you and i, and no one else...

combining ed/stede with the great comet musical, because i’m feeling tender 

So we all know Ed ditches the sadness robe and goes full on emo Blackbeard like back to the BLACK beard - a pre stede, even kinda pre show self. Really, a full 180 when stede abandons him.

But in ep 8 after stede ditches the sadness robe and gets dressed to announce to the crew that Ed is not coming back, he's wearing that same OUTRAGEOUS (affectionate) bright teal silk outfit that he wears in EP 1.

Now, even after Ed joins the crew Stede's outfits are still frilly and ostentatious because he's history's specialest princess, but the colours he wears become increasingly muted and the designs less fruity the more time he spends with Ed.

So my point is, Stede ALSO does a complete 180 when Ed abandons him, as we are shown by his wardrobe choice (the teal silk outfit) which brings us literally back to EP 1 Stede "I've made a terrible mistake I'm not a pirate I'm an idiot" Bonnet.

I already had a post about this, but this is a different scenario. This time Ed and Stede go to Mary's house for tea or something (bc they're friends now) and Ed is terrified. He's not sure what to expect and is nervous that it's going to end up like when they went to party in episode 5.

Mary and Doug are not at all like that. They all sit on the couches, very casually, with tea, catching up, and it's very clear that Mary and Doug are in love. Ed's secretly relieved incase Mary wanted Stede back for some reason. The kids come running in but stop shyly in the doorway when they realize there's company over. Mary calls them in and introduces them. They both hug Stede but stand shyly at arm's length of Ed. He's a little offended but is also relieved because he doesn't even know what he would do if they liked him, he doesn't know how to act around kids. The last time he saw a kid was... when he was one. The kids hide behind one of the couches and quietly play while the adults talk.

Ed ends up telling a story about something cool he did once, and he notices their little faces mirroring Doug's awe, as they peak over the couch. He's self-conscious now, but finishes. As soon as he's done, Alma starts asking questions about the details. After the fifth question, Mary tries to good-naturedly shush her so someone else can speak but she's insistent. Well, that question needs to be answered by another story, and then those questions need to be answered by another story, and soon Ed's got the kids sitting at his feet (and Doug about to fall off the couch by leaning forward in excitement). Mary looks dreadfully bored and even Stede is trying to hide a grimace behind his tea, so Ed relents and let's someone change the subject.

While they talk about some other, much less interesting thing, the kids poke at Ed's leather clasps, try to look at his knife, and Louis even climbs up and tries to touch his beard. Normally, Ed would be very angry at these things, but he's got a soft spot for these kids now and just playfully pushes them off. Then it becomes a game. How quickly can they climb on him before he can throw them off again. Turns out, kids love to be poked, tickled and thrown (all gently ofc, he's very careful. All the other adults are watching him to make sure anyway). Eventually, the screaming and laughter is making it too hard for the conversation to continue so Mary banishes them to a different room. Ed doesn't mind because he was getting very antsy on that couch anyway.

The kids give him a tour and show him all the cool knickknacks and toys they have. Now it's his turn to be awed and them to tell him all the cool stories of each piece of furniture. "This is where I lost my first tooth." "This chair was a gift from Mr. Hendriks, our neighbor to the right. He's got a creepy face, so I think the chair's probably haunted." "This scratch in the paint is from when we were playing swords and I tripped." Ed challenges them to a game of swords which they happily accept. They take turns chasing each other around the house, up and down the stairs, through the conversation in the living room, screaming in joyful terror and shouting playful threats.