When she's ten feet tall.

Alice told me her big secret. She's my cousin.

Damn her. I was totally grooving on her. I could've hung with her pretty much forever. But no.

She has to be family. I can't date family! They're all intrigue-y and stuff. And, besides, the women in this family are not to be trusted.

I still like her, ya know... friends... I just can't bring myself to pork her anymore, which kinda rules out dating. Not entirely, mind, but there'd be no point to it.

And there's no one I feel I can talk to about this.

Dante: Dinner Gloss

The children found their seats again, with Wolf on the floor, as dinner was served from silent carts teeming with silver domed dishes. It was more than even the most stout of boys could have eaten... A soup to start that tasted of cheese and something fishy... A light chicken salad... Then some slab of creature that only existed in handful of shadows, but that was as dangerous as it was delicious... Mounds of vegetables and potatoes... With little bowls of sorbet between to cleanse the palatte.

Talk was light, and, the older children could tell, stilted. Their Aunts and Uncles seemed almost relieved when it was announced by a steward that the adult dessert, with thick, sweet apertifs, would be served on the balcony, while the children's would be searved indoors.

[Feel free to start threads, or respond to this one. Don't worry about timing.]

For some reason, Lillith had several whispered converences with Crispin during dinner and despite what anyone may have heard to the contrary, she seemed a charming dinner companion.

But she looked as relieved as their Elders that dessert was going to be seperate.

Lillith watched the Elders depart then nudged Crispin. "What would happen if we snuck off?"

Alexius blushed, as his ears picked up what Lilith said to Crispin. He then turned to look at Keenan. "Royalty and Nobility generally doesn't work that way, Keenan, even if some who have noble blood act like..." Alexius smiles. "asses. And some who have not a drop act more proper than any nobility."

Cori ignored her brother and Lillith. She would not cover for him if he snuck off with Lillith, would not!

To Keenan and Alexius, she said, "Our blood does make a difference, though. If we weren't who we are, and our parents weren't who they are, we wouldn't be able to walk the Pattern when we get old enough. If your Annie tried to walk the Pattern, she'd die, and nobody wants that. And it's the Pattern that lets us take up duties like our parents have, and that's why we have special privileges, because we have special duties."

And she smiled, a little bitterly, as if she were aware of the irony of Bleys' daughter saying such a thing to Gerard's son.

Crispin glanced over at the adults, who were smoking and drinking on the balcony, then at the tight cluster of children. He leaned in even closer to the center, his voice low so that it only carried to them.

"Guess where we went today?" he said, glancing at Lillith, but speaking to everyone.

Cori paled slightly and buried her face in her hands, unwilling to look at either Alexius or Harri.

Lillith perked up and leaned closer in. "Where?" she whispered.

Alexius looked relieved when Crispin's point was lost with the arrival of Seramina and her question. He turned to look at her. "A friend of Keenan's, Seramina." Alexius said gently. "Keenan can tell you and us much more about her than I or anyone else."

Alexius looked at the blushing Cori. "But your point about blood and the specialness of same is true, Cori, but I was speaking of more general nobles, rather than the royal family. Admittedly, we are heirs to something bigger and larger, with the duties falling on that. We all are special in that way."

Dulcifera sat down near Crispin and Lillith, wanting to hear about Crispin's latest adventure.

[I'll split off Kee's conversation tonight]

Crispin's smile widened, as he remained purposefully oblivious of his sister. "Uncle Brand's mansion. We went inside

Crispin reached beneath his seat, pulling out his back and opening it quietly. He drew out a tome, red leathered and gold trimmed, dusted with age. "And here's the proof. One of his journal--"

As it came out, something fell from the pages... A thinner tome, barely a book. It was more a handful of pages stapled together and bent to be a very slim volume. Crispin frowned as he put the book away and picked it up.

"Funny... didn't see this..." He opened it, and the frown deepened. "It's not Brand's script."

Cori rose from her chair and turned to Alexius, the nominal representative of her host. Apparently all the lessons that Flora had pounded into her through the years had taken at last, for she said only, formally as her aunt might please, "If Your Highness will excuse me, I need to powder my nose."

Two high spots of color had appeared, one on each of Cori's cheeks, and she was blinking, but she waited for Alexius' response without saying anything.

"What is it?" Lillith breathed as she leaned over to see what Crispin had found now.

Harri had been sitting quietly on her chair, watching events wide-eyed. She's also been watching Wolf to make sure he was happy with the boy and girl who were talking at his side. Of course, if Wolf had been unhappy, he would probably have made his way to her side ... but still.

When Corisande spoke, Harri rose to her feet. "Me too!" she announced.

Harri might have been growing up in a primitive Shadow, but some things are universal. Girlfriends don't go and powder their noses alone ...

Besides, she was dying to ask Cori some questions ...

Wolf looked up from where he lounged, surrounded by Little Ones. His whuf was most definitely a query, and he started to stand, watching Cub for her response.

Harri made a small gesture to Wolf - which he could interpret as "Be easy. I will move with our friend, who hurts inside. Make friends here."

One didn't, Harri felt, say "Stay" to Wolf.

Wolf looked uneasily at Cub, letting her go off alone in this strange place of uncomfortable scents. But he settled down again slowly, knowing that a Wolf really shouldn't follow Cub if she didn't want it.

Alexius grinned, realizing that he was the unofficial representative of his father and the other adults when it came to such logistics.

"The ladies may be excused." Alexius said formally, without a trace of irony. He bobbed his head in the direction of Corisande and Angharad and smiled.

Crispin gave his sister a quick, worried look, but quickly wiped it away as he handed the book over to Lillith. "Look familiar?"

Indeed, it didn't... It was too messy to be Benedict's. Seramina didn't know it either. Then the book landed in Alexius's lap.

The letters were scratchy, in a careless print. There were no names mentioned, nothing to show who's log it was, but Alexius knew the script anyway. It was Martin's.

"Thank you," Cori replied, and, ignoring her brother, left the hall, Harri in tow.

"What is it? What is it?" Dulce craned her neck out to see.

"What does it say?" Lillith asked, leaning closer over. "Whose is it?"

"Martin's, I expect." Alexius said dryly, looking at Crispin and fingering the book. He pointedly did not open it. "Where did you get it, Crispin?" he asked, looking at Bleys son.

Alexius continued to run his finger along the spine. "As you've gotten older, you've only gotten more kleptomanic, cousin." Alexius added, with a trace of a smile.

Crispin's eyes widened. "It was in the book! I hadn't had a chance to look through it-- Come on, Lex, if I'd been nicking your brother's stuff, I'd be smart enough not to show it to you."

Crispin frowned. "What does it say?"

"Where'd Brand get it?" Lillith wondered.

Dulce watched with greatest interest, but didn't say anything.

Alexius grimaced and paused a few moments in indecision. Finally, he opened it up, looking for a page that seemed to be particularly well-read or dog-eared.

"You'd think you my cousins were jackals." Alexius teased with a grin, looking at the contents of the selected page.

Quote: Stumbled upon another sunset shadow... Really great place. Quiet. No people. Warm and dry. Found myself a little shack and holed up for a few days.

Silence at night is... complete. Utter. All-encompassing. So is the dark, outside my fire.

Wish you were here.

Crispin leaned over, involved in the dubious task of reading the journal upside down.

Alexius read a little further and then closed the book, feeling guilty.

"I think I know why Brand has it, even if not the how of it." Alexius explained. "Brand had to go through a lot of work to trump Martin, whom he had never met, to do his evil business during the War." Alexius said. "I bet that Brand used this to try and get a sense of who and what my brother was, so that he could make that trump."

Cori, listening from her vantage point, very carefully did not roll her eyes at Alexius' comment.

At the jackal comment, a storm passed across Lillith's eyes, followed by a scowl and an opinion she kept to herself. She sat back, looking a tad annoyed at not being able to read the book, then she turned to Crispin.

"Let's see the other one."

Cori finally spoke up. "No," she said, "I don't think so. Maybe later."

She gave Crispin a look that said, we'll talk about this later, and Crispin could tell from her expression that crossing her would have Serious Consequences.

"Later" Alexius said firmly. He then looked at Lilith. "No offense intended, cousin." he said, realizing just what he said and why it would irk her thusly.

His fingers drummed on the top of Martin's book.

Lillith's brow furrowed faintly and she drained the glass in front of her. By the time she set it down, she was looking decidely bored and restless.

She glanced over her shoulder towards the balcony, looked thoughtful, and turned back around, drawing complicated patterns on the tablecloth with her fingernail.

The dark haired girl looked at Dulce. "I dunno. I think class was more entertaining. At least we were doing something. Are these things always like this?"

Dulce's expression was peeved and disappointed as her older cousins seemed unforthcoming about the books.

She answered Lillith. "Well, as I told you, when the whole court is here for dinner, you can always see what everybody is wearing. There are the guys who practice in the training yards, all dressed up. And there's dancing. But that is not tonight."

She cast a meaningful look at Crispin and at the journal and back up at Crispin questioningly, and then threw a cautious glance over to Corisande to see if she was watching.

Lillith rolled her eyes.

With the napkin from her lap, she tied a knot in one end and proceeded to make it dance and twirl about the table, directing it with her finger as it swooped and swirled and bonked Crispin on the noggin before moving on.

"These things have been known to be worse, Lillith" Alexius said to her, looking at the three female cousins. "It could be definitely be very worse than this."

"And seeing what everyone is wearing is no salve when you are bored to tears by Golden Circle diplomats with no conversational skills. Unless." Alexius added. "you want to hear endless arguments against sugar cane import tariffs."

Cori was paying a little attention to everything in the room. Dulce saw her frown as Lillith popped her brother on the head with the napkin.

[OOC: Crossing the streams with the other thread]

"If we do go hunting, Dulce, do you want to come with us?"

Crispin shoved his book away, then looked at Martin's book expectantly.

"Are you keeping it?" he asked at his most innocent. "Or is your brother going to be in town again soon?"

Lillith's napkin pirouetted in midair and spun to a slow curstey before she got bored with it and let it lay.

Her attenion wandered again and she slipped quietly out of her chair and headed for the door leading outside to the gardens.

"I'm keeping it. I can get it to him." Alexius said firmly. "He won't question it if it comes from me." He then regarded Crispin.

"You really don't want Martin to find out you ever took it. He's usually placid on the surface, but taking his possessions can end that placidity." Alexius added.

"That would be very nice of you. Thank you, Alexius," Cori said, cutting any protest her brother intended to make off.

"I didn't take it!" said Crispin one last time before settling back into his chair with a 'hmph.' He glowered at nothing in particular.

"That doesn't matter," Cori reminded him. "It just matters whether you get caught with it. Lex is doing you a favor, keeping you out of trouble, and I appreciate it even if you don't."

She decided to wait for later to remind him that it would be a very bad thing if somebody had to explain to Martin exactly how they'd gotten hold of it in the first place.

Alexius nodded and smiled to Cori. "I'll take care of it, sooner rather than later. Have no fears of it." He then looked at Crispin. "Listen to your sister in this." he grinned.

Crispin slouched in his chair, rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine. Probably nothing good in it anyway..."

Dante: The Youngers at Dinner

Keenan pushed back his chair. He was too full, even for dessert. He headed over to where the wolf was sitting on the floor and sat down next to him. "Hi," he said, quiet and a bit sullen. "Do you mind if I sit next to you? I'm a little tired of family," he added in a whisper.

Wolf whuffed slightly at the Boy who sat next to him. He sniffed at the Boy, tasting his scent and whuffed again in approval. He cocked his head, as if waiting for the Boy to say more.

Keenan was happy to oblige. "I didn't want to come in the first place," he said. "These things are always boring. I was having a good time at home. I don't get to go there nearly often enough, now that I live at the castle. I like it down by the docks better. People are so stuffy here. And Mum is at home, and Annie." He propped his elbow on his knee and his chin on his hand. "Annie couldn't come tonight. She had to help at the tavern. Sometimes she comes up to the castle, but she wasn't allowed tonight, and I don't think that's fair. Dad says that she's not a princess, but I don't see why she can't be. She's far nicer than the princesses I've met, anyway, and she lives with Mum and Dad and me, so she's family, right? I don't think being a princess should be based on who your parents are anyway, because just because your parents are royal doesn't mean they're good, right? And good people should be princes and princesses and kings and queens. Not bad." He cast a sour glance in Dulcifera's direction. "But Dad says no, anyway. I'm going to get him to change his mind, though. Annie would make a good princess." He smiled happily at the thought, then looked at Wolf apologetically. "Sorry... sometimes I talk too much."

Dante was looking across the table. He had moved as soon as the adults were out of sight to a place where he could babe-watch more effectively. His feet were on the chair that used to hold his mother.

He was eating bits of passion fruit.

Keenan reached out and buried his fingers in Wolf's ruff, scratching his neck absently (if Wolf allows). He looked first at Alexius, then at Corisande. He sighed. "No... I don't want Annie to get burned up on the Pattern. I know that she can't be a princess like that. But... well, I just wish that maybe the Pattern chose on something other than just blood." He shrugged. "And Annie isn't very proper, either," he told Alexius. "She's just nice."

Keenan ventured a tentative smile. "But you don't see so bad," he said to them.

Seramina slid from her chair and came over to where Keenan sat with Wolf. "Who's Annie?" she asked as she sat down on the floor near them.

"If I'm a prince, when I'm older I'll make sure that Annie gets to be whatever she wants," Keenan said. "Even a princess!" He lifted his chin, looking defiant. "Or at least a lady," he added with a shrug and a slightly sheepish smile.

He turned to Seramina. "Annie is a friend that I met when I was your age, or maybe younger," he said. "My dad took me down to the docks, and then he had to go deal with a problem, and he left me somewhere, and told me to stay right there... but I didn't. I went wandering, and I found a bunch of kids playing tin kick in an alley, and they taught me to play. One of them was Annie. She was the nicest one. The others made fun of my nice clothes." He wrinkled his nose and made a sour face. "And when we got tired of the game, we went up to the castle, so she could see it, because she never had before. And they made us take baths." He grinned. "We didn't get to stay long, because my dad found out, and he wasn't very happy.

"And then later she ended up working somewhere not very nice, and she nearly got sold to be a slave, but my dad rescued her, and now she lives with us and helps in the tavern. My mum runs a tavern," he added. "Martha's Mariners, down by the docks. Most people just call it Martha's... that's her name. I work there sometimes, even though I live in the castle now. You could probably come see it sometime, if you wanted to. Any of you." He smiled brightly at them.

Dante, again, stood up. This time he wandered toward Keenan, although he might have been moving toward Dulci.

"Keen, what's up?"

Keenan looked up from where he sat on the floor, and anyone who was looking at him could clearly see the flicker of annoyance that passed over his features. "Nothing," he said. "Lillith's over there." He jerked his chin in the girl's direction.

"Naw, Keen. Nothing over there I'm interested in." Regardless, Dante did look over at her. "You remember when we were at Jack's...?"

"Which time?" Keenan asked Dante. "The first time? Yeah... what about it?"

His fingers dug into Wolf's fur again, not ungently, but like he needed something solid to hold on to, and Wolf was the biggest, solidest object around.

[GM glanced over -- No ping from me]

[OOC: I don't understand why you split up the thread. Parts of the conversation are now lost or don't make sense because it got hacked apart. Consider the two conversations are happening in the same place, I don't see why they can't all be in the same thread. Because Keenan can overhear what's going on in the other conversation, and vice versa.

Maybe I'm just being dumb, but it doesn't make sense to me to split them up.]

[OOC: Because some folk ran off to the powder room?]

"Who do you think donated the sails?" Once more Dante glanced at Lillith.

Keenan shrugged. "Who cares?"

Sera carefully reached out and touched Wolf's fur. "Who's Jack?" she asked.

Dante jumped and turned to face Sera. Then he looked down to face Sera. "Don't they have age limits at these things? Jack is Lillith's brother, Keen is depressed because he couldn't bring his chica, and, at best, I'm goinng to end the evening looking into a glass of wine. Who are you?"

Wolf stood as quickly as the Boy jumped and nudged at the Boy to move back from the Little Girl with a soft snarl. He whuffed warningly at the Boy, then sat down again next to the other Boy.

Dante backed away. "Is this your dog?"

"It's not a dog," Keenan said, standing up and taking a step towards Dante. "It's a wolf. And I don't know whose it is, but I think maybe you'd better leave, because I don’t think he likes you very much. And I don't think he should, either, considering you're turning out to be just like your father – an unmannered jerk who isn't fit to be let out in public!" His voice rose as he spoke, and cracked as he finished. He flushed, but didn't back down.

Sera looked at Dante with a sullen look. "He' s called Wolf. And he is the friend of Princess Angharad, so be nice to him. And I'm Seramina. I'm your cousin," she said, sniffing as she scooted a little closer to Wolf.

"So who's Lilith?" Sera asked Keenan.

Keenan turned his back on Dante, not caring what the other boy did. "Lillith is the girl over there with Alexius. The tall one, not the young one. That one is Dulcifera." His nose wrinkled as he said her name. "She... Lillith, I mean... is Benedict's daughter, Jack's sister. Dante fancies her." He shrugged. "I don't see why."

Dante: Keenan and Dante at Dinner

Annie was practically bubbling over as Gerard tugged and pulled at Keenan's collar. They hadn't bought a new nice outfit for him since last winter, and he'd gone through a sudden spurt.

"He might have given us some time," he said through gritted teeth.

Caine leaned against Martha's bar, already in his finest, his son suited just as well. Having a business in the home meant always having the best, at all times, growing be damned.

"It's Corwin's way," he said over a fresh glass of wine. "Last minute with everything."

"I don't have to go..." sang Annie, just loud enough for the boys to hear.

Dante, remembering his father's presence, merely raised an eyebrow to Annie in a "and aren't we all fortunate on that count" kind of way.

But he said nothing. His posture and bearing were astonishing considering his day to day demeanor. Any one seeing him without knowing him as well as those present would think him a different boy.

No.

They would think him a young man.

Keenan, on the other hand, twisted his head around to stick his tongue out at Annie, before turning back to his father. "It's not fair!" he complained. "How come she doesn't have to go?"

[OOC: Okay... time leap has done weird things to my brain. Katie, I'll catch you next time you're online so we can figure some stuff out.]

[OOC: Until I can clarify more in person, this is the latest thread of anyone's backstory. In otherwords, one of the last, sequentially]

"She's not a princess," said Gerard, finally giving up on the edging and going to work on his own. "And someone has to help Rosie man the bar while you're mother's out."

Martha looked as petulant as Keenan, but she kept her tongue in her mouth. Vinta, fresh from the powder room, gave her side a poke.

"Oh, it'll be fine. It's just family!"

Dante would be biting his tongue, were it not that Caine's presence prevented him from doing anything so unseemly.

His face remained as impassive as he could manage.

"I could stay and help Rosie too," Keenan said hopefully. He'd been glad to get a break from the castle, and the chance to see his mother and Annie for more than a few hours, and he wasn't looking forward to going back, and particularly to a formal dinner. They were boring. He would much rather sit in the main room at the inn and take his meal with the sailors and dockworkers that frequented it. They told good stories.

"Kee," Dante began, "hate to interject with a non sequitor... but did Jack's sister ever see the ship we made? Do you know?"

Keenan blinked at him in confusion, then a slow grin spread across his face. "Are you still on about her? I think you fancy her!" he giggled. "I don't know if she saw it or not. I certainly didn't show it to her, but Jack might've." He shrugged. "Maybe she'll be at the party, and you can ask her." His tone was teasing, and he ended with another giggle that made him sound either very young or rather girly.

Caine sighed. "There'll be a kids table, won't there? I don't think I can take Amberites in Spring..."

Vinta swatted his arm, then moved past him, heading to the carriage.

Dante flushed, "I've never met her." As he spoke his tone smoothed over a bit, and he added, "your just mad because you can't bring Annie."

Keenan frowned, his forehead creasing. "Well it's not fair!" he said. "She'd be a much better princess than some of the ones we've got!" He crossed his arms and looked sulky.

Gerard sighed. "Carriage. Now. Being good has nothing to do with being a Princess. Trust me."

Keenan sighed, then went over to Annie and hugged her, then kissed her cheek. "I'll see you soon," he said. "Have a good night." He smiled at her adoringly, as he always did, then headed for the carriage, clambering up, a knot of dread building in his stomach. Nothing good ever happened at family dinners. Ever.

Dante said nothing at the display, but his attitude was clear. He looked up at Caine, briefly, before adjusting his collar and preparing to go to dinner.

The ride up was crowded, but Vinta insisted that her family not go up upon horses, which is how they arrived. There was a little grumbling, but even that was too much for the over-taxed carriage.

Arriving at the castle was like being able to breath after being held under water. Gerard stepped out with a sigh, then turned to help his wife down. Caine, it took a moment for his memory to be jogged by Vinta's pointed 'Ahem.' The boys were allowed to run ahead.

Dante, not given to looking uncool, strolled in a manner that was, for a stroll, amazingly fast.

Keenan, who lived in the castle and dreaded the prospect of the family dinner, trudged along after him, not quite keeping up, but remaining a few steps behind him.

The dining area was already beginning to fill. To Keenan's relief, there was only enough settings for family. He could even hear his mother sigh in relief behind them.

The table was arranged in a U-shape, with the children sitting on the inside.

[Already present: Adults: Random, Vialle, Corwin, Bleys, Fiona Children: Alexius, Angharad, Crispin, Corisande, Lillith, Dulcifera And a big black wolf!]

Dante looks about the room, his eyes lingering on the girls before he spots the wolf. He looks sideways at Keenan and whispers, "I didn't know we could bring pets!"

Keenan eyes went wide. "Wow," he breathed. "I wonder if Jack will be here... and if he'll bring his monkey!" He looked at the children already at the table, recognizing some of them, but not others. He saw Alexius and blushed a little, remembering how he'd embarrassed his father the first time he'd seen the king's son, by blurting out, 'He's blue!' without thinking.

He shrugged and headed for the table, looking for an empty seat away from Dulcifera. He had never quite gotten over that first (and for Keenan, last) magic lesson, and the impression of Dulcifera he'd gotten there.

Dante showed no such difficulties, and was wondering where Jack might sit before determining his location. He considered asking someone, and finally decided on the most mature young lady he could locate... Lillith. Leaning toward her, "excuse me, but I was wondering if you might know whether Jack would be in attendance?"

Jack went and sat across from his parents, then craned his neck around to see the kids that he'd never met before.

[OOC: Assuming that most kids are sitting near their parents, who is near Keenan?]

Dante withdrew from Lillith, and propped up against a nearby wall.

The first one to catch his eye was a blonde girl before Corwin. Well, not the girl... but the huge grey wolf at her side, sniffing over Seramina. The wolf seemed to be the older girl's, as it woofed at her and nuzzled her side. Lillith, Keenan knew from passing descriptions, but he hadn't expected the elaborate tattoos showing on her back. They weren't like Gerard's or Caine's... They were careful, almost like art.

Gerard, now settled, nodded at the girl with the wolf. "That's Angharad, Corwin's daughter. Word is, she's going to be staying around here for a while."

Martha looked over the wolf, dubious. "I hope she's not going to start filling all the boys' heads with ideas about pets."

[Kee's in speaking distance of everyone, given that he raises his voice a bit.]

Dante decided to take a seat at the table, after glancing at Caine. He positioned himself close to Keen, "which one of these is Jack's sister?" he whispered to his friend.

[Gm glanced over -- No tag needed from me. Keenan's turn.]

Keenan looked around, then pointed to the tall, dark-haired girl who was sitting near Dulcifera and the redheaded twins. "Her, I think." He shrugged.

Dante considered his position, which was uncomfortably close to someone that might be described as a 'victim'. He hopped to a chair a little further away, glancing at Lillith furtively.

Keenan gritted his teeth to hold back the tears. He scuffed his feet along the floor and wished that dinner would be served soon, so that they could leave. He hated family dinners. Every time he went to one, something else went wrong. He scowled at his plate.

Dante, regardless of the presence of Lillith, had a pent-up look about him. It was like watching an animal taped to the wall of a cage. He looked forward to the time when the "adults" took off to leave him with his cousins.

~All the babes are together~ he thought as he scanned the room. ~It's not like she knows or anything... hey, maybe I can...~

Dante pulls himself out of his chair and saunters around the room, casually, before leaning behind Lillith and the girls.

Dulcifera skittered over in Keenan's direction and plopped herself down in the chair vacated by Dante. "Keenan," she said brightly. "I haven't seen you in so long. How are the myrrin doing?"

What do you care?, he wanted to snap, but he didn't. He just shrugged one shoulder. "Fine," he said, "I guess. They were fine, anyway. But they made such a racket, and one time they got loose and made such a mess... we had to have them sent back to Chaos." He shrugged again. "But at least there they can be free, and no one's going to pull them apart to see how they work." The normally cheerful boy wasn't smiling.

Gerard looked at Keenan... then the girl... then heard Myrrin being discussed. He stepped in.

"Dulcifera... I think Dinner's starting. You might want to find your mother again." Gerard motioned for Dante to return as well.

Dante: The Boys Meeting

"I would like to serve, Sir, if Father will allow," Jack says distractedly, his attention obviously on the door leading to the other room.

His father might have had something to say about it, but right about then the door slammed open, and the two noisemakers showed themselves, brandishing light wooden sticks that might have once belonged to the kindling pile.

Keenan and Dante, mid parry and thrust, stopped dead as they saw the new bodies at their father's table. One was the unmistakable Prince Benedict, painfully thin compared to the more robust Gerard. Next to him, done up in formal castle clothes (that was still all put together, unlike theirs) was a young boy, somewhere around their ages.

Keenan dropped a hasty bow to Benedict, then grinned at the new boy. "Hello!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Keenan. That's my dad," he nodded toward Gerard. "Are you new here? Oh, and that's my friend Dante." He held out his hand toward the new boy.

Dante held back a bit, giving a curt wave to Benedict, but watching the other boy.

The blonde boy glances at Benedict, then holds out his hand and shakes it. "My name is Jack," he says simply. His voice has a hint of gravel to it, as if something were caught in his throat. "Benedict is my father," he says seriously, though there is a bit of a smile on his face.

Keenan grinned back. "Are you coming to live at the castle?" he asked. "I live here, with my dad." He inclined his head toward the room that he and Dante had just tumbled out of. "That's my room. I haven't lived here long, though. Don't let them make you take magic lessons, if you are coming to stay here. They're horrible." He nodded definitively.

Jack blinks, somewhat dumbfoundedly, by the rapid-fire chatter coming from Keenan. He wasn't used to talking so much. Particularly once he arrived at Benedict's house.

"I think I am staying at my Father's manor house," Jack explains. "And what's wrong with the magic lessons?"

[OOC: Darn it. Now I have to wait to see what the fallout in another thread is before Keenan can answer about magic lessons. Wrote myself into a corner with that one, didn't I? :-/]

Gerard stepped in. "They're just a little... a little... they're not for everyone." Gerard looked a little too pleased that this might be true regarding his son.

Caine snickered. "Aye. Instead, Kee here is going to start arranging protests for the protection of empowered animals."

[OOC: Oh, we can gloss]

Dante walked up, "Keen just isn't very up on concentrating that much. They can be pretty boring." There was a brief pause, as Dante looked Jack over, "y'know, for some reason I didn't picture your dad as having kids."

"I concentrate just fine," Keenan replied. "I just don't think it's right to capture and torture poor innocent creatures." He turned to glare at Caine, not caring that this was his uncle, and Dante's father, and that his father probably wouldn't be happy at Keenan for yelling at him. "And they're not animals," he snapped. "They are just little people, with families just like we have, and hearts and minds and how would you like it if I put you in a glass ball and poked at you and then killed you and pinned you to a board? Or if someone did that to Dante?" His blue green eyes held a challenge in them, and no matter how scary Uncle Caine tried to be, he wasn't likely to get the small boy to back down.

Dante tried to restrain a smirk until his name was mentioned. He stiffened a bit at that, and waited for his fathers reply.

Caine looked no more ruffled than if Keenan had asked him what flavor of cheese he was eating. "Among Amberites, the fate of being encapsulated, then eviscerated is rather rare. I don't think Dante has much to worry about." He looked at Gerard. "He still avoiding steak?"

"Just because it's unlikely doesn't make it either impossible or right. But you wouldn't care, would you?" Keenan demanded. "You wouldn't care at all if something happened to Dante, because you're a... a fat-arsed swab!"

"Keenan," came an unusually quiet Dante, "take it back."

Caine, who had been watching Keenan, shifted his gaze to Dante. As ever, it was tough to read, but he didn't seem upset about Keenan's comment-- rather, he looked intrigued by Dante's reaction.

Gerard just stared at his son, too shocked for even a quick bat at the back of his head. And Benendict... simply sighed.

Keenan frowned and pressed himself against Gerard's side. "I'm sorry, Dante," he said softly. "But he shouldn't make fun of me. Just because he thinks what I believe in is stupid doesn't mean I haven't got a right to believe in it." He looked Dante in the eye somberly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or... or whatever I did. I was only trying to make a point."

Dante nodded, "salright. But do it again and I'll make sure everyone I run into eats steak for a while." There was a sly smirk with this last. "Maybe we can hit some vegetarian shadows on one of our trips."

[Jack want to respond here? React?]

[[ OOC: Sorry 'bout that. Lost track of the thread for a while. ]]

Jack just watched the interplay between the boys and their fathers and each other in shock. He glanced at Benedict, then back at the boys.

He didn't bother asking why they had to cut up animals for magical studies.

He decided everyone was getting far too serious.

He picked up two pieces of potatoes, one in each hand. He concentrated on them for a moment. The first one he tossed to the floor, appeared to be a tiny little cow, shaggy and brown, with a little bell around its neck. It gave off a high-pitched moo. The second piece landed as an animated carrot. It got up on its little legs, brushed itself off, then started chasing the small cow. The cow mooed and clanged as the pair ran towards Dante's room.

Jack just watched them go. Grinning.

Dante nudged Keen, "I think Jack just told us we've got the wrong tutors if magic is boring." He laughed for a while before calming down and adding, "but I'm just in it to help with the sailing... and stuff. Jack: Me and Keen take my boat out on the weekends for some fun, and we can squeeze up to two more on... if you're interested sometime, let me know."

Jack smiles widely. He moves to answer but stops himself, toning down the smile a bit. He looks at his father hopefully.

Keenan had knelt down to watch the tiny creatures as they scuttled across the floor. Finally he put one hand in front of the cow and the other in front of the carrot, scooping them up and examining them in awe, while keeping them far enough apart that the carrot could not torment the tiny cow. "Look, Dad!" he whispered, holding them up to his father.

"It's just a little cantrip," Jack explains. "It won't last long before they turn back into potatoes."

"Where'd you learn to do it?" Keenan asked.

"My mother met a witch when I was little," Jack explains. "She said I had the gift. So I started learning stuff from a lot of different people. Women, mostly."

"Master Lorius is a man," Keenan said, stating the obvious. "And he would never teach you how to do anything fun, I bet."

"I was told you have to...umm...adapt," he says, finding the word, "the boring stuff you're taught to do things that you're interested in."

"Well, I guess that would cut back on the studying," Dante thought aloud. He didn't seem particularly interested in the potato and carrot, paying more attention to his peers.

Benedict started to say something, but hesitated. He pursed his lips, watching as his son tossed off cantrips. "Mind your wounds," he finally said, with a touch of reluctance.

Caine and Gerard both studied the squirming carrot and potato, then looked at Ben. "You know something about the magic ladies that we don't?" Caine asked after a long pause.

[OOC: It's a carrot and a cow... until they both turn back into potatoes. icon_wink.gif]

"You've got wounds?" Keenan asked, looking Jack up and down quickly and not seeing anything.

"Yes, sir," Jack says to his father. "Do you think I could go sailing once I'm better?" He tries to keep his excitement under control, but his foot is tapping the air quickly.

[OOC: Jack and I posted at pretty much the same time, and since my response makes more sense after his, I'm re-posting it. icon_smile.gif]

"You've got wounds?" Keenan asked, looking Jack up and down quickly and not seeing anything.

Dante looked like he was trying to subdue his curiousity, "like claw and bite marks? That happens sometimes... I hear."

Benedict repressed an uncomfortable sigh. "It was in battle."

Dante straightened visibly at Benedict's words. "I'm sure he acquitted himself nicely on the field."

Keenan's eyes grew almost impossibly wide. "You've been in battle?" he asked Jack incredulously. "When? Why? Can I see the scars?"

Jack blinked, and remained quite still. Then he looked up at Benedic tenatively. He was unused to such undisciplined displays. He regarded Keenan sympathetically, because there was a certain animal that Jack would loathe to be hurt. But still, for this outburst there would be discipline.. perhaps even a beating.

Benedict, while he had a small frown of disapproval on his face, seemed far from surprised. He looked down at his son.

"We will discuss your reinstatement later... alone." He glanced at Keenan, then back at Jack. "Do you wish to discuss the battle yet?" he asked, a touch softer.

[OOC: brief explanation: I was unaware of how the board operated. I didn't realize that the thread had three pages. I had Jack literally respond to the fast-arsed swab remark- not the "do you have wounds" remark. I'm not going to edit or change it, but I thought explaining that would help]

Jack looks up at his father and nods solemnly. He turns to regard his cousins with blue eyes and a patient expression. "I was shot. Grapeshot from a cannon. I was hit in the chest and in the neck." He lowers his eyes to the table. "The Captain, my mother, was struck in the chest and she passed. That's when my father came to collect me."

Keenan's eyes went even wider. "Oh," he said softly. "I'm sorry." He reached for one of Jack's hands, to take it and squeeze it, to try and provide him some kind of comfort. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose his mum.

Dante blinked. "and did you learn to stay out of the way of grapeshot?"

Keenan turned and glared at him. "DANTE!"

He looked at Keenan, "well... what am I supposed to say? 'I'm sorry your mom blew up?' He was in a battle, assumably still learning. His mother died, so I figured it was one heck of a lesson. Maybe that's the most important aspect, so," he turned to Jack, "what did you learn?"

Keenan scowled at Dante, his own hand still on Jack's (unless he has pulled it away).

Jack looked at Keenan and gave him a sad smile, and squeezed his hand back. "Thank you," he said quietly.

He turned his Dante, his expression very grave. "Yes, I learned something. But what I learned won't matter to you anyway. You don't really care."

Dante looked back, but his expression was blank, "alright, Jack. Offer still stands about the boat. Anytime you feel like sailing, let me know."

"And when you do..." Caine took a peach off of the tray, and unsheathed his left hip dagger. "I would remember this, Dante: You've inherited my sharp tongue, and it is within my rights as your sire to take it back. Is that understood?"

He made an all too purposeful slice with his dagger into the tender flesh of the peach.

Keenan frowned. He didn't like when people fought. "Hey Jack, want to see what I've been working on? It's a model of one of my dad's ships. It's only about half done, but..." he shrugged. "You can see it, if you want."

"Yessir," Dante responded quietly to Caine.

He turned to the other boys, and watched.

Benedict squeezed Jack's shoulder lightly. "You may go, if you wish..." He looked at the map spread between Gerard and Caine. He said nothing, but it was apparent he expected to be told what the conflict was.

Jack looked up at his father, and then back at Keenan and Dante. This type of setting was very strange to him. He was accustomed to being quiet in the presence of adults, unless he had something meaningful to contribute. He did play- but only during structured times and in a structured manner- shore leave.

But he reckoned, maybe his father's way were different.

"I would like to go sailing still," he said tenatively to Dante, "After I've mended. If you'll still have me."

And to Keenan he grinned just a little. "Sure!" he said in response to the invitation to see the model, with just a note of excitement (approval from his father already given). He pushed himself away from the table carefully and got to his feet with some care.

Keenan stayed close to him, concern writ large across his expressive features. As they went into Keenan's room, he glanced around to make sure that no one, especially Dante, could overhear, then whispered, "You mustn't mind Dante. He doesn't really know how to care. He never learned, because I don't think his parents care much about him."

[OOC: He really would have made sure that that couldn't have been overheard... there's just no way on a message board to keep it from being seen by those who wouldn't hear it and still keep it in its proper place in the thread. :-/]

OOC: Not a prob.

IC: Dante looked up at the only ones remaining in the room with him... the adults. "With your permission, I would remove myself."

Caine nodded, popping a slice of peach in his mouth.

"Try to only knock over the cheaper decorations."

With that, Dante drew himself out of the room, closing the doors behind him.

[OOC: Oh... didn't mean for Dante to go away. I was thinking more along the lines of Dante went into the room first, or Keenan and Jack were few steps ahead and Kee was whispering so Dante couldn't overhear. Oops. :-/]

[Yes... is Dante leaving, or is he following to Keenan's room?]

[OOC: he'll follow]

Keenan's room was smaller than Jack's, but he couldn't tell if it was the walls, or the amount of stuff packed into the room. There were toy ships and tin men and a few things that appeared to be wood carved puzzles. Swords, mostly wooden or dulled, were stacked in one corner, along with some scaled down padded armor.

katie wrote: Keenan's room was smaller than Jack's, but he couldn't tell if it was the walls, or the amount of stuff packed into the room. There were toy ships and tin men and a few things that appeared to be wood carved puzzles. Swords, mostly wooden or dulled, were stacked in one corner, along with some scaled down padded armor.

Keenan wrote: Keenan stayed close to him, concern writ large across his expressive features. As they went into Keenan's room, he glanced around to make sure that no one, especially Dante, could overhear, then whispered, "You mustn't mind Dante. He doesn't really know how to care. He never learned, because I don't think his parents care much about him."

Jack looked Keenan in the eyes and nodded quickly, but said nothing sensing that Dante was only a few steps behind them both. The expression suggested that maybe they could talk more about it another time.

Surveying the room, Jack's eyes widened. "It's a nice room," he said with a touch of awe. "Does everyone have rooms like this?" Those blue eyes pass over all the toys, and he smiles in spite of any attempt to be serious.

He looks back to Keenan a little excited. "Where is your model?"

Dante tried not to crowd the room, still feeling a little uncomfortable, but he did look about the room a bit. It had changed since the last time he'd seen it, mostly by the force of a biological tornado.

"Dunno," Keenan said as he went to one of the shelves. "About the rooms, I mean. I haven't seen anyone else's rooms." He very gingerly lifted down a rather large model ship, and set it on a small table that was strewn with stuff. "See?" he said as he moved his hands away. "I'm still working on it, but the hull is all done, and I've got most of the deck. The rigging is going to be the hard part, I think. I have to if Mum has any scraps of silk about I can use for sails..." He suddenly looked up at Jack. "Sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean..."

Jack blinked his eyes at Keenan's remark and fixed his solemn eyes on the model. For an instant there is a tiny struggle for control of his features, but then he nods, his composure intact (challenged only for an instance).

"It's very well done," he replies, indicating with a finger to the deck and careful not to actually touch it. His brows furrow as he assess how the model is being crafted. Jack has never had the time, space, or presence of mind to do anything like this, and it looks fun. He wonders if he could build his ship.. or rather the ship where he grew up.. His mother's ship.

"It's alright," he adds almost as afterthought, "you can't fault yourself for having a mother." He looks up. "What is your mum like? What does she do?" He glances back at Dante, wondering about his mother- trying to include him in the conversation.

"My mum's name is Martha," Keenan said. "She runs a tavern down by the docks called Martha's Mariners, but most everyone just calls it Martha's. She makes the best desserts in all of Amber; even better than the ones at the castle! You could come meet her some time if you wanted. I go down to visit a lot. And she wouldn't even make you do dishes!" Keenan grinned. Noticing Jack's glance at Dante, he adds, "Dante's mum's pretty famous around here, isn't she, Dante?"

Jack grins at Keenan's description of Martha. "Sure!" Jack was not so removed from his youth that dessert failed to appeal.

He looks at Dante, wondering what the other boy will say about his own mother.

"Vinta Bayle," he replied... as if naming her would help remove the stigma that she had bore him, "supplies wine to the castle on request. Many think that the wine is pretty good."

Keenan smiled. "You know what, Jack? I bet we could get stuff so you could make a model of your ship, if you wanted. And Dante, you should build a model of the ship you want to have when you're older. We can all work on them together. It's a really fun thing to do when the weather's bad. Whaddaya think?"

[OOC: And believe it or not, I had had the idea of Jack building a model of his mother's ship even before you mentioned it. icon_smile.gif]

Dante seemed to cheer up a little, "sure. I know where there's plenty of silk for the sails and rigging, and I'm sure we can get some wood."

"Sure!" piped up Jack looking a little excited. He looked at the two other boys, "Can we do it now?"

He hesitates. "I mean.. how do we get started?"

"Well first you'll need to draw up a plan of what the ship looks like. That way we can figure out how it'll go together," Keenan said knowingly. "Then we get the wood and stuff, and we put it together."

Jack nods solemnly, but then brightens. "My room has a desk and some paper- and an inkwell. We could get started right away.."

He grins, "And you could both meet Chester!" He looks at them both to gauge if they're interested.

"Who's Chester?" Keenan asked curiously.

Dante, who had been looking into the distance, shook himself. "I'm game," he replied with a shrug and a smirk.

[Want to cut back to Ben's Manor? That's where Chester is...]

[For some reason, thought that Chester was in Castle Amber... Dante would... hold on...]

Dante looked at Jack, "you have any brothers or sisters? People that drop in from time to time at your place?"

[OOC: Sorry for the delay, it's been the extended weekend for personal problems and illness. I screwed up clearly. I read the background too quickly, and I missed the transition from Ben's Manor to Castle Amber, at the time I wrote that I thought Jack and Ben resided in the Castle.]

Jack's cheeks colored, "Well, we would have to go to my father's manse to see Chester. He's my friend.. my pet. Would your father's permit you to come over?" He still asks the both of them.

Then he adds to Dante, "Oh yes," with an enthusiastic nod, "I have a sister now. Her name is Lillith."

He adds with solemn confidentiality, "She's one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever seen."

"I bet my dad would let me come," Keenan says. "What kind of animal is Chester? A dog?"

"I can go," Dante said with an uneven grin.

[OOC: Katie- let's take these young men on a field trip to Ben's manor?]



Benedict's manor was much more rustic than Dante's home in Begma, where his mother's hand had made certain that they were always ready to dazzle whatever potential buyer might happen by. It was, however, larger than Keenan's home by the docks, a place made even smaller by the presence of a bar in her first level. It was quiet, deathly quiet, with even the servants shuffling about and talking in undertones.

There was one intruder into the silence, and that was Chester. Chester, having realized Jack wasn't about, and that all the windows were done up to keep him in, had scampered to the kitchens. He took up residence above the grailing holding up the pots and pans, lying in wait until the cook's back was turned. Then, it would leap down, grab up a handful of whatever the cook had been cutting, and scampter back to safety. Each time, the cook realized what had happened, and cursed the creature.

"Money my arse," he growled. "More like an expensive rat crossed with a theif..."

Dante crossed the threshold and noticed the silence. "Dude!" but then he felt an oppressive air strike him, and even he cringed at the slight echo from his word.

"Chester's a monkey?" Keenan squealed. "Wow!"

Jack grinned from ear to ear, and nodded vigorously.

"Come here Chester!" he called, holding his arms outstretched for Chester to leap down to his protective arms.

"I want you to meet my cousins.."

"And maybe we should get you away from cook for awhile.."

Once Chester is down, Jack will proudly display him to Keenan and Dante.

Dante glanced from Chester to Jack, "that's pretty cool. Where'd you get him?"

"He was a gift from my mother," Jack explains. He does not become particularly remorse again, since the topic has already been brought up and taked about. "I guess it's kind of obvious that she didn't go in for a lot of things that kid's like.. But she let me have a few things."

"I had a few toys," he admits. "And we saw a man selling monkies at a market.." He adds hastily, "Chester is what they call a spider monkey. Anyway- I wanted one really bad, and there were no other children on board so she let me have him. Had to train him though; but judging how he's behaved when I was gone, I don't know how good of a job I've done."

Jack waves his hand and conjures up a small piece of fruit and holds it out to Chester to lure him into his arms.

Dante looked at Keenan wit a slight smile... almost of the "I told you so" variety, but not quite. Then he returned his attention to Jack and Chester, "does Chester know where the ship-building materials are in this house?"

Chester let out a little shriek... Not much in the way of an answer. Indeed, there was the general impression that he was demanding another slice of fruit from Jack's empty fingers.

Keenan reached out a bit nervously to scratch the monkey's head. "Sorry, Chester," he said. "I don't have anything for you."

Jack's brows furrowed slightly. "Chester," he admonished, However he quickly conjured a bit of bananna. He didn't offer it quite so freely though, coaxing Chester to come down (lest Cook scold them soon) and into his arms first.

Chester gave one last shrill cry to the cook, then lept to Jack's arms. It shook a fist, but not before taking the banana and stuffing it into his mouth. It eyed Keenan and Dante with some curiousity, especially the still shining buttons on their jackets.

"Hi Chester!" Keenan said cheerfully, reaching out again to stroke the monkey's fur. "How are you today?" Of course he didn't expect an answer, but it was only polite to ask.

Dante's eyes were upon everything, particularly signs that... someone else had been about.

Jack gave Chester a light squeeze. and introduced the monkey to Keenan and Dante (as was only polite).

"Come Chester, I better get us out of here before we all end up in the soup." With a nod to Keenan and Dante, he gestured to the exit.. Freeing Chester to seek whatever mischief he might (as long as it wasn't high tailing it right back to the kitchen!)

"Whatchya looking for Dante?" he asked curiously as he guided both boys (and hopefully spider monkey) back towards his large room.. with it's desk and writing materials- to be used for ship designing.

For a moment, Dante looked as if he'd been caught at something... but only for a moment.

"I thought I smelled something, like fish, and was wondering at it's source," he shrugged. "No big..."

Keenan gives Dante a strange look, but doesn't question. "So where are we going?" he asked.

Jack gives Dante a strange look. "We left my father back at the Castle," he murmurs. "If you're curious about my sister- it's okay to ask..."

He turns to Keenan, "My room.. My new room! It's got a big desk, and lots of things to write and draw with. You said we needed some plans before we started to build the ships." Jack is clearly enthused about the project. "Then we can get some materials and make 'em!"

"Oh, okay!" Keenan says cheerfully. "Will you tell us what it's like to work on a real ship?" he asked. "I've never really been on one. We've just got The Daunting, which isn't very big."

"Dude! We were just in the kitchen, and if you spend enough time at sea you get kinda sensitive to the smell," Dante replies, "not that I'm not curious about your sister, but I'll be blunt when I ask, right Kee?"

"Now let's check out your room."

"Right," Keenan said cheerfully. "He would. Even though he's better about not saying things he's not supposed to than I am." He gave Jack a sheepish smile.

Jack nodded to the others boys. He didn't smell fish himself, but then it occured to him that he'd smelled the sea for almost his entire life and he probably wouldn't notice it.

He quickly wondered if *he* was the one that smelled like fish. Feeling a little self-concious, he concluded that these two wouldn't care that much if he did.

He started walking towards his room.

"A big ship is a lot of work. Everyone has a job to do, and everyone has to do their job. That's why discipline has to be kinda stern. When you're on duty there isn't a lot of time for lollygagging. When someone gets hurt, they find himself different that they can do. Everything is ranked, and everyone has someone to tell 'em what to do, and follow up to make sure they do it. Except the Captain- but even she had the Admiral.. Except the Admiral isn't always around. When you're off duty, a lot of sailors tell stories. Some shoot dice, write letters, sing songs or drink their rations."

"It's mostly a lot of hard work," he concedes, "but it can be kind fun when everything is going right." He looks at the other two, "That probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense." Jack looks faraway. "I kinda miss it right now though.. I don't know what I am supposed to be doing anymore."

"So we'll build some ships."

He opens the door to his room to admit them both in..



His room was tidy, more from the lack of clutter to mess things up than any over-dilligent servants. The desk, the bed, the chest before the window were all shut up, and adorned with only the occassional creature comfort. His mother's sextant rested on the windowsill.

Chester lept off of Jack's shouder, jumping and skipping to his make-shift hammock pinned in one corner of the ceiling. From there, he watched the boys with curious, sometimes wary black eyes.

"I think I'd like to work on a big ship someday," Keenan says, looking thoughtful. "I don't mind working, and even if it's hard, it sounds more interesting than scrubbing dishes. That's what I do at my mum's, and I help clean up tables and stuff."

"I know I'm going to work on a big ship someday," Dante started as he entered the room, amazed by its tidyness.

"Should we divy up the work, or go at it in sequence together?"

"Let's go at it in sequence together," Jack replied, "That way we can all work on a ship, and have one at the end. Instead of trying to divide it up."

"You do get used to hard work Keenan," Jack explained as he moved to open a window a crack to let some fresh air in the room. "In a good navy, you work your way up. No real sailor has any geniune respect for commissioned officers. But then, even a cabin boy or girl gets more respect than a landlubber. The difference between landsmen and sailors is the real dividing line. Beyond that things are negoitiable with skill, hard work, and a little luck."

"And nothing's wrong with scrubbing dishes.. I've done that before," he admits.

He'll walk to the desk and pull out some papers and writing tools. "Why don't you start Keenan, since you have more practice at this.. You too Dante.. I'll watch for a bit till I see how you draw it.."

Dante knew almost immediately what type of ship he'd like to build, and had seen plenty of pictures that might help him get the look right. He turned to Jack, after having a fair amount down on paper, "you got a bit of string and a pin... maybe some cork, so I don't mess up your desk?"

"Not that I know of," Jack replied with a frown. He looked up at Dante, not wishing to disappoint his cousin. "A pin and some string should be easy to find.. but cork.."

"Let me try this..."

He waved his hands then and concentrated. If he could make a cow out of a carrot, surely he could conjure some cork, a pin, and some string.



Dante looked briefly annoyed. ~What kind of people don't have cork lying about?~ But he recovered, trying not to totally alienate Jack.

[OOC: After a quick online communique with the GM..]

Jack conjures the required cork, pin, and string.. and hands them deftly to Dante.

"There you go!" he says brightly. "Faster than trying to find it in a strange house."

"Show us what you got Dante," he prompts the other boy.

Keenan's eyes widened, impressed. He had been showing Jack how to go about starting a plan for a ship. He didn't feel the need to start another one himself, when he had a perfectly good ship half-finished at home.

Dante presents his paper. "I was going to do the rigging next, and sails. The cork, pin, and string can be used to get the curves right." The drawing lacks in organization, but is remarkably accurate.

Jack peered over Dante's work, noting silently to himself that it was pretty good. The other boy obviously knew something about sailing himself.

"That's great, Dante.." he exclaimed.

Jack sat and started to scrawl at the paper, under Keenan's careful guidance (listening and appreciating his input). He also drew upon some of his own observations about things he wished had been different on his mother's ships, and trying to modify it.

"Hmmm.. What do you think?" he asks Keenan.

Keenan's forehead crinkled up in concentration as he looked over the drawing. After a few minutes' scrutiny, he grinned at Jack. "Really good!" he said. "I think it'll work, and it won't be too hard for a first one." He looked over at Dante. "Are you done with yours? If you are, we can get started!"

"Kee! I'm surprised at you! We need wood to start, and tools to carve. We've neither, at the moment." As he spoke, his attention glided over to Jack.

Keenan rolled his eyes and made a face. "I know that," he said. "I'm not stupid, just because I'm younger!" He folded his arms over his chest. "I only meant that if you were both done with your drawings, we could go get the stuff we needed for the next step!"

But if you know how it goes so well, why don't you take charge?, he thought, only just suppressing a scowl at Dante.

"Gimme some credit," Dante responded. "Have I ever given you grief over your age?"

Jack's brows knitted with concern at the dialogue happening between his two newly met cousins. His eyes shifting from Dante's remark to Keenan's shift in body language.

Jack didn't want them to fight. There was a brief urge to say something- but he didn't wish to incur either of their irritation by appearing to take sides. He wanted them all to get along.

The question came to him then (the tools and wood momentarily forgotten), "How old are you guys?"

[OOC: this is a rewrite of the original post. Gave it some additional thought]

"Ten," Keenan said. "How old are you?"

Dante, seeing that Jack has the floor, waits patiently for an answer before giving his.

Jack bursts into a grin. "Twelve. I'm almost 13.. just a few months to go." He looks to Dante for his reply.

"I'm 13," Dante answered... almost embarrassed. "Have been for a few months."

"We're all different ages," Jack offers (also satisfied having found out what he wanted to know). "It doesn't matter Someone has to be the oldest."

"And remember Keenan," he offers to the young boy in order to be concillatory, "You were the first one to build a ship."

"Come on," he says changing the subject, "let's get back to building our ships. Kee- what kind of wood do we need?"

Keenan giggled. "He's old," he said.

Jack grins at Keenan's giggle. Quite by accident. For Dante's sake he tries to bring it back under control fast.

Dante sticks his tongue out, "and I've got," he concentrates, but only for a moment, "fly honeys. All out in my crib. I think."

Keenan's forehead furrowed. "Aren't you a little old for a crib?" he asked. "And what are fly honeys? Wouldn't it be honey flies? Like... flies are attracted to honey?" He looked at Jack, clearly expecting the older boy to explain this to him.

Jack is wide-eyed and mystified. He looks back at Keenan and then at Dante, and back to Keenan. He just shrugs...

..but after a second he narrows his eyes trying to understand. All thoughts of boats have left his mind, as it seems it has with the others.

"You mean bees, right? When you get older you're allowed to keep bees for the honey, and you build their hive out of your old baby crib... is that what you mean?"

Dante pursed his lips, "I don't know. Heard it in a deep shadow. I'm pretty sure it's impressive."

Keenan shrugged. "All right. If you say so. I think it sounds silly, though, and it doesn't make any sense."

[OOC: After tonight (March 22) I'm going to be gone 'til March 30, at Ambercon, so don't expect any replies from me. See ya when I get back!]

[OOC: Have fun.. I'll be missing my second ACUS in a row. icon_cry.gif But I'll be back in '05! icon_smile.gif ]

Jack shook his head as Keenan finished speaking. "No- wait.. It doesn't make sense.. But.."

He fixed his eyes curiously on Dante. "What did you mean about that other part?"

He let the question hang in the air for a second before adding.. "About listening in the shadows? That did make sense either, but-" And either boy can practically see the wheels of Jack's mind turning. "But- it was supposed to... Make sense I mean."

"It meant something to you, didn't it?" he added to Dante.

"About deep shadow? Like when you take the boat out for a little over a day, cruising behind one of Amber's trading vessels until the water turns silver and you can only guess at whether it's day or night, and you step out of the twilight and into a tavern, tuck yourself into a corner and just listen to the sounds that people make when they think they aren't being watched?"

Dante shrugged, "yeah, I guess that was supposed to make sense."

(OOC: What's an ACUS?)

Jack's brows furrow as he tries to make sense of it all.

"Like going to a country so far away that the people there have never heard of where you came from? Except you did it in a few days.."

He frowns. "Like when I came here."

Dante looks at Jack, quizically, "sure, I guess. I don't know about your trip here, but the rest is right. Don't tell anyone, though."

Keenan bounced impatiently from foot to foot. "Can we get back to the ships now?" he asked. "We gotta go find wood and stuff!" He smiled charmingly at them.

[OOC: ACUS is Ambercon US, or just Ambercon.

And I think this thread has pretty much petered out... do you agree? Or is it just me?]

[OOC: Yeah, although I was interested in writing out whether Dante could get away with stealing someone's silk underwear for the sails. Not that he had someone specific in mind icon_wink.gif]

[OOC: Lol! Well, we can continue for a bit, so you can do that, if you'd like. I was mostly just making a general statement of how the thread seemed to be winding down. I don't want to stop you if you've got something in mind! icon_wink.gif]

[OOC: or we could assume that it goes off with very little hitch. Dante pretty much had it down to "oddly curved squares of silk," seeing as how he figured neither of his companions would appreciate his efforts. All he'd have to do is break away from the group for a little, find a certain room, and use a pocket knife (of course he's got a pocket knife) to achieve desired effect. We could take that as read or start another thread right after he sneaks back... whatever works.]

[OOC: Sorry guys, this was my fault. I was having a problem in real life, and I needed a few days. I should have said something.

As for the thread.. I think it's a riot! Don't cut me out! I think a panty raid is just what this almost 13 year old boy needs! This is the life experience where a boy raised among men finds out that there are actually naughty boundries! Whoohoo! icon_twisted.gif I never meant Jack to remain eternally 'pure as the driven.

Post coming up.]

Keenan wrote: Keenan bounced impatiently from foot to foot. "Can we get back to the ships now?" he asked. "We gotta go find wood and stuff!" He smiled charmingly at them.

"Right!" Jack nodded emphatically. "Carving and whittlin' knives should be easy. There might even be a workshop on the gounds where the caretakers keep the manse in good nick. But what about silk for the sails?"

Dante slowly nods, "I could find some, but we need someone," and he gestures covertly at Keenan, "to grab the wood from the workshop."

"I can do that," Keenan said with a shrug. "Just... Jack will have to tell me where it is. And I won't steal it. But if I told them why we needed it, they'd let us have it, right?"

Jack looked between Dante and Keenan. Finally to Keenan he explained. "I think so. I promise I will accept any discipline for it if it comes up. My promise to you. Just tell them that you are Lord Ben's nephew Keenan. And that I sent you to ask for the wood to build model ships with. That's the truth so they shouldn't have any problem with that."

He looks Keenan in the face. "Do you think you can do that Kee?"

"Keen can do it," Dante replied, "it's not like it's hard, and it's honest. Give him the directions and lets head out, 'kay?"

Jack glanced at Dante one more time... a certain knowledge passing between them.

"Okay Keenan," he started.. And then Jack proceeded to give him instructions on how to get to the Manor's workshop.

Keenan nodded his understanding and went haring off through the corridors of the manor, intent on his destination. He was, after all, on a mission.

Dante watched Keenan disappear down the hall before turning to Jack: "okay, which one of these rooms belongs to your sister?"

Jack's pulse pounded in his chest and in his neck. "Ummmm.."

He was torn, because Lilith was (after all the most beautiful woman in the world besides his mother) and he wanted to please her. She was his only family besides his father.

Except that he had two cousins that were boys and Dante was almost the same age. Temptation won out at last..

"We're just looking for rags and scraps right?" he asked cautiously, as they peeped out the hallway. But without waiting for an answer he indicates how to get to her door.

[OOC: Took a small liberty, suggesting that Jack knows which one it was. If the GM indicates I don't know, I will happily edit this post]

"Well, of course... we wouldn't want things she was actively using," Dante smiled broadly. "Don't worry... worst thing happens, I'll take the blame." Dante hushes as he approaches the door and tries the knob carefully, but with the quickness that comes with adrenaline.

Jack walks quietly behind Dante. He knows that they're not doing anything bad, but he still can't figure out why he's nervous and guilty already. A plan's is a plan though, and he's not going to lose face in front of Dante now.

He's even more silent when hushed. And the darling blonde hair boy demonstrates that he's spent a lot of time among grown-up men, as his demeanor notwithstanding- as he sets about "jiggering." That is- he acts as the look-out and begins to think up an emergency 'distraction', in case some 'authority figure' abruptly turns the corner.

With a minimum of fumbling, Dante opened the door and slid in quickly, gesturing to Jack to enter quickly.

And so Jack does.. Taking one more glance behgind him down the corridor as he quickly pulls the door closed behind him.

Now he knows he's taken another step over the line. The guilt at war with curiousity and excitement.

Dante inhales the smell of babe... oh yeah. His heart is racing as he looks about the room, considering the dresser the longest. "I think this'd be the best place for silk," he says finally.

And... indeed it is... There are dresses, shirts, scarves... Things that should be scarves but are used as shirts... Unmentionables...

"I think she'd get the least use from these," Dante says holding up something that, were it actually on a woman, he'd feel it in his toes, "not alot of silk though." He frowns and digs a little further through the unmentionables.

Finally he holds up a few items, "this oughtta do us for silk. Might have to stitch some together."

What he held up, though was, scarves... hankercheifs... enclousures for bonne nez. No underwear, no bras... Nothing of that kind.

Jack's eyes are wide.

"Okay," he exhaled. "Good enough. Let's get the devil out of here before we're caught!" he whispers urgently. He covered his mouth because a fool's grin was creeping across his face- despite the fear he thought he should be feeling.

katie wrote: What he held up, though was, scarves... hankercheifs... enclousures for bonne nez. No underwear, no bras... Nothing of that kind.

OOC: Sorry, read too much in. Thought we were doing that whole pre-teen mischief thing to a higher degree. Post amended accordingly.

Dante looks deep into the drawer, seemingly disappointed. "There seem to be some items missing. Did you have some guys over doing this kinda thing before me?"

"Uh huh," Jack swears. His eyes still wide. "But I haven't been here that long."

"Maybe she's got them hid." He covered his mouth again. "B-but.. We shouldn't be doing this. She's my sister!" But this approach-avoidance conflict of adolscent sexuality curiousity is plain on his face.

Yet it's the professional sailor in him that asserts itself. "And when we try to explain that this is just for silk for model ship sails, we're going to be flogged for just thinkng anyone is that stupid. Just find something and let's get out of here Dante!"

"'Kay. Got 'em!" Dante gestures with a skirt.

Jack sighs with relief. Calming down, he takes a deep breath. "Alright.." he whispers. "Now let's go." He'll walk quietly to the door and place his hand on the knob, turning it very slowly..

Dante, anxious to go, peeks around Jack as the door opens.

Dante: Listening In

Dante was quick to wash up and, not needing to talk to his father, snuck about until he could hear Caine and Martha talking.

His father's voice, normally a stern sotto, was strangely boisterous as he spoke. "So, there we are, the entire Begman entourage, standing at the doorway of the sitting room, and the sweet little daughter of the Duke is half-stripped, your darling husband's hardly any better, and Dad's standing there, trying to be stern and majestic as Gerard tries to pull his pants back on."

"And where were you?"

"Oh, I was trying not to pass out from laughing."

"Hmph." Martha, for all her mock indignance, still seemed to be amused by the tale. "And they found their tea booked in the same room as Gerard's little fun by chance…?"

"Well, a little black bird and a few gold might have had something to do with it…"

A queer thought struck Dante. Martha didn't seem to mind about Gerard's escapades with other women. Perhaps Vinta wouldn't be upset at Caine's. And he suddenly felt that it wouldn't be all that fun to tell her about it, not that he relished the idea of explaining how he found out. On the other hand, the prank was worth using... if only he new someone worth setting up.

"Now why would you do that?" asked Martha, returning to her stirring. "Gerard's such a heart..."

"Not when he was four and twenty, he wasn't." Dante could hear as Caine took another sip of the brew. "I'd told him I had my eye on the pretty little Pashka, and the first chance he got, he tried to snatch her up." He laughed. "That Duke never did come back to Amber... And I think the two of us managed to set back Begman talks twenty years between the two of us that afternoon."

Behind him, Dante heard the quiet tread of another pair of feet. Turning, he saw Keenan standing behind him, hair wetted and face cleaned and terribly somber.

... and Dante moved as if he had just turned the corner before him, down the stairs. Concerned by Keenan's appearance he asked, "think you'll be up for dinner?"

Keenan shrugged. "I guess so. But Dante, you need to promise me something."

Dante paused for a beat, "promise what?" Even as he said it he began descending the stairs again, looking at his father.

Keenan caught his arm so that he couldn't descend any farther. "Promise you won't tell anyone anything about what we did today."

"Keen... I can't pretend we did nothing. What should I do when they ask... lie?" It was precisely what Dante had planned to do, but he wondered what the reaction would be.

Keenan frowned. "Well, you can tell them that we went down the festival, and that part... just not about the green house and the ladies," he replied.

"Yeah, I don't think that was something to volunteer. Dinner smells good. Shall we?" Dante nodded at the grip Keenan still held and looked at him questioningly.

Keenan released him and nodded. "All right," he said, and followed Dante down the stairs to the kitchen.

Martha had laid out six bowls around the dinner table, even if there weren't any place settings-- that was still Keenan's task.

Gerard followed not long after, his face clean shaven save for his goatee, and the cuts bandaged up. Martha noted them with some concern. "What's this...?"

He batted her hand away. "Just need a new razor, that's all."

Keenan quickly got out the silverware and cups and such and set the table. He was more subdued than usual, and made sure to set his own place next to his father. As he finished he looked around. "Mum? There's only five of us... why've we got six places?"

Dante looked at the empty space for a moment, and then looked at Caine questioningly.

"Your mother," said Caine, nodding his head at the crowded bar beyond the kitchen walls. "She's out there, trying to strike up some new contracts. Theoretically, she'll be joining us."

The settings done, Martha and Gerard took their seats. "Theoretically," pointed out Martha, "You could go get your wife."

Caine shrugged. "I never like working in theories." With that, and without grace, he set down his mug and dug in.

Dante looked at the empty chair again, and then followed the lead of Caine.

Keenan sat and picked at his dinner, mostly pushing the food around rather than putting any in his mouth. He kept fidgeting and inching his chair towards his father's.

Vinta did join them after a time, cheeks flush and fingers awkward with drink. The adults talked amongst themselves, chattering about politics or pirates or the outlandish cost of oak and steel this year.

Gerard was silent as well, eating quickly, but not excusing himself back to his boat or the sitting room, as was his wont. He didn't even object to Keenan's closeness, even when the boy was practically in his lap. Finally, Martha noticed.

"Kee?" She reached out to stroke his forehead. "Are you alright?"

"A scare on the boat," Gerard said quickly. "He's fine."

Keenan glanced at his father and smothered the look of surprise. He nodded. "I'm fine, Mum," he said. "Just had a bit of trouble with the sail on the way back. Dante put it right, though." He forced a smile at her.

Dante noticed that the conversation had swung his way, and swallowed hard on a piece of meat. "Keen could have done it. I think he was just being polite."

She frowned, her chunk of bread lowering to her plate. "What--"

"It's a sailor thing." Gerard cut her off. "Kee, it's getting late, and you boys had enough excitement. I think it's time for bed."

"Yes sir," Keenan said. He got out of his seat and went to give his mother a hug and a kiss good night. He then went back to his father and hugged him as well. "Will you tuck me in, Dad?" he asked.

Dante looked up for a moment at the scene. It was everything that it should be, and he realized that he didn't have that. Naturally, it disgusted him. He looked at the remains of food on his plate and shoveled some meat in and washed it down with some water.

"Sure." Gerard wiped his own mouth, then lead his son up to his room. It had been a few years since he'd supervised the night-time washing up, but this night he was right behind Keenan all the way, from teeth brushing to crawling in bed.

"You did good," said Gerard, once Keenan was settled down. "And I figure something out. Don't worry."

"I trust you, Daddy," Keenan whispered, looking up at his father with worshipful eyes. "I know you won't let anything bad happen to me, or to Annie." He sat up to get one more hug from his father before settling down under the blankets and closing his eyes.

Dante: Dining with Ladies

Dante found himself looking over Marcie, trying to figure out what -exactly- was meant. It didn't take long. "Yeah... bending over is probably a very important skill." He was trying to be polite, even nice. He ate a slice of melon.

Marcie frowned. "More to it than that. If it were just bending over, he'd be with that witch of of a wife he has stowed in Begma. He likes a fair tongue, too, and some witty banter. Not like you have that, you thick cow." She stuck her tongue out at the dark haired smoker, who only laughted out a cloud of smoke.

A few moments later, Keenan returned to the room and tugged on Dante's sleeve. "Let's go," he said. "We should get back..." His normally cheerful face was pinched and worried looking.

"Well, okay." Dante made a quick smile to the ladies present, focusing on Marcie, "but I'll come back should my busy schedule allow, and if it pleases the company." He moved as if to leave, but kept his eyes on the women in the room, and swiping a handful of grapes.

Keenan dragged him out of the building and back out onto the street. As soon as they were away from it, his lower lip began to tremble, and within a few steps, he was crying.

The street was now fully papered and peopled, with crowds surging in paper-mache costumes and harlequin outfits. None seemed to note the two young boys coming out of the House... Even the builders were long gone.

Dante watched his friend, horrified. "Look, hey, what's wrong? C'mon! It can't be that bad. Tell you what... let's get back to the ship, hunh? Get you out on the water and you can add your tears to that." He tried to steer Keenan through the less conspicuous streets and neighborhoods, towards the docks. "and we can visit that place you were talking about."

Keenan sniffled and nodded miserably, wiping his cheeks and nose with the back of his hand. "I..." he hiccupped, "I think I'd r-rather just go home," he said. "We can visit an-another day." He followed docilely behind Dante back to the ship, and was very quiet for the trip back.

Dante did most of the work, letting Keenan take it easy on the way back. The ship had settled into the dock before he considered saying anything. "Look, I know your upset about something, and you're a nice guy. If you need to talk or anything, I'm here." He seemed embarrassed, but sincere.

Keenan looked at him in surprise, then managed a weak, lopsided smile. "It's just... well, that girl they were teasing me about? She's my friend. I haven't seen her in a long time. And... she took me out of the room to tell me I needed to go, because the ladies there hate my dad. She didn't tell me why. But then this other lady came in... Annie called her Mistress, so I guess she's in charge, and I think I got her in trouble. So... now I'm worried, because I couldn't do anything for her, 'cause I might get her in more trouble, but... but the lady didn't seem very nice at all. And I don't want anything bad to happen to Annie!" He chewed on his lower lip. "So I don't know what to do, and that makes me upset. I'm sorry I cried," he finished lamely.

"You've got a friend in trouble? This may take a little thinking, but I'm sure there's a way around it. All I need from you is to find out if she put herself there. If that's some sort of punishment..." Dante slowly grinned, "we'll get her out anyway. But seriously, she may want to be there. If she doesn't, I'm sure there's something we can do about it. And don't worry about the crying... I won't tell anyone. Just try not to do it in public, 'kay?"

Keenan nodded again. "I wanted to ask her," he said, "but she was too busy trying to get me to leave. I told her to come here when she can, so I can talk to her. But... what if she doesn't come?" He helps Dante tie up the ship at the docks and stares broodingly out at the ocean. "I can't go back... I'll only get her in more trouble."

Dante smiled, "Yeah, but I'm itching to go back. One of the girls knew my dad, and I want to know more. It'd be a cinch to talk to your friend while I'm at it. Next weekend we go to the festival as planned, and I'll pop in... sound alright to you?"

Keenan brightened. "Really? You'd do that?"

Dante thought for a few moments, "sure. I don't see why not."

Keenan grinned and threw his arms around his friend. "Thank you thank you thank you!" he said, squeezing Dante tightly.

"Easy, guy, let me breathe!" Dante smoothed his clothes when Keenan released.

"Sorry," Keenan said, blushing. "Let's go back to my mum's. I'm hungry."

"Sounds great." Dante walked casually back.

Back at Martha's the thick smells of dinner were on the air, as well as the first sounds of men wandering in for drinks, companionship, and a hot meal. The bar was only half-full, by Keenan's reckoning, making it easy for he and Dante to dart past the girl manning the bar (Mansy) and into the kitchens.

Martha was standing over a huge pot, laughing over her shoulder at a joke someone was telling... Dante stopped as he realized who that someone was. Leaning against the breakfast counter was Caine, fresh off the sea in leathers and rough cotton. A mug was in his hand, foamy and dark, and it splashed as he gestured.

"--And there she is, garters for anklets, hair done up like Medusa on a bad day, and that draft Dad was letting in was doing no good---"

Martha glanced over her shoulder when the door opened. Her eyes widened as she spotted the boys, and she threw Caine a hurried 'Shush!' She turned from the pot.

"Well, boy, you finally decide to make it home! You have fun out on the boat?"

Dante beamed for a moment, before straightening. "Yes, sir. There is nothing like the sea for broadening horizons."

Keenan went over to Martha and tugged on her sleeve. "Is Dad coming tonight?" he asked. "I need to talk to him about something."

"He's upstairs now." She nodded up to the ceiling. "I told him to get the salts out of his shirt before he sat down for dinner… And the same applies to the two of you." She narrowed her eyes at Keenan and Dante, but the barely repressed smile on her face belied her tone. "And the other Prince…"

Caine shrugged, holding up his stout and taking another sip. "I'm not done with my story, am I?"

Martha sighed, turning back to her pot and stirring. "Incorrigible. No wonder we keep you out at sea. Boys, go wash up."

"Yes ma'am," Keenan said, and obediently went up the stairs to wash his hands and face and change into clean clothes. "I'll be right back," he told Dante, and then went to go find his father, hesitating at the door and peering in through the crack between the door and the frame. "Dad?" he called. "I need to talk to you."

Gerard turned from his washbin, razor poised at his jaw. There was a few days of growth on his chin, mostly covered with lather. "Sure. Come on in." He turned back to the mirror. "What's on your mind?"

Keenan sat down on the edge of the bed and swung his legs. "Dad... why would anyone hate you?"

Gerard stopped mid-swipe, then shrugged.

"I've been around a long time. I've been a prince all that time, and when you're a prince, you have to do some things people don't like. Why?"

Keenan's eyes widened at his father's easy acceptance of the fact that anyone at all might dislike him. "Well, Dante and I went down to the festival, down the coast a ways... and we went to this green house where a bunch of pretty ladies live... 'cause some workers told us to go there and get some candles they ordered, but they hadn't really, they were playing a joke on us, and my friend Annie was there – she's the one who taught me how to play tin kick – and she said that I had to go, because they hated you there. The lady, the one who was in charge, I guess, Annie calls her the Mistress... she says that the Mistress's got a picture of you up in her room, all full of holes from throwing darts at it!"

Gerard's blade lowered, and through the foam, a line of red began to streak where he had cut himself. He turned, and his voice was low... very low.

"You went... where... today?"

"To a green house down by where the festival is being held," Keenan said. "Dad, you're bleeding."

Gerard didn't move to take care of it. Instead, he set down his razor, then knelt before Keenan. Though he looked fairly calm, when he took a hold of Keenan's arm, his grip was painfully strong.

"Keenan. You are not to go back there. Ever. Do you understand me?"

Keenan nodded, looking scared. "Yes sir." He swallowed hard. "Daddy... you're hurting me..." he whispered.

Gerard took a breath, and slowly eased his grip on Keenan. When his hand drew away, it was shaking.

"This... is going to be our secret. You're not to tell your mother, understand?"

"Yes sir," Keenan said again. "But... why? And what about Annie?"

"Don't worry about why." Gerard rose again, and tried to finish shaving... but another cut from his unsteady hands had him setting down the razor again.

"Annie-- I don't know."

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Keenan asked. He didn't often call his father 'Daddy,' only when he was particularly worried, or wanted something. He got up and went to wrap his arms around Gerard's waist. "Please tell me..."

"Keenan..." Gerard's hand fell atop Keenan's head, and Keenan heard and felt his father gather a breath, then sigh it out. "I think you should get cleaned up. Dinner's soon." He gently pushed Keenan off of him. "And I have to get finished shaving. I'll think of something for your Annie. You just have to keep this quiet. Very, very quiet."

"Did I do something bad?" Keenan asked, near tears now.

Gerard looked at his son's face, contorted in angst, and Keenan found himself snapped up into a feirce hug. Foam rubbed off onto Keenan's hair, making it wet. "No, it wasn't anything you did. You're not bad." Gerard held on a moment longer, then released Keenan, sighing as his son's hair stuck up at odd angles.

"Go get cleaned up, alright? I'll figure out a way to make this better."

"'M sorry, Dad," Keenan said softly. "I promise I'll be good from now on." He retreated from the room in far darker spirits than when he had entered. He went back to his own room and rinsed the foam from his hair, and made sure he clothing was in order. Finally he trudged back down the stairs to the kitchen for dinner.

Dante: Trips

Dawn came on loud and early in Amber, the shipyards stirring with hammers and saws before dawn. Anyone who lived within spitting distance of the harbor was forced to be a morning person, or invest in very thick walls.

It had been a week since Dante had turned ten, and for a list of reasons that ran long and sometimes contradictory, he and his mother were still in Amber. They had put him up in Keenan's room after a hasty order for a cot had been filled. Dante didn't know where his mother was, but it wasn't at Martha's.

Downstairs, the morning crowd of merchants bustled in and out, getting a morning cup of coffee or tea, and one of the baker's delivery of pasteries for a few copper.

Keenan, who was used to getting up very early, got up before Dante and went downstairs to help his mother get the tavern ready for the morning customers. He did his best to keep up with the dishes that they produced, so that they would all be clean and ready when the lunch rush came. "Mum?" he asked as he dried off a plate, "can Keenan and I go sailing today?"

Dante awoke as Keenan ran off, the exterior noise forcing him up, again. Bleary eyed he stumbled about his morning, making it to the foot of the stairs as Keenan ended his question.

Martha looked over Keenan's head at the bleary Dante and laughed. "If his highness can wake himself up enough. Here, Dante." She produced a cup of coffee, pale with milk and heavy with sugar, mutilated to the point of barely being coffee at all. "Drink this down. Kee, you can leave off the dishes. I think our surge is over. You'll want to get dressed. Can't wear an apron on a boat."

"Thank you, Mum!" Keenan pulled off his apron and hung it neatly on its hook. He grabbed a muffin from the table and bit into it. "C'mon, Dante," he said. "Eat quick, so we can go!"

Dante slurped down the coffee, his eyes widening as he did so. With all the calm of a veteran monk, Dante set the cup on the counter. His eyes glistened with awareness before he violently shook himself. "Thanks!"

He then raced about the kitchen, grabbing 2 muffins and a monte cristo* and joining Keenan.

I'm not, at present, certain of the name of those sandwich things with swiss and ham that are fried and have powdered sugar about, but I think that's it.

The pair headed down to the docks, where the Daunting was tied up. "Where do you want to go today?" Keenan asked. "I know someplace I want to visit, but we might get in trouble if we're caught. So we just won't get caught, okay? But it'll be fun."

[OOC: I don't know what they're called, but ew, that sounds gross.]

Dante inspected the ship before casting off, talking to Keenan as he did so. "Yeah, I think we should visit that place, tonight before docking. I also heard of a festival, week-long, that is starting up the coast tomorrow. We should take a look at that next Sunday, maybe a quick peek at the place today. Some of the sailors say it's a definite must."

Dante grabbed the mooring line and cast it onto the deck before jumping onboard. The ship moved slowly in the wrong direction, but it was soon righted, and they were on their way.

"Your mom really does cook well. Maybe we could watch folks put up the festival for a while, or buzz Rebma. Maybe both. Dunno where Rebma is, though."

"Me either," Keenan replied. "It's underwater, though... so we'd have to leave the boat anchored in the water somewhere, and unattended. I don't think that's such a good idea..." He shrugs. "But we can go see what's going on at the festival... maybe we can make a few coins if we help!" He adjusted a sail to better catch the wind. "And you're probably right; we need to wait 'til later to go to that house. The ladies never seem to be up early in the morning. My mum says they hardly ever get out of bed... but they must, mustn't they? I mean, to eat and such? And I see them outside, too, so they do get out of bed sometimes." Keenan shrugged. "What sort of festival, do you know?"

[whenever you get a destination, let me know, so I can start ordering the set peices]

Dante nodded with some sort of internal rhythm. "Not sure, lots of feathers and masks... something about beads seemed to interest the sailors. Lots of pan-shadow folk show up and party. It sounds like we'd blend in, have fun. We could help set up, and then catch the last party day."

(I'm thinking Mardi Gras for this one)

"All right," Keenan says affably. "I like parties, and wearing masks sounds like fun. Because then no one will know that I'm the son of a prince. That makes people act all stupid sometimes." He made a face and shrugged. "I bet its the sort of place that my mum wouldn't want me going to alone," he said, "so make sure she doesn't hear about it."

"Sure." Dante made for the coast. The trip would take a few hours, but little downtime. They soon were coasting into the docks and securing their ship.

Keenan scrambled off of the boat and checked the lines before bouncing from one foot to the other impatiently. "Which way?" he asked. "I think I hear something over that way." He pointed. "Hammering. Maybe putting up tents or something."

Dante looked more casual, but only in contrast. He bounced off the boat and smiled. "Then let's go that way." The hammering grew closer as they walked the streets, until they entered what must've been a main street.

The sky was nearly blotted out as they entered the streets. Paper streamers were hung from every balcony and lamppost, creating a rainbow webbing over them and casting the colors of the dye on their faces. Even without the elaborate costumes that were beginning to emerge, Keenan and Dante were as multi-hued as harlequins.

Music poured out from every bar and store, and even a few street bands that looked more likely to live in the allyways than in a proper house. Even so, the hum of violins and guitars was pleasant, putting a bounce into their step.

Keenan looked around excitedly, his gaze flickering from one thing to the next so quickly he could hardly process what he was seeing. He wove down the street, unconsciously heading in whatever direction his eyes were looking, trying to take it all in at once.

"What do you think we should do first?" he asked Dante. "Where do you want to go?"

Dante thought for a few seconds, while following his friend about. "Maybe hang out with one of the bands. The decorations look like they don't need any help. I think I saw a stage or something a moment ago, maybe we could help with that?"

__________________________ "I'd like to dedicate this song... to a guy who hasn't seen anything good today. Keenan, this song's for you." --"Dante Bayle's Day Off"

"Okay!" Keenan agreed cheerfully, allowing his friend to lead the way. He approached the workmen who were erecting a temporary platform for bands to play on during the festival. "Anything we can do for you, sirs?" he asked the nearest one. "Me and my friend can help, if you need."

Dante nodded with enthusiasm while his thumb hitched at Keenan. "Yeah. What he said."

The men, beefy ex-sailors all, with muscles the size of either of the boy's heads, look down at them, and begin to chuckle.

"We could throw 'em up to the top of the poles, to hang lanterns," suggests one, with the tattoo of a woman carved into his arm.

"Nah," said another through a whistling checkerboard of a smile. "Stiff breeze would carry them off... Tells you what, kids... We need some candles. Bought some from the green house over there, but they ain't delivered yet. Can you go fetch 'em?"

The others tried their best not to snigger as they returned to their stage raising.

Keenan nodded. "Yes sir!" He headed off at a near-run towards the house the sailor had indicated, intent on completing his mission quickly and well as possible. It was a simple task, after all. Even his mother sometimes trusted him with running errands. There was no way he could muck it up. And then the men might stop laughing at them.

Dante was a little slower leaving, watching the men for a moment before following Keenan to the green house. He looked at the house as he was running, trying to make out what kind of establishment it was, and why getting candles from it would be funny.

Keenan walked boldly up to the door and knocked on it. "I don't see why they think us wanting to help is so funny," he said to Dante. "Just 'cause we're small doesn't mean we can't do stuff!"

"True," Dante said hesitantly as he walked up the stairs leading to the porch, careful to avoid creaking. "I'm not sure what they were thinking." He positioned himself on the porch so that he couldn't easily be seen by someone at the door.

A slot on the door opened, large enough to fit only a pair of man's eyes. The eyes stared down at them, crinkling with a frown. "Whatcha here for?"

"Candles," Keenan said, not in the least intimidated. "For one of the stages down that way." He pointed. "The men working on putting it up said that they'd ordered candles from here, but they hadn't been delivered yet, and could we go fetch them? So we're fetching them." He beamed up at the man.

Dante looked like he might, sorta, be there supporting his friend. He might also have been curious about what a train wreck looks like. And that was entirely the look he was trying to give.

"You want to buy... candles." The amusement was clear as the man considered the two men on the porch. The eyes turned away from the slot. "'Ere! Candy! We got to whelps looking to buy candles! Says they can go on the Lotterman Builder's Account!"

"Well, let them in!" came another voice, light and golden has honey, filled with a laugh.

The door opened to reveal a man that might have been up there with Gerard for girth in his better days, but now was more a solid block of fat and hairy tattoos. Behind him, a lady peered at the boys, a dimpled, red smile meeting them. She had a rosy face, most likey from paint, but it was still becoming. Her skirts were slit too high, her bodice too tight, and her cleavage too... there.

"Well... don't stand there, boys. Come in!"

Keenan stepped over the threshold without hesitation, smiling brightly back at the woman he assumed was Candy. "Hello, ma'am," he said, looking at her with unconcealed awe. She looked much like the ladies at the house they were going to visit later, that his mother was always muttering about. "We can't stay long," he said after a second. "They'll be expecting us back."

Dante followed his friend slowly, with a hint of suspicion in his movements. His eyes roamed Candy with veiled curiosity, avoiding looking at the man between them. "I have a feeling that the word 'wick' is going to be overused," he muttered to no one in particular.

The man turned to Candy, motioning to the boys. "We can't have them in here... They've barely got full heads of hair, much less something on their chests. The King'll have our deed."

She laughed, motioning for the boys to follow her up an ill-lit stairwell. "Only if the boys' story is too interesting. Come. We'll be charging Beck a meal for you two sprites."

Dante became more alert than he had been, and puffed himself out a bit while following the woman. He glanced at Keenan and shrugged, but his attention was not on his friend.

Keenan followed the woman closely, peering into the shadows to try and see what was there. He crowded close against Candy as they ascended the stairs, putting on a brave face but definitely nervous about where they were being led.

The halls were richly furnished, though nothing like the way the castle was set out. The Castle was cold, all the vases and pictures surrounded by a foreboding aura of 'don't touch!' Here, the walls were a rich, velvety red, run through with gold, and the carpet was soft enough to mask their footfalls completely. What ornaments they had out almost begged to be touched, from kinetic statues of silver and glass, to rich tropical plants that shouldn't bloom in Amber's chilled clime.

Candy took them to a door at the end of the hall, singing out a hello before opening it. A chorus of 'hellos' rang back at her, along with a rush of smells. There were perfumes hanging in the air, rich as grapes in the full fruit of summer, ripe for picking. Beneath that, though, there was the unmistakable scent of roast beef and stewed carrots and pumpkin pie. The boys saw the buffet first, fit for an Amberite. They saw the ladies second.

They were seated among divans and cushions, sofas and soft, furry rugs. They balanced plates on their laps and wine at their elbows and smiles on their lips. they were painted like portraits, trussed up in silks and ribbons. One of them, a sparkling girl of perhaps sixteen, laughed.

"You've brought us some small treats, having you, Can? They're darling!"

"Treats? No..." Candy ushered the boys to a loveseat. "We're just feeding the dolls, and charging a client who thought to make fun of us."

Keenan looked around, bewildered. "Then... there's no candles?" He chewed on his lower lip, and looked as if he might if Candy replied in the affirmative.

Dante, though he'd been expecting something like this, seemed to be in shock. His mouth hung barely open, with his mouth trying to form some glib phrase. Candles... something about candles entered his mind, which was currently occupying the moral bordertown of smut with a certain amount of reverance.

"It's not the heat," he muttered as he adjusted his collar, "it's the humidity. Must be for those tropical plants."

"They're darling!" squealed a girl with a tiny little mole on her cheek that danced when she laughed. "We should take them on as towel boys... What do you think, Candy? Think the mistress would let us? Old Donnie and Corbin are getting too old for that."

Candy busied herself with building a plate for the two boys, loaded down with beef and roasted pears and stuffing and sugared grapes and petit-fores. "I don't know... We'll have to ask the Madame, first."

"No point in not starting an interview now, though," said another woman, her tone husk and words coming out in white lines off smoke. She puffed at her cigarette holder, then studied the boys from underneath dark bangs. "What are your names, boys?"

Suddenly Dante's hair was standing on end. He had the intense urge to run, only barely keeping himself in line. "Dante," he said before hitching a thumb at his companion, "Keenan."

Keenan nodded. "Only we're not looking for jobs," he said. "But... what do you do here?" he asked curiously, moving away from Candy and taking a few steps towards the first girl that had spoken to them, or really about them... the one that didn't look to be any older than her mid-teens. "And what are your names?"

"I'm Pauline," said the youngest of them, helping herself to a slice of pear. "That's Eva," she nodded at the dark haired smoker. "And we have Tabitha, Ouest, and Mauve over there... Oh! And Annie!" Keenan turned and there was his tin kick partner, Annie, dressed in a smock and carrying several bottles of red.

"Kee!" She started, nearly dropping one of the bottles. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you!" he replied, in such a perfect facsimile of his mother that if any of them had known her, they would have laughed. He rushed over to her and took some of the bottles to carry himself. "I haven't seen you in forever!" he said. "I wondered whatever happened to you!" He looked her up and down. "Do you work here? I mean, I guess obviously you work here, but..." He chewed his lip. "I missed you, Annie. I went looking for you sometimes, but I could never find you."

Dante caught the tone, and smirked a little before taking note of the familiarity. He did not feel the need to intrude upon them. Instead, he looked up at Candy and quietly asked, "food, then? For us you say?" He motioned toward some of the rarer pieces of fruit.

Candy held a plate out to him, the one she had been loading while introductions went around. "For you," she agreed. "More than enough for two growing boys. Enjoy..." She settled down, lowering herself into a sumptuous recliner, taking up something that could have been a plum, were it not the color of jade. "Where do you hie from?"

Annie looked back and forth between the two young royals, panic rising in her eyes. She set the bottles down on the buffet, motioning for him to do the same. The ladies watched in bemused interest. "Well, we had to move out... Patrols got upped around there, so we went to the fishmarkets. Then it got cold, so we all found other places to work until the spring."

"Annie's got a beau...." one of them whispered, and Annie flushed. "Oh no?" the woman continued. "Where do you know him from, then?"

"He... He... He was in another gang." Annie fumbled uncorking the wine. "That's where we met. In a near bust."

Dante scarfed down the food, but his attention was more on those in the room. More than once a look of shock crossed his face as he realized he'd bitten into a rind of cheese instead of an apple. "Me, I'm from Begma."

Keenan managed to squash the confused look that rose to his face at Annie's lie, and nodded. "So do you like working here, then?" he asked. "I... I got a nice job, down by the docks, in an inn there." His face twisted as he tried to lie, not knowing whether he was being at all convincing.

Annie tried to keep a traight face as she poured a glass for the smoking lady with dark hair, and the woman gave her a slow, cat like smile. "Oh, Annie, you've got a beau who's gone legit. Aren't you the lucky girl? All the rest of us have scoundrals and princes. And he has a friend from Begma. You'll be a debutante of shadow before you're sixteen."

Annie only blushed, rushing to fill another upheld glass.

Dante's eyes went wide for a moment, and then he tried to compose himself. "You've got princes? Like, ummm... Corwin and Random? I didn't think..." his eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting that the princes aren't legit?"

"Don't tease her," Keenan said indignantly. "I'm not her beau. I would be if I was old enough, but I'm only eight!" He moved toward Annie as if to protect her from the playful accusations of the other ladies.

"Princes are legit," laughs a fair skinned red head. "But that doesn't keep them away from here. Who've we had lately? Random's been away since he got himself kinged, but I suppose he's got a passel up in the castle just for him... Then there's Martin, when he's bothering with Amber. Oh, and Merlin! Weren't you a fav of his when he was in town, Candy? And we've got Caine, of course..." She giggled, then gave the other girls a superior smile. "Or at least, I do..."

Her dialouge didn't pull much attention away from Keenan and Annie. The ladies cooed at the flushed stare Annie was giving Keenan. The dark haired woman chuckled. "Oh, Annie's got a legit future beau who's waiting around for her! We'll be reading about them in the penny reads, won't we, ladies?"

Keenan seemed relatively oblivious to the teasing as he looked uncertainly at Annie, suddenly afraid that he had upset her somehow. She was certainly staring at him as if he'd done or said something very wrong. He went to her and took her hands, looking up at her imploringly. "What's wrong, Annie? You wouldn't want me for a beau, if I was old enough?"

Dante looked at the ceiling at the mention of Caine. "Hunh. Well, um... what was your name?" He was trying not to blush, not to do anything. He had gone a little rigid.

"Marcie," she purred. "I certainly hope you aren't writing a proposal behind that cute little face of yours. The Prince likes his girls exclusive."

Annie looked down at her hands, connected to Keenan's, as if they were aliens suddenly attached to her body. "I-- I guess--" Around them the women giggled and tittered, and she turned a brilliant shade of red.

"Give her a kiss, boy," said one, "You gotta give sugar to get it."

Obediently, Keenan bounced up on his toes and kissed Annie's cheek. "It's okay," he told her, squeezing her hands. "I'm not old enough yet."

[OOC: Just a reminder, I'll be gone from the 29th - the 1st. I may get the chance to check my email and do quick responses during that time, but don't count on it. Happy New Year, all!]

Dante put his hands above his shoulders, "I wouldn't muscle in on Caine's action!" He gave a look at Marcie. "Why would he hang out with you?"

Marice cocked an eyebrow. "I've obviously got some training he likes."

"Pshaw--" The dark haired smoker blew out a ring. "Only training you've got is in bending over and lacing your bodice so you're popping out of it."

Marcie pursed her lips, sucking in a grape and biting it until it burst. "You're just jealous, you chessboard."

Annie began to tug on Keenan, trying to urge him to the door.

Dante found himself looking over Marcie, trying to figure out what -exactly- was meant. It didn't take long. "Yeah... bending over is probably a very important skill." He was trying to be polite, even nice. He ate a slice of melon.

Keenan allowed himself to be tugged away, figuring that Annie wanted to talk in private... which was fine with him, because he wanted to talk to her, too. He wanted to know if she liked working here, and how she was, and he didn't want the other ladies and all of their comments that made Annie blush getting in the way.