Edward Teach Died on a Beach (OFMD)

Chapter 2

(Three days before ch1)

On the Revenge, the dread pirate himself sat in his quarters, tears streaking the black kohl around his eyes. His hair was matted and oily. As it turned out, with the lack of a gentleman with pretty combs and fancy soaps, Blackbeard didn't really care about hygiene.

And he'd thrown it all overboard, too. All the combs, all the soap.

Besides, the smell of the rum on his breath mostly drowned out any body odor. He wiped his cheeks with his hand and then wiped his hand on the bed below him. He paused for a moment, his mind threatening to travel to a place that he didn't want it to.

And then it did anyway. Oops. Stede would've been pissed to see black stains on his bed. No. He'd be upset, but he'd swallow it and say something like, "well, I'll have Lucius   try and clean it up a bit." But oh well, Lucius was dead and the stain was staying. He looked down at the sheets. He considered the logistics of throwing the bed off the boat.

After a moment, he spilled some rum onto the bed. He watched the liquid seep into it. Feathers, Stede had told him. It was made out of feathers. He remembered being shocked. What kind of madman uses feathers for a bed? Why not just make it out of hay? But the feathers are much softer than hay is. He used his palm and pushed down the mattress, making sure the rum had sank into the feathers. The mattress felt damp against his fingers.

Blackbeard poured the remainder of the bottle onto the bed. And then he threw the bottle onto the floor, flinching as it shattered.

He shivered when he heard a knock on the door. It opened after a moment, despite him willing it not to. Izzy stood in the doorway. Izzy's eyes flicked downwards, at the damp bed and the glass that littered the floor. Izzy's face stayed rather neutral.

"Jesus Christ, thank God you don't light the candles in here. It'd be a fucking molotov," Izzy said, a hint of disgust in his raspy voice.

Blackbeard, Ed, whoever he was, looked over at Izzy. He raised a brow.

"Captain, we're anchored just off the coast of the Republic of Pirates," Izzy said. "Most of the crew is preparing to leave. I've left Ivan and Fang in charge of our... recruits."

"And?"

"It might be... I don't know... good for you to get off the ship for a bit," Izzy said, stepping closer. "You could do a bit of bargaining. Or drinking."

"I can drink here," Ed replied.

"Well..." Izzy said slowly. "That was the last of the rum."

Ed sat silently for a moment. The idea of a hangover was enough to put him back into the Blackbeard mask. He rose to his feet and strode drunkenly toward Izzy. Izzy stared at him with wide eyes, a mixture of surprise and excitement on his face.

Ed grabbed him by the throat, ignoring the way Izzy's heart sped up under his fingers. He shoved Izzy against the wall.

"You will go onto the shore and you will buy enough rum to set this whole fucking ship on fire," Blackbeard hissed.

Izzy stared into his eyes for a moment and then smiled slightly. "Yes sir," he said huskily.

Blackbeard stepped back, shoving him out of the way. He watched Izzy leave like a predator stalking its prey. He stood, swaying for a moment.

What else was he supposed to do but drink? Blackbeard went back to the bed and stared out the window. He felt tears welling in his eyes again.

His mind began to wander to Stede again, no matter how many times he tried to leash it. His mind wandered to all the things that Stede would hate. All the things he'd done.