The Animator (Larry Stylinson)

CHAPTER TWO - CAPTAINS CONFERENCE

It had been a couple of years ago that the Captain had sent a message about the boat for everyone to meet in the dining room. It had confused all the crew since usually if the Captain needed to talk to someone he'd just go and talk to them.

Harry and Niall were on the top deck, they'd got into trouble as usual and were on cleaning duty. They'd been hitting each other with wet mops for most part of the morning and they were both rather soapy and wet.

"Why does the Captain put us on cleaning duty when he knows that we don't actually clean?" Niall asked Harry swirling the mop around him as one of the crew members walked past eyeing them.

"There's definitely more water on us than the floor," agreed Harry making a show of mopping the floor until he'd walked off. Niall snorted and dropped onto one of the crates putting his feet up on another, his hands behind his head.

"Also, punishment is so worth it, Parkers face was priceless." Niall grinned. Harry smiled and agreed leaning against the mop and rubbing his forehead, the sun shining down on them meaning they were almost dry already. his hair was curling around his face and he kept pushing it back.

"It was pretty good," nodded Harry smiling as he thought back to them pushing a thrashing table into the showers with Parker who screamed like a little boy. When they'd finally opened the door they'd found Parker stark naked and hanging off a pole on the ceiling with the table trying to jump up at him.

"Did you ever get the table back to inanimate?" Niall asked him.

"No, it's in the empty hold at the moment," replied Harry with a grin, "Although don't tell the Captain that."

Niall cackled before jumping off the crates and grabbing his mop as Leon walked over to them, he looked a little stressed and in a hurry and they watched him curiously as he got to them.

"Captain wants to have words." He said and both Niall and Harry panicked at first thinking they were in trouble. "He's called everyone into the dining room."

"Everyone?" Harry asked, feeling a little less nervous realising it wasn't just them, although feeling generally confused since they never had full crew meetings.

"Everyone," Leon replied before he turned around to find the other crew members to head down. Harry turned to look at Niall who shrugged and dropped the mop.

"I thought he was going to get us onto toilet duty or something for slacking." muttered Harry thankful they weren't in trouble.

"Lets head then," Niall said kicking his mop out of the way.

"I've never seen you so Happy to be having a meeting with the Captain."

"Anything to get me out of cleaning." Niall grinned, moving off towards the stairwell.

"You've not exactly been cleaning all that much," Harry laughed as he propped his mop by the bucket and turned to follow Niall towards the stairwell leading down to the dining room.

The room was already filling up with the crew, all of them whispering between themselves looking a little apprehensive. Harry and Niall moved towards the back of the room and slid down the wall sitting on the floor.

"What do you suppose he wants to talk about?" Niall muttered to him.

"I've no idea, but it can't be to do with anything we've done. Not everyone would be here." Harry said. "unless he's trying to shame us."

"We can't be shamed, he calls us shameless enough." Niall laughed and Harry nodded with a grin. They looked about at the other apprehensive faces around the room and unease settled in Harrys stomach.