Introduction Open A Fox Starts Again

[FinnianBrightfur]

The young todd had a remarkable sense of observation at times, noticing subtle details that others might miss. But usually, they were physical things -- a knot that wasn't tied right, a bandage that was about to come loose. Emotions and other subtleties more easily went over his head. He trotted along chipperly alongside Amnesty, looking up at her as she talked to him. Though he knew very little about her, he liked her already. She seemed a kind vixen, and took well to the teasing. He'd have asked her more about how she met Mr. Barrett, but the door to the captain's quarters stood before him.

The foxkit paused for a second, and studied her closely. Then, seizing her paw, he tugged her away from the door until they were out of earshot.

"Oooh. Okay. So... ...yer not a navy beast like me, so... ...so I gotta give you a quick lesson on... ...on... oh what's Mr. Barret call it... hang it, I can't remember! Manners. Navy manners." The foxkit grumped in frustration, and put a paw to his face. "It's not the right word, it's just... how ya gotta do stuff, ok?"

"...ok. So... he's the captain, and you gotta address him as 'Captain Stowett'. BUT! But you can't just... talk at him. You gotta ask permission to speak, first. It's very formal, see. And you gotta stand at attention until he gives you permission, ok? Like this..." Swinging his right paw out, the foxkit gave quite a sharp and propper salute. He'd obviously practiced the motion extensively, and even looked a year older as he stood there, stiff as a board.

"And like... ...he might ask you questions, and stuff... ...but it's... they're like. Questions yer not supposed to answer. Rh'torical. Ooooh THAAAT's it! Ettiquite! NO no. Rh'torical questions. You get it, right? An' when he says, 'At ease!' then you can ask him permission to speak." Finn looked over her face carefully to see if she believed him understood.

 

[Amnesty Greysoul]

If Amnesty was less in control of herself, she might have uttered a faint whine. If anybeast had just heard a quiet, high pitched sound, surely it was just the creak of the ship. And if her grey eyes widened with something like consternation and her ears tucked back momentarily against her skull, then she recovered almost as quickly with a sharp nod and a huff of breath to steel her resolve.

"Etiquette? Naval etiquette? Like this?"

She found herself standing straighter in a subconscious mirroring of Finny's own stance, footpaws closer together, spine lengthening in the closest approximation to formality that she could manage, right paw snapped into position at her brow. At least, it was snapped into a position, and as it was the first time she had ever even attempted a salute, it was better than it might have been, and recognizable at what it was meant to be.

The rest seemed even more arcane, full of ins and outs and special knowledge that she could only hope desperately would make more sense in the appropriate context. That, or she was about to make a phenomenal fool of herself. Her ears twitched backwards again and she forced herself to stop holding her breath.

"Well, I suppose the worst that happens is I make a fool of myself," she said, and managed a smile that looked queasier than she intended. "Shall we?" And she moved to return to the captain's door, knowing full well that the sooner is was started the sooner it was done with, for better or for worse.

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Finn could sense the anxiety. The grin on his face grew even wider, and his tail flagged behind him reassuringly. The mood had to be titrated carefully... too much stress all at once would be ruinous, but too little would break her focus, and the gig would be up! "Naaaawww, naaw you aren't gonna make a fool of yerself, don'worryaahboutit! Yer gonna do great!" he said encouragingly, while gently pushing her towards the door.

The moment had arrived. It was time to set things in motion. Finn rapped his knuckles on the door briskly, and called out. "CAAAP'N! A Miss Amnesty to see you, sir. Has a letter from Mr. Barrett!"

The foxkit's ears perked. A rustle from inside the cabin.

A glance to Amnesty, to build the tension. He swung his paw out in rigid salute, miming what was expected of her. Without a word, his eyes said, Quickly, Amnesty! Like we practiced!

Footsteps approaching! The captain was at the threshold! With the pressure at it's peak, Finn quickly tugged the letter from her paw, stood on his tiptoes, and gently pressed the envelope to be held in her teeth. "R'member, no talking until he says!" he hissed.

And just like that, Finn was gone.

 

[Amnesty Greysoul]

Amnesty had the fleeting thought that proper naval etiquette probably didn't involve your letter of recommendation being clenched between your teeth. But it was too late for that now. She stood straight. She saluted. She tried very, very hard not to drool on the envelope. And she waited for the Captain to open the door.

 

[Gyles Stowett]

The door, in no hurry to be opened, stayed shut.

No answer did the little entourage hear, save booted pawfalls on the floorboards within. The captain certainly was taking his time.

The door finally creaked begrudgingly open and there he was.

The captain was a striking sight - small, scruffy rattish villain, with a face as grizzled as scarred, weathered and well-bronzed in the heat of long summer days on the ocean wave.

"Well, now," said the seasoned rat around a pipe heavy laden with pressed tobacco, eyes a-squint in the new, more abundant light. The eyes twinkled as they passed over the letter in Amnesty's paws, but not before they briefly - ever-so-briefly - stopped at Young Finn's retreating form. He let free a thin stream of smoke past the pipestem and harumphed seriously. "Brought me a letter, did yer?"

 

[Amnesty Greysoul]

A moment of confusion. She could not have said why or how or when, but she had been quite sure the Hide's captain was a stoat. Standing now before a beast who was most definitely not a mustelid of any sort, she cast her mind back for anything that might have given rise to that impression. And came up empty.

Seeing as the captain had just asked her a question, it seemed possible that it was acceptable to respond. And in order to do that she would need to remove the letter from between her teeth. Thank Mar'kan; she didn't know how much longer she could keep the paper in readable condition in her mouth. She reached up and retrieved the envelope with her left paw, leaving her right to maintain the salute.

"Yes, Captain. Stowett!" The title felt stilted coming off her tongue, but Finny had been quite clear on the etiquette. "From Dr Barrett." And she extended the letter to the grizzled searat.

@Gyles Stowett

 

[Gyles Stowett]

The rat regarded the letter for another painfully long moment, then took it with a curt swipe of his paw. In a flash, he drew the trusty whittling knife from his belt sheath and slashed the envelope.

"At least ye know 'ow ter 'ddress yer betters. Last un didn' make it. Called me Matey, or Rizzack, or somethin'." He patted what girded his midriff with a distant smile. "Got me a good belt outter it, leastwise."

He unfolded the letter and allowed his eyes free roam across the page, evidently scouring it for any jot or tittle askance and murmuring to himself as he did. "Hmm, mm, aye. Aye. Ranifactions. Right... Despercantity. Aye...right - wait, no, no, that ain't right."

He looked up at Amnesty, then back down at the page.

"Somethin' ain't addin' up 'ere."

 

[Amnesty Greysoul]

Despite her best intentions, Amnesty's eyes fell to the belt in question. They didn't do that here, did they? Dr Barrett would have warned her if the Captain was truly such a brutal and terrifying beast, wouldn't he? She hadn't just made a horrible mistake... had she?

Her paw remained firmly attached to the side of her head in the sharpest salute she could manage. She waited as the rat read. Or as he-- though she was wise enough to avoid saying such a thing out loud-- tried to read. For while she had not read the letter of recommendation Arthur had written for her, she doubted it contained the words she now heard murmured by the beast in front of her. Mostly because she wasn't certain they were real words at all.

Which begged... several questions. None of which she particularly wanted to ask lest the captain decide he wanted to add a white fox belt to the one already around his waist.

She swallowed.

"Captain Stowett? Is there a problem, sir?"

 

[Gyles Stowett]

"Well. Ferstly..."

The rat's voice trailed off into the nippy Bully Harbour breeze. He fell silent, watching her, countenance beneath the beetled brows a particularly shaggy and indiscernible mask - basking, perhaps, in the prolonged discomfort, like some discordant spirit?

Then he spoke, even as his expression rearranged itself into a calm, friendly smile.

"...I cain't read."

He took a draw on the pipe.

"Lastly, Cap'n's on the quarterdeck, as like to be expectin' ye nowabouts. Up the stair-" He turned, motioned to the steep ladder by the rail leading up to the aft deck. "-to yer left, then another stair after that, bear right to the helm...big wheel. Can't miss it."

The kindly old rogue brought thumb and foreclaw to his forehead in a nautical salute.

"Hopes ye don't mind our jest, marm. A liddle welcome-aboard Young Finny an' meself saves fer only the best o' new beasts. They calls me Prizzack. Sailin' Master's two words too fancy fer wot I does, but it stuck, haharr. Wot's yer name?"

 

[Amnesty Greysoul]

A laugh escaped Amnesty's chest before she could do anything about it; and she wouldn't have stopped it even if she could have. It was a sound of barking mirth, threaded through with relief and disbelief and giddy good humor. 'Gates, but she must have been off her game. She should have known Finny wasn't done with her.

The vixen's muzzle split in a wide grin as she finally (finally!) brought her paw down from the prolonged salute. "A pleasure to meet you, Sailing Master Prizzack. I'm Amnesty, and honored by your tricks. If I'm accepted to the crew, I look forward to living up to them." Her glance fell to the letter in Prizzack's paw. "Should I bring my letter up to the Captain on the quarterdeck, or would it be best left on his desk?"