Cormack Owle
47. The Captain and The Engineer: The Captain's Specialty
Author's Note: There is a lot of stigma regarding cannabis (often referred to as "herb" in this story) and it being used as a "drug." Cannabis is a healthy, natural herb with many medicinal benefits. There is a lot of misinformation out there and I encourage you, my crewmates, to do your research.
For people like Vincent, cannabis has the ability to ease chronic pain, silence anxiety, promote restful sleep, and improve overall mental wellness and so much, much more!
"Whoa..."
Aiden had stepped out of the carriage and was staring up at the high-rise building that was their destination. He'd seen buildings like this from the docks but didn't realize how large they actually were! It had to be one of the largest ones around, he thought, and he felt humbled by its size. If he was seeing this correctly, he realized, there appeared to be a double loading dock attached to the building, as well, towards the top for airships! He just couldn't stop staring! There, he turned slightly in place, gazing around at the different buildings. It was a whole different world here downtown!
Beside him, Vincent stepped out of the carriage with an amused little smirk as he observed Aiden's fascinated demeanor. As the carriage pulled away behind him, Vincent walked past him to head for the main entrance. A few steps later he realized Aiden was still standing on the curb. Feeling amused yet impatient, Vincent called to him from near the door, "Aiden, come on. If you like the view now, wait until we reach our destination!" Oh, that caught Aiden's attention! The young man grinned and tore his gaze away from the sky and hurried to follow Vincent inside.
"Welcome back, Captain Dubois!"
Vincent nodded in greeting to the security attendant who sat at the welcome desk and responded to him, "Thank you." He continued on towards the lift without pause with Aiden by his side. At the lift, they were greeted by another attendant who asked Vincent which floor he wished to go to.
"Fifty-seven."
"Yes, Sir!"
Aiden's eyes widened and he turned to look at Vincent as they began boarding the lift. "Fifty-seven?!" he exclaimed. Vincent smirked and replied, "Yes, fifty-seven. Then we have to board another lift to get to the top." Aiden's jaw dropped and exclaimed once more, "Really? Sweet rabbit!" Vincent couldn't help but laugh as the lift began moving and brought them closer to their destination.
Once they had been let off at floor fifty-seven, Vincent brought Aiden down a long hall to a door that led to a private lift. Here, Vincent operated it on his own and it brought them up even higher! On the way up, Aiden's ears had popped indicating that they were indeed pretty high up in the sky! The private lift brought them up several more levels and stopped in front of a short, sparsely furnished but still very nice hallway. And immediately, Aiden was able to pick up a distant, pungent smell that reminded him of Bernadette's bhang mixture. Well, wasn't that peculiar?
There were four doors: two on the left, one straight at the end of the hallway, then one on the right. Vincent led Aiden to the door on the right. Once he unlocked it, he let Aiden inside before stepping in behind him and closing the door. At first, Aiden couldn't really see much of anything except the window on the far side of the room. It was an incredible view! He couldn't wait to go see it! However, the room was dark and politeness dictated he wait for Vincent to show him the room first...but, oh, he couldn't wait to see! He heard Vincent fumbling around along the wall before warning Aiden, "Light." The gas lamp flickered on and Aiden blinked as his eyes began adjusting to the room. Meanwhile, Vincent moved past him to light the other lamps to illuminate the room properly so they could see.
Once he'd lit the lamps, Vincent stood off to the side with his hands tucked behind him as he nibbled his lower lip nervously. This office was very important to him despite his rare appearances here. It was like a second Leon's Claw to him; another gift from his uncle that he'd worked hard for and earned. The contents of the room were among his most prized possessions and they revealed in so many ways who he was at his core...and he had chosen to share this with Aiden.
As the room finally came into view, Aiden's attention shifted and he found he didn't know where to look first! However his eyes finally settled on the desk and then the rather fascinating rug before it. Aiden recognized the type of runes. Vincent had some tattooed on his body! His eyes shifted towards the left towards a comfortable armchair and a tea station! How could he expect anything less? Aiden's interest piqued at the sight of the phonograph and he began to wonder what music Vincent would listen to while in here.
Aiden's gaze shifted and moved to the right side of the room (noting the large amount of shelves of books and cabinets along the way) until his eyes fell on the sight of something he'd never seen in person but had always wanted to: an orrery! Even at a distance, he could see the design was absolutely beautiful! He couldn't wait to go see that thing up close!
Vincent felt a small burst of excitement as he saw Aiden's face lit up in fascination like that! Aiden made it even better as he turned to face Vincent with his brilliant smile and said, "This is all yours? It's...so you!" Vincent laughed softly and folded his arms gently across his chest as he approached and nodded.
"It is. Well, this office is," he clarified. "I don't get to come out here often because it's so far downtown. But...it's mine." Vincent glanced around then finally back to Aiden and unfolded his arms with a small smile and gestured for Aiden to take a look around. Aiden didn't have to be told twice and went to inspect the orrery first! Vincent smirked to himself as he recognized Aiden's expression: one of fascination when seeing something new. It was one of those endearing things he enjoyed about Aiden.
"Have you ever seen an orrery before?" Vincent asked as he went to the wood stove to start a small fire for the kettle. It would take some time to heat up and they'd want tea later. Well, Vincent certainly would and experience taught him Aiden likely would as well.
"Only in pictures," Aiden responded with awe in his voice. "It's beautiful! I love the design!" He finally straightened then grinned across the room at Vincent before moving to stand at the window and stare out. He couldn't resist pressing his fingers to the glass as he stared out at this new perspective of the city.
"Whoa...."
"Isn't it incredible? It's one of the best views of the city."
"I believe it!"
Finally Aiden managed to pull his gaze away and glanced back at Vincent and watched him as the man was kept busy with the kettle. It was funny, he realized, that with all the things to admire and see in here it was the captain who captivated his attention the most. Vincent, who was finishing with the stove, glanced back at Aiden having felt his eyes on him as the young man spoke up.
"So...what IS this place exactly? You have your flat. You have your ship. And this office is not exactly what I imagined when you said 'office.'"
"No? What did you imagine?"
"Maybe a small space like your ship?"
"Ah, no. This space is...special; much like Leon's Claw," Vincent began and gestured for Aiden to come take a seat in the armchair by the tea set. "It holds different kinds of treasures and, like my ship, there's more to it than meets the eye." As Aiden went to take a seat as he was bid, Vincent brushed his fingers along the desk and saw that it was clean and maintained as was the rest of his office. He was very grateful to the janitorial staff here. He looked back at Aiden then took a seat down at his desk and sighed contently to be back in here. Now that they were both more comfortable, he began to explain.
"It ties into your questions before about cannabis; I'll be able to kill two birds with one stone, so let's start with that. What DO you know about it?"
"Well," Aiden responded as he thought about his limited knowledge, "I know it's a medicinal herb that can be smoked or eaten and helps with things like sleep and pain. I've never heard of it before until Bernadette said she was putting it into your tea." Vincent smirked and reached into his shirt and withdrew the hidden pipe and small bag of herb that he'd stored away and set them down on the desk. He could see the surprise on Aiden's face as he did and explained, "You're not wrong. It is a mildly hallucinogenic, medicinal herb with many startling benefits. Not only does it help with pain and sleep, as you suggest, but also with anxiety, dementia, seizures, spasms, improving focus, increasing energy, and...well honestly it just makes life better!"
"Really? It can do all that?"
"Mhm. Depending on each plant's genetics depends on what it may help with."
"Wow! How is this not more common?!"
"Well it is in certain circles but it's also not cheap; at least not the good shit...but you'll find it in a lot of music and arts culture where enlightened folks are; also around folks who live a more hedonistic lifestyle. It frees your mind and lets you experience the world differently. Because of that, it has a questionable reputation so it's more hush-hush than ever. See, it's not only about medicine for health and science but also your soul. It has a way about it that alters our perceptions of the world around us with all the senses. So, artists of all kinds like to use it as a way to help them release their creativity. Some use it to help them focus; others use it to broaden their mind. It's not really an uncommon thing really; just people are more quiet about it."
"What does it feel like?"
"Ah-haha!" Vincent laughed softly as he thought about it. "I don't know if there is a best way to describe it. It's one that’s best experienced for yourself. See, each time feels like a different experience somehow. But it feels good when done in the right environment. It makes the experiences of life better. The one I smoked earlier; this one here, is nice and heady and makes my muscles relax and lights and sound are more vibrant but in a pretty way." At this, Aiden looked curious. Vincent smirked a little and reached out to pick up his brand new pipe and began to turn it gently between his fingertips as he gazed across at Aiden. Would Aiden ask to try it? Maybe if he didn't, he could offer. After all they were in a safe space and it would be the perfect time and place for it! Vincent definitely intended to smoke more, himself, even if Aiden didn't want to.
"I remember something Bernadette said once," Aiden explained with a curious tilt of his head. "She said she was surprised I hadn't heard of cannabis before because of being around you. I never realized there was anything different about you." Here Vincent looked amused as he glanced down at his pipe for a long moment before looking back at Aiden.
"To be fair, I don't exactly go around telling everyone that I smoke the herb. It's just a part of me and I have it one way or another almost every day. At this point, I think you'd be more likely to tell if I WASN'T taking it."
"You seem to really know a lot about it."
"Heh, I imagine I should at this point considering I've been using it regularly for over ten years. But in all honesty, it makes for good business so it's worth my while to know about it."
"What do you mean?"
"You mean you haven't figured it out?"
Aiden blinked and stared back at Vincent who was peeking at him with a mischievous little smirk, fingering and toying with his pipe continuously as he did. Aiden began to really think about it and the little gears in his head started to turn. However, he wasn't left on his own long to figure it out. Vincent finally began to elaborate about what this was really all about.
"A big part of the reason I am so successful as a cargo airship captain is because I know what business to be a part of and who to have as a client...as does my uncle who started all this long before me. I told you that the herb is not cheap, right? If you know the right people and you know what you're doing, you can make a Hell of a profit! And, well, that's what we do! My uncle is the kind of man who DOES know the right people; not only which growers to buy from but also who to sell to and he taught me all that and how to make my own connections as well.
"For example, one of the most important contacts I've found for myself is a nomadic young lady named Rosamund. I've known her for years, but I only get to see her during the Summers here in the capitol. Heh, in fact I bought this new pipe and herb off of her just before bumping into you tonight. She is a- well, for a lack of a better term, sort of a middle-man as my eyes and ears while on her travels as a merchant. Thanks to her reliable source of information, we will be visiting Carsottoph once we are back in the air later this Summer. There's a grower over there who grew this very herb from some seeds I sold my young lady-friend a while back. And if everything goes well, then we very well may be in business with him as one of my growers, growing harvest for my clients. I only deal with the best because my clients will only have the best and rightfully so. I'm talking Dukes, Earls...even Ladies at court. One of my best bulk-clients is actually a ballet troupe out of Bassaret! Really, you'd be amazed how much it gets around considering it's frowned upon by general society. My uncle even has connections with the crown."
"Wait! Just hold on! So, you and your uncle sell this stuff to the upper class?"
"That's right."
"And ballet troupes?"
"Mhm."
"Even royalty?!"
"Even royalty."
"But what about the other cargo? Like the contracts for the gears and bolts?"
"Oh, that's part of what I do, too," Vincent chuckled. "Leon's Claw IS a cargo airship with contracts and jobs like any other. In fact, most of our jobs are standard cargo runs; like that contract with Mason's warehouse that we were supposed to do. I just happen to specialize in cannabis."
"I've never noticed any cargo with funny smelling herbs!" Aiden wondered aloud in surprise as he stared back at Vincent. Vincent smirked back at him and responded, "I'm good at what I do, my friend. But it's not something I boast about. Heh, I was actually intending to tell you about it soon. I just didn't expect it to be like this."
Aiden let all this sink in. This explained quite a lot, he figured. Vincent came from a place of wealth but one wouldn't know just by looking at him. He found he appreciated that about the man. Something told him, however, that Vincent hadn't likely ended up with this office willingly. While Vincent seemed to like nice things, he wasn't frivolous and lived life fairly simply where he could. He knew that much about the man.
"So, how does this office come into all this?" Aiden finally asked as his gaze shifted and took another glance around the room. Vincent licked his lips and cleared his throat softly before setting the pipe on the desk. "My uncle needed a safe place for....well, everything," he told Aiden. "Here, we can conduct business privately and store all the cargo and supplies needed for months at a time. There's even a dock outside that leads right to the warehouse beneath our feet."
"I thought I saw a dock up here! So there really is a warehouse here?!"
"You thought correct. Tell you what, let me show you around while our water boils! Then maybe later, if you're interested, I'll let you try some herb off my pipe."
Vincent chuckled as Aiden lit up even more and gave an agreeable nod. Well, that was easy! Really, he realized, all of this was and always seemed to be with his young engineer. Aiden was always proving time and time again how valuable he was as a friend and comrade. Aiden had readily accepted the information Vincent was telling him without batting an eye. Vincent hadn't really thought twice about bringing Aiden here because he knew Aiden would accept it and him. Everything was working out just perfectly!
---
Next Part:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/53129413869/in/datepo...
To read the rest of the story, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
Special thank you to my husband Vin (Be My Mannequin? Pose Store) for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558531406088
47. The Captain and The Engineer: The Captain's Specialty
Author's Note: There is a lot of stigma regarding cannabis (often referred to as "herb" in this story) and it being used as a "drug." Cannabis is a healthy, natural herb with many medicinal benefits. There is a lot of misinformation out there and I encourage you, my crewmates, to do your research.
For people like Vincent, cannabis has the ability to ease chronic pain, silence anxiety, promote restful sleep, and improve overall mental wellness and so much, much more!
"Whoa..."
Aiden had stepped out of the carriage and was staring up at the high-rise building that was their destination. He'd seen buildings like this from the docks but didn't realize how large they actually were! It had to be one of the largest ones around, he thought, and he felt humbled by its size. If he was seeing this correctly, he realized, there appeared to be a double loading dock attached to the building, as well, towards the top for airships! He just couldn't stop staring! There, he turned slightly in place, gazing around at the different buildings. It was a whole different world here downtown!
Beside him, Vincent stepped out of the carriage with an amused little smirk as he observed Aiden's fascinated demeanor. As the carriage pulled away behind him, Vincent walked past him to head for the main entrance. A few steps later he realized Aiden was still standing on the curb. Feeling amused yet impatient, Vincent called to him from near the door, "Aiden, come on. If you like the view now, wait until we reach our destination!" Oh, that caught Aiden's attention! The young man grinned and tore his gaze away from the sky and hurried to follow Vincent inside.
"Welcome back, Captain Dubois!"
Vincent nodded in greeting to the security attendant who sat at the welcome desk and responded to him, "Thank you." He continued on towards the lift without pause with Aiden by his side. At the lift, they were greeted by another attendant who asked Vincent which floor he wished to go to.
"Fifty-seven."
"Yes, Sir!"
Aiden's eyes widened and he turned to look at Vincent as they began boarding the lift. "Fifty-seven?!" he exclaimed. Vincent smirked and replied, "Yes, fifty-seven. Then we have to board another lift to get to the top." Aiden's jaw dropped and exclaimed once more, "Really? Sweet rabbit!" Vincent couldn't help but laugh as the lift began moving and brought them closer to their destination.
Once they had been let off at floor fifty-seven, Vincent brought Aiden down a long hall to a door that led to a private lift. Here, Vincent operated it on his own and it brought them up even higher! On the way up, Aiden's ears had popped indicating that they were indeed pretty high up in the sky! The private lift brought them up several more levels and stopped in front of a short, sparsely furnished but still very nice hallway. And immediately, Aiden was able to pick up a distant, pungent smell that reminded him of Bernadette's bhang mixture. Well, wasn't that peculiar?
There were four doors: two on the left, one straight at the end of the hallway, then one on the right. Vincent led Aiden to the door on the right. Once he unlocked it, he let Aiden inside before stepping in behind him and closing the door. At first, Aiden couldn't really see much of anything except the window on the far side of the room. It was an incredible view! He couldn't wait to go see it! However, the room was dark and politeness dictated he wait for Vincent to show him the room first...but, oh, he couldn't wait to see! He heard Vincent fumbling around along the wall before warning Aiden, "Light." The gas lamp flickered on and Aiden blinked as his eyes began adjusting to the room. Meanwhile, Vincent moved past him to light the other lamps to illuminate the room properly so they could see.
Once he'd lit the lamps, Vincent stood off to the side with his hands tucked behind him as he nibbled his lower lip nervously. This office was very important to him despite his rare appearances here. It was like a second Leon's Claw to him; another gift from his uncle that he'd worked hard for and earned. The contents of the room were among his most prized possessions and they revealed in so many ways who he was at his core...and he had chosen to share this with Aiden.
As the room finally came into view, Aiden's attention shifted and he found he didn't know where to look first! However his eyes finally settled on the desk and then the rather fascinating rug before it. Aiden recognized the type of runes. Vincent had some tattooed on his body! His eyes shifted towards the left towards a comfortable armchair and a tea station! How could he expect anything less? Aiden's interest piqued at the sight of the phonograph and he began to wonder what music Vincent would listen to while in here.
Aiden's gaze shifted and moved to the right side of the room (noting the large amount of shelves of books and cabinets along the way) until his eyes fell on the sight of something he'd never seen in person but had always wanted to: an orrery! Even at a distance, he could see the design was absolutely beautiful! He couldn't wait to go see that thing up close!
Vincent felt a small burst of excitement as he saw Aiden's face lit up in fascination like that! Aiden made it even better as he turned to face Vincent with his brilliant smile and said, "This is all yours? It's...so you!" Vincent laughed softly and folded his arms gently across his chest as he approached and nodded.
"It is. Well, this office is," he clarified. "I don't get to come out here often because it's so far downtown. But...it's mine." Vincent glanced around then finally back to Aiden and unfolded his arms with a small smile and gestured for Aiden to take a look around. Aiden didn't have to be told twice and went to inspect the orrery first! Vincent smirked to himself as he recognized Aiden's expression: one of fascination when seeing something new. It was one of those endearing things he enjoyed about Aiden.
"Have you ever seen an orrery before?" Vincent asked as he went to the wood stove to start a small fire for the kettle. It would take some time to heat up and they'd want tea later. Well, Vincent certainly would and experience taught him Aiden likely would as well.
"Only in pictures," Aiden responded with awe in his voice. "It's beautiful! I love the design!" He finally straightened then grinned across the room at Vincent before moving to stand at the window and stare out. He couldn't resist pressing his fingers to the glass as he stared out at this new perspective of the city.
"Whoa...."
"Isn't it incredible? It's one of the best views of the city."
"I believe it!"
Finally Aiden managed to pull his gaze away and glanced back at Vincent and watched him as the man was kept busy with the kettle. It was funny, he realized, that with all the things to admire and see in here it was the captain who captivated his attention the most. Vincent, who was finishing with the stove, glanced back at Aiden having felt his eyes on him as the young man spoke up.
"So...what IS this place exactly? You have your flat. You have your ship. And this office is not exactly what I imagined when you said 'office.'"
"No? What did you imagine?"
"Maybe a small space like your ship?"
"Ah, no. This space is...special; much like Leon's Claw," Vincent began and gestured for Aiden to come take a seat in the armchair by the tea set. "It holds different kinds of treasures and, like my ship, there's more to it than meets the eye." As Aiden went to take a seat as he was bid, Vincent brushed his fingers along the desk and saw that it was clean and maintained as was the rest of his office. He was very grateful to the janitorial staff here. He looked back at Aiden then took a seat down at his desk and sighed contently to be back in here. Now that they were both more comfortable, he began to explain.
"It ties into your questions before about cannabis; I'll be able to kill two birds with one stone, so let's start with that. What DO you know about it?"
"Well," Aiden responded as he thought about his limited knowledge, "I know it's a medicinal herb that can be smoked or eaten and helps with things like sleep and pain. I've never heard of it before until Bernadette said she was putting it into your tea." Vincent smirked and reached into his shirt and withdrew the hidden pipe and small bag of herb that he'd stored away and set them down on the desk. He could see the surprise on Aiden's face as he did and explained, "You're not wrong. It is a mildly hallucinogenic, medicinal herb with many startling benefits. Not only does it help with pain and sleep, as you suggest, but also with anxiety, dementia, seizures, spasms, improving focus, increasing energy, and...well honestly it just makes life better!"
"Really? It can do all that?"
"Mhm. Depending on each plant's genetics depends on what it may help with."
"Wow! How is this not more common?!"
"Well it is in certain circles but it's also not cheap; at least not the good shit...but you'll find it in a lot of music and arts culture where enlightened folks are; also around folks who live a more hedonistic lifestyle. It frees your mind and lets you experience the world differently. Because of that, it has a questionable reputation so it's more hush-hush than ever. See, it's not only about medicine for health and science but also your soul. It has a way about it that alters our perceptions of the world around us with all the senses. So, artists of all kinds like to use it as a way to help them release their creativity. Some use it to help them focus; others use it to broaden their mind. It's not really an uncommon thing really; just people are more quiet about it."
"What does it feel like?"
"Ah-haha!" Vincent laughed softly as he thought about it. "I don't know if there is a best way to describe it. It's one that’s best experienced for yourself. See, each time feels like a different experience somehow. But it feels good when done in the right environment. It makes the experiences of life better. The one I smoked earlier; this one here, is nice and heady and makes my muscles relax and lights and sound are more vibrant but in a pretty way." At this, Aiden looked curious. Vincent smirked a little and reached out to pick up his brand new pipe and began to turn it gently between his fingertips as he gazed across at Aiden. Would Aiden ask to try it? Maybe if he didn't, he could offer. After all they were in a safe space and it would be the perfect time and place for it! Vincent definitely intended to smoke more, himself, even if Aiden didn't want to.
"I remember something Bernadette said once," Aiden explained with a curious tilt of his head. "She said she was surprised I hadn't heard of cannabis before because of being around you. I never realized there was anything different about you." Here Vincent looked amused as he glanced down at his pipe for a long moment before looking back at Aiden.
"To be fair, I don't exactly go around telling everyone that I smoke the herb. It's just a part of me and I have it one way or another almost every day. At this point, I think you'd be more likely to tell if I WASN'T taking it."
"You seem to really know a lot about it."
"Heh, I imagine I should at this point considering I've been using it regularly for over ten years. But in all honesty, it makes for good business so it's worth my while to know about it."
"What do you mean?"
"You mean you haven't figured it out?"
Aiden blinked and stared back at Vincent who was peeking at him with a mischievous little smirk, fingering and toying with his pipe continuously as he did. Aiden began to really think about it and the little gears in his head started to turn. However, he wasn't left on his own long to figure it out. Vincent finally began to elaborate about what this was really all about.
"A big part of the reason I am so successful as a cargo airship captain is because I know what business to be a part of and who to have as a client...as does my uncle who started all this long before me. I told you that the herb is not cheap, right? If you know the right people and you know what you're doing, you can make a Hell of a profit! And, well, that's what we do! My uncle is the kind of man who DOES know the right people; not only which growers to buy from but also who to sell to and he taught me all that and how to make my own connections as well.
"For example, one of the most important contacts I've found for myself is a nomadic young lady named Rosamund. I've known her for years, but I only get to see her during the Summers here in the capitol. Heh, in fact I bought this new pipe and herb off of her just before bumping into you tonight. She is a- well, for a lack of a better term, sort of a middle-man as my eyes and ears while on her travels as a merchant. Thanks to her reliable source of information, we will be visiting Carsottoph once we are back in the air later this Summer. There's a grower over there who grew this very herb from some seeds I sold my young lady-friend a while back. And if everything goes well, then we very well may be in business with him as one of my growers, growing harvest for my clients. I only deal with the best because my clients will only have the best and rightfully so. I'm talking Dukes, Earls...even Ladies at court. One of my best bulk-clients is actually a ballet troupe out of Bassaret! Really, you'd be amazed how much it gets around considering it's frowned upon by general society. My uncle even has connections with the crown."
"Wait! Just hold on! So, you and your uncle sell this stuff to the upper class?"
"That's right."
"And ballet troupes?"
"Mhm."
"Even royalty?!"
"Even royalty."
"But what about the other cargo? Like the contracts for the gears and bolts?"
"Oh, that's part of what I do, too," Vincent chuckled. "Leon's Claw IS a cargo airship with contracts and jobs like any other. In fact, most of our jobs are standard cargo runs; like that contract with Mason's warehouse that we were supposed to do. I just happen to specialize in cannabis."
"I've never noticed any cargo with funny smelling herbs!" Aiden wondered aloud in surprise as he stared back at Vincent. Vincent smirked back at him and responded, "I'm good at what I do, my friend. But it's not something I boast about. Heh, I was actually intending to tell you about it soon. I just didn't expect it to be like this."
Aiden let all this sink in. This explained quite a lot, he figured. Vincent came from a place of wealth but one wouldn't know just by looking at him. He found he appreciated that about the man. Something told him, however, that Vincent hadn't likely ended up with this office willingly. While Vincent seemed to like nice things, he wasn't frivolous and lived life fairly simply where he could. He knew that much about the man.
"So, how does this office come into all this?" Aiden finally asked as his gaze shifted and took another glance around the room. Vincent licked his lips and cleared his throat softly before setting the pipe on the desk. "My uncle needed a safe place for....well, everything," he told Aiden. "Here, we can conduct business privately and store all the cargo and supplies needed for months at a time. There's even a dock outside that leads right to the warehouse beneath our feet."
"I thought I saw a dock up here! So there really is a warehouse here?!"
"You thought correct. Tell you what, let me show you around while our water boils! Then maybe later, if you're interested, I'll let you try some herb off my pipe."
Vincent chuckled as Aiden lit up even more and gave an agreeable nod. Well, that was easy! Really, he realized, all of this was and always seemed to be with his young engineer. Aiden was always proving time and time again how valuable he was as a friend and comrade. Aiden had readily accepted the information Vincent was telling him without batting an eye. Vincent hadn't really thought twice about bringing Aiden here because he knew Aiden would accept it and him. Everything was working out just perfectly!
---
Next Part:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/53129413869/in/datepo...
To read the rest of the story, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
Special thank you to my husband Vin (Be My Mannequin? Pose Store) for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558531406088