[ Stede takes his time with emptying the water and getting a new bowl - there's no point washing Ed's hair if he's going to do it with dirtied water, so he pours the used out the window and heads back over to his little kettle to pour some more out. It means he's not really paying attention to Ed as he shifts and makes himself comfortable, as the shirt comes off and it placed somewhere else.
He catches sight of it as he turns back with the new water, his eyes widening for a moment as he gazes at the bared chest. The scars are painful to see, of course they are, the sort of thing that Stede wishes he could simply erase and get rid of, but they're a sign of Ed's survival. He can't really get rid of them. He'd seen glimpses of this skin when they'd swapped clothes too, but being able to see the tattoos in clear detail, having Ed sitting there like a portrait come to life is something altogether different.
It's only after a moment or two that Stede realises he's absolutely been staring, and he brings the bowl over and places it beside Ed with a little hum, trying to act as though he wasn't entirely distracted. He'll probably need to refill it again, so he resets the kettle and ponders about summoning more to boil before he picks up his box of vials - he has a comb, some oils, the sort of thing that will help protect Ed's hair from the elements, and a few ribbons.
He'll even let Ed pick the colour. That might be nice.
Marching back over, man on a mission, Stede smiles brightly and tries to act as though he was not just sitting there staring at a shirtless Blackbeard like some kind of... Well, hussy. ]
no subject
He catches sight of it as he turns back with the new water, his eyes widening for a moment as he gazes at the bared chest. The scars are painful to see, of course they are, the sort of thing that Stede wishes he could simply erase and get rid of, but they're a sign of Ed's survival. He can't really get rid of them. He'd seen glimpses of this skin when they'd swapped clothes too, but being able to see the tattoos in clear detail, having Ed sitting there like a portrait come to life is something altogether different.
It's only after a moment or two that Stede realises he's absolutely been staring, and he brings the bowl over and places it beside Ed with a little hum, trying to act as though he wasn't entirely distracted. He'll probably need to refill it again, so he resets the kettle and ponders about summoning more to boil before he picks up his box of vials - he has a comb, some oils, the sort of thing that will help protect Ed's hair from the elements, and a few ribbons.
He'll even let Ed pick the colour. That might be nice.
Marching back over, man on a mission, Stede smiles brightly and tries to act as though he was not just sitting there staring at a shirtless Blackbeard like some kind of... Well, hussy. ]
Are you ready?