News from the Fleet (Gage Returns)

Punch, Oilrag, Saxifrage, Peridiscus, Darkfur, Notch, Gage, Dangeon

Location: Banquet Hall

The hall is gloomy this afternoon, rendered in steely gray by the diffuse light that filters in through the windows. It is overcast, and the threat of a thunderstorm thickens the air. Punch relights one candle from another and sets his place in order before taking a seat at the officers' table.

Nearby at the same table, Oilrag sips dark wine from a silver goblet, his eyes glancing about at the other beasts present as if planning something.

"'Rag," Punch grunts quietly in greeting. Even as he's adjusting his chair, a young rat, probably no more than 6 seasons, hastens up to fill his vessel with wine as well. The builder gives the child no notice but raises the drink to his lips, as if in imitation of the polecat.

Escorted by her brother, Saxifrage drifts into the chamber. She is clad in a formal gown; her golden hair has been let down, and some tropical flower is tucked behind one ear. As the two approach the officers' table, she turns to Peridiscus and murmurs, "Nice hat," as they amble by some rat grunt with a curious taste it headwear. A half-smile snakes over her features, but vanished by the time they reach the imperial bigwigs.

Peridiscus's face briefly flashes into an amused grin before he moderates it to a more decorous polite smile. The polecat idly runs his free paw through the back of his headfur, unnecessarily trying to tame it when it had been perfectly adequately combed already. He stiffens his back to a straighter position as he nears the VIPs, though his smile still plays widely upon his features.

Oilrag nods to him, no hint of a smile on his own face. He resumes sipping his wine.

As soon as he's taken his seat, it seems, Punch is back on his feet, guiding the two dapper siblings to the officers' table. "I t-trust you d-don't mind," he says, addressing Oilrag sharply. "Here. C-come," he points to the two chairs beside his.

Oilrag shrugs, not bothering to say anything as Punch has already invited the pair.

Saxifrage sinks in two distinct curtsies. The first is for Punch, as he rises to greet them, and the then to the other officers at the table. She commandeers the chair next to Punch. "Good evening, Punch. Thank you for the dinner invitation."

Oilrag watches the two other polecats calculatingly

Peridiscus readily follows Punch to the seats that he pointed out and dips his head in a slight polite bow to Punch. "Thank you sir. Our family is deeply honored to have received your invitation."

Punch has already retaken his seat. "Y-your, er, father did not m-make it?" He fumbles with his goblet--fissures, already, in his aristocratic demeanor. He smiles awkwardly and sips.

Oilrag smoothly slides his now-empty goblet aside, gesturing sharply for a servant to refill it. While awaiting its return, he glances to Punch. "Apparently so. If he did make it, he would be here, wouldn't he?"

Peridiscus's paw quivers slightly, on the barest edge of noticeability, as he takes a short draught from a nearby set goblet before answering Punch, his smile turning just a shade sardonic. "I'm afraid he has an urgent business matter to attend to."

"Oh?" she asks, blinking. Saxifrage looks to her brother, but says nothing more. The same young rat who brought wine for Punch and Peridiscus fills the goblet in front of the jill, though she barely acknowledges the transaction. She simply watches the lackey perform his task, waits for him to recede to the background, and lifts her goblet. "Yes."

Oilrag's own wine goblet returns, brimming with dark liquid. "Do tell." The polecat sounds bored out of his mind, and making small talk isn't his thing, but he attempts it anyways.

Punch's pawfingers drum on the table beside his empty plate. He only sneers at the unctuous Oilrag's earlier jibe and turns to probe the doors for any sign of activity. "Is the e-mper-ror coming?" he says, half-rhetorically.

Peridiscus's eyes widen a little in surprise at being questioned further about his father's absence, but quickly smiles to hide his surprise. "I beg your pardon sir, but alas my father does not yet intimate all the details of the business to me." The polecat gives a small polite chuckle, "He keeps telling me I'll be ready for them someday."

Saxifrage draws a sip of wine, savoring it for a minute. Her olive eyes lid, she swallows, and permits a little smirk to besmirch her features.

Oilrag nods. "Ah." He sips his own wine and leans back. "Wonder when his Highness will arrive..."

As if by magic, in the same breath as the statement from Punch, the doors swing open, allowing His Majesty into the hall. His robes drag along the stone stairs as he descends, slowly, cautiously. He's flanked and slightly precedes two rats, one of whom is grinning sheepishly. The other, clearly more experience in the role, stares at the other out of the corners of his eyes. Darkfur completes his descent and stops, prompting the more experienced rat and the other, though late, to stop just at the bottom of the stairs. The former hands him a scroll, which he opens, reading: "Distinguished guests. You honor me with your presence at tonight's feast. Courtesy compels us to announce those new faces with us this evening..." He names names, and hands the scroll back, sitting down at the dais.

Oilrag nods. "M'lord."

Notch pokes his head out from under the table, food in his mouth as he salutes Darkfur, "Father." He says with a full mouth and then disappears back under the table.

Punch rises to his feet at the appropriate time and sinks into his chair when the royal proclamation is concluded. He salutes and enunciates a flowery greeting that upstages Oilrag's considerably.

Oilrag glances under the table when Notch emerges, startled. "How did yew get under there?" He shrugs and returns to eating and drinking

Notch chucks a bone at Oilrag in reply.

Peridiscus rises and bows at his turn, reciting the statement he had prepared in his head earlier. "My lord: Peridiscus Knothill at your service. My sister Saxifrage and I are here on behalf of our father; we are both deeply honored to accept my lord's generous invitation."

The unnamed rat providing the scroll rolls it up, keeping his halberd in the crook of his arm as he does so, unceremoniously. He feels about to yawn but knows better, and almost at that cue, he glances over and catches his foul-witted counterpart agape, moving a paw up to stifle his rude gesture. It's all the other can do to stare arrows at him, and return his attention to the hall, eyeing everybeast like a hawk. Halberd almost slipping, he catches it with an impressive deftness, as he returns it to the other, previously occupied paw.

Oilrag rises, nodding apologetically to Darkfur. "M'lord, forgive me, but there is an urgent matter I must attend to." Robes swirling around him, he exits the banquet hall swiftly.

Peridiscus sits back down and grins at his sister with a bit of relief.

Saxifrage stands while her brother gives his short treatise on their identities and gratitude, hands clasped. As soon as Peridiscus finishes, she offers another polite dip, and drops into the safety of her seat. She exhales sharply, returns her brother's grin, then returns to her wine.

Punch makes a show of disapproval at Oilrag's early departure.

Notch burps from under the table before appearing in all glory. Dressed up as well, though having gone through the trouble of dirtying his fine clothes, "Evening all, quite a gathering eh?" He brushes off some crumbs/mess from his clothes.

Confound it, this is the second time he's done that! The king glares after Oilrag, wondering what on earth could be more urgent than attending the banquet? Family issues?! Certainly not! "You will of course be excused, but do tell us with the appropriate forward notice when such events will conspire to cause your early departure. Note this first warning." He nods at Peridiscus, "A pleasure to have you with us." Another of the newbeasts, an older rat, approaches the dais and bows, "Your Highness, if you would spare the scroll that could only be for this occasion, if you have ample record of the guests here; my sister would desire to commemorate the occasion with it, if no beast else so desires..."

Peridiscus fiddles with the silverware as he pretends to watch the proceedings up front with rapt attention.

Punch folds his paws across his still-bare plate, elbows gracelessly perched on the edge of the table. He wear an inscrutable expression.

Saxifrage leans in to Punch. "Who was the fellow who rushed off so quick?" she asks, eyes following the exiting polecat.

Notch heads back under the table, grabbing a bowl of food as he goes.

"Uh-o-Oilrag." The young builder's stutter confounds his attempts to keep his voice at a whisper.

"Viddick! The scroll, if you please. Have it here." The rat descends the few stairs to the hall, and another few to the dais, though just short of the platform itself, as he both bows and hands over the scoll, "Your Excellency." He walks back, noting the mystified, almost adoring gaze of the other rat across the stairs. He doesn't make a /direct/ route, and comes within a whisker's width of the other rat, mumbling, "Get those silly expressions off of your face, Pauken. Stand at attention!" He crosses over to his post and makes a smart report with the butt of his halberd.

Peridiscus mouths "nice name" to himself, inaudibly, with a twitch at the corner of his lips.

Both brows lift. "Oilrag? That sounds like a, er." The jill pauses, staging her words carefully. "Was he raised on the island? It's odd to see an unfamiliar 'cat about."

Punch's attention drifts between duty and interest, from the minor kerfuffle at the head of the table and the discussion of the uncommon mustelid moniker.

Punch turns to Saxifrage. "N-not e-everyone has s-so s-s-sophisticated a f-father," he says with a hint of offense that he softens with a slight smile. "Or s-such elegant n-names."

Peridiscus begins to roll his eyes but catches himself in the middle. Instead he looks politely in some direction away from Punch and Saxifrage.

Punch's foot touches something under the table.

Darkfur nods at Viddick and stops just shy of handing over the scroll, "We have an arena, you know. Perhaps we should have the best of yours and the best of Peridiscus' young, strong rats to fight over possession of this trophy? What say everybeast?!"

Saxifrage lowers her head in vague contrition. A lock of gold falls over her snout, which she draws away with a thumb when she looks up again. "Punch, I meant no offense. It's a small island; my kind are somewhat rare. It's simply strange to see such an unfamiliar face." She loses track of the conversation when the king speaks. "Peridiscus' young?"

Saxifrage has to slam a dram of wine, lest she topple over with laughter.

Peridiscus was barely paying attention, but focuses quickly at the mention of his name. His eyes widen with a bit of confusion and he feels the color drain a little from his face.

Notch grabs Punch's foot.

The doors of the banqueting hall slam open, and three figures step in, a polecat and two rats. One rat is holding a torch, and the other is supporting the polecat with one arm. The polecat as absolutely drenched, seawater dripping onto the floor and leaving a wet trail behind him. He looks up and scans the gathered officials, his bloodshot eyes falling on the emperor. He pushes the rat supporting him aside and walks, albeit a little weakly, towards the head table. "Your majesty!" he calls, interrupting the conversation, "News from your fleet!"

Punch has already begun to rise to his feet when the rats march into the hall. Unfortunately, the prince has him by the leg, and he slips backward, toppling his chair.

Laughter erupts from underneath Punch's table.

Peridiscus breathes an inward sigh of relief as the meaning of the emperor's earlier statement becomes moot. He exchanges a meaningful grin with his sib before leaning back in his chair, adjusting his spectacles, and taking a gulp of wine.

Saxifrage's palm flies to her muzzle when the bedraggled creature bursts into the chamber. Her astonished stare is only momentarily affixed to the trio, though, as she shrieks and scrambles for the plummeting Punch. "Oh, dear! Punch!" Once the jill has determined her grappling to be wholly ineffective, she just calms, and extends a slim hand to her fallen rat friend.

His Majesty doesn't even care to note the reaction of the hall, half succumbed to laughter and half-confused, before allaying any fears of the older rat, "I jest, I jest! I would not do that, my good rat! Here is your--" Interrupted. The king stands up out of indignation but finds himself throwing down his tablecloth and stepping down from the dais, "Breathe, breathe, friend. What news? And make room at the table, give him a chair!"

Gage takes a few deep breaths before sitting down as a rat guard offers him a seat. As he tries to catch his breath one of the guards that came in with him reports, "We foun' 'im washed up onna beach about twenny minutes ago. Brought 'im up here as soon as he was consious." Gage coughs roughly and then manages a weak salute to the emperor, "Captain Gage Darkwater, lord. I was wit' the fleet and commander Rurik. I'm dissapointed ta report that I think i'm the only survivor." he says grimly.

Punch pridefully dismisses the offer of help, raising himself with his own power after disentangling the subterranean miscreant. He clears his throat and glides gracefully to the king's side, dignity regained. He watches Gage closely.

Saxifrage shifts in her seat when Punch rejects her help, but this is no time to stew. She sloughs her indignation with another drink of wine--drains it, in fact--and then her eyes are back to Gage. Though transfixed by the unfolding debacle, the jill tilts to her brother and says, "Mercy," at a volume specific to him.

Peridiscus's interest is captured by this new, obviously disastrous development. He attends to the proceedings silently and grimly, reaching his hand beneath the table to grasp his sister's firmly.

The king's brow creases sullen disbelief, his paw going to the nearest chair for support, "This... this cannot be! His entire fleet to the depths? What force could possibly match us in these waters? Did you see what beasts they were that attacked you? From what direction did they assail you?"

Gage shakes his head, water droplets flinging off his fur, "A little slower, if ya don't mind, m'lord, my head's still achin'. We were attacked by some corsairs two days out," he shrugs, "Nothin' special, we put them down pretty quickly. But they did enough damage to our ships that we weren't prepared for the storm that night. It was a disaster, one ship startin' takin' on water, then another. Didn't help that this was one o' the worst storm's i've ever seen." he coughs again, "My own ship was hit by another, the helmsbeast had been washed away an' it was sailin' without direction. Beats anythin' I ever saw." he shakes his head.

Be it from the wine or her characteristic detachment from reality, the serious nature of this arrival is lost on Saxifrage. When Peridiscus grabs her paw, she at least recognizes it as a prompt to shut up and pay attention, and obeys his fraternal recommendation. The jill selects her goblet with the free hand, thumbing its stem in anxious expectation of a refill. Most of the seafaring unfortunates' tale is inaudible from this distance, but a few details manage to gel. "Huh."

Punch looks at the floor, concealing whatever his immediate reaction might be to the sopping polecat's revelation.

"Rough seas, eh? A little under the weather, are our searats now, are they? Rurik be damned! He was a clumsy fool of a commander, and you're to be commended for surviving his stupidity. Carry on the banquet, tend to his needs but carry on, everybeast." He looks at the guests, "Well, we are here and not at sea, shall I toast us all to that bright fact? Be merry, and where is Dangeon, for goodness sake?" He wanders around aimlessly, checking under tables, sending Pauken up to find the hare, and passing by Viddick, "If she's gone off and forgotten about tonight's feast, I'll... I don't know what. I don't know, Viddick."

"I-I'll fetch her, my Lord," Punch says, bowing and turning immediately to find the queen.

Gage stands, having one final coughing fit, "My lord, I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but I must remind you that this leaves us with only two ships, both in for repairs, not to mention the good seabeasts an' cargo that was also lost." he knows the risk of delivering bad news to Emperor Darkfur, but better now than later, he thinks.

Peridiscus mumbles to Saxifrage. "I doubt this will do any favors for the bottom line."

Saxifrage twists to watch Punch scamper off, disengaging her paw from Peridiscus'. "Where did that wine pup go?" she asks, oblivious to her brother's mumbling. She fails to locate the young servant rat, but has wrenched so completely by then that it is only natural to rise. The jill flips her hair, combs it with her fingers, and diffidently wanders toward Darkfur and Gage. "Your majesty?" It suffices as both a salutation and a question; an invitation to speak.

Darkfur waves off the cat, chuckling, "We have plenty of resources, and we'll build a new fleet. Let us set aside a day for mourning, perhaps, but after the current festivities." He shoots a glance over to Peridiscus, and doesn't hear what is said, but is wary of it all the same, "I said, everybeast, as you were - this is not the time to consider the worst of news, and if it were immediately threatening to our safety, believe me I'd be the first to end tonight's affair and call my council to session. Drink! Eat! A waste would be to throw this good fare away when it is all prepared and looking quite delicious!"

Darkfur looks to Saxifrage, "By all means, if it has nothing to do with our beleaguered cat and his news!"

Gage nods, "As you wish, my lord." he looks down at his soaked clothes, "If you'll excuse me, i'd like to make myyself a bit more presentable fer your court, majesty." he bows slightly.

"Sir, if it pleases you, I would like to offer this poor beast my sea--" Saxifrage is interrupted, but reacts as if she is used to it. Clearing her throat, she gives a deferential little nod to nothing.

Peridiscus leans back in his chair and sips the wine, bemused by his sister's actions.

Darkfur looks confused at Saxifrage for a moment, and then is interrupted by the dancer in the center of the tables leaping toward the emperor and wrapping her sash about his neck, giving quite a display of skill and flexibility, before returning to the center and carrying on in her dance, albeit with a bit more of Darkfur's attentions. He's silent for a moment, then turns to the other beasts and continues a progressively deteriorating dialogue with frequent draughts of wine.

Frankly, the dancer's sudden action even catches Gage's eyes, and her watches her for a few seconds before starting to slowly slip out, really starting to grow tired of standing here cold and wet.

Saxifrage lowers her head, embarrassed by her own audacity, and slinks back to the chair beside her brother. Fate has smiled on the jill, however; in her absence, the goblet was freshly charged with wine, and Saxifrage swoops it immediately. "I'll have to admit, Peri, that I prefer our home turf."

Peridiscus closes his eyes and smiles. Glad to have their conversation masked by the renewed hubbub of the banqueting hall, and Punch having left them, he speaks freely to his sib. "Yeah. Thinking of sneaking out?"

Viddick watches the drunken scene below and almost steps forward when the dancer approaches, but his concern is eased when the advance is over, and the king seems none the worse for it. Can't trust /any/ of these fools! Any of them!

Gage goes ahead and backs out of the room, to return soon in some dry clothes. Or maybe not. With his news delivered, he really has no right to stay here any longer.

"Perhaps we should at least eat." The jill rolls her eyes to the still empty platters set before them. "Oh, look. Dancing rat women," she comments, as the image of a twirling doe reflects in the plate. "How charming."

The plating is finally done where Peridiscus and Saxifrage are sitting, platters being opened amidst a plume of steam, fresh asparagus and tender roots covering savory morsels of insect, prepared and presented in the finest manner! Each platter is underscored by a lily pad and garnished with watercress.

Saxifrage drains the second goblet of wine in a fit of impatience. She returns the cup to the table, then runs her tongue over her superior teeth, followed by a thumb along her lips. A jill with Saxifrage's affinity for drink knows to avoid the mistake of a purple smile. By the time the food is laid out, she is on the verge of metamorphosing from tipsy to trashed. "Now I can't watch the dancers, Peri!" she laments, apparently no longer interested in dinner.

Peridiscus grins at Saxifrage. "Speak of the devil." He allows some of the staff to serve him and proceeds to have a few bites. "Not too shabby at all." He wags a fork full of insect at Saxifrage, himself getting a little tipsy. "Now, now S. Don't be making fun of the dancers. I think some of them actually work for papa."

Saxifrage plucks the crunchy chunk from Peridiscus' waggling utensil. "I wasn't making fun," she insists. The morsel is promptly popped into her mouth, and the jill, chewing with a grin, goes for a spear of his asparagus. There is no motive for the heist other than to bother her brother; there are plenty of greens on her own plate. "So this is where all the fresh veg ends up. To think, Peri--we've been dining on bruised apples for months." She stops, makes a strange face, and dislodges a jointed leg from her teeth. "I do prefer sea bugs, though. More meat and less chewing."

Punch enters from the staircase and situates himself beside Darkfur. "Your Majesty," he says quietly. "Th-the qu-queen enters."

Peridiscus rolls his eyes in good-natured mock exasperation as his next bite is purloined. "Yes, well, papa'd hardly give the good grub to the help." He grins, lopsidedly at his own pun as he stabs his fork through another one of the insects, "No pun intended."

Saxifrage swats him. "Liar." Ready for another cup of wine, she abandons the spread to search for a decanter--or the flunky in charge of one--but trips to a stop when Punch rematerializes with the queen.

Dangeon no longer has her goblet when she finally enters- which is quite a few minutes behind Punch to be honest; longer than was necessary. The hare smiles dozily and gives a little wave at everybeast as she sways a bit, walking toward Darkfur.

Darkfur turns around, "Ah, finally. Viddick, go see her down with my advisor, would you?" The king turns back around, as he was before, carousing and absently pushing out a seat next to him to make room for her. He bites into his entree with vigor, taking a generous swig of drink and leaning an ear toward a mutterance by the beast at table beside him, staring blankly at the dancer for a moment before nodding in understanding. "Yes, yes, it is. But we'd best save that for another time, when I'm in condition to speak soberly! Haha!"

Peridiscus looks in the direction that his sister is staring and pauses for a moment as well. Finally deciding to be amused, he leans back in his chair, sipping his goblet of wine (that he had been draining at a moderately more responsible pace) and watches with a wry smile.

Gage uses the distraction of the queen's arrival to slip back into the banqueting hall, now in dry clothes and feeling much better. He's not sure what compelled him to come back, since he was most certainly not invited, but most of the guards are too drunk or distracted to notice his entrance, let alone stop him. He leans against a back wall, snagging a bottle of rum from a passing server's tray.

Peridiscus notices Gage's entrance and reacts with considerably more happiness than Punch's arrival. He stands and waves at Gage, confidence aided by the wine. "Officer! My sister and I would be honored if you would join us here."

Viddick goes at the behest of the king, and offers a paw to guide her down. "M'lady. Please allow me." The rat gives his most charming smile, though it's fairly unpracticed and a bit awkward, and rests his halberd on a crenelation in the stone banister.

Eventually Saxifrage locates the little rat with the decanter, but instead of accepting his proposal for a refill, she seizes the entire vessel. Plunder in hand, the jill turns to rejoin her brother, then pivots again when Peridiscus shouts. "Yes, it would be a great pleasure, sir," she says, upon noticing the proximity of Peridiscus' target.

Gage glances over at the siblings, "Oh, why thank you for the offer," he says, walking over and sitting by them. Being only a captain in what was once a large fleet, he's not used to sitting at the head table, and he looks like he's getting used to it at first.

Peridiscus bows to Gage. "You honor us, sir. All of us are deeply grateful for your service. We're terribly sorry for what has happened to your comrades."

Saxifrage hijacks Punch's vacant seat, situating Gage in her own; the captain is now bookended by the Knothill siblings. "Indeed. A tragedy like our island has never seen," she says, her words lightly slurred, and then tilts forward to fill her goblet. She slides the decanter to Peridiscus. "Drink up, Peri! I'd offer some to our guest, but I believe he has brought his own."

Peridiscus laughs, "Thank you, dear sister." He refills his own goblet. "I do beg your pardon, officer, but in the confusion earlier, I had missed your name and rank."

Gage grins at Peridiscus, "Captain Gage Darkwater. Sounds very high an' mighty, but i'm nobeast special." he takes a swig from his bottle of rum, not bothering to use a glass.

Peridiscus grins, charmed by the humble response. "My name is Peridiscus Lucidus Knothill, Junior. This is my lovely sister Saxifrage." The alcohol getting the better of him, he adds, "Alternately, you may call us collectively the stain on the Knothill name, as our father does."

"No beast special, sir? You're the sole survivor of a downed fleet." The jill lifts her goblet to chink it against Gage's, but her gesture halts half-way as Peridiscus liberally expounds on their home life. Cup still dangling in the air, Saxifrage briskly says, "Captain Darkwater doesn't want to hear about such domestic nonsence." Something dawns on her. "Oh, Peri! But perhaps we could secure him a suite--he could recover from his ordeal in peace."

Gage chuckles, "Look, there's no need for all that. Surviving that screw-up was sheer luck, jus' like getting into it in the first place." he takes another pull of rum. He says nothing about whether or not he likes hearing about their family, as he honestly finds it funny to watch the two go at each other, especially drunk like they are.

Peridiscus exclaims, "Why that's a marvelous idea, S!" He performs a few rapid calculations in his head concerning the likelihood of parental anger and finding it minimal, he adds without missing a beat, "Nonsense, captain! I am certain we can arrange one of our fine suites for him to recuperate in."

Saxifrage props her elbow on the tabletop, then her cheek in a palm. "Uh huh," she agrees. "Papa will be proud to have such a hero in our lowly midst."

Gage looks over at Saxifrage, a tinge of annoyance breaking into his tone, "Now listen, I may be special fer surviving that storm, but if I was any type o' hero, i'd not be here alone, I woulda saved somebeast, anybeast." he says, concluding with a sip of rum. He sounds less like he's saying this out of humility and more like it's because he cared for his crew.

The corners of Saxifrage's mouth plummet into a weak frown. "There is only so much a beast can do, captain," she tells him. "The rest is in fate's hands." Though her face is still braced by a palm, the jill uses her other hand to sip freely of her wine. "And its decisions are immutable."

Peridiscus is well-bred enough to recognize a faux pas through any sort of alcoholic haze. He ventures diplomatically, "We meant no offense, sir. It is enough to be a hero that you risk life and limb for us who are safe here."

Gage shrugs, "Whatever you say." he attempts a grin, "But don't let me dampen tha mood. This is supposed to be a celebration right? I don't see much celebrating." he raises his bottle, "To the king!" and takes a long swig.

"Yes!" Saxifrage echoes, hoisting her own cup. "Are you hungry, captain? I've barely touched my plate. You're welcome to it, if you don't mind slightly cold cockroach."

Peridiscus says, "Yes, it's quite good with the salty asparagus spears."