#no colonialism

[nuestro-norte-es-el-sur]

[jeremiasdorap]

[estiqatsi]

[grandboute]

Semaine internationale anticoloniale et antiraciste 4-20 mars 2017

[skull-bearer]

I wonder how those Victorian cuties are doing - have they settled into married life after their cruise? Your fic are lovely, btw!

They land in Naples, the tour to Pompeii leaves tomorrow, but Newt insists on doing some shopping- Hermann is getting a little tired of the ship so; why not-

Well, apparently Newt has been planning this for a while;

Hermann feels slightly frazzled and alarmed as Newt pulls him from one shop to another; “I have perfectly good clothes-”

He gets no further, as Newt just sweeps him up in one of those sudden and wonderful hugs that brush the air from his lungs and leave him thrilled and breathless;

“I love you;” Newt grins, “I’m going to spoil you so much, and I love you in dresses;”

Hermann hesitates then- “Oh, why not?”

But watching Newt flit around, pulling out designs and fabrics for his opinion, Hermann feels lost; his family had never been rich, and buying in anything but the finest shops is below them, so Hermann had gotten used to wearing the same ancient, hard-wearing clothes- even when he had been betrothed, he had worn old gowns that had belonged to his grandparents and their parents;

He has no idea what to do when confronted with the latest Italian fashions;

Newt buys himself almost as much, suits and even a few gowns for himself; pays and waltzes them out of the shop and Hermann can’t help but get caught up in his joy and delight.

------------------------------------

They stop in Greece, and visit the Acropolis, Turkey and Constantinople, the Suex Canal and Newt stares out longingly over this new bridge to the East and an adventure for another day, then South to Egypt, the sand, the camels, the pyramids and the Spinx.

Cyprus, Crete, Gibraltar and Marrakesh; Hermann’s mind spins and aches with all the things they have seen, the hundreds of countries and cultures that make England feel very grey and damp when they finally moor back in Plymouth, two months since they left;

Newt helps him down the gangplank, their luggage will be sent home after them- which is just as well, Newt seemed to have wanted to buy souvenirs and clothes from every country- bring some of the wonder back with them;

“You know,” Newt steadies him as he steps unsteadily to the cobbles, the ground swaying after days at sea, “Father has business ties with the Rajas and the Emperors, if you wanted to see more, we could travel more- see more of the world;”

Hermann looks around, the deep green of the fields around them, the rattle of carriages on the cobbles, and feels a deep ache he hadn’t been aware of fade;

He squeezes Newt’s hand, “Perhaps in a few years, let’s see how our lives are here, for now.”