Private Tales Coasting Along

[Acteon Cass]

While the mask never came off, Acteon internally was taking count of everything around the pair. How many pirates there was, the general ages, how experienced they seemed to be, and how they interacted with each other. He especially took note of when the young man had scooped Ana up in his arms and carried her to the boat. While he had groped her earlier it had been out of a means to tease the girl. Both of them knew he was not aiming for getting between her thighs. That young man reeked of lustful desire. Be something to discuss later he supposed.

When Ana did join him though he leaned in and whispered to her while keeping up his mask, "I see the princess got carried by the strapping young prince."

That was sadly all he had time to say before the captain walked over to the two of them. Acteon noted the politeness the man spoke with. Odd. It was rare for a ship captain of any kind let alone a pirate and slaver to be respectful like this. Usually it was navy officers addressing other officers or people of authority. Something to keep in mind for later. The pressing matter now was addressing his question.

Acteon gave the man a wary and exhausted smile. "Hope she be kind in her words Captain."

The Allirian looked like he was deep in thought on how to continue on with the rest of what he had to say. "All I see be nothin' but darkness. Got cut up when me first vessel was attacked by pirates an' left fer dead. Nori picked me up an' got me patched up well enough. But then her ship crashed into the rocks. Ana found me on the beach an' left me hidden while she went for help. All I hear the whole night be howls an' screams. Bad omens an' just wish to see me family in Cortosi again. Lost a relative ye see an' they can't afford to hire help to bury 'em."

The whole time Acteon spoke he left the proper fake emotions wash over him like a rattled man who was having an extremely unlucky trip out at sea. While he did then his "good" arm came to rest along his and Ana's leg. It was him subtly trying to lay some claim to the girl that they knew he didn't have but it was likely what a normal person who had spent such close contact to her would have done here. Another part of the rouse as well as just him feeling a little possessive and protective of his friend.

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

"It is a shame that you saw nothing, though I am sure Ann here is glad to have you back in one piece" Hawk inclined his head slightly, his gaze shifting to the hand on Andromeda's leg and then to Andromeda's face. She gave a slight shrug and his lips twitched a little at the corners but he made no comment. "Let's hope your bad luck with ships doesn't follow you aboard the Wailing Wife. It was my First Mate regrettably who perished on the island but it means his quarters are free for you to use, you may continue to use mine Ann I doubt I will be getting much sleep till this island is far behind us,. If you'll excuse me," he inclined his head and then he was marching off and barking orders to his men to get the ship moving. Andromeda couldn't say she blamed him, she would have wanted the island far behind her too if she didn't know the monster who had killed all those men was actually on the ship now.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Ana gently guided the still fake limping Acteon to where the First Mates quarters were. It was a modest room with a desk in one corner and a nice double sized bed in the other. There was a small dining table in the middle with a half finished glass of red and a bottle to boot. As soon as they were inside and the doors shut behind them she dropped his arms and strode for the table, finished the glass and filled it up again.

"You know, your fake pirate accent is quite offensive," she quirked a brow at him as she leaned the backs of her legs against the table.

 

[Acteon Cass]

The twitch and the way the captain had split up Acteon and Ana was very clear. The Allirian knew what it meant and it was something that would need to be addressed. As far as the bad luck with ships went it was not Acteon he needed to worry about. Rather he needed to be wary of the siren who sat by him acting all sweet and innocent. He did not respond back to the man but rather stayed silent in the fashion a still hurting and frightened man might after already saying so much.

Now in his cabin, Acteon dropped the act as soon as Ana let go of his arms. He walked over to the table and sat down with her there. There was not a second cup for him to use. Instead he just picked up the bottle and took a drink of it. Cortosi wine yet again.

"Well you can blame the pirates on the island for my accent. I just copied them." Acteon said to Ana. Knowing she was likely done with her glass already he moved the bottle over so he could refill it up for her. "The issue is the captain. He clearly is aiming for you Ana. The man reacted to me touching your leg and split us up into two different cabins with you in his personal one. The whole line about not getting much sleep might not entirely be because of the island. I think he is going to try to bed you. If not tonight then the next."

Acteon took another drink of his bottle. Still Cortosi wine. His mind began to race through a few possible outcomes for this trip. He was not entirely sure what her feelings on the matter were nor how her powers worked exactly but he would rather avoid them having to sink this ship as well. It was already clear she was effecting the crew. Between the young man and now the captain he was sure her charm was going to bring about more unwanted attention for her. Use to it or not, he would rather she have some level of privacy. She was owed that much for her help so far.

"Perhaps it would be best if you stayed with me in my cabin. Make up some excuse about tending to my injuries or something. I trust your tongue to be as silver as mine." Acteon said with at first a serious tone. It shifted into a more playful one however when he added on, "And this way we can actually cuddle as long as we want this time around. Would that not be nice my coral colored beauty?"

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Perhaps her magic was having a stronger impact on him than she thought. She held out her glass quietly as he topped it up and listened to his worried stream of words. But she also watched his mannerisms for any signs or symptoms of others that were under her spell too. There didn't seem to be but then he had just spent the night as a wolf, perhaps he was just tired. She swirled the wine in her glass and then took a long drink before setting it down with extra care as if she was trying to work out what exactly to say.

"So what if he is?" Ana raised her gaze to meet his, watching him intently for his reaction. "Would it bother you if I didn't mind that? He isn't trying to split us up at all. He believes we were two people stranded on an island and forced together - would you not separate a man from a woman if you found them? It is quite a normal thing for a Captain to give up his quarters for a woman, especially the daughter of a man you used to hold in high esteem - you know Pirates do have some honour," the siren sighed a little and examined her wine before finishing the last half.

"Acteon is this going to be a problem for you if I come to Alliria - that I might be other men? I don't want you to begin thinking I am your property or anything like that. I'm free to make up my own mind. I need you to know that... and I need to know that what you're saying right now isn't coming from me having touched you," there was a tensed atmosphere to her entire being. Like she had drawn up the walls again. Even the way she was sitting was as far away as she could without it being too obvious and she ensured their fingers didn't touch when he had poured her the wine.

 

[Acteon Cass]

Acteon paid closer attention to Ana when she was so careful with the glass. It was off from how she normally was. Then came her own worried words. He just let her go on and did not try to stop her. There would be no point in it. Not only would it be disrespectful it also would just make matters worse. Instead he just took account of what she had to say and got his counter arguments ready in return. It was rather a cold way for him to go about this, which he was not too fond of given how he was trying to stay open with the woman, but it was needed in this moment.

Once she was finished Acteon placed his hand over her own. He looked straight into her eyes and said in a completely serious tone, "Are you a fool Ana?"

The Alliria paused for a moment so she could wrap her head around his words and it gave her enough time to sort of get past the initial impulse from it. Then he went on. "Of course it would bother me. I have opened up to you and you are the only woman I have ever done that with. It would be strange for me to not feel a little upset that you would pick someone else over me. I am still human after all despite last night."

"As for Alliria and you taking men to bed, that is your business. Who cares if you wish to bed someone? You will just kick them out the moment you are done. What is there to be jealous of or worried about? Chances are high I will take others to my bed as well. Would that bother you?" Acteon said to her still serious yet as casual about this whole discussion as he had been the day before. "I know you are not use to dealing with normal reactions from people but we still get jealous of the pettiest of things. Your touch is not bothering me Ana. It is no different than the kinds of things I experience before the full moon. It is something easily ignored and forgotten. I am fully in control of myself right now and the fact you think I could be so easily swayed is insulting. Who do you think I am?"

Acteon picked up the bottle and took a quick drink. The action was in part to provide a natural pause as well as help wet his throat. The wolf had drank little the night before and now he was beginning to feel the effects. Damned thing was too busy having its fun with the pirates and then making that rather twisted scene for the rest of the pirates in the morning to see.

"Concerning the captain, he definitely wishes to bed you and that should concern you. I have met men like him before. A bit of power and they think they are entitled to have all their desires met. He is effected by you but unlike the others the man is more of a thinker. I am the same. He will not give into impulse to scoop you up like the young man did. This man will find a way to isolate you from the rest of the crew and get you into a position that you have to rely on him. All the while he will be acting as polite and respectful as possible to mask his goal. It is all calculated and planned out. Bringing an injured man onboard the ship that I am sure you claimed as more than some man who washed up on shore. Why would you care to go back and save a complete stranger like that when a beast is literally tearing men apart out there?" Acteon was saying everything. He was not holding back his thoughts anymore.

"No, the captain came back because it would mean you owe him more. I am was a friend then it would mean something to save me. If I am injured it would mean he could keep me out of the way. It works in his favor. He had an open cabin and as you said you are a woman and the daughter of a man he respected, assuming he actually did. Why did he not put you in this cabin with a bed that belongs to no one and have me be in his bed where it is a man sharing a bed with another man? His intentions are to get you into that bed with him and keep you confined to that room." The Allirian was certainly talkative right now but it was things he was use to dealing with. This whole situation reminded him of some matters he had heard of and seen as a guard. When men felt they owned someone else or were owed something they could do terrible things.

"I became a threat to that plan when he saw you sitting right next to me and that I had my hand on your leg. Would you have put yourself that close rather than him forcing the closeness by sitting next to you if I was any other man? It would not surprise me if I got some underhanded treatment while on board. You wished to save me, sat so close to me, and allowed my arm to stay on your leg. I am a threat to him Ana. Every thing will be politeness and respectful where you can see and hear but it will not when you can not." Acteon finished then picked up the bottle again. He refilled her glass again then finished off the last bit inside of it.

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Are you a fool?

The words were like a slap and she went to move her hand but he held it in place as he spoke. Her whole body was stiff and the colour of anger and humiliation rode high across her cheekbones. He was right to give her a moment to let it sink in because her head was scrambled. Why would she be a fool to ask such a question? He was one of the first men she had met who did not suffer instantly from being in proximity to her. Also, how dare he even call her that and question her right to know where she stood in the beginnings of this... of this friendship. Or businesses plan. Or whatever this was heading for. She didn't like unsure footing even though she enjoyed the waves beneath her feet.

But he continued and the emotions only got worse. Her hand which had been flat on the table curled into a fist.

His question stumped her a little - would she be at all bothered if he bedded other women? No. It was the instinctive response. Why should she care when she had only met this man the day before and had tried to kill him when she first spotted him washed up on that beach? There was something growing inside her heart for this man but it was young and it was new and she didn't know what it was. Whether it was a type of comradeship for he was another monster too, or whether it was friendship.

Before she had much time to dwell further on those thoughts Acteon came back around to the issue of Hawk and she dug her nails into the palm of her hand to stop herself from rolling her eyes or making a harsh comment she would regret. He had no idea what this man was like truly, and even if he did it gave him no right to speak to her in this way. Like... like her father.

She had had more than enough by the end and she had no plans to sit here and let him see her cry.

"I am no fool," she said quietly. "Excuse me," Andromeda scraped her chair back and then left quietly through the door.

 

[Acteon Cass]

Acteon had gotten too caught up in his own thoughts and words. The little hints about how Ana was feeling were missed and the next thing he knew she was standing up and leaving. He frowned deeply as she did. Standing up from the chair and reaching out to her he said, "Ana-"

But she was out the door. He could not follow least their little ruse be exposed. All he could do was go to the door and lock it so no one could enter when he wasn't paying attention. With that done the Allirian picked up the empty bottle and chunked it at the wall. It shattered to pieces. He slumped back into the chair and put his head in his hands. He had screwed up big time here.

The feelings of guilt and disappointment only grew. Acteon had nowhere to direct the thoughts and emotions except at himself. All he wanted was to be open with her and express his thoughts. He worried for her safety. This captain was clearly up to something and it would involve her losing her freedom. He and her had connected and spoken the night before. He was aware of how much she treasured her freedom. Then there was the bits about jealousy and everything else.... He had just made things worse and likely driven her off for good.

This was what he got for opening up. Acteon knew better. Others did not care to understand. They spoke of openness and connection yet in the end all anyone wanted was apathy. Apathy was how he felt about others usually. No ill will or good intentions. Just a general lack of thought or care that made everything fair and equal. It was right and it was balanced. Yet he had not even given her that. Perhaps it was best he just not leave the cabin or interact with her till they landed. He did not wish to bind her and it seemed the only way he could truly grant her the freedom she wished was to be apathetic.

But he knew there was no going back to apathy when it came to Ana. He had shown her his true face and once revealed there was no putting the mask back on. It was best now he just not burden her further.

Acteon just sat in the dark and silence doing nothing but trying to sort out how to handle this utterly foreign state of being and entirely new feelings.

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Every pirate crew would proudly say that their ship was nothing like any other ship in the waters. Of course, it was true in some small way. There would always be one ship that cut the waves better, one that sailed with the wind faster, or one that could withstand more gunfire. But in reality they all pretty much looked the same, or were at least laid out the same. So despite the fact the ship was an unknown Andromeda's feet took her to the prowl of the ship with minimal thinking on her part. The crew barely paid her much attention what little of it was on deck now they had set sail proper. As she threw herself against the rail of the ship tears began pouring down her cheeks. So many emotions had been churned up in that small amount of time and she didn't know how to handle any of them. This wasn't who she was. She didn't feel. If she felt then she hurt and then she couldn't survive.

Angrily she brushed at her cheeks and watched the waves instead. She wouldn't cry over a man she had known for less than 24 hours. Especially not for a man who... who...

"Ana?" a quiet voice and then a gentle touch on her shoulder. Glancing to her left she raised an eyebrow at the young man from the boat and then shook her head slightly: she wasn't in the mood. He let his hand drop but he didn't leave, leaning against the rail as well. They were silent for a long time before he piped up again. "Do you want to get drunk?"

* * *
​

Andromeda could handle her drink. Like most pirates. So when she realised she was struggling to stand and walk she knew she had done her liver a whole lot of damage. The young man turned out to be pleasant company, along with his friends who seemed to occupy the more junior levels of the crew. It suited her better. It put her at the same age as most of them too and they all drunk with the same wild abandon as she did. She wasn't entirely sure when she had started drinking but the sun had definitely been up and now it was definitely... not up. Down? Or was she just upside down? Most of the older men had tapped out hours back leaving the youngsters to it. She hadn't seen Hawk or Acteon and she didn't care. No. She didn't.

In fact she was going to go tell him how much she didn't care right now.

The ship was probably the calmest it had been all day but she staggered across the deck as if it were caught in the middle of the storm, holding onto ropes and handrail whenever possible. She had a bottle in her hand as she thumped on Acteon's cabin door loudly.

"We need tah talk!"

 

[Acteon Cass]

When Ana came to the cabin door she would notice, if she could notice, that there was a single plate of food at it. On it was what had been made for everyone's meal but it held half the portion size that had been given to everyone else. It was not that any of it had been eaten just that it was purposefully been made half the amount. But this fact did not matter. It had been left outside of his door and not taken in. Along with it was a bottle of wine that had clearly been picked up and drunk from by passers by and nearly was empty.

Acteon had not opened up his door or left the room all day. He had just sat in the chair or laid down or gotten into the desk all day. He had just left himself with his thoughts and done little to distract himself, although the real lack of reading material had helped. The only thing the man had was personal letters and the Allirian was in no mood to be exposed to emotions right now. So they remained where they had been left by their owner.

The banging on the door did not wake Acteon. He could not sleep as it was. Instead it just got a sigh and a frown from him. He was going to ignore her as it was obvious she was drunk. He could smell it from her through the door. A drunk banging on the door meant they would not stop until they had made a huge scene and they did not need that right now.

So the man got up and got himself into his act just in case. He unlocked the door and opened it up for Ana. "What did ye need Ana?" He used the same voice with her that he had used with Hawke earlier that day.

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Andromeda only noticed the plate of food when she nearly stepped in it but other than that paid it no mind as she pushed past him and into the room. It seemed to confuse her for a moment as if she didn't quite recognise it or couldn't work out why exactly she was in there, then she spun on her heel, recalling it suddenly. Her cheeks were red from the drink but she otherwise looked fine. She went to rest her hand on the table and slipped a bit so she ended up sitting on it rather heavily. Irritated by her clumsiness she pushed herself back to her feet then walked towards him.

"You owe me an'pology," she jammed her finger into his chest twice. It was all rushing back to her. The anger, the hurt. Tears were brimming in her eyes and she angrily wiped at them. "I am no' a fool an' Ima... I'm no' a child. You don' get tah tree' me like one. It'snot fair. This isn't how we work."

 

[Acteon Cass]

And then Ana barged into Acteon's room. While he got the door shut and locked up behind before anyone could see what was going on she just fumbled with the table. Thankfully the broken glass was in a corner of the room and she did not step in it. But she started to jab him with her finger while demanding an apology. Her words were slurred and she was making so sense. It was obvious she was not just drunk but nearly killed herself drunk.

Acteon frowned when this became obvious to him and was about to say something went she began to list off her reasons why she was upset. Not a fool. Not a child. Not fair. Not how they worked.... What? She was upset over being called a fool? He knew she had to have been called much, much worse to her face by sailors, wives, and men she did not respond to the advances of. Yet it was him calling her a fool that pushed her over the line. Then there was something about him treating her like a child. What did that even mean? He had explained himself out in full detail because he knew she would get it. If he saw her as a child he would have just given her orders and left no room for her to try and discuss things further. Was it his use of rhetorical questions or was it something else entirely? He did not know but it still confused him.

The part that did get to Acteon was how she said this was not how they worked. How did they work? This got a frown from him and sparked a series of intense questions he currently had no time to really ponder. It also was far too close to what he had been trying to sort out all day alone in the room. He wanted to be upset with her. He wanted to be apathetic. He wanted to kick her out and just let her go.... But he could not. All Acteon could do right now was idly think over some of her complaints while worrying about her current condition.

Acteon moved try and steady Ana by gently taking her shoulders in his hands. If she fell he could keep her off the floor and move her to the bed. It would also help keep her away from the glass that would slice her feet up. After taking her into his hands he looked her directly in the eyes and said, "I am sorry Ana for making you feel this way."

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Andromeda was ready for a fight. All of her arguments were lined up in her mind - her very drunk addled mind. Everything she wanted to tell him about how this between them was meant to be different to the petty jealousies and the attempts to control that she had to suffer with other people. She could handle that from others. But him... no. For some reason it hurt. It annoyed her even more because it did hurt. Perhaps it was because he should have understood her underlying fear about her gifts impacting her relationships with people. Perhaps it was because she liked him and enjoyed his company. Whatever it was she couldn't figure it out sober, but she most definitely could couldn't figure it out drunk.

So when he apologised her brain faltered, unsure of what to do next. She stared at him for a few moments trying to gauge whether he meant it or not before she turned her face away slightly to deal with her own emotions which now had nowhere to go. All the anger and hurt she had been trying to drink away but she had actually been flaming ready for this fight swirled and then fizzled. And she was irritated because of it.

"Well... Good. Tha'sssall I wan'd to say. G'nite," Ana stepped back to pull herself free from his grip, took a really long drink from the bottle, finishing it, and then moved to go past him and let herself out.

 

[Acteon Cass]

Ana was beyond drunk and there was not a chance of a proper discussion to be had from her. Acteon already knew this but the reality of just how far gone she was sunk in further. He had given her that apology not to actually apologize but to get her to calm down in her drunken state so he could handle her. A proper apology would need to wait until she was sober enough to process it and remember it the next morning. He highly doubted she would remember anything the next day.

When Ana went to move past him, Acteon just wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled to her. "Wrong way. The bed is over here."

The Allirian directed and guided her to his bed instead of letting her leave the room. In the state she was in right now it would be a horrible idea to let her near others. Either she would use her powers unintentionally and kill them all or someone would take advantage of her. She could call it controlling her or treating her like a child or any other manner of things when she was sober but for now he was going to have ot be her guardian. How had he gone from apathy and avoidance to becoming her caretaker so quickly?

At the bed Acteon would attempt to get her under the covers. "Let me get you tucked in then you can pass out Ana. You will feel much better in the morning." She would not. He already knew she was going to wish for death the next day. But a little lie to get her on her way to recovery was better than nothing right now.

The Reachman was being gentle with her. She might not agree or like being called it but she was fragile right now. It was his job to handle her with care and just hope she came out looking as pretty the next morning as she was before she came knocking on his door.

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Andromeda frowned at the obstacle in her way because she couldn't see it. She tried to walk forward again but there was that resistance again around her waist. Confused she looked down at his arm and attempted to push at it. But then he was spinning her round and murmuring about a bed. The movement caused her to stumble over her own feet and she leaned back for a moment into him to steady herself before her feet carried her forward at his urging. Internally she was having an argument the whole of the way there, which she thought she was voicing out loud. It went a little something like this.

This isn't the way you should be getting a woman into bed Acteon.

You need your rest, you're drunk.

I'm not drunk. You just don't want me to go back to Hawk's bed. Possessive, grumpy man.

Andromeda sat heavily on the bed and the world swayed a little. It must be stormy outside, she decided. She batted at his hands as he tried to push her into the soft mattress and put her under the covers, kicking off her boots clumsily as she did. One fell straight to the floor whilst the other flew across half the room.

"'ine, fine I'll go to bed with you, so pushy," her voice was slurred and she leaned back slightly to undo the laces on her breeches before wriggling out of those too. Next came the corset which she flung somewhere into the room with no ounce of grace. Ana sighed and ran a hand through her hair to push it from her face before she grabbed a fistful of Acteon's shirt and pulled him down into the bed with her and into a deep kiss.

 

[Acteon Cass]

Boots went flying across the room. Grumbles were made all the way up to the bed. Swaying. Falling. Ana was definitely beyond the point of sane in her current state of drunkenness. It would be very easy to take advantage of her and get her to agree to who knew what right now. Acteon could get her to agree to stop talking, which she likely would promptly start doing right after to tell him how good of a job not talking she was doing. He could get her to agree to stop getting all huffy when he teased her, which she likely would just get mad that he teased her earlier. It was probably not a good time to get her to agree to anything after all. No result would last or be worth it in the end.

The man was taken out of his own thoughts as he was trying to get her tucked under the blanket when she suddenly spoke up. She was ready to use his bed. Excellent. Would make this whole trip and dealing with her drunk ass a lot easier. Then she began to undo the laces on her breeches before sort of kicking them off of her legs. Her corset went flying like her boots. She was making a mess of things and it got a frown out of Acteon. He was going to have to pick that up later.

But everything froze when Acteon found his shirt grabbed and pulled down into a deep kiss. It would be dishonest of him to say he did not enjoy it. Seems those desires from the day before had not completely left him. One hand braced his weight against the bed while he moved the other one against her cheek. For a moment he allowed them to stay locked in that deep kiss....

Then Acteon broke it off. He slide his hand down to her shoulder and gently moved her back so that he would not ruin his shirt by pulling away. He smiled to her affectionately and squeezed her shoulder softly as he said, "That was lovely Ana. Now lay down. You need to sleep. If you can not just yet or just want me to I can lay down next to you and we can cuddle until you do. Alright?"

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Despite being drunk when such actions were usually sloppy the kiss was an intense fire that seemed to sober her up a bit. Her eyes drifted shut when he relaxed after the initial stiffening of shock and he cupped her cheek. For a moment she felt a clam in the ocean of emotions. She had never been good at dealing with them, preferred to take action to ignore them as much as possible. Like this. Was this what she wanted between them? There sure was a connection there but the confusion came because it was not like with the other men she bedded where it was a hunger and a passion. This was still gentle despite the intensity and suddenness and it drove her even crazier. What did this unknown mean?

When he pulled back Ana looked at him with that confusion burning in her eyes. Did he not want that? Was he as equally confused as her? Was it because they were just two monsters that they were feeling drawn to one another and neither of them wanted that to be the basis of whatever was forming? Being told it was 'lovely' and to then go to sleep caused a wave of humiliation to wash over her cheeks and she scrambled back from him clearing her throat as she did so.

"No, s'fine," she desperately wanted another drink to clear away the thoughts her actions had risen but instead she drew up the covers, turned her back to him and faced the wall and prayed for sleep to take her quickly.

 

[Acteon Cass]

Acteon frowned as Ana began to get difficult following the break from the kiss. It was easy to tell that she felt rejected when he was not rejecting her. If anything it was more a sign of his restraint and self control right now that he had not just had his way with her. Would any other man have done what he did? Doubtful. He actually cared for her so the thought of just taking advantage of her drunken confusion to bed her like some kind of street whore bothered him. When he bedded her it would be when she is fully aware and awake wishing for the both of them to let loose their desires upon one another. Compared to the joy of that kind of release a drunken rolling around under the sheets would be utterly unsatisfying.

Ana turned her back to him after saying it was fine. Once again she was being difficult. Sober or drunk he got the feeling this was just the kind of woman she was. A stubborn temptress who refused to be bound and demanded equal treatment while knowing her powers made a true connection with other near impossible. Well he did not care. She would get special treatment from him and a connection not based on her powers. She was not some random woman he could disregard past his momentary whims and goals. He might not know how he was suppose to treat her in light of that but he did know it meant he should not treat her the same way. It would insult them both.

Since she was being difficult Acteon decided to be difficult as well. With her back turned to him the man just got his own clothes stripped off and laid in the bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her to snuggle up into his body. His head laid right next to her ear he whispered, "You are being difficult Ana and this is your punishment for it. Try to enjoy your first night actually sleeping with a man rather than leaving. Also enjoy your first night being with a man and it not having to involve sex."

Acteon squeezed her waist a bit and snuggled in even more to her. "I will not leave you to sleep alone."

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Andromeda shut her eyes and just ignored him. It was difficult. He made as much noise as a stampeding elephant to her delicate mind and the heat of him behind her was even more of a distraction. Her brows knitted together when he spoke but still she kept quiet. Refused to acknowledge him. She prayed to every sea deity she could think of now to just let the ground beneath her open and swallow her whole. She had done something stupid - she... she had been a fool. His earlier words sounded like loud bells in her mind and she gritted her teeth.

Ana wasn't sure when she fell asleep but by Gods she knew when she was awake. The sun was streaming in through the window and she groaned, pulling the duvet up and over her head, shrinking further into her small ball to avoid it. Which was a complete mistake because it put pressure on her gut. Suddenly she was scrambling for the end of the bed, the urge to throw up rising, rising...

She blearily noted there was a person in the bed with her but not who or what, dived for the chamber pot and promptly threw up into it, managing to pull her hair back and out of her face in time. Oh god why was the room spinning so much. Water... She glanced around and managed to stumble to the table and took a long drink of bottle there which was thankfully full. Then she crawled back to the spot on the floor by her pot and silently wished for death.

 

[Acteon Cass]

The Allirian just stayed quiet and snuggled up with the pirate princess. It was something both of them were not use to. For him his desire to share anything with others was near nonexistent and his desires to be so close was limited. Yet with Ana it was different. He was okay with both. It was the same with his father. It did not bother him to share and be close with his old man and the fact he could feel that same sense with someone else after such a short period of time was kind of frightening.

It was with these thoughts in mind that Acteon drifted off to sleep. His rest was calm and his dreams pleasant. A rather uncommon thing for him of late. But eventually he was woken up by bursts of movement then the sound of someone regretting their choices the night before. The stink of bile also stung his nose. Making a sour face the man got up. He watched Ana for a moment as his mind settled back into realizing it was awake now. Seemed her morning was going well.

Acteon got himself up and slipped on his clothes. After that he got into his limping and injured act as he went to the door. He unlocked it and stepped out, making sure to keep it as shut as possible as he did. It was an odd little attempt at letting Ana keep some of her privacy and dignity right now. He stopped one of the sailors and asked for water and jerky and bread. Lots of them. Then he slipped himself back inside his room and locked the door.

Cringing his nose at the highly intense smell, Acteon moved over by Ana. He placed one hand on her back as he got a hold of her hair for her to keep it back. While rubbing her back softly in wide circles he said in a hushed voice, "I have water and some food coming for you. Let me know when you would like either of them Ana."

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

"Just kill me..." Ana groaned. Her head was swimming and as she shifted slightly she realised that she was laying a little in broken glass. "Why...?" she held the shard up and threw it towards the window. Her head couldn't handle that question right now. It was focused on staying attached to her shoulders and that was very important. Christ how much had she drunk last night? She remembered the first bottle... she remembered the second, third, fourth and fifth clearly. The sixth was a slightly murkier memory. Then there was the fire whisky...

Another groan as she sat up and threw up again. Why on Earth had she thought fire whisky after six bottles of terrible wine was a good idea. Ana could handle her drink well so she knew she wouldn't have possibly taken a sip. It was probably at least... Her eyes caught sight of the fiendish thing on the floor nearly drained apart from a mouthful. A whole bottle. Of Fire whisky. Yes that would do it. And that was the one she had evidence of, god knows what shots the lads had convinced her to do before she had got her hand on a bottle.

"Why am I here..." her eyes flicked to the bed where she had just been then down to her own attire. Grimaced. "Water. Please."

 

[Acteon Cass]

Acteon just continued to rub Ana's back and hold her hair back. The broken glass from the night before he had completely forgotten about because of the state she was in then and now was remembered. He sighed to himself. The man had forgotten to take care of a few things. She threw up again, asked a question, and then wanted water.

The man tried to get her hair as far back as he could to avoid it falling into her face then got back to his feet. Thankfully a loud pounding on the door was followed by some idiot screaming he was leaving the stuff at the door. Great. No doubt that would effect Ana. Acteon glared daggers at the pirate through the wall following the sound of his footsteps through the wood. He went over and very carefully pulled in the food and water so no one would be able to see inside the cabin. He also wanted to keep the light out of the room. There was not much he could do right now about the window.... Actually there was. But that would be in a moment.

Acteon took the large pitcher of water over to the table and filled up a glass. Then he grabbed a shirt from the former owner's things and tore two pieces of it off. One was a long, narrow strip while the other was a large, wide section. He took them with the glass over to Ana. Kneeling down by her he held the glass up to her mouth and said in that hushed voice, "Rinse and spit." He wanted her to at least get some of the taste of bile off her tongue first. If she did it he would help her take a second drink she could swallow.

The Allirian took the wide piece of cloth and used is a rag to wipe off any spots of filth Ana had on her. He knew keeping her cleaned up would make her feel better physically even if he was sure she would hate him for it as it would be "treating her like a child." After that he tied her hair back into a pony tail using the narrow piece of cloth like a ribbon so it would be able to stay out of her face without any help.

"Feeling any better now Ana?" Acteon asked her in as hushed and soothing a tone as he could manage. He would wait for her answer as he rubbed her back softly once again. After he would say, "Give me a moment. I need to take care of the window."

Acteon would get up and grab that shirt he tore up before. He found himself some pointy objects and went over to the window. He got the cloth so it could cover the window and be as thick as possible then nailed it into place with the pointy things he had found. With that done the room was not as dark as he would have liked to make it but the sun was held at bay now and she had some semblance of escape from the burning light.

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Ana was barely paying much attention to the world around her, she was focused too strongly on trying to cling to the floor. Throwing up one final time did seem to help though. Perhaps that was the last of the whisky... She sat back on her hunches trying to decide if her stomach was empty enough or not when Acteon came and crouched in front of her with the jug of water. She stiffened a little. She had... slept with him? In his bed? Questions raced through her mind as she tried to remember the events of last night and while most of it was blurry the clear shining humiliation of having him push her off of him came back to smack her in the face. So stunned was she that she actually followed his instructions.

Rejected. And now he was cleaning up. Ana took the water and downed the first glass quickly, coughed a bit, then skipped the glass entirely and started drinking from the jug. Once she had finished about half of it she poured the rest over her head and gave a sharp yelp as the shock of the cold hit her skin.

However it did make her feel a lot better. The water dried into her skin as if it were drinking it. One of the upsides of her Siren half perhaps, the water was like a healing balm. Once she was certain she wasn't going to throw up again she stood up, grabbed the pot, wrenched open the door to the cabin and then left it outside before closing it again. Clearly, Ana had no shame. She stumbled a bit as she made her way back to the bed and groaned as she crawled into it again.

"Never again," a silent vow to herself.

 

[Acteon Cass]

Acteon just watched as Ana poured the water on herself then put the jug outside. Well there went his attempt at dignity and privacy. At least it was her choice and not him doing it to her. The man walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. He looked down at her and idly began to twirl a strand of hair that had escaped his tie earlier. It was completely impulse and whim. He was not even aware he was doing it.

The Allirian just studied the siren as she laid there. He heard the mumbled words and just sort of smiled at them. This would likely happen again but he would not burst that little bubble for her. Let her live the lie for a bit. She deserved it given her current state.

"Ana, ready to actually have that talk now?" Acteon asked her in the same level and tone of voice from before. "Might take your mind off your head for a bit."

The man smirked a bit. He knew she did not want either of those right now. In all likelihood the drunken Ana was the only Ana that would actually talk about how she felt and she would rather her head not feel as if it had gotten struck my a mace seven times over. But he did not know what else to say right now and the silence was not something he could go back to. Apathy was impossible for him as was ignoring this woman. If he tried to do both again as he had the day before in his little sad show of self pity she would just come barging in like a drunken beast once more.

"You know I apologized to you last night while you were drunk. Let me do so again while you are sober." Acteon said to her as he just gazed down at her with a smile. "I am sorry Ana for hurting you. It was never my intention. I just do not want to see you harmed in any way. We barely know each other yet you know something about me not even my own kin knows. We went through something together I can not comprehend or explain. All I know is that you are important to me and when it comes to things that are important to me I will go to extremes to make sure they stay safe. So I am sorry for going too far."

The man leaned down and would plant a kiss on her head. The spot depended on which way her face was tilted. It would linger a bit then he would whisper into her ear, "You know you kissed me last night and even invited me to bed you. Took a lot of control to say no. I would not mind kissing again but when we bed each other, and we will bed each other Ana, it will be proper. It will be at the peaks of passion and utterly satisfying. Not a drunken flail that simply sates an every day urge."

Acteon would kiss her head again then lean up. No doubt this would just put her off. She was use to being the predator in the little game of love, but it was time she got a taste of being the prey. It was time she got a proper courting rather than just a quick romp fueled by urges. She deserved it and it was something she herself had told him always bothered her. She wanted to know how she could know if what someone else was feeling was real or not. Well he planned to show her personally.

Andromeda Barbarossa

 

[Andromeda]

Ana didn't move when she felt the bed bow slightly under Acteon's weight as he joined her on the bed. When he began playing with her hair she shifted her face a little to watch him out of curiosity more than anything - talk? Oh fuck. Another groan and she hid her face again. No she most definitely did not want to talk in this state. She couldn't believe she had tried to have a conversation with him last night either. She should have just passed out with the others on deck. That's what all good pirates did when they were young.

The apology however was actually a nice one. Probably nicer than what she deserved after last night. She couldn't remember in full what she had done but if she had tried to bed him when he didn't want to then she could have probably said anything in honesty. Something spiteful if she knew herself, or sarcastic, or annoying. Because that's what she did to push people away when she began to get close to them. She was a walking trope and she hated it. Slowly she once again tilted her head to the side just as he kissed her on the temple.

"I'm... sorry too," Ana mumbled, hugging the pillow to her chest and face. But before she could expand much the heat began to grow in her cheeks at his whispered words in her ears. It was a challenge and a promise all in one - a dangerous one. He sounded way more convinced than she did at this moment in time. Swallowing the lump in her throat she turned and put the pillow firmly over her head instead.

"Nope. You missed your chance, window closed."

 

[Acteon Cass]

Acteon took Ana's apology in return to heart. No words were needed as she knew how he felt. She especially did now that he had laid them out there bare. The blush she had and the way she hide herself after just got an instinctive growling sound out of him. It was similar to the one he had made back on the island when the two were feeling excited and just sort of flirting. He just smirked and kissed her once more after she said his chance was gone.

"We both know that is not true Ana. If you did not want whatever it is we have with each other then you never would have shown up last night. And if I did not want it as much myself I would not be here taking care of you and saying no to the most delicious offer I have ever been given if I did not care and respect you. Any other woman I would have just bedded and thrown out after. But you are special. I know you hate being treated special but it is just too bad. With me you will be treated like the Princess of Pirates you are." Acteon said to her in that hushed voice. His tone though was not the soothing one from before. It was his casual way he always spoke to her when he was not putting on a mask only with an edge about it nearly identical to the growl she had gotten from him before.

The man kissed her head yet again. How many times was he going to kiss her? The kiss from the night before had an effect on him and he was having a hard time just settling for these little kisses of her head right now. Maybe it was just the general mood of things and a left over effect of the moon? He was not sure but he already having to accept how he felt about this woman so might as well also accept this too.

"Now would you like to lay here and sleep or would you like me to join you and you can enjoy cuddling?" Acteon asked Ana as he kept on playing with that little strand of hair. "I will be here next to you for anything you need no matter what Ana."

Andromeda Barbarossa