Nautical Nonsense by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underage characters. You have been warned.
It had been a few weeks since the field trip to Montigan Falls. School and life in general had returned to normal. The monotony of responsibility was very much setting in. Even the teachers were no longer talking about it, and the event had fallen into memory. The only thing that remained of it was a few pictures of the event that were hung up in the school and a poster promising that a similar field trip would be held in the future.
Jakk awoke that morning to the sight of the sun peering through the window. The usual alarm buzzed off in his room, with the annoying sound of it ringing in his ears. Rolling over, the rabbit cub popped the palm of his hand on the button that silenced it. It was quiet for a few moments and buzzed several minutes later. The second time was more than enough to rouse the boy, who grumbled and rose out of bed slowly.
"Why can't it be the weekend? I wanna swim in the neighbor's pool already…" The cub asked himself as he finally got out of bed.
Padding over towards his closet, the rabbit grabbed his uniform from the closet. Sighing, he changed from his pajamas to his school clothes. The transition from the loose-fitting sleepwear to more form-fitting school garb was always offsetting for him. The cub straightened up his shirt but stopped short of tucking it in. Deciding not to do so, to see if anyone at the school noticed when he got there.
The boy headed toward the kitchen, catching a whiff of the aroma of something in the air. He figured it was food, and the thought of whatever it was made his stomach growl. Heading into the kitchen, he found his father finishing up his meal. The older lapine man was already dressed and ready for his day of work. His usual dark slacks, button-up t-shirt, slacks, and company badge were the usual attire for him.
"Morning, Dad. What did you make? It smells good." Jakk looked at the table but didn't recognize the food.
The older male looked back towards his son. "Latkes with some fruit spread. A friend at work suggested them. They are quite good. I hope you enjoy them."
"I'm sure it's great. Thanks, Dad." The cub was far from picky about food.
His father smiled at him and headed towards the door. "Of course. Don't forget to grab an umbrella today. It's supposed to rain."
"Where's Mom at?" The boy was used to seeing his mother around early morning.
The larger rabbit continued talking as he made his way down the hall. "She left early for work on the bus. She should be back home at around the usual time."
Jakk sat down and didn't question it anymore. He felt hungry enough that it didn't matter. Cutting into the food, he divided it into smaller slices. Diving into it, he quickly devoured the small pancake and nibbled on the apple that his father had left behind for him. There was no doubt that the meal was delicious and that he had enjoyed it. Wiping his mouth, the cub looked around to see if his father was still in the room, but the man was gone.
Deciding to tell him about it later, the boy busied himself getting ready for school. Peering outside, he gazed at the neighbor's pool a bit longingly through a slit in the fence. Snapping out of it, he grabbed his bag from the sofa where he had thrown it the previous day. The bag was worn with some stickers that one of his friends had stuck on it. One of the pockets on the side of it had a hole in it, but it wasn't a big deal since he didn't use it. The cub flung it over his bag and grabbed an umbrella from the family's storage rack.
Finally heading out, the cub was immediately sprayed by a light mist. The dew point was high that morning, and some rain was already falling in the area. Jakk popped up on the umbrella and made his way to school. Walking down the usual dirt path that led from his home. The usual traffic passed by him with a few school buses and the kids on board them waving to him as he went by. The rabbit kept the umbrella over top of him, but even with it shielding him, he was still getting a little bit wet.
The wind blew along behind him, pushing him along a little and arching some of the water to his backside. He didn't mind the rain but didn't want to get too wet and risk being cold all day in school. Jakk walked faster than usual and made pretty good time before arriving at the school. Finding that almost no one was around the academy when he got there. Only a single member of the staff was outside. The large moose woman was waving him inside. Picking up pace, the rabbit made his way through the front doors of the school and collapsed his umbrella.
Stashing it inside his bag for later, the lithe moose told him that the students were all waiting inside the cafeteria. Jakk nodded and headed towards the lunchroom. Inside the lunchroom, it was busier than usual. Normally, at this time of the day, the only students there would be the ones getting breakfast. However, this particular day, many of the students present were just ones waiting for the initial bell.
Jakk looked around for any signs of his friends. He spotted Pent hanging out at an isolated end of one of the tables. Deciding to join him, he headed over to where they were and sat next to the fox cub. As usual, the studious boy had his face stuffed inside another dense science book.
"Hey, Pent. How are things?" The rabbit asked as he eased his bag behind him.
The fox kit put the book down and looked over at him. "Good. It stinks we can't be outside today, though."
"Yeah, the weather is pretty crummy. My dad said it's supposed to get worse, but I don't mind it much." Jakk tried to shake off some of the water from his fur.
The smaller cub shrugged casually. "Oh well, we needed the rain."
"Yeah, where's Xavier at anyways?" The bunny boy thought about it for a moment and didn't notice the Chipmunk boy anywhere.
The white-furred boy frowned a bit. "He's at home sick with the flu. I hope he gets better soon."
"Me too, being sick stinks. I guess you don't have any plans this weekend, then?" The bigger boy stuck out his tongue to show his distaste for being ill.
The white furred boy shrugged. "I only plan to check in on him and read the new book I got. I can't spend a lot of time there. Why?"
"My neighbors have a big pool and they are letting me use it... Wanna come hang out and swim?" Jakk smiled at him, bouncing in his seat at the thought of finally getting to swim.
The arctic fox scratched the back of his head as he thought about it. "I guess so. I need to ask, but I don't think my foster mother would mind. You don't live that far away."
"I can tell you're excited. Try to contain yourself, or you might explode." The rabbit playfully bumped his friend on the shoulder with his body.
Pent arched his eyebrow at the other boy. "What are you talking about?"
"Come on, Pent. Xavier isn't your only friend. Come and hang out with me. It'll be fun." The brown furred cub gently smiled at his friend.
The smaller cub flinched but was not phased by the playful act. "I have to ask…She yells at me when I disappear without telling her."
"Right right…just don't leave me hanging for long. I wanna hang out." The rabbit cub eased up a bit and sat upright.
The white furred boy nodded. "I won't. I promise."
It was a short while before the first bell rang. Jakk and Pent padded along to their first class. The halls were much more congested since all of the students were coming from the same place. It took a bit longer than usual to get to homeroom, but all of the teachers waited so that no student would be considered late for that reason alone. The two boys split apart as they got further into the halls, going into different classrooms. Neither said anything to the other before they went their different ways.
Jakk's school day was pretty normal. The usual routine of reviews, assignments, and a short video presentation. He was never big on school and was an average student compared to his classmates. Sometimes he got distracted, but more often than not, he was able to finish the work he was given. After all, his parents always told him that if he didn't complete his work, he would be punished, and he wasn't about to miss out on going to the neighbor's pool.
Later that afternoon, once school was over, he walked back home. By this time of day, the weather had improved. It was no longer raining, and the only signs of it were a few grey clouds in the sky and the puddles of water on the ground. A few tree branches nearby bent back and forth as a light breeze blew through the area. Jakk was bummed it wasn't raining anymore and began to skip through some of the puddles that had collected on the street. Just before he arrived home, Jakk popped his head through the slits of his neighbor's house to get a look at their pool. He couldn't wait to swim in it.
At home, the rabbit retired to his room to take care of what homework he'd been given. A single digital worksheet for math and a small book report about the latest chapter of a book they had been reading in Literature class. Neither was that difficult, but every so often, he was distracted by Pent and him hanging out at the pool. Even despite that, he was able to finish the assignments in quick fashion. By the time he was almost finished, he heard the front door open. Wasting no time, he sped out front to meet his parents.
Both of his parents worked at somewhat close places. His old man was a baker at a patisserie while his mother was a manager at the local branch of a big banking institution. As usual, his father picked up his mother from work, as they
only had one vehicle that they shared. The cub quickly hugged both of them and held the door open to be polite.
"Well, hey there kiddo…What is this about?" His mother questioned the boy's odd behavior.
The younger boy looked up at her. "Nothing. I just wanted to show you I missed you."
"Sure…I bet this is about the neighbor's pool, isn't it?" The older male chuckled as Jakk had been talking about it quite a bit over the past few days.
Jakk was shocked that they guessed it. "Uh….maybe?"
"Just out with it. You don't need to butter us up about it. We know you're looking forward to it." The cubs' mother was a no-nonsense kind of woman.
The rabbit cub scratched the back of his head. "Well..uh…I was wondering if Pent could come over and swim too?"
"I don't see why not. Do you think the Vossiers will mind, James?" The woman looked at her husband, who was more familiar with them.
The older male shrugged. "Probably not, but I will ask in the morning."
"Thanks, Mom and Dad." He hugged them again and then padded off back to his room to finish up what he was working on.
The rest of the night was slow for the young rabbit. He was a bit distracted by the occasional thoughts about the neighbor's pool. It had been something the neighbors had promised for a while, but had always backed out. His father had finally managed to convince them, promising to monitor Jakk when he went over. Besides, the neighbors weren't even home, and the cub figured he would have a bit more freedom than his father let on.
The next morning arose with no sound of the alarm. It was the weekend, and no longer did he have to worry about getting up for school. But that day, Jakk sprang out of bed earlier than he would have otherwise. The day circled on his calendar in a bright red felt-tip pen to signal it had finally arrived. It was finally the day he could go to the neighbor's pool. All he needed to know now was whether his friend was going to be allowed to come too.
Jakk changed out of his pajamas and immediately into nothing but his swimsuit. There was no question he was ready for the pool even. Once he had changed, he padded into the kitchen to find a meal prepared for him. A small yellow sticky note had been plastered on the table with a note indicating that both of his parents were running errands. It was the weekend after all, and only his father had to work later in the morning.
"The Vossiers said it will be fine if you invite Pent over to the pool. Please don't be loud and try not to make a mess. They think I'm going to be there with you two. Don't disappoint me…"
Perking up, the rabbit cub's excitement was not bubbling up inside of him. Forgetting about breakfast, he sped back to his room and quickly grabbed his phone to text the fox cub. He wasn't sure what time Pent got up in the morning, but the phone showed it was late enough that it didn't matter.
"Hey, Pent. My neighbors said you can tag along at the neighbor's pool if you want. Don't chicken out!" The rabbit boy figured his friend would agree if he goaded him on a bit.
He set the phone down since Pent had said he would be checking on Xavier. He figured it would be the first thing he did, and so the rabbit boy busied himself with returning to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. A small meal of oats and granola lay in a bowl prepared for him. Jakk liked to put yogurt in it, so he grabbed his favorite flavor from the fridge and spread it all over the top so that it was a bit sweeter than it would have been otherwise.
Digging into it, he briefly looked outside the window that looked into his backyard from the kitchen. His backyard was small and had some toys strewn around it from being left there. Jakk was never great at picking up his stuff, and his parents constantly reminded him and rarely picked up after him. After all, he was old enough to take care of it himself. Outside, it seemed that the weather was much brighter and clearer than yesterday, and it gave him hope it would continue for the remainder of the day.
Jakk finished breakfast and picked up most of his stuff, except a small cloth napkin he left on the table. Going back into his room, he saw a notification on his phone. A message from Pent said the fox boy would come over after checking on Xavier. The rabbit figured it couldn't be that long, but figured he would go ahead and head over so he didn't have to wait. He wanted nothing more than to use as much time as possible and take advantage of the neighbor's pool.
Grabbing a towel, the cub quickly sped through the hall and into the living room. He picked up his house keys from the hook where they were kept. Heading outside, he was immediately hit by the dry heat of the outdoors. It was spring, and things weren't quite boiling just yet, but the shift from the air-conditioned indoors to the hotter outdoors always took some time for him to get used to. Still, he didn't let it bother him long as he sped through the grassy front lawn of his house.
His neighbor's house was larger than his own. A two-story abode with a carport and a fenced-in back yard. The backyard was where the family had its pool. Very seldom did they use it anymore as the family's kids had long since grown up and moved out of the house. Even so, they still maintained it with regular chemical treatments as well as keeping leaves out of it with a skimmer. A few pool toys floated about as the neighbors had left them there for Jakk and his friend to enjoy.
Excitement built up inside the young rabbit as Jakk frolicked through the fence door. On the sides of the pool were a few lounge chairs. Two towels were set on top of them. Jakk's father had already left it there for them as he was all but certain Jakk would forget to take them. Without even thinking about it, the rabbit boy exploded into the pool. The water plumed upward as he cannonballed into the water.
The water was cool against his fur, and he felt a shiver down his spine as his body tried to adjust to it. Popping his head above water, he began paddling around the water. It wasn't very deep, but it was still deep enough that his feet didn't reach the bottom of it. Diving in, he easily touched the bottom before springing back up towards the surface. He looked around at some of the toys, picking up a pool mat and lying out on it.
It wasn't much longer until the fox boy showed up. He had stopped by Jakk's parent' house, thinking that the other boy was there. Fortunately, the rabbit's mother had just gotten home from grocery shopping. Pent popped his head into the fence, just to make sure Jakk was there. Sure enough, the rabbit cub was swimming around in the water. The brown furred boy was much too relaxed to even realize he was there.
Pent smirked as he realized he had a golden opportunity to take advantage of the moment. Quietly, he snuck over to the poolside. A water gun had been set there, and the thing had already been filled with water. Pumping the piston a few times, he aimed the plastic barrel of it towards the rabbit boy. The stream was weak but just enough to spittle out and project long enough that it reached the lazy boy.
"Pleh!" Jakk spat the water out of its mouth as it hit the area right around its short snout.
Squirting him again, Pent playfully smiled at him. Scoring yet another short spritz over the boy's mouth and chin.
"No fair…stop!" The rabbit rolled over and into the water so he couldn't be squirted anymore.
Putting down the gun, the fox boy took off his shirt and flip-flops before jumping into the water. Jakk eventually rose from the depths, finally realizing that Pent had arrived.
"Nice, Pent. You got me…I'm glad you could make it." The bigger boy wasn't one to be a sore sport when the moment called for it.
Pent waded in the water. "Yeah, I just got here. Your mom told me you were over here, so I just came."
"Cool, wanna do a quick race?" Jakk was a competitive cub when he wanted to be.
The white furred boy grinned. "You're on, bunny boy."
"Loser has to do what the winner wants. Deal? Let's start at the shallow end, go to the deep end, and then back." Jakk paddled back to the shallower end of the pool.
The fox nodded as he followed his friend to the other side of the pool. It wasn't a very long pool, but it was big enough for what they wanted to do.
"On 3…1…2…3…" The bigger boy said before both of them sped off through the water.
Each of them went at full speed. Pent was a bit more athletic than Jakk and was easily able to outpace him. Already by halfway, he was a good length ahead of him. The rabbit tried to catch up, but it was no good. As they came to the end of the race, Pent ended up winning. Huffing, Jakk was a bit frustrated as he had given his all, but he still wasn't going to complain about it.
"Alright…nice race, Pent. What do you want me to do?" The brown furred boy relaxed onto one of the pool's walls.
Pent shrugged. "Nothing specific. I don't think it matters."
"Really? Alright. Well, if you come up with anything, just let me know. You won fair and square." Jakk smirked as an idea came to his mind.
Walking over towards the side of the pool, the rabbit grabbed one of the water guns. Quickly, he retreated towards Pent. Squirting him right over his pronounced snout. The fox shielded himself, but it was much too late for that. Easing himself forward, the smaller cub made a sleight of hand and grabbed the other spare squirt gun. Retaliating with his own weaker squirt gun. Pumping a few times to give it a bit more pressure, but it didn't help much.
Pent padded backward and used his free hand to give himself a bit of space. Jakk's squirt gun was more effective than his. The fox decided to go about it a different route and tossed the gun to the side. Pushing forward, he used both of his hands, and a bigger wave of water crashed over the bigger cub. This was enough to make the rabbit boy drop his
gun and join in the little game. The two of them splashed back and forth for a bit.
Eventually, they got tired of it, and the water settled down around them. Dipping beneath the water, they went in opposite directions and swam around aimlessly for a bit. A short while later, the wind began to pick up, and a drizzle followed soon after. Pent looked up towards the sky and noticed that the clouds had darkened a bit. Jakk stopped as well, and a frown crept across his face as he remembered what his father had said the other day.
"It's starting to storm. Do you wanna keep swimming?" The rabbit asked as he wasn't sure what the weather would do.
Pent shrugged. "Nah, it's kind of boring now anyway. We could probably go inside and play that new board game you were talking about if you want."
"Alright, sure." Jakk got out of the water, grabbed one of the towels, and swatted his friend with it, but it fell short of his mark.
The fox wasn't far behind him, collecting his clothes he'd left behind as well as a towel for himself. They headed back towards the rabbit's home. They were already wet, so the rain didn't
bother them as they walked through it. Back inside, they were immediately hit with the shift in temperature from the air conditioning. Jakks's parents didn't keep it very cold, but it was still a stark difference from how hot it was outside.
Jakk led both of them back to his room. Inside his closet was an assortment of board games. Many of which his parents had kept for family night, but others the rabbit boy had chosen for days when he had friends over. He filed through his closet as Pent waited patiently nearby. It took him a few seconds as he searched for something specific. Finally finding it, he took the bulky board game out and showed it to the smaller cub.
"Wanna play M&M?" It was a game they had played before, and the brown furred boy was certain he would say yes.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll pick my Warden this time. What do you want to play as?"
"Archer for sure." Jakk took the game and set it up on the floor.
Mice and Mystics was a Role-playing game that both of them enjoyed, and each of them had their various characters they had created in the past. Usually, Pent served as both the Dungeon Master and one of the player characters. It wasn't something standard, but since they only had two people, they had no other choice. Because of this, the fox sometimes relied on his phone to generate scenarios and decisions for them.
Pent plugged into the device their party size, and it generated a scenario for them. They were prompted with a kidnapping scenario. Tasked with saving the local village children from a fell beast who had been snatching them from the fields. Many of the local townsfolk had been rumoring that a mongoose had been behind it and that the fiend was a thrall under the control of Vanestra. It was a simple enough setup that could be done with any size party.
The fox began narrating their tale as best he could. They began their adventure at the Cloudshire. The same small village where the rumors had originated. They were coming hailed by the local townsfolk with no great celebration. Only when they came to the local soothsayer were they able to obtain the information they needed. The fiendish mongoose had been seen in the local fields swiping some of the pumpkin crops.
Continuing to the crop fields, they found it tended by some farmhands who paid them no heed. Only brushing them off when the two mice got too close to their beloved farms. Pent and Jakks ' characters kept clear of it until they discovered a hole much larger than one a rodent could make. The claw marks made it even clearer that it came from something else. Each of them slid in one after the other, met with an ever-obscured darkness.
Jakk's character lit a lantern in his satchel and led the way through the hole. The moist soil dripped as they made their way through it. As they walked, the sound of their steps echoed through the chamber. Despite their constant movement, it didn't feel as if they were making any progress. Eventually, they arrived at a dead end. The rabbit's character shone his lantern on it, and they gazed at a hoard before them.
Two young children lay asleep on some hay beds. Next to them, a few opened eggs, which both boys were all but certain the mongoose had likely eaten. Pent's characters tried to rouse the two children, but they only briefly roused. Checking their body for warmth and a pulse, there was no question they were alive. Making a saving roll, the two boys declared they would carry the children out using the strength of their characters.
They made their way back up the winding tunnel that they had just come down. The dirt was slick, and it was a much more tedious process than coming down it. Tarrying on, they were able to make it up about three-quarters of the way. Stopping only from the echoed shouting above.
"Mongoose!" An unfamiliar voice screamed from afar.
Pent and Jakks's character made a quick movement towards the hole's exit. But this time their saving roll failed, and they were met by the grim shadow of the large beast before him. It snapped at them twice, both times falling just short of their overburdened characters. The fox's character lashed backward and slipped against the mud of the slick entrance. The mongoose snapped again, but the fox was able to brandish his shield against the blow.
Jakk laced an arrow, striking true through the left eye of the mongoose. The thing squeaked, and another saving throw was rolled. This time, landing just on the number they need. The fiend retreated, holding its claw against its wound. Jakk's character helped Pent's up, and they collected their charges once again. Returning both of their children to their long-awaited families, who were all too grateful to have them back.
The scenario came to a close as the boy's characters were lauded with a small token of gratitude. A trophy they could use for the next time they played. Jakk's mother soon called them into the kitchen. It was now the afternoon and just in time for lunch. Both of them got up, leaving the game behind them. Joining the older woman for a quick meal of sandwiches, chips, and drinks. It was a simple enough lunch, but one they enjoyed all the same.
The remainder of the day was a pretty slow one for the two cubs. The weather would continue to get worse, just as Jakk's father had heard about the previous day. Jakk and Pent were able to make the best of it. Sticking to a few board games before the rabbit boy's mother prompted him about his homework from earlier in the week. It was something he had forgotten about, but his mother always was on top of him. Of course, this didn't bother Pent, who was all too keen to help him out with both his math assignment and his science one.
Jakk and Pent would finish both assignments in a pretty good time. The fox was much more adept in both of these subjects than his friend was. When it was finally time for the white furred cub to go home, the rabbit's parents had to take him. The weather had only gotten worse and was in no condition for biking back. The two of them would look forward to the next time they hung out, already planning in their head for what they wanted to do.
