no storyteller imposing any coherence

is there nothing but rust and ashes in you?

         yes. no. i had love, once.

what happened to it

         it died when it fell into my arms.

03.09.18

“I’m your captive now, is that it?”

It’s the first time Flint has spoken in hours. They’re in the belly of the ship, making their way deeper, both of them exhausted. Sleepless. They have just gotten off the island.

In the narrow corridor Flint stops, throws a slow glance over his shoulder. Just like that Silver’s throat knots. Labours. He manages to shake his head. Flint lifts his chains, once, as if to prove a point. Their rattling sets Silver’s teeth on edge.

“I told you I’d take those off if you’d just—” he exhales; frustration, grief, who the fuck knows what. “I don’t want it to be like this. You know that. You know.”

Their eyes meet. The men walk overheard, dropping dust onto their heads. Blood is still caked in Flint’s beard; in his split lip, the same one that trembles, now.

“What difference does it make?” he murmurs, much softer than Silver deserves. “You’ve already killed this thing dead. All that is left is for you to bury it.”

Black Sails: XX

Captain Flint smiles at him genuinely for the first time while Silver is grumbling over the blisters on his hand left by the potato peeler. “They’ll heal soon enough. A little honest labor never killed anyone.”

Because Silver is physically incapable of leaving well enough alone, he says, “Are you sure about that?”

At that he winks, and Silver nearly faints dead away. The captain carries himself like someone who’s fucked recently, like something very important just went very right. It’s having a terrible effect on Silver’s attention span. Finally he turns to leave, because he’s a busy man and not because he wanted to give Silver a good view of his arse.

Of all the people I expected to stab me in the back, Hal sighs one night, I didn’t think it’d be you. Suppose I should’ve seen it coming. Should’ve known you wouldn’t let something as trivial as eight years of partnership stand between you and that fucking gold.

Flint doesn’t look at him. He sees the apparition from the corner of his eye, pale and blurred around the edges. He waits. Then the voice is at his ear, gruff and regretfully fond- Flint thinks please, don’t-

Well, I hope it was worth it, Captain. You won’t be seeing me again.