Red Cat Jenny

A very happy Birthday to Pyrate O'keefe then! I have no hats...how about some pirate duckies?

Syren I'll trade ya me hammer for a few wontons... nom! California roll?

DiSaronno...mmmmmmm

Whee!! I always though these were cool. I used to populate my brother's train board..albeit with plastic folks..but it was fun to stage scenarios...we even tied one guy to the tracks Seriously though... Here is an excerpt from 1898 article included in the timeline of wargaming. I love a guy who can use the work Kriegspiel in a sentence... "In an old notebook soiled and dog eared by much travelling, yellow and musty with the long years it had lain hid in a Samoan chest, the present writer came across the mimic war correspondence here presented to the public. The stirring story of these tin soldier campaigns occupies the greater share of the book, though interspersed with many pages of scattered verse, not a little Gaelic idiom and verb, a half made will and the chaptering of a novel. This game of tin soldiers, an intricate "Kriegspiel" involving rules innumerable, prolonged arithmetical calculations, constant measuring with foot-rule and the throwing of dice, sprang from the humblest beginnings... A row of soldiers on either side and a deadly marble, then growing in size and complexity until it mimiced real war indeed modelled closely on actual battles." Timeline of Model War Gaming

Miss Ashcombe stood as far as she might from the hearth as the cook's mate piled heavily the tray. "Boy!" He called from his place nearest the purgatory of glowing coals. The shout producing one of the youngest of the Lucy's complement who was handed tankards. Tjaak motioned roughly for the lad to follow her and he nodded without a word. Jenny had found communicating with the Cooks' mate in simple and short words and motions functional if not frustrating. However the man did try to be pleasant and surpress his frustration when she didn't understand his thickly accented English. She returned to the Lucy's ward room shortly to find the two men settled at the table. They stood as she entered laden with a tray and followed by the lad carrying tankards of small beer. Waiting in silence while she set out the wooden plates of biscuits, fruit and thick bacon tucked beneath poached hen's eggs. There was a jar of preserved fruit and a smaller plate of ham. She knew the boy must be hungry and felt her own stomach protest it's emptiness but stood waiting to be dismissed before she could return to feed them both.

Standing in the doorway with the sun at her back, Jenny could not clearly make out the second inhabitant of the Ward Room. She was sure of Mr. Pew due to his bellowing voice, but it wasn't until Captain Brand stepped into the stream of bright sunlight from the opened shutter that she recognised him. He looked entirely different clad only in shirt, slops and unshod. He wore neither weapon nor hat. Only the sheen of perspiration from the stifling humidity. He gave her a brief nod but his expresion was plain. She affected a quick curtsey towards both. "Yes Mr. Pew?" The Ship's Master held his knuckles to his lower back and stretched the bad choice of a sleeping place from it as he spoke, causing him to grunt as he did so. "Ashe! Captain Brand'll be our guest fer breakfast. If you please, fetch a plate fer us and quickly as he is to go ashore" Jenny curtsied again and having never fully entered the room turned on her heel and hurried to the galley thankful that there had been plenty cooking there.

^ Slowly formulating < Thinking more about PIP V put yer pants on one leg at a time or two at once? (Hey, I'm tired..It's been a long day )

Mr. Maceck... How are you? I don' believe we have our mod tools back yet. I don't see mine anywhere.

Wow.... Jenny peers about the strange ghostly frame of the pub.. Gingerly touching the walls and tables to see if it's really there.. "halloo?"

Can I just have a bracing cup of tea and a Nilla wafer or two please?

OH wow Syren..that IS cool

Sugar (Preferably key lime pie variety)

UPDATE sum4count * dot * net/strong <This is a malicious site - do not go there which my virus protection at work keeps hitting on from here.. analysis shows it sends out trojan downloaders McAFee Site Advisor

Cat took note of wot little she could make out agin th' glare of th' ripples at th shore. Her attention were rooted from her study by Nate an his whisperin again. "Aye?" she scanned in th opposite direction but saw only th plainess o' the open water. She turned back and th' man ashore were gone. "Blast!" she muttered an turned back t' Nate. "Wot ye make o tha? I sees no ship r' boat. " "Not t' worry " Nate beamed. His attention was completely gone from whar they'd been an out towards whar they were now headed wit purpose. Red cat grinned, why she didna know, an lookin once more o'er her shoulder at th now empty shore she spoke "Mr. Durant whould ye mayhaps mind.... sharin yer plans wit th' almighty? I be but a humble pira...er sailor" She grined wryly at him and he pointed towards th inlet an explained th' plan.

Jenny did not register much of the second part of what Captain Brand had said, or she might have been more frightened by the talk of "taking up the lash" which was intended as a warning towards any hidden and nefarious designs she may have come aboard with. Her mind was awash with dreadful images conjured by the Captain's story. His narrative punctuated with the scars of his bare flesh, bringing a grisly and all too tangible reality to the words spoken. The queasy feeling that had never left her completely, now returned with force. Mr. Pew had begun to speak shortly after the Captain left, but Jenny held up a hand, the other covering her mouth and rushed from the room. No sooner had she let slam the door behind her than her eyes flooded with a torrent of tears hidden only by the continual soaking rain. The sudden change to coolness from the close, stagnant air of the ward room staved her sickness. But not the sickening feeling. Jenny groped blindly in the driving spray and huddled against the overturned boat nearest the mast. She held her cheek to the wet wood and sobbed. Her head swam, exaggerated by the pitching of the boat and she crumpled slightly. Unseen in the fog which obscured everything the rain did not. Jenny concentrated on the feel of the wood against her cheek strugling to gain control. In the turbulent water and atmosphere of the past half hour its solidness gave her something to grasp. She held tight to the lapstrake and stayed that way for some time before sense drove her back indoors to escape illnesss. Thankfully Mr. Pew had gone. Jenny changed clothes and tried to dry herself, being soaked through to the skin. In the solitary confinement of the canvas she lay exhausted and alone under the woolen blanket and sleep came fitfully.

Well I have yet to see it live.. But it still looks like fun.. I like a manly man sport for the ladies to cheer! Jousting, Fencing, Hockey, Rugby Bring it! As long as you keep your teeth I would like to try the target jousting myself.

aah Everyoe should have a secret stash of imbibables.. Hey.. is that a word? Wot else ya got at that shack Hester?

For the cake....and I guess yer liver

Woah and you're taking pictures of the wall?! teehee

Rhum Does a body good

Hester, who's counting? I need coffeeeeeee

Hang in there Silkie! You can do it! Jenny hands Hester some spackle and a trowel...and a bottle of Pimm's to ease the aggravation

Miss Ashcombe sets out drinks for the kidney stone sufferers.. "Cranberry juice is good for your kidneys...I don't suppose a little vodka and a twist of lime added would hurt?"

Jenny felt like an angry, frustrated school child testing limits with a teacher well beyond her in years and ability to parry in an argument. Unknowingly Captain Brand had struck a nerve in Miss Ashcombe, which delivered more of a blow than his hand could have at that moment. Jenny despised being made a fool. More than anything, her pride and confidence in her decisions were dear posessions, protected with fierce loyalty. She fought back both an outburst and tears as the buried tension of three days past threatened to burst beyond repair. Why was this man here?! She wanted to shout "Go away, Go away!" and beat on him with her fists until he ran out. Had he not his own ship and his own issues? Why must he suddenly turn on her? What about the dead man and those missing? Was that not more pressing? Merde! He was no different than Uncle Garaud, condescending to the last! All this panic and anger resulted from the perfect foolishness he revealed in her recent actions. His maddeningly indefensable portrayal of her decisions throttled her composure and she struggled inwardly to remain calm. However the conditions Jenny had tolerated at Isle De Geneorsite or more correctly at her uncles disdainful hand, served as training.. and the strife she'd sufered oddly repented itself as it benefitted her now. Outwardly she remained collected. If this was to be Captain Brand's demeanor, then better she had departed the Watch Dog. Jenny knew he'd been correct. It would have been simple to explain that she had continued to run and in her blind panic had not considered the safety of the larger ship and it's crew. However such a statement would revisit his earlier query, now dropped. She had insulted the Captain.. Who was, she assumed her Captain's superior. Though had she witnessed them together in a casual moment, had she known them more completely, the notion that William Brand considered himself any more than equal would have seemd hard to reconcile. Her mind raced over his statements and what if any more, she should say. There was the other matter he'd added. Durand.. the heavy smell of liquor on him the night he'd stumbled so inappropriately upon her filled her nostrils again and her stomach with disgust. She could feel the sweat of her palms against the smooth glass of the wine decanter. "Forgive me again Captain, for my ignorance in your position and abilities being one who comes from a life on land. I meant no insult and perhaps my choice was in haste. Mssr Durand was an..unfortunate aquaintance" At his raised brow she explained the night at the inn , her belief that he did not completely recognise her and wondered if like her uncle, Captain William Brand would find some way to blame her for the mans impaired actions.

Jenny didn't understand why she would suddenly be accused..the matter seemed mostly behind them. She'd been signed on as Steward to the Captain. Surely he felt her to be no threat. She wished Mr. Pew would speak before she had to. But he said naught. His expression revealed less. A silent review of her circumstances revealed the reality Jenny had chosen to avoid. She'd been portraying Steward..a ruse for the moment at Captain Lasseter's suggestion. Could it be that none of them had any intention of trusting her? Would they put her ashore before leaving the reaches of this island? The prospect was more frightening than taking her chances at sea now. Her uncle would not exhaust himself, but slowly and methodically seek her out. There were only so many villages and ports on Martinique and she was a woman travelling alone. No longer did she even posess a horse. Though this seemed like a long thought process, the realizations flashed one by one through her mind and Jenny was almost incensed at being backhandedly accused. It stung in the Manner Garaud had taken to dealing with her throughout the past year. This somewhat familiar exchange gave bolster to her defiance and she spoke. "I have explained my position to you before Sir and as it is the truth, my story remains respectfully, unchanged. I desire to leave the opression of my Uncle and the confines of this island. There is nothing to keep me here. I am a free woman and not a slave." She waited intending to go no further, but Captain Brand merely stood in a posture which unmistakably coveyed that she would and must. " Were I to be such a threat..Captain Lasseter would, I think, not have taken me in nor employed me in his service as he has been so kind in doing" The arrogance of the statement was a mistake..Jenny realized it as the syllables of the last word trailed off more quietly that they had started. She did not posess the courage she had against Martin Garaud. There were no familial ties here. As she'd felt her uncles hand more than once sting her cheek, she feared the strike of Captain Brands next words. Jenny looked away and spoke more quietly, but was careful not to lose the conviction in her tone. "Forgive me Captain, I ...." she stammered for a moment. Having turned half away from Captain Brand she was nonetheless aware that every ounce of his attention lay solely upon her. "I meant no disrespect and yet it seems that I have spoken grossly out of turn. Please forgive me " Jenny turned to face him now. Defiance would come no more, but simple resolve filled her words. "I have made no promises nor have I brought any wrongdoing against your crew or yourselves to my knowledge. I have asked for asylum and passage. The Ship's Master and Captain Lasseter have spoken nothing to me in denial of that. " Jenny wished Mr. Pew would step in for her. Or that any moment the Captain would appear from the steps of the Ward Room. She stood waiting for what seemed an eternity.