Alfred Jones has a map showing the location of El Dorado, the Lost City of Gold. He employs two rival pirate captains, Pirate Arthur and Pirate Antonio to help in his quest to locate the lost city, only to discover that a tribe, believed to have been extinct, still living in the city.
Pairings: Arthur/Alfred, Antonio/Lovino
Bonus: Native Lovino! Bonus: Roman Empire is El Dorado Chief Bonus: Pirate Francis!
Ever since he was a boy, Alfred had dreamed about adventure, about hidden treasures and lost empires. And yet to say he dreamed is not strong enough a word. He believed in it with all his heart and soul, a child's belief, strong and pure, that he never outgrew and that never waned. Because if things like that didn't happen in real life, if those who hoped and dreamed for nothing more could never experience it... well, what was the point of anything.
His family was well-off, but he made it wealthy on the back of this dream, because searching for such things cost money and the favors of many. His family didn't mind his eccentricities as long as he didn't squander too much; they were even proud of him. Alfred Jones, the crazy explorer, that lovable nutjob who was always researching old myths and nonsense. Mad as a spoon, of course, but with enough charm to make up for the fact. He was pounded on the back and bought fine whiskey and asked to tell his tales, to entertain with his enthusiastic recounting of this legend or that.
But the day he found what he was looking for, he wasn't sure what to do. He knew he was tolerated as long as he didn't claim that he had proof about being right, but it was a very thin line he was walking, and something like this might jeopardy his position. He would be laughed at, he knew - especially if he asked for money, for sponsoring. People took themselves too seriously to get involved in something like this.
And so he turned to men who didn't have much to lose, men to whom the scorn of society had long since stopped having any value. Nonetheless, he wasn't going to recruit the first thug with a leaking vessel that came along. He wanted reputable pirates, after all. He wanted the very best, and he knew where to find them.
Too bad Antonio Carriedo Fernández and Arthur Kirkland, captains of the two ships he had enlisted, both hated the sight of each other. Perhaps it was because they were very different types of men, although he suspected that this only scratched the surface of their animosity.
Antonio had apparently been a nobleman, and although he had been disowned from his family for reasons shrouded in mystery, he still carried their name as if to taunt them. He had at any rate liberated his family of large parts of their fortune before he was chased away, and had bought a ship, hired a crew, and taken to piracy as if he had been born to it. He professed himself a gentleman, almost always smiled, and was both easy-going and very proud at the same time - and they said he had a bloodthirsty streak, but it was hard to believe just from looking at him. His men were faultlessly loyal to him, perhaps because he treated every single man among them as if they were his brothers - and because he did, they also made gentle fun of him and called him a thickhead to his face.
Arthur Kirkland, on the other hand, was proud to say that he's started as a scullery boy at age eight - no doubt sold into service by parents who could not afford him. It had called itself a merchant ship, but more often than not that was just another name for smugglers. Arthur had worked his way through layers of hard men and even harder conditions, and he was a hard man himself. He had become captain of his ship through a famous mutiny, which had culminated in him killing his superior - although the stories about how differed. Some said that it was a mighty duel, others that he used poison, a dagger in the back, keelhauling. Arthur only smiled grimly when asked, and his men kept the secret for him - possibly because, while it was clear that they respected their captain, they also feared him.
Both had stories which in themselves seemed like dreams come true to Alfred, as it confirmed his belief that he was already writing history - but besides the fact that they were also rivals, their differing backgrounds might well be an explanation to why the two men got along like a bag of cats. The atmosphere in the room where Alfred had gathered them to go over their plans was oppressive to say the least, as the men exchanged glances with steel and flame in them every once in a while.
Apart from the three of them, there were two others present. One was a lanky blond man who had arrived with Antonio and immediately taken the liberty to sprawl in the couch. He was dressed in much finer clothes than one might expect from a pirate, all periwinkle silk and laces, and the rapier he nonchalantly had leaned against a wall had silver inlaid in it's sheath. Perhaps he was another renegade noble, then. The boy who had arrived with Arthur could hardly be older than ten, a scrawny little thing who was dressed both correctly and practically, just like his captain.
Alfred nodded at the two, raising his eyebrows slightly. "How do you know who they can be trusted." They both opened their mouths to answer, but Alfred rarely had patience for explanations when he could just go to the bottom of things himself. "Who are you, sir?" he demanded of Antonio's companion.
"I'm 'is right 'and man," the other drawled with a smirk and a French accent that sounded exaggerated. "I'm 'is best friend, 'is brother in arms, and occasionally 'is lover. Does that satisfy?"
Alfred probably couldn't spell 'double entendre' - possibly because it was French - and the last part whistled over his head. He grimaced a bit, though, eyeing the fellow suspiciously to see if maybe he was making fun of him. He's heard things about sailors, admittedly, but he'd never thought... The man leered, and Arthur made a small noise which rather accurately expressed quite a lot of distaste in so small a sound. Alfred flushed slightly and turned to look at the boy. "And you?"
"This is my son, Peter," Arthur replied, and the boy nodded with a grin. "He's young, but he's in training, and I want him to know about this job in detail - and I detest having to repeat what someone else has told me."
"Good enough for me!" Alfred wasn't really interested in arguing. He had a map and he was impatient to get started figuring it out, nevermind that the journey by sea would leave plenty of time for that. He already saw his companions eyeing the three stone pieces on the table with interest - Peter even reached out to touch one before Arthur slapped his hand away with a curse.
Alfred grinned, putting his feet up on the table and spearing a piece of pheasant meat on from the tray by the window with his knife. "Gentlemen. Do you want to become really damn rich?"
***
So this took a bit longer than expected, but here we are! I hope I'll have part 2 up soon ^^
I'm glad you set up Alfred as primarily an adventurer, otherwise I'd be rolling my eyes at the appearance yet another Cartoonishly Stupid!America in an otherwise realistic fic.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Ensemble El Dorado
(Anonymous) 2013-02-09 03:13 am (UTC)(link)Pairings: Arthur/Alfred, Antonio/Lovino
Bonus: Native Lovino!
Bonus: Roman Empire is El Dorado Chief
Bonus: Pirate Francis!
Re: Ensemble El Dorado
(Anonymous) 2013-02-09 03:20 am (UTC)(link)Re: Ensemble El Dorado
(Anonymous) 2013-02-09 03:21 am (UTC)(link)Re: Ensemble El Dorado
(Anonymous) 2013-03-08 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
(Anonymous) 2013-02-09 03:23 am (UTC)(link)Re: Ensemble El Dorado
(Anonymous) 2013-02-11 01:10 am (UTC)(link)Here's just a little something to tide you over.
(Anonymous) 2013-03-01 09:40 am (UTC)(link)"Don't you see what this is?" asks the Spaniard, moving to come face to the face with the blond. "This is it! The map to El Dorado!"
Arthur just raises an eye brow. "...You drank the sea water, didn't you?"
"OH COME ON!"
Re: Here's just a little something to tide you over.
(Anonymous) 2013-03-02 03:46 am (UTC)(link)Minifill A!Anon is glad.
(Anonymous) 2013-03-02 11:18 am (UTC)(link)Anyway, thank you~!
Re: Here's just a little something to tide you over.
(Anonymous) 2013-04-01 02:35 am (UTC)(link)A memorable journey | Part 1a/?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-02 03:10 am (UTC)(link)His family was well-off, but he made it wealthy on the back of this dream, because searching for such things cost money and the favors of many. His family didn't mind his eccentricities as long as he didn't squander too much; they were even proud of him. Alfred Jones, the crazy explorer, that lovable nutjob who was always researching old myths and nonsense. Mad as a spoon, of course, but with enough charm to make up for the fact. He was pounded on the back and bought fine whiskey and asked to tell his tales, to entertain with his enthusiastic recounting of this legend or that.
But the day he found what he was looking for, he wasn't sure what to do. He knew he was tolerated as long as he didn't claim that he had proof about being right, but it was a very thin line he was walking, and something like this might jeopardy his position. He would be laughed at, he knew - especially if he asked for money, for sponsoring. People took themselves too seriously to get involved in something like this.
And so he turned to men who didn't have much to lose, men to whom the scorn of society had long since stopped having any value. Nonetheless, he wasn't going to recruit the first thug with a leaking vessel that came along. He wanted reputable pirates, after all. He wanted the very best, and he knew where to find them.
Too bad Antonio Carriedo Fernández and Arthur Kirkland, captains of the two ships he had enlisted, both hated the sight of each other. Perhaps it was because they were very different types of men, although he suspected that this only scratched the surface of their animosity.
Antonio had apparently been a nobleman, and although he had been disowned from his family for reasons shrouded in mystery, he still carried their name as if to taunt them. He had at any rate liberated his family of large parts of their fortune before he was chased away, and had bought a ship, hired a crew, and taken to piracy as if he had been born to it. He professed himself a gentleman, almost always smiled, and was both easy-going and very proud at the same time - and they said he had a bloodthirsty streak, but it was hard to believe just from looking at him. His men were faultlessly loyal to him, perhaps because he treated every single man among them as if they were his brothers - and because he did, they also made gentle fun of him and called him a thickhead to his face.
Arthur Kirkland, on the other hand, was proud to say that he's started as a scullery boy at age eight - no doubt sold into service by parents who could not afford him. It had called itself a merchant ship, but more often than not that was just another name for smugglers. Arthur had worked his way through layers of hard men and even harder conditions, and he was a hard man himself. He had become captain of his ship through a famous mutiny, which had culminated in him killing his superior - although the stories about how differed. Some said that it was a mighty duel, others that he used poison, a dagger in the back, keelhauling. Arthur only smiled grimly when asked, and his men kept the secret for him - possibly because, while it was clear that they respected their captain, they also feared him.
A memorable journey | Part 1b/?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-02 03:12 am (UTC)(link)Apart from the three of them, there were two others present. One was a lanky blond man who had arrived with Antonio and immediately taken the liberty to sprawl in the couch. He was dressed in much finer clothes than one might expect from a pirate, all periwinkle silk and laces, and the rapier he nonchalantly had leaned against a wall had silver inlaid in it's sheath. Perhaps he was another renegade noble, then. The boy who had arrived with Arthur could hardly be older than ten, a scrawny little thing who was dressed both correctly and practically, just like his captain.
Alfred nodded at the two, raising his eyebrows slightly. "How do you know who they can be trusted." They both opened their mouths to answer, but Alfred rarely had patience for explanations when he could just go to the bottom of things himself. "Who are you, sir?" he demanded of Antonio's companion.
"I'm 'is right 'and man," the other drawled with a smirk and a French accent that sounded exaggerated. "I'm 'is best friend, 'is brother in arms, and occasionally 'is lover. Does that satisfy?"
Alfred probably couldn't spell 'double entendre' - possibly because it was French - and the last part whistled over his head. He grimaced a bit, though, eyeing the fellow suspiciously to see if maybe he was making fun of him. He's heard things about sailors, admittedly, but he'd never thought... The man leered, and Arthur made a small noise which rather accurately expressed quite a lot of distaste in so small a sound. Alfred flushed slightly and turned to look at the boy. "And you?"
"This is my son, Peter," Arthur replied, and the boy nodded with a grin. "He's young, but he's in training, and I want him to know about this job in detail - and I detest having to repeat what someone else has told me."
"Good enough for me!" Alfred wasn't really interested in arguing. He had a map and he was impatient to get started figuring it out, nevermind that the journey by sea would leave plenty of time for that. He already saw his companions eyeing the three stone pieces on the table with interest - Peter even reached out to touch one before Arthur slapped his hand away with a curse.
Alfred grinned, putting his feet up on the table and spearing a piece of pheasant meat on from the tray by the window with his knife. "Gentlemen. Do you want to become really damn rich?"
***
So this took a bit longer than expected, but here we are! I hope I'll have part 2 up soon ^^
Re: A memorable journey | Part 1b/?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-02 09:15 am (UTC)(link)Re: A memorable journey | Part 1b/?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-02 09:23 am (UTC)(link)I'm glad you set up Alfred as primarily an adventurer, otherwise I'd be rolling my eyes at the appearance yet another Cartoonishly Stupid!America in an otherwise realistic fic.
Re: A memorable journey | Part 1b/?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-02 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)I love this!!! <3 <3 <3 <3
Re: A memorable journey | Part 1b/?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-05 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)Did it disappear?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-12 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)Re: Did it disappear?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-13 12:43 am (UTC)(link)(not A!A, btw)
Re: Did it disappear?
(Anonymous) 2013-03-13 01:34 am (UTC)(link)