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pynkhues · 3 years

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Hello 👋 I know you are super busy with life and work and have so many asks to answer 😄 But is there any chance of a 'what the sea wants' update at some point? It's got me hooked ❤

Hello! And ahhhh, thank you so much! I love getting asks about What the Sea Wants, it feels like my giant monster baby these days, haha. Chapter 3 will definitely be up pretty soon! The next two chapters are more or less done – I’ve been experimenting with banking a few before I post to make the wait between chapters a bit shorter, but y’know...it’s me, and that’s not my strong suit these days, haha.

With any luck, I’ll post it this week though?

You can have a little excerpt though if you like ;-)

“Take her back to my cabin.”

It takes her a moment to process the words. To let them tear through the knit cloth of her frustration and try their hand at the softer seams below. To toy with the fraying edges of her wits, her dignity, her grace, her station, and then it’s with a new and breathless fury that Beth stares at Rio’s slender back, and says:

“Excuse me?”

But Rio does not turn his head back to meet her, nor stand, nor give any indication that he’s heard her at all. Rather he keeps his eyes fixed on his cabin boy, adds a “now” for good measure, and he reaches across the table for the flagon before topping up his cup. The stench of ale wafts below the dim candlelight, seeps into the loose petticoats beneath her untailored dress, and Beth hears the scrape of the bench across the wood floors as the cabin boy rises to his feet, but she doesn’t wait for him to grab her.

Instead, Beth steps forwards, a sharpness to her step, reaching for Rio’s arm herself.

“How dare you – you may not send me wherever you see fit, I am - -”

But Rio just snorts, has a drink, before swiping a pearl of condensation from his cup.

“I can do whatever I want, darlin’, I’m captain of this ship.”

“Captain of what?” Beth scoffs. “I am Lady Elizab - -”

The chair is suddenly pushed out, forcing her to step back lest it hit her, and before she has the time to rally herself anew, Rio is standing, his ale and meal abandoned as he turns to face her, his jaw clenched and his lips pressed into a thin, unamused line, and there’s something about it. That’s all. Something to the twist of his expression that has shed the easy brightness of the kitchens or the curiosity of the deck, and instead, he seems - - feels - -

Cold.

Beth blinks. Swallows. Tries to summon back her fury, but it’s like he’s seen it, smelt it. Blood in the water. Her cloth unravelled.

He clasps his hands before himself, and rolls his shoulders back

“Nah,” he says after a moment, drawls and yet it isn’t so casual as it could seem. “You ain’t a lady. Not anymore. See, anything you had, anything you were, is on that shore you left behind you when you stowed away on my ship.”

The blood thrums through her ears, a frantic cacophony of sound, and vaguely she’s aware of the hundred watching eyes of the men on this ship, of the only steps towards them Ruby’s through the fray, of her own stare, unblinking, unwavering, as she takes in Rio’s dark eyes and his set look, the coldness not disappearing, but shifting suddenly. He works his mouth, wets his full lips. His gaze seems to slip down her body, as easy as a nightdress off her shoulders, and something drips like molasses in the back of her throat.

“So when you stand in front of me,” Rio adds, slower this time, and his voice lower, as if just for her. “The only thing you are is lucky I ain’t the kind to send desperate women Davy Jones’ way, and if you wanna keep it like that, you gonna do what I say. You ask me what I’m Captain of? Baby, as long as you here, I’m Captain of you.”

#what the sea wants the sea will have #beth x rio #fic asks #this chapter really is pretty much done actually #i ended up re-reading it tonight to find an excerpt to post and was like omg sophie #it would take you like #three hours max to scrub this up #anyway #i'll get to it #i'm distracted by tfu haha #welcome to my ama #my fic #hunoncall

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