#v. private

[walkpathe-arch]

PROMPT.   OPEN    

@musecraft  (   as izzy   )  gets:  seven of pentacles  —  progress, learning from your mistakes, perseverance.

❛  thought you'd be up here.  ❜   he finds izzy in the crow's nest,  high above deck.  edward is not as fast or graceful as he used to be  (   or young,  for that matter   ),  but he settles beside him just the same.  for a while he just breathes,  slow,  unhurried,  gaze lost to the clouds blanketing the moon from proper view,  simply enjoying the chance to be doing this.  edward feels calmer than he has in months  —  years,  if he has to be honest  —  with izzy at his side and the certainty that he is not going anywhere bestowed upon him like a blessing,  so when he turns and settles a hand just below izzy's knee the rush of sorrow spearing through his heart is dimmer than it had been a few days ago.  

edward had come back safe and sound from his lone venture like he said he would,  and they had talked,  probably for longer than they ever had.  honesty poured out of each of them in turn,  some hard to hear,  but very much needed.  let's stop hurting each other,  yeah?  we've done enough of that  and  fuck off,  izzy.  twenty years and not a word of this?  he had said that chasing away tears with a startled laugh,  a breath distance away from izzy's mouth.  which he had kissed soundly,  moments later. 

still,  words now crawl up his throat feeling like pieces of broken glass.   ❛  does it still hurt?  ❜   guilt laden grimace casts the edges of his mouth downwards,  but it's an important question  (   even if it's coming in a bit late   )  and edward wants izzy to answer him truthfully.   his hand stays well enough away from his maimed foot,  though it sneaks gently down to his clothed calf,  finally coming to a stop there.

[walkpathe-arch]

PROMPT.   OPEN      

@musecraft  (   as stede   )  gets:  seven of swords  —  confession, conscience, truth revealed.

he hasn't been avoiding stede all day,   not exactly.  not by choice,  at least.  it's just that they haven't managed to get a quiet moment to themselves in what feels like entirely too long,  and they're both still trying to navigate their newfound relationship in the wake of stede's return  —  while having to deal with the consequences of edward's broken hearted rampage on top of that.  it has been a messy ordeal from all sides,  obviously.  it still kind of is,  because although it's getting better the process is slow and the road not void of obstacles.

edward waits until it's nearly sunset,  with the rest of the crew long gone to find some well earned merriment across nassau,  before securing a hold on stede's hand and all but dragging him towards his restored quarters on the revenge.  contrary to this behavior,  however,  he halts his movements once they are inside.   ❛  hey.  ❜   back to the door,  edward slants a sheepish look stede's way.  he is wearing his leather trousers,  but his torso is covered by one of stede's white linen shirts  (   taken from the untouched secret wardrobe,  of course   ),  and his lips are upturned,  albeit tentatively.  as if he's learning how to do this all over again.  how to be around stede again,  without either clawing at his clothes as if he's afraid the man might disappear any second,  or arguing it through until he is exhausted and apologies fall from his lips like rain drops,  heavy and desperate.

❛  c'mere.  ❜   he takes him to the couch,  hand still linked with his own.   ❛  there's some serious stuff i need to tell you.  promise you won't  —  you can't stop me until i'm done,  alright?  ❜   he waits for confirmation,  and the next words out of his mouth come quieter,  stifled.  he's very much trying to find a way to make stede understand what's going on in his mind.  and trying not to hurt him in the process,  too.

❛  i need to go away for a while.  on my own.  i'm thinking about taking the queen anne and just enough men to make sure she doesn't fall apart on me.  it's been a while,  so i'm gonna have to check that she's ready for open sea again,  but it's not  —  you've done nothing wrong,  i need you to believe me on that.  i said you made me happy,  an' you still do.  ❜   edward frees him of his grasp at last, only to cradle stede's face with both hands. he does nothing but brush his thumbs across stede's skin for a while, hoping to provide more reassurance this way, but he grows restless before long and a concerned frown makes an appearance on his forehead.   ❛  stede?  talk to me,  love.  ❜