#𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔧𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔯𝔬 & 𝔢𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔫𝔢

[crsdseas]

closed: etienne ( @bovndlcss )

ALEJANDRO HAD begun to slowly become a bit stir crazy the longer this chokehold went on. unable to leave at times from the ship, unable to leave the island, it was a miracle he had not thrown himself overboard. if the hunger didn't get them, or the guard, the insanity of it all would. evenings when it felt like he could scream out of frustration, and hunger, alejandro usually found himself heading to etienne's quarters. he always found the archivist to have the most interesting trinkets. alejandro was fascinated by them and he could listen to etienne go on about anything for hours if that's what they wanted to do.

HE KNOCKS on etienne's door, hoping he was not disturbing them too much. "amigo," alejandro's arm came to rest against the doorway frame, he flashed an apologetic side smirk, "please forgive my intrusion. if you are not too busy, i have come seeking your company this evening. tell me you have new trinkets to fill me in on, perhaps something new you've learned, surely, you have a story or two to spare for me?" he reached into his front shirt pocket to pull out a small apple, "mira, i come bearing gifts."

[crsdseas]

closed: etienne ( @bovndlcss )

FOUR DAYS AND as promised, alejandro shows up to etienne's door on the fourth night. for four days he was running around tortuga trying to gather every piece to his puzzle in order to complete by tonight. despite a couple of bumps along the way, everything seemed to fall into place for this evening. alejandro was a man that enjoyed giving to those who meant a lot to him. so rarely did he find someone who cold slip through the cracks, but when he did, he made sure to show them how deeply he treasured them every second he got. he hadn't expected to walk out of etienne's room discovering how much the other meant to him, nor filled with an undeniable desire to do something special for him, but it is what occurred. unplanned, unpredicted, and yet it all felt so natural at the same time.

"BUENAS NOCHES, AMIGO. i am here to collect." he flashed a playful side smile, nodding for the other to follow. "it is but a short distance away, but i hope you enjoy the end result." with a lantern in hand, alejandro begins to lead them further from the ship. "the last time we spoke, i asked for you to come to the theatre with me." alejandro began, "and you agreed, remember? well, since it is nearly impossible for us to actually go to one, and not just because we are stuck here at the moment, i decided to bring the theatre to us. a form of it, if you will." they reach the spot that alejandro was leading them to; a makeshift stage, crated from weathered planks and stretched canvas, stands at the center of the beach, its edges adorned with seashells and bits of driftwood scavenged from some wreckage.

HE TURNED TO face etienne, "take a seat." he ushered them over to the sheet, hoping to make them comfortable. he goes behind the stage to set the lantern down, casting a soft glow across the canvas that displayed his silhouette as he got things ready. he comes back around with a small sack to place next to etienne, nodding to it, "some dry bread, water, and a bit of dry meat." he takes half of the bread, "this is for our little helpers, as promise." then two kids come running to them, carrying various cut outs tied to sticks in their hands. they give a little wave to etienne before running behind the canvas to begin their performance. "now, i need to be honest," ale chuckled, sitting next to etienne, "i have no idea what they will be preforming. i let them make up a story for tonight's affairs. i simply helped with the puppets and stage set up." he looked to the other man, "was it worth the wait?"

[crsdseas]

ALEJANDRO'S EYES CRINKLED at the corners as etienne's smile broke through, a rare and genuine warmth that mirrored the fondness growing between them. their shared curiosity of perspectives clashing and reshaping lit a spark in him, one he hadn't felt in some time. finding this connection with etienne was like finding a hidden treasure in uncharted waters, and in a way, their friendship was exactly like uncharted waters. it moved one way, then another, and alejandro did not know which way it would go next. he had walked in here expecting to be told about maybe one or two trinkets then sent on his way and somewhere along the way it felt things shifted to more than just trinkets. "igualmente."

AS HE LOOKS at etienne, listening to him, alejandro can feel every single wall slowly being chipped away. a soft sigh slips through slightly parted lips, touched by the words that have just been spoken to him. "then, consider it off." his voice was softer than usual, still light. then came two things he wasn't expecting; the flicker in etienne's eyes that he couldn't describe and interest to know what happened the last time he kissed someone he was connected to. alejandro let out a soft sigh, "there is no need to forgive curiosity, is that not what brought us together?" and perhaps what has kept the two of them still friends. the curiosity to learn from one another and to know each other on deeper level than what is on the surface.

ALEJANDRO WALKED ACROSS the room to come up in front of etienne, his lips curling into a gentle, but sad, smile. "you see, the last time i let my armor down with someone and shared a kiss with them....i felt like a regret after. i'm sure i have been a regret before to others but this one hurt because...i thought it was a bit more, you know? and it's not so much the regret part of it that hurt me, it's the lack of communication that followed afterwards that cut me like a blade. admittedly, i'm terrified to be a regret to someone so close to me again."

HIS OWN WORDS played over in his head, acting as a gentle reminder to himself of what he had just said he wouldn't do. still he reached out to gently cup the bottom of etienne's chin, "sin embargo, al mismo tiempo, no quiero vivir en un mundo de 'qué pasaría si' contigo." he dropped his hand, letting those words hang in the air for a moment. the silence wasn't uncomfortable, just a bit heavy with unspoken words. he looks to the side to focus on something other than etienne's gaze, afraid he might risk everything if he looked at him too long.

HE ONLY TURNED to look at etienne again when he felt their hands touch. hearing him speak his own language made something in alejandro spark and he felt as it shot through his veins. whatever it was, it filled him with a new sense of life. then, his eyes lit up, an idea formed. "four days," he blurts, catching etienne's gaze, "i need you to give me four days. i have just gotten an idea, but i need a bit of time to bring it to life. on the night of the fourth day, be ready for me, i will come for you." he brought etienne's hand up to press a gentle kiss against his soft skin as if he were sealing a promise. "i have to go. you have given me much to think about and much inspiration." it's been so long since he's gotten the chance to plan something special for someone, he prayed to the gods he could pull it off. "hasta la próxima vez, mi querido amigo."

This time Etienne smiles properly, a hard-won expression betraying his fondness for the man in front of him. In this, Alejandro is without pride, always open to a new experience, to a new avenue of thought, echoing Etienne's own thoughts regarding the thrill of having your perspective challenged and subsequently altered. Different as they are, it astounds him just how kindred their spirits seem and, more than that... it delights him too. "I hope you will forgive me my assumptions, then - for they were based on my experiences, rather than your behaviour," he explains, "You are unlike most people I have met."

He waits while Alejandro says his piece, his gaze fixed unerringly on the other man’s face as he listens to his reasoning. It is a surprise to hear his own words reflected back at him. “That is because you are not a fool,” he says, “And your curiosity is nothing less than a virtue, in my eyes… I like that you ask me questions. I enjoy conversing with you.” And it feels strangely natural to do so. Comfortable, in a way he has rarely experienced.

It is beyond belief that a man such as Alejandro, with his pleasant demeanour and handsome face, should ever have occasion to feel lonely, but Etienne does not doubt the truth of his words. What he sees in Alejandro is a loneliness that comes not from being physically solitary, but from feeling that nobody really knows you. It is a sensation that Etienne is intimately familiar with himself, though they must experience it in different ways: Alejandro keeping people at a distance with his mask of levity, and Etienne with his inability to wear a mask at all. “The defenses you speak of, the armour that you wear…” He begins slowly, carefully, “If they make you weary, and you are able, you may set them down at my door. Eres vale conocerlo, Ale.”

No te besaré. The words are accompanied by a flicker of something that Etienne can only term as disappointment, dulled at the edges like a stone tossed by the sea. He sits with it for a moment, turns it over in his mind, tests the weight of it, and then decides to put it away. It is the sensible choice, and, therefore, it must be the correct one. He is not meant to be kissed. “La última vez?" He asks instinctively, before thinking better of it and shaking his head, "Perdóname, no importa. No tienes que decírmelo."

When Alejandro expresses what Etienne means to him, he nods, reciprocation coming easily and without exaggeration or artifice. He truly cherishes this man, his friendship, all the parts of himself he has seen fit to share, and would not trade them on a whim. They are worth too much. “Y tu tambien,” Etienne replies softly, reaching to take Alejandro’s hand in his for just a moment before adding in his own language, “Mon cher ami.”

[crsdseas]

“IT AMUSES ME that most people assume what boredom is to me,” he chuckled, “just because something goes against my nature, why would i shield myself from learning about it? the very opposite, amigo. i should like to see the opinions of others and perhaps grow a bit from them or maybe even find a way to apply it to my life in one form or another.” he smiled a bit more as he listened to what drew etienne to the theatre, “a new perspective.” that is exactly it, that right there. “one day we will visit a theatre.” it was probably a dream more than reality, still the thought of it all was nice. even though alejandro certain that he’d be more distracted watching etienne’s reactions to the performance more than the performance itself.

AND THEN ETIENNE speaks of the sea and once more alejandro found himself hanging on to every word coming from him. his lips curled into a soft smile at the comment about how he listened, though he says nothing, he gives a nod of acknowledgment to etienne’s words. questioning him about the kiss wasn’t what made alejandro’s mind spin for a moment, it was the answer he wanted to give back that made his mind swirl. “you listen to me.” he echoed the words the other had spoken moments ago, still holding the soft smile. “you don’t just hear me talk, you listen. it means a lot to me when someone can look past all that i am and see that there is more there than what i display. it doesn’t happen often, why would it? i put up the guard that i do for a purpose, self defense if you will.” he looked down to a little trinket, “but you, you never did that to me. each question i ever ask you have never once looked at me like i am a fool or given me a sign that i was a burden for being so curious.”

ALEJANDRO LOOKED TO etienne, “you see me, etienne. you see me and instead of treating me like most others do…you let me into your world.” he gestured around the room, “all these items wouldn’t fascinate me nearly as much if i did not have someone so patient and equally passionate about it like you to tell me the stories behind them.” his smile gets a little coy then, a rarity for him, “and, well, you’re also an extremely handsome man to look at. naturally i would be drawn to you but you’ve given me something deeper to hold on to, a connection that so rarely comes into a life like mine.” his voice softens a bit, as if whispering a secret, “you make time on this ship not seem so lonely for me.” the shade spent hours upon hours with individuals at times just to gain intel, sometimes he slept with them for that very purpose, but it was never really much more than that.

WHEN IT DID become more, if ever, typically one pulled away before it could go deeper. he was no saint as he had done the same to someone in tortuga too, and thus had accepted he would always be married to the sea. it did get lonely though and it was tough for him to admit that. tougher yet was opening up the way he was with etienne right now, dropping the mask he usually wore. “no te preocupes. no te besaré. la última vez que hice eso con alguien….” he shrugged, leaving that comment without much else. it just hits him that if they were to ever kiss etienne would probably pull away too. truthfully, alejandro doesn’t think he’d do well if it happened again. as he looked over at the other man he also realized just how special etienne really was to him, and how much he’d never want to risk their friendship. “but for what’s it’s worth…eres muy especial para mí, etienne.”

“That does not surprise me, when you, yourself, are a creature governed by passion. It is why I was reluctant to bore you with my thoughts on Stoicism - its core philosophy stands at odds with your nature.” And that of all pirates, including Etienne himself. Even the most restrained among them are hungry for something, and self-denial is not in their interests… virtue is not in their interests. “For me, the appeal is in gaining new perspective. I believe that art is typically made in the service of understanding something, whether it is about yourself, or the world around you - it is a space to explore, in relative safety, that you might gain some clarity of mind.” The suggestion that they go to a performance together is met with the barest of smiles, not opposed to the idea, but disbelieving that it can ever come to pass. What manner of theatre would allow men like them - hunted, hated - through its doors?

It seems Alejandro does not know why he did what he did, and that is answer enough - the incident will be Etienne’s to puzzle over later, when he is alone with his thoughts once more. Gently extracting himself from the other man’s grasp, he finally raises the apple to his own mouth and takes a bite out of it, eclipsing the place where Alejandro’s teeth had marked it before. “Gracias,” he says, when he realises he hasn’t already done so.

Etienne listens as Alejandro explains himself, less interested in recounting his path through academia than obtaining these tiny insights into the other man's thoughts, glimpses of some of the many, myriad things that make up his person. "Your fathers' country was the sea," he comments, "And it is your country too. You were born to it - they taught you what they could, and you have learned the rest through your experiences." And that is invaluable. In some ways, Alejandro knows more about the world than he does, simply because he chooses to actively participate in it. He shakes his head at the compliment, "Sharing my knowledge with you is no burden, Ale,” he says simply, softly, “You listen to me.”

Staring intently at Alejandro as he attempts to decipher his expression, Etienne cocks his head to the side once more, considering what the other man has said. It doesn't appear that he is joking - his smile is playful, but not unkind - so what else could have inspired this offer? Boredom? Curiosity? Surely not attraction? “Quieres besarme?” He asks, “Por qué?” It is in his nature to question, to seek a greater understanding, but the idea is not entirely without appeal. Objectively, Alejandro is a very handsome man, Etienne holds a not-insignificant measure of affection for him, and he supposes that if he was ever to kiss somebody, he would prefer that they were a friend. However, he hasn't so many friends that he can afford to gamble one on... a passing fancy.

[crsdseas]

"DO YOU REALLY?" alejandro had also enjoyed visiting the theatre the far and few chances he had gotten in between sailing the seas. "what's your favorite part of the theatre? is it the performance itself, perhaps the stories being told on stage, or the chance to disconnect from reality for a moment? personally, i enjoy the performance itself. i think it's very beautiful, the passion that comes alive on stage." he paused, "we should go to a show, when all this is over."

Por qué hiciste eso?

ALEJANDRO DOES NOT answer the question when it is asked, instead gives a little shrug. he hadn't really thought about it when he reached out to take etienne's wrist, it didn't even strike him that it could make the other uncomfortable in some way, at times his body reacted before he could truly think to stop it. the question did make him think, though, because he is curious to know why he had done it too. thankfully, the timepiece makes for the perfection distraction. at least, for the time being.

"INDEED. WAS THERE a moment in which you understood right there and then that the history of our world was what you wanted to dedicate your life to, or did it just sort of happen like that? i know that for me it was the moment i first made sail to the open sea. but the thing for me is that my fathers did not teach me too much of the history of the world. they barely taught me the history of spain," he chuckled, "it didn't really interest them, but the way of the sea? that was their passion." a beat. " it's why i enjoy meeting new people, because i learn about the world through them. and it's why, etienne, you are so fascinating to me. i think it's extraordinary the things that you know and i feel very honored that you don't mind taking a moment to teach me some of it."

THIS IS WHY he enjoyed visiting etienne because talking with him was so effortless. finally, his mind returns to the earlier question. alejandro's lips curl into a gentle and playful smile, “about earlier…we were sharing the apple, etienne.” a beat. “but you know, te daría un beso si me lo permitieras."

"Perhaps that would be best," he remarks with a soft sound that almost resembles a laugh, "I would hate to ruin the performance, should my gaze so unnerve you. I do enjoy the theatre." And it has been a great many years since he last had the opportunity to attend one - a lifetime ago, really.

Whatever Etienne had been expecting, it isn't the warm circle of Alejandro's fingers around his slender wrist, drawing his hand towards him. He allows the contact, the expression on his face betraying little, though his dark gaze is curious and unflinching as he watches the other man take a bite out of the apple. It seems strangely intimate, to have someone literally eat from the palm of your hand. "Por qué hiciste eso?" He asks as he cocks his head to one side, the answer to his question of more interest to him than food. He makes no move to free himself from Alejandro's grasp yet.

It pleases him to see Alejandro's fascination written so plainly, and his thumb draws appreciatively over the casing of the spherical watch, his nail catching lightly on the ouroboros engraved there. "The past is important. It is a map towards the future," he says sagely, "I was lucky to have my eyes opened to it at a young age." Or at all. If he had not been taken under Honoré's wing all those years ago, perhaps they would have remained closed.

He clicks the watch shut, setting it safely back in its drawer as Alejandro moves away from him, though responds to his comment with a slight raise of his eyebrows. "You find amazement in everything," It is not a condemnation. The world is wide, and there are many things contained within its limits to marvel over, "Though I am uncertain what I have done to impress you."

[crsdseas]

“AH, YOU FIND me entertaining, do you? i haven't even show you my main performance,” alejandro responds, his voice laced with playfulness. "i will make sure to send you invitations to all my shows, you can come sit in the front row." a pause. "well, perhaps the middle row, i might get a little coy if i catch you looking at me too long." etienne didn't even realize how captivated he had alejandro, which amused the spanish pirate all the more. he'd argue that anyone with good sense could easily be drawn to etienne, but what could draw etienne to someone? alejandro would argue that having that knowledge would be the most precious treasure in this room.

"AS I SAID, you could talk about it until you were blue in the face. sin embargo, i await your treatise with bated breath. for i am always interested in what you have to write, say, or teach." alejandro's words were sincere even if he did not think they came off that way. the guy would like to think that etienne was able to tell they were. "i agree that is coin well spent, regardless of the unfortunate loss of her feet." he looked to them at the suggestion of sharing the apple and gives them a gentle smile. "if it will put you at ease, i will take a bite."

WITHOUT A SECOND thought alejandro strolls over to etienne. in one swift movement he reaches out to gently capture their wrist with his hand, bringing the apple up to his lips, leaning in, alejandro takes a small bite out of the apple. he leaned back to savor it, slowly chewing, hoping to reassure etienne that it was okay for them to enjoy the fruit. he nodded to the apple, "ahora tú." even if etienne chose not to eat the fruit right now, alejandro had zero intentions of leaving until he saw them take a bite out of it as well.

HIS ATTENTION IS entirely wrapped around the timepiece the moment etienne brings it out. fascination roots him, his eyes tracing the etched outlines, slowly taking in the item. he looked to where etienne pointed, sponging up the bit of information he gave him on the timepiece, not daring to reach out to touch such a delicate piece. he leaned in just a little more so he could get a good look at the fine detail of the piece. a couple of beats pass while alejandro continued to admire the artifact. "it's like you have little windows to various moments in time right at your fingertips." he looked over to them, straightening up again, "you never cease to amaze me, etienne."

Etienne shakes his head at Alejandro's antics, the vibrancy of the other man's personality filling the small cabin as surely as the collection of artifacts that cover every available surface. He had not thought to find anything in common with such a person, but here they are. It seems it is not always such a bad thing to find oneself surprised. «Such theatrics,» Etienne comments, a note of amusement registering in his tone as he switches smoothly to Spanish, «If you ever tire of piracy, Ale, perhaps you might find a place on the stage.»

He turns back to the paper on his desk, his hand lingering on its surface as he considers the offer, questioning its sincerity. "If you are truly interested, you may borrow my treatise when I am finished with it," he says at length, "It would take me hours to adequately explain, and a book that I have already lent to Klio..." As well as his translation of Chrysippus' On Passions, which had been damaged beyond recognition with filthy water when the tide had turned. It still galls him to think of its loss.

"Artemis is missing her feet, but it is still a rare find - worth the coin I spent, certainly," he acknowledges, as pleased as he ever really sounds. Catching the apple when it's thrown to him, Etienne falls silent for a moment, his eyes boring steadily into Alejandro's as he tries to ascertain whether or not he is lying about having recently eaten. It seems like the sort of thing he might do. «We should share,» is the conclusion he arrives at, «It would be the comradely thing to do, yes?»

"Everything in my collection has merit," he begins, not to be diplomatic, but because he sincerely believes it, "Though, if it is treasure you speak of... there is this." He slides out one of the drawers of his desk, and plucks from within it a copper sphere, composed of two ornately engraved hemispheres held together by a hinge. Etienne carefully opens it so that Alejandro may see inside. "It's a timepiece, the first of its kind. The Roman numerals here represent the morning hours, and the Arabic here represent the evening," he tells him, indicating the things he mentions with one elegant finger, "I took it from a Prussian vessel we sank two years ago."

[crsdseas]

ALEJANDRO MOVED THE hand holding the apple over his heart, feigning an ache. "you do not think my apology is sincere? you wound me, shatter me even, at such an accusation. i thought us to be better than this. no matter. it gives me more reason to try even harder to win you over." a lopsided, roguish twist of his mouth, reveals a slightly crooked playful smirk. it amused him that etienne would think he would ever find him to be anything short of interesting. "amigo, you can talk about stoicism until you are blue in the face. i enjoy learning about any little thing that interests you." it was true. alejandro loved seeing the fire that lit up in people's eyes when they spoke about their passions.

HIS EYES TWINKLED with excited curiosity at the mention of a new artifact. "you never cease to amaze me." his gaze lingered on etienne as he found the statuette of the woman and two children, adoration finding his gaze when he saw etienne's eyes brighten. alejandro's gaze travelled to the artifact, nodding, "que bellesa. a beautiful addition to your collection." the apple had gone forgotten by alejandro as well until the soft grumble brought attention back to it, playfully chucking it in etienne's direction without hesitation. "i had a bit of bread earlier, amigo. i want to make sure you get something, too. do you not think i haven't noticed at times you forget?" alejandro smiled, a soft smile that radiated a gentle concern; enough to show he cared, not enough to be overbearing.

THE MAN MOVED around the room with comfortable curiosity, scanning over artifact after artifact. careful fingertips brushed against the covers of books that he understood and others in languages he could only dream of learning. alejandrao was in awe at it all. he opened a book in a language that was unfamiliar to him, delictely flipping through its pages as he admired it. "what's your favorite little treasure that you've obtained?"

There is nowhere in the world Etienne likes better than his own cramped quarters aboard the Harbinger. Hunched over the desk he has crammed in beneath the room's solitary porthole, its surface littered with open books and scraps of parchment, he doesn't immediately react to Alejandro's voice from behind him. In fact, the only proof that he has even heard the other man is the slight uptick in the scribbling of his quill, as he hurries to complete his thought.

"I will not forgive you, because I do not believe you are really sorry," he says as he turns to face his compatriot at last, only the subtlest of inflections suggesting that he is teasing. Etienne has crewed with the Harbinger for seven years now, and still it is a surprise when someone actively seeks his society, which he had previously understood to be undesirable. "I suspect my musings on the topic of Stoicism will be of little interest to you, but... I have acquired a new artifact for my collection."

His dark eyes brighten as they alight on a marble statuette of a woman and two children, standing unobtrusively atop yet another pile of books near the door. "Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis - recovered from the temples of Letoon," Etienne explains, forgetting all about Alejandro's offered bribe until his stomach gives a plaintive growl. Food is in short supply, and he forgets to eat at the best of times, so he has been doing his best to ignore it. "Are you not hungry?" He asks, the slightest of creases appearing between his brows.