AUGUST EVENT: DRAGSTRIP RIOT

[sailmods]

[it begins with a PA announcement on the morning of the 12th, Friday’s voice coming through clear and cheerful.]

Any passengers that wish to debark to our latest port of call can exit the ship through the metal detectors on deck zero! Please be advised that all alcohol will be confiscated prior to your exit!

[and whoever heads down to the lowest deck will find that what she said was true: there is a metal detector set up there, with Friday manning it. after placing all metal objects (including weapons, and all your weapons) onto the tray, she gestures for the passenger to step through the metal detector.

they exit in an entirely different location. suffering from a splitting headache, and wearing an entirely different outfit than they had put on this morning, but unscathed. they even got their weapons back!

the interior of the diner is essentially your average jonathan rockets establishment. the narrow lane between booths and counter is manned by an entirely mute Friday clone, who cheerily takes orders and serves up food (cooked??? somewhere???) with an almost unnatural talent for roller blading. there is a jukebox in the corner that can be fed with quarters passengers will inexplicably find on their person. the available songs range from the 50s to the 80s, with a particularly wide selection of songs from the platters.

outside, the diner is a great chrome boxcar, circled by a small parking lot. a large neon sign proclaims it to be GIL’S; it buzzes and flickers on and off often. passengers who have regained vehicles will find these vehicles parked outside. there are also a handful of midcentury American cars; none of them seem to require keys, and the gas tank seems set at full.

past the parking lot is a seemingly endless expanse of desert sand and scrubland, bisecting by the empty highway that the diner abuts. a few miles down this highway, the road forks into a smaller one, which winds its way up a steep, ragged mountain until plateauing into another parking lot, with only a small, old wooden fence between the cars and the edge of the cliff.

should they wish to return to the ship, passengers can leave at any time the same way they entered: walking through a doorway that now claims to be a mop closet. passing through will leave them on deck zero, again with a splitting headache. it’s probably fine.]

Comments

[ninetoes]

Oh good. That landed as he had hoped. Some of the more modern people aboard this ship get tetchy when confronted with the realities of hierarchy. But not Darcy. Darcy understands him.

Also Darcy is very up towards the top of that hierarchy. Gee could those two statements possibly have anything to do with each other.

Satisfied, Izzy smiles back and mirrors the gesture, bumping fists with the understanding that they're good and everything is going to be ok. He's losing Edward more and more every day. He can not lose Darcy.

"I've given her a task for the time being. Hopefully she should keep our of everyone's hair for a bit."

[saltwaterlungs]

Clearly unrelated. Darcy would absolutely not change her tune if she were at the bottom of the pecking order. Not at all.

"We'll see if she sticks to it, ehn? Maybe we'll be that lucky."

Darcy withdraws her hand back to the steering wheel.

"You didn't tell me what the Captain offered you," she says at length. Surprisingly, she does notice when conversations get changed on her, even in the face of her frothing rage about Jinx.

[ninetoes]

"Mgh-" Izzy thought he'd gotten away with that one and was already thinking about where he'd left Jinx under the hood of car with the express order to tear it to pieces and make as many wonderful weapons out of it as she can.

"It was weak, really. He offered me-" and this is said with every ounce of dramatic flair he possesses. "-a paradise world of my very own."

Complete with broad, artistic hand gesture and all.

"Complete rot of course. I can only assume it means he'd lock me in my own mind and leave me there to die. Hardly something to consider."

[saltwaterlungs]

It is a trait that Izzy will have to learn to either love or hate in Darcy; she's a dog with a bone when it comes to what she's curious about, and she's already done far worse in pursuit of answers.

"He really isn't that inventive, is he," she scoffs.

"Like- really? Do you think anyone's actually gone for that? A paradise world all for yourself, you've just got to trust that he'll make it happen and not stick you somewhere worse? God. I have no idea how the people before us never stopped him."

[ninetoes]

He is quite the same and honestly, pressing hard is the only way to get anything out of Izzy.

"I dunno, maybe. It is amazing how fucking stupid most people are. Oh~ here~ have your own fantasy land, you'll be happy forever, completely at my whim~ Not fucking likely."

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy laughs, and it feels a little mean. She herself probably would've taken the out if it were closer to the start, when just being aboard felt like an injustice she couldn't stand for a moment longer. But in the way that you can't remember what it's like not to know something, she couldn't imagine doing it now.

"What did he even want anyway? Just like, 'bluh bluh stop having a crew on my ship' or something?"

[ninetoes]

"It didn't get that far, but he doesn't like that we're organized."

A beat. He needs to correct himself because they are not organized. Yet. He'll see to that soon enough.

"Organizing. It gives us too much power. A pirate crew with three captains on your ship? S'bad for business."

[saltwaterlungs]

"Three captains? Who's the third?"

[ninetoes]

Who’s the- oh fuck did he say this? Fuck- FUCK!

“Uh- w-who um. I meant. I meant two.”

[saltwaterlungs]

The doors lock again.

"You meant two. Because that's a really weird slip-up to make, Izzy."

Extreme amounts of skepticism radiating from Darcy right now.

[ninetoes]

Izzy’s attention shoots to the locks. He does not like this.

He likes having to think on his feet even less. Especially to recover his own fuck up.

“I’m not strong with numbers.”

[saltwaterlungs]

Doubt intensifies, especially considering what he's told her about what he actually does in his role as first mate. God what is it with the adult men in her life and lying to her?

It does cross her mind that he could be referring to the Captain and his presence on the crew, but while the Captain is a Captain, he's certainly not her captain, and wouldn't be his either.

"Okay- well whenever you want to stop being weird about this, let me know."

Time for Izzy to face the next weapon in her arsenal; freezing him out. Her attention goes to the road and Darcy falls utterly silent.

[ninetoes]

They will sit in silence for a very long, uncomfortable duration. Looking straight ahead but hyper aware of each other on the periphery.

He’s lied, poorly, and they both know. Refusing to talk about it will damage everything they have previously talked about. Telling the truth could damage his standing in the crew.

What crew, though. Stede Bonnet has assembled a social club. If it is to be something more accurate and ready to fight then Izzy will have to do it himself.

The thought plants some dangerous seeds. They spout all the same.

Finally.

“I’m the third captain.”

[saltwaterlungs]

It sucks, and it sucks especially so soon after seeming to come to terms with each other again. The ache from stepped-on toes refreshed and renewed. Darcy's resigned to finishing the drive, looping back around to the diner, kicking him out of the car and finding somewhere to cool off. But she doesn't get the chance to.

"You're Blackbeard's first mate, we had a Whole talk about that and what that means. How are you also a Captain?"

[ninetoes]

Izzy glances over before returning his gaze forward. It’s not an eye roll but it’s not not an eye roll, either.

Absently, he plays with the cuff of his single glove.

“And that is exactly why I don’t want to talk about it. But seeing as you’re going to keep me in this carriage until you’re satisfied..”

And seeing as he folds like a fucking book when he thinks he’s outmatched, here we are.

“Shortly before I came to this vessel Blackbeard and Bonnet threw their lives away.”

Scenes he sees with vivid detail behind his closed lids every night. It all plays out in torturous slow motion. Blackbeard feels no fear, huh. Turns out he feared one thing after all.

“I gave him every chance but… they signed themselves over to the service of the crown.”

Selfish, traitorous-
Izzy told himself he’d put this to bed, but the bike sits fresh in the back of his throat. He’s tried so hard.

“Ship needed a captain.”

[saltwaterlungs]

"...What!?"

It's... absurd? Absurd. Darcy makes a noise that could be interpreted as a laugh if it didn't sound so pained and turns to look at him, her expression contorted in confusion.

"No- no Stede would've told me if he'd done- what? Why? They- why would they- wh-"

Shit, driving, she course-corrects back to the right side of the road from where she's drifted.

"Okay- okay, back up, start from the beginning."

[ninetoes]

Fuck's sake he knew this would happen.

"No, Darcy I can't do that- It's a burden you shouldn't need to-"

[saltwaterlungs]

"What- so I'm just going to have to pretend like I didn't hear anything!? 'Oh my pirate captain signed up with the fucking British but it's fine I'm just not going to think about it'- what the fuck Izzy!?"

[ninetoes]

"Yeah, actually, that's exactly what you're gonna do. There's fuck all anyone can do about it here and no one even knows but me! And you, now, regrettably, which is why you're gonna keep your fucking trap shut."

Say the man betrayed and still protecting Edward.

[saltwaterlungs]

...

"What do you MEAN nobody else knows about it- fucking Blackbeard and Stede are both here?! Why wouldn't they know about something they fucking did!"

Instructions unclear, trap remains open.

[ninetoes]

"Because, Darcy, The Captain in all his infinite cruelty thought it best to pressgang me later in time than the rest of my crew!"

He isn't mad at her. He isn't. He's just mad it's happening.

[saltwaterlungs]

Oh fuck.

That it could happen isn't a surprise, she'd heard about it happening here, but... fuck that's rough.

"Sorry," her voice suddenly a lot thinner and quieter, dropped back down the octaves it had climbed.

"First up, I swear on my Geist that I'm not going to tell anyone. Cross my heart, baby Jesus, all of it, whatever you want me to swear on."

She takes one hand off the wheel to cross her heart.

"It's... god, I can't imagine why they would."

[ninetoes]

Because I sold Stede Bonnet's life for the safety of my captain, he thinks to say but... it feels thin and Darcy has sworn loyal to the stupid fop.

No, actually, you know what? He isn't sorry. He'd do it again in a heartbeat. Izzy Hands would sell Stede Bonnet's life for a chicken fucking nugget.

"Bonnet killed an English officer. Bloke by the name of Nigel Badminton. They were childhood friends. I didn't know this when we had the misfortune to cross paths but..."

No, back up.

"Captain Blackbeard was taken by all Bonnet's...insane..perverse ideas about what being a pirate meant. We followed'em and saved them from the Spanish after Bonnet had seen to getting himself run through and hung for good measure. He lived but..."

At what fucking cost to Izzy's personal sanity.

"My captain, bored and restless, he's easily flattered. Bonnet had...all these fancy little toys and flashy outfits. They played dress up and put on plays and talked about their feelings and what forks to use at dinner while we were being hunted by the navy. He was gonna get us all killed. He would have gotten us all killed but there was a plan. He was just some...rich idiot. Ed wanted out of the game and retirement isn't an option for people in our line of work. It was for Stede Bonnet, though. Blackbeard's body dead.. disfigured beyond recognition. That was the plan."

Now he's started, Izzy can't keep it inside. He's been boiling over for weeks and weeks and weeks with no outlet. He can't even get Edward to fucking talk to him about it, focused on his boyfriend and cocktails by the pool like this is all some fucking joke. Add to the fact The Captain has starting prowling around looking for meat.

"And the longer we were on that ship the more sweet little nothings Stede poured into his ear and that plan.. that promise, meant nothing. There's a rule on Blackbeard's ship. No pets under any circumstance. Stede was Edward's pet. Couldn't be allowed. Edward swore he's kill him..."

This is turning into a monologue, now. Fine. So be it. He is the type.

"But he didn't. And he wouldn't, so I had to."

Enter the duel everyone seems to speak about so fondly.

[saltwaterlungs]

"...I'm pulling over," she warns, and slows the car down to a stop on the side of the road. And then she turns in her seat to pay full attention, her face a mix of horror and confusion and just... sadness. She'd heard Stede's side of things, the rescue from the Spanish and Blackbeard with his hair all wild... nothing about Stede murdering a British naval officer (which, pog, frankly), or that Blackbeard was going to...

Darcy doesn't know what's worse; that Blackbeard was going to kill Stede, or that he didn't have the guts to go through with it.

"Jesus Christ."

She reaches a hand across to touch the back of Izzy's, searching for anything to say.

[ninetoes]

He'd rather she didn't. Pull over or touch him. It's easier to talk when they're both focused on something else and the touch... it's too kind. Too tender. That sort of thing isn't reserved for men like him.

Izzy tries not to flinch from it this time, but his fingers still twitch.

"I dueled him. I'm sure you know, he crows about it often enough. I gave him every opportunity, I lead with mercy, I asked him to yield and quietly go. And when he refused only then did I run him into the mast. I would've had him, I would've fucking had him, but his shit fucking épée broke in my hand on withdraw. Dueling rules go.. so I had to go. And Edward didn't stop it. That's when I knew Stede Bonnet would be the death of them all. It was only a matter of time before Nigel's brother would have found out who killed him and gone looking himself. Bonnet would have gotten them killed. He needed to go. Edward needed to disengage from his plaything and-"

He so mad he can't think, spitting fury as he thinks about it. Everything Izzy did. Every chance he gave, all his years of service, every cornered, begging, pleading to bring Ed back to sense. All of it ignored because EdWaRd wAs BoReD.