Steam and Sand Game Thread

[Titus Wells]

By nightfall the ship had reached a port in the southwest. Red had never been down this way before and had no idea where they had moored. The locals who came to meet the ship spoke in an even less understandable dialect but seemed on good terms with the Scots.

Red was ushered into a house on the quayside where he was tied to a chair and left for an hour or so. Strangely unescorted, Richard came to him after the hour was up. He unbound Red's wrists and ankles and handed him the watch.

"I have a tale to tell if you would hear it. It is a lengthy story, but one I think you will find interesting. My story begins in the city of Oxford, just to the north east of the current Bristol Atrium. Before the event shook our world I was a student at Oxford University, then one of the great seats of learning. Whilst there I met another student named Graham. He and I became obsessed with the replication of ancient clocks and from there proceeded to abandon our academic studies to follow a trade as watchmakers. This watch of your father's was my apprentice piece. I have another here."

He held out a gold watch, different from Red's father's, a bit rough around the edges but with a very ornate dial and engraved face.

"This watch was your father, Graham's, apprentice piece. We swapped pieces as congratulatory gifts to each other. We were in business together until the time of the great event when the world was thrown into disarray. After the dust had settled I returned to our shop and waited for him to seek me there, but he never returned. I guessed he and his family had headed for safety somewhere else. Salvaging what I could from the job I took to the road and travelled the length of the country to Scotland, gathering bits and pieces as I went. by the time I reached the border I had formulated a plan. I would convince a band to join me and ride to the south again to claim a throne I had no idea even still existed. They were easy to pursuade. It was more for safety and company's sake than anything else and I was able to give them a down-payment in the form of the watches they carry for when we would 'come into our riches'.Ofg course we've now come as south as we can and I face the prospect that I will be expected to lead an attack against the Anglian forces to claim my throne. But I don't even want it, and if they find that I've deceived them and lead them all this way for nothing there will be bloodshed I have no doubt. I need your help, will you get me away from here?"

[MWBailey]

Malc volunteered for whatever watch wasn't covered, which happened to be the one immediately after Skinner's; He'd be relieved by Ben, and Ben by either Conlan or Royce himself. Malc went for a walk all the way 'round the rig, just in case; one never knew when somebody'd try som eboneheaded stunt like trying to hold on under a carriage coupling, or hide out on top of a carriage.

Then, he went back to Molly, opened  up the rear door, and pulled teh universal coupling and the hoses from behind the Longboat, and set them on the walkway to the door from the front seats of the APC; then he checked the wiring harness leads to be certain they all had the shovel-ended plugs that all most all riggers tended to gravitate toward. Then, he lowered the door using the counterweights, and went to bed in his bunk for the sleep he'd denied himself for nearly three days, after buttoning up every hatch on Molly first, of course. He even closed the cab shutters. he looked at the hole in teh shutters and the windshield, and decided that instead of having the windshield replaced, he would take a piece of the spare pipe he had in the back and make a pistol-port to fit the hole and strengthen the windshield. That decided, he set the ancient alarm clock, shed everything but his longjohns, strapped his pistol to the bunk stanchion, and crawled into his bunk and pulled the blanket over hmself, hand reaching to the specially-installed switch to teh battery lights, and switched them off, passing into the blessed darkness of slumber...for a while...

[Stella Gaslight]

Deep and dreamless hours past but then the small figure on the cot started to stir. Dear had not slept solidly through the night in years and while she was quite comforable this night was no exception.  She woke up in need of a drink of water to see yellow eyes looking in at her. She panicked and nearly jumped on Conlan as she tried to hide.  "There is a monster looking at us." Dear said fearfully. 

[Nigel Wetherby]

Conlan let out a loud "Whorghf!" As Dear lept onto him, her rump places firmly on his belly knocked the wind from the young man.
Her words struck a chord, her honest, fearful tone made even he rather concerned.
"Well then," He said dutifully. "As a knight it is my duty to slay monsters of all forms. So where is it? Under the bed? In the closet?"

Dear's gaze slowly turned his to the window, a pair of shiny topaz eyes stared into their chambers, a round, leathery paw pressed the window. Immediately he recalled tales of Dulhallan, a bearer of ill omens.
Conlan reached for his rifle, aiming it at the creature.
"Get behind me dear."

[MWBailey]

Grimaulkin was bored out of her feline skull; she wanted to find the humans who had been kind to her a while before, so she followed their scents back to teh huge metalthing. There had been other metalthings here before, she remembered, and they had given her snacks and milk in a strange depression in an even stranger rock; but that had been many years before, and she now had to travel more than a mornings journey to the round place where the two-legs lived under a big clear rock in the sky, just to get a taste of the white liquid.

But here there was a metalthing, at long last! When she heard the sleeping-noises from one of the metalthing's segments, she knew it was a twolegs, or two, perhaps, and she reared up on her hind legs, resting one forepaw against the metal side of the segment, and the other against the clear-rock outcropping, on the other side of which two people lay sleeping. Suddenly, one awakened, looked at her, and jumped onto the other, squeaking fearfully. the other, larger one. pulled out a thunder-and-pain sick, and pointed it at Grimaulkin, who stared back for a moment, and  and then was overcome with the desire to yawn, which she did, and showed her sharp carnivore's teeth--

--all six of them.

She hated being so toothless; she couldn't eat the way she'd used to, and things didn't take her so seriously anymore when she opened her mouth. Ah,m well. Best leave these two alone, they looked like they were about to make the pain-stick do its job on her. She pushed off of the metalthing's side, and loped over to where she could find her Boy's scent, all around, and up against a single-segment metalthing, one whose type was unfamiliar to her. But, it held his scent, and she felt safe around that scent.  So...she crawled under the single-segment metal- thing and curled up as if to sleep...

[Stella Gaslight]

Dear looked relieved when the monster left but then she got worried again.  "We have to do make use the monster isn't going to eat anyone!" Dear knew all about monsters. There had been pictures in one of the books with people dressed all in sheets getting eaten by monsters just like that one.

[MWBailey]

Malc awoke not because the alarm clock went off, but because something else made noise much earlier than the clock wild have. this something made ominous , scratchy scraping bumping noises, and centered it self unde rthe center of teh tank, approximately where teh warmth from the firebox would be most noticeable, and seemed to move around in a circletwoor three times, and then all was stillness.

Malc had a very tense few moments, then, strapping on his pistol and belting on his cutlass, thinking all the while of the scots' love of shaped charges against tanks during Yorkshire's Autumn Incursion twenty years  before. Hundreds of tanks were destroyed by men crawling under 'em, and then away, and remote-detonating shaped charges under the tanks, against their armor. He popped the rear door and jumped out -- and was nearly bowled over by Grim, who curled up around his shins, as if begging for protection!

Grim?! Whats got inter ye, girl? 's summat after me Grimaulkin'? you should jus' roar and make 'em freeze to solid ice in sheer fright, ye're no' a scairty cat, are ye?...

[Stella Gaslight]

Conlan and Dear appeared at the back hatch. Conlan aimed his rifle at Grim while Dear peeked out at them.  "Don't eat Malc you monster!" Dear cried out.

[MWBailey]

"Wott der --!" Malc whirled a round, saying pleadingly, "Sir Conlan, Don' shoot! she's no' dangerous, unless she thinks yer attackin' somebody o' hers! Please, Sir, lower the roifle, she's old an' migh' make a mistake, but she's mos'ly 'armless. Jus' a great big overgrown kitten, really...she's jus' curious and prob'ly hungry!

Malc started talking conversationally; many times, he had found, a situation like this could be defused if he or someone else simply talked normally and kept talking 'til the danger was past. "She used to cadge treats from us an' me Da, when we'd come through and park 'ere for layover while we was onna run. It was a regular stop fer us, so she got to be pretty much used to us, an' especially ter me. . I guess when she found I was 'ere, she figured it were safe ter come around. I didnt think until 'bout an hour ago that she were still aloive. His voice turned all sentimental then, despiute his best efforts and intent. Please, don' shoot'er, Sir Conlan, she's practcally toothless, an she's always been good wi' young 'uns." I swear on me grandfathyer's eagles, she'll not harm anyone, 'less'n they try to harm me or the rest of us.

"Miss Dear? please, darlin', come over here. Grim won't be  harming you , milady  Dear."

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Malc!"  Conlan cried out, aiming his rifle. "Move your head, protect your face! I think I have a clear shot!"
Conlan emerged from the back hatch, approaching slowly, never taking the massive creature from his sights.
The leapord shivered and looked up with doeful yellow eyes.
The steely knight lowered his weapon.
"Is this a strange circumstance, or are you always so easily befreinded by indigenous life?"

[Stella Gaslight]

Dear crept over to Malc slowly obviously still frightened. "Are you sure she won't eat Dear.  Cause Dear saw pictures in a book of things like her eating people. She is the biggest animal Dear has ever seen."

[MWBailey]

Malc smirked a bit at the knight's question. "I do tend to 'ave a way wi' animals, 'tis true," he said a bit sheepishly, "but Grim, 'ere, 's the only actual nacth'ral major carnivore what's taken to me the way she did."

To Dear, he said, "Aye, I'm sure, milady, she's so old, now, she probably only has five're six teeth in 'er poor head. She was full grown when we first found her here, twenty year or more ago. I wouldn't go teasin' and pickin' on her, now, though. her kind can have a short temper fer that kinda thing; but theres not any harm in her othe rwise. Mind you, though she did make short work o' some robbers one time."

"I just wish I knew some way to have her stay with somebody wha'd take good care of 'er. If I'd 'a known she was still here all alone, I'd've come back for 'er." he rubbed under Grim's jaw, and Grim purred thunderously...

[Stella Gaslight]

Dear reached out nervously to touch Grim.  Dear's whole body was tense and she was ready to leap away if the cat so much as looked at her funny. Grim's fur was velvet soft and she let out another purr.  Dear relaxed and Grim raised her back in to the petting.  "Is she suposed to make that sound? It sounds like something is loose inside of her and rattling around."

[MWBailey]

"Aye, she's Purrin,' purring is what cats do when they like what they're feelin'; or, when they want ter be petted, I've found." Malc chuckled, and settled a bit more comfortably on the rubble-strewn Nave's pavement stones, then shifted around to look at Molly, as the ding...ding...ding...ding...ding...ding...ding...ding..." of the old rigger's alrm clock went off.

Well, wouldn'yt ye jus' know it. iss toime fer me watch.i have ter go an' relieve Skinner, adn dependin on what Sir Conlan 'ere says, it moight be a good Idea fer ye ta get back ta bed. Grim'n me'll keep an eye out fer trouble, don't you worry, Milady Dear. As he stood, Dear continued to pet Grim, who was nearly asleep with pleasure from the petting, Malc stood and leaned over close to the Knight, and said, "Thank you, Sir Conlan. Well, I'll leave the two of ye ta say goodnight to the faerie cat; I 'm off ta relieve Skinner and her fellow guard." and he walked off in the direction of the back door of the rig...

[Stella Gaslight]

"Dear wanted a cat when Dear was little but they made The big man sneeze so Dear couldn't have one.  Dear didn't know they grew so big tho."  Dear yawned deeply, perhaps Malc was right about going to bed.

[Nigel Wetherby]

What I don't understand," Conlan mumbled to himself, watching the powerful leonic beast rub its head against Dear's leg. "Is why this beast is acting so docile, when the one we saw passing by brought down a soldier..."
Conlan watched the beast drag its broad, ping toungue across Dear's arm, a smile creeping across his face.
"Maybe Malc will let Grim sleep in the room with you? I've read stories of princesses in the ottoman lands who had pet tigers, I suppose tigers don't much like the taste of princess. Maybe it goes the same for leapords."
Conlan sorely hoped it did.

Shamus seethed within the Boar's camp. A scowl crossing his face as he watched the ferocious striped feline at hsi feet chewing at a knob of bone that looked far too small to be that of a cow, pig, or lamb. A snarling and un-naturally large boar sat in another corner of the room, its bristling black pelt gashed with long scars. Both horrid beasts chewed and slurped obscenely.
"Fer years we've bin' followin' that damn Anglian boy, and wha' have I ta show fer it? Some damn watch and a lot of men askin' questions."
He spoke to his beasts who payed him no heed.
"I've lost good men, and now it seems Mercia's throwing knights at us because of the shite he's pullin' me and me men through!"
Shamus reached to his chair and grabbed his saber.
"I think its time that pretty little brit lost 'is pretty little 'ead"

[Stella Gaslight]

"Maybe it is because she is a nice old lady.  Like a grandma kitty."  She giggled as Grim gave her another kiss.  "Her tongue is all bumpy, it feels funny.  You want to come sleep with Dear Grim-kitty?"

[Nigel Wetherby]

Grim purred loudly, signifying her approval.
"I see no problem with it. Though I hope she does not shed. I think we should head back into the rig. My shift is up after Malcs and I'd like a little rest before I begin."
He walked to Dear, placing his hand on her shoulder and leading her and her large, elderly companion back to the rig.

[MWBailey]

"Aye, I'd let her sleep in the same room wi' Dear; she used to roide with us ta Oxford and back on the dye runs, and she'd be sleepin' wid' us kids, so she'd be fine, I'm thinkin'. She didnt bite them robbers, she jus' swiped 'em with her claws." No better bodyguard than Grim, I'm thinkin." well, you know what i mean, Sir Kinght.

"If ye'll excuse me, Sir Conlan, Milady Dear.. he turned to Grimaulkin, and said, "Take good care o' miss Dear now, hear, Grim? thatta girl!" And Malc stepped aboard teh 7-7, to relieve Skinner.

[Stella Gaslight]

Dear curled up on her cot and Grim came up next to her. Dear liked her soft fur, warmth and the vibrations of her purring.  Dear was soon fast asleep snuggled up close to the big cat like a teddy bear.  She was smiling and looked very glad to have made a friend.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Conlan watched the scene with a delighted smile. Dear had made a freind, though not the kind he had expected.
'Well,' He thought 'At least it isn't a wild boar.'
And with that he folded his legs, lay upon his cot, and slept.

[Skinner]

Skinner was found, wandering up and down the rig, trying to find something, or someone. When Malc came to relieve her, after what to her seemed like only half an hour, she looked rather down-beat.

"Oh, Right. Erm... Night, then."

She wandered back to her bunk, and dejectedly slipped inside the doorway. She stopped, and was about to ask Malc something, then shook her head and went back inside, closing the door with a faint click of the lock.

[Aeryenne Tederich]

Scarlette was always unsure of what to do with herself in times of quiet like this. She liked movement, action - periods of stillness made her twitchy, placed her on-edge, just in case something should suddenly go wrong. Yes, it was paranoia, but at least it made her wary. So in the middle of the night, she could be found wandering the corridors of the rig aimlessly - her watch was after Conlan's, so she had a few hours, but being unaffected by tiredness and seeing little point in just laying in bed staring at the ceiling, she had decided she might as well stretch her legs and attempt to wear herself out a little.

She saw the door of Skinner's cabin click shut just as she rounded the corner and chewed her lip for a moment, considering, but she eventually decided that the driver wouldn't want to be bothered this late at night, especially as she'd just finished a watch - she'd probably need her sleep. So Scarlette just carried on down the corridor instead, treading softly so as not to disturb the occupant of the room.

[Skinner]

Skinner would have loved the company, in actuality. She wanted to sleep, yes, but she had matters pressing at her heart that kept her restless. She heard someone go softly past her room, and thought about peeking out, but didn't budge.

In all the action of the past.. was it three days now? She had almost forgotten her heartbreak at Brizzle. But now she had a moment to herself, she remembered exactly how terrible it felt to lie alone in bed. And how it would continue to feel terrible for a long while. Oh, she was attracted to Scarlette, for sure. Who wouldn't be? But she didn't expect anything would come of it. At least, she didn't think so...

She couldn't bank on it. Life on the sands is never certain, and around every dune could be a bullet with Scarlette's name on it. Or Her's. She malcontented herself to lie melancholy, now with a belly-full of whiskey, and hope that morning wouldn't come too soon.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Royce too lay awake, alone in the dark. He stared at the ceiling, his heart tearing itself as it did nightly. During the day, it was easy to forget things. He kept up enthusiasm and focus. Now that he was getting comfortable with the position of leader, he was occupied with organization and planning. But at these hours, he always thought of her and worried himself constantly.

He had thought madly on this subject, but there seemed to be no real solution. He sighed. Best to think of tomorrow. Maybe he could arrange a meeting in Bromwicham, if done secretly enough. Maybe they'd next salvage in Lancashire - that area had some of the best scrap outside of London - but all the London scrap was under heavy government salvaging. Though, his head was wanted in Lancashire. Now it looked like he'd gone and done that with Anglia as well. The Lancashire bounty was an issue. The Anglian one, if it existed, he couldn't care less about. He'd never visited there, nor intended to.

He sighed, getting up as Conlan entered. He saw Scarlette move.

"Good Evening." he said, with a grin and bow, masking. "Would you like me to take your watch? I've never been a good sleeper and all that gold has me rather excited.

He paused, thinking.

"Actually, I think Malc may be available as well. Why don't you go find Skinner and tell her Royce said you two can take the next watch together?"

He concealed his smile as he went outside.