expiationmeme | TEST DRIVE MEME #2

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TEST DRIVE MEME #2

TEST DRIVE MEME #2

Welcome to the TDM for Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with fantasy, science fiction, and sometimes subtle horror elements. We ask that top-level comments are reserved for new characters and players looking to experience a taste of the world and overarching storyline. Characters already in the game, however, are free to use TDM prompts in their own catch-alls and logs. Feel free to submit any TDM / prompt-related questions to the corresponding comment below.

New players / characters looking to app are free to use TDM threads as samples in their application. Preexisting players / characters may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs (with the stated limitations).

You may find the below links helpful in getting to know themes of the world, locations, the people, and so on.

info | world

BE OUR GUEST

You may possess any number of questioning thoughts as you traverse the blindingly white room and are dropped into a darkness beneath your feet, but perhaps those same thoughts will be replaced with an awe and curiosity as you come to. Expiation has you now and you have joined the ranks of the Chosen, a seemingly select number of individuals who have arrived with parchment either in-hand or near them, detailing physical and mental statistics in addition to a particular crime to which you have been accused.

How you choose to spend your time here is largely up to you...

IT'S A WINDMILL, NOT A GIANT

As you begin to acquaint yourself with the lay of the land about you, you'll find that not too far from where you've woken there's a rather grandiose tower windmill. Its blades rotate at a casual pace as it faces the ocean and its accompanying shoreline. It appears to be in relatively pristine condition, implying that it is cared for well and often, likely by the locals of the town of Aldrip, which can be easily spied from the elevated level of land upon which the windmill sits.

Outside of the main structure is a collection of wooden crates in various display. Some of these are closed. Some are open. If you observe for long enough, you'll eventually find that a few relatively muscular sorts arrive on the scene to retrieve some of these crates and take them back the distance toward the town that lingers at the base of the mountains. If you choose to inspect the crates, you'll find some of them filled with heavy canvas sacks that contain flour. If you choose to ask the town locals retrieving them about this, they will explain that the windmill companion you have woken near is just one of the many implements that the locals use to provide sustenance to dining tables, festivities, and more.

You have the option to help the locals carry crates back, potentially to curry some favour with them, or simply take some sacks of flour yourself. Crates require more than one person to carry due to the weight, but two able-bodied adults should be able to handle the job quite well. A sack of flour can generally be carried by one, but perhaps you'll find yourself needing some assistance anyway. Maybe ask one of the others who've woken up near you. It certainly seems you're not alone in this new endeavour.

WHERE ONLY THE BRAVE MAY GO

If windmills and manual labour aren't your thing, you may find yourself drawn to the seemingly mysterious cave at the foot of the mountains, not far from the windmill in question.

The locals refer to this cave as Lorentia. Jagged rocks poke out around the entrance and have been sculpted and shaped to resemble what appears to be the massive sharp-toothed mouth of a dragon. It is possible you may be momentarily stopped by one of said locals who will explain that the Lorentia Cave is a passage system that leads through the interior of the mountains, though due to some collapse of the inside, the passageway does not go in far and is currently blocked off for the safety of local citizenry. In other words, proceed with caution.

If you're still feeling brave and care to take a peek inside, by all means. No one's going to stop you.

The interior of Lorentia Cave consists of both narrow passageways and some larger, more cavernous like rooms. There are assorted mining implements scattered along the ground, propped up against the walls, and carts that are filled with various ores, rocks, crystals, and more. The locals of Aldrip use Lorentia Cave for largely mining purposes and many of the things that are retrieved can be used for the smithing forges, the crafting of weaponry, or fashioning into jewellery and other accessories that are sold locally and taken to other towns on the continent.

There are some crudely designed signs that note to take care and depict simple skull drawings, indicating that certain paths may be a little more dangerous to traverse than others. If you are especially lucky (or unlucky, as the case may be), you may even spot some skeletal remains from some less-than-fortunate souls who got caught in a dead-end path and simply never made it out again.

If you listen closely, sometimes you hear the flutter of wings and a distant roar. Maybe it's best not to linger...

NO SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

MAXWELL'S SILVER ROCK-HAMMER

The townsfolk are welcoming to newly-arrived, something that has largely been met with a fair amount of scepticism and wariness from prior arrivals. That said, they continue to be hospitable, eager to share stories and songs about their land, their people, and their traditions.

A jewelcrafter is displaying their work today, putting their various wares out for locals and members of the Chosen to admire, or perhaps to purchase. Part of their demonstration is opening geodes with rock-hammers and showing off the impressive inside of colour and masterful natural works of art gifted to them by the land's bounty. They may choose to speak a little on how they revere the land, the resources they've been given, and how all of this has been bestowed upon them by the very gracious Those Who Were There, a mysterious and seemingly celestial higher power.

For those who are interested, they have the opportunity to offer some assistance to the jewelcrafter by opening some geodes as well. There's plenty of rock-hammers to go around and the most recent retrieval from Lorentia Cave's mining appears to have been very successful. The jewelcrafter is so moved by the offer of help that he's more than happy to let those who aid him keep one opened geode for themselves at no cost.

Congratulations on your new piece of decor!

FORGING BONDS IN THE FIRES OF PASSION

If you were a brave soul who made visit to the Lorentia Cave and came back with some weapon or armour crafting materials (including skeletal remains), you'll find that the smithies of Aldrip are eager to do business and many of them enjoy their craft for the sake of being passionate about what they do.

They'll waste no time in starting the forge and should you have a specific piece in mind you are requesting, as long as they have the materials on hand, they'll even be willing to show you the general process from start to finish on a rough draft of the piece in question. If you're feeling especially keen to help, they may offer to let you work directly on your project, though they will express apprehension and a wary eye for those who fail to have prior experience with such gruelling tasks.

Once your piece is finished, you can either wear it immediately, learn the best way to maintain and keep your equipment, or put it out on public display to show the rest of Aldrip and its residents, new and old alike. If you choose to let the smithies keep your piece, they'll pay you the cost of the materials you've brought them, plus a small percentage markup depending on how much personal effort you put into the craftsmanship personally.

Better yet, you may have just come out of the situation with a permanent bond. The smithies have an appreciation for those who share similar interests and may be willing to provide future discounts to those who purchase their wares.

FEEDING THE MASSES

YOU'RE A REEL CATCH

Aldrip locals always have a need for food and with many Chosen having recently arrived, that need has increased exponentially, for now they have a larger number of mouths to keep fed and stomachs to keep happy. To help inspire this retrieval of food, Aldrip is hosting a fishing competition and anyone who's interested in participating may do so, provided that they follow the guidelines set in place.

All participants must use local fishing equipment and this will be provided by the various merchants in town free of charge, save for those who wish to keep their fishing tackle. All fish caught within the local rivers, ponds, and the nearby ocean are acceptable for submission. Citizens (local or Chosen) are forbidden from using magic or technology as a means to catch their quarry. Anyone found breaking these rules will be disqualified and will be fish'd (that is, they will have raw flopping fish thrown at them).

The winner of the competition is chosen by having caught the largest fish (determined by size and weight) and will be announced at the end of the competition. The applicable winner may keep their fishing tackle free of charge and have their winning fish cooked in the style of their choice by the locals, which can then be shared amongst the people if they so choose (a fantastic way to make friends). The winner will also have a mediocre fish sculpture awarded to them with their name chiselled into the details in honour of their glorious victory.

OOC Notes:
Both TDM participants and characters already in the game may participate in the fishing competition. Please use the designated comment if you wish to partake. On the 13th of March (after applications have closed for the cycle), the winner will be announced and drawn by RNG. We will announce who the winner is on this TDM post (in these notes), the moderator plurk, and the OOC community.

I'M A [X], NOT A FISHER

If you're not a fishing kind of individual yourself, there's still plenty for you to get involved with.

Aldrip has need of people who are capable of preparing meals, especially seafood. It is probable that many participants of the fishing competition will end up fishing up things that are not fish or eligible for submission, but still edible. These include crabs, lobsters, jellyfish, octopuses, clams, and other related sea life. If you have experience with cooking or simply want to help out, the Aldrip locals will welcome you with open arms and may even pay you for your assistance.

If cooking isn't your forte, you'll find that some of the Aldrip citizens enjoy a betting pool from time to time. If you have some coins or something else you don't mind putting up for gamble, you might just come out with the whole pot if you put your currency on the winning fisher. Anyone found to be attempting to rig the betting pool and competition, however, will be returned their bet. We don't take kindly to cheaters here.

At least not openly.

Fishing can be a sometimes dangerous pastime. You may find a fisher who has gotten themselves accidentally hooked on their line or perhaps when they were freeing a fish, the hook got lodged into their thumb. Aldrip welcomes those who have healing abilities to help assist those more unfortunate situations, so fishers can go back to casting out their lines to make the most of the competition. That said, there's nothing in it for potential healers, just the notion that you've done a good deed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ There's a heated, charged sort of static in the room that Ed is convinced is entirely one-sided. After all, he's about to burn right through his skin despite being in his skivvies, and here's poor Stede, shoving himself against the wall to avoid contact and sounding entirely uncomfortable. Probably better it's just one night. Maybe he'll slip out after Stede's asleep to avoid an awkward morning. Say he's an early riser. Not like that's entirely untrue given the state of things down below right now.

Stede's turning the question on him feels sudden, and Ed fumbles to answer coherently. ]

Yep. Comfy cozy. Snug as a bug. Just the right amount of space.

Good. [very good. Extremely good. he couldn't be better]

Night night. [though how he'll ever get to sleep, he has no idea.]

....

[though whether he knows or not he is out like a light ten minutes later, snoring deeply and starfished across the bed in as much as he can be. It's been a long day and that and alcohol has made it so he's consumed by sleep and he won't be moving for a long time, regardless of where his limbs ended up]

[ Ten minutes for a fly on the wall maybe, but for Ed that's at least an hour of staring at nothing in the dark, trying to think of anything except the warm presence at his back and failing miserably. An hour, at least. Couldn't be a minute less, and then—

A snore so loud it's comical, followed shortly by another. Ed huffs a breath and relief washes cool over him like a morning breeze. He relaxes bodily at last, exhaustion looming, strangely comforted by the rhythmic sawing of logs beside him—

Then he's hit in the chest by an arm and startled back into tense alertness again. ]

Stede... you awake?

[ No answers to his gravely whispers, and even when Ed prods at the elbow digging into his ribs, Stede doesn't stir. Which would be fine, a good thing, even, if the arm didn't return right into place after Ed's prodding, fucking uncomfortably jammed in his side. So, there's two options, Ed figures. Keep battling the starfish all night or find himself a more comfortable place to sleep. There's the floor, that stiff-backed chair, the tub... All of those options will have Ed waking with a fucked neck and an even worse knee. And he had been invited to share the bed, hadn't he? A far more daring third option comes to mind. ]

Stede.

[ He tries one more time, and then when there's no more response than before, he puts some more oomf in his efforts, bullying an arm under Stede's and a shin under his knee and leaning them both back in the direction Stede's supposed to be, towards the wall.

Ed holds his breath, waiting for Stede to wake, to roll back over on his side and joke about minding his own space.... He waits and keeps waiting, ten minutes that feel closer to the actual thing than before as he's lulled into a comfortable sense of relief again. More than before, even. It's not just a relaxation, but peaceful. An ideal kind of way to be. And Ed gets so lost in the idea of living this kind of life with Stede that, rather than rolling back onto his colder side of the bed as he means to, he falls asleep just where he is, huddled around Stede like a second blanket, back to the probably unlocked doorway. ]

[he doesn't know how long he sleeps, but it can't be long, the light is dim when he wakes though- half awake more like- the false dawn of awareness- that much awake and warm. Warmer than he's been in ages. Maybe ever. He can't explain it. Like somehow things are just right- the flat plane of a chest against his back, the soft puff of breath tickling the hair at his ear, the gentle rise and fall of it lulling him into a sort of quiet peace like a lullaby.

There's a hand around his middle too and he touches it and is surprised to find warm skin there. It's not a dream then. It's real.
Well-not really real, because then it strikes him that this is Ed and something in him rises in something like hope, but he shoves it regretfully down. After all, Ed is sleeping so he might think he was snuggling Jack maybe or...one of his dalliances.

So Stede should gently push him away or at least wake him and tell him but then that might prove embarrassing- and if, in the false dawn of awareness, which is not really awake after all, he were to snuggle back into that embrace, fitting his hand over Ed's well, he's half asleep. Who can blame him]

[ Maybe it's the sensation of that fitting over his or some other six sense that there's another awake presence in the room that has Ed snapping awake with a sharp inhale.

The secret truth of the matter is no, pirates aren't much for cuddling up at night. No more or less than non-pirates anyway, which is to say: only on the rarest, drunkest of occasions, not to be spoken of in the bright of daylight. And though he'd hadn't even close to enough rum last night to call himself properly pissed, he groans loudly over the hangover he hasn't got as he rolls onto his back, returning to his designated side of the bed beside Stede, though elbows and knees are still knocking for the lack of space. ]

Fuuuck me. Haven't conked out like that in ages.

[ ...That's not even entirely untrue. Anyway, alibi properly set, Ed chances turning his head toward Stede to see the level of discomfort he's going to deal with. ]

What time is it, d'you figure? You have one those... phony kind of things?

[ A phone, he means. Long story. ]

[right. Of course. What was he thinking? Stede wishes the bed would swallow him up- if only he should be so lucky- Though lucky enough that Ed is polite enough not to mention it. Still maybe he doesn't know Stede is awake. Could Stede play it off by being asleep?

He lets out a little false snore in the faint hope that his luck will hold out for just a little while longer.]

[ Ah, back to the snores. Ed's voice drops instantly to a whisper, seemingly to himself. ]

Oh shit, still asleep. My bad.

[ With obvious care not to shake the bed more than he already has, Ed kicks his feet off the side and sits up, breath rumbling through his chest as he stretches sleep-sore joints this way and that. He's about to stand, but before he does, he turns back to contemplate the adorable snoring mystery of a person currently curled up against the wall tight as a barnacle. ]

Sleep tight, mate.

[ Ed lays a hand briefly on the blanket somewhere in the area of Stede's hip before he goes, stretching again after he stands and then wandering off towards the kitchen without any care for his state of dress.

Some time later, there's a lot of sounds of beeping, cursing, appliance doors slamming coming from that kitchen, not to mention the wafting smells of smoke and burned eggs as he figures out how the fuck to cook up some breakfast in this weird little room. ]

[he is debating sneaking out. Maybe Ed wouldn't even notice if he disappeared. Maybe it would be better. On the other hand, there wasn't anything cagey or regretful about his tone - and the pat on the thigh seemed to mean, well maybe he hadn't noticed it. Or had he and it's just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Turning these thoughts over in his head he accidentally slips into a light doze, only waking up with a bang from the kitchen]

What? Who? What's going on?

[somehow he gets out of bed without falling on his face and makes his way cautiously there, holding a slipper just in case he needs it]

[ That slipper might just be needed, because after giving up on the hot box, Ed's found the stove. And of course he's familiar with the concept of a stove from before his life at sea, and he'd learned at the fish cook yesterday that those little knobs on these ones ignite the fires on top. But something somewhere must've gone wrong, because the frying pan he'd been happily sizzling bacon was suddenly enveloped in a gust of flames and black smoke. And though he's managed to get the pan into the sink, which is still currently sizzling and setting off more plumes of smoke into the cramped little room, he hasn't yet noticed the curtains behind the stove are still burning away, and the flames climbing their way up towards the ceiling.

He also hasn't noticed Stede's entrance over his own commotion of thick smoke, clattering pan in the sink, and running water, not to mention his scratchy-voiced cursing through it all. ]

[he comes just in time to see the fire leap and spread]

Oh my god! Oh my god there's a fire! Oh my god! Get away from there! [caught between fleeing and saving he manages to full body tackle Edward to the floor, shielding him with his own body even as something starts beeping, like the house is screaming]

What do we do? Oh god. Oh god! Ed!

[ Yeah okay, so maybe putting water on a flaming pan of burning bacon was a bad idea. The fireball explosion as soon as the stream of water hits is bright enough to light up the already lit room, and if Ed hadn't been tackled by Stede just then, his beard would definitely be on fire right now, if he even still had a face. ]

Shit, shit, fucking—

[ As Ed struggles to get his bearings, the whole world is tilted from beneath Stede's weight on the floor, but that's probably for the best, because the whole world up there is full of flame and smoke, and the floor seems about the safest place to be, short of not in the room at all. It sounds like the room itself is screaming with that beeping sound? It's definitely about to all go up, so Ed hurries to shove and grab Stede towards the door he just came through, all while scrambling on his knees to do the same. ]

Go, go, fucking go!

[ The next thing he knows, there's a hissing sound, and rather than the explosion Ed expects, the whole room is suddenly in a torrential downpour, like the ceiling itself caused a storm. They're both soaked, instantly, along with the entire room. The flames momentarily lick up even higher towards the ceiling, but in less than a minute the fire's overpowered by cool steam, the beeping stops, and the icy cold rainwater keeps falling from the clouds. From on the ground in the doorway, soaked through and still clinging to Stede, Ed looks up, mystified. ]

The fuck was that?

[he scrambles and nearly falls twice as Ed shoves at him and then slips yelping at the sudden sting of rain and the wet floor. He finds himself gripping Ed's shirt in the doorway, breathing hard, the white nightshirt plastered to his skin as rain drips off his nose]

Oh my god...

[and then he looks to Ed]

A-are you alright? Are you hurt?

[ The steam doesn't immediately clear, but that source of the water is up there somewhere, and Ed is distracted by trying to figure it out. Then Stede's voice cuts through, and Ed's attention is turned towards him, only to be distracted in an entirely different way by the feel of thin, wet fabric clinging to warm skin where his hands still cling reflexively to Stede's shoulder and waist from tugging him towards the door. Even more distracted by the droplets of water catching to Stede's eyelashes, his nose, the flushed pink of his lips—

Ed finally remembers to inhale and pay attention, kind of. His eyes lift to Stede's again, but he's too close, still holding on, and his voice is dropped quiet despite the heat in his blood from the thrill of the whole thing. ]

Hm? No. No, I'm okay. ...Thanks to you. Pretty sure I'd be burned up to a crisp if you hadn't jumped in when you did.

Can't have that can we?

[he means it as a joke. It's meant to be a joke. But his voice shouldn't sound rough and low like that. They are so close he realizes. Very close. Too close maybe. And the smell of wet leather and smoke is intoxicating and faintly nostalgic. Has Ed's mouth always looked like that? Probably. Stede can't seem to stop watching it though until he drags his gaze up to meet Ed's eyes which is possibly a worse decision]

You're too handsome to burn... [another joke and he grips Ed's lapels so he won't reach up and push a strand of damp hair from his face]

[ Ed huffs. Obviously Stede's joking around. That's the thing they do: joke around, shower each other in shameless compliments. That's how it's always been. But has Stede's eyes always been so honeyed? Does he sound sort of heated, the way Ed is? Maybe it's all the smoke getting to him. Ed's attempt to joke back dissolves quick into rambling. ]

Well, yeah, I mean... be a shame to deprive the world of all this. All of the both of us. Handsome gents like us.

[ Ed's hand on Stede's shoulder slides up to Stede's neck, coming to rest with his thumb on the very handsome curve of Stede's jaw. He blinks through the drip of his own hair in his face, hands better spent touching Stede's warm, wet skin. They are, yes, definitely very close. Could be closer. Probably shouldn't be, the reasonable side of Ed's brain tries to protest, but he doesn't move any further away even as his smoke-rough voice clumsily suggests the idea. ]

Should probably get you out of those clothes. Wet. Wet clothes, I mean. Dry off or whatever.

[he startles at the touch. It's not that he's never been touched like this but it's... it's so rare and Ed's rough hand is so warm despite the chill wet.]

Ed... [it would be... so easy just to lean in and... but- then Ed speaks again, the first words shocking him because he's not ready for that and the second one making a heated flush come to his face.]

Er...yes. Yes. You too. Out of your clothes I mean. Your wet ones. So you can dry... [though...he doesn't move away just yet]

Yep.

[ Ed agrees vacantly as he stands right where he is, reveling in the warmth of Stede's cheek under his hand and telling himself nope, no, don't fuck this up, Teach. The little flash of panic in Stede's eyes, there and gone, in a much-needed reminder of how easily Ed could, in fact, fuck everything right up as dramatically as he just did to Stede's poor kitchen.

He glances over in that direction again, and sobered by it, he claps Stede on the shoulder and then pulls himself away, headed back towards the bedroom they'd shared. ]

Mind if I borrow something dry for the day?

[ Since, you know. Wet leather, yuck. ]

Right... [he swallows hard coming back to himself.] Yes... Sure. Help yourself. I should... I should shower.

[because things are nearing dangerous levels.

Without further comment he goes to the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar on habit since Lucius ran into it that one time. It's still strange do things without a helping hand, but he manages- still it's hard at times, with no one to scrub his back- then he imagines another hand helping to scrub his back, strong and tattooed and oh so lovely. And the great thing he's learned about running water is that it can help hide a multitude of sins.]

Yep, okay.

[ Shower?? The fuck is that? Hadn't they just been showered all over? But Ed agrees too-quickly instead of asking for an explanation, because fuck, that'd been too close, hadn't it? He looks around the room instead of where Stede wanders off too until he's sure Stede's left, through a door he leaves cracked open. Being lost and away from a ship is really doing a number on Edward's sense of self-preservation. Or maybe that's just being around Stede. Or smoke inhalation. Kind of all feels the same.

He helps himself, as Stede suggested, to the wardrobe in room and tries to think of blacked walls and the lingering taste of fire as he undresses rather than the obvious. Of course, the obvious is only one room away, and the sudden patter of water falling in that direction has Ed looking over just in time to catch a flash of entirely too much bare skin through the open door.

Ed's head tilts back and his eyes roll as he groans around a curse. Yeah nah, this was a bad idea. He'll never survive living on top of Stede like this. Not the way they are, or were, or whatever. He pulls the flowy shirt he's found over his head, wriggles into a clean, dry pair of trousers after that, but doesn't bother with his boots and gloves and the rest. Instead, he sits on the bed and waits impatiently, thoughts running a hundred miles a minute, for Stede to return after what feels like forever from the bath. ]

[the shower is refreshing and makes him feel a lot better and certainly calmer than he was before. He's even humming as he dries himself off and wraps one of the soft albeit somewhat scratchy towels around his waist before using the other to dry his hair and wandering out into the bedroom.

He pauses though when he notices Ed, looking quite lovely in Stede's shirt and trousers, better than Stede's ever looked anyway]

Oh I... [forgot you were here? No that was a terrible thing to say]

I'm...glad you found something... Not too much bother I hope.

[ It's not like Ed expected Stede to come out of the bath fully dressed or anything, but the reaction to looking up and seeing him is still an impactful full-body flush of warmth that Ed can't deny. Fuuuck. He stands up quick from the bed, shrugs, and paces the other way before he forgets everything he'd just been thinking about. ]

Ah... Nah. Pft. No bother at all.

[ Except for, you know, the practically insatiable urge to grab Stede and kiss him senseless every time he makes eye contact. Really clouding his judgement, here. His fists clench and his voice is taut with tension, though he tries to keep casual. ]

Actually, I'm more bother to you than the other way around. Hogging most of your bed all night, nearly burning your kitchen... and now stealing your clothes for lack of my own. It's fucking embarrassing, man. Reckon I need space to myself for a bit. Find my own place. Get my shit together.

Edited 2023-05-14 19:58 (UTC)

Well...don't feel as if you have to leave on my account.

[the words bring back a sense of deja vu. He's said it before and well, that's how they became co-captains after all. He wants Ed to stay. His mind spins a thousand ideas, each more ridiculous than the last to get Ed to remain here, but- really there's not much to offer him and even if he could, he can't help but remember his crime written out.

Destroys beautiful things.

And while Ed is far from a thing, he is the most beautiful person Stede has ever met. Fortunately he's had decades of breeding and not saying what he wishes, and so]

But whatever makes you comfortable. [and because he's selfish enough to not let Ed go completely, even though competition is stiff out there] I can help you look if you like.

[ Yeah, that's... a familiar kind of feeling. The kind that makes Ed feel like he's making a mistake.

But this is better, for Stede. For both of them. So when Stede agrees to it, Ed's shoulders relax and he smiles fondly, if a bit sadly on the edges. ]

Thanks, mate.

[ Anyway, this is different, Ed tells himself. It's just him and Stede. There's no Jack, no Izzy. Almost no reminders of Ed's past at all, and in that way, nothing to ruin things with Stede except for Ed himself, which is why he's got to be even more careful than before not to overstep their friendship. It'd be so fucking easy to lose Stede altogether. Almost did, to a firing squad and a man in a wig with an old grudge. Ed's not about to see that happen again.

He lays a hand on Stede's (distractingly bare) shoulder and squeezes, forcing himself to make eye contact again at last and focus. ]

The plan's still on, okay? Fool the masses, steal ourselves a ship. So get dressed. We'll plot that and the rest over breakfast.

Uh... yes. [Ed's hand is hot, but his own heart is cool and anxious so it's not as distracting as it otherwise might have been] Yes I'd like that.

After all, a little time apart could only do us good right? [because that's what he wants and...well...even if they've spent every day together, more than that is too much to ask]

[ Fear does wonders to cool the blood, doesn't it? Ed feels it himself, a little shiver of it as Stede says time apart like it's a prophecy to be a very bad time, actually. Ed agrees too flippantly and too quickly all the same. ]

Uh yeah, of course. Couldn't do us bad We're both stronger than that.

[ ... ... ........Anyway, he turns that squeeze on Stede's shoulder to a friendly clap, looks down, grabs his boots and belt and spare things, and then tosses a rushed not-really-goodbye over his shoulder. ]

Okay, meet you downstairs.

[ And he goes. ]

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