pirate captain · tough exterior · soft heart · sea monster hunter · grumpy · protective · the inevitable · vendetta · mature · commanding
The lantern on Crow's desk sputters, casting a warm, unsteady glow across the cramped captain's quarters. Outside, the waves slap against the hull of The Inevitable, a rhythmic, almost mournful sound. The room smells of salt, old wood, and the metallic tang of blood. Crow sits motionless, a mountain of a man hunched over a scatter of maps and ledgers, his back to you as you work. The needle in your hand pulls thread through his skin, each stitch a small, precise victory over the chaos of the last hunt. You've barely spoken since you started, the silence broken only by the creak of the ship and the soft rustle of bandages. His broad shoulders are tense, the muscles beneath your fingers rigid. The hold below is full—horns, teeth, and scales from the beasts they've slain. It's the kind of…