✧

(...) and the sound of the sea colors everything.

[saltkissed]

[ oktay cubuk, he/him, nonbinary ] — was that NADIR GULSE? the TWENTY-SIX year old is a GENTLEMAN & SHIP CAPTAIN, how exciting to see them this season! rumors have it they are EQUABLE and INTUITIVE, but i’ve heard they are BRAZEN and APATHETIC as well — maybe that’s why they’ve been called the MAVERICK. I have even heard that HE ARRIVED IN LONDON AN ASSASSIN IN DISGUISE —only time will tell.

— penned by karin.

⤷ &. INTRO

character summary: a gentleman (debatable) hailing all the way from antalya, turkey. just arrived in england a few months before the season started after his aunt and uncle wrote to his parents about opportunities aplenty in the country. sailed with his sibling(s) on his ship and is presently wishing that he could return to said ship and sail away again. his entire life is defined by the sea and his affinity for it. more sea beast than human, honestly. does not care for polite english society and wishes he could go swimming with sharks, but alas. here to stir some trouble because he's bored. also definitely not an assassin in disguise, but does nothing to quell any rumors.

inspiration: nikolai lantsov (if he was unhinged) — shadow & bone trilogy, house greyjoy — a song of ice and fire, this quote (in the context of wanting to go out with a bang) — the ghost bride.

aesthetic: eyes glittering in sunlight, the taste of sea salt, sharp teeth bared, a broken compass.

⤷ &. BASICS

full name: nadir gulse.

age: twenty-six.  

place of birth: antalya, turkey.

gender: nonbinary.

pronouns: he/him.

sexual orientation: bisexual. 

religion: born muslim; atheist.

family: arda & jale gulse (parents). three unnamed siblings.

languages: turkish (native), arabic (fluent), english (conversational), persian (rudimentary).

profession: captain of the iron kiss & rich kid. not an assassin despite what lady whistledown says.

label: the maverick.

⤷ &. STORY

the water beat against the shoreline just outside of the window when nadir was born—tide high on that one late summer night. the third gulse child, welcomed by his father, mother, and the sea.

he was no older than four when his eldest sibling taught him how to swim, and he has yet to look back at the shore ever since then. the day he almost drowned was the day he fell in love with the violence of the ocean.

nadir grew strong and brutal—almost wild. it matters not that the gulses are members of antalya's high society, arda's merchant background and jale's military roots will not dictate nadir how he must behave. and who is there to stop him? he is but a third child, with an elder sister and brother to bear the brunt of responsibilities while he spent his days swimming and sailing, seabound and shipbound.

on his 14th birthday his father gifted him a boat. it was small, no bigger than a fisherman's boat, but it was his pride and joy. until the day he was granted his ship. he called it the iron kiss and named himself captain. it was his many voyages across the ottoman empire and beyond that filled most of his days.

it's one day not long after his 25th birthday that his parents received a letter. from an aunt, and uncle, and cousins nadir have never met. they're in england, he knows. his father's younger sister, who married another wealthy merchant seeking to grow his business on foreign lands. my dearest brother, the letter read. send your children to england.

and so arda had. nadir was tasked to take his siblings on the iron kiss, to bring them safely to the shores of england. they were to meet his aunt in a quaint town called brighton.

it was the preparations for the social season that awaited them there. his aunt and uncle were so sure that the gulse siblings would find opportunities in the capitol city of london. riches and maybe even love, they said. the mysterious new arrivals would surely do wonders for nadir's own cousins.

so nadir docked his ship. he let himself be led by his aunt and uncle all the way to london, already dreaming of the season's end. but for now, without the ocean at his window— what better way can he entertain himself than to bare his teeth and play with fire?

⤷ &. WANTED CONNECTIONS

his family! in my mind nadir has three siblings, two older and one younger. some of them would've came with him from antalya. also his cousins, who likely grew up in england.

proper gentlemen and ladies. they probably would find nadir distasteful and he Does Not Care. it would be very funny.

fellow menaces. people who he is on good terms with because they too are an acquired taste.

admirers...? i don't think anyone should admire nadir but i imagine that his free spirit would have attracted some attention. he would also probably be bad influence.

people he kisses. not saying nadir's a hoe but well... it doesn't really take much to convince him to kiss someone, honestly.

anything and everything! he's not very kind or friendly but he is outgoing and sociable.

[countenanced]

– IT IS HARD NOT TO VIEW NADIR'S ACTIONS WITH AN AIR of performance – though that would be a compliment to him, where others might see the showmanship as arrogance. of course, it is easy to portray such a demeanor without scrutiny when one is an eligible suitor. but no one knows who amelia really is either, and she carries herself with the elegance and importance of this season's diamond ( despite being a few years past fresh enough to truly court the queen's favor. ) maybe they can put on a performance together. " i do not want your flattery if it is empty, my lord, " amelia says, raising her gaze to his as they find the dance floor. " though i'll admit – i am skeptical due to your lack of interest when we were first introduced. i would love to know how i inspired this change of heart, " there's an air of facetious innocence, a smile that lifts the corner of dark red lips as she tilts her head, eye contact only broken by the steps of the dance.

she could do this with her eyes closed, but she is grateful for the moment to spin out of reach when he remarks about her potential suitors. " well, you know what they say about me, " she says, voice lowered only slightly in the moments where nadir draws her closer, " i'm quite particular. take that for the compliment it is. " she contemplates his question a moment, her hands in his as they move in time to the warbling beat, in the center of the ton's attention. she wonders what is being said about him, that she's chosen such a rogue for her first dance this season.

" well, would it have been true ? " she asks, eyes narrowed.

[saltkissed]

a dance is a dance is a dance. it does not have to mean anything if he chooses for it not to, even on the night that marks the beginning of the social season. or rather, it does not have to mean what society dictates it means. surely a dance could simply be what it was meant to be: a form of performing arts. two people moving in sync on the dance floor to the accompanying tune of the violin and the piano does not have to mean any more than what it is. what one sees can simply be what one gets.

he thinks of the words of flattery he has uttered to amelia tonight. if a performer is skilled in their profession, does it not mean that whatever they perform can feel like a truth? amelia may not be so easily fooled, but what of the rest of the ton? perhaps this dance is a performance that is also seen as a truth. the smile blooming on nadir's face is genuine in the face of the thought. "why, our first meeting did not feature nagging aunties and classical waltzes, did it?" he asks. there's another step forward, just in time to meet his dance partner halfway. "often a different scenery is enough to inspire a change of heart, don't you think?"

all of this, light and airy and meaningless as soon as the song ends and he must relinquish the lady amelia zhang to the sea of eligible suitors once more, is enough to make him feel heady. akin to the rush performers feel after they take their final bows, he supposes. "it could be true," nadir says. "are we not having a grand time right now? i did badly want to enjoy myself tonight."

[latetobloom]

where: Palace Gardens

open to: everyone in whistledownhq

Kenna approached the Palace Gardens with her paternal aunt. She noticed everyone in the room, they were all unfamiliar to her. She had missed the coming out ceremony to the Queen. She was twenty and four, which is a bit on the older side for the marriage market. The fights and arguments that her father and his wife had on whether Kenna should be brought to the Season that particular year lasted years. Quite parched, she approached the punch table and took a glass, bumping into someone. "Oh, I am so sorry! You will have to forgive my clumsy nature."

[saltkissed]

a light jostle is hardly an unforgivable offense, especially in a space with so many people milling about. if anything, he's used to standing shoulder to shoulder, elbow to elbow that a brush, or even a bump can be quite comforting. "no harm done, my lady," he says, one hand held up and the other wrapped tight around a glass of his own. its content sloshes, but not nearly enough to spill onto his ruffled shirt. "as long as it's not a toe stepped on the dance floor, i'm sure any fumbling is easily forgivable, no?"

[motivesrpgx]

Catherine has always been betrayed by her cheeks, one of her sisters once teased that it took little more than a strong gust of wind to see her flushing scarlet. The gentlemen and unconfirmed assassin’s lips so close to her ear are, therefore, more than enough to set her face aflame.

She pushes through, however, too used to such a reaction to let it shake her. “You assume I would want to help you preserve your secret identity. Could it not be safer for me to reveal you? Were something to happen to be after I have questioned you so publicly, surely you would become a prime suspect…” even so, she had lowered her voice so no one around them was likely to hear.

Her smile is one of a girl who had spent much time playing pretend with her sisters as a child, a woman who could not resist a great story. “No. I fear it is not in my nature to play such games.” She sighed. “If you tell me a secret I will have to keep it. I cannot bare to break someone’s trust. If you are indeed planning assassinations I could be both an easy target and a useful ally.”

[saltkissed]

is it inappropriate for a gentleman to find humor in a lady's flushed cheeks? what of an assassin? nadir wonders. try as he might, it is impossible to keep from choking on the laughter stuck in his throat, so he lets it bubble over. it is but a small, airy laugh—likely not enough to make the lady think that he's laughing at her expense. well, no matter. he pulls back just enough to get a better look at her, and then it dawns on him.

the diamond of the first water, the lady catherine smith herself.

"any smart assassin would never so publicly reveal themselves to the diamond of the night," he says. a bow follows, waist bent briefly before he straightens once more. "it seems like no introductions were needed after all, miss smith. i suppose congratulations are in order."

in this make belief world of miss smith's where captain nadir gulse is an assassin in disguise, he wonders what he would have done. a mysterious ship captain from abroad would surely draw too much attention to be seen with the diamond, but are the best disguises not the ones hidden in plain sight? a false courtship, maybe, would have been his story. another laugh escapes nadir, the notion far too grand to entertain. "i promise, you may put your mind at ease," he tells her. "no assassin, be it me or anyone else, will draw your blood tonight."

[seatiides]

❛ pardon me, captain gulse, for i might sound foolish a moment but, ❜ the abrupt insertion into a conversation does not bother her, ever so gentle as to turn and give her attention to him as she would a royal. ❛ what shall you imply by 'ending' ? ❜ while she knows life outside society is more than existent, dreaming of its grand borders and fantasizing of its everlasting adventures, she's not ready to call this year's season a closure. ❛ isn't a life on a ship a cycle in itself as well ? setting foot on unexplored land to then wait to set sail once more ? ❜

[saltkissed]

there is truth in lady alice kang's words. all but the ultimate ending of death is a cycle in this world. even in death, life itself turns and turns upon itself until the end of time. the corners of nadir's lips pull upwards, dimpling his cheeks, setting his eyes alight with mischief. "i concede, then," he says. there is nothing to concede, truly, not when a conversation isn't a war, but nonetheless. "so each suitor you meet— do you think them unexplored land? would you learn them, one after the other?" the rogueish smile makes itself comfortable on his features, though even he isn't quite sure himself if he meant it in playful jest, in mockery, or in genuine curiosity. "how very generous of you."

[ofravished]

" ARE YOU NOT A GAMBLING MAN ? " aydin presumes, although everything he knows about nadir has him assuming otherwise. what sort of man who spends more time on sea than land doesn't enjoy a game of cards ? and what good is a game without stakes to be raised ? aydin can't imagine there's much else to do on a ship full of men for weeks on end. then nadir nears closer, voice dropping an octave, and aydin has a sneaking suspicion how they manage their time. dark eyes cast up at nadir, trying to keep his face composed, but a twitch of his smirk and flash of his eyes gives him away. " i would not ask questions you don't truly want the answer to, " he tells him, voice also dropping in sound. his gaze snags onto the man's crooked collar ; a careful hand reaches out to fix it for him, though his eyes don't stray far from the other's gaze. once it's good, he gives nadir a small pat on the shoulder, before taking a small step back. more distance between them seems necessary. " have you had a dance yet ? "

[saltkissed]

a smile touches nadir's lips, though this one was much less wolfish than the one he had worn when he approached aydin. "not when it comes to the matters of the heart," he returns. when he says it, a hand hovers over his chest, just above his heart. he's certain that it looks believable—sincere—to the many onlookers, if any were to eavesdrop on his conversation with the young lord of swansea. it isn't truly a lie, after all. what they don't know is this: he does not gamble when it comes to the matters of the heart because the heart concerns him little. there is not much to win or to lose when he cares not for either.

hand returning to his side, nadir asks, "permission to speak out of turn, my lord?" at this, a smirk returns. he allows aydin to pull out of his sphere, doing the same with a step back of his own, if only to drag his eyes over the length of aydin's body before returning the man's gaze. "you should not ask questions that you do not want to live with the consequences of. a question like that is enough to make a person think you're offering a dance."

never mind that his permission is yet to be granted.

[seadrops]

the memory rises to the forefront of her mind, unbidden and unwelcome. she is transported back to a time when the scent of snowdrops and mignonettes were overpowering her senses and the cover of night sheltered them from view of the manor — the mysterious ship captain from overseas and the third born toussaint. it could have been a scene plucked from the pages of her romance novels, scandalous and daring from the absence of a chaperone. 

rissa’s reality is a different tale. tucked between the blooming flowers of her family gardens or in a secluded area of hyde park does not change the mounting dislike in her chest for the person before her. “are you a gentleman? i was under the impression that you were a scoundrel washed up from sea who had lost his way.” irritation prickles at her nerves as she shuts her book, tucking it beneath her arm. it’s not an outright dismissal, but her ignoring his hand as she stands without his assistance is. “and scoundrels do not participate in the london season, nor do they have a want to.” her speech is effortlessly blunt with him in a way she cannot be with any other gentleman who makes himself a nuisance; there is no need for niceties with someone who has such little influence in society. setting a brisk pace away from him, she continues, “even if i were to entertain your inane fantasies, i would say i feel sorry for any future wife you have. there’s a high probability you would tie her to the front of your ship as a new figurehead.” 

when she has found the path once more, she pauses to confirm there is no one in the vicinity before she steps out of the treeline. it only vexes clarissa further to hear his footsteps behind her as his strides keep up with her own. “is fate now considered a dinner invitation? my, how times have changed even something so divine as destiny.” she doesn’t roll her eyes, but it's a near thing. “i believe we both know you are not here for something such as fate or love. will you continue to spout such an obvious lie?”

[saltkissed]

here is a truth: romance has never been a factor in any of his conversations with clarissa toussaint. not in the gardens of her family manor in quaint brighton, and certainly not here, even if he speaks of true love. clarissa is right that it is not fate that led to their first meeting, merely a dinner invitation extended by her family to his. one that he had made the most of, needless to say, but it is a simple, undeniable truth that he does not possess any romantic feelings for the lady. had he did, then perhaps he would've think fate much crueler. nonetheless, nadir is not so egotistical that he thinks clarissa could be so easily fooled. and yet, it does not stop him from weaving together sweet, romantic notions of love.

here is another truth: he relishes in the way she sticks her nose in the air, ignoring his outstretched hand to set off on a brisk walk in an attempt to rid herself of him. it is not so much a challenge as it is an amusement—a refreshing honesty in these parts of london. what other choice does he have but to follow her through the long winding paths of hyde park?

and isn't it fortunate that god has blessed him with long legs, for it takes only a leisurely pace for him to keep up with her. "you offend me yet again, my lady," he says when he reaches her side. to an onlooker, they must look like quite the pair—taking a stroll on a beautiful day. he wonders what they'd make of the hand that clutches at his chest, dramatic as a sigh leaves his lips to follow suit. "it is only rejection upon rejection, insult upon insult with you. do you not care about breaking a poor gentleman's heart?"

no, he can almost hear the scathing reply already. truly, it is not a question that needed to be asked, but ask he will all the same. "besides," nadir adds before clarissa can deign him with a respond, head turned to look at her, "that is quite the awful fate that you have wished upon yourself."

[dutiesbcund]

OPEN STARTER 

Edward was obligated to be there, he was a Prince of England and his mother had pretty much demanded his presence, making it very clear that she was picking the Diamond of the season and that he should pay attention, and heed her recommendation. He was of the age where his parents and the Kingdom expected him to be wed, so he wasn’t at all surprised by his social calendar for the season, and the garden party was just the first of many. 

As he was introduced by one of the other courtiers, he bowed his head politely at the people he had just been introduced to, playing his role when a Garden party full of eligible ladies of the Ton literally looking for their Princes approached him, giving him barely a moment’s peace. 

Chuckling as he saw that someone else had evidently had the bright idea to hide deeper into the gardens, he just cleared his throat. “I dont believe we’ve been introduced –” he said, staying where he was and making his presence known by the other. 

[saltkissed]

he spins around when he finds himself addressed, only to come face to face with none other than the prince of england. even with what little he knows of english society, it's impossible to not know the face of a royal. and to be presented with the opportunity to speak to one... nadir has absolutely no intentions to let that slip away from him.

"i don't believe we have, your highness," nadir agrees. he dips into a bow, briefly, before straightening again to look at prince edward windsor in the eye. a smile flits across his lips. "it seems like i have the unfair advantage of anonymity right now, for you are known to all of england even without introduction. but no matter. i do believe you have an advantage, too." he pauses only to gesture to the garden hedges and flowers around them. "i seem to have lost my way—" a lie. "perhaps you could show me around, in exchange for my name."

[countenanced]

– SHE'S NOT AS GLITTERY AS SHE WAS A FEW SEASONS AGO, at least. there's still waves of nostalgia at a party such as this, ones where she can remember her first season, where everything seemed possible. then the second, where she felt miserable and confused, but somehow found herself even more desirable due to an infamous rejection. and unable to enjoy it. then the third, where the offers came from unserious suitors looking for a challenge more than a wife, or men seemingly below her station anyway. either way, she wouldn't have the luxury of accepting any of them. and now ? she has other things on her mind, namely scanning the crowd for wherever her eligible sister's run off to.

she does not expect to come face to face with a man. " oh ! " a breathless exclamation. her gloved hand gently takes his, curtsying daintily. " lord gulse. how lovely – and unexpected to see you here. are you taking part in the season ? " amelia asks. when they were last introduced, he could not have seemed less interested in her, or anything regarding society. her eyes narrow slightly as his explanation comes together. her lips purse. " ah. so you mean to use me as a distraction for her, " she observes, feeling insulted. it's only her pride that keeps her from hiding her shame, that this will be her first dance tonight, and it's with someone who's made painstaking care to emphasize they have no interest in her.

there's a glance toward the dance floor and back at him. this could be mutually beneficial. she does need to offer her card a few times tonight, to be seen courting. and he clearly needs to do the same. amelia might privately prefer romance, but over the years she has become far more comfortable with business. she holds it out to him, " very well. one dance. but i think you'll owe me. "

[saltkissed]

"you make me sound callous, my lady," nadir says. still, the smile on his lips stays, entirely undeterred by the lady's reprimand. her curtsy is returned with a bow, followed by a hand taking hers, already leading her onto the dance floor. "it is not meant to be a distraction. the way i see it, this is simply a chance i have no reason not to take. it is but an opportunity to dance with an esteemed lady, is it not? my aunt promised that the eldest lady zhang is a beautiful, perfect sweetheart.

"tell me, how many suitors are vying for your hand tonight? i must be very lucky to have won a moment of your time, let alone to be graced with a dance." in the background, the music slows into a classical waltz. nadir's free hand hovers amelia's waist. his smile is all teeth now, even as he sways to the music. "i suppose i must thank you, amelia." he's certain that the slip of his tongue—the casual mention of her name without a title—would not go unnoticed.

one step leads to another, and then another, and another. and then he asks, "if i had told you that i so badly wanted to dance with you, would you have called me a liar?"

[tolvajok]

How could one possibly find it so easy to hold such light-hearted conversation? Alex needed hours, if not days to come up with responses, well thought-out, and yet still delivered horrendously, and there was Nadir, charming words rolling off his tongue without strain. "Oh, I..." He started out, his gaze cast down to his feet as he decided that his mother's maids, footmen and carriage drivers would be perfectly enough helping hands for the spoils of her shopping spree.

Besides... he didn't mind spending time with the other gentleman. Being in his company felt effortless. There was a nonchalant air around him that made it easier for Alex to breathe. Well, as long as he didn't leave him alone somewhere uncharted. He hummed softly as they turned the corner to a much quieter alleyway between two shops that were already closed for the day. "I've indeed got a favorite place to dine. Most of the officers go there to drink, so it's usually rather... boisterous. I think you would find it most agreeable." He smiled as he reached into his inside pocket to pull a small ornate silver case of cigarettes out, then offered it to Nadir. "I can assure you that the only thing I'll turn into by sundown, is tired. And hopefully rather drunk."

[saltkissed]

for a moment, nadir entertains the notion of linking his arms with alexander, as little children do. perhaps with another he would have, but it's a certain fondness for the lieutenant that stops him from doing so. it won't do to embarrass alexander, not even in a quieter alleyway where it's just the two of them. instead, nadir takes the case offered to him, plucking out a cigarette. his features smoothen into something less impish.

"i do often find boisterous agreeable, it seems," he says. the cigarette rests between his fingers as he hums, head nodding. "i'm flattered, lieutenant, that you would trust me to be in your company while rather drunk." he would quite like to see quiet, polite, sweet alexander knight rather drunk, nadir thinks. "i swear i won't allow you to embarrass yourself. be your knight for a change." only half a lie. there's no harm in trying to wear chivalry like a cloak every once in a while. maybe he would get a laugh or two before escorting alexander home. "we shall go, then. after our smoke.

"now, would you be so kind to light me?" cigarette placed between his lips, nadir leans in, another mischievous look lighting his eyes.

[motivesrpgx]

Who: @saltkissed

Where: palace gardens

Miss Jones was a gossip. A notorious one, not smart enough to be whistledown. She had no subtlety, no discretion in what she did or didn’t spread. But she was just as destructive. Cat had done one lap of the room with her and already felt she knew the secrets of every person the past.

It was not easy to extract herself, but when Cat did she found herself standing next to one of the few people Miss Jones had pointed out who had actually interested Cat.

“I am going to have to ask your forgiveness, Captain Gulse. I am more than aware in London we are supposed to wait for a formal introduction, but I find myself quite unable to resist!” Catherine had never been good at waiting for introductions, she was too used to knowing everyone else already. “I fear you are going to deny to me that the rumors about you are true, and I pray you do not. Even if you must lie to me, I find the idea of an assassin in our midst simply to exciting to resist!”

[saltkissed]

truth be told, more than half of the faces in the palace gardens are still entirely unfamiliar to him. even the half that he thinks he must've seen once or twice before, he cannot seem to recall most of their names. there are only a handful who he knows for certain.

but a party is still a party, and what are parties for if not to make rounds? he's sure he'll dance with a lord or a lady or two whose names he will not remember when morning comes. plenty of conversations, too, that he won't know who he had them with. no doubt chiming in whenever a topic of conversation feels like one that he could weigh in on would lead to more conversations than names he can remember.

so when a lady approaches him for a conversation, —one far more interesting than he could hope for—he says, "i'm sure a formal introduction could wait, my lady. there are, after all, more pressing matters at hand right now." he smiles at her demand, leaning in just enough until his lips almost touch her ear. his voice is hushed when he speaks. "like the one of the assassin. but not too loud, please. if there were truly an assassin in our midst, i would think that he would not appreciate it if a lady reveals him." it's only when he pulls back that he raises his voice again. "would you not agree?"

[grcndiose]

closed starter for nadir @saltkissed

even for a man with no proper education, it was easy to figure out why security was so tight that they felt the need to hire outside help for the event.  alonzo had heard mention of a lord who was rumored to be an undercover assassin attending the garden party tonight but as far as he was concerned, the notion that any of these lords or ladies would have the capability of doing anything else aside from dancing and eating their fill of overpriced pastries was more laughable than an actual threat.  alas, the only question alonzo ever finds worthy of asking when taking a job is ‘how much?’ so if his keeping an eye on a specific lord is to be his priority for the evening, the hire arm is more than happy to oblige — nothing like getting paid for doing practically nothing. 

so he does just that, clinging close to the shadows and away from the bustling crowd all the while monitoring this so-called assassin. as expected, the gentleman doesn’t seem set on making any sort of murderous moves this evening. what alonzo doesn’t expect, however, is for him to actually recognize the lord to be a former acquaintance of his… lord nadir gulse. now with an added interest, alonzo keeps a close eye on the lord, only deciding to approach him from behind once he strays away to a more secluded section of the party. the snort that escapes him is one of amusement, far too rambunctious not to catch the lord’s attention.  “my, my look at what the shore dragged in.” if nadir turns around, he would find alonzo leaning against a pillar, arms crossed over his chest and wearing his classic, shit-eating grin. “if memory serves me correctly, last i saw you we had just docked in spain. how did we separate again?” alonzo can’t remember if it was because of a job gone wrong or because one of them couldn’t hold their liquor or their fists back at one of the underground clubs. maybe both? 

[saltkissed]

the voice is one he recognizes. barely, and he can't yet put a face to the voice with his back turned to them like this, but nadir is certain that he knows it from somewhere. he supposes it doesn't surprise him that they know him, too. he spins around just in time to the question of how they had managed to lose each other in spain, the face that his gaze falls on bringing back old memories. he grins. "ah, a ghost from the past," nadir starts, his arms spread wide before he settles into a dramatic bow—entirely for show, of course. there's no reason for him and alonzo de luca to exchange polite pleasantries, much less when nadir has taken the liberty of twisting some of the stories from their time together to feed the outrageous rumors lady whistledown has been publishing. perhaps alonzo has heard of them, too.

nevertheless, he says, "i have a confession to make, you see. i may have taken you out of the story when i retell the tale of our spanish escapades." if alonzo has caught wind even the slightest bit of the rumors, then he'll know what nadir speaks of. "in that version, i was escaping a hoard of guards and making a run for my ship. me, alone. no mention of the scroundel i left behind, even though night after night i wondered if i'll ever see him again. and now, here you are—" he takes a step closer, grin growing. "to haunt me yet again."

[saltkissed]

location: palace gardens — the garden party.

with: @enheriter — aloysius.

nadir is not quite sure if aversion or inclination should be the appropriate reaction to seeing the duke of oxford standing alone in the middle of the party—a hedge of flowers framing him in the backdrop. fight, or flight. his lips move before he can think better of it. "do you smell that?" he asks. a hand gestures toward the flowers. a deep inhale follows. there's a shadow of a mocking smile when he meets the duke's eyes. "wild honey smells of freedom. but gold smells of nothing."

[saltkissed]

location: palace gardens — the garden party.

with: @wcndrlnds — alice.

"how tragic." hardly a polite greeting, —or even one at all—but no good story starts with a hello or how goes you. "tell me, lady kang," nadir says before she could say a word, "do you not find it tragic that this is your life and it's ending one moment at a time? one dance to the next, one suitor after the other— is there truly no end to this cycle until you're married off?"

[etheraely]

❛ the better question, nadir, is : shall you be the one to explain your close proximity to a kept - woman, or will that responsibility be delegated to me ? ❜ her tone light, gaze held forward ; she herself is no stranger to the unwritten, unspoken rules of society — he requires a bit of work. still, she accepts the glass with nimble fingers, settling in with a sip. ❛ i have some time to humor you, i suppose. so pray - tell, what have i been missing all my life in our home land ? is it as . . . magical as they make it seem ? ❜

[saltkissed]

"my close proximity is easy to explain, is it not?" he returns. a wolfish grin settles over his lips as he weaves his story. "i saw the lady unaccompanied and have decided it my duty to act as her chaperone until her intended comes back to her side." at this, a sip of his own drink follows, concluding his answer with satisfaction. neither him nor alara are fools, —they both know that no one else would draw the same conclusion—but it matters little to nadir. "am i not preparing the bride-to-be for what is to come after her wedding? a recommendation for your tour, if you must. the delicacies back home are magical." how he misses home—and the freedom it comes with—right now. even the thought of the sweets at the market is enough to make him want to board the nearest ship and make a run for it.

he leans closer to alara, voice dropping into a hushed whisper. "would you like to know a secret, my lady? i would kill for one of those party treats right now."

[grcndiose]

soraya is distracted. has been all night really, thanks to a new bachelor having caught her eye almost immediately – but not for orthodox reasons. discretion is a practice soraya is well acquainted with so by all means she should know better than to allow her gaze to linger on the man for as long as it has but curiosity ( and perhaps wariness ) had taken precedence and now that he has noticed… she’s paying the price for it. her breath hitches quietly when he begins to close the distance between them and she finds herself looking away for a split moment to steel herself before allowing her eyes to meet his once more, now standing directly in front of her. however, instead of a greeting or a knife, she is met with a question. one that serves as a reminder of where they are, the event they are currently attending… and how improper it would be for her to decline. even if the manner in which he asks is less than formal, she responds with a practiced smile.  “of course.” it’s uncustomary on her part to not bow her head as she says this but the gentleman is standing so close to her, soraya worries her cheeks might flush if she becomes too aware of the proximity. 

 a delicate hand reaches out to place over his, the fine satin of her gloves smoothing over his open palm. “lord gulse, is it?” albeit a little cautious, she allows him to take the lead, following him towards the dance floor.  “your reputation certainly precedes you. stories of your grand ventures out at sea have been quite the topic of conversation since your arrival.” and soraya is determined to find out if they are all true, particularly, the rumors of his undercover work. “may i ask, what do we owe the pleasure of you joining us this season?"

[saltkissed]

her gloved hand placed in his, nadir leads his new dance partner onto the throng of other partygoers, falling into the steps of a waltz. music hums in the background as he places one foot forward, and then the other, and then backward, and all over again. it would be easy to get himself lost in the dance, but even now, with one hand in hers and another lightly hovering just over her waist, nadir still cannot place what brought on her gaze on him. sheer curiosity, perhaps. it would not be peculiar, given the circumstances of his arrival in london.

"ah, what a shame. though it seems like you have heard of me, i fear i cannot say the same about you." their eyes meet again, amusement coloring nadir's features. his tone remains light in jest. "it would be unfair to demand me to show all your cards when we've not been formally introduced, would it not?" he moves to spin her on the dance floor, and it's only when she comes back to where he had her that he says, "nadir gulse, my lady, captain of the iron kiss. would you be so kind to give me your name?"

[saltkissed]

location: palace gardens — the garden party.

with: @countenanced — amelia.

as it stands to reason, his aunt and uncle would be much better off sinking their time and energy into finding a match for nadir's own cousins. yet he has been pointed to no small number of lords and ladies tonight alone, so it seems like he must accept the dull reality: that not even he, a foreign ship captain with no real grasp over london society, may be spared from the marriage market. how he wishes that his aunt and uncle know of the deal he had made with franscesca toussaint already.

well, no matter. a garden party is no worthy adversary for captain nadir gulse. surely being thrown to wolves—the horde of dancing partygoers, that is—could prove to be great fun.

his feet land him in front of the lady amelia zhang, though he's certain that the shove or two from his aunt helped nadir find himself exactly where she wants him to be. he supposes that he could have done much worse than her, so he offers his hand. "forgive the intrusion, my lady," he drawls, not sounding the slightest bit sorry. "i may have found myself in a predicament that only you can solve by dancing with me. it's my aunt, you see. she is, of course, the loveliest lady, but ah," here, he pauses, leaning in to lower his voice. laughter threatens to bubble over his lips, but he presses on. "she can be quite forceful. i simply must dance with you, she says. surely you would not let me return to her without having earned this dance with you?"