learn;

Abram knew very well what it felt like to detach from this sort of society. The only problem was that he could never truly get away. There was something about it that would always have a vice-like grip on him. He could disappear for years, travel all across the world, disown his family and denounce everything they stood for, and he knew that he would always end up right in the heart of Russia. It made him sick to his stomach to think about, knowing how deeply he wanted to leave.

“It’s a very charming place,” he acknowledged, already looking over his shoulder for a quieter place they could speak. Nessia reminded him a bit of himself before he’d left. Always trying to defuse situations before they got too out of hand, constantly taking precautions so he wouldn’t step out of line. He’d crashed and burned far too quickly and far too drastically to ever redeem himself fully in the eyes of society. He could only hope that she would be spared from his fate. “I’m sure the whole of Russia would like to talk to you. You’re usually the belle of the ball, I’ve heard.”

-

“bold of you to assume i give a damn about russia. russia hasn’t got your charm.” she squeezed his hand before playfully pulling him along to one of the unoccupied rooms, a sitting room that would normally be meant for quieter things -- definitely not the kind of place for a party, which meant it was perfect for them. nessia sat down on a couch with a soft sigh. 

The fountain of youth. August had been planning and plotting for the majority of his life to get to the fountain of youth, and he’d been very particular about every aspect of it all. Hearing the words come out of this woman’s mouth was like feeling a swift blow to the head. If she was after the same thing as he was, it meant competition. August did not shy away from any other challenge, but when it was something as important as this, he had to tread carefully.

She could very easily be lying to his face in order to get what she wanted—a spot on his ship. Whatever purpose it served, he wasn’t sure. Maybe she’d been sent by one of his enemies to trick him into believing she knew the fountain’s location and kill him. Maybe it was a personal vendetta that he didn’t recall. Or maybe she was telling the truth. “Mutually beneficial?” he scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. You won’t be in charge of anything. If I let you on this ship, and only if, you’ll be working the same as any of the crew. You don’t come here and try to negotiate with me in front of my own men.”

-

“What a way with words you have,” Valeria stated. It wasn’t along the same lines of the typical compliments she’d been receiving all night. The words beautiful and stunning had lost their meanings years ago, and the praise she’d been gifted tonight only proved that in the time she’d taken off of modeling, no one had thought to come up with anything new or original.

She pulled her hand out of his, still feeling a bit of warmth where he’d pressed his lips to her skin. “Valeria. A pleasure to meet you.” The politeness slipped out as it always did, the perfectly trained pet that she’d been forced to become in this suffocating bubble. The only home she’d ever known and, thanks to her weakness, likely the only home she would ever have. “What brings you out tonight? Looking to indulge in some of the finest diamonds in the world?”

-

“not at all,” he replied. “i was invited here by a client and decided i’d follow through with it." he had been in quite the sour mood before he arrived, and up until he saw her, he’d stayed in it. but now, he wouldn’t mind hanging around a bit longer -- so long as he could keep talking to her. 

Kathleen bristled slightly, immediately feeling the need to check her posture, fix her hair, soften her voice. Max had never been like that, especially not with her. It was stupid to feel that way around him. After all, growing up, she had always sought out his company more often than anyone else just to feel some sense of normalcy when her mother made her feel helpless. “Believe me, I’ve been trying to hold onto myself for years now,” she joked, but the lightness of her voice didn’t quite match the heaviness of her words. She tried not to think too hard on it.

“Well, Mum and Dad have insisted that I stay home for the foreseeable future. They’re not comforted by the news lately, and with their daughter living on their own…well, you can imagine that they worry, they always have.” She didn’t like the idea of giving up her independence to return home, but she knew the bigger picture was more important than that. “Are you glad to see me again, then?”

-

he did his best to not look so pleased that she was going to be staying. he knew that she felt claustrophobic here, he knew that it wasn’t exactly everything she wanted and more, but at least it meant that he could see her every day. he could entertain her out in the yard, they could read together as they did before. they could actually have a minuscule shot.

Kathleen felt her breath rush out of her all at once, the old nickname brightening up her eyes the second she heard him call out her name. She wanted to reach out and embrace him, wrap him up in a hug, but there was a part of her that kept her distance, trying to remind herself that they were not children anymore, that she couldn’t go back to playing games in the courtyard and chasing him around the fountain with James. “Just got in,” she explained breathlessly, her grin almost hurting her face.

He had changed over the years, she could see that. Sporadic visits back home hadn’t given her the time to study him the way Kathleen had so wanted to do—and the fact that she was worried what she might feel if she looked too long. “Of course I’m still me,” she joked. “What, were you expecting me to return with my hair covered and a baby at my hip? Don’t be silly.”

he shook his head in response. "of course not," he returned. "i'm just glad to see you're still yourself and not some... other person entirely." still my girl. he adored kathleen, had since he met her, and part of him was rather sure he'd never stop. she was a special girl in every way. and... he couldn't help but feel a little lost, knowing she was so much better than him in basically every facet. she was going to marry someone rich and educated. that was to be her life and she wouldn't think about him again. max was rather certain he didn't exist to her unless he was standing right in front of her.

Suddenly, Val regretted passing her champagne flute off to one of the waiters. It would give her something to do while she tried not to look away from the man in front of her. She wanted to, though—she didn’t like feeling exposed underneath his gaze. Strange, since there were photographs of her blown up to full size all over the room where people were outwardly ogling them. It was like she wasn’t even a person, just something to be admired. But this man did not make her feel like that. Instead, she suddenly felt reminded that she was human.

“Oh, do you?” Val asked, quirking one eyebrow up and allowing him to lift her hand up to his lips. “What’s the poetry in all of it, then?” She figured she could take a guess, but Valeria did not have the heart for chasing pretty metaphors anymore. What she felt was exhaustion.

he shrugged. "diamonds are the strongest gemstone on earth, are they not? it makes sense why they had you be the spokesperson for them. you project strength as loudly as you project beauty." his answer was as unconventional as he himself was. but he meant every word, it wasn't a line. he wanted her to feel seen as something more than just an object selling objects.

August glared down at the woman getting up to her feet. He folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows at her, impatiently waiting for her to begin talking. The rest of the crew were shifting their gazes between the two of them, eagerly anticipating what their captain would do so they knew how to react.

“Oh, is that all?” August asked, sarcasm lacing every word. “Do you even realize what it is that we’re after? What we’re trying to do? That I’ve spent years crafting the perfect plan and gaining the essential amount of members to form a crew with the ideal ship, and your presence is royally messing it all up? That I could easily kick you off right now and I wouldn’t lose a night’s sleep over it?”

"i do in fact know, because i overheard you talking to someone, so... yes, yes, i highly doubt that's true, and you could do that, but you'd feel really sorry when you realize soon after that you'd have just kicked off your greatest asset and key to the fountain of youth." she smirked and cocked her head to the side.

Abram didn’t quite know how to react when Nessia reached out to hug him. He felt awkward, out of place—he wouldn’t try to fool himself into thinking that he belonged here anymore when he hadn’t even felt welcome before his parents had quietly packed him up into a rehabilitation center. Even in his teenage years, he had felt like he could very well fade away. That was why his life had turned out the way it had, after all.

But it was near impossible to see Nessia’s grin and not return it. She was bubbly and charming, the way all women of their class were expected to be, and surely it couldn’t all be genuine, but to ask such a thing was an outrageous idea. “Oh, is the social gossip not as exciting as it usually is?” Abram asked dryly, trying to settle into the party. “I spent quite a bit of time in Greece, you know. Beautiful country, but nothing compares to home, after all.”

"the gossip is never interesting," she replied. "i've never been a part of that side of things. it makes me uncomfortable." people talk about some of the most painfully private details of people's lives. she even got slapped for boldly defending abram and speaking out of turn. it was safe to say that nessia was about as far from true 'high society' as she could get.

Abram could feel his head spinning already and he’d only been in the room for a few minutes. It was strange, how he felt like he could so easily disappear and not a soul would realize it until much later, if at all. Immediately upon entering the parlour, a waiter was at his side, offering him a glass of champagne, and he flinched away from the tray, shaking his head rapidly. Not his fault, Abram thought to himself as he delved further into the party. He’d settle for water as soon as he saw some, but it seemed like everybody was holding pretty crystal champagne flutes and glasses of old-fashions. Maybe if he hadn’t spent so much of his recovery alone, isolated, he’d be able to feel even slightly at ease. But Abram still felt his shoulders tighten even more at the sound of his name being called.

He turned around in the direction of the voice calling out to him and his eyes fell upon the pretty, smiling blonde girl that was beckoning him over to her. The sound of his first name in place of his more commonly used middle name made his smile falter slightly, but he knew it was all to do with the formality of their society. It was all ridiculous in his opinion, but he supposed for someone with parents such as Kolomnikova Victorovna’s, expectations were higher than most. “It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? I’ve been traveling for some time, but I’ve returned to work.” Of course, not all his time had been spent traveling over the years, but this was not the place for that kind of talk. Surely, talk of his months spent across other parts of Europe, North America, and South America were more appropriate.

she gave a playful pout when he said he had returned to work. “that’s a shame,” she noted. but of course her smile grew back, it always did. “but, it’s a good thing too, because that means you’re around!” she reached out for his hand to shake it, as was the usual customary greeting, but she was always a hugger. she wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him, not really caring what her parents would say about it.

Years had been spent waiting for this exact moment. August looked across the ship, past the rail, off to the sea, and breathed in deep. Fresh air, salt water, time—things he’d killed for and would not hesitate to do so again. But this time, there was more at risk. More to be put on the line. He’d been looking for ways to gain eternal youth for years and years and it was a painstaking affair to assemble a crew he trusted, find a lead to start off with…and even now, August didn’t have enough confidence to truthfully say he would find the Fountain of Youth. What good were rumors overheard at taverns?

But he needed to start somewhere. And this was what he had. August was pacing across the floor of his ship when one of his crew took him by the arm and pointed out a small shape behind one of the barrels. Someone who had managed to sneak their way onto his ship, no doubt to sabotage his plans. Or perhaps some young boy who had seen a pirate ship and wanted to live an adventure. He motioned for the other man to get them while he signaled for the rest of the crew to gather round. But by the time the stowaway had been dragged before him and placed at his feet, August saw it wasn’t any young boy—it was a woman looking up at him. August didn’t change his expression for a second, instead fixing her with hard, expectant eyes. “Explain yourself,” he ordered.

her eyes trailed up to his face, then turned to the people standing around her, then back to august. she scrambled up to her feet, brushing herself off. “well, i... suppose that’s a bit of a long story, i wouldn’t wanna bore you with ---” as she spoke, she was turning to try and leave, but the men just moved in closer, forcing her back to stand in her spot. okay then. she cleared her throat. no fear. no fear. just focus. 

Valeria had a glass of champagne in her hand as she circled the large room. There were photos all over the walls with her face on it, dripping in diamonds across her neck, her hands, her ears—even the dress her mother had put her in tonight had been encrusted with diamonds, a floor-length gown that left her back entirely exposed and so fitted they’d practically had to pour her into it. Everything glittered and sparkled. The campaign launch was extravagant and over the top, just like everything else in their world. Her mother, standing beside her, was socializing with some of the higher-ups who had organized the campaign while Val slowly felt herself losing focus. It wasn’t her first glass of champagne since she’d arrived (fashionably late, of course) and she’d already had quite a few drinks at home before the car had arrived. She tried to find solace in the fact that Alexei was in Novosibirsk all week and she had a live-in nanny to watch Dimitri all night.

There was a sharp pinch to her waist and Val inhaled sharply, looking to her mother. The back of her dress gave her easy access to her skin and she looked between her daughter’s face and the champagne. Valeria could practically feel herself shrinking down. She was twenty-eight years old and she could barely handle that look of disdain on her face. Val placed the half-finished glass of champagne on a passing tray and excused herself from the small circle. She had barely escaped them before a new group of people were surrounding her, complimenting the photos, admiring her gown, looking as if they were just dying to rip her hair out. But Val barely saw any of them when her eyes met a handsome man standing just outside the crowd that caged her in. She didn’t recognize him, but she held his gaze nonetheless, and she couldn’t find it in herself to look away.

he smirked and took a sip of his drink, still not breaking eye contact. she was perfect, and all he wanted was to get her away from the crowd of people. it was obvious she didn’t want to be there, and who would he be if he didn’t rescue her? he walked straight through the group as if it wasn’t there, his only intentions on her. “you must be the one everyone is celebrating,” he said, just loud enough to be over the music, but really only so she could hear him.

Kathleen felt the usual way she did when she returned home: A vague sense of panic mixed with an odd feeling of nostalgia for her siblings. The cab stopped in front of the Davies estate and she took a deep breath to steady herself before stepping outside. With help from the driver to bring her luggage in, she was calling out to her mother from the foyer in a matter of minutes. And soon enough, she was being hugged by her parents, kissed on both cheeks—her luggage was brought up to her childhood bedroom by one of their housekeepers and Kathleen was escorted to the informal living room. Claire arrived soon enough, all bouncing excitement and eagerness. It hadn’t been long since she’d seen any of them, but it had been quite a few years since she’d lived with them. And Kathleen wasn’t sure it would be an easy adjustment.

But there was one person she wanted to see above all. Her mother was already trying to fix her hair while her father stood off to one side, his eyes looking her up and down shrewdly as if he could spot any imperfection or blemish with a single glance, and of course Kathleen adored Claire, but it had been too long since she’d seen Max. She came home for the holidays, but that was when he was needed most to work around the grounds and it simply left no time for more than a few passing glances. It didn’t escape her knowledge that there could hardly be room for more between them, but she stood up anyway, excused herself and promised to tell all of her stories at dinner after she had a nap, and pretended to head towards the staircase. The second her parents were no longer looking her way, Kathleen stole away through a side door and burst through the gardens. And immediately, she saw him. “Max?” she called out to him, urging him to turn around and face her.

he perked up a the sound of his name and turned around, instantly brightening. “kat!!” he shouted back, scrambling up from his spot on the grass “you’re home, you silly creature, why’ve you kept me waiting so long?” he walked over to her, book in hand. seeing her again was like... god, it was like a breath of fresh air after what felt like an eternity of stuffy confinement. he was outdoors, but she brought the oxygen, not the trees around them.