Today feels like yesterday never happened, like yesterday was just a bad dream. It wasn't exactly bright and early, but Ed basically jumps out of the bed. He's tempted to go find Stede or to have someone fetch him, but maybe he needs to tide up first, the place is just a mess since last time they were here. Tying his hair up, he begins to clean as quickly as he can, needing a way to let out all the energy he had. No, that is not going to be enough, he needs something else, something more. He still needs to find what the hell he is going to do, he shouldn't be a pirate anymore, he is bored of that, but he is bored of fishing too, so he has to find something else. And he needs to find different clothes, he shouldn't look like Blackbeard, but he shouldn't look like a poor person either. Maybe he can look like Stede used to, his fancy clothes that even Stede thinks Ed looks good in.

"Captain...um...could I...could I speak to you for a moment?"

Lucius feels a little awkward, he'll admit. He knows how he's been acting since they've all reunited, and he really knows he ought to apologize for it. Pete was right: he wasn't the only one going through things, and it wasn't right for him to take that anger and trauma out on everyone that so much as looked at him wrong.

WELCOME IN ! a cheery sign , lovingly crafted in pretty pastel paints by fang in some ill - gotten attempt to bring a pop of color to the host area ( izzy would surely erase the second he got in for the day ) . brings a smile to stubbled visage , lips parting to bare teeth with the sheer force of it as they wait impatiently for the arrival of next reservation . it wasn't an unusual sight , heavens no , edward teach always had been a rather hands - on owner with queen anne's . head chef , bartender , waiter , host . if it could be named and there was a job to be done , they did it .

this was something altogether different however . the eager bounce to their step , the hasty spray of their favorite perfume , the unbuttoning of first three buttons on their shirt to artfully reveal shimmering pearls laid out 'gainst tattooed skin. roach had muttered something about desperation under his breath as ed had rushed from the prep kitchens to the front of house in their eagerness for just this moment .

𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍, 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍. lips purse and his reflection glowers back. thick brows knit to frame the disdain as he tugs on old leathers and knocks back a quick shot of whiskey : gotta start the day somehow ! the only way they know how. dark gaze drops to their beard, more silver than gray ( old, washed up, HAS BEEN ). the public relations assholes said it'd be the first thing to go. a makeover. a re-branding. all for an article written by kids who probably only pretended to like his music to sound cool at bars.

he's still drinking when the limo pulls up. still drinking when izzy calls and tells him to " put the fucking bottle down n' get in the damn car, edward. " the bottle indeed finds a new home in pieces against the penthouse wall ere he concedes and TRUDGES down to throw themself bodily into the back seat. drowning out the chastising of one israel hands was thankfully an art he'd mastered long ago. drowning out his own head was considerably more difficult.

edward smelled of smoke, booze and LEATHER by the time they reached the establishment. the sort of which men like him were seldom welcome, he'd reckon. deft fingers gathered unruly curls to a bun near the top of their head as he stepped out into the traitorous sun. pete was there already, running setup and running his mouth the kid was like a bothersome fly buzzing circles 'round their head, but ed liked him all the same. he flicked a cigarette butt to the ground and STOMPED off toward the entrance ; pete nearly tripped to hold it ajar for him.

" the fuck's bonnet? let's get this over with, ey? "

Talking. The bane of Elys existence. It was bad enough trying to communicate in a stressful situation with the rest of the crew but that had been a whole other level of embarrassing.

The girl they’d been trying to talk to had been kind about it. She’d tried to piece together what they were saying- the spluttering compliments and mumbled offer of seeing each other again while the ship was in port. She’d stayed smiling the whole way through but even Ely (not being the best at reading facial expressions) could tell a distinct look of pity from one of genuine affection.

After stuttering an apology for even trying they turned around, stumbled over their feet slightly (adding to the embarrassment) and locked eyes with Stede.

God. Had he seen the whole thing? That really was insult to injury. They slumped their shoulders and tried to simply melt, hoping the girl behind them had gone home.

“I was just-…” they begin once they get to Stede, trying to come up with an excuse that will somehow hide the blush on their cheeks.

 stede was determined to get izzy to open up to him, even a little bit. yes, he could be abrasive, and at first, stede didn’t like him either—but he’d slowly grown on him. his own bags were set upon the bed, and he heels off his shoes after izzy leaves the room; shedding his stockings, overcoat, and waistcoat. all folded neatly, and tucked back into his bag. 

 he then moved to fluff the pillows a bit, flipping back the top sheet. it wasn’t half bad, for a hostel in a mid-size port town. nodding, he acknowledges izzy’s words, before perching himself upon the edge of the bed. ❝ right. well, i suppose we should make the best of this situation then. ❞ no sooner had he said the words though, did he see izzy lay on the floor, after putting the makeshift pillows in the appropriate places. ❝ come now, mister hands, i simply won’t allow you to sleep on the floor, like that. ❞ 

  stede gestures to the side of the bed that was empty, patting the nice, down-filled pillow. ❝ i promise, we can sleep back to back, and minimal talking. i won’t even be able to see you. ❞ he waves his little sleep mask around, before putting it over his head. ❝ i just, erm—-i sleep in nightgowns. but i can do my plainclothes, if that’s more comfortable for you. ❞ he was already up, turning down the empty side of the bed, and smoothing out the blankets for the other man to hopefully join him. turning, he gathers up the nightgown in his arms, and makes his way to the washroom, letting izzy decide things for himself. ❝ be back in a tick !  ❞

Izzy’s head turned just so he could be sure Bonnet could see his eyes roll when he started to say, “I am not sleeping with y-” but the other continued on talking, showing off his silly little sleep mask and plotting out how this entire potential night could go. What the fuck? Why was Stede even offering this to him? Had the tables been flipped he’d have just let Bonnet sleep on the floor and think nothing of it. Might do the fancy man some good to wake up with a aching back once in a while. Izzy didn’t want to admit that the man could just be that fucking nice. It seemed like such a weakness in this line of work. Well, Hands wasn’t going to thank him for this. Besides, the man was slipping away before Izzy could really even finish thinking.

There he laid for a good thirty seconds before already feeling how uncomfortable this was going to be. “Fuck,” whispered Hands, sitting up quickly and getting to his feet. This meant nothing. Nothing. He hesitated. This was the sort of thing that cranked up his anxiety. Not that he could explain that to Stede or even himself. Yet the idea of him sharing a bed with another man, even if just like this, felt inherently wrong to him. Too vulnerable. He doubted Stede had it in him to try anything but still, Hands slid his knife under the pillow on the side he walked over to. Piracy was full of backstabbers and trust was not easily come by. Especially for him.

Hands stood there, at the side of the bed, just looking down at the spot for a moment. His back would thank him for it in the morning that was for sure. He rolled his eyes to himself and started to unbutton his shirt. He didn’t feel like telling Stede how the man could dress for bed as long as he was wearing something. And he himself usually wore very little. It was hot aboard the ship at night in the summer months. He kept his trousers on however, like hell was he going to wear less than that around Bonnet. Izzy tossed his shirt on the chair. Chest bare and scarred, he slid in under the covers and rested there on his back, hands crossed over his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling. 

send  “ i could’ve sworn i booked a twin room… “  for  our  muses  to  be  in  a  hotel inn  room  where  they  must  share  a  bed.

No sooner than the words had left Bonnet’s lips was Izzy loudly dropping his bag on the floor. The soft thump was followed by a muttered, “Of fucking course.” He ignored any apologetic look the other man might have shown, or maybe he looked annoyed at Izzy’s response. The two of them didn’t really get along. Then again a lot of that might have mostly been in Izzy’s head and from his side of things. It was bad enough Ed put them on this little outing together. Putting him in charge of keeping Stede safe while the man did some--shopping or food tasting or whatever it was fancy pricks like him did in towns like this. Izzy had no idea and he didn’t care. Yet, if Ed asked something of him, Izzy did it. No questions asked most of the time.

“I’ll be back,” sighed Izzy in light annoyance before he turned back out of the room. Ten minutes passed by before he had returned, still looking annoyed but he kept his voice calm. “They can fix it tomorrow for the next night we’re here but this is all they have tonight,” he explained quickly. He was half tempted to want to walk back to the ship but it wasn’t that close and it was late and he was tired. Not to mention he couldn’t exactly protect this ‘pirate’ from the ship. Hands removed his vest and neatly folded it into a make shift pillow of sorts which he stuffed an extra pair of trousers from his pack inside it for some form of cushion to place under his back. He positioned his pack where his head would go and got as ‘comfortable’ as he could on the floor without a word.