contentwithoutcommand | Second Tackle : written

Second Tackle : written

[There is no one to read an official dispatch. He's gathered that much. However, this is quite a different communication.]

May the nineteenth,

I have recently come into command of the sloop-of-war Britannia. She has been well cared for, and I am grateful to the members of the Blue Rogues for that.

However, she is in need of some detailed care to bring her back to her proper state. I have found scrub brushes, paintbrushes, and buckets, but it seems she lacks any holystones. I am in need of those and paint. I am not particularly concerned as to the colour of the paint, so long as there are large quantities and it is a consistent colour. Black for the trim (that, there is plenty of below decks) and yellow (as she is presently) or white or blue for the bulk would be preferable.

Once I have these supplies, I will be in need of volunteers to assist in the work. There will be painting, rowing of rigging, stitching of sail, swabbing, holystoning, and polishing to be done. I have no wages I can offer for these tasks, but I will require those who want to help to be able to follow direction. Maintenance must be done in certain ways to avoid unnecessary work and possible damage to the ship, so I will be very specific in how each task should be accomplished.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated, and I shall be most grateful for any information on where and how I might obtain the supplies I need. I do not have much, but I may be able to find something in the ship's scarce stores to trade, as I am not looking for charity to bring Britannia to her best.

D Long, commander, R.N.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There is an admiral of the Royal Navy here? [So there is someone to send dispatches to, perhaps. He'll remember that.] In a foreign port, his orders, indeed, compel me, as there is no Admiralty to confirm or issue differing orders.

[And no way to check the Navy List to make sure this was not someone simply calling themselves an admiral.

Still, if this woman has the connections to see him barred from the command of Britannia... Well. That is how favour works, isn't it? He's worked it many times in his favour or the favour of his friends. Perhaps it's high time he felt the other side of it.

Until it comes, he won't stand down, but an admiral's orders are an admiral's orders.]

There is. If you've been to the Britannia, then you've seen the house on the shore? The Admiral lives there.

[ a lonely sad single man. dead and drowning in his solitude, buffy suspects. ]

I shall be sure to remember that, ma'am.

[Not that it would be proper form to call on the man and present himself in that way. But the information is good to have.]

...What's your name?

[ after all, he'd signed his missive with an initial. ]

Commander David Long, ma'am.

And I'm Buffy Summers, but you can call me...no -- you know what? Just keep on calling me ma'am.

Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry I could not make your acquaintance on a more pleasant topic.

Trust me. It could have been worse. You could have tried to take command of my ship.

[ okay. the jj is jack's, but jack's currently not himself. and so the first mate has gotta step up. ]

[David wants to point out that he wouldn't have tried to take command -- temporary or not -- of a ship with a present captain. But now is not the time or place for that.]

I would be most sorry for that, ma'am.

You really would have been.

[What else is there to say? He can hardly argue, and to simply not reply would seem dismissive, he fears.]

Yes, ma'am.

...Buffy Summers.

[ well. she just feels guilty when they don't give as good as they get. ]

Miss or Missus?

[Because David doesn't trust his luck with guessing. Especially not with this one.]

Miss. Definitely miss.

Miss Summers, then. I apologise again for this unpleasantness.

You sure do like to apologize, don't you.?

It is the best course of action when one has given offence.

Others would say that the best course would be to go on the offensive.

I find that tends to worsen the problem, not bring about any sort of resolution.

Funny. I've witnessed quite the opposite.

I'm afraid I can only answer for what I know. When I give offence and have meant none, I prefer not to give it further.

Wow, you truly are different from the last naval bunch the Britannia had. And from James.

The navy has many different sorts, I've found. [He... won't apologise for the previous ones. They were, after all, the individuals whose rights to the ship she was defending, so any acknowledgement of their faults would need to come solely from her.]

Apples have different sorts, but they're still apples.

And, by that token, Navy men have different personalities, but they all serve their country, I suppose.

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