#IZZY ISn'T A BABYGIRL EITHER

[bougiebutchbitch]

people talking about izzy and ed's weird as fuck codependent toxic unhealthy relationship: yeah!! yeah!!!!!!

people talking about izzy and ed's weird as fuck codependent toxic unhealthy relationship who obviously dislike Izzy as a character, and are acting like he 'deserved' everything he got and was somehow 'the real bad guy' of that whole situation because of the fucked up shit he pulled in S1: ..........?

[leatherbookmark]

oh god okay i understand that maybe not everyone is as indecisive/comfortable with saying "it depends!" as me, but like, i'm sorry, i'm sorry, but i just can't take people who call izzy a villain seriously

[dragon-kazansky]

Spirit of the sea

Izzy Hands x Reader (GN)

SEASON 2 CONTENT AHEAD!!!

Blackbeard rules the sea. Despite wanting his captain back, Izzy realises his mistake. Protecting the crew is his concern. Protecting you is his life mission. Stede's return brings hope, but there's a lot of work to be done before this crew becomes a family.

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}

Warnings: Spoilers. Amputation. Slight descriptions of NSFW content. Babygirl goes off the rails and tries to kill everyone.

Chapter Eleven - Indestructible little fucker

♡♡♡

You sit by his bedside. He's in agony. You hold his hand and dab at his sweaty forehead with a bit of old cloth. Not the most hygienic thing to do, but the only you can do.

Izzy is alive.

Blackbeard asked Frenchie to kill him, but not only did you tell him not to, he didn't want to kill him either. With Frenchie's help, and Jim and Archie too, you got Izzy below deck, hidden away in a small room. The entrance was blocked so it was isn't noticable.

That is where you were now. His leg cannot be saved and he's in horrible pain.

He's a total mess.

"Kill me, you fucking cowards!" He yells, not caring much for your comforting actions. All he can feel is the pain in his leg and in his heart.

"Shh." You try to get him to quiet down. If Blackbeard hears him you'll all be in deep shit.

"Lord above he smells somethin' terrible!" Frenchie says, coming into the room.

"Yeah, his leg's rotting!" Archie exclaims, almost cheerfully.

You run your fingers through Izzy's knotty and greasy hair. God, you just want to take away all his pain.

"It needs to be cut off," you say, not once looking away from Izzy. He looks at you, not reacting to your words at all.

"We just had him asleep. You're freakin' him out!" Jim hisses at Frenchie.

"Kill me--" Izzy goes to yell again but you quickly move your hand over his mouth. His words muffled by your palm.

"Alright. Listen, listen, listen. Start with his leg, see where it goes." Frenchie says. He makes his way out, unable to stand it down there any longer.

"I've done this before. Which one?" Jim asks, holding up two different weapons.

You keep your hand in Izzy's, looking at him.

"Definitely the fucked-up one. I think that one's all right," Archie said.

Both you and Jim look at Archie, deadpan expression.

"I'm not a fucking idiot. Which one?" Jim gestures to the weapons in their hand.

"Oh! Dealers choices."

Jim chooses one and then looks at you. "Ready?" They ask.

You nod and turn back to Izzy, holding his hand tight. This was not going to tickle, but you would do anything to save Izzy.

"Uno, dos-- tres." Jim starst to cut off Izzy's leg.

"He's a gusher! He's a gusher!" Archie says.

Jim gags. You have to keep your eyes on Izzy to avoid looking, but you can hear it. You think you're going to be sick.

Izzy yells in pain.

You lean forward and cradle his face in your hand, your thumb resting on his cheeks as he writhes in pain. He can't look at you, unable to focus, but you hope he can feel the warmth of your hand.

"I'm going to save you, Izzy," you whisper. "I'm going to save you."

♡♡♡

Fleeting looks across the ship. Shared in secret behind Blackbeard's back. A look of longing and affection, but also despair. Sadness that he cannot just reach out and pull you closer to him. Sadness that he cannot kiss your lips and caress you. His heart yearns to hold you, love you, care for you, but it cannot as long as Blackbeard keeps up this nonsense.

If Izzy so much as steps out of line, Blackbeard punishes him. If Blackbeard threatens the crew, Izzy takes the blame. He will take all of it just keep the crew safe, just to keep you safe. No harm will befall anyone other than Izzy of he can help it.

The stars were out. The night sky clear. Izzy was doing his rounds when he found you up on deck. Your head was tilted upward toward the sky. You looked stunning in the eye of the first mate. No one else was present so he stepped over to you with careful steps. He came to stand so close beside you, his hand reached to brush against yours. Your heart leaped out of your chest, but the smile on your face was everything to him.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked you.

"Wishing on stars."

He had to chuckle slightly at that. Sometimes you said the most carefree and strangest things. Ever since Stede Bonnet, he can agree that in some ways you both had softened up a little.

"What are you wishing for?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" He asks, smiling softly at you.

"Because then it won't come true."

Izzy wished he had the guts to kiss you right there under the star filled sky, but he hesitated. The voice of Blackbeard rang clearly in his head, 'No messing about on my ship. Relationships are off limits.'

To watch you walk away that night hurt. He wished he had taken the risk. Just once more he wanted to feel your lips against his.

♡♡♡

It was gruesome as fuck. Blood stained the cot under Izzy. His wound wrapped up to the best it can be. Jim and Archie sat on the floor at the end of the bed, Izzy's leg in Jim's hand. You remained beside him, stroking your fingers through his hair.

Your mind was taken back to the night in his cabin where you confessed your feeling toward him. Though it ended horribly, it was still one of the best nights of your life. You'd give anything in the world to love Izzy like that again.

He was looking up at you through hazed eyes. His breathing was a little ragged, but nothing to be concerned over. He did just have his leg cut off.

You stroke your hand through his hair again. He closes his eyes slowly. You almost smile. He's relaxed by your touch. You want to just stay here and look after him. You want to take away every bad thing that's ever happened to him.

Your Izzy.

"We did it? He'll live?" Jim asked.

"50/50 I reckon." Archie replies.

You just gaze at Izzy. You know he'll live. He might not be okay, but he'll live. That's all you can ask for.

"He's very still right now," Archie points out.

"He's relaxed. At ease," you say.

"What's your interest in this guy anyway? He seems like a bit of a dick."

"He is," Jim says. "But he's our dick."

You smile softly. Yeah, that sounds about right.

"There was a time when life meant something on this ship. When we lived for each other. Not just to survive." Jim smiles at Archie. "Guess you never know when you're in the middle of the good old days."

You sigh softly. Yeah, that made sense. Jim was right. Your good old days were with this man right here in your arms. Those were the best days.

Late nights talking under the stars, fighting side by side, stealing coin to go spend on shore for a good time. Always with Izzy at your side.

Jim and Archie kiss. You see it in the corner of your eye. You smile softly to yourself. You'd love to share a kiss with your pirate too, but now isn't the time for that. He needs to rest.

"What was that for?" Jim asks.

"You have hope. It's cute," Archie says.

Again, you smile. Hope. You had almost lost all your hope, but when Izzy was near, you kept hold of it. He was your hope.

"Plus, I really like that story that you told about the wooden demon boy that thirsted for life. Or was it blood? No, I was cleaning up the blood--"

Jim kisses Archie again.

You don't get much time to let them enjoy their moment as heavy footsteps break the peace that has settled in the room.

The hairs stand on the back of your neck at the sound of Blackbeard's voice. The hand holding Izzy's tightens slightly.

Shit.

"What have we got here. Hm?"

"Hey, no one told me this room existed." Frenchie lies.

You gather that Frenchie must have been cornered by Blackbeard. Now he knew Izzy was alive.

You'd die for Izzy if you had to.

"Leave me, all of you." Blackbeard speaks calmly.

Frenchie goes back upstairs, Jim and Archie follow, though Blackbeard has to remind Jim to take the leg too.

You remain seated.

"And you," he says.

You glare at the man, jaw tense as you look at him with a tear filled gaze. You refused to them fall though.

"No."

Blackbeard says your name calmly, but it still sends shivers down your spine.

"He was your friend," you spit at him.

He doesn't look phased.

You turn to look down at Izzy. His head is rolled over to look at you. His eyes are open and you can see the expression in his eyes. You take a deep breath to prevent from crying and slowly let go of Izzy's hand. You shuffle past Blackbeard, who stands too close for comfort, and make your way up the stairs. You'd wait up there.

Izzy missed the warmth of your hand.

♡♡♡

It was after a raid when you retreated below deck to hide away for a while. The raids were constant. Daily. Blackbeard didn't stop. It was exhausting, but you kept on going. Each one worse than the last, and still the crew kept on going.

Sleep was a luxury these days. Every time you closed your eyes the raids replayed in your mind. The feel of your sword piercing through your victim was all too real even in your dreams.

You lay on your bed wide awake, eyes staring up at the ceiling. You could still faintly hear their screams, feel the blood staining your hands, the thumping of bodies hitting the deck. It doesn't seem to ever go away.

Your dark spiral of thoughts is broken by the sound of footsteps. You sit up, half expecting Blackbeard to be there, but you find yourself instantly relieved. Izzy is standing there, looking at you.

"Hey," he whispers.

"Hey," you whisper back.

Izzy comes a little closer. He looks tired, mentally and physically. You wished to take away that tiredness and let him relax for once in his life.

"Couldn't sleep?" You ask. He shakes his head. You pat the space beside you on your bed.

Izzy takes a moment, before joining you. He sits with just enough space between you both not to be touching. Though he wishes he could.

"Izzy?"

He looks over at you with a gentle gaze.

"Do you still love me?"

What a silly question.

"Yes."

You smile. That smile breaks his heart. He wants to scoop you up in his arms and hold you, kiss you, hug you tight. Discovery of affection for you gets him punished.

You look at him with such a soft expression and his heart beats quickly. His fingers twitch on his knee, eager to make contact with you in some form.

Fuck it.

Izzy wraps his arms around you and pulls you in close. His lips land on yours and you're left breathless as he kisses you. His arms feel like home to you, his kiss a saving grace in these dark times.

This is all either of you wanted. To be with each other. To love one another.

"What did I say about relationships?"

Fear fills your body. Neither of you had heard Blackbeard arrive, too caught up in each other. You had been caught. Of all times, it had to be now you were seen.

Blackbeard stands over his first mate, eyes set in a hard glare.

"Take off your boot, Izzy."

♡♡♡

"Have you come to take the other one?" Izzy asks, looking up at Blackbeard. He's full of hatred for this bastard, at least in this very moment.

"I think one's quite enough," Blackbeard says. "I just popped down to say a proper goodbye."

Blackbeard takes a pistol from his belt. He holds it up for Izzy to see.

"I had a dream about you last night." Blackbeard turned the gun in his hand and holds it out to Izzy. "Take it."

"Oh, fuck off."

Blackbeard tried to force him to take it.

"Fuck off. Fuck off!" Izzy shouts.

"Hold it! Hold it."

Izzy takes the gun.

"I dreamt that ya killed me." Blackbeard states. He prepares the pistol in Izzy's hand. "Shot me right through the skull."

Blackbeard moves so the barrel of the gun is aimed right at his forehead.

Izzy grins, his eyes full of spite. "Good for you."

"It was good for me," Blackbeard agrees. "It's just what the doctor ordered. Anyway, it wasn't even like that." He stands up and begins to walk away from the bed. "Not in my dream."

Izzy watches him go silently.

"I was standing." Blackbeard stands with his back facing Izzy. "Just like this." He stretches his arms open a little.

Izzy raises the gun to be in level with Blackbeard's head.

He starts laughing. A humourless laugh.

"Oh! You scared, Eddie?" Izzy asks, mocking him. "Too scared to do it yourself. Ay?" He laughs again. "Go on. Clean up your own fuckin' mess. I'm not doin' it. I've been doin' it all my fuckin' life."

That much is true.

"Fuck off."

"Farewell, old chum."

Blackbeard heads up the stairs. He leaves Izzy down in that horrible little room by himself. Alone with the pistol.

You see Blackbeard emerge from the room. You stand there, staring at him.

A gunshot goes off.

You cover your mouth to prevent yourself from screaming. If Edward is standing right in front of you, and Izzy was alone down in that room, that can only mean Blackbeard left him with a means to end his own misery.

The tears fall and you run toward Ed, but he grabs you and holds you back.

"Last go of me! Let go!" You try to fight him off, but Blackbeard was always stronger than you.

"He's gone."

Blackbeard doesn't let go as you cry out. You scream, you yell at him, you cry. He doesn't let go. He eventually guides you away from the little door and back toward the others.

Your heart had just lost everything it was living for.

♡♡♡

Izzy gazed at you with such a gentle look. You lay next to him, arm draped over his naked chest. The activity you had just shared was still fresh in his mind, replaying over and over. He had done it. He had shown you his love.

His hand gently reached out, his finger caressing your cheek so lightly. You were so... beautiful to him.

He loves you so much. Izzy isn't a man who shares his feelings easily. It doesn't come naturally to him, but he could no longer hide the burning passion he felt for you.

He thought the whole thing between Bonnet and Ed was foolish and a waste of time. But if they felt even a fraction of what he feels for you, then he was so wrong.

No one should be denied this feeling.

The way you felt against him, the warmth of tour skin against his, your thighs squeezing against his body. He wanted to do it all again. His name falling from your lips as you gave him everything he had to offer.

Izzy is a man in love.

That was a dream. Until it wasn't.

Blackbeard reared his head back at the worst time possible. Izzy paid the price for being the one to do it.

He learnt his lesson. Almost.

He wouldn't have changed that night for anything because he still got to spend it with you.

♡♡♡

"Yeah, sorry. I know you said you're expecting a lot from me, Captain." Frenchie is talking to Blackbeard. "But do you wanna do this here or down at the bottom of the ship 'cause I could just jump over and make it easier."

"Listen, if you weren't such a treacherous liar, I wouldn't have had closure with Izzy, so I thank you for that." Blackbeard rests his arm on the helm.

"Yeah, you're welcome. You're welcome." Frenchie is surprised.

"Take the day off, brother. Go live."

"Yeah? Sure you don't want me to any steerings?"

"Nah." Ed removes the tethers from the helm that were keeping it in place. "Do me good to be at the wheel for a bit. Clear my head."

Blackbeard turns the helm sharply around to the right. The ship jerks, knocking everyone unsteady. Frenchie has to hold on as he descends the stairs.

You had been looking out to sea blankly for the last half hour since getting up on deck. Ed just left you there with your thoughts while he spoke to Frenchie.

Fang had come over to ask what had happened. You couldn't find the strength to tell him, but that look in your eye had Fang shaking his head. "No," he repeated over and over. He began to cry too.

As the ship turned, you gripped the tailing harder, steadying yourself. You snap out of your sad thoughts to glance up at your captain. He was resting his head gently atop the helm, looking quite content.

Was he pretending your dead lover wasn't downstairs rotting away in that pit of a room? It made you sick.

You turn your gaze back to the sea. There's a storm ahead, and Ed is sailing right toward it. Fuck.

♡♡♡

"So, do we think he's better?" Fang asks.

"Fuck, no." Jim whispers.

"Well, I don't know about that. He seemed pretty calm to me," Frenchie says.

You look at him with a flat expression. "That's more scary than him lashing out in some cases."

"He said he just wanted to spend more time-" The ship jolts again and everyone goes crashing into the wall. "-with nature." Frenchie finishes his sentence.

"Nature? It's a fucking storm!" You hiss.

Everyone goes up on deck to find Blackbeard soaked through and having the time of his fucking life. The storm is harsh, rain pelting down and leaving not a single dry spot. You're pretty much instantly drenched as you stand there. It's dark and you can't see out to sea very well.

"Hey! Do you want some help, captain?" Frenchie asks.

"No, I'm good!"

"We're sailing into a storm, boss!" Fang says.

"It certainly looks that way, doesn't it, brother?" Ed yells, moving the cannon next to him. "It's a bad one, too. And some maniac got rid of the wheel."

You look up to see the helm gone. You stare at Ed with utter basement and disdain.

The ship rocks violently and everyone has to steady themselves.

"Well, that's the Caribbean for you, isn't it?" Blackbeard asks, enjoying this way too much. "Sunshine one minute, cataracts the next!"

"You'll fuckin' kill us, you fuckin' psycho!" Archie yells.

"Maybe, maybe not! The odds of surviving a storm like this are pretty low and if I fire one into the mast, the chance will go right down to zero!" Ed yells.

"You fucker!" You yell back.

"What do you want?" Jim asks him.

"What do I want? I want you to fight her to the death!" He gestures to Archie.

"Why?"

"That's a bit misogynistic, man."

The ship rock again, getting hit by a horrendous wave. You topple a little closer to where Blackbeard is standing.

"Yeah, probably. All love dies!" He yells. "I'm just hastening the process!"

You state at him in disbelief. "Is that why you... you had Izzy..."

He just looks at you with a grin, his eyes clouded with no sympathy. He wanted to kill off any love on this ship.

"Leave it, man, we're not gonna fight to the death." Jim says.

Archie throws a punch throwing Jim.

"That's more like it!" Ed cheers.

"In my experience, it's kind of how stuff goes, ya know." Archie tells Jim.

Jim and Archie fight.

"Come on! End her! Or I will end us all!" Edward shouts as Jim gets Archie on her back.

You watch the fight unfold, trying to make peace with the end of your life. You never imagined this would be how you go.

"It's okay. It's just life," Archie says to Jim.

"Come on! Do it!"

"Not on my life," Jim says. They help Archie up.

"Aww." Blackbeard is disappointed. "That's too bad!"

"You were gonna do it anyway!" You yell at him.

Blackbeard laughs.

"I was. I was."

He laughs in a manic manner.

Hatred surges through your veins. You push off the railing you were holding on for dear life and lungs at him. He continues to laugh as you grab his arm, making him look your in the eyes.

It was impossible to tell what were tears and what was rain on your face, but he knew you were crying. Your eyes were glossy and red.

The ship jolts again, this wave bigger than the last. Still you manage to hold onto Blackbeard, only slipping slightly.

He continues to laugh.

The crew try to stay on their feet. Someone gets knock overboard and Fang reaches out, but it's too late. The dark water has claimed them in it's hunger for destruction against the ship. Archie and Jim slide down the deck as the water carries them.

"You bastard!" You yell at Edward. "You fucking bastard!!"

He goes to light the cannon with the torch on his free hand. The torch is shot from his hand and he loses balance, you scatter backward, slipping on the deck from the sound of the gunshot. You're soaked from head to toe as you whip your head around the see where the shot came from.

All air leaves your lungs.

More tears mix into the rain on your face. You're gasping for breath.

Izzy stands with one hand clinging to the rope rigging, the other clutches the pistol Ed left him with. He's soaked through, his weight relying on his one leg. A nasty cut on his forehead from where he tried to shoot himself.

He is looking at you.

You can't form a single word. Your only thought is that he's alive. He's right there looking at you. You can't help smiling.

Fuck, you thought you had lost him.

Ed laughs when he sees him.

"You indestructible little fucker!"

That's your Izzy.

Fang lunges at Ed and pins him down. You find your strength and get up onto your feet. You don't hesitate to run toward Izzy. He watches you. You run right into his chest and wrap your arms around his torso. He drops the pistol so he can hold you, keeping you both steady with his other hand.

"You're alive," you whisper into chest. You can feel his heart beating in his chest. "You're alive."

Izzy closes his eyes and buries his nose into your hair, his lips pressing lightly against your temple. The feeling of having you in his arms is one of hope and relief.

He was never going leave you behind with Blackbeard. Never.

You help support Izzy over to where Ed lay on the deck. Fang comes over to help too. Jim, Archie, and Frenchie stare down at the man. He was in a losing battle if he chose to get up.

He didn't. He remained laying there.

Jim raises a cannon ball over their head.

"Finally," Ed laughs.

Jim drops the ball.

You look up at Izzy, hand pressed against his chest to help keep him upright. He looks at you.

The crew is free from Blackbeard.

You're both free from Blackbeard.

♡♡♡

@grippleback-galaxy - @askmarinaandothers - @godlikegallagher - @for-fuck-sake-im-alive - @whiskeyswriting - @lxsm2 - @bloody-bunni666 - @the-chocoholic-writer - @bugbugboy - @callmemana - @the-shenny-of-azkaban - @cool-ontherun-world - @outer-space-beech - @ahewi24 - @grace585 -

[izzyspussy]

Hey. So. I just had a thought. Totally out of the blue. What about OFMD characters as Tarot cards, huh? Whadaya think? Totally unprompted thought.

Wow, what a strange and interesting thought to have without any kind of cue at all... 🤔

Okay disclaimer. This isn't going to have everyone or tbh even most of 'em, because this post is fully brought to you by how no character has more perfectly exemplified The Hermit to me before and not much else.

Stede + The Fool

I think Stede and Ed both fit this very well (among other characters). I had a plan a while back to draw a card where Stede was The Fool upright and Ed was The Fool Reversed except instead of The Fool and The Fool Reversed it was Fuck Around and Find Out, but then I couldn't find reference pics I liked and I actually can't draw. So. But anyway. I don't feel like I need to defend this pick? Stede is at the beginning of the journey of his life and he's got a youthful energy because of that, but he's ill prepared and needs guidance!

Ed + The Devil

Fave card alert. Ed has a pretty clear "dark side" that he believes he can keep separate from his "good side" - which of course is not possible, they coexist. This dark side consists of his temper, his traumatic past, his self loathing, etc, all things brought up in The Devil. He also tries to satisfy these darker things with instant gratification type shit - drugs, sex(? metaphorical? who can say what he's been doing to Izzy or not askfjsk, but at least it was literal with Jack anyway), physical destruction, sadism, etc. He also has himself convinced he has no control or choice over his actions, that he's just evil or whatever, which this card addresses. The Devil can also represent a powerful and passionate relationship - or a codependent one, like Ed and Izzy's. And of course he also does literally just call himself the Devil straight-up. Who am I to argue.

Zheng + The Empress

I mean she has an Empire, so. A bit on the nose, but you can't beat 1:1 accuracy lmao. She also has her balancing act between tenderness and authoritarianism. She's nurturing (so far, but considering her ship is called the Red Flag I doubt that's gonna last or will be proven disingenuous soon, but anyway...) but it can't be questioned that she is the Ruler of Rulers.

Oluwande + Strength

Patience! Gentleness not from the lack of violence but despite the abundance of it! Commitment! Steadfastness! Emotional endurance! Yeah!

Ben + The Hermit

My longest yeah boi ever. A man at a remote location in nature that may or may not materially exist, there to guide a lone, lost visitor to understanding of himself in absolute spiritual solitude. I mean, there have been purgatories just like this one in fiction before, but none of them quite struck The Hermit so hard on the nail for me as Ben did.

Izzy + The Hanged Man

*ominous - and disconcertingly horny - chanting* Whipping Boy! Whipping Boy! Whipping Boy! Not just that, though, of course. As a character Izzy also represents the need to put things on pause and think them the fuck through before you do some stupidass shit. He wanted a plan, and when he didn't get one he put a screeching fucking halt to god damn everything. And then he didn't fully think through his own actions either and got fucking murdered about it lol. He also, narratively, represents a differing perspective (at least in season one) from the accepted standard, that without considering - as many """fans""" have proven lmfao - you cannot fully understand the story. Izzy is also the number one guy who would need to take The Hanged Man's advice. Give up, bud!!! It's over!!! Stop torturing yourself!!! (Don't actually though, babygirl you look so good 🫦)

Black Pete + Knight of Cups

He's so romantic... *dreamy sigh* When he's at his best, he's compassionate, understanding, emotionally available and expressive, and has such an innocent natural charm. At his less best, he's constantly talking talk he actually can't or won't back up with action. "I'm a perfect shot," he says, and then balks at being asked to shoot something mere hours later. He has an idealized, unrealistic view of himself.

Jim + Page of Wands

Like The Fool, the Page of Wands is at the beginning of their journey, but they are still deliberating about where exactly it is they want to go. Jim in particular has two clear paths they can take in becoming the person they'll be. They can take the path of revenge and ruthlessness laid out for them by Nana and Blackbeard, or they can take the path of redemption and compassion they're being invited to by Oluwande and Stede. And the only way to figure out which way to go is to look internally and discover what they truly want, and choose the path that will give them that.

Frenchie + Page of Swords

Frenchie is full of ideas and enthusiasm! But he's also very adaptable, and though he's got that youthful energy he is not necessarily lacking in awareness or experience. He's a Jack of all trades like The Magician, but without the social separation or ambition. Reversed, Page of Swords can represent repression and lack of communication, which Frenchie "Invented Compartmentalization" is clearly familiar with. It can also be about promises you can't - or have no intention to - keep, like Frenchie's murderboat First Mate duties.

We don't really need to address how BlackBonnet are The Lovers, I think. And I've already seen more than one fanart of BlackHands as Three of Swords, so I'll just mark that correct shall I? ✔️ Keep 'em coming baby.

Thank you so much for indulging me, Andie!! IDK if you're even in this fandom at all or not alsfjks, but I hope you like these answers anyway.

[goat-poet]

ed's sigh in ep5

**will add picture later**

something about the post-kiss thumbsies games rings wrong with me. not that it happened. not that is was included in the narrative (it's a great way of showing relief, actually.)

but what stede says at the end, when ed end up on top.

'you won.' and ed turns away, and his face turn quiet, serious. he huffs.

i didn't understand it right away - but I get the feeling, ed sighing harmonizes with me for some reason, and I have some ideas.

one, there's obviously a history of assuming their relationship is a game to the other. they realized and said out loud 'we are him prone'. the relationship being a game is not connoted positively BUT what would any (romantic) relationship be without games. being chums, fooling around. games make room for error, within games there is space to draw (and voice) boundaries. and they were performing playful, emotive exchange right before stepping into each others spaces, kissing, holding hands. so is it setting the game / any game and with that taking a chance on something good happening, but also taking a chance on getting hurt, in a physically intimate setting that makes Ed seem...uncomfortable?

two, 'you won' rings kind of absolute. alternatives may be: you win, you're winning this time. you got me. why does stede choose these words? well Ed obviously 'won' this exchange of thumbsies. but what makes the competition? they're on the same team, they're 'us'. or stede could mean: you're doing well, you're coming out on top of this, and the game is a signifier of this, if stede wants to make it that.

And Ed disagrees. his sea has not calmed (yet). he knows himself, he knows he's constantly shifting, and that he can be triggered. for ed, sorting out their relationship isn't over, and i don't think it is for stede either from what is shon. But we don't see stede worrying over his mental health, while we do experience ed going through enormous mental shifting with outright cruelty and suicidal behaviour on one end of the spectrum and shyly turning in to be kissed under the moonlight on the other end. and last time things went bad, stede was the trigger. but as we leave ep5, ed is taking care of himself, rebuilding trust, not apologizing but doing amends. so he probably has a thought or two about what is going to destabilize him, my first guess being izzy as ed cruelty to him is always mentioned in an impersonalized manner (izzy's name doesn't actually fall when discussing HIS LEG). i think, on some level, ed is aware of the cruelty he is capable to bestow upon others. probably not the most recent ones (see: izzy), but he is aware he can become dangerous to others and himself. and who would Ed hate to hurt? stede, of course. ed has 'won' nothing but a temporary refuge on the ship and an odd tranquility that gives him a chance to process i hope. he's still at war wwith himself inside his head, but how would anyone understand if he doesn't even understand how to navigate it

three, ed can't hold silence for shit. and stede can't really either. stede reaches for ed's hand, asking him calmly if this ok. ed answers 'perfect', and takes stede's hand in both of his. they play with their fingers, ed 'wins' and stede states the obvious. and it...has no end? their quip is going on and on and ed...maybe doesn't want to. he sat in silence (haha) with fang earlier (my man fell asleep on him) and maybe ed like that? but - as stated explicitly by fang - he's not good at that. he cannot emulate a sense of calmness/silence well on himself GUESS wHAT my babygirl is shit at emotionally self-regulation!!! and stede can't perform the calmness either, not yet. Meaning if either of them really shuts up, it means something may be wrong, or at least awkward ('please talk to me'). and fucking ed teach doesn't need awkwardness right now SO THE QUIPPING GOES ON and it's nice, it's romantic even, it feels easy. and while it might not be what he needs, ed at least identified what he needs from stede i guess???

going insane over this, if you can't tell by now. thanks for reading!!

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

Alright I want to talk about piracy, gender, and babygirlification in here on this day. I don't know if metas are a thing you title but this one is called "babygirl, that pirate is gnc as fuck."

I want to be up front here. I've seen some people talk about us feminizing these pirates and saying "hey maybe don't do that" in ways I agree with the sentiment of but disagree with on their conclusions. So to lend credence to the parts of those arguments I agree with I'm gonna say up front that Ed's hair isn't the thing that makes me go "oh he's serving femboy" while is hair is gorgeous, it's not considered feminine in Maori culture to have long hair so it is not contributing to my reading of "ways Ed goes hard with his gender presentation" that's the part I agree on. However I don't think that means he's not giving gender because oh baby let's get into it.

I want to preface all of this with this. Ed's costume is delightfully anachronistic. He is dressed like Mad Max. He's giving biker he's giving leather daddy. So when I talk about the gender presentation implied by spacific costume pieces I'm analyzing it from a modern perspective because how am I gonna hold mad Max leather daddy to 1700s standards of masculinity and femininity. Now with that disclaimer out of the way let's start with perhaps the most talked about and simultaneously least acknowledged one

He's wearing a whole ass crop top. They didn't have to do that. Mad Max, the major costuming influence for Ed's look has the divide between his shirt and his pants down a bit from where Ed's is. me and the other girlboys and gender anarchists all know that a hairy man in a crop top is the ultimate serve. And while his tummy is thirsted after I don't think it gets the credit it deserves for being a gender moment. I blame the high waisted pants for that, because if you can't see tummy you are likely to forget it's a crop top.

The next hint over the course of the show we get that his gender expression might be complex and varied and for the queers is this

I'll get to the suits when I talk about Stede, but here we have a man with flowers in his hair and bows in his beard. What he has done here is again very androgynous. Usually when we think of androgyny we think of something that is neither masculine nor feminine. My man Jeff has gone the opposite direction with the beard bows. Because beards are very masculine (there are women with beards of course but as a cultural signifier beard screams man) and he has put these dainty feminine little bows in it. It's giving like 1700s glitter beard in that it's something we consider very masculine decorated in a way that is very feminine. And it's elevated by those fuckin hair flowers which match his shoes. It's a whole look.

Then we get another wonderful anachronism. It's blink and you miss it but

The fuckin nail polish. He's wearing nail polish, and not even nail polish in a color where you can go "well he's goth" lord no. It's pink and sparkly.

Next one: the Kraken

Now I know what you're thinking, "But Jamie, this look is the sad boy look. This look is the look where he's trying to hide his vulnerability, and, subtextually, his femininity from Izzy." And let me tell you, you're so right and as a trans man this look is something that can be so fucking personal to me. The man is undergoing beard dysphoria and he's dealing with it how I dealt with it when I was 16 and some of my cis male classmates started coming to school with lil teenager mustaches. I know that's like the opposite of a feminine thing but it is part of the complex gender fuckery we see on this character. He got told you're not enough of a man pirate and he ran and threw on FAKE BEARD? that's that on me knowing this mother fucker to be trans. On top of feeding us with that trans masc experience he gives us the MCR eyeshadow? The look is undeniably trans. And that's not even getting into the dangly earring. Granted the earring could go either way pirates are often depicted with earrings.

I suppose this isn't really a meta so much as me gushing about minor costuming decisions and how Ed is a GNC icon

[sixstepsaway]

My rant may have gotten a little unhinged there, so pardon the caps and and wild swerves in topic. You've got a great point in how their interactions show that they know Izzy is mostly talk. And Fang really is worried about poor Izzy's foot, isn't he? Also, in regards to that scene, when injured angry Izzy comes in snarling about the books not being thrown overboard, Ivan looks kinda taken aback. "It's a lot of books, Izzy." Not only is he comfortable talking back, Ivan seems surprised that Izzy would say something like that. I get the sense that while Izzy might be on everyone's ass about work, he isn't generally the type to push people to work harder if they're already doing their job. (I also think this suggests Izzy is afraid of Ed now in a way he wasn't before. They need to move fast, or who knows what Ed might do?) No one's had to deal with forced autocannibalism from Izzy on that crew. And I do know what you mean about the spat and pushing away with Stede. Ed tends to flee when rejected or feeling rejected. But my visions of the future have made me realize something so important. Point 1: We've established poor behavior on both Izzy and Fang's parts in regards to each other, and the need for communication. That means there's a good chance character development stuff might involve them communicating to one another. I have Reasons to believe the Izzy the Spewer incident might come up again as a topic for discussion. Point 2: Confirmed babygirl kinkster who is only capable of expressing physical affection toward men in violently charged interactions frequently pulls large, daddy-shaped man's beard. -dd anon

nonny. nonny. nonny. nonny of my heart. i've been staring at this fucking message since you sent it nonny and i havent gotten any less feral over my brain suddenly opening up and the skies parting and all i can see is izzy/fang. nonny. i had to sit here for this long before i could come up with a reply to the rest, nonny.

Okay, the rest:

I think maybe something that we're not really adding to our thoughts is that we've actually only really seen Izzy as attempting-to-be-first-mate of the Revenge? Not of Ed's ship?

So, as a brief rundown of the Revenge from what we've been shown so far: they are a crew who were scooped up from god knows where, on a ship that's pristine because it was literally built all of a month ago, the crew are being paid wages rather than having to work for their dinner, no one ever actually seems to do ship things except maybe Buttons who seems to have a clue what he's doing but I don't think I've seen him actually work either, and no matter how much some may argue they're real pirates, they all hide behind the ship in 1x01 when the English show up, just like Stede.

Furthermore, the ship's surgeon is actually the cook (and although he's sewed up his shoulder in the past and makes a bangin' orange cake and goes in to amputate Lucius' finger, we don't know that he's actually qualified to be the surgeon), Stede had no idea Jim was "really a woman" (I mean, they're not, but you get my drift for the early episodes), and in 1x02 they forgot to steer the ship, which is why they ran aground.

So when Izzy comes around in 1x05 and is trying to do his job, which is basically to oversee and wrangle the crew into doing their jobs, what he finds is that there are two functional crew members (Ivan and Fang, who they brought along from their ship), and a bunch of folks that... don't do their jobs.

Literally in 1x05 you have Frenchie who went off and put on nice clothes he found from their raid (which is not working, though he did look dapper), Stede and Ed very distracted by the invitation, Lucius and Stede swinging their legs watching Ivan do all the work of going through the bodies for loot, Fang who is--

Wait, hold on. What is Fang doing?

I mean the general, main answer is "attending Ed", which makes sense because they're on someone else's ship and it makes perfect sense to have Fang nearby while Ed and Stede are distracted, just in case something bad happens.

But what is he actively doing in this scene? Is he knitting? Sewing? What? What? WHAT IS HE DOING WITH HIS HANDS? You literally only see him in this shot and I am losing my mind because I want to know what he's doing???? fuck!

Anyway, Fang is off skinning a guy for Ed after this, Lucius and Pete are fucking in the storeroom amongst the food while Wee John takes a nap, Frenchie and Oluwande go over to the ship with Ed and Stede, and when you get wide shots you can see literally no one is working on that ship.

Izzy is losing his shit and yelling at Lucius because every time he turns his head, no one is doing anything. It's a ship! It needs a crew because the crew keep it moving and functioning and clean.

Like, I understand if cleaning barnacles isn't Lucius' job, but someone has to do it?

So Izzy is presented with a ship whose crew is just, not doing their jobs, and all we really get to see is Izzy yelling at them and trying his darndest to actually get them to work, while they're just like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ meh it practically sails itself.

What we don't see is how Ed's ship runs. We don't see how his crew work, we don't see whether Izzy has to yell at everyone on that ship or if all he has to do is hand out a chore roster and everyone does their jobs.

If everyone is doing their jobs and pulling their weight, it's likely that they're treated with the respect they've earned and deserve as working and functioning members of the crew, and that their needs are also seen to, and who would be in charge of seeing to their needs?

Izzy.

Extra points: in the books scene, Ivan calls Izzy by his first name, Fang calls him 'boss', but the tone he uses makes it sound less like a mandatory title like when Izzy tells Lucius he expects sir or first mate hands or god or whatever, and more like he's showing him respect in return, the respect he's earned from that crew.

I get the sense that while Izzy might be on everyone's ass about work, he isn't generally the type to push people to work harder if they're already doing their job. (I also think this suggests Izzy is afraid of Ed now in a way he wasn't before. They need to move fast, or who knows what Ed might do?) No one's had to deal with forced autocannibalism from Izzy on that crew.

This, too. There's "expects the crew to do their jobs" and there's "is unreasonable about it", and there's no actual demonstration that Izzy is ever unreasonable about it. He just wants them to do their jobs and pull their weight!