Happy Birthday, Sweet Fifteen (13 June)

"So if you dun' know wot' year it was, you could jus' as well be as old as I." He paused. "Well... not just as old, but maybe only a wee bit older? Unless you know how old ye are then I can calculate fer you when you was born." He scoffed. "It was jus'... a wee bit of rattle.. and you made up for it since. Many times."

He shifted a little, and observed the pipe as it was being put away. "Can I buy off a wee bit of tabacco off of you, and borrow ..even lease t' pipe?" He asked distractedly then noticed the hair being a little bit messy, which was also confirmed with Thompson's complaint. "If you want, I can do one splendid queue." He said with a broad grin. "It'll look better n' a new one. Honest promise!"

"Think I'm about twenty-five, twenty-six, somethin' like that." He grinned. "There was a lot of ships paid off in Chatham at the end o' the war with America, in, oh, eighty-three, eighty-four, somethin' like that." He chuckled at the look on de Guarde's face. "That's about as close as I can get to tellin' you when I was born, though. Can't get any closer than that - comes of bein' what I am, see."

"Then you was born in eighty-four or five.. couse it takes 'bout a wee less n' a year ter come out of there... or it took that long 'tleast when me aunt had hers! So couse you're autumn child... ..well lessay.. October?" He looked at Thompson seriously. Was it closer ter being cold, or further from it? Couse it gets colder n' colder t' closer yer get ter winter. " He nodded seriously. Of course it would still be a guess, and the exact date would be impossible to tell, unless there was a priest with a booklet of such births. But, on the other hand, setting up a date would help knowing the 'decided' birthday.

"Nine months... which is most of a year," Thompson replied. "Could be October, could be September, I ain't got any idea which. Might be as late as November for all I know." This picking a birthday was actually rather fun - how many people got to choose their own birthday? He shrugged. "How'm I supposed to remember what the weather was doin' at the time, anyway?"

"Did your mom tell you whether it was raining lots? Now.. if i was you I'd pick an October, couse it's closer... but if you want ter be t' same age longer, yer can pick November. Easy." De Guarde grinned. "As for a number, do you like double digits or single ones? Couse.. you can be in t' range from one ter 30 or 31 dependin' of wot' month you pick."

He tapped his chin and realised that Thompson had managed to distract him away from the pipe for the third time. Was it a third time? Well, he certainly succeeded! "May I buy smoke from ye 'fore I forget it again?"

"October sounds t'be good. Don't mind what day... why don't you pick that?" he said with a grin. "Never thought I'd give you a birthday present an' get a present of a birthday meself." He took his hat off and pulled his pipe out again. "I really dunno as I oughta let you do this, y'know," he said, filling the pipe's bowl and lighting it. "Daresay a coupla puffs won't do you no harm, though. Don't try breathin' too deep, that's all."

"Hmmm...You oughta have..Oughta be born on.10th o' October. Couse it's a real nice round number.. and looks... well I dunno. Do you like it? I'd give you 13th , but you'd say I'm making you have a same number like me." He grinned. "I would not mind, but dunno if you would!"

He sneezed. "Thank you!" He made a few puffs. Having learned from experience how not to draw air in, he had actually done much better this time. He stole glances at Thompson to see what he thought of his attempts and whether he thought them good or terrible.

"You ought not to be smokin', really. Dunno that your ma won't have me whipped if she finds out," the Marine replied, and stretched. "Don't mind the thirteenth, though some folks think it's unlucky." He looked across at the boy. "I ain't sure whether to agree with 'em or not. What d'you think?"

"Me ma' would have been worryin' about lots o' other things, other n' smokin'. " He answered pointedly. "Like, why I dun' were a dashin' middie's uniform, fer one. She'd hardly notice I smoke."

"I've been born on t' 13th and it....well I'm still alive, so I must've been atleast lucky enough ter that point. An' I found ye fer a friend, which I do consider a lucky strike. You've saved me life, noticin' me go over board so... Lucky again." He smiled warmly. "I think...it all depends o' what you believe.. if yer believe some number brings bad luck, anything bad ever happens in yer life.. you'll blame it on that number. But if you believe it's not so,.. you'll see the good too. So.. want ter be 13th of October then?" He made a few puffs, looking proud as pie, as he did not cough even once!

"Oh, there's all sorts of other things to worry about, why worry about the number of a day, when it mightn't even be the real day I was born anyhow?" Thompson pointed out. "An' you really oughtn't go smokin' like a chimbley at your age," he added, grinning.

"True. Then, that date it is." He grinned. "Now I'll have ter write it down, so I know when to have yer celebrate it!" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Wot's wrong with smokin' like a chimney?.. yer didn't let me drink like I wanted, when I firs' came 'board. This is safe an' healthy."

"Gave you a tot for writin' home for me, didn't I?" he pointed out mildly. "An you got another of mine sittin' right there, too." He indicated his drinking jack. "'Sides which, you smoke like a chimbley an' you'll get through too much baccy too quickly, see."

"True... point. True." Mathew scowled. "I hate it when you point out t' obvious, which I ought'a have known or remembered m'self." He scoffed. "Hate it more when you are right!" He shrugged. "But... I don't mean ter smoke lots, nuh uh... "

He straightened. "Does that mean, I get more ter drink sometime too? " He puffed some smoke again and looked even prouder than before. Not a single cough so far!

"Seems to me you ought t'be used to it by now," Thompson said cheerfully. "I end up havin' a couple of pipes a day, somethin' like that. Habit, y'know." He shrugged. "I dunno. An' only if you do somethin' that means you'd need payin' somehow, I reckon. Or have another birthday."

"Um.... I have a birthday tomorrow too! And after that, another birthday. And then.. I think I'll have yet another birthday right after that." He looked angelic and made a few more puffs before the pipe was held out to Thompson. Much as he was proud that he was doing it right, he was not yet seeing why it was so good to do. Somehow, drinking still felt much better.

"An', do you need anything else done? Written? Oh right. Your queue too, no? Sit down here. Make yerself comfortable and I'll be right on it!"

"Oh no you don't! You only get one birthday a year - even I know that, silly." He reached out to ruffle de Guarde's hair before shifting position. "Really could do with a candle to catch them spiders' legs, 'cause they won't stay put no matter what you do."

"Hmph. Hoped you didn't." Of course he knew that Thompson was not as daft as to be convinced that he could have more than one birthday.

"I could fetch the candle for you, if you want.. if you have one in your sea chest that is. I know my way 'round t' marine's mess better n' a marine!" Hi smile broadened. "Though, I'd have to trust this in your keep, fer t' time I go off running.." He indicated the cup. "Would you guard it with your life?"

"Well, you'd end up bein' a hundred afore you'd bin in the world for a year, wouldn't you?" he pointed out logically. "Aye, there's one in me sea-chest - don't go makin' a mess in it any worse than it is." He chuckled. "Though, I do feel a bit sorry for Vinin', sharin' a sea-chest with me now I've got the stripes."

"No. I'd end up being over 350 years old in a year." He chuckled softly. "I'd be several times your age! You'd have to respect me and listen ter me an' wot' I say and do 'zactly as I'd tell you.. couse I'd be older n' you!"

He stretched and got up. "I'll make sure ter keep your chest t' same way it was when I got to it."

"Mebbe so, but I'd still be the one with the stripes... an' if you had that many birthdays in a year, wouldn't everyone else, too?" He stretched again. "An' if Vinin's down there, tell him from me that he needs to stow his other trousers an' shirt a bit neater, won't you?"

"No. Just me. Couse I'm special." De Guarde answered with a broad grin, that clearly betrayed that he was not really serious about it, even if there had probably been no doubt about that.

"I'll tell 'im you told me to tell 'im ter do it. Couse If I jus' say. Hey, you, Vinnin' .. you be storin' this neater. He'll ask me wot' I was doin' in your chest anyway!" He grinned and then he was running again. It was so refreshing to be able to do that, without worrying whether it was an alright thing to do or not. He jumped a few steps, ducked around Gunn, who was just heading on deck, and then he was - not long after - in the marine's mess.

He knew where Thompson's chest was so he headed straight for it, opening the lid swiftly to search for that candle they had needed.

It was a pleasant day to be on deck, in Thompson's considered opinion. He sighed, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and hoped that things would turn out all right for the young lad in the end.

De Guarde took some of the clothes out, to find the candle, this he lay to his left. He had not seen Vining anywhere and saw the mess that were his clothes usually. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he folded first the clothes that went to Vining's side and then those that belonged to Thompson.

The Chest looked in much better order when he was finished, fabric neatly folded and the rest of things where they were supposed to lie. He closed the lid carefully and hopped up again.

He ran out again, passing a couple of bemused marine who saw him rummaging around Thompson's chest, but then putting everything but the candle back in. It seemed they were of the mind that the corporal probably asked the boy for it. It was no surprise in that, as the two had been conversing before.

De Guarde appeared back on deck, feet clothed in the pair of slippers that he had gotten from Button, who did not quite like them at all. " Here it is!" He said with a grin and held the candle to inspection.

"Looks like a candle to me," Thompson said, opening his eyes to see that de Guarde had come topside again. "Where'd you get the shoes from?" he asked, gently moving de Guarde's hand so that the candle wasn't right in his face.

"Button gave them ter me 'couse he said he doesn't want them anyway." Mathew smiled and allowed his hand to be guided out of the was. He moved around Thompson and settled himself behind him, where the queue was most easily accessible. "Mind leaning back just a little, right now?" He asked as he began to tug the hair free of the old, now slightly messier, queue, and unwrapping the cloth from around the hair.