10 June; Mess Duties

He would have liked to wear a pair. At least late in the evening up till morning where he was feeling rather cold, but: "Terry. They ain't mine to have, but yours. An' wot' ye think will be asked of you if you suddenly tole t' purser you wanted another pair o' shoes?"

He slipped the shoe off of his foot, and set it down beside the other.

"Tell 'im they don't fit. Ain't no more'n the troof. Anyway, I don't reckon I've wore 'em but once, an' that was two year ago." He shrugged, and nudged them towards de Guarde with one foot. "Go on, 'ave 'em, do."

"I don't got anything I can give you in return. Not 'zactly at the moment." He had run out of chocolate and it would be a while till any new parcel from home might reach him, if one would be sent at all. Perhaps his parents learned of the changes already and of the disappointment!

"Though if you think you've figured something I could give you, tell me." He gazed at the shoes. It would feel so much better to his feet when they were warmer!

Terry frowned. "Why'd I want anyfin' back?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. "Leastways, right now. You c'n allus owe a favour if you want. They'd be better wiv you wearin' 'em than stuck in the bottom of me sea-chest, after all."

"Well.. Um. Isn't tradin' wot' lower deck is all about? Likewise givin' somethin' and gettin' somethin' back?" He scoffed.

"..Well, I can owe you. s' that." He agreed. "N'.. thanks! I'll go get me stockin's from over there an' then I can wear them." Though if the weather deteriorated he would want his shoes and stockings somewhere safe and dry to be able to wear them, after the storm was over and done for and the floors were still damp!

"'O said anyfin' about tradin'?" Terry wanted to know, folding his arms stubbornly. "Could 've the stockin's too," he added, slightly doubtfully.

"No, you didn'. But you'um awfully generous, you know that?" He studied Button. "Um.. Terry. Would you still be me ....me friend if I end up in the marines? I dun' think that I will, but just if it suddenly happened. Jus' want to know, couse I'd like that...."

He doubted he would get a chance to become a marine, he honestly did not know anymore what he wanted other than live to be 16 and more! He would have just as much liked to live to see his birthday at the very least!

"I am?" He shrugged. "You... in the Marines? What are you, cracked? Why'd you want to join them? They can't 'ave 'alf so much fun as you'n'me." He turned to close the chest, before turning back. An unexpected wave caught Terpsy and he sat down on it, hard. "Oops. Any'ow. Don't see why not - if you'd still want me to, that is."

"Sure I would. It won't happen anyway. But if I grow older an' they happen to take me. Then I want it ter remain t' same as is now." He grinned, catching himself. He did not want to sit anywhere and on anything just yet. Not in a hard way anyhow.

"Marines have real nice coats." He pointed out. "Ah.. lets hope the storm ain't goin' to be too awful. Landlubbers always spew their guts out at such a time!"

"You an' me ain't lubbers," Terry pointed out, scrambling back to his feet. "You goin' to put 'em on now, or what?" he wanted to know, scuffing at the deck with a bare toe.

"I know. That's why we ain't emptyin' our guts like there's no tomorrow." He looked at the shoes. "Um...dun' want to get them wet." He picked the pair up from the floor. "Though I'd like to wear 'em."

He looked torn. If he wanted to wear them he would have to go to his chest of course. Well, he needed to go there either way. If he wanted to put them away or if he wanted to just get the stockings. Deciding to decide once he was there, he turned and motioned for Button to follow him.

"Don't s'pose it matters whether you get 'em wet now or later - sure as eggs is eggs, they's goin' to get wet some time." He grinned and pattered after de Guarde. "If you want to wear 'em, put 'em on, silly."

"But..." He stuck his tongue out at Button. "You'm silly. I'd make sure they ain't wet! Of course!" But temptation was too great so he reached into his chest, shoved a couple of things that were not his to the side, fetched the pair of stockings he had and leaned against the side of his chest.

"See, these also keep your legs warm." He rubbed his soles with the palm of his hand to get them relatively less dirty. "but you get ter get used to them... " He began to tug one stocking over his foot, wiggling his toes.

"Dunno how you can stand to 've them fings closin' your legs in, like," Terry said, leaning against the foremast to watch de Guarde curiously. "Be nice to be proper warm, though. Fink me trousers've 'ad it." He looked down critically at the now-ragged hems of the trousers he was wearing. "S'pose I need new trousers too, some time. It's real strange, knowin' I can 'ave new trousers - never 'ad new nuffin' afore I was goin' to join the Navy."

"You can have one of me pairs. I've got them pretty new now.. so, they's both good." He offered shrugging. If they fit ya that is. Until you get a new pair, n'all." He pulled the first shoe on and smiled.

The second one quickly followed and the boy dropped the pantlegs so that the stockings became concealed again. "They don' close me legs. Not as bad as you think!"

"No, you'll need both of 'em, you know that - got to 'ave summat to wear on washday, aintcha?" Terry replied, with a grin. "Fanks for off'rin', though." He shook his head, still grinning, and bent to put his hands around his own leg. "No, close it in, stops the... the air gettin' to it, see?"

"That's why you ain't suppose to wear the shoes without yer stockin's. If you do, your feet get all..weird." He answered shrugging. "I could jus' wear ...um...The tattered ones you have. That way you don't get cold couse of them being ruined.....and,..you know."

He did not press more on it. "You'll need to start wearin' them eventually, you know. The shoes I mean. 'specially if we go somewhere real cold, or.. jus' cross the land for longer n' we do now."

"Plenty of folks wear shoes wivout stockin's, though. Reckon them M'rines don't all wear stockin's under them trousers and gaiters, y'know." He shook his head. "I'm used to it, an' you ain't. Don't worry 'bout it."

"I know, but it's healthier fer t' leg if you do, an' I was tole, your feet smell less if you do an'.. an' your shoes smell less either." He looked seriously at Button. "But.... if you want something, you'll tell me, won't you?...Couse I'm not used ter.. offer often."

He clicked his heels together and took a few steps. His feet now felt much more comfortable and less aware of the floors upon which they had earlier threaded.

"I'm ready, if you are."

"Ready fer what?" he asked, pushing himself upright from the thick mast. "Don't lose 'em, will you?" he added, privately thinking that it looked silly for anyone to be so happy with a pair of shoes, uncomfortable horrid things.

"I will try not to, though I dunno how I can keep 'em from being nicked. Should I write Button's on 'em?" He stretched, took a few steps then tied his black handkerchief around his neck in a posher way. But this was a mockery of himself rather than the wish to become what it represented.

"I say." He said. "...Actually. I don't really know. We would probably need to be on deck soon..But your guess is as good as mine. I don't give orders."

"Dunnot that anyone'd know what it said if you done that." He frowned in curiosity. "What's it look like, when you write it? I never seen it - me name, I mean." He looked up toward the ladder up to the gundeck. "I wasn't wanted last time there was a squall, I dunno."

"I can show you. Wait. " He open his sea chest again and pulled from it a bit of paper and a pencil because it would be easier to write with that, than with a quill. Faster too and cleaner.

"Now..I'll start with your surname. That's Button." He began with a big B. "This here is a capital letter, it makes a sound of B.. from Button." He continued with a smaller u. "This is a small letter, because with names there's always one big - the first one, and all the rest are small. Now this is u." He explained the next and then the two t's and then the o and the n. " This reads Button." He indicated the word.

What's t' long version o' your name? Terry's for short, no?" He did write it however, again making a sound beside each of the letters to signify which one was.

"Uh-huh," he said, coming over and looking down at what de Guarde was doing. "Oh. Um... 'Ere, you won't tell everyone will you?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious. "Only... it's Terence, an' I don't much like it."

"Won't tell, promise. It's not bad though. Dunno why you're all worried about it." He smiled and wrote Terence beside Terry. "I've ...oh nevermind." He pointed at the word.

"See, that's how you write your full name."