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copioustimewaster · 2 years

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Here the Kraken Stalks

Rating: OT

Pairing: Edward Teach "Blackbeard"/Stede Bonnet

AO3: Here, the Kraken Stalks

The McKiernan’s was an old portside tavern where most sailors in St Augustine's gathered for a final meal on land. The creaky old building bathed in a never ending cloud of smoke - a mix of tobacco, hearth fire and whatever was burning in the kitchen. It added an air of mystery to those passing through this shit hole of a liminal space, faces never quite clear and voices muffled by the cacophony of patrons. The food sucked, the company was terrible and yet the McKiernan’s was always teeming with folk. Every now and again silver spoons would pass through to collect their ship's crew, usually piss drunk and passed out on the wooden floor, so they could fuck off to wherever rich people fucked off to with their fancy ships. So when some fancy prick in ridiculous 'adventurer's' get-up pranced on in like he owned the place and actually sat down, it caught Ed's attention.

"Stay focused." Came Izzy's low warning growl. He squeezed Ed's forearm and gave him an expectant look as he stalked off. Find the mark.

Ed rolled his eyes and so soon did Izzy disappear that he turned back to the strange fellow approximating a confident...something. How was he supposed to ignore him? He practically glowed through the smoke, clothes as vibrant as a canary sporting a myriad of shiny knickknacks and doodads. And his voice pierced through the rumble of drunken laughter and chatter - clear as day and demanding attention. Flamboyant. Unsubtle. Naive. Cocky. What a mad lad. He was asking for trouble.

"Barkeep! A glass of your finest wine, please."

"We don't have wine."

A candidly baffled expression. "Then what's that all over him?"

"Blood."

"Cut off me finger. Got infected after that fucker back there bit me." The lad, still pale and sickly from the impromptu amputation, explained. He pointed at a deranged man Ed often saw with a seagull perched atop his head. He gnawed his wooden teef.

"Erm...H-how about some, uh, brandy?"

Ed snorted. Rich folk. His amusement was short lived.

"Mate, what kind of establishment do you think this is?" Came the impatient snap of the barkeep.

The canary would likely make things worse if he were given the chance to reply.

"Give us some ale." Ed intervened, his entrance so smooth and fluid he startled both men. He flashed the canary a toothy grin as he pressed a hand to his back, a silent request to follow his lead.

"R-right, two ales for my friend and I." He confirmed albeit uncertainly. His intonation of "friend" evoked a question precisely for Ed. Ed thought to answer yes, but he supposed he oughtn’t to be too hasty especially with Izzy glaring daggers in the back of his head. Besides, silver spoons were hardly ever good company.

The barkeep paused eying them both, but mostly Ed. He was probably trying to figure out his play, but Ed didn't have to justify himself to some haughty trigger-happy dick. He remained neutral and waited for the barkeep to give up and supply their order.

"Cheers." Ed sneered. He snatched both tankards in one hand while he guided the canary along with the other. He obediently obliged. "You'll get a bullet between those pretty eyes of yours if you keep up with that pretentious attitude."

The canary briefly flushed as his eyebrows furrowed. "Was he that insulted? Over wine and brandy?"

Ed chuckled at his incredulous tone. "Drinks for the silver spoons." He handed him the tankards, "Bastards like us drink this piss."

The canary beheld the beverages with only mild revulsion. "Stede." He said and looked up at Ed. "Stede Bonnet."

"Edward Teach." Ed replied.

They sat at a table by a window overlooking the port. Ed reluctantly pulled his hand away though slid into the seat next to Stede. He tried to convince himself it was because he wanted to avoid seeing Izzy in his periphery, but he didn't really care all that much. He wanted to be close to Stede Bonnet - a canary amidst a murder of crows. Fascinating.

"So what's Stede Bonnet doing in a shit hole like this?" Ed took a swig of ale.

"Other than staring down a mug of piss," Stede mused, the amber liquid swishing in circles, "I hoped to have my last meal in St Augustine."

"A grand adventure spiriting you away?" Ed grinned. His dig at Stede's clothes earned him a stern look.

"Yes, actually. It is." He turned his nose away and tried to take a swig, though he nearly spat it out as soon as the liquid hit his tongue.

Big watery eyes, desperately pleading for any form of guidance or solution, quickly fell back upon Ed who held in a sharp laugh. "Breathe through your nose." Stede inhaled deeply. "Swallow." Ed tried not to let his mind wander.

Screwing his eyes shut, Stede forced himself to swallow. He just barely kept in the tears. "God that's disgusting!"

"That's why you don't taste, just swallow." Ed counselled and demonstrated with another swig. "The drunker you get the less the flavour bothers you."

Stede scowled at his ale. "I think I'll give myself a minute before trying again..."

"So where will the wind take you should the seas be good to you?"

"Hm...I don't know." Stede admitted. "I figured my grand adventure was so unexpected that I might just start with the unexpected."

"What does that mean?" Ed prodded.

"It means that's my ship over there." Stede said and pointed out the window. There were three ships docked and he seemed to be pointing at the biggest vessel with the Portuguese flag. "And I don't know where they're going, but they're taking me along."

Ed made a note to remember that. "And what do you hope to find?"

Stede paused and his cheeks flushed again. "Promise you won't think any less of me?"

In that moment, Ed's heart gave a strange throb - a level of fondness he had never quite felt before. Something about Stede was impossibly endearing. "Sure."

Stede fished through his leather satchel, revealing the spines of a number of books though he only pulled one out: a grimoire. "I take it you don't quite dabble in the field of biology?"

Ed frowned. "Because I look stupid?"

"Because you didn't react to my name." Stede corrected. "I don't mean to brag, but I'm quite well-known among my fellow biologists for my studies on the dryocampa rubicunda – or rosy maple moth. I have many a publication to my name, I'll have you know."

"You wrote a couple of books about a butterfly?"

"Well, if you're going to insist on trivializing it then yes, but I actually did so much more." Stede huffed. He clenched the grimoire a little more tightly and nervously licked his lips before continuing, "But biology, and specifically insect biology, however fascinating, has never been a passion of mine..." He opened the grimoire to reveal pages of text framing illustrations of well-known mythical creatures. "I want to study these."

Ed reached for the book and he couldn't help the grimace on his face as he flipped through the pages. Dragons. Chupacabras. Selkies. "Fairy tales?"

The question insulted Stede who snatched back his book with a pout. "Maybe and maybe not." He scorned. "It's not as silly as it sounds, you know! These 'fairy tales', as you call them, are stories based in truth warped by exaggeration. I want to find out the truth of these creatures. I’m going to be an adventurer."

Ed leaned back in his chair and cocked his head off to the side, “You know, adventuring’s not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s tough. Dangerous.”

“I live for danger.” Stede asserted. Ed looked him over and raised his eyebrows doubtfully. His face reddened again and he puffed his cheeks in indignation. “Well what would you know!? What do you even do?”

Ed chuckled and went to answer but stopped himself. “What do you think I do?”

Stede with his endearing frown, reminiscent of a petulant child, peered over Ed thoughtfully. He alternated between leaning in and away as though the change in perspective would help to clarify the enigma that had bought him an ale. “Are you trying to deduce my entire life?” Ed teased. “I just asked if you can guess what I do.”

“Hush.” Stede clicked his tongue, continuing his investigation. “Give me your hands.” He inspected them closely, running the tip of his soft fingers over his own calloused palms.

Ed felt a heat to his cheeks and he was glad he had a beard to hide what was undoubtedly a flush. He looked away, too embarrassed to keep watching the canary feather his hands. Bad idea – he caught of glimpse of Izzy who was beyond furious. His face was red with anger, clearly visible even through the smoke. Focus, Edward. Came the silent message.

“U-um—”

“I got it!” Stede declared boastfully. “You’re a pirate.”

Ed immediately guffawed. “I’m a what?”

“A pirate, don’t try hiding it.” Stede grinned and wagged his finger tauntingly.

Ed supposed that if he threw his canary a bone, he wasn’t entirely wrong. “What’s my pirate name then?”

“Blackbeard, obviously.”

Ed stroked his beard. “Black…?”

“Well, Salt-and-pepper-beard doesn’t have the same ring to do it, now does it? Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue.”

“Fine, I’m Blackbeard.”

“I knew it.”

Ed pulled a face but despite himself couldn’t hold back a smile. “I’m a crazed bloodthirsty pirate.”

“Hold on now, watch your tone.”

“You said so yourself.”

“I would never say such a terrible thing about my good pal Blackbeard. He’s quite lovely for a pirate.”

“Mm, ‘fraid you’re wrong, mate. Blackbeard is definitely crazed. He’s the most fearsome pirate to have ever existed.”

“Fearsome yes, but not crazed.”

“He’d kill anyone without second thought, I think.”

“No. Not possible.” Stede insisted resolutely.

“Yeah?”

“Of course. He’s my good friend.”

Ed paused. “Right, I did hear Blackbeard spent an awful lot of time with a famous Monster Hunter.”

Stede nodded, “Heard they made quite the pair too.”

Was he actually flirting or just naïve? “I wonder how the two got together. That Monster Hunter seemed to lead a cozy life before he started his adventure.”

The open question darkened Stede’s features with unease. “He only had one life and he didn’t want to waste it, I suppose.”

Ed didn’t know Stede well enough to feel comfortable pushing the matter any further. “So which kind of fairy are you intending to hunt down first?”

“I object to the term hunt. I don’t want to kill anything, I want to study them.”

Ed chuckled, “Most of these things are known to be violent. If you find one, I don’t think you’ll have a choice.”

“I’ll be stealthy.”

Ed gave him the same doubtful look as earlier. “Mate…do you not see what you’re wearing?”

“What? It’s nice.”

“Sure, but the last thing it is, is stealthy.”

“Who’s to say these creatures aren’t colour blind? Or maybe amateurs of fine things – ah that would be lovely.”

“You think you’re going to—” Ed stopped himself with a breathy laugh. He shook his head incredulously. “You’re a lunatic and I like it.”

“Who knows? Maybe they’d like a friend.” Stede chuckled and took his first swig of ale in a long time. He finished the last few drops and Ed realized that he had actually resumed drinking some time during their odd tirade. Only now did he notice the drunken flush at the tip of his cheeks and ears, though Stede looked mostly sober still. What a radiant smile. Ed’s heart fluttered the longer his stare lingered. What if he didn’t go back to sea tonight and spent it ashore instead with a silly canary of a man?

“How about another round of ale?”

“Don’t mind the taste?”

“Well, it doesn’t taste of piss anymore.”

“Edward.” Came the frustrated and frustrating voice of Izzy to interrupt Ed’s laughter. There he stood on the other side of the table, arms akimbo and an angry condescending scowl twisting his face. Most of his ire was focused on Stede. “It’s time to go.” He spoke through gritted teeth. “Back to sea.”

Ed sighed and made a move to stand, but Stede chimed in defiantly: “What do you mean? The last ship leaves in three hours. There’s still plenty of time.”

And there it was. His opportunity to stay and stall with his little canary. All Ed had to do was agree and tell Izzy to fuck off, but he knew Izzy wouldn’t let it fly. He’d throw a fit and ruffle Stede’s feathers until he either stormed off from the insult or until Ed conceded. Ed rather leave him with a good memory. He sighed again and moved a hand to Stede’s back then up to his shoulder. “No, mate, he’s right. Got to go, uh, collect supplies and whatever.”

“Oh.” A disappointed and quiet sound.

Ed gave an encouraging look and a light squeeze to his shoulder before finally letting go. “If the seas are good, maybe we’ll meet again.”

Stede barely acknowledged the sentiment. It stung a little, but Ed had to recognize that they had just met. Even though it felt like they had really hit it off, a stranger was still a stranger and a few hours didn’t change that. But Stede was stranger than most.

“W-wait!” Stede jumped from his chair and slammed his hands on the table. Veiled faces whipped towards them in the smoke, ready for a fight. Waiting. Stede didn’t notice. “Where are you going? Where is your ship taking you?”

Izzy watched him tensely. It seemed that these days the other man hardly trusted him. Or maybe he was just jealous. “Hmm…” Ed considered his answer carefully. “I suppose it’ll be a surprise for me too.”

Stede frowned. “That feels unfair. I was being genuine.”

Ed chuckled. His hand wandered to touch his canary but he held it back. Not while Izzy was so close. It would be adding fuel to the fire. “We’ll meet again. See you on the other side.”

Turning away from Stede felt like the biggest mistake of his life, but he didn’t have a choice. There was business to attend to and Izzy was about to give him an earful for having dumped the whole chore on his shoulders. He had been lectured so many times Izzy had run out of creative ways to repeat himself and now stuck to the same script until Ed had enough and told him to shut up.

“I’ll give it to you, he’s shinier than your usual toys.” Izzy grumbled as the tavern door clacked shut behind. “Looked like a fucking peacock though.”

“I had a similar thought.” Ed agreed.

***

Stede watched Ed leave with ‘Izzy’ through the window. It was such a pity, they had been getting on so well. A chance meet with Edward Teach had marked a wonderful start to Stede’s first adventure and he would certainly dedicate a dozen pages to it in his journal. He only wished that they could have travelled together if only for a little while. Unfortunately, Stede had worked out a deal with the Portuguese and they would only set sail at first light tomorrow. Ed would be hundreds of miles away before he would even set foot on a vessel. How would they find each other again in this vast, vast world?

Stede sat back down and eyed his empty tankard. The ale even smelled of piss. Frankly, he wouldn’t put it pass the barkeep to have actually relieved himself in a barrel. He was a nasty fellow. Stede looked back to a scene of Izzy yelling and flailing at Ed who waited calmly for him to finish. He wished the little bugger had never interrupted their fun.

“You know you can just change ships, right?”

The young man covered in blood with the missing finger had approached him.

“I-I’m sorry, what?” Stede stammered.

“You don’t have to leave with the Portuguese.” He stated. “You said so yourself, you have three hours until the next ship leaves and you have no set destination. That’s enough time to bargain a new deal and move your stuff.”

The thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Instinctively, Stede wanted to refuse. It would be such a hassle to move all his things to another ship and the Portuguese sailors seemed like such a lovely lot. They’d surely be disappointed to see him go, if not from missing his company then foregoing the handsome pay Stede would have awarded for his transit. On the other hand, adventure was all about following the heart and trusting your gut. Something in his heart told him not to let Ed just walk away and out of his life. His adventure would be much grander with his company.

“Were you…were you eavesdropping on my conversation?”

“I honestly wanted to see if the two of you would just start making out. But yeah.”

***

“The Portuguese are carrying mountains of gold, Edward!” Izzy hissed quietly, weary of wandering ears.

“I don’t give a shit, we’re not sinking that one.” Ed barked back. “There are other valuables on the other two. We’ll take them both down and it’ll add up to the same.”

Izzy scowled incredulously. “Do you hear yourself? Do you hear me? I just told you they pillaged the Americas and looted gold and you want to go after two merchant ships? Like they add up to the same value?”

“Izzy, you’re really starting to piss me off.” Ed snapped and snatched him by the collar. He pulled him in close and squeezed tightly enough to choke him. “We’re not sinking the Portuguese.”

“Why not!?” Izzy snapped back. “Because that fucking peacock’s going to be onboard!?”

“Because I fucking said so, so shut the fuck up and get in line.” Ed shoved him back and decisively walked off. He wasn’t about to entertain this pointless bickering any longer.

“No, Edward. Fuck you!” Izzy yelled but he ignored him. “I’m sick of your shit and your fucking whims!”

Ed shook his head as he stomped off. He’d find where the Portuguese were headed later. If he could convince Stede to get off at the next port, he could sink the vessel and shut Izzy up. He could see Stede again.

***

As expected, the Portuguese were crushed by Stede’s departure though they were surprisingly amenable. They hadn’t even loaded his trunks and chests yet so it was quite easy for the crew of the Titanica to collect his things. All the more exciting still was the thrill of departing from St Augustine sooner than expected to live his dream. Travelling with Ed was the cherry on top and he was excited to surprise him. He stayed on deck and watched the crew work as few other passengers piled on. Though as time progressed, Stede became antsy.

No Ed.

No Izzy.

Where was he? Perhaps he had changed his mind? Maybe Ed had the same idea and had struck a deal to leave with the Portuguese instead? If so, how was he going to convince the crew of the Titanica to unload his luggage less than an hour before departure? Stede nervously watched the docks for Ed. Maybe he was wrong and Ed was still gathering the last of his supplies.

***

The trek to Mal D’Estomac Bay was quiet and tense. Izzy trailed behind Ed with his head hanging low between his shoulders and a glower further creasing his face. Every now and again he could catch bits of angry mutters. Izzy could be such a bitch sometimes. Ed sighed, reminding himself that he’d get over it likely by the time they sank the first merchant ship. It was usually a sure fire way to spend some frustration.

Mal D’Estomac was fairly isolated and rarely ever frequented. Beyond the effort required to reach it, it wasn’t the nicest beach either which was why Ed had prioritized it as a landing and departure area. Alone on the beach, nary a wanderer in sight, Ed began stripping. Izzy probably followed suit, but he wasn’t paying attention. He balled his clothes in his hands and marched to the decaying wooden box they hid at the edge of the treeline where he stuffed it in. Then, he marched to the sea.

The cold water felt welcoming against his feet sore as they were from the hours spent in shoes. He sighed and trailed in further, glimpsing briefly as his flesh slowly turned inky black and morphed into tentacles.

Now to gather the others and coordinate their first attack.

***

Four hours passed and while Stede managed to stall the ship an extra hour, Ed never came. To say he was disappointed was a massive understatement, but Stede tried to focus on the wanderlust pulsing through his veins. Finally he was leaving St Augustine behind and starting his life. No more regrets. Besides, he hadn’t started this journey with the hopes of meeting an interesting character like Ed. It was about himself and his own scholarly interests.

Stede had retreated into his cabin as soon as the land disappeared beneath the coast. He pulled out his grimoire and read through the pages, wondering which of these exciting creatures he would encounter first. He had always been mystified by the supposed monsters of the deep sea, but that felt a little too complicated for a beginner.

And as daylight faded under the veil of night, Stede readied himself as best as he could for bed. It wasn’t as glamourous as what he was used to, but that was part of the charm. Down to his undergarments, he crawled onto the hay mattress, stiff as ever, and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would be some place entirely new. He tried to wonder what it would look like but all he could think about was Ed.

***

“Ship’s late.”

Izzy’s third reminder. Ed did his best to not let it get under his skin, but the little fucker knew exactly how to be grating. He squeezed his arms and focused on the black of the sea, but the nervous murmurs of his group pulled him back out. They all knew there was a number of reasons why a ship could be late. Sometimes there were issues with loading cargo. Other times extra passengers or the crew delayed the ship. Odds were the Titanica had to collect a few drunks from the tavern floor and sober them up before departure. It was the likeliest story, especially for a merchant vessel. However, Izzy’s insufferableness caused unnerve. He was never this petulant and the others wondered what was going on – if Ed had left something out about this job.

Ed gritted his teeth and just keep ignoring everyone. He knew if he opened his mouth, all he would do is yell and start a fight. It was best to wait for rationality to kick in, this wasn’t the first time a ship was late. Once, they had spent the whole night waiting for nothing when the captain of a vessel got too wasted to leave port. Nothing about this situation was new or unique or unordinary. At most, it was infrequent.

Still, a heavy sigh. He should have stayed onshore and skipped out on the raid. Ed closed his eyes and thought about his canary. It was funny how the mere memory of Stede could unwind all the tension that had built in his body, but it was only to give way to regret. Maybe Stede would end up like all the others and Ed would lose interest as soon as he grew used to his whims and demeanours however odd. Maybe he’d get himself killed from lack of tact as soon as he stepped off the Portuguese ship to wherever it was going. Maybe Stede would stray so far from the sea he’d never see him again.

“There.”

In the distance, the underbelly of the Titanica. Ed turned to Izzy to give him a smug look. He could be a petty fucker too.

“What now?”

“Tide’s too low to sink here.” Izzy noted. “We’ll have to wait for it to get further out in the open sea.”

“Let’s help it along. I’ve got other things to do than fuck around after a mark.” Ed decided.

He swam to the Titanic and along with the others pushed it further along its path. The crew would think they were lucky with the currents and they’d probably relax. It would make the raid much easier and quicker. Maybe Stede had taken a room at the tavern.

***

When Stede woke up, he wasn’t quite sure why. For as uncomfortable as his bed was, he had had no trouble falling asleep to begin with. The ship was also remarkably quiet and nothing in his room seemed out of place until he caught his satchel on the floor. His grimoire had slipped out and his other books were peaking past the leather. It must have fallen from its perch atop his trunks. He kicked off his itchy blanket when the ship was suddenly rocked by something hard and massive that nearly knocked him out of his bed. Stede paused cautiously when another hit occurred seconds later and with it the ship sprung to life in a total panic.

A crew member had run off to the brass bell was hitting it frantically as he was shouting something unintelligible. Those crew that had been asleep in their quarters immediately flooded the corridors, whizzing past Stede’s door, as they made a mad dash for the deck. Another hard slam against the ship and the trunks and chests once securely piled at the foot of his bed toppled over and crushed his satchel. Were they being attacked by pirates? But wasn’t the golden age of piracy some hundred years ago? The seas were much safer now, weren’t they?

It didn’t matter. Stede jumped out of bed and freed his satchel and grimoire. If the ship was truly in danger and was destined to sink, he hoped he could at leave save those items were he to survive the ordeal himself. Whatever was hitting the ship became near constant as Stede tripped over his feet, clutching his satchel to his chest. When he reached the stairs, a sickening crack that was much too close for comfort chilled his bones and it was immediately followed by the sound of rushing water. He pushed forth and erupted onto the deck in the midst of a complete panic. Part of the crew was desperately trying to free a life raft while the others ran in circles for dear life as something black whizzed by. Finally, Stede could make out the horrified screams of the crewmate hitting the bell: “Kraken! Kraken! Krak—” A tentacle sprung out from the side of the ship and tossed him overboard.

“There’s been a breach!”

Another crack of splintering wood as loud as thunder.

“Abandon ship!”

“Every man for himself!”

Two crew immediately jumped overboard, forsaking the raft as though they stood a better chance swimming away. Suddenly, the mast at the front of the deck toppled over, crushing a crew and splitting part of the floor. The ship was going to sink any minute and Stede had to get away but before he could decide, the boards beneath his feet went and he was plunged into a suffocating darkness.

***

“Great work everyone.” Ed congratulated amidst ship debris covering the seafloor. Stray bits of wood and crates continued to rain around them. “Start cracking some of these things open to see what we’ve got. I’ll collect whatever’s floating at the top.”

He watched for a moment as his pod got to work, smashing wood and prying heavy chests open. They all seemed rather content, even Izzy seemed a little less pissy. There was nothing quite as cathartic as ripping a ship open to the terrified shrieks of those onboard. Now if they could just find something valuable enough to shut Izzy up for a few extra hours, it would have truly been a great raid. With a powerful swing of his tentacles, Ed pushed himself towards the surface. He ascended slowly, looking among the falling rubble for any more barrels or crates with potential when something caught the corner of his eye.

Far away, a glowing light in the sea.

Ed moved closer and as he did, the light took the shape of a man wildly flailing his arms and legs. And when he got close enough to see, his heart suddenly froze in his chest. “…Stede?”

Stede stopped thrashing and met his eyes in complete disbelief.

#ofmd #blackbonnet #ofmd au #kraken #lighthouse #waddup I'm posting something again after like 4 years LOL #the only reason this exists here is so I can link it back to my AO3 #And also the story popped in my head as I drew

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