dishonests | ◤eudio, cuddlr◢

[ Not being informed of the content of an application designed to promote oneself to the general public is highly unfortunate. But still no excuse. ]

I have been collecting data on the residents of the city. Your profile has been most unhelpful, as it contains little useful information.

However, I would like to make an inquiry of you.

[ 'highly unfortunate but still no excuse' could be applied to most of his life choices. ]

Aye, and what inquiry be that?

[ after their text conversation about the ethics of piracy, it's only natural that their face to face conversation would take a similar path. cassidy can't say he's sorry for it, either; he likes hearing her talk, and part of him enjoys the thrill of debate. they're separated by more than just a table. they're separated by three hundred years, by differing circumstances that led him to become a pirate fighting against his country and her an agent fighting in service of her country ( not that he knows that part — yet ). there's always bound to be things upon which they disagree. it's part of what makes her so interesting.

he arches a brow, though the hint of a smile remains on his lips. ] That'd be so? You're an honest lass, I grant it. [ he doesn't mean truthful, but rather good and decent. ] Maybe there be more good than bad people, as you say. For my part, I think not of people as good or bad. From whence I come, people be rich or desperate, and far more of them's desperate as not. No one thinks of saving everyone else who can't hardly feed or clothe hisself. [ he pauses, then tips his hand. ] Or, herself. You see?

[ it's a reference, once again, to the broken economy of the post-war world he inhabits. a world where there are more orphaned children on the streets than animals, where men and young boys are press-ganged onto navy ships, where sailors are paid shit wages and treated worse, and wealthy merchants sell men, women, and children like cargo. a world where honest people, by any definition of the word, don't normally last long.

these reasons still might not justify piracy in roxy's eyes, but they might shed some light on it at any rate. if their situations were reversed, maybe roxy still wouldn't have made the choices cassidy did. maybe there are good and bad people, and she's one type and he's the other.

at the very least, he's not terrible enough for her to quit his company. that's all that matters for the moment. her answer again brings that smirk to his lips. ] The world, is it? Be that the very world you're wanting to save? [ even if her answer weren't vague, he would know she's not being entirely candid. she always did seem to be hiding something. maybe she'll be more forthcoming with the truth after a few more martinis.

besides, it's not like she's the only one that's hiding things. he doesn't stop her from reaching across the table for his pendant, though there's a subtle shift in his expression. it's a locket, really, though that might not be readily apparent from the outside. ]

This trinket? [ pinching the pendant between his fingers, he glances down at it for a moment. ] To someone, perhaps. I... unburdened a poor captain of it after his ship fall victim to a roving bunch of bloody rogues.

[ with a wink, he pushes his empty glass aside and scoots his chair back, so he and his pendant are out of roxy's reach. ]

Care you for another drink?

Truly? What bar do you be tending? I'm much the same as I was, for my part.

[ because he can barely speak the terrible details of the past seven months out loud, let alone put them in a text. ]

What are the meanings behind the phrases in your profile? 'Plunder your treasure', 'shiver your timbers', and 'jolly your roger'? They are not phrases common to my era.

I'll tell you plain, it weren't me that wrote it, so their meanings here be different than those with which I'm familiar, as I guess. Like as not, they've to do with fucking. Be that a phrase common to your era, mate?

[ Roxy can't even really begin to understand what it's like to live in the century he does - all she knows is from history books, taught to her in school, but there's a difference between reading about something and being in the center of it. Her London is not the same as his and it never will be, and perhaps that's why she chooses not to argue with him too intensely.

Lifting her chin a little, she eyes him curiously, taking a small sip from her glass as she tries to figure out what she wants to say to him, what she wants to ask. ]

I can understand that, I think. But I also feel like life would become so lonely, only looking after oneself. And at what point does loneliness become more unbearable than surviving?

[ Roxy's not trying to pretend like she has any idea what it's like to be desperate in the sense that Cassidy means - she's been very fortunate in that she's never really had to want for anything, born with a silver spoon 'up her arse' as Eggsy once said to Harry about people like him and herself -, she just wants to understand the reasoning behind his own argument.

She glances up, the corners of her mouth curling into a soft smile, teetering on the edge of a smirk, perhaps to match his. She's aware that her answers kind of contradict with one another - she wants to save the world, but also wants to save her family from it which suggests that maybe the world isn't actually worth the effort of saving. ]

Yes. Saving the world is a pretty steep request, isn't it? So I opted for the more sensible option.

[ Not entirely true, but Roxy's not here to divulge every little detail about herself tonight, probably ever. She sips from her drink again, finishing it off and setting it back down on the nearest coaster, sliding the glass a little off to the side so it's out of the way.

When he winks and his explanation for how he came into owning the pendant sinks in, she laughs, shaking her head at him. ]

Unburdened. Please - you stole it, you bloody rogue. [ She may sound a bit disapproving, but there's still a faint sense of playfulness to her tone. She makes a small gesture with one hand. ] Go on then, why not? I'll have the same as you this time, though.

[ it takes him aback, how quickly she arrives at the root of it. existing in a world where everyone looks out for their own interests can be lonely. the most difficult thing for cassidy to adjust to in eudio, more than the communicators or electricity or indoor plumbing, was not always having to look over his shoulder. he still sleeps with a knife under his pillow, but not once has he had to use it.

he could argue that he's not lonely, that he's surrounded by people at sea, and on land he hardly ever spends a night alone, but the words never make it to his lips. he has a loyal crew, but he would only count a few among them as true friends. as for the rest, their loyalty only lasts while they see cassidy as surest way to get what they want. his smiles thinly. ]

Well, Miss Morton, trust that you'll be the first person I tell, should I chance upon the answer.

[ but his smile grows more genuine a moment later. ] At any rate, you always was a sensible creature.

[ at her laughter, his expression brightens further. gone are any shadows of a moment ago. if she spends enough time with him, she might discover he lied about the pendant. it's actually the only one of his accessories he didn't steal. he almost never removes it, and he holds it between his fingers from time to time. when he's alone, he pries the locket apart with the tip of his knife and looks at what's inside — a small coil of dark hair on one side, and on the other a coil of sandy-blonde hair, a shade off from his own, that belonged to a girl he once knew. but, for tonight at least, cassidy would much rather make roxy laugh at his antics than pity him for his losses. ]

Very well. Drop your anchor, I'll not be gone a minute. [ he gets up from the table and weaves back towards the bar.

it's more than a minute, of course, probably closer to five or six, by the time he returns with two old fashioned glasses of some orangeish drink. as he sinks into his seat, he pushes one towards her. ]

This here be one of the most pleasing mixtures you're like to get at sea. We call it bumbo, though I reckon the sort they make here is better suited to landlubbers such as yourself. [ with a cheeky grin, he raises his glass to knock against hers. ]

[ Roxy wrinkles her nose a little at the way he addresses her - Miss Morton. It's nearly as bad as being called Roxanne (which is only reserved for her parents and situations of high importance and formality, in her opinion). She appreciates the politeness of it, but she'd also like to think they've passed the stage of formalities - especially considering they've known each other since well before now, even if she doesn't remember it. It still counts.

But she also has the feeling that he's just doing it to get under her skin, which is why she doesn't correct him. It's not that bothersome, just a matter of preference, and if he is meaning to ruffle her feathers a bit then she's not going to acknowledge it at all. ]

Good. You never know, my very life could depend on it one day. [ The answer, she means, but she's just teasing judging by the way she looks at him, one corner of her mouth curled just so, and a hint of playfulness in her eyes.

Drop your anchor makes her laugh a little and she shoos him off with a subtle wave of her hand, taking the time that he's gone to have a look around the pub. She makes note of little, seemingly unimportant details (habit), listens in on a few seconds of random conversations here and there, and even watches Cassidy at the bar for a moment or two, trying to decide what to make of him.

He's charming in an odd way that she wouldn't really expect from a pirate - or the stereotype of one, anyway. Kind, intelligent, intriguing, and willing to give their friendship another go, which is honestly a little bit of a relief. The two of them are as different as two people could possibly be, and yet - Roxy likes him.

But that doesn't mean she trusts him. Not yet. She offers him a closed-lipped smile when he returns to the table, reaching out to take the glass he slid towards her and lifting it to clink against his - but instead of taking a drink, she keeps her hand right where it is, raised with their glasses still touching, and she tilts her head. ] ... Swap with me.

You are not the first individual who has allowed another to write your profile. Is there a reason you did not write it?

And yes, fucking is a phrase with which I am familiar.

✓

Is the adjustment difficult? I mean the city is different for me, but I suppose to someone from the eighteenth century it must be crazy.

✓

[ always check yes for cute girls. ]

Aye, to be sure. Though I had seen many a strange place before, when I arrived here the first time, I thought as I had never seen a stranger place than this. But I come to find people are much the same, no matter whence or what century they be from, and that were the truest comfort.

[ that, and alcohol. mostly alcohol. ]

✓

[ Can he tick this more than once? He's going to try. ]

✓✓

[ That face, though. ]

✓

You flatter me.

[ this is not him complaining, for the record. see: the check mark. ]

it is not flattery when it is deserved, captain

i think we are from a similar time. but i have not met a pirate before
i imagine it would be freeing. do you miss it?

You have the right of it. Flattered I am, all the same. You've not met a single pirate in nigh 300 years? I reckon Fortune must favour you. Bloody bunch of thieving rogues, pirates are.

[ a pause. ]

It's a freedom like no other, to be sure, but I miss not the maggoty bread, nor the watered rum. [ aaand shifting the focus, ] Are you truly a vampire, and a king at that?

i am a vampire, and a king. a position newly won, and before it i was a prince who fought a war against faeries, most of whom live in the sea beyond our castle walls

[ Briefly, he wonders if he will be believed. Mortals at home would have laughed at such stories, until he gave them proof. Here, things are different. Magic is more commonplace. He has been told these secrets need not be kept, and so he is trying his hand at honesty. ]

it would be a rare pirate, i think, who could navigate their waters, and find his way to us

i used to dream of sailing. there was a boy once, who came from viking stock, and told me tales of such adventure that i would have left castle and king behind to follow him
that was not to be. but the dream remains

do you have such tales? would you tell them, if you did?

Edited 2016-07-18 04:11 (UTC)

[ there was a time when cassidy would not have believed him. he still doesn't wholly subscribe to the stories he hears, a practice he learned from being surrounded by sailors most of his life. but, between his first visit to eudio and this one, he's seen enough evidence with his own two eyes to start believing people when they tell him they're a faerie or a demon — or a vampire. or, if he doesn't believe them, he at least doesn't dismiss them as a lunatic.

so, he might grin to himself as he reads rafa's texts, but he doesn't outright laugh. ]

Well, Your Majesty, I give you my best for your recent victory. Can't say as I've ever fought against faeries, but I knew a faerie here once, and I reckon they be fierce opponents. Sailing is the only life I ever known. My father were a sailor, captain of a merchant ship before he became privateer by the Queen's will. I joined him at fourteen years of age, and I've not looked back since that day.

[ not strictly true, but it makes for a better story. ]

Aye, I've many such a tale, which I gladly tell if it be Your Majesty's will to hear them.

[ It makes for a decent story. Fourteen years old and sailing already. A life spent at sea. That would be good. Whether as honest merchant or seaborne thief, it would mean freedom, and travel, and everything Rafa used to wish was his.

He finds himself smiling. ]

yes, it is my will
as it is that you call me rafa, for i am no king here, and then tell me how it was that a boy who was a privateer became a pirate, instead

not that i would judge. the latter involves working for yourself, yes? that is preferable
or it would be to me, at least

[ a pirate's life isn't as quite as romantic as the stories make it seem. the days at sea are long, and he wasn't lying about the maggot-infested bread or the watered-down rum. not to mention, cassidy hasn't had a place to call home since the day he left bristol, and returning to that home? impossible.

still, for as long as he can remember, it's been the only life for him. ]

As you will, Your Majesty. [ once more, just to tease him. it's a shame rafa can't see him grinning. ] Ah, that tale is a long one, to be sure, and best shared over a pint. Do vampires enjoy alcohol and belike? Aye, but that be about the measure of it. We gentlemen of fortune mightn't possess letters of marque, such as privateers do, but we are the masters of our own destinies. For my part, that's preferable to living under the yoke of a tyrant, be it King or captain.

[ the use of a formal address is partly habit — it's all mister and miss, sir and ma'am, my lord and my lady where he's from — but mostly it's meant to tease her. it's a sign of affection, really. proof of how much he likes her. schoolyard tactics. first names are reserved for more serious situations, when he really wants someone's attention or to stress a point, or if he forgets, in the heat of a moment, to be coy.

at present, they're still just having fun while learning how to be friends. somehow, despite their differences, it comes easily with roxy. it could just be simple attraction, but it's always felt a little deeper than that with her. perhaps it's because she's not a shallow person, and cassidy's never been content to remain in the shallows.

despite their differences, they also have a few important similarities. the way roxy takes stock of her environment is something cassidy learned to do from a young age. if you weren't careful on the docks in bristol, you risked getting press-ganged. if you weren't tuned into your surroundings when you stepped foot in a tavern in port royal or down a side street in nassau, you risked getting jumped. constant vigilance is a survival skill. so is not trusting someone you've just met.

so her request ( demand? ) doesn't surprise him, but he feigns a shocked look all the same, placing a hand over his chest. ] Miss Morton, you wound me to my marrow, you do! What kind of villain do you think I be?

[ secretly, he's impressed by her savvy, not that he tampered with her drink. because he didn't. ]

Here now. [ he places his own glass in front of her, and holds out his hand for hers. ] I'll show you I'm no ruffian.

To own the truth, I knew not the exact purpose of it, and it seemed better to allow someone who did know to do it on my behalf. We've not got devices such as this [ he means the comm ] in my time.

that is always preferable. no one wants to be controlled. i know that feeling
my throne was won and not inherited

[ But still, a life at sea is an old fascination for him. He wants those stories. And actually, the mention of a drink makes him smile.

He'd liked that picture. He would very much like to see that face in person. ]

i like to drink
i do not exactly get drunk anymore
but i like to drink and i'd like your stories, if you'll tell them

And well-deserved, I shouldn't doubt.

[ now he's the one flattering. obviously he has no idea whether it's well-deserved or what kind of king rafa is, but if he is indeed a vampire ( and a king ) it's probably best cassidy be on his good side.

not to mention, he's extremely attractive. ]

I'll tell them, gladly. [ even if some of them are embellished a bit. ] If you be not otherwise engaged, perhaps you'll have a dram with me, at whatever place suits your fancy.

[ Well-deserved, indeed. Rafa smiles, recognising that charm for what it is. He likes it, though. He's all too willing to be charmed by this man. ]

ah, then i have made a good impression

i aim to make a better one in person. i should like to meet you
but i warn you, i am new, and there are only two places that i know
one is full of magic. the other reminds me of home

which is your preference? i do not mind
i will spend the evening looking at you, in any case

◤eudio, cuddlr◢

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