William raised a brow and steepled his fingers, "That's quite a tale...Are you sure you wish to know?”
The crew sat around the table enjoying their dinner, beef, and vegetable stew. His husband smiled up at him,
" I believe that could be a rather exciting tale to tell the crew, give them a much better appreciation for you, Captain”
The Captain gazed around the dinner table,
"Is this...Agreeable to everyone?"
The rest of the crew nodded in agreement, watching Captain Holmes eagerly. Both adult and child’s imagination were now captured.
He paused and nodded, "Well it first started when I was a boy...My parents were involved in the government."
The Captain leaned back, clinking his heels back onto the table, arms crossing behind his head as he began to recount his younger years;
~
Mrs. Holmes sat next to her husband as he scribed his quill to a few papers. A few Irish setters laid at his feet. The crackle of the fireplace made the grand living room both warm and inviting, yet the size and gloom of the rest of the parlor were harsh and unwelcoming.
A young William Arthur Holmes was playing on the wooden floors at his parent’s feet. In his mind, he was bartering at a shop in a port town. Mr. Holmes huffed softly as he wrote in his leather-bound book, his peacock quill bobbing up and down. He sat there watching over his family like a King overruling his kingdom. Mrs. Holmes chuckled watching her son,
" Mhm, William love. What are you playing?" She set her needle and thread into a sewn tomato and craned her thin bird-like body down to the boy. The little one looked over to her,
"I'm bartering! I need ink and paper and other supplies!
Her piercing blue eyes scanned the eight-year old's wooden blocks and little wooden figures. She chuckled," Oh? And what is your job in this town of yours?'
"Mmhm! Guess!"
"The governor?" The black-haired woman smiled at William, looking at her husband
He paused for a moment and then grinned staring up at his parents, "A pirate!"
The room went very quiet, the Holmes paused their activities, staring at their young son with adamant horror. Mr. Holmes quietly seethed, he grit his teeth and let out a pained chuckle,
“William, we’ve spoken about this. Many. Many times…”
The lean boney man leans down to his young son, keeping his anger and disgust poorly disguised. He smiled through gritted teeth and muttered
"You'll make an excellent governor one day William."
Little baby William shook his head, "Nuh-uh! I'm a pirate!" He grinned and giggled.
The room seemed to grow much darker, the fire dying down a bit as the darkness surround the Holmes family. Mr. Holmes stood and started removing his glove,
"Pirates are dirty people."
Mrs. Holmes rose her brows," Don't say such things, William. Pirates and other miscreants are unclean." Her tone shifted. She bent down to him," Now then, William, what are you?'
All noises seized, so quiet, one would be able to hear their own heart beating or perhaps even a fly’s.
After great thought, the child spoke out,
"A pirate!"
His father smacked him across the face with his glove, "You are never to use that word again! Am I understood?!"
With the youngest of the Holmes sobbing, his parents the Governor and Governess both merely just shook their heads in shame.
~
The crew sat there in shock, some with their mouths agape. Opal had interrupted,
“Captain! Your own father smacked you in the face!?!!?"
Her face was a mix of shock and anger, the fact that anyone, let alone a parent would smack their child in the face so harshly, angered her.
The Captain mused as he nodded, "As was common. He removed his leather glove and smacked me across the face with it, and he was never gentle."
Thomas, Thassilon, and Leo all nodded in agreement with this statement.
Mrs. Hamilton looked utterly horrified, she glanced to Thassilon.
"Even our blood father?"
The Frenchman nodded sadly, holding himself," Oui mon flower ..'
Mr. Holmes cleared his throat, "In any case."
~
The memory of being pushed into his pre planned destiny faded and then a new one had began bubbling to the surface of his memory; The night that changed his life.
At this point in his life, William was a young man now. He and his family were at a meeting of higher ups and generally hoity toity individuals, he was bored out of his mind at this point. The 17 year old was taken into a room with his parents. His mother fixing him up, tossing his hair, patting it down with her salvia. He sighed softly and twitched his head around, being difficult.
Mrs. Holmes growled,
" Oh William, stop it! Let me fix you! You're not proper!" She growled.
"I am proper enough mother! Leave me be so we can get this night done with.” William snapped back at his mother, being a bit harsher than intended.
She slapped him across the brow, her diamond ring bruising his forehead, a trickle of blood seeped out.
" Don't speak to your mother like that!"
He sighed, wincing at the cut, his eye twitching to hold the flow of repressed tears back. "I apologize mother."
Wiona Holmes looked to Wilfred Holmes nodded for him to go on with his speech to William. She began to clean the cut and hide the mark with his curls. Mr. Wilfred Holmes nodded, clearing his throat,
"William you have a legacy to uphold. We have started you on a path to be a very influential, very important member of this government. You must show them all how brilliant you are. Remind them that they would be made the fools if they did not listen to the Holmes'."
With a nod of agreement, Wiona touched his hair and smiled,
" Make our family proud.'
William nodded to his mother, the wheels in his head were already turning. He had dealt with more than enough of this nonsense throughout his life.
The double doors led out to a curved table, old pale men. All 12 of them sat there with an empty seat for William. The young man walked in and took his seat, restraining himself from rolling his eyes. He took a deep breath in and presented a forced smile that hid his teeth.
An old white haired man stood and squinted. He looked to be the human embodiment of a walrus. A sugar tycoon, William guessed.,
" Ah, Young Master Holmes! I am happy to see such a familiar face.'
With a tight lip smile, the 17 year old muttering in a vaguely friendly tone. "Pleasure is mine as always."
The chairman nodded, he began to drone on and on with the introduction of their newest member of the board. Minutes felt like long agonizing hours to William, listening to this old man go on. He merely nodded along, absolutely bored out of his skull.
There was a window behind the chairmen’s table, directly facing him. It overlooked the cliff side, the moon and the gentle waves of the ocean almost beckoning to the young man. Nearly as though some sweet siren was calling out and reaching into his very soul.
The thought raced across his mind; Was this going to be the rest of his natural life? Board Meetings with men so out of touch with their own citizens? Was he going to waste away here? Follow tradition? Get married to some poor girl, have children that he did not want, and fund this cycle? The young man was not even a heterosexual! Yet another thing to hide away to fit into this predestined role, lest he be found out and get stoned to death.
All for what, to please his parents and keep up public appearances?
William was gazing out the window, in his mental turmoil. He snapped out of his thoughts, beginning to pay attention to the conversation just long enough to catch bits about colonization, savages, and spreading around to other countries. He furrowed his brows, looking to his parents as they agreed to a point being made. Both sat there to the east of the room in their chairs observing William's involvement and the way in which he conducted himself.
“The Spaniards had great luck with those Incans. The women I hear are very fertile.”
Another chairmen mused, nudging William with a coy smirk. Everyone laughed at the boy’s seeming “embarrassment”.
Young Holmes decided he had enough and he stood from his seat, cleaning his throat. Blood boiling in his veins as he looked up with fury in his gaze.
"May I have your attention please? Thank you. Despite the painfully dull, uninteresting, and I would even say offensive content of tonight's talks....I have to say that I have decided that this is not the life I wish to live."
During this the young man began walking towards the window, noting that it was a simple switch to unlock the two paned window,
"In fact. I did not want to be here this evening to begin with, not that any of you care. And as such. I believe I will be seeing myself out of this stifling room and away from the life being forced upon me."
Without looking again he flicked the switch and pushed the glass open, "What can I say. It's been a terrible evening and I hope to who and whatever may be in control that I never deal with such a night again."
His cold blue eyes holding gaze with his parents, who which were stricken with a paralyzing fear of what they could only assume to be a suicide attempt. The air was deadly still, only William's pounding heart kept him any sort of noise. His feet stepped backwards up onto the ledge, his heels suspended in the air, the licks of the crisp cool night sea air kissed his black as coal hair.
With this, he stepped back once more and let himself fall.
Mr. and Mrs. Holmes ran towards the window. His mother screaming out," My baby!!!"
As William fell, everything seem to slow down, his black hair becoming loose from his ponytail, fluttering around and about him. His mother reaching out of the window, her arm stretched out to him in a vain attempt to get him. His old father’s arms around his mother as both wept out. A thin smile crept across his face at first as William fell, it then erupted into a massive grin. Tears welling up his eyes and flying throughout the air.
There, it was like William was a new man. He was free, he was finally free.
Finally, he splashed HARD into the murky depths.
William began his swim across the all in all not terribly wide canyon to the shore on the other side, hauling himself onto the beach. The other side was a fisherman's wharf, port side. He stumbled over, clutching his ribs, a few were broken from the impact. He coughed hard, smiling still, the pain not bothering him.
The soon to be captain found his way to the nearest pub, as he walked he was thinking of ways he could get his hands on a ship and crew. (A good ship mind you) His legs carried him past many ships docked. There were a variety of makes and models; Galleons, Sloops, and Dutch Fleuts.
One caught his eye, it was a Spanish Galleon. The wood used to build this massive ship was a red oak, accented with rosewood and white willow trimmings. A silvery blue glow illuminated the boat, giving the ship a soul of her own. William was entranced, he wanted this one.
To the pub, young master Holmes hobbled. There were drunken English, Spanish, and Irish men. They all were playing cards, gambling with lots. Beer flew freely here. William looked around and hummed softly for a moment, considering before approaching a particularly drunken Spaniard.
This man had honey tanned skin, a very white and grey beard with flowing hair. His front tooth was adorn with gold with an aquamarine in the middle. An aquamarine that seemingly fit the strange glow of the ship he had seen previously.
William grabbed a pint of beer from the counter and settled in across from this man.
The old man looked up, a red haired wench was lingering on his arm.
"Hola, amigo."
William smiled at him, finally his Spanish lessons would come in handy, "Te importa si me uno a ti?"
Bewildered by this pale boy’s perfect Spanish, the weathered sea-man smiled, then burst out laughing out right; his nose red from a drunken frenzy
" My English friend, I speak English.”
A bit embarrassed, Mr. Holmes nodded, "Well that will make things a bit easier won't it?"
William leaned in a bit, deciding to get straight to the point.
"I am looking for a ship. A good one too, and you seemed like just the fellow that would have one."
The Spanish man laughed softly, flickering the brim of well his worn hat, " Mhm well, you came to the wrong Captain. The Inez is not for sell.'
"Who said anything about buying? I wanted to challenge you, my good sir. You seem like the type of Gentleman, who be interested."
William lean over the rum soaked table, his head propped on the palms of his hands, grinning manically. Before the next word by either of the men was uttered, a red haired woman with emerald eyes and a knitted expression of suspicion was by the ol' Captain's side. She gripped his arm and hissed sharply
" Jose no." The short red haired woman held William's gaze, huffing.
The ol' Captain's brow prickled in annoyance, waving her away, then shrugging her a little off of his shoulders.
" mhm. Go get us uh- white peach wine. For this dumb boy and I, he’ll need the drink after our game.'
William smiled, watching the woman sneer and walk back into the crowd. His attention turn back towards the other man. "Oh how rude of me, I forgot to ask your name.."
The Captain brow perked as he leaned in," Captain Jóse Angél. "
"My name is William. William Holmes...Now Captain Angél..Have I got your interest?"
"Very much so, my young friend." Jose mused, flipping a golden coin between his fingers, clicking with each ring the coin hit.
"Wonderful, mm now, I will say that I wish to challenge you to a game of wits. What game that is however, I leave up to you."
Jose rose a brow, crossing his arms, thinking hard on this, drinking his last swig of tequila. He furrowed his brows, looking at his glass. William waited patiently for him, this was far more interesting than anything else he had done in all of his 17 years of life.
A huge smile finally spread across his face," A game of riddles, eh?" He slurred
The red haired woman shook her head as she came back with a platter of grapes and peaches slices, along with the White Peach Wine. She begin to set everything down on the table, three glasses, by the end of the game Mrs. Ruby would be needing a drink as well.
William nodded, "Mm of course my friend of course, give me your hardest."
Captain Angel greedily poured himself a glass of sweet peach white wine, sticking his tongue out in concentration. William observed him carefully, crossing his legs ever so subtly under the table. Finally the two drinks were set down with a drunken belch. Captain Nuñez laughed and waved the air.
" Drink drink! Then I will tell you."
William raised an eyebrow and took a drink of the wine.
"Good! salud salud! Right, so my riddle for you is.... I am invisible, I am the greatest fear of mankind, I am all and nothing at once, I am what plagues one's know, I am an explorer's treasure. What am I?”
Holmes paused and steepled his fingers, he considered deeply for a moment, wanting to be sure to get this right, "Would it be the unknown?"
He howled a laugh as he reached over to the young William. Clapping him on the back.
" You're smart! We'll have a glass every time we get a riddle done, what say you? "
Williams' outward expression remained as pleasant as ever, but internally he found himself cringing at this man's greed and gluttony, "Ah, a lovely idea." He smiled to him and nodded.
Captain José laughed loudly, sucking down the sickly sweet peach wine," mhmm! Your turn my friend.'
Young Holmes grimaced slightly, his hands fiddling with each other. "Mmm yes yes...While on my way to St. Ives, I saw a man with 7 wives. Each wife had 7 sacks. Each sack had 7 cats. Each cat had 7 kittens. Kitten, cats, sacks, wives, How many were going to St. Ives?"
Taking a moment, Captain Jose pondered, furrowing his brows," Mhmm how many in total? Or how many humans?" His tone grew serious, almost threatening.
"Mmm total my friend. How many are going to St. Ives?"
The old drunken man sat back and furrowed his brows." 29...?"
William looked to him, "Is this your final answer?"
"Mhmm yes...yes that is my final answer." He nodded and hummed
"A very good try my friend, however there is only one going to St. Ives." The young man leaned into the middle of the table and perked his brows, with a sharp smirk “Myself."
He paused, then thought about the answer," Oh...oh!!" He laughed, pounding the table,' Tricky fox!"
William smiled to him, leaning back into his seat, propping his soaked pointed shoes onto the table. "It is a personal favourite of mine."
Hours upon Hours passed, Captain José was passed out cold from drinking too much. William raised a brow, looking around for his mistress, where was no sign of her. He guessed that the red haired darling retired for the night. After another moment of waiting, he nodded to himself, deciding that Mr. Jose was knocked out cold.
Quietly, young Holmes searched the Captain’s pockets for anything he would need. His fingers brushed against a small smooth pocket telescope. He pocketed the item and took off before anyone would suspect anything.
~
Jonathan nodded and smiled softly to William, interrupting him. "Well, my love...tell the crew why you named the ship the Baker?"
He paused and nodded, "Ah yes yes...Of course."
The Captain quickly surveyed the room to gauge interest. No point in regaling them with a tale they did not wish to hear. Everyone was hooked and clinging to his every word. Toby watched him intently.
"The first mate of the active crew was Named George Baker. He took me under his wing and taught me properly how to be a captain."
Thassilon gave a smile." Mhmm and what dis he go off and do after zhe ship?"
William paused, frowning as he looked down muttering in a gentle, sorrowful tone.
"That is a question only Poseidon, himself would be able to answer for us, my dear Thassilon. He was killed in battle not too long before I met my love."
The room fell silent, until young Toby spoke up, " How did he die...?" He asked softly
"It was of...Well there were many reasons it could have been, but what we agreed upon at the time was that it was when he got between myself and a sword I did not see coming."
The doctor rubbed his husband's arm," And it was his choice to do so...."
"If I had been more aware he would not have had to..." William had no lack of blood on his hands but, the death of Mr. George Baker was one that truly bothered him to this very day. Pursing his lips, he shook his head. "In any case...That is how the ship came by the name Baker."
Captain Holmes looked to the window, furrowing his brows thinking hard on his next words. He decided to end the night of tales and head to bed, much to the dismay of the crew.
Doctor Wilton followed his Captain back to their room, he frowned. "My love, it was not your fault, he watches over you still, love."
The doctor looked to the black onyx raven on William's personal altar of sorts. There was a small stand in the Captain’s quarters with candles and crystals on there. A small carved statue of a raven sat there looking over everything.
"If I had just been more aware.”
William was seeming dead set on continuing to carry the black of what happened as he had already done for many years. Jonathan took the crystal carving and set it into his hands,
" He wouldn't be watching over you if he was angry still”
Jonathan nodded and smiled a comforting smile to the Captain. The rest of the night, he massaged Captain Holmes to sleep. Working out the knots in the poor man’s back, humming softly to relieve the Captain of all of his woes. Both falling sleep together in a blissful marriage of blankets, pillows, and the warmth of each other’s living bodies.
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