‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝘩𝑖𝑝 𝑜𝑛 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻, ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ᅟ𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝕰 𝙔 𝙀 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌。 ⚓︎

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩⠀𝘵𝘩𝘦⠀࿐⠀𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠⠀𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

... continuing. )

fled the countryside at 15, raised myself in amsterdam until eighteen. got a job as a sailor, and worked my way up until i was able to have my own fluyt, the swan.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

i’m afraid i do not quite have the most joyful tale to share. born of a poor family in the dutch republic, with many of my relatives dying to hunger or to the franco-dutch war.

( he pauses briefly, breath filling his lungs as he recalls the death-plagued youth before ...

[𝓲ɴ͟ғ͟ɪ͟ɴ͟ɪ͟ᴛ͟ᴇ͟ 𝒏𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. @desiofolle]

( The answer is a smile—slight, gleaming with the promise for more. Armand is sparing with their graces, knowing precisely when to give and when to withhold. )

Tell me your story. Heat up your blood for me.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

( the offer of a gamble clasps onto him, too, an easy target for such delight. gaze follows the shape of the other, allowing his body to align towards them. )

well, then. i wonder if i am a lucky man today.

[𝓲ɴ͟ғ͟ɪ͟ɴ͟ɪ͟ᴛ͟ᴇ͟ 𝒏𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. @desiofolle]

A promise.

( His smile is a gleaming thing, inviting. Not at all the monstrosity that he truly is, inside, all wrapped up in what had been given as a mortal to curse him for eternity. Beauty, in abundance. )

Take a leap of faith. Only the courageous are rewarded.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

and what will keep you from draining me?

( a fool’s gold is still shiny, and willem cannot help but linger in some edge of caution, even if the man before him is the most alluring soul he has ever come across. )

[𝓲ɴ͟ғ͟ɪ͟ɴ͟ɪ͟ᴛ͟ᴇ͟ 𝒏𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. @desiofolle]

I suppose you would have to find out.

( His lips purse—small, like a child's, like a doll's. An illusion to make their eyes appear even larger. Such proportion, and such ministration; weapons carefully sharpened to lull, to seduce. )

If you dare.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

good morn, it seems.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

( the tallon digging into his skin makes willem sigh, the sharp pain subduing in no time. it makes his head tilt aside, involuntarily, as he reveals his throat to the other.

a man of desires, he has always been. seduction is his great weakness. )

is that so?

[𝓲ɴ͟ғ͟ɪ͟ɴ͟ɪ͟ᴛ͟ᴇ͟ 𝒏𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. @desiofolle]

Keep you. Not kill you. Perhaps even. . .do more with you.

( Their thumb pricks slowly through his skin, only deep enough to nick a vein and draw a drop of blood through. Armand breathes its scent in. )

Few things are more ecstatic than a vampire's fangs in your throat.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

hm. . . certainly a night, he must admit.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

ah, good morn’, * 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

pirates, for one. sea creatures. the long voyage itself. sickness.

( goosebumps trickle downwards across his body, making the captain inhale softly — their touch is incredibly cold. )

keep me?

[𝓲ɴ͟ғ͟ɪ͟ɴ͟ɪ͟ᴛ͟ᴇ͟ 𝒏𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. @desiofolle]

Tell me about them.

( Hand works itself lower, towards his shoulder. A thumb caressing the exposed skin of his neck. )

Perhaps I can be persuaded to keep you.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

... when i watched the first crew member fall overboard, or when i survived through my first barbary corsairs’ rally.”

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

“i do not fear you bring us any harm, dame death.”

as the ropes sit in their respective spot in the deck, his frame leans against the banister of the ship, lower back resting upon the curve as his arms loosely cross upon his chest.

no, stepping foot into the seat has ...

[* : ̗̀ 𝒍𝒂 𝒎𝒖𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒆. @songsbeloved]

death had stood by his side but did not close the distance all the way, her gaze cast towards the horizon in the night. she smiled wistfully to herself but when he asked why she had come, she glanced at him carefully.

one of his —

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

... always been the equivalent of accepting one’s fate ; saint nicolas may have been a patron of his ship for as long as he has become captain, but mother nature’s fury is still one no saint can wrangle.

“i have come to terms with your presence since my first voyage, ...

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

... willem de koning, * 𝑚𝑒𝑣𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑤.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

( willem did not have much proper education besides the craft of being a sailor, but he has always had been a rather fast learner.

vocabulary picked from his contracts with aristocrats, street smarts from surviving in amsterdam as an orphan, he found ways to survive. ) ...

[𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝑚̲𝑎̲𝑛̲𝑜̲𝑟̲.̲ @faescholar]

impressive, monsieur

( she allows the guidance, lips twitching faintly in a small smile. he was much different from the men she was used to, well polished and far too posh. she didn’t mind it. )

josèphine, by the way. it’s a pleasure.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

ah, that is a curse. has she ever tried a hammock? works like quite the charm.

[𝓘𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝓢𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐢. @hauntspoken]

For too many nights now.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

has rest been eluding her?

[𝓘𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝓢𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐢. @hauntspoken]

Rubbing cosmetics to disguise the dark circles under her eyes. The house has been rattling all night again.

[‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ 𝑓͟𝑙͟𝑦𝚒𝚗𝚐‍ ‍ ‍‍𝒅͟𝒖͟𝒕͟𝒄͟𝒉𝚖𝚊𝚗。 @willfulsails]

to some, it could be the same. terrors have different faces, after all.

( the captain gently crosses his arms, resting back on his heels before a small smile tugs on his lips. )

i have been in the sea since i was eighteen. i have seen things the church would deny.

[𝓲ɴ͟ғ͟ɪ͟ɴ͟ɪ͟ᴛ͟ᴇ͟ 𝒏𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. @desiofolle]

You say "sailor" the way one would say "monster".

( Amusement curls prettily at their lip, gleaming in their eyes. Funny what kind of monsters mortals would make out of nothing. )

You did not think me out of my mind, either. Curious.