22 May, First dog Watch - later in the evening

"Sure, just you try sittin' like that for too long. There." And he was already onto better things, such as trying to figure which of the two twins is which and which thus is the more serious one. They were identical after all, most of the times one could avoid trouble with recognition just calling them a Shepherd, and now he would expect Oxley to solve it for him.

"We should round him.. or either of them up and have them come with us. We can't talk about anything of the sort in the marine's mess." He followed after Oxley, regaining some of the spring in his step. "Somebody would hear, who wasn't meant to and our surprise would be ruined!"

"Aye, they would for sure and we can't be havin' that. Not nohow!" He grinned. "You shouldn't sit like that all the time if it's goin' to give you all pins'n'needles."

Now he had to hope that one of the twins was down on the messdeck. He hoped they were - well, one of them - because he didn't feel like chasing all over Terpsy to try to find either of them. Although he knew where one of them was, anyway: on duty near the aft companionway.

"Ain't nobody goin' to hear about it who shouldn't, Buckles. Not yet, anyhow," he said and led the way down the companionway.

"How wonderfully smart we are." He nearly missed a step and had his arm grasp the rail on time just so that with few quicker steps he was below already and glad nothing worse had happened.

"Nearly there.. now let's see if we're in luck." He murmured as he made his final steps.

He was going to kill his brother. Andrew had gotten hold of Thomas' crossbelt and spilled something sticky and brown all over it. Then he'd left lying in a tangled mess in their shared sea-chest. As a result, there was a brown, sticky mess on Tom's best shirt as well as on his crossbelt.

Grimacing, he held out his crossbelt and studied it. It had taken nearly the entire watch to scrub off the last bits of that brown mess. Oh yes, he was definitely going to get Andrew back and good for this. It was a good thing that Andrew was on duty for that watch, though. That gave Tom time to come up with a suitable means of exacting vengeance.

He laid the crossbelt aside and got up from the sea-chest, an idea coming to him. Andrew had a spare pair of trousers in the very bottom of the chest. He'd not notice them missing for a day or two... Tom grinned and rolled the trousers up into a loose bundle. This would be good.

"C'mon, lazy!" Oxley said. He'd already reached the bottom of the companionway and was two steps into the Marines' mess area when he noticed one of the Shepherd kneeling by the sea-chest that the twins shared. "Hey, there!" he said, coming up to him. He glanced into the chest and then back up at de Guarde. "Here, Tom," he said, hoping like hell he'd got the right name. "You up for a laugh?"

A laugh? Tom glanced at the other drummer and felt his grin broaden. He certainly was! Maybe Oxley could help him 'dress up' Andrew's trousers.

"Sure am," he answered. " 'Cept I ain't Tom."

Which was a fib, of course, but both Shepherds found it endlessly funny to swap names and roles as it pleased them.

"All right, Sticks. Only... Well, don't think we'd best talk 'bout it here." He indicated de Guarde with his thumb, and lowered his voice. "He's got summat to show you, first off."

Oh, this was going to be great fun, especially with the Shepherd lads involved too. He reached for his drum, grinning already. "You'll like this, Sticks. Honest you will!"

De Guarde stood a bit to the side waiting for the two marine boys to finish with their talk and decide where they should be going. He felt a bit nervous. To make Oxley's efforts worth something he had to not make any mistakes, or atleast not many of them. Going through the names and rhythms he glanced up at the two boys. Sticks was coming with them. Alright! If Oxley agreed it was that other of the twins, he sure had to be.

"We could go .. in t' hold or.. someplace, I don't know. " He murmured.

De Guarde? Tom glanced at the Tar and wondered what the boy could have that was interesting enough to merit Oxley's mentioning it. He was about to find out, anyway!

"Lead on, fellows," he said cheerfully, tucking Andrew's trousers under his arm. He grinned at Oxley. "Only teasin', too. I'm really Tom!"

"...how does anyone tell you apart, Tom?" If that was Tom and not Andrew and if it was Andrew saying he was Tom, well he'll be damned if he wouldn't ask someone to pierce a few dark specks into one of the two boy's foreheads. A tattoo and a marking enough as to who was who, for good.

"We's going down there. " He decided to lead the way.

Tom... So he had been right in the first place. "It's more fun when you pull that on Sar'nt Quinn, or ol' Cross-Eyes," Oxley said. "You'll like this, you and Sticks both." He was used to the way they switched identities between themselves, and he was unfazed by Tom suddenly saying he was Tom, not Andrew.

He followed de Guarde, still grinning.

Tom grinned. "They doesn't," he replied. "Not 'less they're real lucky!"

Oxley's remark made him grin more. It was indeed loads more fun when the trick was played on Sergeant Quinn or Corporal Johnson, but it was always good practise to try it on their mates as well.

He followed the Tar toward the ladder and added, "So what's this grand venture of yers, then?"

"Ain't telling you. Jus' showing you." De Guarde grinned. "Tom... or Andrew.. whichever you are. Now.. sit." He motioned to an appropriate place, both now rather deserved and void of life but for the rats that squealed and infested most parts of any ship.

"Tom,.. um.. Oxley, there. I Would need those." He indicated to the sticks. ".. won't I?" He asked innocently.

"Yep," Oxley said, handing the sticks over. "You can do it on this, here," he said, pulling his crossbelt off and passing it over. "Lemme clip this on so's you can use the shell, like. It ain't no diff'rent from what you was doin' earlier, not really."

He stood back, grinning. "There you go."

What was this? Tom watched as Oxley handed his drumsticks and crossbelt to De Guarde. He leaned against a barrel and watched, his interest very much piqued.

Mathew tried to keep his arms as much out of the way as he could when Oxley went clipping the drum to the crossbelt he'd given just a moment before that. He hadn't thought he'd be let to try on that and tried to cover that grin that threatened to appear on his face. Once it was clipped and ready he had already adjusted the grip on Oxley's sticks the way the lad showed them to hold the things before.

He waited, looked up at the marine drummer, nodded and mumbled the name of the tap. "Daddy-mammy." He cleared his throat and added: "..drum-roll." Now he could do nothing but pray he'd do it right, relax so that his grip wouldn't break through the sticks - and make no good sound either, and do it.

With a slow breath he steadied himself and then when to tap the first of them on the shell of the drum, this time at the right pace from the start. It sounded a bit different to the rag, but not in a bad way.

He stopped for a moment then mumbled: "Beefy..em, Roast Beef." When the taps first stopped and then changed to play in the rhythm of that.

Oxley found himself leaning up against another barrel and folded his arms, grinning broadly. "He's good, ain't he, Tom? Reckon he's good enough to take over from us? With a red coat on an' all?"

He was very proud that the other boy had picked it up so quick, and found himself trying to see Tom Shepherd's expression in the gloom.

Well wasn't that something. Tom nodded slowly as he listened to De Guarde play. The lad was good, no question. And to let him try standing a watch as duty drummer? He grinned hugely. It would be so very worth trying.

"Have to get a coat that'll fit him," he said. "And a hat, too."

De Guarde stopped and looked at the two. He decided it would be Oxley's choice whether he needed to add anything more to what he'd done so far or if he was approved by the other Tom.

He smiled and slid both sticks into one hand, gazing at the Shepherd. As if looking for a signal as to what to do next he then turned to look at Oxley. "Wos' a'right?"

"Aye, that was all right," Oxley said. "You slips them into your crossbelt, like so." He went to indicate how Tom Shepherd had his and then realised the other drummer wasn't wearing a crossbelt. "Well, like this," he said and showed him how to put the sticks away. "Aye, hat an' jacket and stock... Think Foley said you two might have a jacket 'tween you," he said, turning to Shepherd. "Though we was only battin' it around as a rough sort of idea. Just' thinkin' about it, you know. Reckon we could do it proper, though. Mebbe even have him on p'rade with us, what d'you think?"

"That was fine." Tom nodded again. He looked at Oxley when the other drummer spoke and what he heard caused him to think for a moment. Cartwright's steward had said that, had he? Well. Foley was more right than he knew.

"I think we oughta be able t'knock summat together," he said thoughtfully. "Or Foley can fix an old coat from one of the lads to fit, if we helps him with his other chores." He grinned again. "Be all sorta perfect if he was on parade with us, too!"

"I'm all for a worn stock of course." De Guarde piped in innocently, glancing at Oxley. He'd suggested a bright new stock, not worn or broken in. Ofcourse he could joke and suggest the other, see what Andrew, no.. Tom Shepherd would think.

"Um' if you two are thinkin' of parade, you better fill me in on any.. details i might need ter know, that are strictly marine's. jus' sayin' I dun' really know as much as you two." And he was quiet again, listening to the pair of lads curiously.

"It'd make Cross-Eyes think he was cross-eyed," Oxley said grinning. "You think Andrew'll be up for it, too? An', well, the drill ain't so hard, neither. At least, not what you'd need to know for a p'rade. An' I'm sure someone's got an old coat... though wouldn't it be funnier if we was the only ones who knew 'bout it? Us and Foley, I mean."

Though it might work if some of the others knew about it - and between the three of them, and Foley, Oxley was pretty sure they could scrounge enough kit together to make de Guarde presentable for a parade or a watch on drumming duty. Though that would have to be a time when he wasn't expected to be on watch himself, of course.

"Foley'll help, 'specially if he arready knows 'bout it. Mebbe I'll ask Ware 'bout a hat. I think he got Green's hat at auction. He's decent at sewin', too."

It wasn't wise to let too many lads know about their plan, though. Some of them couldn't keep a secret worth anything. He and Andrew had both learned that much through hard experience. Tom bit his lip then added, "Andrew'll love it. Ya know how he is about pranks an' all!"

"A'right." He nodded and decided the two boys were best to be the ones planning. They knew where they could get things, being marines. They knew who of them to contact, and whom to keep in the dark about what was going to transpire. There had to be as few people knowing about it as possible, till the final thing happened. And he'd have to tap away and get used to the weigh of the drum as he was doing now. It wasn't that heavy, though heavier of course than wearing nothing.

"this'un is mad it is." He grinned. "Don't know what t' Tars will think neither.." And then he nodded and added. "I'll be sure ter have me watches told to you, a'right? So we know t' proper times."