Lucius had been sincere in the offer but, honestly, he'd been expecting another 'fuck off'. When he doesn't get it and Izzy accepts his help, he perks up a bit, curious, and suddenly determined to actually be helpful. He tops up his tea with hot water, then, and meanders to drop back onto the bed. Not for sleeping, just so that he can properly cocoon himself in the duvet.
"Well...it sounds like business is mostly...murdering people and absorbing strife? Right?" Lucius says and peers at his cup. The expression on his face folds a bit, torn between amusement and dry sarcasm.
"Picked a strange set of pirate captains if that's the goal, aye? Well, not Blackbeard, but Stede...eeeeeh--maybe you're right though, but that means there's funny business that we are somehow messing up. Can't imagine what that would be."
Izzy shakes his head and drops down on the sofa, fluffy robe and all.
“Men alone are panicky, stupid animals. But together..they’re a threat. This crew is fuckin’ piss poor in comparison to The Revenge-“
Which is really saying something, let’s be honest.
“-but it’s possible The Captain doesn’t know that. He just knows we’re an organised, anti establishment group who don’t take kindly to being held captive and are actively training and recruiting. I enlisted two men just last night.”
At that Lucius makes a noise--he's not unhappy that they have new crewmates, but that he's going to have to draw up a new roster. Probably new agreements as well, in the event they ever have any loot to split. He sips at his tea and thinks.
"Okay so...either he thinks we are a threat....or maybe he's pissed about the...recruiting? Like...if people are on a crew together that means they probably won't just murder each other at the drop of a hat?"
Said with zero irony. It's too early for irony.
"Maybe he expects us to band together and just ruin the torture for him?"
Something about the way Lucius says it clicks a few pieces into place for Izzy. He has a very visual ‘aha!’ moment and looks at Lucius like he’s got two heads.
“That’s good. That’s perfect.”
So much so that it compels him to pitch forward and cross the small space to the opposite corner of the bed on hands and knees in full conspiracy theorist mode.
“We can’t kill him, but we can fuckin’ starve him.”
Lucius watches Izzy rise up, climb on the bed, and lean right into his personal space and is, for just a moment, stunned. He's not sure what he said that was correct enough to merit this, but he's not going to complain. Izzy keeps going, his eureka carrying him through, and Lucius finally catches up to his thought.
"Wait--yeah okay, that's, could do couldn't we?" Lucius says. "That would be worrying, wouldn't it? I mean, if we were this ship's Captain and also magical...demon things that absorb sadness or whatever?"
The Captain is really, very fond of torture. If he's worried about them refusing to play, or if they've already disrupted something and starved him, then this meeting is going to be extremely fraught. Made moreso by the fact that it's actually a good idea...and if they hadn't already, they were going to start doing it shortly.
"You might actually be going to an execution, then. At least, if that's why he wants to chat."
They’re absolutely about to start doing it. Brilliant idea, Lucius. You’ll get all the credit. Every last bit.
The weight of the observation knocks Izzy back a bit as he leaves the excitement of finally locating a decent angle of attack.
If that’s what’s going on then…mm. Yeah, he’s fucked.
Or Stede is fucked and Izzy is obligated to fight as his second.
So, still fucked.
He sits with that for a moment. Izzy has never died before. It holds exactly zero appeal, least of all dying for Stede fucking Bonnet. Just like he refused to do when they first boarded The Revenge. Just like that the wind falls from his own sails.
“If I am to die. Then at least I’ll go out fighting with a good night under my belt.”
"It could be something else," Lucius says, quick to reassure him after he goes just a little grim. A lot of grim. All Izzy's enthusiastic wonder has trickled out and Lucius feels dreadful about it. Between the caffeine and the sudden regretful panic, he's very awake.
And just in time for Izzy to wax poetic at him about his impending demise.
"Oh, calm down Mr. Dramatic," Lucius scolds mildly. "He could want to harass Captain Bonnet about something else. I mean we invited the faceless lady to the party and not him. Might just be pissy?"
The issue here is that he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know anything. Stede didn’t give him anything to work with.
“Who fucking knows.”
He pulls the letter from his dressing gown pocket and flips it over against his companion. Knock yourself out. He’s getting up to get back to his tea and top up the water- hand absently smoothing over his stomach as the anxiety starts to really find momentum and make him feel sick.
Lucius reads the letter that's been dropped into his lap. Captain Bonnet wasn't especially long-winded about anything so, either he didn't know why they'd been summoned or it wasn't terribly dire.
"If you can't read this how would you know to come to me with it?" Lucius asks as he reads the last line again. Boggling, but not the point. "Nevermind--It's--"
Well the whole situation is actually terrible. Lucius wants to offer some comfort here, but they are prisoners held captive by ghosts. Actually, wait, that's not bad--
"I don't think you're in trouble at all. Or, rather, the ship's Captain can't be that pissed, can he? Stede's not dead? If he were really mad at the Captain, why the theatrics? Maybe it's just posturing."
"If he's getting off on anguish, at least you can rest assured you'll be back," Lucius says and tries to sound sympathetic about it. It's extremely terrifying.
"Then...maybe we start the...starve the Captain plan?"
He's got nothing for this Izzy, he's clever but existentialism is not his bag.
No, this is all far too…theoretical for the likes of them. Certainly for Izzy who operates on the very simple ‘see the thing, do the thing, do it again’ model. Even more difficult when he is not the one who makes the plans.
“Yeah..” what choice does he have.
“Yeah, I’ll be back.”
He has to believe it. He has to. A beat. He does not turn. He can’t.
“In the event I’m not. Do the plan anyway’n- keep an eye out for Edward-“
Edward specifically, not Blackbeard. Not this time.
He’s quiet for a beat, stood stock still. Even in a fluffy robe, the line of Izzy’s shoulders, straight and tense, are unmistakable.
Yes, he thinks. He doesn’t know what else to say about anything. He just. Needs to come around to a few things. So still without turning, and quieter than sounds strong,
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"Well...it sounds like business is mostly...murdering people and absorbing strife? Right?" Lucius says and peers at his cup. The expression on his face folds a bit, torn between amusement and dry sarcasm.
"Picked a strange set of pirate captains if that's the goal, aye? Well, not Blackbeard, but Stede...eeeeeh--maybe you're right though, but that means there's funny business that we are somehow messing up. Can't imagine what that would be."
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(Why does Lucius look so nice in his bed?)
Izzy shakes his head and drops down on the sofa, fluffy robe and all.
“Men alone are panicky, stupid animals. But together..they’re a threat. This crew is fuckin’ piss poor in comparison to The Revenge-“
Which is really saying something, let’s be honest.
“-but it’s possible The Captain doesn’t know that. He just knows we’re an organised, anti establishment group who don’t take kindly to being held captive and are actively training and recruiting. I enlisted two men just last night.”
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"Okay so...either he thinks we are a threat....or maybe he's pissed about the...recruiting? Like...if people are on a crew together that means they probably won't just murder each other at the drop of a hat?"
Said with zero irony. It's too early for irony.
"Maybe he expects us to band together and just ruin the torture for him?"
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Something about the way Lucius says it clicks a few pieces into place for Izzy. He has a very visual ‘aha!’ moment and looks at Lucius like he’s got two heads.
“That’s good. That’s perfect.”
So much so that it compels him to pitch forward and cross the small space to the opposite corner of the bed on hands and knees in full conspiracy theorist mode.
“We can’t kill him, but we can fuckin’ starve him.”
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"Wait--yeah okay, that's, could do couldn't we?" Lucius says. "That would be worrying, wouldn't it? I mean, if we were this ship's Captain and also magical...demon things that absorb sadness or whatever?"
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The Captain is really, very fond of torture. If he's worried about them refusing to play, or if they've already disrupted something and starved him, then this meeting is going to be extremely fraught. Made moreso by the fact that it's actually a good idea...and if they hadn't already, they were going to start doing it shortly.
"You might actually be going to an execution, then. At least, if that's why he wants to chat."
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The weight of the observation knocks Izzy back a bit as he leaves the excitement of finally locating a decent angle of attack.
If that’s what’s going on then…mm. Yeah, he’s fucked.
Or Stede is fucked and Izzy is obligated to fight as his second.
So, still fucked.
He sits with that for a moment. Izzy has never died before. It holds exactly zero appeal, least of all dying for Stede fucking Bonnet. Just like he refused to do when they first boarded The Revenge. Just like that the wind falls from his own sails.
“If I am to die. Then at least I’ll go out fighting with a good night under my belt.”
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And just in time for Izzy to wax poetic at him about his impending demise.
"Oh, calm down Mr. Dramatic," Lucius scolds mildly. "He could want to harass Captain Bonnet about something else. I mean we invited the faceless lady to the party and not him. Might just be pissy?"
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Izzy gives Lucius a sharp look.
The issue here is that he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know anything. Stede didn’t give him anything to work with.
“Who fucking knows.”
He pulls the letter from his dressing gown pocket and flips it over against his companion. Knock yourself out. He’s getting up to get back to his tea and top up the water- hand absently smoothing over his stomach as the anxiety starts to really find momentum and make him feel sick.
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"If you can't read this how would you know to come to me with it?" Lucius asks as he reads the last line again. Boggling, but not the point. "Nevermind--It's--"
Well the whole situation is actually terrible. Lucius wants to offer some comfort here, but they are prisoners held captive by ghosts. Actually, wait, that's not bad--
"I don't think you're in trouble at all. Or, rather, the ship's Captain can't be that pissed, can he? Stede's not dead? If he were really mad at the Captain, why the theatrics? Maybe it's just posturing."
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Neither here nor there, though. Just another little jab in the ribs.
“Maybe, but he gets off on the anguish. A quick death wouldn’t serve him and it certainly wouldn’t get whatever it is he wants.”
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"Then...maybe we start the...starve the Captain plan?"
He's got nothing for this Izzy, he's clever but existentialism is not his bag.
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“Yeah..” what choice does he have.
“Yeah, I’ll be back.”
He has to believe it. He has to. A beat. He does not turn. He can’t.
“In the event I’m not. Do the plan anyway’n- keep an eye out for Edward-“
Edward specifically, not Blackbeard. Not this time.
“-‘n Darcy, would you.”
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Lucius swallows and lowers his tea into his lap. He stares at it for a moment and, because how can he do anything else, he agrees.
"Yeah, of course," he says, simply. Edward can look out for himself, honestly, but Darcy? Yeah he can do that.
"I should--" Go? What if Izzy is marching to his death? What if he doesn't come back? Oh dear. Now the panic and anxiety have settled in him.
"Do you want...time alone?"
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Yes, he thinks. He doesn’t know what else to say about anything. He just. Needs to come around to a few things. So still without turning, and quieter than sounds strong,
“Please.”