#thread. ed.

[seafavoured]

❛ what is it you want this time? ❜ (blackrose, dnd, perhaps more smug smug smug after ed shows up at his door a second time lmao). @pyratezlife / ned.

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄, 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐄𝐃'𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑 ? because he certainly didn't recall making a conscious effort to do so, and yet, here they were. he'd been lying in his own lovely, four poster bed for what felt like hours, trying desperately to will his mind and body to sleep. it was the most comfortable they'd been in months, with all the accommodations of ned's tower. so why did they have an easier time resting atop the cold, hard ground in the middle of a danger ridden forest?

everything in their room was perfect : a comfortable mattress strewn with soft pillows and fine, silk sheets, his favourite elderberry wine chilled by the desk with an assortment of sweets that looked as though they were straight from the bakery in that last quaint little town. the one edward had fawned over for their blackberry tarts and fresh bread. even the high ceiling of the room seemed to meld to an ever shifting canvas of stars, as if the night's sky were captured right here in this room. they had been saying just this morning how hard they found it to fall asleep without the twinkling little pinpricks of light above.

but no amount of luxury could help when their thoughts ran an endless gauntlet through their head. memories they would rather not focus on, no matter how ... pleasant. he'd eventually risen in frustration and left to stroll the maze of corridors, aimless. at least, that was the intent. apparently somewhere down the line, his feet had carried him straight to ned's door, where his fist deigned to knock.

they stood blinking at ned through the open doorway, like a deer caught in the headlights. hells, what the fuck was he doing here? why had they come? heat flushed his cheeks a deep plum hue as he bristled, horribly conscious of their bedhead and smalls and rumpled sleep shirt. ❛ nothing ! ❜ they cringed. it was said too quick, in a knee jerk reaction of self defense. suddenly rankled and on edge, wishing he'd at least redressed in his leathers before going for a midnight walk in the tower.

❛ nothing. why do i have to want something, just to come say hello? because i don't want anything, that is. ❜ they might as well have come equipped with a shovel, for the godsdamned hole he was digging. fingertips twisted idly in the loose linen of their shirt, his other hand carding through that mess of dark hair. ❛ why, what do you want? ❜ accusatory, as if they weren't the one to come knocking in the first place. ❛ because it certainly seems like you're trying for something, plying me with gifts like that. you don't need to give me special treatment, just because we fucked one time. ❜

[seafavoured]

𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐁𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐖. it had rather long since devolved and snowballed into a different beast entirely, gathering momentum as it went. no surprise for the two of them, always at each other's throats for one reason or another. arguing with ned was like an olympic sport ; something they'd trained for all their youth with iz and jack, and their manager ben, but were only now getting the challenge of a lifetime.

a challenge indeed, for something about the other was infuriating beyond belief. polar opposites were they : ed with reckless youth and ned older, with an insufferable air of sophistication. worn leather and combat boots in contrast to designer suits and shoes. rough and crass versus smooth and eloquent.

❛ christ, do you hear yourself ! ❜ he longed to stop his voice from rising, in both volume and pitch, to no avail. it nearly broke at the end, higher than they'd ever wished it to climb. a clear and irritating sign that ned was getting to them, crawled underneath their skin and persisting like an itch he just couldn't seem to scratch. a sensation that drove him wild, practically snarling, ❛ d'you actively try to be such a prick, or does it just come naturally? ❜

maybe that was unfair, but it did seem intentional some days. the way ned would poke and prod and needle him in ways the rest of their motley crew were yet free of. he pressed close, strands falling free of their messy bun, jet black telecaster still slung 'round a shoulder. the rest had already begun mingling, ignoring them, long since accepting defeat in breaking up their spats. ❛ if you've got a problem with me, we can take it outside. just you an' me, daddy. ❜ they'd meant for it to come out menacing, an absent minded little dig at both ned's age and unlikelihood to win a fight with him. but some measure of heat curled 'round their tongue as he spoke.

@pyratezlife / ned.

[seafavoured]

𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐏. heard the whispers from loose tongue to open ears 'til they reached his own. feigned nonchalance when they did, polite as he listened, idly waving off such talk as little more than hearsay and dramatics. only once all others were gone from their sight did they rise from the bathing pool with purpose. brow furrowed with mounting dread.

their body dried and clothed in fine, sheer fabrics, cinched about the waist and loose at the chest. generous slits rose to upper thighs, the vast expanse of tanned skin yet displayed soon adorned in a multitude of delicate golden chains and glittering jewels. the process took longer than they'd have liked, but it was expected of him ; to appear a certain way, hold himself a certain way. at least when marching to the dominus' chambers with single minded focus.

they lingered in the doorway with pause, draped up against its frame for a moment's composure ere he stepped inside. ❛ my love, ❜ spoken soft as he closed the distance and bent to press a kiss at ned's cheek in greeting. ❛ i heard the most careless rumours this morning, ❜ there was a casual airiness to their tone that they did not feel. acting as if this news came to him hours past and he'd only just come 'round to discuss it, as opposed to the immediacy which drove them here. hair still tied back from the bath, flesh still damp with oils in some places.

❛ far be it for me to question your aims, but ... is it true? that you look to see jack replaced? ❜ an effort was made to keep the rise of pitch from his voice, and the panic that would size him. neither would service them well, if the rumours held any weight. he perched instead atop the table's edge, legs crossed, in front of where his lord was seated. ❛ is it wise to depose of your greatest champion while he still has use to you? ❜ leaned back upon their palms, feet dangling and head canted. an air of idle curiosity hoped for.

@pyratezlife / ned.

[seafavoured]

[ feed ] sender feeds receiver's pet/s for them (blackrose, either benders verse, perhaps ed noticing the softer way ned and ripple interact after their reunion post-ba sing se? and how ned spoils her now lmao). @pyratezlife / ned.

𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐄'𝐃 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃. weeks since there had been a bloodied, gaping wound through his chest, where skin and muscle had since knit messily back together, leaving only scar tissue in their wake.

weeks since ned had left.

but the mind was a more difficult thing to heal. ed awoke from another nightmare, blessedly quiet for once and thus not enough to awaken jack from his peaceful, snoring slumber. they wiped the cold sweat from their brow and rose, slow and weary, from their little cocoon of blankets. a wince as the twisting movement tugged just a bit too wrong at his side, at his sternum. hot tears still stung sleep heavy eyes and stained trails down his cheeks. they were swiped away with the back of a hand as ed slipped out of the tent and into the cool night air.

straight out into ned's line of sight. fuck. they'd forgotten it was his watch, otherwise they might have let the lingering, awkward tension keep them inside. he stopped short and took instant note of what he'd walked into : ripple, cuddled up round the other's hunched form by the fire, nearly obstructing him with her sheer bulk. her great maw nuzzling up against ned's side, his chest, his neck, nosing at his face with eager, sloppy licks. a low, rumbling noise of content seemed to emanate from her as she dipped down to munch at an offered moon peach.

something tight and warm seized in ed's chest. something that had nothing to do with their injury, and everything to do with ... he cut the thought off at the knees.

❛ hey. mind if i, ❜ a vague gesture to the makeshift log seat by the campfire. the moment they spoke, ripple's ears perked up and she was quick to approach, to snuggle up close. pressing her face into his hand and practically leading him over to sit beside ned. they sunk down slow, and ripple curled up round their backs, head in ed's lap. tail wagging with a rhythmic thump against the side of ned's thigh. silence settled over them, not uncomfortable but pressing in like a living presence.

i missed you. i forgive you. i love you. ❛ looks like you're her new favourite. jack'll be pissed. ❜ it was easier to keep to the easy stuff. to tread lightly round the tug at his heartstrings.

[seafavoured]

𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀 𝐅𝐄𝐖 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐄, and to the palace walls within the great ice city of agna qel'a. a few days, and ed still couldn't stop thinking about him : the infuriating, ridiculous, handsome earthbender who had gone toe to toe with them in an all out brawl. his unique style of fighting and overall skill in a fight had impressed ed almost as much as what came after.

their mind wandered back to the dusty street post fight. the two of them still settled within the sand of their makeshift battleground as they'd fucked with all the same feral, wild energy with which they'd fought. arguing and flirting in the same breath throughout. kissing hot and heavy, all teeth and tongues and bruises of desire left to mingle with injuries. thankfully, many of the above had healed a bit in the days following, but not near enough to erase their evidence entirely. light purple and yellow bruises still stood out at the slope of their throat, punctuated by marks that could only really have been left by teeth.

it was late by the time they arrived to the palace, ignoring the guards and guests alike. the halls were mostly quiet and peaceful at this hour past twilight, but he moved quickly all the same ; not eager to run into anyone of note on the way to his bedroom. it was with this in mind that they rounded the corner ... and nearly ran directly into ned. fuck. he instantly and absentmindedly tugged at his thick fur mantle, adjusting it up higher round their neck.

❛ please, don't tell father i'm back yet. i'm not in the mood for his inevitable interrogation. ❜ no proper greeting or explanation for where he'd been. not yet, not with the evidence of combat and more carnal passion still writ clear all over them. they swallowed thick and moved to brush past ned on the way to their own chambers. so close, just two doors down, but so far.

@pyratezlife / ned.

[seafavoured]

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆. 𝐎𝐑, 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆. it sounded mildly less pathetic than the prior. edward was in the otherwise empty throne room, lounging back within their own and looking ever the picture of a most arrogant prince : legs crossed delicately, one elbow propped atop an arm of the chair, chin nestled within that palm and a pout fully set in place upon a plump bottom lip.

❛ tch, father thinks i'm undisciplined, ❜ the low, grumbling tone broke through the silence of the icy chamber. ❛ i think he's an old man past his prime, with no sense of adventure. ❜ brown eyes flit up to ned, expectant. the king had left the chi blockers' leader at their side as honour guard, but whether to edward's benefit or detriment had yet to be determined. his role seemed just as likely to restrain as to protect, if he knew his lord father. to 'keep the crown prince out of trouble'. whatever the case, the man stood stiff and straight beside their throne, facing forward as was expected.

a brow quirked, regarding ned. ❛ a real fight would benefit me more than some dusty old airbending tomes, wouldn't you say? ... or are you a dull, dried up old man as well? ❜ there was something nestled within their tone which bordered between flirtation and challenge alike. he licked his lips, head canted. they were only familiar with ned on a surface level, as an employee of their father's with impressive abilities, but he had long seen something within that cool grey gaze that piqued his interest.

a lazy wave of their hand indicated the chair beside them their father's throne. the throne of the king. ❛ have a seat and speak candidly with me. ❜ another challenge, perhaps, to see if ned had the balls to sit in place of the king at their side, regardless of the vacant chamber.

@pyratezlife / ned.

[seafavoured]

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑, 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐖𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐓. 𝐔𝐍𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄. it was nothing like the rigid, stringent bending edward had experienced through richard guthrie's bland teaching. the lord was a master through education and tradition, but this man could steal the title from him in a single fight. constantly swapping stances and styles, acting with the dexterity of an airbender at times, and the ferocity of a firebender at others. hopping from loose and defensive to coiled and aggressive without warning, keeping edward on their toes.

they ought to be furious. frustrated, that an earth kingdom peasant could even hope to match him in battle. he was the avatar, someday to be master of all four elements, and the reigning prince of the great water tribes. they had been trained by the most learned and accomplished masters that money could buy, and he was being met strike for strike by some musclebound oaf. but ...

ed was thrilled.

a huge chunk of earth shot forward and knocked them back against the wall with an 'oof!' before any move could be made to stop it. the back of his skull followed suit with a crack, leaving him disheveled and panting. ❛ you're one hell of a fighter, ❜ snarled from a ragged throat. wayward strands of hair fell free of their tie, nose bleeding and certainly broken, a split at their lip to match. he swiped the back of a hand cross his face, but it only resulted in a smear of crimson. lips parted, tongue prodding at the split and was met with the sharp taste of iron.

❛ where'd you learn all that? ❜ they looked nothing like the prim and proper prince who had begun this battle. and they were grinning, broad and bright and wild. there was water nearby in the long since abandoned street markets, and an ever smouldering fire at their core, but something stayed his hand. some desire for a fair match, earth against earth.

@pyratezlife / jack.

[seafavoured]

𝐄𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑'𝐒 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖, fanned and fed grapes by fellow servants not afforded the same courtesies as himself. it was indeed advantageous to have the praetor's favour. it saw him tended to, fitted in fine fabrics and delicate jewelry befitting their form, allowed for food and drink at their own pleasure. a certain freedom of its own accord, but with its limits.

the one of most vexation to him in this moment was lack of invite to the war counsel ned held with the visiting praetor. what was his name? flint?

of course, they expected no such invite. but to be forced at lingering outside the room was enough to spark fury in the depths of their stomach. fury and ... something else. he couldn't place a finger upon it, but it coiled and twisted in their gut 'til it made its presence known all the same. gaze remained fixed through the open doorway and the two men huddled 'round the table within. they bickered constantly, but some measure of heat yet seemed shared between them still. small, errant touches here and there which appeared to strike passion as well as irritation.

edward frowned to see each, brows furrowed ere he realized his expression and settled it to something more neutral. a huff of annoyance, ready to rise despite their orders to await the men's return, when the two finally emerged. their eyes fixed upon ned's hand at this flint's shoulder. thankfully, the other man was quick to stalk off down the hall in a huff.

❛ who was that? ❜ it came out more abruptly than he'd intended, and indeed more than it ought to, considering his own station. still, they glared after flint a moment ere their gaze returned to ned. that damned frown had returned, but lips soon parted for a grape with which to hide it. ❛ i wasn't aware you had such close friends within the senate. lazy, blustering fools, i seem to recall you saying. ❜ there was something petty and needling to his tone. something that ed realized with some manner of shocked distaste, was jealousy.

@pyratezlife / ned.