Young martin secret santa 2011 revision (1)

A Tale Of

ANGEL’S TALE

Young Martin Steeves & Fellows_for The Pirate Balthasar Secret Santa 2011

PG-15 just to be safe

Three men in a XVII century Italy friendship boat.

Table of Contents

Angel’s Tale ..................................................................................................................... 2

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Notes and curiosities ..................................................................................................................................... 14

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Angel’s Tale.

A Tale Of Young Martin Steeves&Fellows_for The Pirate Balthasar Secret Santa 2011.

By elianthos

He could still not get used to the cold, and to the soft yet crunchy whiteness under his feet. So much for Irish family roots…

And he always had to mind his head unless he wished to bump it against the porches here. But at least with so many towers around he felt less out of scale.

Or so his university mates liked to tell him.

Ditto on the ladies. The ladies in Bologna were really pretty and looked just as if they had come out of Carracci’s and Guercino’s paintings, and they whispered with a lovely, vaguely hypnotic accent even if this made occasionally hard for him to understand their words… he got the “ bellissimo” and the “towering, tall, handsome Hercules” but what was all that “feed the salami” talk about? Surely his university fellows would clarify the subtleties of Italian language and of ladies’ talk to him yet again…

“Oy, watch it Martin!” . *PAFF* *SPLAT* down his neck the freshest fresh snowball went, courtesy of one of the aforementioned uni fellows grinning from ear to ear and prancing around gloveless and without a cape nor hat, blond hair and glinting eyes and glowing cheeks like a tipsy elf.

Luckily for Martin’s neck the third member in their little company seemed more into sketching than into playing hide and seek plus snow fight under the

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Asinelli and Garisenda towers. Martin noticed with a smile while shaking his Page

head and finger combing some snow dust off his own blond strands how said

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third companion was sitting on the other blond’s cape, happily soaking the bottom half of their fellow’s garment on the snowy ground, hood partially providing his darker head with a welcome extra layer of warmth.

“It’s just a bit of… heaven’s flour as they’d say in your country, isn’t it ?”

Steeves replied as soon as the shorter blond came closer, while patting him on the neck oh-so-casually with his flakes-coated glove.

The other stiffened and shuddered for an instant before retaliating with his cold fingers as high as he could reach… when a twin set of snow balls met both of them full in the face. A now soggy familiar cape fell on them like a blanket.

“Behave, kids. It’s getting dark. And you Wes, don’t tease your big brother…”

The third guy brushed off the snow from his hands and laughed at his targets’ muffled combined replies “I’m not his brother!” - “Why do they always take us for brothers?” - “I go along with it out of the goodness of my heart” as he herded their blanketed forms to the nearest trusty tavern. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ One “Ooh, my dearest customers! My little daughters really enjoyed your drawings and chatter about them all day! Ah, Lucia, bring two servings for the blond brothers and his cousin! And warm wine! Enjoy our Christmas student menu!” later, the trio landed a good seat and table, in a niche of the the wall not too far from the fireplace.

Martin knew his looooong legs would get cramps later but couldn’t really complain… the food there was excellent and so was the “special oltremontani brothers discount”.

“Now, this is heaven’s flour! And it’s piping hot! Don’t you agree, Wes-bro dearest? “ said bro would have glared at Martin over a mouthful of lasagne if he hadn’t been already busy exchanging glances with the tavern maid – or, to be

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more precise, diverting Lucia’s glances from his “brother” and “cousin” to Page

himself and his purple eyes only - .

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“Let him have his own style of piping hot, cousin Martin. By the way this must feel good after the cold meals at that Collegio of yours.”

“Indeed it is. This warm wine smells delicious too” “How can you tell when you never drink wine? Ah yes, because of *that*”.

Martin blushed a little. He had stumbled and fell into one of the family cellars fermentation barrels years before. It had taken him a while to half-swim halfclimb out of it… His sister still chided him for that sometimes in her letters from home. And his present auburn-haired ‘cousin’ still couldn’t persuade him to pose as Bacchus.

“Well, your lips have barely touched food or drink as well, Kane” Martin observed.

As if on cue, the other blond claimed both of their untouched glasses : “Good thing you had such long legs as a child already, man. Cheers to our skills and fortune, to love and life!” he took two generous sips from each cup and some apples from his purse before handing them his satchel along with a wink and a handful of coins.

Martin tried not to stare at Westley and the maid merry ascending upstairs but he jolted a bit at the sudden touch of one hand – Kane’s - coaxing his mouth close. His comrade looked at him with a mix of smugness and sympathy. His upper back leaning on the wall and switching to a more relaxed, waiting position, the chestnut-haired youth also pushed with one foot the now free stool closer for Martin to cross his ankles upon more comfortably.

“Your jaw was hanging, cousin” as he eventually made a toast and handed him an apple before grabbing another from the satchel for himself. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

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“Aw, look, the Moon is already high.” The two shorter - or shall we say Page

differently tall - men were at Steeves’ sides, sometimes jokingly clinging to his

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upper limbs to test how much he could lift them from the ground by virtue of his arms strength alone, sometimes they just pushed and pulled him to try the fine art of sliding on ice patches and turn into a still attractively dishevelled heap in the middle of the road.

Their puffs of breath were tiny clouds in the otherwise clear as crystal air.

Martin still marvelled at it. The sharpness and crispness of a snowy winter night. Not really something he was used to before leaving the Southern coasts of Spain.

“It is a magnificent night indeed” More puffs of breath as they stared at the sky, ass freezing on the snow-covered cobblestones and their laughter ready to bubble and spill in spite of that. Or maybe just because of it. “ You can make out the Milky Way better than usual even. Hmm… I wish <I had grabbed my telescope from our room”.

“You can always draw the lunar craters later Kane, the Moon is full and clear tonight”.

“Ah, you two go to your telescopes, I’m better with microscopes. I’d like to analyse these snow crystals with it” The different shapes of the flakes were stark against his companions’ dark leather gloves and his own aubergine-tinted cape.

Next to him Martin wrinkled his nose as the falling crystals gently if coolly brushed his face “Can’t you draw them instead, Kane?”

“Look in my sketchbook” “ But when did you…”

“Last winter” “There are so many and so detailed. I thought you were all into drawing people.

I mean at the tavern, in the library, then again this afternoon… Wait.” Steeves kept leafing through the sketchbook “ These are all portraits of me. And here

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I’m naked” Page

“Nude, not naked”.

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“Do… do you… like me?” At this the other blond stopped his snowflakes contemplation and rolled his eyes. “Bro if we were to follow your reasoning by the times and fashion he has been portraying me as well I wouldn’t be as pure as this snow since forever” “Thank you for advocating my cause Westley, although your virginity or purity should really not be brought up to prove anything” the artist swiftly dodged his former Muse’s snow pitch before turning to his latest live inspiration source.

“No, Martin, the ladies here love you that way. Your portraits are a bit of a sensation in some circles. Ah, your jaw is hanging again”.

“No good in this cold” and his self-appointed brother was the one to close his jaw this time before continuing “Now, now, our Kane here draws anything that interests him. Nothing too personal, you know. For research. Don’t get strange ideas. Talking about interests… how is your miniature medallion portrait he made? Did your sister like it?”

“She was delighted, and so were my nieces and nephews. I was going to show you her thank you letter back at the tavern.

Well, actually the boys were more into Kane’s dragon sketch. You know, like when I brought them the scallop shell from Compostela and they were hoping for a scale of the pagan dragon instead…” Martin leaned closer to the auburnhaired man with an expression alarmingly akin to hero worship “thank you for painting it.”

“Happy to save your Cool Uncle reputation any day---hooompf” Martin had glomped him and - oh, the horror – the Handsomest Man in Europe had little tears of gratitude springing at the corners of his cerulean eyes “I’m so grateful. Nake---nudes drawings notwithstanding, I so wish you were family for real, Kane.”

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“Seeing as your sister is taken already… is this a proposal?”

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The third young man was already standing to massage his delectable frozen buttocks back to life “And here I thought someone was all worked up about you liking him” “But I do like him” Steeves marginally loosened his hugging grip on the squirming dark-haired man “I do like you Kane.” *blush* “Just not in that way.”

“Same here, oh bellissimo Ercole”. He flapped his doe-worthy eyelashes “Not that there would be anything bad about liking someone that way. Whatever rocks your boat. Look at Michelangelo! Look at the Fair Youth! Look at Plato.

Nah, you theologist nut you, keep to your Aristoteles and Aquinas”.

“I like Athanasius Kircher too… and he has dragons. “ the tall man offered.

“I”m pretty sure your nephews love his China Illustrata then”.

“You too… unless you just keep it for the pictures and to hide your Galileo’s and Giordano Bruno’s texts” “Oh. You noticed. Were you looking for the pictures and the dragons Mr. Steeves? Among my personal stuff ?” *pointed look* Martin was blushing again under those piercing brown eyes “Ehm… But Galilei once you actually read him is pretty good. Nice prose, not as complicated and not too flowery according to what I could translate. I wish he had written more in Latin though.”

“Oooh, I can feel my butt again!” Wes balanced his weight on his heels and spun around once until he was bending over and close enough to pull the other two youths up “ I wish we would continue such discussion of potentially heretic matters by a nice fire and in our cozy private room if you don’t mind. I just have this nice herbal tea recipe to test too…”

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♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

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Martin spent the rest of the night between devouring forbidden texts ( “of course I’m not against of a potentially infinite cosmos. - The world itself is bigger than we thought and the more we know the bigger it gets! - How many Finis Terrae have you visited already, Martin? I could name a handful of my own.

- And we haven’t even included the West Indies! - The only Pillars of Hercules I see are the ones of people always stuck in books and never trying to use their own intellect to test their supposed knowledge. - Especially among our professors” *insert three smirks here* ) and teasing about dragons and munching more apples.

Talking about snacks, after rummaging in his own little bag Martin remembered “I’m afraid they got a bit squished when we fell on the ice earlier but… well, let’s break them and look with our own eyes, as true scientists do, shall we?” in his big hands two pomegranates appeared. “They should be well ripe and juicy straight from Granada.. With many thanks on my sister’s account”.

“Oooh, indeed these would make Solomon proud! Cousin, leave the tricky Cassiopeia and Orion to their heavenly deeds and come eat” said cousin relinquished his precious spy glass while mumbling something along “indeed, the luminosity is abnormal” but stopped in his tracks as he eyed the fruit treat, then Martin.

“Steeves, you do like me that way after all. “ “I’m afraid I don’t follow you Kane” “Ooh, come on you, leave my bro be and sit by his side. If anything I’m the one married to him via pomegranate seeds already”.

“Oh. I think I got it.” He glanced in Westley’s direction “Maybe?”

“I’ll be your Side by your side, bro dearest. Ubi Caius Ego Gaia, fruit style” “Little cousin Wes you’ve got your mythology mixed up and my big cousin

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blond while picking some seeds from Martin’s plate and placing his hand on the

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looking like a very puzzled Orion right now”. He winked at the purple-eyed

latter’s shoulder: “May the seeds of knowledge assist us hunters of truth and adventure, be it on land or sky or water. Per seguire virtute et canoscenza” . Dark irises met blue. “… in sickness and in health?”

“Look at our pious oh-so-not-Tychonian-anymore theologist cracking religious puns. I’m so proud of you, bro. What’s next?”

Martin pondered a bit over his herbal tea - good for colds, hangovers and vigour according to their medicine companion a.k.a. Wes of the Purple Irises, Tireless Delight of Maids, Lil’ Bro for Trusty Tavern Meal Discount Purposes.

Well, the liquid taste was not bad so far. Reminded him of ironwort - , his ears turning pink.

“Somehow I’m suspecting women’s matters” Westley winked.

Kane’s lips quirked. “Sooo, have you finally discovered your Eos, your Beatrice? L’amor che muove il sole e le altre stelle? The one lady to make you tonguetied and basically look like a fool but still a handsome one?”

“Well, if you would not mind educing me in the matters of Christmas customs in this country… there was this pretty lady in San Petronio’s church the other day looking very hungry while asking me to please feed her the salami. Do we exchange food gifts baskets or…” Steeves had to stop in bewilderment as twin spewed drinks entered his field of vision like happy mini geysers from both sides. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ “You know, I don’t believe standing on the shoulders of giants was to be taken literally, somehow” “Just step a bit on the left… I can almost grab the balcony edge. Can you stand

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on your toes? You can stop holding my ankles now, just hold on a moment” Page

The taller blond shifted a little under the other’s weight on a small traitorous

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ice patch as their accomplice steadied him on the side.

“Ssssht” They both stared at the window as their friend courtesy of stepping on Martin’s head climbed briefly inside at last. “I always wonder how he can do it. He knows his way around my room better than I do” Martin’s hands went rubbing the top of his head.

“Just be thankful he’s saving your ass from that fasting punishment nonsense.

Now go, quietly. You’re early enough for your morning prayers” Martin glanced at the rope ladder now reaching down, then at Kane urging him from above. “All clear, just hurry.”

Soon after he was pulled inside with a huff “You’ve gotten better at this. But you also got heavier. We need some more healthy fencing. Well, see you later Steeves” “Thank you guys. Are we meeting for the Christmas mass then? I really want to see the Presepe there but that lady will be there and I don’t know what to do.

Help me please ? In sickness and in health?”

“Ooh, goodness. All right I’ll aid you in the perilous quest against the dragon lady of the unholy salami. Leave our fair-haired Lancelot off the hook today though, he’s going to the botanical gardens . Oh, I don’t need rope on the way down. I’ll come later ” .

Martin could barely locate his Christmas basket - containing along with one of his sister’s homemade chorizos and cava bottles a literal thanksgiving salami and a whole jamòn for good measure – that as he turned to hand Kane his edible gift all he could glimpse were his friend’s long hair streaming as a dark copper comet as he jumped framed by the first rays of sunlight. A twin set of footprints in the snow leading away in the distance was all could be heard and

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♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

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seen by the time the blue-eyed man was leaning from his window.

“That’s what happens when you leave me out of your amorous quests, guys” “Oh, come on Wes. It’s just a scratch. Uhm… this poultice smells familiar” “Sure. Humour me.” He barely gazed at the man sketchig in the far corner before addressing the other subject presently in his medical care “You just had to pick the prettiest and furnished-with-the-most-jealous-husband lady in the whole city. Honestly, even from my supposed relatives I’d expect better sense.

I’m the younger irresponsible brother here. Ah! As if!” A vein was pulsing on the speaker’s temple. The recipients opted for the dignified and safer option of silence least they wished for Wes’ flames to join the burning candles.

Not that Kane wasn’t tempted by some extra light source to check on his chiaroscuro… he was making the artist maniac face. Martin paled and mustered his best mute begging expression in his direction.

“Case in point oh cousin Kane dearest, remember when you dropped the wooden ball on my bro Martin’s foot during your little heavy bodies gravity experiment? I’ve improved on the ointment recipe I used back then. Now it should heal faster and contrast the bruising too. If someone hadn’t borrowed my flax seed oil for his painting experiments I could have made more and spread it more evenly. Ah, Martin, hold it here as I go fix the bandages on him now. And then I’ll be back checking your forehead”.

“It’s... throbbing, but it doesn’t hurt. Not much. Thank you” he had managed to duck his head save for the last low porch and hanging wooden tavern sign after a sharp turn of the road, a very jealous husband and his armed servants in hot pursuit.

“I”m very sorry Steeves. The moment I dodged the ‘Sweet Cassiopeia Tavern’ sign was already too late to warn you.” pretty. And there were the sleeping sheperds and the wondering women, as if it

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was just happening on the street.. I like it. It’s simple and lively”

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“I’m glad all the same Kane. We managed to see the Presepe! How moving and

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“Good to know, as I had no pretty cloth or coral or alabaster to spare.” At such words from the auburn-haired man Westley went for a wooden box underneath his bed.

Greeting Martin under the the kufic characters carvings of the lid there was little clay Presepe, the figurines as neatly molded and draped as Michelangelo’s sculptures in San Domenico. The single one-winged angel suspiciously resembled his own features as per Kane’s sketches. Among the figurines he could recognize both some of his university friends’ and relatives’ faces. And there was a dragon too.

He was dangerously close to tearing up – again -, but managed to just sneeze and stutter his gratitude. Just then the other blond jumped on one of the figurines and frowned before pointing a finger at their resident artist “Oy, Kane, that’s my face on that dragon!” and pulled said man’s bandages a bit tighter than necessary. The patient managed a very manly yelp all things considered.

All things considered it was one of the best Christmases Martin ever had. …But the best ships are friendships, And may they always be. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ The sails were ready, his men were on board. Martin stood by the dock inhaling the salty breeze.

It barely seemed winter again to him now, without a thick layer of Italian snow and barely a cloud of breath whenever someone spoke.

He held his clay angel tight before kneeling down to hug his nephews and nieces, eventually handing the figurine to his sister and returning her smile.

“As father used to say… a sunbeam to warm you, a Moonbeam to charm you, a

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sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you”

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“I feel already pretty sheltered and charmed and warm, thank you. Look at this little angelic army.” Her children giggled and echoed their mother’s farewell “But I’ll miss you, dearest brother. May St. Patrick and San. Jordi be with you.

May the wind carry you safely to your destination and back”.

She dropped her family portrait pendant into his lingering hand as she touched the similar pendant hanging from her neck, her fingers curling over his as he stepped away from their embrace.

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And off he went to earn his missing wing.

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Cultural Notes and Curiosities - in order of appearance -

Bologna: one of the main cultural capitals of Italy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna thanks to its venerable university – the oldest in the world - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Bologna , its food and arts tradition among other things. See also below…

The Carracci (brothers), Guercino: very influential Baroque painters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guercino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carracci

Salami: delicious sausage(s) :p. Salame is singular, salami is plural. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salame

Asinelli and Garisenda (towers): the two main medieval surviving towers in Bologna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Towers

Oltremontani: lit. ‘from beyond the mountains’, the mountains here being the Italian Alps. I’m using it loosely for ‘non-Italians, foreigners.’ Back then the term was more specifically tied into the art of music and for musicians either coming from or influenced by the Low Countries tradition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oltremontani

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can be found in Emila-Romagna region cuisine (Bologna beings its capital)

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Lasagna: a culinary gift from heaven in layered filled pasta form, its roots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagna

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Collegio, cold meals vs piping hot delights: at the time of this fanfiction request we had very little info about Martin and just some hints about Kane Westley and Steeves as students in Bologna. As an Irish Catholic refugee whose whole family had found home and protection under the King of Spain I had then speculated Martin could have enrolled for courses in Bologna as a Spanish student hence benefitted from this community accommodations – it was quite normal for university student to gather according to shared ethnicity/nationality - , while Kane and Westley given their past and background were in Bologna under cover and shared an apartment somewhere else in the city. Now, provided Martin had his residence at the local Royal Spanish College https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegio_di_Spagna (Carracci frescoes there too, hey ;D ) in the Italian wiki page on top of some extra detail on daily life, clothes and rules in use (attend every meal, women forbidden, pray a lot, dress simply and in brown-black fabric otherwise expect fasting and punishment and expulsion ) I had found out a funny piece of trivia about the Collegio’s kitchens being so far from the eating area that members’ food always got cold. http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegio_di_Spagna#cite_ref-5 Poor Martin, sipping cold soup in Winter :,). Nothing like steamy lasagne, warm wine and good company – and/or steamy Bolognese maids :p – to perk up.

Moon ( and lunar craters): telescope allowed Galileo to accurately describe and draw the craters of the Moon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo#Moon and the structure of other celestial bodies in our solar system . Results of such observations were considered very dangerous and subversive for the Christian

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traditional cosmology and religion. Literally a matter of damnation and

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salvation, life and death (with bonus Inquisition torture and trials).

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_affair he was a relatively lucky case.

TL;DR: Kane and Westley’s hobbies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_microscope#Invention were pretty dangerous ones.

Microscope: see link just above Telescope (what’s the big deal with it?) : the first ones were built at the beginning of XVII century so they’re still a pretty recent invention by the time of The Pirate Bathasar, with important improvements and related discoveries soon provided by scientists/astronomers like Galileo and Kepler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_telescope#History Kane’s fondness of Guercino and astronomy is 100% TPB canon btw. See for more info here: http://thepiratebalthasar.blogspot.it/2011/08/chapter-14curiosities.html

Aquinas (Thomas): one of the main medieval theologists, here relevant for his cosmology elaborately blending a geocentric model of the universe with Christian beliefs and entities ruling it. His geocentrism was still going strong in the XVII century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocentrism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Aquinas#Philosophy

Athanasius Kircher: in short he was a very curious fellow. Among his encyclopaedic (even for the standards of the era ) written work there are studies on Egyptian hieroglyphics, Chinese ideograms, the mandatory theology essays,

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(included dragons) and maps. The latter might have been fun for Kane (if good

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microscope observations, fossils and volcanoes studies, also a ton of trivia

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fun or more of a ‘ are you serious with these maps dude?’ will be for readers’ to decide) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_Kircher

Giordano Bruno: XVI century philosopher, visionary, firm believer in the back then radical concept of universe as being infinite, filled with worlds and populated by potentially infinite intelligences. It didn’t end well... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno

Cassiopeia/Cassiopea (and stars and supernovae): on top of its mythological roots and name significance for a certain Cassiopea (Pea) Papadopulos lady in the main TPB story – she will also marry one of our three guys in a few years ;) - the celestial Cassiopeia is a very distinctive northern sky constellation where two out of three XVI and XVII century supernova explosions were observed. Such exceptional phenomena contributed to the Scientific Revolution shift from Antiquity cosmos models and theories to modern ones. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_1572#Historic_description In this fanfic I’m alluding specifically to: ‘There are two supernova remnants in Cassiopeia. The first, which is unnamed, is the aftermath of the supernova called Tycho's Star. It was observed in 1572 by Tycho Brahe and now exists as a bright object in the radio spectrum.[2] Within the 'W' asterism formed

by Cassiopeia’s five major stars lies Cassiopeia A (Cas A). It is the remnant of a supernova that took place approximately 300 years ago (as observed now from Earth; it is 10,000 light-years away),[4] and has the distinction of being the strongest radio source observable outside our solar system. It was perhaps observed as a faint star in 1680 by John Flamsteed.’

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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_%28constellation%29

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What I’m getting at is given the timeline of the TPB-verse Kane with his telescope might have been an early observer of Cas A a.k.a. the second Cassiopeia supernova. That’s also why he’s murmuring to himself about his telescope finds in the fanfiction pomegranate scene ;).

Compostela (Santiago de) and the Camino de Santiago/ Way of St. James: one of the main an oldest Christian pilgrimage routes and pilgrimage destinations in Europe, possibly at least partially overlapping with previous Celtic traditions. Among its symbols and pilgrimage tokens is the scallop shell, while the dragon is featured in St. James’ legend as one of the monsters his disciple defeated on site to secure James a burial. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_of_Saint_James#Shell_of_Saint_James https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela#Way_of_St._James ‘Compostela’ itself is also etymologically significant as gathering place for the souls of the dead and starting point of their spiritual journey: ‘burial ground’ but also ‘field of stars’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela#Toponym https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela#PreChristian_legends

Finis Terrae/Finisterre/Finistére/Finisterrae: Land’s End. The end of the world in spatial terms and/or in living/dead, known/unknown ones.

Going beyond that end meant uncertainty and trespassing at best, extreme danger and death at worst.

Finistére in Brittany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finist%C3%A8re#History The Spanish peninsula of Finisterre

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Finisterre

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and Gibraltar with its Hercules’ Columns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars_of_Hercules were some examples.

Pomegranate seeds – marriage: see under the myth of Hades and Persephone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate#Ancient_Greece

Ubi Caius, ego Gaia: traditional old Latin marriage formula. Caius and Gaia were such common names they soon became synonims for the subject doing the action = ‘Wherever you [Caius] are there I [Gaia] will be too’.

Together forever

Orion – Side – side (what’s in a name and in bad puns): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_%28mythology%29 As a mythological figure he was a skilled giant hero and one of his wives was actually called Side. I needed a hook for Westley’s side pun and that seemed too good to be true :,) .

As a constellation he’s big sparkly and handsome (very Martin-like) and better visible during Winter (very timely for the purpose of this fic).

Tychonian: between geocentrism (Ptolemy/Aristotle/Thomas Aquinas version) and Copernicus’ heliocentricm (Aristarchus/Copernicus/Kepler/Galileo) in the West there used to be a third way. Tycho Brahe’s hybrid cosmic system attempted to conciliate religious dogma with potentially heretic scientific data in his heliogeocentric structure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tychonic_system

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Eos: the most graceful Greek goddess of Dawn.

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Per seguir virtute…; Beatrice; l’amor che muove il sole…: all references to Dante’s Divine Comedy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divina_Commedia to follow love and knowledge (in his vision they’re one and the same), to go beyond. Beatrice is Dante’s saviour/Muse/woman/beloved/angel pushing him towards enlightenment from his inner dark maze through Hell to Purgatory to Heaven. She’s his destiny woman so to speak. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Portinari TL;DR: they’re asking Martin if he has met his oh-so-tangible-yet-ideal woman, his (in a good way) femme fatale ;).

San Petronio: main church of Bologna, dedicated to the city patron saint, Petronius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Petronio

Kufic characters: calligraphic Arabic script, often imitated for its elegance on Western items during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. A nod to Kane and to his Sicilian heritage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kufic

Presepe: Nativity Scene 3D display or representation (‘living Presepe’ with real people), its origin date back to XIII century Italy and to San Francesco (Francis) of Assisi. The Presepe display has evolved in many shapes, materials and sizes – from monumental to fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand-figurines ones – and it’s still a Christmas staple for us Italians because even for non-believers is at the core an intimate family scene and a celebration of life. It’s heartwaming in an elemental way.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presepe

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San Domenico: church in Bologna. See its Arca di San Domenico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arca_di_San_Domenico and its Michelangelo statue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:San_Domenico34.jpg

But the best ships are friendships/And may they always be: this is a traditional Irish toast apparently.

Full text is: There are good ships, and there are wood ships, The ships that sail the sea.

But the best ships are friendships, And may they always be

Botanical garden: *insert Westley’s inner cheerleader squealing here* the one in Bologna is the oldest in Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orto_Botanico_dell%27Universit%C3%A0_di_ Bologna

Chorizo: Iberian salame. Very delicious. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo

Cava: Spanish sparkling wine, generally with a default more dry (brut) flavour than French Champagne or Italian Prosecco wines. Goes well with chorizo and jamòn ;D. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cava_%28Spanish_wine%29

Jamòn; Spanish ham. Good stuff.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n

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San Jordi: Catalan name of St. George (he who slays dragons), patron saint of the Catalonia region in Spain, its main city and capital being Barcelona. Still a very popular saint - and first name - there nowadays. They even make tasty crunchy almond baked seets shaped and textured as rough dragon scales there.

San Jordi’s biscuits.

I’m speculating Martin’s family or at least his sister’s are living in that area and close to the shore. Also because I’ve been there a few times and I’m relatively familiar with those places :p. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalunya Martin’s well-wishing to his sister is taken from another Irish blessing: May God grant you always...

A sunbeam to warm you, A moonbeam to charm you, A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

Missing wings and one-winged angels: a sprinkle of Plato, this time a reference without much Dante’s filter. The myth of the chariot and of the many facet of love giving you wings to reach all that’s good and of real worth.

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Wish Martin well on his journey dear readers and may we similarly fly! ;)

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Credits The Pirate Balthasar webcomic and his characters ŠDeborha Daniele

Batch downloads and curiosities at http://www.thepiratebalthasar.blogspot.com Daily updated online reading at http://www.smackjeeves.com/comicprofile.php?id=73113

fanfic and cover fanart by elianthos

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http://elianthos80.deviantart.com

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