come_sailaway | He Gods to Swear

Who: Cede Sonnet (Baptin) and ...all three of you... [OTA]
What: gin, rum, tequila, pina colada (one for each hand), vodka, whiskey....
When: June 30 year of our lord ...somethin' with a lotta 2s
Where: I dunno just...everyhere
Warnings: this man

I. At Hurikane

[Give him two pina coladas... or three. Or four. Because the ghosts won't and he's trying to pull the drink from the invisible hands]

I'm fine. I can handle it. I can handle anything! Don't tell me I can't liquor my handle!

II. At John's

[who is holding a bottle of tequila, sitting on the piano and intermittently throwing books at the screen? It's him. It's fine. He's fine. Everything's fine. Why do you ask?]

III. Chatterbox

[it is karaoke time and he is just in time for having a good time, reading the lyrics badly]

Tell me why ain't nothin' but a heartache
tell me why ain't nothing but a missed skate
tell me why I never wanna hear you say
I want it that day!

Come on! Sing with me!

IV. Scoops
I'll have one of everything please. [and then seeing someone come up, clings to the window] It's all mine. Go away. Shoo.

V. Elsewhere
[Stede is clinging to the railing, making his way along or otherwise rambling back and forth across the deck]

Wow! Choppy seas? Am I right? Of course I'm right. Must be a storm. [he chugs a bottle of rum]

If we die... I hope the captain is fucked. Fucked. Absolutely a hundered percent ten eggs deep.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think less of me, [ She corrects, not expecting to get a hug and also not especially wanting one when Stede reeked with more fumes than a Molotov. ]

I get you're trying to be nice, but I'm fine. I know I fucked up, I'll do better, end of story. We really need to get you water.

You shouldn't. I'm your captain and that's an order...

Actually... We should celebrate. [he looks up] Back to Hurikane! [and he'll stop hugging her and try to turn her around by the shoulders]

[ Darcy bristles a little at that. Surely her Captain would want her to do and be better, why was he trying to coddle her? ]

Stede, [ She resists being turned around, removing his hands from her shoulders a bit more forcefully this time, ] I can't drink. And you shouldn't drink in front of teenagers- you don't want to be a bad influence on me, do you?

[ She's not too proud to hit him right in the Dad instincts. ]

Come on- getting water is fun, it's what cool people do in my time- [ Second attempt to get her shoulders under his arm and guide him back to his room. ]

You're not a-- I mean-- you're old enough... You're not fourteen are you? You don't age very well, I'm sad to say.

[he lets himself be turned]

I don't want water. I want...whiskey. [they're both clear] I can teach you how to drink it. You'll need it when you're older.

[ Right, Stede is from before people know about things about brain development and what alcohol does to children. Bad gambit. She tries not to take the fact she's baby-faced personally. ]

I'm sixteen. Back home, you're not allowed hard spirits until you're eighteen at least. And I don't want to drink. Not now and not if I get older.

[ She wasn't even thinking about her phrasing, her worries about the subject slipping out unconsciously. Darcy's glad he's not putting up as much of a fight now, and guides him towards the cabins. ]

I direct your revisions. [or whatever. He stumbles alongside her]

I... I heard... you know, I heard that... I heard that you got stabbed.

[ Well... that first part wasn't English, but Stede's bringing the stabbing up. She'd wanted to wait until he was more sober. But if he wants to address it, then she will. ]

Yep. I hugged the Captain and got stabbed for it. The only reason I'm not dead is because he threatened to make Fio sit next to my corpse. Your plan isn't going to work.

Oh my god I'm sorry... But you...you did it. You actually did it. You're such a good girl, Darcy. [he'd give her a hug again but he seems to have too many feet]

Maybe we just need to hug more. Yes. Maybe we can go and practice now. Fios isn't here at the moment and if we're both corpses we won't have to worry.

[ Her stomach drops and her face flushes as she tries to square the circle of immense praise with the absolute insanity of what Stede is suggesting. He's drunk, he isn't thinking clearly, and she needs to be responsible for him. ]

It wasn't anything to do with my hugging technique. He's trying to use our relationships against us, if it's not Fio it'll be someone else. I'm- we're not going to let him, but we also don't need to put ourselves and others at risk. It didn't... accomplish anything.

But that... that's why we have to become immune to it. That's why... like if you get used to people dying you say: [he pitches his voice low and straightens so much he nearly falls backward]

Oh I see there, you killed my captain, but don't worry, he'll be back in five minutes and even more annoying.

[and then back to his regular tone]

you see? It cuts the legs from him. Can't traumatize what won't be traumatized.

Stede.

[ 'Of course you die!' echoes through her head. She hadn't... gotten why Skulduggery had been so opposed to her throwing herself against the Captain back at the party when they couldn't die. But she understood it now. She understood that there were worse fates than death, especially for those left behind. Her turn to steady him now, both hands on his shoulders. ]

I'm not ever going to be able to shrug off you dying. And if you can do the same to me, then you're not the Captain I agreed to follow. I'm not so scared of that fucker that I'm willing to stop caring about you.

[ It takes a lot to admit that last part, and she's not really sure she believes it herself. But he's drunk anyway, he could forget she's said it, especially if he reacts badly. There's always a chance he changes his mind and rejects her now. ]

We'll work out another plan. There's plenty of clever people here who can help us.

You... [he looks at her. One of her. It's very difficult. What's next is even worst for both of them as his eyes well up and tears pour unheeded down his face. He holds her shoulders to keep her steady]/small>

You ...you are so sweet. You are... I couldn't... I can't just... Clarke is a very good friend for you but I can't... I can't just stop this. Even if it hurts... Even when it hurts... We can't be alone...

But I don't want to lose you... [and he's hugging her again, sobbing openly.]

[ She was expecting Stede to cry. The mention of Clarke was unexpected and a little confusing, but she'll probably chase that up afterwards. For now, she has a Captain to console. A Captain who cares about her, somehow, in spite of every part of herself she dislikes. Who thinks she's sweet, like Darcy is a girl her actual age and not a weapon. Darcy forces herself not to gag at the stench of alcohol and returns the hug this time, a hand lightly on the back of his head. ]

I'm not going anywhere.

[he cries himself out and then stands there listlessly like a tired marionette. After a moment he sniffs and says] I think I want to sleep now. Can you take me to my closet?

Of course.

[ Third time's the charm, she takes some of his weight onto her shoulder again and helps him back to his room. Well, his closet. Apparently his roommate is creepy. The next morning, there's a bottle of sports drink and some painkillers waiting for his inevitable hangover. ]

Edited 2022-07-01 05:21 (UTC)

He Gods to Swear

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject