The Morning After - day

The door to the cabin opened and closed and Emily started awake, her green eyes blinked sleepily from her place on the cot. She was surprised to see that it was the boy who had tried to take her rat the other day, and looked at him warily. He still smelled funny, and she wondered what he was doing in her cabin.

"Hey, Miss." He hadn't expected to see the feline upon arrival but it made him feel slightly more at ease to have the lady cat here. He glanced back and then murmured quite gently:"..Come here. I don't mean no harm." No, he didn't. Not to the cat atleast, as much as he was bullying those men, Emily was quite a different story.

What? The boy was beckoning to her, but she was not willing to leave the comfort of her cot. She did not have any rat for him to steal this time, and she was curious as to what he wanted.

She sat up n the cot, stretched, making it swing a little, then sat back up again and sniffed at his fingers.

He held his hand to the feline wanting to show her that he meant no harm at all. And he waited patiently, calmed by the animal, for the lieutenant to arrive. Once he was convinced that Emily would not feel as threatened he moved his hand very slowly and carefully to the top of her head. Still he was ready to move his arm back, should she show signs of stress. But if not, a light scratch behind the ears, would've been what the kitty would get. And a soft:"..There.. see."

Well, this was not so bad. She accepted the scritch, moving her head to lean into the touch, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation. She could put up with this for now...

He relaxed, smiling. A gentle scritch behind her ears moved slowly down the back of her neck and then a long line across her shoulders and back. He was observant of the lady, wishing not to have her angered, or scared by any motion, but to show her a good enjoyable pet. Something that she would like him for, and note be wary of. "See.. 's not that bad, eh?" He whispered to her, completely immersed in the cat, and forgetting that he was in the lieutenant's cabin and that the owner could come at any moment.

"I'll get you something next time."He murmured to Emily:"..'have ter' find time to get it first. But you'll see."He nodded lightly.

Emily arched her back under De Guarde's caress, purring now and bumping her head against his hand in encouragement. This was certainly pleasant - clearlythe boy ws not a bad sort, for all he smelled strange.

She was a truly lovely lady, and it brought a smile to Mathew's face as he saw her encourage the petting. Not to leave himself in debt to her, he contined and did better with the scritching, and caressing down her soft furred coat. Though he was convinced before that he would fancy finding something for the ship's cat, it was with this interaction that completely certain. He liked the cabin too, 'twas darker than outside, and there was no source of discomfort in the shape of sharp light. The sounds were not as muffled, but perhaps still more than if he were standing right beside the men making them.

Leat came down the companionway and went along the deck to his cabin, opening the door quietly as was his habit to do.

He was somewhat surprised to see De Guarde fully absorbed in stroking Emily, who as per usual was on his cot, and seemed to be immensely enjoying herself, little tart that she was. A small smiled quirked at the corners of his mouth.

"I see you have met Miss Emily, then," he said flatly, as he entered the cabin and shut thedoor behind him, removing his hat.

Mathew sprung to attention, his hand jerking guiltily from the cat. He felt almost as if he was caught in the act of something most dreadful. He turned around and faced Leat, worried now for his tone was no longer as pleasant. "..A..aye sir."He stammered gathering his bearings. It took a moment more before he saluted the lieutenant and then finally stood still. He was facing Leat now, as was proper, his eyes questioning as to why he was summoned here. He looked less pleasant now, the boy. His expression hardened, and his eyes carried less of the wamrth he showed just a little moment ago.

His head pounded something awfull with the sharp twist that he made around to face Leat, and he had to close and open his eyes a couple of times before all was set back into place. "Sir.. you requested me..." The question was there, though it went unvoiced.

"Yes, I did."

The change in De Guarde's expression had not escaped him, and he wondered whether the boy had really seen how unpleasant it made him look. He deposited his hat on the cot next to Emily, giving her an automatic brief scratch, and sat down at his small desk, turning the chair to face De Guarde.

"What is it you want, Mister De Guarde?"

"Sir?" What was Leat asking. He did not understand, it wasn't he who wanted to come to the lieutenant's cabin with a question or a problem. It was the lieutenant who had requested his presence here. He looked confused, but answered:"..Sir...I'm not sure I understand what you ask of me."

He hesitated and straightened out some more. His muscles would probably have hissed in the process if they could hiss at all:"...You've asked for me, so I came, sir."

Well, perhaps he should have expected that answer.

"Perhaps I should rephrase that. What is it, Mister De Guarde, that you wish to achieve aboard this ship? Answer me that."

"Sir?.." Was it a tricky question? Did Leat wish to find fault in him somehow. He looked nervously to Emily, as if the cat could offer him some aid, some proper answer sheet to which he could look when asked.

"..I ... want to.. become a lieutenant someday and then..in time, have a ship of m' own.. of course." Was that the right answer? Did he just dig himself a hole by giving it? But how could an answer such as his do him any bad? But leat could twist his words around, couldn't he. As a superior officer he was entitled to, was easy to.

"And how do you plan to achieve this? How do you plan to spend your time between now and gaining enough sea-time to take your examination?"

If De Guarde was the sort of boy he thought he was he reckoned he already knew what the boy's next answer would be...

"I will do what's necessary..." He answered simply: "... I will learn what there is to learn." He shrugged his shoulders lightly. Well perhaps Leat did not mean to catch him on a wrong word after all. Perhaps he was just concerned about his future and willing to guide him through till he was fully ready to take the test?

"..And I will continue with my role as a midshipman, making sure that the ship is run smoothly with what authority I do have, and that those who lack the proper discipline shall be punished.. till they know to act better." He looked at Leat, wondering if his answer had been satisfactory. Was it not obvious. He would do, what he did so far, and he would learn more till he was able to take the examination. The one that he had heard much about and he had mocked a middie, he loathed before, about failing again. Ofcourse, not without consequences. But that did not matter, really.

"Sir."

He'd thought as much. Leat leaned back in his chair slightly, fixing his gaze on firmly De Guarde.

"It troubles me somewhat that thoughts of punishment featured so prominently in stating your wishes."

"S..sir?" He was convinced he did quite well! Well omitting perhaps the time that he had gotten drunk at the captain's dinner and when he was thrown over board. But to the later, it was not his fault! Surely Leat was not hinting that he should be blamed for that too?

"..Sir.. "He began, visibly discontent at the doubt that was placed on him."...I have only been unlucky! It is not my fault that the sailors were not properly learnt in the consequences that befall them if they dare cause harm to a midshipman or an officer at any time! If they had..."but at these words he turned quiet, horror in his eyes. He did not mean to speak ill of the present captain's discipline, he did not mean to say that the captain had done wrong and poorly in training his crew to know right from wrong. So angered he was to be told he was not doing well, that he had not considered what he was saying till it was too late.

".. sir, I mean....I mean....It's not..."He felt sick. "...They..., it's..." He panicked, and were he not feeling like a man who'd just been yanked from under the ship, perhaps he would've known to mind his tongue.

The lieutenant let the midshipman talk himself to a halt, and then let the silence hold for a while.

"And what, may I ask, do you believe prompted any of the men to 'cause harm' to you, as you claim?"

He looked fearfully at Leat. Could he really tell him, or was the lieutenant just slowly closing some little trap he had made for him? He loked nervous, and shifted his weight, fidgeted and looked away. He wanted out, out of the cabin and away from the lieutenant, and that all, now!

"S..sir.. the discipline.. t..they don't fear it."He steeled his voice but it seemed to still shake here and there:"..They h.. haven't been taught to know... and.. and....."He lowered his gaze:"...they are just.. common men, without... without an iron fist... they .."He bit his lip:"..it's.. natural that they would try....But.. b-but.. if you had punished them severly.. t..they would think twice before considering harm..to an officer." Silence returned, the boy tangled up in his thoughts and his words, struggling to follow Leat.

"I find that hard to believe," Leat said evenly. "Seeming as that I have been on this ship for several months now and have never once feared that I may wake to find myself being manhandled overboard."

[OOC: Off to take a bath. Back in half an hour.]

(Curse it.. wrong button! x.X)

He stared stubbornly at the floor:"...You are a lieutenant, sir. ..It is easier for them to come to us, than it is to you.."

"And.. I am new here....."He added." They know you and the other officers know each other, and that you trust your middies, as they know that you will believe them when they come with a complaint. ..They'll know the man by his step...and more so by his face. ..But I don't know anyone here. I wouldn't remember the faces nor their names. It makes myself an easy target...."he felt hurt. By the lieutenants words he felt, that he was accused of being at fault. Of being the one who did not know how things were to be done, the one incapable, the one near asking to be thrown over board. Useless. An embarrassement to the navy. His bitterness only increased those speculations, which Lt. Leat may not have even thought about.

He wanted to leave that very instant, get out and away from the lieutenant. His shoulders shook, but his eyes kept staring as stubbornly at the ground. If the lieutenant wanted to give him a task, he so should've already. If he wanted to punish him, then say it already, but this was hurtful and uncalled for. It wasn't his fault and ever to indicate that he invited the sailors to harm him was... it was unthinkable!

He saw the tremour in the boy's shoulders, but whether that was from anger or upset he could not tell.

"Captain Bolitho," he said, softening his tone a little. "Has so far been able to run this ship without dealing out excessive punishment - and that includes keeping all of his young gentlemen's feet dry. Things were done differently on your last ship, but this is Captain Bolitho's ship, and here things are to be done his way. Which would you rather; that a man obeys your order because he respects the officer giving the order and is happy to do so, or because he fears the whip of the bosun?"

"Respect can be easily lost without your own doing, but with the help of twisted minds of them men...so I'd rather they suffer the cat and fear it.. for that is something that they cannot forget."He answered stiffly biting his lip.

He did not comment on the mention of the captain, for he was no fool now to speak directly of his practice as one at fault. He could voice his opinion on what would be right for him, but not whether the captain was doing it right or wrong. Not again this time.

He was clearly not getting anywhere with the boy. Would it be that he was already a lost cause? The lieutenant tried a different tack.

"Just now, when you ordered Chase to clean out the heads, what did he do to bring you to that decision?"