Chapter Text
Jim
- Jim! Jim!
An unfamiliar coarse voice breaks through Jim's slumber. They open their eyes and immediately draw the dagger from under the pillow and to the throat of a man bent over them in a fluid, so natural to them motion.
- Jim, it's me, Lucius!
The man is almost unrecognizable, messy stubble blending in with the sideburns, normally rosy plump cheeks are fallen in, hair in a complete mess.
-Da fuck's wrong with your voice? Where have you been?
Jim puts the dagger away and tries to release the flood of questions one by one.
-The voice is messed up from screaming and a lot of cold salt water, probably. Or maybe from not speaking for days. God, I miss speaking. So, well, Ed... actually I think he's back to Blackbeard or maybe something worse, he pushed me overboard.
- Da fuck?!
- I grabbed on the anchor chain, luckily the guys were too lazy to pull it all the way up, I dunno where Izzy is looking...
- Trust me, man, Izzy's got … stuff happening. You have been missing for days, were you hiding on the ship this whole time?
- I got into one of Stede's hidden room-things, and then I tried to get to you, or Pete, or someone, but it's been kinda scary on this ship recently, so it took me a while. So, can I hide in your room for a few days at least? And can you explain what is happening, and where is everyone? I can't hear any familiar voices, not even Wee John, and I can usually hear him from the other side of the ship. And do you have any food, by the way?
- Ah, hombrecito ... we have a series of problems on our hands. I am so glad you are alive and here.
Jim gives Lucius an unexpectedly soft hug.
- You sit here, I'm gonna go get some food for you, and then we'll talk. You are a smart boy, maybe we can come up with something together.
Lucius sighs with relief and a bright smile:
- Two of us? The brains and the assassin? We are the only two competent people on this crew anyway. We will fix this shit, whatever it is.
Jim leaves quietly, and Lucius collapses into their bed, still warm, falling asleep immediately.
Lucius
The sun was already starting to peek over the horizon when Jim finally finished talking. They had to leave for their day shift on deck, so they help position Lucius on the floor between their bed and the coffer so that he cannot be seen from any cracks or windows even if someone is looking very closely. Safety first.
Jim is gone, and Lucius is left alone with his thoughts. He does not know, for whom he should feel most sorry. For Pete, Olu, and the rest of the guys? Well, a pirate's life is short, and almost always ends in violent death, and their demise was probably less painful than it could have been. For himself, having to live on without Pete? A lot of shit happened to Lucius in his life. Having gentle adoration, absolute respect, and, let's not deny it, the delicious cock of Pete's was definitely a highlight. Lucius did not let all that other shit poison his life, he is not going to let this wonderful thing they had to be spoiled as well. He will remember Pete, and he will always have his finger. Even though it does look a bit like a thumb. Lucius is not going to let any bullshit change who he is. Now, Jim? Lucius does feel sorry for Jim. They fought so hard to put a whole ton of weird shit behind them. It could not have been easy for them to open up to Olu, and let themselves accept this new family, only to lose it almost immediately. Well, at least they got a shag out of it. Good one, judging by the number of words Lucius did not understand when he accidentally walked in on them with Olu. Alright, Jim is hurting. Bad, for sure. But, Lucius is afraid, there is not much he could do about it. He can just be here for them. Be their family. Granted, they lost a husband and ended up stranded with a shitty nephew, but that's gotta be still worth something.
Now, that leaved Ed and Stede. Stede disappeared and Ed came back devastated. Devastated, but not pissed. If Stede was dead, Ed would have been in a full Kraken mode from day one, he probably would have done anything to die next to Stede, to have their ashes mixed together, like a fucking Achilles and Patroclus they are. And quite frankly, if Stede is dead, there is little hope for the future of the Revenge, and Lucius is not going to entertain this scenario.
Lucius sighs. He has to make a choice, what he is going to do about Ed. On the one hand, it would be perfectly logical, entirely deserved, and absolutely fair to kill Ed. He tried and almost succeeded in killing Lucius, he probably killed Pete and Olu, and the rest of the crew. He ruined an obscene amount of books and other nice things that belonged to Stede. He was being a phenomenal asshole even to his own loyal crew, according to Jim. On the other hand, he fucked up Izzy's foot somehow, and gods know, the bastard had it coming. More importantly, Lucius is planning for the scenario, in which Stede is definitely alive, and coming to get Ed, and maybe also save him and Jim while he's here. Which means Ed should be alive. Ah, it would have been so easy, just slip into his quarters, poison a couple of rum bottles (Jim says Ed's drunk all the time now). Or even just shank the monster between the ribs in his sleep. Strangle him with a pillow? No, focus. Stede is coming, so Ed has to be alive. And he has to be Ed, not whatever character he is roleplaying as when he's not passed out in his own piss. And Lucius is gonna make sure of that.
He does not have to be nice about it though. Any good medicine tastes like shit, it's a part of the healing process. So Lucius decides to help Ed remain Ed as much as possible. All while being the snarkiest bitch in the world about it, because all this murderous energy has to go somewhere, and complaining to Jim is going to be a way healthier coping mechanism, than whatever Ed is doing. Decisions made, Lucius lets himself cry about Pete for a while, trying to not wet Jim's pillow too much.
By the time Jim comes back from their shift in the evening, Lucius has a plan.
- Jim, I have a plan.
- Unghrh.
- What?
- Alright, spill it out.
- I will need paper and pencils, and a bit of time. And then I will need you to sneak something into the captain's quarters.
- Can't we just sneak out of the ship like Frenchie next time we make land?
- Well, who is going to put Ed together then? Fucking Izzy?
- <a lot of expletives in Spanish>
- I know, I know. Trust me, the plan is good.
Jim reaches into the empty coffer Lucius is too familiar with. They slide a panel to the side, revealing a hidden compartment, and pull out a leather-bound journal and a small satchel with writing implements.
- Here you go, hombrecito . If you try to read it, I will carve your eyes out.
- I can't read Spanish. I can't really understand it either, it's just your intonations are very expressive. I will have to pull some pages out, is that okay?
- Fine, whatever.
Jim
Jim has been playing different roles all their life. A little girl. Not so nice girl. Friendly waitress. Silent assassin. The hand of god, bringing revenge for the innocent. Rouge on the run. A mute sailor. It was only when they met Olu, and he slowly, bit by bit, layer by layer, stripped Jim to their bare bones, to the very core of their personality. God knows, it took Olu years, but the man is nothing but persistent. And gentle. Smart, and caring, and oh so warm and kind. He was. And now Jim is alone again. Playing a new role – Blackbeard's crewmate, cool edgy knife-thrower. At least they can make sure to maim people in relatively merciful ways. They always get away with it, making impossible throws, hitting the most elusive targets. When they cut off a man's pinky instead of putting a dagger through his eye, the crew thinks they were showing off their skill and are too impressed to realize this was mercy. Sometimes Jim wishes their victims would realize that still. Maybe some of them do.
Jim tries their best to hate Blackbeard, but cannot help to relate to him way too much. Watching Blackbeard methodically, almost religiously destroy himself is probably the only thing keeping Jim on this side of the same chasm. To think of it, if Jim could, they absolutely would have murdered Stede Bonnet, just to make Ed feel the same pain Jim feels for losing Olu. Unfortunately, Stede is already gone. Colorful tales of the spectacular death of Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate had reached the Revenge, and Jim is certain it is over. Lucius still hopes and plans, and Jim lets him.
Jim at least has Lucius, Blackbeard does not. He does not deserve a friend like that, not after what he did. Being able to talk to Lucius, cry into his shoulder (on rare occasions, Jim's not about to get soft), complain about Izzy, remember together all the nice things about Olu and Pete, all of that gives Jim the precious space to be themselves, to rest their mind and soul, before putting on the geish and playing a role yet again.
Having built a decent rapport with Blackbeard, and, to a degree, even with Izzy (this pendejo always had a soft spot for murderous ragey psychopaths, and Jim plays one very well) they get to stretch their legs on the land for a couple of hours. Jim finds a fence, dealing with rare fancy stuff, weird things pirates don't normally loot and sell. They are able to get several pencils, a stack of good, thick paper, two different bottles of ink (black and blue), and a flimsy wooden box with many sections, most of which are filled with hard substances of different colors. The fence assures Jim that those are very good paints, and Jim agrees to buy them if they come with free brushes. They do.
With the bag full of goodies, Jim still has some time to wander around. They go to a random bar to grab a drink. The night is cold, so Jim warms their hands over a cup of hot and spicy grog, surprisingly palatable, with a strong note of citrus. Amid the weirdly comforting rumble of the bar, Jim's ears pick up a conversation in Spanish:
- I am telling you, the Gentlemen Pirate is dead! I was in Barbados just a week ago, people are still talking about it. He was mauled by a jungle cat, and then run over by a carriage, and then crushed by a piano! Sounds ridiculous, I know, but there were dozens of witnesses, including his wife! Well, his widow, I suppose.
- And I am telling you, he lives. I saw a schooner with a stupid flag, similar to those on the Revenge when she had the run-in with captain de Aranda. I was on his ship that day, I saw some of the Gentleman's crew. And on that schooner was a blond aristocrat-looking man, at the helm, and a skinny tall black guy with crazy eyes, and the other crewmen were exactly the unhinged type that would sail at his command.
- Well maybe that black guy was from the Gentleman's pirate crew, and the new captain is a different bloke?
- Those Englishmen do all look alike. But does it matter thought? Even if Stede Bonnet is dead, someone clearly had picked up the crew and the flag style of the Gentlemen Pirate.
Jim sits there, forgetting to breathe. Stede is alive! Lucius was right, that death sounds exactly like a fuckery Stede would plan and pull off against all odds. As for his wife – well, she's a rich widow now, it is quite possible, that she was in on it. And more importantly, the tall guy the Spaniard was describing, well that sounds like Roach, and he was the only one, apart from Jim, Lucius, and Stede to go on board the Spanish ship offshore the Republic of Pirates.
Jim listens some more, but the conversation is stuck in an argument about wines from different regions of Spain, and how they are all so much better than the ones from the colonies. Jim is certain this will go forever, and trying to poke around is way too dangerous – after all, they were also on board the Spanish galleon, they could be recognized, despite the new geish.
Jim pulls the hood up and quietly slips out. As they glide through the shadows, they feel like they have wings. There is hope. Stede is alive, he got Roach, which means he must have gotten Olu, and Pete, and all others. Not for certain – they may have not all survived being stranded, God only knows how long it took Stede to find them. Still, there is hope, and there is purpose. Jim flies aboard the ship, eager to join Lucius and shower him with gifts: small, cute, so insignificant ones, and the best gift one can give to a friend – a message of hope, of life, of love.
As they board the ship, they finally wonder – should someone tell Ed?