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[Bio] Will
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Will
Basic Character Information
First Name:
Middle Name/Initial: –
Last Name:
Epithet: –
Birthdate: 1792
Gender: Male
Species/Race/Tribe: Human
Faction: Civilian – maybe a Pirate later
Profession: Doctor
Starting Bonus: Pocket Change: Extra 5 million Berri
Devil Fruit: Kumo Kumo no Mi, Model: Barn Spider
Physical Appearance
Height: 178 cm / 5'10"-ish
Weight: 60 kg / 132-ish pounds
Hair Style: Short, bit on the messier side
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Scars: Small, faded one over his lips on the left side, whole back scarred from whippings
Clothing and Accessories:
Will prefers function over form and doesn't worry too much about how what he wears looks like. He wants clothes that don't restrict his movements and don't get caught into things. Form-fitting clothes tend to be better for the more acrobatic movements while darker colors are good for staying hidden, so usually he wears just that. Not wanting to look too suspicious in a crowd however, he often wears a loose, dark blue wraparound vest over his shirt with a red sash tied around his waist. His shoes are dark and end before they reach his ankles, but the best thing about them isn't how they look, oh no. The soles are very soft, giving Will a silent step and a good feel on the surface he is walking on – though they are less comfortable on long hikes and shouldn't really be used for such. Usually has knives in scabbards on both sides of his hips, as well as a few hip pouches for storing items. Has a pair of half moon shaped reading glasses he needs when, well, reading.
Description:
Will looks like a rather average older male from afar, with skin that is a lighter shade of brown. His looks can be rather deceiving, as the loose clothes hide underneath them a skeleton of a man – but not literally, of course. The man is very thin with barely any mass, made of skin and bones, and it's clear that he doesn't have much in the way of muscles and lacks physical strength. His fingers are long and spidery, though his hands are surprisingly stable and warm considering how he looks like. Will's hair is brown in color and cut short – and quite the disheveled mess. The hair hasn't lost its thickness due to his age – yet – but it does lack a healthy sheen.
His facial features are masculine and sharp, the lack of weight most apparent on them. There's not much roundness on his face, his cheeks hollow. Will's eyes are brown and look rather tired or annoyed most of the time, the many sleepless nights he has had in his life giving him prominent dark rings under them. There are also some noticeable wrinkles around his eyes, honestly making the man look older than he really is. Under his right eye is a mole, almost like some ironic beauty spot on a not-so-beautiful man. Will's nose seems like it has been broken at some point, its sharp angles ruined by a bump in the middle of the bridge. A small, faded scar runs over his thin lips on its left side, gotten from some fight in the past. Will tries to keep his beard shaved, but as he's a rather lazy shaver, he often tends to have some kind of stubble going on. He doesn't really let it grow past the "a bit too overgrown stubble" stage, forcing himself to get it shaven by then.
- Zoan Form Appearances:
- Half Form:
In his hybrid form, Will grows another set of working arms and legs, getting some extra height from the slightly longer appendages. All of his all eight limbs become adorned with black and yellowish brown stripes, often hidden by his clothes. An extra set of eyes also appear under his original ones, and palps grow out of the corners of his mouth.
Full Form:
In the full spider form, Will looks much like a male barn spider, just… Human-sized! Which is quite terrifying, for arachnophobiacs especially. Somehow he still manages to look like he is extremely disappointed in your life choices. Some of his clothing melds into his body, but usually whatever top he wears will remain. This form has the all too important spinnerets to actually create silk.
The Past
Main Traits: Jaded, Dry, Scary Faced, Distrustful, Blunt, Pacifist, Secret Softie, Worrywart
Likes: Tea, Peace and Quiet, Dry Medical Texts, Sailing, Dreamers (but don't you dare tell them that), Spiders, kinda…
Dislikes: Alcohol, Combat, Wasteful People, Parties, Loud Noises, Cold, Assuming that he's older than he is
Unique laugh: You haven't unlocked this forbidden knowledge yet
Hometown: Red Sand Island, Grand Line
Personality:
Will doesn't really seem like the most pleasant person. He has seemingly perfected those annoyed death glares that seem to judge your very being with just one glance that drills right through a person. He rarely cracks a smile, and hearing him laugh is almost unheard of. He's a man of few words – and the words he usually says are quite blunt, as he's not one for fake pleasantries. There is a certain aura of intimidation and ruthlessness around the man and his calm demeanor, and he doesn't really seem to get intimidated himself, either.
But unfortunately for him, Will is a lot softer than he would like to admit. He's weak physically and mentally, and knows quite well that letting those one doesn't trust to see such weaknesses will have you being taken advantage of. Or worse. It's better to seem like you're tougher than you are, so others think twice before stepping in your way. His dry sarcasm and pessimism – something he would like to call being a realist – aren't exactly an act, but even if he seems like he's not afraid, it doesn't mean he isn't. Even if he acts like it's a bother to help someone, he does it in the end because he's worried. Yes, he will grumble, especially if he doesn't get paid – well, actually, he would grumble even if he did get paid to keep up his unfriendly persona, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't feeling genuinely happy when the sick and injured start feeling better. But hey, Will has no qualms about lying.
He's a doctor through and through. His hand should not harm, but heal. A technical pacifist, he understands that sometimes someone needs to be defeated in a violent manner for things to get better, but he would not want to be the one doing that – even if he somehow was able to, which is a bit of a stretch considering his capabilities as a fighter. Will does prefer a more diplomatic approach if it's up to him, perfectly willing to try to talk to any adversaries and change their minds. He is a patient man who can keep his emotions in check… Though of course, he too has his limits.
Will doesn't trust people easily and strangers definitely have it the worst, getting to enjoy the worst of his personality. But those he actually sticks with? Well, it might start getting harder to keep the act up… But he is still going to have to work on his delivery.
In combat, he is out of his element. He is still good at keeping his poker face and looking like he knows what he is doing, but on the inside, he's just frantically trying to figure out a way to slip away and hide in the shadows until hopefully whoever is trying to kill him gives up. But if someone is in trouble, it's very difficult for him to leave them behind…
Notable Skills:
Medical Skills: Will is an actually trained professional in the medical field with experience and knowledge of being a general practitioner and a surgeon. However, as he has also worked on ships as the only one with any medical training and no other help available for days, he has gotten plenty of experience with other related skills. He's not a dentist, a vet or a chemist, not by training nor profession, but when he's the best they got, he's had to learn fast.
Sleight of Hand: Will would like to claim it comes from him having a steady hand for incisions, coming from a lifetime experience of surgery. But his fingers learned to make every little movement count and be as undetectable as possible when they have liberated the contents of someone's pockets swiftly…
Stealthy: He has good control of his body and an eye for his surroundings. To be able to tread silently requires both a controlled step and knowing where to step so the material underneath doesn't give you away, and to be able to hide in shadows need you need to be very well aware of where said shadows are – and if you can fit!
Lockpicking: Though not a skill Will wants to broadcast to the world, he has picked up some… Tricks, due to certain life style choices in the past. Hey, maybe he was interested in becoming a locksmith or something! There's nothing unusual about that. Don't even try to mention the tools he may or may not be carrying with him. He doesn't have much, it's not like he could just… Get rid of them! They could be useful! He could sell them! …But yeah, give him a lock and he can probably tinker with it and get it to open. Pretty fast too, as long as it's not something designed to be extremely complicated.
Sailing Experience: He's no spring chicken and has spent years on the sea. He doesn't do much in the way of manning ships, but he does help where he can. He makes for a pretty good topman, a spider is pretty good at climbing, after all!
Doctor's Handwriting: You gaze upon the note that was handed to you and feel pleased. The writing on the paper looks neat and satisfactory, everything seeming to be uniform in size and spacing, with nice curves and loops that repeat through the letters. Yes, this is a hand that has been writing a lot for years, so certain and experienced. This could be from the hand of an older scribe. But wait. What is this? Something is wrong. Though you were pulled in by the pleasant shapes and lines, you start to understand… That you don't understand. Is the writing system different? Is the note written in a language you can't read? …No, no it is not. Occasionally, your mind is able to pull meaning from the words – the rare odd one here and there, but they exist. The horror creeps up on you, as you realize the initial impression was completely wrong, hiding a sinister truth. The writing on the paper. It is immaculate… But illegible. The curse of the doctor's handwriting has claimed another victim.
- History:
- If you asked Will, he has lived two lives already. Of course, he doesn't have the habit of talking about what happened in the past.
He was born as Bassem ibn Haidar in Red Sand Island, a rather rocky and arid island that managed to support life despite that in the Grand Line. Will was the eldest son, having quite the large family consisting of his parents, grandparents and many, many siblings. His father was a doctor, though they weren't the richest considering that his father was one caring for the common folk rather than those with the money. They managed to survive despite that, and as Will felt responsible for his family as well due to being the oldest child, he followed in his father's footsteps and helped the man as he could. He trained, he got better, became an actual extra set of hands at his family's clinic and a real doctor. Having two doctors would of course mean they could take care of more patients, helping with the financial problems.
Life was good. There was talk of his father eventually retiring and leaving the clinic to Will, a great honor indeed. Will even met a certain lady he grew quite enamored with, a commoner by the name of Fatima. One thing led to another – and that's a story for another time. He did propose to her and the two got engaged, though marriage wasn't something they were going to worry about right away. They could wait, get ready for that next big step in their lives.
But the sheikhdom they lived in wasn't the only one on the island. A war eventually broke out, but as the town Will lived in was rather poor and out of the way, they thought they would be safe for the most part. Unfortunately it didn't end up being so, and people had to evacuate. Will himself insisted that his family would leave, while he had a duty as a doctor to help their people and stay behind. He had wanted Fatima to leave as well, but she was not leaving his side despite him insisting and so, the pair stayed behind while their families left. Will never got to see them again after that, uncertain of their fate – though of course hoping that they survived.
They had some supplies and were able to treat the injured – up to a point. Nothing would last forever, and the pair had to sell pretty much everything they owned to help others and try to survive themselves – even if they sometimes did have to skip on the meals themselves. Their engagement rings didn't seem all that important in the middle of a war, as they had each other and their love was stronger than some piece of jewelry, they said to each other. But once they ran out of everything, there really was one option left: they had to take what they couldn't buy. While Will definitely did not want to become a criminal, they couldn't just turn away now after all they had done! It would be fine as long as they took from the enemies. It would be fine as long as they did it for good. Right?
As long as Fatima didn't have to risk herself, he was fine with it. He wasn't a thief and wasn't skilled at it, so of course he got hurt. Luckily for him, he managed to avoid the times when he would have lost a hand or two for getting caught for his crimes, but the beatings and whippings he did have to suffer through. Helping others became less of an issue when it became obvious that it was impossible. Their own survival was more important at that point, food would help more than the bandages. And the alcohol? Better drunk than used for trying to clean out wounds. Will had been quite the hopeful individual, but his naïve hopes and wishes were soon crushed by the jaded reality.
He became quite the pitiful man. Being sober was an impossible feat in such a world and mental state, and he was hardly a pleasant person to be around when drunk. It was no surprise that one day Fatima was gone, having left him without a word. He didn't even care at the time. All they really did was fight.
Will would have most likely drunk himself to death in a ditch alone if it wasn't for one fateful encounter on a starry night. By then, the war was more or less over, there was some kind of peace in the middle of ruined buildings and injured citizens. When staggering around the docks quite drunk and almost slipping off, he made a discovery that wasn't very normal on the post-war days: a body in the sea, a woman… Alive, barely. Perhaps he should have just left, but some part of him he thought was long gone made him unable to. Not like that, he couldn't just turn away. Eventually, after a moment of trying to figure out what he should do, he just dragged the woman to his little hideout and forced himself to actually treat her wounds, even saving his alcohol for her rather than himself. It wasn't easy and one could say it led to the death of Bassem, but Will would now say that it was one of the better choices he made in his life.
Simone Poisson, she had called herself when she regained consciousness. A pirate captain, washed ashore thanks to some rather strange occurrences and a failed fight nearby. Of course Will didn't like pirates, seeing that they were outlaws… But then again, what was he but a common thief? He wasn't exactly the one who could criticize someone's life choices – though he would have been lying had he said that he never did it. But according to the woman, her crew was nothing like that. They were in it for freedom, against the corrupted justice… Silly childish ideals if one asked the jaded, ever-the-pessimist Will, but there was something beautiful in it as well. Despite that, despite not really believing her, whatever he thought didn't matter when it came to handling the pirate: he was going to treat her no matter what while the captain was still believing that her crew would come to get her.
The chances of that happening were rather slim in Will's eyes, impossible even, and yet it happened. One night a strange group of people was loitering around the docks close to Will's little hole in the wall, something the man had noticed almost right away thanks to the noise they made – even if they clearly tried to be quiet. The worst thing was that they were obviously coming towards where he and Simone were, causing him to wake her up so they could try to escape before they were cornered by whatever insane brutes they were. The woman however, just got excited and called the lot over, scaring the poor Will as he prepared for the worst… But it was fine. Somehow. They were members of her crew, following their Vivre Card that pointed to the captain. Simone was already itching to go even if Will's professional opinion as a doctor was to disagree, but because he seemed so worried about her condition and safety, the woman did give him a choice: he could come with them.
And what a stupid idea it was. Go with pirates, ones he didn't even know? Join their crew? Become a pirate himself? Never. It was completely insane, something no sane person would ever do.
So why did he agree – and why did he agree so fast?
That was when he got his name, too. Bassem was gone and he needed a new name, Will being the captain's suggestion. It didn't really seem like a fitting name… But it wasn't like he had any better ideas. Perhaps a man was supposed to grow into his name rather than have something fitting from day one, and so, it was what he started to call himself from then on.
The crew did at first seem to be just like what Captain Poisson had said it was. They weren't the kind of pirates that raped and pillaged, though most of the people aboard seemed to be rejects of the society and thus not all of them felt very… Friendly, though Will was assured that they only seemed that way. The captain was like some kind of odd mother figure taking in those that had been dealt a poor hand by life, and was in turn respected by her crew. Or so it seemed. Will was willing to work as a doctor, but he did not want to take part in anything else. He wouldn't steal, he wouldn't fight, he wasn't going to actually be a pirate even if he did sail with them. He was just a doctor on board.
In its own twisted way, sailing with the pirates was fun. Will was a distrustful man and didn't really get along with most of them, but there was still something very special about it. At that point he probably should have realized that when things went well for him, something was going to go very wrong. On a day like any other, when Captain Poisson had left with a group of pirates to an island, she didn't come back. Some others were lost but many of the group came back, claiming that there had been an ambush and some of their friends had lost their lives, the captain included. But with her dying breath, she had appointed a new captain: a man by the name of Grimjaw Grue. Conveniently someone who had been with the captain as she died.
Will could hardly believe it. If he had to pick one of the worst people in the group, it would be that man. A ruthless creature, only kept in check because the captain was always there. To think that she would want someone like that leading them – it couldn't be! Of course he objected, but why would he be listened to? Are you jealous she didn't pick you to be the captain was a much too good of a retort, even if it didn't have an ounce of truth to it. But he didn't have anyone who would believe him over someone who had sailed with them for so long, as instead of really spending his time with the rest of the crew and earning their trust, he only really talked to and actually opened up to the captain. And maybe Will was wrong. The captain was able to see the good in everyone, even in people everyone else detested and abandoned. Maybe that was the case here, as well. Maybe Grue spoke the truth. He had started to doubt his own feelings.
Life under the new captain was different. They certainly started doing more… Actual pirate things. There were more fights and more run-ins with the Marines, even more lives were lost. The crew was nothing like it had been, and this realization eventually led to a confrontation in the crew between those who wanted the old captain's will and ways to live on and those who rather followed the new captain's ways. It seemed like Grue had managed to get quite a large following with his time as the captain, especially with the new recruits, leaving Captain Poisson's supporters as the much smaller party. There wasn't much that could be done at that point, and to avoid further fights, those who wanted to leave were allowed to. Will was quite willing when it came to that, ready to leave with the rest… But he was stopped by the captain himself. He wasn't going anywhere, oh no. He was a doctor, a valuable person with valuable skills not many had. They couldn't have him leave! And wasn't there some talk about how the good doctor had some other skills that might be useful to a band of pirates like them…?
Will certainly couldn't live up to his name. He didn't have the will to fight against it or be willing to sacrifice his life to stop himself from taking a part in all of it. Of course he looked for chances to escape, but he was guarded well even when he was dragged out with the rest to the land to do… Horrible things. Actually hurting others was rarely something he had to do personally, but he certainly was present, watching and unable to do anything to stop the horrors from happening. Will was there to help in other things, his past as a rather lackluster thief actually having taught him a thing or two about breaking and entering. Locks on things that could not be destroyed, in fear of damaging what was inside? He could deal with that…
But he couldn't be proud of what he had become. He thought he had escaped the life of a criminal and attained freedom, yet here he was, worse than ever. He didn't stomach it all without complaints and his relationship with anyone on the ship was extremely poor. Will was pretty much just a prisoner, always kept under the watchful eye of someone.
One of the great catches of the pirates was a sack full of Devil Fruits, gotten off a merchant ship that had been sunk with those that had been aboard. There was a lot of talk about what should be done with them, they could be sold a fortune or eaten for great powers. Eventually many of the crew decided to try eating the swirly-patterned fruits, stomaching their disgusting taste. But they did not work. No matter what they did, they did not get abilities or lose their ability to swim – that was easy to test, in the middle of the sea. The answer was obvious: these weren't real Devil Fruits, they were just fakes. When Will heard about it, he in his usual snarky way found it something that the pirates deserved, a beautiful posthumous joke played by the poor merchants that had lost their lives. He made his opinion known, a shallow victory to him.
Grue did not appreciate it. Perhaps Will had been a bigger annoyance than usual in the last few days, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Grabbing one of the uneaten fake fruits, the captain was going to make the man eat every last piece of it as a punishment, as the awful taste seemed to be something quite out of this world according to the few poor souls who had the luxury of enjoying them a moment ago – just like the real things. Unfortunately for Will, the fruit happened to resemble a cluster of grapes, giving him a lot to eat and enjoy. He fought and resisted, but he was unable to overcome the much larger and stronger man as usual. The first white grape was forced into his mouth, its disgusting red juices coating his mouth in a slimy layer of ooze that made him gag, but he wasn't allowed to spit it out. And then in went another one. And another. And another…
In the end, Will was lying on the floor, nauseous and defeated. As Grue moved in to grab him to move him elsewhere, he tried to resist just out of spite despite how sick he was feeling – or maybe exactly because of that, hoping to get some kind of revenge even though he knew that was impossible. He held onto the other man's arm, trying to push him aside, but… Grue wasn't moving. At all, in fact, not even trying to drag him. As the doctor looked up and saw the shock on the man's face, he realized that he… Had two left arms he had grabbed the pirate captain with.
It was a shock to everybody. Who would have thought that one of the fruits was actually a real Devil Fruit and it had been the one Will ate? Not Will himself certainly, rather distraught by the events. He hadn't ever thought that he would see a Devil Fruit in his life, much less eat one! He didn't even want to eat one, as that was an insane idea considering that there was water all around him! One indeed became unable to swim after eating a Devil Fruit, Will did test it. And he had become some kind of, of, monster! Perhaps it was fitting, in a way. He did kind of act like some kind of monster, so looking like one too was… Like karma. If he hadn't been so shocked of it himself, Will most likely would have pointed out the irony of Grue feeding him something so valuable. But he couldn't really laugh, not now.
The captain wasn't going to let the fruit be wasted like that, so Will had to start pulling his weight more. He didn't want to, of course, and perhaps he was thinking quite selfishly when his biggest issue was having to turn into that thing rather than all the horrible deeds he had to perform. It took him a long time to get used to his strange forms, and even to this day he doesn't really like what he has become, but the initial shock has dulled with time. And when he got over the shock? He was able to start planning his escape. He was a lot more capable of it now, and while a ship on the sea was more or less a prison to him, when he was taken out to the land…
Will got the perfect opportunity when one of the islands the pirates raided actually had quite the sizable amount of Marines in wait, creating an excellent distraction that allowed the man to slip away and hide. For a long time. He had many reasons to be paranoid about being found out by either the Marines or the pirates, but this time, this one time, luck was on his side. Still, he wanted to play it safe, leaving the island and sailing as far as he could on the first ship that would accept him. Away from the pirates, far away, somewhere peaceful. Get some time for himself after such a long time, try to get used to everything again. Used to being free. That kind of sailing reminded him why he liked it first when he had joined Captain Poisson. It was full of bittersweet, but good memories. It was the end of yet another life of his, and he could have renamed himself just like before, but… He felt like Will needed another chance, for the dead captain's sake.
Maybe this time he could finally live up to his name.
- Gray
[tracker=/t131-tracker-gray-starks#504]
Name : Gray
Epithet : "The Conqueror"; "Black Fist"
Age : 49
Height : 10'2" (310 cm)
Weight : 1043 lbs (473 kg)
Species : Cyborg Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Lurking Legend (Former Yonkou)
Crew : Black Fist Pirates (Destroyed)
Ship : Sangria's Vane (Destroyed)
Crew Role : Captain (Former)
Devil Fruit : Pressure-Pressure Fruit
Bounty : [ber=r] 5,000,000,000
EXP Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies)
Income Bonus : +0.20
Shop Discount : -30%
Balance : [bel] 25,000,000,000
[[strollingdeath]][[baneoftheweak]][[riseandshine]][[childofdestiny]][[freakofnature]]
[[punchoutguru]][[dulcetvirtuoso]]
[[improviseadaptovercome]]
Posts : 3928
Re: [Bio] Will
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Hah! The "Doctor's Handwriting" bit made me laugh. XD
Will has certainly lived a chequered life. I was half expecting you to keep him with Grue's crew and RP his escape after meeting your first player character. Either way, I look forward to his new life.
Approved!
Will has certainly lived a chequered life. I was half expecting you to keep him with Grue's crew and RP his escape after meeting your first player character. Either way, I look forward to his new life.
Approved!
Will wrote:Will
Basic Character Information
First Name:BassemWill
Middle Name/Initial: –
Last Name:ibn Haidar(technically a patronym, not a last name)
Epithet: –
Birthdate: 1792
Gender: Male
Species/Race/Tribe: Human
Faction: Civilian – maybe a Pirate later
Profession: Doctor/Thief
Starting Bonus: Pocket Change: Extra 5 million Berri
Devil Fruit: Kumo Kumo no Mi, Model: Barn Spider
Physical Appearance
Height: 178 cm / 5'10"-ish
Weight: 60 kg / 132-ish pounds
Hair Style: Short, bit on the messier side
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Scars: Small, faded one over his lips on the left side, whole back scarred from whippings
Clothing and Accessories:
Will prefers function over form and doesn't worry too much about how what he wears looks like. He wants clothes that don't restrict his movements and don't get caught into things. Form-fitting clothes tend to be better for the more acrobatic movements while darker colors are good for staying hidden, so usually he wears just that. Not wanting to look too suspicious in a crowd however, he often wears a loose, dark blue wraparound vest over his shirt with a red sash tied around his waist. His shoes are dark and end before they reach his ankles, but the best thing about them isn't how they look, oh no. The soles are very soft, giving Will a silent step and a good feel on the surface he is walking on – though they are less comfortable on long hikes and shouldn't really be used for such. Usually has knives in scabbards on both sides of his hips, as well as a few hip pouches for storing items. Has a pair of half moon shaped reading glasses he needs when, well, reading.
Description:
Will looks like a rather average older male from afar, with skin that is a lighter shade of brown. His looks can be rather deceiving, as the loose clothes hide underneath them a skeleton of a man – but not literally, of course. The man is very thin with barely any mass, made of skin and bones, and it's clear that he doesn't have much in the way of muscles and lacks physical strength. His fingers are long and spidery, though his hands are surprisingly stable and warm considering how he looks like. Will's hair is brown in color and cut short – and quite the disheveled mess. The hair hasn't lost its thickness due to his age – yet – but it does lack a healthy sheen.
His facial features are masculine and sharp, the lack of weight most apparent on them. There's not much roundness on his face, his cheeks hollow. Will's eyes are brown and look rather tired or annoyed most of the time, the many sleepless nights he has had in his life giving him prominent dark rings under them. There are also some noticeable wrinkles around his eyes, honestly making the man look older than he really is. Under his right eye is a mole, almost like some ironic beauty spot on a not-so-beautiful man. Will's nose seems like it has been broken at some point, its sharp angles ruined by a bump in the middle of the bridge. A small, faded scar runs over his thin lips on its left side, gotten from some fight in the past. Will tries to keep his beard shaved, but as he's a rather lazy shaver, he often tends to have some kind of stubble going on. He doesn't really let it grow past the "a bit too overgrown stubble" stage, forcing himself to get it shaven by then.
- Zoan Form Appearances:
Half Form:
In his hybrid form, Will grows another set of working arms and legs, getting some extra height from the slightly longer appendages. All of his all eight limbs become adorned with black and yellowish brown stripes, often hidden by his clothes. An extra set of eyes also appear under his original ones, and palps grow out of the corners of his mouth.
Full Form:
In the full spider form, Will looks much like a male barn spider, just… Human-sized! Which is quite terrifying, for arachnophobiacs especially. Somehow he still manages to look like he is extremely disappointed in your life choices. Some of his clothing melds into his body, but usually whatever top he wears will remain. This form has the all too important spinnerets to actually create silk.
The Past
Main Traits: Jaded, Dry, Scary Faced, Distrustful, Blunt, Pacifist, Secret Softie, Worrywart
Likes: Tea, Peace and Quiet, Dry Medical Texts, Sailing, Dreamers (but don't you dare tell them that), Spiders, kinda…
Dislikes: Alcohol, Combat, Wasteful People, Parties, Loud Noises, Cold, Assuming that he's older than he is
Unique laugh: You haven't unlocked this forbidden knowledge yet
Hometown: Red Sand Island, Grand Line
Personality:
Will doesn't really seem like the most pleasant person. He has seemingly perfected those annoyed death glares that seem to judge your very being with just one glance that drills right through a person. He rarely cracks a smile, and hearing him laugh is almost unheard of. He's a man of few words – and the words he usually says are quite blunt, as he's not one for fake pleasantries. There is a certain aura of intimidation and ruthlessness around the man and his calm demeanor, and he doesn't really seem to get intimidated himself, either.
But unfortunately for him, Will is a lot softer than he would like to admit. He's weak physically and mentally, and knows quite well that letting those one doesn't trust to see such weaknesses will have you being taken advantage of. Or worse. It's better to seem like you're tougher than you are, so others think twice before stepping in your way. His dry sarcasm and pessimism – something he would like to call being a realist – aren't exactly an act, but even if he seems like he's not afraid, it doesn't mean he isn't. Even if he acts like it's a bother to help someone, he does it in the end because he's worried. Yes, he will grumble, especially if he doesn't get paid – well, actually, he would grumble even if he did get paid to keep up his unfriendly persona, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't feeling genuinely happy when the sick and injured start feeling better. But hey, Will has no qualms about lying.
He's a doctor through and through. His hand should not harm, but heal. A technical pacifist, he understands that sometimes someone needs to be defeated in a violent manner for things to get better, but he would not want to be the one doing that – even if he somehow was able to, which is a bit of a stretch considering his capabilities as a fighter. Will does prefer a more diplomatic approach if it's up to him, perfectly willing to try to talk to any adversaries and change their minds. He is a patient man who can keep his emotions in check… Though of course, he too has his limits.
Will doesn't trust people easily and strangers definitely have it the worst, getting to enjoy the worst of his personality. But those he actually sticks with? Well, it might start getting harder to keep the act up… But he is still going to have to work on his delivery.
In combat, he is out of his element. He is still good at keeping his poker face and looking like he knows what he is doing, but on the inside, he's just frantically trying to figure out a way to slip away and hide in the shadows until hopefully whoever is trying to kill him gives up. But if someone is in trouble, it's very difficult for him to leave them behind…
Notable Skills:
Medical Skills: Will is an actually trained professional in the medical field with experience and knowledge of being a general practitioner and a surgeon. However, as he has also worked on ships as the only one with any medical training and no other help available for days, he has gotten plenty of experience with other related skills. He's not a dentist, a vet or a chemist, not by training nor profession, but when he's the best they got, he's had to learn fast.
Sleight of Hand: Will would like to claim it comes from him having a steady hand for incisions, coming from a lifetime experience of surgery. But his fingers learned to make every little movement count and be as undetectable as possible when they have liberated the contents of someone's pockets swiftly…
Stealthy: He has good control of his body and an eye for his surroundings. To be able to tread silently requires both a controlled step and knowing where to step so the material underneath doesn't give you away, and to be able to hide in shadows need you need to be very well aware of where said shadows are – and if you can fit!
Lockpicking: Though not a skill Will wants to broadcast to the world, he has picked up some… Tricks, due to certain life style choices in the past. Hey, maybe he was interested in becoming a locksmith or something! There's nothing unusual about that. Don't even try to mention the tools he may or may not be carrying with him. He doesn't have much, it's not like he could just… Get rid of them! They could be useful! He could sell them! …But yeah, give him a lock and he can probably tinker with it and get it to open. Pretty fast too, as long as it's not something designed to be extremely complicated.
Sailing Experience: He's no spring chicken and has spent years on the sea. He doesn't do much in the way of manning ships, but he does help where he can. He makes for a pretty good topman, a spider is pretty good at climbing, after all!
Doctor's Handwriting: You gaze upon the note that was handed to you and feel pleased. The writing on the paper looks neat and satisfactory, everything seeming to be uniform in size and spacing, with nice curves and loops that repeat through the letters. Yes, this is a hand that has been writing a lot for years, so certain and experienced. This could be from the hand of an older scribe. But wait. What is this? Something is wrong. Though you were pulled in by the pleasant shapes and lines, you start to understand… That you don't understand. Is the writing system different? Is the note written in a language you can't read? …No, no it is not. Occasionally, your mind is able to pull meaning from the words – the rare odd one here and there, but they exist. The horror creeps up on you, as you realize the initial impression was completely wrong, hiding a sinister truth. The writing on the paper. It is immaculate… But illegible. The curse of the doctor's handwriting has claimed another victim.
- History:
If you asked Will, he has lived two lives already. Of course, he doesn't have the habit of talking about what happened in the past.
He was born as Bassem ibn Haidar in Red Sand Island, a rather rocky and arid island that managed to support life despite that in the Grand Line. Will was the eldest son, having quite the large family consisting of his parents, grandparents and many, many siblings. His father was a doctor, though they weren't the richest considering that his father was one caring for the common folk rather than those with the money. They managed to survive despite that, and as Will felt responsible for his family as well due to being the oldest child, he followed in his father's footsteps and helped the man as he could. He trained, he got better, became an actual extra set of hands at his family's clinic and a real doctor. Having two doctors would of course mean they could take care of more patients, helping with the financial problems.
Life was good. There was talk of his father eventually retiring and leaving the clinic to Will, a great honor indeed. Will even met a certain lady he grew quite enamored with, a commoner by the name of Fatima. One thing led to another – and that's a story for another time. He did propose to her and the two got engaged, though marriage wasn't something they were going to worry about right away. They could wait, get ready for that next big step in their lives.
But the sheikhdom they lived in wasn't the only one on the island. A war eventually broke out, but as the town Will lived in was rather poor and out of the way, they thought they would be safe for the most part. Unfortunately it didn't end up being so, and people had to evacuate. Will himself insisted that his family would leave, while he had a duty as a doctor to help their people and stay behind. He had wanted Fatima to leave as well, but she was not leaving his side despite him insisting and so, the pair stayed behind while their families left. Will never got to see them again after that, uncertain of their fate – though of course hoping that they survived.
They had some supplies and were able to treat the injured – up to a point. Nothing would last forever, and the pair had to sell pretty much everything they owned to help others and try to survive themselves – even if they sometimes did have to skip on the meals themselves. Their engagement rings didn't seem all that important in the middle of a war, as they had each other and their love was stronger than some piece of jewelry, they said to each other. But once they ran out of everything, there really was one option left: they had to take what they couldn't buy. While Will definitely did not want to become a criminal, they couldn't just turn away now after all they had done! It would be fine as long as they took from the enemies. It would be fine as long as they did it for good. Right?
As long as Fatima didn't have to risk herself, he was fine with it. He wasn't a thief and wasn't skilled at it, so of course he got hurt. Luckily for him, he managed to avoid the times when he would have lost a hand or two for getting caught for his crimes, but the beatings and whippings he did have to suffer through. Helping others became less of an issue when it became obvious that it was impossible. Their own survival was more important at that point, food would help more than the bandages. And the alcohol? Better drunk than used for trying to clean out wounds. Will had been quite the hopeful individual, but his naïve hopes and wishes were soon crushed by the jaded reality.
He became quite the pitiful man. Being sober was an impossible feat in such a world and mental state, and he was hardly a pleasant person to be around when drunk. It was no surprise that one day Fatima was gone, having left him without a word. He didn't even care at the time. All they really did was fight.
Will would have most likely drunk himself to death in a ditch alone if it wasn't for one fateful encounter on a starry night. By then, the war was more or less over, there was some kind of peace in the middle of ruined buildings and injured citizens. When staggering around the docks quite drunk and almost slipping off, he made a discovery that wasn't very normal on the post-war days: a body in the sea, a woman… Alive, barely. Perhaps he should have just left, but some part of him he thought was long gone made him unable to. Not like that, he couldn't just turn away. Eventually, after a moment of trying to figure out what he should do, he just dragged the woman to his little hideout and forced himself to actually treat her wounds, even saving his alcohol for her rather than himself. It wasn't easy and one could say it led to the death of Bassem, but Will would now say that it was one of the better choices he made in his life.
Simone Poisson, she had called herself when she regained consciousness. A pirate captain, washed ashore thanks to some rather strange occurrences and a failed fight nearby. Of course Will didn't like pirates, seeing that they were outlaws… But then again, what was he but a common thief? He wasn't exactly the one who could criticize someone's life choices – though he would have been lying had he said that he never did it. But according to the woman, her crew was nothing like that. They were in it for freedom, against the corrupted justice… Silly childish ideals if one asked the jaded, ever-the-pessimist Will, but there was something beautiful in it as well. Despite that, despite not really believing her, whatever he thought didn't matter when it came to handling the pirate: he was going to treat her no matter what while the captain was still believing that her crew would come to get her.
The chances of that happening were rather slim in Will's eyes, impossible even, and yet it happened. One night a strange group of people was loitering around the docks close to Will's little hole in the wall, something the man had noticed almost right away thanks to the noise they made – even if they clearly tried to be quiet. The worst thing was that they were obviously coming towards where he and Simone were, causing him to wake her up so they could try to escape before they were cornered by whatever insane brutes they were. The woman however, just got excited and called the lot over, scaring the poor Will as he prepared for the worst… But it was fine. Somehow. They were members of her crew, following their Vivre Card that pointed to the captain. Simone was already itching to go even if Will's professional opinion as a doctor was to disagree, but because he seemed so worried about her condition and safety, the woman did give him a choice: he could come with them.
And what a stupid idea it was. Go with pirates, ones he didn't even know? Join their crew? Become a pirate himself? Never. It was completely insane, something no sane person would ever do.
So why did he agree – and why did he agree so fast?
That was when he got his name, too. Bassem was gone and he needed a new name, Will being the captain's suggestion. It didn't really seem like a fitting name… But it wasn't like he had any better ideas. Perhaps a man was supposed to grow into his name rather than have something fitting from day one, and so, it was what he started to call himself from then on.
The crew did at first seem to be just like what Captain Poisson had said it was. They weren't the kind of pirates that raped and pillaged, though most of the people aboard seemed to be rejects of the society and thus not all of them felt very… Friendly, though Will was assured that they only seemed that way. The captain was like some kind of odd mother figure taking in those that had been dealt a poor hand by life, and was in turn respected by her crew. Or so it seemed. Will was willing to work as a doctor, but he did not want to take part in anything else. He wouldn't steal, he wouldn't fight, he wasn't going to actually be a pirate even if he did sail with them. He was just a doctor on board.
In its own twisted way, sailing with the pirates was fun. Will was a distrustful man and didn't really get along with most of them, but there was still something very special about it. At that point he probably should have realized that when things went well for him, something was going to go very wrong. On a day like any other, when Captain Poisson had left with a group of pirates to an island, she didn't come back. Some others were lost but many of the group came back, claiming that there had been an ambush and some of their friends had lost their lives, the captain included. But with her dying breath, she had appointed a new captain: a man by the name of Grimjaw Grue. Conveniently someone who had been with the captain as she died.
Will could hardly believe it. If he had to pick one of the worst people in the group, it would be that man. A ruthless creature, only kept in check because the captain was always there. To think that she would want someone like that leading them – it couldn't be! Of course he objected, but why would he be listened to? Are you jealous she didn't pick you to be the captain was a much too good of a retort, even if it didn't have an ounce of truth to it. But he didn't have anyone who would believe him over someone who had sailed with them for so long, as instead of really spending his time with the rest of the crew and earning their trust, he only really talked to and actually opened up to the captain. And maybe Will was wrong. The captain was able to see the good in everyone, even in people everyone else detested and abandoned. Maybe that was the case here, as well. Maybe Grue spoke the truth. He had started to doubt his own feelings.
Life under the new captain was different. They certainly started doing more… Actual pirate things. There were more fights and more run-ins with the Marines, even more lives were lost. The crew was nothing like it had been, and this realization eventually led to a confrontation in the crew between those who wanted the old captain's will and ways to live on and those who rather followed the new captain's ways. It seemed like Grue had managed to get quite a large following with his time as the captain, especially with the new recruits, leaving Captain Poisson's supporters as the much smaller party. There wasn't much that could be done at that point, and to avoid further fights, those who wanted to leave were allowed to. Will was quite willing when it came to that, ready to leave with the rest… But he was stopped by the captain himself. He wasn't going anywhere, oh no. He was a doctor, a valuable person with valuable skills not many had. They couldn't have him leave! And wasn't there some talk about how the good doctor had some other skills that might be useful to a band of pirates like them…?
Will certainly couldn't live up to his name. He didn't have the will to fight against it or be willing to sacrifice his life to stop himself from taking a part in all of it. Of course he looked for chances to escape, but he was guarded well even when he was dragged out with the rest to the land to do… Horrible things. Actually hurting others was rarely something he had to do personally, but he certainly was present, watching and unable to do anything to stop the horrors from happening. Will was there to help in other things, his past as a rather lackluster thief actually having taught him a thing or two about breaking and entering. Locks on things that could not be destroyed, in fear of damaging what was inside? He could deal with that…
But he couldn't be proud of what he had become. He thought he had escaped the life of a criminal and attained freedom, yet here he was, worse than ever. He didn't stomach it all without complaints and his relationship with anyone on the ship was extremely poor. Will was pretty much just a prisoner, always kept under the watchful eye of someone.
One of the great catches of the pirates was a sack full of Devil Fruits, gotten off a merchant ship that had been sunk with those that had been aboard. There was a lot of talk about what should be done with them, they could be sold a fortune or eaten for great powers. Eventually many of the crew decided to try eating the swirly-patterned fruits, stomaching their disgusting taste. But they did not work. No matter what they did, they did not get abilities or lose their ability to swim – that was easy to test, in the middle of the sea. The answer was obvious: these weren't real Devil Fruits, they were just fakes. When Will heard about it, he in his usual snarky way found it something that the pirates deserved, a beautiful posthumous joke played by the poor merchants that had lost their lives. He made his opinion known, a shallow victory to him.
Grue did not appreciate it. Perhaps Will had been a bigger annoyance than usual in the last few days, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Grabbing one of the uneaten fake fruits, the captain was going to make the man eat every last piece of it as a punishment, as the awful taste seemed to be something quite out of this world according to the few poor souls who had the luxury of enjoying them a moment ago – just like the real things. Unfortunately for Will, the fruit happened to resemble a cluster of grapes, giving him a lot to eat and enjoy. He fought and resisted, but he was unable to overcome the much larger and stronger man as usual. The first white grape was forced into his mouth, its disgusting red juices coating his mouth in a slimy layer of ooze that made him gag, but he wasn't allowed to spit it out. And then in went another one. And another. And another…
In the end, Will was lying on the floor, nauseous and defeated. As Grue moved in to grab him to move him elsewhere, he tried to resist just out of spite despite how sick he was feeling – or maybe exactly because of that, hoping to get some kind of revenge even though he knew that was impossible. He held onto the other man's arm, trying to push him aside, but… Grue wasn't moving. At all, in fact, not even trying to drag him. As the doctor looked up and saw the shock on the man's face, he realized that he… Had two left arms he had grabbed the pirate captain with.
It was a shock to everybody. Who would have thought that one of the fruits was actually a real Devil Fruit and it had been the one Will ate? Not Will himself certainly, rather distraught by the events. He hadn't ever thought that he would see a Devil Fruit in his life, much less eat one! He didn't even want to eat one, as that was an insane idea considering that there was water all around him! One indeed became unable to swim after eating a Devil Fruit, Will did test it. And he had become some kind of, of, monster! Perhaps it was fitting, in a way. He did kind of act like some kind of monster, so looking like one too was… Like karma. If he hadn't been so shocked of it himself, Will most likely would have pointed out the irony of Grue feeding him something so valuable. But he couldn't really laugh, not now.
The captain wasn't going to let the fruit be wasted like that, so Will had to start pulling his weight more. He didn't want to, of course, and perhaps he was thinking quite selfishly when his biggest issue was having to turn into that thing rather than all the horrible deeds he had to perform. It took him a long time to get used to his strange forms, and even to this day he doesn't really like what he has become, but the initial shock has dulled with time. And when he got over the shock? He was able to start planning his escape. He was a lot more capable of it now, and while a ship on the sea was more or less a prison to him, when he was taken out to the land…
Will got the perfect opportunity when one of the islands the pirates raided actually had quite the sizable amount of Marines in wait, creating an excellent distraction that allowed the man to slip away and hide. For a long time. He had many reasons to be paranoid about being found out by either the Marines or the pirates, but this time, this one time, luck was on his side. Still, he wanted to play it safe, leaving the island and sailing as far as he could on the first ship that would accept him. Away from the pirates, far away, somewhere peaceful. Get some time for himself after such a long time, try to get used to everything again. Used to being free. That kind of sailing reminded him why he liked it first when he had joined Captain Poisson. It was full of bittersweet, but good memories. It was the end of yet another life of his, and he could have renamed himself just like before, but… He felt like Will needed another chance, for the dead captain's sake.
Maybe this time he could finally live up to his name.
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