Stede Bonnet

**Stede Bonnet**, (better known as the **Gentleman Pirate**) is the main protagonist of *Our Flag Means Death*. He is a former aristocrat who abandoned his family and monotonous life to pursue piracy.

## Personality

Stede has a very cheerful and positive personality and always looks on the bright side of things. He describes himself as a "gentleman pirate". He's intelligent, but a bit naive. He's not very adaptable to the dangerous life at sea, but tries his best nonetheless. He's very adventurous and curious, with a passion for traveling, sailing and exploring wildife. This adventurous streak came in handy when dealing with The Void, adapting to it quicker than most people do. He also enjoys reading and dressing up in various fancy clothes. He's insecure of himself because of the bullying and abuse he endured as a child. Despite this, he carries himself with confidence and grace. He's also incredibly kind and generous, as well as patient and friendly. If pushed too far, though, he can get back at someone with cutting remarks. He is quite good with passive aggression.

## History

### Early Life

Stede Bonnet was born in 1688 in Barbados, to an aristocratic British family. As a young boy, he was bullied by his peers, and was teased by being called "Baby Bonnet". One day, when he was out picking flowers, a group of bullies, including Nigel Badminton, chased him and he accidentally ran into a tree. The group of boys then made him go out on a rowboat with his hands tied to the oars while they threw rocks at him. In another incident, he was forced by the same group of boys to French kiss a horse.

One day, his father was chopping the head of a deceased rabbit and made him watch, which upset Stede. His father then took him on a walk, and told him how all of their land will one day be Stede's. He admits that it's not because he deserves it, but because he got lucky. His father then calls him "A weak-hearted, soft-handed, lily-livered little rich boy", and "that that's all (he'll) ever be". His father's words stayed with him into adulthood.

### Married Life

Stede's father had arranged for him to get married to a woman named Mary, as her family had acreage, while Stede's had money. Prior to meeting Mary, he told his father how he wanted to marry someone for love, but his father stated that only peasants marry for love.

Stede and Mary get married near a lighthouse, where the priest tells the pair that they will be unwavering lights for one another that guide for eternity, at which Stede looks distraught, and they stiffly hold hands. Stede's mother congratulates them and shows them the wedding gift their families bought for them: two matching gravestones.

At some point, the two of them have kids; first a girl and then a boy, which they name Alma and Louis respectively. Stede also frequently plays pirates with the kids, which although they appear to enjoy, it apparently gives them nightmares.

Although the two manage to tolerate one another, Stede quickly grows tired of his life, and begins fantasising about getting a ship and sailing. Mary meanwhile, becomes irritated with Stede's ideas, and his indifference to her and their life.

On their last anniversary before Stede leaves, Mary gifts him with an abstract painting she made of the lighthouse they got married in front of, but Stede incorrectly assumes that the kids painted it, and Mary corrects him. Stede gifts her with a model of a ship, (a miniature of the ship he is having secretly built). Stede asks her if she wouldn't be against living on the sea with him and the kids, to which she asks him why they would do that. He replies how having adventures could break the tedium of their lives, to which Mary exclaims how she hates the ocean, and she's already told him that before. She says how she doesn't hate their lives enough to start living on a boat, and Stede tells her that he'll "get it stopped", to which she asks him what he’s going to stop, and he quickly takes his words back and says that the boat was just an idea.

One night, when the two of them are in bed, Stede had secretly put on some normal clothes underneath his night gown. Mary admits to him how she knows he's unhappy, and that she's unhappy as well, which Stede denies, and Mary says how she thinks she's heard him crying, which he also denies. She tells him how they've both only got one life, but at that point Stede pretends to fall asleep.

Once Mary falls asleep, Stede gets up and leaves, leaving her a letter detailing why he's left. He also took the lighthouse painting with him, which he hung in his chambers up on a mantle.

### Life At Sea

At some point, Stede hired a crew of pirates, namely Oluwande, Jim, Lucius, Black Pete, Frenchie, Buttons, Wee John, Roach, and The Swede.

Stede's way of captaining disgruntles most of his crew, especially Black Pete, as for the many weeks they've been sailing they have yet to attack a single ship. Unlike most captains though, Stede's wealth allows him to pay his crew a salary and gives them good food, but as most of them are pirates for the thrill, they still wish for something more. Stede also tells his crew that they should "talk it through, as a crew", which further incites Black Pete and a few others to begin considering a mutiny.

One day, Stede tells their crew how they're going to do something "perilous", and to get ready, but he only boards a small fishing boat occupied by two fishermen, and takes their potted plant and a hat. His crew begins planning a mutiny, but he finds out and tells them that they're going to attack a ship that he saw in the distance.

This ship turned out to be an English Naval warship that's captained by Stede's old bully, Captain Nigel Badminton. The warship shot a few cannons at them, but while looking through a spyglass, Nigel recognised Stede and sent a dinghy to ask him if he could apologise in person for shooting at them. Stede accepted, but before Nigel's arrival made his crew dress up in posh clothing as to appear like nobles instead of pirates.

Nigel and his officers dine at Stede's ship, where Nigel reminisces about the "pranks" he played on Stede, while some of his crew prepares to discretely attack the British. Stede shows Nigel to his chambers, where Nigel is astonished at how "ridiculous" some of the features of Stede's boat are. Nigel tells him about a rumour about him that claims he left his family to become a pirate, and laughs at him. Stede admits that it's true, but Nigel just continues to laugh at him, while Stede considers knocking out Nigel by hitting him in the head with a blunt object. Stede's crew gets indirectly made fun of by the officers as one of them displays and mocks the flags that they made, thinking they're flags made by pirates that the crew has killed. As an officer calls Frenchie a slave, Jim throws a dagger at him, and the crew begins attacking them. Nigel hears the commotion outside, and he calls Stede a pathetic coward for wanting to wait for it to end. Stede gets reminded of his father's words, and hits the back of Nigel's head, knocking him out, but as he falls the sword he was holding pierces his eye right through his head, effectively killing him.

His death shocks Stede, who asks for help from Oluwande and Lucius. Oluwande tells him that if he wants to live, then he has to tell his crew that he killed Nigel directly. He gets his crew to send back one officer out of the three they captured with Nigel's body and two dummies back to to warship, giving them time to sail away. Due to his perceived feat of killing Nigel, his crew all agree to let him live a little longer.

Some time after, Stede accidentally beaches the ship on an island. He uses it as an excuse to tell his crew to relax and see it as a vacation, and also to try to relax himself as he keeps getting hallucinations of Nigel Badminton speaking to him and insulting him. Unfortunately, the hostages from their battle that they took with them to the island escape, and so Stede, Black Pete, and Oluwande go and try to get them back. While walking through the jungle, the hostages and them get caught by the island's native tribe, as the tribe's people see the men specifically as threats to them. Stede and Black Pete are kept in cages in the tribe, while Oluwande is set free as he's not a "light-skinned". One of the tribe's people tell them that light-skins have killed members of their tribe, and Stede contests this by saying that they're not dangerous, but he tells them that he can say that at their trial.

At the trial, Stede claims that there's been a misunderstanding, that him and Black Pete aren't colonisers but that the hostages, (who are also on trial) are, and that they're pirates who aren't even that violent. The tribe's elders don't believe him, and ask if they've killed anyone recently. One of the hostages speaks out and says that Stede killed their captain. This evokes more hallucinations of Nigel Badminton with his impaled eye for Stede, and in a panic, Stede frantically admits that he did kill him and that he's a "dirty, filthy murderer". Oluwande asks for a break from the trial so that Stede could calm down, and the tribe's elder obliges. Oluwande explains to him how he didn't actually kill anyone and just struck the man with a paperweight, and that the dying part was gravity's fault. Meanwhile, Stede talks to another elder about the event, and admits that Nigel haunts him even if he didn't actually kill him. The tribe elder tells him that his fear of killing might come from something deeper. Stede and his crew are allowed to go back to their ship as they're deemed to not be a danger to the tribe, but they find out that their hostages were sold to three men, (one of whom was Israel Hands, the other two being Fang and Ivan).

Black Pete tells Stede that he wouldn't be up for something that Blackbeard would do, and visions of Badminton mocking him and his father's words taunt him, but he tells Oluwande and Black Pete that they're going to get the hostages back with renewed vigour. The group finds the three men and Stede says that he's got a plan, but when Oluwande asks what it is he says that it's coming to him, and then says that they should create a diversion.

Stede jumps in front of the group, claiming the hostages as their's, but against Stede's warnings Izzy slices up his shirt with his sword, and tells him that this is how he'll die. Oluwande mimics the voice of a ghost of the isle, and manages to distract Ivan to throw a rock at his forehead and knock him out. Black Pete jumps of a tree and immobilizes Fang while Stede takes advantage of the situation to overthrown Izzy and holds him off with a knife to the face. He threatens him by saying he already ruined someone’s face today and won’t hesitate to do it again, and both officers agree with him. Izzy reluctantly asks him his demands, and Stede offers a compromise: letting them go with one officer while they keep the other. Izzy agrees and they exchange names. He warns him it won’t be the last time they see each other and Stede retorts that he hopes so, as he enjoyed himself with this. Stede and his crew leave in a flourish, all sniggering, under Izzy's patronizing look.

Back at the ship, the crew is aided by the tribe to put the ship back to sea. Stede is having a conversation with the tribe’s chief, offering his hand. The chief tells him he is more gentleman than pirate, and Olu come to announce the ship is ready. They part ways and go back to sea. Stede makes peace with Nigel’s murder by leaving his hallucination behind on the island. The chief’s words prompt him to wonder why one can’t be a gentleman and a pirate, thus contributing to the birth of the Gentleman Pirate, his pirate name. He goes on the look out for Lucius so he can write down his thoughts on his journal.

Without their knowledge, the Revenge’s crew is being followed by the famous pirate Blackbeard.

### Republic of Pirates

Following his adventure on the island, Stede, having not found Lucius, use Frenchie as his scribe. He’s presenting to him the Gentleman Pirate, who doesn’t kill with weapons but with kindness. Frenchie understand he’s talking about himself and doesn’t seem all that thrilled about it.

The question of what to do about the hostage is raised, and Stede asks his crew their opinion. It’s then decided to go to the Republic of Pirates to sell the hostage. It’ll mark the debut of the Gentleman Pirate in the pirate world. Once there, the crew split up, and Stede, accompanied by Lucius with their hostage, roam the streets while offering a man for sale, that someone buy his booty. Some man accosts them and thinks Stede’s a prostitute, which Stede takes great offence in. They continue until they arrive at Spanish Jackie’z, where they found already here Jim and Oluwande.

Lucius announces Stede to the customers inside. They order drinks and are joined by Izzy Hands, who tell Stede his boss would like to meet him. Stede refuses the offer by stating he can go "suck eggs in hell" (he doesn’t know Izzy’s boss is Blackbeard). Izzy will gladly report to his boss and leave.

A while later, Stede finds two potential buyers, but it quickly devolves in a fight. As a result, Stede is banished from Spanish Jackie’s. Discouraged, he’s ready to go back to the Revenge when he’s interrupted by a man willing to buy his hostage for parts. Stede briefly considers the proposition, but they are stopped by Geraldo. He says he knows someone who’s pleased to buy their man for a good price. They all go back to the vessel to meet their client, who happens to be the Spanish Navy.

All devolve from here. Stede takes Lucius, Jim and Roach with him. Upon setting foot on the Spanish vessel, they are taken hostages, and Stede is stabbed in the guts by the captain. He’s sentenced to death by hanging. He comes very close to death, but is saved by Blackbeard and his crew. He and Blackbeard exchange some words before Stede loses consciousness.

### Recovery (1)

Recovering from his stab wound, An unconscious and feverish Stede has recurring nightmares featuring his wife, children, and Blackbeard. He is woken up by Blackbeard, who had previously watched him sleep, and asks him whether he works for Blackbeard. Amused by the question, Blackbeard replies that he never thought of it like that. Later on, Stede confides in Blackbeard about his insecurities as a pirate, who, having introduced himself as 'Ed', in turn tells him about wanting to quit his pirate lifestyle. Stede offers to show Blackbeard his secret wardrobe, from which they hear Izzy coming to fetch blackbeard. Stede asks if that's Blackbeard, to which Ed casually replies that he's Blackbeard, telling him to keep quiet.

Later on, Stede, while showing Blackbeard his library, shows him a book with an illustration of him. Outraged by the way it exaggerates his menace to ridiculous proportions, he laments about how he feels trapped in his persona, the size of his reputation having sucked all the fun out of piracy for him. Stede introduces him to the concept of retirement, at which Blackbeard compliments his originality, saying how impossible it is to find someone doing something original. Stede, in turn, expresses his desire to be more like Blackbeard, at which Blackbeard suggests doing 'something weird'.

On the upper deck, it turns out that the 'something weird' suggested by Blackbeard involves Stede and him dressing up in each other's clothes and essentially assuming each other's personas. Stede is welcomed back by a confused crew, an event which is cut short by Izzy demanding to know about the ship's speed and gunpowder supplies with the threat of the Spanish still active. Blackbeard joins in with the questioning, telling Stede that this is what if feels like to be Blackbeard before pressuring him to make a decision with Lucious's countdown almost down to zero. Stede panicks and confesses that he doesn't know what to do, at which point Black Pete rushes in and praises Blackbeard for his genius.

The crew finds that a thick for has set in, rendering them invisible to the Spanish. An amazed Stede asks how he knew this would happen, and Blackbeard replies he deduced it from the shape of the clouds. Blackbeard goes on to say that as it's September 2nd and a full moon, they'd be safe, but Izzy tells him that it's September the 1st. Realising it's a leap year, Blackbeard's demeanour changes into one of despair. He descends into the ship's sitting room saying he's going to 'get pissed'.

Listening to Blackbeard muse about wanting a cooler death, Stede looks sadly at the picture of the lighthouse gifted to him by his wife. Blackbeard inquires about it, at first mistaking it for a grain tower. When Stede explains that it's a lighthouse and that he was supposed to be one for his family, Blackbeard says that you're supposed to avoid lighthouses, so that you don't crash on the rocks. The two simultaneously realise that the solution to their predicament is to be a lighthouse so that the Spanish avoid them.

Out on the deck, the crew had fashioned a lighthosue-adjacent device using a lamp, a telescope and a mirror. Blackbeard tells Stede to spit alcohol onto the flames to intensify the light as the contraption spins while having Wee John imitate a foghorn. The Spanish, fooled by the illusion, turn the ship away.

In the morning, Stede and Blackbeard are sitting together on the upper deck when Stede offers Blackbeard bread with marmalade. After he explains that he had to get rid of some gunpowder to fit it in, Blackbeard murmurs 'the gentleman pirate', Stede's chosen nickname for himself. They come to an arrangement that Blackbeard is to show Stede more about being a bloodthirsty pirate while Stede would show Blackbeard more about the high life. Out of Stede's earshot, Blackbeard tells Izzy about his plan to fake his death by passing off Stede's corpse as his own.

### Passive (Massive) Aggression

During a raid carried out with the help of Blackbeard, who shows him how to be more threatening, Stede takes to teaching him about dining. When the captain of the boarded ship makes a cutting remark, Blackbeard gets angry, eventually ordering Fang to skin the captain with the snail fork and throw him overboard. Later, Stede asks Blackbeard about his outburst, and proceeds to explain that the man was using passive aggression, after which Frenchie comes in saying that he found an invitation to a party for 'hoity-toity people'. Stede dismisses the invitation, but Blackbeard insists on going after learning more about the particulars of the event.

Stede, Blackbeard, Oluwande and Frenchie arrive at the party, which is on a large ship, with Stede presenting himself as the Godfrey Thornrose from the invitation they found. They descend into the ballroom, where Blackbeard asks how you're supposed to 'win' this interaction, to which Stede replies that you 'win' when everyone finds you charming. When Blackbeard starts telling a violent anecdote, Stede tells him it's not really the crowd for skull talk, at which point Gabriel and Antoinette approach Stede, asking if he really is 'the' Sir Godfrey Thornrose before Gabriel asks Stede whether he'd be willing to palpitate Antoinette.

In a public showing, Stede tries to fake his way through palpitating Antoinette only to immediately fall short. When Blackbeard off-handedly remarks that he killed a Prussian once, he justifies it as self-defence to a confused crowd, going on to say that a quick death is the best way to end a bad conversation. The aristocrats find this hilarious, and in no time Blackbeard is the life of the party. Stede watches awkwardly as Blackbeard tells a story about the cannibals of Nuperi that once again kills with the crowd, before attempting to butt in and being promptly put down by Gabriel.

Later, Blackbeard tells Stede that he thinks these people are great, to which Stede replies that it's a 'fickle crowd'. To this Blackbeard replies that it seems that way to him because they like him more than Stede, proceeding to play a shanty and generally continue to entertain the aristocrats. While Blackbeard is at dinner with them, Stede happens upon Oluwande and Frenchie's office from where they are conducting their pyramid scheme. After failing to get in, we see him confiding in Frenchie that he was never good at high society. Shortly after, Blackbeard joins them telling Stede he wants to leave, saying that they laughed at him. In his anger, Blackbeard gets out his gun, intending to shoot the aristocrats, at which Stede tells him to stand down and that he'll handle it.

In the parlour, Stede offers the aristocrats to play a game called 'stark revelations'. After convincing them to play it by claiming it to be a Parisian game, he proceeds to spill the room's beans. The game turns into a brawl when Siegfried reveals he owns 'half a pyramid', with many others claiming they own half a pyramid as well. The fight leads to a fire, and when Blackbeard asks Stede what he did to them, he responds with 'passive aggression'

On the Revenge, Stede finds Blackbeard looking at the piece of fine fabric his mother gave him. He folds it up and tucks it into his pocket, saying that he wears fine things well. After a charged moment, the two awkwardly part.

### The Art of Fuckery

Stede and Blackbeard’s relationship grows over the course of a few weeks and the two pirate captains have very much becomed friends. Izzy Hands, believes that Edward has no intention of killing Stede Bonnet and that Edward has somehow been "seduced" by Stede, seeing how the two interact with each other, implying that Edward has formed a romantic attraction towards the Gentleman Pirate.

One night aboard the Revenge, Stede and Blackbeard are duelling each other on the deck and while Stede's fighting skills have improved, Edward is still able to best Stede and he says that Stede is ready to learn a more advanced trick when it comes to sword fighting. Edward asks Stede to stab him and while at first Stede isn't willing to harm Edward, he pulls out his gun and threatens to shot Stede if he doesn't do what he says so out of fear Stede stabs Edward and Edward laughs at Stede as he is freaking out over what has just happened.

Luckily Edward assures Stede that he will be fine at that the key to surviving being stab is to "take the blade where it does the less damage" and that by "taking the sword to the left side of the body" will insure that all your vital organs on the right side of your body are safe. Izzy is secretly spying on the two as Stede struggles to take the sword out of Edward's body and as Edward is groaning in pain and as Stede is crying in his panic state and Izzy is horrified that he might be losing Blackbeard to Stede.

Afterwards Stede is attempting to tell a spooky story towards his crew, but they are left confused and uninterested and Black Pete asked that Blackbeard might have a scary story he can tell the crew about. Blackbeard then goes on to tell the crew a story about having an encounter with the legendary sea monster 'The Kraken', at first they don't believe his claims until he tells them that as a young boy he witnessed the giant octopus creature kill his father in front of him on one stormy night and that was the only time in his life where he felt fear. He then tells the crew that fear is the most powerful emotion and to "use your enemies fears against them".

The next morning Blackbeard and his crew teaches Stede and his crew 'the art of fuckery' using tricks and illusions to install fear towards their enemies, Izzy and his fellow crew mates Fang and Ivan confront Blackbeard about his refusal to kill Stede and reminds him about the policy he made about not having pets aboard a ship as they "befell the ship" and that the love of pets make men weak and that to Izzy, Ivan and Fang they see Stede as Edward's pet and that he must be killed before Edward forms any attachments towards Bonnet.

Izzy volunteers to kill Stede for Blackbeard but he says that this is his problem and that he will kill Stede but while Stede is doing something he loves. Stede informs Blackbeard that they will coming across a Dutch merchant ship and he plans on freaking out the Dutch by making the Revenge seem to have been haunted. Blackbeard thinks it isn't a good idea since Stede isn't ready to test out his skills,but Izzy steps in and encourages Stede to go ahead on the plan. Blackbeard is confused at first but Izzy tells him that this would be the best opportunity for Blackbeard to kill Stede while he is doing something he loves.

Stede is having a hard time figuring out how he and the crew should scare the Dutch and while he is in his quarters contemplating to not go ahead with the plan Izzy approaches him and tells him that Edward adores him and that to impress him he must go ahead with his plan and to "perform like it's your last day on earth" giving Stede the unknown warning that he will die soon.

From this Stede and his crew come up with a brilliant way to scare the Dutch crew and as they are getting ready, Blackbeard is struggling to come to terms of whether or not to kill Stede. The Revenge approaches the Dutch merchant ship and as the Dutch immediately investigate the Revenge for looking abandoned, the crew of the Revenge begin their Fuckery upon the Dutch crew and as Stede and Blackbeard are hiding behind curtains in Stede's quarters, Blackbeard attempts to stab Stede on the back but is distracted when Lucius comes in and infront of the dutch crew, Stede and Blackbeard cuts his finger off after it became infected after Buttons bit his finger. While Stede is trying to scare the Dutch crew with the appearance of 'The Kraken' which was an optical illusion made by the crew, Blackbeard is triggered by this and has flashbacks of what happened to his father the night he was supposedly killed by 'The Kraken' he collapses infront of the Dutch crew and as soon as they see him they instantly ran away in fear and throw themselves overboard to get away from the Revenge.

While the crew celebrate, Stede comforts Edward who has locked himself in the bathroom and is laying in the bath, he reveals to Stede that the kraken didn't kill his father and that it was actually himself who murdered his father because his father was abusive towards his mother and after assaulting her, he chased his father outside and strangled his father with a rope. He says that he is the Kraken and that he never killed anyone after that due to the trauma he suffered because of what he did to his father, he also reveals to Stede his original plan to kill him and take his identity for himself which he tells Stede he regrets doing, he also says this is why he doesn't have friends because he would have to betray them. Stede tells Edward that he is his friend and that they should just forget that the whole murdering plan ever happened, they agree to do so and they come out to celebrate with the rest of the crew with their successful Fuckery.

However the mood changes immediately when Izzy challenges Stede to a duel since Blackbeard couldn't kill Stede he will have to. Stede accepts the challenge but the crew and Blackbeard are worried for him since he isn't as trained like Izzy is. The two fight out with their swords and it is clear that Izzy is more better at fighting than Stede is and although Stede can hold out on his own and pull a few tricks on Izzy he is still quickly overpowered by Izzy and is stabbed and pinned to the mast of the ship. However Stede using the trick Edward taught him, he was able to survive being stabbed and after Izzy's sword breaks and leaves Stede pinned to the mast, the crew declare Stede as the winner and Izzy is banished from the ship.

### St. Augustine

Stede and Blackbeard are enjoying each others company, drinking cups of tea when they are interrupted by the crew as there is an emergency. The ship has ran out of oranges after Stede told the cook to make a cake out of those oranges, the cook explains to Stede that they need the oranges in order to prevent scurvy which was a major problem sailors had to deal with during this time period and one of the members of the Revenge being the Swede has already began showing early signs of scurvy. The crew decided to stop at St. Augustine in order to collect more oranges, however at first Jim is reluctant to go since St. Augustine is their birthplace and is also where their father was murdered by a gang of mercenaries called the Siete Gallos, but later on decides to go in order to help the crew. while on the island the crew split up and Stede, Blackbeard and Lucius end up in a group and they go treasure hunting after Stede brought a supposed treasure map and they use this opportunity to go exploring and also help out Blackbeard who is getting bored.

After searching for a while the three have a rest and cook up snakes to eat that Blackbeard killed before in frustration and hatred of nature, while they eat Stede and Edward talk about having a restaurant in which Edward calls 'Blackbeard's Bar and Grills & Other Delicacies & Delights & Fishing Equipment' and while they are talking Stede helps take something out of Edward's beard and while doing so Lucius looks at the two and says "oh my god this is happening" clearly seeing the closeness of Stede and Edward growing by the day. However the mood quickly changes after the map is burnt and almost destroying it, Blackbeard is frustrated and tells Stede to give up on the treasure hunt, however Lucius calls out Blackbeard for his negative behaviour towards Stede and tells him that Stede planned this day out for him and "that bizarre little man likes you very much and you like him" and instead of being an arsehole he should help Stede and so he does and encourages him to use whats left of the map to find where the treasure is.

They end up discovering the suppose location of the treasure but when they dig it up they only find a petrified orange that was buried under an orange tree planted by Jim's family when they were born, Jim allows Stede to have the petrified orange as a gift and the crew head back to the ship and they bring back bags loads of oranges. While back on the ship Stede and Blackbeard drink some brandy and both suggest they should co-captain the Revenge happily coming to an agreement.

### We Gull Way Back

Stede wakes up to cannon fire coming from his ship, shocked to see that **Calico Jack**, Blackbeard's old friend, has come onto the ship and is using the cannons to fire at random objects Blackbeard throws in front of the cannon. Calico Jack and Blackbeard explain to Stede how they first met when they were a part of **Captain Benjamin Hornigold**'s crew and the horrible treatment they reserved under Captain Hornigold with Blackbeard saying that he was an "arsehole and treated them like dogs". Stede begins to feel uncomfortable around Jack and dislikes Blackbeard's behaviour whenever he is with Jack. He is also very shocked to hear from Jack that Blackbeard once torched down an entire ship filled with people and that the people on that ship were burned alive and yelling in agony. Blackbeard feels uncomfortable and embarrased in front of Stede for the things he did in the past and asks Jack to stop. Trying to explain it away, Blackbeard says it was the fire that killed those people, not him.

The crew of The Revenge like Jack and his amazing story of how he saved Blackbeard's life. Jack makes a comment about how real pirates should be, indirectly insulting Stede. In response Stede mockingly asks Jack whether he has a crew and a ship, since technically he can't be a pirate captain without those, to which Jack reveals that his crew mutinied on him and starts crying. The crew gets upset with Stede for being rude towards Jack. He apologizes and, to cheer the crew up, offers to visit any place of Jack's choice. They end up stopping at a nearby island, where the crew makes a crab and turtle fight each other to the death.

While urinating Stede and Jack talk and Jack asks Stede about his relationship with Blackbeard and he reveals that he and Edward have had "dalliances" in the past meaning they have had an romantic/sexual relationship which was very common of pirates to have during those times. Jack can see that Stede is jealous but he is content and says that none of this is his business and is more annoyed when Jack urinates on his boot. Angry about Jack he decides to go back to the ship and when Blackbeard tries to stop him he admits he doesn't like how Blackbeard is like around Jack and goes back to the ship. Later on back on the ship Jack is wildly throwing around his whip and in his drunken state accidentally kills Button's Sea gull friend Karl, the crew are shocked by this and Buttons puts a hex on Jack cursing him.

Fed up with Jack's behaviour and killing Buttons friend who was also apart of Stede's crew, Stede orders Jack to leave the Revenge and shockly Jack convinces Blackbeard to leave with him. Edward apologises and tells Stede that this is who he is, leaving Stede heartbroken. For the rest of the night Stede spies on the two as they camp themselves on the beach and he confides with Oluwande who is sleeping in Stede's couch in his private quarters and is complaining about the two. Lucius comes in and confronts Stede and asks him if this is a "spout or a rupture with Blackbeard" Stede says yes and Lucius comforts Stede and helps him dealing with Blackbeard and gives Edward back all his stuff and tells him to not come back to the ship.

Stede comes out and tells the crew they will be doing a burial at sea for Karl and that Blackbeard will no longer be sailing with them, the crew are shocked by this but before they could do more they are interrupted when they see the British Royal Navy has caught up to them and start firing cannons at them, Blackbeard figures out that Jack had gone out of his way to find him and Jack reveals that Izzy hands sent him to get Blackbeard away from the Revenge and that Izzy teamed up with Spanish Jackie and the British Navy to capture Stede and get rid of him. Angered by this, Edward rushes back to the ship, telling Jack "his my friend" and Jack is killed by rouge cannon ball. Blackbeard tells Stede and his crew to surrender to the British and Stede is happy that Blackbeard returned for him.

### Act of Grace

Stede's crew is arrested by **Chauncey Badminton** the twin brother of **Nigel Badminton** and they are all interrogated for the death of Nigel and once Chauncey interrogates Stede he reveals that Blackbeard admitted to killing Nigel in order to save Stede from being executed however Chauncey already suspects that Stede was the one to kill Nigel. Not wanting Edward to take the fall for his mistakes Stede confesses to murdering Nigel and he signs the confession papers. Blackbeard and Stede are put on trail and Blackbeard is spared and under orders from the king will be given to Izzy Hands who will captain the Revenge and both will pledge their services to the English King. While Stede is sentences to death by firing squad for murdering an Navy captain.

Izzy tries to convince Edward that Stede dieing in this way will be painless and completely humane and that he did all of this in order to save Blackbeard due to his loyalty that Blackbeard told Izzy once "above all else is loyalty to your captain"but out of fear of losing Stede he declares 'the act of grace' which was a proclamation made by King George I and promised to any pirates who decided to give up their lives of crime and piracy a royal pardon and serve under the British King as privateers. Edward uses this in order to save Stede and at first Chauncey says that Stede wouldn't be safe under this claim due to not being a proper pirate like Blackbeard or Izzy, however the crew object and say that Stede is a true pirate and so the rest of the royal navy agree to this and spare Stede's life, Chauncey is angered by this but is taken down by his fellow men after threatening to kill Stede.

Edward and Stede sign the contract and they go to the Royal Privateering Academy, when they are being signed in Stede finds out that he was declared dead by his wife Mary, Stede is confused by this and wondering if Mary did this out of spite. He is shocked to see that Edward has shaved off his infamous beard since it wasn't allowed under regulations of the academy and is very much content with how their lives are going to be now while Stede is sadden by the fact that Edward is taken this all well and is very much given up his pirate life. Stede is sitting by himself and is contemplating his life choices and remembering his old life with his wife Mary and children when Edward finds him and the two talk about their current situation. Edward confesses to Stede that he doesn't want to go back to his old life of privacy and that all he wants to do now is what makes him as Edward happy.

Stede asks him "and what makes Ed happy" and in that moment Edward says that everything the two of them have done over the last few weeks has been the most fun he has had in his entire life and confesses what makes him happy is Stede, Stede is shocked and surprised by this confession, but before he could say anything Edward leans forward and kisses Stede and Edward finally comes to terms with the fact that he has fallen in love with Stede Bonnet. Stede smiles at him and says "you make stede happy" with this new found love Edward asks Stede to ran away with him and start new lives together somewhere else, leave their old lives behind and even suggests to go to China. Stede remembering what Mary told to him about having only one life and to live your life out to the full, with this he agrees to ran away with Edward and he tells Stede to find some new names for them.

Later on during the night Edward tells Stede to meet him in two hours and that a guard will wake him up and escort him to the beach where there will be a dinghy waiting and the two will sail away to start their new lives together, however the person who wakes up Stede is Chauncey and he holds him at gun point and takes him into the jungle and tells Stede that he is a monster and that he "defiles beautiful things, my dear brother, your own family and you even managed to bring history's greatest pirate to ruin" Stede wholeheartedly agrees that he caused all of this mess and that Edward wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for him. As Chauncey is about to kill Stede in his drunken state trips over and shoots himself in the head in the same manner in which his twin brother Nigel stabbed himself in the head and Stede is struck with horror and grief. In his panic state and in order to save Edward a world of headache he returns back to his family in Barbados.

### A Mistake Is Made

Stede tries to re-insert himself back into his old life but he is struggling immensely, he sees that his wife and children were far more happier when he was gone and his wife especially was able to blossom and pursue her dreams of created amazing artworks under the title name 'The Widow' and they are too struggling to re adjust with Stede being back. Stede discovers that his wife who is technically his widow had began an affair with a man named Doug who Mary introuduces to Stede as her painting instructor after he catches the couple having sex one night. Stede goes to the local pub one night and old friends of Stede recognised him as the Gentleman Pirate and they are in absolute awe of Stede's experience of being a pirate and when someone claims that Stede hasn't killed anyone Stede responds saying he has seen death and has been the cause of death and that when you see death it changes you forever. They think Stede is amazing and they cheer for him however Stede is depressed and feels more like an outcast.

He gets himself drunk and interrupts Mary's art exhibition and when Doug tries to calm him down he attacks Doug and threatens to kill him, he quickly snaps back into reality and apologises to Doug and Mary for ruining her show. Stede wakes up later on that night to Mary trying to murdered him with a skewer, he confronts her and they both agree that they ain't happy with each other and the two talk to each other and admit everything to each other. Stede asks Mary what it is like to be in love and when she describes how her relationship is like with Doug he remembers what it was like to be with Edward and he finally comes to terms with his feelings for Edward and when Mary tells him she hopes he finds that same love she has find, he tells her he has find that and when she says "what her name" Stede says "Ed, his name is Ed" and the two embraced each other.

The next Morning Stede wakes up Mary and alongside Doug tells her they have come up with a plan to fake Stede's death and allow Mary to be with Doug and Stede to go back to Edward. They enlist the help of the 'Widow Evelyn Wiggins' who gives them a corpse to act as Stede's body and her pet Jaguar. Mary, Doug, Evelyn and Stede's children are the only ones who know about this plan and Stede talks to his children and apologises that it has come to this and his daughter gives him half of the petrified orange and she keeps the other half so that they will never forget each other and still love each other.

Stede's plan is ready and he fakes being attacked by the Jaguar named Ned infront of the towns people and as it looks like his out of danger he is ranned over by a horse drawn carriage. Stede replaces himself with the corpse and rides away in the carriage while his corpse is then crushed by a fallen piano. In the final scene he takes a dinghy and rows out into the open ocean and he comes across his crew who were abandoned on an island by Edward who has reverted back into being Blackbeard and has taken over the Revenge and has taken Jim and Frenchie.

## Quotes

“If someone returns from the raid mentally devastated, we talk it through as crew!”

“Some men are born to be pirate captains. Others learn on the job.”