Damn your love

[saltnpepperbeard]

WHO: Edward Teach, OTA
WHERE: The Diner
WHAT: Ed's being a nuisance
WHEN: Mid Sept
WARNINGS: TBD, smoking



Sugar

Ed didn't realize quite how used he'd gotten to the taste of finer things aboard Stede's ship until he was a few months into his time here. He stared at his cup of tea, if you could call it that, a distant scowl forming as he shoveled a ungodly number of spoonfuls of sugar into it (7, if you cared to count), stirring it idly. He'd lived off far worse than this, for far longer, but this lacked the pleasant perfume of Stede's brand.

He caught his reflection in the drink and scoffed at himself. When had he gone so damn soft?


Smoke

The unlucky diners of the day would find an added haze to their meal. Edward had settled in quite comfortably, pipe in hand, quite unaware that there was anything offensive about this action in modern times. He had his leg propped up on a chair, and made for a rather intimidating figure as he sat there, smoke encircling him. Will you approach, or will your nerves force your lungs to suffer through the meal in silence?

Comments

[saltnpepperbeard]

Rude.

Ed looked taken aback. He might have even had a bit of colour to his cheeks there for a moment. Sure, he was getting on a bit, but ancient?

"I'm 37, Man, not on my death bed yet," he corrected with an admonishing look. Which to Tommy was sure a very busted 37, but not nearly so shocking for the time period.

He reached to defend his ownership over the sugar, swatting at Tommy's hand. "You seem to think everything's shit for you."

[doubled_speed]

Dude, are you that shocked? He's 'young'. Well, actually, he's probably, like, no younger than most of those who Ed worked with as pirates. But he is young enough.

"So old, but not that old. Good to know. Though if you've been smoking a while, you're artificially aged by it, but hey, you do you."

Which means he rolls his eyes. Don't be like that, Ed.

"Yeah, well this also has to serve everyone."

[saltnpepperbeard]

The cheek. He pointedly straightened, ignoring his body's aches and pains. It had certainly been a while. A good portion of that 37 years, but that was hardly atypical was it?

"Don't push it," he cautioned.

And as to the sugar- "So we get more," he reasoned.

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, he's got two of those cheeks. Deal with it.

"I push what I want in my domain. If you're a pirate, and I'm not saying you are, that means you know to respect the chef in his domain. And since the chef is also the primary fucking farmer here who has to do all the processing to get that sugar, you'll listen extra hard."

[saltnpepperbeard]

"The Captain," Ed gave a sage nod, a smirk playing at his lips. He wondered if the boy would act any different if he knew who he was talking to. He was starting to doubt it.

"Will I now?" he asked, putting on a serious face, unspoken threat very much hanging in the air.

[doubled_speed]

"Well, Cap, you ain't got a ship here, and this? This is my kingdom. I rule here. My will is law when you're drinking my tea."

And it's as simple as that in his books.

[saltnpepperbeard]

"Mmmm," Ed gave a rumbling hum as he drained the rest of said tea, considering Tommy and his words.

"...if I were to...assist you, would that allot me a greater portion?" he bargained.

[doubled_speed]

"If you were to pull your weight, of course," Tommy says, rolling his eyes.

Was he absolutely encouraging his helpers to indulge themselves first? Yep.

[saltnpepperbeard]

"...we have a deal then, Little Captain," he allowed with a teasing smirk, offering his hand to shake on it, "M'at your service."

[doubled_speed]

Little Captain? Tommy raises an eyebrow at that. But given he's already bestowed a nickname, he can't judge it all that much.

"We'll see if you're up to it. But no smoking around the plants. It's bad for them."

[saltnpepperbeard]

Ed certainly could have given him plenty worse. Little Captain was very nearly a compliment.

"Fucking hell, Man, they're plants," he said with an exasperated roll of his eyes. What was next?

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, maybe it was. But still, he's just going to roll with it.

"And they are plants that are keeping us alive."

[saltnpepperbeard]

"Weren't doing such a good job of that recently," Ed noted petulantly, but he relented.

"I don't need to touch one of those glowy things that fuck with your mind, do I?"

[doubled_speed]

"I ain't responsible for every plant. They were... wrong, though. Sick?"

He wasn't sure about the wording of it. It was... pretty difficult to deal with.

"No, you don't. But that means you gotta listen to me give you directions a lot. And you'll be limited on what you could do."

[saltnpepperbeard]

"Of course," he purred with a bow of his head, and gave look as though he was offended by the suggestion he might not follow directions, though it was rather defeated by that twinkle in his eye that said Tommy was right to worry.

"When do we start?"

[doubled_speed]

"When are you ready, Big Ed?" he asked, rising and moving to collect his box of harvested food.

[saltnpepperbeard]

Ed spread his hands, and reached to tuck his pipe away.

"Got nothing but time in this place," he welcomed, glad to have something to keep him from sitting idle. And then a pause- "How did you know my name?"

[doubled_speed]

Well, there's that. But then Tommy looks at Ed. And after a moment, he bursts out laughing. That's fucking gold.

"I didn't. I just chose a cliche biker name. Oh fuck, are you really named Ed?"

[saltnpepperbeard]

"Biker?" Ed still didn't know what that weird term had to do with him, or why it would be associated with his name.

He nodded though, and gave a proper introduction.

"Edward Teach. Ed's good."

[doubled_speed]

Edward Teach. Tommy laughed and shook his head.

"Wow, you're really going in on the pirate motif. Using Blackbeard's name. You're hilarious."

[saltnpepperbeard]

Did he really not know? Ed looked amused, tilting his head with a coy look and simply arching a brow.

"Am I, now?" he asked, pushing to his feet. The boy had heard of him but still didn't recognize he was face to face with the man himself. Though if he was going off those ridiculous drawings of him he could hardly blame him, could he?

[doubled_speed]

Dude, the guy is SO far in the past, no one can be sure what he looked like.

"Yeah. I mean, he's supposed to have been real. But you earn real pirate nerd cred to use the name."

[saltnpepperbeard]

"Oh, he's real," Ed assured with a little smirk, "Know the guy. Pretty well actually..." He stroked his beard and let that silence hang for a moment.

[doubled_speed]

Seriously? Tommy rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, I don't really think the 'demon the seas' would let someone else use his name. So I don't buy it."

[saltnpepperbeard]

He nodded in consideration.

"You're right, I wouldn't," he confirmed with a pointed look.
"So- where are we off to, lead the way."