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jeriendhalPopping back over to one of my Red Vixen stories in progress, while I muse about the Groupmind's nexxt move.
***
Melanie was carrying the last box of groceries aboard Rolas’ sailboat, when there was a deep throated call of “Oi! What are you doing on Rollie’s boat?” She turned to see a compact, white-furred male, wearing deck shorts and an unbuttoned shirt that showed a set of abdominal muscles even more impressive than her husband’s, walking down the pier quickly towards her.
Melanie set the box down on the deck as she turned towards the male, who had reached the end of the gangplank and was looking up at her with annoyance. She quirked an eyebrow up at him, “I’m loading the groceries,” she said, deliberately flattening her Noble intonations. “Who might you be?”
“Friend of Rollie’s,” the male answered, puffing himself up a bit. With a stance like that and his no-nonsense manner she was willing to bet even money he was Military caste, a fact confirmed when he replied, “Lt. Dack Cannonloader to you, miss. Who are you?”
“I’m Mel, I’m loading up the groceries,” Melanie replied. “Now what are you doing at Rollie’s gangway?”
“Brought my boat into dock and came to see if he was about. I knew he kept the old girl here.”
“Ah.” She looked him up and down. “Knew him from his time in the Service?”
“Yes. Where might you know him from, miss?”
Melanie let her tone switch back to Noble, holding up her paw to flash the silver commitment band around her wrist. “I'm his mate.”
Cannonloader's eyes widened. “Mate? A vixen?”
“Yes, a vixen,” she replied, raising an eyebrow. “This is so surprising?”
“Well... a bit,” Cannonloader said. He shrugged slightly. “Old Rollie is more flexible than I gave him credit for.”
“Really?” She thought back to their brief conversation when Rolas had been her captive on board the Scarlet Claw, almost two years ago now. He had mentioned hooking up with a couple of his crewmates when he'd been doing his Service tour, but she couldn't actually recall if he'd said they'd been vixens or not. Or for that matter had been one at a time... “Honestly we never discussed his sexual preferences, at least after I managed to attract his attention.” She motioned for Cannonloader to come up the gangplank. “Would you like to come aboard?”
“Certainly, ma'am.” Cannonloader strode up the gangplank and straddled the capstan, looking Melanie over more judiciously. “How long have you been together?”
“We've been married about a year,” she said. “This trip is... sort of a second honeymoon.” Or quite possibly their last honeymoon, if they couldn't work things out. She sat on the railing near him, ankle folded over one knee, the other foot on the deck to keep her balance.
Cannonloader nodded. “I'm glad he found someone. Heard about that terrible mess with his sister and Countess Highglider's boy last year when it finally went public. Knew Rolas must have been tied up in knots about it, poor fellow.”
“Rolas holds his feelings close,” she admitted. “He's always been very conscious of his duties though.”
“Oh, aye,” Cannonloader agreed, accepting a canned tea she passed from the grocery box. “Had to get at least three drinks into him to get him to relax, back aboard our old cruiser. Never talked much about himself or his family though. Used to think he was just being careful not to act like a Know-It-All-Noble. After hearing about his sister's troubles I'm not so sure now.”
“I noticed it's very difficult to get him to open up,” Mel said. “I thought it was because of the guilt he felt about what happened to Sallivera, the fact he couldn't protect her.”
“Guilt?” Cannonloader said. “That's not how I'd put it.” He opened his muzzle as if to continue, but then seemed to think better of it.
Before Mel could encourage him to continue, Rolas came tromping up the gangway, a block and tackle slung over one shoulder. He came to a surprised halt when he reached the boat's deck, eyes widening as he spotted Cannonloader. “Dack?”
“The one and only,” Cannonloader said cheerily, turning in his seat on the capstan to grin at him. “Rollie, you old reprobate. You never told me you got married after that whole mess with your old Countess went public.”
“Never seemed like there was any time,” Rolas replied. He glanced uncertainly between his old shipmate and Melanie. “Been talking, have you?”
“Not for long,” Melanie reassured him.
Cannonloader stood up, grasping forearms with Rolas in a military style handshake. “Didn't mean to intrude on your holiday, Rollie. Looks like you've found yourself a lovely mate, even if she's not my cup of tea.”
“Yes, she is lovely,” Rolas said cautiously. “Seems like we learn something new about each other every day almost.”
“Could say the same about you,” Cannonloader agreed, letting go of Rolas' arm. “Take care of yourself, old man. Call me, if you need to.”
“I might. I will,” Rolas said, correcting himself as Cannonloader stared at him. “You're going already?”
“I've got to sail on. Charter with a couple of tech boffins from some entertainment company. Stopped by to check out your boat and found your wife here.” Cannonloader's smile grew ironic. “Surprised me.”
“Sorry, should have called. I'd have sent you an invitation to the wedding, but I.... er.” Rolas' voice trailed off, embarrassed, ears growing red. Melanie, observing quietly, raised an eyebrow at this.
Cannonloader's voice softened. “It's all right, old man. It's good that you found some happiness in life, eh?”
“I suppose your right.” Rolas smiled slightly, as Cannonloader gave him a pat on the shoulder and headed back down the gangway.
“Close friend?” Melanie asked, coming to her feet.
“Yes,” Rolas said simply, watching the short, muscular male stride down the dock, not meeting her eyes.
“Funny you didn't mention him, or invite him to our wedding, if he was such a boon companion.”
“It would have been.... awkward. For both of us,” Rolas said, after a moment pause.
“For you and him, or me and you?” she prodded.
“For all of us,” he said, bristling slightly. “Anyway, I didn't see you inviting your Lt. Zan, or Alinadar for that matter.”
“Neither of them knew of my true identity back then, and at any rate Zan's attendance would have been a bit hard to explain, given he's a wazagan after all.”
“So we both have our secrets we'd rather keep,” Rolas concluded. “Try not to be shocked.”
“I'm not shocked, Rolas,” she said. “I won't pretend I'm not concerned though. You wanted to go on this little trip to come to grips with my old life, then this Cannonloader comes along, all smiles and warm memories of you? Why keep him a secret from me? Ashamed were you?”
“Not ashamed,” Rolas insisted. “You're the most flexible minded vixen I've ever met, I'll grant you that much.”
“Thank you,” she allowed. “Why then?”
“I don't want to talk about it right now,” he said gruffly, picking up the block and tackle from where he'd left it on the deck. “Get the groceries loaded in the pantry. I want to clear of the harbor before sundown.”
Melanie gave him a penetrating look, but he still refused to meet her gaze, instead walking over to the stern of the boat, back and tail stiff. Then she shook er head, picking up the box of groceries and heading below.
***
Melanie was carrying the last box of groceries aboard Rolas’ sailboat, when there was a deep throated call of “Oi! What are you doing on Rollie’s boat?” She turned to see a compact, white-furred male, wearing deck shorts and an unbuttoned shirt that showed a set of abdominal muscles even more impressive than her husband’s, walking down the pier quickly towards her.
Melanie set the box down on the deck as she turned towards the male, who had reached the end of the gangplank and was looking up at her with annoyance. She quirked an eyebrow up at him, “I’m loading the groceries,” she said, deliberately flattening her Noble intonations. “Who might you be?”
“Friend of Rollie’s,” the male answered, puffing himself up a bit. With a stance like that and his no-nonsense manner she was willing to bet even money he was Military caste, a fact confirmed when he replied, “Lt. Dack Cannonloader to you, miss. Who are you?”
“I’m Mel, I’m loading up the groceries,” Melanie replied. “Now what are you doing at Rollie’s gangway?”
“Brought my boat into dock and came to see if he was about. I knew he kept the old girl here.”
“Ah.” She looked him up and down. “Knew him from his time in the Service?”
“Yes. Where might you know him from, miss?”
Melanie let her tone switch back to Noble, holding up her paw to flash the silver commitment band around her wrist. “I'm his mate.”
Cannonloader's eyes widened. “Mate? A vixen?”
“Yes, a vixen,” she replied, raising an eyebrow. “This is so surprising?”
“Well... a bit,” Cannonloader said. He shrugged slightly. “Old Rollie is more flexible than I gave him credit for.”
“Really?” She thought back to their brief conversation when Rolas had been her captive on board the Scarlet Claw, almost two years ago now. He had mentioned hooking up with a couple of his crewmates when he'd been doing his Service tour, but she couldn't actually recall if he'd said they'd been vixens or not. Or for that matter had been one at a time... “Honestly we never discussed his sexual preferences, at least after I managed to attract his attention.” She motioned for Cannonloader to come up the gangplank. “Would you like to come aboard?”
“Certainly, ma'am.” Cannonloader strode up the gangplank and straddled the capstan, looking Melanie over more judiciously. “How long have you been together?”
“We've been married about a year,” she said. “This trip is... sort of a second honeymoon.” Or quite possibly their last honeymoon, if they couldn't work things out. She sat on the railing near him, ankle folded over one knee, the other foot on the deck to keep her balance.
Cannonloader nodded. “I'm glad he found someone. Heard about that terrible mess with his sister and Countess Highglider's boy last year when it finally went public. Knew Rolas must have been tied up in knots about it, poor fellow.”
“Rolas holds his feelings close,” she admitted. “He's always been very conscious of his duties though.”
“Oh, aye,” Cannonloader agreed, accepting a canned tea she passed from the grocery box. “Had to get at least three drinks into him to get him to relax, back aboard our old cruiser. Never talked much about himself or his family though. Used to think he was just being careful not to act like a Know-It-All-Noble. After hearing about his sister's troubles I'm not so sure now.”
“I noticed it's very difficult to get him to open up,” Mel said. “I thought it was because of the guilt he felt about what happened to Sallivera, the fact he couldn't protect her.”
“Guilt?” Cannonloader said. “That's not how I'd put it.” He opened his muzzle as if to continue, but then seemed to think better of it.
Before Mel could encourage him to continue, Rolas came tromping up the gangway, a block and tackle slung over one shoulder. He came to a surprised halt when he reached the boat's deck, eyes widening as he spotted Cannonloader. “Dack?”
“The one and only,” Cannonloader said cheerily, turning in his seat on the capstan to grin at him. “Rollie, you old reprobate. You never told me you got married after that whole mess with your old Countess went public.”
“Never seemed like there was any time,” Rolas replied. He glanced uncertainly between his old shipmate and Melanie. “Been talking, have you?”
“Not for long,” Melanie reassured him.
Cannonloader stood up, grasping forearms with Rolas in a military style handshake. “Didn't mean to intrude on your holiday, Rollie. Looks like you've found yourself a lovely mate, even if she's not my cup of tea.”
“Yes, she is lovely,” Rolas said cautiously. “Seems like we learn something new about each other every day almost.”
“Could say the same about you,” Cannonloader agreed, letting go of Rolas' arm. “Take care of yourself, old man. Call me, if you need to.”
“I might. I will,” Rolas said, correcting himself as Cannonloader stared at him. “You're going already?”
“I've got to sail on. Charter with a couple of tech boffins from some entertainment company. Stopped by to check out your boat and found your wife here.” Cannonloader's smile grew ironic. “Surprised me.”
“Sorry, should have called. I'd have sent you an invitation to the wedding, but I.... er.” Rolas' voice trailed off, embarrassed, ears growing red. Melanie, observing quietly, raised an eyebrow at this.
Cannonloader's voice softened. “It's all right, old man. It's good that you found some happiness in life, eh?”
“I suppose your right.” Rolas smiled slightly, as Cannonloader gave him a pat on the shoulder and headed back down the gangway.
“Close friend?” Melanie asked, coming to her feet.
“Yes,” Rolas said simply, watching the short, muscular male stride down the dock, not meeting her eyes.
“Funny you didn't mention him, or invite him to our wedding, if he was such a boon companion.”
“It would have been.... awkward. For both of us,” Rolas said, after a moment pause.
“For you and him, or me and you?” she prodded.
“For all of us,” he said, bristling slightly. “Anyway, I didn't see you inviting your Lt. Zan, or Alinadar for that matter.”
“Neither of them knew of my true identity back then, and at any rate Zan's attendance would have been a bit hard to explain, given he's a wazagan after all.”
“So we both have our secrets we'd rather keep,” Rolas concluded. “Try not to be shocked.”
“I'm not shocked, Rolas,” she said. “I won't pretend I'm not concerned though. You wanted to go on this little trip to come to grips with my old life, then this Cannonloader comes along, all smiles and warm memories of you? Why keep him a secret from me? Ashamed were you?”
“Not ashamed,” Rolas insisted. “You're the most flexible minded vixen I've ever met, I'll grant you that much.”
“Thank you,” she allowed. “Why then?”
“I don't want to talk about it right now,” he said gruffly, picking up the block and tackle from where he'd left it on the deck. “Get the groceries loaded in the pantry. I want to clear of the harbor before sundown.”
Melanie gave him a penetrating look, but he still refused to meet her gaze, instead walking over to the stern of the boat, back and tail stiff. Then she shook er head, picking up the box of groceries and heading below.
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no subject
Date: 2015-01-25 04:36 pm (UTC)Even after they've been gender integrated it seems.
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Date: 2015-01-26 10:23 am (UTC)