Happy Birthday, Sweet Fifteen (13 June)

De Guarde caught the slight shift and... grinned. So that was what it took. " I dunno if I'll be able ter wait as long.. so let's think about a girl right here.. or where we might find 'er. So... so your favourite.. can yer describe 'er? More n' jus' hair like. Did you have someone like that already? " He was mean, but then. "N'... n' if we do go.. what do we do.. go ahead ter t' door of such a place an'.. then?"

"Oh, you." Thompson grinned. The boy had caught him out. He shook his head, still grinning, and lay back. "Shorter'n me, curvy, with a nice pair o' tits that, y'know," he held a hand up as if cupping something, "fill me hands right. A nice bum. Pretty sort of face."

He let his hand drop and turned to look at de Guarde. "Well, out here, you can ask to see 'em - at least have a look, see. With their clothes on, o' course. An' you choose the one you want an' go up to a room with her. Mostly what happens back home is you find a girl out walkin', they like street corners an' that, an' it costs extra to get a room, 'cause they got to pay for it."

"Oh.. So, if we's go in London or somewhere's we will have ter pay for the room ter be with? Wot' about if we had a room.. or uh If a person had a room... would they come with them to that room, or protest 'gainst it?" He asked curiously.

He studied Thompson, head to toe. "Is it working?"

"I dunno how it works with higher-class girls. Some girls wouldn't mind, some might." He turned his head to look at de Guarde. "Is what working, you?"

"Wot' I'm sayin'. Aye." He said innocently. "You've been awful fidgety earlier." Which was not exactly true. "Why would some girls not want ter go ter yer place if it was better n' doin' it.... do you really do it right out there, in t' street, if it don't get payed for a room?"

"'Cause it can be right dangerous for 'em to go somewhere they don't know, with a feller that they don't know, why else?" He shrugged. "Aye, though only the real cheap whores do it on the streets. That's a thrip'ny upright, that is, 'cause they only get thruppence for it. I've done it 'tween the guns aboard ship, too, when we're in port an' they allow Wives an' Sweethearts. Me mum goes off to ships anchored in the river for times like that, too." He grinned. "Told you, me life's real diff'rent from yourn, see."

"'tween the guns?" Of course it was possible, and of course it must have been happening, but now he was imagining it in detail, with the description of a woman that Thompson properly surprised. He squeaked and pushed his kit lower.

He looked around them and began to chew on his lip. "You needn't remind me is all happenin' here aswell!" He huffed.

Thompson looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Well, you did ask, lad," he replied calmly. "I can't help what happens down in your trousers, can I?"

"Right. But...." Thompson was right again, no matter how the young lad wanted to blame him. " ..nothin's happenin' in me trousers, you daft thing." He said instead, lowering his gaze.

"Why would it? Honest. I have more...uh, control n' that. An' anyway.. we's just talking!"

"Well then, that's all right," the Marine replied with a private smile. If there wasn't anything going on down there, he'd eat his hat. "You're young, things don't necessarily behave the way you'd like 'em to. Hell. They don't even behave the way you'd like 'em to all the time when you've growed up a bit, for sure."

"Really? So yer admit to it too?" De Guarde asked then scrunched his face after saying:" Not that I admit to it, couse I don't! But jus' so... you do admit to your own?" He arched a brow.

"...anyway.. 's a weird time to talk all about that, I think....even though I AM older, so mebbe it's a good time to talk of it too. When we's next time on land, I'll take yer fer a drink, a bit of a 'private' celebration of sorts, if you're alright with it. If not. .I mean to go out there ter drink anyhow. And Uh.. how much do I owe yer for those puffs of yer tobacco?"

"Already told you, didn't I?" He sighed; it was quite peaceful up here in the sunshine. "I'll hold you to that drink. An' don't mind about a pipeful of baccy, all right? Though if you end up goin; through me whole stock, sure as eggs is eggs I'll make you buy me more."

"If I buy you more, can I smoke more of yours?" De Guarde cheekily asked the marine corporal, feeling just a little bit privileged, because he could converse with a corporal without being told off for it, and even joke with him.

Of course this corporal was his friend from before, and that is why it was possible. "I won't become a smoker mind,... I'm not sure, but it don't have such a draw to it as I thought it would. But sometimes, I still would like to have one or another."

"I shouldn't say yes, should I?" Thompson said, and sat up. "But you bein' you, I reckon I'll end up lettin' you have some more, whenever. Jus' don't have too much all at once, there's only so much baccy aboard, after all."

"Splendid. You said jus' what I hoped to hear." De Guarde chuckled softly. "And I won't ask for more than I know is a safe bet to have, and have more still for later. Might just ask for a few puffs, so then it would be good whenever you're already smoking. Savin' on tobacco that way, don'tcha think?"

He was glad that the conversation steered another way, as now his groin was becoming rather better behaved again. "Now that I'm gettin' so much older... Um... is shaving hard to do?"

"I've only got a small pipe, don't forget - I only get a few puff out of it meself. An' the more puff you get, the fewer I get, an' that just ain't on, young whippersnapper." He ran a hand over his jaw. "Not really, though you need a good bit of light, a bit of mirror an' sharp razor."

"I can have two puffs for your three. How does that sound?" De Guarde looked rather angelic. "You can't say it's a fair trade, and I will get to buy baccy when we are next in port...just to show that I am an honest trader!" He grinned.

"So, you needn't have any practice , it will come naturally, then?" He asked peering closer.

"Oh, an' some practise," Thompson added cheerfully. "You ever seen a razor, even?" he asked looking down at the lad, one eyebrow quirked.

"Sure I've seen it. I live in t' same berth as t' Tars, whacha think?" He asked, feeling his chin. Of course there was no danger of a beard there as of yet, but he made it appear as if he was just testing whether it was time to shave yet or not.

"My father shaved too... though.. I admit, I have not been exactly as attentive to him having that done as I should have been at the time, and he had a man come to shave him so.. he had special tools for it."

"Prob'ly jus' the same sort of stuff we have," Thompson said with a shrug. "A razor, a brush an' soap. I've seen folks shaved by barbers, me. Though I 'listed afore I ever needed to shave so I've only ever done it meself." He had to cover a yawn suddenly. "Sorry. What made you ask, anyway?"

"I'm nearly old enough to need to do it. And I just wanted to see whether It'd be hard... though I guess I'll have to buy meself a razor, brush an' soap when it begins, couse I have neither o' them."

He yawned as well, because when it was warm, sunny and somebody else yawning infront of you, it was rather infectious.

"It ain't age so much. Tom Oxley ain't got any more'n fuzz, if that. An' some folks I know had to start shavin' when they was fourteen or so. When you get any more'n fuzz, you can get the things for shavin' from the pusser. Same's the rest of us buy our baccy, when we'm at sea." He looked down at the lad. "Seems t'me you need your hammock, Mathew, me lad."

"Not t' only one what' needs a hammock." De Guarde pointed out and touched his chin. He was not sure he wanted to have to bother with shaving so soon but then he would be a man then and that made him reconsider it yet again. "Maybe I should ask the pusser ter give me it now.. just to be sure. What'cha think?"

Thompson looked critically at de Guarde's chin. "Could do, but I don't think you're in any danger of needin' it so soon as that. I can't see anythin' worth shavin' so soon, anyhow. It's barely peach fuzz you've got there. Not even that."

"Peach fuzz?" De Guarde huffed. "'s going to grow very soon, you'll see. I'll have it sooner un' Oxley even if he's older! Look closer. You migbhta not looked well couse me hair's light so.. these hairs get hidden better n' if it was as dark as... as um.. well if they was black or summat!" He leaned clodser for Thompson to get a better inspection of his chin.