Auren Melli

“You avoid me for years and now you can’t keep your hands off me? What is this, Bonnet? Pulling my leg? Distracting me to make your second disappearing act?” Ed’s voice rolled like thunder, striking an electric tingle up and down Stede’s spine. His eyes sparkled with telltale mischief and something more. Distrust? Pain?

“Nah,” Stede shook his head slightly, resting his forehead lightly against Ed’s and stroking the back of his neck. “Seems a little unpolished to pull the same trick twice. I think you’ll find that’s quite below my station. I’m a man of my word, Edward Jones.”

Ed shivered under his touch. His eyes briefly drifted shut. He drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment before slowly exhaling. “Damn you, Stede Bonnet,” he murmured before his eyes shot open to capture Stede’s and he lurched forward, climbing on the bed and pinning Stede to the mattress in one swift motion. “Show me what new tricks the Gentleman Outlaw has learned, then.”

Completely stunned, Ed limply leans back in the armchair and breathes shallowly for a few long moments while Jack chuckles to himself. Eventually, he manages to bring the whiskey bottle to his lips and takes a long, harsh drink, coughing when he finishes off the bitter bottle. “He told me…” he mutters, hardly able to form the words. Shaking his head clear, he starts again. “He left a while back. Said he had to fix things and then he’d come back. He… We - we had plans together.”

“Yeah. Well,” Calico Jack shrugs as he stands to fetch another bottle from the shelf, “kinda sounds like he never planned to come back at all.” He uncorks the bottle and takes a quick drink before handing it to Ed, then makes a turn around the room, taking in all of Stede’s little trinkets and fine fabrics with a judgemental eye.

“Kinda sounds like he always planned to leave you behind.”

Ed's weak grip on the whiskey bottle falters, and it drops, shattering into a million tiny pieces.

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The Lighthouse and The Kraken (Our Flag Means Death Posters)

Now available as prints on Etsy!

They’re riding just beyond the outskirts of the desert outpost that Izzy Hands calls home exactly as Stede planned, and it doesn’t take long for Sheriff Hands to make his appearance. He rides out from between the shoddily constructed buildings like a bat out of hell, his black hat flying off and tearing away behind him as a sudden wind whips at his face and hair. Stede whistles sharply to signal the stagecoach and they both slow their pace subtly while otherwise keeping up the charade as they watch Izzy steadily approach. He rides quickly, catching up in no time at all, gnashing his teeth in a bitter sneer that splits his otherwise handsome face in two.

“BONNET!” Izzy rages, cocking his gun and preparing to engage.

Stede merely grins back at him, waving briefly in greeting. “Izzy!” he shouts over the chaos of sounds, “Good of you to finally join us, man! I thought you’d never come!” and then he urges his mare to pick up speed, just to piss off Izzy. Izzy’s entirely satisfying growls of frustration chase after him.

“Bonnet!” Izzy shouts again from quite a few yards away, “Stop now or I’ll shoot! This is your last warning!”

Stede snickers to himself and lifts a stylishly gloved hand to cover his obvious grin. “Oh, Iggy, ” he calls back over his shoulder, “If you could catch me, I rather think you would have by now!”

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my stab at The Fandom Lighthouse Art™

The Gentleman Outlaw - Chapter 7 : Ghosts

"While you were sleeping the day away,” Lucius snaps, venom on his lips, “I was running for my life .” That gets everyone to shut up. Lucius takes a measured step into the room and the others shuffle in silently behind him.

“I walked, no, ran, all the way from the Spanish Saloon through the night on foot, ” his eyes flicker to his raw, bloodied feet for emphasis, “just to come back here to warn you that Spanish Jackie’s got it in for us for some mysterious reason .” He pauses his advance on Ed only to shoot a pointed, savage glare behind him. Jim coughs quietly.

“I came to warn you that Izzy Hands is looking for you.” He takes a final step forward, closing the narrow distance between them. "I came to warn you that Izzy arrested Stede yesterday.” He takes the bottle from Ed’s suddenly weak hands, eyeballs it briefly, then downs the remainder in one impressive gulp.

“Yes," Lucius says, eyes wild, agreeing with the unspoken sentiment he sees in Ed’s blazing gaze, “you can shoot me in the face now if you want. But we’d better figure out how to save your fucking man first.”

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They're Lovers!! ❤️

(Click image for better quality. Stede and Ed, Our Flag Means Death)

I might add color? But for now: