#I'm only doing it because the Ed and Stede voices in my head had a particuar conversation

[ofmd-alsaurus]

alsaurus' s2 fic

Kitty and the Captain this is the only one that I wrote and posted before s2 was complete: between episodes 5 and 6, in fact! so we've got all the sweet horny insanity of Ed in a cat collar and Stede practicing his captain voice from episode 5, plus the idea of Stede not knowing what a handy is from episode 4, and zero idea of the angst to come lmaoooo. it's cute, it's sweet, it's hot, it's on brand.

Ed and Stede's Very Successful Second Time a true comedy, and a visceral reaction to the season 2 finale (and to people's reactions to the finale). I admit that it's a bit of a prank, a bit of me blowing raspberries at all the Izzy wank in fandom... this is reflected in the hits to kudos ratio lmao. I know exactly where people hit that back button. but plenty of others kept reading, and maybe had some feelings they didn't expect to have. plus it's what I wanted to write, and I do truly write these for myself (as much as I love pleasing you all).

Truly Docked yeah... as soon as I heard that "well and truly docked" comment in episode 7 I knew I would have to write this lol. the docking itself is a pretty small part of it because as always, the Ed and Stede in my head just kept talking and it became a whole other thing. I also love this because it's a slightly different take on the post-s2 "innkeepers era"... iykyk 😂

#next on the agenda is a Stede POV if you can believe that #i have written 12 ofmd one shots and they are all Ed POV #so this will be interesting lol #I'm only doing it because the Ed and Stede voices in my head had a particuar conversation #that i really love and want to write a fic around! #but i know that it needs to be from Stede's POV to really do it justice. #once you read it you'll know what i mean #ofmd fic #ed/stede #gentlebeard #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #alsaurus fic

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

Honestly tho the formula for OFMD antagonists is creating many little villains (little villains being villains who are their and are antagonistic forces but are not the bbeg like sauron in LotR) who are representative of and exacerbate internal conflicts within leading characters and then when that leading character resolves that internal conflict the little villain dies like a bitch. So the smallest villains stick around for one episode like the French people who represent Ed's feeling that he's not good enough for fine things, and die like bitches when Stede tells Ed that he's worth it, and Jack who represents the toxically masculine pirate culture Ed was forced to rise to the top of and Ed's unspoken past and exists to exacerbate the communication issues between Ed and Stede, and he dies like a bitch when Ed chooses to go back and save Stede from the navy instead of sticking with what's familiar.

Now the bigger (but still little) villains in season 1 were Izzy and the Badmintons (who I'm counting as one because they serve the same function). To borrow a phrase from an old Philosophy tube video, both Izzy Hands and the Badmintons are Mr. Not Good Enough. For those of you unfamiliar Mr. Not Good Enough is what it says on the tin. It's the little voice inside your head telling you that you're an insane unpleasant shell of a man or a weak soft handed fat coward. Izzy has a hold over Ed that doesn't seem to make sense when you consider how little Ed seems to care about him. Nigel haunts Stede despite the fact that Stede admits he doesn't feel bad about killing him. That's because their meta textual functions are to embody the characters insecurities.

There's dozens of things that communicate this to us. Izzy and the Badmintons virtually disappear from Stede and Ed's life when they're together, Izzy barely interacts with Ed in episode 5 and only interacts with him when Stede's life is at active risk in episode 6 and 9 leaving the revenge completely for episodes 7 and 8. And when Ed has been abandoned and is looking for a reason why he asks Izzy to bring him tea. When Ed is depressed Izzy shows up to make a death threat and tell Ed that no one will ever like him if he's not preforming Blackbeard. The Badmintons just spring up whenever Stede is having doubts about being a real pirate or whether running away with Ed is the right thing to do but when Stede is delusionally confident like in the republic of pirates they're absent. After Nigel dies he literally becomes Stede's mean internal monologue and the elder who gives Stede talk therapy literally says that Nigel is Mr Not Good Enough.

At the end of the season Chauncey Badminton dies like a bitch after convincing Stede to return home. And when Stede returns home he overcomes is insecurities about being an absent father and a terrible husband, he comes out as gay to Mary and embraces that part of himself which the Badmintons had bullied him for in school. His behavior and the response to it from the other characters tell him and the audience that he doesn't belong in rich people world anymore he belongs in pirate world. He overcomes every insecurity that Mr Not Good Enough had been spitting at him since we the audience met him and probably a lot longer. At the end Stede hopefully and with delusional confidence rows off directionless into the sea relying on his now light heart to lead him to the love of his life

Ed, conversely, loses to Mr Not Good Enough. He succumbs to all his doubts he lets Izzy have his way. He puts the mask of his old life back on and numbly goes through the motions thinking he can never be anything else. The reason Izzy is the only villain left standing at the end of the season is because Ed's conflict has not been resolved.

Based on this my prediction for season 2 is that we'll get new villains based on new internal conflicts. Izzy will continue functioning in his role as Mr Not Good Enough. Stede could either get a new Mr. Not Good Enough based on new insecurities. Or he could spend the whole season mad with delusional confidence, which would be a vibe. There will almost certainly be new little villains. And all of these little villains will die like bitches. When Ed and Stede get together and Ed overcomes his imposter syndrome, his fear of being a monster who's unworthy of love, and his fears about being as good as it gets, Izzy will die like a bitch.

This isn't to say that there isn't a navy man who Stede went to highschool with hunting Stede because he killed his brother. It's not to say that Ed doesn't have a mean little gremlin for a first mate who sold him out to the British. The great thing about fiction is that characters can fill narrative niches and metaphorical niches at the same time. So discussing Izzy's or Badminton's relationships to other characters or their internal lives is absolutely on the table while this meta is also true. I think that my prediction for Izzy's fate and the fate of any other Mr Not Good Enough that gets introduced for Stede or even Jim or Oluwande potentially, I'm not writing that off, the inevitable end of their character arc when their protag solves their internal conflict, doesn't detract from them as a character able to interact with the world that they live in it just places them in the narrative with a role to play in the story.

This meta needs a bit of a bibliography here's the philosophy tube video I got Mr Not Good Enough from. It's from before Abigail transitioned and contains her dead name but she has said she's comfortable with people referencing her old stuff and this is a little fandom meta she's never gonna see so I don't feel bad about linking it

#ofmd #our flag means death #meta #ofmd meta

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I'm loving all your wonderful fics. If you are still interested in prompts, would you consider one that relates to your recent sick fic: Ed telling Stede about the past situation where he had to juggle leading his crew through a storm while stitching himself up?

Ough yes good prompt!! This one made me sad, I love it.

Send me a prompt and I'll write a 1k word fic! (still accepting prompts btw, can't promise I'll get to all of them but if I'm inspired I'm doing it!)

--

Ed told the story like he thought it was supposed to be funny.

“So there we are,” he said, leaning over the dinner table. They’d just finished eating, and Ed had lit his pipe, and yeah, at first, the story had been fun. “Now, remember, I’ve been a captain for all of-”

“Three months,” Stede nodded, demonstrating his active listening to Ed’s story.

“Three months,” Ed repeated. “Maybe ninety days strung together, right? I’m barely twenty-five. Barely even had Blackbeard’s black beard. Mostly just a scraggly thing stuck to my chin. And that raid fuckin’ rung me out. But I made it! Not a single casualty on my crew, not one.”

“Bet the other crew couldn’t say the same,” Stede laughed, and Ed laughed with him, and Stede was dreamily thinking about how Ed must have looked, so young but already so brilliant, so confident, so-

“But I didn’t know then what I know now,” Ed went on, taking a couple puffs from his pipe. “And I didn’t notice my helmsman pointing us right into the squall. Barely had time to get away from the ship we’d been scrapping with before we hit it, head-on.”

Stede shivered. Ed’s storytelling voice never failed to capture his attention.

“And, remember,” Ed continued, “I’m trying to hide that I’m bleeding all over the fuckin’ place.”

“Wait,” Stede interrupted, raising a hand before Ed could continue. “Bleeding?”

“Well, yeah, I told you the raid rung me out pretty good,” Ed shrugged. “I’d been so busy watching what my crew were doing I was hardly paying attention to myself. Reckon I still - yeah, look.”

Ed adjusted in his seat, hitching up his shirt and pulling the waistband of his pants down with his thumb, running his finger along the faded, jagged scar that ran from right under his ribs to to the top of his hip. 

“Got me pretty good,” Ed said with a chuckle.

Stede kissed his fingers, then reached out to press them to the old scar, and Ed covered Stede’s hand with his own to keep it there.

“What did you do?” Stede asked.

“What I had to,” Ed said, pulling his shirt back down, taking another puff of his pipe, and getting right back into his storytelling voice. “I’d been thinking I needed to go and stitch myself up, right? But by the time we’re in it, rain’s already coming down in sheets, and this crew is still new to my ship, and they’re new to me, and I’m new to them. So I tied myself to the wheel, and-”

Stede felt his eyes get wider and the pain in his chest get deeper as Ed went on with the story, telling Stede about how he’d tied himself to the wheel to avoid sliding right off, shouting orders to his crew, yelling at his first mate to take some younger sailors who were panicking below decks before they got everyone killed.

He told him about how he’d only stopped once he was starting to get dizzy from how much he was bleeding. He’d made up some excuse to run below decks, grab a sewing needle, and get about halfway through sewing himself up before someone called for him.

He told him how he’d had to cling to the railing for dear life because his legs were so shaky.

He’d tied a scrap of canvas, torn from a sail by the winds, around his middle to try and control the bleeding.

By the time he’d been able to finish stitching himself back up, he said, laughing like it was just some slight misfortune, he’d been so weak he’d tied himself to the wheel again, just to stay upright. It had been hours after that until he’d been able to sit down.

And Ed must have realized, finally, Stede didn’t think this story was as fun as he did, because he was frowning, by then. “Pretty cool, right? Tell ya, I was a tough little fucker.”

“How are you laughing at this?” Stede finally managed to ask.

Ed looked surprised. “I mean, if you can’t laugh, what can you do?”

Stede pursed his lips. “Why didn’t you get help?”

Ed blinked.

“Couldn’t,” he said, like it was obvious. “Told you, I was young, most of these guys were twice my age. Any weakness and…y’know.”

Stede swallowed, imagining it. Ed gritting his teeth through the pain, afraid to let anyone see. Slipping on the deck, unsure if it was the rain or his own blood wetting the boards. Hinging his bets on a scrap of canvas tied around his waist.

“Hey, Stede, babe!” Ed snuffed out his pipe and reached across the table, taking one of Stede’s hands to press to his own chest, so Stede could feel the steady heartbeat beneath his palm. “I’m alright, see? I’m right here.”

Stede clenched his fingers in Ed’s shirt. “You know,” he said, “that you can come to me if you need anything? Anything at all? You know that, right?”

“Yeah, of course I know that.” When Stede cupped Ed’s face in his hand, Ed’s hand came up to cover his, nuzzling his face into his palm. “I know I’m safe with you.”

And Stede wished he could go back, to save Ed from all that pain, but - he could be there for him now, and that would have to be enough.

A few days later, while working on repairing a section of their roof, Ed hit his thumb with a hammer.

It was a tiny injury. Barely anything at all, especially not compared to that story.

But Ed came down to find Stede, working on the walls, and he showed him his bruised, sore thumb.

“Kiss it better?” Ed asked.

Stede obliged happily, of course, and Ed might’ve looked sheepish at first, but soon he was soaking up the attention. Stede couldn’t go back and fix everything, couldn’t save Ed from any pain, but he could help him feel safe now - and that was enough.

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd fic #my fics

[the-gentleman-pining]

Decided to rewatch OFMD S2 eps 1-3 and actually jot down my thoughts as I go! Oh what fun! Ngl this is mostly for me babes but if you enjoy it that's neat ❤️

Episode 1: Impossible Birds

Stede bearded in his dream could just be playing to swashbuckling archetypes for funsies, but is it some lingering wish that he was more masculine?

Con O'Neil truly graceful about it with the sword huh

"WHERE IS HE. WHERE'S ED?" Stede seeing Izzy as the thing that is keeping Ed from him when he's the one that left lol ok

His idealised version of Ed doesn't hold him accountable either. My mans doesn't want to face what he did at all!!

His first words to Ed in his letter are reassuring him that the crew are safe, as if he doesn't remember that Ed marooned them and left them for dead on purpose??

I know it's meant to be funny but Jackie was a bit of a sex pest toward Swede at first and the power dynamic was a bit 🫤 Glad he was into it in the end!

WHY DOES WEE JOHN SLAM THE HEAD OF THE ONE WHO GOT STABBED INTO THE TABLE INSTEAD OF THE ONE WHO STABBED THEM?? 😂

Stede truly is unphased by people being assholes to him and I just,,, respect it.

Ricky your vibes are strange and unsettling

Who in their right mind would have an ocean wedding in the golden age of piracy?? I know they probs didn't know it was the golden age of piracy while they were in it but STILL

Ed looks so dead behind the eyes 😭 Just going through the motions eh buddy?

Dressed up like the book Blackbeard I see. God he's trying so hard to inhabit this character.

I would die for Archie. Truly the himbo we need in these depressing angst riddled times.

Jim asking someone else how they're bottling things up?? Hello?? Who are you and what have you done with Jim?? Aren't you the bottling up Master? Olu bewitched you too good and now you've unlocked Feelings 😔

"He's actually a good guy" Stede babygirl did we actually forget the marooning???

I have so much I could say about how Izzy and Blackbeard's relationship has deteriorated hhhhh,,,, Izzy is a problem child but I'm so glad the story is crashing towards his character actually growing and changing. In season 1 he at least got the crumbs Ed would throw him like "I need you here", now he's only getting abuse and maybe he's throwing himself at it because he recognises he had a part to play in reaching this point and believes he deserves it.

Fang's delivery on "how you doing Izzy" will keep me warm and fed all winter. Masterclass in approaching someone, truly tender and genuine but not too pressuring. God.

That second "unhand me" hhh the panic of realising you're going to start crying if the situation continues

Con is gonna rip my heart out and eat it this season if I'm not careful

Labour exploitation Jackie what a girlboss x

Why does "you'll be having a lot of breakfastseses together" sound so ominous though 😭 Smeagol Jackie my worstie...

Stede doing Blackbeard Voice is adorable but damn he really doesn't believe that he made Ed's life better. Like how??? Why doesn't Stede equate happiness with better? Ed was explicitly happier around you ya dingus!

Swede deserves his married bliss so much. The crew can be so mean to him!!

"What am I to you" and "I have... love for you" are said so softly I'm gonna be sick,, Izzy you fucked it by wrestling this man into this particular coping mechanism and your tenderness is coming wayyyy too late. Heartbreaking tbh cause the guy didn't know how else to help Ed and now he's realising it could have been different. Sick and twisted little dynamic I'm eating it like good soup.

Definitely supposed to be taken that Izzy didn't realise "talk it through" was a Stedeism as he said it but godddd you idiot dude

Once again god bless you Archie I'd die for you

Fang I want to rescue you hhhhhh my hot topic fashionista must be so dehydrated from all these tears!!!

No way in hell Ed expected anything else out of Izzy's mouth than something about Stede, but god I wish the guy had just payed attention to Frenchie shaking his head. The catharsis of saying the quiet part out loud wasn't worth your leg, man.

"Start by cleaning up that mess"... yeah we def see Ed is killing people himself again but outsourcing the Big Job on Izzy makes sense. He's also exactly the kind of self sabotager atm that would know Frenchie won't do it, and he's looking for reasons to Be Worse.

Indigo heist my beloved. Fuck those hammies up!! I love how loud Black Pete was omg 😂

Oh fuck off Ricky I know you're a S1 Stede mirror but you're doing it detestably

Roach why is your instinct to immediately put the blue dirt on your face darling

Zheng Yi Sao completely unphased by Jackie is giving me so much delight

Sexy Dutchman 😭😂 Jackie never change

I love that Zheng Yi Sao is taking the whole crew on just to have her lil Olu moment, get it girl

TENDER JIM IM SO HAPPY FOR THEM THEY'VE COME SO FAR. I LOVE THEIR BIG SMILE 😭 (also Archie is so wholesome what is she DOING here???)

Ed oh my god you're not alright at ALL

Frenchie's quiet "sounds like a plan" is just so... painful. The acting this season is off the charts.

When Roach asked if they were in soup now I thought he was referring to the ocean as soup I'm an idiot 😭

#ofmd #ofmd s2 #our flag means death #ofmd season 2 spoilers #ofmd season 2 #ofmd spoilers #ofmd s2 spoilers #izzy hands #stede bonnet #edward teach

[avelera]

One underrated OFMD scene is, in my opinion, the one in 1.10 when Stede is talking to his old schoolmate Jeffrey Fettering and the other men in the tavern about his life as a pirate.

I actually admire that scene immensely as a necessary moment of catharsis and growth for Stede. The men in the tavern provide Stede with a rapturous audience of his peers, the very people he probably wished to impress the most when he daydreamed about becoming a pirate, before he took off for the Revenge.

I find the scene so important because Stede actually gets his catharsis. He earned the respect of those who best understood his background and the ramifications of his choice to leave it. They are the people most like him, his peers in class and presumably wealth, the literal schoolmates he grew up with (minus one or two Badmintons...) and they are wildly impressed by his courage.

Jeffrey Fettering in particular actually breaks my heart a little bit. He is so clearly trapped in the same life that Stede was desperate to escape and eventually succeeded in escaping (well, up to a point, and he will be successful again). There was a line playing through my head during that scene, especially during Jeffrey's confession of his envy of Stede:

"“The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation." -Hendry David Thoreau

Jeffrey just feels so... desperate. All the men at the table do, to varying levels. Their lives seem bleak and empty of the joy Stede found by pursuing his happiness at sea. This is what Stede escaped and it would have been so much easier for him not to.

I'm glad the show gave Stede this moment. I'm glad Stede gets this moment before he goes back to sea at the end. I'm glad he got to have this triumph, even if it's mixed, even if it comes with the revelation that he no longer needs the praise of these men to be happy. Indeed, quite the opposite. When he is forced to mask himself again and lie about Ed's true nature, it's clear that he's miserable.

Stede has changed since the time when he left, he has grown as a person by taking the leap into the unknown in pursuit of happiness and fulfillment, away from the death of the soul this community represented to him and still represents to these other men.

Trying to fit back in with this group, even when it's the best-case scenario: the adulation of the people who once understood him most based on his upbringing, is now hollow not because there's anything wrong with these men. After all, they're asking very natural questions about a life of piracy and about Blackbeard, ones even Stede might have asked before he met Ed. This best-case scenario conversation though is not just one I'm glad he had though, it's also one reason I think Stede needed to return to Barbados at least once, from a character arc perspective, because he gets the catharsis he earned even while it teaches him an important lesson about himself: he no longer fits here.

But at least Stede got to enjoy that adulation and he got to be an inspiration to others in his peer group. OFMD is so careful with how it approaches its 'midlife crisis' theme. It never mocks the midlife crisis, or rather, never uses the voice of a protagonist to shame those who set out at great personal risk, facing incredibly personal difficulty, to find a way to be happy. Really, it's only antagonists and the occasional internal voice of doubt in our protagonist's heads that are negative about their attempts to be happy, whether it's Stede setting out to be a pirate or Ed believing he could find love.

#our flag means death #ofmd meta #jeffrey fettering #I also love his actor from the Good Place

[thetragicallynerdy]

Alright, I'm back for one more for the wip folder game: jim ed modern flower shop tattoo parlour biker au ☺️

Ooooh yes yes!!!! I think I've rambled about this one elsewhere, but I can't find it, so here you go! This one is a long sad t4t Jim/Ed modern au where the gist is:

Ed, recently divorced from Stede, gets in a bar fight with a homophobe. Jim saves his ass and takes him home because he's too drunk to remember his new address

They become friends, and eventually lovers. Very much a vibe of Ed coaxing feral cat Jim into a relationship with love and good food.

Jim in this one has multiple warrants out for their arrest, and is a little stuck in "I need to kill the remaining few siete gallos, but fuck, I'm so tired of it." They work under the table at a bar, have basically no connections besides Ed, and are just scraping by.

Ed is also trying to rebuild after divorce, making a new home etc.

There are a lot of mental health and trauma vibes with both of them.

Eventually Jim gets stabbed, saved by Ed, loses their shitty bar job, and gets offered a job in Stede's flower shop (Stede is still good friends with Ed, or at least, they're rebuilding the friendship). Ed, meanwhile, is a tattoo artist with a shop nearby. So, the tattoo parlour/flower shop aspect is VERY loose.

This one also features Jim who hasn't had an actual relationship or friendship like, ever, and is terrified of commitment and always ready to run, and pretends Ed is just their FWB until they can't anymore. Very "yeah we're fucking but I won't say I love you or call you my partner for 75 thousand words" vibe

It's my baby. This is absolutely my most self indulgent h/c fanfic. No idea when it'll be finished but I adore it so much have I said I love it so much??

Anyway here's a snippet XD

--

Jim struggles to sit up on their shitty mattress on the floor, and it makes Edward doubly glad that they let him make a copy of their key. They look like shit still, hollow cheeks and skin that still hasn't regained all its colour.

"You're here early." Their voice is a slur, and he frowns, not sure if it's because they just woke up or if something is wrong.

"Last appointment of the day got cancelled, thought I'd come over. Sit the fuck back down, don't get up, I can come to you."

They slump back down with an audible sigh, waiting until he makes his way over and sits on the bed beside them. When he kisses them they relax into it, hand curling around his thigh in a way that feels lovely. Like maybe they're starting to feel comfortable with casual touch that's doesn't lead to something more. Like maybe they're starting to feel comfortable with him, with them, together.

"How're you feeling?" he asks softly when he pulls away.

They yawn, blinking when their jaw clicks together again. "Okay. Fucking tired, man." The hand on his thigh edges higher. "I don't think I can do a ton, but you can ride my mouth, if you want. Or my hand."

He stares at them. "What?"

"That's why you're here, right?" They yawn again, barely bothering to cover it with an elbow. "So we can have sex."

It hurts far, far more than it should. He forces a laugh, picking their hand off his thigh and dropping it back to the bed. "I was there when the doctor spoke to you, Jimbo, six weeks until you can do strenuous activity." When they open their mouth to argue he taps them on the nose. "Which means you've still got five fucking weeks to go."

They look terribly lost, which hurts even more than the assumption. "... then why are you here? You only come over to hook up."

To hook up. As though they hadn't been practically dating for months, now. Fuck. Fuck.

He thinks bitterly about how he'd told Stede that Jim was his friend, and wonders when he got so good at underselling things. Does Jim even think that the two of them are that much?

Instead of asking he hefts the backpack still in his hands up. "Well, now I'm here for movies and dinner. Pick one while I get started on the soup."

Jim stares at him like he has two heads. "Soup?"

"Yes, dummy, soup. You know, delicious meal with broth and vegetables thats easy on the stomach? I'm making you enough to last the week. Brought you groceries too. Those muffins that you like."

They look down at the backpack in their hands, face twisting for one brief moment before settling into careful neutrality. “… you didn’t have to do that.”

“Sure I did.” He leans in, presses a kiss to their forehead before pushing himself to his feet and heading for the groceries left by the door. He doesn’t want to see whatever their face does next, isn’t sure he could take it. “That’s what friends do, mate. Take care of each other.”

He doesn’t see it, but he hears it.

“Oh,” Jim says, voice soft and small. “Okay.”

If anyone feels like dropping me an ask for the WIP folder game, my long list of WIP titles is here!

#jim jimenez #edward teach #ofmd fanfic #the modern au #tragicallynerdy writes #jim/ed #flower shop tattoo parlour modern au

[izzy-b-hands]

Sillyish hurt/comfort steddyhands thing. TW emetophobia, bad infection to Izzy's foot, mentions of potential amputation.

---

"I don't need your help," Izzy pants. "Never have and never will!"

"Is that so?" Ed scoffs. "Looks like you need my help now!"

Stede peers at the two of them, caught in the rigging and hanging over the side of the anchored ship.

It had almost been graceful.

Izzy had been struggling to walk even with his cane on an aching, infected foot, and had tripped into the coiled rope. It took him over in one smooth yoink.

Ed had shuffled over on his bad knee that he had been icing up until then, and simply tipped over before he could climb over the side. If not for the rope to catch around his knee, he would have been in the sea.

"I'd argue you both need help," Stede offers. "May I?"

"We're fine!" Izzy calls up. "Fuck, I'm dizzy."

"You're upside down, hanging by an infected foot alone," Stede says. "I'd be surprised if you weren't lightheaded!"

"I'm..." Ed hesitates, hissing in pain. "Nah, I got this."

"You do not," Stede says gently.

"We do!" Izzy protests. "Ed, if you just... swing that way, we can grab the...no, hang on I can't think-"

"How long do you think they'd hang like that if we let them try to get free on their own?"

Stede jumps at Jim's voice, suddenly right beside him, flipping a knife into the deck rail while watching the boys below.

"Long enough to really hurt themselves," Stede replies. "As it is, I don't want to hurt them more by yanking up the rope, but I don't see how el-"

"Yeah, that's his plan too, go for it!" Jim interrupts to call behind them, and suddenly it dawns upon Stede that Ed and Izzy are about to be rescued...

And in immense pain.

--

"Roach thinks amputation might be the next best option," Stede murmurs as he brushes the damp hair off Izzy's feverish forehead. "He said he won't let Lucius do the amputation like he did his own finger. Think that was a joke."

Izzy smiles weakly. "I think I'm going to be sick."

He tuts and shoves a bucket in front of Izzy's face as he leans over the first of the three cots pulled into the galley/sick bay.

While Izzy retches, he turns to Ed's cot.

"And you, Mr. I Don't Need To Rest My Knee That Much-"

"I know," Ed grumbles. "Roach said a full week off with gentle movement only. I'll give him a gentle movement alright-"

"No you won't," Stede pats Ed's thigh with his free hand, the other still steadying the bucket for Izzy. "What would that even entail?"

"I don't know," Ed crumbles and winces and curls in on himself, a hand reaching to rub at his bad knee.

"See, you do need the rest, because that was a shit plan," Stede sets the bucket down while Izzy weeps before he turns to plant a kiss on Ed's cheek.

"Yeah," Ed giggles. "Besides, ah, fuck-"

A hand reaches for Stede's and grips it hard.

"Roach said the spasming and pain should slow up as long as you rest and try to be careful with it," Stede soothes. "I'll stay here with you two tonight, okay? I'll read to you, massage that knee of yours, help Roach with Izzy...not an amazing set up with the cot, but Lucius refused to help dismantle the mattress in our quarters and bring it in here, so!"

Izzy wipes tears from his eyes and chuckles. "You didn't actually ask him-"

"I did!"

"Love, no," Ed giggles. "It's in the wall!"

"And it could easily be made to be an out of the wall mattress too," Stede protests as he stands. If he's staying the night as he intends, then he'll need supplies and better to get them now before he settles in.

"You could still try and do that yourself," Izzy suggests, trying and failing to bite back a laugh.

"Shush," Stede smiles. "Without you there to tell me I'm doing it wrong? How could I?"

Izzy shakes his head. "Of course. Forgive me."

"I think I'll manage," Stede says with a gentle pat to Izzy's shoulder. "I'll have enough to carry with the books alone anyway. Any requests?"

Ed and Izzy catch each other's gaze and fall to delirious giggles.

"Ah, that is a vote for Pinocchio, but with Lucius as our little wooden boy!" Stede says. "You know he hates that you two ask him to do that, right?"

"Yeah, but I've been giving him money every time," Ed replies. "To make up for it."

"As have I," Stede says slowly.

Izzy scoffs. "I'm impressed. He's had me making him breakfast at least once every week we have him read that for us. I actually sort of enjoy it now, that time of the morning, with him. Smart little fucker."

"I'll go get him," Stede chuckles. "Ed, why not give me your money for him now and we'll pay him ahead of time. Iz, I'll take over breakfast duties if you're still laid up with the whole potential amputation thing."

"Can you cook?" Izzy asks.

"Of course I can," Stede replies, wondering if Lucius would be fine with jam and marmalade and toast like Ed had in the past. That much he can prepare without having to bother the already stressed Roach.

"Alright," Izzy snuggles back into the thin pillow on his cot. "It's worth it anyway, for the wooden boy voice."

Ed snorts and joins Izzy in chuckling, which turns to giggles and unrestrained laughter in a minute. The only audible words are, occasionally, 'little wooden boy voice.'

"Okay," Stede nods. "You two need more pain relief, I think. I'll go to Roach and see what he can find. Something strong."

They pause, barely, and stare at him in delicate silence.

Only for a moment, before Ed softly says:

"As strong as the little wooden boy!"

They break into peals of laughter as Stede leaves in search of Lucius, giggling at the thought of telling him how his task will be integral to Ed and Izzy's recovery.

#text post #ofmd ficlet #steddyhands #the idea of izzy and ed out of it and dying over 'me legs are sticks' is mostly what powered this one #so it's v silly but have at akdakdnnf

[ourflaghashands]

just wip things

a spicy scene from Pitch Black that I was too impatient to wait for 😂 (don't worry, I'm still working on chapter 4)

Read under the cut!

(I don't write spicy stuff very often so I'm sorry if it's wonky :'D)

Izzy paces back and forth across the captain’s cabin. It’s well past the point when Stede said he would be joining him, and Izzy is dying for an explanation. He hadn’t done anything wrong. At least, not really. But Izzy can still see Stede’s face, pinched and anxious, and the authoritative voice pouring out of him still rings in Izzy’s ears. He doesn’t know what to expect when Stede finally joins him.

He manages to get in a few more laps before the door opens with a gentle click and Stede walks inside, looking pale and drawn.

“How’s Frenchie?” Izzy asks, before anything else can be said. Stede puts up a hand momentarily before divesting himself of his coat. He sinks into one of the armchairs with a sigh. “He’ll be fine. Might need stitches, but Roach assured me he’d make a full recovery.”

Something in Izzy’s chest unclenches. He knows that it wasn’t his fault, but he had a sense of responsibility for the crew. He was supposed to make sure they were prepared for everything, and Frenchie’s sword work had never been his strength. Perhaps Izzy would have to fix that.

“Good.” Izzy murmurs, just loud enough for Stede to hear. He doesn’t want anyone to think he’s gone soft, so he adds, “It’d be a shame to lose the only bard on the ship.”

Stede snorts, slightly undignified, and the response says more about how exhausted he is than his looks.  Izzy slinks over to him. “What was it you wanted to speak to me about?” He can’t just sit here and wonder any longer – the unknown is driving him insane.

“I’m under no illusion about your abilities with a sword, Israel, but even you have to realize you were way in over your head. Why did you put yourself in that position?” Bonnet’s words strike something in Izzy, drawing up memories of the night of The Incident with Edward.

Izzy swallows, looking down at his feet. “I couldn’t let anything happen to my Captain.” He responds easily, because it’s true – even if he and Edward still aren’t entirely in good standing with each other, Izzy still can’t bear the thought of losing him. He’s been the one constant in Izzy’s life. The single port in a storm for as long as he can remember.

“I understand. And I do thank you for helping him. But next time you shouldn’t go in alone like that.” And Izzy knows Bonnet is right, loath as he is to admit it. Izzy has always been Edward’s attack dog, his sword, an extension of the legend himself, but Blackbeard’s reputation isn’t unfounded. Ed probably would have been okay if Izzy hadn’t jumped in like that, but taking the risk of finding out was too terrifying to give thought to.

Izzy finally crosses the room to Stede and sinks to the floor, resting his forehead against one of the Alpha’s knees. “I’m sorry for making you worry.” He bites the words out, because this sort of vulnerability is still new to him. Bonnet makes a noise, somewhat like a scoff but too gentle, and cards his fingers through Izzy’s hair.

“You’re okay, darling. I’m just glad nothing happened.” As calm as Stede sounds, the memory of his furious gaze is still Fresh in Izzy’s mind, and it draws a submissive whine from the omega’s throat.

“None of that, now.” Bonnet murmurs, reaching down and forcing Izzy’s face up. He leans down and presses their lips together, all gentle. Izzy lets himself melt into it, lets Bonnet deepen the kiss and explore his mouth with his tongue. He takes what he’s given and nothing more, until Bonnet breaks the kiss. Izzy’s tongue darts out to wet his own lips.

He’s still tense, despite the fact that Stede seems to have forgiven him. There’s always been a balance to Izzy’s experiences, and right now the scales feel tipped. He had upset Stede, he knows he had, but there’s no follow up. No retribution. It leaves something in him unsettled, and Izzy doesn’t like it.

“What if I…” He trails off, before he realizes how messed up that thought process is, and he feels his face go warm.

“What if you what?” Bonnet prompts. His hand is still in Izzy’s hair, scratching soothing circles into his scalp. It’s almost distracting enough to make the omega lose his train of thought. He feels his face pinching together like he’s just eaten a lemon. How does he voice the problem without sounding absolutely mental?

He’s never been good with words. That’s always been one of his shortcomings.

“I…you can’t just forgive me, Stede. I saw how angry you were.” Izzy doesn’t look Stede in the eyes, focusing his attention on a fold in the Alpha’s shirt.

“I just did.” Stede says, nonplussed. Izzy fights down a groan, shaking his head and nearly dislodging Stede’s hand.

“I don’t want you to.” Izzy clarifies, feeling his face grow hotter. “I need you to follow through.”

There’s a long moment of silence, before Stede makes a soft noise of understanding. “You…want to be punished.” It isn’t a question, but Izzy nods a confirmation all the same. Shame wells up in the pit of his stomach because he knows it’s not normal of him, but he can’t help the way he is. A lifetime of conditioning, quid-pro-quo, an eye for an eye – whatever you want to call it – has made it impossible for Izzy to leave things feeling unfinished, especially when it comes to those who have earned his respect.

And, despite everything, Stede has earned it.

Stede hums thoughtfully, his hand leaving Izzy’s hair. Izzy fights down a soft noise of disappointment – he hasn’t earned that affection yet. There’s a lingering silence, and Izzy’s nerves fray just a little more as time stretches on between them. He feels like he’s about to burst when Stede finally addresses him.

“What if you made it up to me?” Stede asks, and Izzy finally raises his eyes to look the Alpha in the face. It’s a decent proposal – Stede seems hesitant to actually punish him, never seems to really want to unless he’s truly angry, but his eyes are bright, and Izzy thinks he can work with this.

“…Yeah, alright.” He concedes, the tension in his shoulders receding a bit. He will earn his forgiveness. That’s acceptable.

“Come here, darling.” Stede urges Izzy up with his hands, and Izzy rises from the floor, clambering into Stede’s lap and straddling his thighs, his feet hanging over the edge of the seat. Stede pulls him into a heated kiss, and Izzy can feel that the Alpha is already half-hard in his trousers. Something in Izzy’s stomach squirms pleasantly at the thought. It could have been the excitement of the raid, but Izzy likes the thought that their proximity is what’s doing it.

Stede kisses Izzy until he’s breathless, delirious and pliant under the Alpha’s hands. The hard line of Stede’s cock is pressing into the space between them, and Izzy’s hips roll forward into the bulk of it, making Stede hiss into his mouth.

“Strip for me, Darling.” Stede’s voice is rough, and tinged with the steel of command that Izzy is helpless to disobey. He carefully extricates himself from Stede, removing his clothing one piece at a time. His cravat and ring are first, and he places them carefully on the nearby table. His vest, shirt, and pants are quick to follow, before Izzy peels off his smalls. They’re damp, and he knows he won’t be putting them back on until they’ve been washed.

Stede rises from the chair, grabbing a cushion off of the nearby chaise and depositing it onto the floor. “Kneel there, and wait for me.” He says, no-nonsense. Izzy sinks to his knees on the cushion, glad of the padding. He’s not as young as he used to be, after all.

Stede busies himself, grabbing a few things from around the room before going into the washroom for several minutes. Izzy remains where he is, letting the calm warmth of obeying the orders given to him wash over him. He’s drifting, mind pleasantly fuzzy, and the burning need between his thighs is only a distant bother.

He loses track of time, and nearly jolts out of that fuzzy space when Stede returns, carrying a basin and wearing a robe that does absolutely nothing to hide his straining erection. He places the basin and a cloth down on the table, before turning his attention back to Izzy. He pets a hand through his hair, humming pleasantly.

“Good boy, Izzy. So patient for me.” He rumbles, and it’s enough to make Izzy’s legs shake where they’re still holding him up. Stede reaches down and presses the pad of his thumb against Izzy’s lower lip, and Izzy’s mouth falls open obediently. Stede presses the digit flat to Izzy’s tongue, holding his mouth open.

“Will this be alright for you? If I use your mouth?” Stede asks, and Izzy whines at the promise of it, nodding his head just slightly so as not to dislodge the Alpha’s hand. The consent seems enthusiastic enough for Stede, because he removes his thumb and tugs his robe open. His cock is standing at attention, rock-hard and glistening at the tip. Izzy feels his mouth water, but doesn’t close it.

Stede shifts closer, letting just the tip rest against Izzy’s tongue. He shifts his hips, dragging it back and forth against the plain of it, before slowly pushing in. His thrusts are shallow at first, presumably to let Izzy get used to the feel of it, before he pushes deeper. Izzy can feel the tip of it hitting the back of his throat before long, and subtly tilts his head to give the Alpha a better angle, breathing through his nose.

Stede sets up a slow, lazy rhythm, giving Izzy time to pull in little puffs of breath between each thrust. It’s a torturously slow pace, but the repetitiveness of it drives Izzy to heights he didn’t know he could reach. The weight of Stede on his tongue, the control of it, and the knowledge that he’s being used by Stede to chase his own pleasure tugs him into that fuzzy space once more, and he’s only mildly aware of saliva leaking from the corners of his mouth.

He’s painfully hard himself, and he can feel slick drooling out of him, down between his thighs and onto the cushion below him. He reaches up to hold onto Stede’s hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh. He doesn’t control the pace – Stede is doing that, but he needs contact, and this is the best way to get it.

Stede seems to read his mind, and one of his hands goes to Izzy’s hair, fingers carding through it and pressing against the base of his skull. Izzy’s eyes slip closed and he loses himself in the sensation of it. The alpha keeps up his carefully controlled pace, and Izzy can feel warmth and pressure building between his thighs; he’s close to coming, his hips twitching slightly against empty air.

It goes on like this, Izzy quickly losing track of time, his own arousal building. Stede’s thrusts are getting a little faster, cutting Izzy’s breathing off at quicker intervals. He’s swallowing around Stede’s cock, willing the Alpha to go deeper. Stede complies, and soon enough he’s fucking into Izzy’s mouth with abandon.

The intensity of it is too much, and Izzy feels the tension between his legs build at a dizzying rate. His thighs flex as he tries to stave it off, but there’s nothing he can do. Heat blooms low in his belly and his hips jerk forwards as he comes, untouched, his cunt clenching rhythmically on absolutely nothing.

He distantly hears Stede swear above him, a choked-off ‘Did you just—’ spilling out of his lips before his hips stutter and he comes down the back of Izzy’s throat. Izzy swallows him down with purpose, sucking gently until Bonnet’s softened cock slides back out of his mouth, leaving him empty. He whines, bereft, and suddenly Stede is on the ground with him, pulling him into a filthy kiss. Izzy doesn’t doubt he can taste himself, his tongue is so far back in the omega’s mouth.

The aftershocks and shaking in his thighs are too much, and Izzy sinks the rest of the way down, a grimace pulling at his lips as he lands in the cold puddle of his own slick. Stede chuckles gently above him, pressing his face down to nuzzle into Izzy’s hair. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” He murmurs, before carefully rising to his feet. “Get on the bed.” He says, crossing over to the table to fetch the basin and cloth.

Izzy rises on unsteady legs, making it over to the bed and sitting down heavily. Stede sets the basin down next to the bed and pushes on Izzy’s chest until he’s lying back. Stede goes to work on him, using the damp cloth to clean the slick from his thighs and cunt. The drag of it on his oversensitive nub draws a whimper from him, but he’s too far gone to feel shame for it. Stede makes a soothing sound in the back of his throat, finishing up his work before climbing into the bed next to him.

He pulls Izzy against him and Izzy immediately shoves his nose into the crook of Stede’s neck, scenting him thoroughly. A stuttering purr rumbles up from his chest, unfamiliar but comfortable. He curls up against the Alpha, hoping the noise will be enough to convey his thanks. He no longer feels off-kilter, and he can feel the tug of sleep softening his edges until it pulls him under. He’s vaguely aware of Stede pulling the blanket over both of them, but he’s out like a snuffed candle before much else can register.

#Pitch Black #SteddyHands #Stizzy #technically this is just Stizzy for now #but eventually.... #im steddyhands trash so #u know #ABO dynamics #up in this bitch #so beware of that if you haven't ready Pitch Black

[fresne999]

"You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise."

Still I Rise (as indeed all the other poetry quotations in this post) Maya Angelou

Because I'm in a poetry mood and thought I'd see how this goes.

A little OFMD meta

Little Prince Ricky, a minor prince, serving now an empire, manages to claim in a single sitting that once pirates are dead, their stories will be lost to the ages and that by his killing off the republic of pirates, he is the greatest pirate of all. That he will write the history with himself as the central figure. Which maybe. But since this isn't his story, probably not. He crab shuffle runs off stage for a S3. 

"Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room."

Spanish Jackie in her gown of glitter scales made to serve liquor to singing British troops. Stewing. Never tripping despite the legs put out in her way. 

Serve the wine. Never fear poison, there is a taster.

Well, yes, and no.

Bring down the good stuff, which resides so innocent on the shelf. Set aside for some rainy day, Jackie always prepared for. When in her own establishment, where in her own home, laid low she would not stay. 

Singing, bragging sailors over their rule of the waves. They've never heard of Canute, I guess.

Bring down the good stuff. Not a Mithridates. That fellow rendered himself immune to poison to avoid being killed. Spanish Jackie had a different plan. She's the man in black. She is no man. She is a black woman in her home invaded by princes of the sea. 

For this bottle, this plan, to exist, she must always have known that the Republic of Pirates would fall. That she would need an exit.

Not even telling the Swede that she was iocane-powder poison-protecting him.

They were right, those soldiers. They'd never be slaves. They'd be corpses.

No Stede, you didn't do that. Jackie, prosthetic hand to cheroot smiling lips, she did.

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.

Ed attempts to be fully present in his life. Stop talking. Except he is in fact narrating his life.

I felt Ed so hard in that moment. Writers. We narrate our lives. 

He viewed the sea as a battlefield, and attempted to be that classic trope. The humble wanderer. Shane. Kane/Cane. Like a blade of grass. A heron. Until the whole internal monologue dissolves into a wave. As it should.

He tossed his leathers into the sea as an embodiment of what Frenchie was talking about at the beginning of the season. Burying his feelings like in a box, but where the box is the sea. A battlefield of the waves.

The British do not rule him. But he has to figure out just where he belongs.

What he's good at and what nourishes him. Not fishing. We get that. Not creating yet another father figure. 

His fugue state on seeing the burning ships. The British voices fading into ringing. Stede's call.

I'm fascinated by the way Ed's memory here of Pop-Pop (not your Pop-Pop) is slightly different in tone from the way the had-enough fisherman sent him away from the fishing camp. 

To be wave washed.

Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries?

Izzy came a long way since S1. Transformed from an angry man focused on job title and work and the legend that he and Ed had created to someone who finally comprehends the importance of the community of which he is now a part. In its last breath. The last gasp of the golden age of pirates. 

S1 Izzy would have agreed with Prince Ricky that he was the brains of the operation, or gone on about how he's the only reason, blah, blah, blah work gets done. S1 Izzy sided with the British to bring Ed back into line. Izzy is the reason the British lock stepped into Jackiez the first time. When revenge meant the empire had other reasons to move on.

S2 Izzy's understanding of where he is and what this community means has transformed. A place that welcomes. A new family.

In that mindset, challenging Prince Ricky to kill him. To kill all the pirates, because they'll live on. Because they're good. A reframing from the devil into something else. A wave. A light.

Foreshadowing too.

The passing into the west of old selves. Lives. Ages.

Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard.

Zheng Yi Sao dragged Stede (yes, Stede she did) to safety. Only to sit disconsolate under the bridge of disconsolation. The bridge that is broken. 

Queen won't stay there, of course. Stede needs rescuing. Again. Soldiers will come and soldiers will die. 

Stede's…the pirate that he is. A failure his whole life. But blessed by being the central character, things have a way of working out. But he is correct that Zheng cannot succeed alone. There's such a valuable lesson in accepting being bad at something, but going on to try anyway. 

It's the opposite of burying your sorrows in a box. It's knowing they are a part of you, inform you, are probably why you make bad decisions, but moving forward. That it's okay to be soft. Sometimes softness is what is needed. 

Letting Stede go have his moment with Ed while Zheng holds off an army. 

Of course, with Blackbeard, she could kill more. She saw what he did there. Revenge. 

To the New Revenge, which is the old revenge. Which is in fact no Revenge. Sailing out to a new horizon. 

You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Lucius, ah Lucius. There's still trauma to process. But I think it's a crucial thing that Lucius lets go of Blackbeard as the embodiment of that trauma. Replicating into every aspect of his art and the world. 

Blackbeard set Lucius on the road to Rat Boy, but he isn't actually the ones who perpetrated the whole Rat Boy chain of events.

Until Lucius lets go of Blackbeard is a dog, a flower, a whatever, then he can't process. He can't integrate what's happened and move on. 

He'll spiral, time to time. That's trauma. But that's also Charibdis, and Calypso knows that focusing only on the whirlpool isn't actually a way to process trauma. 

Black Pete can be there for him. His matey. Keeping his boat afloat. Keeping each other's boats afloat. 

Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?

Poor Pop-Pop (not calling him simple because yeah, I can see where that's a bit…yeah no). The man thought he hired a fisherman, and instead he hired a fisher of men. Philosophizing when there was work to be done.

Go back to something you're good at. So Ed does. Multi-task and put paid to the can Ed read discussion to show that not only can he read, he can read and kill at the same time. 

What a lovely letter the sea (Calypso) brought forth. Message delivered. Message received. We wrote our names on each other in permanent ink.

Nothing that can be undone by the fall of the Republic of Pirates. Nothing so simple could topple such intertwined. A sort of weaving that.

Back under the unruled waves.

Of course, Ed would be able to dive back under the ocean and find his leathers. 

To open the box. To pull out what's buried under the waves. Yet another phase. Because that's life. Casting things aside. Burying them. Then figuring out how to reintegrate them into a whole self when the time is right. 

Life is a dick, but this is a core universe. Where leathers can be completely unharmed by a day or so sunk beneath the salt. Of course, Ed could dress in them while underwater and so walk from the sea Venus.

No clam shell. But a whole lot of sexy.

To meet love on the beach. With a side bit of spinning death.

Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

I'll admit, while I have heard bits of Rule Britannia (and certainly the melody), I had no idea what the rest of the lyric lines in every refrain was. Huh. The way the song presents the whole thing is that the British will never be subject to tyrants. But the context of the British soldiers / sailors singing their song to the captured pirates. People of color. That's the show creators putting a big neon sign of "These are the villains of the series!" That and toxic masculinity. There can be two villains. Especially when one props up the other.

What do the crew in their dungeon cell do? 

Lucius loses a shirt (he is down to his skivvies, but keeps the jeans he loves). Someone pees on the fabric (offscreen - good). True facts, wet fabric is much less likely to tear. 

But I want to take a moment here to reflect on the symbolism of something soft like fabric bending iron. The original use of the term soft-ware (etymology - check it out) bending hard-ware. Something woven by women and in fact the main occupier of women's time since thread didn't spin itself. 

Something weak, but by virtue of thousands of threads woven together (plus unfortunate fluids), bending metal. 

Leading to go Frenchie. Go Frenchie. Go.

Leading to Captain Frenchie. Long may they sail the waves and fuckery as they go.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise

I rise

I rise.

#ofmd #ofmd meta #poetry #prose poetry

[straightupsickfics]

Maybe crunching through fall leaves & allergies for Ed and Stede, if you’re feeling it 🍁🧡 thank you!

ahhh this is so cute for them <3 some modern au ed + stede visiting stede's family in the fall for you 🧡

****

"Okay, darling, hear me out. What if we just... don't go back inside?" Stede suggests quietly. His voice is rough and scratchy in the diminishing autumn evening light, though his hand is warm in Ed's.

"Mm, don't think your nose would like that very much," Ed says with a fond smile. Stede's nose is already pink from their short walk through the neighborhood after dinner with his family. If it were up to Ed, they wouldn't have come in the fist place, even if he is insisting they go back inside shortly. He feels Stede shiver against him, sniffling a few times in a row in what Ed knows is an attempt to keep his allergies under control.

"The weather and the leaves do make me a little sniffly," Stede agrees, scrunching his nose against another round of said sniffles.

The crisp, sharp scent of the leaves just smells like fall and warmth to Ed, especially out here in the soft quiet, Stede's hand tucked in his.

"Think you sneezed half a dozen times on this ten minute stroll," Ed says.

"I don't think it's been - snf! Oh, you're going to prove me wrong, aren't y-you...Hh! Hdt'tsh! Hmp'TSH! iitshh!" Stede does his best to pinch the sneezes back, but he only half manages it, muffling them against his shoulder instead.

"God bless you, sweetheart," Ed murmurs. He gives Stede's hand a small squeeze before letting it go so he can blow his nose. He's down to just a few crumpled tissues from the small travel pack he's been working through today, and Ed's chest squeezes a little at the sight of him.

Stede's nose really is pink now after this last fit, his eyes are a little teary with irritation, and his navy blue coat is zipped all the way up while he shivers and blows his nose, shooting Ed an apologetic look.

"You're alright," Ed says, before Stede can give voice to the apology waiting on his tongue. He rests a hand on Stede's back and smiles a little when he feels Stede relax against the touch.

"I'd still take this over going back there, I'm afraid," Stede sighs. "Stupid choice on my part, agreeing to come."

"S'not stupid. You're trying. We can head out first thing in the morning. Whenever you like, really. I'd go now if you said it's what you wanted."

Stede looks at him and gives him a small, grateful smile. "I did promise we would stay the weekend, and I suppose we should see it through. After that though... It'll be good to get home. Just us, again."

Ed melts a little at the thought of it, the two of them spending the rest of the holiday season just the two of them, or with their close group of friends back home. Stede would fuss over recipes and plan events for every small occasion before he inevitably came down with one of his winter colds.

Ed never would've thought it was possible to love a life that was so predictably domestic before he met Stede, and now he can't imagine anything but this.

Yes, all of it sounds perfect to Ed. Because really, what good is a family that makes you feel as uniquely shitty as Stede's does? Ed hasn't figured it out yet, but since Stede had wanted to come, to be the bigger person as it were, it's not like Ed would make him do it alone.

Instead, they spent the better part of yesterday driving up to Stede's family's house in New Hampshire, Stede's perfectly curated road trip playlist blaring.

Now, though, the sun sinks down even further below the trees, and when Stede shivers again, Ed takes the liberty of capturing Stede's hand in his again, tucking their joined hands into coat pocket.

Stede sniffles. "S'not so bad, not with you here with me," he says. "One more time around the block, then we'll go back in." He leans in for a soft, sniffly kiss, and Ed feels himself melt all over again.

Anything for Stede.

"Anything for you," he says aloud, and lets Stede lead him down the tree-lined street one more time.

#softersteve #my fic #of//md

[quillyfied]

TOP 5 OFMD AUS (not counting yours which is PERFECT)

(Oh, you! Thank you very much!) Now, THIS is a top five I can sink my teeth into. In the GOmens fandom I did some pretty substantial fic rec lists back in the day, when I had things like energy and time, so picking just five is gonna be tough...I will do my best! There is such a wealth of creativity in this fandom!

First: Leda House and the Kraken 'Verse by @dragonmuse (Usually M, some E, some T). I got in on the ground floor on this one and have been on a beautiful emotional journey with it ever since. It's the drag queen AU that just won't quit. Running the gamut from screamingly funny to heartbreakingly poignant to quietly cathartic, there are even AUs within the AU sure to scratch as many itches as you care to manifest, all while maintaining a solid sense of character and voice throughout. Truly worth investing time and attention to, A+++++.

Second: adrift between the dreaming seas by teaDragon (M). Do you want a funky fairy tale vibe with talking animals, surprising curses, a Kraken with big doe eyes, and a deeply emotional journey to self-acceptance? Of COURSE you do. And you want some lighthouse imagery with that? YES. Put this in your eyeballs immediately, because trust me, TRUST ME, it's a keeper.

Third: The Nettles in the Garden Don't Go Away by JRaylin441 (M). Are you tired of the same old same old soulmate AUs? Just want something with a fresh twist? How about a side of the slowest burn imaginable, heaped with excruciating emotional growth and breathtaking poetic imagery? Don't skip out on this one, then, because if your goal in life is to Feel Things about your blorbos, it doesn't get more feelingsy than this bad boy right here. Drowning in the feelings, you might say. Still updating, just as a warning, but well worth the wait, in my opinion. You feel every second of these boys' growth arcs, and it does absolutely start at childhood and is taking us through canon--and hopefully beyond, but who's to say? A true gem.

Fourth: Catch Fish by Cesare (T). Let's get a little lighter with a series about catfishing and unraveling the plots thereof. Yes, this is less heavy than it seems, so far consisting of two fics covering the two sides of the story: first, Stede and Ed working through how Stede was tricked by someone using Ed's pics and catching some real feelings along the way, and then a prequel, showing Stede's emotional journey through his time being catfished. Funny and sincere and emotional, still updating both fics but a fantastic ride so far.

Fifth: A Minivan Called the Revenge by @duskoscrawl and @doctors-star (T). I am a sucker for kid AUs, and this one is the cream of the crop as far as "crew of Revenge is kids, Stede and Ed are their dads" flavors of kid fic goes. My only complaint is that I want more of it. Even without being super duper long, the emotional bonds between not just the dads themselves but the dads and their kids are really well-established and feel organic, and they don't pull any emotional punches either. Little bitty Buttons with his plush seagulls lives rent-free in my head forever.

(And a most honorable mention to saturday night lights by sometimeseffable (T), the American college football and color guard AU that tingles my brain in ways that just don't make sense for how much I don't care for real-life American football, but probably have to do with being friends with band kids for my entire adolescence and growing up in a football culture. Sweet and funny and going hard on the pining, which is what we're all here for! Still updating, but worth the read!)

There are so many more that are worth mentioning but I've already cheated with six recs so gonna stop while I'm ahead. Thank you!

#our flag means death #ofmd fic recs #quilly top five #that i immediately cheated on #tried to find mostly fics that are lesser-known but couldn't leave out LHATKverse bc it's just Too Important

[mandysimo13]

hi !! long time no seen ! for the fanftiction writing ask: 12, 25, 46 and 74 <3

oooooooooooh, it's been an age since anyone asked me a question to THANK YOU!

12. Do you outline your fics? No, I don't find outlines useful because often the stories end up changing while writing them. Sometimes the work does its own thing and I am just a conduit lol

25. What's your favorite part of the writing process? (worldbuilding, brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc.) My favorite process is the part where my brain has a really dumb fun idea and I share it with my bestie and she shouts at me to write the thing. I love the daydreaming and writing part in my head before I get to the actual writing part cause I play it like a movie in my head.

46. If you could write only one type of AU for the rest of your life what would it be? The cheaty answer is movie AUs because I love doing those but aside from that I would probably do coffee shops AUs. I love reading those and I'm sad I haven't seen more of them for the current fandoms I'm in.

74. Do you have a fic you wish got more love? HELL YEAH I DO AND HERE YA GO! I have several that I loved writing and would love more people to read but here's just 2:

Eight Days A Week - John and Sherlock share a rare lie in while Rosie visits the grandparents

(Make Up Sex) In the Middle of a Breakup -

Ed was furious. He'd never been more furious in his life.   Well. That's not exactly true. The Kraken, born of angry and fury, did start with his father. But Ed can't remember the last time in recent history he had been so angry.   Stede Bonnet, Stede fucking Bonnet had the absolute audacity to stand there, looking golden in the sunset, and say hello Ed as if the last three months had never happened. As if Ed hadn't languished in misery and self hatred. As if he hadn't finally accepted what he knew to be true after days spent in tears and down the necks of bottles. As if it wasn't blatantly obvious he was unlovable. Why else would the only person who ever truly saw him in all his glory, horror, and mundane leave him at on the horizon of a new beginning? Why else would the only man he ever truly loved, the only one he had ever let in, abandon him in such a fragile condition?   Ed clenched his jaw, closed his eyes, and shook his head, his voice dark, "no."   Stede's hopeful face pinched in confusion. "No?"   "No!" he shouted.

Thanks again so much for asking questions! You made my day <3

#asks #fic asks #fic stuff #fanfic

[obsidiancreates]

AU Where Stede Is Just Inexplicably Yolked, Dude

Weak. Delicate. Pathetic. All the words Izzy Hands would ever use to describe Stede Bonnet, joined only by the word 'annoying'.

That is, until Stede punches him in the face.

"Put your fuckin' back into it!" Izzy had been shouting as he made two of the useless crew (Roach? Wee John? He can't be arsed to remember their names) clean the deck.

"Actually," Stede had said in a sing-song voice as he walked up the stairs to the wheel, "We're going to forgo the chores today! I picked up some fab art supplies at port last time and-"

"Shut your fuckin' mouth."

Stede had stiffened. "Well. You could've phrased that more constructively-"

"Do you ever shut your fuckin' mouth?"

Stede had huffed, and then Ed had walked up. "Izzy, come on, man. He's the Captain."

"He's barely a Captain."

"It's his ship man."

And it had been enough. "And who's fuckin' fault is that, Edward? Who didn't steal the fuckin' ship like we'd planned? Who decided to let this ponce be in charge, huh?"

Ed had snarled back. "Think about who you're talking to, mate."

"I am. I'm not talking to Blackbeard, am I? I'm talking to Edward. A fuckin' soft-hearted, useless, doormat of a ma-"

And then there was a sharp pain and everything went black.

When he came to, he was on the deck with Fang and Ivan hovering over him while people chattered in the background. He slowly sat up and put his hand to his nose. His glove came away bloody, and the slight touch had sent sharp pain through his whole head.

"How the fuck did Captain do that?" he hears the scribe boy whispering, voice trembling a little.

"It's always the quiet ones," the chef says, looking up at the wheel. "Did I say so before?"

"Yeah, but that turned out to be an accident," the annoying bald fanboy whispers. "This was like. Real."

No. No. No fuckin' way.

Izzy looks up at the wheel and sees Ed and Stede in a heated conversation, and holy fuck that's Izzy's blood on Stede Bonnet's knuckles.

Finally, the two descend, and Stede looks sheepish. He gives a wobbling smile to his crew, clapping his hands together. "So, ah, allow me to apologize for losing my temper, there."

"You knocked a man out," the one in the orange beanie says. "You didn't even use the stun move."

"Yes, I know."

"How the fuck do you have the strength to do that?" the one who freaks out about cats asks, both intrigued and frightened.

"Well... I don't know. I suppose the layers of my outfit get rather heavy sometimes."

Everyone stares. Stede clears his throat. "Anyway, it was completely unprofessional of me to strike someone else's First Mate over some harsh words. Now- oh, good, he's awake. Izzy Hands, I deeply apologize for um-"

"Smashing his nose in?" Jim (Izzy can remember Jim easily, that one's made of different stuff than the rest) provides.

"Yes. That." Stede offers an ingenuine apologetic smile. Izzy knows it's not genuine because the man never stops with the genuineness, and it's absence is almost shocking.

"You fuckin'-" Izzy begins to growl, but his own blood gurgles in his throat and Ed is looking at Stede with something like reverence and Stede, under all that hoity-toity propriety and apologetic nature, looks proud of himself.

And Izzy doesn't know if he could stand getting knocked out by Stede Fuckin' Bonnet twice.

"I accept your apology," he mumbles.

Stede grins and claps his hands together once again, and Izzy wants to punch himself in the nose when he flinches at it.

#our flag means death #crack fic #ofmd #ofmd edward teach #ofmd izzy #ofmd stede #fanfic #my attempts at fanfic

[izzyspussy]

if the ofmd crew had powers (any setting) what do you think they would be like thematically. also i love you worstie <3

My personal favorite kind of superpowers are like subtle fae/demigodly type of powers, if you can feel what that means...? Not necessarily concerned only with nature, but like. Conceivably naturally occurring. Like TUA or XMen powers but less campy...? (Nothing against camp tho ofc. Like. Obviously.) Anyway.

Stede: Luck. Like Domino. Except he's totally unaware of it and just thinks this happens to everybody. If someone is not as lucky as him he figures they are probably making that happen themselves somehow.

Ed: Mild weather-kinesis or whatever that is called if there's a word for it. Like Storm, uh, but less than that. He's not fully unaware of his gift but he is unaware that it's, like, a power. He's got theories ranging from he's just really good at reading the clouds all the way to there is a vengeful God paying him favors that he'll have to pay back someday. It's just. He can literally just do that. All by himself. With his power that he has. Everyone else is aware of this, but he thinks this is a lie that he's keeping up with the rest of the Blackbeard mythos. He may be stupid.

Izzy: Silvertongue. Like Loki or Rumor, sort of. HEAR ME OUT. This doesn't mean he's a smooth speaker or charismatic or any of that kind of shit. He's got the power of influence and suggestion in his voice. He can tell just about anybody just about anything, and as long as it's based in SOME kind of truth they will believe him. He can give just about any suggestion to just about anybody and as long as it doesn't go completely against the core of their being they will do it. Most times they will not notice this has happened. HOWEVER. Izzy also is unaware of his gift, SOLELY because the people he has surrounded himself with are just THAT fucking hard-headed lmfao rip.

Lucius: Charisma stat just..... off the charts. Fully aware of his power and that it's not something everybody has. Completely willing to use it to get free stuff. Also aware of Izzy's similar gift and the fact that unlike Izzy he can actually (sometimes) successfully use his on, for example, Ed and Stede, and Izzy himself. lmfao. rip.

Jim: Silence. Complete silence. Works sort of like a forcefield power. Blocks all sound from getting out of its field. Usually just covers Jim and their clothes, but after a lot of deliberate practice they eventually can expand it. And yes, they do learn to use this as an offensive weapon.

Pete: Healing touch. Everyone say aaawww. It has limits, obviously, we want that wooden finger; only works on wounds not sickness, can't grow things back, etc. He thinks it's womanly and overcompensates and keeps it secret, until ofc someone he cares about gets injured enough.

Frenchie: Empath. Aware of his gift but doesn't really think it's that special. Kind of just a mundane part of his life. He doesn't expressly use it for any end, just takes in the info like you'd take in any other aspect of your surroundings. Doesn't really talk about it, but isn't hiding it either. It's just so utterly normal to him. No not everyone can do this, but some people can. Some people have brown eyes.

Speed round because there are too many characters. Buttons has autism super pattern recognition. Roach has a dwarf's constitution. Olu has a preternatural sense of balance. The Swede is a soothsayer, also unaware and no one believes him. Ivan has a healing factor. Fang has a mass-growth factor (he can get heavier or lighter at will without changing his size/shape). Everyone thinks Wee John has super strength but he's just a normal strong man lmao. If I'm forgetting anyone no I'm not.

#jack facts #jack chats #raleigh #ofmd #hc

[bookshelfdreams]

Here with another Thing I Just Noticed: I can't get a decent still frame of it but if you look at the mantelpiece behind Badminton (in the shot where hallucination-Nigel turns into actual-Chauncey) in the opening of ep9 when he's questioning Stede, you can see three small framed portrait sketches I'm fairly certain are of i. Louis & Alma, ii. Stede on his own, and iii. Mary with the kids; poignant enough in and of themselves, but the way the shot is arranged, Badminton is also framed by the decorative... I think it's meant to be a trompe l'oeil window and curtains? in a very portrait-like pose and idk what but such a purposefully arranged shot is conveying Something that I'm sure others have had more coherent Meta Thoughts on before.

ooh good eye! i didn't notice that at all, unfortunately I can't provide screenshots that are hd enough to really say for certain but I think you're right?

That's definitely Alma and Louis on the left (though considerably younger than they are in the show; I think that's Louis in front and he looks no older than 3); then yes, that could be Stede in his own frame and probably Mary and the kids in theirs. (If anyone has more hd images, I'd be thankful)

It's a really nice detail! Ed's past has come back to haunt him, literally. I love how the show keeps reminding us that Stede's cardinal (and really, only) sin is abandoning his family. Or no, failing to connect to his family, his wife, in the first place. Look how Mary is presented - together with the kids, as a unit. She's not his partner, he doesn't see her as adult on her own, she's a role she fullfills in Stede's life. His wife. The mother of his children.

And I'm not calling him a misogynist here. He was clearly very deeply unhappy in his marriage, and not ever able to voice that. The only time he says as much (understated but still) - "It's not your fault! I was just uncomfortable in a married state!" - he's delirious with fever and talking to a hallucination. He can only admit this in his own head, and even then he's downplaying his own pain. To him, Mary is the embodiment of the marriage; she's not her own person, an adult he might have an adult relationship with. It never occurs to him that they could be on friendly terms, even though Mary keeps trying to reach out to him (sorry for linking my own post).

In Stede's mind, Mary is constantly linked with Badminton and his father, as just another bully, as someone who makes him feel inadequate and lacking. Even though that's clearly not what is really going on (because Stede is an unreliable narrator!), at least not consciously on her part. She actually wants to make that marriage work. It's just that Stede is so used to being made to feel that way, it's how he sees her (even in this shot; Stede and the kids look away from Badminton, Mary looks at him).

But of course! The beauty is! His family isn't actually there. It's just pictures he put there himself. He's carrying the image of them with him, but it's not necessarily who they are in real life (esp the kids - that's not the age he left them at; that's not who they are anymore). We do not see him interact with his family until ep10; until then, we only have Stede's memories. And it's not until then that we truly understand how wrong he was, about them, about his own place in their life, about the impact his loss would have.

Badminton though? (Both of them?) Yeah, we see him. We hear him speak. It's hard to empathize with him, and we're not meant to; even when he keeps reappearing with his sword through his skull, it's more absurd and a little ridiculous, than horrifying. He's an ass and continues to be an ass, even after his death. Good riddance.

The pictures though? That's what Stede really feels guilty about and what he needs to fix.

And then he does.

Poetic cinema <3

#its my fave ex-anon back!! tysm love you <3 #our flag means death #thoughts #mary bonnet #stede bonnet #and that fucker badminton but im not tagging him #i should probably put all these posts (about stede and his Issues) into one tag but i cant thing of one. hm. whatever #seaglassandeelgrass #message

[nymph1e]

This new interview with David Jenkins talking about how he's only now coming to realise what a big cultural wound queerbaiting is. And it's very nice and very sweet that he's acknowledging us but it - well it also gives me anxiety.

If he didn't know how big a deal queerbaiting is, it follows that he doesn't know how big a deal bury your gays is. And in light of how bonnet and Blackbeard both died, I'm worried they're going to go for it with ofmd.

Now last time I brought up bury your gays with reference to ofmd, I had someone point out to me that they didn't believe it could be bury your gays when most of the cast is queer. I disagreed then but I didn't bother arguing. Now, in the light of the cruel ending of killing eve, I thought I'd voice my thoughts on why killing specifically Ed and/or Stede would still be damaging, even if it didn't exactly follow with Bury Your Gays.

All of our lives, queer people have been beaten over the head with the knowledge that in the eyes of society, we were worthless. In media, we have always had to search to see ourselves, to put up with 2D side characters with shallow repetitive storylines. We've had to put up with the Tragedy of being gay being our only appeal to the general audience.

We have been told, over and over and over and over and over again, that queers don't get happy endings.

And honestly it fucking hurts. I didn't even watch killing eve, but I was reminded again when that ending came out. Gays don't get happy endings. Cas and Dean, gays don't get happy endings. Clarke and Lexa. Tara and Willow. Over and over and over again. Gays don't get happy endings.

And seeing this happen so often, on the few occasions we do get gay characters fucking hurts. And it affects us, or it affects me at least. Every time it happens I feel a little smaller, a little more worthless, a little more pathetic for even daring to hope.

And yes, half the cast in ofmd is queer, and I'd normally agree that when the entire cast is queer you can kill of queer characters. But it's different with Ed and Stede. It's different because for the first goddamn time in my entire goddamn life there are two men who love each other as the main plot for a show - and the show isn't about being gay. I don't know why this is such a big deal but it really really is. And to go from feeling seen, feeling heard, to having it ripped from us again? It's devastating it hurts. Just the idea of it makes me afraid.

And so I hope, in the years in between season 2 and beyond, we manage to somehow let David and the other showrunners know how damaging it would be for us. Because I do trust them. I do believe that if they just know how much it would hurt they wouldn't do it. But I'm worried that they just. Won't know. That because they're straight, they won't realise how scared we are of this, how much it affects us. They will just see what a nice, tragic ending it would be without realising that this show doesn't get the luxury of existing in a vacuum like most shows get to.

I love this show, but it could hurt us all so much.

#ofmd #david jenkins #our flag means death #queerbaiting #bury your gays