(Untitled)

[politestpirate]

Wellard is in the bar, taking in some of the other patrons' dress with a bit of amusement. As for him- he is dressed as he usually is.

(Not a navy uniform, but a shirt, waistcoat, and trousers of similar cut, in dark colors.)

You see, something to realize about pirates, if often times they look just like everybody else.

Comments

[kitchen_maid]

Amy's in the bar. Really.

"Hello, Henry."

[politestpirate]

He is sans hat at the moment, but Wellard tips an imaginary one to her.

"Ahoy, Amy."

It sounds amusing said properly, really.

[kitchen_maid]

It does at that.

"Ahoy," she says, laughing at the greeting.

"How are you?"

[politestpirate]

Wellard chuckles quietly, moving to offer Amy a seat.

"Rather well, I do believe. And yourself? And..." It was not quite proper to ask such things, at least in Wellard's time, but there is a glance at Amy's midsection to finish implying the rest of that question.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy sits down gracefully. (And gratefully, for that matter.)

"I'm very well," she says. "And the baby is very . . . active. I think he or she is going to be an excellent dancer, with all the practicing going on.

"Been keeping yourself busy?"

[politestpirate]

We can probably be most thankful that Wellard has not seen Alien or any of its sequels. His imagination is enough without any outside media influence on this particular idea.

He just nods slowly, with another careful glance at Amy's abdomen.

"Ah.. yes. Quite." Wellard looks back up to her. "Ship repairs, and the like."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy follows the glance, amused. "Not many pregnant women on your ship, Henry?

"And how are the repairs coming?"

[politestpirate]

He blinks, then smiles wryly. "Usually there are no women on board ship, Amy. At least in the navy. We did have some on board for a while, but they were prisoners." The smile turns humorless, and he shrugs.

"Apparently one of them seduced the Marine guarding them, and that's how the Spaniards escaped to try to take over the ship."

He takes a deep breath. "They're coming along quite well. There's not a lot of structural damage- the main area that was hardest hit was the stern, into the captain's cabin. A few holes into the gun deck, but thankfully nothing further down."

[kitchen_maid]

"I'm sorry, Henry," she says, gently, and then follows up on the less angst-ridden part of the conversation.

"You do realize I have no idea what any of that means. Gun decks and such."

[politestpirate]

"Oh." Wellard gives Amy a sheepish smile, then sets about explaining.

"Stern is the rear of the ship. The captain's cabin sits up on deck, and the quarter deck is the area on top of that. The gun deck is below the deck- there are ports that open up, to run the cannons out to fire them. That's where most of the sailors sleep as well, with hammocks strung up. The officers have their own area- a room for the midshipmen, and the leftenants usually have their own rooms."

"There are larger ships, that have two, or even three gun decks, but one is the most common. Below that, you have the galley, the hold, the brig, and pretty much everything else."

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, I see," says Amy. "Sort of. So if there were damage lower than the gun deck, it would be . . . below the water?"

[politestpirate]

"Not quite yet- most ships don't sit that low. But it would start getting closer, certainly." Wellard nods.

"So its quite good that nothing was done below the waterline."

[kitchen_maid]

"I need to learn more about boats," says Amy, a little ruefully. "Now that I live in a country that has a coastline and a navy and all. Even if the navy is very small and mostly ceremonial."

[politestpirate]

"Nothing much to worry about at sea, then?" Wellard nods slowly.

"Well, there are certainly books you can get- or I can see what I can do to explain it, though things may quite be different in your world for this." He smiles faintly.

[kitchen_maid]

"No," say Amy. "Or on land, for that matter."

Children's fairy tales are excellent places to avoid wars, generally speaking.

"I might try starting with a book, and then asking you to explain things, if I may. I think that might be easiest."

[politestpirate]

"Probably so- since I wouldn't quite know where to start, and all if it is normal to me, so..." Wellard waves a hand, with a rueful smile.

"You'd probably end up feeling as if you've been keel-hauled halfway around the fleet, at least mentally."