24th May, Morning - Deck

"Yes, you did, but you messed it up right next! Now yer have ter make it all proper, like you should , fer punishment!" He laughed and then began to squirm as the finger wiggled against his side. He was ticklish and he could not help but react to the finger the moment it began to wiggle. "Ah, no, ain't fair!" He exclaimed, keeping his voice only down enough that he would not draw too much attention to them.

"N'..well, not with others nuh..!" He grinned and used the moment of the blink and startlment to attack anew, trying to topple the marine backwards so that he could have somewhat of an upper hand, pinning him down that way. He might not have been heavy but he didn't want that to stop him. The tickling well of could and make him laugh all through it." Ey! That'un is cheatin'!"

"Not fair? I never heard anyone say life was fair, lad," he said, keeping the tickling up. "Ain't cheatin', neither, it ain't." He relented though, and sat back, grinning. "Already done it once, not half a bell ago, didn't I?" he said, prepared for whatever the lad might do next.

"So? You've also messed up my hair.. not even a quarter o' a bell ago!" He answered with a grin though he wondered a moment how much time that would be, in landlubber's time anyway. Then without warning he leaped at the marine again, giving him a battle cry that not even the locals of some tribe would be ashamed of. " A'ha! I'll get you now! 've got you! I do!" His own hands had lashed out to grab Thompson's. If there was one thing, he wished not to allow them to come to his sides again.

"Hey - hey! Watch it!" Thompson said, losing his balance and falling backwards. "I'll turn you over me knee, I will! An' I didn't mess it up that much, neither!"

"No you ain't!" The boy gave a triumphant cry and tried to pin Thompson down, so that he could have his revenge on the poor man. He wondered if he was as ticklish as he had been. Well, no better way to find out, than if he were to try. And he did, seating himself nicely on Thompson's belly to keep him pinned down. "Y' said life ain't fair. Here ye'll be given' ye medicine back! Here you go! N'joy it like as much you can!" And he thrust his hands to the marine's sides. What a joyous mood he had gotten into, and he acted as much a young one as he once acted an old, somber lad. He was laughing and looking merry and no longer worrying and hopefully nobody would be disturbed either.

"You... Hey! stop that! You... young limb you!" He was ticklish, and was squirming to get away. "That's a nice way to repay me, that is," he managed to say, trying not to laugh too much. "Let me up now, do, 'fore we get in trouble."

"A'right, but only if you swear you'll do me hair again, so that it ain't even a bit messy! Then i will!" He grinned and gazed down at the marine, not letting up much on the tickling of him. He looked about them briefly then quickly back at the marine not to miss any attempt of escape from the man.

"If you stop that... I will... All right, all right... Stop it!" He was trying not to laugh too loudly, in case anyone came over to see what all the noise was about. "Lemme up, then!"

De Guarde slipped off the marine and sat on the ground beside him, trying to silence his own chuckles and laughs that kept on threatening to burst out. "Good, here ye go. All safe now." He said softly and grinned. "Need me t' help you up or can you do it yeself?" He asked glancing over his shoulder at the marine. "I know yer weakness now." He said with another soft chuckle, but quieter now. "Yer 'ticklish. N' awfully so!"

"So're you," the Marine countered, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "I can get up, don't you worry yourself about that." He pushed himself up to a sitting position again. "Seems you'm just as ticklish, though, Mathew," he said. "C'mon, lemm sort your hair out ag'in, though it hardly needs doin'. Where's that comb of yourn gone?"

"'ere it is." THe lad smiled and held up his comb, while having himself then seated up and comfortably infront of the marine again. He was in range, so that his hair could be fixed - as he believed was the need - and so neither he nor Thompson would strain while doing it or having it done.

"Hmph, don't you go telling anyone." Even if he doubted people would dare attempt something of the sort, it was a little secret that he didn't want exploited.

"Y'know, if it's done prop'ly, it ain't goin' to come loose without some real work. An' if you say I ain't done it prop'ly, I'll... I'll scrag you!" He was grinning as he spoke, though, and unfastened it. "I ain't goin' to do it so tight as we have ourn, see. 'Cause they pull like anythin' when they do it for p'rade, an' it's real uncomfortable havin' it pulled thataway, even if you'm used to it, 'cause it has to be real tight."

He started combing it out again. "You just like havin' your hair played with, don't you?"

"You only have yer hair as tight when you have t' parade?" He asked curiously as he shifted himself a mite to feel as comfortable as he was able, seated infront of the marine. He made sure that he needn't lean one way or the other, and rested his hands on his knees, slouching his back a little.

He closed his eyes, though a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth at Thompson's next question. " Well.. might be yer right in that. ..but.. can't help it if it feels nice... n' i've a chance fer it now, who knows when will I have t' next opportunity fer a proper comb down.. and not just some hasty, tug n' pull sort of treatment which would hurt more than it would mean to do good!"

"No. Well, yes. Sort of. We usu'lly have it retied on Saturday, ready for Divisions on Sunday, but if it's done real good, it don't need completely redoin' for ages, just the spiders' legs slickin' down with a bit of candle grease an' mebbe gettin' the ends of the ribbon tucked in again."

He sat up and started plaiting it again. "I'm goin' to do it tight, though not so tight as we have it. You want to be able to blink, after all, don't you?"

"I never seen a marine unable to blink jus' couse their hair was done right.. but sure, I'd like t'. T' rest I want done properly like though." He smiled deciding that having his hair messed, just to have it done again, wasn't such a bad idea. Of course Thompson just may tell him to stuff it, if he'd tempt his luck and try his kindness.

"You ever 'fraid that... since you grease yer hair with candle.. your hair won't be set aflame when you fire your muskets. Couse I think it sure could happen!"

"You ain't bin in the Marines' barracks when there's a bunch of new recruits come in, then," Thompson returned, smiling. "Here, I think I'm done now. You'd best try to behave yourself so's I don't have to do it all over again. We'll get awful sick an' tired of doin' nothin' but sittin' here with me sortin' your hair all the time." He shifted so he could sit back against the ship's side. "There. I'm done for now. I think."

"Thank you. George." He took the comb and slipped back to sit to Thompson's left rather than infront of him. "We'll be both needed soon. T' start of t' day... t' work. T' preparations, the cleaning. We'll have to make sure the hold below's cleaned thoroughly again. Did it before but now that we're sure not to store no horses down there, the thing will have ter be disassembled. Washed n' scrubbed. It will be a hell'o'work. N' it has all to be done if there's any allowed leave. I mus' see if I've got any clothes clean n' nice for t' leave too. I hope I do."

He frowned at the thought. "Something... fit for a .. Tar ter look fine." He added. "Oh, did I ask you wot' would you like from... land if I can go buy anything of use? You was there... of course, but I dun' think you bought anything, did you? 'cept much drink. My.. I am too scatterbrained." He hung his head.

Thompson stretched. His shoulders were a bit stiff, but he didn't think it had anything to do with sitting here talking to the younger lad. "Don't think I need anythin' from ashore, Mathew, lad. Thanks for askin', though. I mean, I got clothes to wear an' food to eat. What else do I need? You save your money - you don't get so much pay as an Able as you did as a middy. Though you don't need to spend so much, neither, I don't s'pose, not havin' to buy all books an' papers an' everythin' else like that."

He shrugged and pulled one leg up, clasping his hands around his knee. "No, you save your money for summat you really want. That's the best way of things, so far as I see it."

"I need to buy the paper, even if I ain't no middie. Doesn't mean I shouldn't educate m'self , or write. Don't want to end up forgettin' what I've had such a pain learning as a young'un." He scowled.

"I'll save on not buyin' drink today anyway. That's wot' my condition was. Behave, don't get drunk, n 'you can go this time and some other. But do summat wrong.. and you'll be fergettin' what land feels like ferever!" He made a dramatic pose, his voice and expression trying to comically mimic something, but were so quiet as he wished not to be found ridiculing anyone.

"Not 'zactly the words, but there you have it. If..'un you change your mind, I can still fetch it. Maybe some of that soft bread or summat." He shrugged. " I'll need ter buy more paper though I've got some now with what letters I found when we was on land fighting. Need to practice my reading on those... oh, and well more paper and ink, couse they had no ink on them!"

"Once you know summat, it ain't so easy to forget it as all that, 'specially if it's summat you learned as a kid that you used a lot." He slipped his hand into his pocket, raising his eyebrow to make sure de Guarde knew what he meant by the motion. "Like somethin' I learned, see," he said, as if de Guarde didn't realise what he meant.

"An' you apply yourself an' stay out of trouble, like you was told, an' you'll be back in that smart blue coat an' orderin' me around like you never was afore the mast, an' that afore you know it, too." He was still smiling, the good humour hopefully taking any sting out of the words.

"I'll ask you to learn me that sometime. Might never need to know it. Well certainly ain't need to but, maybe some day it could well save me life." He looked innocent and patted the pocket. "...Would you?" He looked more serious at the request. He was certainly eager to learn many things. Not usually the things that would be good for him, that were a part of the general education, but perhaps something one did not need or was not forced to learn, was much more fun to, than something that was obligatory.

"I ain't going to ever get caught drinking, n'.. I'll do good and behave this evening. That I swear and promise. I don't want to give 'im a reason to have me stuck in these slops. Mind, these ones are French, so it's not 'zactly a Tar related sort, but still!" He laughed. "But I want my smart blue coat before it grows too small for me! Think it would fit me right now?" He was happy to discuss the possibility of wearing that coat again, strangely it didn't sting as much to be reminded he was not wearing it now.

"Oh, order you around? Will Sergeant Quinn ever let me that? Or that Corporal? What if they protest!"

"Your folks are gioin' to think the worst of the Navy - aye, an' the Marines too - when you go back home, talkin' the way we do an' wearing your hair in a queue an' wantin' to learn all sorts of things like that," the Marine returned. "Reckon that if you'm real careful an' dutiful an' learn all the thing you'm s'posed to, you'll end up bein' a 'Tenant, an' who knows what'll happen then. Don't think I ever heard of any officer knowin' how to do this here, neither." He shook his head, grinning. "Though I ain't got no chance of sayin' no an' you leavin' it at that, have I?"

"Oh, i'll try my best to talk all proper like when I get home. They'd be horrified if I spoke like this or if they knew half t' things that happen 'ere in t' navy. But ain't like it's my fault I got to see, try n' experience all that. " He grinned and touched his queue at the mention of it.

"N' no, yer ain't got no chance saying no!" He laughed softly. "Well..'least thinking I won't try pester ye about it again and again and again till ye give in! So..." He looked pleadingly up at the marine. "Would you? I dun' care if I'um t' only lieutenant ever ter know how ter do it... I'd really like to know! N'.." He hesitated and shrugged. " No matter wot' I become n' am one day..I'll not be satisfied jus' knowing wot' the books tell me n' wot me superiors teach me.. You said I need ter listen n' learn from t' Tars. See and know first hand wot' their skills are, and what all t' knots can be made to use fer and all..." And he was off with his mouth again and found himself blushing embarrassed. It wasn't gentlemanly to run of with one's mouth like that.

"Wot' I want to say is.... I want t' learn things.. because I can learn 'em.. because t' people I ask know them. Not because t' books tell me I should." And then softly. "Sorry fer... fer talkin' so much!"

"You's a chatty sort, an' that's no mistake. It's nice, though, to sit an' have a chat with someone. Leastways, I think it is. Though you do aske some strange questions, times. Don't mean I don't like hearin' 'em. An' if you don't know somethin', it's better to ask than not, ain't it? Only way to learn, after all, askin' questions." He smiled. "Dunno that it'll be a good idea teachin' you to go divin' like that, though. I don't want you gettin' in trouble for it, see."

"You know.. when a bird tastes it's first taste o' freedom.. it will go n' fly more than any other. It will take to wind, it will ride it n'...I guess, me havin' you ..who listens, maybe it's t' same way." He smiled, relieved though. Thompson didn't mind. He didn't even mind the strange questions. He had the patience to which many could only aspire to reach.

"Look, I promise that I won't tell anyone n' that I won't do it 'ere on Terpsy ter any of Terpsies." He looked more serious at that. "I swear on me honour, that I won't. A gentleman's word. .. I'll not do it, jus' want ter know how to. N' only practice on you, when you'd let me. A'right? So you know, n' nobody else will see!"