Cris was a well known workaholic. It was something he knew and acknowledged with calm acceptance. So it might be something of a surprise for people to know that he would have been content to stay gone another month with Rowan had he thought they weren't needed back home.
The problem was that he also possessed the traits very loyal and duty bound to go along with his over working affliction. They could not afford to stay away much longer. Cris thought that perhaps Rowan was needed back even more than he was.
He had done some video conferencing from the boat on a few cases that required his attention. Knowing that such a thing was a distinct possibility and that they might want to call home once or twice, Cris had brought along a roll down backdrop of a sunny Caribbean island scene to sit in front of. The look of shock at seeing a non-black suited Cris out of The Towers had been well worth the time to set up the scene.
So here they were. He had joked with Rowan that they should come back home with Hawaiian shirts and spray tans. They still might be able to put that plan into action before they both went back to work if they wanted but right now they were going to share their experiences (some of them anyway) with their family.
His partner asked if he was ready to start the show. Cris gave Rowan a quick hug and then leaned over to his laptop. "Almost. There are a couple more people joining us before we begin."
While he opened the screen on his laptop and checked the sound and position on a side table, Rowan had helped himself to cookies... and chips at the same time.
"Does your Creator know you eat like this?" Cris smirked at his laptop screen, placing a finger in front of his lips. He would let Rowan reply before announcing their other guests.
He glanced at Aishe and Kem, smiling at the cookie thievery. The vacation had been amazing but it was also very good to be home.
Home Sweet Home (invite only)
Rowan had never felt more relaxed. He and Cris had been away for nearly a month cruising the Caribbean and generally enjoying each others company. Really enjoying it. More than enjoying it. Even though time had passed he still found himself gently stroking the bracelet on his wrist. The one Cris had given him when he'd proposed.
He smiled at the thought and reached out his arm to wrap it around Cris's shoulders, drawing him close. The vacation had been incredible, more than incredible. Now they were home and it was time to get back to life, back to work, back to family and friends. They had decided against having everyone over at one time. Not that they didn't want a room full of people, but they were still coming down off that vacation high and a small intimate group seemed best. So tonight they'd invited their immediate 'family' over - Aishe, Kem, and Alfarinn. Cris had set up their pictures to show on the TV and they'd laid out simple snacks. Chips, dip, various bits of chocolate, cookies, that sort of thing. And drinks, of course, both alcoholic and non.
They would see Eiryk and Alex on the weekend and go through their pictures again no doubt, when they had time to enjoy their friends' company thoroughly and not be worried about playing the hosts to a group of seven.
Rowan turned to Cris and smiled. "Ready to fire up the pictures, love?" he asked softly.
Aishe had curled herself up in an armchair and Kem sat on the floor by her feet. His head rested against the seat of the chair and Aishe was gently dragging her fingers through his long pale locks. Alfarinn had made himself comfortable as well on one of the other chairs. This little group was perfect.
Reaching forward Rowan helped himself to a paper bowl (as little cleanup tonight as possible, they had agreed) with some chips and chocolate cookies. Pondering them for a moment he smashed several chips between two chocolate cookies and bit into them happily. Aishe raised an eyebrow at him.
"Really Rowan?"
Rowan nodded. "Really," he said after he swallowed. "You should try it."
Aishe affected a mildly horrified expression. "That's a terrible waste of a good chocolate cookie," she muttered, reaching out to grab the cookie floating toward Kem. Her patient partner's lips twitched up and he simply retrieved another one for himself.
Christian Bern
11 years ago
Rowan Murphy
11 years ago
A couple more people joining them? Had Cris invited someone else Rowan didn't know about? He shrugged inwardly; didn't matter much. If Cris wanted others there, Rowan wouldn't disagree. He'd have preferred their two more people to be Alex and Eiryk but perhaps Cris decided to invite Ume and a friend. That would make sense too, he guessed.
Rowan flashed a cheeky grin at Aishe and crunched contentedly. When Cris asked Rowan if Henri knew about his eating habits he nodded. "Pretty sure he does, love. Sadly, Henri was the culinary genius around home. Though if I do say so myself, I was an excellent taste-tester."
A very familiar voice came out from the laptop. "You were a pig," Henri said flatly. "Don't beat around the bush."
Comprehension dawned and Rowan laughed heartily as he looked at Cris's laptop to see both Henri and Renee there. Leaning over he kissed Cris on the lips, beaming at his partner. He would have gotten together with Henri and Renee eventually but it hadn't occurred to him to do it this way. As usual, his fiance's thoughtfulness was touching and sweet.
"You know, it's a compliment to the chef to thoroughly enjoy his cooking," Rowan pointed out. "I was being respectful by eating everything you made."
That earned him a laugh from Henri. "Right, yes," the Frenchman said. "I forgot how well known you were for your respectful and reverent attitude toward your Elders."
"Hello Renee," Rowan greeted his Creator's wife, not dignifying Henri's words with a rebuttal - especially because he couldn't argue. He'd never win. Renee waved back at them. She was gorgeous, as always, slightly taller than Henri though that wasn't apparent from the way they were sitting, which looked like they were on the couch together with Henri's laptop. She was fair-skinned and blonde, with bright blue eyes and a wide, generous smile.
"Welcome home Rowan," she said. "And Christian. I'm glad you had a good vacation. And congratulations on your engagement."
That just made Rowan smile harder. Clearly one month was not enough for the idea that he was going to marry Cris to settle in. It might never. In fact, he hoped he never stopped feeling this way - this slightly amazed sense of disbelief that Cris wanted him, and no one else, to share his life with.
"Thanks Renee. It was wonderful. And personally speaking I don't deserve him but I'm going to stick around anyway since he's deluded enough to want me."
Rowan tightened his arm around his partner. He would always be thankful for having Cris.
Rowan flashed a cheeky grin at Aishe and crunched contentedly. When Cris asked Rowan if Henri knew about his eating habits he nodded. "Pretty sure he does, love. Sadly, Henri was the culinary genius around home. Though if I do say so myself, I was an excellent taste-tester."
A very familiar voice came out from the laptop. "You were a pig," Henri said flatly. "Don't beat around the bush."
Comprehension dawned and Rowan laughed heartily as he looked at Cris's laptop to see both Henri and Renee there. Leaning over he kissed Cris on the lips, beaming at his partner. He would have gotten together with Henri and Renee eventually but it hadn't occurred to him to do it this way. As usual, his fiance's thoughtfulness was touching and sweet.
"You know, it's a compliment to the chef to thoroughly enjoy his cooking," Rowan pointed out. "I was being respectful by eating everything you made."
That earned him a laugh from Henri. "Right, yes," the Frenchman said. "I forgot how well known you were for your respectful and reverent attitude toward your Elders."
"Hello Renee," Rowan greeted his Creator's wife, not dignifying Henri's words with a rebuttal - especially because he couldn't argue. He'd never win. Renee waved back at them. She was gorgeous, as always, slightly taller than Henri though that wasn't apparent from the way they were sitting, which looked like they were on the couch together with Henri's laptop. She was fair-skinned and blonde, with bright blue eyes and a wide, generous smile.
"Welcome home Rowan," she said. "And Christian. I'm glad you had a good vacation. And congratulations on your engagement."
That just made Rowan smile harder. Clearly one month was not enough for the idea that he was going to marry Cris to settle in. It might never. In fact, he hoped he never stopped feeling this way - this slightly amazed sense of disbelief that Cris wanted him, and no one else, to share his life with.
"Thanks Renee. It was wonderful. And personally speaking I don't deserve him but I'm going to stick around anyway since he's deluded enough to want me."
Rowan tightened his arm around his partner. He would always be thankful for having Cris.
Christian Bern
11 years ago
Cris smiled at Rowan and Henri's words to each other as they discussed his partner's very enthusiastic appreciation of food. His smile grew wider and more warm when he received a kiss for his little surprise. He thought that his family was present to here about their trip and Rowan's should be here also.
"Thank you, Renee, and welcome to the party. I would say that you are missing the fondu, cookies and chocolate but Rowan maintains that Henri wouldn't eat them anyway.†Cris shrugged and dipped a square of sour dough bread into the warm cheesy goodness. Fondu wasn't hard to prepare; it was just a pain to clean the pots but with a get together that involved food there was generally some amount of clean up involved. They had made that fairly minimal.
Settling back into Rowan's embrace, Cris held onto the remote and clicked on the menu that would bring up the pictures. He jumped right in much as he tended to do at meetings that involved slides with pictures and information on cases.
"This is a picture of Rowan's lovely boat in the Nachton Harbor the night we left.†They were in fact standing on the dock about to load the last few items that they decided to bring when he stopped to snap a picture. They couldn't see Rowan's face over his shoulder or his arms around Cris's waist while he tried to get a nice picture in the dark. Knowing most of his pictures would be taken at night and that clarity could be vitally important (for instance at a crime scene) Cris had chosen a camera that dealt very well with dim settings. You could see the lights of Nachton in the background and the well lit boardwalk along one side but, even with all the shimmer and glam, Rowan's beautiful boat drew your eye.
"And here is the turn down service.†Cris smiled at the next picture. "I must compliment the crew, very friendly.†The bed was indeed turned down on one side. Rowan was already under the covers on the other side, smiling at him as he rested, leaned against the headboard.
The pictures were in chronological order so the first were of the boat and the beautiful sunsets on the water (taken very carefully and with a timer) "This picture is of me doing some work on the computer. Very serious business.†If you looked really closely at his laptop you could see the white edge of the Guild Wars 2 game that he was downloading. They had wifi via satellite and he did need it for work. In this case he was just setting their computers up to do something useful while they did 'other' things.
"Yep.†Cris handed Rowan the remote for the next few pictures and leaned over to collect another piece of bread and cheese and to snag a cookie. He was -not- intending to eat them together.
"Thank you, Renee, and welcome to the party. I would say that you are missing the fondu, cookies and chocolate but Rowan maintains that Henri wouldn't eat them anyway.†Cris shrugged and dipped a square of sour dough bread into the warm cheesy goodness. Fondu wasn't hard to prepare; it was just a pain to clean the pots but with a get together that involved food there was generally some amount of clean up involved. They had made that fairly minimal.
Settling back into Rowan's embrace, Cris held onto the remote and clicked on the menu that would bring up the pictures. He jumped right in much as he tended to do at meetings that involved slides with pictures and information on cases.
"This is a picture of Rowan's lovely boat in the Nachton Harbor the night we left.†They were in fact standing on the dock about to load the last few items that they decided to bring when he stopped to snap a picture. They couldn't see Rowan's face over his shoulder or his arms around Cris's waist while he tried to get a nice picture in the dark. Knowing most of his pictures would be taken at night and that clarity could be vitally important (for instance at a crime scene) Cris had chosen a camera that dealt very well with dim settings. You could see the lights of Nachton in the background and the well lit boardwalk along one side but, even with all the shimmer and glam, Rowan's beautiful boat drew your eye.
"And here is the turn down service.†Cris smiled at the next picture. "I must compliment the crew, very friendly.†The bed was indeed turned down on one side. Rowan was already under the covers on the other side, smiling at him as he rested, leaned against the headboard.
The pictures were in chronological order so the first were of the boat and the beautiful sunsets on the water (taken very carefully and with a timer) "This picture is of me doing some work on the computer. Very serious business.†If you looked really closely at his laptop you could see the white edge of the Guild Wars 2 game that he was downloading. They had wifi via satellite and he did need it for work. In this case he was just setting their computers up to do something useful while they did 'other' things.
"Yep.†Cris handed Rowan the remote for the next few pictures and leaned over to collect another piece of bread and cheese and to snag a cookie. He was -not- intending to eat them together.
Rowan Murphy
11 years ago
"I would eat them," Henri insisted, making a strangled noise when Renee did something uncomfortable to him. "I would have made them but I would have eaten them!"
Rowan laughed softly. It was good to hear Henri and Renee together. Henri had promised they would both come to America for a visit in the next year and he looked forward to it. Maybe, if Cris hadn't exhausted his vacation for the next five years, they could go to Europe. Rowan desperately wanted to see in person the house Cris had showed him in their dreams.
He snuggled Cris close as his fiance began flipping through their pictures. He smiled at each vivid memory, leaning in to press his lips against Cris's neck and nibble gently. When the remote was handed to him so Cris could help himself to some fondu, he clicked to the next picture.
"Oh. The first night underway," he said with a grin. The picture showed the two of them reclining in the hot tub on the deck of the ship, a huge moon and glittering stars overhead.
Rowan was an avid photographer. While much of his equipment was meant for underwater he still had a good amount for the rest of the time. He'd set his camera up on deck so they could snap a few photos of themselves together enjoying the trip. In this particular one they were very clearly entwined in the hot tub, glasses of something bubbly in hand. Fortunately, Rowan thought, the jets in the tub were on so it wasn't readily apparent that neither of them was wearing a stitch.
"Note the strategic hot tub bubbles," Henri snorted from the laptop, which earned him another jab from Renee. "What? I know him. I'd bet money there aren't any trunks under there."
Rowan shook his head. "It was all perfectly innocent. I swear."
Right up until it hadn't been, anyway. He clicked to the next picture, which showed Cris in a wet suit as they prepared the jet skis for their first trip, trying them out in the calm waters as the boat floated for a little bit. There was no land in sight yet; Rowan had taken his time heading south and east.
He'd had equipment for Cris on his boat for a while. Pretty much since he'd first asked Cris if he'd be interested in going out on the boat and his partner had replied affirmatively. He'd bought everything, including a second jet ski, gear in Cris's size, anything he could think of so his partner would miss nothing.
There were more pictures, several of both of them jet-skiing along, a few of the boat from out on the waves, a few more once they'd returned and gotten dressed. They'd made some food and were relaxing in the living room off the galley, watching a movie.
"That boat is huge," Aishe said, her eyes wide.
"She's big and beautiful," Rowan said. "And swank. I spent enough time on -real- boats in my day. I wanted a fake posh one."
It really was gorgeous, he thought. But the perfect way for traveling with Cris. Rowan glanced over at Alfarinn. "Plenty of room for the whole family," he added, "and she goes silent when she needs to."
Rowan had told Cris before that if he and Alfarinn ever needed to travel incognito he was their man. He was a pirate. The Buccaneer was capable of total anonymity. Rowan had learned plenty about piracy and didn't hesitate to equip his ship with everything he needed, for just about any contingency.
But on top of that, she really could hold everyone in this room comfortably, even the people on the laptop... laptops hardly took up any room at all.
The next few pictures finally showed their first stop three days after leaving Nachton. "There we are," Rowan said, indicating the picture of the island lights. "Cat Island, and a lovely dinner."
There were tourists aplenty on the Island and it had been time to refresh, although they both could go for quite some time without. The next several pictures were of various night time sights on the small island, including the Hermitage and the glass-bottom bridge. Those were only a few of the things to see. Rowan had many stories about them, but those he'd told to Cris. They were too long for this crowd, really.
Rowan laughed softly. It was good to hear Henri and Renee together. Henri had promised they would both come to America for a visit in the next year and he looked forward to it. Maybe, if Cris hadn't exhausted his vacation for the next five years, they could go to Europe. Rowan desperately wanted to see in person the house Cris had showed him in their dreams.
He snuggled Cris close as his fiance began flipping through their pictures. He smiled at each vivid memory, leaning in to press his lips against Cris's neck and nibble gently. When the remote was handed to him so Cris could help himself to some fondu, he clicked to the next picture.
"Oh. The first night underway," he said with a grin. The picture showed the two of them reclining in the hot tub on the deck of the ship, a huge moon and glittering stars overhead.
Rowan was an avid photographer. While much of his equipment was meant for underwater he still had a good amount for the rest of the time. He'd set his camera up on deck so they could snap a few photos of themselves together enjoying the trip. In this particular one they were very clearly entwined in the hot tub, glasses of something bubbly in hand. Fortunately, Rowan thought, the jets in the tub were on so it wasn't readily apparent that neither of them was wearing a stitch.
"Note the strategic hot tub bubbles," Henri snorted from the laptop, which earned him another jab from Renee. "What? I know him. I'd bet money there aren't any trunks under there."
Rowan shook his head. "It was all perfectly innocent. I swear."
Right up until it hadn't been, anyway. He clicked to the next picture, which showed Cris in a wet suit as they prepared the jet skis for their first trip, trying them out in the calm waters as the boat floated for a little bit. There was no land in sight yet; Rowan had taken his time heading south and east.
He'd had equipment for Cris on his boat for a while. Pretty much since he'd first asked Cris if he'd be interested in going out on the boat and his partner had replied affirmatively. He'd bought everything, including a second jet ski, gear in Cris's size, anything he could think of so his partner would miss nothing.
There were more pictures, several of both of them jet-skiing along, a few of the boat from out on the waves, a few more once they'd returned and gotten dressed. They'd made some food and were relaxing in the living room off the galley, watching a movie.
"That boat is huge," Aishe said, her eyes wide.
"She's big and beautiful," Rowan said. "And swank. I spent enough time on -real- boats in my day. I wanted a fake posh one."
It really was gorgeous, he thought. But the perfect way for traveling with Cris. Rowan glanced over at Alfarinn. "Plenty of room for the whole family," he added, "and she goes silent when she needs to."
Rowan had told Cris before that if he and Alfarinn ever needed to travel incognito he was their man. He was a pirate. The Buccaneer was capable of total anonymity. Rowan had learned plenty about piracy and didn't hesitate to equip his ship with everything he needed, for just about any contingency.
But on top of that, she really could hold everyone in this room comfortably, even the people on the laptop... laptops hardly took up any room at all.
The next few pictures finally showed their first stop three days after leaving Nachton. "There we are," Rowan said, indicating the picture of the island lights. "Cat Island, and a lovely dinner."
There were tourists aplenty on the Island and it had been time to refresh, although they both could go for quite some time without. The next several pictures were of various night time sights on the small island, including the Hermitage and the glass-bottom bridge. Those were only a few of the things to see. Rowan had many stories about them, but those he'd told to Cris. They were too long for this crowd, really.
Christian Bern
11 years ago
Cris tried not to choke on his cookie when Henri pointed out the strategic bubbles in the photo. It was made worse by Alfarinn's amusement rippling through the bond. Though at least his friend made no comment, this time. Besides what would Mr. Rooftop Hot Tub say anyway? Cris had no doubt that there had been two blonds naked in that hot tub more than once.
Rowan claimed everything had been completely innocent. Cris raised his eyebrows and smiled incredulously at his companion. "Not a soul here is going to believe those words.â€
The next few pictures were of some of their fun times in the water before getting to their first stop. He had thought Rowan did an excellent job of picking out gear for him. It was even black with a nice bright blue accent colour that matched his eyes. Not that it needed to be, but if he was going to be in a lot of the photos then Cris appreciated looking decent.
Aishe mentioned how big the boat was and Cris laughed. "We weren't cramped for certain.†Rowan said that he had been on real ships in the past and wanted a fake posh one. "She is a real ship. A really nice ship.†He protested mildly, defending his recent happy home away from home. Rowan said there was plenty of room for everyone; that would be a great vacation. They probably couldn't take both the Nachton elder, their last remaining founder and their Chief of Security as well as their resident doctor all at the same time. One elder or the other really but it wouldn't be because they lacked the room.
Alfarin raised his eyebrows at the mention of it going silent if needed. "In case I wanted to commit crimes on the high seas?†He smirked and looked over in Cris's direction. "What stories have you been telling him? All lies, I assure you.â€
Cris declined to defend any stories he may or may not have told Rowan about Alfarinn. No exaggeration for his friend's trouble making ability was needed. Instead he mused on the 'real'ness of the ship in question. It seemed that what defined a ship as real would be its function as something other than a pleasure boat. "I am sure we could take over a small island nation in her. We just need to mount some cannons on the front...We could fly the Meridian banner. Of course that might make it a hostel take over.†Every war he had ever been in could have been considered a hostile take over of something or someone.
He looked over at Alfarinn and Kem. "So, how do you feel about the Florida keys? They are close but still separate. Some of them even have power from the mainland and I would say we could take over half a dozen islands before the police even get involved. Just some tourists in the way. One or two might be armed but nothing a cannon or two could not handle.â€
His friend appeared to consider for a moment. "The plan might have merit. I think we might want something further out though or we will have to deal with the US wanting to take it back. What about Cuba? It isn't very far away either and the government might consider a 'hostile take over' to be a good thing and let us have it.â€
The pictures moved on to the island and Rowan mentioned the first stop and the lovely dinner they had. There was even a picture or two of the lovely dinner. Two women smiled and waved in the picture, holding fruity drinks and looking happy. They had suited the situation quite nicely. Both were single and looking for some fun. He and Rowan could play straight friends together on vacation long enough to have a nice dinner and then a nice 'dinner' and in the meantime give two women a good night to talk about back home. They ate, drank, danced a few dances and parted ways everyone a little happier.
Rowan claimed everything had been completely innocent. Cris raised his eyebrows and smiled incredulously at his companion. "Not a soul here is going to believe those words.â€
The next few pictures were of some of their fun times in the water before getting to their first stop. He had thought Rowan did an excellent job of picking out gear for him. It was even black with a nice bright blue accent colour that matched his eyes. Not that it needed to be, but if he was going to be in a lot of the photos then Cris appreciated looking decent.
Aishe mentioned how big the boat was and Cris laughed. "We weren't cramped for certain.†Rowan said that he had been on real ships in the past and wanted a fake posh one. "She is a real ship. A really nice ship.†He protested mildly, defending his recent happy home away from home. Rowan said there was plenty of room for everyone; that would be a great vacation. They probably couldn't take both the Nachton elder, their last remaining founder and their Chief of Security as well as their resident doctor all at the same time. One elder or the other really but it wouldn't be because they lacked the room.
Alfarin raised his eyebrows at the mention of it going silent if needed. "In case I wanted to commit crimes on the high seas?†He smirked and looked over in Cris's direction. "What stories have you been telling him? All lies, I assure you.â€
Cris declined to defend any stories he may or may not have told Rowan about Alfarinn. No exaggeration for his friend's trouble making ability was needed. Instead he mused on the 'real'ness of the ship in question. It seemed that what defined a ship as real would be its function as something other than a pleasure boat. "I am sure we could take over a small island nation in her. We just need to mount some cannons on the front...We could fly the Meridian banner. Of course that might make it a hostel take over.†Every war he had ever been in could have been considered a hostile take over of something or someone.
He looked over at Alfarinn and Kem. "So, how do you feel about the Florida keys? They are close but still separate. Some of them even have power from the mainland and I would say we could take over half a dozen islands before the police even get involved. Just some tourists in the way. One or two might be armed but nothing a cannon or two could not handle.â€
His friend appeared to consider for a moment. "The plan might have merit. I think we might want something further out though or we will have to deal with the US wanting to take it back. What about Cuba? It isn't very far away either and the government might consider a 'hostile take over' to be a good thing and let us have it.â€
The pictures moved on to the island and Rowan mentioned the first stop and the lovely dinner they had. There was even a picture or two of the lovely dinner. Two women smiled and waved in the picture, holding fruity drinks and looking happy. They had suited the situation quite nicely. Both were single and looking for some fun. He and Rowan could play straight friends together on vacation long enough to have a nice dinner and then a nice 'dinner' and in the meantime give two women a good night to talk about back home. They ate, drank, danced a few dances and parted ways everyone a little happier.
Rowan Murphy
11 years ago
Rowan was utterly pleased with the company around them. Henri's teasing, Cris's soft laughter, Alfarinn's feigned innocence. Kem was fairly quiet but Rowan understood that the Nachton Elder was hardly known for being the garrulous type. The tall man did speak up on the subject of the Florida Keys.
"I am fond of the beach," he said thoughtfully, "but you're right, Cuba might be the better option, politically speaking." He nodded his agreement with Alfarinn as he helped himself to some of the bread and fondu.
After their dinner pictures were shown came some of Rowan's favorites. The Buccaneer wasn't anchored on Cat Island for the next group; he'd taken Cris away from tourist city after their meal and they'd gone on to one of the multitudinous tiny islands that wasn't worthy of a name. It was basically a lump of rock jutting out of the water. Rowan had been there numerous times before, though.
What made these pictures fun was that they had been taken in full sunlight. Not dawn, not dusk, but he and Cris had gone out in the middle of the afternoon because Rowan had promised good scenery and he didn't want to disappoint.
They had gone scuba diving right off the boat. This was Rowan's favorite sport and pass-time and naturally he wanted to share it with Cris. They were covered head to toe in hooded wet suits that included gloves, UV-treated masks, socks to fit inside their flippers - everything they needed to enjoy being out in the daytime. In each picture there was a variety of brightly-colored sea life from coral reefs to fish. There were eels, lobsters, anemones, and all of it was for their eyes only; tourists never wandered as far as they were. None of the tour guides would take them out. They were too far from any of the most popular spots.
A rebreather and an oxygen pack lasted a vampire a damn good long time. He and Cris had been out all afternoon in the water. Rowan was familiar with the currents in this area of the sea and so, while they had been a little alarming at times, they were nothing the two of them couldn't navigate.
He enjoyed the almost fantasy-world quality of the pictures. Bubbles sparkled in beams of sunlight that shot straight down through the water. His underwater equipment functioned at a high level; not a pixel was blurry. There was Cris, exploring the side of the reef. There was a cloud of yellowtail damselfish that burst out at him, colorful spots flashing. There were brightly-colored wrasse, some tiger grouper, and a few fairy basslets.
"They're so pretty. I want to do that someday!"
Aishe's green eyes were wide as she looked at each successive picture. Rowan smiled at her. "Anytime you have a chance to get down to the Bahamas. It's only a day down and one back. You could take a long weekend."
"Really?" Rowan nodded at her and she immediately poked Kem in the shoulder. He smiled, captured her hand, and held it. Aishe's face said they were still speaking to each other; her eyes had that slight lack of focus he'd seen on occasion when someone was sending. He didn't see it on Kem's face; he was still watching the slides intently. But then, the Nachton Elder was much older than his young fiance.
"These are some of my favorites, too," Rowan said. Cris exploring the reef had been joyful for Rowan to watch. That his soon-to-be husband had enjoyed himself made him so happy.
"Oh these are great," Rowan said, pointing at the next slide and evoking a little squeal from Aishe.
As they'd ventured deeper down they had been accompanied by three bottlenose dolphins. The mammals had been very friendly, and very playful. Rowan had run into dolphins before and had no trouble interacting with them; in fact, there were several pictures Cris had taken with Rowan swimming alongside them, and several more with Rowan behind the camera and Cris making friends.
This series of pictures covered that whole afternoon but there were plenty more. That had hardly been their only diving expedition. It had been the first one, though, so there were a lot of pictures. Rowan handed the controls back to Cris for the next group and helped himself to a few more snacks, some fruit and cheese.
"I am fond of the beach," he said thoughtfully, "but you're right, Cuba might be the better option, politically speaking." He nodded his agreement with Alfarinn as he helped himself to some of the bread and fondu.
After their dinner pictures were shown came some of Rowan's favorites. The Buccaneer wasn't anchored on Cat Island for the next group; he'd taken Cris away from tourist city after their meal and they'd gone on to one of the multitudinous tiny islands that wasn't worthy of a name. It was basically a lump of rock jutting out of the water. Rowan had been there numerous times before, though.
What made these pictures fun was that they had been taken in full sunlight. Not dawn, not dusk, but he and Cris had gone out in the middle of the afternoon because Rowan had promised good scenery and he didn't want to disappoint.
They had gone scuba diving right off the boat. This was Rowan's favorite sport and pass-time and naturally he wanted to share it with Cris. They were covered head to toe in hooded wet suits that included gloves, UV-treated masks, socks to fit inside their flippers - everything they needed to enjoy being out in the daytime. In each picture there was a variety of brightly-colored sea life from coral reefs to fish. There were eels, lobsters, anemones, and all of it was for their eyes only; tourists never wandered as far as they were. None of the tour guides would take them out. They were too far from any of the most popular spots.
A rebreather and an oxygen pack lasted a vampire a damn good long time. He and Cris had been out all afternoon in the water. Rowan was familiar with the currents in this area of the sea and so, while they had been a little alarming at times, they were nothing the two of them couldn't navigate.
He enjoyed the almost fantasy-world quality of the pictures. Bubbles sparkled in beams of sunlight that shot straight down through the water. His underwater equipment functioned at a high level; not a pixel was blurry. There was Cris, exploring the side of the reef. There was a cloud of yellowtail damselfish that burst out at him, colorful spots flashing. There were brightly-colored wrasse, some tiger grouper, and a few fairy basslets.
"They're so pretty. I want to do that someday!"
Aishe's green eyes were wide as she looked at each successive picture. Rowan smiled at her. "Anytime you have a chance to get down to the Bahamas. It's only a day down and one back. You could take a long weekend."
"Really?" Rowan nodded at her and she immediately poked Kem in the shoulder. He smiled, captured her hand, and held it. Aishe's face said they were still speaking to each other; her eyes had that slight lack of focus he'd seen on occasion when someone was sending. He didn't see it on Kem's face; he was still watching the slides intently. But then, the Nachton Elder was much older than his young fiance.
"These are some of my favorites, too," Rowan said. Cris exploring the reef had been joyful for Rowan to watch. That his soon-to-be husband had enjoyed himself made him so happy.
"Oh these are great," Rowan said, pointing at the next slide and evoking a little squeal from Aishe.
As they'd ventured deeper down they had been accompanied by three bottlenose dolphins. The mammals had been very friendly, and very playful. Rowan had run into dolphins before and had no trouble interacting with them; in fact, there were several pictures Cris had taken with Rowan swimming alongside them, and several more with Rowan behind the camera and Cris making friends.
This series of pictures covered that whole afternoon but there were plenty more. That had hardly been their only diving expedition. It had been the first one, though, so there were a lot of pictures. Rowan handed the controls back to Cris for the next group and helped himself to a few more snacks, some fruit and cheese.
Christian Bern
11 years ago
Kem agreed that Cuba was better for a take over than the Florida Keys. Alfarinn gave it some thought and then shook his head. "The beach is nice. I am as fond of it as anyone but I think Cuba might be more trouble than its worth. Maybe the Tacharan would like to make it a home base and then Anantya will be all up in arms over it. We could just sit back and watch the show.†The British Virgin islands unofficially belonged to Anantya. They had a strong presence there, in the community and in the government. The US Virgin Islands, those were theirs. Tit for tat had always been the way and one side always kept tabs on the other.
These next pictures were the ones that he had been looking forward to showing to the others. Rowan's idea for scuba diving during the day had been surprising and completely brilliant, which wasn't all that surprising when he thought of Rowan.
Cris leaned his head against Rowan's shoulder as he looked at each photo again and smiled at the memories. He gave his partner a little squeeze, content to quietly remember as Rowan spoke.
He had enjoyed himself more than he can remember in centuries. It was like being a child again. You could see the sun in movies and outside a window but there was something magical about being able to walk, or swim, around freely in it. Cris had been able to feel its more gentle effects on the outside of the wet suit when he came to the surface to look around in wonder at the sunlit waves crashing on the unnamed island. Everything had been so bright and full of life. It had been spectacular. He definitely wanted to do it again.
The dolphins had been great fun to swim with. All the studies had spoken of their intelligence so Cris had tried to send to them. It was an interesting experiment and, though he did not get a mental response back that he could recognize, they did seem to understand that he was trying. The dolphins had stayed and played for a while, showing off various tricks and enjoying the company of their new friends.
"They were wonderful.†Cris agreed and nodded to Aishe. "You two should definitely come with us next time. Perhaps we can find Larry, Moe and Curly again.†He pointed to the photo currently on the screen. "The darker one is Larry. The biggest there is Moe. He seemed to be the ring leader and the other is Curly. He was the friendliest.†Perhaps they could have thought through some better names for the dolphins but he doubted they would find those three again. They didn't seem to mind the nicknames and it helped him keep them straight when sending to Rowan.
His partner handed him the remote and grabbed up some snacks. "These few are of San Salvador.†Cris pointed to the first picture which was taken while the yacht was heading toward the island. It showed the lighthouse as seen from the sea. "That is Dixon Hill lighthouse.†The structure was solid white and looked a bit like a chess pawn.
"Here is one from the land.â€
The next set of pictures showed some ruins lit up from the ground. They were more modern than the castles of Europe but still interesting. They had the haunted feel of any place that had once been thriving man made structure. "Watling's Castle.†It didn't much look like a castle but that was what it was called. Most of it was rubble with only one wall standing intact.
"These are from the Great Lake Preserve.†They were mostly pictures taken at dusk with a purple sky over the lake. A few photos showed some black silhouetted herons wading in the water or taking flight. He was an excellent wildlife photographer, not for his skill with the camera but for his ability to blend. Surprise! Click.
More daylight diving pictures were next. These were taken in Rum Cay. "That is the HMS Conqueror. She's not doing much conquering these days.†The ship was now considered an underwater museum.
"This looked like fun too.†The next photo showed several people surfing on colourful kite boards. It had been fun to be able to interact with humans out in the open daylight where they always seemed to feel safer and more free to be happy and alive.
Handing the remote to Rowan, he got up and refilled his and Rowan's drink and then Alfarinn's and Kem's. He swapped it for soda and topped of Aishe as well, giving her a little kiss on the top of her head before returning to his seat.
These next pictures were the ones that he had been looking forward to showing to the others. Rowan's idea for scuba diving during the day had been surprising and completely brilliant, which wasn't all that surprising when he thought of Rowan.
Cris leaned his head against Rowan's shoulder as he looked at each photo again and smiled at the memories. He gave his partner a little squeeze, content to quietly remember as Rowan spoke.
He had enjoyed himself more than he can remember in centuries. It was like being a child again. You could see the sun in movies and outside a window but there was something magical about being able to walk, or swim, around freely in it. Cris had been able to feel its more gentle effects on the outside of the wet suit when he came to the surface to look around in wonder at the sunlit waves crashing on the unnamed island. Everything had been so bright and full of life. It had been spectacular. He definitely wanted to do it again.
The dolphins had been great fun to swim with. All the studies had spoken of their intelligence so Cris had tried to send to them. It was an interesting experiment and, though he did not get a mental response back that he could recognize, they did seem to understand that he was trying. The dolphins had stayed and played for a while, showing off various tricks and enjoying the company of their new friends.
"They were wonderful.†Cris agreed and nodded to Aishe. "You two should definitely come with us next time. Perhaps we can find Larry, Moe and Curly again.†He pointed to the photo currently on the screen. "The darker one is Larry. The biggest there is Moe. He seemed to be the ring leader and the other is Curly. He was the friendliest.†Perhaps they could have thought through some better names for the dolphins but he doubted they would find those three again. They didn't seem to mind the nicknames and it helped him keep them straight when sending to Rowan.
His partner handed him the remote and grabbed up some snacks. "These few are of San Salvador.†Cris pointed to the first picture which was taken while the yacht was heading toward the island. It showed the lighthouse as seen from the sea. "That is Dixon Hill lighthouse.†The structure was solid white and looked a bit like a chess pawn.
"Here is one from the land.â€
The next set of pictures showed some ruins lit up from the ground. They were more modern than the castles of Europe but still interesting. They had the haunted feel of any place that had once been thriving man made structure. "Watling's Castle.†It didn't much look like a castle but that was what it was called. Most of it was rubble with only one wall standing intact.
"These are from the Great Lake Preserve.†They were mostly pictures taken at dusk with a purple sky over the lake. A few photos showed some black silhouetted herons wading in the water or taking flight. He was an excellent wildlife photographer, not for his skill with the camera but for his ability to blend. Surprise! Click.
More daylight diving pictures were next. These were taken in Rum Cay. "That is the HMS Conqueror. She's not doing much conquering these days.†The ship was now considered an underwater museum.
"This looked like fun too.†The next photo showed several people surfing on colourful kite boards. It had been fun to be able to interact with humans out in the open daylight where they always seemed to feel safer and more free to be happy and alive.
Handing the remote to Rowan, he got up and refilled his and Rowan's drink and then Alfarinn's and Kem's. He swapped it for soda and topped of Aishe as well, giving her a little kiss on the top of her head before returning to his seat.
Rowan Murphy
11 years ago
When Cris returned to his seat Rowan slipped his arm around his partner once again and pulled him close. "The next group of pictures are good."
Once again he and Cris had gone underwater. But the destination had been one that Rowan suspected only a handful of people knew about, if that many. There they were, on the boat with oxygen packs and full scuba gear on. Cris was sitting on the edge of the boat, his hood pulled down since it was once again night time.
Rowan tipped his head close to Cris's. "You are gorgeous, my husband," he murmured softly. Maybe it wasn't official yet but Rowan needed no document. Cris was the partner of his heart and soul.
Looking back up to the slides he flipped to the next picture. They were underwater, accompanied by a few floating jellyfish that were no danger to them in their gear, with their metabolism.
"This is Dead Man's Grotto," he said with a smile. "It used to be a tiny bay where we would anchor and trade goods with other pirates. A small family lived there, a group of Caribs who would hold particularly sought-after items for us... basically, if someone was tailing us and we knew we'd be caught in port, we could unload here and continue on. Our ship's holds would be searched, we'd be freed to go, and we could pick up our goods on the way out again."
A dangerous business but a lucrative one. "It ended poorly for Nai'i, the man who ran the business for us. He made a lot of trades on the side. Very mercenary - there were time when you'd come back to find your goods gone, or split up. It was a risk you took, dealing with him. If you paid him enough it was safe. If you paid too little and insulted him, you were screwed.
Some people took that badly. They destroyed his home, shot cannons from the sea. It was a tiny island to begin with; they leveled it."
The pictures he had taken showed underwater scenery without Cris in it; Cris was next to Rowan and slightly behind in these pictures as Rowan couldn't accurately describe to Cris how to get there.
"Decades later when I was diving here I found this."
He clicked on the next picture and showed, by the light of his flashlight, a tiny tunnel leading upwards. It was scary, swimming into it. The darkness of the ocean and the tightness of the tunnel, which brushed against Rowan's broad shoulders, made it a daunting journey. It was even a tight fit for one as slender as Cris.
"The island collapsed but there was a little grotto left. I found a lot of... very interesting things."
Rowan grinned. From beside the couch he removed a small bag. From inside the bag he removed a handful of doubloons. He handed one to each person there. They were heavy and bright as the day they'd been crafted.
The pictures scrolled through the small cave, showing the ruins of a wood-and-stone home, a colony of bats, and shafts of silvery moonlight filtering through various tiny cracks in the rubble above to sparkle on the still water.
"I don't even want to know how many of my belongings are there," Henri said with a snort.
"Remember that shirt I borrowed way back when?" Rowan teased.
"Which one? There are so many."
"Bullshit," Rowan said cheerfully. "I could never fit my manly frame into your measly little gowns."
Kem snorted with laughter at that, but Henri's laugh nearly covered it. "You've insulted me greatly. I demand the right to defend my honor by combat the next time we meet."
"If you had any, I'd agree," Rowan said. Then he shrugged at the rest of the room. "I had to learn it from someone," he pointed out.
Once again he and Cris had gone underwater. But the destination had been one that Rowan suspected only a handful of people knew about, if that many. There they were, on the boat with oxygen packs and full scuba gear on. Cris was sitting on the edge of the boat, his hood pulled down since it was once again night time.
Rowan tipped his head close to Cris's. "You are gorgeous, my husband," he murmured softly. Maybe it wasn't official yet but Rowan needed no document. Cris was the partner of his heart and soul.
Looking back up to the slides he flipped to the next picture. They were underwater, accompanied by a few floating jellyfish that were no danger to them in their gear, with their metabolism.
"This is Dead Man's Grotto," he said with a smile. "It used to be a tiny bay where we would anchor and trade goods with other pirates. A small family lived there, a group of Caribs who would hold particularly sought-after items for us... basically, if someone was tailing us and we knew we'd be caught in port, we could unload here and continue on. Our ship's holds would be searched, we'd be freed to go, and we could pick up our goods on the way out again."
A dangerous business but a lucrative one. "It ended poorly for Nai'i, the man who ran the business for us. He made a lot of trades on the side. Very mercenary - there were time when you'd come back to find your goods gone, or split up. It was a risk you took, dealing with him. If you paid him enough it was safe. If you paid too little and insulted him, you were screwed.
Some people took that badly. They destroyed his home, shot cannons from the sea. It was a tiny island to begin with; they leveled it."
The pictures he had taken showed underwater scenery without Cris in it; Cris was next to Rowan and slightly behind in these pictures as Rowan couldn't accurately describe to Cris how to get there.
"Decades later when I was diving here I found this."
He clicked on the next picture and showed, by the light of his flashlight, a tiny tunnel leading upwards. It was scary, swimming into it. The darkness of the ocean and the tightness of the tunnel, which brushed against Rowan's broad shoulders, made it a daunting journey. It was even a tight fit for one as slender as Cris.
"The island collapsed but there was a little grotto left. I found a lot of... very interesting things."
Rowan grinned. From beside the couch he removed a small bag. From inside the bag he removed a handful of doubloons. He handed one to each person there. They were heavy and bright as the day they'd been crafted.
The pictures scrolled through the small cave, showing the ruins of a wood-and-stone home, a colony of bats, and shafts of silvery moonlight filtering through various tiny cracks in the rubble above to sparkle on the still water.
"I don't even want to know how many of my belongings are there," Henri said with a snort.
"Remember that shirt I borrowed way back when?" Rowan teased.
"Which one? There are so many."
"Bullshit," Rowan said cheerfully. "I could never fit my manly frame into your measly little gowns."
Kem snorted with laughter at that, but Henri's laugh nearly covered it. "You've insulted me greatly. I demand the right to defend my honor by combat the next time we meet."
"If you had any, I'd agree," Rowan said. Then he shrugged at the rest of the room. "I had to learn it from someone," he pointed out.
Christian Bern
11 years ago
"I am glad you think so." He smiled softly at Rowan, giving his partner a kiss on the cheek.
Rowan went on to explain the pictures that everyone was looking at, calling the businessman very mercenary in his practices. " A very unwise mercenary." Cris muttered softly under his breath. You didn't take a job and then double cross the people who had paid you without that eventually coming back to bite you in the ass. It was not only bad business but unhealthy, especially when dealing with pirates.
His partner had been serious when he said they were going to dive for pirate treasure. If they hadn't been suited up in all their gear he might have thought Rowan was hinting at something entirely different.
The secret grotto was a neat place and he was tempted to find some things to take back with them the next time they went. It would be amusing to leave behind something out of place to be found and wondered over a century or two from now.
Henri asked about how much of his own stuff was down in the little hideaway. Banter ensued and Henri's honor was called into question. "Shall I stand in for you, Henri?" He smiled at Rowan. "It is a team mate you are insulting there, Love." The two of them would spar anyway without the need for an excuse. Rowan was one of the few people who could also fight Florentine so they kept their skills sharp together.
Cris chuckled at the next set of pictures. The first photo showed both he and Rowan dressed very formally in suits; they each had a drink in hand. Behind them festive decorations and other people could be seen in the background.
"There was a wedding going on and it seemed like an interesting way to spend the evening so we dressed up and joined them." Yes, they crashed a wedding. His team would never believe such a tale.
Worse, they would never believe that it was his idea. Rowan was always up for fun and he soon fit right in among the party goers despite both of them being quite pale and not from the islands.
The next picture showed Rowan dancing with the bride. Then there was one of himself dancing with a bride's maid. Several more of Rowan dancing with various other ladies. They were both playing a little game of information gathering. Rowan spent his time chatting and mingling and Cris spent some of the time blended and listening.
The final picture showed Rowan standing up at their table, giving a toast to the bride and groom complete with stories about how they had both met the happy couple though it had been a couple of years since they had seen them. His partner almost had him believing the tale he told of being lost on the wrong island with luggage and reservations on another and of fun mishaps and antidotes about the pair of people they had never met before tonight.
"We have been invited to the family reunion in March." Cris smirked at Rowan and then turned to shrug at the others. "We've been adopted...I think."
Rowan went on to explain the pictures that everyone was looking at, calling the businessman very mercenary in his practices. " A very unwise mercenary." Cris muttered softly under his breath. You didn't take a job and then double cross the people who had paid you without that eventually coming back to bite you in the ass. It was not only bad business but unhealthy, especially when dealing with pirates.
His partner had been serious when he said they were going to dive for pirate treasure. If they hadn't been suited up in all their gear he might have thought Rowan was hinting at something entirely different.
The secret grotto was a neat place and he was tempted to find some things to take back with them the next time they went. It would be amusing to leave behind something out of place to be found and wondered over a century or two from now.
Henri asked about how much of his own stuff was down in the little hideaway. Banter ensued and Henri's honor was called into question. "Shall I stand in for you, Henri?" He smiled at Rowan. "It is a team mate you are insulting there, Love." The two of them would spar anyway without the need for an excuse. Rowan was one of the few people who could also fight Florentine so they kept their skills sharp together.
Cris chuckled at the next set of pictures. The first photo showed both he and Rowan dressed very formally in suits; they each had a drink in hand. Behind them festive decorations and other people could be seen in the background.
"There was a wedding going on and it seemed like an interesting way to spend the evening so we dressed up and joined them." Yes, they crashed a wedding. His team would never believe such a tale.
Worse, they would never believe that it was his idea. Rowan was always up for fun and he soon fit right in among the party goers despite both of them being quite pale and not from the islands.
The next picture showed Rowan dancing with the bride. Then there was one of himself dancing with a bride's maid. Several more of Rowan dancing with various other ladies. They were both playing a little game of information gathering. Rowan spent his time chatting and mingling and Cris spent some of the time blended and listening.
The final picture showed Rowan standing up at their table, giving a toast to the bride and groom complete with stories about how they had both met the happy couple though it had been a couple of years since they had seen them. His partner almost had him believing the tale he told of being lost on the wrong island with luggage and reservations on another and of fun mishaps and antidotes about the pair of people they had never met before tonight.
"We have been invited to the family reunion in March." Cris smirked at Rowan and then turned to shrug at the others. "We've been adopted...I think."
Rowan Murphy
11 years ago
"Be my guest," Henri said with a grin when Cris offered to stand in. "But I don't want to know how it ends. Wait, check that. I know how it's going to end. Just make sure you get the sharp pointy objects out of the way first."
Rowan chuckled. There was no point in arguing there. Yes, he would spar with Cris with metal first and, if he had his way, continue the contest in a far more pleasing manner. "I'll make you proud Henri."
"You'd better."
If there was one thing to be said about Rowan's Creator, it wasn't that he was shy. While their relationship had never been intimate it certainly hadn't been horribly private either... Rowan had learned many things from Henri. Many.
He turned his attention back to the pictures, grinning at the remembrance of the island wedding. "Oh this was a lot of fun," he said. "Great food too." Both kinds.
Aishe was staring at them both in shock. "You didn't," she said. "You actually crashed a wedding?"
Her wide green eyes went to her own Creator. Rowan pointed to Cris. "Totally his idea, too," he said smugly. Aishe covered her mouth with her hand and gave a little laugh.
"Good thing you're already invited to ours," Kem observed. Aishe simply nodded, still laughing.
It had been a good night, and there was a little more behind it than simply crashing. Oh yes, they'd enjoyed themselves with the whole family and with a little creativity and a tiny suggestion here and there everyone 'remembered' the two pale white guys from a few years back. They remembered them for real by the end of the night. Beyond that though, it had been a lot of fun to experience a wedding knowing there was going to be one in their own future. Well two, actually, counting Kem's and Aishe's as well as their own. Rowan had been to many weddings but he'd never given any thought to having his own. And now that he had Cris the details of the ceremony and reception seemed like icing on the cake really - he found Cris, and that was the important part.
"We really should go to the reunion," Rowan said with a grin. "They were a nice family. At the very least we should send a gift."
They actually could manage the reunion if they wanted; like he'd told Aishe, it was a long weekend and that was it. While Rowan's new job was an important one, it wasn't a full time ER sort of position. If they wanted to go away for a weekend here and there, Rowan had the leeway to do so knowing there probably wouldn't be a life or death situation coming up.
The next few pictures were of a quiet evening on board the Buccaneer. Rowan and Cris had packed a lot of excitement into their first week away and by the following weekend they'd been ready to relax. So Rowan had taken the ship out to sea, away from populated islands, to another very small one with no human inhabitants, too far away from the larger islands to even see lights in the distance. This island was large enough to walk around on, but only just. It had a very tiny white sand beach and the rest of it was full of trees and shrubs and rocks. It was pretty, it was private, and with the Buccaneer anchored there it was a little slice of heaven.
There were pictures of the ocean, of a schools of dolphins leaping by, of a clear night with bright stars unmarred by the lights of civilization. They spent a night or two just enjoying each other, cooking (well, cutting things up in Rowan's case), having wine in the hot tub, using the jet skis, doing some light snorkeling off the little beach.
"This was a vacation from our vacation," Rowan said, smiling at the memories. There were no pictures of the most intimate moments (in this collection, anyway) but he remembered vividly the feeling of truly being alone in the world with only each other for company. Waking up each evening wrapped around each other. Loving Cris with single-minded focus and absolutely no other pressing business to take care of except that. True paradise.
Once those pictures were finished they moved on to another more populated area, this time even further south in Antigua. Rowan had avoided Haiti because of the current climate - he would have been drawn into helping the downtrodden, which would have been fulfilling but not what they were there for. He had made donations and continued to and it would have to do for now. He also avoided Jamaica, infamous for its intolerance of same-sex couples. Not an ideal vacation spot for he and Cris. Antigua was much more pleasant, so that had been the next stop.
Rowan chuckled. There was no point in arguing there. Yes, he would spar with Cris with metal first and, if he had his way, continue the contest in a far more pleasing manner. "I'll make you proud Henri."
"You'd better."
If there was one thing to be said about Rowan's Creator, it wasn't that he was shy. While their relationship had never been intimate it certainly hadn't been horribly private either... Rowan had learned many things from Henri. Many.
He turned his attention back to the pictures, grinning at the remembrance of the island wedding. "Oh this was a lot of fun," he said. "Great food too." Both kinds.
Aishe was staring at them both in shock. "You didn't," she said. "You actually crashed a wedding?"
Her wide green eyes went to her own Creator. Rowan pointed to Cris. "Totally his idea, too," he said smugly. Aishe covered her mouth with her hand and gave a little laugh.
"Good thing you're already invited to ours," Kem observed. Aishe simply nodded, still laughing.
It had been a good night, and there was a little more behind it than simply crashing. Oh yes, they'd enjoyed themselves with the whole family and with a little creativity and a tiny suggestion here and there everyone 'remembered' the two pale white guys from a few years back. They remembered them for real by the end of the night. Beyond that though, it had been a lot of fun to experience a wedding knowing there was going to be one in their own future. Well two, actually, counting Kem's and Aishe's as well as their own. Rowan had been to many weddings but he'd never given any thought to having his own. And now that he had Cris the details of the ceremony and reception seemed like icing on the cake really - he found Cris, and that was the important part.
"We really should go to the reunion," Rowan said with a grin. "They were a nice family. At the very least we should send a gift."
They actually could manage the reunion if they wanted; like he'd told Aishe, it was a long weekend and that was it. While Rowan's new job was an important one, it wasn't a full time ER sort of position. If they wanted to go away for a weekend here and there, Rowan had the leeway to do so knowing there probably wouldn't be a life or death situation coming up.
The next few pictures were of a quiet evening on board the Buccaneer. Rowan and Cris had packed a lot of excitement into their first week away and by the following weekend they'd been ready to relax. So Rowan had taken the ship out to sea, away from populated islands, to another very small one with no human inhabitants, too far away from the larger islands to even see lights in the distance. This island was large enough to walk around on, but only just. It had a very tiny white sand beach and the rest of it was full of trees and shrubs and rocks. It was pretty, it was private, and with the Buccaneer anchored there it was a little slice of heaven.
There were pictures of the ocean, of a schools of dolphins leaping by, of a clear night with bright stars unmarred by the lights of civilization. They spent a night or two just enjoying each other, cooking (well, cutting things up in Rowan's case), having wine in the hot tub, using the jet skis, doing some light snorkeling off the little beach.
"This was a vacation from our vacation," Rowan said, smiling at the memories. There were no pictures of the most intimate moments (in this collection, anyway) but he remembered vividly the feeling of truly being alone in the world with only each other for company. Waking up each evening wrapped around each other. Loving Cris with single-minded focus and absolutely no other pressing business to take care of except that. True paradise.
Once those pictures were finished they moved on to another more populated area, this time even further south in Antigua. Rowan had avoided Haiti because of the current climate - he would have been drawn into helping the downtrodden, which would have been fulfilling but not what they were there for. He had made donations and continued to and it would have to do for now. He also avoided Jamaica, infamous for its intolerance of same-sex couples. Not an ideal vacation spot for he and Cris. Antigua was much more pleasant, so that had been the next stop.
Christian Bern
11 years ago
Cris raised his eyebrows toward Henri on the laptop screen but declined to comment on where the sparring match would be headed. They did not have their own private place to duel so it was actually unlikely that any other type of sparring would be done...at least not until they got home. It was admittedly not far away but Cris felt that a change of venue constituted a different battle. Same war, perhaps, but definitely a different battle. He doubted very much that either of them would be thinking of Henri or his honor by the time they reached the apartment.
Aishe seemed to find their wedding crashing to be both surprising and amusing. Cris smiled. "We promise to take you with us the next time we plan on crashing a party." He swiped a strawberry through some chocolate and sent to Rowan. [Crashing a bachelor party could be awkward. Baby shower?] That didn't seem like it would be much fun but it would be amusing to explain. It wasn't very often that men were invited to those; though that seemed to be changing a bit, here and there.
"It -is- indeed a good thing we are invited to your wedding. I am not above crashing an Elder's party, especially when he's marrying my daughter." Alfarinn affirmed in an amused tone that Cris would indeed do it; though he did add 'if he felt it necessary.' He wasn't sure how necessary it would be but he would like to be there. If Aishe had wanted to go off and elope with no one to witness her wedding then he would understand and pout quietly where she wouldn't see it.
He nodded when Rowan suggested they go to the reunion. It would be a nice weekend getaway. They would have fun getting there and perhaps Aishe and Kem could come with them. If they couldn't make it then they should indeed send a gift to the family with their best wishes and perhaps one to the happy couple as well.
The next set of pictures were more quiet. There was more going on outside the photos than on them but that was perfect. He had enjoyed a few days of quiet time on the boat and out by themselves. They never seemed to tire of each other's company.
"These were taken from just off the island. It appeared we arrived at a good time." There was a sailing race going on around the island of Antigua. They got good pictures from the boat. Cris had rigged up one of their cameras to work on remote so that they could set it up on deck during the day time and take pictures from inside. He let Rowan handle most of the actual picture taking while standing over his shoulder looking at the screen saying things like 'ooh, get a picture of the red one' and 'do not forget one as they cross the marker buoy.' They had plenty and it had been fun to have an excellent vantage for a part of the race.
At night fall they docked and explored the island.
((OOC: No doubt Rowan has a remote camera set up already. Cris would just be making it unnecessarily complicated (possibly cool) by feeding its view through the computer so they could see the camera's view on a bigger screen, hence him standing over Rowan's shoulder and giving commentary. ))
Aishe seemed to find their wedding crashing to be both surprising and amusing. Cris smiled. "We promise to take you with us the next time we plan on crashing a party." He swiped a strawberry through some chocolate and sent to Rowan. [Crashing a bachelor party could be awkward. Baby shower?] That didn't seem like it would be much fun but it would be amusing to explain. It wasn't very often that men were invited to those; though that seemed to be changing a bit, here and there.
"It -is- indeed a good thing we are invited to your wedding. I am not above crashing an Elder's party, especially when he's marrying my daughter." Alfarinn affirmed in an amused tone that Cris would indeed do it; though he did add 'if he felt it necessary.' He wasn't sure how necessary it would be but he would like to be there. If Aishe had wanted to go off and elope with no one to witness her wedding then he would understand and pout quietly where she wouldn't see it.
He nodded when Rowan suggested they go to the reunion. It would be a nice weekend getaway. They would have fun getting there and perhaps Aishe and Kem could come with them. If they couldn't make it then they should indeed send a gift to the family with their best wishes and perhaps one to the happy couple as well.
The next set of pictures were more quiet. There was more going on outside the photos than on them but that was perfect. He had enjoyed a few days of quiet time on the boat and out by themselves. They never seemed to tire of each other's company.
"These were taken from just off the island. It appeared we arrived at a good time." There was a sailing race going on around the island of Antigua. They got good pictures from the boat. Cris had rigged up one of their cameras to work on remote so that they could set it up on deck during the day time and take pictures from inside. He let Rowan handle most of the actual picture taking while standing over his shoulder looking at the screen saying things like 'ooh, get a picture of the red one' and 'do not forget one as they cross the marker buoy.' They had plenty and it had been fun to have an excellent vantage for a part of the race.
At night fall they docked and explored the island.
((OOC: No doubt Rowan has a remote camera set up already. Cris would just be making it unnecessarily complicated (possibly cool) by feeding its view through the computer so they could see the camera's view on a bigger screen, hence him standing over Rowan's shoulder and giving commentary. ))
Rowan Murphy
11 years ago
It was Kem who laughed at the idea of taking Aishe party-crashing. "You're going to corrupt her," he said with a smile. "What am I going to do with her if she gets hooked on party-crashing?"
Aishe was shaking her head vigorously, her caramel-colored cheeks blushing a pretty pink. "I'll drive the getaway vehicle," she insisted.
Rowan chuckled at them and sent to Cris, [I was thinking, bachelorette party. That could be fun. You could jump out of a cake in a suit, earpiece, sunglasses, and all. It would be the sexiest strip tease ever.]
Granted, Cris wasn't the usual bodybuilder sort of physique women booked for parties like that but, in Rowan's opinion (biased as it may be), Cris had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He was lean, strong, and his active physical life had left him with wiry toned muscle that suited him perfectly. Any more would have looked ridiculous. Realizing the idea was a joke to begin, Rowan nevertheless entertained a brief fantasy about it. [In fact, he sent, I wouldn't mind a Cris strip-tease for my own bachelor party. Is that allowed? Hell, why wait for the bachelor party? My calendar is free tonight.]
He had no idea what the conventions were for a marriage such as theirs. Who cared about convention anyway, though?
The next few pictures showed their tour of the islands that comprised Guadaloupe. They had stopped on each one of them for a little while and explored the history of them, the abolishment of slavery in the mid 1800's, the Dutch and French influences. There were pictures of Marie-Galante's windmills, some of the plaques and information they'd discovered about the leper colony on La Desirade which had existed well into the 1900s, and the coastline of Iles des Saintes where they had spent a few days as well, discovering and rediscovering (in Rowan's case) the rich culture.
There was a picture there that Rowan chuckled at, which was himself and Cris standing side by side with big grins on a well-lit street on Iles des Saintes, wearing the funny little hats called Salako. There were many more pictures, particularly because the artisans of Les Saintes were well-known for their craftsmanship of wooden toys and models. Rowan had thought Cris might be interested in them. There were so many creative little things to see, from model boats and cars to spinning tops to marionettes, all handcrafted in perfect detail.
Rowan had, in fact, purchased one of the little boat models. It had been so exquisite he'd asked the man who'd made it if he would fashion a mount for it as well, which was part of the reason they'd remained in Les Saintes for a few days. The boat was now firmly mounted in Rowan's living area on the Buccaneer, a pleasant reminder and souvenir of their vacation together.
Of course, there were pictures of Cris, who had done the mounting of the boat on the boat.
"I'm so lucky my husband is handy," Rowan said with a grin. "I don't know what I'd do without him here to fix the sink when it breaks, or the leaky washing machine."
He did his best to look frail and housewife-ish, but he didn't think it was working.
Aishe was shaking her head vigorously, her caramel-colored cheeks blushing a pretty pink. "I'll drive the getaway vehicle," she insisted.
Rowan chuckled at them and sent to Cris, [I was thinking, bachelorette party. That could be fun. You could jump out of a cake in a suit, earpiece, sunglasses, and all. It would be the sexiest strip tease ever.]
Granted, Cris wasn't the usual bodybuilder sort of physique women booked for parties like that but, in Rowan's opinion (biased as it may be), Cris had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He was lean, strong, and his active physical life had left him with wiry toned muscle that suited him perfectly. Any more would have looked ridiculous. Realizing the idea was a joke to begin, Rowan nevertheless entertained a brief fantasy about it. [In fact, he sent, I wouldn't mind a Cris strip-tease for my own bachelor party. Is that allowed? Hell, why wait for the bachelor party? My calendar is free tonight.]
He had no idea what the conventions were for a marriage such as theirs. Who cared about convention anyway, though?
The next few pictures showed their tour of the islands that comprised Guadaloupe. They had stopped on each one of them for a little while and explored the history of them, the abolishment of slavery in the mid 1800's, the Dutch and French influences. There were pictures of Marie-Galante's windmills, some of the plaques and information they'd discovered about the leper colony on La Desirade which had existed well into the 1900s, and the coastline of Iles des Saintes where they had spent a few days as well, discovering and rediscovering (in Rowan's case) the rich culture.
There was a picture there that Rowan chuckled at, which was himself and Cris standing side by side with big grins on a well-lit street on Iles des Saintes, wearing the funny little hats called Salako. There were many more pictures, particularly because the artisans of Les Saintes were well-known for their craftsmanship of wooden toys and models. Rowan had thought Cris might be interested in them. There were so many creative little things to see, from model boats and cars to spinning tops to marionettes, all handcrafted in perfect detail.
Rowan had, in fact, purchased one of the little boat models. It had been so exquisite he'd asked the man who'd made it if he would fashion a mount for it as well, which was part of the reason they'd remained in Les Saintes for a few days. The boat was now firmly mounted in Rowan's living area on the Buccaneer, a pleasant reminder and souvenir of their vacation together.
Of course, there were pictures of Cris, who had done the mounting of the boat on the boat.
"I'm so lucky my husband is handy," Rowan said with a grin. "I don't know what I'd do without him here to fix the sink when it breaks, or the leaky washing machine."
He did his best to look frail and housewife-ish, but he didn't think it was working.
Christian Bern
11 years ago
Cris looked over at Aishe, considering her thoughtfully. "She could stand some corrupting.†He gave Kem the same look and added. "So could you but I think that is Alfarinn's job.†His friend held up his his hands and claimed that Kem was a big boy and could get into trouble all on his own. Cris made a disgruntled sound and decided that he and Rowan needed to help corrupt their Nachton elder if Alfarrin wasn't going to oblige.
He was distracted from his party crashing plans by Rowan's. His partner decided that they needed to crash a bachlorette party, apparently as the entertainment. Cris gave his fiance a small smile and promised. [Later] He hadn't thought of a bachelor party and Rowan brought up a good point. Would they have two bachelor parties? It seemed appropriate that they have separate ones, after all the point was that it was the end of their days as single men. The last hoorah and all that.
Alfarinn was most likely going to be his best man. Cris was suddenly worried.
They were almost through their trip of pictures. He hoped they hadn't bored their friends with more information and sharing than they really wanted. The pictures were wonderful and meaningful to him and Rowan but perhaps they were not so interesting to people who had not been there.
At least he wasn't showing people pictures of his kid. Cris sneaked a glance at Aishe, wondering if he could convince her that she needed to take up ballet so that he could put dance performance pictures in his wallet. Of course he could put in pictures from work. "This is my daughter on the firing range. Oh, here is Aishe's first arrest! Look how she sat on top of that huge guy and wrestled him into a pair of cuffs!†So proud.
Maybe they would just take Kem and Aishe with them next time and he could put pictures of Aishe and Kem on vacation in his wallet. He would soon add wedding photos to his list of things to be an obnoxious father about.
Rowan deemed him handy and feigned the inability to fix a sink or any other household appliance. "Well, Love, I would hate for you to break a nail.†Cris collected Rowan's hand and brought it up to his lips. "You have delicate surgeon's hands, too precious for menial labor.â€
The last of the pictures were more sunsets and ocean views from the trip back home. There was a stop at Tybee Island and the city of Savannah. Pictures showed the several lighthouses from the water and a trip onto the mainland gave them some pictures of oak trees dripping in Spanish moss and colonial styled buildings. There was a Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum that they visited as well. They had many model ships and a lovely garden. Cris also bought a vintage travel poster that advertised sailing tours from Savannah. It could go on the ship or somewhere back home. He thought they could start a collection of old posters, maps and postcards from the places they visited.
In a few decades they might need another house or two.
One the last pictures showed him face down with his arms spread out 'hugging' the land back in Nachton as though he was happy to once more have it under his feet. It was entirely and completely feigned. It was more like Rowan had to drag him off the boat. The first night back in their home in The Towers had felt odd and far too stationary for him. It had been difficult to sleep but it had not been hard to convince Rowan to help exhaust him into passing out.
"Well that is all, folks.†He looked around the room to see if anyone looked ready to bolt for the door before they pulled out trinkets or began some more story telling. No one was asleep so that made him feel a little better. Alfarinn picked up on his mood and sent him a mental message that said he was worrying over nothing and pointed out that almost everyone in the room was nosy enough to want to know what he and Rowan had been up to for their vacation or anything else they would like to share.
"Are you two able to join us in March?†He looked at Aishe and Kem. It would be something to look forward to and plan for. If he thought about another sailing vacation with Rowan and family then being back at work would be tolerable. When had work become work?
Right, when he had other things he wanted to do more and other people he would rather spend his time with.
He was distracted from his party crashing plans by Rowan's. His partner decided that they needed to crash a bachlorette party, apparently as the entertainment. Cris gave his fiance a small smile and promised. [Later] He hadn't thought of a bachelor party and Rowan brought up a good point. Would they have two bachelor parties? It seemed appropriate that they have separate ones, after all the point was that it was the end of their days as single men. The last hoorah and all that.
Alfarinn was most likely going to be his best man. Cris was suddenly worried.
They were almost through their trip of pictures. He hoped they hadn't bored their friends with more information and sharing than they really wanted. The pictures were wonderful and meaningful to him and Rowan but perhaps they were not so interesting to people who had not been there.
At least he wasn't showing people pictures of his kid. Cris sneaked a glance at Aishe, wondering if he could convince her that she needed to take up ballet so that he could put dance performance pictures in his wallet. Of course he could put in pictures from work. "This is my daughter on the firing range. Oh, here is Aishe's first arrest! Look how she sat on top of that huge guy and wrestled him into a pair of cuffs!†So proud.
Maybe they would just take Kem and Aishe with them next time and he could put pictures of Aishe and Kem on vacation in his wallet. He would soon add wedding photos to his list of things to be an obnoxious father about.
Rowan deemed him handy and feigned the inability to fix a sink or any other household appliance. "Well, Love, I would hate for you to break a nail.†Cris collected Rowan's hand and brought it up to his lips. "You have delicate surgeon's hands, too precious for menial labor.â€
The last of the pictures were more sunsets and ocean views from the trip back home. There was a stop at Tybee Island and the city of Savannah. Pictures showed the several lighthouses from the water and a trip onto the mainland gave them some pictures of oak trees dripping in Spanish moss and colonial styled buildings. There was a Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum that they visited as well. They had many model ships and a lovely garden. Cris also bought a vintage travel poster that advertised sailing tours from Savannah. It could go on the ship or somewhere back home. He thought they could start a collection of old posters, maps and postcards from the places they visited.
In a few decades they might need another house or two.
One the last pictures showed him face down with his arms spread out 'hugging' the land back in Nachton as though he was happy to once more have it under his feet. It was entirely and completely feigned. It was more like Rowan had to drag him off the boat. The first night back in their home in The Towers had felt odd and far too stationary for him. It had been difficult to sleep but it had not been hard to convince Rowan to help exhaust him into passing out.
"Well that is all, folks.†He looked around the room to see if anyone looked ready to bolt for the door before they pulled out trinkets or began some more story telling. No one was asleep so that made him feel a little better. Alfarinn picked up on his mood and sent him a mental message that said he was worrying over nothing and pointed out that almost everyone in the room was nosy enough to want to know what he and Rowan had been up to for their vacation or anything else they would like to share.
"Are you two able to join us in March?†He looked at Aishe and Kem. It would be something to look forward to and plan for. If he thought about another sailing vacation with Rowan and family then being back at work would be tolerable. When had work become work?
Right, when he had other things he wanted to do more and other people he would rather spend his time with.
Rowan Murphy
11 years ago
Rowan watched Kem raise an eyebrow at Cris. "I'm already corrupt," the Nachton Elder insisted while Aishe nodded vigorously. "Alfarinn saw to it years ago."
He gave a small sigh of contentment at Cris's response to his blatant invitation. Settling back with a few more goodies to nibble on he watched the rest of their pictures roll by with his arm comfortably around Cris, gently, idly, stroking the back of his neck with his fingertips now and then.
He laughed softly at Cris's land-hugging picture, one of his favorites. "That was my fault," he said. "I hit every speed bump on the way home."
When Cris invited Aishe and Kem to join them in March Rowan smiled. He would enjoy their company as much as Cris would. He and Kem often laughed at the same absurd things and he enjoyed the quiet Elder's presence. Aishe, too, Rowan had always enjoyed talking to. He loved her for her personality as much as for her obvious love of her own Creator. He didn't think he would ever forget having Nachton's youngest and tiniest vampire question his motives in regard to Cris. Well, someone had to protect the protector, didn't they?
"We could probably swing it, if the head honcho says so," Kem said with a faint smile, shrugging one shoulder and tipping his head toward Alfarinn.
"That would be your first vacation in how many decades?" Aishe asked, raising an eyebrow at Kem. He just shook his head.
"Not that many," he said. "I was on leave when we met."
"Eight years ago? That's more than enough time for another one."
Rowan didn't think anyone missed the expression of surprise on Kem's face. "Has it been that long?"
He grinned. "Definitely time for a vacation," he said. "Maybe we'll just leave you two in the Caribbean and come back for you in a few months."
Aishe laughed at that and nodded. "Do you have more pictures of the diving you did?"
Rowan nodded back at her. "Yeah, plenty. We just didn't want to bore anyone with hundreds of fish pictures."
"Can I see them later? Do you know all the names of them? Do you think we can go when we're there?"
Obviously Aishe hadn't been bored with the pictures. Rowan hugged Cris, wondering briefly if she'd been so full of questions when she'd been turned. "I can tell you what they all are and we can even have a diving lesson here in Nachton if you want."
"Oh, yes please!" Aishe's eyes lit up.
Rowan made plans to buy a few more sets of diving gear. It never hurt to be prepared for everything.
There was more general talk and a few more drinks. Everyone had questions about their trip even beyond the slide show and Rowan and Cris were only too happy to answer them all. The entire evening was a success, and it was comforting to have everyone they loved there in the room with them. Almost everyone, anyway. They would repeat the show for some of their other friends later. Rowan was eager to catch up with Eiryk and Alex and see how they were doing.
And, too, he found himself eager to begin working at the Towers. In an office across from Cris's. He would see his lover, his fiance, so much more than he did before. Even though it was at work Rowan suspected there would be many occasions to grab a quick cup of coffee together or - well, sometimes other quickies. Not that he was making plans.
He just sort of liked to make those kinds of plans.
((ooc: All out, with permission))
He gave a small sigh of contentment at Cris's response to his blatant invitation. Settling back with a few more goodies to nibble on he watched the rest of their pictures roll by with his arm comfortably around Cris, gently, idly, stroking the back of his neck with his fingertips now and then.
He laughed softly at Cris's land-hugging picture, one of his favorites. "That was my fault," he said. "I hit every speed bump on the way home."
When Cris invited Aishe and Kem to join them in March Rowan smiled. He would enjoy their company as much as Cris would. He and Kem often laughed at the same absurd things and he enjoyed the quiet Elder's presence. Aishe, too, Rowan had always enjoyed talking to. He loved her for her personality as much as for her obvious love of her own Creator. He didn't think he would ever forget having Nachton's youngest and tiniest vampire question his motives in regard to Cris. Well, someone had to protect the protector, didn't they?
"We could probably swing it, if the head honcho says so," Kem said with a faint smile, shrugging one shoulder and tipping his head toward Alfarinn.
"That would be your first vacation in how many decades?" Aishe asked, raising an eyebrow at Kem. He just shook his head.
"Not that many," he said. "I was on leave when we met."
"Eight years ago? That's more than enough time for another one."
Rowan didn't think anyone missed the expression of surprise on Kem's face. "Has it been that long?"
He grinned. "Definitely time for a vacation," he said. "Maybe we'll just leave you two in the Caribbean and come back for you in a few months."
Aishe laughed at that and nodded. "Do you have more pictures of the diving you did?"
Rowan nodded back at her. "Yeah, plenty. We just didn't want to bore anyone with hundreds of fish pictures."
"Can I see them later? Do you know all the names of them? Do you think we can go when we're there?"
Obviously Aishe hadn't been bored with the pictures. Rowan hugged Cris, wondering briefly if she'd been so full of questions when she'd been turned. "I can tell you what they all are and we can even have a diving lesson here in Nachton if you want."
"Oh, yes please!" Aishe's eyes lit up.
Rowan made plans to buy a few more sets of diving gear. It never hurt to be prepared for everything.
There was more general talk and a few more drinks. Everyone had questions about their trip even beyond the slide show and Rowan and Cris were only too happy to answer them all. The entire evening was a success, and it was comforting to have everyone they loved there in the room with them. Almost everyone, anyway. They would repeat the show for some of their other friends later. Rowan was eager to catch up with Eiryk and Alex and see how they were doing.
And, too, he found himself eager to begin working at the Towers. In an office across from Cris's. He would see his lover, his fiance, so much more than he did before. Even though it was at work Rowan suspected there would be many occasions to grab a quick cup of coffee together or - well, sometimes other quickies. Not that he was making plans.
He just sort of liked to make those kinds of plans.
((ooc: All out, with permission))