way to go back to the Navy, so little enough point to such a thing, isn't there?"

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Archie sighs tragically.

"No... So I just suppose you ought to make the best of it."

You can do what he did, and marry the first girl you happened to kiss when you got here. Oh, wait...

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard gives Archie an amused Look.

"And not like there's a lot of time, with working on repairs and whatnot."

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Archie eyes him.

"Believe me lad, there's always time."

He may be smirking, just a little.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard rolls his eyes. (This part of the teenage attitude may be deliberate. Maybe.)

"If you say so, sir."

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Archie is immune! See how his good nature is not phased by teenage attitude!

"I do say so sir, aside from cloistering yourself off away from any of them, you simply have to angle for one that you like to spend time with. Pretty doesn't hurt either."

He may wink. Perhaps it is Wellard's imagination.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard gives Archie a Look. (The red cheeks ruin it, really. And the trying no to laugh. But mostly the red cheeks.)

"If its escaped your notice, there do happen to be some helping on the ship here, Mr Kennedy."

[prone-to-panic.livejournal.com]

Archie glances around as if he hadn't noticed, then back to Wellard with a mock-pitying look.

"Well then lad, I'm sorry, but you're doomed."

The act is rather ruined by the fact that he breaks into a wide grin a moment later.

"What about that Hannah lass? She's agreeable enough, if a bit on the thin side..."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Hannah- Miss Hannah? I- I do not think she's come aboard the Pearl, Mr Kennedy." Wellard blinks, then glances at him.

"At least to be here like some of the other ladies are."