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nonpracticinghumanbeing · 7 months

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Izzy IS about community. He’s ALWAYS BEEN about community in his own messed up way. The Canyon was right and the haters were wrong.

He wanted Blackbeard back because that was what kept the crew safe. He was terrible about it and hurt the man he obviously loves in the process, but it WAS for the greater good. It wasn’t a purely selfish act the antis love to frame it as. He wanted to feel safe again and he wanted the crew to be safe as well.

Hell, he was doing his best to help Edward through his post-breakup depression. He didn’t understand what was going on and was clearly distressed by it but he provided what Ed needed. He *knew* he lacked the emotional capacity to help his captain himself so he agreed to bring him Lucius. I really think he would have just gritted his teeth and suffered through it if Ed didn’t say the one thing that could collapse his whole world.

"Why do we even bother being pirates?" That was what freaked Izzy out so much that he pushed Edward to violence. Not because he selfishly wanted Ed to be close at all times but because Blackbeard the legend was the pillar of his community. That legend kept everyone safe and even if Izzy is a horrible asshole, he *does* care about his crew. He knows the world is a horrible hostile place and he focuses on risk mitigation, even if it means hurting the one person he really cares about.

He really tried to provide that to the crew when Edward and Stede took the Act of Grace. It was a terribly misguided attempt at keeping things under control and it was certainly influenced by his submissive tendencies which make him crave structure and feel safe within hierarchies. He *knows* he lacks Ed's charisma and ability to think outside the box and with such huge shoes to fill it's not really surprising he acted out in anger and in result failed miserably. But he was *NEVER* an asshole just for the sake of it.

Now he realizes those days are gone for good. He's already done everything he could to bring Ed back to his senses, including using *Stede fuckin' Bonnet’s* name. It didn’t work. The realization that his one true safeguard is really gone must be terrible, but it also pushes him to take action.

The moment he realizes the crew are in real danger, he takes things into his own hands. He not only goes against the hierarchy he believed to be sacred but also against the man he *LOVES*. He fucking shoots his beloved captain to save the crew. You don’t get much more *community* than that.

He is clearly struggling. He's just tried to fucking kill himself after being maimed AND told he was disposable by a man whom he's apparently served for dacades. He will have to reevaluate his whole life and he *knows* it. But he puts it all to the side and he does what needs to be done. He took all of Edward’s abuse without complaint it seems but the moment the crew are in real danger, he intervenes. You can’t tell me a community (*any* community) doesn’t need people like that.

It all feels very old-time queer to me. The willingness to make terrible sacrifices to protect one's space. The decision (conscious or not) to be effective rather than liked. The choice to stay alive despite terrible heartbreak and go on fighting.

He's absolutely NOT an irredimable villain. He’s an asshole who tries to keep his little world safe. He’s Larry Kramer getting kicked out of GMHC for being too confrontational and politically incorrect to be palatable to the general public.

#ofmd #izzy hands #our flag means death #ofmd meta #our flag means gay #ofmd season 2 #izzy canyon #ofmd spoilers

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queerfandomtrifecta · 6 months

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Bottle It Up: the most tangible theme in OFMD s2

So looking at s2 through the (super fucked up) lens that Jim asking Frenchie “How are you handling all of this so well?” And Frenchie responding by saying he puts all the terrible things in a box in his mind and never opens it again was the lesson everyone was supposed to learn this season and like, that’s there in the text more than anything else and I hate that.

Frenchie is handling everything well because he’s putting it in the box and never addressing it again.

Izzy finally says he has love for Ed, everyone is worried about him, the atmosphere is toxic and suggests talking it through and Ed goes on deck and points a gun at everyone as he asks them to talk about it, and when Izzy finally does address the reality of things and speaks Stede’s name aloud he gets shot in the leg.

Lucius isn’t talking about what happened. Avoidant about the Rat Boy name at first, says he fell off the ship, can’t remember when he picked up smoking.

Stede asks Lucius to talk to him about what happened after he was pushed off the ship, and Lucius starts to and almost immediately Stede runs away saying to save the rest for Pete.

Lucius says he talks to Pete and Stede says “please tell me you held back on some of the darker stuff” and Lucius confirms he did because Pete got nauseous and started crying.

Lucius tells Stede he should look past the man he loves and examine all the awful things he did, but Stede brushes it off and doesn’t do that.

No one will tell Stede they killed Ed. (Arguably this is for their own safety as well but it fits the whole “we’re not talking about the hard stuff” theme so I’m including it)

Ed finds out Stede went home to Mary through Anne Bonny. Stede begins to try to explain but instead, Ed smashes his chair against the wall and walks off. They have a very brief conversation with mention that Stede was kidnapped by Chauncey then watched him die.

Ed gives his influencer non-apology that was clearly written by Stede to the crew, and everyone but Lucius and Izzy seem to have forgiven him. During the “apology” Jim talks about how it made them feel and Stede shushes them so Ed can keep not apologizing. Afterward, for some reason, Jim says immediately says “I thought it was pretty solid for him” Archie says that’s how it goes in situations like this, Roach has never heard an apology before so they’re all good apparently now.

Lucius pushes Ed off the ship but isn’t okay yet. We’re addressing the trauma here and trying to make it right (even if it’s in a messed up way); we’re finally talking about it directly, but Lucius isn’t okay after this.

Fang tells Ed he’s not mad at him because he got it all out of his system when they beat him to death.

The whole Lucius/Izzy exchange “A shark did this to me. Dangling my legs over the side of the ship, served me right too.” “Okay, that seems healthy. Using a bit of fiction to cover up your trauma.” “Not moving on is worse.” (Another point at which Lucius wants to resolve trauma and he’s told no, don’t talk about it)

Lucius is clearly coping poorly and tries again to talk to Pete about how he almost died and Pete says he should find him when he’s no longer thinking about his trauma (“find me when Blackbeard isn’t living rent free in your head”) and that Lucius should talk about how he lived instead. Lucius then seems to decide that he’s fine, proposes to Pete, and is seemingly okay after that. (5th point in the story when Lucius tries to talk about something to heal and is told no in some way, and here is when he finally seems to moves on and is played as “better” after this)

Izzy’s drinking a lot even after he’s not totally dysfunctional like at the end of ep4.

The only Ed apology to Izzy is “Sorry about your leg.” With no eye contact as he’s walking away. To which Izzy responds “Fuck off.” After Ed’s out of ear shot.

Stede suggests Ed can absolve himself of everything by “turning the poison into positivity” and selling his treasure he got during the time he was abusing the crew to buy party supplies. Stede later says at the party that yes, Ed has achieved turning the poison into positivity, though Ed has done nothing by throw money at the problem.

Stede ignores Ed’s warning about not being able to come back from killing in cold blood and kills Ned Low.

Stede is visibly upset and Ed goes to check on him and begins to start talking, but Stede wordlessly grabs him and slams him up against a wall and then they have sex (which Ed has requested to wait on) instead of talking about it.

Ed decides he’s leaving to become a fisherman because Stede is infamous now and Ed’s been wanting out of that life so there’s a brief disagreement where not much is said and then he leaves.

“I’m sorry I was such a dick.” Is the biggest apology we’ve gotten all season. It’s immediately dismissed as “you’re not a dick. Life’s a dick.”

No one in the crew seems to be mourning Izzy’s death and we as the audience seem expected to move on from it very fast. Avenging his death is proposed by Zheng but then it cuts to nope, we’re done with that and we’re inn keepers now instead. Put the terrible thing you’ve seen in the box and never open it again.

I’m definitely sure I forgot some of these and it felt at first that these were being set up to be played negatively because this is the don’t-bottle-it-up/healing-from-our-traumas show but that just doesn’t play out. Like so much of it’s either dismissed without reason, played as a joke, or framed as acceptable and the fact that I could pull so much more of this stuff out of the text than I could any other potential thematic element does has me just so baffled. I don’t know what to do with it.

#ofmd spoilers #ofmd #ofmd season 2 #izzy hands #ofmd season 2 spoilers #ed teach #stede bonnet #ofmd critique #ofmd critical #david jenkins #ofmd meta

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revengecaptain · 5 months

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@krakensmaw here have some angst in ur soup (aka the thing we talked about)

it was their final night here, before they had to go to the next stop; to say that stede was nervous, was an understatement. ed had convinced him to come with them, on board the ship. he had made a promise to himself to tell mary, no matter what the consequences may be. but when he went back to meet her, to pay for her wares with sand in his shoes and cheeks red from the sun----she was more upset that he left her behind, than anything.

he did wind up paying for everything, and she made him carry the things back to their hostel; a bag full of brushes, a few canvases, and some paints. the carriage ride was a silent one. only the sounds of the wheels hitting the stones and the soft clop-clop of the horses' hooves. stede ran through every apology he could think of; ways to word it to soften the blow, somehow.....but every time he tried, to open his mouth---no words would come out. so they both just stayed silent.

they still hadn't talked by dinner-time; sitting on opposite sides of the table, stiff and cordial. fork gets set down with a clank, as he finally worked up the courage to apologize to her. ❝ mary, i'm so terribly sorry that i left you alone---- ❞ words were cut off by her, shooting him a look that could have made him drop dead. where did you even go, stede? i was waiting for you for ages! i could have been taken! you could have been taken! why is your nose so red? ❝ i----erm. i went to the beach. for some fresh air. ❞ it took you four hours to get some fresh air? what on earth were you doing on the beach that long? he goes silent, then; cheeks going red to match the probably now blistering sunburn that ran 'cross his nose. should he tell her what happened? that he met a man, there? that he wanted to go with them, on his big, glorious pirate ship---to sail away from all of this---? ❝ i.....i fell asleep? ❞

apparently, the answer wasn't satisfactory enough for mary, who rightfully, got up so fast and so angrily that she jolted the table with her skirts. this holiday was supposed to be about us, stede! not you living your strange little pirate fantasy! ❝ well, i knew you didn't like the ocean, so i thought i woul---- ❞ but you didn't think! you didn't think about me, or us----only yourself! ❝ mary, i--- ❞ that's enough, stede. i'm going to bed, now. if you had any sense at all, you would join me in a while. and in the morning, we are leaving. i don't want to come back here ever again. and with that, she turns on her heel, making her way out of the dining room and up the stairs to where they were staying. leaving stede behind to stare down at his tuna tartare. he noticed mary hadn't touched hers, and before he could ask to take it onto his plate, it was being whisked away---leaving stede more alone than before.

you always mess things up, don't you? you're a pathetic, selfish coward who can't think about anyone but yourself. again, his father's voice rang in his head; as one of his now shaking hands lifted out to grab the water glass; lifting it to his lips and taking a sip. he just needed to collect this thoughts, weigh the options-------he was always whim prone. just needed to think, logically-----until he remembered that he promised to meet ed, on the beach. ❝ shit! ❞ he groaned, shovelling the last bit of food into his mouth, before rising just as quickly as mary had; rushing out of the room and up the stairs.

mercifully, he didn't find mary in their bedroom when he arrived; she must be bathing in the washroom. didn't blame her--sometimes a warm bath is just what someone needs, in a situation like this. but stede didn't have time for that---instead, he quickly changes out of his suit, opting to keep his blouse, minus cravat and black neck scarf. no stockings either, changed into some much plainer trousers. as a last touch, he threw on a deep, midnight blue dressing gown; one that would undoubtedly keep him warm against the cold sea breeze. feet slip into some soft boots that he'd been keeping under the bed; ones that he'd bought in town, but kept hidden from mary----she wouldn't have approved. he scrounged up some paper, and ink; glad that he'd managed to toss in his quill when they'd packed their bags to come here in the first place.

Mary, I am truly, deeply sorry. If I'm not back before you get in bed, don't fret; I simply went for a walk around the village to clear my head. I will see you in the morning. Love, Stede x

was the 'love' & the kiss too much? he really did feel horrible, making her wait on him. and for leaving her. but he wouldn't be gone, for too long, right? how long did ship journeys take, anyway? a few days, at the most? then he'd go right back to their lives, and never think about the ocean again. yes, he'd just go with ed, for a bit, get it out of his system, and then him and mary can go on with their lives, have children, and stede would find some other thing to make him happy.

the note got left on mary's pillow, as he moved, quietly, out of the room and back down the stairs. he wonders if the servants would notice him leaving......he'd better be as quiet as a mouse, if he was going to do this. slowly, carefully, he managed to get to the door, holding his breath as he was opening it. the cool night air greeted him, along with a multitude of stars above his head. he sneaks over the threshold, and silently closes the door behind him. as soon as the breath he was holding was let out, he started for a sprint----legs couldn't carry him fast enough to the spot where he was supposed to rendezvous with the beautiful pirate who had captured his attention; stoking within stede a sense of adventure, and wanderlust--longing even more to be upon the open sea.

feet carried him down the road, through the village; not caring if the branches slapped him as he made his way back through the jungle of trees on the way to the beach. he stopped, once; only to catch his breath at the edge of the sand. stede can see the leather-clad figure of ed in the distance, and his heart leaps; hand coming out above his head in a wave, as he balanced on his toes. ❝ ed! oh, edward! i'm here! ❞ but he hesitates; not wanting to get his boots all sandy, but also not wanting to leave them behind, for he knows he'll surely need them, where he's going. ❝ just a minute---i'll be over shortly! ❞ boots get unceremoniously heeled off, and he's stooping down to pick them up. hair is blowing in the breeze; catching over his eyes and sending a chill down his spine. he leans back up---relieved to see the form of ed still there. this time, however, he sees the ship, in the distance. funny---i didn't see that there, before----

he steps out onto the sand, moving as fast as he possibly can; not stopping until his feet hit the dock. stooping down to shove his boots back on, he flashes a wild, breathless grin at the other waiting for him---trying to ignore the looming ship, getting closer with every minute. ❝ i made it! i told you i would. ❞

#krakensmaw #interactions / krakensmaw.#threads / stede & ed.#arc / yearning for adventure !#[ ohhhhhhhhhhhhh boy. oh boy. i am Not Read y ]

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omg-just-peachy · 2 years

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significant otters | ed/stede

flufftober day two: first date

modern au, ed takes stede to the aquarium for their first date, ~700w

also on ao3

****

“So, what is this surprise date I’ve been hearing so much about?” Stede asks, all but bouncing in his seat. His leg shakes with anticipatory nerves, having had far more terrible first dates in his past than successful ones.

Ed looks at him from the driver’s seat, smiling as he leans over and places a hand on Stede’s knee without a word. It’s immediately comforting, and Stede feels his nerves settle just a fraction. Everything about Ed has been simple, from the moment they met it felt like they were destined to be friends. And Stede would have been content with that if he had to, because being Ed’s friend was better than not having him in his life at all.

But, luck seemed to be on Stede’s side this time around, because Ed had made it entirely clear that this afternoon would be a date, and though Stede had been looking forward to it for the better part of a week, he hadn’t been able to shake the last of his nerves until now. Here, in Ed’s car, with his hand on his knee, even Stede can admit it’s very hard to wonder and worry.

“Thought we’d take a walk around the aquarium,” Ed says, his smile growing. “If you like,” he adds, knowing, of course, that Stede would love just that.

Stede had mentioned his general love for sea creatures, the ocean, and all its mysteries, and while in the past he’d been able to actually see someone’s eye glaze over as he spoke about it, Ed had listened, remembered, used it to plan something Stede's sure to like for their first real date, and Stede…

Well, it’s just a bit overwhelming, is all.

Overwhelming and lovely, of course. He lets his hand cover Ed’s for just a minute, squeezing it gently.

“Think you already know that answer,” Stede says, chancing a glance over at Ed, grinning.

“S’pose I do,” Ed agrees.

His hand stays on Stede’s knee until he pulls smoothly into the parking lot of the aquarium.

****

They wander through the exhibits, Ed apparently content enough to let Stede regale him with fish facts, happy to follow his lead as he walks excitedly between displays. He never once looks bored, like Stede is being too much about any of it, and all of his nerves from earlier wash away with every step they take.

When they reach the otter enclosure, Ed visibly lights up, looking at Stede. “I love these guys,” he admits.

“You do?” It comes out as more of a squeak than a question in his excitement. For all that he loves the fish, the sharks, the dolphins, even the penguins, he’s always had a particular soft spot for the otters, the way they float along, holding hands, clinging on like their lives depend on it.

He’d always thought it’d be nice to have someone always looking out for him that way, a hand to hold when the seas, as they were, get a bit choppy.

“Y’know they hold hands when they sleep?” Ed asks, interrupting him with a fact of his own.

Stede feigns surprise. “Oh?”

“Mm,” Ed nods. “So they don’t get lost and separate overnight. Romantic as fuck, if you ask me.”

“Ah,” Stede manages. “Yes. Very, um. Romantic. Sweet.”

He’s entirely undone by the sweet man at his side, who planned the perfect first date and is now sharing tidbits about his favorite animal.

Now, Ed laughs, bumps Stede’s shoulder with his, and in one quick, easy motion, twines their hands together. “Like this,” he says, just in case Stede needed a demonstration on the fine art of hand-holding.

Stede stares down at their joined hands, breath caught in his throat.

“S’alright, mate, you can admit you already knew that,” Ed says, voice playful, hand still wrapped perfectly around Stede’s own, like it’s nothing, like it’s that easy.

Maybe it can be. Maybe it already is.

"S'pose I did," Stede smiles.

#ofmd #ofmd31dof #our flag means death #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #my fic #31 days of fluff

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aridbel · 2 years

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ok so hear me out...

I was thinking about the scene where Ed teaches Stede how to get stabbed for a fic I’m writing and I realized something. The whole moving when you see the sword coming so you protect all the important bits, the skill of avoidance, is something that both Stede and Ed do emotionally too, mostly in fear of or in response to rejection.

The first and most obvious example of this is Stede’s initial abandonment of his family.

Stede doesn’t understand why he can’t be fulfilled with the life that has been chosen for him like Mary can be. He has been rejected so continuously throughout his life that when his proposal of a life at sea as a compromise is turned down by Mary, he runs away. He finally has a means to avoid the painful sting of rejection and he uses it.

Next he avoids accepting the guilt of leaving his family because of their rejection of him by obsessing over the death of Nigel.

(I know that this is technically Chauncey but I’m lazy ok just go with it)

When he is briefly captured, he even admits that he isn’t truly upset over (allegedly) killing the man, and during this scene we see flashbacks of Stede saying goodbye to his children; implying this is what he is really feeling guilty over.

Then, Ed uses the return of Calico Jack to avoid what he thinks is Stede’s inevitable rejection of him

When Stede questions why Ed is going with Jack, Ed replies “You were always going to realize what I am” before walking away. Ed knew that he was falling in love with Stede and he assumed that the Gentleman pirate would see the true him and leave him. So when he saw the opportunity, he left first.

Near the end of the season, Ed and Stede plan to run away to avoid the rejection of society

It’s actually quite interesting, while in this scene they are technically running away from the English, both Stede and Ed are avoiding separate issues independently at a more personal level. Stede is still avoiding the rejection he feels from his family. Ed is avoiding his own rejection of Blackbeard, because he never really resolved the self-hatred that he has for what he did as Blackbeard.

Finally... we have Ed’s avoidance of Stede’s apparent rejection

Ed disappears once more behind the performance of Blackbeard because it is easier to him to pretend like the rejection didn’t happen rather than processing it.

Overall, it’s obvious that avoidance in the show always has consequences, and that it is shown as an unhealthy coping mechanism. This is why I am actually quite pleased with the decision to split Ed and Stede up at this point. If they had really sailed off together with a squeaky clean start, it would be a terrible foundation to their relationship. A partnership built on avoidance rather than real intimacy is not sustainable. Both characters have to face what has been haunting them throughout the show separately to come back together in a stronger and healthier way. I think we actually saw Stede do this by confronting his family. I hope that Ed’s reversion to Blackbeard is foreshadowing a similar development for him in the next season.

#our flag means death #ofmd #blackbeard #edward teach #stede bonnet #i really hope this isnt a reach #analyzing this show like im in english class #i think the brain rot is setting in #ofmd spoilers

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