Chapter Text
Stede thought about running away every day.
He knew that was probably selfish. The hat shop had been so important to his mother, and he had always been told that her skills lived on in his fingertips.
It was good to keep himself busy, and the shop, while no longer a financial necessity for their survival, deserved to live on. If not for him, then for the clientele his mother had spent so many years cultivating.
Just then, Arthur burst into the room.
“Stede! I already closed the shop, aren’t you coming?”
“No, I’d better finish this,” Stede said, gesturing down to the hat he was still finishing attaching the accessories onto. “You go and have fun.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, with a shrug. He turned towards the group that had gathered to go into town later that evening.
He left, leaving the door open a tiny crack. Stede could hear the rest of the folks asking if everyone was ready. Suddenly gasps of awe rushed through the group, followed by excited proclamations to go look outside.
“It’s Blackbeard’s castle!”
“Blackbeard?”
“I’ve never seen it so close!”
“Do you think he’s going into town?”
“No, I think he’s just hiding in the fog from those war planes.
“Say, did you hear about what happened to that man in South Haven? They say Blackbeard tore his heart out.”
“Are we sure we should be going out, then?”
“No worries, mate. Blackbeard only preys on the attractive.”
“Hey!”
A round of cackling rose through the group, and they finally all decided to leave. Stede finished tying off a final bead from the hat he was working on and placed it on the mannequin beside him.
He gazed out the window for a long time, lost in thought as he stared into the horizon, past the shamrock-colored fields and into the thick fog. He could see exactly what his friends had been talking about.
Blackbeard’s castle—a great behemoth of iron and moving parts, was walking on thin sticklike legs across the plains, belching smoke and steam in equal parts as it made its perilous way across The Waste outside of Market Chipping.
He sighed as he considered the small town before him. His friend Oluwande was expecting him downtown at his bakery. That was why he couldn’t join in all of the shopping.
He figured the longer he waited, the more crowded things would get downtown. If he left then, he might be able to get home before sundown.
He picked up his well-worn blue coat and slung it over his shoulders. He laced up his boots, and before he could talk himself out of it, picked up a straw boater hat to complete the ensemble.
He looked in the mirror before he left and tried to summon some confidence. He smiled at his reflection, only to quickly notice it wasn’t working for him. He frowned and shoved the brim of his hat over his eyes. He headed out, locking the door to the shop behind him as he headed down to the station to wait for the rail car into town. Planes carrying the Ingary country flag swarmed above his head like angry wasps.
He walked towards the perimeter of downtown until he reached it, following along with the instructions Oluwande had written down for him. He watched as the bustling town gradually evolved into a more densely populated district filled with shops and people dressed in finer clothing.
After noticing the pathway on the instructions went through quite a large crowd of people crowded to greet the visiting military, he decided to cut through an alleyway instead. Out of the corners of his eyes he could see tall, hulking soldiers clad in red and blue lurking in the alleyway.
He ducked his head after noticing one of them leering his way. He continued down the alley, focusing on the slip of paper with the directions written on them.
The moment he looked up, there was a wall of blue and red and gold fabric right in front of his face.
He jumped back. Two soldiers—a tall blonde and a mustachioed gentlemen—were cornering him.
Anxiety coursed through his body.
“Hey,” said the blonde one, “Looks like a little mouse lost his way.”
“I—no, I’m not lost,” he stammered.
Heavy steel guns were strapped to each of the men. They leered at him like a small bug they were considering crushing. The mustachioed one sneered.
“This little mouse looks thirsty,” said the blonde soldier, with a hungry stare. “We should invite him in for a cup of tea.”
“I’m sorry, I have a friend who’s expecting me—,”
“So, do you live around here?”
Stede froze in place, his face burning as he stared past them and murmured “Leave me alone.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Your mustache scares everyone away,” said the blonde one, thumping the other soldier on the chest.
“Aw, no, he’s even more precious when he’s scared,” purred the soldier with the mustache. The man leaned in. He could smell the bitter tang of ale on his breath. Bile rose up in Stede’s throat as he looked around for an exit.
“There you are, love. Sorry I’m late. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Just then, an arm reached through the haze and tightened around his shoulders. He whipped his head around and saw a man with long black hair and a full beard standing beside him, wearing a fine white tunic and a smile. He wore jewel-toned earrings that shimmered like water in the light.
“Hey, we were talking!” Said the blonde soldier.
“Really? It kind of looks like you two were just leaving…”
The arm that wasn’t closed tightly around Stede’s shoulders lifted. With a flick of his wrist and a glint from the flashy rings he wore, the soldiers straightened like marionettes and marched, against their will, away from the both of them.
“Try not to hold it against them,” the man said liltingly. “They’re really not all that bad.”
Stede couldn’t help but feel like this was a comforting lie to ease his nerves, but he almost didn’t mind.
“Where to?” the man asked, a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll be your escort this evening. I’m Ed, by the way.”
Ed looked towards Stede again. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown. Something about him made Stede feel undefinably pleasant, and he was tempted to place his trust in him. He did save him from being tormented by those soldiers back there.
“I’m just going to the bakery,” he said.
They continued down the path, Ed’s arm still protectively around Stede’s shoulders. He only just now noticed, but a fine coat of blue, muted pink, and gold was draped around his shoulders to tie together his simple white shirt and black trousers. He tried to count the number of rings on his hands, but found himself coming up short.
“Don’t be alarmed, but I think we’re being followed,” said Ed, sounding more inconvenienced than concerned.
He wanted so badly to know what he meant by that, and made the mistake of turning around to look behind him.
His blood froze in his veins.
Large blobs of black slime began to swell like pustules out of the exposed brick. The blob-people had no features, just drooping, stretched out limbs that fell like slop onto the pavement. The air buzzed around them as they lifted their neckless heads towards them and began to pick up speed.
“Sorry,” he said, what’s almost a pout gracing his lips. “It looks like you’re involved.”
Ed picked him up into a gallop, and soon they were careening down the alley.
“This way.”
He guided them left down another part of the back streets and they ran more, being chased by the menacing black jelly-like creatures following after them.
They continued down until another three monsters started to swell out of the sides of the buildings and reach towards them.
They were just about to be snatched up when Ed seized Stede around the waist, bent at the knees, and with a weightless jump, shot them high into the air.
Stede let out a yelp of surprise at first, clinging tightly to Ed so he didn’t slip and fall onto the bustling city below. All around them were swaths of perfect blue sky and clouds. Even the air smelled better.
“Alright. Now just straighten your legs and start walking”, instructed Ed. Stede carefully twisted around in his arms, ensuring Ed was still holding him.
He straightened his legs hesitantly, clinging tightly to the man’s hands as he did so. His rings dug into his skin painfully the more he clutched to him, but he didn’t even mind. He needed the stability.
Once his legs were fully straightened out, the two of them started to glide forward, slowly at first. He matched the smooth walking movements of Ed’s long legs, trying at first to copy him.
After making a few “steps” in the air, the two of them began to drop ever so slightly, step by step. Stede let out a gasp and a rush of giddy laughter as he noticed that his body felt weightless.
“You’re a natural,” he told him, causing another smile to break out across Stede’s face.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun.
Below, pastel-swathed people twirled to the sound of the military band blaring in the street. They walked over them, above it all in every sense of the term as their feet both touched down on the peak of the nearby church, and with a push from their legs, surged higher again.
They reached the top floor of the bakery at last, and began to decrease in altitude until Ed was able to gracefully drop Stede off on the balcony outside the shop.
Stede turned around, and Ed was standing there in front of him, on top of the railing that kept most from falling off of the balcony. He looked weightless—even his coat seemed more like wings than an article of clothing.
“I’ll be sure to draw them off,” the strange man told him. “Wait a bit before you head back outside.”
“Okay.”
A smile filled with equal parts fascination and mystery fell upon Ed’s lips. “That’s my man.”
He stretched out his arms wide and began to tip backwards until finally stepping gracefully off of the edge of the balcony.
Stede gasped, rushing up to the railing to try and see if he’d landed somewhere below. As if on cue, he came soaring upwards just a few feet in front of him, paused to give him one last look, and turned to take another stroll in the skies.
He watched the area where he’d taken off for the longest time, struggling to come back into his body. That man was clearly a wizard—but was he one that he had heard about before?
“Stede?”
“Olu?”
He broke out of his trancelike state and blinked. Oluwande was in his white apron, and the cap that was meant to be covering his head tumbled into his hands, likely from being jostled. He was out of breath slightly, and seemed to have run upstairs to greet him.
“What’s going on with you?” He asked. “I just heard from somebody that you floated down onto our balcony.”
He blinked, the memory of his stroll through the sky with the mysterious man named Ed dancing through his mind. “So that did happen. It wasn’t a dream.”
Olu took him inside to the storage room outside of the kitchens, where they each rested with a glass of water and tried to sit with the knowledge of what Stede told him in a flustered rush.
“He must have been a Wizard, then,” said Oluwande.
“That can’t be,” he countered. “He was so kind to me.”
“Of course he was kind to you, he was trying to steal your heart! You’re really lucky, you know that? If that wizard were Blackbeard, he would have eaten it.”
“No he wouldn’t,” he said. “Blackbeard only eats the hearts of beautiful young things.”
“Don’t give me that,” he groaned. “You need to be more careful, okay? It’s dangerous out there. Even the Calico Jack is back out on the prowl.”
He didn’t respond.
“Are you listening?” Olu asked again.
“Hm?”
“Ugh.”
Olu stood up to return his empty water glass to a person in the kitchen. Just then, someone pulled out a nearby box from the rack of storage, and peered through at his boss.
“Oluwande? The chocolate eclairs are done.”
“Be right there.”
“I’d better get going,” said Stede. “I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”
“Now wait, before you go,” he walked towards him one last time, his expression serious. “Are you really gonna spend the rest of your life in your mother’s hat shop?”
He shrugged. “The shop was just so important to her. Besides, I’m an only child—who else will do it?”
“I’m not asking what your mother would want, I’m asking what you want. I’m just saying it might be nice for you to do something for yourself for a change.”
Stede paused for a long, painful amount of time before finally murmuring. “I’ll see you around, Oluwande. Good to see you.”
Olu waved goodbye, and Stede began to head back towards the hat shop.
He took the rail car on the way home. He needed some time to zone out, so he headed towards the back end. He perched on the end and gazed out at the rolling street as the downtown area disappeared into the orange horizon. The sun was setting. At least he’d managed to get home before dark like he planned.
When he reached his stop, he stepped off. He was still disoriented, his thoughts swimming with thoughts of the mysterious wizard he had run into.
He unlocked the front door to the shop, and locked it behind him. He sighed and placed his things underneath the front counter. He needed to do some sweeping before heading upstairs, but he was considering putting it off until the next day.
The bell attached to the front door jingled, followed by the sound of the door opening and someone stepping inside.
When he looked up, a man dressed in all black, fur, and decorated with large glittering jewels all over stepped in.
“Er…I’m sorry, but the shop’s closed right now, sir,” he said. Then he murmured, more to himself, “I could have sworn I locked that door.”
The man had a mustache. He sneered at the things on display and said “What a tacky shop. I’ve never seen such tacky little hats.” He dinged the brim of one nearby with a dirty finger. He looked up at Stede and smirked. “Yet you’re definitely the tackiest thing here.”
Stede swallowed the burst of anger that flared up inside his chest and forced a calm demeanor. “I’m afraid you’ll have to leave now.”
He walked towards the front door of the shop and pulled it open for him. “The door’s over here. We’re closed.”
The man stared at him, this time with an emerging sense of glee. “Standing up to Calico Jack, huh? That’s plucky.”
Stede gulped. “C-Calico Jack?”
As soon as he said the name, a dark shadow passed over the shop, and wind started to push at the windows and fly in his face. He let go of the door to brace himself as a cold wind seized the core of his chest and blew through him like the heaviest winter chill.
When the sound of rushing wind and the moaning building came to a stop, Stede was hunched over, his arms up above his head.
“The best part about that curse is you can’t tell anyone about it,” said the man, staring down at Stede with a smug grin. “Give my regards to Blackbeard, won’t you? We all saw you together today, after all.”
It took him a moment to realize that the man was referring to the bearded gentleman who had saved him from those monsters earlier in the day. Was that really the great wizard Blackbeard he’d run into earlier?
“It’s been a pleasure meeting you,” Calico Jack said, emphasizing his words in a fruitless attempt of poking fun at Stede. The man cackled to himself, sneaking a flask out of his pocket for a swig, and turning out of the shop.
The door closed behind him.
Stede spent a few more moments breathing steadily before daring to try and stand up straight.
He looked around the store, trying to get his bearings despite the fact his joints were trembling. He breathed through his nose in an attempt to calm down, in and out until he was able to open his eyes.
When he lifted his hands to his face, someone else’s hands responded.
He tried to flex his fingers. Two wizened old hands, leathery and trembling, flexed their fingers back at him. He tried to turn the hands over, and they did so. The backs of the hands were covered in large veins and there were patches of gray hair on each knuckle. His breathing quickened.
He had a theory about what had just happened. But he couldn’t quite believe it. Plus, he didn’t know how he would be able to handle it if his theory was true.
He approached the looking glass on a nearby desk slowly, scared by what he suspected he might see.
He looked into the mirror. An old man stared back at him.
“Ahh!” Stede cried out and took a step backward. He rubbed his face and noticed even his skin had a different texture to it. He looked into the mirror and saw the same old face. His blonde curls had turned silver, his every feature more exaggerated and pulled downward.
“I’ve got to stay calm!” he said to himself, pacing around the shop and rubbing his hands together.
He stepped outside and took a deep breath of air. He stepped back inside. He approached the mirror again. He spiraled all over again.
“That’s really me isn’t it?” he exclaimed, pulling at his face and watching the figure in the mirror match up with him. “I’ve got to stay calm!”
Finally he reached a point where his breathing was under control enough to make another coherent thought.
There was no sense in panicking. His best option was to go to bed. This was a dream. The only way to make a dream stop was to ride it out. The least he could do was have that moment in bed.
He crawled into his bedroom upstairs and got into bed. He stared out his bedroom all evening, waiting for sleep to come