Joining a New Ship-(past Francis/Antonio)

[Francis Bonnefoy]

Walking along the gangplank brought many memories back for Francis. Most of them were good; the rest, well, least he had survived and was still around to tell the tale. No matter what happened though, the sea was his home, and so now was this ship. This time was different from the past times hes set sail, this time was without his brother and he was surround by strangers. Even the captain was a stranger, though they had talked. They had settled on terms of lke joining, especially that Francis could keep in touch with his brother.

Memories of the night Captain Antonio approached him would forever be branded in his memory. They were as clear as crystal even though it was only a few days ago. It had been a relaxing night in the tavern, spending the evening watching out for Lily and the safety of the bar while his brother was out. Francis highly doubted that Lilly actually realized what all he did, hell; she probably thought that he was a drunken lay about most evenings he was here, but that only fit into the plans. As long as he didn’t get too rowdy, she wouldn’t try to kick him out. Having just watched her serve a table, a commotion in the corner caught his attention. He could tell that it was going to get bad and he had to do something before they damaged the tavern. Of course he had intervened and had only broken his role when he was sure that no one was watching. Once back in the building and resuming his drunken personality a handsome man approached him. At first Francis thought that someone had taken offense at his actions….or they wanted in his pants. Either way, they weren’t going to get much headway.

“That was.... quite the display out there, amigo.”

….. “Their clothes offended me and the one looked funny, was disturbing my time with this lovey drink here”

That was the best he could come up with on such short notice without breaking his cover. Hopefully this brown haired man hadn’t seen him break cover and would believe he was just another drunken man who had found a reason for a fight. Out of all the times he had to pull this act, this was the first time that anyone had ever caught on. Their conversation had continued from there, going from alcohol to other things. The man had leaned close to Francis and the words that fell from his lips sent a chill down his spine.

“But I also saw you walking perfectly sober a moment before, y that staggering looked pretty precise during your fight…Care to explain amigo?”

Answers that weren’t answers fell from his lips and the two went back and forth until finally they had to excuse themselves before there cover was blown. Double talk could oly save them so long as it wouldn’t be long until someone realized these two men weren’t talking about a one nights stand, but about their lives as pirates and bargaining.

Shakig his head to clear the memories, he looked around, taking things in and fully realized just how much he had missed this. It took him but a moment to find his sea legs again. All he had to do is find out where he was going to bunk. Thoug he’d be sleeping with one eye open for the first few days, not everyone liked new members on a crew. Get rid of them fast was what he had heard once. But he had no fear; he hadn’t survived this long to be taken out by a knife to the back I his sleep. He also needed to find his own place amongst the crew, something he was sure won’t be easy.

[Antonio Fernandez Carriedo]

"C'mon men-- the sooner we cast off, the sooner we can land ourselves some gold!" the Spaniard barked, trying to encourage his crew to pick up the pace by appealing to their greed. He suspected his efforts would be in vain-- getting the Incendio Español out on the open waters tended to take a considerable amount of time even with encouragements and efficient teamwork, mainly due to her size-- but he couldn't help trying. With promises of riches, conquest and adventure looming on the horizon, one could only be so patient.

Restless with anticipation, Antonio strode around the deck once more. Much to his satisfaction, any man who happened to catch his gaze subsequently worked with increased vigor. Powerful nonverbal communication was one of the many perks of being captain that he simply could not imagine himself getting tired of anytime soon. Making men bend to his will, squirm uncomfortably or beg for their lives with no more than a merciless gaze and a sadistic smirk thrown in for good measure was just too much fun~

Despite his confidence in his abilities to get what he wanted with suggestive glances (a.k.a. gazes filled with either promises of pain or promises of the mutually beneficial sort) though, he wondered upon glimpsing the man boarding his ship if his newest recruit would be as easy to control. The blond had proved himself cunning and crafty, with an arsenal of tricks meant to fool those without a critical eye for detail, a tongue versed in the quite useful art of double talking, and the ability to recognize a good deal when one was presented. Not many of his crew could boast the same, which made this new addition both valuable and someone worth keeping an eye on.

"¡Hola y bienvenido al Incendio Español! [Hello & welcome to the Incendio Español!]"  he greeted, sweeping his arms out wide to invite the Frenchman to behold his ship in all her glory. A lot of work had gone into acquiring said vessel and making it look as enviable as possible, after all. "Impressive, isn't she? Your reputation will soar just with your name being associated with her's, should you last long enough to leave an impression on our enemies." His crew would not take kindly to this fresh face waltzing aboard with superior skills to theirs, but that was hardly Antonio's problem. It would be up to the blond to outsmart any attempts on his life for now, to prove himself worthy of sailing in his presence.

[Francis Bonnefoy]

From his first step aboard his new ship, the eyes were watching him already, scoping out any potential weaknesses the Frenchman might have. As skilled as they were, they were not as skilled as him in manipulating the truth. He could fool the brain with a fake swagger and a few phrases. Though he was sure he was bound to get injured and it wasn’t avoidable, he could keep from being killed. The main question he had was if he should play dumb with this lot at first in order to fool them, or just be himself and run circles around them mentally. For now, he could only observe and let their actions tell him how he should act.

"¡Hola y bienvenido al Incendio Español! Impressive, isn't she? Your reputation will soar just with your name being associated with her's, should you last long enough to leave an impression on our enemies."

Eyes were on him, every set of eyes followed him when he strode across the wood. The sea was a constant reassurance that this was where he belonged, that he would be able to earn his place; and, hopefully, the respect of his fellow crew. Turning to smile at his new captain and crew, he bowed a third, with enough respect for those above and below him in rank. He would stay alive, and he would go farther than many here believed he could.

"Bounjour~ Now, where can I stash my stuff, there's much to be done and not a lot of time to do it. ”

[Antonio Fernandez Carriedo]

"Don't I know it," the Spaniard agreed, familiar with the hustle and bustle of trying to get back out to sea after having set anchor near port towns. They never docked close enough to attract naval attention, nor did they ever dock out in the open for the same reason, but it always made the men uneasy (and rightfully so) to have the ship tucked away in any cove near port for too long for fear of being discovered and boxed in by the Navy. That was why trips into port to gather supplies and intel on possible treasure whereabouts were executed in short order, with only the most skilled at passing for unassuming townsfolk among his crew permitted to venture out; sending out anyone less (i.e. lacking caution and the ability to exercise restraint when necessary) would be a poor move indeed and risk compromising their dealings in port and/or the location of the Incendio Español during these ventures into town. That was also why shoving off while still able to capitalize on the cover of darkness was essential—emerging from a cove in daylight in waters the Navy was known to patrol would make them way too easy to spot, hence the pressure he was putting on his men to get them back out to sea while they could still count on that cover to keep their presence hidden. 

Antonio tossed a quick glance out at the still darkened horizon to check that they were still on schedule before turning his attention back to his newest recruit and continuing. "There are sleeping quarters below where you'll find a few empty hammocks and some storage for your things. None of us take kindly to being robbed, but some on this ship will not be above foolishly trying their hand at stealing from even their crewmates so I'd suggest keeping your most valuable possessions close just in case."

He believed Francis entitled to the truth about life on his ship. Though at times definitely rewarding with the treasure and freedom that came with being pirates skilled at evading the law, this particular ship was teeming with men not above backstabbing and playing dirty if they thought they could further themselves that way. He'd personally lobbed off a few hands that's gotten too grabby with his possessions in the past—he usually spared sword-hands when he didn't want to render their owners completely useless to him and just wanted them to learn from their mistake, but if one of his crew dared cross the Spaniard a second time, he'd be sure to take the fool's remaining hand and throw both man and appendage overboard. His crew could be even more unforgiving in doling out punishment if they felt cheated by a fellow crewmate, and even though he knew they were not above framing each other and would only approve of them exacting punishment if he knew it was warranted, Antonio also knew he wouldn't be able to stop the men completely if they decided to harass this newcomer behind his back for petty reasons. It would be largely up to the blond to assert his place in the pecking order of things. 

That wasn't to say that the captain couldn't capitalize on his crew being busy at the moment and give the newcomer some advice though to give him his best chance on board his vessel, so he gestured below deck. "I'm sure you could find your way on your own, pero I may as well give you a tour of the hull while you're down there, seeing as I'm not really needed up here right now and it'd give me an opportunity to gloat about 'er, aha~" he said with a charming smile, confident that his tagging along would be well received. He was doing it for the other's benefit after all, having seen enough potential in him already to want to see him succeed here. 

[Francis Bonnefoy]

"I'm sure you could find your way on your own, pero I may as well give you a tour of the hull while you're down there, seeing as I'm not really needed up here right now and it'd give me an opportunity to gloat about 'er, aha~"

"Then lead the way Mon capitaine, I'm sure this will be very enlightening. It is always interesting to see how a captain describes his lovely ship to know what type of captain they are indeed~"

Having been on a ship before, he already knew the basics of what to expect; have a hidden dagger on him at all times and always sleep with one eye open. It was also wise to never be cornered by any of these men, and not to trust them as far as he could throw them. All of the stuff that meant anything to him were always on his person; plus his money pouch had be reinforced so it would resist ripping and cutting. Looking around where he was shown, he kept his eyes scanning, always checking for things that could be used as weapons. Francis knew that anything could be a weapon; even his own hair could be used against him if the other person had enough guts and wits.

Even knowing this, the most he would do is trim it and pull it back when in fights. He would not cut it all off, for he was a vain man and the crew would find themselves seriously maimed if they touched his hair with their dirty hands. But for the moment. It was down around his shoulders, hopefully giving the other pirates the impression that he wasn't a factor on the threat scale and would leave him alone for a few days to adjust.

Smiling as he looked, he hummed under his breath, amused. He was back on a ship, the excitement running in his veins. For the first time in a long time, he felt fully at home.

[Antonio Fernandez Carriedo]

"I inherited this lovely vessel from my father, though it didn't look nearly as enviable back when that tyrant owned it, aha~," the Spaniard explained as he led the Frenchman down below deck, quite proud of the fortifications and improvements he'd made to the ship since acquiring it upon his old man's passing. Much as he'd detested the man and refused to continue pirating while bearing his name, it'd still been an impressive ship with a notorious history that he could use, at the end of the day. "I also changed its name & modified its flag to better reflect my ownership. Ol' Fernandez was never one for symbolism, but I think fire & the like really capture my all-encompassing passion and the destructive force to be reckoned with that is this ship~." 

A glance back at his new recruit told him the blond may have been listening, but seemed more interested in his surroundings than anything else if his roaming gaze was any indication. Instead of taking offense to his boasting being perhaps ignored though, Antonio smiled. He knew the details of how he'd made the ship his own were usually endured at best to stay on his good side, otherwise being of little to no genuine interest to anyone but himself. He also wasn't entirely surprised to have found Francis attentively taking it all in as they made their way around below deck, like he didn't want to miss anything that may become relevant later. 'He's vigilant,' he thought to himself. 'Good... He'll need to be.'

When they came to the crew's sleeping quarters, Antonio turned and swept an arm out, gesturing inside where there were hammocks scattered about. "Welcome to your sleeping quarters, amigo. I would say pick a hammock, any hammock, but that probably wouldn't go down smoothly and... as sure as I am that you'll rock the boat eventually with the others underestimating you, it's probably best not to do that on your first day." The Spaniard had been fortunate enough to witness someone else underestimate the blond only to regret it and would not make that mistake himself. His crew, on the other hand, lacked that insight and were surely assuming Francis to be incapable of putting up a fight or getting his hands dirty, based on his appearance. Even so, it wouldn't really be in the blond's best interest, in his opinion, to start making enemies on day one by carelessly claiming any hammock, no matter who that pissed off. 

[Francis Bonnefoy]

"Welcome to your sleeping quarters, amigo. I would say pick a hammock, any hammock, but that probably wouldn't go down smoothly and... as sure as I am that you'll rock the boat eventually with the others underestimating you, it's probably best not to do that on your first day."

“Non, that wouldn’t be good. For now, I’ll just put my stuff in an empty chest and I’ll pick a hammock once night falls. That way everyone else would have theirs claimed and I don’t have people trying to tell me that one is taken when it isn’t. I’ve been through this too many times for them to get the jump on me like that… and if someone tries to mess with me while I’m sleeping, they’ll learn exactly why I always have a dagger on me. Sleeping snakes after all.”

Looking around, he nodded as he put his stuff in a chest and put a lock on it, the key to which went around his neck. This way, if it was messed with he’d know and he’d have proper right to threaten whoever with whatever he had. But for now, he moved back over to Antonio and looked around once again.

“So far, the improvements seem good that you have done… you seem a lot smarter than your father in certain aspects. Fire can also be cleansing, so a fire on the flag cleansed it of the old deeds that it had done under his name and helped to make it totally yours, oui? Just need to make sure the fire is used for good, otherwise it can burn the one that sets it.”

He started moving away again, looking over his shoulder back at his captain and moved his head in a lets go motion. He wanted to explore more and get to know his new captain better in the process while he used the chance to memorize what he could of the shift. He wanted to be able to use all of it to his advantage if he needed to, when he eventually had to fight at least one crew member. He wanted to show that he had earned this spot on pure talent alone, and not his looks as others has put it. They’d learn that the beautiful, fragile looking toy had teeth and claws and a deadly aim when provoked.

“Come, I want to see more of your pride and joy. I can’t wait till I can officially call her my home and have her feel like home too.”

[Antonio Fernandez Carriedo]

Antonio could only nod at the other's assessment of his new crewmates. Most of them were snakes indeed, not to be trusted with more than grunt work & certainly not with one's life because of their questionable loyalties. He needed their indifference, the likes of which could only have come from years committing atrocities under his father's captainship, to be viewed as a formidable captain in his own right... but he knew his hold on them depended largely on his ability to deliver on his promises of riches. If they ever decided he was no longer advantageous to work for, they would most likely revolt, dispose of him then fight amongst themselves to determine a new captain. Thankfully though, a handful of his crew were loyal to him and not his father's ways; he just needed to expand said inner circle, to make things more secure.

"...My father set an alright foundation with his reputation for being ruthless, but I'm more than happy to be building on what he had, and making adjustments," the Spaniard replied, slight disgust in his tone. "He was a tad too deplorable, even for me. That's why I'm carving my own path, using what he'd set up." He then shook his head, in response to the Frenchman's warning about setting a new metaphorical fire. "My fire can't be used for good... the passions of pirates rarely align that purely, in my experience... but it'll be put to good use, doing things to a different standard than mi padre. I also aim not to get burned to my ambitions, but 'tis the fate of many a pirate, that. We're such greedy folk, aha..."

Realizing that Francis seemed genuinely interested in seeing more of his glorious ship when he moved to continue their tour, Antonio grinned, fine with moving right along. "Of course. There's also our food stores down here, which are only accessible to a select few to better ensure we have enough between stops to feed everyone, a makeshift kitchen & infirmary, the cargo holds where our spoils are kept, and a holding space for any prisoners we may take onboard. My quarters are connected to the upper deck, so not down here. Wherever you'd like to see next, amigo~"

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Word Count: 375
Francis Bonnefoy