Smiles Of Winter

the-empires:

_@oceanfoamed

_{Bram’s eyes danced in the absence of a smile; it had always come easier to him. All of his adult life leading to this moment and the next had been grim – faced. Smiling simply was not his nature.}

_{He set the book down on the mantle of the adjacent fireplace, fingers running across the raised, gilded hard cover as he did and lent Theodore his full attention. Edrington enjoyed the silences they shared greatly. There was something to say about the correlation between the great depth of truth two people have in each other and the quietude they may indulge in together. Mornings would be spent sifting through papers and returning mail sitting side by side and not saying a word for hours. Chess games passed with little more than a grunt of acknowledgment or a murmur of thought. It was in silence that their love solidified.}

_{However, it was in conversation that their love grew.}

_{“Does colour mean so much to you?” Bram asked sincerely, abandoning his post by the bookcase to stand behind Theodore, rough hands rubbing knots from his shoulders lazily. He could already guess the answer; Theodore had much higher artistic IQ than he. His personality was vibrant and dynamic as an Indian summer, whilst Bram could be content living in a monochrome winter.}

Theodore could always tell, the moment when Bram’s mind shifted itself from welcoming silence to challenging the world to prove itself to him. He had never once been a man to question his right to stand where he did – instead, he was the kind to mold opposition to suit his wit or fall before it. It was one of the many reasons Theodore did not often worry about him – he was the kind of man who would be found standing amid the rubble and, as the dust settled, find the words to make a victory of defeat none would question.

It was in the moments before he found those words that Bram was on a level with the rest of the world that moved around him. In those moments when he questioned himself, when he questioned his orders, when he questioned the war – when he questioned – he was rendered human as the wings of his privilege fell away and left behind a man with too many burdens to bear.

Theodore loved him most in those moments, and as hands as roughened by hard labor as his own settled upon his shoulders, he knew his answer as clearly as he did his own heart. Leaning into the touch, he smiled softly as he ascertained, “It was color that drew me to you – do you remember?” A laugh swallowed, lips that twitched in the Caribbean heat as Theodore recovered from his unexpected acquaintance with a tree trunk. “I would say that color means the world to me, for without it things are just too cold and quiet. I prefer a world that laughs to one that sleeps.”

Apologies Mean Regret

intolerablexsacrifice:

~

_{He supposed it made sense, given Theodore’s other unusual traits: there was a certain kind of logic to accompanying a tactile nature with the unabashed civility and kindness Theodore had treated his new crewmates with thus far. The young man wasn’t the only person on the ship inclined to such touching, either, not by a long shot- the difference was that he had touched Flint.}

_{In itself, it wasn’t unpleasant. The startling, Flint felt, was only natural. It was the other thing that bothered him- the strangeness of being touched, the way the sensation lingered like his body wanted to keep it in memory for as long as possible. It had nothing to do with Theodore himself and everything to do with a more general sense of physical deprivation Flint had thus far tried to avoid acknowledging in himself.}

_{Then there was the question of authority, and what the rest of the crew might think of their captain being shifted aside by Theodore, of all fucking people. That felt far less significant than the rest of it- but it was more comfortable to think about.}

_{“That’s certainly one way of putting it.”}

_{Flint was not just watching him now, but observing. There was a suspicious look to the mismatched eyes, piercing and unyielding. Theodore had not drawn outright attention to Flint’s reaction, and that was a mercy- there wasn’t a chance in Hell he hadn’t noticed how badly the captain had startled.}

_{Flint did not yet know what to make of that.}

_{“The men on this ship are accustomed to keeping their guard up at all times, Mr. Groves. Things like that-” He nodded to the man himself, though referring to his actions. “-are far more likely to be interpreted as an attempt at reaching for a man’s sword or pistol than an innocent attempt at moving them aside.” Then, lightly- “A warning in advance might diffuse that possibility.”}

Theodore shifted the rope in his hands and – though his posture made it clear he was still listening in the way he remained angled toward the captain – began the process of reeling it down to aid the man on the other side performing the same action. The shift in his role aboard a ship had been sudden, but a body did not forget the labour simply because it had not been tasked with it in some time.

That he had a role at all here was something he took both seriously and with great gratitude – he knew he owed what work he performed to Flint’s decree, and that was not something he meant to forget any time soon. What interested him the most though, was the fact the man seemed inclined to think he was still fearsome to a man who was presently profiting from his sense of honor and mercy.

Wrapping the rope as Flint concluded his lesson, Theodore considered his answer carefully. There were many things he could say here – some wise, some simply respectful of the situation – but in the end he could only say that which felt the most true to himself. The captain deserved to know what kind of man he now had in his employ, for better or worse, and it wasn’t in Theodore’s nature to shroud himself in secrets and lies, or actions that were more wise than they were honest.

“That is true of men aboard every ship, captain. It is not unique to the Walrus, or even to pirates.” Theodore knew pirates were rarely the monsters papers made them out to be – too many men were pressed into service, too many were exposed to tyrannical captains, too many were robbed of honest wages – for that to possibly be true. It was not uncommon for a man to go on the account and find his way back into legitimate business — if they were monsters, how then, could they return to being men so easily?

Concluding his work, Theodore set the now coiled rope to the deck and turned to face Flint squarely, elbows leaning against the balustrade of the deck as he considered him thoughtfully. “If I were to live in fear that every touch could mean a pistol, I would consign myself as other men do and never touch at all. I’d rather risk the shot, than live my life with that much inconvenience. Besides,” He pointed out, smiling softly, “It doesn’t always end that way — and for those odds, it seems worthwhile to maintain my usual behaviour as opposed to altering myself to suit the comforts of those around me.”

Apologies Mean Regret

@intolerablexsacrifice continued from [x]

Some things came without thinking – Theodore was generally the sort of person to act precisely as instinct dictated to be the quickest route to something he wanted, which could at times lead to interesting collisions such as this one. As a very tactile man, it was not uncommon for him to touch people simply out of habit – and with ships being so loud, it was generally easier to gently adjust someone than to shout at them to step aside.

That said, sometimes the response was poor – and even dangerous. He felt the captain jolt under his touch, though he did not do more than keep a steady eye on him and maintain the directing contact. This served the dual purpose of showing he was not alarmed by the reaction, nor was he going to reveal to anyone that it had been strange by responding to it in any outward fashion.

Releasing the man as though nothing strange had occurred ( and as if he could not see the confusion that contorted the man’s features ) Theodore set to work releasing the rope he’d been directed to manage. It did not occur to him to apologize for the action – and indeed, were it not for the clear discomfort on the features of the man who was, for all intents and purposes, now his commanding officer, he might not have said anything at all.

“I take it you’re used to people waiting?” He offered, his tone more curious than judgemental. Captain Flint was not the first man to startle like a horse under hand, nor was he likely to be the last. What mattered now was determining the cause for it – if it were a matter of authority, he could respect that well enough but knowing himself, would likely forget unless there was something more significant attached.

This is a permanent starter call for Theodore Groves, of Pirates of the Caribbean explicitly.

These calls give me a heads up on who is open to interacting with whom ( which is handy for those who have exclusives among my crew! ) and gives me an excuse to kick you starters whenever something crosses the mind, or blow up your inbox knowing who would be most wanted.

These calls also serve as a final tag dump – when this call is posted it indicates a character has been fully moved into the blog and is ready for action!

For other starter calls, check the tag HERE.